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These videos are a reminder why Russia is being investigated for war crimes The International Criminal Court is planning to open two war crimes cases tied to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and issue arrest warrants against "several people," according to the New York Times and Reuters, citing current and former officials with knowledge of the decision who were not authorized to speak publicly. CNN's Matthew Chance reports. Source

Tokyo CNN  —  The world’s longest-serving death row convict was on Monday granted a retrial by a Japanese court in the latest twist in a legal saga dating back to the 1960s. Iwao Hakamada, 87, spent nearly five decades waiting for the hangman’s call following his 1968 conviction for quadruple murder before new evidence led to his release seven years ago. The Tokyo High Court ruled Monday that “Hakamada cannot possibly be identified as the culprit,” given the main evidence presented to finalize his death penalty was unreliable, Kiyomi Tsunagoe, a lawyer on his defense team, told CNN. She added that the Tokyo court upheld the decision not to return Hakamada to prison, given that he would likely be found not guilty. “Hakamada’s case is known globally, and there always remained the risk that he could be sent back to prison and face the death penalty again, despite evidence pointing…

Hong Kong/Tokyo CNN  —  Masatoshi Ito, the Japanese billionaire who turned 7-Eleven convenience stores into a global empire, has died aged 98, closing the chapter on one of Asia’s most storied retail entrepreneurs. Seven & I Holdings (SVNDF), operator of 7-Eleven, confirmed the death in a statement on Monday, adding that Ito died from old age on March 10. “We would like to express our deepest gratitude for your kindness and friendship during his life and respectfully inform you of his passing,” the company said. Ito transformed everyday retail in Japan, turning a US-born company into an international brand, particularly in Asia where 7-Eleven shops are rarely more than a few minutes’ walk away in many cities. Seven & I Holdings now operates over 83,000 stores around the world, including 7-Eleven shops in 19 regions and countries as well as the Speedway convenience store chain in the United States. Chief…

Hong Kong CNN  —  China’s most important annual political meetings wrapped up Monday, leaving leader Xi Jinping firmly at the helm of a superpower that appears more eager to push back against the United States than at any time in decades. Much of what took place over 10 days in Beijing at the highly choreographed meetings, known as the two sessions, was pre-arranged – but they also threw up a few surprises. Here are the key takeaways: To long-term observers of Chinese politics, the meetings sent an unequivocal message: the Chinese Communist Party is advancing and the state is in retreat. The annual meeting of the country’s rubber-stamp legislature and top political advisory body is traditionally a stage for the central government and the premier to shine. But the party – and Xi – has increasingly loomed large over the event. The National People’s Congress not only endorsed an unprecedented…

Taichung, Taiwan CNN  —  A Taiwanese state-owned military weapons developer unveiled five new types of indigenous military drones on Tuesday, as the self-ruled island looks to boost its asymmetric warfare capabilities against China’s growing military threat. A CNN team was among reporters invited to the National Chung-shan Institute of Science and Technology, where the Taiwanese weapons developer displayed eight types of locally developed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) – including five models that were shown to the public for the first time. The new drones come in different sizes and are equipped with either combat or surveillance capabilities, said Eric Chi, director of the institute’s Aeronautical Systems Research Division, who added that the devices were designed for use by different branches of Taiwan’s military. “In response to the new global war trends, our military has been actively building asymmetric warfare capabilities,” Chi said. He added that the institution has been working…

Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. CNN  —  If you’ve been using Pi Day as an excuse to just eat pie, that’s just peachy (or apple or chocolate cream). But there’s so much more to know about pi. Here’s why we care about pi and its day of celebration, which is March 14. Pi is the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter, or approximately 3.14. Pi Day occurs on March 14, because the date is written as 3/14 in the United States. If you’re a serious math geek, celebrate the day exactly at 1:59 a.m. or p.m. so you can reach the first six numbers of pi, 3.14159. March 14 is also Albert Einstein’s birthday. Baking up a little fun on pi day Physicist Larry Shaw started Pi Day in 1988 at…

CNN  —  Golfer Danielle Kang has announced she will be taking a break from the LPGA Tour, days after revealing she had been playing at the US Women’s Open with a tumor on her spine. The 29-year-old shared her diagnosis after finishing her second round at the major in North Carolina on Friday, adding that she did not yet know whether the tumor was benign or malignant. “I really don’t have the answers now,” Kang told reporters, according to USA Today Sports Media Group’s Golf Week. “Right now, it’s not as simple as blaming the tumor to be the problem. It’s not just that I have an issue with my back, there is more to it.” Having withdrawn from the LOTTE Championship in Hawaii in April citing back pain, World No. 12 ranked Kang withdrew again from the Palos Verdes Championship later that month. Responding to a tweet alleging she…

Canberra, Australia CNN  —  More than a year after the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia dropped the tightly held news they were combining submarine forces, the trio released more details Monday of their ambitious plan to counter China’s rapid military expansion. Under the multi-decade AUKUS deal, the partners will build a combined fleet of elite nuclear-powered submarines using technology, labor and funding from all three countries, creating a more formidable force in the Indo-Pacific than any of them could achieve alone. But the long timeline and huge financial costs – running into the hundreds of billions for Australia alone – pose questions about how far the partners’ plans could stray from their “optimal pathway” in the decades to come as governments, and potentially priorities, change. In a joint statement Monday, US President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and UK counterpart Rishi Sunak said the “historic” deal…

CNN  —  Only 13 of the world’s countries and territories had “healthy” air quality last year, according to a new report, as air pollution surged to alarming levels in 2022. The report by IQAir, a company that tracks air quality worldwide, found that average annual air pollution in roughly 90% of the countries and territories analyzed exceeded the World Health Organization’s air quality guidelines, which are designed to help governments craft regulations to protect public health. IQAir analyzed average air quality from 131 countries and territories, and found that just six countries — Australia, Estonia, Finland, Grenada, Iceland and New Zealand — and seven territories in the Pacific and Caribbean, including Guam and Puerto Rico, met the WHO air quality guidelines, which call for an average air pollution level of 5 micrograms per cubic meter or less. Seven countries – Chad, Iraq, Pakistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Kuwait and India…

CNN  —  Winning tennis matches hasn’t been Emma Raducanu’s only concern lately – staying injury free has become tricky for the British star. The 20-year-old has suffered a myriad of injuries over the past 18 months which has blighted her hopes of on-court success. But Raducanu’s run at Indian Wells has shown glimpses of the form that brought her grand slam success in 2021 as she advanced to the last 16 of Indian Wells on Monday after beating No. 13 seed Beatriz Haddad Maia in three sets, 6-1 2-6 6-4. In doing so, Raducanu advanced to the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open for the first time in her career, as well as winning three successive matches for only the second time since winning the US Open in September 2021. Raducanu last managed three successive victories in 2022 at the WTA 250 in Seoul, South Korea, before she was…