Russian Authorities Charge Four Men in Relation to Moscow Concert Hall Attack |
Four men appeared in court (Reuters) yesterday on charges of carrying out Friday’s attack at a concert hall outside Moscow, which killed at least 137 people and injured at least 182 others. The self-declared Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, the deadliest inside Russia in two decades. Several world leaders have voiced sympathy for the victims and Russian people. Three of the four men pleaded guilty to all charges, according to the Moscow courts’ official Telegram channel.
The attack underscored how Russia’s focus on invading Ukraine has distracted it (FT) from security concerns in other realms, analysts said. Washington had warned (CNN) Moscow of reports that extremists were planning to target gatherings in the days before the attack, a U.S. National Security Council spokesperson said. Putin rejected the U.S. warnings, saying they were “provocative.” Russian media reported that the charged men were from Tajikistan but living in Russia. Still, Russian officials have made little reference to the Islamic State since the attack and President Vladimir Putin claimed the assailants were trying to travel to Ukraine.
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“The [Islamic State] has long deemed Russia as much of an enemy of the Muslim people as the United States,” CFR expert Bruce Hoffman writes in this In Brief. “The group’s ability to strike in even heavily secured environments was demonstrated this past January when dual suicide bombings killed 84 persons in Kerman, Iran.”
“Russia’s security system has been hollowed out, the [Russian intelligence service] chases anti-war protesters instead of terror threats, and on Friday, Isis’s Afghan branch attacked,” the Financial Times’ Polina Ivanova posted.
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FT: China Will Sideline Chips From Firms AMD, Intel Out of Government Computers |
The new rules requiring the phaseout of the U.S. firms’ chips from Chinese government computers and servers represent a major step forward toward mirroring U.S. chip restrictions on China, the Financial Times reported. The rules are part of China’s strategy to boost domestic production in this sector.
Singapore: Authorities revealed (SCMP) eight new charges today against former Minister for Transport Subramaniam Iswaran in a high-profile corruption probe, saying he illegally obtained items worth some $14,200. He pleaded not guilty to the charges. The last time a minister faced corruption allegations in Singapore was in 1986.
This article by CFR expert Joshua Kurlantzick explains how Singapore’s ruling party is showing cracks amid corruption scandals.
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Thailand Sends Aid to Myanmar Through Humanitarian Corridor |
Thai officials say the aid to conflict-stricken Myanmar will be monitored (AP) by an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) mechanism, though some critics contend that the aid would neglect people in areas uncontrolled by the government. UN agencies say 18.6 million people in the country require humanitarian assistance.
India: A high court ruled on Friday that some 2.7 million students at Islamic schools in India’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, should be transferred (Reuters) to conventional schools, saying Islamic schools violate India’s constitutional secularism. Critics of the ruling called it discriminatory against Muslims. This Backgrounder by Lindsay Maizland explores how India’s Muslims are becoming increasingly marginalized. |
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Middle East and North Africa |
Israeli Defense Minister Visits Washington |
Yoav Gallant has arrived (WaPo) for talks on the ongoing war, while another Israeli delegation will depart this evening for the United States. The groups are due to discuss U.S. concerns about a potential Israeli military operation in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, which U.S. President Kamala Harris said yesterday “would be a huge mistake.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also announced yesterday that Israel “will enter Rafah and achieve total victory.”
U.S./China/Yemen: Yemen-based Houthi rebels fired a missile (Bloomberg) at a Chinese-owned tanker in the Red Sea on Saturday and caused a fire on board, U.S. Central Command said. The attack came after the Houthis reportedly said last week that they would not attack Chinese vessels.
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Senegal Opposition Candidate Leads Early Election Results |
Opposition candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye led preliminary results (Reuters) by a comfortable majority, according to polling station tallies announced on local media late last night. Final results are expected to be announced on Friday.
Chad: Authorities announced bans (AFP) on ten presidential candidates ahead of the country’s May 6 election because their applications included “irregularities.” Junta leader Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno is still in the race. The political opposition said the election is meant to give only an illusion of pluralism in the country, as Déby is likely to win.
For the Africa in Transition blog, CFR expert Michelle Gavin unpacks Chad’s dubious prospects for a democratic transition.
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United Kingdom Unveils $250 Million in Public Investments in Nuclear Industry |
The funds will be spent (Independent) over a decade and aim to boost the country’s domestic nuclear energy industry, including its nuclear submarine capacity, the Prime Minister’s Office said today. |
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Guatemalan President to Meet with Kamala Harris in Washington |
Vice President Kamala Harris will discuss (AP) anticorruption efforts and migration policy with Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo today. They are expected to review the status of migration offices set up in late 2023 meant to process U.S. asylum applicants in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Guatemala.
Brazil: Police arrested (NYT) two former city lawmakers and one former police chief who prosecutors accused of involvement in the 2018 murder of Rio de Janeiro Councilwoman Marielle Franco. The delays in resolving the case have become emblematic of the power of organized crime in the city. |
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Biden Signs Law to Fund Government Through Remainder of Fiscal Year |
The $1.2 trillion spending package signed on Saturday funds major parts of the government through September and averts (NYT) a government shutdown. U.S. President Joe Biden called the bill a compromise; Republicans celebrated that it included new funding for Border Patrol agents, while Democrats praised new funding for childcare programs.
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Council on Foreign Relations |
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