- Despite hurricanes, Floridians refuse to leave 'paradise'
- Israel observes Yom Kippur amid firestorm over Lebanon strikes
- Trump demonizes migrants in dark, misleading speech
- X says 'alert' to manipulation efforts after pro-Russia bots report
- US, European markets rise before Boeing unveils sweeping job cuts
- Small Quebec company dominates one part of NHL hockey: jerseys
- Comoros shock Tunisia, Salah, Mbeumo strike in AFCON qualifiers
- Boeing to cut 10% of workforce as it sees big Q3 loss
- Germany win in Nations League as 10-man Dutch rescue point
- Undav brace sends Germany to victory against Bosnia
- Israel says fired at 'threat' near UN position in Lebanon
- Want to film in Paris? No sexism allowed
- Ecuador's last mountain iceman dies at 80
- Milton leaves at least 16 dead, millions without power in Florida
- Senegal set to announce breakaway development agenda: PM
- UN says 2 peacekeepers wounded in south Lebanon explosions
- Injury-hit Australia thrash 'embarrassing' Pakistan at Women's T20 World Cup
- Internal TikTok documents show prioritization of traffic over well-being
- Israel says fired at 'immediate threat' near UN position in Lebanon
- New US coach Pochettino hails Pulisic but worries over workload
- Brazil orders closure of 2,000 betting sites
- UK govt urged to raise pro-democracy tycoon's case with China
- Sculptor Lalanne's animal creations sell for $59 mn
- From Tesla to Trump: Behind Musk's giant leap into politics
- US, European markets rise as investors weigh rates, earnings
- In Colombia, children trade plastic waste for school supplies
- Supercharged hurricanes trigger 'perfect storm' for disinformation
- JPMorgan Chase profits top estimates, bank sees 'resilient' US economy
- Djokovic proves staying power as he progresses to Shanghai semi-finals
- Sheffield Utd boss Wilder 'numb' after Baldock death
- Little progress at key meet ahead of COP29 climate summit
- Fans immerse themselves in Marina Abramovic's first China exhibition
- Israel says conducting review after UN peacekeepers wounded in Lebanon
- 'Party atmosphere': Skygazers treated to another aurora show
- Djokovic 'overwhelmed' after 'greatest rival' Nadal's retirement
- Zelensky in Berlin says hopes war with Russia will end next year
- Kyrgyzstan opens rare probe into glacier destruction
- European Mediterranean states discuss Middle East, migration
- Djokovic proves staying power as progresses to Shanghai semi-finals
- Hurricane Milton leaves at least 16 dead as Florida cleans up
- Britain face 'ultimate challenge' in America's Cup duel with New Zealand
- Lebanon calls for 'immediate' ceasefire in Israel-Hezbollah war
- Nihon Hidankyo: Japan's A-bomb survivors awarded Nobel
- Thunberg leads pro-Palestinian, climate protest in Milan
- Boat captain rescued clinging to cooler in Gulf of Mexico after storm Milton
- Tears, warnings after Japan atomic survivors group win Nobel
- 'Unspeakable horror': the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
- Stock markets diverge before China weekend briefing
- Christian villagers 'trapped' in south Lebanon crossfire
- Sabalenka sets up Gauff showdown in Wuhan semis
Two men convicted of murdering Run-DMC member Jam Master Jay
A US federal jury on Tuesday convicted two men of murdering the famed Run-DMC member Jam Master Jay, a case that had gone unsolved for some two decades.
Ronald Washington and Karl Jordan Jr., the alleged shooter, were found guilty on all counts, convicted of murder while engaged in narcotics trafficking and firearms-related murder.
The defendants -- Jordan in a forest green vest and pants and Washington in a light blue sweater -- were stoic ahead of the verdict's delivery but grew audibly emotional as they learned of the jury's decision.
"Y'all just killed two innocent people," Washington said as he and Jordan were led out of the room, while many of their family members and friends who have sat through the nearly month-long trial burst into tears.
The sentencing will take place at a later date.
The proceedings were centered on the events of October 30, 2002, when pioneering rapper Jason "Jay" Mizell, widely known by his DJ moniker, was fatally shot in the head in his Queens studio.
He was 37 years old and a father of three.
Prosecutors presented a case of a drug deal gone wrong, saying that Washington and Jordan, who both knew Mizell, killed the famous artist as revenge for cutting them out of a cocaine deal.
Federal prosecutors said Jordan -- the DJ's godson -- shot a 40-caliber bullet into Mizell's head, as Washington held others in the room at gunpoint.
For years, two key witnesses -- Lydia High and Uriel "Tony" Rincon, the latter of whom was shot in the leg the night of the murder -- had resisted cooperating with law enforcement -- reticence both they and prosecutors ascribed to fear.
A third person, Jay Bryant, will be tried at a later date.
Defense teams have insisted that Bryant was in fact the killer, pointing out that his hat was discovered at the crime scene.
Prosecutors say Bryant let Mizell's murderers into the musician's studio, but accuse him of being an accomplice to the larger conspiracy, not the shooter.
"No comment," said one member of Washington's defense team when queried by AFP.
- Double life -
The trial revealed a lesser-known side of Mizell, who along with his band Run-DMC had railed against drug culture.
But prosecutors said Mizell got involved in the narcotics trade to support his lifestyle and those close to him, as buzz around the group's music -- hits include "It's Tricky" and "Walk This Way" -- began to fade.
He was a quiet middleman on drug deals, and a financial fount for family and friends, in the years preceding his death, they say.
Along with LL Cool J and Public Enemy, Run-DMC were trailblazers of new-school hip-hop -- mixing rock elements, aggressive boasting and sociopolitical commentary -- and its outgrowth, golden era hip-hop, which included eclectic sampling.
The seminal group were the first rappers featured on MTV, and established a new rap aesthetic incorporating street culture -- a departure from the flashy, disco-inflected attire of their predecessors.
Prior to his death, Mizell was influential in New York as a cultivator of local talent, working with young rappers and co-founding a DJ academy.
Jam Master Jay's slaying followed a spate of murders within the rap community in the 1990s, including the shootings of superstars Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G..
Ch.Kahalev--AMWN