Key takeaways: A Paris court acquitted French plane manufacturer Airbus and national carrier Air France of involuntary manslaughter in the 2009 crash of Air France…
Posts published in “World”
U.S. Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy visited detained American journalist Evan Gershkovich in a Moscow prison on Monday, reporting that he is in good health. The FSB has yet to provide evidence to support the charges against Gershkovich, and the U.S. Embassy has condemned the arrest and called for his immediate release, which has been widely supported by international media organizations and human rights groups.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu met in Moscow to discuss their countries' close military cooperation, which includes the exchange of useful information and joint exercises. This marks Li's first overseas trip since taking on the role of Defense Minister last month, and follows the US' 2018 sanctions against him for transactions with Russia's state-controlled arms exporter. The meeting is seen as a sign of the strong relationship between Russia and China, which has been further strengthened since Russia sent troops into Ukraine.
Italian authorities have made a major drug bust in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Sicily, seizing nearly two tons of cocaine worth around 400 million euros (nearly $450 million). The drugs were found in 70 waterproof packages connected with netting and a signaling light device during a routine surveillance flight on Sunday. The bust is one of the largest ever carried out in the country, and the Financial Police are continuing to investigate the incident.
On April 16, 2021, Sudan was plunged into chaos as two powerful generals, Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan and Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, clashed in an unprecedented battle for control of the country. Smoke rose from the central neighborhood of Khartoum as dozens of people were killed in two days of intense fighting, causing power cuts, internet outages, and forcing thousands of civilians to stay in their homes. The international community is calling for a ceasefire and for the two generals to negotiate a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
Sudan's national state television channel is back on air, broadcasting messages in support of the country's armed forces. This comes as intense clashes between the military and paramilitary forces have resulted in nearly 100 civilian deaths, with airstrikes, shelling and gunfire hitting busy neighborhoods across the country. The United Nations has called for an immediate end to the violence and for all parties to respect international humanitarian law.
Vladimir Kara-Murza, a prominent Kremlin critic, was sentenced to 25 years in prison on Monday by a Moscow court for treason and denigrating the Russian military. His arrest and sentencing have been widely condemned by human rights groups and international organizations, including the US Ambassador to Moscow and the European Union. Kara-Murza has twice survived poisonings he blamed on the Kremlin and in his final statement said he remains proud of standing up to Russian President Vladimir Putin's "dictatorship."
Vladimir Kara-Murza, a prominent Kremlin critic and Russian human rights advocate, was sentenced to 25 years in prison on charges of treason and denigrating the Russian military by a Moscow court. His detention has been widely condemned as a politically motivated move to silence dissent, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the European Union expressing their deep concern over the ruling.