Key Storylines
- AFRICA: Algeria has accused Morocco of killing three people in an attack in the disputed region of Western Sahara.
- AMERICAS: US President Joe Biden accused Russia of committing “genocide” in Ukraine, the first time his administration has referred to the conflict in such language.
- ASIA: US and Japanese warships are conducting a joint naval exercise in the waters between Japan and the Korean Peninsula
- EUROPE: Russian President Vladimir Putin called peace talks with Ukraine a “dead end” but said the operation’s goal was limited to the Donbas region.
- MIDDLE EAST: Supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei said that Iran’s future should not be tied to the success or collapse of nuclear talks with world powers, adding that the negotiations to revive a 2015 nuclear deal “are progressing well.”
- TECH & COMMUNICATIONS: Elon Musk was sued by former Twitter shareholders alleging he violated federal law by waiting too long to disclose his purchase of a 9.2% stake in the company.
Top Story
- Ukraine: More than 1,000 Ukrainian Marines Surrender in the Port City of Mariupol.
- The Russian Defense Ministry said that a total of 1,026 Ukrainian marines have surrendered in the besieged port of Mariupol.
- The figures were echoed by Ramzan Kadyrov, the Chechen leader, who also urged remaining forces holed up in the Azovstal steel mill to surrender.
- Ukraine’s General Staff said that Russian forces were proceeding with attacks on Azovstal and the port.
- The surrender came after reports that Ukrainian soldiers in the city had run out of food and ammunition after weeks of heavy fighting, leaving them with no option but to surrender.
- The office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky did not immediately respond to queries seeking comment, nor did the Ukrainian Defense Ministry.
- TASS, Reuters, AFP, Telegraph, RFE/RL
Africa
- Region: Algeria has accused Morocco of killing three people in an attack in the disputed region of Western Sahara. (BBC)
- Mali: The army announced the arrest of three European nationals suspected of “terrorism.” (AFP)
- Nigeria: Gunmen killed 24 people in two attacks in central Benue state, as violence caused by heavily armed criminal gangs intensifies across the region. (AFP)
- South Africa: President Cyril Ramaphosa is visiting the coastal province of KwaZulu-Natal where key roads are shut, and mudslides have destroyed many homes following prolonged rains. (BBC)
- South Sudan: The government announced the creation of a unified armed forces command, implementing a key provision of the 2018 peace deal. (AFP)
Americas
- Brazil: Ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva vowed to undo current President Jair Bolsonaro’s policies on Indigenous people if elected. (AFP)
- Chile: A new pension withdrawal was voted down by a congressional committee after President Gabriel Boric submitted a competing proposal hours earlier that cleared a vote in a separate committee. (Reuters)
- Colombia: President Ivan Duque addressed the UN Security Council where he defended his administration’s handling of the peace process and actions against drug trafficking. (EFE)
- Mexico: President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said he would send a bill to Congress nationalizing lithium resources if his constitutional amendment including a similar provision is voted down. (Reuters)
- United States: President Joe Biden accused Russia of conducting “genocide” in Ukraine, the first time his administration has referred to the conflict in such language. (The Guardian)
Asia
- Region: US and Japanese warships are conducting a joint naval exercise in the waters between Japan and the Korean Peninsula. (AP)
- Region: Australia and the US are stepping up diplomatic outreach to the Solomon Islands after China signed a security deal with the South Pacific island nation that could lead to Beijing establishing a military presence there. (AP)
- Indonesia: An overloaded truck carrying 29 people hit a hillside and overturned near an illegal gold mine in West Papua province. (AP)
- New Zealand: Curbs on international travel from Australia were lifted for the first time since mid-2021. (Reuters)
- Taiwan: Eleven electronics companies said COVID-19 control measures in Shanghai had led them to suspend production. (Reuters)
Europe
- Region: The Polish and Baltic presidents are visiting Kyiv to show support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky against the Russian invasion. (AFP)
- France: President Emmanuel Macron declined to repeat US President Joe Biden’s accusation that Russia was carrying out “genocide” against Ukrainians, warning that verbal escalations would not help end the war. (AFP)
- Germany: Following a visit to Ukraine, three parliamentary committee chairmen called for a European Union embargo of Russian oil. (Reuters)
- Russia: President Vladimir Putin called peace talks with Ukraine a “dead end” but said the operation’s goal was limited to the Donbas region. (NYT)
- Ukraine: Officials announced they had thwarted a Russian cyberattack on the country’s power grid. (NYT)
Middle East
- Egypt: Ten people, including five nationals, four French and one Belgian, have been killed when a bus carrying tourists collided with a truck in the country’s south. (AFP)
- Iran: Supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei said that his country’s future should not be tied to the success or collapse of nuclear talks with world powers, adding that the negotiations to revive a 2015 nuclear deal “are progressing well.” (Reuters)
- Iran: A senior IRGC commander said that the killing of all American leaders would not be enough to avenge the US assassination of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards’ top commander Qassem Soleimani two years ago. (Reuters)
- Palestinian Territories: The Health Ministry said Israeli forces have shot and killed a man in the occupied West Bank. (AP)
- Syria: US federal prosecutors rested their case against El Shafee Elsheikh, an alleged member of the Islamic State cell known as the “Beatles,” suspected of murdering at least four and kidnapping 20. (AFP)
Tech & Communications
- Social Media: Elon Musk was sued by former Twitter shareholders alleging he violated federal law by waiting too long to disclose his purchase of a 9.2% stake in the company. (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 13APR22)
- Confirmed cases: 500,939,776
- Deaths: 6,185,579
- Countries with confirmed cases: 192
- Sourcing: John Hopkins University
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 13APR22)
Tomorrow’s Outlook (14APR22)
- Africa: Visit by German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock to Mali and Niger
- Americas: Pan American Day
- India: Ambedkar Jayanti
- Pakistan: Baisakhi festival
- Palau: Our Ocean Conference
- Turkey: Central bank Monetary Policy Committee to set interest rates
- United States: Visit by UK North America Minister James Cleverly
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