News of the day from across the globe, May 7
Colombian authorities arrested a prominent Panama businessman sought by the United States and dismantled an empire of businesses that the U.S. says were part of a top worldwide money-laundering organization for drug traffickers.
The coordinated operation was announced as the U.S. Treasury Department froze U.S. assets owned by 68 companies in Panama and Colombia under a drug kingpin designation.
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria says it is suspending aid to Nigeria’s AIDS agency over evidence that $3.8 million was stolen by its workers and consultants.
Spokesman Seth Faison said Friday that Nigeria’s government has promised to repay the money to the Geneva-based agency and to prosecute suspects.
4 State secrets: A Turkish court on Friday sentenced a prominent journalist to more than five years in prison hours after he escaped an attack by a gunman in a trial sharply criticized by international observers.
The Istanbul court found Cumhuriyet newspaper’s editor in chief Can Dundar guilty of revealing state secrets and sentenced him to five years and 10 months in prison.
Boaty McBoatface had captured the public’s fancy but British officials said Friday the country’s newest polar research vessel will be christened Sir David Attenborough, in honor of the prominent naturalist and broadcaster.