“Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has delayed by three years the September execution of a death row inmate sentenced to die for killing two men in a robbery that netted $40. The governor’s action was one of several reprieves he’s issued in recent years as the state struggles to find an adequate supply of drugs for lethal injection. The announcement Friday moved the Sept. 15 execution date of Kareem Jackson to Dec. 10, 2025.” (05/16/22)
“North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un has lambasted health officials and ordered the army to help distribute medicine, as a wave of Covid cases sweeps through the country. More than a million people have now been sickened by what Pyongyang is calling a ‘fever,’ state media said. Some 50 people have died, but it’s unclear how many of those suspected cases tested positive for Covid. North Korea has only limited testing capacity, so few cases are confirmed. North Koreans are likely to be especially vulnerable to the virus due to lack of vaccinations and a poor healthcare system. A nationwide lockdown is in place in the reclusive country. State media said Mr Kim led an emergency politburo meeting at the weekend where he accused officials of bungling the distribution of the national medicine reserves.” (05/16/22)
“Somalia’s parliament elected Hassan Sheikh Mohamud as the country’s tenth president on Sunday, in a vote broadcast live on national TV. Mohamud previously served as president from September 2012 to February 2017 and is now the first leader of the country elected twice as Somalia’s head of state.
After his election he vowed to ‘work on a stable politics that leads Somalia to agreement and the world to agreement. In the vote conducted by lawmakers and aired by Somali National Television (SNTV), Mohamud defeated outgoing President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmaajo, whose rule came under scrutiny late last year as he suspended the powers of the prime minister amid an ongoing tussle for power, triggering calls for calm from the US and UK, and raising concerns of political violence. Farmaajo conceded defeat early Monday and congratulated Mohamud, urging support for the incoming administration.” (05/16/22)
“Iran-backed Hezbollah has been dealt a blow in Lebanon’s parliamentary election with preliminary results showing losses for some of its oldest allies and the Saudi-aligned Lebanese Forces party declaring significant gains. With votes still being counted, the final results have yet to emerge for the first election since Lebanon’s devastating economic meltdown and a huge port explosion in 2020 that shattered Beirut. The heavily armed Shi’ite Muslim group Hezbollah and its allies won 71 of parliament’s 128 seats when Lebanon last voted in 2018, but whether they can cling on to a majority hinges on results not yet finalised — including Sunni Muslim seats. Results declared point to a more fragmented parliament sharply polarised between allies and opponents of Hezbollah, an outcome analysts said could lead to deadlock as factions hash out a powersharing deal over top state positions.” (05/16/22)
“Ten people were killed and three more were wounded when a man opened fire at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, authorities said Saturday. Police said the shooter, who is now in custody, has been charged with murder in what officials are calling a hate crime and a case of racially motivated violent extremism. … A law enforcement source told CBS News that the suspect allegedly yelled racial slurs during the shooting. A source also said the gunman had a racial slur written on his weapon. The suspect is believed to have posted a hate-filled manifesto online with racist language.” (05/15/22)
“India banned wheat exports on Saturday — days after saying it was targeting record shipments this year — as a scorching heat wave curtailed output and domestic prices hit a record high. The government said it would still allow exports backed by already issued letters of credit and to countries that request supplies ‘to meet their food security needs.’ The move to ban overseas shipments was not in perpetuity and could be revised, senior government officials told a press conference. Global buyers were banking on supplies from the world’s second-biggest wheat producer after exports from the Black Sea region plunged following Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine. Before the ban, India had aimed to ship a record 10 million tonnes this year.” (05/14/22)
“Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts of Nebraska said Sunday that he will call a special session of his state’s legislature to pass a total ban on abortion if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade this term. ‘Nebraska is a pro-life state. I believe life begins at conception,’ Ricketts told CNN’s Dana Bash on ‘State of the Union.’ ‘If Roe v. Wade, which is a horrible constitutional decision, gets overturned by the Supreme Court, which we’re hopeful of, here in Nebraska, we’re going to take further steps to protect those unborn babies.’ ‘Including in the case of rape or incest?’ Bash asked. To which the governor replied: ‘They’re still babies, too. Yes.'” (05/15/22)
“Finland has formally confirmed it intends to join Nato, abandoning decades of military non-alignment in a historic policy shift triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that will redraw the security map of Europe. … Finland’s prime minister, Sanna Marin, said the proposal would be sent to parliament on Monday for ratification. ‘We hope parliament will confirm the decision in the coming days. It will be based on a strong mandate,’ she said. … With neighbouring Sweden’s ruling party also holding a decisive meeting on Sunday on whether to back a Swedish application for membership, Moscow’s onslaught on Ukraine looks set to usher in the expansion of Nato that Vladimir Putin claimed he wanted to prevent.” (05/15/22)
“Spreading protests across Iran over a cut in state subsidies on food have turned political with slogans calling for top leaders to step down, according to posts on social media, and unconfirmed reports said at least four protesters were killed. Protests began in some cities last week sparked by the government’s subsidy cut decision that caused price hikes in Iran by as much as 300% for a variety of flour-based staples. … Now protesters have expanded their demands, calling for more political freedom, an end to the Islamic Republic and the downfall of its leaders, according to witnesses and social media posts.” (05/15/22)
“Pennsylvania Lt. Governor and Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman on Sunday said he had suffered a stroke late last week but was on the way to ‘a full recovery. … I had a stroke that was caused by a clot from my heart being in an A-fib rhythm for too long,’ he explained. ‘The good news is I’m feeling much better, and the doctors tell me I didn’t suffer any cognitive damage.’ … A poll from last week showed Fetterman had majority support in the Democratic Senate primary. While he had 53 percent support, his opponent, Rep. Conor Lamb (D), had just 14 percent.” (05/15/22)
