US alleges suspected Russian spy who allegedly used false identity to enter US, collecting information from US citizens

CNN — The Justice Department on Friday announced charges against a Russian who allegedly entered the United States under a false identity and gathered information from American citizens about Russia’s then-impending invasion of Ukraine. Sergey Vladimirovich Cherkasov, a 37-year-old Russian intelligence agency agent, operated for years under the alias Victor Muller Ferreira, prosecutors said. Cherkasov … Read more

Vulnerable Americans lingered on the question of another round of Covid-19 boosters this spring

CNN — US officials are considering whether to give people at high risk of severe Covid-19 the chance to receive another bivalent booster, according to a source familiar with the deliberations who asked not to be named because they were not authorized to share the details of ongoing discussions. While most Americans have been happy … Read more

Crimea: Russian ‘Kalibr’ cruise missiles destroyed in strike, Ukrainian defense ministry says

CNN — Ukraine’s defense ministry said late Monday that an attack destroyed Russian Kalibr cruise missiles transported by train in the town of Dzhankoi, in Russian-occupied Crimea. Ukrainian authorities did not directly claim responsibility for the attack, but said it serves “to further demilitarize Russia and prepare the Crimean peninsula for de-occupation”. Sergei Askyonov, the … Read more

Xi-Putin meeting: China’s Xi highlights close ties with ‘best friend’ Putin on first visit to Russia since Ukraine invasion

CNN — Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin met at the Kremlin to discuss the close ties and strategic visions shared by China and Russia on the first day of a state visit framed by Beijing as a peace project, despite deep skepticism in Kiev and the West. Xi is making his first since Moscow launched … Read more

UBS buys Credit Suisse to end the banking crisis

London CNN — Switzerland’s largest bank, UBS, has agreed to buy its ailing rival Credit Suisse in an emergency bailout deal to defuse financial market panic sparked by the failure of two US banks earlier this month. “UBS today announced the acquisition of Credit Suisse,” the Swiss National Bank said in a statement. It said … Read more

Nigerians vote for governor in polls as governing party scrambles to regain lost ground in key states

Lagos, Nigeria CNN — Nigerians began voting in delayed polls for the governorship on Saturday, weeks after a controversial and contentious presidential election — amid reports of electoral violence and disenfranchisement of voters. A party official was shot dead in Lagos on Saturday during the elections for the new governors of Nigeria. “From all over … Read more

ICC issues war crimes warrant for Putin’s arrest over alleged deportation of Ukrainian children

CNN — The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian official Maria Lvova-Belova over an alleged plan to deport Ukrainian children to Russia. The court said there are “reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Putin is individually criminally responsible” for the alleged crimes, for having … Read more

China’s Xi meets Putin next week in Russia

CNN — Chinese leader Xi Jinping will visit Russia next week at the invitation of President Vladimir Putin, the Chinese foreign ministry announced on Friday. It will be Xi’s first visit to Moscow since Putin launched his devastating invasion of Ukraine more than a year ago. During the visit, Xi and Putin will discuss “strategic … Read more