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CNN —A pair of Russian journalists have been detained on “extremism” charges and face accusations of working for a group founded by the late Russian opposition politician Alexey Navalny. Konstantin Gabov and Sergey Karelin are accused of producing content for Navalny’s prominent YouTube channel, “NavalnyLIVE,” which publishes videos investigating corruption in the Kremlin that have amassed millions of views. Journalist Sergey Karelin appears in court in Russia's Murmansk region, April 27, 2024. An AP photo showed Karelin, who has dual Russian-Israeli citizenship, sitting in a glass cage in a Murmansk court on Saturday. Navalny’s family and supporters have accused Putin of being responsible for his death, a claim rejected by the Kremlin.

Persons: Alexey Navalny, Konstantin Gabov, Sergey Karelin, Gabov, AP Karelin, ”, Karelin, Vladimir Putin, Sergey Mingazov, Navalny, Putin Organizations: CNN, YouTube, Kremlin, Reuters, AP, Associated Press, Deutsche Welle, DW, Forbes, Novosti Locations: Basmanny, Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, Russia's Murmansk, Russia’s, Murmansk

☆ With day-trip fee 'Disney-fication' of Venice, the world hits its overtourism tipping point
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( Trevor Laurence Jockims | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

In the 1970s, there were about 175,000 residents in Centro Storico, the main island and historic center of Venice. In fact, there are now more tourist beds in Venice than there are residents. Last week, Venice took action on overtourism, introducing a 5€ fee to day trippers who want to access the city. "You can't impose an entrance fee to a city; all they're doing is transforming it into a theme park. Marco Bertorello | Afp | Getty ImagesDespite its many detractors, the day fee is a significant move on the part of Venice's government to confront the challenge of overtourism, which has become a significant global problem since the pandemic.

Persons: Stefano Mazzola, Luigi Brugnaro, Mark —, There's, Matteo Secchi, Marco Bertorello, Antonio Paolo Russo, Russo Organizations: Piazzale Roma, Getty, Venice, Centro Storico, Guardian, Tourists, Afp, Virgili University Locations: Piazzale, Venice, Italy, Centro, Piazzale Roma, Santa Lucia, Tarragona, Spain, Bali, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Europe

Severe thunderstorms and high winds in the Great Plains region on Saturday night injured residents, damaged homes and left more than 50,000 electricity customers in Oklahoma and Texas without power, the local authorities said, as more than two dozen tornadoes were reported overnight. More than 13 million people from Texas to Illinois were under tornado watches as of 2 a.m. local time, meaning that tornadoes could occur over the next few hours. The severe weather followed a day in which tornadoes tore through parts of Nebraska and Iowa and leveled dozens of homes on Friday. Thunderstorms were expected to move east into the Mississippi Valley on Sunday, and heavy rains were forecast in Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana, the National Weather Service said.

Organizations: National Weather Service Locations: Oklahoma, Texas, Illinois, Nebraska, Iowa, Mississippi, Texas , Arkansas, Louisiana

☆ Russian oil refinery partially suspends operations after drone attack, as thermal energy plants are damaged in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Lauren Said-Moorhouse | Olga Voitovych | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A Russian oil refinery in the southern Krasnodar region was impacted by a suspected Ukrainian drone attack on Saturday, according to local officials. Meanwhile in Ukraine, four thermal energy plants were “severely damaged” after Russian attacks overnight, according to a statement from DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy company. DTEK said that its thermal power plants have been attacked more than 170 times since the beginning of the war. A video surfaced online showing the head of the Belarusian KGB security service alleging the two medical facilities were housing soldiers. Videos shared online showed medical personnel hurrying to move patients and equipment to ambulances that were awaiting to receive them.

Persons: Veniamin Kondratyev, Eduard Trudnev, Trudnev, ”, Kondratyev, Herman Halushchenko, Halushchenko, Serhii Lysak, Lysak, ” Svitlana Onyshchuk, DTEK, Mykola Oleshchuk, Ivan Tertel, Vitali Klitschko, hurrying, Klitschko Organizations: CNN, Regional, Kyiv, TASS, Slavyansk ECO Group, Russia’s Ministry of Defense, Ukraine’s Energy, Facebook, Frankivsk, Ivano, Ukrainian Air Force, Ukraine, Hospitals, Belarusian KGB, ”, Security Service of Ukraine Locations: Krasnodar, Ukrainian, Slavyansk, Kuban, Krasnodar Krai, Russia’s, Ukraine, DTEK, Dnipropetrovsk, Ivano, Lviv, Dnipro, Kryvyi, Rih, ”, Russia, Belarus, Belarusian, Kyiv, “

☆ Oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar region damaged in Ukraine drone attack, authorities say
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Slavyansk oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar region was damaged in a Ukraine drone attack, local authorities said on Saturday. "The tank farm was not damaged due to the organized protection system. The fire was eliminated by joint efforts of responsible services," Siniagovskyi said. A fire broke out in small area at the refinery, local emergency services said, and was later extinguished. Russia's Defence Ministry said on Saturday its air defense units had intercepted and destroyed 66 Ukrainian drones over the territory of the Krasnodar region, and two more over the Crimean peninsula.

Persons: Siniagovskyi Organizations: Russia's Defence Locations: Russia's Krasnodar, Ukraine, Krasnodar, Crimean

☆ Yair Lapid Says the World Misunderstands Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Lulu Garcia-Navarro | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing more than 1,000 Israelis and capturing more than 200 hostages, Israel’s response has been swift and brutal. Most of Gaza’s infrastructure has been destroyed, and international pressure is mounting on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the war, and to avoid a new war with Iran. In this moment, I wanted to talk to one of Netanyahu’s most vocal critics inside Israel: Yair Lapid. He briefly became prime minister of Israel in 2022 — at the time, The Atlantic deemed him “the man who could end the Netanyahu era” — and he remains a member of the Knesset. After Oct. 7, he refused to join Netanyahu’s war cabinet.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Yair Lapid, Lapid, He’s, Netanyahu, ” Locations: Israel, Gaza, Iran, —, Atlantic

How the U.S. Humanitarian Pier in Gaza Will WorkA humanitarian pier the U.S. military will bring to the Gaza Strip is currently being assembled and is expected to be ready to receive initial shipments of food and other aid early next month, according to military officials. Pier At the pier, loaded aid trucks are driven to Gaza’s shore. Gaza Strip EMPTY TRUCKS return to the pier Humanitarian partners will pick up aid near the shore to take it into the Gaza Strip. Pier At the pier, loaded aid trucks are driven to Gaza’s shore. Gaza Strip EMPTY TRUCKS return to the pier Humanitarian partners will pick up aid near the shore to take it into the Gaza Strip.

Persons: Juan Camilo Jimenez Garces, Trucks, OCHA, U.N, David Satterfield, Israel Organizations: United Nations, U.S . Agency for International Development, Military, Aid, Spanish, BANK, New York Times Ships, Army, New York Times, Food, WFP GAZA, United Nations Office, Humanitarian, New York Times Aid, Hamas, U.S Locations: U.S, Gaza, Larnaca, Cyprus, Dubai, Kenya, Europe, CYPRUS Larnaca, BANK GAZA, ISRAEL EGYPT, LEBANON, Israel, United States, Med, ISRAEL Rafah, Shalom, Egypt, Israel’s

☆ The ‘outside agitator’ narrative has a long history
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Harmeet Kaur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

In these instances, and others, authorities have not offered many specifics about who the “outside agitators” are, how significant their numbers are or how they differentiated outsiders from university-affiliated protesters. “It seems to me that the ‘outside agitator’ claim is one to shift the focus away from the grievances of the students and their protest.”The emphasis on “outside agitators,” Morris says, detracts from the central issue that is driving students to protest: Israel’s war in Gaza. ‘Outside agitator’ trope has a long historyYou don’t have to look far back in history to find examples of the “outside agitator” narrative. “We want to say as clearly as possible - we welcome ‘outside agitators’ to our struggle against the ruthless genocide of Palestinians.”Still, the use of the term is more complicated than it seems. As pro-Israel politicians have amplified concerns around antisemitism, some supporters of students’ right to free expression have suggested “outside agitators” are undermining otherwise peaceful protests.

Persons: ”, Eric Adams, Kaz Daughtry, Gregory Fenves, Aldon Morris, Morris, aren’t, ” Morris, ’, detracts, Donald Trump, Trump, George Floyd, Jose Lusi Magana, —, Kathleen Fitzgerald, White, ” Fitzgerald, Bruce Solomon, Solomon, Martin Luther King Jr, “, Emory, Ayanna Pressley, Hank Johnson, Netanyahu, ” Alex Slitz, ” What’s Organizations: CNN, New York Police Department, Columbia University, New York University, New York City, NYPD, Fox, Emory University, University, Emory, Northwestern University, Associated, AP, White House, Washington D.C, Getty, Parkland, Civil Rights Movement, University of North, Southern Christian Leadership Conference, ”, Atlanta, Spelman College, Yale University, Chapel Hill, University of Texas Locations: Gaza, New York, York, ”, Washington, AFP, Oklahoma, Ferguson , Missouri, University of North Carolina, Mississippi, Brooklyn, Jackson, Miss, Birmingham, United States, Israel, Atlanta, Georgia, Columbia, Austin

Arm Ukraine With Fanfare and Israel in Secret? That package will pay for billions of dollars of arms flowing to Ukraine, Israel and other nations. As soon as the bill became law, the administration issued new announcements about weapons shipments to Ukraine, but not about transfers to Israel. Press releases about military aid for Ukraine and Israel Since both wars began, the U.S. government has issued at least 126 press statements or updates describing military aid sent to Ukraine and just three describing military aid sent to Israel. Information on maritime support sent to … Ukraine IsraelInformation on air-based weaponry and drones sent to … Ukraine IsraelThere is another distinction worth noting.

Persons: Biden, Jonathan Ernst, Antony Blinken, ”, Josh Paul, Israel —, Ukraine Israel “, Daniel C, it’s, Benjamin Netanyahu Organizations: Reuters, Israel Defense Forces, Israel . Press, U.S . Department of State, U.S . Department of State ; U.S . Department of Defense, Internet, State Department, Defense Department, State and Defense, Washington Post, Ukraine authorizations, Democratic Party, West Bank, White, New York, Facebook Locations: Israel, Ukraine, U.S, U.S . Department of State ;, Ukraine Israel, Gaza, American, Egypt, Russian, Rafah, Lebanon, Iran, Iranian, Syria, United States

☆ British man seriously injured in Tobago shark attack
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Catherine Nicholls | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A 64-year-old British man is receiving “critical care” after he was attacked by a shark 10 meters from the shore in Scarborough, Trinidad and Tobago. According to Farley Chavez Augustine, the Chief Secretary of Tobago, the man was attacked on Friday morning local time by what appeared to be a bull shark. The people accompanying the man “were trying to physically fight off the shark” after it attacked, Jakerov added. The Tobago House of Assembly offered a $10,000 Trinidad and Tobago Dollar reward (around $1,470 USD) for the successful capture of the shark, but later recalled this bounty. The British High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago posted travel guidance related to the attack on X, noting the closure of the marine park.

Persons: Farley Chavez Augustine, Augustine, ” Augustine, Augustine said, Orion, Jakerov Organizations: CNN, Scarborough General Hospital, Trinidad, Tobago Television, Tobago House, Assembly, British Locations: Scarborough, Trinidad and Tobago, Tobago, Caribbean, United Kingdom, State, Trinidad

☆ Tornado kills at least 5, injures 33, in Chinese metropolis
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Jennifer Hauser | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —At least five people were killed and 33 injured in a tornado Saturday that struck Guangzhou, a city of 19 million people in southern China, according to Chinese state media. Authorities say 141 factory buildings were damaged but no residential houses collapsed, according to the Xinhua news agency. It said a preliminary assessment put the tornado at level-three intensity, two below the highest level of five. A weather station in Liangtian Village, Baiyun District, about 1.7 miles from where the tornado hit, registered a maximum wind gust of 20.6 meters per second, Xinhua reported. Earlier this week state media reported that floods had killed at least four people in Guangdong.

Organizations: CNN, Authorities, Xinhua, China Meteorological Agency Locations: Guangzhou, China, Xinhua, Hong Kong, Guangdong province, Liangtian Village, Baiyun District, Guangdong

☆ Devastating tornadoes rip through Nebraska and Iowa, sending crews searching flattened homes as storm threat continues
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Aya Elamroussi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The severe weather threat is expected to continue through Sunday, with Saturday possibly being the most dangerous day. Strong tornadoes are possible from Michigan to Texas, including in Oklahoma City, Kansas City, Dallas, Milwaukee, Chicago and Austin. What to expect SaturdayMore than 50 million people are under the threat of severe weather Saturday from the Southern Plains into the Great Lakes region. “A complex but potentially significant severe weather episode is expected on Saturday,” the Weather Prediction Center said Friday. The tornado threat could ramp up considerably through the late afternoon and evening hours with “multiple strong tornadoes” possible, according to the prediction center.

Persons: “, Todd Schmaderer, ”, Douglas, Margery A, Beck, Kim Reynolds Organizations: CNN, National Weather Service, Saturday, Omaha Police, Minden , Iowa Gov, Prediction, Oklahoma City, Tulsa Locations: Nebraska, Iowa, Michigan, Texas, Elkhorn, Omaha , Nebraska, South, Minden, Oklahoma City , Kansas City, Dallas, Milwaukee, Chicago, Austin, Omaha, City, Douglas County, Nebraska’s Shelby, Lincoln , Nebraska, Waverly, Minden , Iowa, Pottawattamie County, •, Waco, Southern, Plains, Oklahoma, Kansas, Wisconsin, Illinois, Lower Mississippi Valley

☆ Julian Assange’s mission was to change the world - but at what cost?
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Lauren Said-Moorhouse | Claudia Rebaza | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

Julian Assange leaves a Melbourne court after facing charges of computer hacking in 1995. WikiLeaks/ReutersUnder a global spotlightAs WikiLeaks continued its disclosures, Assange found himself the latest cause célèbre – his every movement intensely scrutinized. … He liked the fuss that (the disclosures) caused but he was oddly incurious actually about the documents.”Others offer alternative explanations for Assange’s eccentricities. There were mounting calls for Assange to leave WikiLeaks and, when he didn’t, many cut ties with it. Outside the confines of his diplomatic shelter, the world questioned whether Assange was trying to circumvent justice.

Persons: London CNN — Julian Assange, ”, He’s, Chelsea Manning, Joe Biden, Assange’s, Anthony Albanese, Assange, “, ” –, Julian Assange, Ian Kenins, Sarah Palin’s, Atika Shubert, Shubert, ” Shubert, célèbre, Fidel Narvaez, “ Assange, ” Narvaez, James Ball, Joe Raedle, ” Ball, Ball, …, Narvaez, Hans Crescent, Lenin Moreno, Moreno, Abu Hamza al, Masri, Stella Assange, Daniel Leal, Stella, “ I’m, Nick Vamos, It’s, Alice Jill Edwards, Agnès Callamard, El País, Der Spiegel, Jameel Jaffer, Xiaofei Xu, Alex Stambaugh Organizations: London CNN, WikiLeaks, Court, Ecuadorian, Army, Australian, Pentagon, NASA, University of Melbourne, Fairfax Media, of Scientology, Republican, CNN, Chelsea, Apache, Reuters, Guardian, Ellingham, Hans, London’s Metropolitan Police, US Justice Department, of Justice, Britain's, Getty, Peters & Peters, Prosecution Service, Human Rights, UN, Amnesty, The New York Times, Columbia University Locations: United States, Australian, London’s, Australia, Townsville, Queensland, cybercrime, Melbourne, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Iraq, London, Afghanistan, ”, Sweden, Ecuador, UK’s, Belmarsh

☆ A high school employee was arrested after a deepfake AI recording imitating the school's principal making racist and antisemitic comments circulated online
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Alexandra Bacon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A high school athletics director was arrested after a deepfake of the school's principal was shared online. The deepfake recording imitated Eric Eiswert making racist and antisemitic remarks. AdvertisementA Maryland high school athletics director, Dazhon Darien, has been arrested and charged with stalking and theft after an AI deepfake audio recording of the school's principal, which included racist remarks, was shared online. AI deepfakes are a growing concernPolice used forensic analysis to determine that the recording was made using AI. There are also fears that AI deepfakes could threaten free and fair elections as it becomes easier for people to spread misinformation.

Persons: Eric Eiswert, —, Dazhon, Eiswert, It's, Johnny Olszewski, Joe Biden, White Organizations: Service, Pikesville, School, New York Times, Pikesville High, Police, Authorities, FBI Locations: Maryland, Dazhon Darien, Baltimore, Darien, Hong Kong, New Hampshire

☆ Burkina Faso army executed over 220 villagers in February, HRW says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Reuters —Burkina Faso’s military in February summarily executed about 223 villagers, including at least 56 children, as part of a campaign against civilians accused of collaborating with jihadist militants, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Thursday. The spokesperson for the Burkina Faso government did not respond to phone calls seeking comment on the HRW report. Retaliatory attacksRights groups have previously accused the military in junta-ruled Burkina Faso of attacking and killing civilians suspected of collaborating with militants in retaliatory operations. Burkina Faso is one of several Sahel nations that have been struggling to contain Islamist insurgencies linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State that have spread from neighboring Mali since 2012, killing thousands and displacing millions. Frustrations over authorities’ failure to protect civilians have contributed to two coups in Mali, two in Burkina Faso and one in Niger since 2020.

Persons: Witnesses, HRW, Tirana Hassan, Mali’s Organizations: Reuters, Burkina, jihadist, Human Rights Watch, Ouahigouya, HRW, Facebook, Burkina Faso, Authorities, Rights Watch, Burkinabe, African Union, United Nations, Islamic Locations: Burkina Faso’s, Yatenga, Burkina Faso, Komsilga, Burkina, Nodin, Soro, al Qaeda, Islamic State, Mali, Niger

Federal authorities say a "critical safety gap" in Tesla 's Autopilot system contributed to at least 467 collisions, 13 resulting in fatalities and "many others" resulting in serious injuries. The findings come from a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration analysis of 956 crashes in which Tesla Autopilot was thought to have been in use. Tesla's Autopilot design has "led to foreseeable misuse and avoidable crashes," the NHTSA report said. The agency also said it was opening a new probe into the effectiveness of a software update Tesla previously issued as part of a recall in December. "People are dying due to misplaced confidence in Tesla Autopilot capabilities.

Persons: Tesla, Lars Moravy, Edward J, Markey, Richard Blumenthal, Conn, Walter Huang, Elon Musk, Musk, Philip Koopman, Koopman Organizations: Tesla, Traffic, NHTSA, CNBC, NBC News, Apple, Carnegie Mellon University Locations: U.S, Mountain View , California, Snohomish County , Washington, Sens

☆ As pro-Palestinian protests sweep college campuses, student journalists are rushing to the big story and exams
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Hadas Gold | Liam Reilly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Smith is editor-in-chief of The Lantern, Ohio State University’s student-run newspaper, which has scrambled in recent days to cover pro-Palestinian protests roiling the campus. It’s also finals week, and in the coming days the newspaper’s staff will transition to the next year’s staff. And, for many of these student journalists, it’s becoming a seminal moment in their nascent careers. “Given that we’re student journalists, we know the campus and the students here. As pressure mounted on campus, the newspaper mobilized a handful of writers who worked together to cover the protests.

Persons: Arianna Smith, Smith, It’s, ” Smith, it’s, “, We’re, we’re, Anjali Patel, ” Patel, “ We’re, Amelia Kimball, Kimball, Greg Abbott, ” Kimball, CNN’s John Berman, ” Organizations: CNN, Ohio State University’s, Ohio, ”, University of Southern, The Daily, USC, Daily, University of Texas, The Daily Texan, “ Locations: Gaza, Columbus, University of Southern California, Austin, Texas

☆ Ukraine can keep on fighting Russia — but the 'victory' it wants might be out of reach
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Ukrainian servicemen practice combat drills involving a BMP-1 in Donbas, Ukraine as Russia-Ukraine war continues on March 19, 2024. But, with future aid uncertain, analysts question what "victory" Ukraine could realistically achieve against Russia — a country that has put its industries on a war footing and is able to mobilize hundreds of thousands more men to war. While additional aid allows Ukraine to keep on fighting Russian forces in the short stretch, a "victory" in the near-term is an unlikely prospect. What's more, what "victory" looks like for Ukraine, or its allies, could be a source of friction. This is particularly the case in eastern Ukraine, where it has enjoyed support from pro-Russian separatists for over a decade.

Persons: Teneo, Vladimir Putin, Natalia Kolesnikova, Tursa, Frankness, Oleksandr Musiyenko, Putin Organizations: Anadolu, Getty, Russia —, Afp, Centre for Military, Legal, U.S, CNBC Locations: Donbas, Ukraine, Russia, Kyiv, U.S, Central, Eastern Europe, Ukrainian, Crimea, Red, Moscow, Russian, Sevastopol

Palestinian officials in Gaza on Thursday increased the tally of bodies discovered in a mass grave on the grounds of a hospital to 392 from 283, amid conflicting accounts between Israel and the Gazan authorities over how and when some of the bodies were buried. “This is the biggest mass grave since the beginning of the war,” Mahmoud Basal, spokesman for Gaza’s Civil Defense, a search and rescue department within the Hamas-controlled territory, said Thursday before calling for an international investigation. Gazan authorities say that mass graves had been dug on the hospital grounds before an Israeli raid there in February but accuse Israel of later opening the site to add bodies. It was not clear how those who were buried at the Nasser Medical Complex in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, had died or exactly when. While The Times could not determine the cause of death for individual people, the initial burials took place amid a weekslong Israeli offensive in the city that began in mid-February.

Persons: Mahmoud Basal, Israel, Khan Younis Organizations: Gaza’s Civil Defense, New York Times, Nasser Locations: Gaza, Israel, Khan

Police officers swept onto the ordinarily serene campus of Emory University in Atlanta after demonstrators erected tents on Thursday morning, leading to the latest clash in a pro-Palestinian protest movement that has cascaded across American campuses this week. As the demonstrators at Emory screamed, officers wrestled with protesters on the ground and escorted others away. From a few dozen yards away, onlookers stared and recorded the scene with their cellphones. The authorities did not immediately say how many people had been arrested in Atlanta, but across the country, more than 400 protesters have been taken into police custody since April 18, when the arrests of more than 100 protesters at Columbia University in New York set off a wave of student activism nationwide. University administrators and law enforcement officials have responded by arresting students, removing encampments and threatening academic consequences as some Jewish students have expressed concern for their safety, and some politicians have demanded a crackdown on the growing demonstrations.

Organizations: Emory University, Emory, Columbia University, University Locations: Atlanta, New York

☆ WADA Appoints Special Prosecutor in Chinese Doping Case
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Michael S. Schmidt | Tariq Panja | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The World Anti-Doping Agency on Thursday appointed a special prosecutor to review how 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive for a banned drug were allowed to avoid public scrutiny and compete at the 2021 Olympics, where they won gold medals and set records. The decision to appoint the special prosecutor, Eric Cottier of Switzerland, came amid an outcry from top government officials, antidoping experts and authorities, and athletes over the way Chinese antidoping officials and the global regulator, known as WADA, handled the positives. “WADA’s integrity and reputation is under attack,” the WADA president, Witold Banka, said in a statement. “In the past few days, WADA has been unfairly accused of bias in favor of China by not appealing the Chinada case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. We continue to reject the false accusations and we are pleased to be able to put these questions into the hands of an experienced, respected and independent prosecutor.”

Persons: Eric Cottier of, WADA, Witold Banka, “, ” Organizations: Doping Agency, New York Times, Sport Locations: Eric Cottier of Switzerland, China

☆ A teen whose dad cofounded Slack and mom cofounded Flickr is missing somewhere around San Francisco
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Mint Butterfield, the teen child of two tech founders, has gone missing in California. Butterfield, 16, is believed to have run away, local authorities say — perhaps to San FranciscoAuthorities are appealing for help finding Butterfield. AdvertisementMint Butterfield, the teen child of tech founders who set up Slack and Flickr, went missing over the weekend. The local sheriff's office put out a missing-juvenile alert on Tuesday seeking information about them. The alert, described in a Nextdoor post by K. Walther, a deputy in the Marin County Sheriff's Office, said Butterfield was last seen Sunday at 10 p.m.

Persons: Butterfield, —, Slack, Walther Organizations: San Francisco Authorities, Service, Flickr, Business Locations: California, Bolinas , California, San Francisco, Marin County

☆ Japanese yen hits fresh 34-year low despite verbal intervention from authorities
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Shreyashi Sanyal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

In this article JPY= Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTThe Japan flag is juxtaposed against a Japanese yen bank note. Javier Ghersi | Moment | Getty ImagesThe yen slipped past 155 against the U.S. dollar on Thursday, touching a new 34-year low against continued strength in the greenback. The weakness comes as the Bank of Japan is due to release its monetary policy decision Friday and in spite of verbal warnings from Japanese authorities. Some market watchers had speculated that the 155 level would prompt intervention after the currency languished at multi-decade lows for a month. The yen has weakened 4.2% since the BOJ's March meeting, worrying Japanese authorities and investors.

Persons: Javier Ghersi, Shusuke Yamada, Jerome Powell, Appio Organizations: U.S, Bank of Japan, BofA Securities, Federal, First Eagle Investments, CNBC, Korean Locations: Japan, South Korea

☆ Ukraine says it caught a man trying to escape the country by paddling on an inflatable mattress to Moldova
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A man was caught trying to leave Ukraine via the Dniester River — on an air mattress. Ukrainian border agents found him paddling with his arms in an attempt to reach Moldova. AdvertisementUkraine's border service said on Wednesday that it caught a man attempting to cross into Moldova by "swimming" on an inflatable mattress in the Dniester River. The border service did not say if the man on the mattress was trying to dodge the draft. This isn't the first time the Ukrainian border service has caught someone in an air mattress-related incident.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, State Border Service, Dnipro, dodgers, The New York Times, BBC, NATO, Agents Locations: Ukraine, Moldova, Romanian, Russia, Ukrainian, Hungary, Kyiv

☆ Toomaj Salehi: Iranian rapper sentenced to death for protesting in Iran
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Artemis Moshtaghian | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Dissident rapper Toomaj Salehi has been given a death sentence for his involvement in the widespread protests that swept Iran in 2022, according to his lawyer. “An order for the execution of Toomaj Salehi has been issued,” Salehi’s lawyer Amir Raesian tweeted Wednesday. State media said Salehi’s sentence is subject for reduction by a pardoning committee if he appeals again. A court in Tehran sentenced Yasin to five years in prison, according to group focused on Kurdish human rights, Hengaw. “We strongly condemn Toomaj Salehi’s death sentence and the five-year sentence for Kurdish-Iranian rapper Saman Yasin.

Persons: Toomaj Salehi, “, ”, Amir Raesian, rearrested, Saman Yasin, Yasin, Toomaj, Salehi Organizations: CNN —, UN, Human Rights, United States ’ Office Locations: Iran, Isfahan, Entekhab, Iranian, Tehran, United, Europe, Ye

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