Artist sues FIFA over mural destruction

An artist has filed a federal lawsuit against soccer’s international governing body over the destruction of his 17,000-square-foot mural of swimming whales on a building in Dallas as it prepares to host World Cup matches. The civil suit filed Monday by the artist Wyland says FIFA and the building’s owner and management company violated a 1990 federal law that protects artists from destruction of their public works. World Cup organizers in the Dallas area have said the downtown mural was painted over to make room for new art. The artist is seeking $25 million in damages. FIFA says it had no involvement. A spokesperson for the building’s management company says they were told the artist had been notified.

Ibises reintroduced in Japan after extinction

Eight crested ibises have been released into the wild in a north-central Japanese town, decades after going extinct in the country. The endangered birds took off from their wooden cages Sunday during a ceremony in Hakui city. Residents cheered as the birds soared into the sky when Crown Prince Akishino and other officials cut a ribbon. The birds were raised at a conservation center on Sado Island following a successful captive-breeding program. They went extinct on the Honshu main island in the 1970s due to overhunting and environmental degradation. Ten more birds are waiting to be released.

Bus driver responsible for fatal VA crash

Court records show a bus driver accused of causing a fatal chain-reaction crash in Virginia had been cited twice for speeding in the last two years. Jing Sheng Dong of Staten Island, New York, aged 48, has been charged with five counts of involuntary manslaughter and one count of reckless driving. The crash early Friday morning on I-95 killed five people and injured dozens more. Online court records show Dong was previously convicted of speeding in Virginia in 2024 and was charged in March with speeding in Maryland. He also faces a trespassing charge in Virginia. Lawyers who represented him in some of those cases did not respond to emails seeking comment Monday.

UN calls on Nicaragua to investigate death in custody

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The United Nations has called on Nicaragua to investigate the death of Indigenous leader Brooklyn Rivera. Rivera died from a bacterial infection after contracting COVID-19. He was imprisoned in September 2023 without formal charges. The UNHCR claims Tuesday Rivera was arbitrarily detained and his case was a “forced disappearance.” The agency criticized Nicaragua for alleged torture and poor detention conditions. At least 47 people remain imprisoned for political reasons. The UNHCR demands the release of all arbitrarily detained individuals and adherence to international human rights standards.

Mental fitness exam for alleged Hawaii murderer

HONOLULU (AP) — Prosecutors say the killings of three men on Hawaii’s Big Island were “especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel.” Jacob Baker has been charged with murder in the deaths of two 69-year-old men and one 79-year-old man. A judge granted a defense request Monday for Baker to undergo a mental fitness examination. Police found the victims in the remote Puna community. If convicted, 36-year-old Baker could face life in prison without parole. Disturbing details emerged in court records, including severe injuries to the victims. Baker is held without bail, with a mental fitness report due Aug. 4.