We’re covering Russia’s struggles to advance in Ukraine and efforts to unseat the prime minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan.
Russia stifles dissent as war stalls
A Russian court sentenced the already imprisoned opposition leader Aleksei Navalny to nine years in prison on fraud charges, a move widely seen as a way for the Kremlin to more tightly control the war’s narrative.
Navalny’s extended sentence came as Russia amended an already draconian censorship law to make “discrediting” the activities abroad of all government bodies a potentially criminal offense, punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Navalny has been urging Russians to protest the invasion of Ukraine through letters from jail that his lawyers post on social media.
On the ground, Russia has made little progress in its effort to encircle Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital. Ukrainian officials said they had raised their flag over Makariv, a town about 40 miles from the capital, where control has gone back and forth between Russian forces and Ukrainians.
The U.S. has assessed that Russia’s “combat power” in Ukraine has fallen below 90 percent of its original force for the first time, reflecting the losses Russian troops have suffered.
Pfizer will send millions of Co pills to poorer countries
Pfizer said it planned to sell up to four million treatment courses of its Co-19 pills for use in lower-income countries, with the first supplies expected to become available next month.
In a supply agreement with UNICEF, the children’s aid arm of the U.N., Pfizer agreed to sell its pills at a nonprofit price to 95 lower-income countries that are home to about four billion people. In some cases, UNICEF’s pooled Co fund may pay for the treatments, a spokeswoman said.
Pfizer’s treatment, known as Paxlo, has been found to be highly effective in preventing severe disease in Co patients when given early in the course of an infection. It is thought to have promise in lower-income countries because it is given in pill form, taken at home and easily stored at room temperature.
While the Pfizer pills will most likely be the first Co drugs available in many of the poorest parts of the world, wealthy countries have locked up much of the 120 million treatment courses the company said it could produce this year.
Imran Khan fights for his political survival
Pakistan’s prime minister, Imran Khan, could soon be removed from office, as soaring inflation and a rift with the military threaten his grip on power.
Opposition political parties moved for a vote of no confidence in Parliament after it appeared that Khan had lost his majority support and the backing of the country’s powerful military. Last week, Khan’s party was rocked by the defection of at least a dozen lawmakers who accused their leader of failing to tackle double-digit inflation. Khan, a former cricket star, denounced his critics as part of an American-influenced conspiracy.
“He’s a fighter,” Arif Rafiq, president of a political risk advisory company in New York, said. “But it simply just doesn’t look like he’ll have the numbers to survive a vote of no confidence.”
Of particular importance is the military’s dissatisfaction with Khan, whose 2018 election was widely credited to the military’s backing. The country’s generals appeared to sour on Khan for trying to place a loyal aide in charge of the army over the objection of high-ranking officials.
What’s next: Before the vote, which is expected as early as next week, Khan said he would gather a million supporters for a rally in Islamabad this weekend. The opposition responded by announcing a counterprotest, raising fears of violent confrontations.
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ARTS AND IDEAS The homes of artists and other creative people
Seeking to spruce up your surroundings after spring cleaning? T Magazine’s spring design issue explores homes where creative work gets done.
In Los Angeles, there’s a cocoonlike 1960s house, bathed in shades of mauve, that was formerly owned by the writer Anaïs Nin. (One of Frank Lloyd Wright’s grandsons designed it.) In North Carolina, four Black artists are preserving the childhood home of the singer Nina Simone. A former agricultural commune near Berlin, once the farmhouse of the artist Danh Vo, has become a lush retreat.
And for the color-averse, there’s no shortage of neutral designs from which to seek inspiration — though this children’s bathroom is a sugary pastel delight.
