Washington Says Russia Used Banned Chemical Weapons in Ukraine |
Russian forces used the poison gas chloropicrin (NYT) in Ukraine in a violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, the U.S. State Department said in a statement yesterday. Russia is among the more than 150 countries that have ratified the treaty. The United States detailed its claims in an announcement that it was placing nearly three hundred individuals or entities under new sanctions for supporting Russia’s war effort and internal repression. Russia’s ambassador to the United States called the U.S. claim “odious and unsubstantiated,” while Ukrainian authorities have reported some 1,400 cases of suspected chemical weapons use since Russia invaded in February 2022.
The State Department said Russia’s use of tear gas in wartime also violated the chemical weapons ban. The new U.S. sanctions included targets (NYT) across the world, including more than a dozen firms in China that Washington said were helping to build up Russia’s industrial base. |
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“German forces fired the gas against Allied troops during World War I in one of the first uses of a chemical weapon,” Reuters’ Jonathan Landay and Daphne Psaledakis write. “While civilians usually can escape riot control gases during protests, soldiers stuck in trenches without gas masks must either flee under enemy fire or risk suffocating.”
“The Biden administration has increasingly sounded the alarm about China’s support for Russia’s defense industrial base,” CNN’s Jennifer Hansler and Samantha Waldenberg write. “As Russia has begun to build back its defense capabilities, the U.S. has sought to rally allies to pressure Beijing—via diplomatic means or, if that fails, punitive measures—to stop providing the support, and they are looking to see if that pressure has or will have an impact.”
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Officials From Japan, France Talk AI, Critical Minerals |
On a visit to Paris yesterday, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal met and discussed a variety of issues; the economy ministers from both countries also met yesterday and pledged (Jiji Press) to work together to ensure a stable supply of critical minerals. In a speech today at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Kishida proposed (Kyodo) leading a push for global regulations on artificial intelligence (AI).
At this CFR meeting, a panel of experts discuss the next chapter of AI.
Solomon Islands: Pro-China candidate Jeremiah Manele won the vote to become the next prime minister. He has indicated that he would continue the nation’s security pact with Beijing, but is expected to take a less confrontational approach toward Western countries than his predecessor, analysts told the BBC.
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Taliban Plan Western Afghanistan Logistics Hub With Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan |
The hub would aim to process regional trade and ease the movement of oil from Russia to South Asia, Afghanistan’s commerce minister told Reuters. A formal agreement is being drawn up within the next two months after it was reached in principle in talks last week.
India: Regulators in countries including the United States, Australia, and New Zealand are weighing investigations into two Indian packaged spice manufacturers after Hong Kong authorities said they detected potentially carcinogenic elements, Nikkei reported.
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Middle East and North Africa |
Floating Pier to Gaza Over Half Complete, Aid Trucks Allowed Through Northern Checkpoint |
More than 50 percent of the U.S.-built pier is finished (Anadolu), a Pentagon spokesperson said yesterday, and humanitarian aid delivery is expected to begin in early May. The pier is part of U.S. efforts to allow greater humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip; after U.S. urging, Israel opened (Times of Israel) the Erez Crossing in the enclave’s north for the first time since Hamas’s October 7 attack.
Russia/Syria: In a complaint made public today at the UN Human Rights Committee, a Syrian man and an aid organization accused Russia (Reuters) of violating international law when it bombed a northern Syrian hospital in 2019.
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Nigeria Gives Pay Increase to Security Forces Amid High Inflation |
Public workers including police, military, and intelligence personnel will receive (Bloomberg) a pay raise of as much as 35 percent backdated to January 1, the government announced. Annual inflation in the country rose to more than 33 percent in March. This tracker by CFR’s Elisabeth Harding and Benn Steil looks at global inflation trends.
U.S./Chad: Chad aims to continue (AP) a security partnership with the United States after holding a presidential election on Monday, and U.S. officials expect to return for talks on the matter within a month, the head of U.S. Africa Command said yesterday. Last month, Washington said it was withdrawing troops from Chad at the government’s request.
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EU Pledges More Than $1 Billion for Lebanon as Part of Migration Management Deal |
In Beirut today, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the funding available through the year 2027 was part of (Politico) European Union (EU) efforts to support Lebanon’s security and stability. She said that the EU is committed to keeping legal migration pathways open to Europe and counted on Lebanon to combat irregular migration and migrant smuggling.
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Colombia to Cut Diplomatic Ties With Israel Over War in Gaza |
Colombian President Gustavo Petro said yesterday that Bogotá planned (NYT) to cut diplomatic ties with Israel, which it called “genocidal.” Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said Petro was siding with “the most abominable monsters known to man.” Petro suspended Colombia’s purchase of Israeli weapons in February after a deadly incident near an aid convoy in Gaza.
Canada: The $25 billion Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project began commercial operations (Reuters) yesterday after twelve years of construction. It is expected to nearly triple the flow of crude oil from landlocked Alberta to the Pacific Coast. |
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Arizona Lawmakers Reverse Near-Total Abortion Ban in Closely Watched Case |
The 1864 ban had long remained dormant until Arizona’s Supreme Court ruled it could take effect earlier this year, prompting legislative efforts to stop it. The bill would have banned all abortions, even in the case of rape or incest, but allow them if they would save a patient’s life. Arizona’s governor said she planned to sign (AP) the repeal today.
This article by CFR’s Women and Foreign Policy team compares abortion law worldwide. |
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