March 20, 2025

MIDDLE EAST | Updates from regional conflicts:

• Resumption of hostilities continued in Gaza overnight, with Israeli airstrikes killing at least 58 Palestinians, according to officials at multiple hospitals. Israel also restored a blockade on northern Gaza, including Gaza City, and warned residents to not use the main highway that runs through the region. [more]
• U.S. President Donald Trump threatened an escalation of military action against Houthi rebels in Yemen yesterday, saying the group will be “completely annihilated.” [more]

UKRAINE | Today is day 1120 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said yesterday that “technical” talks this weekend in Saudi Arabia will aim to set details on what types of infrastructure will be covered under a limited cease-fire to which both he and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed. [more]
• Military officials from some 30 countries – mostly European – are expected to meet in London today for talks about a possible international peacekeeping force in Ukraine following an end to the country’s war with Russia. [more]
• Russian officials and media report that Ukrainian drones struck Russia's Engels strategic bomber base today, triggering a major blast and fire and prompting a local state of emergency to be declared. [more]

U.S. EDUCATION | Reports cite government officials as saying President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order today calling for the U.S. Department of Education to be shut down and directing Secretary Linda McMahon “to take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure (of) the Department of Education and return education authority to the States, while continuing to ensure the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely.” [more]

U.S. ECONOMY | The Federal Reserve left its benchmark interest rate unchanged yesterday, but signaled that rate cuts could take place later this year and forecast U.S. economic growth to fall to 1.7% in 2025, down from 2.8% last year. Fed Chair Jerome Powell noted a high level of uncertainty in the U.S. economy, citing President Trump’s tariff policies. [more]

NORTH CAROLINA | State lawmakers and Gov. Josh Stein approved a measure yesterday to provide an additional $524 million to address ongoing recovery needs linked to impacts of last year’s Hurricane Helene. [more]

NORTH DAKOTA | A North Dakota state jury found environmental group Greenpeace liable yesterday for defamation and other claims in connection with protests against the Dakota Access oil pipeline in 2016-17 and ordered the organization to pay more than $650 million in damages to Dallas-based Energy Transfer and its subsidiary Dakota Access. [more]

U.S. and E.U. | The European Commission has reportedly decided to delay E.U. retaliatory tariffs on U.S. products until mid-April to allow more time for negotiations on a potential trade deal with the United States. [more]

GLOBAL HAPPINESS | Finland, for the eighth year in a row, tops the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford’s annual World Happiness Report, followed by Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, and the Netherlands. Researchers note that both Costa Rica and Mexico were ranked in the top 10 for the first time, while the United States fell to its lowest position ever at 24th. Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, and Lebanon were ranked the least happy countries. [full report PDF] [more]

GLOBAL CLIMATE | According to the World Meteorological Organization’s latest State of the Climate report, 2024 was the hottest year on record and showed other record-high indicators of an increasingly warming world, including ocean temperatures, sea-level rise, and glacier melting. Researchers further note that 2024 was the first calendar year to be more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial era, with a global mean near-surface temperature of about 1.55 degrees Celsius above the 1850-1900 average. [full report] [more]

TURKEY | Amidst protests sparked by the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu yesterday, Turkish authorities have arrested at least 37 people for sharing provocative posts inciting public hatred on social media, according to Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya. Reports note that Imamoglu’s arrest came just days before he was expected to be nominated as the opposition Republican People’s Party’s presidential candidate in a primary scheduled for Sunday. [more]

CANADA AND E.U. | Reports cite unnamed Canadian officials as saying Canada is in discussions with the European Union to join an E.U. initiative that aims to reduce security and defense dependency on the United States. [more]

GERMANY AND SYRIA | Germany reopened its embassy in Damascus, Syria, today - 13 years after it was shut following the outbreak of Syria's civil war. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said the move comes with "clear expectations that there is freedom, security and opportunity in Syria for all people - for women and men, for people belonging to all ethnic groups and religions.” [more]

CONGO | A day after the Congolese and Rwandan presidents called for an immediate ceasefire, Rwanda-backed M23 rebels entered the strategic town of Walikale in eastern Congo, according to local officials. [more]

COLLEGE BASKETBALL | Xavier beat Texas, 86-80, and Mount St. Mary’s defeated American University, 83-72, last night to complete the First Four games of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1815, the Hundred Days—during which Napoleon, having ended his exile by escaping the island of Elba, would try to recapture his empire in France—began with Napoleon's arrival in Paris. [more history]