Murder

The jury deliberated for less than three hours before finding Alex Murdaugh, 54, guilty of two counts of murder at the end of a six-week trial.

BBC reports he faces 30 years to life in prison without parole for each murder charge.

Maggie and Paul Murdaugh were shot at close range near the dog kennels on their family estate.

Alex Murdaugh stood impassively as he learned his fate during Thursday evening's hearing in Walterboro.

The man allegedly beat the twelve year old-girl to death at a home in Palisi, Apia.

He is now at Tanumalala Prison awaiting a court appearance later next month.

Meanwhile, a family dispute in Savai'i led to the death of a 29 year-old man. His brother in law has been arrested and charged with murder.

The accused has been held in custody at Tanumalala Prison and will appear in court on February 6.

In a separate incident, a man is in custody charged with murder after an off-duty female police officer was shot dead.

It happened at Fogapoa on Savaii on Thursday evening after a dispute over land escalated

Acting Police Commissioner Papalii Monalisa Keti said immediately after the shootings the accused man surrendered to police.

The dead man was in his 60s and his son was 18 years old.

Olivier Peres, who oversaw the orthopaedic department at Noumea's public hospital, gunned down Eric Martinez on a golf course four years ago.

Peres said Martinez had an affair with his wife, had threatened his family and boasted that as a member of the French military commando, he had killed people, including children.

The court heard however that Martinez didn't belong to any such unit.

Days before the killing, Peres and his wife had contacted the police, expressing fear after undue pressure from Martinez, whom Peres described in court as a narcissistic pervert.

Mohammed Raheesh Isoof was convicted this afternoon after Justice Thushara Rajasinghe ruled that the prosecution proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Isoof had killed the family of five in August 2019.

Isoof was charged with five counts of murder and one count of attempted murder.

The bodies of a 63-year-old carpenter, Nirmal Kumar, his 54-year-old wife, Usha Devi, their 34-year-old daughter, Nileshni Kajal and Kajal's two daughters aged 11 and 8 years were discovered in the Nausori Highlands about 28km out of Nadi.

Reeva Steenkamp's parents are preparing to meet Pistorius.

It is part of a process that could lead to his eventual release on parole.

The South African athlete has been moved to a prison closer to Barry and June Steenkamp to enable the meeting to go ahead.

Pistorius has served half his 13 years and five months sentence, handed to him for the 2013 Valentine's Day killing.

Esau Vailagilala was 19 when he tackled John Li'a to the ground after a birthday party in Mt Roskill in 2011.

He was joined two other men and they used weapons to attack and stab the victim, who bled to death.

RNZ reports Vailagilala, now aged 28, arrived in New Zealand in 2009 through adoption by his aunt.

Among family he will leave behind in New Zealand when he is released from his 13-year sentence for murder in 2026 and deported, is his twin brother.

Officers were called shortly before 16:00 GMT on Sunday following reports of an attack in Bugs Bottom fields, Emmer Green.

The boy was pronounced dead at the scene and police are appealing for witnesses to come forward.

No arrests have been made, but Thames Valley Police believe the boy was attacked by two or three males.

Police said the boy's next of kin have been informed, but no formal identification has taken place.

A "considerable police presence" will be in place for several days, police said.

Police say they suspect the 27-year-old mother of killing the children before attempting to take her own life at a train station in nearby Düsseldorf.

Few details have been provided, with no information about the cause of death.

Emergency services were called to the residential block in the Hasseldelle area of the city on Thursday afternoon.

The late DJ was shot in 2002 by a masked man in his recording studio in Queens, New York.

On Monday, prosecutors said Mizell was killed by acquaintances in a "drug related homicide".

The influential act he formed with Joseph "Run" Simmons and Darryl "DMC" McDaniel disbanded after his death.

They are famous for tracks such as It's Tricky and Aerosmith's Walk This Way.