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8. April 2017, 21:58

Guilty verdict for Kremlin critic Navalny

Russia's most prominent opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, has been found guilty of embezzlement at a retrial, which means that he cannot run for president next year. Judge Alexei Vtyurin said Navalny was guilty of embezzling timber worth about $500,000. The previous guilty verdict was overturned by the European Court of Human Rights, which ruled that Russia violated Navalny's right to a fair trial. The judge has to yet to pronounce sentence. Navalny had announced plans to run for office in December.

Appeals court hears evidence in US travel ban case

A federal appeals court in the United States has heard the arguments as to whether President Donald Trump's controversial travel ban unfairly targeted people from seven Muslim-majority countries. The San Francisco-based 9th Circuit court said it would issue a ruling as soon as possible. The issue is likely to go to the US Supreme Court. Human rights law professor Robert Wintemute says the ban is discriminatory and very selective: "The glaring omission in the list of countries is Saudi Arabia, which of course sells a lot of oil to the US, and other political allies, Turkey, Pakistan etc. are not included. So it is a very partial list."

UN launches appeal for Yemen

The United Nations has launched an appeal for over $2 billion to provide food and other life-saving assistance to 12 million people in Yemen who face the threat of famine after two years of war. Jamie McGoldrick, the United Nations humanitarian coordinator in Yemen, says the situation is catastrophic and rapidly deteriorating. Over 3 million people, two thirds of them children, are said to be acutely malnourished.

Romanian government faces no-confidence vote

The centre-left government in Romania is facing a vote of no-confidence over a measure to decriminalise official misconduct, after a week of mass protests forced it to repeal the decree. The vote was called last week by three opposition parties.

EU and UN criticise Israel over settlements move

The European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini has criticised an Israeli move to legalise 4,000 settler homes built on privately owned Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank. She said that the law, if it was implemented, crossed a new and dangerous threshold. The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said the action goes against international law and would have legal consequences for Israel.

Brexit bill set for final House of Commons vote

Draft legislation empowering the British government to begin the formal process of leaving the European Union is due to reach its final stages in the House of Commons later today. MPs will debate and vote on more amendments, including whether to let EU nationals stay in the UK, before the bill goes to its third and final reading in the lower house.

The weather

A mix of cloud and sunshine. Top temperatures from minus 3 to plus 6.

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