WORLD BRIEFING: May 4, 2024
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has continued to defend the "foreign agent" legislation that has sparked mass protests in Tbilisi, saying it is necessary to achieve "depolarization," in keeping with recommendations by the European Union. Kobakhidze said on May 3 that in a conversation with European Council President Charles Michel he relayed his disappointment that Georgia's partners were "reluctant to engage in substantive discussions" on the bill and that "we have not yet heard any counterarguments against this proposed legislation." The draft law, which would require civil-society organizations and media outlets to report foreign funding and subject them to government oversight, has sparked mass protests in the Georgian capital. On May 3, tensions remained high in Tbilisi in a standoff that has seen security forces use force, including the use of rubber bullets, to crack down on protesters. - RFE/RL
Hamas is expected to announce on Saturday that it is accepting Egypt's proposal for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip and the release of hostages, the Saudi newspaper Al-Sharq reported on Saturday morning. According to the report, Hamas was guaranteed by the U.S. for a full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and that Israeli forces will not continue fighting once the hostages are released. An Israeli official told Haaretz that 'Israel will, under no circumstances, agree to end the war as part of a deal' and is determined to enter Rafah - Haaretz
Three Indian nationals have been arrested and charged over the killing of a Sikh separatist leader in Canada, which sparked a major diplomatic row between the two countries. Hardeep Singh Nijjar, 45, was shot dead last June by masked gunmen in a busy car park in a Vancouver suburb. The diplomatic row escalated after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged India's government may have been involved. Delhi strongly denied the allegation. In announcing the arrests on Friday, Superintendent Mandeep Mooker said the three suspects were Karan Brar, 22, Kamal Preet Singh, 22, and 28-year-old Karan Preet Singh. He said all three had been living in Edmonton, Alberta where they were arrested. They have been charged with first-degree murder, court records show, as well as conspiracy to commit murder. All had been in Canada for three to five years, police said. Police added that investigations were continuing, including into "connections to the government of India..There are separate and distinct investigations ongoing into these matters. Certainly not limited to the involvement of the people arrested today," Assistant Commissioner David Teboul said. - BBC
Ukrainians observe Easter this weekend according to the old calendar. In Lviv, residents have been cautioned via radio announcements not to gather in large numbers. Meanwhile more Russian missile and drone strikes reported in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city
Air pollution from gas and propane stoves has caused about 50,000 current cases of childhood asthma nationwide, and people living in smaller homes are more likely to be affected. That’s according to a new studyreleased Friday from researchers at Stanford and Harvard Universities. The study looked specifically at nitrogen dioxide, which is emitted by gas and propane stoves when the burners are on. The pollutant can trigger asthma, coughing, wheezing and other health problems.”Not only can it make asthma worse, it can actually cause new cases, especially in children,” said Kari Nadeau, chair of the department of Environmental Health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and co-author of the study. Nadeau, who is also a physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, said that the estimate of 50,000 asthma cases is “conservative,” since the study only considered one of several pollutants emitted by gas and propane stoves. When considering other pollutants, such as carbon monoxide, “the full impact may be closer to 200,000 cases,” she said. - NPR
