07 April 2024

Weekly Newsletter

Military & Armed Conflict

Israel said it recovered the body of a hostage from Gaza,Tel Aviv agreed to open the Erez crossing and Ashdod port for Gaza aid,and new investigations detailed Israel's alleged use of AI in the Gaza war.This comes as Joe Biden warned Benjamin Netanyahu that US policy will change unless steps are taken "to address civilian harm,"and the president expressed outrageafter seven World Central Kitchen aid workers were killed by the Israeli military in Gaza.Meanwhile, Israeli troops withdrew from Gaza's al-Shifa hospital,and Israeli strikes in Damascus killed seven high-ranking Iranian officials,while an airstrike in South Lebanon killed a Hezbollah commander.Elsewhere, Emmanuel Macron claimed that Russia will target the Paris Olympics,Putin said Russia and NATO are reaching direct conflict as the alliance turned 75,and Ukraine lowered its conscription age to 25.Meanwhile, the Myanmar opposition claimed drone attacks on the capital,a report faulted the US State Department for the Afghanistan withdrawal,North Korea tested a new alleged hypersonic missile,and a key Haitian gang leader demanded a role in peace talks.

World Politics

Presidents Biden and Xi held their first talks since January,a majority of Southeast Asians were found to favor China over the US for the first time,Microsoft claimed China plans to use AI to disrupt US and other elections,Beijing renamed 30 locations in an ongoing dispute with India,a report claimed that the Indian government ordered assassinations in Pakistan,and Pakistan's high court judges alleged they were coerced by the nation's spy agency.Meanwhile, Peru's Congress declined to impeach the president,and a Mexican mayoral candidate was killed.This comes as British Tory MP admitted giving his colleagues' numbers to online blackmailers,the UK Conservative party said it would investigate a former minister over his Israel comments,Bulgaria and Romania partially joined Europe's Schengen Area,60 Minutes and other outlets alleged a Russian tie to Havana syndrome,and Cyprus expressed concern over an increase in Syrian migrants.Elsewhere, Turkey reinstated a newly-elected pro-Kurdish mayor after protests,Turkey's opposition party won a plurality in local elections,Kuwait held its fouth election in as many years,anti-Assad Syrians protested against Jihadi rebels,and a member of Israel's war cabinet pushed for September elections.This comes as Somalia expelled the Ethiopian ambassador in a row over a strategic port,a South Africa parliament speaker was charged with corruption,the DR Congo named its first female prime minister,Senegal's top court confirmed Diomaye Faye as president-elect,and Botswana threatened to ship 20K elephants to Germany.

US Politics

The No Labels party abandoned its presidential bid,the Trump campaign and RNC raised $65.6M in March,special counsel Jack Smith criticized a judge's order in the Trump classified docs case,and Robert Kennedy Jr. claimed Biden is a much worse threat to democracy than Trump.Meanwhile, House Republicans proposed renaming DC's international airport after Trump,a judge refused to dismiss Hunter Biden's tax evasion case,and Trump posted $175M bond in his New York fraud case.

Civil Liberties

Florida's Supreme Court put abortion rights to vote,Google agreed to delete billions of incognito tracking records,the US' Transgender Visibility Day fell on Easter, and Harvard Library removed human skin from a book binding.Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch claimed Colombia and Panama are failing to protect migrants in the Darien Gap,and new Twitter Files accused Brazil's Alexandre de Moraes of leading a "sweeping" crackdown on free speech.This comes as senior doctors in England accepted a pay offer to end strikes,police said JK Rowling won't face criminal action under Scotland's new hate crime law,South Korea's president called striking doctors a cartel,and Israel moved to shut down Al Jazeera,and experienced its largest protest since Oct. 7.

Crime & Justice

New York City agreed to pay $17.5M over a hijab lawsuit,hundreds called on Missouri's governor to forgive a killer's death penalty,Sean 'Diddy' Combs' sons hired a high-profile lawyer amid a federal sex-trafficking probe,Guatemala's former military leader stood trial for genocide,and a Finland school shooting left one dead..

Business

Boeing's CEO lost millions in pay,McDonald's announced plans to buy back Israeli restaurants,Google is reportedly considering charging for a premium search engine,and Tesla's production reportedly decreased in Q1 of this year.Meanwhile, Donald Trump sued Truth Social's co-founders,after shares in Trump Media dropped following an SEC filing.

Health

Bird flu was detected in US dairy cows for the first time.

Accidents

Dozens were killed in an Istanbul nightclub fire,and a temporary maritime channel was announced in the Port of Baltimore following last week's bridge collapse..

Money & Economy

US job growth spiked as unemployment dipped to 3.8%,and the UK raised its minimum wage by 9.8%.

Weather & Environment

An earthquake rattled the northeastern US,at least nine were killed after a separate quake struck Taiwan,Tennessee passed a law banning geoengineering,and 80% of CO2 emissions were found to be linked to just 57 companies.

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