Key Storylines
- AFRICA: Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe agreed to act as a mediator in Mali’s political crisis as the West African country’s military junta faces pressure to re-establish civilian rule.
- AMERICAS: Dario Antonio “Otoniel” Úsuga, leader of the Gulf Clan drug cartel, was extradited by Colombia to the United States.
- ASIA: New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta called China’s surprise security deal with the Solomon Islands evidence of a “relationship failure.”
- EUROPE: Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde said she has received security assurances from the United States if the country applies to join NATO.
- MIDDLE EAST: Clashes erupted between Israelis and Palestinians at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque compound after a 10-day cooling of tensions at the holy site.
- TECH & COMMUNICATIONS: Facebook parent Meta Platforms Inc offered an early glimpse into its first physical store, set to open May 9.
Top Story
- Ukraine: US Intelligence is Helping Ukraine Kill Russian Generals, According to Officials.
- The United States has provided intelligence that has helped Ukrainian forces kill many of the Russian generals who have died in the Ukraine war.
- Real-time U.S. battlefield intelligence reportedly included locations of the Russian military’s mobile headquarters and anticipated troop movements.
- Adrienne Watson, a national security council spokesperson, said intelligence was not provided “with the intent to kill Russian generals.”
- The New York Times reported the Biden administration had sought to keep much intelligence secret to avoid provoking Vladimir Putin into a wider war.
- The US National Security Council slammed the assertion that the United States was helping Ukraine kill Russian generals as “irresponsible.”
- The US has stepped up its involvement in the Ukraine war by boosting intelligence sharing and weapons transfers.
- Reuters, Forbes, NYT, The Guardian, AFP, Business Insider
Africa
- Guinea: Public prosecutors issued charges against former president Alpha Conde and 26 former officials for crimes including murder and torture. (Al Jazeera)
- Mali: The UN Secretary General, António Guterres explained that his itinerary was meant to reward those making progress in fighting terrorism after his snub on the country during this week’s West Africa tour. (BBC)
- South Africa: The judiciary invited public comments on the suitability of the next deputy chief justice after the president nominated Justice Mandisa Maya. (BBC)
- The Gambia: President Adama Barrow appointed a new cabinet, replacing the country’s vice-president and key ministers. (BBC)
- Togo: President Faure Gnassingbe agreed to act as a mediator in Mali’s political crisis as the West African country’s military junta faces pressure to re-establish civilian rule. (AFP)
Americas
- Colombia: Dario Antonio “Otoniel” Úsuga, leader of the Gulf Clan drug cartel, was extradited to the United States. (AP)
- Cuba: The US Embassy in Havana has resumed issuing visas after a four-year hiatus, but on an extremely limited basis. (Reuters)
- El Salvador: Five human rights groups said there have been complaints of at least 338 violations of human rights during the country’s massive arrests of suspected gang members. (AP)
- Haiti: The United Nations expressed concern Wednesday over the recruitment of children by gangs. (AFP)
- Mexico: Transportation officials announced that airlines would be required to use the newly-built Felipe Angeles airport in Mexico City. (AP)
Asia
- Australia: Defense minister Peter Dutton said there was evidence that the Chinese Communist Party wanted the government to change at the May 21 election because a center-left Labor Party administration would attempt to appease Beijing. (WaPo)
- Hong Kong: The city emerged more unequal as its freedoms curtailed and international shine dulled after five years with Carrie Lam at the helm. (AFP)
- New Zealand: Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta called China’s surprise security deal with the Solomon Islands evidence of a “relationship failure.” (The Guardian)
- Philippines: The Bataan nuclear power plant built during Ferdinand Marcos’s dictatorship could be revived if his son wins next week’s presidential election. (AFP)
- South Korea: The National Intelligence Service (NIS) was formally admitted into the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence. (Yonhap)
Europe
- Region: Poland and Sweden are co-hosting an international donors’ conference in Warsaw to raise funds for humanitarian efforts to help war-torn Ukraine. (AP)
- Russia: The foreign ministry declared seven employees of the Danish embassy in Moscow ‘persona non grata’ in response to a similar move by Copenhagen last month. (Reuters)
- Sweden: Foreign Minister Ann Linde said she has received security assurances from the United States if the country applies to join NATO. (Reuters)
- Ukraine: Russia is targeting rail infrastructure in the country critical to Kyiv’s efforts to resupply defending forces. (WaPo)
- United Kingdom: Polls opened for local and regional elections that could prove historic in Northern Ireland and heap further pressure on embattled Prime Minister Boris Johnson. (AFP)
Middle East
- Region: Clashes erupted between Israelis and Palestinians at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque compound after a 10-day cooling of tensions at the holy site. (Al-Monitor)
- Iraq: More than 1,000 people were rushed to the hospital with respiratory ailments due to a sandstorm, the seventh to hit the country in the past month. (AFP)
- Israel: The military body in charge of civilian affairs in the occupied West Bank has developed a new policy that would heavily regulate entry into the territory. (AP)
- United Arab Emirates: Dubai has emerged as a haven for wealthy Russians fleeing the impact of western sanctions over the war in Ukraine. (BBC)
- Yemen: The Houthi rebels launched an attack on a security center of the government in the southwestern province of Taiz. (Xinhua)
Tech & Communications
- Technology: Facebook parent Meta Platforms Inc offered an early glimpse into its first physical store, set to open May 9. (Reuters)
World
- Cyclones: Nothing to Report.
- Hurricanes: Nothing to Report.
- Earthquakes: Nothing to Report.
- Volcanoes: Nothing to Report.
- Global Disease Outbreaks:
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 05MAY22)
- Confirmed cases: 515,639,885
- Deaths: 6,245,351
- Countries with confirmed cases: 192
- Sourcing: John Hopkins University
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 05MAY22)
Tomorrow’s Outlook (06MAY22)
- Cambodia: ASEAN meeting on humanitarian assistance to Myanmar.
- Central America: Visit by Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, and Cuba. (to 09MAY)
- Europe: Visit by US First Lady Jill Biden to Romania and Slovakia. (to 09MAY)
- Lebanon & Syria: Martyrs’ Day.
- Ukraine: Amnesty International to hold press conference in Kyiv documenting Russian war crimes.
- United States: Foreign Service Day.
END
