International
Indonesia Sought Swap for Serial Rapist Sinaga, Britain Rejected the Offer
Indonesia sought the return of Manchester’s notorious serial rapist Reynhard Sinaga in exchange for handing over British national Lindsay Sandiford, who had been on death row for cocaine trafficking. The proposal left British diplomats dismayed, according to a report by the Daily Mail.
Sandiford, who had spent 13 years awaiting execution, was only days away from release when Indonesia’s request stalled her repatriation for eight months. She ultimately returned to the UK last weekend. The British government made it clear that her release would be unconditional and that no prisoner swap would be accepted.
Sinaga, sentenced in 2019 to a minimum of 40 years in prison, was convicted of 159 sexual offences, including the rape of 136 men. Between 2015 and 2017, he lured young men from Manchester nightclubs, drugged them, assaulted them in his flat, and filmed the assaults. He was caught when an 18-year-old rugby player regained consciousness and fought back. Police later uncovered dozens of videos on Sinaga’s phone, many victims unaware they had been assaulted.
Sandiford had been sentenced to death in 2012 for attempting to smuggle £1.6 million worth of cocaine into Indonesia. Although preparations for her repatriation were underway in March, Indonesia abruptly demanded a prisoner exchange—an offer the UK immediately rejected.
Sandiford said she and British officials were stunned when the last-minute demand was made. Meanwhile, Sinaga’s parents have long lobbied for his return to Indonesia to serve what they described as the remainder of his sentence.
A 5.2-magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia’s North Maluku province, though authorities reported no casualties or damage. The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency confirmed that the quake originated 10 kilometres beneath the surface.
The tremor hit the Halmahera region on Sunday and comes as Indonesia continues to experience frequent seismic activity due to its location along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” where several tectonic plates converge.
Meanwhile, a separate 5.3-magnitude earthquake shook Myanmar’s coastal region the same morning. According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the quake struck at 10:39am Bangladesh time, with its epicentre located in the Andaman Sea, about 267 kilometres west-southwest of Dawei. The tremor was also felt in parts of neighbouring Thailand, though no damage has been reported.
Just two days earlier, on 21 November, a 5.7-magnitude earthquake jolted several parts of Bangladesh, including Dhaka. The quake, which originated in Narsingdi’s Madhabdi area, left 10 people dead and many others injured.
Despite a six-week-long ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, at least 24 Palestinians have been killed in renewed Israeli air and drone strikes. The attacks, which began early Saturday, also left 87 others injured, according to local health authorities. Children are reported to be among the dead.
Witnesses said the first strike targeted a car in northern Gaza City, followed by successive attacks in Deir al-Balah and the Nuseirat refugee camp. In Gaza City’s Rimal area, a drone strike killed 11 people and injured 20 others. Rami Muhanna, director of Al-Shifa Hospital, confirmed that many of the wounded remain in critical condition.
In Deir al-Balah, a strike on a residential house left three people dead, including a woman. The blast was so powerful that nearby residents fled in panic. “This cannot be called a ceasefire,” said eyewitness Khalil Abu Hatab. “There is no safe place left.”
Hamas has accused Israel of repeatedly violating ceasefire terms and has urged the United States to intervene immediately. The group claims the strikes are targeting civilians and called for stronger international action to halt the attacks.
International observers warn that the renewed violence could escalate tensions further amid Gaza’s deepening humanitarian crisis.
The United States has designated Saudi Arabia as one of its most important non-NATO military allies, President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday during a White House dinner held in honour of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, according to Al Jazeera.
Trump said the official designation as a Major Non-NATO Ally would elevate military cooperation between the two countries. The United States has granted this status to only 19 nations so far. He added that the decision had been kept confidential until the event at Saudi Arabia’s request.
The President also noted that the Crown Prince would play a role in a council being formed to establish peace in Gaza, adding that he himself would serve as its chairman, as previously stated.
Earlier, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrived in the United States for the meeting. Discussions covered military cooperation, nuclear technology, artificial intelligence, and increased Saudi investments in the US. The Crown Prince announced plans to raise Saudi investments from 600 billion USD to 1 trillion USD.
Talks also included potential sales of advanced F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia.
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