QUICK HITS

1

Oil supply: The leader of Belarus complained Thursday about Russia’s halt on oil supplies ahead of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss closer economic ties between the two countries. Russia last month only supplied 25% of the oil it promised Belarus, President Alexander Lukashenko said at a Cabinet meeting.

2

Fatal crash: The pilots of an Emirates flight that crashed in 2016 and caught fire in Dubai did not realize the engines of their Boeing 777 remained idle as they tried to take off from a failed landing attempt, according to an investigative report .

3

Syrian army enters key town:

Syrian government troops entered a key town in the country’s last rebel stronghold Thursday after intense clashes with opposition fighters, even as Turkey sent reinforcements to curtail the offensive, Syrian state media reported. Syrian army units entered Saraqeb before nightfall and were combing it for remaining fighters and explosives.

4

Avoiding prison: The Pittsburgharea money manager whose cooperation helped the U.S. win 10 criminal convictions in a college basketball corruption probe will avoid prison for his own crimes, after a federal judge ordered him to serve a year of probation. Louis Martin “Marty” Blazer III was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos in New York, about six years after Blazer told investigators he had stolen from clients to fund failing investments in two movies and a country music project.

5

Judge dies: Deborah Batts, the first openly gay judge to sit on the federal bench, who presided over prominent cases involving political corruption, terrorism and the Central Park Five civil case, died at her home in Manhattan. She was 72. Her wife, Dr. Gwen Zornberg, said she died of complications after knee replacement surgery.