Daily News

US efforts to secure Russian agreement to a ceasefire in Ukraine appear no closer to yielding results, after US special envoy Steve Witkoff's third visit to Russia. Trump has told Putin he must bring an end to the war quickly. Witkoff's meeting with Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg on Friday was held as European leaders met to agree a huge military support package for Ukraine. Nearly $24 billion has been pledged, with Germany and UK footing the largest share. With the US and Europe now taking different approaches to end the war - can either side bring Russia to the table?

The renewal of Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza has unleashed yet more death, destruction and displacement, but Palestinians remain determined to make the world witness their plight.

A United States immigration judge has ruled that the deportation case against Mahmoud Khalil can proceed, a month after the Columbia University graduate student was detained over his involvement in pro-Palestine protests. Judge Jamee Comans made the determination on Friday at the end of a nearly two-hour hearing. Khalil can appeal the ruling.

As the US government imposed tariffs on goods from all other countries, President Donald Trump has asked Americans to “hang tough". But economists are warning of negative consequences for American households and businesses. Georgetown University professor Michael Strain, who heads economic policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, tells host Steve Clemons that “the risk of recession is very, very real.” Trump believes that the tariffs will stimulate the US economy and bring jobs back after decades of outsourcing, Strain argues, but the opposite is more likely: costs will rise, manufacturing will decrease, and Trump’s approval rating will go down.

President Donald Trump wants Iran to know that "all options are on the table" for preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons ahead of talks on Saturday between US and Iranian delegations, his press secretary told reporters on Friday. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump's "ultimate objective is to ensure that Iran can never obtain a nuclear weapon" and that Trump believes in diplomacy. "But he's made it very clear to the Iranians and his national security team will as well, that all options are on the table, and Iran has a choice to make. You can agree to President Trump's demand, or there will be all hell to pay, and that's how the president feels. He feels very strongly about it," she said.

Israel and Turkiye have been holding closed-door meetings in Azerbaijan, to work out ways to avoid direct conflict in Syria. Both have a military presence there -- and accuse each other of threatening regional security. Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes on Syria since Bashar al Assad was toppled in December, destroying military infrastructure and hardware. Turkiye says these attacks and Israel's expansion into the occupied Golan Heights are further destabilising the country. For its part, Israel has accused Ankara of trying to turn Syria into a Turkish protectorate. So, what are the two sides trying to achieve?

Many of the images that have been seen from Israel’s war in Gaza have already been seen for the last time. With Gaza under siege from the Israeli military and tech companies censoring and taking down material, the responsibility falls on the people of Gaza to document and archive their own evidence of war crimes and genocide. How will it survive?

The Trump administration has escalated US air attacks in Yemen against the Houthis. According to Yemen’s Health Ministry, these near-daily raids have killed dozens, including civilians in residential areas. While the Biden administration had already carried out a series of attacks, the Trump administration is significantly ramping up its military response. The Houthis had launched multiple attacks on shipping in the Red Sea since November 23, 2023. They claim their actions are a way to express solidarity with the Palestinians and condemn Israel’s war on Gaza. Humanitarian conditions in Yemen had already deteriorated due to its 10-year civil war between the Iran-allied Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition. This conflict has reached an impasse in recent years. So could Trump’s escalating attacks enflame regional tensions?

It’s been almost a month since Israel broke the ceasefire agreement with Hamas, launching daily strikes across Gaza that have killed more than 1,100 Palestinians. Humanitarian aid has also been blocked from entering the area by Israel for more than a month, deepening the crisis. Humanitarian workers have also been directly targeted. Since October 7, 2023, more than 400 aid workers have been killed - nearly 300 of them were staff members with the United Nations' Palestinian relief agency, UNRWA. So, what’s needed to ensure justice and accountability for the victims of war crimes? And what is the situation on the ground in Gaza?

China imposes a 125% tariff on US goods, effective April 12. This follows US President Donald Trump's announcement to raise import tariffs on Chinese products to 145%. On Wednesday, Trump also declared a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs, excluding China.