Russian oil exports hampered. Ukrainian strikes, a pipeline attack, and international seizures of tankers have reduced Russia’s oil export capacity by at least 40 percent as of yesterday, Reuters reported. Ukraine has targeted Russia’s three main western oil export ports in recent weeks.
New date for Trump’s China visit. Trump plans to visit China for a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping on May 14 and 15, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced yesterday. The trip was rescheduled from late March due to the Iran war, which Leavitt suggested could be over by then.
U.S. chip smuggling charges. The Department of Justice unveiled charges yesterday against two U.S. citizens and a Chinese national for violating export controls by conspiring to smuggle artificial intelligence (AI) technology into China. The announcement followed a previous set of U.S. chip smuggling charges issued last week against Yih-Shyan Liaw, the cofounder of a California-based tech company, along with two other people. The company said it is cooperating with the investigation.
UN resolution on slavery reparations. The United Nations General Assembly yesterday adopted a resolution calling the trafficking of enslaved Africans the “gravest crime against humanity” and endorsing reparations. The resolution, proposed by Ghana, was passed by 123–3 countries, with 52 abstentions that included the United Kingdom and members of the European Union (EU). Argentina, Israel, and the United States voted against it.
Mexico to keep Cuban doctors. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said yesterday the country would continue hosting Cuban medical missions despite pressure from Washington. The U.S. State Department has urged countries to stop accepting Cuba’s medical diplomacy, saying it amounted to “forced labor.” The Bahamas, Guatemala, and Paraguay have recently ended their participation in the Cuban program. Sheinbaum said the doctors provide critical support to Mexico’s rural health system.
U.S.-Cameroon deportation deal. Cameroon appeared to agree to accept third-country deportees from the United States in exchange for U.S. silence regarding a political crackdown and the release of frozen U.S. funds for UN refugee services, according to a New York Times investigation that cited unnamed officials and State Department documents. The State Department did not comment.
Probe of South African police chief. South African police commissioner Fannie Masemola has been charged over the allegedly corrupt handling of a police health services contract, a police spokesperson said. It is one of several anti-corruption cases currently moving forward involving the country’s police forces. Masemola pledged to cooperate with the investigation.
Postal service price hike. The United States Postal Service announced yesterday it plans to raise prices on most packages sent between April 26 of this year and January 17, 2027 by 8 percent in response to rising fuel costs. Stamps for mail will not be affected. The postal service was already struggling financially before the Iran war strained the global energy supply. The proposed price increase is now under review by a federal regulatory commission.
