President Joe Biden addressed the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, emphasizing the importance of a free press and vowing to continue working to free Americans wrongfully detained abroad. He met privately with the parents of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, one of many held overseas on false charges, and acknowledged the several American journalists under siege in authoritarian countries. His speech was met with applause, as he reaffirmed his commitment to protecting the freedom of the press and freeing those wrongfully detained.
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On Saturday, a massive fire erupted at an oil depot in Sevastopol, Crimea after it was hit by two of Ukraine’s drones, according to the Moscow-installed governor of the port city. Tensions between Ukraine and Russia have been escalating, with the Ukrainian government accusing Russia of sending military forces into the country’s east and south. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, and it is unclear what the impact of the fire will be on the region.
Russia launched a large-scale attack against Ukraine on Friday morning, resulting in the death of at least 22 people and the destruction of an apartment building in Uman. Ukraine's air force was able to intercept 11 of the cruise missiles and two drones, but tensions between the two countries have been raised. The United Nations Security Council is expected to hold an emergency meeting to discuss the situation and the international community is urging both sides to de-escalate the violence.
Brittney Griner, WNBA star and Olympic athlete, announced Thursday that she will no longer play basketball overseas during the WNBA offseason, citing the disparity in pay between the leagues and her recent detainment in Russia on drug-related charges. Griner, speaking to reporters for the first time since her return to the U.S., got emotional while discussing her experience and the importance of standing up for what is right.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a call with Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss the potential for Russia to use nuclear power plants as a form of blackmail. Xi Jinping pledged to send a “special representative” to Ukraine for talks about a “political settlement” and warned that “there is no winner in a nuclear war.” China has expressed a desire to become a neutral peace broker in the conflict, though the United States and others have questioned its impartiality.
China and Russia have both taken steps to end the conflict in Ukraine, with China sending an envoy to discuss a possible "political settlement" and Russia praising a framework proposed by China and Brazil. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov have both expressed their support for a peaceful resolution to the conflict, which has been ongoing since 2014. It is hoped that the Chinese envoy's visit will help to bring an end to the conflict.
Twitter has recently removed labels describing global media organizations as government-funded or state-affiliated, which has been met with criticism from some. This has affected organizations such as National Public Radio (NPR) in the United States, who argued that the label of "government-funded media" was still misleading as they receive only a tiny fraction of their funding from the government. Twitter has yet to comment on the removal of the labels, and it remains to be seen how the platform will address the issue going forward.
Viktoria Nasyrova, a 47-year-old Brooklyn woman, was sentenced to 21 years in prison on Wednesday for attempting to kill her lookalike friend with a poisoned cheesecake. The chemical used was phenazepam, a benzodiazepine developed by the Soviet Union, and the jury deliberated for two days before convicting Nasyrova of attempted murder and other counts. The Queens district attorney’s office said the case was a reminder that justice will be served no matter the circumstances.