Soviet-era dissident given ‘draconian’ jail sentence in Russia for anti-war views

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Alexander Skobov jailed for 16 years over social media post and alleged involvement in opposition group

A Soviet-era dissident has been sentenced to 16 years in prison in Russia for his anti-war views, in a case that observers say highlights how the country’s repression now exceeds even parts of the Soviet period.

Alexander Skobov, a 67-year-old lifelong dissident, was sentenced on Friday by a military court in St Petersburg over a social media post supporting Ukraine’s 2022 strike on the Crimea Bridge, as well as his alleged involvement with the foreign-based opposition group the Free Russia Forum.

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Namibia swears in first female president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah – BBC.com

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  1. Namibia swears in first female president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah  BBC.com
  2. Namibia's new president vows to diversify economy, tackle joblessness  Reuters
  3. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah sworn in as Namibia’s first female president  Al Jazeera English
  4. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah is sworn in as Namibia’s first female leader  The Associated Press
  5. Namibia: Supreme Court throws out challenge to presidential election result  Africanews English
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Power struggle leads to coup in Tigray as war looms between Ethiopia and Eritrea

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Tigray’s interim leader flees as rival faction seizes control, while Ethiopian tanks and troops move to border of Eritrea

Aregawi was building a tour-guiding business when war struck Ethiopia’s Tigray region in 2020. He spent the next two years fighting on the frontline. Now he is among those who fear Tigray is on the brink of conflict once more.

“We don’t want to become a battleground, but it seems like war is near, maybe even inevitable,” he said.

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US-EU trade war could cost Ireland more than €18bn, says report

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Report co-authored by Irish government also finds tariffs could cause job losses and relocation of US multinationals

A trade war between the US and the EU could cost Ireland more than €18bn (£15bn), trigger waves of job losses and cause US multinationals to relocate, according to a report co-authored by the Irish government.

Ireland’s GDP could shrink by 3.7% over the next five to seven years under the worst-case scenario, in which Donald Trump imposed 25% tariffs on all exports on the EU and the EU retaliated with counter-tariffs, the study carried by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) found.

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The UN has declared 2025 as the year of glacier preservation. Here’s how to visit one safely – BBC.com

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  1. The UN has declared 2025 as the year of glacier preservation. Here's how to visit one safely  BBC.com
  2. Glacier meltdown risks food and water supply of 2 billion people, says UN  The Guardian
  3. World's glaciers are losing record ice as global temperatures climb, U.N. says  Reuters
  4. Glacier melt threatens water supplies for two billion people, UN warns  Carbon Brief
  5. It's The First World Day For Glaciers – And Scientists Are Concerned  ScienceAlert
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EU leaders fail to agree €5 billion military-aid package for Ukraine – Semafor

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  1. EU leaders fail to agree €5 billion military-aid package for Ukraine  Semafor
  2. EU plan to send more military aid to Ukraine in shambles  POLITICO Europe
  3. France and Italy Stall EU Push to Commit Ammunition for Ukraine  Bloomberg
  4. EU leaders reject Putin's demand to halt military aid to Ukraine  Euronews
  5. EU leaders vow to continue backing Ukraine, but make no concrete pledge  Reuters
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Germany Set for Trillion-Euro Defense and Infrastructure Splurge – The Wall Street Journal

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  1. Germany Set for Trillion-Euro Defense and Infrastructure Splurge  The Wall Street Journal
  2. German borrowing bonanza clears final hurdle  Reuters
  3. Germany’s Landmark Spending Bill Wins Final Lawmaker Backing  Bloomberg
  4. The Bundestag approves the biggest fiscal expansion in post-war history  The Economist
  5. German parliament's upper house gives final approval to huge defense and borrowing package  The Associated Press
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Friedrich Merz’s €1tn spending plan wins final approval from Germany’s upper house – Financial Times

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  1. Friedrich Merz’s €1tn spending plan wins final approval from Germany’s upper house  Financial Times
  2. Germany Set for Trillion-Euro Defense and Infrastructure Splurge  The Wall Street Journal
  3. Germany's upper house clears historic defence spending bill  Euronews
  4. Germany Has Traded Austerity for a Mess  Foreign Policy
  5. How will Germany spend its €1 trillion loans?  DW (English)
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Families flock to Mexican murder ranch, hoping for signs of loved ones – Los Angeles Times

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  1. Families flock to Mexican murder ranch, hoping for signs of loved ones  Los Angeles Times
  2. Clues From Inside an ‘Extermination Camp’ Promise Despair and Hope  The New York Times
  3. ‘Mexican Auschwitz’ opens its doors: ‘The only truth is that they don’t care about the missing’  EL PAÍS USA
  4. At Mexico's 'ranch of horror' families of the missing hope for answers  Reuters
  5. ‘Extermination camp’ discovery horrifies Mexico  Financial Times
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