April 7, 2025

MIDDLE EAST | Updates from regional conflicts:

• Reports say weekend Israeli strikes in Gaza killed at least 32 people amidst additional evacuation orders affecting several large regions of the Palestinian enclave and analyses that suggest Israel's expansion of its "buffer zone" in Gaza now includes about 50% of the territory. [more]
• The Israeli military has backtracked on its account of the killing of 15 Palestinian medics by its forces last month in Gaza after video evidence emerged that contradicts its claims that the targeted vehicles did not have emergency signals on when troops opened fire on them. [more]

UKRAINE | Today is day 1138 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with U.K. and French military leaders over the weekend for discussions about the potential for a multinational peacekeeping force in Ukraine. [more]
• Ukrainian officials are expected to visit Washington next week to begin new negotiations with the Trump administration on a deal that would give the U.S. access to Ukrainian mineral resources. [more]

U.S. PROTESTS | Hundreds of thousands of people took part in a day of protests at more than 1,200 locations in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia Saturday in the largest showing yet of organized opposition to the policies of President Donald Trump and Department of Government Efficiency head Elon Musk. Reports say the so-called "Hands Off" demonstrations were organized by more than 150 groups, including civil rights organizations, labor unions, LBGTQ+ advocates, veterans' organizations, and elections activists. [more]

U.S. DEPORTATIONS | U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis has ordered the federal government to return Kilmar Abrego Garcia – a Maryland immigrant who authorities acknowledge was mistakenly deported to a prison in El Salvador – to the United States, saying in her ruling that the government's action was "wholly lawless" and that federal authorities "cling to the stunning proposition that they can forcibly remove any person — migrant and U.S. citizen alike —to prisons outside the United States, and then baldly assert they have no way to effectuate return because they are no longer the ‘custodian.'" The Justice Department is appealing the judge's order and says the DOJ lawyer who presented the government's view before the court has been put on administrative leave for failing to vigorously argue the government's case.  [more]

U.S. TARIFFS | National and international effects of sweeping U.S. tariffs announced by President Donald Trump last week continue to mount, including:

• Global markets and U.S. market futures are down sharply again this morning in the aftermath of sweeping U.S. tariffs announced last week that saw U.S. stocks lose more than $5 trillion in value. [more]
• In its continuing response to the U.S. tariffs, China, which is facing a combined 54% tariff rate on goods exported to the United States, today accused the U.S. of unilateralism, protectionism, and economic bullying and suggested it has further means of countering the U.S. action. [more]
• President Donald Trump this weekend said of the tariffs and related market reaction that, "sometimes you have to take medicine to fix something," and posted online that “WE WILL WIN. HANG TOUGH, it won’t be easy.” He further suggested that many nations have reached out to start negotiations to lift the tariffs. [more]
• With what reports say is growing support among the Republican majorities, both the U.S. House and Senate are expected to consider measures this week that would automatically block the enforcement of new presidentially-imposed tariffs if they are not approved by Congress within 60 days of being imposed. [more]

U.S. FLOODING | At least 18 deaths have been reported amidst widespread flooding across portions of the U.S. South and Midwest in recent days, which saw some areas receive month's worth of rain in 1-2 days. [more]

U.S. MEASLES | Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced late last week that a second school-age child who was hospitalized with measles was the third measles-related death in the U.S. since the start of a multi-state outbreak of the disease that is centered in Texas. Reports note that 2025 has already seen more than double the number of measles cases in the U.S. recorded in all of 2024. [more]

U.S. AND JAPAN | Japanese Emperor Naruhito visited the island of Iwo Jima today to pay tribute to the more than 21,000 Japanese and nearly 7,000 U.S. troops killed in the early 1945 World War II battle for control of the island. [more]

U.S. AND GLOBAL ECONOMIES | In further fallout from U.S. tariff policies and market uncertainty, at least seven top investment banks have raised their recession risk forecasts, including J.P. Morgan, which puts the odds of a U.S. and global recession at 60%, and Goldman Sachs, which forecasts a 45% chance of a U.S. recession. [more]

GLOBAL POLLUTION | The International Maritime Organization's Marine Environment Protection Committee is meeting today through Friday in London to consider an agreement to charge commercial vessels a fee for their emissions in what would effectively be the world’s first global carbon tax. [more]

MYANMAR | Amidst heavy rains that are complicating relief efforts, authorities in Myanmar say the death toll from the March 28 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck near Mandalay has risen to 3,564. [more]

PAKISTAN | Military officials in Pakistan say at least nine militants suspected to be members of the Pakistani Taliban were killed in a raid by security forces on a militant hideout in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. [more]

IRAQ | Reuters cites multiple militia commanders and Iraqi officials as saying several powerful Iranian-backed militia groups in Iraq are prepared to disarm to avert the risk of escalating conflicts with the United States. [more]

SOCIAL MEDIA | A pending ban on the social media app TikTok in the U.S. was postponed by President Donald Trump on Friday after potential deals for the platform's Chinese owner to divest its U.S. operations were scuttled by Chinese regulators following the imposition of sweeping U.S. tariffs. [more]

COLLEGE BASKETBALL | UConn beat South Carolina, 82-59, yesterday to win the NCAA women's basketball national championship. Houston and Florida meet tonight to determine the men's champion. [more]

HOCKEY | The Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin scored his 895th career goal yesterday, passing Wayne Gretzky's mark to become the top goal scorer in National Hockey League history. [more]

ENTERTAINMENT | American actor John Lithgow won the best actor trophy at the Olivier Awards in London yesterday for his portrayal of writer Roald Dahl in “Giant.” Lesley Manville took the best actress prize for her role as Jocasta in “Oedipus." [full list of awardees] [more]

WEEKEND MOVIES | "A Minecraft Movie" topped the North American box office over the weekend with an estimated $157 million in receipts, followed by "A Working Man" and "The Chosen: Last Supper." [more]

R.I.P. | Actor Jay North, best known for his role as the titular character in the 1950s and 60s television show "Dennis the Menace," died yesterday at the age of 73. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1948, the World Health Organization, a specialized agency of the United Nations that promotes health and safety while helping the vulnerable worldwide and coordinating responses to international public health issues and emergencies, was formally established. [more history]