Tensions rise as tariffs increase again, South Korea awaits a crucial verdict, and Middle East alliances are called into question.

Good Morning,

In a series of contentious developments, President Trump has imposed sweeping tariffs, with China promising to retaliate against what it perceives as Trump's "bullying" tactics. In international news, attention is focused on South Korea, where the Constitutional Court is set to rule on the impeachment of conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol, a decision that could significantly impact the nation's political landscape. In the Middle East, Iran has agreed to engage in diplomacy with the United States while tensions between Israel, Syria and Turkey continue to grow.

Top Stories

• What to Expect After South Korea’s Constitutional Court Rules on the Impeachment of President Yoo (apnews.com)

• China vows to counter Trump’s ‘bullying’ tariffs as global trade war escalates (edition.cnn.com)

• Hungary Says It Will Exit ICC as Netanyahu Visits (www.nytimes.com)

• Iran Wants to Talk (www.theatlantic.com)

• Hundreds of millions more dollars recouped by governments after ICIJ investigations (www.icij.org)

• Israel Craters Runway To Keep Turkey From Taking Over Syrian Airfield (www.twz.com)

• Hungary’s Orbán Walks US-China Tightrope (cepa.org)

United States

• Senators propose Congress take over tariff authority in bipartisan bill (www.msnbc.com)

• Trump Fires 6 National Security Council Officials (www.nytimes.com)

• How Silicon Valley Got Entangled in Geopolitics—and Lost (Farrell and Newman) (www.foreignaffairs.com)

• The Army is quietly considering a sweeping reduction of up to 90,000 active-duty troops (www.military.com)

Africa

• South Africa's coalition government is on the brink of collapse as a nasty budget row deepens (www.semafor.com)

• US considers the Lobito corridor key in countering Chinese control over copper and cobalt supplies in Africa. (www.theeastafrican.co.ke)

• Report: DRC, M23 to Hold Direct Talks on April 9 (www.verity.news)

• ZIMBABWE: Former Harare City Council officials in court for over US$465K Mbare biogas tender fraud (www.zimsphere.co.zw)

Middle East

• With special military approval, IDF will allow civilian trips to Syrian territory (www.kipa.co.il)

• Israel Strikes Syrian Airbases In a Message to Turkey’s Erdogan - The National Interest (nationalinterest.org)

• More than a dozen migrants die as boats sink off Greece and Turkey (apnews.com)

Indo-Pacific

• Inside Mandalay: BBC finds huge devastation and little help for Myanmar quake survivors (www.bbc.co.uk)

• Trump kicks all of Asia into the China tariff boat (www.reuters.com)

• What to Expect After South Korea’s Constitutional Court Rules on the Impeachment of President Yoon (apnews.com)

• India's Parliament Passes Controversial Bill That Would Change Muslim Land Endowments (apnews.com)

• Rahul slams government over 'China occupying land', U.S. tariff issue; BJP hits back (www.thehindu.com)

• US Man Arrested For Entering Restricted North Sentinel Island In Andamans: Cops (www.ndtv.com)

Europe

• Trump will 'buckle under pressure' if Europe bands together over tariffs, German economy minister says (www.cnbc.com)

• Germans React to Donald Trump's DEI Ultimatum (www.newsweek.com)

• Buy US chicken if you want lower tariffs, Britain told (www.telegraph.co.uk)

• Macron calls on EU companies to freeze investments in US (www.politico.eu)

• US Treasury Secretary urges other countries to 'take a deep breath' and not retaliate (www.cnn.com)

• Norway's Foreign Minister says US tariffs may violate NATO Article 2, and that he will be bringing it up with Marco Rubio in Brussels during the currently ongoing 2-day NATO meeting. (www.nrk.no)

Latin America

• Argentina’s President Milei draws pushback over his Falklands War speech (apnews.com)

• Mexico praises ‘preferential’ US tariffs treatment (cnn.com)

• Nicaraguan officials committed 'systematic repression,' UN says (reuters.com)

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