Today In Issues:
FDD Research & Analysis
The Must-Reads
Israel strikes Beirut after rocket fire from southern Lebanon Hamas’s hold on Gaza shows signs of cracking Former political prisoner of Hamas Moumen Al-Natour: Why I and thousands of my fellow Gazans say Hamas’s tyranny must end Trump threatens bombing if Iran does not make nuclear deal Iran will target Britain’s Chagos base if Trump attacks Trump says he’s ‘angry’ at Putin’s remark questioning Zelensky’s legitimacy Taliban releases American woman detained in Afghanistan Syria’s Islamist-led rulers form new transitional government US issues fresh sanctions targeting Hezbollah finance team Taiwan dares to hope Trump will back it against Beijing Bloomberg’s Marc Champion: Meloni’s NATO-light Ukraine plan is worth trying World Court to hear Sudan genocide case against United Arab EmiratesIn The News
Israel
Israel launched an airstrike on Beirut on Friday for the first time since a U.S.-backed cease-fire took effect in November, responding to rocket fire from southern Lebanon amid growing frustrations among some American officials about the Lebanese government’s slow progress in disarming Hezbollah in the country’s south. – Wall Street Journal
Hamas used a series of hostage handovers during a two-month cease-fire to put on a show of strength, with its fighters donning the group’s signature green headbands and holding assault rifles. But as Israel has resumed airstrikes and ground operations in Gaza in recent days, Hamas’s grip on the enclave has appeared more fragile than ever. – Wall Street Journal
For decades, narrow, twisting alleys crammed full of tens of thousands of Palestinian refugees and their descendants have been a central theater for the cat-and-mouse game here between Israeli security forces and militants. Now, they are empty. – Wall Street Journal
The U.N. Human Rights Office accused Israel on Friday of violating international law by forcibly displacing Palestinians in Gaza under “mandatory evacuation orders”. – Reuters
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will travel to Hungary this week, his office said on Sunday, defying an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court issued over allegations of war crimes in Gaza. – Reuters
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeated a demand on Sunday for Hamas to disarm and for its leaders to leave Gaza as he promised to step up pressure on the group while continuing efforts to return hostages. – Reuters
Israel named Eli Sharvit as the new head of the country’s domestic intelligence agency after political rifts led to the dismissal of his predecessor. – Bloomberg
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said it conveyed a counteroffer to mediators, in coordination with the US, following reports that Hamas had agreed to an Egyptian proposal on a potential new truce in Gaza. – Bloomberg
The Israeli military said it intercepted a missile fired from Yemen on Sunday after it activated air raid sirens across multiple areas of the country. – Agence France-Presse
A political earthquake shook Gaza this week. Its tremors continue to reverberate. Protests demanding the end of Hamas’s governance of Gaza and holding it responsible for the destruction of the enclave began in Beit Lahiya and have expanded to Khan Younis, where former head of Hamas Yahya Sinwar lived, and beyond. – Real Clear World
Israel will send a delegation of experts to Thailand to assist in search and rescue efforts following a major earthquake in the region. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the move, in coordination with the Foreign Ministry and Defense Ministry, a Saturday statement said. – Times of Israel
The family of murdered Oday Nasser Al Rabay, 22, said that he was found dumped in front of his family home over the weekend in the Gaza Strip, after he participated in demonstrations against Hamas. According to his relatives, he was kidnapped, tortured, and then executed by members of the Islamist movement. – Algemeiner
Editorial: But after much protest and wrangling, Netanyahu & Co. were forced to compromise with each other. They did so, and even though the opposition boycotted the Thursday vote, warnings of a “coup” this time have fallen flat. Both the government and opposition will have vetoes on the selection of new justices. In a stalemate, each side will have to pick one name from the other side’s nominations. […] Israel has withstood huge pressures since its founding in 1948 and emerged stronger, more prosperous and more free. Its democracy has never depended on the extraordinary powers its judiciary claimed in the 1980s and 1990s, or on the fall of one coalition or another. – Wall Street Journal
Moumen Al-Natour writes: We Palestinians deserve the right to choose our own future. When this war is over, some will want to stay in Gaza and rebuild, while others will want the chance to leave. Some will want to continue the struggle against Israel, but many others like myself hope to find a new way forward for us and our families. None of these choices are possible as long as Hamas remains in power. That is why it must finally go. If our movement succeeds, not only will it end this war — but it will also prevent the next one. – Washington Post
Michah Avni writes: It’s time for our national policy to reflect our national character. Israel doesn’t wait. Israel acts. The Jewish people are no longer guests in someone else’s empire. We are builders of our own. We love America. We thank America. But we do not need to live in America’s pocket. It’s time to walk forward – together, side by side, not hand in hand. It’s time to choose strength. It’s time to choose dignity. It’s time to choose independence. – Jerusalem Post
Hayim Leiter writes: This is an instance where Israel can once again be a light unto the nations. We must take action and show the world the way to achieve the best outcome in this conflict. I can imagine a not-too-distant future where the people of Gaza throw off the shackles of their past and carve a new future for themselves. This does not mean we should be naive or overly trusting of what comes next. But the internal correction for Gaza has the greatest potential for the coexistence we so desperately want and need. – Jerusalem Post
Iran
Tehran would strike U.S. bases in the region if Washington follows through on its warning of military consequences for Iran in the absence of a new nuclear deal, the speaker of the Iranian parliament said on Friday. – Reuters
U.S. President Donald Trump threatened Iran on Sunday with bombing and secondary tariffs if Tehran did not come to an agreement with Washington over its nuclear program. – Reuters
Iran’s president said Sunday that the Islamic Republic rejected direct negotiations with the United States over its rapidly advancing nuclear program, offering Tehran’s first response to a letter that U.S. President Donald Trump sent to the country’s supreme leader. – Associated Press
Iran has warned that it will target British forces in the Chagos Islands if Donald Trump attacks the Middle Eastern nation. – The Telegraph
Efran Fard writes: Diplomatic engagement without recognition of its ideological core is a futile exercise. Until American policymakers abandon the fantasy of moderation in Tehran and support the democratic aspirations of the Iranian people, the regime will continue to exploit weakness, manipulate global institutions, and export chaos. The responsibility to act lies not only with Iranian citizens preparing for their next uprising, but with the free world that can no longer afford to turn a blind eye. – Jerusalem Post
Oved Lobel writes: If the administration’s rhetoric reflects its actual intent and is translated into concrete action, then this campaign could eventually succeed where others have failed. The alternative, in which, despite the administration’s tough rhetoric, the US ineffectively bombs the Houthis for several days or weeks with no ground component, no increased interdiction campaign, and no strikes against the Iranian regime, is likely to dramatically embolden already-emboldened Western adversaries. – Jerusalem Post
Russia & Ukraine
The Trump administration expects Ukraine to quickly sign a new agreement that gives Washington broad power over its ally’s economy. The problem is that Ukraine almost certainly can’t accept the terms. – Wall Street Journal
Soon after Russia launched a massive, deadly drone attack on his city Friday night, killing four people and injuring more than 20 others, Hennady Lytvynov, 60, stood outside watching his street burn — and wondering how this war could ever end. – Washington Post
President Donald Trump said Sunday he was “angry” at Russian President Vladimir Putin and added that the White House would consider more tariffs on Russian oil if he believed Putin was stalling on a peace agreement with Ukraine. – Washington Post
In a major bet last summer, Ukraine launched a daring offensive on Russian soil, the first invasion of Russia since World War II. That incursion into the Kursk region stunned Moscow and provided a much-needed morale boost for Ukrainians, but after months of fierce fighting, Russia has recently clawed back almost all of the territory lost. – New York Times
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy wants to back out of a critical minerals deal, warning the Ukrainian leader would face big problems if he did. – Reuters
Russia bombed the city of Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine for the second night in row, injuring two people, sparking fires and damaging a kindergarten and private houses, Ukrainian officials said early on Monday. – Reuters
Moscow and Washington have started talks on joint rare earth metals and other projects in Russia, Russia’s special envoy on international economic and investment cooperation told the Izvestia media outlet in remarks published on Monday. – Reuters
Russia accused Ukraine on Friday of attacking its energy facilities despite a moratorium on such strikes, saying a gas infrastructure unit in the town of Sudzha had been destroyed and reserving the right to hit back against such attacks. – Reuters
Dalibor Rohac writes: Putin’s hand is weaker than it appears, and it is not too late for the Trump administration to change course. Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results, they say, is the definition of insanity. In contrast, continuing in the current advances — promising a normalization of the US-Russia relationship or agreeing to the Kremlin’s increasingly brazen demands, including on the withdrawal of Western military support for Ukraine and ruling out a NATO-led peacekeeping force — only makes the United States look weak and ineffectual. – New York Post
Charles Lichfield writes: Europe is at a highly delicate moment. The urgent need to increase defense spending coincides with a global reappraisal of whether Washington can be trusted to act rationally. While European assets are becoming more attractive, complacency would be a mistake. Rather than seizing Russian assets and creating a precedent which would put the euro at another disadvantage next to the U.S. dollar, the EU should do everything else in its power, including through more borrowing, to strengthen Ukraine’s position as well as its own. – Foreign Policy
Afghanistan
The Taliban released an American citizen, Faye Hall, who was detained in Afghanistan, a former U.S. ambassador said Saturday. Hall “is now in the care of our friends, the Qataris in Kabul, and will soon be on her way home,” wrote Zalmay Khalilzad, who was a U.S. special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation until 2021 and the former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan and Iraq. – Washington Post
When she finds it hard to focus, Nilab jots down her worries on slips of paper and pins them to her wall, a strategy she picked up in a seminar on mental health at the American University of Afghanistan in Kabul. – New York Times
The Taliban leader said Sunday there was no need for Western laws in Afghanistan and that democracy was dead as long as sharia laws are in effect. – Associated Press
Syria
Syria’s Islamist-led rulers formed a new transitional government on Saturday that includes some skilled technocrats, part of an effort by Damascus to shore up legitimacy both at home and abroad nearly four months after rebels ousted former President Bashar al-Assad. – Wall Street Journal
Chemical weapons inspectors have been taken by Syria’s caretaker authorities to previously unseen production and storage locations dating from the rule of Bashar al-Assad, who was toppled three months ago, sources said on Friday. – Reuters
When Mariam Aabour learned of the ouster of Syrian leader Bashar Assad, she shed tears of joy. But as the time came to return to her homeland from Lebanon – where she fled years earlier – Aabour felt torn. – Associated Press
The U.S. warned of an increased possibility of attacks in Syria during the Eid el-Fitr holiday that marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. – Associated Press
Turkey
Turkey’s largest opposition party is organizing rallies, urging boycotts of pro-government businesses and standing by its presidential candidate — even if he will have to campaign from jail. – New York Times
Turkish authorities released a lawyer for jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, President Tayyip Erdogan’s main political rival, after detaining him overnight, an attorney for the lawyer said on Friday. – Reuters
Turkey’s crackdown on President Tayyip Erdogan’s main rival and silence on what reforms might follow the end of a 40-year conflict with Kurdish militants are stoking distrust among Kurds anxious to see what a fragile peace process may bring. – Reuters
Talks to restart Kurdish oil exports through the Iraq-Turkey pipeline have hit a snag as a lack of clarity over payments and contracts persists, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. – Reuters
Turkish authorities said Sunday they arrested a Swedish journalist dispatched to cover ongoing nationwide protests on charges of terrorism and insulting the president. – Associated Press
Neville Teller writes: The Turkish lira has experienced a sharp depreciation, plunging to a record low of 42 to the US dollar, its most substantial decline since July 2023. Simultaneously, the Istanbul stock market has been facing considerable losses. Moreover, recent public opinion surveys show that Erdogan’s approval ratings are in decline – overall, 55% of Turkish adults hold an unfavorable opinion of him. Yet when it comes to elections, Erdogan has consistently demonstrated the ability to intimidate his opponents and rally his supporters. – Jerusalem Post
Joseph Puder writes: The Trump administration must reconsider providing F-16 jetfighters to Turkey, as well its place in NATO. The United States must also protect the Kurds of northeastern Syria from repeated attacks by the Turkish armed forces. Turkey, under Erdoğan, is fighting the Syrian Democratic Forces, an ally of the United States and threatening Israel, America’s only reliable ally in the Middle East. It is time for the United States to address Erdoğan’s dangerous megalomania. – Algemeiner
Lebanon
French President Emmanuel Macron said there had been no activity justifying Israel’s strikes on Hezbollah in Lebanon on Friday and that he would call U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the attacks. – Reuters
The U.S. State Department said on Friday Israel was defending itself from rocket attacks that came from Lebanon and that it was incumbent upon the Lebanese government to disarm militant groups such as Hezbollah. – Reuters
The United States issued on Friday fresh sanctions aimed at Hezbollah that target five individuals and three entities. – Reuters
The leader of Lebanon’s Hezbollah group warned Saturday that if Israel’s attacks on Lebanon continue and the Lebanese state does not act to stop them, the group will eventually resort to other alternatives. – Associated Press
Lebanese authorities said Sunday several suspects had been arrested after rockets were fired at neighboring Israel earlier this month, testing a fragile November ceasefire. – Agence France-Presse
Middle East & North Africa
Iraq has agreed to supply Lebanon with fuel for six more months, the office of Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said in a statement on Saturday, renewing a deal meant to alleviate Lebanon’s acute power shortage. – Reuters
Suspected U.S. airstrikes struck around Yemen’s rebel-held capital overnight into Monday morning, and the Iranian-backed Houthis said at least one person was killed. – Associated Press
Morocco is spending hundreds of millions of dollars on tapping northern rivers to supply water to parched cities farther south but experts question the sustainability of the project in the face of climate change. – Agence France-Presse
President Trump is planning to travel to Saudi Arabia in mid-May on his first foreign trip since returning to the White House, two U.S. officials and a source with knowledge of the president’s travel said. – Axios
Alon Ben-Meir writes: No one is in a better place than Sisi, who can use Egypt’s indispensable role to advance the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, starting with the establishment of an end-game to the war in Gaza. There is no time better than now to move aggressively toward that end as Egypt and Israel celebrate the 46th anniversary of their peace agreement. Can Sisi rise to the occasion and match Sadat’s vision and courage? – Jerusalem Post
Korean Peninsula
South Korea will soon submit a 10 trillion won ($6.8 billion) supplementary budget bill to parliament to respond to the fallout from the country’s worst-ever forest fires and counter slumping growth, the finance minister said on Sunday. – Reuters
South Korea, China and Japan held their first economic dialogue in five years on Sunday, seeking to facilitate regional trade as the three Asian export powers brace from U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs. – Reuters
The death toll from the worst wildfires in South Korea’s history rose to at least 30, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters said, as the government stepped up relief efforts and emergency services battled to extinguish the remaining blazes, and prevent embers re-sparking. – Bloomberg
South Korean authorities have summoned former president Moon Jae-in for questioning as a part of an investigation into allegations of bribery related to his ex-son-in-law’s appointment at a Thai airline, Yonhap reported, citing an unidentified official at the prosecutors office. – Bloomberg
China
Chinese robots are being used to move parts in electric-vehicle factories and to carry out search-and-rescue operations in disaster zones. They are delighting audiences by performing complex dance routines. And robot dogs with automatic rifles attached to their backs are even being tested by the People’s Liberation Army. – Washington Post
In Washington, President Trump has said he is willing to meet with Xi Jinping, China’s top leader. In Beijing, Chinese officials and experts agree that a meeting between the heads of state must precede any broad reset of relations with the United States amid Mr. Trump’s aggressive approach to trade and foreign policy. – New York Times
China’s military said it had conducted a patrol in the South China Sea on Friday, the day U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to Manila, which disputes some of Beijing’s claims in the waterway. – Reuters
The industry ministers of South Korea and China met on Saturday to discuss the evolving global trade environment and agreed to cooperate bilaterally as well as on multinational trade forums, the South’s industry ministry said. – Reuters
Hong Kong’s CK Hutchison (0001.HK) will not sign a deal next week to sell its two port operations near the Panama Canal to a BlackRock-led group, two people with direct knowledge of the matter said, as pressure mounted from Beijing. – Reuters
China’s government bristled Friday at the strengthening ties between Guyana and the United States in online comments a day after a visit to the South American country by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. – Associated Press
China has warned Washington that it will retaliate against the US if the Trump administration presses ahead with new reciprocal tariffs on the country next week, according to a report from state media. – Bloomberg
Brahma Chellaney writes: The administration must ensure that short-term dealmaking does not undermine long-term American objectives. A coherent, sustained strategy — rather than erratic policy shifts — is critical to slowing China’s rise without triggering a major conflict. Trump must resist transactional diplomacy and instead prioritize long-term strategic goals so that the U.S. can more effectively counterbalance China’s growing influence while reinforcing its own global preeminence. – The Hill
South Asia
Growing up, Namgyal Yemphel knew little of the world beyond his Tibetan settlement in southern India. But he recognized the USAID stamps on the sacks of flour that his family cherished for its sweetness, and on the tin barrels of oil, sturdy enough to keep for storing grain. – Washington Post
China, Russia and India have dispatched emergency teams and supplies to earthquake-ravaged Myanmar. So have Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam. – New York Times
Indian and U.S. officials discussed trade issues including the reduction of tariffs and easing of non-tariff barriers, making progress towards a bilateral trade agreement during several days of talks in New Delhi, they said on Saturday. – Reuters
Bangladesh’s main opposition party has warned of instability and “strong resentment within the people” if elections are not held by December, after the country’s de facto prime minister said the poll could be delayed until 2026. – Reuters
An armed resistance movement against Myanmar’s military-run government criticised the junta on Sunday for conducting airstrikes on villages even as the country reels from an earthquake that has killed around 1,700 people. – Reuters
Nepal’s government is investigating deadly violence that occurred during a rally by the supporters of the former king seeking the restoration of constitutional monarchy, a minister said on Saturday. – Reuters
Pakistan said it killed 10 civilians during an anti-militant operation in the country’s northwest and promised to investigate the circumstances. – Associated Press
Andy Mukherjee writes: New Delhi will have to get India’s 28 states on board before it can offer a retooling of its consumption taxes in a bilateral trade agreement with the US. Although Trump has promised to be “lenient” to all countries, he has also slapped a surprise 25% duty on auto imports. The focus of India’s diplomacy is to avoid being singled out for similar harsh treatment on April 2. Hence, the abolition of the “Google Tax.” The desperation is showing. – Bloomberg
Asia
The Trump administration is bolstering hopes in Taiwan for increased support for the island, after months of uncertainty about whether President Trump’s “America First” agenda could deprive it of a key backer. – Wall Street Journal
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth wrapped up his first official visit to Asia on Sunday by offering reassurances to Japan that President Trump wants a stronger military alliance in the region to deter an increasingly assertive China. – New York Times
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te met senior officials on Sunday night to discuss the possible impact of U.S. tariffs and receive an update on contingency plans, his office said on Monday. – Reuters
A tsunami warning has been cancelled in Tonga after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck the Pacific Island kingdom in the early hours of Sunday. – Reuters
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Sunday he expected to have a one-on-one discussion with U.S. President Donald Trump on tariffs, as Washington prepares to announce new tariffs on its trading partners on April 2. – Reuters
Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Saturday that Vietnam may buy as many as 50 planes from Embraer, the Brazilian planemaker, and that another Brazilian company may invest $100 million in a meat-processing plant in the Asian country, as he prepared to conclude his state visit to Hanoi, where he met President Luong Cuong. – Reuters
The SpaceX team is prepared to provide Starlink kits to help with communication needs and relief efforts after an earthquake affected Myanmar and Thailand, Starlink says in a post on X. – Bloomberg
Kevin Ting-Chen Sun and Howard Shen write: Taiwan is more than willing to increase its military spending and allocate more of its budget to arms sales. However, due to its democratic system and societal expectations, Taipei requires U.S. or Pentagon-supervised manufacturers to fulfill their contractual promises. Timely and consistent delivery of military assets will ensure continuous, efficient, and effective purchase of weapons, thus enhancing the island’s defense readiness. Without them, allies’ concerns will turn into frustrations. Amid an increasingly turbulent geopolitical landscape, Taipei will inevitably look to Washington for more arms purchases, but Washington should deliver. – War on the Rocks
Europe
Government plans to increase defense spending in response to an increasingly distant relationship with the U.S. have led European industry leaders to take a brighter view of their prospects, according to a survey released Friday. – Wall Street Journal
The United States and Europe have threatened to make beer, wine and spirits a front in their bruising trade war, designed to create disruption not just for your ordinary tippler, but also for a sector already struggling with crazy weather, a grape glut and changing tastes. – Washington Post
In rejecting Russia’s demand to lift Western sanctions in exchange for a ceasefire in the Black Sea, European leaders are showing they could still be players in Washington’s talks. – Washington Post
Quakers in Britain are reeling from what they say is an unheard-of violation of one of their places of worship by police officers who forced their way into a meeting house in London and arrested activists gathered there to plan Gaza war protests. – New York Times
Marine Le Pen, the French far-right leader, has tried and failed three times to become president. Now, even as her popularity rises, she may be barred from taking part in an election to lead France if she is found guilty of embezzlement on Monday. – New York Times
For months, French businesses have been bracing for the fallout of trade wars and tariff threats from the United States as the effects of President Trump’s “America First” policies ripple out. But this past week, the French corporate world was roiled by another type of Trump missive. – New York Times
Finnish President Alexander Stubb made a surprise trip on Saturday to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump in Florida, where the two leaders discussed strengthening their countries’ bilateral partnership and played a round of golf. – Reuters
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and U.S. President Donald Trump discussed “productive negotiations” towards a UK-U.S. economic prosperity deal in a phone call on Sunday evening, a Downing Street spokesperson said. – Reuters
The United States will not get Greenland, Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said on Sunday in a post on Facebook in response to Donald Trump’s statements he wants to take control of the vast Arctic country. – Reuters
The Danish foreign minister on Saturday scolded the Trump administration for its “tone” in criticizing Denmark and Greenland, saying his country is already investing more into Arctic security and remains open to more cooperation with the U.S. – Associated Press
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen plans to visit Greenland next week to bolster the commonwealth between the two countries, as the US ramps up its rhetoric about taking over the Arctic island. – Bloomberg
Marc Champion writes: Those have been to cede most of Russia’s key demands, exclude Ukraine from the negotiation, and coerce Zelenskiy into granting the US control over all of his nation’s mineral resources and infrastructure, in perpetuity. As Bloomberg News reported on Saturday, Kyiv is now trying to secure less usurious terms, without causing a rift that leads to a further suspension of US military aid. If this clarity were all that adopting Meloni’s proposal achieved, it would be well worth the effort as we are drowning in Russian and now US disinformation. – Bloomberg
Peter Rough and Can Kasapoğlu write: And time is not on Brussels’ side. Denmark’s defense intelligence agencies assess that Russia may opt for war in Europe within five years. Estonia’s foreign intelligence agencies have reached similar conclusions, observing that Russian forces assembled near Eastern Europe are too big merely for the war in Ukraine. Europe must boost its hard power capabilities now, not later. The only feasible way to do this is to work with the United States. Strategic autonomy is built over decades, not declared in a day. – National Interest
Africa
Qatar hosted a second round of talks on Friday between Congo and Rwanda and separately met with representatives of the Rwandan-backed rebellion waging an insurgency in eastern Congo, four sources told Reuters. – Reuters
Somalia is prepared to offer the United States exclusive control of strategic air bases and ports, its president said in a letter to President Donald Trump seen by Reuters on Friday. – Reuters
Nigerian police said on Saturday they had come under intense gunfire a day earlier in a neighbourhood of the capital, Abuja, during clashes between security forces and Shi’ite Muslim protesters that led to several reported deaths. – Reuters
The World Court said on Friday it would hear a case brought by Sudan demanding emergency measures against the United Arab Emirates and accusing the Gulf state of violating obligations under the Genocide Convention by arming paramilitary forces. – Reuters
Guinea’s junta leader has pardoned former military leader Moussa Dadis Camara for “health reasons” after a court last year found him guilty of crimes against humanity in a 2009 stadium massacre, according to a decree read on state television late on Friday. – Reuters
The leader of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, said on Sunday that his war against the army was not over and his forces would return to Khartoum despite being largely driven out of the capital. – Reuters
Niger has quit an international force fighting armed Islamist groups in West Africa’s Lake Chad region as it seeks to shore up security around oil assets at home, the government said in a bulletin on state television. – Reuters
The United Nations on Saturday condemned the killing of a Kenyan peacekeeper in an ambush of a patrol in the east of the Central African Republic. – Associated Press
The M23 rebels in control of key areas of eastern Congo agreed Friday to a ceasefire with African coalition peacekeepers who have announced their withdrawal even as the conflict between the insurgents and Congo ‘s government continues. – Associated Press
South Sudan’s government said it placed First Vice President Riek Machar under house arrest after intelligence reports showed the former rebel leader was planning subversion. – Bloomberg
The Americas
Oil magnate Harry Sargeant III is a GOP donor well known for his back-channel efforts to temper hostilities between the U.S. and Venezuela. On Friday, the Trump administration ordered his oil-trading company to leave the South American country. – Wall Street Journal
A deal that would shift control of two ports in Panama to a U.S.-led investor group is likely to be delayed for at least a short period beyond the initial April 2 deadline, people familiar with the matter said Friday. – Wall Street Journal
The wild-haired president of Argentina, known as the libertarian Trump of South America, stepped onto the stage carrying his trademark accessory — a chain saw. – Washington Post
Panama’s maritime authority said on Friday that it has canceled the registrations of 107 vessels that were flying under the Panamanian flag and were included in international sanctions lists, the entity said in a statement. – Reuters
Chilean officials met with International Criminal Court representatives on Friday to provide information about the murder of a Venezuelan dissident they claim is relevant to an ongoing ICC investigation into alleged human rights abuses by Venezuelan government officials. – Reuters
Carlos Lehder, former drug trafficker and one of the founding leaders of the Medellin Cartel, was arrested on Friday by Colombian authorities upon his arrival from Germany on a warrant in the Latin American country. – Reuters
Panama’s police said on Sunday they had rejected a request by the judiciary branch to seek a red notice by Interpol for former President Ricardo Martinelli, on the grounds that this is prohibited for refugees or political asylum seekers. – Reuters
United States
Canada and Mexico won protections against potential new U.S. auto tariffs in 2018 as part of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement on trade, but there is no evidence that President Donald Trump will honor those commitments as he imposes 25% duties on global automotive imports. – Reuters
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Friday that she had a “fruitful meeting” with U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. – Reuters
A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration Friday from deporting people who have exhausted legal appeals to countries other than their own without first being allowed to argue that it would jeopardize their safety. – Associated Press
The US Agency for International Development will be merged into the State Department by July 1 and “substantially all” of the aid agency’s remaining personnel will be fired, according to a congressional notification sent Friday. – Bloomberg
A federal appeals court on Friday cleared the way for Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency to resume their efforts to shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development. – Politico
Brett D. Schaefer writes: However, the executive order directing that review does not freeze U.S. funding. It makes little sense to fund organizations that the review might conclude are “contrary to the interests of the United States.” The administration should make clear its intent to halt such interests. – The Hill
Luke Coffey writes: Statements suggesting that the U.S. has a special right to Greenland — because it is in our backyard, necessary for our security, or that the locals are unhappy and Denmark doesn’t really have a right to it — echo the same justifications the Kremlin uses to defend its invasion of Ukraine. This rhetoric is irresponsible and, frankly, unbecoming of the U.S. Ideally, Vance’s visit will lead to a stronger understanding of the U.S.-Greenlandic relationship and help chart a responsible, forward-looking approach. A visit by a sitting vice president to Greenland is indeed historic. Let’s hope it is historic for the right reasons. – The Hill
Nikki R. Haley writes: The bill would impose strong sanctions on any person or organization involved in paying terrorists for murdering innocent people. The Palestinian groups that reward murderers, along with their foreign backers, would think twice if their own finances were crippled. America’s leaders should do everything possible to hold them accountable and end the killing. Ari Fuld’s killer may be free, but his family’s quest for justice should be allowed to continue. Most importantly, no American family should ever again suffer like they have. – Fox News
Cybersecurity
President Donald Trump said a deal with TikTok’s Chinese parent ByteDance to sell the short video app used by 170 million Americans would be struck before a deadline on Saturday. – Reuters
The European Commission is expected to fine Apple and Meta this week for violating the EU’s digital competition rules, thrusting Big Tech into the escalating trade war between the United States and the European Union. – Politico
Musk, the world’s richest person, on March 28 used his artificial intelligence startup, xAI, to purchase his social media platform in an all-stock deal that values X at $33 billion, not including debt. The new joint entity, which will be called XAI Holdings, has a value of more than $100 billion, again excluding debt, Bloomberg News reported. – Bloomberg
Officials in the United Kingdom are bracing for a clash with the White House as far-right social media platforms dismiss legal requests from British regulators tackling illegal online content. – The Record
Defense
The president of Lithuania on Friday visited swampland near his country’s border with Belarus, saying he was “hoping for a miracle” as rescue crews worked frantically to extract a heavy United States Army vehicle carrying four American soldiers that disappeared in the waterlogged forest. – New York Times
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memorandum that aims to reduce the Department of Defense’s civilian workforce as the federal government seeks to cut spending. – Bloomberg
The U.S. Army is looking to increase autonomy through artificial intelligence solutions to reduce the manpower needed to manage Golden Dome, President Donald Trump’s desired homeland missile defense architecture, the service’s program executive officer for missiles and space said this week. – Defense News
James Holmes writes: There is little reason to think a foe would exempt America from similar rough treatment in times of war. In fact, red-team magnates would likely view asymmetric strikes as an obvious choice. Hostile commanders could hope to exact disproportionate psychological impact from bombarding the U.S. homeland. […] The public frenzy that greeted the Chinese spy balloon that wafted across the country in 2023 could beguile the Beijings and Moscows of the world into action. Here, too, it seems a brave new world is almost upon us. “The Department of the Air Force in 2050” leaves military and diplomatic folk with potentially seismic shifts in human affairs to ponder. So let’s start pondering. Forewarned is forearmed. – National Interest