As Belarus’s Central Bank devalues the ruble, the European Union has expanded sanctions and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) invokes human rights mechanism. Mike Harris reports
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Two Vietnamese Falun Gong practitioners are to face trial for transmitting programmes about their spiritual beliefs into China. The case of 30-year old Vu Duc and his 35-year old brother-in-law Le Van Thanh begins on Friday (9 April). If found guilty the pair face up to five years in jail. China has banned Falun Gong, they deem it a cult, and practitioners are jailed.
Four New York Times journalists who had gone missing in Libya will be released soon, it was reported on Friday. The journalists had entered Libya through Egypt and were reporting from the rebel held city of Ajdabiya, which was then overrun by the pro-Gadaffi army and they were arrested. Libyan officials have indicated that the journalists will be released very soon. Four Al Jazeera journalists are also said to be in custody in Tripoli, while two Agence France-Presse journalists and a Getty Images photographer have been missing in Libya since Saturday.
P J Crowley has stepped down from his position as chief spokesman of the US State Department after condemning the Pentagon’s treatment of Private Bradley Manning. The US soldier is accused of providing documents to Wikileaks.
He is currently detained in solitary confinement in a maximum security US military prison. Crowley described the Pentagon’s handling of Manning as “ridiculous and counterproductive and stupid”.