Today In Issues:
FDD Research & Analysis
The Must-Reads
Hamas cell arrested for planning to plant roadside bombs and fire at Israeli communities Why Iran’s nuclear advances make a deal harder this time ISIS’ David Albright, Sarah Burkhard, Spencer Faragasso, and Mohammadreza Giveh: The Iran threat geiger counter: extreme danger grows Ukraine says it captured two Chinese citizens fighting for Russia Hezbollah using maritime smuggling route for weapons, funds from Iran WINEP’s Michael Knights: The danger of letting Iraq’s PMF Authority Law pass North Korea says its status as a nuclear weapons state can never be reversed, KCNA says US intelligence agency warns China is trying to recruit government employees US says it is alarmed by American academic's arrest in Thailand Spain's PM heads east to build bridges in China, Vietnam amid US tariff fallout Al Qaeda punctures Kenya’s dreams for an Indian Ocean trade hub Panama official accuses Hong Kong port operator of misconductIn The News
Israel
Israel’s highest court on Tuesday gave Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government a deadline to find a compromise over his firing of one of his top intelligence chiefs, part of a courtroom battle that could lead to a constitutional crisis. – New York Times
Indonesia is ready to temporarily shelter Palestinians hit by the war in Gaza, President Prabowo Subianto said on Wednesday, estimating there could be 1,000 in the first wave, as he started a trip to the Middle East and Turkey. – Reuters
Just a few years after coming close to bankruptcy, Israel’s El Al Airlines became dominant in the country’s aviation sector thanks to its near monopoly status during 18 months of war. Now, its challenge is to sustain that position. – Reuters
French President Emmanuel Macron visited Egypt’s port city of El-Arish on Tuesday, a key transit point for Gaza-bound aid, to call on Israel to lift restrictions on humanitarian access to the war-battered Palestinian territory. – Agence France-Presse
The Israel Defense Forces on Tuesday released former chief of staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi’s schedule for the first time, revealing that an initial assessment he held on October 7, 2023, began at 7 a.m. — half an hour after Hamas’s surprise attack began — and that he only met with Prime Minister Netanyahu at 9:45 a.m. – Times of Israel
The Golani Brigade has returned to fighting in the Gaza Strip under the command of the 36th Division, the IDF announced on Tuesday. – Jerusalem Post
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir will travel for an official visit to the U.S. after Passover, after the previous administration boycotted him and U.S. State Department even considered imposing sanctions on him at the time. – Haaretz
IDF special forces arrested Mahmoud al-Bana, one of the most wanted men in Judea and Samaria, in the city of Shechem (Nablus) today (Tuesday). – Arutz Sheva
Official media channels of Hamas have disseminated claims that the holding of Jewish worship ceremonies on the Temple Mount constitutes a “desecration” of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. – Arutz Sheva
As Israeli troops prepare to withdraw from two refugee camps in the West Bank—seized more than two months ago—to focus on expanding ground operations in Gaza, Israel has recently, and quietly, approved a series of measures to ease restrictions for Palestinians in Tulkarm and Jenin. This move is part of a return to the “carrots and sticks” policy in the West Bank. – Ynet
An Israeli citizen and three Palestinians have been arrested for allegedly forming a terrorist cell under the direction of Hamas operatives abroad. The group reportedly acquired weapons and planned attacks targeting Israeli civilians and soldiers, including planting explosives on Route 66 in northern Israel. – Ynet
Two weeks after Sudan’s military regained control of the presidential palace in Khartoum, a Sudanese army official revealed that Al-Sadiq Ismail, envoy of military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, visited Israel last week. The visit remained discreet until its conclusion, according to a report by Sudanese outlet Al-Rakoba. – Ynet
Amine Ayoub writes: The message sent to the people of Gaza was clear: We are still watching. And the message sent to the world was even more chilling: We control the narrative, even when it turns against us. In the end, the voices of the protesters – however genuine – have been swallowed up by a broader, more cynical machine. Their pain is real, but it’s being packaged and sold by the very group they were trying to resist. In Gaza, dissent is not crushed in secret anymore. It is weaponized, staged, and televised. The revolution may not be televised, but the illusion of one absolutely is. – Jerusalem Post
Iran
As the U.S. prepares to negotiate new curbs on Iran’s nuclear ambitions, it faces a challenge that could make reaching an agreement harder this time: Much of the progress Iran has made in its nuclear work since the 2015 nuclear deal will be difficult to reverse. – Wall Street Journal
Iran is approaching weekend talks with the United States over its nuclear programme warily, with little confidence in progress and deep suspicions over U.S. intentions, Iranian officials told Reuters on Tuesday. – Reuters
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Tuesday that Iran can expect tighter sanctions if it does not come to an agreement with President Donald Trump on its nuclear program. – Reuters
A gas leak at a coal mine in northern Iran killed seven workers, three of whom were Afghanis, state media said Tuesday. – Associated Press
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a potential nuclear deal with Iran must include the complete destruction of Tehran’s nuclear facilities under U.S. supervision and reiterated that the Islamic republic cannot have a nuclear weapon. – The Hill
Iranian government spokesperson, Fatemeh Mohajerani, on Sunday, distanced the government from an editorial of a far Right Iranian daily newspaper, Kayhan, which suggested that Iran should exact revenge against US President Donald Trump for ordering the 2020 assassination of then-Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force commander General Qassam Soleimani. – Jerusalem Post
Iran transferred long-range missiles to pro-Iranian militias in Iraq for the first time, according to a report in the UKs The Times. The Iraqi based Iranian proxies had attacked Israel with missiles and drones during the war, but those attacks stopped even before the cease-fire agreements were reached in the fighting against Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza. – Ynet
David Ignatius writes: Iran is thought to have sufficient highly enriched uranium that in weeks it could bring it to the level needed for several weapons, but analysts believe it would need a year or more to develop an actual nuclear warhead that could fit atop a ballistic missile. Trump’s Middle East engagement will deepen when he visits Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, probably next month. He wouldn’t conceivably add Tehran to his list of destinations, would he, if initial talks between Witkoff and Araghchi were productive? But then, given Trump’s flair for the dramatic dealmaking breakthrough, how could he resist? – Washington Post
Alex Winston writes: The Islamic Republic and Khamenei like to claim on a regular basis that they stand tall against Western imperialism. In truth, the regime has surrendered its economy, and its people, to a militarized oligarchy. The IRGC’s control over Iran’s oil industry is not just an economic fact; it is a political verdict on the regime’s direction. What was once a revolutionary guard has become an empire. What was once a republic has become a Mafia-like racket. The people of Iran are suffering daily under economic hardships while the IRGC continues to enrich itself and lead the people not to revolution, but to more suffering. – Jerusalem Post
Emily Schrader writes: Skeptics of U.S. sanctions have long warned that economic pressure alone may not bring down the Islamic Republic. Yet, this new strategy breaks from past efforts by pairing sanctions with meaningful engagement and resources for Iran’s democratic opposition. With a collapsing currency, deepening protests and unprecedented international isolation, the regime is already showing signs of fatigue. The introduction of both bills could very well accelerate a historic shift from dictatorship to democracy. – Ynet
David Albright, Sarah Burkhard, Spencer Faragasso, and Mohammadreza Giveh write: For a reliable nuclear warhead mounted on a ballistic missile, Iran faces more challenges in finishing this task. Estimating the time to finish this task is complicated because Iran faced many challenges at the end of the Amad Plan in finishing a warhead to fit inside the Shahab 3 ballistic missile. For more advanced missiles and reentry vehicles, Iran may also need to further miniaturize its warhead. If this step is accomplished in the context of recreating the Amad Plan nuclear weapons production complex, it will take about two years to accomplish. – Institute for Science and International Security
Russia and Ukraine
Ukraine said its military had captured two Chinese citizens fighting in the Russian army and was seeking to understand whether their presence in eastern Ukraine represented an increase in Beijing’s support for Moscow’s war. – Wall Street Journal
Ukraine launched a major overnight drone attack on Russia, disrupting flights early on Wednesday in the southern part of the country and forcing the evacuation of residents from dozens of apartments in the Rostov region, Russian officials said. – Reuters
A man wielding a knife was killed after attacking a police station in Chechnya on Tuesday, along with one of the station’s officers in the Russian Caucasus region, officials said. – Reuters
The U.S. State Department on Tuesday announced that American and Russian delegations will meet for a second time in Istanbul on April 10 to “solely” discuss stabilizing bilateral embassy operations. – Reuters
Russian forces staged massive drone attacks on the Ukrainian cities of Dnipro and Kharkiv late on Tuesday, triggering fires and injuring at least 17 people, regional officials said. – Reuters
A Russian spacecraft safely delivered an American astronaut Jonathan Kim and two Russian cosmonauts to the International Space Station (ISS) on Tuesday, a flight hailed by Moscow as an example of fruitful Russia-U.S. space cooperation. – Reuters
Senior Kremlin officials on Tuesday said there was little chance of striking a new nuclear arms reduction treaty with the United States soon because there was not enough trust and cautioned that a host of other countries would gain nuclear weapons. – Reuters
Russia is close to regaining full control of its western Kursk region after pushing Ukrainian forces from one of their last footholds there, the regional governor and state media said on Tuesday. – Reuters
The United States “will have no patience for bad faith negotiation or violation of commitments” as it seeks to end the war in Ukraine, acting U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Dorothy Shea told the Security Council on Tuesday. – Reuters
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has publicly acknowledged for the first time that his troops are active in Russia’s Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine. – BBC
China said it is working with the Ukrainians to verify reports that two Chinese citizens were captured fighting for the Russian army inside Ukraine’s Donetsk region. – Newsweek
Daniella Richterova writes: Crucially, the network’s operational timeline demonstrates a shift in Moscow’s intelligence priorities. Early missions revolved around surveilling Kremlin critics, but after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the clients’ taskings escalated sharply in ambition, urgency, and risk. Moscow no longer sought just information or revenge; it wanted influence, disruption, and military advantage. – War on the Rocks
Amelie Tolvin writes: As the world knows from the liberation of Bucha and Irpin—and from numerous testimonies of survivors of Russian violence—the Russian military continues to follow its policy of extreme brutality. Far from giving soldiers second thoughts about fighting, their own side’s violence only encourages them to follow along and perpetrate more of it. – Foreign Policy
Lebanon
As calls for Lebanon’s Hezbollah to disarm gain momentum, a senior Hezbollah official told Reuters the group is ready to hold talks with the Lebanese president about its weapons if Israel withdraws from south Lebanon and stops its strikes. – Reuters
A Lebanese judge published a new court decision in the charges against former central bank chief Riad Salameh for embezzlement of public funds, according to a copy of the decision seen by Reuters on Tuesday, paving the way for an indictment. – Reuters
Hezbollah has reportedly shifted to using a sea-based route for smuggling weapons into Lebanon, after its overland and air conduits were largely shut down due to Israeli attacks, the fall of Bashar al-Assad in Syria and crackdowns on smuggling by the Lebanese government. – Times of Israel
Middle East & North Africa
Talks to resolve the conflict over Western Sahara should take place on the sole basis of a Moroccan plan that would give the region some autonomy under the North African kingdom’s sovereignty, the Trump administration said on Tuesday. – Reuters
Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister arrived in the United States on Tuesday for an official visit aimed at planning U.S. President Donald Trump’s expected trip to the kingdom later this spring, a source close to the Saudi royal court told Reuters. – Reuters
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday the country’s main opposition party was attempting to obstruct a major corruption investigation targeting Istanbul’s jailed mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu. – Reuters
Suspected U.S. airstrikes pounded the area around Yemen’s Red Sea port city of Hodeida on Tuesday night, killing at least six people, the Iran-backed Houthi rebels said. – Associated Press
Turkey is pushing ahead with plans to build military bases in Syria, raising tensions with Israel and causing US President Donald Trump to step in and say he’ll mediate between the two Middle Eastern powers. – Bloomberg
Asher Orkaby writes: Since October 2023, the Houthi militias have targeted Red Sea shipping lanes, upended global commerce, and launched ballistic missiles at Israel with impunity. Over ten years, the Houthis have grown into an organization financed indirectly by humanitarian aid, aided militarily by UN-brokered ceasefires, and politically normalized by diplomatic overtures that handed the tyrannical regime an equal seat at the negotiating table. The international community is responsible for having fostered the growth of this cancerous menace. It is now responsible for overseeing its removal from power, freeing the Yemeni people who have been held hostage by the Houthis since September 2014. – National Interest
Michael Knights writes: Forestalling a legislative breakthrough for the PMF would be a good sign that the administration is attentive to important under-the-radar events in Iraq and aware of how best to deter adventurism by Iran-backed terrorist groups—ideally before they resort to launching rockets and drones at U.S. bases or kidnapping and murdering Americans. A good way to reinforce this message without immediately sanctioning the whole PMF—which includes many non-terrorist members—would be to quickly designate the Muhandis General Company, the PMF’s equivalent of Khatam al-Anbia, the IRGC economic conglomerate that has long been sanctioned by the UN, the European Union, and the United States as a major source of terrorist threat financing. – Washington Institute
Korean Peninsula
The decisive battles in the Kursk region, from which Ukraine’s army has now largely retreated, show how North Korean forces adapted their once outdated tactics for Europe’s biggest war since World War II with lightning speed. – Wall Street Journal
South Korea’s main opposition party head Lee Jae-myung said on Wednesday he was stepping down as party leader, amid expectations that the current populist front-runner for the presidency in opinion polls would soon declare his run. – Reuters
The mayor of Seoul, Oh Se-hoon, will announce his bid for the South Korean presidency, Yonhap News Agency reported on Wednesday. – Reuters
North Korea‘s status as a nuclear weapons state can never be reversed, no matter how much the United States and its Asian allies demand it, state media reported on Wednesday, citing the powerful sister of its supreme leader. – Reuters
South Korea’s trade and industry minister Ahn Duk-geun said on Wednesday that potential cooperation with Washington in the shipbuilding sector is a “very important card” in negotiating with the U.S. over its tariffs. – Reuters
South Korea’s military said on Tuesday that it had fired warning shots after North Korean soldiers violated the military demarcation line before returning. – Reuters
China
Western intelligence agencies warned on Tuesday of an increasing threat from Beijing’s security services to use malicious mobile phone applications to surveil Taiwanese independence activists, Tibetan rights advocates and others opposed by the Chinese government. – Reuters
The United States said on Tuesday that 104% duties on imports from China will take effect shortly after midnight, even as the administration of President Donald Trump moved to quickly start talks with other trading partners targeted by sweeping tariffs. – Reuters
The U.S. warned on Tuesday that Chinese intelligence is using deceptive methods to target current and former U.S. government employees for recruitment. – Reuters
China is on a crash course with the United States over a major Chinese currency swap deal with Argentina that has buffered the South American country’s depleted foreign reserve levels even as it seeks a new deal with the Washington-based IMF. – Reuters
China hasn’t immediately responded to the new US tariffs, a departure from the last two episodes when President Donald Trump hiked duties and Beijing hit back within minutes. – Bloomberg
Chinese Premier Li Qiang said his country has ample policy tools to “fully offset” any negative external shocks, and reiterated his optimism about the growth of the world’s second-largest economy in 2025, despite the latest tariff threat from US President Donald Trump. – Bloomberg
China has called US Vice-President JD Vance “ignorant and impolite” after he said America had been borrowing money from “Chinese peasants”. – BBC
South Asia
Pakistan has expelled more than 8,000 Afghan nationals in the past week in a fresh repatriation drive after the expiry of a March 31 deadline, the UNHCR said on Tuesday. – Reuters
Pakistan will provide robust security to protect the interests of investors and partners, its army chief told a minerals conference on Tuesday, amid heightened unrest in key mineral-rich province Balochistan. – Reuters
The Taliban detained a British couple in Afghanistan over a small matter and the courts will rule on it based on Islamic law, a government spokesperson said Tuesday, adding: “God willing, their problem will soon be resolved.” – Associated Press
Asia
A Hong Kong court sentenced a prominent social worker on Wednesday to 3 years and 9 months imprisonment for rioting during the city’s 2019 pro-democracy protests, following a retrial. – Reuters
The U.S. State Department said on Tuesday it was alarmed by the arrest in Thailand of American academic and U.S. citizen Paul Chambers who was charged with insulting the monarchy, in a rare prosecution of a foreigner under one of the world’s strictest lese-majeste laws. – Reuters
A majority of Singaporeans have yet to decide which party to vote for ahead of a general election this year, but most of those who have made up their minds would back the ruling People’s Action Party, a survey showed on Tuesday. – Reuters
Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister is set to talk on Wednesday with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and plans also to meet Boeing, SpaceX and Apple executives this week, according to an internal schedule seen by Reuters. – Reuters
Vietnam will buy more American goods, including defence and security products, and has asked for a 45-day delay in the imposition of U.S. tariffs, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said in a statement issued late on Monday. – Reuters
Indonesia announced a raft of concessions on U.S. imports Tuesday, including reducing taxes on electronic goods and steel, ahead of trade negotiations with Washington over President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs. – Reuters
Japanese Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato on Wednesday ruled out using the country’s U.S. Treasury holdings as a bargaining tool against President Donald Trump’s decision to slap tariffs against imports from Japan – Reuters
Taiwan hopes that it can come to a quick agreement with the United States to resolve tariffs and has already approached Washington to discuss the issue, a senior Taiwanese official said on Wednesday. – Reuters
India and China should stand together to overcome difficulties in the face of tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, the spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in India said on Tuesday. – Reuters
Japan is sending a team to negotiate on trade, U.S. President Donald Trump said, adding that he spoke earlier on Monday with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who separately said he told Trump to rethink tariff policies. – Reuters
Japan expressed interest Tuesday in participating in the NATO command for its Ukrainian mission based in Germany in what would be a major boost in ties with the largely European alliance. – Associated Press
About 480 American and Philippine personnel have been participating in Marine Exercise 2025 in the southern province of Maguindanao del Norte. Activities include jungle warfare, coastal defense and amphibious operations. Joining the Philippine and U.S. Marines are a myriad of locally-based Philippine Army, National Police, Coast Guard, and reserve units. – USNI News
Charles Edel and Kathryn Paik write: Through sailing and operating its vessels down the Australian coast, China demonstrated that it can harm Australia and New Zealand, threaten their civilians, and apply pressure to their militaries (such as the base in Northern Australia that China sailed past). Combined with the growing chorus of voices questioning U.S. leadership in the region, these actions are a not-so-subtle way to exacerbate Australia and New Zealand’s greatest fears of being isolated, alone, and cut off in a time of conflict. In other words, the cost versus gains calculus for China just became that much more compelling. – Center for Strategic and International Studies
Europe
Growing tensions between the U.S. and the European Union over trade and security underline the need for the eurozone to develop and adopt a digital euro, a senior official at the European Central Bank told lawmakers Tuesday. – Wall Street Journal
The European Union is taking a more zen approach. The bloc’s member states will vote Wednesday on its belated first response to a litany of Trump tariffs, and will announce line-item tariffs on American goods, to counter U.S. levies on steel. – Washington Post
A British lawmaker has introduced a private member’s bill that would set new rules around debt restructurings in a push to speed up negotiations for poor countries struggling with unsustainable debt. – Reuters
Germany’s conservatives under chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz on Tuesday reached a deal with the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) to form a government, NTV reported. – Reuters
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will be the first of a series of European leaders to head east following the announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump of sweeping global trade tariffs, with a trip to Vietnam and China starting on Wednesday. – Reuters
Europe will probably be able to produce only a small portion of rare earths it needs for electric vehicles and wind turbines by 2030, mainly due to cheap competition from dominant producer China, a consultant said on Tuesday. – Reuters
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said on Tuesday his government had decided to grant Ukraine a new bilateral aid package of one billion euros ($1.10 billion) in 2025, adding that he had the ambition to deliver the war-torn country at least that same amount every year during his term. – Reuters
The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, urged China on Tuesday to ensure a negotiated solution to problems caused by the sweeping import tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump. – Reuters
British finance minister Rachel Reeves said on Tuesday she would meet U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent “shortly” as part of broader talks over a new economic partnership that London hopes will reduce its tariff levy. – Reuters
The European Union ’s foreign policy chief on Tuesday hailed Albania’s “ambitious” agenda to close full membership negotiations in two years and also urged the country’s political parties to support difficult reforms ahead. – Associated Press
Thousands of protesters rallied for the fourth week in Hungary’s capital on Tuesday, denouncing a new law passed by populist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s nationalist government banning LGBTQ+ Pride events. – Associated Press
Italy will reveal plans to raise defense spending to meet NATO’s target by the end of June at the latest as it responds to potential US disengagement, according to people familiar with the matter. – Bloomberg
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will head to the US to negotiate tariff relief directly with President Donald Trump in a move coordinated with the European Union. – Bloomberg
While Europe’s attention has been focused on Ukraine, tensions in the Western Balkans have been simmering, and leaders in the region — as well as in Britain — worry Russian President Vladimir Putin will use the moment to further exploit fault lines in the former Yugoslavia. – The Hill
The most pressing threat to Northern European nations is Russia’s and China’s gray zone threats on undersea lines of communication, senior NATO navy leaders said Monday. – USNI News
Giovanni Legorano writes: Reconciling the principle of national sovereignty in defense with the need to act collectively is set to be a major challenge for the EU. Having found the money to finance the additional spending needed is a first, important step. The challenge will be to build an integrated and truly European defense system that can represent a credible deterrent toward Russia. – Foreign Policy
Ismet Fatih Cancar writes: Dodik’s actions, then, are a pivotal test for British Prime Minister Kier Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Fredrich Merz, and other European leaders who have claimed they can step up and fill the vacuum left by Washington. If Europe can stop Dodik’s power grab, the continent will show that it is serious about self-defense. But if it can’t, Europe will be at risk of fracturing. After all, it is hard to imagine how the continent will be able to stop Putin—or Trump—if it doesn’t stop Dodik. – Foreign Affairs
Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan write: Moscow also became increasingly paranoid about the possible direct involvement of the French military in the war. In January 2024, when the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv was hit by a missile strike that killed dozens, Russian news agencies claimed that the strike had targeted a group of French mercenaries fighting on the Ukrainian side (the claim was immediately rejected by the French). The Kremlin’s suspicions will only be deepened by the events of recent months. With France and Britain offering to form the backbone of a European-led military force in Ukraine as part of a ceasefire deal — a prospect that has always been the Kremlin’s biggest nightmare. – Center for European Policy Analysis
Africa
Al Qaeda militants are disrupting one of Africa’s most ambitious infrastructure projects, forestalling Kenya’s plans for establishing a new regional trade hub on the Indian Ocean. – Wall Street Journal
Three American citizens jailed over a failed coup attempt in Democratic Republic of Congo were handed over to U.S. custody on Tuesday, officials said, following high-level talks between the two countries on security and mining deals, the Congolese presidency told Reuters on Tuesday. – Reuters
The African Development Bank is mobilising $2.2 billion to develop agricultural processing zones in 28 states in Nigeria to boost food security and create jobs, the bank’s president Akinwumi Adesina said on Tuesday. – Reuters
Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Tuesday appointed Tadesse Worede to lead the interim administration in the northern Tigray region, where divisions in the ruling party have sparked fears of a renewed war between Ethiopia and Eritrea. – Reuters
Gabon holds a presidential election on Saturday, the first since a 2023 coup ended the Bongo family’s 56-year dynasty and which the country’s new military rulers hope will legitimise and cement their hold on power. – Reuters
The rise of right-wing populism in Europe and elsewhere should not prevent Africa from bringing reparations for transatlantic slavery and colonialism to the table, the head of the African Union’s (AU) diaspora division said. – Reuters
Chinese diplomats threatened to cancel a summit and called top officials in two African countries to pressure lawmakers to quit an international parliamentary group critical of China, officials from the group told The Associated Press. – Associated Press
South Sudanese officials said Tuesday that they will allow a foreign national entry into the country after their initial refusal to do so prompted the United States to revoke the visas of all its citizens. – Associated Press
A senior adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to peace and stability in East Africa during a visit to Rwanda on Tuesday and urged for a resolution to the insurgency in neighboring Congo. – Associated Press
Liam Karr writes: The Congolese proposal is not a silver bullet, and these discussions should be a wake-up call for American officials. China will still dominate the refining of many elements found in Congo-Kinsasha if the U.S. does not find additional partners. The U.S. should develop a comprehensive critical minerals strategy and seek out partnerships that best suit this strategy, not build a strategy around external offers. A lack of strategic vision will lead to costly failures. – The Hill
The Americas
The International Monetary Fund agreed to provide Argentina with a new multibillion-dollar loan for which President Javier Milei had lobbied Trump administration officials in an effort to boost his nation’s free-market overhaul. – Wall Street Journal
Canada said its 25% tariff on U.S.-made vehicles that aren’t compliant with the North American trade deal would take effect on Wednesday. – Wall Street Journal
A senior Panamanian official on Monday said he had uncovered evidence of misconduct by a Hong Kong company, a finding that could delay or even scuttle a ports deal that has put China at loggerheads with the United States. – New York Times
The United States gave El Salvador a safer travel rating on Tuesday that groups it with the least dangerous countries for Americans to visit, citing reduced gang activity and violent crime. – Reuters
Venezuela president Nicolas Maduro said on Tuesday he had signed an economic emergency decree, pending national assembly approval. – Reuters
Brazilian Minister for Communications, who oversees services including telecommunication and postal, said in a statement on Tuesday he decided to resign from his role to focus on his legal defense after charges against him had became public. – Reuters
Panama has opened an investigation into a contract granted to Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison for the operation of two ports in the Central American country, Attorney General Luis Carlos Gomez said on Tuesday. – Reuters
Brazilian indigenous protesters have lifted a blockade of the Trans-Amazonian Highway, reopening a critical grain shipping route linking farmers to the Miritituba river port, traders association Abiove and a toll road operator said on Tuesday. – Reuters
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Tuesday that her nation would categorically reject any unilateral U.S. military in Mexico and that such military action “would not resolve anything.” – Reuters
United States
The United States will “take back” the Panama Canal from Chinese influence, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday during a visit to the Central American nation. – Reuters
President Donald Trump on Tuesday said the U.S. will soon announce a “major” tariff on pharmaceutical imports. – Reuters
President Donald Trump’s administration on Tuesday moved to reinstate at least six recently canceled U.S. foreign aid programs for emergency food assistance, six sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. – Reuters
A top U.S. Senate Democrat pressed the FBI on Tuesday to explain why it reassigned staff from domestic terrorism investigations, accusing Republican President Donald Trump’s administration of imperiling efforts to confront violent extremists in the U.S. – Reuters
The U.S. Senate on Tuesday confirmed George Glass, a former investment banker and diplomat known for criticizing China, as ambassador to Japan, one of several U.S. allies that has asked President Donald Trump to rethink his steep tariffs. – Reuters
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday the United States is taking in $2 billion per day from tariffs. – Reuters
A U.S. judge on Tuesday ordered President Donald Trump’s White House to lift access restrictions imposed on the Associated Press over the news agency’s decision to continue to refer to the Gulf of Mexico in its coverage. – Reuters
The Senate on Tuesday confirmed the appointment of Elbridge Colby to be the top policy adviser at the Pentagon, overcoming concerns that he has downplayed threats from Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin. – Associated Press
An immigration judge in Louisiana said she would terminate the case against Mahmoud Khalil if the government does not provide evidence this week justifying their attempted deportation of the Columbia University student activist. – Associated Press
Northwestern and Cornell are the latest elite universities to have federal grants frozen by the Trump administration, following similar moves against Columbia and Princeton. – Bloomberg
The US Supreme Court on Tuesday paused a federal judge’s ruling mandating that several federal departments rehire roughly 16,000 federal employees that President Donald Trump’s administration aimed to terminate. – Business Insider
Cybersecurity
Sarah Wynn-Williams, Facebook’s former head of global public policy, plans to testify to Congress on Wednesday, detailing allegations that Meta executives helped China advance its AI capabilities and undermine US national security. – Business Insider
Technology experts pressed Congress to maintain export controls on semiconductor chips and other technologies, telling lawmakers Tuesday that the restrictions are among the most effective strategies to slow China and other rival countries in the AI race, thereby helping U.S. companies hold a competitive edge. – Cyberscoop
A China-linked information campaign is using a network of WeChat accounts to attack Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney ahead of the country’s upcoming federal election, authorities said. – The Record
The U.K.’s National Cyber Security Centre and international cybersecurity and intelligence agencies on Wednesday said hackers are deploying two forms of previously identified spyware to snoop on Uyghur, Tibetan and Taiwanese individuals and civil society organizations. – The Record
The Czech prime minister’s account on the social media platform X was hacked on Tuesday, with a series of false messages posted, including those claiming a Russian attack on Czech soldiers and a response to U.S. tariffs. – The Record
Defense
U.S. commanders planning for a possible conflict with China are increasingly concerned that the Pentagon will soon need to move long-range precision weapons from stockpiles in the Asia-Pacific region to the Middle East, congressional officials say. – New York Times
The top U.S. general in Europe said on Tuesday that the United States should keep its military presence on the continent as it is now, as the Pentagon reviews its global footprint under President Donald Trump. – Reuters
Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s administration and said it was harming national security, after Reuters reported the firing of U.S. Navy Vice Admiral Shoshana Chatfield, who held a senior position in NATO. – Reuters
The US Defense Department is offering an apology, back pay and a welcome back to former military personnel who were forced out of the armed forces over their refusal to be vaccinated against the coronavirus during the Biden administration. – Bloomberg
The Navy formally unleashed its newest Virginia-class fast attack submarine, the Iowa, in a commissioning ceremony Saturday in Groton, Connecticut. – Defense News
The head of U.S. Space Command is calling for weapons to be deployed in space, the most explicit call yet for offensive space capabilities. – Defense One
Deputy Secretary of Defense Stephen Feinberg issued guidance this week to advance the Pentagon’s plans to restructure, consolidate and reduce its sprawling civilian workforce. – Defensescoop