The Trump administration moved to dismiss criminal fraud charges against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani on Monday, while also settling alleged Iran sanctions violations involving one of his companies, court records show.

The resolution of outstanding cases against one of the world’s richest people came after Adani’s attorney, who is also a personal attorney of US President Donald Trump, said last month his client wanted to invest $10 billion in the United States but could not do so while the cases proceeded, according to a source familiar with the matter.

It is the latest example of Trump’s Justice Department abandoning a high-profile case brought under his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden.

Adani, a close ally of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has an estimated worth of $82 billion, according to Forbes magazine.

Adani had been accused of agreeing to pay $265 million in bribes to Indian government officials so Adani Group could win approval to develop India’s largest solar power plant.

Prosecutors said he and his alleged co-conspirators raised more than $3 billion by hiding their corruption from lenders and investors.

The Adani Group has consistently denied wrongdoing. Adani is the company’s founder and chairman.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission separately settled a civil lawsuit against Adani over an alleged scheme to bribe Indian government officials, court records showed last week, although the move is subject to court approval.

LONDON/LYON: German authorities have arrested a suspect in a long-running cold case following the identification of a murder victim whose body was discovered in the River Main nearly 25 years ago. 

The teenage girl has been identified as ‘Diana S’. It’s understood the German national suspect was born in Pakistan.

The arrest was carried out by the Hessian State Criminal Police Office, acting on the initiative of the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Frankfurt am Main. 

The suspect, a 67-year-old German citizen, and the victim’s father, has been placed in pre-trial detention on suspicion of murder, sources told Geo News.

The case was part of Identify Me, an international campaign coordinated by Interpol with six European countries (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain), aiming to identify 47 women whose bodies were found across Europe over recent decades and to advance investigations.

One of those cases, known as The Girl in the River Main, dates back to July 31, 2001, when the body of a young girl was discovered floating in the River Main in Frankfurt by passers-by. Investigators later determined that the victim had been violently assaulted and was aged 16 at the time of her death.

For many years, the case remained unresolved. However, a significant breakthrough came following the Identify Me public appeal launched in October 2024, which called on the public to provide information relating to the victim’s identity and circumstances of her death.

Several tips from members of the public led investigators to pursue new leads, ultimately resulting in the arrest of the suspect. Investigations remain ongoing, and further details cannot be disclosed at this stage.

Interpol Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza said: “This identification, followed by the arrest of a suspect, underscores how important it is to continue investigating unresolved cold cases. As part of the Identify Me campaign, the efforts of the German authorities, supported by information from the public, have helped advance a case that had remained open for a quarter of a century.

“Developments such as this highlight the benefits of combining public engagement with sustained investigative work and forensic capabilities. Interpol will continue to support its member countries in identifying unknown deceased persons and enhancing international cooperation in ongoing investigations.”

• PGSA to provide real-time updates on Hormuz operations: SC.
• Iran’s grip over waterway rattled global markets.
• Shipping through Hormuz remains blocked since Feb 28.

Iran’s top security body announced on Monday the formation of a new body to manage the Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran has effectively closed and wants to charge ships to traverse.

On its official X account, the Supreme National Security Council shared a post for the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) saying it would provide “real-time updates on the Hormuz Strait operations and latest developments.”

The account of the Revolutionary Guards’ navy shared the same post.

It was not immediately clear what the new body would do but earlier this month, Iranian English-speaking broadcaster Press TV said it constituted a “system to exercise sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz” and that ships passing through the strait were sent “regulations” from the email [email protected].

Iran has largely blocked shipping through the vital strait since the outbreak of war with the United States and Israel on February 28. A fragile ceasefire has been in place since April 8.

Iran’s grip over the waterway has rattled global markets and given Tehran significant leverage, while the United States has imposed its own naval blockade on Iranian ports.

In peacetime, the route accounts for roughly a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, along with other key commodities including fertiliser.

Since the war began, Iran has repeatedly said that maritime traffic through the strait would “not return to its pre-war status”, and last month it said it had received the first revenue from tolls on the waterway.

On Saturday, Ebrahim Azizi, head of the Iranian parliament’s national security commission, said Iran “has prepared a professional mechanism to manage traffic” through the strait, adding that it will be “unveiled soon”.