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📰 U.S. Announces Planned Iran Talks

📰 U.S. Announces Planned Iran Talks

And Poland Mobilises

Billy Robinson & Ross Crabtree
April 08, 2025

Hello,

In the Horn of Africa, Al-Shabaab has breached Mogadishu, launching mortar attacks on the airport compound, while the U.S. has revoked visas for South Sudanese nationals despite its deepening political turmoil. Meanwhile, the EU is engaging Central Asian leaders in talks on trade, security, and energy cooperation.

Our main story today examines the strategic imperatives driving the U.S.–China technology race.

More details below ⤵️

Top 5 Stories

1️⃣ 🇺🇸 🇮🇱 🇮🇷 Trump meets Netanyahu at White House, announces direct talks with Iran for this weekend: President Trump announced direct U.S.-Iran nuclear talks for April 12, surprising Tehran and Tel Aviv, with Iran yet to confirm participation. At a joint press conference, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu expressed concern over renewed U.S.-Iran engagement without guarantees on Iran’s regional actions. Tensions also rose over Trump’s refusal to lift 17% tariffs on Israeli goods, despite reciprocal moves from Israel, with estimates of $2.3 billion in annual losses. Netanyahu, facing widespread domestic backlash and corruption charges, defended Gaza emigration plans and a proposed “Morag Corridor,” even as his forces face criticism for killing aid workers and a Palestinian-American teen.

2️⃣ 🇵🇱 🇷🇺 🇺🇦 Poland mobilises to defend airspace after Russian barrage hits Western Ukraine: Polish and allied aircraft were deployed to safeguard Polish airspace following Russian missile strikes near the Polish border in western Ukraine, according to Poland’s Armed Forces. In Kyiv, a Russian ballistic missile hit a building used by Ukraine’s state-run international broadcasters, leaving one person dead and several injured. Ukraine reported intercepting 13 of 23 missiles and 40 of 109 drones launched overnight, while electronic warfare disrupted an additional 53 drones. In Kryvyi Rih, the death toll from a recent Russian attack rose to 19, including children, with 75 injured and dozens of homes damaged; Ukrainian officials dismissed Russia’s claim that it had struck a military meeting.

3️⃣ 🇫🇷 🇪🇬 Macron meets al-Sisi for Gaza talks: French President Emmanuel Macron began his visit to Cairo on Sunday with discussions focused on the Gaza conflict during a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, ahead of a summit with Jordan’s King Abdullah II, as Israel intensifies its military operations in Gaza. On Tuesday, Macron will travel to El-Arish near Gaza to draw attention to the humanitarian crisis, meeting aid and security personnel. Macron’s office emphasised Egypt and Jordan’s pivotal roles in ending the war, while Egypt continues to mediate between Hamas and Israel alongside Qatar and the U.S.

4️⃣ 🇲🇽 🇺🇸 Latin America gains temporary edge in U.S. tariff shake-up: Following President Trump’s sweeping tariff announcement, Latin America and the Caribbean appear to have emerged relatively unscathed. Most countries in the region face only the baseline 10% tariff, with Mexico notably absent from the list of targeted nations. Key exports like oil and copper remain exempt, offering a competitive edge over Europe and Asia, which were hit with steeper duties. Markets responded accordingly: while global stocks plunged, Latin American ETFs and currencies like the Mexican peso held firm, reflecting investor confidence that the region may benefit—at least in the short term—from the shifting trade landscape.

5️⃣ 🇮🇱 🇵🇸Israel razes land, buildings, to seize control of half of Gaza: Since shattering the Gaza ceasefire last month, Israel has taken control of over half of Gaza’s territory, forcing Palestinians into shrinking zones and razing swathes of land along the border. Rights groups and soldiers describe the creation of an ever-widening buffer zone, now up to 3 km deep, where homes, infrastructure, and farmland have been deliberately destroyed. The Netzarim Corridor, splitting Gaza north to south, and plans for a second in Rafah, indicate a long-term occupation strategy despite claims of temporary security needs. Israeli troops admit to flattening entire neighbourhoods, calling the area a "kill zone" where anyone approaching is shot—further exacerbating the destruction and dire humanitarian implications of Israel’s genocidal war.

Major Story

🇺🇸 🇨🇳 STRATEGIC IMPERATIVES IN THE U.S.-CHINA TECH RACE

The accelerating technological rivalry between the United States and China represents a profound challenge to global stability, democratic governance, and the international order. As China pursues tech dominance through strategies like military-civil fusion and economic decoupling, the U.S. looks to bolster its innovation base while safeguarding its critical technologies. This isn’t simply an economic competition, writes New Lines Institute—it’s a race to define the values underpinning tomorrow’s technologies.

Strategic Priorities and Policy Recommendations

A series of expert analyses published by the Institute explore how the U.S. can maintain its edge across critical sectors. These include: countering China’s efforts to evade sanctions via alternative payment systems; ensuring trustworthy AI through cultural and governance-based frameworks; reforming cybersecurity incentives to match evolving threats; and leveraging security assistance to secure critical mineral supply chains. The reports also warn of misinformation threats, urging a balance between regulation and innovation to preserve open digital ecosystems.

Shaping the Future

Ultimately, this is not a race merely to be first, but to shape the global tech ecosystem according to respective ideological principles. The U.S.’ competition with China will define the next era—how it is navigated will determine whether that future serves democracy or deepens authoritarian influence.

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Other News

1️⃣ 🇸🇴 Al-Shabaab enters Mogadishu, fires mortars at Airport compound: Al-Shabaab is gaining ground in and around Mogadishu, seizing key areas in the Middle and Lower Shabelle regions and edging closer to Somalia’s capital. The group’s push is exposing the weakness of Somalia’s government and the disarray within its military. A failed assassination attempt on President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has heightened fears that Mogadishu may soon fall. The U.S., already engaged in counterterror operations across the region, has resumed airstrikes targeting al-Shabaab and Islamic State-linked fighters in Puntland. Al-Shabaab’s deep financial resources—estimated at $2 billion annually—combined with its regional ties to al-Qaeda, pose a growing threat to maritime security in the Indian Ocean, Gulf of Aden, and Red Sea.

2️⃣ 🇸🇸 🇺🇸 U.S. revokes visas for South Sudan nationals amid humanitarian crisis: The U.S. has cancelled all existing visas for South Sudanese passport holders and halted new issuances, citing South Sudan’s refusal to cooperate with deportation procedures. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said the action stemmed from one unresolved deportation case, with diplomatic efforts rebuffed by Juba. While Washington says the measures will remain until full compliance is achieved, critics note this is the first instance of a complete visa ban targeting a single nationality under Trump’s second term. The move coincides with renewed conflict in South Sudan, where tensions between President Kiir and Vice President Machar are flaring once again, threatening to unravel the fragile 2018 peace deal and exacerbate an already worsening humanitarian and economic crisis.

3️⃣ 🇪🇺 🇰🇿 🇺🇿 🇰🇬 🇹🇯 🇹🇲 EU discusses trade, security, and energy with Central Asian bloc: As the EU holds its first official summit with Central Asian leaders in Samarqand, rights groups are urging Brussels not to sideline human rights in pursuit of trade and strategic gains. European Council President António Costa and Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen are meeting with the heads of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan to strengthen ties on transport, energy, and critical raw materials. But amid rising cooperation since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, activists warn that deals struck without demanding rule of law reforms—particularly in countries like Kyrgyzstan, which recently passed a Russian-style foreign agent law—risk enabling repression. “These partnerships will not be sustainable without credible rights benchmarks,” said Iskra Kirova of Human Rights Watch.