Nine people have gone on trial in Germany accused of attempting to seize Parliament and overthrow the state. The accused include an aristocrat, a former judge, and two senior army officials.

Berlin

Nine individuals are currently standing trial in Germany, accused of plotting to overthrow the state's parliament and establish a new regime. Among the accused are Heinrich XIII Prinz Reuss, an aristocrat allegedly aiming to restore the old imperial German Reich, a former judge, and two ex-senior army officers. 

Prosecutors claim that Reuss and his co-defendants used his properties in Thuringia to plan the coup, including storing illegal weapons and ammunition. The court case is described as one of the most complex in recent German history, with an initially scheduled duration of around 50 days, though the trial could extend longer based on the testimonies of the defendants.

Most of the accused have been in custody for nearly 18 months, including Birgit Malsack-Winckermann, a former civil judge and ex-member of the Far-Right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Malsack-Winckermann is accused of showing fellow conspirators around the Bundestag while still in office. Defense lawyers argue that their clients have been unfairly demonized and assert that there is no evidence of any criminal activity.

The defendants are reportedly affiliated with the Reichsbürger movement, which rejects the legitimacy of modern Germany in favor of the pre-WWI imperial state. Prosecutors assert that the group intended to seize the Bundestag and oust its elected members, viewing the building as symbolic of their desired restoration of the Kaisers' era. The court proceedings continue as both sides present their arguments.



Nine defendants go on trial in Germany coup plot

He is accused of plotting to overthrow the German parliament and install himself as head of state. Heinrich XIII Prinz Reuss, a man with an aristocratic background who prosecutors say wanted to bring back the old imperial German Reich after a coup d'etat. Among those on trial with him are a former judge and two ex-senior army officers. Court officials say it's one of the most complex cases in recent German history. It's impossible to say how long this trial will last. The court has already scheduled about 50 days, up until January. But it's not an indication. It may last much longer. It depends how much testimony the defendants give. One of the central charges is that Reuss and the others used his properties in the state of Thuringia to formulate their plans, including one where they stashed illegal weapons and ammunition for their alleged coup. Most of the defendants have been in custody since their arrest nearly 18 months ago, including this lady, Birgit Malsack-Winckermann, who was still a civil judge when she was detained, but was once a member of parliament for the Far-Right Alternative for Germany, or AfD party. It's alleged she knowingly showed fellow conspirators around the Bundestag while still in office. Defence lawyers reject the charges. One for Heinrich Reuss says his client has been demonised. He's portrayed as some big monster who is the leader of the whole thing. It's just not true. The media are pushing this, and it's simply wrong. But we will rectify that. The defendants are broadly part of the Reichsbürger movement, which does not recognise modern Germany, believing the pre-WWI imperial predecessor lives on. Which explains why this building was so important to the Reuss group. In its current guise as the Bundestag, prosecutors say the accused wanted to seize it and to throw out its elected members. But as the old Reichstag, it represents the time of the Kaisers, which they allegedly wanted to restore. The authorities say these defendants believed in the so-called deep state theory. Their lawyers say there's no evidence they committed any crimes. Dominic Cain, Al Jazeera, Berlin.

Mexican voters have elected their first female president. Claudia Sheinbaum, from the left-wing Morena party, won a landslide victory. She's a former climate scientist and mayor of Mexico City. The 61-year-old politician will succeed her political mentor, the outgoing President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

Mexico City

Claudia Sheinbaum becomes first woman elected president of Mexico

Seoul will fully suspend a 2018 tension-reducing military deal with nuclear-armed North Korea, the South's National Security Council said after Pyongyang sent hundreds of trash-filled balloons across the border.

Seoul

Seoul to fully suspend inter-Korean military deal

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on the country's political parties to work together for the good of the country as final results from last week's election confirmed his African National Congress (ANC) lost its majority for the first time.

Johannesburg

South Africa's Ramaphosa calls for unity after ANC loses majority

The body of 30-year-old Mhey Jasmine has been found under the debris of a townhouse destroyed by a gas explosion at Whalan, Sydney’s west after a gruelling two-day search operation.

Whalan

Woman's body found after explosion at townhouse

Mexico's ruling party declared Claudia Sheinbaum the winner of the presidential election by a "large margin" after polls closed on Sunday, putting her on course to be the country's first woman president.

Claudia Sheinbaum declared Mexico's first woman president

China has warned it will take resolute action against any move carried out by Taiwan in its bid for independence. In a fiery speech at Asia’s annual top security summit in Singapore, China's Defence Minister also shared his country’s vision of global security before defence leaders from around the world.

Taipei

China ready to ‘forcefully’ stop Taiwan independence

Former U.S. president Donald Trump told Fox News he would be ‘OK’ with house arrest or jail time following his conviction, but he doesn’t think the public ‘would stand for it.’ Trump’s opponents considered the comments as being able to incite violence.

New York

Trump says he's 'ok' with jail time or house arrest

An aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that Israel had accepted a framework deal for winding down the Gaza war now being advanced by U.S. President Joe Biden, though he described it as flawed and in need of much more work.

Washington

Israel-Gaza War

Israel accepts Biden's Gaza plan: Netanyahu aide

The landing of China's uncrewed spacecraft on the far side of the moon elevates the country's space power status in a global rush to the moon, where countries including the United States are hoping to exploit lunar minerals to sustain long-term astronaut missions and moon bases within the next decade. Lauren Anthony reports.

Beijing

China lands on moon's far side in historic mission

South Africa's ruling ANC faced a search for allies to form a new government after losing its three-decade-old absolute majority in a watershed election.

Cape Town

South Africa's ANC loses absolute majority, needs allies

Tens of thousands of Israelis have again taken to the streets of the Israeli city, putting pressure on the government of Prime Minister Netanyahu to accept a ceasefire plan presented by United States President Joe Biden, calling on Netanyahu to publicly support the proposal.

Tel Aviv-Yafo

Protesters urge Netanyahu to accept ceasefire deal

Defence Minister Richard Marles says he's had frank discussions with his Chinese counterpart after criticising China as 'unsafe' and 'unprofessional' at an international defence summit. Meanwhile, the opposition is labelling the Prime Minister as weak with diplomatic dealings after last week's immigration visa controversy.

Singapore

Defence Minister holds tense talks with China

A massive search effort is continuing for a woman trapped under the rubble after a gas explosion destroyed a townhouse yesterday. The missing woman, a trainee nurse from the Philippines was sleeping in a bedroom when the blast happened.

Search continues for woman under rubble after explosion

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says there could be no permanent ceasefire in Gaza until Hamas was destroyed, casting doubt on a key part of a truce proposal that U.S. President Joe Biden said Israel itself had made.

Netanyahu rejects ceasefire until Hamas 'destroyed'

Indians voted in the summer heat in what is the final phase of the world's biggest election. An early exit poll summary by the NDTV news channel projected that incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party-led alliance will win a majority.

Varanasi

Exit-polls point towards Modi victory in India

At least five people are injured after an explosion destroyed a townhouse at Whalan, Sydney’s west. Gas is believed to have caused the blast blowing out windows and destroying neighbouring homes. A desperate search for a woman missing under the rubble is currently ongoing.

Giant explosion rocks Western Sydney homes

The U.S. has lifted restrictions on Ukraine's use of its weapons to hit targets within Russia itself after Russia advanced toward Kharkiv by staging attacks from its territory with impunity.

Kyiv

Biden allows Ukraine to hit Russian targets with U.S. arms

U.S. President Joe Biden is backing an apparent Israeli proposal that could end its war with Hamas. The three-phase plan also calls for the release of all hostages, and rebuilding Gaza.

Biden backs Israel-Hamas ceasefire plan

Former U.S. president Donald Trump stood before the media, a day after his historic conviction for falsifying business records in New York to deny any wrongdoing, while blaming Joe Biden.

U.S. Presidential Election

Trump turns conviction into campaign opportunity

U.S. President Joe Biden says Israel had proposed a fresh Gaza ceasefire in exchange for the release of hostages, and called on Hamas to agree to the new offer, saying it was the best way to end the conflict.

Biden reveals Israel has proposed fresh ceasefire

Donald Trump says he would appeal the guilty verdict that made him the first U.S. president convicted of a crime, after a jury found him found guilty of all 34 criminal counts he faced for falsifying documents to cover up a hush money payment.

Trump says he will appeal historic conviction

President Joe Biden has lifted restrictions on Ukraine using weapons supplied by the United States against targets on Russian territory, but only to defend the under-fire Kharkiv region, U.S. officials said.

Ukraine Invasion

Biden allows Ukraine to hit Russian territory with U.S. arms

At the end of February, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told embattled planemaker Boeing that it had 90 days to map out a plan to fix systemic quality control issues in the company. Boeing's top executives provided a plan to improve quality and safety to the FAA on Thursday (May 30).

Boeing reveals sweeping plan to improve quality control, culture

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has concluded long-term security agreements with Sweden and Norway, a sign of Western commitment to Ukraine as Kyiv seeks further military support from the West in the war with Russia.

Stockholm

Ukraine concludes security deals with Sweden, Norway

Papua New Guinea (PNG) Prime Minister James Marape made his first visit to a remote village hit by a deadly landslide last week and thanked international aid donors for their support. Officials are still trying to pinpoint how many people are buried under parts of a mountain which collapsed onto the Yambali village in the Enga region.

Yambali

Papua New Guinea leader visits community hit by landslide

The people of Sudan are at "imminent risk of famine," United Nations agencies said, more than a year into a war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Khartoum

UN says Sudan at 'imminent risk of famine'

Donald Trump became the first U.S. president to be convicted of a crime when a New York jury found him guilty of falsifying documents to cover up a payment to silence porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election.

Trump found guilty on all 34 counts in hush money trial

The Prime Minister says he has 'no intention' of sacking Immigration Minister Andrew Giles, despite pressure from the Opposition. But a scramble has begun to fix the latest immigration mess that, this time, can't be blamed on the High Court.

Canberra

Albanese defends under fire Minister

Police have confirmed a phone found beside a dam on the outskirts of Ballarat belongs to missing 51-year-old mother Samantha Murphy.

Ballarat

Missing mother's phone found near dam

A court in Hong Kong has found 14 of 16 activists and politicians guilty of subversion in the Chinese territory's largest-ever trial under the Beijing-imposed national security law. The defendants were charged for taking part in an unofficial primary election in 2020.