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A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the last 24 hours. Here’s today’s news:
IRAN WAR – CEASEFIRE
Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei yesterday vowed to protect the Islamic Republic’s nuclear and missile capabilities in a statement read by a state television anchor. Khamenei has still not been seen in public since taking over as supreme leader. Meanwhile, a senior official of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said any new U.S. strikes on Iran would usher in “long and painful strikes” on U.S. positions. Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said that it was not reasonable to expect quick results from U.S. talks. Jon Gambrell reports for AP News; Humeyra Pamuk and Tala Ramadan report for Reuters.
IRAN WAR – LEBANON OPERATIONS
Hezbollah has been attacking Israeli troops using explosive drones controlled by fiber-optic cables in recent weeks. Israel is trying to figure out how to defend against them as these drones are designed to evade electronic jamming, several Israeli military officials and a Western official said. Isabel Kershner, Natan Odenheimer, Aaron Boxerman, and Adam Rasgon report for the New York Times.
Deep divisions among Lebanese leaders – particularly between President Joseph Aoun and Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri – over whether and how to negotiate with Israel have undermined Saudi Arabia’s efforts to broker a unified stance, Lebanese sources and foreign officials told Reuters. While Saudi Arabia seeks stability and gradual de-escalation, disagreements over direct talks and potential normalization with Israel have stalled progress and risk further internal instability. Laila Bassam, Maya Gebeily, Tomy Perry, and Samia Nakhoul report.
IRAN WAR – OTHER DEVELOPMENTS
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Congress yesterday that Trump does not have to comply with a law requiring presidents to seek congressional authorization to continue a war beyond 60 days because the ceasefire reached with Iran has paused the clock. This stance became a central backdrop at a Senate hearing on the Pentagon’s record $1.45 trillion budget, which instead focused heavily on the U.S. war with Iran and scrutiny of Hegseth’s leadership. Lawmakers clashed with him over civilian casualties, economic impacts, religion, and rhetoric. Megan Mineiro reports for the New York Times; John Ismay reports for the New York Times.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
Israeli airstrikes yesterday killed at least four Palestinians in Gaza, health officials said. A Hamas official told Reuters that a delegation from the group had arrived in Cairo earlier this week for meetings with mediators over Trump’s peace plan. Reuters reports.
Palestinians say severe water shortages continue more than six months after the October ceasefire. “The water truck arrives, and some 500 to 1,000 people throw themselves at it,” a resident said. “They start fighting. It’s real suffering.” Nearly 90% of Gaza’s water infrastructure was destroyed during the war, according to the United Nations, including desalination plants and sewage treatment facilities. Wafaa Surafa, Toqa Ezzidin, and Sam Metz report for AP News.
Italy condemns Israel’s seizure of aid ships bound for Gaza in international waters near Greece and demands the immediate release of Italians who have been “unlawfully detained,” Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s office said yesterday. Reuters reports.
OTHER GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
Around 1,500 Fulani people have been detained for three months at a camp run by Nigeria’s military, and at least 150 people have died in that time, according to a report released by Amnesty International yesterday. Saikou Jammeh and Ismail Auwal report for the New York Times.
Russia has emerged as the main supplier of oil to Syria, with oil shipments from Russia increasing by 75% – around 60,000 barrels per day this year, based on a review by Reuters. Two analysts and three Syrian officials said the trade reflects economic necessity in Damascus and also gives Moscow influence in a country where it retains two naval and air bases. The relationship with Russia risks straining ties with the EU and Washington, but Damascus currently has few options, the officials said. Feras Dalatey reports.
The Kremlin said yesterday that Russian forces would stay in Mali to help the military-led government battle insurgents. In a video message distributed yesterday, the al Qaeda affiliate, Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, said that it had captured the military base of Hombori in central Mali and taken control of two checkpoints near the Malian capital. Reuters verified that the footage showed the barracks using satellite and archive imagery from the area. Reuters reports.
Brazil’s Congress yesterday voted to override President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s veto and adopt a bill to reduce former President Jair Bolsonaro’s 27-year prison sentence. Mauricio Savarese reports for AP News.
The U.N. Security Council yesterday voted to cut the peacekeeping force in South Sudan from 17,000 to 12,000. The vote on the U.S.-drafted resolution was 13-0 with Russia and China abstaining. U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz told the council the resolution seeks to get the force “back to basics.” Edith M. Lederer reports for AP News.
The Reporters Without Borders 2026 World Press Freedom Index finds global press freedom at its lowest point in 25 years, with over half of countries now rated “difficult” or “very serious.” Anne Bocande reports for RSF.
TECH DEVELOPMENTS
In a California federal court yesterday, Elon Musk testified that his company xAI partly used distillation – training outputs from OpenAI models – to develop Grok. Tim Fernholz reports for TechCrunch.
U.S. FOREIGN AFFAIRS
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said yesterday that the billions of dollars the United States owes to the world body is “non-negotiable,” after reports this week that Washington had placed conditions on releasing the funds. Reuters reports.
“In Honor of the King and Queen of the United Kingdom…I will be removing Tariffs and Restrictions on Whiskey” from Scotland, Trump announced yesterday. Finya Swai and Daniel Desrochers report for POLITICO.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said yesterday that Mexico would carry out an independent investigation of the 10 current and former officials who have been indicted in the United States on charges of drug trafficking. The Mexican government said that the extradition request it received did not provide enough evidence to warrant arrests. Megan Janetsky and Maria Verza report for AP News.
U.S. CARIBBEAN AND PACIFIC OPERATIONS
Major U.S. oil companies Exxon Mobil and ConocoPhillips are reconsidering investments in Venezuela after years of avoidance, driven by high oil prices and new investor-friendly policies. Both companies have sent technical teams to assess projects in recent weeks. Collin Eaton, Vera Bergengruen, and Kejal Vyas report for the Wall Street Journal.
U.S. IMMIGRATION DEVELOPMENTS
Trump’s expansion of the wall along the southern border with Mexico has damaged a rare Native American archeological site in the Arizona desert, area residents said yesterday. An Interior Department staffer confirmed that the intaglio, a 200-foot-long ground etching that looks like a fish, had been damaged. Jake Spring and John Muyskens report for the Washington Post.
U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
Congress yesterday passed a six-week extension of the expiring FISA Section 702 surveillance law just before its deadline, as lawmakers remain divided over adding stronger privacy protections. Charlie Savage and Michael Gold report for the New York Times.
The House yesterday passed legislation reopening the Department of Homeland Security, ending a 76-day shutdown. Trump signed it into law shortly after the vote. The agreement with the Senate uses a two-step approach: immediate funding for most DHS operations now, followed by a separate partisan bill to boost funding for ICE and Border Patrol through reconciliation. Carl Hulse and Michael Gold report for the New York Times; Justin Green reports for Axios.
Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr yesterday denied that his decision to carry out an early review of Disney’s broadcast licences was a response to Trump’s call for Jimmy Kimmel’s firing earlier this week. “There was no pressure from the outside. There was no suggestion from the outside. There was no call for agency action from the outside,” Carr said, adding that the reason for review was the outcome of investigations into Disney’s diversity, equity, and inclusion practices. John Hendel reports for POLITICO.
Louisiana will postpone its congressional elections, officials confirmed yesterday, following the Supreme Court ruling that the current district map is unconstitutional. Early voting was set to start on Saturday for the May 16 primaries, and absentee ballots have already been mailed to overseas voters. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said that all states should consider promptly redrawing congressional districts following the ruling. Carlie Kollath Wells reports for Axios; Erin Cox reports for the Washington Post.
The Senate yesterday voted unanimously to ban senators, their staff, and other chamber officials from participating in prediction markets. Minho Kim reports for the New York Times.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ACTIONS
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has reinstated dozens of employees who lost their jobs under former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. FEMA is taking steps to “stabilize” its workforce ahead of hurricane season and the World Cup, said a FEMA spokesperson. Scott Dance reports for the New York Times.
The Trump administration released a report yesterday criticizing former President Joe Biden’s administration for anti-Christian bias through its enforcement actions against Christian universities, its Title IX gender-identity rules, and its handling of parental concerns. Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement that the Biden administration had “abused its authority by unfairly punishing Christian families and schools.” Hannah Psalma Ramirez, Isa Dominguez, and Bianca Quilantan report for POLITICO.
Trump said yesterday that he would nominate Dr Nicole Saphier, radiologist and former Fox News Channel contributor, for surgeon general, after Dr Casey Means’ nomination stalled in the Senate over concerns about her experience and stance on vaccines. Means said in an interview that her nomination fell apart after a “yearlong smear campaign against me,” which she said was an effort to impugn the MAHA movement. Ali Swenson and Meg Kinnard report for AP News.
Trump’s announcement earlier this week that he was considering withdrawing U.S. troops from Germany shocked defense officials, who scrambled to find out if the president was serious, according to three defense officials. The Pentagon “was not expecting it and has not been planning any kind of drawdown,” said a congressional aide. Jack Destch, Paul McLeary, and Stephanie Bolzen report for POLITICO.
The U.S. Air Force has agreed to buy an undisclosed number of interceptor drones from Powerus, a company backed by Trump’s sons, according to the company’s director. Annie Massa reports for Bloomberg.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION
A federal judge yesterday ruled that policies that make it harder for people from countries on Trump’s travel ban list to get green cards and work permits are likely discriminatory and unlawful. The judge issued a preliminary injunction, blocking enforcement for 22 plaintiffs and directing the parties to discuss whether the order should apply to the rest of the 200. Nata Raymond reports for Reuters.
The Trump administration filed a lawsuit yesterday against the state of New Jersey, seeking to overturn state laws that financially help undocumented immigrants attend public colleges in the state. Daniel Han reports for POLITICO.
Did you miss this? Stay up-to-date with our Litigation Tracker: Legal Challenges to Trump Administration Actions.
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