Today In Issues:
FDD Research & Analysis
The Must-Reads
UN Security Council likely to vote Wednesday on Gaza action The FP’s Eli Lake: Who profits from Gaza’s desperation? Iran's Khamenei dismisses US nuclear proposal, vows to keep enriching uranium JPost’s Amine Ayoub: Iran won’t stop enriching uranium: The bomb is just part of the plan Russia and Ukraine ratchet up war while trying to show Trump they want peace Case Western Reserve University’s Roman Sheremeta: The Kremlin — snared by the Spider’s Web Israeli military unleashes strikes on Syria after projectile launches South Korean left-leaning candidate wins presidential election ORF’s Harsh Pant and Rahul Rawat: How China and Pakistan work against India Far-right leader Geert Wilders torpedoes Dutch coalition over immigration More than 4 million refugees have fled Sudan civil war, UN says US announces visa restrictions for central American government officialsIn The News
Israel
The U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation will not give out any aid on Wednesday as it presses Israel to boost civilian safety beyond the perimeter of its distribution sites, a day after dozens of Palestinians seeking aid were killed. – Reuters
The U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation on Tuesday named as its executive chairman an American evangelical Christian leader who has publicly backed President Donald Trump’s proposal for the United States to take over the Palestinian enclave. – Reuters
The ten elected members of the U.N. Security Council have asked for the 15-member body to vote on Wednesday on a draft resolution that demands “an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza respected by all parties,” said diplomats. – Reuters
IDF Spokesperson Brig.-Gen.Effie Deffrin said on Tuesday evening that Hamas’s grip on the Gaza Strip is weakening, as Israeli forces continue operations both above and below ground. – Jerusalem Post
Senior IDF officials held a security assessment to discuss an extreme scenario in which Hamas could incite the population in central and southern Gaza to storm the Israeli border during a military assessment, Walla reported on Wednesday. – Jerusalem Post
A resident of east Jerusalem was arrested over spying for Iran, including plans to carry out terrorist attacks against Jews, the Israel Police and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) announced on Wednesday. – Jerusalem Post
Maj.-Gen. (res.) Yaakov Amidror, former head of Israel’s National Security Council, said that Israel should attack Iran should an unfavorable nuclear deal be reached, in a conversation with Aryeh Eldad Shay Golden on 103FM on Tuesday. – Jerusalem Post
The Israel Defense Forces’ Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin on Tuesday accused Hamas of making “exaggerated” claims about deadly incidents over the past three days near US- and Israel-backed aid distribution sites in southern Gaza. – Times of Israel
Amran al-Khatib, a member of the Palestinian National Council (PNC) – the parliament of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) – on Tuesday called on Hamas to relinquish its control over the Gaza Strip and transfer its administration to the PLO. – Arutz Sheva
A senior Hamas official has accused Israel of putting Palestinian civilians in harm’s way by forcing them to collect humanitarian assistance at U.S.-backed sites, only to be faced with deadly force. – Newsweek
Editorial: War is conducted in a fog, and the truth can be murky. However, the world media’s tendency to assume that Israel is responsible for any atrocity that Hamas attributes to it is indicative of the coverage of the Gaza war in general […]The blood libel conducted against Israel over the weekend regarding the aid center shooting is bound to have far-reaching repercussions, some of which will be felt in the US, Europe, and anywhere that Jews stand proudly for Israel. – Jerusalem Post
Eli Lake writes: Even if Israel is to blame for the alleged shootings in Rafah, it would be a triumph for Hamas if these reported incidents scuttled the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s work. If Israel and its allies—more than a year and a half into the war—have found a way to sever aid distribution from Hamas’s grip, there is a real chance that finally these fanatics will be driven from power by the very people they have misruled for nearly two decades. That is how to end the war. – The Free Press
Gadi Ezra writes: The issue is that President Donald Trump has already stated publicly that he wants to see this situation resolved “as quickly as possible.” It remains unclear whether he was referring to the current ground operation or the war as a whole. Previous remarks suggest he may be looking to end the broader Israeli-Arab conflict. But even in a narrower reading, Israel’s ability to resist such pressure seems limited. Wood’s resignation may represent an additional—if subtle—nudge from the world’s most powerful man in that direction. – Ynet
Iran
U.N. inspectors monitoring Iran’s Fordow nuclear site confronted a major gap in their knowledge last year as they watched trucks carrying advanced uranium-enriching centrifuges roll into the facility dug into a mountain south of Tehran. – Reuters
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday a U.S. proposal for a nuclear deal was against Tehran’s national interests, and that the country would not abandon uranium enrichment. – Reuters
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told Lebanese officials on Tuesday that Iran wanted to turn a “new page” in relations with Beirut, hinting at a shift in diplomatic ties that were long grounded in supporting Tehran-backed armed group Hezbollah. – Reuters
The outline of the U.S. offer to Iran in their high-stakes negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program is starting to become clearer — but whether any deal is on the horizon remains as cloudy as ever. – Associated Press
Iran’s foreign minister said Tehran supports Lebanon’s efforts to pressure Israel to end its military presence in parts of the country, including diplomatic moves “to expel the occupiers.” – Associated Press
Iran is strengthening its air defense systems amid preparations for the possibility of an American or Israeli attack on the country’s nuclear infrastructure should nuclear negotiations fail, the Financial Times reported on Sunday. – Jerusalem Post
A US proposal for a nuclear deal with Iran contains “many ambiguities and questions” that the Islamic Republic plans to address in the coming days, the country’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told state TV on Tuesday. – Bloomberg
Amine Ayoub writes: Both American and Israeli military options must remain on the table, not as a first resort but as the ultimate guarantee that Iran will never acquire a nuclear weapon. Furthermore, a strategy must address the fundamental nature of the regime itself, acknowledging that lasting stability may ultimately require internal transformation […] Only a resolute, unwavering stance from America and Israel, prepared for the long haul and decisive action, can safeguard regional security and prevent the catastrophic consequences of a nuclear Iran. – Jerusalem Post
Russia and Ukraine
Ukraine’s spectacular drone attack on Russia’s strategic bomber fleet on Sunday began with a daunting request from Ukraine’s president to his spy chief in late fall 2023. – Wall Street Journal
Ukraine’s weekend attacks against military airfields deep inside Russia signal the long-stalemated war is entering a perilous phase, with both sides seemingly intent on escalation and prospects for a U.S.-brokered peace deal receding – Wall Street Journal
At least 13 aircraft were damaged in Ukraine’s attack Sunday on military bases deep inside Russia, according to a Washington Post review of verified video and satellite imagery. – Washington Post
Ukraine on Tuesday again attacked the symbolic Crimean Bridge across the Kerch Strait, which connects the illegally annexed peninsula to the Russian mainland. The attack came 48 hours after Kyiv’s unprecedented assault on air bases deep inside Russian territory, which stunned the country and the international community. – Washington Post
Nearly one million Russian troops have been killed or wounded in the country’s war against Ukraine, according to a new study, a staggering toll as Russia’s three-year assault on its neighbor grinds on. – New York Times
Senior Ukrainian officials visited Washington on Tuesday to seek U.S. support against Russia while accusing Moscow of dragging its feet at peace talks. – Reuters
Russian forces have widened the frontline in Ukraine’s northern region of Sumy, officials and analysts said, and Moscow said it captured another village on Tuesday, bringing the region’s capital closer to within the range of frontline drones. – Reuters
Britain pledged on Wednesday to supply 100,000 drones to Ukraine by the end of the current financial year in April 2026, marking a tenfold increase, after saying the unmanned aerial vehicles had transformed the way wars are fought. – Reuters
The Kremlin said on Tuesday that Russia had launched an official investigation into weekend Ukrainian drone attacks on its military airfields and a probe into two explosions that hit its rail network. – Reuters
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced a shakeup of Ukraine’s military on Tuesday, including the appointment to a new post of a commander who tendered his resignation over a deadly Russian attack. – Reuters
The idled Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine is not in a condition to be restarted at present, due to a lack of water for cooling and the absence of a stable power supply, the head of the UN’s nuclear safety watchdog said on Tuesday. – Reuters
Russia took weeks to present Ukraine with a “memorandum” setting out its conditions for a ceasefire, as well as key guidelines for a comprehensive treaty to end the more than 3-year-old war. To practically no one’s surprise, it’s a list of the Kremlin’s longstanding, maximalist demands that Kyiv and its Western allies see as nonstarters. – Associated Press
Russian President Vladimir Putin isn’t likely to meet US counterpart Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy in the near future, the Kremlin said a day after Kyiv and Moscow held another round of inconclusive peace talks. – Bloomberg
Serge Schmemann writes: The question is whether the exchange of blows and the demonstration of Ukraine’s resourcefulness can help end the conflict. Military wisdom holds that combatants come to the negotiating table when they’ve concluded there’s nothing more to gain on the battlefield, but Russia’s Vladimir Putin, the aggressor, shows no sign of seeing things that way. The conditions Russia offered in Istanbul for ending the war were manifestly unacceptable, and the second round of meetings was as fruitless as the first, though again with an agreement to exchange more prisoners. – New York Times
Frederick Starr writes: Whatever the outcome of the war, the long-term impact of these and related transformations in Russia will be devastating. Even the war’s staunchest defenders in Moscow are now critical of Russia’s military, which will take years to recover. […] If Moscow tries to solve this Rubik’s Cube by importing labor from third-world countries it will give rise to a fundamental cultural crisis. Meanwhile, the war has shown the world the depth of Moscow’s dependence on China and even North Korea and Iran. – National Interest
Seth G. Jones and Riley McCabe write: Yet despite Russia’s vulnerabilities, the United States has failed to wield either the economic or military cudgel. Without serious pain, Putin will continue to drag the peace talks out, keep fighting, and wait for the United States to walk away. The United States holds many of the cards in Ukraine. It just needs to start playing them. – Center for Strategic and International Studies
Roman Sheremeta writes: This is how you stop a war: not just by defending your territory, but by reaching deep into the heart of the aggressor’s system and shaking its confidence. As Russia scrambles to respond to this breach, one thing is clear: Operation Spider’s Web will be studied worldwide for the new risks faced by armed forces and civilian infrastructure. Military academies will pore over the attack for decades to come. It is not merely a Ukrainian success; it is a warning to all those that believe distance or size can guarantee safety. Ukraine has proven otherwise. – Center for European Policy Analysis
Eric S. Edelman and Franklin C. Miller write: Until then, the United States should take all necessary steps to maximize the deterrent potential of its current arsenal. If it instead tries to hold on to New START constraints in the unrealistic hope that doing so will coax Moscow back to the table, it will find itself mired in Cold War nostrums about strategic stability that were derived from a bipolar world. All the while, it will struggle to keep pace with the novel challenge of dealing with two nuclear peers that, increasingly, are working together against U.S. interests. – Foreign Affairs
Anastacia Edel writes: Though Russia and China share a common interest in counterbalancing U.S. hegemony, Beijing’s strategic priorities remain fundamentally self-interested. China is cautious about supporting actions that could further destabilize markets or undermine its own economic trajectory—especially now, as the escalating tariff war raises the stakes of the U.S.-China standoff. Faced with growing economic pressure at home, China is unlikely to gamble its financial stability on Putin’s ambitions abroad. – Foreign Policy
Syria
The Israeli military said in a statement it struck weapons belonging to the Syrian regime in southern Syria, in a second attack that Israel launched after reporting two projectiles were fired from Syria on Tuesday. – Reuters
The United States will scale down its military presence in Syria to one base from eight and U.S. policies will shift in the country “because none of them worked” over the last century, the new U.S. special envoy has said. – Reuters
A German court sentenced a Syrian man to life in prison on Tuesday for crimes against humanity and war crimes it said he had committed as a leading member of a Hezbollah-backed militia during Syria’s civil war. – Reuters
Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa has in six months established himself internationally and had crippling sanctions removed, but he still needs to rebuild national institutions, revive the economy, and unite the fractured country. – Agence France Presse
Defense Minister Israel Katz stated he held Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa “directly responsible for every threat and firing towards the State of Israel, and the full response will come as soon as possible,” in response to a barrage of rockets fired from southern Syria on Tuesday evening. – Jerusalem Post
Syria’s foreign ministry condemned an Israeli strike on the Syrian province of Daraa, saying that it caused “significant human and material losses,” state news agency SANA reported early on Wednesday. – Jerusalem Post
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa will visit New York in September to participate in the United Nations General Assembly, according to Sky News Arabic. – Times of Israel
Dr. Yaron Friedman writes: In the current Syrian context, lifting sanctions means encouraging an undemocratic regime that promotes jihadist values and oppresses minorities. We got rid of the Assad regime, which supported Iran, only to inherit Joulani’s “Sunnistan.” Syria’s future now rests in American hands, and the current direction is far from optimistic. – Jerusalem Post
Middle East & North Africa
Libya’s eastern-based parliament voted on Tuesday to approve a budget for its development and reconstruction fund, a parliament spokesperson and member said, although it is unclear if the money will be forthcoming given the country’s divisions. – Reuters
The British government said on Tuesday it was “deeply concerned” about the health of the mother of jailed Egyptian-British dissident Alaa Abd el-Fattah, Laila Soueif, who has been admitted to hospital while continuing a hunger strike. – Reuters
With growing influence after its recapture of Nagorno-Karabakh from Armenian separatists in 2023, Azerbaijan is using its close ties with Israel and Turkey to defuse tensions between the regional military heavyweights in Syria. – Agence France Presse
Natasha Rooney, the mother of Sean Rooney, who fell in Lebanon while on a UNIFIL mission, has been granted the right to sue the United Nations by the Irish High Court, Irish media reported on Tuesday. – Jerusalem Post
Israel’s decision to block a Saudi-led delegation from visiting the West Bank earlier this week may have harmed the prospect of normalization between the two countries, a Saudi official warned on Tuesday. – Times of Israel
Korean Peninsula
A left-leaning politician who has warned against South Korea becoming overly dependent on the U.S. won the country’s presidential vote, an outcome that could shift Seoul’s relations with China and North Korea. – Wall Street Journal
The White House said on Tuesday that South Korea’s election, which saw liberal party candidate Lee Jae-myung win the presidency, was fair, but it expressed concern about Chinese interference. – Reuters
South Korea’s new President Lee Jae-myung rode a wave of voter anger against the December martial law attempt by his ousted predecessor, but his ability to lead will be judged by the strength of his policies. – Reuters
South Korea’s new liberal President Lee Jae-myung pledged on Wednesday to raise the country from what he described as the near destruction caused by a martial law attempt and revive a struggling economy facing global protectionism. – Reuters
The new South Korean administration will likely make efforts to buy time for U.S. trade talks, as it studies the negotiations of bigger neighbours Japan and China for leverage, according to sources familiar with the ruling party’s thinking. – Reuters
South Koreans voted in Lee Jae-myung as their next president in the country’s June 3 snap election to heal the wounds of a shock martial law declaration in December, but the liberal leader comes with his own legal baggage in the form of five different criminal trials. – Reuters
North Korea appears to have returned to an upright position its stricken Choe Hyun Class destroyer that partially capsized during a botched launching ceremony, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday. – Reuters
Editorial: Left-wing governments in Seoul have typically pursued better relations with North Korea, including commercial deals and “humanitarian aid” that inevitably is pocketed by the regime to stay in power. This “sunshine policy” has never succeeded in easing either the North’s tyranny over its own people or its military hostility toward the South. – Wall Street Journal
China
The world will never forget China’s 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators in Tiananmen Square, Taiwan’s president and the top U.S. diplomat said on the 36th anniversary of an event Beijing treats as taboo and allows no public remembrance. – Reuters
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday met with President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus in Beijing, the official Xinhua news agency reported, as the two “all-weather” partners looked to further deepen strategic ties and cooperation. – Reuters
U.S. federal prosecutors have accused two Chinese nationals of smuggling a dangerous biological pathogen that had the potential to be used as an agricultural terrorism weapon into the United States for research. – Reuters
China’s commerce minister has called on the World Trade Organisation to strengthen supervision over unilateral tariffs, and put forward objective and neutral policy proposals, the ministry said on Wednesday. – Reuters
Diplomats, automakers and other executives from India, Japan and Europe were urgently seeking meetings with Beijing officials to push for faster approval of rare earth magnet exports, sources said, as shortages threatened to halt global supply chains. – Reuters
China denied on Tuesday that its scientific and technological achievements were due to “stolen” intellectual property, after comments by the Dutch defence minister accusing Beijing of intensifying its espionage, especially on semiconductors. – Reuters
The U.S. should create the necessary conditions for bilateral relations to get back onto “the right track,” China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the U.S. ambassador to Beijing on Tuesday, according to a ministry statement. – Reuters
Hong Kong’s leader said on Tuesday that China’s recent removal of its top representative in the city, known for his hardline policies on national security, had been a “normal” personnel change. – Reuters
President Donald Trump in a late-night social media post called Xi Jinping very tough to make a deal with, dimming the prospect of an immediate call between the two men. – Bloomberg
China said on Tuesday that the United States needs to “stop spreading disinformation” and correct “wrongful actions” as the trade tensions between the two countries continue. – The Hill
Following a tense exchange with Chinese officials at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Asia’s premier defense summit, Teodoro called Beijing “the cause of instability”. – Newsweek
South Asia
Trade negotiations between the United States and India are making progress and a deal could be finalised soon, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said on Monday, as both sides push to conclude talks ahead of a July deadline. – Reuters
Adani Group’s flagship Adani Enterprises said on Wednesday that its airports unit secured $750 million in financing from a consortium of international banks, including First Abu Dhabi Bank, Barclays and Standard Chartered. – Reuters
Sana Yousaf, a 17-year-old Pakistani social media influencer from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province with 1.3 million followers across platforms, was shot dead in her home on Monday by a gunman whom she had previously rejected. – Jerusalem Post
Harsh Pant and Rahul Rawat write: The Indian military needs to engage with partners like the United States to derive deeper operational-level insights into the PLA’s doctrine and capabilities to enhance its plans and overall readiness. This cooperation can manifest in the form of more structured training and joint planning to develop insights for more focused and enhanced cooperation. The ultimate goal should be to develop a more comprehensive toolkit of capabilities and contingency plans for effective countermeasures, thereby strengthening New Delhi’s strategic posture. – National Interest
Asia
Indonesia has committed to provide a list of preferred tariffs on U.S. goods before starting a second round of talks with Washington scheduled this month, its senior economy minister said on Wednesday after meeting the U.S. trade envoy. – Reuters
Taiwan continues to “communicate closely” with the United States on tariff talks, but cannot give more information at this point, the island’s government said on Tuesday. – Reuters
The U.S. has sent a “long” list of “tough” requests to Vietnam in its tariff negotiations, including demands that could force the country to cut its reliance on Chinese industrial goods imports, two people briefed about the matter told Reuters. – Reuters
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has retained the majority of his Cabinet ministers, two weeks after requesting their resignations in what he called a “bold reset” of his administration, his executive secretary said on Tuesday. – Reuters
Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte has questioned whether her impeachment trial on charges that include a suspected plot to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. can go forward when a new set of lawmakers takes office next month. – Bloomberg
Europe
The Dutch governing coalition collapsed Tuesday after far-right politician Geert Wilders pulled out of the ruling bloc, accusing the other parties of not doing enough to curb immigration. – Wall Street Journal
NATO’S Baltic drills are part of the alliance’s preparations for a potential military clash with Russia, TASS news agency cited Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko as saying in remarks published on Wednesday. – Reuters
Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala battled calls on Tuesday to quit after the opposition said it would call a vote of no-confidence in the government following the justice minister’s resignation over a bitcoin donation to the state from an ex-convict. – Reuters
Russia’s embassy in London said on Tuesday that Moscow had no intention of attacking Britain, rejecting accusations by the British government of growing aggression and daily cyberattacks. – Reuters
French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni vowed to work jointly for a stronger Europe as they met on Tuesday following bilateral tensions over Ukraine, trade and relations with the United States. – Reuters
Jordan Bardella, the 29-year-old wunderkind of France’s far right National Rally (RN), says he grew up wanting to be Superman, or James Bond. These days, he dreams of marrying a tall brunette with a strong personality. – Reuters
The Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights has called on Hungarian lawmakers to reject or amend a bill that targets foreign-funded NGOs and media, citing concerns over human rights violations. – Reuters
Polish lawmakers will hold a vote of confidence in the government on June 11, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Tuesday as he seeks to shore up his centre-left coalition after Sunday’s presidential election loss. – Reuters
Spain has canceled a deal for anti-tank missile systems that were to be manufactured in Madrid by a subsidiary of an Israeli company, in a bid to move away from Israeli military technology, the Defense Ministry said Tuesday. – Associated Press
Five countries won seats on the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday in uncontested elections and will start serving two-year terms in January on the U.N.’s most powerful but deeply divided body. – Associated Press
Police issued an order on Tuesday denying a request to hold an LGBTQ+ event later in central Budapest, a consequence of recent steps by the right-wing populist government aimed at banning the popular Budapest Pride march. – Associated Press
Bulgaria is close to realizing its decades-old goal of joining the euro currency union and deepening ties with the more prosperous countries of Western Europe. But the government faces a populist backlash against the shared currency on the eve of a key decision by European Union authorities. – Associated Press
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has veered between boasting about common ground with Donald Trump to bemoaning the US president’s volatility and even mocking his bravado. Now, for the first time, he gets to deal with him face to face. – Bloomberg
Prime Minister Keir Starmer is considering a Ministry of Defence request to back NATO’s proposed new military spending target of 3.5% of national output by 2032, a major new pledge that would test the UK’s already stretched public finances. – Bloomberg
The European Union is likely to offer the Romanian government a reprieve to introduce measures aimed at paring its ballooning budget deficit before moving to potential punitive action against the Black Sea nation. – Bloomberg
NATO is asking European member states to expand ground-based air-defense capabilities fivefold as the alliance races to fill a key gap in response to the threat of Russian aggression, people familiar with the matter said. – Bloomberg
Ilan I. Berman writes: But as the new French report lays out, the danger is different. “The reality of this threat, even if it is long term and does not involve violent action, poses a risk of damage to the fabric of society and republican institutions (…) and, more broadly, to national cohesion,” it states. In other words, entrenched Islamist groups within Europe are actively trying to reshape Western societies in their own image. – Newsweek
Simone Rodan-Benzaquen writes: Why have the activities of the Muslim Brotherhood gone unchallenged for so long? Because it doesn’t commit the kind of acts that trigger immediate alarms. It doesn’t hijack planes—it lobbies school boards. It doesn’t bomb cafés—it builds halal start-ups, Muslim schools, and marriage platforms. Its methods are slow, decentralized, and often indistinguishable from civic engagement. But it doesn’t have citizens’ best interests at heart; instead, it has the urge to spread hate across Europe. – The Free Press
Filip Styczynski writes: The Polish people have bet decisively on a conservative, transatlantic course—doubling down on US alliances, rejecting the EU’s migration schemes, and standing resolute against Russia’s shadow. Nawrocki’s presidency heralds a proud, defiant Poland, ready to reclaim its historical justice and regional clout while the populist tide continues to reshape Europe’s heartland. – National Interest
Africa
The number of people who have fled Sudan since the beginning of its civil war in 2023 has surpassed four million, U.N. refugee agency officials said on Tuesday, adding that many survivors faced inadequate shelter due to funding shortages. – Reuters
Senegal plans to boost tax compliance to increase revenue and reduce reliance on financing from external sources like the International Monetary Fund, its Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has said. – Reuters
Nigeria’s defence chief on Tuesday called for the country’s borders with its four neighbours to be completely fenced to curb the entrance of armed groups amid escalating insecurity. – Reuters
An attack on a U.N. food convoy in Sudan overnight killed five people and prevented food deliveries to children and families who face starvation in North Darfur’s al-Fashir, U.N. agencies said on Tuesday. – Reuters
Chad’s national development plan seeks $30 billion in public and private investment as it pursues growth in areas including digitalisation and infrastructure, the Central African country’s Finance Minister Tahir Hamid Nguilin said on Tuesday. – Reuters
At least 20 people have been killed during simultaneous attacks by unidentified gunmen on several communities in Nigeria’s north-central Benue state, police said on Tuesday. – Reuters
Appeals judges at the International Criminal Court gave a final greenlight Tuesday for the tribunal’s first in absentia hearing by allowing the next step in proceedings against notorious fugitive Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony. – Associated Press
Extremists have killed dozens of soldiers in an attack on a military base in Mali, civil society and military sources said Tuesday, in the latest militant violence in West Africa’s restive Sahel region. – Associated Press
Uganda military authorities said two people died before executing a suspected explosive attack near a Catholic shrine in the capital, Kampala. – Associated Press
Ashley Jackson writes: Major clans and influential businessmen, long disillusioned with the government, may side with al-Shabaab. Al-Shabaab could exploit these ties to encourage mass defections from the country’s security forces, accelerating the government’s collapse. As the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and Taliban victories in Syria and Afghanistan, respectively, have shown, al-Shabaab’s path to power may lie in waiting until the government’s international backers are looking for the exit and its security forces are too demoralized to put up a fight. – War on the Rocks
The Americas
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva vowed on Tuesday to defend his country’s Supreme Court against attacks from the United States, in a sharp rebuke of potential sanctions from Washington against one of the top court’s justices. – Reuters
A visiting senior Cuban official on Tuesday accused the Trump administration of ratcheting up tensions between Washington and Havana and expressed concerns that the U.S. was trying to provoke a military confrontation. – Reuters
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday announced visa restrictions for several unnamed Central American government officials he said were connected to Cuban medical mission programs that include elements of forced labor and the exploitation of Cuban workers. – Reuters
Cuba said it would begin to offer additional mobile internet data plans at a sharply reduced price for students after an initial rate hike prompted outrage across an island already reeling from soaring inflation and shortages of basic goods. – Reuters
Indigenous rights defender Hugo Aguilar is leading in the race to head Mexico’s highest court after the country’s first popular election to appoint judges and magistrates, according to electoral authority data released on Tuesday. – Reuters
Ecuador’s national assembly legislature on Tuesday backed a constitutional reform that would allow the installation of foreign military bases in the South American country, part of plans by President Daniel Noboa to increase cooperation to fight drug trafficking. – Reuters
Venezuela’s oil exports remained almost unchanged last month as increased shipments to customers in China offset a decline in U.S.-authorized sales, according to vessel-tracking data and internal documents from state company PDVSA. – Reuters
Mexico’s new Supreme Court will feature a clear majority of justices with direct ties to the country’s former leftist president or the ruling Morena party he founded, according to preliminary election results with nearly all votes counted. – Bloomberg
The Canadian government has proposed a bill to restrict some asylum claims and give authorities more power to halt the processing of immigration applications. – BBC
United States
Federal authorities said Tuesday that they had taken into custody the family of the man accused of injuring at least a dozen people at a Colorado demonstration to support Israeli hostages in Gaza and that they are expediting their deportation from the United States. – Washington Post
U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum imports doubled on Wednesday, as President Trump continued to ratchet up levies on foreign metals that he claims will help revitalize American steel mills and aluminum smelters. – New York Times
President Donald Trump is set to use emergency powers and slash legal requirements – including some congressional funding approvals – relating to a law aimed at lifting U.S. production of critical minerals and weapons, according to a document seen by Reuters. – Reuters
Law enforcement discovered a cache of weaponry and armor, including a machine gun and grenade launchers, along with Nazi paraphernalia during a raid of a home in Washington state, authorities said Tuesday. – Associated Press
For the first time since the U.S. created an international group to coordinate military aid to Ukraine three years ago, America’s Pentagon chief will not be in attendance when more than 50 other defense leaders meet Wednesday. – Associated Press
Donald Trump will attend the upcoming North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit at The Hague, the White House said, as the US president seeks to rally the alliance’s members to step up defense spending. – Bloomberg
Momentum has built for the U.S. government to formally designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization in the weeks since President Donald Trump’s Middle East trip, lawmakers and other sources familiar with the effort tell the Washington Free Beacon. – The Washington Free Beacon
Editorial: Americans are accustomed to wars fought far from home by a force of volunteers, but everyone in the U.S. will be on the front lines of the next conflict. Political leaders could be doing much more to educate the country about this vulnerability, rather than boasting that the U.S. military is the best it has ever been. It isn’t. Ukraine did the U.S. a favor by destroying bombers of a U.S. adversary—and sending America a wake up call about its own complacency. – Wall Street Journal
Sheila Katz writes: We need allies who show up not only when Jews are murdered or attacked, but also when Jews are vilified. We need coalitions that make space for the complexity of Jewish identity. We need people who understand that standing against hate means standing with Jews — not only some of us, not only when it is easy, not only when we are grieving. If you only show up for Jews in the wake of violence and not in every instance of antisemitism, you are not standing against hate. You are standing by. – New York Times
Cybersecurity
Qwant has asked France’s antitrust regulator to take action against Microsoft for allegedly driving down the quality of the French search engine’s results via Microsoft’s Bing platform, people with direct knowledge of the matter said. – Reuters
Cartier, the luxury jewellery company owned by Richemont, had its website hacked and some client data stolen, it told customers, according to an email seen by Reuters on Tuesday. – Reuters
Spain’s Telefonica said on Tuesday it was looking into a potential cyberattack after data allegedly belonging to one million customers in Peru was released on an internet forum. – Reuters
Cybercrime in Germany rose to a record level last year, driven by hacker attacks from pro-Russian and anti-Israeli groups, the BKA Federal Crime Office reported on Tuesday as the government said it would boost countermeasures to combat it – Reuters
President Donald Trump’s pick to serve as national cyber director was endorsed by a collection of cyber experts days before a Senate panel will consider his nomination. – Cyberscoop
A bipartisan coalition of more than 260 state legislators from all 50 states on Tuesday sent a letter to Congress opposing a provision in the federal budget reconciliation bill that would impose a 10-year ban on state and local regulation of artificial intelligence. – Cyberscoop
Defense
Proliferating conflict zones are an increasing burden on airline operations and profitability, executives say, as carriers grapple with missiles and drones, airspace closures, location spoofing and the shoot-down of another passenger flight. – Reuters
The U.S. Senate on Tuesday confirmed Michael Duffey, who in President Donald Trump’s first administration asked the military to withhold aid to Ukraine, to be undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment. – Reuters
The Pentagon wants to give priority to the Air Force’s F-47 stealth fighter over Navy plans to develop its own next-generation jet, arguing that pursuing the two programs at the same time could delay them both. – Bloomberg
The Department of Justice said Monday that a 26-year-old Romanian man has pleaded guilty to a string of swatting and bomb threat incidents which impacted dozens of senior government officials. – The Record
The Space Force has awarded BAE Systems $1.2 billion to build 10 satellites for its new missile warning constellation to track hypersonic cruise missiles as well as ballistic missiles. – Breaking Defense
The Pentagon will send some civilian employees to support the Homeland Security Department with the southern border mission and “internal immigration enforcement,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Monday. – Defense One
Dan Driscoll writes: The 2025 Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act delivered a historic pay raise for junior enlisted soldiers, housing improvements, healthcare access and child-care and spousal support. From the White House and Congress to the Pentagon, our soldiers are a priority. This is only the beginning. As more Americans learn about the Army’s mission and legacy, I hope more will choose to serve. The Army shaped me into the man I am today—and I know it will shape them, too. – Wall Street Journal
W.J. Hennigan writes: The most technologically advanced fighting force that the world has ever known — the same one that ushered in the age of drone warfare with its missile-firing Predators and Reapers at the turn of the century — has been slow to adopt this technology. The irony won’t escape many in the Pentagon. Let’s hope Ukraine’s attack inside Russia on Sunday motivates America’s war planners to address the nation’s stark vulnerability to similar threats and its own pressing need to increase its fleet of small drones. – New York Times