April 23, 2025

MIDDLE EAST | Updates from regional conflicts:

• Reports cite unnamed Egyptian and Hamas officials as saying that Egypt and Qatar are developing a proposal to end the Israel-Hamas war that would include a five-to-seven-year truce, the release of all remaining hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and the gradual withdrawal of all Israeli forces from Gaza. [more]
• Palestinian health officials say at least 17 people were killed in an early-morning Israeli airstrike on the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis yesterday. Reports also note that Israeli strikes destroyed about 40 pieces of heavy machinery, including bulldozers, that had been provided by mediators to remove rubble, but that Israel claims had been used to plant explosives, dig tunnels, and breach fences. [more]

UKRAINE | Today is day 1154 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here is your update:

• Reports say today's high-level London meeting of U.S., European, and Ukrainian officials to discuss a cease-fire framework for the Russia-Ukraine war has been cancelled after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy yesterday rejected the idea of ceding Ukrainian territory to Russia as part of any potential peace deal and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio cancelled his plans to attend. Lower-level talks on the ongoing conflict are expected to continue today. [more]

U.S. TRADE | In a speech yesterday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that the ongoing U.S. trade war with China is unsustainable for both sides and that he expects a "de-escalation" in the tariff showdown between the world's two biggest economies. U.S. stock indices reacted positively to Bessent's remarks and to President Donald Trump's later statement that he expects the final tariffs on Chinese goods to be significantly lower than the current 145% following negotiations. [more]

U.S. LAW FIRMS | Two major U.S. law firms –  Perkins Coie and WilmerHale – are expected to file lawsuits today asking judges to permanently strike down, in full, executive orders from President Donald Trump that the firms say are politically motivated actions designed to punish them and hurt their business operations by directing the suspension of attorney security clearances, restricting lawyers’ access to federal buildings and terminating federal contracts. The lawsuits come amidst a series of Trump administration actions against law firms that have represented clients who have sued Trump or oppose Trump administration agendas. [more]

U.S. ECONOMY | In its latest World Economic Outlook report, the International Monetary Fund has predicted U.S. economic growth of 1.8% in 2025 – down from its January prediction of 2.8%. IMF analysts also suggested that the chance of a recession in the U.S. has risen from about 25% to 37% and that U.S. inflation is now projected to reach 3% in 2025. [full report] [more]

U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT | Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced plans yesterday to overhaul the State Department through measures that include reducing staff in the U.S. by 15% and closing or consolidating more than 100 bureaus and offices. [more]

NEW JERSEY | Emergency officials in New Jersey say a fast-moving wildfire burning in Ocean County has closed portions of the Garden State Parkway and forced the evacuation of about 3,000 residents. The fire, which has burned more than 13 square miles, was considered about 10% contained as of last night. [more]

U.S. AIR SAFETY | The Federal Aviation Administration said yesterday that the number of collision alerts for planes has dropped 30% at Las Vegas' Harry Reid International Airport following implementation of new safety rules prompted by a helicopter safety review in the aftermath of the January collision of an American Airlines jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter near Washington, DC. [more]

U.S. AND MEXICO | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency head Lee Zeldin yesterday demanded that Mexico stop the flow of billions of gallons of sewage and toxic chemicals in the Tijuana River that has closed beaches and polluted ocean waters in neighboring Southern California. Zeldin met with Mexican environmental officials earlier this week to discuss the issue. [more]

GLOBAL ECONOMY | In its latest World Economic Outlook report, the International Monetary Fund has predicted global economic growth of 2.8% in 2025 – down from its January prediction of 3.3%. The report also suggests that inflation is likely to decline more slowly than previously projected, and cites the impact of U.S. tariffs and the U.S.-China trade war as contributing to the lower outlooks. [full report] [more]

GLOBAL CLIMATE | According to a new report and data from the International Coral Reef Initiative and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the ongoing 4th global coral bleaching event, which began in 2023, has expanded, with bleaching-level heat stress impacting 83.7% of the world’s coral reef area in at least 83 countries and territories. The ICRI notes that about a third of all known marine life relies on reefs, and one billion people benefit from them directly or indirectly. [ICRI report] [NOAA update] [more]

INDIA | At least 26 people were killed, and 17 others were wounded, yesterday when yet-unidentified gunmen opened fire on a group of tourists in the town of Pahalgam in India-controlled Kashmir. Reports note that while authorities have blamed the attack on separatist rebel groups, there have not yet been any claims of responsibility for the attack. [more]

AI INDUSTRY | A coalition of former OpenAI employees, AI pioneers, and other scientists sent letters to the attorneys general of California and Delaware yesterday asking that industry giant OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, be prevented from shifting control of its artificial intelligence technology from a nonprofit charity to a for-profit business, citing concerns over accountability and safety as the reason for the request. [more]

TECH INDUSTRY | European Union regulators fined Apple 500 million euros and Meta 200 million euros today after a year-long investigation that found the tech giants to have violated the E.U.'s Digital Markets Act that seeks to allow smaller rivals into markets dominated by the biggest companies. [more]

MORE TECH INDUSTRY | Bloomberg reports that chipmaker Intel is planning to announce this week that it will cut more than 20% of its staff to eliminate bureaucracy and streamline operations in the first major restructuring under new CEO Lip-Bu Tan. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1635, the Boston Latin School, open to all boys regardless of social class, was founded as the first public school in what would become the United States. Initially funded by donations and land rentals, the school is seen as contributing to the precedent for publicly supported education. [more history]