The deaths of Taylor and George Floyd, who was murdered by a white police officer in Minneapolis in May 2020, became the focus of a wave of mass protests in the United States.
The US Justice Department charged four police officers on Thursday over the death of Breonna Taylor, a Black woman killed in a botched 2020 raid on her home in Louisville, Kentucky.
Attorney General Merrick Garland said the four officers were being charged with civil rights offenses, unlawful conspiracy, unconstitutional use of force and obstruction.
The deaths of Taylor and George Floyd, who was murdered by a white police officer in Minneapolis in May 2020, became the focus of a wave of mass protests in the United States and beyond against racial injustice and police brutality.
Garland said three of the officers — Joshua Jaynes, Kelly Goodlett and Kyle Meany — were charged with falsification of a search warrant in a suspected drug trafficking case.
They are accused of violating Taylor’s rights by seeking a warrant to search her home when they knew they lacked probable cause for such a search.
The fourth officer, Brett Hankison, was charged with using excessive force by opening fire wildly during the raid which left Taylor dead.
Taylor was fatally shot after officers on a narcotics squad used a battering ram to enter her apartment in 2020.
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Pope names nurse who ‘saved my life’ as personal aide
The 85-year-old pope is always attended by healthcare staff, both in the Vatican and his overseas trips, but this is a new position linked to his recent health problems, a Vatican source told AFP. The Argentine pontiff suffers from knee pain that has forced him to cancel numerous events, and admitted last week after a trip to Canada that he must slow down or even start thinking about retiring.
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Taiwan and India stand on the frontline of authoritarian expansion, says Taipei envoy
New Delhi: China’s current preoccupation with the Taiwan Strait doesn’t mean it will diminish its attention to the Indian Ocean, and both Taiwan and India stand on the frontline of authoritarian expansion, Taipei’s de-facto ambassador Baushuan Ger said on Thursday. Other free and law-biding countries will suffer in the long-term if China’s wanton disregard for democratic principles and blatant violation of international law go unheeded, Ger said in an exclusive interview.
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After missiles, 22 Chinese fighter jets cross median line, says Taiwan
As many as 22 Chinese Air Force jets crossed Taiwan Strait ‘median line’ on Thursday Taipei’s defence ministry said, a day after US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi made a solidarity trip to the self-ruled island. Japan estimated that five ballistic missiles landed in Japan’s exclusive economic zone, and four of those likely flew over Taiwan. Officials in Taiwan have not commented on the specific flight path of the projectiles.
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‘Taiwan will not provoke but…’: President Tsai Ing-wen as China fires missiles
As China fired ballistic missiles and deployed fighter jets and warships on Thursday, a day after US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi made a solidarity trip to the self-ruled island, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said it will not provoke conflicts but will firmly defend its sovereignty and national security. She was responding to Chinese military drills near the island. Tsai also urged the international community to jointly stop unilateral and irrational military actions.
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Chinese missiles appear to have landed in Japan’s economic zone: Minister
Japan’s defence minister Nobuo Kishi said on Thursday that five ballistic missiles believed to have been fired by China landed in the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The development comes as China holds massive military drills in the waters around Taiwan following a visit by US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, despite stern warnings from Beijing. Parts of Japan’s southernmost island region Okinawa are close to Taiwan.