Key Storylines
- AFRICA: The Malian army accused France of “spying” and “subversion” when it used a drone to film what France allege are mercenaries burying bodies near a military base.
- AMERICAS: Nicaragua said the state would take possession of the headquarters of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Managua.
- ASIA: Myanmar’s military court sentenced deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi to five years in jail after finding her guilty in the first of 11 corruption cases she faces.
- EUROPE: The interior ministry of the Moldovan breakaway state of Transnistria said that shots were fired at a village housing a Russian arms depot after drones flew over from Ukraine.
- MIDDLE EAST: The Palestinian Health Ministry said that Israeli forces have shot and killed an 18-year-old Palestinian man and wounded three others during clashes near Jenin in the occupied West Bank.
- TECH & COMMUNICATIONS: Senator Bernie Sanders called on President Joe Biden to cut out Amazon from federal contracts over alleged anti-union activity.
Top Story
- Europe: Russia Halts Gas Supplies to Poland and Bulgaria.
- Russia halted gas supplies to Bulgaria and Poland on Wednesday for rejecting its demand to pay in roubles, taking direct aim at European economies in its toughest retaliation so far against international sanctions over the war in Ukraine.
- Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told Poland’s parliament that he thinks the suspension was revenge for new sanctions against Russia that Warsaw imposed over the war in Ukraine.
- Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov called Gazprom’s suspension of gas deliveries to his country “a gross violation of their contract” and “blackmail.”
- The move comes after Bulgaria and Poland refused Russia’s recent demand to pay for gas supplies in rubles.
- Gazprom said in a statement it notified Bulgaria’s state-owned gas operator Bulgargaz and Poland’s PGNiG gas firm about the “suspension of gas supplies from April 27 until payment is made” in rubles.
- It also coincides with a sharp rise in tensions between Western allies and Russia as the war in Ukraine continues into a third month.
- Reuters, BBC, AP, AFP, Bloomberg, CNBC
Africa
- Ivory Coast: President Alassane Ouattara has given no sign of wanting to hand over the reins following a closely-scrutinized cabinet reshuffle and the appointment of a deputy. (AFP)
- Libya: Fathi Bashagha, the Prime Minister appointed by the eastern-based parliament, discussed holding elections with senior US officials. (Reuters)
- Mali: The army accused France of “spying” and “subversion” when it used a drone to film what France allege are mercenaries burying bodies near a military base. (AFP)
- Somalia: Major roads have been closed in Mogadishu ahead of elections for the speaker of the parliament’s lower house. (BBC)
- Tunisia: The US criticized President Kais Said for giving himself the power to name the country’s next election chief. (AFP)
Americas
- Colombia: Authorities reported that 52 human rights activists and community leaders have been murdered this year, a significant increase from 2021. (BBC)
- Guatemala: Members of the peasant farmers’ organization Codeca blocked roads around the country for the second consecutive day as part of a protest against corruption. (EFE)
- Mexico: A military helicopter fighting forest fires around Mazatlán crashed, injuring five marines. (AP)
- Nicaragua: The state said it would take possession of the headquarters of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Managua. (Reuters)
- United States: The CDC reported that sixty percent of Americans, including 75 percent of children, have been infected with COVID-19. (NYT)
Asia
- Australia: Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews is suggesting that China deliberately announced its security pact with the Solomon Islands during an election campaign to undermine her government’s chances of reelection. (AP)
- China: The People’s Liberation Army issued a statement condemning the United States sailing through the Taiwan Strait, saying it “deliberately undermines” peace and stability. (Reuters)
- Myanmar: A military court sentenced deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi to five years in jail after finding her guilty in the first of 11 corruption cases she faces. (Reuters)
- North Korea: Kim Jong-un pledged to speed development of his country’s nuclear arsenal while overseeing a military parade displaying intercontinental ballistic missiles. (Reuters)
- Singapore: The country executed a Malaysian man convicted of drug smuggling after a court dismissed a last-minute challenge from his mother and international pleas to spare him on grounds he was mentally disabled. (AP)
Europe
- Belarus: UNESCO awarded its annual press freedom prize to the Belarusian Association of Journalists amid a crackdown on independent media by President Alexander Lukashenko. (AFP)
- Moldova: The interior ministry of Transnistria said that shots were fired at a village housing a Russian arms depot after drones flew over from Ukraine. (AFP)
- Turkey: Ankara is still talking to Russia about procuring a second batch of one of its most advanced missile defense systems despite the war in Ukraine. (AFP)
- Ukraine: Russian forces had pushed deeper into the east of the country and captured several villages as part of Moscow’s offensive to take control of Donbas. (AFP)
- United Kingdom: Justice Secretary Dominic Raab said the government will clamp down on “no-go” areas in jails carved out by extremist Islamist inmates who have been imposing Sharia law including floggings on other prisoners. (AFP)
Middle East
- Region: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to visit Saudi Arabia on Thursday, mending a rift between the Sunni powers caused by the murder of Riyadh critic Jamal Khashoggi in the kingdom’s Istanbul consulate in 2018. (Al-Monitor)
- Palestinian Territories: The Health Ministry said that Israeli forces have shot and killed an 18-year-old man and wounded three others during clashes near Jenin in the occupied West Bank. (AP)
- Syria: State media reported Israeli missile attacks around Damascus. (Reuters)
- Syria: UN special envoy Geir Pederson sent invitations to the government and the opposition for an eighth round of talks from May 28 to June 3 in Geneva, aimed at revising the constitution of the conflict-torn country. (AP)
- United Arab Emirates: The minister of state for AI, Omar bin Sultan al-Olama said the country is not only looking for economic benefits as it seeks to become a leading nation in the sector. (AFP)
Tech & Communications
- Technology: Senator Bernie Sanders called on President Joe Biden to cut out Amazon from federal contracts over alleged anti-union activity. (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 27APR22)
- Confirmed cases: 511,086,383
- Deaths: 6,225,750
- Countries with confirmed cases: 192
- Sourcing: John Hopkins University
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 27APR22)
Tomorrow’s Outlook (28APR22)
- Event: Brookings discussion on defense spending.
- Global: Workers’ Memorial Day.
- Afghanistan: Mujahideen Victory Day.
- Austria: IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi to hold press conference in Vienna following Chernobyl visit.
- Georgia: South Ossetia runoff presidential election.
- Indonesia: Ban on palm oil exports to come into effect.
- Japan: Visit by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
- Poland: International March of the Living at Auschwitz-Birkenau.
- Saudi Arabia: Visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (to 29APR)
- Ukraine: President Volodymyr Zelensky receives UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
- United States: Van on Russian vessels entering US ports goes into effect.
- United States: Department of Commerce to release first-quarter GDP estimates.
- United States: Secretary of State Blinken testifies to House Appropriations subcommittee hearing on budget.
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