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IMPORTANT
| | | Taking Sides | Beijing, Kremlin Show Solidarity as Biden Quells Nuclear Fears Chinese-Russian relations are “never dictated by any third parties,” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in Moscow after meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Beijing has long claimed to be neutral in the invasion of Ukraine, but U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has suggested there’s evidence it plans to supply arms to Moscow. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden moved to reassure Americans that Russia’s position on nuclear weapons will likely remain unchanged despite Putin’s announced withdrawal from a nuclear treaty earlier this week. However, Biden warned it had been “a big mistake to do that. Not very responsible.” (Sources: The Guardian, The Hill) |
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| | | | | Smile! | Selfie Reveals Moment US Pilot Flew Over Spy Balloon The Department of Defense released the photo showing a U-2 spy plane pilot gazing down on the Chinese-made balloon as it entered U.S. airspace over Montana in late January. The unidentified pilot is decked out in high-tech gear more commonly associated with astronauts because the single-seat U-2 is capable of flying at altitudes over 70,000 feet. After the balloon was shot down Feb. 4, parts of the wreckage were recovered and taken to the FBI headquarters in Virginia for analysis. Deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh said the payload — that is, the surveillance apparatus — has been recovered. (Sources: CNN, The Guardian) |
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| | | Conflict Continues | West Bank Rocked by Renewed Violence After Nablus Raid At least 10 Palestinians were killed by Israeli security forces in clashes this week in the town of Nablus, while Gaza militants fired rockets into southern Israel early Thursday morning. Two men aged 76 and 61, as well as a 16-year-old boy were among those killed in Nablus. The renewed bout of violence between the two communities comes as Israel’s new government — elected on a platform of tight security and low tolerance — is tested in its opening months. Watchers of the ongoing conflict are bracing for further violence after clashes in January led to escalating retaliatory actions from both sides. (Sources: AP, Reuters) |
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| | | Vote Showdown | Mexico’s President Defangs Electoral Agency With New Reforms Lawmakers overwhelmingly backed President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s overhaul of the National Electoral Institute, which reformed elections in the 1990s, paving the way for the first ever opposition win in 2000. López Obrador promised the changes will save millions of dollars and make it easier for Mexicans to vote. But critics say the reforms make it harder to carry out free and fair elections — and are part of a larger plan to undermine Mexican democracy. Former Interior Ministry official Jorge Alcocer Villanueva said, “What’s at play is whether we’re going to have a country with democratic institutions and the rule of law.” (Source: NYT) |
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| | | Briefly | Here are some things you should know about today: Polls ahead. Voters in Turkey are still likely to head to the booths in June after a floated postponement due to this month’s devastating earthquakes looks increasingly unlikely. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who is running for a third term, has faced strong criticism for his handling of the disaster. (Source: Reuters) Crackdown. Ten European Union members want the bloc to respond to allegations that Russia is using shell companies in neighboring countries to dodge sanctions on weapons purchases. (Source: The Guardian) Rescue mission. Five miners are dead and 49 are still missing after a coal mine collapsed in China's Inner Mongolia region on Wednesday. Search and rescue operations have resumed after a landslide at another site forced a pause. (Source: DW) |
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INTRIGUING
| | | Mother’s Load | UN: One Woman Dies Every Two Minutes in Pregnancy or Childbirth Mortality rates have dropped by 34.3% in 20 years, but deaths are still high globally according to a report from the World Health Organization and other United Nations agencies. While maternal mortality fell significantly from 2000 to 2015, it’s plateaued or even increased in some regions since 2016. Ensuring access to health care for women and girls across the world is essential, said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, including “that they can fully exercise their reproductive rights.” Since 2000, mortality rates dropped an enormous 95.5% in Belarus, while the highest increases were in Venezuela and the United States. (Source: France24) |
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| | | | | Checked Out | Twitter Blue Is Verifying Kremlin Propaganda, Says Rights Group For just a few dollars a month, propagandists from any regime in the world can take full advantage of Twitter Blue’s verification checkmark and higher visibility on the timeline, according to research group Reset. Many of the accounts researchers identified as Moscow’s mouthpieces were created within the first few months of the invasion of Ukraine, and they spout rhetoric that’s “openly sharing content from Russian state media, Kremlin-aligned disinformation about the conflict in Ukraine and outright war propaganda.” Reset noted that the newly “verified” accounts are outside of Russia, which means Twitter can accept payment without violating U.S. sanctions. (Source: WaPo) |
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| | | #CaliforniaToo | Harvey Weinstein Readies for California Sexual Assault Sentencing The disgraced movie magnate — who still has more than 20 years left to serve for rape and sexual assault convictions in New York — could see his prison term nearly doubled. Weinstein faces a possible maximum sentence of 18 years after a California jury found him guilty of rape and sexual assault, though they acquitted him on a sexual battery charge and couldn’t return verdicts on counts regarding two other women. Judge Lisa Lench will announce Weinstein’s sentence Thursday — or grant his lawyers’ motion for a new trial, based on arguments that they weren’t allowed to present some evidence about his accuser. (Source: AP) |
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| | | Foot Loose | In Australia, a Not-So-Australian Tradition Haunts Performers “I feel ashamed of myself,” Harry Styles told 30,000 fans in Perth, Western Australia, Monday night. He’d been goaded into drinking from a shoe — a stunt known as a “shoey.” Styles follows in the sodden footsteps of F1 driver Lewis Hamilton, beloved actor Patrick Stewart and plenty of musicians. The gag is divisive within Australian crowds, with some disappointed in the country’s continued brand of alcohol-driven silliness. But the tradition may not be truly Australian: The earliest documented shoey was performed by American actress Tallulah Bankhead, who drank champagne from her high heel at London’s Ritz Hotel in 1951. (Source: BBC) |
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| | | Teaming Up | Indianapolis Indians Partner With Local Tribe, Won’t Change Name The Minor League Baseball team announced Wednesday that it won’t be going by a less controversial name anytime soon. But it also revealed a partnership with the Miami Nation of Indians of Indiana that includes “land acknowledgment, recognition of Miami veterans during Native American Heritage Night at Victory Field, support of the Miami scholarship program and fan educational opportunities.” Tribal chief Brian Buchanan noted “the major influence of Native American people ... in the names of Indiana cities, state parks, rivers, food, celebrations and other cultural points of interest.” He added, “We have encouraged the team to remain the Indianapolis Indians.” (Source: Fox59) |
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