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Prince Death Probe, Anti-Brexit Obama, Earth Day

Prince Death Probe, Anti-Brexit Obama, Earth Day

PURPLE PAIN

Spontaneous gatherings and tributes continued into the early hours this morning after the sudden death of Prince, the American music icon and virtuoso instrumentalist behind "Kiss" and "Purple Rain." His body was found yesterday at his home in the Minneapolis suburb of Chanhassen. He was 57. Authorities are investigating the death, and an autopsy is planned for later today.

Have a look at front pages from world's newspapers today, bidding farewell to the man born Prince Rogers Nelson.


COP21

Global leaders gather in New York today to sign the Paris COP21 Agreement on climate change that was agreed to by 195 countries in December. Leaders from some 170 of the nations have confirmed that they will be on hand to formally ratify the commitment.


— ON THIS DAY

The COP21 ceremony lands on Earth Day, which began exactly 46 years ago today. See that event, and more, in today's 57-second shot of history.


UN CONFERENCE ENDS WITHOUT POLICY SHIFT

A UN conference on drugs in New York concluded yesterday without a major shift in policy and with deep divisions over core questions such as whether to decriminalize drug use and to legalize marijuana.


UBER SETTLES LAWSUIT

Ride-hailing service Uber announced yesterday evening that it will pay an initial sum of $84 million to settle cases in California and Massachusetts to some 385,000 drivers after reaching a settlement in a class-act lawsuit over the status of their drivers, Los Angeles Times reports. Uber hopes the settlement moves the mutli-billion-dollar company one step closer to getting its way in classifying drivers as independent contractors rather than full-time employees.


OBAMA URGES BRITISH VOTERS TO REJECT BREXIT

U.S. President Barack Obama made an appeal in an op-ed article in Friday's edition of The Daily Telegraph for Britain to remain in the European Union, saying membership had magnified Britain's place in the world and made the bloc stronger and more outward looking.


— MY GRAND-PERE'S WORLD

Napoleonic Trinkets — Portoferraio, 1969


DEATH TOLL AT 24 FROM MEXICO BLAST

The death toll from the blast that hit the facility in the southern city of Coatzacoalcos in Mexico Wednesday climbed to 24, with another 13 seriously wounded, El Universal reports.


RUSSIAN FIRE MISDIRECTED AT ISRAELI AIRCRAFT

Russian forces in Syria have fired at Israeli military aircraft, prompting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to seek improved operational coordination with Moscow, The Times Of Israel reports today.


— WORLDCRUNCH-TO-GO

Raising shrimp right next to a waste treatment plant: The choice may sound counter-intuitive, as sewage and seafood aren't exactly the most mouth-watering combination. But the facility's location is actually a stroke of genius, Gisela Reiners writes for German daily Die Welt: "As is often the case, it's best not to judge a book by its cover. The sewage plant, it turns out, is a fantastic source of clean water, It is also an ideal place to dispose of shrimp excretions, which can simultaneously be used to generate heat that the little critters need to thrive. The conditions, in other words, are nearly perfect."

Read the full article, Farming Florida-Bred Shrimp In A German Sewage Plant.


ECUADOR TORMENTED BY SECOND QUAKE

Another earthquake measuring 6.0 magnitude hit Ecuador's disaster-stricken coast yesterday, less than a week after a huge 7.8 magnitude quake devastated the area and killed 587 people, El Comercio reports. There have been no reports of further casualties so far.


MORE STORIES, EXCLUSIVELY IN ENGLISH BY WORLDCRUNCH

LETHAL 2016

David Bowie, Alan Rickman, now Prince … BBC News confirms that there's definitely something wrong with 2016.

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FOCUS: Russia-Ukraine War

Black Sea Survivor: Tale Of A Ukrainian Special Agent Thrown Overboard In Enemy Waters

This is a tale of a Ukrainian special forces operator who wound up surviving 14 hours at sea, staying afloat and dodging Russian air and sea patrols.

Black Sea Survivor: Tale Of A Ukrainian Special Agent Thrown Overboard In Enemy Waters

Looking at the Black Sea in Odessa, Ukraine.

Rustem Khalilov and Roksana Kasumova

KYIV — During a covert operation in the Black Sea, a Ukrainian special agent was thrown overboard and spent the next 14 hours alone at sea, surrounded by enemy forces.

Stay up-to-date with the latest on the Russia-Ukraine war, with our exclusive international coverage.

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The agent, who uses the call-sign "Conan," agreed to speak to Ukrainska Pravda, to share the details of nearly being lost forever at sea. He also shared some background on how he arrived in the Ukrainian special forces. Having grown up in a village in a rural territory of Ukraine, Conan describes himself as "a simple guy."

He'd worked in law enforcement, personal security and had a job as a fitness trainer when Russia launched its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022. That's when he signed up with the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Main Directorate of Intelligence "Artan" battalion. It was nearly 18 months into his service, when Conan faced the most harrowing experience of the war. Here's his first-hand account:

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