Chauvin Not to Take to The Stand
The ex-officer accused of killing George Floyd says he will not testify on his own behalf as the defence rests their case and court is adjourned.
Derek Chauvin denies killing Mr Floyd. Jurors are due to begin deliberating his fate on Monday morning.
Video of Mr Chauvin kneeling on the neck of Mr Floyd led to worldwide protests against racism and policing.
Tensions in Minneapolis are running high after a police officer shot Daunte Wright in a nearby suburb. The officer has since been charged with manslaughter (read below)
Experts say it would be unusual for a suspect to take the stand in their own defence during a trial.
Before the jury was brought into the courtroom on Thursday, Mr Chauvin was asked a series of questions about his decision not to testify.
Police Officer Charged with Manslaughter After Shooting Of Daunte Wright
A white ex-police officer, Kim Potter, has been charged after shooting a black man, named Daunte Wright, in Minnesota, USA, on Sunday 11 April.
Daunte Wright, 20, died after being shot by Mrs Potter who said she mistook her gun for a Taser. A Taser uses electric shocks to temporarily stun a person.
Mrs Potter and the local police chief, Tim Gannon, quit their jobs following the event. They were both members of the Brooklyn Centre police force based in Minnesota.
Lots of people are angry about Mr Wright's death because it's seen as another time a white police officer's actions have led to the death of a black person.
The anger has sparked protests in Minnesota where a curfew has been brought in. The President of the United States, Joe Biden, called for "peace and calm" following the shooting.
Mrs Potter has been charged with second-degree manslaughter. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
Biden Imposes Sanctions on Moscow
The US has announced sanctions against Russia in response to what it says are cyber-attacks and other hostile acts.
The measures, which target dozens of Russian entities and officials, aim to deter "Russia's harmful foreign activities", the White House said.
The statement says Russian intelligence was behind last year's massive "SolarWinds" hack, and accuses Moscow of interference in the 2020 election.
Russia denies all the allegations and says it will respond in kind.
The sanctions announced on Thursday are detailed in an executive order signed by President Joe Biden. They come at a tense time for relations between the two countries.
France Urges Citizens to Leave Pakistan Amid Protests
France has urged all its citizens in Pakistan to leave the country temporarily amid violent anti-French protests across the country.
The country's embassy in Pakistan warned of "serious threats to French interests in Pakistan", saying protests were increasing nationwide.
Two police officers died this week in renewed clashes with protesters.
The protests were sparked months ago after France defended the right to show cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.
In October last year, French President Emmanuel Macron strongly defended freedom of expression after the beheading of a teacher who showed such cartoons during a class discussion.
This prompted anger in parts of the Muslim world, including Pakistan, where there were calls for a boycott of French goods.
Depictions of the Prophet Muhammad are widely regarded as taboo in Islam, and are considered highly offensive by Muslims.
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