At least 29 people have died in a fire that broke out at Changfeng Hospital in Beijing on Tuesday afternoon. The fire is believed to have originated from welding sparks and was extinguished in half an hour. Dozens of people were forced to evacuate, with some trapped patients resorting to tying bedsheets together in order to escape from the windows. This is the deadliest fire in Beijing in at least two decades, with authorities still determining the cause of the fire and the full extent of the damage.
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Experts believe the spiral was caused by a rocket launch, and photographer Christopher Hayden was able to capture the moment on camera. The sight was a "once in a lifetime experience" for Hayden, and the photo has since gone viral, with many people marveling at the beauty of the phenomenon.
American journalist Evan Gershkovich appeared in a Moscow court on April 18th to appeal his detention on espionage charges. Gershkovich, the first U.S. journalist to be detained in Russia since the Cold War, is facing up to 20 years in prison if convicted. U.S. Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan has expressed his hope that Gershkovich will be released soon, and the Wall Street Journal and the Committee to Protect Journalists have both called for his immediate release. Gershkovich’s appeal hearing is set to continue on April 20th.
Vladimir Putin visited command posts of the Kremlin’s forces fighting in Ukraine on Tuesday, chairing meetings with his military top brass in an apparent demonstration of authority. The visit is seen as a show of support for the Kremlin’s forces in Ukraine, and is likely to be seen as a sign of Russia’s commitment to the separatists in the conflict which has killed over 10,000 people since April 2014.
U.S. Embassy vehicles in Sudan came under fire on Monday, but those inside were unharmed. Students, faculty members, and staff at the University of Khartoum have been trapped inside campus buildings for more than three days due to the fighting between the country’s army and a paramilitary group. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called on all sides to cease fire and work towards a peaceful resolution.
A new study has revealed that dozens of species of coastal invertebrate organisms have been able to survive and reproduce on plastic garbage floating in the ocean. The research team found that coastal species were thriving in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, and their findings suggest plastic pollution in the ocean might be enabling the creation of new floating ecosystems. The study has implications for the conservation of coastal species, as well as the management of plastic pollution in the ocean.
Two Chinese nationals, Lu Jianwang and Chen Jinping, have been arrested on charges of operating an illegal police station in New York City to monitor and intimidate critics of the Chinese government. The FBI raided the station last October and more than three dozen officers with China’s national police force have been charged with using social media to harass dissidents inside the United States. The arrests are a reminder of the Chinese government's efforts to monitor and intimidate its critics in the United States.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has announced a plan to take action against Walt Disney World in response to the company's opposition to a state takeover of its special taxing district. This includes building a prison or a competing theme park near the Magic Kingdom, as well as raising taxes on Walt Disney World. The feud between DeSantis and Disney began in March 2022 when Disney CEO Bob Chapek issued a statement opposing DeSantis-championed legislation.