How Far are you Traveling?
A 17-year-old member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad is killed and another is injured during clashes with Israeli soldiers in Kafr Dan, Jenin Governorate. U.S. President Joe Biden signs the Access to Baby Formula Act, a bill aimed at expanding access to baby formula in the United States. Russia’s Gazprom suspends natural gas exports to Finland over Finland’s refusal to comply with Russia’s demand that gas be paid for in rubles. At least nine people are dead after a derecho moves across portions of Central Canada.
Russian forces bombard the Azovstal steel works plant in Mariupol with thermobaric missiles. The United States Federal Reserve announces that it is raising interest rates by 0.5%, which is the largest interest rate hike since 2000, in order to combat growing inflation. Finland says that a Russian Air Force Mi-17 violated its airspace this morning, flying “four to five kilometres” inside Finnish airspace. The incursion comes ahead of an expected Finnish application to join NATO. Ukraine confirms that Russian troops have entered the steel works plant after launching “an all-out assault”. The European Union proposes to ban all oil imports from Russia by the end of the year, and also remove Russia’s biggest bank, Sberbank, from SWIFT. Mariupol mayor Vadym Boychenko confirms that contact has been lost with Ukrainian soldiers trapped inside the plant.
Ten people are killed after a tunnel collapses in Ramban district, Jammu and Kashmir, India. The World Health Organization holds an emergency meeting in response to the recent monkeypox outbreak. Germany, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands confirm their first cases of monkeypox. Spain confirms 30 monkeypox cases, becoming the country with the most reported cases. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tests positive for COVID-19. The Philippines says that it has established coast guard outposts on three Filipino-controlled islands of the Spratlys in the South China Sea. Australia and Israel announce their first suspected cases of monkeypox, both in people who had recently travelled to Europe.
At least 27 people are killed and more than 40 others are injured in a fire at a commercial building in Mundka, Delhi, India. RAO Nordic, a subsidiary of Russian energy company Inter RAO, announces it will suspend deliveries of electricity to Finland, saying it has not been paid for prior deliveries. North Korea says that six people have died and 187,800 others have been quarantined due to the latest COVID-19 outbreak. The total number of people who have received a dose of the Malaria vaccine surpasses 1 million.
Former Senator of the Philippines Bongbong Marcos, son of dictator Ferdinand Marcos, is expected to become the next President of the Philippines, based on partial and unofficial counts. No timeline is given for when the next election will occur. Crown Prince of Kuwait Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah accepts the resignation of the Government of Kuwait, after the request had been submitted more than a month ago. Marcos has more than twice as many votes as the next closest candidate Leni Robredo, the current Vice President of the Philippines. The victory will be officially ratified by the Congress of the Philippines in late May.
