Global Week in Review: More Than 800 Migrants Drown in Mediterranean

Egypt's ousted president gets 20-year jail time, plus more.

Hundreds of Migrants Meet Death in Mediterranean - Egypt's ousted president sentenced to 20 years in jail, plus more. More than 800 people drowned last Saturday in what the United Nations refugee agency is calling the deadliest recorded migrant disaster in the Mediterranean, AP reports. The victims were apparently packed onto a boat and trying to reach Europe. According to the the Geneva-based U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, about 350 of those aboard were believed to be Eritreans, while other migrants were from Syria, Somalia, Sierra Leone, Mali, Senegal, Gambia, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia and Bangladesh. He also told AP about 1,300 migrants have drowned in the Mediterranean in April alone.(Photo: Lino Azzopardi, File/AP Photo)

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Hundreds of Migrants Meet Death in Mediterranean - Egypt's ousted president sentenced to 20 years in jail, plus more. More than 800 people drowned last Saturday in what the United Nations refugee agency is calling the deadliest recorded migrant disaster in the Mediterranean, AP reports. The victims were apparently packed onto a boat and trying to reach Europe. According to the the Geneva-based U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, about 350 of those aboard were believed to be Eritreans, while other migrants were from Syria, Somalia, Sierra Leone, Mali, Senegal, Gambia, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia and Bangladesh. He also told AP about 1,300 migrants have drowned in the Mediterranean in April alone.(Photo: Lino Azzopardi, File/AP Photo)

Ousted Egypt President to Serve 20 Years in Prison  - Egypt’s ousted President Mohammed Morsi has been sentenced to 20 years in jail for using force against protesters during his rule, BBC reports. Deposed by the military in July 2013, the former leader faces several trials for additional charges made against him and members of his Muslim Brotherhood. Some have questioned the fairness of Morsi’s trial in comparison to that of his predecessor, Hosni Mubarak, who was acquitted of charges related to the killing of protesters during the uprising against his rule. "We are concerned by these sentences," said State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf.(Photo: Amr Nabil/AP Photo)

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Ousted Egypt President to Serve 20 Years in Prison - Egypt’s ousted President Mohammed Morsi has been sentenced to 20 years in jail for using force against protesters during his rule, BBC reports. Deposed by the military in July 2013, the former leader faces several trials for additional charges made against him and members of his Muslim Brotherhood. Some have questioned the fairness of Morsi’s trial in comparison to that of his predecessor, Hosni Mubarak, who was acquitted of charges related to the killing of protesters during the uprising against his rule. "We are concerned by these sentences," said State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf.(Photo: Amr Nabil/AP Photo)

Gov. Cuomo Makes Trade Mission to Cuba - New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently traveled to Cuba, meeting with local officials and top New York business executives to explore ways for companies to do business on the Caribbean island, AP reports. Cuomo is the first U.S. governor to visit Cuba since the warming of diplomatic ties between the two nations. "The president of the United States has the ability to grant licenses to businesses so that businesses can actually start developing right now in select areas and those are areas that we want to pursue," Cuomo said.(Photo: Desmond Boylan/AP Photo)

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Gov. Cuomo Makes Trade Mission to Cuba - New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently traveled to Cuba, meeting with local officials and top New York business executives to explore ways for companies to do business on the Caribbean island, AP reports. Cuomo is the first U.S. governor to visit Cuba since the warming of diplomatic ties between the two nations. "The president of the United States has the ability to grant licenses to businesses so that businesses can actually start developing right now in select areas and those are areas that we want to pursue," Cuomo said.(Photo: Desmond Boylan/AP Photo)

Case Against Argentina's President Dropped - An Argentine prosector has dropped a controversial case against President Cristina Kirchner, arguing that the allegations of her conspiring with Iran in a 1994 bombing were spurious, the Wall Street Journal reports. The accusations were initially made by prosecutor Alberto Nisman, who was found dead in January a day before he was to testify in Congress. Investigators were reportedly unable to determine whether Nisman committed suicide or was murdered. “This is outrageous,” said Sofia Guterman, a 74-year-old, whose daughter was killed in the 1994 attack. “Nisman’s accusations should have been investigated, just like his death. This has to be investigated by independent judges.”(Photo: Rodrigo Abd, File/AP Photo)

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Case Against Argentina's President Dropped - An Argentine prosector has dropped a controversial case against President Cristina Kirchner, arguing that the allegations of her conspiring with Iran in a 1994 bombing were spurious, the Wall Street Journal reports. The accusations were initially made by prosecutor Alberto Nisman, who was found dead in January a day before he was to testify in Congress. Investigators were reportedly unable to determine whether Nisman committed suicide or was murdered. “This is outrageous,” said Sofia Guterman, a 74-year-old, whose daughter was killed in the 1994 attack. “Nisman’s accusations should have been investigated, just like his death. This has to be investigated by independent judges.”(Photo: Rodrigo Abd, File/AP Photo)

Eritrea, Ethiopia Named World's Most Censored States  - Eritrea (pictured), Ethiopia and Cuba are among the world's top 10 most censored countries, according to a new global report by the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists. "Only state media is allowed to disseminate news; the last accredited international correspondent was expelled in 2007,” read the report about Eritrea, which came in at No. 1. "Even those working for the heavily censored state press live in constant fear of arrest for any report perceived as critical to the ruling party, or on suspicion that they leaked information outside the country. […] Less than 1 percent of the population goes online.” Equatorial Guinea is one of four “heavily censored” nations that nearly made the list due to their having little to no independent media.(Photo: Michael Runkel/Robert Harding World Imagery/Corbis)

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Eritrea, Ethiopia Named World's Most Censored States - Eritrea (pictured), Ethiopia and Cuba are among the world's top 10 most censored countries, according to a new global report by the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists. "Only state media is allowed to disseminate news; the last accredited international correspondent was expelled in 2007,” read the report about Eritrea, which came in at No. 1. "Even those working for the heavily censored state press live in constant fear of arrest for any report perceived as critical to the ruling party, or on suspicion that they leaked information outside the country. […] Less than 1 percent of the population goes online.” Equatorial Guinea is one of four “heavily censored” nations that nearly made the list due to their having little to no independent media.(Photo: Michael Runkel/Robert Harding World Imagery/Corbis)

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Head of Venezuela Congress Sues for Defamation  - Diosdado Cabello, the head of Venezuela’s congress, announced Tuesday on Twitter that he is suing three local news outlets for publishing reports linking him to the drug trade, AP reports. Considered the second most powerful figure in the country’s ruling socialist party after President Nicolás Maduro, the National Assembly chief has denied any ties to the drug trade despite earlier reports of his bodyguard defecting to the U.S. to testify against him. According to AP, critics claim the lawsuit is part of a larger strategy of censorship and suppression of free expression.(Photo: Marco Bello/Landov)

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Head of Venezuela Congress Sues for Defamation - Diosdado Cabello, the head of Venezuela’s congress, announced Tuesday on Twitter that he is suing three local news outlets for publishing reports linking him to the drug trade, AP reports. Considered the second most powerful figure in the country’s ruling socialist party after President Nicolás Maduro, the National Assembly chief has denied any ties to the drug trade despite earlier reports of his bodyguard defecting to the U.S. to testify against him. According to AP, critics claim the lawsuit is part of a larger strategy of censorship and suppression of free expression.(Photo: Marco Bello/Landov)

Amnesty International to Togo Government: Respect Citizens’ Right to Protest - With Togo’s April 25 elections swiftly approaching, Amnesty International is calling for the small West African nation’s government to respect the right to demonstrate, AP reports. The international rights group pointed to a demonstration supporting a teachers’ strike in March, which ended in police firing live rounds at the crowd and injuring at least 30 people. Twenty people were allegedly arrested, and one man is said to have died after his release. In November, thousands reportedly protested President Faure Gnassingbe’s decision to run for a third term.(Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

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Amnesty International to Togo Government: Respect Citizens’ Right to Protest - With Togo’s April 25 elections swiftly approaching, Amnesty International is calling for the small West African nation’s government to respect the right to demonstrate, AP reports. The international rights group pointed to a demonstration supporting a teachers’ strike in March, which ended in police firing live rounds at the crowd and injuring at least 30 people. Twenty people were allegedly arrested, and one man is said to have died after his release. In November, thousands reportedly protested President Faure Gnassingbe’s decision to run for a third term.(Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

US Allows Thai Fish Caught by Slaves Despite Labor Abuse Law - The United States has come under fire for permitting Thai seafood caught by slaves into major American supply chains despite a law against importing such goods. A year-long investigation led by AP revealed that hundreds of men were being beaten, starved, held in a cage and forced to work with little or no pay on a remote island village off of Thailand. The news agency alleges that significant loopholes in the law permit the U.S. to avoid enforcing it, as well as "a complex political relationship that includes cooperation against terrorism.”(Photo: Dita Alangkara, File/AP Photo)

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US Allows Thai Fish Caught by Slaves Despite Labor Abuse Law - The United States has come under fire for permitting Thai seafood caught by slaves into major American supply chains despite a law against importing such goods. A year-long investigation led by AP revealed that hundreds of men were being beaten, starved, held in a cage and forced to work with little or no pay on a remote island village off of Thailand. The news agency alleges that significant loopholes in the law permit the U.S. to avoid enforcing it, as well as "a complex political relationship that includes cooperation against terrorism.”(Photo: Dita Alangkara, File/AP Photo)