WASHINGTON DC – Cold case investigators have arrested a 55-year-old woman in North Carolina in connection with the death of a newborn girl found in a California dumpster 37 years ago, according to the Riverside Police Department. Through DNA testing, detectives identified the baby’s mother as Melissa Jean Allen Avila, police said in a Thursday news release.

It is unclear whether Avila, who police accuse of murder, has obtained an attorney. CNN has made efforts to reach Avila. Avila made an initial appearance in court and was released on her own recognizance through an agreement between the prosecution and the defense, according to City News Service. She was previously being held on a bond of $1.1 million, police said.

CNN has left a message with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office requesting information about the case. The newborn had been found deceased in a dumpster in Riverside on October 13, 1987, by a man rummaging for recyclables, police said in the release. Homicide investigators were unable to identify a suspect and the case went unsolved for nearly 40 years. In 2020, the department’s new homicide cold case unit reopened the case.

Police said they worked with Othram, a DNA testing company, with funding from Season of Justice, a nonprofit that provides financial assistance for investigative agencies and families to help solve cold cases with “advanced DNA analysis solutions and forensic genealogy.” In November 2021, Othram was able to get DNA from evidence in the case and build a profile for the baby, according to its website. The police agency’s forensics genetic genealogy team then developed new leads that led to potential relatives.

“Othram assisted with investigators’ reference testing efforts using (a method of testing that) allows investigators to infer kinship in closely and distantly related individuals,” the company said. Avila was taken into custody in Shelby, North Carolina, which is about 45 miles west of Charlotte. Avila was 19 at the time of the baby’s death. There was no evidence the baby’s father had any link to the case, police said.

“Thanks to the persistent efforts of our investigators and partners, this victim now has an identity, bringing resolution to the case,” Riverside Police Chief Larry Gonzalez said. “We will remain dedicated to seeking justice for homicide victims and ensuring their families find closure.” Avila’s next hearing is scheduled for September 9, according to jail records. (CNN)…[+]

CAPE TOWN  –  Mia le Roux has become the first deaf woman to be crowned Miss South Africa following a divisive competition which saw one finalist withdraw after being trolled over her Nigerian heritage. In her acceptance speech, Le Roux said she hoped her victory would help those who felt excluded from society to achieve their “wildest dreams, just like I am”.

She said she wanted to help those who were “financially excluded or differently abled”. Last week 23-year-old law student Chidimma Adetshina pulled out of the competition following allegations that her mother may have stolen the identity of a South African woman. Adetshina was born in South Africa to a Nigerian father and a mother of Mozambican origin. She had been at the centre of a social media storm for several weeks, with many people, including a cabinet minister, questioning her right to represent the country.

She said she had been the victim of “black-on-black hate”, highlighting a particular strain of xenophobia in South Africa known as “afrophobia”, which targets those from other African countries. Le Roux, 28, was diagnosed with profound hearing loss at the age of one and has a cochlear implant to help her perceive sound. She said it had taken two years of speech therapy before she was able to say her first words.

After winning, the model and marketing manager said: “I am a proudly South African deaf woman and I know what it feels like to be excluded. “I know now that I was put on this planet to break boundaries and I did it tonight.” (BBC)

Photo: Mia le Roux. (Daily News)…[+]

TEHRAN – Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has nominated a moderate diplomat as foreign minister and a female official as urban development minister as he presented his new cabinet. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf announced the names of the 19-member cabinet presented by the president during an assembly session broadcast live on state television.

The nominations appear in line with the hopes that the election of Pezeshkian last month, to replace the hardline Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash in May, could lead to a thaw in Iran’s relations with the West. However, the parliament, which is dominated by hardliners, will begin a review of the nominees starting on Monday, and then vote whether or not to confirm the lineup.

For foreign minister, Pezeshkian picked Abbas Araghchi, a 61-year-old career diplomat. Araghchi, who has extolled open, yet critical, talks with the West, served as the chief negotiator in nuclear talks between Tehran and world powers from 2013 to 2021. He also served as Iran’s ambassador to Japan and Finland, and as a deputy of then-Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who was instrumental in reaching the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

Farzaneh Sadegh was nominated as roads and urban development minister. If confirmed, the 48-year-old would become only the second Iranian woman to hold a ministerial post since the Islamic Republic was established in 1979, after Marzieh Vahid Dastjerdi became health minister in 2009. However, many lawmakers voiced their opposition when her name was read out by the speaker during Sunday’s session.

The appointment of the new cabinet comes as the world awaits Iran’s next move in response to the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. Iran has angrily blamed Israel for the killing and vowed harsh retaliation. Western leaders have pleaded for restraint, saying that military action by Iran would threaten to tip the war in Gaza into a full-blown regional conflict.

Pezeshkian came to power with promises to improve ties with the world and ease social restrictions at home. It is thought that he worries that a major military confrontation with Israel would jeopardise his priorities. General Aziz Nasirzadeh, a former commander of the Iranian Air Force, has been put forward to take the helm at the defense ministry. (Al Jazeera)

Photo: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. (Daily News)…[+]

LONDON  –  Two migrants have died attempting to cross the English Channel in a small boat. The incident happened offshore between Calais and Dunkirk, in France, on Sunday morning, a French maritime official told the BBC. More than 50 migrants were rescued from the same small boat and the operation is ongoing.

French officials said 25 migrants have died attempting to cross the world’s busiest shipping lane this year. Several boats carrying migrants launched from beaches in northern France on Sunday after a period of windy conditions. Fine weather in the morning prompted several groups to take to the water.

Jacques Billant, prefect of the Pas-de-Calais region, said during a press conference on Sunday afternoon that authorities launched a large rescue operation when a vessel got into difficulty. There were 56 migrants on the boat. Two people were unconscious when crews arrived at the scene and later died, while 54 were safely brought back to port in Calais, he said.

Meanwhile, the family of Dina Al Shammari – a 21-year-old woman who died trying to cross the channel on 28 July – said they had “no option” but to attempt the journey again themselves. She was travelling with her three younger siblings, aged 13 to 19, and parents, when she was crushed in an overcrowded boat off the coast of Calais.

The family, who are Kuwaiti Bidoon, a stateless Arab minority, fled the Gulf state in 2018, and said Ms Al Shammari wanted to be a dentist. Her mother, Amira Al Shammari, 52, said the family of six arrived in France on 1 July and had attempted the crossing five times before the night her eldest daughter died. (BBC)…[+]