TODAY:
- AROUND THE WORLD
- RUSSIA – UKRAINE (impact, reactions, consequences)
- TECH – DEFENSE – MILITARY – SECURITY – CYBER – SPACE
AROUND THE WORLD
Brazil
- Brazil Court Reviews Bolsonaro’s Environmental Policies, April 12. By Andrea Carvalho, HRW. Despite the continued roar of chainsaws clearing the rainforest for soy fields and cattle herds, there’s now a new glimmer of hope for the Brazilian Amazon. Last week, Brazil’s Supreme Court boldly launched a review of seven environmental cases, most involving petitions challenging the destructive policies of President Jair Bolsonaro’s administration. (read more)
- Brazil for first time invites EU monitors to upcoming elections, April 12. By Al Jazeera. (read more)
China
- Falling shipping rates portend slow growth in China’s foreign trade, April 12. By Global Times. Global sea freight rates witnessed sharp drops in March with some areas down by around 50 percent, an indication of mixed factors, including sluggish global demand driven by the slow recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, surging US inflation, the Russia-Ukraine conflict and COVID-19 flare-ups in some parts of China. (read more)
China – Afghanistan
- Chinese scholars willing to lend a helping hand to Afghan counterparts in conserving relics along the Silk Road, April 12. By Global Times. (read more)
China – Pakistan
- China will unswervingly support Pakistani economic development, April 12. By Global Times. While political changes in Pakistan have recently fueled speculation about the possible impact on China-Pakistan relations, it remains clear that the high level of mutual trust between the two sides forms the solid guarantee that bilateral economic and trade cooperation won’t be affected. (read more)
China – USA
- US slammed for attempt to block World Bank loans to Chinese firms over lies about Xinjiang, April 12. By Global Times. A Chinese expert on Tuesday slammed a US attempt to block normal commercial loans from the World Bank to several Chinese companies based on lies about “human rights abuses” in Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, saying the move is just another crackdown on Chinese businesses. (read more)
Ethiopia
- Ethiopia: Seizing the fragile opening for peace, April 12. By Adem K Abebe, Al Jazeera. (read more)
India
- India: Muslims see wave of attacks, hate speech on Hindu festival, April 12. By Al Jazeera. (read more)
Iran – Afghanistan
- Iran summons Afghan envoy after protesters throw rocks at diplomatic missions, April 12. By Reuters. (read more)
Islamic State
- ISIL 2.0: How the group became a franchise, April 12. By Alex Gatopoulos, Al Jazeera. I(read more)
Nigeria
- Nigeria: Gunmen attack kills at least 50 in Plateau state, April 12. By Al Jazeera. (read more)
Sri Lanka
- Sri Lanka to suspend foreign debt payments, April 12. By Al Jazeera. (read more)
Turkey – Saudi Arabia
- Are Turkish-Saudi relations set for a reset?, April 12. By Andrew Wilks, Al Jazeera. (read more)
RUSSIA – UKRAINE (impact, reactions, consequences)
- Putin defends ‘noble’ war amid allegations of rape, brutality and chemical weapons, April 12. By Maria Starkova, Reuters. (read more)
- Russia likely to increase Chinese yuan holdings amid Western sanctions: analysts, April 12. By Ma Jingjing, Global Times. Russia will likely continue to add the Chinese yuan to its foreign exchange reserves, while slashing the US dollar over the medium and long term, as it increasingly looks eastward for economic development amid stringent Western financial sanctions, especially following the Russia-Ukraine conflict, analysts said on Tuesday. (read more)
- UN calls for independent investigation into rape in Ukraine, April 12. By Al Jazeera. (read more)
- Putin says Russia ‘had no other choice’ in Ukraine, April 12. By Al Jazeera. (read more)
- Amid war fears, Ukraine stocked up on Turkish defence equipment, April 12. By Paul Benjamin Osterlund, Al Jazeera. (read more)
TECH – DEFENSE – MILITARY – SECURITY – CYBER – SPACE
- Taiwan’s drills, defense handbook ‘futile in resisting reunification’, April 12. By Liu Xuanzun, Global Times. The island of Taiwan on Tuesday held military exercises and released a civil defense handbook in an apparent move to hype cross-Straits tensions, which was met with a negative reception on the island, and mainland experts said that neither move will be helpful to Taiwan secessionists should a conflict break out. read more)
