N509FZ, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) published an exclusive report Thursday revealing that UK businessman Ian J. Stones, who spent decades working in China and disappeared from public view in 2018, was actually convicted of espionage and is being held by the Chinese government. The Financial Times questioned Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin about the [...]

READ MORE ▸
Lepocheux, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Statistics released by France and Belgium on Thursday show the number of antisemitic acts had risen sharply in both countries since Hamas’ attack on Israel and the initiation of the war in Gaza. The French Ministry of the Interior and the Service for the Protection of the Jewish Community of France (SPCJ) announced on Thursday [...]

READ MORE ▸
Moleskine, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Over 1,259 employees of the Protestant Church of Germany have committed sexual abuse since 1946, according to an independent report published Thursday. The study also found that at least 2,225 individuals have been victims of the abuse. Researchers examined documents from the 20 regional churches of the Protestant Church of Germany (EKD) as well as [...]

READ MORE ▸
AMISOM Public Information, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Kenyan High Court in Nairobi ruled on Friday that the state’s decision to deploy police officers to Haiti was unconstitutional. According to the court, Kenya can only send police officers to Haiti if Kenya and Haiti have a reciprocal agreement under sections 107 and 108 of the National Police Service Act. The decision comes [...]

READ MORE ▸
Photos: Evan Gershkovich // Facebook, Flickr

A Moscow court ruled on Friday to extend the detention of imprisoned Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich by two months. Gershkovich, a US citizen, has been detained in Moscow since March 29, 2023 on espionage charges. This is the fourth extension of his sentence. He will now spend more than a year behind bars [...]

READ MORE ▸
Fanny Schertzer, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) heard Russia’s appeal Friday against the sanctions imposed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC). The IOC in October 2023 banned the ROC with immediate effect for “breach of the charter.” The step came on the heels of the ROC recognizing the [...]

READ MORE ▸
Idrissa Fall, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Mali military leaders ended a 2015 peace agreement with separatist rebels in the north of the country citing hostilities and broken commitments among the pact’s signatories during a televised press conference Thursday. Colonel Abdoulaye Maïga read the press release from the Mali transitional government that placed blame for the peace agreement’s failure on international mediation and [...]

READ MORE ▸
RonWyden, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) released a letter Thursday alleging that the US National Security Agency (NSA) buys Americans’ internet browsing information from commercial brokers without a warrant. According to the letter, US intelligence agencies are acquiring data about Americans from private data brokers, and have been for several years. Senator Wyden likened federal agencies purchasing  [...]

READ MORE ▸

Russia accused Ukraine of deliberately shooting down a Russian Military Transport plane Wednesday carrying 65 Ukrainian Military personnel for an alleged “pre-agreed exchange” of prisoners of war. The incident reportedly killed 74, including six crew members and 3 Russian officers. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement condemning the shooting down of a [...]

READ MORE ▸

Thomas White, the Director of UNRWA Affairs in Gaza, said the agency’s compound in Khan Yunis, Gaza’s second largest city, was the site of “mass casualties” after it was hit by tank fire on Wednesday. The compound displayed the UN flag and served as a refuge for many of the people displaced by war in [...]

READ MORE ▸