Hunter Biden, the son of the US president, pleaded guilty to tax evasion, sparing him a trial but facing up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. The charges relate to $1.4 million in unpaid taxes for 2016-2019.

Participants in the trial in federal court in Los Angeles were about to begin jury selection. Instead, Biden ended the trial with his plea.

Judge Mark Scarsi set sentencing for December 16. Biden pleaded guilty without a deal with prosecutors.

Earlier, in the summer of 2023, Hunter was found guilty of concealing his addiction when buying guns. President Joe Biden said he does not plan to pardon his son.

Hunter Biden earned about $7 million as a board member of Burisma and a Chinese fund, but spent almost all of the money on drugs and luxury without paying taxes. lawsuit

Russian airline files $100 million lawsuit against Canada in dispute over plane

Russian airline VolgaDnepr has filed a $100 million lawsuit against Canada over the seizure of its Antonov An-124 cargo plane, which was grounded in Toronto after the airspace was closed in 2022.

The plane, one of 26 in the world, was placed on the sanctions list and later seized by the Canadian government under new powers to seize assets on the sanctions list.

The airline claims Canada’s actions have ruined its business and insists the plane is suffering from exposure to the elements without maintenance. The Canadian government, for its part, says it is negotiating with Ukraine over the plane.

The case highlights the difficulties countries face in seizing Russian assets under sanctions, and could foreshadow similar legal disputes in other countries. Canada, like several other Western countries, has sought to use frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine.

Anastasia Chupina