Worthwhile thread:

This means that all 5 of these Israeli security units continue to receive US arms.

Today in Saudi Arabia Sec Blinken says that Hamas has been presented with a ceasefire proposal that is 'extraordinarily generous on the part of Israel' & says Hamas has 'to decide and they have to decide quickly' to accept it.

Russia's charm offensive on North Korea (in exchange for weapons) now extends to the animal kingdom

'Russia to gift eagles, snakes and other animals to North Korea’s biggest zoo'

nknews.org/2024/04/russia…

Colonel Ralph Puckett, Jr., the last surviving Medal of Honor recipient from the Korean War, will lie in honor in the Rotunda today

Brest is a rainy port home to the French submarine nuclear deterrent. It has also witnessed a remarkable number of weddings in recent years between Chinese students and the seamen who work at its naval bases.

“How should we evaluate such relationships?” on.ft.com/3JYLHbD

Do you know how this happened? At one point, @miamiherald had at least one reporter covering every city commission meeting from Vero Beach to Key West. We covered planning commissions. We looked at every proposed project. Today, newspapers have skeleton staffs. This is what…

And people wonder why they are paying more taxes, insurance, rent, water bills…the list goes on. But very few understand the connection between the death of newspapers and the alarming trifecta: inflation/corruption/greed.

The military withdrawal at the request of Niger’s ruling military junta, which seized power in a coup last July, comes despite significant diplomatic efforts by the Biden administration to maintain the two U.S. bases in the country, FP’s Amy Mackinnon reports. foreignpolicy.com/2024/04/26/nig…

The Committee to Protect Journalists has found that at least 97 journalists and media workers have been killed since the Israel-Hamas war began

cpj.org/2024/04/journa…

Via AP: Since 2000, 141 Mexican journalists and other media workers have been slain, at least 61 of them in apparent retaliation for their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists says. All but a handful of the killings and abductions remain unsolved.

For years, the United States has tried everything to get Taiwan onto a “porcupine strategy,” making the island a pricklier target that might make China think twice about attacking it, FP’s Jack Detsch and Robbie Gramer write. foreignpolicy.com/2024/04/25/con…

Mexican journalist Roberto Figueroa is slain south of Mexico City, spurring outrage among colleagues. He is the first journalist to be killed this year in Mexico (from The Associated Press) apnews.com/article/mexico…

I know it’s a Saturday night but a Russian court has just arrested our Reuters colleague.
Journalism is not a crime.
Konstantin is a TV producer, not an “extremist”.
He ought to be released immediately.

Blinken drops by Beijing record store whose owner plays him vinyl by classic Chinese rocker Dou Wei. Blinken buys it — and Taylor Swift’s “Midnights,” which he describes as a successful American export

Exclusive: USAID officials say Israel breached US directive on Gaza aid

devex.com/news/exclusive…

Via columlynch

'Russia vetoed a UN Security Council resolution, proposed jointly by the United States and Japan, that would have reaffirmed the fundamental obligation of States Parties to the Outer Space Treaty not to place nuclear weapons in orbit around the Earth'
whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/…

V interesting from Jack Detsch. 'Russia is on track to produce 3.5 million rounds in 2024 and might be able to surge to produce 4.5 million rounds by the end of the year.' foreignpolicy.com/2024/04/23/ukr…

Blinken lands in Beijing. Among first sights on tarmac was plane of Iran’s Mahan Air, sanctioned by US

Looks like the Maximilian Krah affair is much bigger than just his assistant spying for the Chinese:

Now German prosecutors launched a 'preliminary investigation' against the far-right AfD politician 'in connection with *alleged Chinese payments* for his work' as MEP.