*) US imposes fresh sanctions on Russia

The US has imposed new sanctions on Russia after accusing Moscow of launching a massive cyber attack last year, and interfering in November's presidential election.

Moscow denies all the allegations and says it will respond.

The US is also expelling some staff from Russia’s embassy in Washington, and placing targeted sanctions on individuals and entities in Russia.

*) Chicago release video of police killing 13-year-old

Footage from a police body camera has been released, showing a policeman shooting and killing a 13-year-old boy in Chicago last month.

Police say Adam Toledo was shot after running down an alley with a gun in his hand, and had ignored an officer's request to stop and drop the weapon.

The lawyer representing Toledo's family denies the teen was carrying a gun.

*) French MPs approve controversial security law

France's parliament has passed a security bill extending police powers.

The legislation gives police more power, while limiting the publication of images and video of officers performing their duties.

The law was passed despite criticism from civil rights activists, who fear it protects police brutality and threatens efforts to denounce it.

*) Pfizer: Third Covid vaccine dose needed within a year

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla says people will likely need a third dose of his company's Covid-19 vaccine within a year of being fully vaccinated.

He added that annual vaccinations against the coronavirus may also be required.

His statement comes after Pfizer researchers said they did not know how long their vaccines will provide protection against the coronavirus as variants keep mutating.

*) Cuban zoo welcomes birth of endangered Bengal tigers

Zookeepers at Cuba's National Zoo in Havana are celebrating the birth of a litter of Bengal tigers, among them a rare white cub.

This birth comes after two decades of trying to breed the endangered animals.

Thousands of Bengal tigers once roamed the forests of Bangladesh, India and Nepal, but numbers have dwindled due to poaching and deforestation.

*) Ex-cop charged in shooting of Black motorist

Kim Potter, the white cop who shot and killed Black man Daunte Wright, has been arrested and charged with second degree manslaughter.

Minneapolis has been roiled by nightly protests after Potter appeared to have mistaken her gun for her Taser when she killed Wright on Sunday.

Meanwhile, protests are also continuing in major US cities against police brutality against people of colour.

*) Derek Chauvin’s defence team face quagmire

Staying in Minneapolis, Derek Chauvin’s defence team will continue presenting their case.

Their latest witness, the former chief medical examiner for the state of Maryland, testified that George Floyd's heart problems and drug use contributed to a sudden heart attack that caused his death.

The defence team, who’ve taken a knock in the trial so far, face a crucial decision over whether to put Chauvin on the witness stand.

*) Denmark halts use of AstraZeneca vaccine

Denmark has halted the use of the AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine, becoming Europe's first country to do so.

It's because of concerns about rare cases of blood clotting among recipients.

The move could delay Denmark's vaccination programme by several weeks.

*) Houston Rockets works with FBI after being hit by major cyberattack

The Houston Rockets basketball team's internal systems have been hacked.

Bloomberg reports that the Babuk hacking group claims to have stolen 500GB of data, including contracts, non-disclosure agreements and financial data.

The Rockets have roped in the FBI to investigate the cyberattack.

*) NFT art fetches $16.8M at Sotheby's

An NFT piece by digital artist Pak has sold for a whopping $16.8M at a Sotheby's online auction.

The Sotheby's sale had a complex structure, including a series of digital cubes which collectors could buy for $500 to $1,500 each, receiving a number of NFTs based on how many cubes they owned.

Last month, an NFT piece sold for $69.3M at Christie’s, in the first sale ever by a major auction house of a piece of art that does not exist in physical form.

*) US to withdraw all troops from Afghanistan by September 11

President Joe Biden says the US will withdraw all troops from Afghanistan by September 11, almost 20 years after the war began.

Biden's decision would miss a May 1 withdrawal deadline that his predecessor Donald Trump had agreed to with the Taliban.

Hours after the announcement, the Taliban said the group will not attend any summit on Afghanistan's future until all foreign forces leave the country.

*) Minnesota officers resign two days after Daunte Wright shooting

The Minnesota police officer who fatally shot Black motorist Daunte Wright during a traffic stop and the city's police chief have resigned.

The resignations came after the city council passed a resolution to dismiss both police personnel over the death by “mistake” that triggered protests.

Tensions have soared in the community, already on edge amid former cop Derek Chauvin's ongoing murder trial over George Floyd’s death last year.

*) Pakistan forces try to clear sit-ins by protesters

Pakistani forces fired tear gas at baton-charged supporters of a religious party after five people died in earlier demonstrations that turned violent this week.

Protests erupted on Monday in major cities across the country after police arrested Saad Rizvi, the leader of the Tehreek-e-Labiak Pakistan.

Rizvi was taken into custody hours after the TLP threatened the government with protests if they did not expel France’s ambassador over depictions of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad.


*) US pauses use of J&J vaccine over rare blood clots

Health authorities in the US have called for an immediate pause in the use of the Johnson and Johnson single-dose coronavirus vaccine.

The joint decision, by the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control, comes after a rare disorder involving blood clots was reported in six people.

Almost seven million Americans have received the Johnson and Johnson shots and one suspected death has been reported from clots linked to the jab.

*) A photo of Turkey’s Van lake wins NASA competition

A photograph of Lake Van in eastern Turkey has won a NASA photo competition.

The photo, depicting the lake with its swirling cerulean and azure waters, was captured by astronaut Kate Rubins from space.

The Tournament Earth competition gathered 32 participants and featured more than two decades of snapshots taken by astronauts.

Curfew in Minneapolis after police killing of Black man, and Muslims begin fasting month of Ramadan amid coronavirus pandemic

NEWSREADER INTRO: This is TRT World’s Daily News Brief for Tuesday, April 13th.

*) Curfew imposed in Minneapolis after police killing of Black man

A curfew has been imposed in Minneapolis after protests erupted over the police killing of a Black man some 16 km from where George Floyd died last year.

A cop shot dead 20-year-old Daunte Wright on Sunday during a traffic stop, later claimed she "mistakenly" used her gun instead of a taser.

Police bodycam footage shows the officer shouting "Taser! Taser! Taser!" but then, instead, firing a gun at the victim.

*) ‘Protecting Libya's sovereignty Turkey's top goal’

President Erdogan says Turkey will support Libya’s Government of National Unity just as it did for the previous government.

Erdogan made the statement after receiving Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh for a two-day visit to Turkey.

Dbeibeh stressed Libya’s keenness to enhance relations with Turkey and hoped for cooperation in security reforms as well as combating terrorism and cross-border crime.

*) Japan to release contaminated Fukushima water into sea

Japan says it will release massive amounts of treated radioactive water from the tanks of the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea.

The move prompted anger from activists and fishing communities as well as concern from neighbouring countries including China and South Korea.

The water is stored in tanks at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant since its 2011 meltdown after a massive earthquake and tsunami.

*) OPCW: Syrian regime used chemical weapons Saraqeb attack

A global chemical weapons watchdog says the Syrian regime dropped chlorine bombs in the rebel-controlled city of Saraqeb in February 2018.

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons says a dozen people were treated for symptoms consistent with chemical poisoning.

There was no immediate comment from the Syrian regime but Damascus and its ally Russia have repeatedly denied using chemical weapons in the war.

And finally …

*) Muslims begin observing Ramadan for second time in pandemic

The Muslim fasting month of Ramadan has begun across several countries as much of the world grapples with an intense new coronavirus wave.

A time for fasting, worship and charity, Ramadan is also when Muslims congregate for prayers and gather around for meals to break their fast.

But hopes of many Muslims of a better Ramadan than last year have been dashed because of curbs imposed due to the pandemic.

*) Iran blames Israel for Natanz incident

Iran has vowed to exact revenge against regional arch-foe Israel which it blames for Sunday's incident at Natanz nuclear site.

Iranian authorities described the incident as an act of "nuclear terrorism".

Israeli public radio and other media outlets quoted intelligence sources as saying Mossad was behind a cyber attack on Iran's Natanz facility.

The sabotage comes a day after the launch of new centrifuges at the site.

*) Arauz admits defeat to Lasso in Ecuador presidential election

In Ecuador, socialist economist Andres Arauz has conceded defeat to conservative former banker Guillermo Lasso after a presidential election run-off.

Lasso received more than 52 percent of the vote and defeated Arauz.

His victory comes as Ecuador grapples with a health and economic crisis due to the coronavirus pandemic.

*) US: There will be consequences if Russia acts aggressively

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has warned Russia there would be consequences if Moscow acts aggressively towards Ukraine.

Blinken's statement comes as the Kremlin says certain conditions of the Minsk Protocol must be met before peace talks can go ahead with Kiev.

Fighting has intensified in recent weeks between Ukraine's army and pro-Russia separatists, with Russian troop build-up raising concerns of major escalation.

*) Myanmar security forces killed more than 700 since February 1

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borell says China and Russia are blocking attempts to implement an arms embargo in Myanmar.

More than 700 people have been killed by security forces since the military snatched power from the government in February.

China and Russia are the largest suppliers of weapons to Myanmar where the junta continues to crack down on anti-coup protesters.

And finally …

*) Hideki becomes first Japanese man to win a major tournament

Hideki Matsuyama has become the first Japanese man to win a major golf championship with a one-shot Masters victory.

He overpowered Will Zalatoris, his closest challenger, at Augusta National in his 33rd major championship appearance.

Matsuyama held off the field that included Xander Schauffele and debutant Zalatoris to win the Masters by one stroke.

*) Medical experts deal big blow to Derek Chauvin’s defence

Medical experts asserted that Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd by kneeling on his neck long enough to cut off his oxygen.

Doctors Martin Tobin and Bill Smock testified that a lack of oxygen led to brain damage and caused Floyd's heart to stop.

The damaging testimony has ripped a big hole in the defence's theory that Floyd died because of his issues with drugs.

*) Biden attempts to tackle US gun violence

President Joe Biden branded US gun violence an epidemic at a ceremony to unveil his first attempt at getting the problem under control.

With Congress unable to agree on broad new gun regulations, Biden announced six measures that he said will help slow down the crisis.

The new measures include a move to crack down on homemade firearms that lack serial numbers and tightened regulations on pistol-stabilising braces.

*) Israel will not cooperate with ICC war crimes probe

Israel has formally decided not to cooperate with an International Criminal Court investigation into war crimes committed in Palestinian territories.

The ICC's chief prosecutor last month opened an investigation into incidents in the Israeli-occupied territories.

Palestinians called the move a rare opportunity to hold Israel accountable for what they call serious and longstanding violations of international law.

*) Violence erupts again in Northern Ireland despite pleas for calm

Authorities in Northern Ireland sought to restore calm after Protestant and Catholic youths in Belfast hurled bricks, fireworks and petrol bombs at police and each other.

The often violent protests that began last week stemmed from the unionist community, leading to joint condemnation from political leaders in the British province.

Unionists are angry over apparent economic dislocation due to Brexit and existing tensions with pro-Irish nationalist communities.

And finally …

*) Mike Pompeo joins Fox News

Fox News has hired former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo as an on-screen contributor and political pundit.

The conservative cable network has hired other members of the Trump orbit in recent months, including his daughter-in-law Lara Trump and former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany.

Pompeo says he intends to give viewers a candid, no-nonsense look at geopolitics and international relations.

*) US to repair ties with Palestine

The US has announced it will resume financial support for the UN agency that supports Palestinian refugees.

The aid package, worth more than $230 million, will go toward humanitarian, economic and security assistance.

The move is aimed at repairing Washington's ties with the Palestinians after the Trump administration cut the funding.

*) US reviews child migrant cases at the Mexican border

The US is reviewing the cases of 5,600 migrant children to determine if they were separated from their families at the Mexican border by the Trump administration.

President Joe Biden is aiming to build a comprehensive database of families that were separated under Trump's zero-tolerance migration policy.

Biden issued an executive order in February, which aims to reunite children taken away from their parents.

*) Australian politicians no longer exempt from sexual harassment rules

Australia is overhauling its sexual harassment laws to make members of parliament, judges and public servants accountable for their actions.

The move aims to quell public anger over parliamentary sex abuse scandals.

MPs, judges and public servants are currently exempt from anti-harassment rules that apply to other Australian workplaces, though they can still face criminal prosecution for sexual assault.

*) Authorities close investigation into Tiger Woods crash

The LA County Sheriff's Department has closed its investigation into the accident that injured golfer Tiger Woods.

In a concluding report, the department said Woods may have hit the accelerator instead of the brake before his accident.

The black box of the SUV showed the car was moving at 135 to 140km/h before it crashed, which is double the speed limit.

And finally …

*) Rare Superman comic sells for record $3.25M

A mint 1938 comic book that introduced Superman to the world sold for a record $3.25 million during a ComicConnect.com online auction.

The comic showed readers the origins of Superman, how he came to Earth from Krypton and moved around as Clark Kent.

It's estimated only about 100 copies of Action Comics #1 exists today but in varying conditions.