Chicago | Pakistan

An Indian national was charged with an assault on a flight travelling from Chicago to Germany, according to a press release issued by the United States Department of Justice (DoJ) on Monday. The DoJ stated that Praneeth Kumar Usiripalli, 28, stabbed two teenagers with a metal fork and was arrested on October 25 after the flight was diverted to Boston. He was charged in the US District Court with one count of assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm. “According to the charging documents, on October 25, 2025, while on board Lufthansa flight 431 en route from Chicago to Frankfurt, Germany, Usiripalli allegedly stabbed a 17-year-old male passenger (Minor A) in the shoulder area with a metal fork,” the statement read. “Usiripalli then allegedly stabbed a second 17-year-old male passenger (Minor B) in the back of the head with the same metal fork.” The DoJ said that when flight crew members attempted to subdue Usiripalli, he reportedly raised his hand, formed a gun with his fingers, put it in h...

US President Donald Trump authorised the deployment of troops to Chicago after a federal agent shot an allegedly armed motorist there on Saturday. At the same time, a judge blocked the Republican leader’s attempt to send the military into Portland, another Democratic-run city. The escalating crisis across the country pits Trump’s increasingly militarised anti-crime and migration crackdown against opposition Democrats who accuse him of an authoritarian power grab. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in a statement that “President Trump has authorised 300 national guardsmen to protect federal officers and assets” in Chicago. This comes after weeks of Republican threats to send troops to the Midwestern city over the wishes of local leaders. “President Trump will not turn a blind eye to the lawlessness plaguing American cities.” Illinois Senator Dick Durbin called the move a “shameful chapter in our nation’s history”, adding that the “president is not intent on fighting crime. He is intent on spreading f...

A US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shot and killed a man in the Chicago area on Friday as officers attempted to detain him, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and local officials said. ICE officers were conducting a vehicle stop to arrest Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez when he drove his car at the officers, DHS said in a statement. An ICE officer fired at Villegas-Gonzalez after being dragged by his vehicle, according to the statement. The officer, who was not named, was injured and in stable condition, according to DHS. Reuters could not immediately find contact information for Villegas-Gonzalez’s family. DHS said in the statement that he was in the country illegally. The Consulate General of Mexico in Chicago confirmed the identity of the person who was killed, saying he was a 38-year-old cook from Mexico. The Trump administration said on Monday it had launched an immigration enforcement action in Chicago and other parts of Illinois called “Operation Midway Blitz”. “We warned that ICE’s aggre...

R. Kelly seeks to disqualify Chicago prosecutors from his case, alleging misconduct, bias, and a murder conspiracy.