U.S. Senate Overwhelmingly Approves $40 Billion Aid Package for Ukraine
With only eleven votes in opposition, the Senate approved an emergency bill (NYT) to provide additional military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine. President Joe Biden is expected to sign it. Together with assistance approved in March, the funding represents the largest foreign aid package approved by the U.S. Congress in more than twenty years.
Separately, Group of Seven (G7) countries agreed to mobilize $9.5 billion (AP) in new financial support for Ukraine’s economy, Germany’s finance minister said. As the war continues to strain global food supplies, the director of the World Food Program joined calls for Moscow to unblock Ukrainian ports (Reuters) in the Black Sea so food shipments can depart. Moscow said yesterday that heeding the appeal would require U.S. and European Union sanctions against Russia to be reviewed.
Analysis
“Momentum may be on Ukraine’s side, but Kyiv alone cannot bring an end to this war. Without a steady stream of supplies from the United States and its allies to replace its lost or exhausted equipment, Ukraine may find itself mired in a drawn-out war of attrition,” Johns Hopkins University’s Alexander Vindman writes for Foreign Affairs.
Australians to Vote in General Elections Focused on Economy, Climate Policy
Ahead of tomorrow’s elections, polls suggest a tight race (AP) between Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s conservative coalition, which is seeking a rare fourth three-year term, and the center-left Labor party.
China: The country made the most dramatic cut on record (FT) to its mortgage lending rate in response to a slowdown in the real estate sector that has worsened amid COVID-19 lockdowns.
South and Central Asia
Taliban Order Female TV Presenters to Cover Faces While on Air
The order for local TV channels (VOA) comes as the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan visits the country. It is the latest curb on women’s rights since the Taliban took over the country in August 2021.
Sri Lanka: Authorities closed schools and government offices (AP) to prepare for a fuel shortage that is expected to last days amid the country’s devastating economic crisis.
Middle East and North Africa
Jordanian King Restricts Half Brother’s Movements
Prince Hamzah bin Hussein, the estranged half brother of King Abdullah II, was placed under house arrest (Reuters) last year after being accused of trying to destabilize the monarchy. The government continues to restrict his movements and communications.
Palestinian territories: Al Jazeera verified a video from moments before journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was reportedly killed by an Israeli soldier. The video shows relative calm in the area, contradicting Israel’s initial claim that Israeli forces and Palestinian fighters were clashing when she was killed.
Sub-Saharan Africa
Sudanese Politician Arrested Amid Protests in Khartoum
The leader of the Sudanese Communist Party was arrested (Reuters) while demonstrators in the capital protested military rule in the country. The party has been one of the most hard-line opponents of the coup that ended a 2019 power-sharing agreement.
South Africa: A group of wealthy countries reportedly offered debt guarantees (Bloomberg) to South Africa as part of previously announced funding to help it move away from coal-fired power plants.
Europe
Italy Increases Imports of Russian Oil Despite European Sanctions Campaign
Russia has exported (FT) around four times more crude oil to Italy this month than it did in February, according to data company Kpler. The increase came after Italian authorities imposed credit restrictions on a Russian-owned refinery, forcing it to rely solely on Russian crude oil.
Colombia: A new poll showed surging support (Bloomberg) for Rodolfo Hernandez, a relative newcomer to politics, ahead of the May 29 presidential election. The data suggests that either he or conservative Federico “Fico” Gutierrez will face front-runner Gustavo Petro in a runoff election in June.
