- Reuters
Russia calls claim about its alleged military ties with North Korea inaccurate
Russia said on Thursday that Western claims that it was cooperating militarily with North Korea were inaccurate and said its relationship with Pyongyang was neither directed against third countries nor threatening to the security of the region. Reuters on April 25 reported from Washington that China was providing moorage for a U.S.-sanctioned Russian cargo ship implicated in North Korean arms transfers to Russia, according to satellite images obtained by Reuters from Britain's Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). The ship had conducted at least 11 deliveries between the North Korean port of Rajin and Russian ports from August 2023, according to RUSI, which has been tracking its movements as part of a project to use open source data to monitor North Korea's sanctions evasion networks.
- Associated Press
West Indies cricketer Devon Thomas banned for 5 years for match fixing
West Indies batter Devon Thomas was banned for five years by the International Cricket Council on Thursday for match fixing. The Dubai-based ICC said 34-year-old Thomas admitted to “breaching seven counts of the anti-corruption codes of Sri Lanka Cricket, the Emirates Cricket Board, and the Caribbean Premier League.”
- Associated Press
Singer-songwriter Jessica Pratt's latest album is a distinct shift from her austere sound
When Jessica Pratt released her debut self-titled album, which she boasts had virtually no post-production, the singer-songwriter was critically praised for her austere guitar and hypnotic voice. It should come as no surprise then that the indie musician is proceeding with caution as she embraces a more complex and refined sound on her fourth album — out Friday — and first in five years. “There can be a real danger with people who have sort of originated as solo artists graduating into this full band incarnation,” Pratt says.
