Modi’s White House moment. Trump’s meeting with Modi today is expected to offer signals about a bilateral partnership that consecutive U.S. administrations have nurtured in order to counter China. Modi’s early overtures to Trump have included slashing tariffs and pledging to accept deportees and increase purchases of U.S. energy. Still, Trump has repeatedly criticized India for protectionism. This morning, Trump said he would announce plans today for reciprocal tariffs on nations that impose duties on U.S. goods.
Hamas greenlights Saturday release. Hamas said it will free Israeli hostages on Saturday as previously planned in the cease-fire deal. The announcement walked back the group’s threat to pause the releases—which had in turn had prompted an Israeli threat to resume fighting. After talks with mediators, Hamas said it was in contact with Qatari leadership about increasing humanitarian supplies into Gaza.
Canadian premiers in Washington. All thirteen Canadian premiers were in Washington yesterday to make the case against the imposition of U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods. They met with labor leaders, lawmakers, and administration officials. Proposed tariffs would hurt both countries’ abilities to effectively compete with China, the Canadian officials said. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said that a wide swath of U.S. political leaders privately told him they oppose the tariffs.
Kazakhstan’s ‘foreign agent’ bill. The country’s lawmakers proposed establishing restrictions on “foreign agents.” While details of the bill were not immediately published, similar laws in Russia and former Soviet countries have been used to target dissent and create logistical barriers to groups receiving foreign funding. Georgia adopted such a law last year.
UK tightens citizenship policy. New guidelines tell immigration officers to reject naturalization claims from people who arrived on small boats, concealed in vehicles, or via other “dangerous” journeys. Previously, migrants who arrived irregularly were required to wait ten years before being considered for citizenship. Migrant rights groups and some lawmakers criticized the policy, which one immigration lawyer called a “clear breach of the Refugee Convention.”
Russia’s overseas bases. Russia and Sudan made a final agreement to move forward with a Russian naval base on Sudan’s Red Sea coast, Sudan’s foreign minister said. This move comes as the future of a Russian naval base in northwestern Syria—a hub for Middle East and Africa operations—is uncertain after the December rebel overthrow of former Syrian leader and Russian ally Bashar al-Assad. Yesterday, Putin spoke to Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa for the first time since the takeover. The Kremlin called the discussion with al-Sharaa “constructive” without providing details.
Belarus frees prisoners. Those released were an American, a Belarussian journalist for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and an opposition supporter. The White House announced the releases without identifying the individuals. Belarussian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya thanked Trump and Rubio for “joint efforts” to secure them. Belarussian leader Aleksandr Lukashenko has pardoned more than 250 people since last July in what analysts call an attempt to improve relations with Western countries.
India-France nuclear reactors. The countries will work together to develop small modular nuclear reactors and advanced modular reactors for civil use, India’s foreign ministry said. The technology can be built in one location and assembled and used elsewhere. The Modi administration has been known for tight controls on nuclear power, but this month announced new nuclear energy targets and plans to modify a strict nuclear liability law.
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Welcome to my geopolitics blog site. This is a Hawaii Island news site focusing on geopolitical news, analysis, information, and commentary. I will cite a variety of sources, ranging from all sides of the political spectrum.