
Brittney Griner is being moved to a Russian penal colony. What is that, and what are they like?
CBSN
The U.S. government has condemned Russia's decision to transfer WNBA star Brittney Griner to a Russian penal colony after a court's recent refusal to overturn her nine-year prison sentence for possession of a small amount of cannabis oil.
Griner's family and lawyers, and human rights groups, are worried about what she could face in the Russian penitentiary system, which is infamous for its harsh conditions and abuse of inmates. Griner's supporters fear for her safety as a Black, openly lesbian woman in a country where both racial minorities and the LGBTQ+ community have long faced systemic persecution.
Former member of the Russian protest band Pussy Riot Maria Alyokhina spent almost two years in a Russian penal colony.

Johannesburg — President Trump doubled down Friday on his offer to grant U.S. citizenship to White Afrikaner farmers in South Africa, accusing their government of treating them "terribly." Mr. Trump said the U.S. would offer them "safety" and that they would be given a "rapid pathway to citizenship."

Toronto — Canada's Liberal Party has chosen veteran central bank leader Mark Carney as its new leader, meaning he will quickly replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the country's top office. The transition, and Trudeau's political downfall, comes amid the chaotic trade war with Canada's closest ally launched by President Trump.

The death toll from two days of clashes between Syrian security forces and loyalists of ousted President Bashar Assad and revenge killings that followed has risen to more than 1,000, a war monitoring group said Saturday, making it one of the deadliest acts of violence since Syria's conflict began 14 years ago.

International Women's Day protests demand equal rights and an end to discrimination, sexual violence
Women across the world will call for equal pay, reproductive rights, education, justice and decision-making jobs during demonstrations marking International Women's Day on Saturday.