Friday,  April 22nd, 2022 

Vladimir Putin tells his troops not to storm the Azovstal iron and steel works building in Mariupol, Donetsk Oblast, describing proposed plans to do so as “impractical” and instead ordering a blockade of the area. (The Guardian) 

Russian Major general Rustam Minnekayev says the goal of the military operation is now the permanent occupation of Southern Ukraine, creating a land corridor from Crimea to Transnistria. (BBC) (The Guardian) 

Putin claims victory in Mariupol Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed victory in the besieged Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, even though Ukrainian defenders are fighting on from a massive steel plant with a network of tunnels. Russia is choking off food and ammunition supplies to the Ukrainian holdouts, rather than risk a bloody assault on the plant. Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boychenko rejected Putin’s insistence the city had fallen. “The city was, is, and remains Ukrainian,” he said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also rejected Putin’s claim, saying that Russia captured “most of Mariupol long ago” but Ukrainian troops refuse to surrender. Ukraine said satellite images appearing to show mass graves near Mariupol were evidence of Russian war crimes. NPR 

Russia holds off on storming last Ukrainian stronghold in Mariupol Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday ordered his troops to hold off on storming a steel plant that is the last Ukrainian stronghold in the besieged port city of Mariupol, but he told Russian forces to surround it “so that not even a fly comes through.” The fall of Mariupol would give Russia a key port and complete a land bridge connecting Russia to the Crimean Peninsula, a part of Ukraine that Moscow annexed in 2014. Western nations said they were rushing artillery, helicopters, and other heavy military equipment to help Ukrainian forces fight off Russia’s new offensive in eastern Ukraine. The Pentagon said Ukraine had returned at least 20 fighter jets to action after receiving parts for repairs. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Biden announces $800 million military aid package for Ukraine President Biden on Thursday announced an additional $800 million military aid package to help Ukraine fight back against Russia’s new major offensive in eastern Ukraine. The package includes “heavy artillery weapons, dozens of howitzers, and 144,000 rounds of ammunition to go with those howitzers,” Biden said. He added that the military equipment was well-suited to Ukraine’s needs in intensifying fighting in the flat, open Donbas region. “We’re in a critical window,” he added, vowing that the United States and its allies would provide Ukraine with the “equipment they need — their forces need — to defend their nation.” Biden also said the U.S. would ban all Russian-affiliated ships from U.S. ports. ABC NEWS 

Russia tests missile Putin says should make enemies ‘think twice’ Russia announced Wednesday it had successfully tested the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, which Moscow says can deliver nuclear warheads at hypersonic speeds and dodge defenses. “This truly unique weapon will force all who are trying to threaten our country in the heat of frenzied, aggressive rhetoric to think twice,” Russian Vladimir Putin said. But Russia’s Defense Ministry said the missile wouldn’t be ready for use until “after the completion of the testing program.” In Wednesday’s test, a Sarmat missile was launched from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northwest Russia and hit a target 3,500 miles east on the Kamchatka Peninsula. U.S. officials made no immediate comment. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Ukraine says it will not allow residents to evacuate the country today over concerns the route is too dangerous. (Times of Israel) 

Russian, Belarusian tennis players barred from Wimbledon The All England Club announced Wednesday that it was barring tennis players from Russia and Belarus from competing at Wimbledon this year because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which Belarus supports. The ban affects reigning U.S. Open champion Daniil Medvedev, a Russian player who was recently ranked No. 1 in the ATP rankings and is currently No. 2. No. 8 Andrey Rublev, also Russian, will be banned, too. No. 4 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus is the top-ranked women’s player affected. She was a Wimbledon semifinalist last year. Former No. 1 Victoria Azarenka, a two-time Australian Open winner also from Belarus, and last year’s French Open runner-up Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia, also are among the banned players. The grass-court Grand Slam tournament starts on June 27. CNN 

One person is killed and two are injured after a transport plane crashes in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine. (Reuters) 

Mike Tyson repeatedly punches a man on a plane A flight out of San Francisco turned into Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! rather quickly. In a video published by TMZ on Thursday, Mike Tyson is seen attacking a man seated behind him on a plane at San Francisco International Airport. The “overly excited” passenger “kept trying to talk” to Tyson, who “told him to chill,” according to TMZ. The man apparently wouldn’t do so, leading Tyson to punch him multiple times. The man’s head appeared to be bloodied after the incident. “Boy just got beat up by Mike Tyson,” the person filming the video says. “…Yeah, you got f–ked up. Just trying to ask for an autograph, man. I don’t know what happened.” Sources close to Tyson told TMZ the man was “extremely intoxicated” and “wouldn’t stop provoking” him, and Ice-T quickly came to Tyson’s defense. “Mike Tyson punched somebody who was Fn with him,” he tweeted. “The problem is nowadays, MFs think they WON’T get punched in the Face.”  TMZ 

Musk says he has lined up $46.5 billion to buy Twitter Tesla CEO Elon Musk said Thursday he had secured $46.5 billion in financing for his bid to take Twitter private. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Musk said Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, and several other banks had agreed to lend $25.5 billion, backed partly by some of Musk’s Tesla stock. Musk, the richest person in the world, said he would provide the remaining $21 billion from his own money, which is mostly held in his shares of Tesla and his private space-flight company, SpaceX. Twitter’s board tried to thwart Musk’s bid by adopting a limited duration shareholder rights plan, often called a “poison pill.” Musk said he was considering pitching it directly to shareholders. NPR 

A bomb has exploded in a Sunni mosque in Kunduz, Afghanistan leaving 36 dead and 40 people injured. (BBC News) 

Authorities in Shanghai announce they will tighten the enforcement of lockdown measures, as COVID-19 cases continue to increase in China’s financial capital. (BBC News) 

Florida House approves bill ending Disney self-governing status The Florida House of Representatives on Thursday gave final approval to a bill ending Disney’s special self-governing status at its Florida theme parks, sending the measure to Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) for his signature. DeSantis and his fellow Republicans, who control both chambers in the state legislature, pushed through the measure after Disney, facing pressure from employees, vowed to push for the repeal of Florida’s new parental rights in education law, which critics call the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. The law bars public schools from teaching young children about sexual orientation or gender identity. Republicans pushed through the bill to dissolve the Reedy Creek Improvement Act, a unique Florida law that helped establish Walt Disney World in the state by giving the company the power of self-government. CNN 

Ex-Honduras president extradited on drug, weapons charges Former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández was extradited to the United States on Thursday to face federal drug and weapons charges. He is accused of accepting millions of dollars to protect cocaine shipments. Hernández was president from 2014 until January. After his party lost the November presidential election, he became more vulnerable to U.S. calls to extradite him. His downfall came fast. Less than three years ago, then-President Donald Trump praised the conservative Honduran leader for “working with the United States very closely” to fight a wave of Central American migrants trying to get into the U.S. through Mexico. His brother was later prosecuted and convicted as a drug kingpin, and the case included references to then-president Hernández’s alleged crimes. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Bill Murray movie suspends production after complaint Searchlight Pictures has suspended production of the movie Being Mortal after a complaint accusing Bill Murray of “inappropriate behavior,” Deadline reported Thursday. Deadline had reported the production halt a day earlier without specifying the nature of the complaint. Being Mortal is the feature directorial debut for Aziz Ansari, a comedian who was accused of sexual misconduct in 2018, although the new allegation reportedly has nothing to do with him. It was not immediately clear what Murray was accused of doing. “Late last week, we were made aware of a complaint, and we immediately looked into it,” Searchlight reportedly told the cast and crew. “After reviewing the circumstances, it has been decided that production cannot continue at this time.” DEADLINE 

French prosecutors issue international warrant for Ghosn’s arrest French prosecutors have issued an international arrest warrant for former Nissan and Renault chief Carlos Ghosn, who fled from Japan to Lebanon ahead of a trial on financial misconduct charges, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday evening. An investigating magistrate in France issued warrants for Ghosn and four current owners or former directors of Shuhail Bahwan Automobiles, an Omani vehicle distributor that allegedly help siphon off millions of dollars from Renault for his personal use, the Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter. A Ghosn spokesperson declined to comment. The warrants aren’t expected to have much immediate effect on Ghosn’s situation, as he has Lebanese citizenship and Lebanon doesn’t extradite its citizens. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

CNN shutting down CNN+ after 1 month CNN is shutting down its CNN+ streaming service at the end of April, one month after its launch. The company said CNN+ customers “will receive prorated refunds of subscription fees.” The service launched March 29, shortly before CNN was taken over by Warner Bros. Discovery, which promptly indicated it considered CNN+ a bad idea. In a memo to employees, incoming CNN Chief Executive Chris Licht said consumers wanted “simplicity,” not numerous stand-alone offerings. Discovery had previously indicated support for merging its streaming services, which include Discovery+ and HBO Max, into one app. Executives said CNN+’s inability to show live breaking news due to CNN’s contracts with cable and satellite companies also was a critical problem. CNN 

Fed chair signals half-point interest rate hike Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Thursday that taming high inflation was “absolutely essential,” so a larger-than-usual half-percentage-point interest rate hike “will be on the table” when the central bank’s policy makers meet in May. “It is appropriate, in my view, to be moving a little more quickly” to cool down the economy by raising borrowing costs, Powell said. The Fed had kept interest rates near zero to boost the economic recovery from the coronavirus crisis. It approved a quarter-point increase to its benchmark short-term interest rate at its March meeting, its first rate hike in three years. Prices have been rising at the fastest rate in decades, as Russia’s Ukraine invasion, and other factors, disrupt supply chains and push fuel prices higher. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

 
Bill Murray reportedly accused of ‘inappropriate behavior’ on new movie Production on a new Aziz Ansari movie was suspended this week over a mysterious complaint — and it allegedly had to do with Bill Murray. On Wednesday, Deadline reported Ansari’s feature directorial debut Being Mortal suspended production after a “complaint” was made, though it wasn’t initially clear what this was related to. The studio, Searchlight Pictures, told cast and crew that “late last week, we were made aware of a complaint,” and “after reviewing the circumstances, it has been decided that production cannot continue at this time.” On Thursday, Deadline followed up to report the “suspension had to do with a complaint made against star Bill Murray for inappropriate behavior.” It’s unclear what Murray was accused of. Ansari stars in the movie in addition to directing it. “Our hope is to resume production and are working with Aziz and [producer] Youree [Henley] to figure out that timing,” Searchlight said. An investigation is reportedly ongoing.  DEADLINETHE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER 

The Iranian Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade bans the import of iPhones. (Tasnim) 

Thursday, April 21st, 2022 

UK judge approves Julian Assange extradition to U.S. A United Kingdom judge on Wednesday approved WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s extradition to the United States, where he faces espionage charges related to WikiLeaks’ publication of classified material. Assange has been in British custody since 2019, and a U.K. court in December granted his extradition. In March, the U.K. Supreme Court denied him permission to appeal because his “application does not raise an arguable point of law.” U.K. Home Secretary Priti Patel will make the final decision, although Assange can appeal to the High Court. A judge previously said sending Assange to the U.S. would be “oppressive” because of his “mental condition,” but the U.S. promised he would receive “appropriate clinical and psychological treatment.” THE ASSOCIATED PRESSAXIOS 

The legislature for the U.S. state of Florida votes to strip Walt Disney World of its ability to self-govern by dissolving the Reedy Creek Improvement District, in apparent retaliation for Disney’s actions during and following the passage of HB 1557, also known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. (CNBC) 

An Iraqi Shia hacker group named the Altahrea Team launches major cyberattacks against numerous Israeli websites in retaliation for the assassination of Qasem Soleimani. (Ynet News) 

Thirty-one people are killed and 87 others are injured in a bombing at a Shia mosque in Mazar-i-Sharif, Balkh Province. The Islamic State claims responsibility for the bombing.  (Reuters) 

Four people are killed and 18 others are injured during a bombing in Kunduz targeting the 217 Omari Corps. (Tolo News) 

Four Taliban members are killed and another is wounded when their vehicle is hit by a roadside bomb in Nangarhar Province. (BBC News) 

Six people are killed after a fire occurs at a defence research institute in Tver, Russia. (Reuters) 

Iran arrests three alleged Israeli Mossad spies in Sistan and Baluchestan province, claiming that the spies are part of recent sensitive data leaks. (AP) 

Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández is extradited to the United States on drug trafficking charges. (The Washington Post) 

New Mexico regulators hit ‘Rust’ production company with maximum fine New Mexico’s Occupational Health and Safety Bureau on Wednesday fined a film production company nearly $137,000 for firearms safety failures on the set of Rust over the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins by actor and producer Alec Baldwin with a prop gun. The state workplace regulator hit Rust Movie Productions with the maximum possible fine, citing safety failures in clear violation of industry protocols. The agency said production managers didn’t address complaints from crew members or sufficiently tighten safety procedures after two misfires on set before the deadly October accident. The production company failed to act despite “a set of obvious hazards to employees,” Bob Genoway, bureau chief for occupational safety, told The Associated Press. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Jury finds former Ohio doctor not guilty in fentanyl deaths An Ohio jury on Wednesday acquitted former Ohio doctor William Husel on murder charges. He was accused of hastening the deaths of 14 critically ill patients by prescribing them large doses of the powerful painkiller fentanyl. Husel’s medical license was suspended three years ago. He faced the possibility of life without parole on the charges, one count of murder for each patient. The jury also was allowed to consider the lesser charge of attempted murder. Husel hugged one of his attorneys after Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge Michael Holbrook read the verdict. Franklin County prosecutors said the case was “carefully tried and prepared,” and they accepted the verdict. NBC NEWS 

Shanghai lets 4 million more people leave homes Shanghai on Wednesday cleared four million more people to leave their homes under relaxed anti-coronavirus restrictions in China’s biggest city. Nearly 12 million of the city’s 25 million people are permitted outdoors now, health official Wu Ganyu said at a news conference, adding that virus was “under effective control” in much of the city for the first time since the start of the current outbreak. The changes came as the International Monetary Fund warned the global flow of industrial goods could be disrupted by China’s shutdowns in Shanghai and other industrial hubs, resulting in a reduction of the IMF’s forecast for economic growth in China this year to 4.4 percent from the previous estimate of 4.8 percent, a sharp drop from last year’s 8.1 percent growth. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Netflix stock rout continues Netflix shares continued to dive on Wednesday, dropping 35 percent the day after the streaming-video company reported its first quarterly subscriber loss in more than a decade. Netflix said after releasing the results that it is considering offering a lower-priced option supported by ads to help attract customers. That would mark a significant shift, as Netflix has always touted itself as commercial-free. “Those who have followed Netflix know that I’ve been against the complexity of advertising and a big fan of the simplicity of subscription,” Netflix Chair and Co-CEO Reed Hastings said in a call with analysts after the company released its quarterly results. “But as much as I’m a fan of that, I’m a bigger fan of consumer choice.” CNN 

Tesla reports record 1st-quarter profit Tesla on Wednesday reported record first-quarter profit of $3.32 billion, a seven-fold increase as sales jumped by 80 percent over a year earlier. The electric-car maker said its earnings per share reached $3.22, beating expectations of $2.26 per share. Revenue reached $18.76 billion, compared to $17.80 billion expected. CEO Elon Musk said Tesla would be able to increase production more than previously projected this year despite ongoing supply-chain clogs and China coronavirus restrictions that cost Tesla a month of production at its Shanghai factory. “Shanghai is coming back with a vengeance,” Musk said. He said Tesla would produce more than 1.5 million vehicles this year, 60 percent more than last year. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

Home prices hit record high Home prices jumped to an all-time high in March, with the median existing-home price reaching $375,300, the National Association of Realtors reported Wednesday. Buyers rushing to close purchases before mortgage rates, which already have hit 5 percent, rise further. Prices have gone up year-over-year for more than a decade now, the longest such streak on record. High prices deterred some potential buyers, and low inventory contributed to a decline in the number of existing-home sales, which fell 2.7 percent in February and 4.5 percent from March 2021, according to the report. Still, the typical home only stayed on the market 17 days in March before getting snapped up. REUTERS 

Ukrainian negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak says in a tweet that Ukraine is ready to hold a special round of negotiations in Mariupol in an effort “To save our guys, Azov (battalion), military, civilians, children, the living and the wounded”. (Reuters) 

A 91-year-old Holocaust survivor is confirmed to have died on April 4, making her the second Holocaust survivor to be killed during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. (BBC News) 

The Israel Defence Forces launches airstrikes on targets in the Gaza Strip in retaliation for a previous rocket attack launched from Gaza. (AP) 

Marches organized by ultranationalist Itamar Ben-Gvir in the Arab neighbourhood in the old city of Jerusalem are interrupted by Israeli police, leading to skirmishes between protesters and police. (EFE via eldiario.es) 

At least 20 people are killed and another 50 injured in clashes in the Amhara Region, Ethiopia. (BBC News) 

One person is killed and four others are injured when an IED blast hits a bus in Bursa, Marmara, Turkey. (Reuters) 

New Delhi reinstates mandatory face mask wearing due to an increase in COVID-19 cases in the Indian capital. (Reuters) 

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett‘s office announces that mandatory indoor mask-wearing will be lifted for the second time on April 23 at 8 p.m., pending approval from the Knesset Health Committee. However, mask wearing will still be mandatory in high-risk locations and by those who are in quarantine. (The Times of Israel) 

Taiwan reports a record 2,386 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, all locally transmitted, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 40,186. (Focus Taiwan) 

The Norwegian Institute of Public Health announces that it has begun giving people over the age of 80 a second booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. (ABC News) 

528 Rohingya refugees flee an immigration detention centre in Penang State, Malaysia, following a riot inside the building. Six people are killed after colliding with motorcyclists while crossing a road. (Al Jazeera) 

Former president José Ramos-Horta defeats incumbent president Francisco Guterres to become the next President of East Timor. (The Guardian) 

A$AP Rocky arrested at the airport in connection with a shooting It’s another rocky week for A$AP Rocky. The rapper was arrested at the airport Wednesday for assault with a deadly weapon, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Rocky allegedly shot at an acquaintance with a handgun in November 2021 after an argument between them “escalated.” The victim “sustained a minor injury” and sought medical treatment, while Rocky and two other men fled the area, police said. The development comes after Rocky was convicted on assault charges in Sweden in 2019 in connection with a street brawl. He was released after a month in jail. This time, Rocky was arrested while returning from Barbados, where he was on vacation with his girlfriend, Rihanna. In January, Rihanna announced they’re expecting their first child together. To paraphrase the immortal words of Donald Trump, will A$AP get home ASAP? NBC NEWS 

The new ‘Fast & Furious’ movie is called ‘Fast X’ Will the tenth Fast & Furious‘ title go down as one of the biggest missed opportunities in Hollywood history? Vin Diesel revealed Wednesday the next Fast & Furious film will be called Fast X, though he didn’t clarify whether that’s supposed to be pronounced “Fast Ex” or “Fast Ten.” Either way, fans were immediately disappointed they didn’t go with the punny title everyone’s been suggesting: Fast 10 Your Seat Belts. It was right there, guys! This continues the series’ streak of hilariously inconsistent titles following F9, not to mention installments with nearly the exact same name like The Fast and the Furious and Fast & Furious. Normally, we’d joke that Fast X suggests the franchise is headed to space, Jason X style — but, well, they’re way ahead of us. Is an X-Men crossover the only place left to go? THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER 

Is George R.R. Martin just trolling us at this point? George R.R. Martin didn’t literally just Rickroll fans, but his new blog has that energy. The Game of Thrones author on Wednesday published a hilariously misleading blog post, which at first glance looks like an announcement that the series’ next book, The Winds of Winter, is finally coming out after an epic 11-year wait. The blog’s title is “The Winds of June,” and it opens with these promising words: “The Dark Winds will start blowing in June. June 12, to be precise.” But it’s not what you think: Martin continues that June 12 is not the release date for The Winds of Winter but instead “the day that DARK WINDS, a new series based on the classic bestselling Navajo detective novels by Tony Hillerman, will premiere on AMC and AMC+.” Oh, come on! Motherboard‘s Tim Marchman joked the post was “cruel and malevolent on a level I can only respect.” We look forward to his next blog titled “Major Winds News,” which is just him giving a weather report.  GEORGE R.R. MARTIN 

Ezra Miller arrested again for alleged assault Okay, seriously, we really need to talk about Ezra Miller. The Fantastic Beasts and The Flash star has been arrested in Hawaii for the second time in under a month. This time, the Hawaii Police Department said Miller was arrested for second-degree assault after allegedly becoming “irate” when asked to leave a get-together, at which point they “threw a chair, striking a 26-year-old female on the forehead, resulting in an approximate half-inch cut.” This comes weeks after Miller was arrested for disorderly conduct after an incident at a bar, and the actor also allegedly burst into a couple’s bedroom and threatened them. It already seemed unlikely Warner Bros. would bring Miller back to the DC universe after The Flash, but are we getting to the point where they’ll need to straight up reshoot that whole movie with a different actor? Keep an eye on your phone, Grant Gustin.  THE WEEK 

Populations of countries 

Hungary 

Romania 

Czech 

Poland 

Slovakia 

Moldova 

Ukraine 

Belarus 

The End