U.S.Yahoo NewsDerek Chauvin found guilty of murder in the death of George Floyd
Former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin was convicted Tuesday on all counts against him in the killing of George Floyd, nearly one year after kneeling on Floyd's neck in an incident that sparked global protests against police brutality. After less than 12 hours of deliberations, the jury returned guilty verdicts against Chauvin, finding him guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of Floyd on May 25, 2020. Under Minnesota law, Chauvin can appeal his conviction after the court enters the judgment and he receives his sentence.
WorldThe TelegraphJailed for waving flowers in the street or holding tea parties: Life in the newly totalitarian state of Belarus
Eight months after a popular uprising nearly toppled Alexander Lukashenko, the Belarusian president of 26 years, authorities are rounding up hundreds of people and slapping them with short prison sentences for the most minor infractions, sowing fear in a country in the centre of Europe that is quickly turning into a totalitarian state. Mrs Suboch's relatives are all being kept at the same infamous detention centre. Her sister is serving 25 days, her mother five and brother six days in custody.
U.S.ReutersU.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.
WorldAssociated PressMalaysian opposition urges king to end coronavirus emergency
Malaysian opposition lawmakers led by former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad submitted a petition to the country's king on Tuesday seeking an end to a coronavirus emergency so Parliament can resume. The king approved Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's plan for an emergency in early January to curb the spread of the coronavirus, but critics said it was a political ruse to help the embattled leader stay in power amid challenges to his leadership. Muhyiddin's government remains in control and has extraordinary powers to introduce laws without parliamentary approval.
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Convicted killer facing execution in Nevada seeks firing squad
A convicted killer who is fighting a possible June execution date that would make him the first person put to death in Nevada in 15 years is calling for the state to consider the firing squad as an option, a rare method in the U.S.
PoliticsBusiness Insider'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.
PoliticsArchitectural DigestHouse Call: Embracing My Outdoor Persona
We're getting outdoorsy on Clever this week Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
WorldReutersReigning 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.
WorldReutersSpecial Report: Hong Kong activists retreat as China-style justice comes to their city
On March 23, a Hong Kong High Court judge denied former Democratic Party lawmaker Andrew Wan's bail appeal and sent him back to Lai Chi Kok prison. “The Department of Justice will be judged by heaven.” Wan is one of 36 pro-democracy activists denied bail and being kept in custody more than a month after being arraigned on charges of conspiracy to commit subversion for organizing an unofficial primary election.
WorldAssociated PressNegotiators see signs of progress in Iran nuclear talks
Diplomats working in Vienna on a solution to bringing the United States back into the nuclear deal with Iran and world powers are taking a break from talks to consult with their leaders amid continued signs of progress, Russia's delegate said Tuesday. Mikhail Ulyanov said after a meeting of the deal's so-called Joint Commission of senior officials with representatives from France, Germany, Britain, China and Iran that they had noted "with satisfaction of the progress in negotiations to restore the nuclear deal." It was decided to take a break to allow the delegations to do homework and consult with the capitals,” he tweeted.
PoliticsAssociated PressHitting 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.ReutersNeo-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.
WorldAssociated PressEnvoy: 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.
WorldBusiness InsiderRussia seems to be preparing to invade Ukraine but it's not clear whether Putin will go through with it
Putin has ordered thousands of troops to the Russian border with Ukraine and mounted a sea blockade. Russian warships and attack aircraft conducted aggressive exercises off the coast of Ukraine this week adding fears of a blockade to concerns that the movement of more than 100,000 troops could telegraph a Russian invasion. In the past weeks, Russia has moved a massive amount of offensive military capabilities - ranging from elite airborne units to modern armor formations to strike aircraft - into military regions along the border of Ukraine, where Russian-speaking "people's republics" have been fighting against Kyiv for independence since 2014.
WorldBBCCovid-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".
WorldAssociated PressSri 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.
WorldAssociated PressIran, 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.
U.S.Fort Worth Star-TelegramCatcaller shoots woman after she ignores his ‘belligerent’ advances, Georgia cops say
A Georgia woman has a long road to recovery after authorities say she was shot by an aggressive catcaller. Meairra Mansaray, 24, and her boyfriend were riding scooters through Atlanta Wednesday afternoon when a stranger became flirtatious, then got “belligerent when she rejected him,” according to city police. Things turned violent after Mansaray's boyfriend, Juwan Davis, stepped in and asked the man to stop.
U.S.The IndependentBoris Johnson welcomes Derek Chauvin verdict and says he was ‘appalled’ by George Floyd murder
Boris Johnson has welcomed the Derek Chauvin guilty verdict and said he was “appalled” by the murder of George Floyd. On 25 May last year, 46-year-old Floyd was stopped on suspicion of using a counterfeit $20 bill for a pack of cigarettes at a corner shop in Minneapolis. The police instead put him on the ground and a video recorded by a teenager showed that former police officer Chauvin, 45, placed his knee on Floyd's neck for about nine and half minutes, including for several minutes after Floyd's breathing had stopped and he had no pulse.
BusinessReutersIndia does not see logic in U.S. putting it on currency watchlist
India does not see any logic in the United States putting it on a monitoring list of currency manipulators, a trade ministry official said on Tuesday. "I don't understand any economic logic," Anup Wadhawan, India's commerce secretary told reporters. The Reserve Bank of India is following a policy that allows currency movements based on market forces, he said.
WorldAssociated PressGreek Church to allow worshippers at Easter Week services
The powerful Church of Greece said Tuesday it would allow the faithful to take part in Orthodox Easter services next week but limit attendance and hold the services earlier in the day to conform with a government-imposed curfew. The decision comes despite Greece reporting a high number of COVID-19 cases and deaths, and as the country's hospitals are struggling to treat unprecedented numbers of intubated patients. Orthodox Easter services were canceled last year, when Greece had much fewer confirmed cases.
U.S.Associated PressDocument: 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.
U.S.Business InsiderMarjorie Taylor Greene is holding another gun giveaway - despite there having been at least 156 mass shootings in the US since the start of the year
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia is holding a gun giveaway, saying she will gift an AR pistol to the winner of a lucky draw. This is not the first firearm raffle Greene has held. The giveaway will go on even as the number of mass shootings in the US this year mounts.
U.S.Miami HeraldA mom was found dead in a car, next to her sleeping toddler, at a South Florida hotel
A 32-year-old mother was found dead Tuesday, next to her sleeping child, inside a car in the parking lot of a Boynton Beach hotel. The suspect — identified as 39-year-old Narcisse Antoine of West Palm Beach — fled after the “domestic-related” shooting and died by suicide, police said. The murder-suicide happened around 1:30 a.m.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderGOP lawmakers float a corporate tax increase below Biden's proposed 28% at bipartisan infrastructure meeting
Biden met with a bipartisan group of lawmakers on Monday to discuss his infrastructure plan. During the meeting, the GOP lawmakers pushed for a corporate tax increase below Biden's proposed 28%. Biden expressed willingness to compromise on the scope and size of his plan to get the GOP on board.
“High-speed rail is bold and attention-grabbing, but the scale of the project makes it near impossible.”
“While a long, slow train ride across the country can be a great thing, the US needs real high-speed rail too.”
“Liberals are right that America has a car problem — but it's commutes, not road trips, that suck.”
“Investments into a high-speed rail system wouldn’t just improve the railroads — automobile traffic could also see some relief.”
“Big cities that are reasonably close together is pretty much a prerequisite for high-speed rail.”