Key Storylines
- AFRICA: Kenyan authorities said that some Congolese armed groups participating in the peace talks have asked for more time before laying down their weapons, signaling the talks have not made a breakthrough.
- AMERICAS: The US State Department said it was unlikely the governments of Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela would be invited to the upcoming Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles.
- ASIA: Taiwan is facing its worst outbreak since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic with over 11,000 new cases reported Thursday.
- EUROPE: Russia raised the alarm over “acts of terrorism” in the breakaway region of Transnistria after separatist authorities reported several attacks there this week.
- MIDDLE EAST: Sirens sounded across Israel in an annual ritual honoring the 6 million Jews murdered during the Holocaust.
- TECH & COMMUNICATIONS: Microsoft reported that hackers aligned with Russia have carried out hundreds of cyberattacks on Ukraine, often in coordination with military strikes.
Top Story
- Ukraine: Russian President Vladimir Putin Threatens Nations that Intervene in the War on the Country’s Behalf.
- Russia stepped up its assaults on eastern and southern Ukraine and President Vladimir Putin threatened “lightning-fast” retaliation against Western countries that intervene on Ukraine’s behalf.
- Putin said, “We have all the instruments [to respond] that no one can boast of … we’re going to use them if we have to.”
- The Kremlin said that western arms deliveries to Ukraine threaten European security.
- Putin claims the west wanted to use Ukraine as a platform to attack Russia through the Crimean peninsula, which it annexed in 2014, and the separatist-held eastern Donbas border region.
- The move comes as tensions remain high between Western allies and Russia after Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday said the threat of a nuclear war is significant and the risks should not be underestimated.
- Reuters, CNBC, AFP, FT, Telegraph,
Africa
- Algeria: The government warned that it would terminate gas supplies to Spain if Madrid sold any Algerian gas to other countries. (Reuters)
- Kenya: Authorities said that some Congolese armed groups participating in the peace talks have asked for more time before laying down their weapons, signaling the talks have not made a breakthrough. (AP)
- Mali: The High Authority for Communication of Mali announced the permanent suspension of Radio France International and France 24, two of the most listened to news outlets in the country. (AP)
- Somalia: Lawmakers elected Sheikh Adan Mohamed Nur as their new speaker in a long-delayed vote. (Reuters)
- Sudan: Human Rights Watch called on the international community to pressure authorities to end arrests and abuse of activists opposing last year’s military coup. (AFP)
Americas
- Region: The US State Department said it was unlikely the governments of Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela would be invited to the upcoming Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles. (AP)
- Colombia: Families of victims of extrajudicial executions committed by soldiers asked perpetrators to reveal who ordered the murders at the country’s transitional justice court. (Reuters)
- Haiti: Criminal violence in the country has worsened this week as fighting among gangs in Port-au-Prince chased thousands from their homes and killed at least 20 people, including children. (AP)
- United States: The House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a nonbinding bill urging President Biden to sell frozen assets of sanctioned Russians and use the proceeds to provide aid to Ukraine. (NYT)
- Venezuela: Gladys Gutierrez, who is under sanction by the United States, was named president of the Supreme Justice Tribunal. (Reuters)
Asia
- China: The city of Guangzhou canceled hundreds of flights and began testing 5.6 million people over one suspected COVID-19 case. (AFP)
- India: The central government urged states to increase coal imports over the next three years in order to build inventories and satisfy demand. (Reuters)
- Philippines: A quake-damaged bridge collapsed under heavy vehicular traffic in a central town, killing at least four people who were trapped in a dozen vehicles that plummeted into the river. (AP)
- South Korea: Health authorities reported 57,00 new COVID-19 cases as most virus restrictions have been lifted amid the slowdown of the omicron wave. (Yonhap)
- Taiwan: The island is facing its worst outbreak since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic with over 11,000 new cases reported Thursday. (AP)
Europe
- France: A policeman has been charged with involuntary manslaughter after shooting a driver who sought to evade police and a passenger in Paris Sunday, hours after Emmanuel Macron celebrated re-election. (AFP)
- Germany: The Bundestag lower house of parliament approved a petition on support for Ukraine backing the delivery of weapons including heavy arms to the country to help it fend off Russian attacks. (Reuters)
- Italy: Prime Minister Mario Draghi will meet with US President Joe Biden in Washington next month to discuss Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. (Reuters)
- Russia: The Kremlin raised the alarm over “acts of terrorism” in the breakaway region of Transnistria after separatist authorities reported several attacks there this week. (AFP)
- United Kingdom: Foreign Secretary Liz Truss called on Western allies to “double down” and send tanks, warplanes, and heavy weapons to Ukraine. (AP)
Middle East
- Region: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will travel to Saudi Arabia on the latest leg of Ankara’s bridge-building efforts with regional rivals. (AP)
- Egypt: French experts concluded that the 2016 EgyptAir disaster was caused by a leaking oxygen mask and a cigarette in the cockpit. (AFP)
- Iran: Executions in the country rose by 25 percent in 2021 expressing alarm over a surge in the numbers executed for drug offenses and also the hanging of at least 17 women. (AFP)
- Israel: Sirens sounded across the country in an annual ritual honoring the 6 million Jews murdered during the Holocaust. (AP)
- Syria: Opposition activists said suspected Islamic State gunmen attacked a Ramadan gathering hosted by a former official of a US-backed group in the east, killing seven and wounding four. (AP)
Tech & Communications
- Cybersecurity: Microsoft reported that hackers aligned with Russia have carried out hundreds of cyberattacks on Ukraine, often in coordination with military strikes. (AFP)
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 28APR22)
- Confirmed cases: 511,794,008
- Deaths: 6,229,194
- Countries with confirmed cases: 192
- Sourcing: John Hopkins University
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 28APR22)
Tomorrow’s Outlook (29APR22)
- Event: Wilson Center discussion on Russian sanctions.
- Event: Atlantic Council event discussing the Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act, with Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin and Republican Sen. John Cornyn.
- Global: Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare.
- Global: Quds Day.
- Global: Global Youth Service Day.
- Americas: Virtual meeting between Presidents Joe Biden and Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
- Japan: Shōwa Day.
- Russia: Bank of Russia Board of Directors meeting on monetary policy issues.
- Saudi Arabia: Visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
- Singapore: Second Malaysian drug convict due to be executed despite UN plea.
- United States: House Foreign Affairs subcommittee members meet ‘leader of democratic Belarus’ Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.
END
