Flagship

Israel backs Gaza expansion

The Israeli government backed a plan to take control of Gaza City, but stopped short of explicitly supporting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s intention to control the entire enclave. After a 10-hour meeting, a majority of the security cabinet agreed to expand the war. It also declared conditions for ending the war, including the return of all hostages and the disarmament of Hamas. The head of the Israeli military pushed back, The New York Times reported, saying forces were exhausted. Two foreign-policy experts argued for the Carnegie Endowment that the move was a “march of folly,” and that without a political peace process, Israel and Hamas were “doomed to an endless wash, rinse, and repeat cycle of war and suffering.”

Russia hammers Ukraine, again

US President Donald Trump’s deadline for a Russia-Ukraine peace deal is today, but the chances of a ceasefire look slim after the Kremlin launched another barrage of drone strikes. Russian President Vladimir Putin this week met the US special envoy, and an agreement has apparently been reached for the Russian and American leaders to meet. Trump had said that if no ceasefire begins today, then Moscow would face new oil tariffs, though it was not clear if the deadline was still in force. He has had more success dealing with another conflict, between Armenia and Azerbaijan: The two countries’ leaders will sign a peace deal at the White House today, although the agreement is largely symbolic, The Washington Post reported.

UAE rejects Sudan war claims

The Sudanese army said it had shot down an Emirati plane carrying dozens of Colombian mercenaries, claims Abu Dhabi rejected as false. International observers have accused the United Arab Emirates of backing the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in the Sudanese civil war, a conflict which has displaced millions and triggered the world’s first famine in decades, with hundreds of thousands struggling to survive each day. Last month, the latest US-brokered attempt to reach a ceasefire collapsed after the UAE and Egypt — which backs the Sudanese army — failed to agree on what role each of the fighting forces would have in ruling the country, Al-Monitor reported.

India, Brazil combat US pressure

India and Brazil moved to resist US trade pressure, in a sign of how the White House’s economic policies are alienating friendly nations. The two countries’ leaders said after a phone call that they were committed to “defending multilateralism,” and separately sought to gird their economies against US tariffs: New Delhi faces levies tied to its purchase of Russian oil, and Brasília over its prosecution of a former leader that US President Donald Trump sees as an ally. In a speech to the key farming lobby, India’s prime minister pledged to “never compromise” in the face of Washington’s tariffs, whereas Brazil’s president is reportedly weighing diverting development funds to support companies hit by American duties.

Trump picks Stephen Miran for Fed

US President Donald Trump said he would name his top economic adviser to a vacancy at the Federal Reserve, amplifying political pressure on the central bank. Trump has demanded interest-rate cuts, so far unsuccessfully, and weighed firing central bank chief Jerome Powell. The latest appointment is unlikely to change the short-term course of monetary policy, but it spotlights the politics surrounding the Fed: Because of term lengths and the fact that its chair must already be on its board, Trump may not get another chance to name Powell’s replacement. The standoff has global implications: “How long can the international community rely on a reserve currency whose central bank faces systematic political interference?” one scholar wrote in World Politics Review.

Japan population plummets

Deaths in Japan outnumbered births by 900,000 last year, the largest population fall on record. The country’s population is down to 120 million, having declined for 16 consecutive years. Nearly 30% of people are over 65, with the burden of supporting retirees falling on ever-fewer workers. The government has tried to boost birth rates, with little success: Economic problems, a demanding work culture, and a patriarchal society are among the reasons experts give for the decline, CNN reported. Tokyo has considered increasing migration to address labor shortfalls but, unlike some countries such as Spain, has not fully embraced it. “In a shrinking world,” one demographer said on a recent Financial Times podcast, “migration’s gonna be a zero-sum game.”

Government AI use scrutinized

The UK tax office has been ordered to reveal whether it used artificial intelligence to make key judgments. Some tax advisers believe that His Majesty’s Revenue & Customs used AI to process tax-credit applications, and submitted a Freedom of Information request, which a judge supported. AI use in government is under scrutiny: The Swedish prime minister came under fire for admitting to using ChatGPT in decision-making, as did a British government minister who used AI to learn facts and make media decisions. A backlash is also underway against AI in business, although that may have little impact if the technology positively affects the bottom line. Duolingo announced above-expected revenues after going “AI-first,” despite threats of a boycott from some users.

Pablo Torre was one of ESPN’s rising stars — a fixture on shows like PTI and Around the Horn. But now he’s building something outside the machine. This week, Ben and Max bring on the host of Pablo Torre Finds Out to talk about leaving ESPN, launching his own show with Dan Le Batard’s Meadowlark Media, and how it recently became part of The Athletic under The New York Times. They also discuss how Torre has broken major stories on his show — including scoops involving Bill Belichick, LeBron James, and the NFL — and how he hopes to reshape the media landscape by bringing investigative reporting to sports podcasting.

US doubles Maduro bounty

The US doubled its bounty for Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s arrest to $50 million, a largely tokenistic gesture that is unlikely to weaken the regime. Washington has accused the South American leader of being one of the world’s biggest narcotraffickers, alleging Maduro has helped flood the US with fentanyl-laced drugs. “Maduro will not escape justice and he will be held accountable for his despicable crimes,” the US attorney general said. Critics fear the move will do little to dislodge Maduro, who, crucially, retains the support of the country’s military. The international community should do “much more,” Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said, adding that the US “couldn’t turn a blind eye” to the crisis in her country.

China protest over bullying

Protests in a southwestern Chinese city this week over a school bullying incident offered a rare look at public frustration with official inaction as well as heavy-handed authorities. Videos published online showed three teenage girls beating and kicking a classmate: According to What’s on Weibo, when the victim said she would call the police, one of her assailants yelled back, “It’s not like we haven’t been to jail before… It doesn’t even take 20 minutes to get out!” The remark cemented suspicions over ineffectual law enforcement, sparking demonstrations demanding justice which, The New York Times reported, spiraled at one point into a protester shouting, “Give us back democracy!” Police arrested