Briefly

RUSSIA
Moscow defends jail term for ex-US Marine
Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Monday that a 16-year jail term handed down by a Moscow court to former US Marine Paul Whelan was neither unfair nor too harsh and that those convicted on similar charges in the US would have been given a longer sentence. Earlier on Monday, the court found Whelan guilty of spying for the US. The US Department of State on Monday condemned the Russian court's decision to convict Whelan. John Sullivan, the US ambassador to Moscow, called Whelan's sentence an egregious violation of human rights that would harm ties between the two countries. Whelan also has British, Irish and Canadian citizenships.
MIDDLE EAST
Israel targets Hamas sites after rocket fire
Israel retaliated with air and tank fire on Monday against Hamas positions after rocket fire from the Gaza Strip, the Israeli Army said. The tensions came after Hamas called for unity among Palestinians and "resistance" against Israeli plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank. The Israeli Army said that a rocket had been fired from the Gaza Strip "into Israel", the first such act in more than a month. "Airplanes targeted Hamas infrastructure" in southern Gaza and "tanks targeted (its) military posts," the statement said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu aims to begin a process of annexing West Bank settlements and the Jordan Valley from July 1, as part of a peace initiative of the United States.
UNITED STATES
Oscars pushed back due to movie chaos
Next year's Oscars have been postponed by eight weeks to April 25 after the coronavirus pandemic shuttered movie theaters and wreaked havoc on Hollywood's release calendar, the Academy said on Monday. With many studio blockbusters and indie arthouse movies forced to push back their release dates until theaters reopen, the cut-off date for Oscar-eligible films has also been extended by two months, to the end of February. The movie industry's biggest night was originally scheduled for Feb 28. Most US movie theaters remain closed, and film productions have ground to a halt, with fears mounting of a second wave of COVID-19 cases.
Trump warns ex-aide Bolton book in breach
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that his former national security adviser John Bolton will have broken the law and face criminal liability if a book he has written is published. Trump told reporters at the White House that Bolton knows he has classified information in his book, and that he had not completed a clearing process required for any book written by former government officials who had access to sensitive information. Trump fired Bolton in September after 519 days on the job amid simmering differences on a wide array of foreign policy issues.
UNITED KINGDOM
Body of pilot found following sea search
British Coast Guards have located the wreckage of a US fighter plane that crashed into the North Sea on Monday and the pilot has been found dead, the US Air Force said in a statement. The F-15C Eagle from the 48th Fighter Wing, which was on a routine training mission, crashed off the coast of northeast England at around 9:40 am local time. Only the pilot was on board. The cause of the crash is under investigation. The aircraft was from RAF Lakenheath, the largest US Air Force-operated base in England. It is located about 40 kilometers northeast of Cambridge. In 2014, a US military helicopter crashed on the coast of eastern England, killing all four crew on board.
Agencies - Xinhua
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