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Trump Issues New Threat After Harvard Refuses U.S. Demands

By
Team StratNews;
-

President Donald Trump on Tuesday warned that Harvard could lose its tax-exempt status and demanded an apology, following the university’s refusal to comply with what it described as illegal demands to overhaul its academic programs or risk losing federal grants.

Beginning with Columbia University, the Trump administration has rebuked universities across the country over their handling of the pro-Palestinian student protest movement that roiled campuses last year following the 2023 Hamas-led attack inside Israel and the subsequent Israeli attacks on Gaza.

Trump has called the protests anti-American and antisemitic, accused universities of peddling Marxism and “radical left” ideology, and promised to end federal grants and contracts to universities that do not agree to his administration’s demands.

Trump said in a social media post on Tuesday he was mulling whether to seek to end Harvard’s tax-exempt status if it continued pushing what he called “political, ideological, and terrorist inspired/supporting ‘Sickness?'”

He did not say how he would do this. Under the U.S. tax code, most universities are exempt from federal income tax because they are deemed to be “operated exclusively” for public educational purposes.

Harvard Accused Of Violating Civil Rights Act

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Trump wanted to see Harvard apologize for what she called “antisemitism that took place on their college campus against Jewish American students.”

She accused Harvard and other schools of violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination by recipients of federal funding based on race or national origin.

Under Title VI, federal funds can be terminated only after a lengthy investigation and hearings as well as a 30-day notice to Congress, which has not happened at Columbia or Harvard.

Some professors and students have said the protests are being unfairly conflated with antisemitism as a pretext for an unconstitutional attack on academic freedoms.

Columbia, a private school in New York City, agreed to negotiations over demands to tighten its protest rules after the Trump administration said last month it had terminated grants and contracts worth $400 million, mostly for medical and other scientific research.

Trump’s Demands ‘Unprecedented’

Harvard President Alan Garber in a letter on Monday said demands the Trump administration made of the Massachusetts university, including an audit to ensure the “viewpoint diversity” of its students and faculty and an end to diversity, equity and inclusion programs, were unprecedented “assertions of power, unmoored from the law” that violated constitutional free speech and the Civil Rights Act.

Like Columbia, he said Harvard had worked to fight antisemitism and other prejudice on its campus while preserving academic freedoms and the right to protest.

Hours after Garber’s letter, the Trump administration’s Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism said it was freezing more than $2 billion in contracts and grants to Harvard, the country’s oldest and richest university. The administration did not respond to questions about which grants and contracts had been cut, and Harvard did not respond to a request for comment.

Some Columbia professors have sued the Trump administration, saying the grant terminations violated Title VI and their constitutional speech and due process rights. A federal judge in New York ordered the Trump administration to reply by May 1.

After reading the Harvard president’s letter, Columbia’s interim president, Claire Shipman, said in a statement on Monday night that Columbia will continue “good faith discussions” and “constructive dialog” with the U.S. Justice Department’s antisemitism task force.

“We would reject any agreement in which the government dictates what we teach, research, or who we hire,” she wrote.

Support From Other Schools

A few of Harvard’s peer institutions lent support on Tuesday to the school’s stand against the Trump administration.

“Princeton stands with Harvard,” Princeton University President Christopher Eisgruber wrote on social media, encouraging people to read the Harvard president’s rebuke of the government’s demands.

Stanford University President Jonathan Levin and Provost Jenny Martinez said in a statement they fully backed Harvard.

“Harvard’s objections to the letter it received are rooted in the American tradition of liberty, a tradition essential to our country’s universities, and worth defending,” the pair wrote.

They added that while universities need to “address legitimate concerns with humility and openness” it’s clear that “the way to bring about constructive change is not by destroying the nation’s capacity for scientific research…”

On Monday, a group of U.S. universities, including Princeton and the University of Illinois, sued the Department of Energy over steep cuts to federal research funding in areas like advanced nuclear technology, cybersecurity and novel radioactive drugs.

Trump, who took office on January 20, faces court challenges to his immigration policies and pushback from state attorneys general against his firing of government workers and suspension of trillions of dollars in federal grants, loans and financial support.

(With inputs from Reuters)

Jaishankar Slams Pakistan’s ‘Double Game’ With Taliban, Says Terror Backfired

By
Team StratNews;
-
India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar speaking at an event organised by Charotar University of Science and Technology. Photo: x.com/DrSJaishankar

Pakistan found itself ensnared in its own web of duplicity after attempting to play both sides with the Taliban, only to be betrayed, India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said on Tuesday.

Speaking on Pakistan’s involvement in Afghanistan, he remarked that the country lost its way by nurturing terrorism, and is now paying the price for the very forces it helped create.

“Pakistan was playing a double game. It was with both the Taliban and also with the other side. But, when the Americans left, the double game could not be sustained,” Jaishankar said while speaking at the Charotar University of Science and Technology in Gujarat.

“Whatever benefits they were getting out of the double game, that also went down (after the US left Afghanistan). Moreover, the very terrorism industry they (Pakistan) had promoted came back to bite them,” India’s External Affairs Minister added.

Mumbai Attacks, A ‘Turning Point’

Jaishankar identified the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks as the “turning point” that caused India-Pakistan relations to deteriorate sharply, marking a downward spiral from which ties have never recovered.

“Indians collectively felt that such behaviour from a neighbouring country could no longer be tolerated,” he said, adding, “That feeling was very very strong in Indian society, but it may not have been entirely understood at that time by the Government at that time, which is a different matter.”

Emphasising the difference in the trajectories of the two countries over the past decade, Jaishankar said India has transformed, while Pakistan hasn’t let go of their “bad habits”.

“After 2014, when the government changed in India, Pakistan was given a firm message that there will be consequences if acts of terrorism are committed,” Jaishankar said.

“During this period, we (India) have grown economically and politically, and our standing in the world has improved. But, Pakistan continued the old playbook,” the lawmaker added.

Unworthy Of India’s ‘Precious Time’

Jaishankar noted that India has moved far ahead, adding that there’s no reason for Indians to “waste their precious time” thinking about Pakistan.

The Foreign Minister’s remarks come just days after the United States extradited 26/11 Mumbai terror attack plotter Tahawwur Rana to India. The two nations share a special and privileged strategic partnership, marked by close cooperation in intelligence sharing and counter-terrorism efforts.

Following Rana’s extradition, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had said, “We extradited Tahawwur Hussain Rana to India to face charges for his role in planning the horrific 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks. Together, with India, we’ve long sought justice for the 166 people, including 6 Americans, who lost their lives in these attacks. I’m glad that day has come.”

Replying to it, Jaishankar had said, “Appreciate the counter-terrorism cooperation between our two countries. This is indeed a big step in ensuring justice for the victims of 26/11 attacks.”

Trump Admin To Remove Wire Services From Press Pool

By
Team StratNews;
-
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks to members of the media, in the briefing room at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 11, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Mohatt/File Photo

The White House said Tuesday it will remove wire services like Reuters and Bloomberg from their permanent spots in the small press pool covering President Trump, tightening control over who can question him and report in real time.

The decision comes after the Trump administration last week lost a court challenge brought by another wire service, the Associated Press, over its earlier exclusion from the press pool.

The pool typically consists of around 10 outlets that follow the president wherever he goes, whether it is a meeting in the Oval Office where he makes statements or answers questions, or trips at home or abroad.

Part Of Larger Rotation

Under the new policy, wire services will lose their customary spot in the pool and will instead be part of a larger rotation with about 30 other newspaper and print outlets.

Given their mission to deliver real-time information to other news organizations and readers, wire services tend to cover the president and the White House more closely on a daily basis than most outlets.

Other media customers, particularly local news organizations that have no presence in Washington, rely on the wires for up-to-date reporting, video and audio.

Financial markets are also dependent on the wire services’ real-time reports of statements the president makes.

Grave Disservice To American People

“Reuters news coverage reaches billions of people each day, mostly through the thousands of news organizations around the world that subscribe to Reuters services,” a Reuters spokesperson said. “It is essential to democracy that the public have access to independent, impartial and accurate news about their government. Any steps by the U.S. government to limit access to the president threatens that principle, both for the public and the world’s media.”

Reuters remains committed to covering the White House in an impartial, accurate and independent way, the spokesperson added.

AP said the administration’s actions were a grave disservice to the American people.

“We are deeply disappointed that the administration has chosen to restrict the access of all wire services, whose fast and accurate White House coverage informs billions of people every single day, rather than reinstate The Associated Press to the wire pool,” spokesperson Lauren Easton said in a statement to Reuters.

Bloomberg did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

WH To Determine Privilege, Access

Until the current administration, the three wire services – AP, Bloomberg and Reuters – were all standard members of the pool. But the White House barred AP in February after it refused to refer to the body of water south of the United States as the “Gulf of America” as Trump had ordered it be called.

After shutting out the AP, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said her team would determine “who gets to enjoy the very privileged and limited access in spaces such as Air Force One and the Oval Office.” Up until then those places had been decided by the White House Correspondents’ Association, an organization made up of journalists who cover the White House and the president.

According to guidance provided to Reuters by a White House official on Tuesday, Leavitt will have the discretion to determine the members of the pool on a daily basis “to ensure that the president’s message reaches targeted audiences and that outlets with applicable subject-matter expertise are present as events warrant.”

The official said outlets will be eligible to be included in the pool “irrespective of the substantive viewpoint expressed by an outlet”.

Last week, a federal judge in Washington ordered the administration to allow AP journalists to attend events open to similar types of news organizations in the Oval Office and on Air Force One, as well as larger spaces in the White House while its lawsuit moves forward.

The judge found Trump’s White House retaliated against the AP over its editorial choices, violating protections for free speech under the U.S. Constitution. The White House is appealing the ruling.

(With inputs from Reuters)

Trump Tariffs Cast Shadow Over China’s Solid Q1 GDP

By
Team StratNews;
-

China’s gross domestic product (GDP) outpaced expectations in the first quarter, driven by strong consumption and industrial output, even as looming U.S. tariffs threaten its growth outlook, which analysts say could be its biggest challenge in decades.

President Donald Trump has ratcheted up tariffs on Chinese goods to eye-watering levels, prompting Beijing to slap retaliatory duties on U.S. imports in an intensifying trade war between the world’s two biggest economies that markets fear will lead to a global recession.

Data on Wednesday showed China’s GDP grew 5.4% in the January-March quarter from a year earlier, unchanged from the fourth quarter, but beat analysts expectations in a Reuters poll for a rise of 5.1%.

The outlook is expected to dim, however, as Washington’s tariff shock hits the crucial export engine, heaping pressure on Chinese leaders as they try to keep the world’s second-largest economy on an even keel and prevent mass job losses.

‘Bigger Tariff Challenges Ahead’

A string of recent data has pointed to an uneven economic recovery, with bank lending beating expectations and factory activity picking up speed. But higher unemployment and persistent deflationary pressures are fuelling concerns over weak demand.

Moreover, analysts say a surge in China’s March exports – driven by factories rushing shipments to beat the latest Trump tariffs – will reverse sharply in the months ahead as the hefty U.S. levies take effect.

“Before the tariff storms hit, China’s GDP growth likely eased but remained solid, thanks to the recovery in domestic demand,” analysts at Societe Generale said in a note.

“Overall, the GDP report should show that stimulus is working, but the support will not stop here with bigger tariff challenges ahead. The policy put is on.”

‘A Joke’

While several other countries have been swept up in U.S. tariffs, Trump has targeted China for the biggest levies.

Last week, Trump lifted duties on China to 145%, prompting Beijing to jack up levies on U.S. goods to 125% and dismissing U.S. trade actions as “a joke”.

Metrics

On a quarterly basis, the economy expanded 1.2% in the first quarter, slowing from 1.6% in October-December.

Retail sales, a key gauge of consumption, rose 5.9% year-on-year in March after gaining 4.0% in January-February, while factory output growth quickened to 7.7% from 5.9% in the first two months. Both numbers topped analysts’ forecasts.

For 2025, the economy is expected to grow at a subdued 4.5% pace year-on-year, the Reuters poll showed, slowing from last year’s 5.0 pace and falling short of the official target of around 5.0%.

UBS has downgraded its forecast on China’s 2025 growth to 3.4% from 4%, on the assumption that Sino-U.S. tariff hikes will remain in place and that Beijing will roll out additional stimulus.

“We think the tariff shock poses unprecedented challenges to China’s exports and will set forth major adjustment in the domestic economy as well,” analysts at UBS said in a note.

Ample Room For Stimulus

Policymakers have repeatedly said the country has ample room and tools to bolster the economy and premier Li Qiang this month pledged to roll out more support measures.

Beijing has put boosting consumption as the top priority this year as they try to cushion the impact of the Trump administration’s tariffs on its trade sector.

The Politburo, a top decision-making body of the ruling Communist Party, is expected to hold a meeting later this month to set its policy agenda for the coming months.

In March, China unveiled fiscal measures, including a rise in its annual budget deficit. Officials have flagged more fiscal and monetary stimulus to cope with rising headwinds. That followed a blitz of monetary easing steps late last year.

Earlier this month, Fitch downgraded China’s sovereign credit rating, citing rapidly rising government debt and risks to public finances, suggesting a tricky balancing act for policymakers seeking to expand consumption to guard against a trade downturn.

(With inputs from Reuters)

Trump Policies Drive Surge In U.S. Student Interest In Canada

By
Team StratNews;
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Family members take photographs at the entrance of the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada April 14, 2025. REUTERS/Chris Helgren

Amid U.S. funding cuts and visa restrictions under President Donald Trump, more students in the U.S. are applying to or showing interest in Canadian universities.

Officials at the University of British Columbia’s Vancouver campus said the school reported a 27% jump in graduate applications as of March 1 from U.S. citizens for programs starting in the 2025 academic year, compared to all of 2024.

In response to rising demand for graduate-level programs, UBC Vancouver briefly reopened admissions to U.S. citizens for several graduate programs this week with plans to fast-track applications from American students hoping to begin studies in September.

University of Toronto, Canada’s largest university by number of students, also reported more U.S. applications by its January deadline for 2025 programs, while a University of Waterloo spokesperson reported an increase in U.S. visitors to campus and more web traffic originating from the United States since September.

The universities in Toronto and Waterloo did not cite the reasons for the increase in interest, while the UBC’s Vancouver campus attributed the rise to the Trump administration’s policies.

Deportation, Curbing Free Speech

The administration has frozen hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding for numerous universities, pressing them to make policy changes and citing what it says is a failure to fight antisemitism on campus.

It has begun deportation proceedings against some detained foreign students who took part in pro-Palestinian demonstrations, while visas for hundreds of other students have been canceled – actions that have raised concerns about speech and academic freedoms in the U.S.

Fewer Spots Amid Cap

At the same time, Canada has capped the number of international students allowed to enter the country for the second year in a row, meaning there may be fewer spots for U.S. and other international students.

Canada’s immigration ministry said it expects learning institutions to only accept the number of students they can support, including providing housing options. Provinces and territories are responsible for distributing spaces under the cap, the ministry said.

U.S. Crackdown

Gage Averill, UBC Vancouver’s provost and vice president of academics, attributed the spike in U.S. applications to the Trump administration abruptly revoking visas of foreign students and increased scrutiny of their social media activity.

“That, as a result, and especially as a result of the very recent crackdown on visas in the United States for international students, and now the development of a center that’s reading foreign students’ social media accounts,” Averill said.

‘Meaningful Increase’

The University of Toronto, considered an alternative to U.S. Ivy League schools, is seeing a “meaningful increase” in applications from those living or studying in the U.S. over previous years, the university said in a statement.

University of Waterloo, which is known for its technical graduate programs and churns out top-notch engineering talent, said some faculties, including engineering, have seen increased interest and applications from students in the U.S.

“We have seen an increase in U.S. visitors to the UW Visitors Centre on campus, and web traffic that originates in the U.S. has increased by 15% since September 2024,” a University of Waterloo spokesperson said.

It did not specify whether these students were foreign students studying in the U.S. or American citizens.

Averill said UBC has seen only a modest 2% increase in undergraduate applications for this year’s programs, which closed around the time of Trump’s inauguration. However, interest appears to be growing, with campus tour requests from U.S. students up by 20%.

‘Concerned About Sister Institutions’

“We were concerned about the United States universities, our sister institutions in the U.S., who are under enormous pressure right now,” said Averill, referring in particular to the Trump administration’s efforts to withhold funds from universities that continue with diversity and equity initiatives or study climate science.

According to UBC’s annual report, the United States ranks as one of the top three countries for international student enrollment. Currently, about 1,500 U.S. students are enrolled in both graduate and undergraduate programs at the university’s two campuses.

(With inputs from Reuters)

South Korea, U.S. To Hold Trade Talks Amid Tariff Tensions

By
Team StratNews;
-

South Korea’s Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok will meet U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent next week to discuss trade issues during a U.S. visit initiated at Bessent’s invitation, Seoul’s ministry said on Wednesday.

Choi was expected to attend a meeting of G20 finance ministers on the sidelines of the spring International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings in Washington.

‘First Mover Advantage’

Bessent has said the U.S. was in talks with a handful of countries, including South Korea and Japan, on tariffs announced by President Donald Trump and that there was a “first mover advantage” especially for allies that could have “an agreement in principle” soon.

South Korea, under acting President Han Duck-soo, has engaged actively with senior Trump administration officials with the goal of lowering the 25% reciprocal tariff Trump has announced for the country, which he has since paused along with other high tariffs slapped on a string of countries.

Choi said on Tuesday that it was a priority for South Korea to minimise any adverse impact on businesses from the trade-reliant country and that talks would initially focus on delaying the implementation of the duties in talks with Washington.

Trump Admin Reviewing Proposals

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said this week that there were more than 15 proposals that the U.S. administration is reviewing and that some deals could be happening soon.

The U.S. Treasury Department suggested that Choi discuss trade-related issues with Bessent on the sidelines of a G20 meeting, South Korea’s finance ministry said in a statement.

The tariff shock comes as South Korea prepares to pick a new president in a snap election on June 3, after Yoon Suk Yeol was ousted this month over his short-lived martial law declaration.

While the power vacuum has raised questions about the mandate of acting President Han Duck-soo and the direction of its response to Trump’s sweeping tariffs, Han’s government has engaged with top U.S. administration officials.

Han spoke to Trump last week in a phone call, while South Korea’s top trade envoy met U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to discuss lowering tariffs.

(With inputs from Reuters)

U.S. Targets China In New Critical Minerals Tariff Probe

By
Team StratNews;
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Workers transport soil containing rare earth elements for export at a port in Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, China October 31, 2010. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo

On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump called for an investigation into the possibility of imposing new tariffs on all imports of critical minerals, significantly intensifying tensions with global trade partners and targeting China, the leading force in the industry.

The order lays bare what manufacturers, industry consultants, academics and others have long warned Washington about: that the U.S. is overly reliant on Beijing and others for processed versions of the minerals that power its entire economy.

Lutnick To Start Probe

Trump signed an order at the White House directing Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to start a national security probe under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. That is the same law Trump used in his first term to impose 25% global tariffs on steel and aluminum and one he used in February to launch a probe into potential copper tariffs.

Market dynamics for all critical minerals – including cobalt, nickel and the 17 rare earths – will be studied for potential tariffs, according to the order, which added uranium and any other elements that U.S. federal officials deem necessary.

The U.S. currently extracts and processes scant amounts of lithium, has only one nickel mine but no nickel smelter, and has no cobalt mine or refinery. While it has multiple copper mines, the U.S. has only two copper smelters and is reliant on other nations to process that key red metal.

‘Risks To National Security’

“The dependence of the United States on imports and the vulnerability of our supply chains raises the potential for risks to national security, defense readiness, price stability, and economic prosperity and resilience,” Trump said in the order.

China’s Export Restrictions

Beijing earlier this month placed export restrictions on rare earths in response to Trump’s recent broad tariffs. Rare earths are a group of 17 elements used across the defense, electric vehicle, energy and electronics industries. The United States has only one rare earths mine and most of its processed supply comes from China.

Those restrictions from China were seen as the latest demonstration of the country’s ability to weaponize its dominance over the mining and processing of critical minerals after it put outright bans on the export of three other metals last year to the U.S. and slapped export controls on others.

Chinese mining companies across the globe have been flooding markets with cheap supplies of many critical minerals in recent years, fueling calls from industry and investors for action from Washington to support U.S. projects.

(With inputs from Reuters)

NATO Chief Visits Odesa, Vows ‘Unwavering’ Support For Ukraine

By
Team StratNews;
-

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte visited the southern Ukrainian city of Odesa on Tuesday alongside President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, pledging “unwavering” support for Ukraine following a deadly Russian strike in the country’s north.

Rutte’s visit came two days after Russian ballistic missile strikes on the city of Sumy on Sunday killed 35 people and wounded more than 100, according to Ukrainian officials.

The trip took place as the United States – NATO’s dominant power – is seeking to broker a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, and it followed fresh criticism of Zelenskyy by U.S. President Donald Trump.

NATO ‘Strongly Behind Ukraine’

Rutte said the 32-member alliance was still strongly behind Kyiv, even as it also supported Trump’s peace initiative.

“NATO stands with Ukraine,” Rutte said at a press conference with Zelenskyy. “You and I know that this has been true all along. I also know that some have called NATO’s support into question in the last couple of months. But let there be no doubt: Our support is unwavering.”

Rutte said he and Zelenskyy discussed the talks that the Trump administration was holding with both Russia and Ukraine.

“These discussions are not easy – not least in the wake of this horrific violence – but we all support President Trump’s push for peace,” he said.

Trump has accused Zelenskyy of starting the war, which began when Russian forces invaded Ukraine in February 2022. But Rutte said there was “no doubt” Moscow had started the conflict.

“Russia is the aggressor, Russia started this war. There’s no doubt,” he said.

Strengthening Air Defence

Zelenskyy said the main focus of the talks was strengthening Ukraine’s air defence.

“Absolutely everyone sees how urgent Ukraine’s need is for air defence systems and missiles for them,” he said on X, mentioning Patriot systems, made mainly by U.S. defence companies Raytheon and Lockheed Martin.

“Patriot systems are defensive weapons, and we’re not just asking for Patriots — we are ready to purchase them,” Zelenskyy said.

“This is a purely political matter — the systems are available in the world, the missiles for the Patriots are also available, and whether we will have sufficient protection from Russian ballistic strikes depends entirely on political decisions.”

Zelenskyy and Rutte visited a hospital where Ukrainian soldiers were recovering from their wounds.

Rutte also visited neighbouring Moldova to discuss regional security, President Maia Sandu said.

(With inputs from Reuters)

Judge Says No Evidence Trump Tried To Return Wrongly Deported Man

By
Team StratNews;
-

A U.S. judge said on Tuesday there was no evidence the Trump administration had attempted to bring back a man it wrongly deported to El Salvador, but declined—for now—to hold the government in contempt of court.

At a hearing to consider her next steps on what she called the Trump administration’s failure to update her on efforts to return Kilmar Abrego Garcia, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis said the administration had not given her any information of value about what it had done.

‘No Tolerance For Gamesmanship’

“There will be no tolerance for gamesmanship or grandstanding,” Xinis said at a hearing in Greenbelt, Maryland. “To date, what the record shows is that nothing has been done. Nothing.”

Xinis said she would require the Trump administration to produce documents and have officials sit for depositions by April 23 to explain steps they have taken to secure Abrego Garcia’s return.

The case is one of several that have sparked concerns among Democrats and some legal analysts that Republican President Donald Trump’s administration is willing to disregard the judiciary, an independent and equal branch of government.

Trump Blasts Judicial Overreach

The Trump administration has accused the judiciary of overstepping and interfering with the executive branch’s ability to conduct foreign policy.

Before the hearing, a crowd of protesters outside the courthouse chanted “Bring Kilmar home,” as they listened to his wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, urge the U.S. and El Salvador to return him.

“I find myself pleading with the Trump administration and the Bukele administration to stop playing political games with the life of Kilmar,” Vasquez Sura said.

Salvadoran Prez Refuses To Return

During a meeting with Trump at the White House on Monday, El Salvador President Nayib Bukele told reporters at the White House he did not have the power to return Abrego Garcia to the U.S.

“The question is preposterous. How can I smuggle a terrorist into the United States?” Bukele said.

At the hearing, government lawyer Drew Ensign cited Bukele’s comments, saying “ascertaining the position” of the Salvadoran government was “an important part of compliance” with Xinis’ order.

Ensign said the administration interpreted Xinis’ order to “facilitate” Abrego Garcia’s return to mean they should remove any U.S. barriers to his return to the United States.

He said the administration had done that by having an official assertion in a court filing earlier in the day that if Abrego Garcia were to show up at a port of entry or a U.S. embassy, he would be allowed into the United States and then immediately taken back into custody.

Xinis said that the interpretation of the meaning of ‘facilitate’ is contrary to “the plain meaning of the word.”

U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, a Democrat, said in a statement on Monday that if Abrego Garcia was not home by “midweek,” he would travel to El Salvador to discuss his release.

Xinis on April 4 ordered the administration to “facilitate and effectuate” Abrego Garcia’s return from El Salvador, where he is being housed in a high-security mega-prison known as the Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT.

Court Questions ‘Effectuate’ Order

The U.S. Supreme Court last week upheld that order following a challenge by the Trump administration, but said the term “effectuate” was unclear and might exceed the court’s authority. Xinis then ordered the Trump administration to offer a timeline for returning Abrego Garcia to the U.S.

Trump has said his administration would bring the man back if the Supreme Court directed it to.

(With inputs from Reuters)

Musk’s DOGE Allegedly Behind Cybersecurity Breach At US Labour Watchdog

By
Team StratNews;
-

A whistleblower complaint alleges that Elon Musk’s team of technologists may have caused a “significant cybersecurity breach”, potentially involving sensitive case files, at the U.S. federal labour watchdog.

The complaint, addressed to Republican Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton and his Democratic counterpart Mark Warner and made public Tuesday by the group Whistleblower Aid, draws on the testimony of Daniel Berulis, an information technology staffer at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

NLRB

The NLRB, a New Deal-era agency that is tasked with protecting workers’ rights to organise and join unions, has for years been a target of America’s corporate titans – including Musk – some of whom are now seeking to have the agency’s powers declared unconstitutional.

In an affidavit, Berulis said he had evidence that DOGE staffers were given extraordinarily sweeping access to the NLRB’s systems, which house sensitive case files. He said that beginning in early March, logging protocols created to audit users appeared to have been tampered with, and that he had detected the removal of about 10 gigabytes worth of data from NLRB’s network sometime thereafter.

Berulis told Reuters in an interview Tuesday that the data in question includes proprietary business information from competitors, union organisations and unfair labour practice respondents and their claims, including private affidavits.

“That kind of spike is extremely unusual because data almost never directly leaves NLRB’s databases,” Berulis said in his affidavit.

A spokesperson for Musk’s team – officially known as U.S. DOGE Service – didn’t immediately return a message seeking comment.

A message left with the NLRB also wasn’t immediately returned, although NPR, which first reported the story, quoted an NLRB spokesperson as disputing Berulis’ claims and saying there had been no breach. Cotton and Warner didn’t immediately return messages seeking comment.

Russian IP Address

Berulis alleged in the affidavit that there were attempted logins to NLRB systems from an IP address in Russia in the days after DOGE accessed the systems. He told Reuters Tuesday that the attempted logins apparently included correct username and password combinations but were rejected by location-related conditional access policies.

Berulis’ affidavit said that an effort by him and his colleague to formally investigate and alert the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) was disrupted by higher-ups without explanation.

As he and his colleagues prepared to pass information they’d gathered to CISA, he received a threatening note taped to the door of his home with photographs of him walking in his neighbourhood taken via drone, Andrew Bakaj, Whistleblower Aid’s chief legal counsel, said in his submission to Cotton and Warner.

“Unlike any other time previously, there is this fear to speak out because of reprisal,” Berulis told Reuters. “We’re seeing data that is traditionally safeguarded with the highest standards in the United States government being taken and the people that do try to stop it from happening, the people that are saying no, they’re being removed one by one.”

Bakaj declined to share the note with Reuters on Tuesday. The FBI declined to comment.

A message left with CISA wasn’t immediately returned.

(With inputs from Reuters)

Lawyers Accuse El Salvador Of Denying Access To Detained Venezuelans

By
Team StratNews;
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Salvadoran police officers escort an alleged gang member who was deported by the U.S. along with others the U.S. alleges are members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and the MS-13 gang to be imprisoned in the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) prison, at the El Salvador International Airport in San Luis Talpa, El Salvador April 12, 2025. Secretaria de Prensa de la Presidencia/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

Lawyers contesting the detention of over 200 Venezuelans deported by the United States say El Salvador is blocking the detainees from accessing legal counsel and communicating with the outside world.

Under an agreement with the government of El Salvador, President Donald Trump’s administration in March sent 238 Venezuelans to its Terrorism Confinement Center, the largest prison in Latin America, as part of a crackdown on immigration.

The lawyers said they have not been able to visit, speak to or learn about the whereabouts and conditions of their clients, whose identities they have gleaned through leaked information.

El Salvador’s presidency did not immediately respond to requests for comment. President Nayib Bukele visited the White House on Monday.

Writs Filed

Private attorneys, some recruited by the Venezuelan government and all paid for by families, have filed writs of habeas corpus at El Salvador’s supreme court, seeking to compel the government to justify the deported Venezuelans’ detention or release them.

Law firm Grupo Ortega, which represents at least 30 of the Venezuelan deportees, has received no response to any of those petitions, said general director Jaime Ortega.

“None of these people have committed a crime in El Salvador,” Ortega told Reuters. “If they are foreigners and people who have lived in other countries, why have they come here directly to a penitentiary centre?”

Lack Of Independent Judiciary

Rights groups and foreign governments, including the United States, have for years said El Salvador lacks an independent judiciary, and the supreme court has not taken any steps to consider the habeas corpus petitions to date.

Human Rights Watch on Friday said there is no official list of the detained Venezuelans, and relatives have not received responses to requests for information on their location from Salvadoran and U.S. authorities.

The rights group called on the Salvadoran government to confirm who is being held and where, reveal any legal basis for their detention and allow them contact with the outside world.

Habeas Corpus Claims

Salvadoran human rights group Cristosal is preparing habeas corpus claims for more than 100 Venezuelans, but Director Noah Bullock is not optimistic about the outcome.

The group has filed over 7,200 unanswered habeas corpus claims for Salvadorans arrested under Bukele.

Bukele came to power in 2019 on promises he would combat the country’s notorious gangs and crime rate. Since then, his party has acted in Congress to remove the attorney general and all five Supreme Court judges, replacing them with loyalists.

The president declared a state of emergency about two years ago that he said was needed to implement the crackdown. Salvadoran authorities have since detained around 2% of the adult population, and the homicide rate has dropped significantly.

The moves have drawn widespread criticism, including by the United States, over the suspension of constitutional rights like due process and the right to a lawyer, as well as over reports of arbitrary detention, torture and death.

(With inputs from Reuters)

Pentagon Leak Probe: Top Hegseth Adviser Dan Caldwell Placed On Leave

By
Team StratNews;
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Dan Caldwell, a top adviser to United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, was escorted from the Pentagon on Tuesday after being identified in a Department of Defense leak investigation, a U.S. official said.

Caldwell was placed on administrative leave for “an unauthorised disclosure,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The decision has not been previously reported.

“The investigation remains ongoing,” the official said without providing details about the nature of the alleged disclosure, including whether it was made to a journalist or to someone else.

President Donald Trump’s administration has moved to aggressively pursue leaks, an effort that has been enthusiastically embraced by Hegseth at the Pentagon.

Probe Into ‘Unauthorised Disclosures’

A March 21 memo signed by Hegseth’s chief of staff, Joe Kasper, requested an investigation into “recent unauthorised disclosures of national security information involving sensitive communications.”

Kasper’s memo left open the possibility of a polygraph, although it was unclear if Caldwell was subjected to one.

Although Caldwell is not as well known as other senior Pentagon officials, he has played a critical role as an adviser to Hegseth.

His importance was underscored in a leaked text chain on Signal disclosed by The Atlantic last month.

Dan Caldwell

In it, Hegseth named Caldwell as the best staff point of contact for the National Security Council as it prepared for the launch of strikes against the Houthis in Yemen.

Caldwell had drawn attention in Washington for past views that critics have called isolationist, but which advocates said sought to right-size America’s defence priorities.

A Marine Corps veteran who deployed to Iraq, Caldwell was quoted as saying before going to the Pentagon that America would have been better off if U.S. troops had just stayed home.

“I think the Iraq war was a monstrous crime,” Caldwell told the Financial Times in December 2024.

He was also a sceptic of U.S. military assistance to Ukraine and advocated for U.S. retrenchment from Europe.

The decision to put Caldwell on administrative leave is separate from a wave of firings since Hegseth, a former Fox News host and combat veteran, took over the Pentagon in January.

Those firings of top brass included the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the top admiral in the Navy, the head of U.S. Cyber Command and the top U.S. military lawyers. Reuters was first to report last week the firing of the U.S. military representative to the NATO Military Committee.

(With inputs from Reuters)

Harvard Refuses Trump’s Demands, Faces $2.3 Billion Funding Freeze

By
Team StratNews;
-

Harvard University on Monday rejected several demands from the Trump administration, saying they would give the conservative government too much control. The administration has accused universities of promoting leftist ideologies.

Within hours of Harvard taking its stand, the administration of President Donald Trump announced it was freezing $2.3 billion in federal funding to the school.

The funding freeze comes after the Trump administration said last month it was reviewing $9 billion in federal contracts and grants to Harvard as part of a crackdown on what it says is antisemitism that erupted on college campuses during pro-Palestinian protests in the past 18 months.

On Monday, a Department of Education task force on combating antisemitism accused America’s oldest university of having a “troubling entitlement mindset that is endemic in our nation’s most prestigious universities and colleges – that federal investment does not come with the responsibility to uphold civil rights laws.”

The exchange escalates the high-stakes dispute between the the Trump administration and some of the world’s richest universities that has raised concerns about speech and academic freedoms.

The administration has frozen hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding for numerous universities, pressing the institutions to make policy changes and citing what it says is a failure to fight antisemitism on campus.

Deportation proceedings have begun against some detained foreign students who took part in pro-Palestinian demonstrations, while visas for hundreds of other students have been canceled.

Alan Garber Criticises Trump’s Demands

Harvard President Alan Garber wrote in a public letter on Monday that demands made by the Department of Education last week would allow the federal government “to control the Harvard community” and threaten the school’s “values as a private institution devoted to the pursuit, production, and dissemination of knowledge.”

“No government – regardless of which party is in power – should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue,” Garber wrote.

The issue of antisemitism on campus erupted before Trump took office for his second term, following pro-Palestinian student protests last year at several universities following the 2023 Hamas attack inside Israel and the subsequent Israeli attacks on Gaza.

White House spokesman Harrison Fields said in a statement on Monday that Trump was “working to Make Higher Education Great Again by ending unchecked anti-Semitism and ensuring federal taxpayer dollars do not fund Harvard’s support of dangerous racial discrimination or racially motivated violence.”

In a letter on Friday, the education department stated that Harvard had “failed to live up to both the intellectual and civil rights conditions that justify federal investment.”

The department demanded that Harvard, work to reduce the influence of faculty, staff and students who are “more committed to activism than scholarship” and have an external panel audit the faculty and students of each department to ensure “viewpoint diversity.”

The letter also stated that Harvard, by this August, must only hire faculty and admit students based on merit and cease all preferences based on race, color or national origin. The university must also screen international students “to prevent admitting students hostile to American values” and report to federal immigration authorities foreign students who violate conduct rules.

Professors Block Review Of Funds

Last week, a group of Harvard professors sued to block the Trump administration’s review of nearly $9 billion in federal contracts and grants awarded to the school.

The Trump administration is reportedly considering forcing fellow Ivy League school Columbia into a consent decree that would legally bind the school to follow federal guidelines in how it combats antisemitism. Some Columbia professors, like those at Harvard, have sued the federal government in response. The government has suspended $400 million in federal funding and grants to Columbia.

Harvard President Garber said the federal government’s demands that it “audit” the viewpoints of its students, faculty and staff to ferret out left-wing thinkers generally opposed to the Trump administration clearly violated the university’s First Amendment rights to freedom of speech.

“The University will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights,” Garber wrote.

He added that while Harvard is taking steps to address antisemitism on campus, “these ends will not be achieved by assertions of power, unmoored from the law, to control teaching and learning at Harvard and to dictate how we operate.”

Harvard agreed in January to provide additional protections for Jewish students under a settlement resolving two lawsuits accusing the Ivy League school of becoming a hotbed of antisemitism.

To ease any funding crunch created by any cutoff in federal funding, Harvard is working to borrow $750 million from Wall Street.

(With inputs from Reuters)

China Says It Wants To Focus On Building Trade Ties Amid U.S. Disputes

By
Team StratNews;
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China is widening its global trade partnerships by “tearing down walls” and promoting cooperation over conflict, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday, focussing on diplomacy as trade tensions with the United States intensify.

President Donald Trump has added an eye-watering 145% of tariffs on Chinese goods this year as part of broader reciprocal duties on all U.S. trading partners. That prompted ridicule and criticism from Beijing, which retaliated by jacking up levies on U.S. goods by 125%.

“In the face of external uncertainties, China will insist on shaking hands rather than shaking fists, tearing down walls instead of building barriers, connecting instead of decoupling,” Lin Jian, a foreign ministry spokesperson, told a press briefing on Tuesday.

The World Trade Organization has warned the high-stakes Sino-U.S. trade row could cut the shipment of goods between two economies by as much as 80% and severely hurt global growth.

Beijing has called U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs strategy “a joke”, irritating U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

“These are not a joke. I mean these are big numbers,” Bessent said in a Bloomberg Television interview. “I think no one thinks they’re sustainable, wants them to remain here, but it’s far from a joke.”

U.S. China Negotiations Possible?

Any U.S. China negotiations would have to come from “the top,” involving Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Bessent also said.

Xi on Monday kicked off a three-nation tour of Southeast Asia. In Vietnam, which is facing potential U.S. tariffs of 46%, Xi called for the two countries to oppose “unilateral bullying” and to strengthen cooperation in production and supply chains.

Chinese and Vietnamese officials also signed dozens of cooperation deals during Xi’s visit, including on production and supply chains as well as railway cooperation.

After a two-day stop in Hanoi, Xi will continue his Southeast Asian trip by visiting Malaysia and Cambodia, which could be slapped by additional U.S. tariffs of 24% and 49%, respectively.

A commentary published on Tuesday by China’s state-run People’s Daily underlined the need for unity amid the trade turbulence.

“In the face of crisis, no one can keep only to oneself,” the commentary said, referencing Dorothy’s adventure in the American children’s story The Wizard of Oz. “Only unity and cooperation can meet the challenge.”

The commentary presented China as a benevolent advocate for free trade, spotlighting China’s decision to implement zero tariffs for some of its least developed partners.

(With inputs from Reuters)

Russia Says Reaching Ukraine Peace Deal With U.S. Is Difficult

By
Team StratNews;
-

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said it is difficult to reach common ground with the United States on the main points of a possible peace agreement to end the war in Ukraine. He also stated that Russia will no longer allow itself to be economically dependent on Western nations.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who says he wants to be remembered as a peacemaker, has repeatedly said he wants to end the “bloodbath” of the three-year war in Ukraine, though a deal has yet to be agreed.

“It is not easy to agree the key components of a settlement. They are being discussed,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with the Kommersant newspaper when asked if Moscow and Washington had agreement on some aspects of a possible peace deal for Ukraine.

“We are well aware of what a mutually beneficial deal looks like, which we have never rejected, and what a deal looks like that could lead us into another trap,” Lavrov said in the interview published in Tuesday’s edition.

The Kremlin on Sunday said that it was too early to expect results from the restoration of more normal relations with Washington.

Lavrov said that Russia’s position had been set out clearly by President Vladimir Putin in June 2024, when Putin demanded Ukraine must officially drop its NATO ambitions and withdraw its troops from the entirety of the territory of four Ukrainian regions claimed by Russia.

We’re talking about the rights of the people who live on these lands. That is why these lands are dear to us. And we cannot give them up, allowing people to be kicked out of there,” Lavrov said.

Russia’s Control Over Ukraine

Russia currently controls a little under one fifth of Ukraine, including Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, and parts of four other regions Moscow now claims are part of Russia – a claim not recognised by most countries.

Lavrov praised Trump’s “common sense” and for saying that previous U.S. support of Ukraine’s bid to join the NATO military alliance was a major cause of the war in Ukraine.

But Russia’s political elite, he said, would not countenance any moves that led Russia back towards economic, military, technological or agricultural dependence on the West.

The globalisation of the world economy, Lavrov said, had been destroyed by sanctions imposed on Russia, China and Iran by the administration of former U.S. President Joe Biden.

Biden, Western European leaders and Ukraine describe Russia’s 2022 invasion as an imperial-style land grab, and repeatedly vowed to defeat Russian forces.

Putin casts the war in Ukraine as part of a battle with a declining West, which he says humiliated Russia after the Berlin Wall fell in 1989 by enlarging the NATO military alliance and encroaching on what he considers Moscow’s sphere of influence.

(With inputs from Reuters)

Bangladesh: Jihadis Pose Clear And Present Danger

By
Ramananda Sengupta;
-

In this second roundtable — recorded before New Delhi took off its velvet gloves to revoke transshipment rights from Bangladesh on April 8 – four eminent experts on Bangladesh expressed their concerns over the rapidly unravelling situation in the country, and warned that free and fair elections, soon, were non-negotiable.

With growing discontent on the streets, opposition voices sidelined, and rising religious extremism, country’s democratic foundation appears increasingly fragile. India, which has invested heavily in its eastern neighbour’s development and strategic stability, now finds itself walking a diplomatic tightrope, they felt.

Despite its historical support for secular and democratic forces, India is consciously avoiding overt interference, wary of being seen as favouring any one political party—particularly the ruling Awami League. However, there is a clear undercurrent of concern in Delhi. From security implications of extremist groups gaining ground, to Chinese and Pakistani attempts at strategic inroads, the stakes are high.

China’s interest in building infrastructure and influence through the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor and proposed bases in the Bay of Bengal adds another layer of complexity. At the same time, Pakistan-linked Islamist revivalism in Bangladesh—evident in the celebration of Jinnah’s death anniversary and rekindled ties—raises red flags in Indian security circles.

The fractured opposition, notably the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, lacks unity on how to approach the upcoming elections. Some factions demand immediate polls; others seem to prefer prolonged unrest to bargain for greater influence. With many secular and student-led protest movements now disillusioned by the rise of religious hardliners, the revolutionary spirit of 1971 is under pressure.

India’s engagement, for now, remains quietly assertive—emphasising development, security cooperation, and connectivity, while withholding deeper involvement until a legitimate, broad-based government emerges. The possibility of military intervention remains remote, though speculation persists about whether the army might step in if instability deepens further.

Ultimately, the people of Bangladesh—who have historically resisted authoritarianism and fought for inclusive nationhood—will determine the country’s trajectory. But for now, both regional powers and the international community are watching closely, hoping the fragile equilibrium doesn’t collapse.

Watch the full discussion to gain expert insights into a country that now faces some really hard choices.

Shooting Incident In North Philadelphia Leaves One Dead, Two Injured

By
Team StratNews;
-
hurman Blevins police shooting scene, Minneapoils, Minnesota, U.S., June 23, 2018. Photo courtesy: Tony Webster/Flickr/Wikimedia Commons

A shooting incident in the North Philadelphia region of the US on Monday left at least one person dead and two others injured, media reports said.

The shooting happened around 7:30 p.m. on the 1500 block of North 18th Street, which is near Temple University, reported CBS News.

The university posted a message on X, urging people to remain alert after the shooting incident occurred.

The university wrote: “TUalertEMER: Shooting reported on the 1500 block of Bouvier St. Use caution. Avoid the area. Police are responding.”

The university later said police had cleared the area.

Police told CBS News one of the men shot was taken to Temple University Hospital and pronounced dead at 7:42 p.m. Two other people were also rushed to the hospital.

Details about their condition and the motive behind the attack are still not known.

So far, no arrests have been made, while the shooting incident in North Philadelphia is currently being investigated, police told CBS News.

Eyewitness Account

Ramon Cruz, who owns a bodega in the neighborhood, told NBC10 that he heard the shooting.

“Like 15, 14 shots, and you know I told whoever was in the store, ‘Get down! Get down,'” Cruz said.

Cruz told NBC10 there have been multiple shootings near his store, including an incident in 2023 in which he was almost hit by a bullet that entered his business.

“It’s scary and makes you nervous. At the same time, I’m used to this. It’s like the third or fourth time it happened,” Cruz said. “Too many weapons in the streets. Too many people are carrying weapons. Everybody’s carrying firearms. I understand that a lot of people, illegal. A lot of people are carrying weapons with no license.”

Reward Announced

The Philadelphia Police have announced a $20,000 reward for any information that may lead to the arrest in connection with the shooting.

As per the Philadelphia Police Department website, 56 homicide incidents have been reported in 2025 so far.

(With inputs from IBNS)

2.5 Million Tonnes Of Debris Need To Be Removed In Quake-Hit Myanmar: UNDP

By
Team StratNews;
-

At least two and a half million tonnes of debris, roughly 125,000 truckloads, must be removed in Myanmar following the strong earthquake that rocked the nation last month, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) said on Tuesday.

The new data from the UNDP, generated through remote sensing analysis, highlights the extensive destruction caused by the recent magnitude 7.7 earthquake and underscores the urgent need for large-scale debris removal and repairs and reconstruction of critical infrastructure and homes as part of the ongoing recovery efforts.

Additionally, more than 10,000 homes and public service buildings may have been significantly damaged or destroyed, while 128 health facilities were exposed to severe or violent tremors, with a high likelihood of significant damage or destruction as a result.

With fewer health facilities to serve the impacted population, concerns are mounting regarding the capacity to provide critical medical care in the aftermath.

Approximately 1.6 million buildings are located in areas exposed to earthquake intensity level 7 or higher, according to the analysis. Level 7 shaking is classified as very strong, with a moderate risk of damage, which increases significantly at higher intensity levels. Many of the exposed buildings were not designed to withstand such powerful seismic activity.

UNDP Analysis

The UNDP analysis integrated advanced satellite-derived building damage classifications (destroyed, damaged, and possibly damaged) from UNOSAT and Copernicus with Microsoft’s building footprint data and building height and floor count data from the Global Human Settlement layer.

“The remote sensing paints a very concerning picture. It’s critical that we rapidly verify on the ground this view from on high. We need to get patients and the displaced back under solid roofs and start to repair critical infrastructure,” Titon Mitra, UNDP Resident Representative in Myanmar, said from Sagaing, speaking during a mission to the earthquake epicenter.

“Patients are now housed in carparks, exposed to 40-degree heat and heavy rains. Over 60,000 people are in temporary displacement sites, too fearful to return to their homes. Transport connectivity is impaired and water supply is not functioning.”

Removal And Recycling

The remote sensing data enables UNDP to identify priority areas to support large-scale debris removal and recycling, deploying national engineers to undertake rapid structural assessments of public service buildings, critical infrastructure, and affected homes. The assessments will inform rehabilitation and reconstruction plans.

“It’s a powerful visual tool that combines satellite imagery with local data to provide a clear, real-time picture of the disaster’s impact,” said Devanand Ramiah, Director of the UNDP Crisis Readiness, Response, and Recovery, Crisis Bureau.

“By integrating population estimates, building data, and damage analysis, responders can quickly identify the most affected areas and prioritize their efforts. This enhances decision-making, accelerates our response, and ensures that resources are directed where they’re needed most—saving both time and lives in the critical early stages of recovery.”

Internatioanl Response

UNDP said it is calling for an urgently scaled-up international response to support comprehensive recovery and reconstruction.

Recognising the complexities of operating in a country in the midst of compounding crises, it is critical that these efforts extend to both urban and rural affected areas.

Urban centres such as Mandalay and Sagaing, which serve as vital commercial hubs, require swift interventions to facilitate resuming market activity.

Rural areas, where agricultural production and access to markets have been disrupted, require urgent infrastructure repair and rehabilitation to optimise harvest and get produce to market quickly.

“We now have the data, we now must use it to move quickly from relief to recovery,” UNDP said, adding that the agency is committed to working with national and international partners to ensure a coordinated and effective response to the earthquake, with debris removal being a critical first step towards long-term recovery and building resilience in Myanmar.

(With inputs from IBNS)

1 Killed, 9 Injured As Ukraine Strikes Russia’s Kursk With Drones

By
Team StratNews;
-

Ukraine‘s forces launched dozens of drones at Russia’s border region of Kursk, killing an elderly woman, injuring nine others, and causing fires in multiple buildings in the regional administrative centre, Russian authorities said on Tuesday.

Russia’s defence ministry, which releases data only on how many drones its forces destroy, not how many Ukraine launches, said 109 drones were downed over the Kursk region overnight.

“Kursk has been subjected to a massive enemy attack overnight,” the Kursk region administration said in a post on Telegram messaging app.

“Unfortunately, an 85-year-old woman died.”

Building Damaged

A multi-storey apartment building was damaged as a result of the drone attack, with several flats catching fire, acting mayor of Kursk, Sergei Kotlyarov, said on Telegram. Residents have been evacuated to a nearby school, he added.

The region’s administration posted photos of a multi-storey apartment building with blown-out windows and fire damage to the facade. Drones also hit an ambulance garage, damaging 11 cars, it said.

On Monday evening, three people were killed in the region as a result of a Ukrainian drone attack, officials said.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine.

Both sides deny targeting civilians in the war, which Russia launched with a full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago. But thousands of civilians have died in the conflict, the vast majority of them Ukrainian.

Kursk Offensive

Kursk and other regions in Russia on the border with Ukraine have been subject to frequent air and land attacks by Ukraine’s forces, who say their goal is to undermine Moscow’s overall war efforts.

Ukrainian troops last year staged a cross-border incursion into the Kursk region, of which the city of Kursk is the administrative centre. Ukrainian forces still remain in parts of the region, although Russian forces have recaptured much lost territory.

The attack follows a Russian missile and bomb attack on the Ukrainian city of Sumy over the weekend that killed 35 people and injured at least 119.

(With inputs from Reuters)

South Korea Seeks Tariff Delay In US Talks, Focuses On Cooperation

By
Team StratNews;
-

South Korea plans to delay tariff implementation in its negotiations with the United States, focusing on collaboration in key sectors like shipbuilding and energy, the South Korean finance minister said on Tuesday.

Officials in Seoul have been scrambling to limit the damage to the export-reliant economy from the threat of looming duties.

South Korea is among the countries that U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said Washington would sit down with to discuss the tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Delaying Tariffs

The priority was to delay the tariffs “as much as possible” to help reduce the uncertainty the country’s businesses face in the global market, South Korea’s Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok told parliament.

“From our national interest perspective, the idea is to negotiate as much as possible and wrap it up under the new government,” he said in answer to a lawmaker’s question about the direction of Seoul’s response.

Trump hit Asia’s fourth-largest economy with 25% “reciprocal” tariffs earlier this month as he targeted dozens of countries with import duties as high as 49%. He has since paused their implementation by 90 days but has maintained a 10% blanket tariff on all goods imports and ratcheted up levies on China.

The tariff shock comes as South Korea prepares to pick a new president in a snap election on June 3 after Yoon Suk Yeol was ousted this month over his short-lived martial law declaration.

While the power vacuum has raised questions about the mandate of acting President Han Duck-soo and the direction of its response to Trump’s sweeping tariffs, Han’s government has engaged with top U.S. administration officials.

Han spoke to Trump last week in a phone call, while South Korea’s top trade envoy met U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to discuss lowering tariffs.

Trade and Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun may travel to Washington next week for further talks, media reports said.

Choi said discussions between Trump and Han touched on the spirit of reaching a solution that meets the allies’ mutual interests and includes cooperation in the shipbuilding sector and potential involvement in an Alaska gas pipeline project.

Shipbuilding ‘Card’

Seoul has previously indicated it was open to possible involvement in the gas project and that potential cooperation with Washington in the shipbuilding sector was a “very important card” in negotiations.

Trump’s delay of some tariffs means the work of negotiating a trade arrangement to address the U.S. president’s claim of unfair trade will fall on a new South Korean president, who will take office immediately after the June 3 vote.

The tariff pause does not apply to the 25% duty that Trump imposed on steel and aluminium as well as vehicles.

South Korea is a leading global exporter of cars and steel to the United States.

Seoul announced on Tuesday an increase in its support package for its key semiconductor industry to 33 trillion won ($23.25 billion), amid growing policy uncertainty over U.S. policies.

Trump said on Sunday he would be announcing the tariff rate on imported semiconductors over the next week, adding that there would be flexibility with some companies in the sector.

(With inputs from Reuters)

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