Diplomatic Tensions: Canceled Visas, Trump’s Military Orders, and NATO’s Baltic Mission

Good Morning,

Visa appointments at the U.S. Embassy in Colombia were canceled following a dispute between Presidents Trump and Petro over deportation flights, President Trump signed executive orders to eliminate DEI from the military, reinstate troops discharged for refusing COVID-19 vaccines, restrict transgender military service, and develop a U.S. version of the Iron Dome missile defense system, and NATO has launched the "Baltic Sentry" mission, deploying warships, surveillance aircraft, and drones to monitor critical underwater infrastructure in the Baltic Sea.

Top Stories

● Hundreds of US visa appointments canceled in Colombia following spat with Trump over deportations (AP)

● Trump takes aim at DEI, COVID expulsions and transgender troops (Reuters)

● NATO is deploying eyes in the sky and on the Baltic Sea to protect vital cables. Here’s why and how (AP)

● Trump says China’s DeepSeek AI ‘should be a wake-up call’ for American tech companies (CNBC)

● Switzerland releases, deports Palestinian American journalist Ali Abunimah (AJ)

United States and Canada

● Shooting at Indiana store leaves 3 dead, including the suspect, and 2 officers wounded (AP)

● Trump says Microsoft in talks to buy TikTok (AJ)

● Scott Bessent wins Senate confirmation as US Treasury secretary (Reuters)

● Claudia Sheinbaum acknowledges non-citizens deported from US to Mexico (AJ)

● Workers at Philadelphia Whole Foods Market become 1st to unionize at the Amazon-owned grocery chain (CBS News)

● Trump Administration Puts Dozens of U.S.A.I.D. Officials on Paid Leave (NYT)

Latin America

● Exclusive: US military aircraft with deported migrants lands in Guatemala, officials say (Reuters)

● US envoy summoned by Brazil over deportations as talks aim to hash out terms (Reuters)

● US arrests nearly 1,000 people in undocumented migrant crackdown (AJ)

● US has options to address Chinese influence in Panama, US official says (Reuters)

Africa

● UN chief calls for Rwandan forces to leave DRC as rebels press offensive (AJ)

● Interpol Arrests 37 Suspected Terrorists in East Africa Amid Rising ISIS Threat (AN)

● ICC prosecutor seeking arrest warrants for those accused of atrocities in Sudan’s West Darfur region (AP)

● ISWAP fighters kill at least 20 soldiers in Borno attack (AN)

● US opens probe into sudden movement on United Airlines flight from Nigeria (Reuters)

● Alliance of Sahel States present unified front in negotiations with ECOWAS (AN)

Middle East

● 2 killed in southern Lebanon as protests against Israeli presence erupt for a second day (AP)

● Hezbollah does not accept reasons for time extension for Israeli troop withdrawal, chief says (Reuters)

● Rubio talks to Jordan's King Abdullah after Trump remarks on Palestinian displacement (Reuters)

● Israel says 8 of 33 on Hamas list of captives to be freed are already dead (AJ)

● Dubai’s ceaseless boom is putting strains on its residents (AP)

● Israel's far-right finance minister withdraws threat to quit coalition over ceasefire deal (Reuters)

Indo-Pacific

● India’s BJP-ruled Uttarakhand implements ‘totally biased’ common civil code (AJ)

● Trains canceled across Bangladesh as rail union goes on strike (AP)

● Trump emphasizes 'fair' trade, discusses defense buys and immigration with Modi (Reuters)

● Executives at Japan`s Fuji TV and parent firm resign over a sex scandal linked to a former star (AP)

Europe

● Denmark to pump $2bn into Arctic security as Trump eyes Greenland (AJ)

● Britain and EU face off in court over post-Brexit fishing rights (Reuters)

● Italy sends 49 more migrants to Albania for processing following earlier court rejections (AP)

● German government, opposition clash over rival border policies (Reuters)

● UK sanctions Belarusian officials and condemns 'sham' election (Reuters)

● French residents rescued from flooded homes by boat as Storm Herminia hits Normandy and Brittany (AP)

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