International
The US accuses Russia of using its nationals as a “exchange currency”
As part of the anniversary of the arrest in Russia of the American journalist of The Wall Street Journal, Evan Gershkovich, the United States accused Moscow on Friday of using its citizens as a “exchange currency.”
“We will continue to denounce and impose costs for Russia’s atrocious attempts to use Americans as a bargaining chip,” President Joe Biden said in a statement.
Gershkovich, 33, was arrested at the end of March 2023 in Yekaterinburg, capital of the Urals, and on April 7 he was formally accused of espionage by the Federal Security Service (FSB, former KGB).
According to the FSB, “he was on behalf of the American side, he compiled secret information about the activities of one of the companies of the Russian military industrial complex.”
This week, the Russian Justice extended his arrest until June 30. By then, he will be in pretrial detention for one year and three months.
Biden said that the United States will continue to work “every day to achieve his release” and will continue to remain “firm” against all those who “seek to attack the press or attack journalists, the pillars of free society.”
“Journalism is not a crime and Evan went to Russia to do his job as a reporter, risking his safety to shed light on the truth about Russia’s brutal aggression against Ukraine,” he said.
In another similar statement, the Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, stated that to date “Russia has not provided any proof of irregularities” because “Evan did nothing wrong.”
“Journalism is not a crime. In the year since Evan’s unjust arrest, Russia’s already restrictive media landscape has become more oppressive, with a continuous attack on independent voices that point to any form of dissent,” he said.
Blinken recalled Paul Whelan, a former Marine infantryman, who was arrested in Moscow at the end of 2018 and sentenced for espionage to 16 years in prison in 2020.
The United States “continues to be committed to bringing Evan and Paul home,” said the head of American diplomacy.
“People are not a currency. Russia should put an end to its practice of arbitrarily detaining people for purposes of political influence and should immediately release Evan and Paul,” he said.
The Wall Street Journal published this Friday in white part of the cover of its printed edition to remember its correspondent in Russia, Evan Gershkovich.
About the blank space the headline ‘Your story should be here’ and that accompanies a note about what the journalist has not been able to enjoy on a personal and professional level during the year in which he has been in prison.
The digital edition publishes instead of the blank space a photo of the journalist with the same article but under the title of ‘Evan Gershkovich, a year stolen in a Russian prison’, which also includes biographical data.
The Wall Street Journal also published other articles about the danger faced by journalists.
“Evan Gershkovich was supposed to be with his friends in Berlin the first week of April 2023,” the report begins and highlights the plans that the young reporter had to share with a group of journalist friends.
“It was the beginning of his stolen year,” the note adds.
International
U.S. strike in Caribbean kills three suspected drug traffickers
A U.S. strike on a suspected drug-smuggling vessel in the Caribbean killed three people on Saturday, according to Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth, marking the latest in a series of attacks in international waters.
The United States has deployed ships to the Caribbean and sent fighter jets to Puerto Rico as part of a large military force that Washington says is aimed at curbing drug trafficking.
“This vessel, like all the others, was known to our intelligence for being involved in illicit narcotics smuggling,” Hegseth stated on X. “Three narcoterrorists were aboard the vessel during the attack, which took place in international waters,” he added.
Experts argue that the attacks, which began in early September, amount to extrajudicial executions, even if the targets are known traffickers.
Washington has yet to publicly provide evidence that the targeted individuals were actively smuggling drugs or posed a threat to the United States.
Hegseth said the U.S. would continue “hunting… and killing” suspected traffickers. He also shared video footage of the strike, showing the vessel being hit and engulfed in flames. As in previous videos, sections of the ship were blurred, making it impossible to verify the number of people on board.
The United Nations called on Friday for Washington to halt its attacks.
International
At least 23 killed in Sonora supermarket blast, including minors
At least 23 people were killed and 11 others injured in an explosion at a supermarket in Hermosillo, in the northern Mexican state of Sonora, local authorities reported on Saturday.
“So far, there are 23 confirmed deaths and 11 injured, including minors,” said Sonora Governor Alfonso Durazo in a video message. He added that the injured are receiving treatment in various hospitals across the city.
“I have ordered a thorough and transparent investigation to determine the causes of the incident and assign responsibility where appropriate,” Durazo said.
The explosion occurred at a Waldo’s store in downtown Hermosillo. Local authorities confirmed that the incident was not an attack nor related to any violent act against civilians.
Meanwhile, Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum expressed her condolences on X, offering sympathy to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives.
International
Floods in Central Vietnam leave 28 dead, thousands displaced
The death toll from heavy rains and flooding in central Vietnam has risen to 28, with six people reported missing and 43 injured, local newspaper VnExpress reported Friday night.
More than 22,100 homes remain flooded, primarily in the cities of Hue and Da Nang. Floods and landslides have destroyed or swept away 91 houses and damaged another 181, the report added.
Around 245,000 households are still without electricity, particularly in Da Nang, where over 225,000 homes are affected.
Additionally, 80 stretches of national highways are blocked or disrupted due to landslides. Authorities expect the flooding to continue for another day or two in the region.
U.S. strike in Caribbean kills three suspected drug traffickers
At least 23 killed in Sonora supermarket blast, including minors
Floods in Central Vietnam leave 28 dead, thousands displaced
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
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