Briefly

UNITED STATES

FBI agents killed in Florida shooting

Two FBI agents were killed and three wounded in a shooting that erupted on Tuesday when they arrived to search an apartment in a child pornography case, a confrontation that marked one of the bloodiest days in FBI history. The suspect is believed to have killed himself. FBI Director Christopher Wray identified the two slain agents as Daniel Alfin and Laura Schwartzenberger, both of whom specialized in investigating crimes against children. Alex Piquero, a University of Miami sociology professor who has specialized in criminology, said serving search warrants at a person's home is incredibly hazardous for law enforcement officers.

RUSSIA

Moscow court sends Navalny to prison

A Moscow court on Tuesday jailed opposition figure Alexei Navalny for nearly three years. The court's decision to turn a 2014 suspended sentence into real jail time will see Navalny serve a lengthy prison term for the first time. The ruling triggered fierce condemnation from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, the United States and the European Union, as Moscow accused the West of interfering in its affairs. The case is presenting one of the most serious challenges to the Kremlin in years, with some in the West calling for new sanctions against Russia.

FRANCE

Street noise bugs crickets and birds

Crickets and the birds that snack on them are not natural allies, but they do have a common enemy, according to a pair of studies published on Wednesday: Roadside noise pollution. Vehicle traffic makes it much harder for at least one species of bird to solve problems, and sharply compromises the ability of some crickets to mate, lab experiments showed. Previous research has demonstrated that human noise pollution can adversely affect reproduction and offspring survival in many different vertebrates, which include mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish.

China Daily - Agencies