Friday,  April 29th, 2022 

Forty-two Palestinians are injured as the Israeli police storm the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem in response to crowds within the mosque throwing rocks and fireworks in the direction of Jewish worshippers at the Western Wall. (Al Jazeera) 

Ten people are killed and 15 others are injured when a mosque is bombed in Kabul, Afghanistan. (National Post) 

The number of COVID-19-related deaths in Russia surpasses 800,000. (Reuters) 

South Korean government announces that it will lift outdoor mask mandate from May 2 due to decrease of the number of COVID-19 cases, despite criticism from incoming Yoon Seok-yeol administration regarding the mandate. (France 24) 

Russian President Vladimir Putin accepts an invitation to the upcoming G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, despite Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is also invited to the summit. (FirstPost) 

The premier of the British Virgin Islands, Andrew Fahie, is arrested for alleged drug smuggling and money laundering in the United States. (BBC News) 

British MP Neil Parish is being investigated by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards after two MPs allegedly claimed that Parish was watching pornography in the House of Commons. (The Guardian) 

A high court in Malawi convicts five people of killing an albino man and seven more people of selling the man’s body parts. It is believed that albino body parts bring luck and wealth. (Voice of America) 

Biden asks Congress for $33 billion Ukraine aid package President Biden asked Congress for $33 billion in military, humanitarian, and economic aid to Ukraine as Russia’s invasion enters its third month and Russian forces intensify their offensive in eastern Ukraine. The package, which would include more than $20 billion in military and security assistance, is bigger than most nations’ annual defense budgets and by far the largest funding proposal for Ukraine since the war started. The Biden administration, which this week announced $800 million in artillery, armed drones, and other weapons for Ukraine, also is asking for new authority to rapidly transfer arms to Ukraine from the Pentagon’s arsenal. “It’s not cheap,” Biden said. “But caving to aggression is going to be more costly.” POLITICO 

Russia strikes Kyiv with missiles during U.N. chief visit Russia hit Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, with cruise missiles on Thursday, killing at least one person and injuring several others in its most intense attack on the city since Russian forces retreated from the area two weeks ago. The shelling occurred an hour after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held a news conference with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, who called Ukraine under Russia’s invasion “an epicenter of unbearable heartache and pain.” Russian strikes also targeted other areas far from its ground offensive in eastern Ukraine. Witnesses reported explosions in Polonne in the west, Chernihiv near the Belarus border, and the southwest railway hub of Fastiv. Air defenses in the southern city of Odesa intercepted rockets. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

U.S. economy shrank in 1st quarter  The U.S. economy shrank by 1.4 percent on an annualized basis in the first quarter of 2022, the first such retreat since early in the pandemic. About 0.8 percent of the dent stemmed from decisions by businesses to buy goods aggressively before the 2021 holiday shopping season so they wouldn’t get caught short by supply shortages during the winter coronavirus surge, which let them restock slowly in the new year. Economists said the slowdown was unlikely to build into a recession, because economic fundamentals remained strong despite high inflation, the war in Ukraine, and ongoing pandemic worries. Rising wages resulted in strong consumer spending, and companies were able to make big investments thanks to higher profits. FOX BUSINESS 

FDA proposes ban on menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday proposed a ban on menthol-flavored cigarettes and all cigar flavorings. It said the policy could significantly reduce tobacco disease and death by “reducing youth experimentation and addiction.” Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said the proposed rules would “help prevent children from becoming the next generation of smokers and help adult smokers quit.” Erika Sward, assistant vice president of national advocacy for the American Lung Association, said the plan would reduce youth smoking and “save lives, especially in Black and brown communities.” A spokesperson for tobacco company Altria said the ban would push flavored products into “unregulated criminal markets.” NPR 

U.S. says Russian intelligence behind attack on newspaper editor The United States has concluded that Russian intelligence was responsible for an April 7 attack on Dmitry Muratov, the Nobel Prize-winning editor of the independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta, The Washington Post reported, citing a U.S. official. Muratov, a critic of Russia’s Ukraine invasion, was preparing to take a train from Moscow to Samara, Russia, when someone threw a mixture of red paint and acetone at him, causing chemical burns to his eyes. The assailant made reference to Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine, shouting, “Muratov, here’s one for our boys!” Muratov was traveling and not immediately available to comment on the U.S. intelligence assessment, a Novaya Gazeta spokesperson said. THE WASHINGTON POST 

China unveils measures to ease economic harm from lockdowns China’s leaders this week announced measures to ease the economic impact of lockdowns imposed to fight an increasing number of COVID-19 outbreaks. Many companies will get to suspend unemployment insurance payments as long as they don’t resort to mass layoffs. The measures also include reduced electricity and internet charges for businesses, more passes for truck drivers to bypass COVID-19 roadblocks, and government allowances for migrant workers unable to find jobs. “We need to place greater importance on stabilizing employment,” Premier Li Keqiang said after a cabinet meeting late Wednesday. “The new round of COVID flare-ups has hit employment quite hard.” THE NEW YORK TIMES 

BVI premier, port director arrested on drug charges British Virgin Islands Premier Andrew Fahie was arrested Thursday in Miami on drug trafficking and money laundering charges. The criminal complaint filed in the U.S. Southern District of Florida said Fahie and the director of the British Virgin Islands’ ports, Oleavine Pickering Maynard, were accused of agreeing to help a man who said he worked for the Sinaloa Cartel, but was really a confidential federal source, ferry cocaine through the tiny island territory in exchange for a $500,000 upfront payment. Maynard and her son Kadeem Stephan Maynard also were charged. BLOOMBERG 

USPS faces lawsuits over plan to buy gas-guzzling delivery trucks Sixteen states, the District of Columbia, and environmental activist groups have filed lawsuits seeking to block the U.S. Postal Service from buying 148,000 gas-powered delivery trucks over the next decade. The USPS resisted pressure to renew its fleet with electric vehicles to help the Biden administration achieve its goal to reduce the federal government’s carbon emissions in the name of fighting climate change. Suits by the state attorneys general, Earthjustice, and the Natural Resources Defense Council argue that the Postal Service relied on bad calculations to defend the decision to buy trucks getting 8.6 miles per gallon, barely more than its current 30-year-old vehicles. The agency’s plan to run just 10 percent of its fleet on electric power is far below the targets of private delivery companies. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Only curbing emissions can prevent mass extinction in oceans If greenhouse gas emissions continue unchecked, warming waters and oxygen loss in seas could lead to a mass extinction of sea life as bad as the five worst catastrophes in the planet’s history, scientists said in a paper published Thursday in the journal Science. The devastation could wipe out much of the species diversification seen since the event that killed the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. Sharply reducing emissions could cut extinction risks by 70 percent, and curbing ocean pollution, overfishing, and other stresses could save even more ocean life. “If we turn around our emissions quickly, we could still lose something like 5 percent of marine species,” says co-author Curtis Deutsch, a climate scientist at Princeton University. NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC 

Thursday, April 28th, 2022 

Seven people are killed and four more injured in Abu Khashab, Deir ez-Zor Governorate, Syria, inside the home of a former Syrian Democratic Forces official during the Ramadan iftar. The Islamic State is suspected. (AP) 

At least nine people are killed and thirteen injured by two bombs exploding on a pair of Shia-majority buses in Mazar-i-Sharif, Balkh Province, Afghanistan. (Reuters) 

Two major explosions hit Kyiv, Ukraine after Russia conducts missile strikes. (Reuters) 

A pair of explosions are witnessed in southern Belgorod, Russia. It is unclear whether or not they were intentional. (Reuters) 

Moderna requests emergency use authorization for their COVID-19 vaccine in American babies, toddlers and young children. (The Washington Post) 

Joshua Jacques, who is suspected of being the perpetrator of a mass stabbing in Bermondsey, London, United Kingdom, three days earlier, is charged with four counts of murder. (Met Police) 

A small meteor travelling at an estimated 55,000 km/h explodes above east Mississippi, causing several sonic booms. (NBC News) 

EU, Ukraine call Russian gas shut-offs ‘blackmail’The European Union and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday accused Russia of “blackmail” after Russia’s state-controlled gas company, Gazprom, shut off natural gas deliveries to Poland and Bulgaria. The Kremlin warned it would cut off other countries if they didn’t comply with its demand they pay in roubles, which would help boost the Russian currency in the face of Western sanctions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Poland and Bulgaria got enough natural gas from other EU members to maintain normal supplies to customers, but that could change if Russia shuts off supplies to Germany and Italy, much bigger customers. Russian President Vladimir Putin has been threatening to cut supplies to “unfriendly countries” for weeks. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Fauci says pandemic in new phase, not over Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the coronavirus crisis has eased since the unprecedented winter surge, but “by no means does that mean the pandemic is over.” Fauci this week told The Washington Post that the country had exited the “full-blown explosive pandemic phase.” He told the AP “we’ve now decelerated and transitioned into more of a controlled phase.” He said with new COVID-19 cases and deaths far below their winter peak, and nearly two-thirds of the population vaccinated, the challenge is learning to live with new and unpredictable variants. The pandemic’s U.S. death toll is expected to reach 1 million within weeks. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Moscow releases former U.S. Marine in prisoner swapThe United States and Russia said Wednesday they had made a prisoner exchange, with Moscow releasing former U.S. Marine Trevor Reed and the U.S. freeing a Russian pilot, Konstantin Yaroshenko, convicted on drug smuggling charges. The swap followed lengthy negotiations kept separate from tensions over Russia’s Ukraine invasion. Reed, who served on Camp David security duty during the Obama administration, was accused of endangering Russian police officers during a drunken night out, which he denies. At least two well-known Americans remain in Russian jails. Former Marine Paul Whelan was arrested in 2018 on espionage charges; WNBA star Brittney Griner was detained at a Moscow-area airport in February and accused of carrying hashish oil. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Southern California adopts emergency water restrictions Authorities in Southern California have imposed unprecedented water restrictions in response to the state’s worst drought on record, now in its third year. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California approved the emergency regulations on Tuesday. The rules will affect 6 million people in Los Angeles, Ventura, and San Bernardino counties. Under the order, people who depend on water from the State Water Project will be limited to outdoor watering one day a week. The limits on non-essential water use, under penalty of fines, are designed to reduce consumption by 35 percent. More than 95 percent of California is in severe or extreme drought, up from about 66 percent three months ago. LOS ANGELES TIMES 

Prosecutors charge Archegos leaders over ‘historic’ stock manipulation scheme Federal prosecutors on Wednesday arrested Archegos Capital Management owner Bill Hwang and his former chief financial officer, Patrick Halligan, on racketeering conspiracy, securities fraud, and wire fraud charges. The leaders of the once-obscure private investment firm are accused of a stock manipulation scheme that “was historic in scope,” said Damian Williams, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. Archegos allegedly misled banks to borrow money and place huge bets on a small number of stocks, inflating their values. When the scheme unraveled, Archegos collapsed, $100 billion in shareholder value vanished, and Wall Street banks suffered $10 billion in losses. Hwang was released on a $100 million bond. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

GOP lawmakers tell Mayorkas border ‘out of control’ Republican lawmakers on the House Homeland Security Committee grilled Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Wednesday over the Biden administration’s immigration policies. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) said the U.S.-Mexico border situation is “out of control.” Mayorkas said the Biden administration “inherited a broken and dismantled system” already under strain, and had handled the flow of migrants since taking over. “We have effectively managed an unprecedented number of noncitizens seeking to enter the United States and … disrupted more smuggling operations than ever before,” he said, conceding that there were problems but saying “only Congress can fix this.” Mayorkas is expected to face questions on plans to handle an expected influx of migrants when the Title 42 pandemic-related border restrictions end. CNN 

SpaceX launches crew with 1st Black woman making long-term ISS mission SpaceX on Wednesday launched four astronauts on a NASA mission to the International Space Station. The crew of three Americans and one Italian included Mission Specialist Jessica Watkins, the first Black woman to make a long-term spaceflight. The astronauts will conduct a science expedition in microgravity at the space station. SpaceX, billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk’s private spaceflight company, has sent five crews for NASA into orbit in the last two years, as well as two private groups, including a flight chartered by millionaires that splashed down two days before Wednesday’s launch. The three businessmen on that mission were NASA’s first private guests at the space station. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Facebook gains more users than expected Facebook parent Meta Platforms on Wednesday posted its slowest revenue growth since it went public a decade ago, but it also added more users than expected in the first quarter, sending its stock jumping more than 18 percent. Facebook said Russia’s war in Ukraine was partly to blame for the revenue problems. Meta’s stock plunged in February after it reported a worse-than-expected decline in late 2021 quarterly profits, as well as a weak revenue forecast. After that report, the stock fell 26 percent in its worst one-day plunge ever, wiping out more than $230 billion in market value. Before Wednesday’s gains, Meta shares had fallen nearly 44 percent since February’s dismal report. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

Prosecutors charge Archegos leaders over ‘historic’ stock manipulation scheme Federal prosecutors on Wednesday arrested Archegos Capital Management owner Bill Hwang and his former chief financial officer, Patrick Halligan, on racketeering conspiracy, securities fraud, and wire fraud charges. The leaders of the once-obscure private investment firm are accused of a stock manipulation scheme that “was historic in scope,” said Damian Williams, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. Archegos allegedly misled banks to borrow money and placed huge bets on a small number of stocks, inflating their values. When the scheme unraveled, Archegos collapsed, $100 billion in shareholder value vanished, and Wall Street banks suffered $10 billion in losses. Hwang was released on a $100 million bond. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Government expected to report slow 1st-quarter growth The Commerce Department is expected to report Thursday that economic growth slowed sharply in the first quarter of 2022, with inflation-adjusted gross domestic product barely rising at all after robust growth late last year. But economists noted that the numbers, reflecting the impact of the winter Omicron-variant coronavirus wave, will be misleading. The COVID-19 surge hurt spending on restaurants and travel, but the report is expected to show solid gains in overall consumer spending and business investment, signaling resilience. “This is one of these reports where the headline is kind of a head fake,” said Ethan S. Harris, head of global economics for Bank of America. “It’s actually a pretty good quarter if you look at the underlying data.” REUTERSTHE NEW YORK TIMES 

Disney’s self-governing body says Florida can’t dissolve it without paying off debt Disney World’s self-governing body, the Reedy Creek Improvement District, says Florida can’t go ahead with its plan to dissolve it without paying off its $1 billion in bond debts, under a provision in the law that established the district. Florida created Reedy Creek in 1967 to allow Disney governmental control over development and public works in the area housing its central Florida theme parks. Reedy Creek’s statement came as Florida Republicans last week passed legislation to dissolve the district at the urging of Gov. Ron DeSantis in response to Disney’s criticism of the state’s Parental Rights in Education law, which critics call the “don’t say gay” bill. Disney hasn’t publicly commented on the law. CNN 

The End