Chauvin's guilty verdict is a major milestone in America's reckoning with racial justice

And it had been five years since Philando Castile was shot by a police officer at point-blank range, also just a few minutes down the road, and four years since the officer who killed him was acquitted. It had been almost seven years since the first Black Lives Matter protests, in the summer of 2014 following the killings of Eric Garner and Michael Brown. And it had been 30 years since the trial of four Los Angeles cops who beat Rodney King ended in acquittal, causing an eruption of violence in the streets not seen before that since the 1968 riots that followed the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. The Rodney King trial sparked six days of violence in Los Angeles that left 63 people de...

Vladimir Putin to make 'major' policy announcement ahead of Navalny rallies

Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, is expected to make a major policy announcement in his state of the nation speech on Wednesday afternoon, a few hours before supporters of Alexei Navalny take to the streets to demand the release of the jailed opposition leader. Mr Putin's speech comes amid heightened tensions between Russia and the West and a massive Russian military build-up on the border with Ukraine, which has sparked fears of a new war in eastern Ukraine. Several senior members of parliament have indicated that President Putin is likely to use his annual speech to make a major policy announcement but stopped short of giving any detail.

• 
  GPW's Paggi on Putin, Ukraine Tensions, Russia Sanctions

  Bloomberg
• 
  Top Navalny allies arrested ahead of anti-Putin protests and Russian leader’s address to nation

  The Independent

U.S. judge rejects ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen's bid to end sentence early

NEW YORK (Reuters) -A federal judge on Tuesday dismissed a petition by Michael Cohen, the onetime personal lawyer and fixer for former President Donald Trump, to release him from home confinement in May, six months ahead of schedule. U.S. District Judge John Koeltl said the petition was premature because prosecutors were not yet required, under a 2018 law allowing early release for some prisoners, to credit Cohen for hundreds of hours of work and courses he completed while imprisoned at a federal facility in New York state. The Manhattan judge also said Cohen had failed to exhaust his administrative remedies, and faced no irreparable harm because there was "no basis to conclude that Mr. Cohen's service of his sentence violates his constitutional rights."Cohen, 54, who represented himself, is serving a three-year sentence for campaign finance violations, tax evasion and other crimes to which he pleaded guilty in December 2018.

Chad's President Idriss Déby dies after clashes with rebels

Chad's President Idriss Déby has died of his injuries following clashes with rebels in the north of the country at the weekend, the army has said. Experts have told the BBC and other broadcasters that the move is unconstitutional, and that the speaker of parliament should take over when a sitting president dies before organising elections.

• 
  Military: Chad’s president killed during battlefield conflict

  Yahoo News Video
• 
  Chad President Deby, ally in fighting extremism, dies at 68

  Associated Press

Hitting latest vaccine milestone, Biden pushes shots for all

The U.S. is set to meet President Joe Biden's latest vaccine goal of administering 200 million COVID-19 shots in his first 100 days in office, as the White House steps up its efforts to inoculate the rest of the public. With more than 50% of adults at least partially vaccinated, Biden on Wednesday will reflect on his efforts to expand vaccine distribution and access in his first three months in the White House. But with all those 16 and older now eligible for shots, the president is expected to outline his administration's plans to drive up the vaccination rate even further.

• 
  U.S. hits vaccine milestone despite rise in COVID cases

  Yahoo Finance Video
• 
  AP source: Guantanamo prisoners now getting COVID-19 vaccine

  Associated Press

Former Trump aides are reportedly frustrated he didn't become vaccine 'salesman-in-chief' as planned

Former aides to former President Donald Trump are reportedly looking back at the end of his term as a major missed opportunity to encourage his supporters to get vaccinated against COVID-19. A new report in Politico describes how Trump's "unwillingness to pitch his voters on getting the jab has become the source of frustration for former aides," not to mention experts who believe he could have helped sway those Republicans who say they won't get vaccinated. While Trump was in office, there was reportedly a "monthslong effort to get him to publicly take the lead" on pushing vaccinations.

'Clean up your mess, Kevin': Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries responds to Maxine Waters censure effort by telling GOP leader Kevin McCarthy to 'sit this one out'

Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries sharply criticized Republican efforts to censure Rep. Maxine Waters. Waters is facing criticism for telling protesters to "get more confrontational." Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the fourth-highest-ranking House Democrat, sharply criticized Republican efforts to censure Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters and said the GOP should deal with its "mess" before attacking Democrats.

• 
  Democrats halt GOP effort to censure Rep. Maxine Waters for comments about Derek Chauvin trial

  USA TODAY
• 
  McCarthy to introduce resolution to censure Maxine Waters over "confrontational" comments

  Axios

Envoy: China not discriminating against foreign journalists

China continued to welcome foreign journalists and discriminated against none, a Chinese envoy said on Wednesday, contradicting an Australian reporter's opinion that they were “barely tolerated. Wang Xining, the Chinese Embassy in Australia's deputy head of mission, and Michael Smith, one the last journalists working for Australian media to flee China, were taking part in a panel discussion about China at the National Press Club of Australia. Smith, a reporter for The Australian Financial Review who fled Shanghai in September after police demanded an interview and temporarily blocked his departure, said China once welcomed foreign journalists to “spread the news about China's economic miracle.

EXPLAINER: Why 'excited delirium' came up at Chauvin trial?

The attorney for the former Minneapolis police officer accused of murder and manslaughter in George Floyd 's death cited the disputed concept of excited delirium during closing arguments Monday in an effort to show that the force Derek Chauvin used was objectively reasonable given Floyd's resistance. Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, was arrested outside a neighborhood market on May 25, accused of trying to pass a counterfeit $20 bill. A panicky-sounding Floyd struggled and said he was claustrophobic as police tried to shove him into a squad car.

• 
  Derek Chauvin found guilty of murder, manslaughter in the death of George Floyd

  Yahoo News Video
• 
  Guilty: Timeline of George Floyd's death and Derek Chauvin trial

  Yahoo Finance Video

Iran sees Vienna talks moving forward, warns against excessive demands

DUBAI (Reuters) -Iran's chief negotiator said on Tuesday talks to save the 2015 nuclear accord were moving forward despite difficulties but warned Tehran would stop the negotiations if faced with "unreasonable demands" or time wasting. Iran and world powers have made headway in the Vienna talks though much more work is needed, a senior European Union official said, with meetings to resume next week after consultations in their respective capitals. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi "assessed the current trend of the talks as going forward, despite the existing difficulties and challenges," Iranian state media reported.

• 
  Much more work needed in Iran nuclear talks despite progress, EU says

  Reuters
• 
  Negotiators see signs of progress in Iran nuclear talks

  Associated Press

Covid-19 in India: Why second coronavirus wave is devastating

Heartbreaking stories such as this are coming in from across India as a second Covid wave wreaks havoc. Data suggests that this wave is proving to be more infectious and deadlier in some states, although India's death rate from the virus is still relatively low. But the county's healthcare system is crumbling amid the surge in cases - doctors say it's hard for them to "see the light at the end of the tunnel this time".

Document: Kristin Smart once buried in suspect's backyard

A California college student missing for nearly 25 years was once buried in the backyard of the home owned by the murder suspect's father, authorities said in a court document. The body of Kristin Smart, which has never been found, was recently moved from the home of Ruben Flores, a prosecutor said, according to a document filed Monday and posted on social media by a reporter for The Tribune of San Luis Obispo. Ruben Flores, 80, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of accessory after the murder for hiding Smart's body after his son allegedly killed her.

Sri Lankan archbishop asks Muslims to reject extremism

A Sri Lankan Catholic archbishop appealed to the country's Muslims on Wednesday to reject extremism and join Catholics in determining the truth behind Easter Sunday suicide bombings in 2019 that killed 269 people. Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith made the appeal during a commemoration of the second anniversary of the attacks. Catholic, Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim leaders joined the commemoration at St. Anthony's Shrine in Colombo, where the first bomb exploded during its Easter service.

Cash-strapped Africa overwhelmed by COVID vaccine challenge

When Ghana received 50,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses from India last month, it hit a frustrating roadblock: it had not trained enough staff to distribute them. The country was still rolling out shots received in late February from the global vaccine-sharing scheme COVAX, and didn't have the capacity to expand that operation, according to the head of Ghana's immunisation programme. Rather than going straight into the arms of health workers, the additional doses were put in cold storage in the capital Accra, Kwame Amponsa-Achiano told Reuters, adding that his team had received two days' notice about the shipment.

House Call: Embracing My Outdoor Persona

We're getting outdoorsy on Clever this week Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest

Rep. Hal Rogers of Kentucky fined for bypassing House security

Rep. Hal Rogers faces a $5,000 fine for failing to submit to security screening before entering the U.S. House floor earlier this month. The House Ethics Committee levied the penalty after the 21-term Republican allegedly failed to adhere to an officer's request to be wanded by a handheld device after setting off a magnetometer on April 14. “Rep. Rogers returned after voting and asked what he needed to do now,” the memo reads.

Scammers steal $32m from 90-year old Hong Kong woman

A 90-year old woman from Hong Kong has been scammed out of HK$250 million (£23m, $32m) by fraudsters pretending to be Chinese officials, police said. Hong Kong police said the criminals had posed as public security officials investigating a criminal case in China. The woman was told her identity had been stolen and used on the mainland.

Iran, Saudis hold talks in Baghdad, few expect quick results

A first round of direct talks between regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran signaled a possible de-escalation following years of animosity that often spilled into neighboring countries and at least one still-raging war. The talks, hosted by Iraq earlier this month, were confirmed Tuesday to The Associated Press by an Iraqi and a Western official in Baghdad. Saudi Arabia is recalibrating its regional position after losing an unflinching supporter in President Joe Biden's predecessor, Donald Trump.

• 
  Iran welcomes Iraqi mediation with Gulf states - ambassador

  Reuters
• 
  Yemen the topic of secret talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran

  The Independent

Neo-Nazi leader arrested in Arizona for aggravated assault

Burt Colucci, commander of one of the United States' oldest white supremacist groups, was arrested on Monday in a Phoenix suburb for pointing a loaded handgun at a Black man and threatening to kill him and his friends, according to police records. The altercation began outside a hotel in Chandler, Arizona, after Colucci placed trash on the car of the African Americans and used racial slurs against them, according to statements police collected from Colucci, the Black people and an independent witness. Only Colucci was identified in the police report that was made public.

Reigning Mrs World resigns weeks after pageant controversy

The reigning Mrs World, Caroline Jurie, has resigned her title, the organisation running the pageant said late on Tuesday, weeks after she was involved in a controversy at the Mrs Sri Lanka event. Jurie was arrested and released on bail this month after a fracas at the Mrs Sri Lanka pageant in Colombo, where Jurie forcibly removed the winner's crown, claiming the other woman was a divorcee and not qualified to win the title. "Her voluntary resignation decision was made solely by Caroline herself," Mrs World Inc said late on Tuesday, in a news release on social media.

The Best (and Most Beautiful) Watering Cans to Keep Your Plants Alive and Thriving

Helpful, well-designed pour decor Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest

George Floyd death: Five key moments from the Derek Chauvin trial

The death of George Floyd, a 48-year-old black man, while he was being restrained by a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, during an arrest in Minneapolis in May 2020, shocked the world and sparked global protests about racism and police brutality. Chauvin's three-week trial - on charges of murder and manslaughter - has now resulted in his conviction. Darnella, who was 17 at the time of Mr Floyd's death, filmed the video that went viral around the world.

• 
  Guilty: Timeline of George Floyd's death and Derek Chauvin trial

  Yahoo Finance Video
• 
  Derek Chauvin found guilty of murder in the death of George Floyd

  Yahoo News Video

Myanmar refugee crisis brewing as turmoil hits economy

Aid workers and activists are warning Myanmar's political upheavals risk causing a regional refugee crisis as the strife following a February coup displaces growing numbers of people who have lost their livelihoods. Tom Andrews, the U.N. special rapporteur for Myanmar, said violence has left nearly 250,000 people displaced. As Myanmar's neighbors prepare for a summit this week to discuss the coup, he and other rights advocates are warning that the situation could spiral out of control.