Cuba to receive a sanctioned Russian oil tanker, the first such delivery this year - apnews.com

Cuba to receive a sanctioned Russian oil tanker, the first such delivery this year  apnews.com

Zelensky says allies asked him to scale back attacks on Russian energy

Ukraine's president says partners asked if the attacks could be "reduced" as prices soar due to the Iran war.

Why Is the U.S. Allowing a Russian Oil Tanker to Reach Cuba, and Will It Help?

The ship’s arrival would bring Cuba some badly needed fuel. It also marks a shift from U.S. efforts to block oil shipments and pressure the Cuban government.

By Emma Bubola and David C. Adams

A blueprint for Chinese global leadership

With the US destroying its own credibility, the opportunity is Beijing’s for the taking

France sentences Chinese captain of suspected Russian 'shadow fleet' tanker to one year in jail

Chen Zhangjie was sentenced in absentia after the French navy boarded the Boracay tanker in September, before releasing the vessel and its crew days later.

Democrats claim ‘smear’ as Trump FBI pushes for release of Eric Swalwell file

California governor contender not accused of wrongdoing in decade-old inquiry into suspected Chinese agent The Trump administration has reportedly been pushing to release records from an FBI investigation related to Eric Swalwell and alleged links to a Chinese agent as the Democratic congressman makes gains in the California governor’s race. The Washington Post reported on Saturday, citing “three people familiar with the effort”, that the FBI director, Kash Patel, is pushing to release the fi...

By Dani Anguiano

Russians attack Dnipropetrovsk Oblast nearly 70 times in one day: 1 killed and 12 injured

A 65-year-old man has been killed and 12 people have been injured after Russian forces attacked the Nikopol and Kryvyi Rih districts in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast nearly 70 times with artillery and drones on 30 March.

By Anastasia Protz

French court convicts Chinese captain of oil tanker linked to Russian shadow fleet

A French court on Monday issued an arrest warrant and a one-year prison sentence against the Chinese captain of a suspected Russian “shadow fleet” tanker over failing to comply with orders to stop his ship. Chen Zhangjie, 39, was sentenced in absentia after the French navy boarded the Boracay tanker in September before releasing the vessel and its crew days later, in what Russian leader Vladimir Putin condemned as “piracy”. The court in the western city of Brest also ordered Chen to pay a...

By Agence France-Presse

EU seeks new strategy amid Sahel 'influence' rivalries

Following the 2022-2023 coups in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, the junta regimes turned to Russia, China, and even the US. Now, the EU wants to invest more in West Africa's security and growth to forge closer ties.

France hands captain of suspected Russian 'shadow fleet' tanker one-year jail sentence

A French court on Monday sentenced in absentia the captain of a suspected Russian shadow fleet tanker to one year in jail for failing to comply with orders to stop his ship. The vessel, which the French navy boarded in September before releasing the vessel, was thought to be transporting Russian oil in violation of Western sanctions.

By FRANCE 24

Russia is unlikely to run out of soldiers anytime soon – here’s why

Vladimir Putin has made a concerted effort to re-engineer the relationship between the army, the state and Russian society since the 2000s

By Charlie Walker and Bettina Renz

Kremlin: Vucic requested phone conversation with Putin

The Kremlin said on Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke to his counterpart Aleksandar Vucic at the Serbian president’s request.

Chinese-American Professor Behind Huawei-Backed Power Chip Wafer Maker Becomes Billionaire - Forbes

Chinese-American Professor Behind Huawei-Backed Power Chip Wafer Maker Becomes Billionaire  Forbes

Country Garden posts 1st profit since 2022 on restructuring gain - Nikkei Asia

Country Garden posts 1st profit since 2022 on restructuring gain  Nikkei Asia

Mexico weighs oil cooperation with Cuba as Trump signals openness to Russian shipment

Cuba to receive sanctioned Russian oil tanker as it struggles under US blockade

It comes a day after US President Donald Trump told reporters he had “no problem” with the Russian oil tanker delivering relief to Cuba.

Taiwan’s opposition leader ‘gladly accepts’ Xi’s invitation to visit China - The Straits Times

Taiwan’s opposition leader ‘gladly accepts’ Xi’s invitation to visit China  The Straits Times

White House says no change in Cuba policy after Russian tanker waiver

The White House said on Monday it has not changed US policy toward Cuba, even as it allowed a sanctioned Russian tanker to deliver fuel to the island for humanitarian reasons, saying such decisions would be handled on a case-by-case basis. “This is not a policy change. There has not been a formal change in […]

Captain of Russian 'shadow tanker' sentenced to one year in French prison

A French court has handed down a one-year prison sentence and issued an arrest warrant for the Chinese captain of a tanker suspected of being part of Russia’s so-called 'shadow fleet', in a case that highlights Europe’s growing efforts to enforce sanctions at sea.

By RFI

North Caucasus and Azerbaijan hit by largest-scale flooding in a century

A state of emergency has been declared in two Russian regions.

By Elizaveta Chukharova

NIO opens its first showroom in the Americas

Pussy Riot Stage Manhattan Protest of U.S. Tech Company They Say Is ‘Powering Russian War Crimes’

The Russian punk feminist collective claim that Ubiquiti's Wi-Fi equipment is being used in the war against Ukraine.

By Gil Kaufman

French Court Sentences Russia-Linked Tanker Captain to 1 Year in Jail

The vessel, claiming to be flagged in Benin, was thought to be part of a fleet transporting Russian oil in violation of Western sanctions.

Massive flooding in Russia’s North Caucasus destroys bridges, swamps homes, and leaves tens of thousands without power

Heavy rains triggered widespread flooding across Russia’s North Caucasus in recent days. Dagestan bore the brunt: tens of thousands of residents lost power, roads were disrupted, and railway infrastructure was damaged. Many streets in Makhachkala were submerged completely. In Chechnya, torrential rains and landslides damaged 17 bridges and destroyed dozens of homes, prompting authorities to declare a state of emergency. Power and water outages were reported in Ingushetia, while officials in K...

Ukraine used Storm Shadow to strike Russia's most irreplaceable weapons factory — and why it matters - The Kyiv Independent

Ukraine used Storm Shadow to strike Russia's most irreplaceable weapons factory — and why it matters  The Kyiv Independent

Cuba to receive sanctioned Russian oil, 1st such delivery this year

Cuba was preparing Monday to receive a Russian tanker under sanctions carrying about 730,000 barrels of crude, marking the island’s first such delivery this year as it grapples wit...

War update: 120 clashes on front lines, 65 Russian troops eliminated on Pokrovsk axis

On March 30, Ukrainian forces engaged in 120 combat clashes with Russian forces, the most active being the Pokrovsk sector, where the enemy attempted 24 attacks.

Air Force: Ukrainian drones stray into other countries due to countermeasures or faults

Col. Fredi Karu, chief of staff of the Air Force, told ERR that Ukraine does not use Estonian or other NATO countries' airspace to launch attacks against Russia. Instead, drones end up in other countries' territories due to electronic jamming or technical malfunctions.

When the Protector Leaves the Room: ECOWAS, the Alliance of Sahel States, and West Africa’s displaced millions

There is a particular kind of institutional failure that does not announce itself with a single catastrophic event. It accumulates quietly, in the gap between what regional bodies promise and what displaced people receive. It is visible in the mother in Ouagadougou, who has been displaced three times in four years and has stopped expecting […]

By Ebenezer Afanyi Dadzie