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A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the past 24 hours. Here’s today’s news:
U.S. FOREIGN AFFAIRS
The United States and Ukraine yesterday signed an agreement granting U.S. access to Ukraine’s valuable mineral resources, a deal that could help sustain U.S. military aid to Kyiv amid concerns that Trump may reduce support during ongoing peace talks with Russia. Few specifics were provided about the agreement, known as the ‘United States-Ukraine Reinvestment Fund,’ while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, “President Trump saw this partnership as a reflection of both nations’ dedication to long-term peace and prosperity in Ukraine.” Samya Kullab, Hanna Arhirova, and Aamer Madhani report for the Associated Press.
The Trump Organization has finalized a new golf course and real estate deal in the Middle East involving a firm owned by the Qatari government, just two weeks before Trump is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates on a state trip. Qatar, a key U.S. ally and host of a major U.S. military base, is home to the project in partnership with Qatari Diar, a real estate company founded by the country’s sovereign wealth fund and led by a government minister. Eric Trump, who runs the family business, is also endorsing a new Trump-branded tower in the United Arab Emirates. Vivian Nereim and Eric Lipton report for the New York Times.
GLOBAL AFFAIRS
Charles Ong’ondo, a Kenyan opposition member of parliament, was shot dead in Nairobi yesterday by gunmen on a motorcycle in a suspected assassination. “The nature of this crime appears to be both targeted and predetermined,” a police spokesperson said. President Ruto has ordered a thorough investigation into the attack. Wycliffe Muia reports for BBC News.
South Korean prosecutors today indicted former President Yoon Suk Yeol for abuse of authority over his brief imposition of martial law in December. Separately, South Korea’s Supreme Court today cast uncertainty over frontrunner Lee Jae-myung’s presidential bid by overturning a previous ruling that had cleared him of violating election laws. The court has ordered the case back to the appeals court for further review. Joyce Lee and Ju-min Park report for Reuters.
Germany has charged a former aide to a right-wing politician with espionage for China, a development that could strain the incoming German government’s relations with Beijing. Jian G. is accused of obtaining over 500 documents, including classified and sensitive material, while Yaqi X. is charged with providing information about weapons shipments out of Germany. Bertrand Benoit reports for the Wall Street Journal.
Wildfires raging near Jerusalem forced evacuations and shut down major road access yesterday, with Israel’s defense minister saying the country is “in a time of national emergency.” Israel has sought international assistance to help control the fires, which the local fire department says are potentially “the largest fire[s] ever in the country.” The cause of the fire is unknown, an emergency response organization said, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that 18 people have been arrested on suspicion of arson. Dani Kami and Lauren Iszo report for CNN; The Times of Israel reports.
U.N. experts have called on Malian authorities to investigate reports of summary executions and enforced disappearances allegedly carried out by the Malian army and Russian mercenaries, after dozens of bodies were discovered near a military camp last week. Mark Banchereau reports for the Associated Press.
Mali’s military leader Gen. Assimi Goïta has secured the support of key political allies to be declared president until 2030. Goïta had been transitional president after his last coup in 2021 when he promised to hold elections in the following year, before reneging on that pledge. Amnesty International has denounced the news, calling it a “proposal to dissolve all political parties in Mali.” BBC News reports.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered a judicial inquiry into claims of political interference in the prosecution of apartheid-era crimes. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), created in 1996, uncovered apartheid-era atrocities like murder and torture, but few cases came to trial. The new investigation is the result of settlement discussions in a high court case brought by families and survivors. Wedaeli Chibelushi reports for BBC News.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
Ukrainian prosecutors say the body of a young Ukrainian woman who died while in Russian captivity has been returned showing clear signs of torture after months of being held incommunicado. Kyiv confirmed that journalist Victoria Roshchyna, who disappeared during a reporting assignment, was among the remains exchanged between Ukraine and Russia in February. The head of the war crimes unit at the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office said a forensic examination revealed “multiple signs of torture and abuse” as well as evidence of missing organs. Ivana Kottasová, Victoria Butenko, and Daria Tarasova-Markina report for CNN.
SYRIA DEVELOPMENTS
Israel carried out airstrikes on Syria yesterday, warning it would target government forces there if clashes continued between pro-government fighters and Druse militia members. The Israeli military said its aircraft struck a group of “operatives” accused of attacking Druse civilians and fueling unrest near Damascus. A regional Syrian governor confirmed that the airstrike killed one member of Syria’s general security forces and a civilian. While the Israeli military did not specify the identities of the “operatives,” clashes had been ongoing for two days between forces aligned with the Islamist government and Druse militias. Israel itself is home to a significant Druse population. Euan Ward, Aaron Boxerman, Hwaida Saad, and Vivian Yee report for the New York Times.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
In the six weeks since Israel renewed its military campaign in Gaza, Israeli forces have significantly redrawn the territory’s map — labeling roughly 70% of the enclave as either a military “red zone” or an evacuation area, according to the U.N. — displacing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians into increasingly confined areas. Miriam Berger and Júlia Ledur report for the Washington Post.
U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
The Supreme Court yesterday signaled openness to allowing Oklahoma to fund the nation’s first religious charter school, which would incorporate Catholic teachings into its curriculum. At the heart of the case is whether the First Amendment allows — or even compels — states to fund religious charter schools, which are publicly funded but operate with substantial independence. A ruling in favor could pave the way for more religious charter schools. Adam Liptak reports for the New York Times.
Chris Krebs, former director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency under Trump, had his Global Entry membership revoked. Krebs, who has consistently defended the security of the 2020 election, told CNN he believes this may be another act of retribution from the Trump administration, after Trump signed an executive order on April 9 instructing his government to punish him in several ways. Jake Tapper reports.
Embarking on its largest overhaul since the Cold War ended, the U.S. army is planning a significant increase in its use of drones. Drawing from lessons in the war in Ukraine and experiments at training ranges in Bavaria and other U.S. bases, the shift into unmanned aircraft will see them being used for surveillance, transporting supplies, and carrying out attacks. Michael R. Gordon reports for the Wall Street Journal.
Four current and former University of Texas at Austin students filed a lawsuit yesterday against the university and Texas Governor Greg Abbott, claiming they were unlawfully arrested and punished in Spring 2024 for protesting against Israel’s actions in Gaza. Andrew Hay reports for Reuters.
Smartmatic accused Fox News in a court filing yesterday of promoting false claims that the company helped steal the 2020 election, alleging the network embraced the allegations only after facing audience backlash for calling Arizona for former President Biden. Smartmatic, which provides voting technology, has been engaged in a $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News and its parent company since 2021, claiming the network’s false coverage damaged its business and reputation. Sarah Ellison and Scott Never report for the Washington Post.
Paramount Global and Trump started mediation talks yesterday over a “60 minutes” interview with Kamala Harris. Sources say Paramount leaders have recently discussed settling the lawsuit for around $15 million to $20 million, while Trump’s team is expected to request a formal apology from Paramount as well as damages far in excess of the rumoured $20 million. Jessica Toonkel, Josh Dawsey, and Annie Linksey report for the Wall Street Journal.
House Financial Services Republicans approved legislation, in a 30-22 vote yesterday along party lines that would reduce funding for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and dissolve the U.S.’ top audit regulator, Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, instead folding it into the Securities and Exchange Commission. Jasper Goodman reports for POLITICO.
A bipartisan measure that sought to reverse Trump’s sweeping worldwide tariffs failed in the Senate yesterday in a 49-49 tie. Sens. Mitch McConnell, (R-Ky.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) who voiced support for the measure were absent for the vote, which even if passed, likely would not have been taken up in the GOP-controlled House. Rebecca Shabad, Frank Thorp V, Kate Santaliz, and Julie Tsirkin report for NBC News.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IMMIGRATION ACTIONS
The Trump administration has explored deals with Libya and Rwanda to accept migrants with criminal records from the United States, sources say. Officials also considered negotiating a “safe third country” agreement with Libya, allowing Washington to send asylum seekers apprehended at the U.S. border there, though no final decisions have been made. A State Department spokesperson declined to comment, but said the department is “working globally to implement the Trump Administration’s immigration policies.” While the administration has deported only one person to Rwanda so far, an Iraqi national accused of having links to terrorism, a Rwandan official confirmed “we’re open to others.” Priscilla Alvarez and Kylie Atwood report for CNN; Adam Taylor reports for the Washington Post.
After thousands of international students unexpectedly lost their legal status in recent months, the Department of Homeland Security has clarified how it reached its termination decisions. At Tuesday’s court hearing in Washington, the department explained that 10-20 employees ran the names of 1.3 million foreign-born students through the National Crime Information Center, an FBI-run database that includes criminal history data. This process resulted in 6,400 “hits,” leading to the removal of many students’ records from the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System. Kimmy Yam and Chloe Atkins report for NBC News.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ACTIONS
Federal Election Commission employees will soon be required to report their work location in a daily questionnaire, as part of the Trump administration’s effort to track compliance with return-to-office policies and identify “unused space potentially available for disposal,” according to an email sent to FEC employees obtained by The Washington Post. “Unlike the ‘5 bullets’ this is not a strong encouragement … All employees are required to submit this daily information,” the email said. Olivia George, Aaron Weiner, and Hannah Natanson report.
The FBI has reassigned several agents photographed kneeling with protesters in Washington during the 2020 racial justice demonstrations following George Floyd’s death, sources say. The photo, taken during Trump’s first term, has been cited by conservatives as proof the FBI harbors a liberal agenda. The reassignments have sparked backlash from current and former agents, who argue that FBI personnel are not trained for riot control and that these officers were unfairly penalized for attempting to defuse a volatile situation. Ellen Nakashima and Perry Stein report for the Washington Post.
The White House has launched a new website, ‘White House Wire,’ designed to promote pro-Trump news stories, similar to the Drudge Report. The site marks the administration’s latest attempt to bypass mainstream media and present itself more favorably. Alex Isenstadt reports for Axios.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION
The federal judge overseeing the case of Kilmar Abrego García, a Maryland resident mistakenly sent to a prison in El Salvador, has rejected the Trump administration’s motion to further delay answering questions about its removal of Abrego García and what steps, if any, it has taken to secure his return. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis’s order has set new deadlines for an accelerated discovery process, including depositions of four Trump administration officials. Separately, the Trump administration recently sent a diplomatic note to El Salvador’s officials, seeking information about García’s arrest, according to three anonymous sources. However, the authoritarian government of President Nayib Bukele reportedly rejected the request and argued he should remain in El Salvador, citing his Salvadoran citizenship. Steve Thompson reports for the Washington Post; Michael S. Schmidt, Alan Feuer, Zolan Kanno-Youngs, Maggie Haberman, and Maria Abi-Habib report for the New York Times.
A federal judge in Vermont ordered the release of Columbia University student Mohsen Mahdawi while his case is ongoing, ruling that the Trump administration was attempting to deport lawful residents for expressing political opinions. Mahdawi, a green-card holder who organized pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia, was released on the condition that he appear at all future court hearings. Comparing the Trump administration’s actions in threatening deportation for expressions of political opinions to the McCarthy era, Judge Geoffrey Crawford said, “We certainly saw it in the Red Scare.” Alyssa Lukpat reports for the Wall Street Journal.
A federal judge yesterday denied the Justice Department’s request for an early release of a former FBI informant who pleaded guilty to lying about Hunter Biden and evading his taxes, stating that the circumstances remained unchanged. Alexander Smirnov admitted in December to lying about a bribery scheme involving former President Biden and his son, receiving a six-year sentence. Before his admission, Republican lawmakers and Trump ally Kash Patel — now FBI director — had amplified his false claims during efforts to impeach Biden and influence the 2024 campaign. Devlin Barrett reports for the New York Times.
A federal judge yesterday ordered the Trump administration to allow migrants to raise any safety concerns such as a fear of torture before being deported to El Salvador or other countries, rather than their home countries. U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy in Boston issued the ruling after immigrant rights advocates argued that the administration had violated a previous court order by flying four Venezuelans from the U.S. naval base in Cuba to El Salvador on a flight arranged by the Department of Defense. Nate Raymond reports for Reuters.
Did you miss this? Stay up-to-date with our Litigation Tracker: Legal Challenges to Trump Administration Actions
FEATURED IMAGE: WASHINGTON – JANUARY 23: Clouds move as the sun sets against the west front of the United States Capitol building January 23, 2007 in Washington, DC. U.S. President George W. Bush is scheduled to deliver his State of the Union speech before a joint meeting of Congress at 9:00 PM Eastern. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
