Pope Leo inaugurates Vatican-run ecological training centre
Pope Leo on Friday (September 5) inaugurated a new Vatican-run ecological training centre in the Italian countryside, an initiative Catholic officials...
A Finnish court sentenced Russian national Yan Petrovsky to life imprisonment for war crimes in eastern Ukraine in 2014. The ruling found his paramilitary unit responsible for the killing of an injured soldier and other offences. Petrovsky denied the charges and intends to appeal.
A Finnish court sentenced a Russian man to life imprisonment on Friday for war crimes committed in 2014 in eastern Ukraine, where his paramilitary unit was found to have been involved in the killing of an injured soldier.
The trial of Yan Petrovsky, also known as Voislav Torden, was a rare instance of foreign prosecutors addressing war crimes linked to the conflict in eastern Ukraine, which Moscow supported before the full-scale invasion in 2022.
Born in 1987, Petrovsky was convicted on four out of five charges related to his activities in Ukraine's Luhansk province, part of the Donbass industrial region.
The court identified him as a member of Rusich, a paramilitary unit linked to the Russian Wagner group. He has been under European Union and U.S. sanctions since 2022.
He was found guilty on four counts, including the actions of his unit that led to the death of a wounded Ukrainian soldier, the mutilation of another, and the taking and publishing of degrading images of deceased soldiers.
"A fixed-term prison sentence was not an adequate punishment," the court stated in its verdict.
Petrovsky was detained in Finland at Ukraine’s request in 2023 while attempting to travel to France using a false identity. Finland’s supreme court later blocked his extradition to Ukraine.
One charge was dismissed, with the court ruling that there was insufficient evidence to prove that Petrovsky’s Rusich unit had organised and carried out an ambush while posing as Ukrainian forces, which resulted in the deaths of 22 Ukrainian soldiers. However, it determined that Rusich fighters had been present.
Petrovsky denied all charges and intends to appeal, his lawyer confirmed.
AnewZ has learned that India has once again blocked Azerbaijan’s application for full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, while Pakistan’s recent decision to consider diplomatic relations with Armenia has been coordinated with Baku as part of Azerbaijan’s peace agenda.
A powerful eruption at Japan’s Shinmoedake volcano sent an ash plume more than 3,000 metres high on Sunday morning, prompting safety warnings from authorities.
A day of mourning has been declared in Portugal to pay respect to victims who lost their lives in the Lisbon Funicular crash which happened on Wednesday evening.
The UK is gearing up for Exercise Pegasus 2025, its largest pandemic readiness test since COVID-19. Running from September to November, this full-scale simulation will challenge the country's response to a fast-moving respiratory outbreak.
A Polish Air Force pilot was killed on Thursday when an F-16 fighter jet crashed during a training flight ahead of the 2025 Radom International Air Show.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Friday called for a wide-ranging re-examination of the Federal Reserve’s role and authority, including its control over interest rate policy, as the Trump administration steps up its campaign to assert greater oversight over the central bank.
The Trump administration is preparing to introduce new rules that would restrict or potentially block imports of Chinese-made drones and medium to heavy-duty vehicles, citing national security concerns.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer carried out a major cabinet reshuffle on Friday (September 5), appointing new deputies as well as foreign and interior ministers in a bid to reassert control following the resignation of his deputy, Angela Rayner.
Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo confirmed on Friday (September 5) that his racing career has come to an end, announcing he will take on a new role as a global motorsports ambassador for Ford.
Lebanon’s cabinet on Friday (September 5) endorsed an army proposal to disarm Hezbollah, saying the military would begin implementing it, though without a set timeline and while noting the army’s limited resources.
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