Israeli air strikes on Gaza: beginning of a “larger campaign”?
Quotable Mouin Rabbani, Middle East analyst, breaks down Israel’s latest airstrikes on Gaza. Read more Mouin Rabbani, a Middle East analyst, discusses the new wave of Israeli air strikes on Gaza, and whether this is a one off or the beginning of a larger campaign. Published On 18 Mar 202518 Mar 2025 Adblock test (Why?)
Judge says Musk and DOGE ‘likely violated’ constitution in USAID shutdown
A federal district judge in Maryland has found that Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) appear to have breached the United States Constitution through their efforts to dismantle an agency dedicated to distributing foreign aid. Judge Theodore Chuang issued the preliminary ruling on Tuesday, in response to a complaint filed by 26 employees and contractors for the US Agency for International Development (USAID). “The Court finds that Defendants’ actions taken to shut down USAID on an accelerated basis, including its apparent decision to permanently close USAID headquarters without the approval of a duly appointed USAID Officer, likely violated the United States Constitution in multiple ways,” Chuang wrote in his decision. Not only were the plaintiffs harmed, he added, but the “public interest” was also. DOGE and Musk “deprived the public’s elected representatives in Congress of their constitutional authority to decide whether, when and how to close down an agency created by Congress”, Chuang said. Advertisement As a result of that finding, the judge approved a temporary injunction that would prevent DOGE and Musk from continuing with USAID-related staff cuts, contract cancellations, building closures and the destruction of USAID materials. “The restrictions will assist in maintaining the status quo so as to delay a premature, final shutdown of USAID,” Chuang wrote. It was a significant blow to Musk, whose role in the government has been ambiguous – but who has wielded significant power due to his close relationship with US President Donald Trump. A tech billionaire and one of the wealthiest men in the world, Musk is considered a “special government employee”, a temporary role often given to outside advisers. In that role, however, he has led DOGE in a vast campaign to restructure the federal government, through downsizing its workforce, ending contracts and attempting to shutter entire agencies. USAID was one of the first in DOGE’s crosshairs. Upon taking office for a second term on January 20, Trump issued a presidential order calling for a 90-day freeze on all foreign aid – a central part of USAID’s work. Established in 1961 by an act of Congress, USAID had become the US’s primary arm for distributing foreign assistance abroad. But under Trump’s order, only aid that aligned with the president’s foreign policy would be allowed to continue. Musk became the face of the campaign to close USAID entirely. “USAID is a criminal organization,” he wrote on his social media platform X on February 2, without offering proof. “Time for it to die.” Advertisement Later that day, Musk posted another message on X: “We spent the weekend feeding USAID into the wood chipper. Could [have] gone to some great parties. Did that instead.” By the end of February, the agency’s headquarters in Washington, DC, was effectively closed, with employees given only 15 minutes to collect their belongings. An estimated 1,600 workers were fired, and another 4,700 were put on leave. Secretary of State Marco Rubio eventually announced that 83 percent of all USAID contracts had been cancelled. To justify the cuts across government, Musk and Trump have repeatedly accused departments and agencies of having perpetrated “waste” and “fraud”, without offering proof. Given that USAID was established as an independent agency under Congress’s Foreign Assistance Act, Judge Chuang ruled that Musk’s actions “likely violates the constitutional principle of Separation of Powers”. As part of Tuesday’s injunction, Chuang required DOGE to restore USAID employees’ access to electronic systems and called for the department to restore any deleted emails. Trump allies, however, quickly slammed Chuang – an appointee of former President Barack Obama – for his temporary injunction. Musk reposted a social media message from conservative commentator Charlie Kirk which accused Chuang of partisanship. “Indeed”, Musk wrote in a one-word reply. Adblock test (Why?)
Zelenskyy open to halting strikes on energy but needs details from Trump
NewsFeed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he would support a proposal to stop strikes on energy infrastructure for one month, but he must first learn the details of the offer that emerged during a phone call between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. Published On 18 Mar 202518 Mar 2025 Adblock test (Why?)
Congolese, Rwandan leaders meet in Qatar, call for ceasefire in eastern DRC
The three countries call for ‘immediate and unconditional ceasefire’ in eastern DRC. Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame have held direct talks for the first time since Rwanda-backed M23 rebels seized two major cities in eastern DRC. In a joint statement issued with Qatar, whose emir mediated the talks in Doha, the countries called for an “immediate ceasefire” in eastern DRC. “The Heads of State then agreed on the need to continue the discussions initiated in Doha in order to establish solid foundations for lasting peace,” the statement said. The DRC has accused Rwanda of sending weapons and troops to support the M23 rebels, which Rwanda has denied. The talks came after M23 representatives pulled out of a planned meeting with the DRC government in Angola on Tuesday, after the European Union imposed sanctions on some of the group’s senior members, including leader Bertrand Bisimwa. In a statement, M23 said the sanctions “seriously compromise direct dialogue and prevent any advance”. The EU also sanctioned three Rwandan military commanders and the country’s mining agency chief over support for the M23 fighters. Advertisement The conflict in eastern DRC escalated in January when the rebels advanced and seized the strategic city of Goma, followed by Bukavu in February. M23 is one of about 100 armed groups that have been vying for a foothold in the mineral-rich eastern DRC near the border with Rwanda. The conflict has created one of the world’s most significant humanitarian crises, with more than 7 million people displaced. The rebels are supported by about 4,000 Rwandan troops, according to United Nations experts. Adblock test (Why?)
Why has Israel shattered the ceasefire in Gaza?
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to implement phase two of the ceasefire agreed upon with Hamas. Israel has launched its biggest assault on Gaza since January 19, when a ceasefire was agreed upon between Hamas and Israel. Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed and many more have been forced to flee their homes. Israel says the strikes were ordered due to a lack of progress in talks to extend the ceasefire. The White House has confirmed it was consulted about the attacks before they were carried out. Hamas is calling on Israel to be held responsible for violating the agreement. So, can Netanyahu achieve his goals through war? Presenter: James Bays Guests: Mustafa Barghouti – secretary-general of the Palestinian National Initiative Scott Lucas – professor of US and international politics at University College Dublin Daniel Levy – president of the US Middle East Project Adblock test (Why?)
Is Trump helping other world leaders gain popularity back home?
From tariffs to the Ukraine war, United States President Donald Trump has picked diplomatic squabbles with leaders worldwide since his January 20 inauguration. However, while Trump has framed his combative approach as putting “America first”, many of these leaders have benefitted politically, too. Data suggests that leaders who are seen to be proactively negotiating with Trump without compromising too much are gaining in polls and in terms of approval ratings. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum is enjoying the highest approval rating of any Mexican head of state since 1985. Canada’s ruling Liberal Party has closed a wide gap with the opposition Conservative Party, which has been leading in polls ahead of national elections. And they are not the only ones. But to what extent are these poll gains because of how these leaders are dealing with Trump? Are other factors at play? Here is what the numbers look like, and what analysts think might be going on. Canada and Justin Trudeau Prime minister since 2015, Canada’s Justin Trudeau stepped down on March 9 to make way for economist Mark Carney – also from his Liberal Party – who was sworn in as the PM of Canada last Friday. Advertisement Trudeau had been under mounting pressure to resign for months before he finally quit, amid rising costs of living, increasing intraparty fights, resignations from his cabinet and questions about his immigration policies. That pressure only grew as Trump threatened hefty tariffs against Canada after he was elected. Trudeau’s longtime deputy and finance minister Chrystia Freeland resigned in mid-December 2024 amid disagreements over how to deal with Trump. Trudeau initially didn’t respond to a series of barbs from Trump, who repeatedly said that he wanted Canada as the 51st state of the US and referred to the Canadian PM mockingly as “governor”. Instead, as Trump accused Canada of allowing fentanyl to enter the US through their border, Trudeau appointed a “fentanyl czar” to tackle the issue. But as Trump – after deferring tariffs on Canada for a month – eventually carried out his threat against most Canadian exports to the US early in March, Trudeau took a more firm, public position. “Canadians are reasonable, and we are polite. But we will not back down from a fight. Not when our country and the wellbeing of everyone in it is at stake,” Trudeau said on March 4. What do Canadian federal polls show? Several polls show that while Conservatives under their leader, Pierre Poilievre, were consistently leading by a considerable margin throughout 2024, the Liberal Party jumped up in the polls starting from February 2025 and significantly closed the gap. Averages of polls by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) show that the Conservatives were leading the Liberals by 24 percentage points in early January. Now that gap has shrunk to just 5.5 percentage points as of March 17, with the Conservatives at 38.9 percent support, and Liberals at 33.4 percent. Advertisement “In Canadian polling history, at least in this century, it is the first time I’ve ever seen this. To come back from a 25-point deficit is very unheard of, especially for a government that’s been in power for almost a decade,” Philippe J Fournier, analyst and creator of electoral projection model and website 338Canada, told Al Jazeera. What explains this? The Liberals closing such a major gap in the polls can be explained by a combination of factors, experts say. The factors include “Justin Trudeau’s departure, the arrival of Mark Carney, the tariff attacks by Donald Trump and discomfort with Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre,” Darrell Bricker, CEO of public affairs at research agency Ipsos, told Al Jazeera. Fournier of 338Canada explained that many Canadian parliamentarians were pressuring Trudeau to step down for months. “When [Trudeau] finally announced that he would resign in early January, the tension eased. Then, Trump got inaugurated and right away, started his threat of tariffs. “More than tariffs, it was the threat to Canada’s sovereignty,” Fournier said, referring to Trump’s calls for Canada to become a part of the US. Fournier also argued that Poilievre’s approach to politics – and similarities some voters have noted with Trump’s style – could be working against him. “Poilievre is using the same style and the same language and the same tactics as Trump,” Fournier said. “With Trump threatening Canada, many swing voters are looking towards the conservative leader and thinking ‘Is that the direction we want this country to be in?’ Advertisement He added that it is not just Conservative voters who are switching sides, but also voters who would typically vote for other parties. “Carney seems to be able to reach people from across the spectrum,” he said. Mexico and Claudia Sheinbaum Sheinbaum was sworn in on October 1, 2024, as the first female president of Mexico, taking over from predecessor and mentor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. As a response to Trump’s tariff threats, Sheinbaum deployed 10,000 National Guard troops to the US-Mexico border to help curb unregulated immigration. Trump had initially ordered that 25 percent tariffs be imposed on all Mexican and Canadian imports, but these were delayed for a month amid negotiations with Sheinbaum and Trudeau. Days before the tariffs were to be finally imposed, Trump announced further delays on several products from Mexico, and some from Canada, until April 2. These were products that fell under the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), a free-trade agreement. Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that he had made this decision after speaking with Sheinbaum and “out of respect” for her. What do Sheinbaum’s approval ratings show? Data from different pollsters in Mexico shows that Sheinbaum has enjoyed high approval ratings since her inauguration. The Buendia y Marquez polls show that 80 percent of respondents approved of their president in mid-February. Polls by Mexican national daily newspaper El Financiero show that 85 percent of respondents approved of Sheinbaum in February. This is the highest approval rating achieved in the country in the last 30 years, El Fiannciero reported. Sheinbaum’s approval ratings
Ukraine presses for unconditional ceasefire ahead of Trump-Putin talks
Ukraine’s foreign minister says it is time for Russia to show it ‘wants peace’ as US, Russian leaders set to discuss ceasefire proposal. Ukraine has pressed Russia to accept an unconditional ceasefire ahead of a highly anticipated phone call in which United States President Donald Trump is set to discuss the war with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. Kyiv and its European allies are demanding that Putin agree to an unconditional US-proposed 30-day ceasefire during the call, which is scheduled to take place later on Tuesday, according to the Kremlin. “We expect the Russian side to unconditionally agree to this proposal,” said Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha ahead of the meeting. “It is time for Russia to show whether it really wants peace.” Trump said on Monday that Washington and Moscow had already discussed “dividing up certain assets” – including territory and power plants – between Ukraine and Russia as part of the ceasefire deal. In the run-up to talks, the Semafor news website published a report that cited two sources saying the Trump administration was considering recognising Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, as Russian territory. Advertisement The Kremlin has repeatedly said that Crimea, where Russia’s Black Sea Fleet is based and where the pre-annexation population was mostly Russian speakers, is already formally part of Russia. Kyiv has said it wants the Black Sea peninsula – internationally recognised as Ukrainian territory by most countries – back. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday that Putin does not want peace, accusing him of continuing “to drag out this war” in a bid to better the country’s military position ahead of any halt in fighting. Putin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday that Trump and Putin will discuss the war in Ukraine but added that there are also a “large number of questions” regarding the normalisation of US-Russia relations. Nuclear plant US Secretary of State Marco Rubio persuaded senior Ukrainian officials during talks in Saudi Arabia to agree to the ceasefire framework. In preparation for the Trump-Putin call, White House special envoy Steve Witkoff met last week with Putin in Moscow to discuss the proposal. He suggested that US and Russian officials had discussed the fate of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in southern Ukraine. The plant, caught in the crossfire since Moscow seized it after invading Ukraine in 2022, is a significant asset, producing nearly a quarter of Ukraine’s electricity in the year before the war. Trump claimed on Monday that Russian forces had “surrounded” Ukrainian troops who took control of 1,300 square kilometres (500 square miles) of Russia’s Kursk region last year. Advertisement Zelenskyy has acknowledged that the Ukrainian forces are facing difficulties there, but refutes Russian claims that they have encircled his troops. Adblock test (Why?)
Why is Israel bombing Gaza again?
NewsFeed Hundreds of people have been killed as Israel launched the most intense strikes on Gaza since the ceasefire began. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is accused of shattering the ceasefire. But why now? Soraya Lennie explains. Published On 18 Mar 202518 Mar 2025 Adblock test (Why?)
Putin may well get what he wants in Ukraine
After the long telephone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, which followed on the heels of US-Ukrainian talks in Jeddah last week, the war in Ukraine seems to be entering its final stages. Both Moscow and Kyiv appear to agree with Trump’s pursuit of a peace settlement, though the details of their positions regarding the specifics remain hazy. Kyiv has agreed to Washington’s proposal for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire followed by peace talks. Freezing the conflict before starting peace talks was not what Ukraine had wanted, but the prospect of losing more territory, infrastructure, human lives, and – very likely – American support, has brought it onboard. Russia, for its part, has agreed to suspend missile attacks on the Ukrainian energy infrastructure for 30 days, while continuing discussions for a full-fledged ceasefire. Earlier, Moscow expressed concern not only about the logistics of implementing the ceasefire and guarantees to prevent violations, but also about what comes after. Advertisement The caution is due to the fact that Russia has an advantage on the battlefield, which it is not very keen to lose before the framework of a settlement is set in stone. In any case, Russian officials sounded very upbeat about the prospects of settlement after the Trump-Putin call. If the ceasefire negotiations move forward, the question that arises is whether Putin is likely to get all that he wanted in February 2022 when he launched the brutal all-out invasion of Ukraine. The rough framework of a realistically attainable peace settlement is clear to all sides by now. Moscow has stated repeatedly that the peace deal is to follow the outline of the Istanbul agreements that were developed by the Russian and Ukrainian delegations in the spring of 2022 but were eventually ditched by Ukraine under British and American pressure. These agreements envisaged Ukraine’s military neutrality, a cap on the size of its army and measures to protect Russian speakers living in Ukraine. After three years of war, Moscow now wants Kyiv to recognise the loss of four Ukrainian regions – Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia – which Russia formally proclaimed its territory although it has not fully occupied any of them yet. It is possible, however, that the Kremlin will walk away from its maximalist demand of Ukraine withdrawing from the unoccupied parts of these regions. US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have signalled that territorial talks will include the fate of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station, which is currently occupied by Russia and is quite close to the front line. If Russia becomes a part of that conversation, it will mean that it’s no longer claiming the unoccupied north of Zaporizhia and – by extension – the unoccupied territory of the other three regions. Advertisement The discussions on the nuclear plant are a good sign because they indicate a shift to realistically attainable concessions the West and Ukraine could extract from Russia as opposed to the entirely unrealistic demands of NATO boots on the ground in the guise of “peacekeepers”, which the United Kingdom and France are pushing for. The key to understanding Putin’s logic is accepting that he is not fighting for territory. He sees the all-out invasion, which has now resulted in the occupation of a fifth of Ukrainian territory, as a punishment for Ukraine derailing the 2015-2016 Minsk agreements, which had envisaged the two breakaway regions, Donetsk and Luhansk, remaining under formal Ukrainian control. Russia’s annexation of these two regions, alongside Kherson and Zaporizhia, was punishment for Ukraine walking away from the Istanbul agreements. While the nuclear power plant could be feasibly swapped for some other territory or – more likely – political concessions pertaining to the rights of Russian speakers and the Moscow-affiliated Ukrainian Orthodox Church, what is nonnegotiable for Putin is NATO countries retaining any security infrastructure or influence on Ukrainian security bodies. Rooted in the West’s decision in the 1990s to confront rather than integrate the newly emerged democratic Russia, this conflict is really about drawing a thick red line beyond which the American-led West is not going to expand – at least until the time when the conversation about Russia’s westward integration becomes possible again. Advertisement For now, though, Putin will insist not just on Ukraine’s neutrality but also on the removal of what he describes as “NATO infrastructure”, which includes military training and logistical facilities as well as CIA listening stations along the Russian border. He will also likely demand the de-Westernisation of Ukrainian security structures strongly affiliated with the CIA and MI6, such as the Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) and some directorates of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). Crucially, he will insist on Kyiv and NATO reneging on the 2008 NATO Bucharest summit promise that Ukraine would become a member of the alliance. That commitment, imposed on European allies by US President George W Bush, triggered tectonic changes in Russian foreign policy, leading to conflict with Georgia and subsequently Ukraine. Judging by signals emanating from Trump’s administration, all of these goals are attainable along with the lifting of sanctions against Russia – at least by the US itself. The Kremlin for its part has signalled that it could agree the $300bn in frozen Russian assets in the West could be used for post-war reconstruction in Ukraine. It sees this money as already lost and perhaps considers that a benevolent gesture like that could help it start mending relations with the now very hostile neighbour. If he can get all of that, Putin will see his decision to become a war criminal by launching the brutal aggression against Russia’s closest neighbour in social, ethnic, cultural and economic terms as justified. Advertisement Besides securing the neutrality of Ukraine and pushing NATO further from Russian borders, Putin also appears bound to fulfil another goal: the restoration of Russia’s superpower status in the eyes of the entire world. For Western leaders, the failure to rein in Russia will lead to a belated realisation: that a major nuclear
Turkiye’s Istanbul University annuls Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu’s diploma
Opposition leader slams the university’s move as ‘unlawful’, saying it does not have the power to make the decision. Turkiye’s Istanbul University has annulled Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu’s diploma, citing irregularities with Council of Higher Education regulations and threatening his chances of running in the 2028 presidential election. The university said on Tuesday that 38 people, including Istanbul’s mayor, had irregularly transferred to its Management Faculty’s English-language programme in 1990. It added that 10 of those with the irregularity had their transfer annulled, and the degrees of 28 graduates, including Imamoglu, “will be withdrawn and cancelled on the grounds of … obvious error”. Imamoglu slammed the move as “unlawful” and promised to fight the decision in court. “They [the university] do not have the authority to make such a decision. The authority lies solely with the Board of Directors of the Faculty of Business Administration. “The days when those who made this decision will be held accountable before history and justice are near. The march of our nation, thirsty for justice, law and democracy, cannot be stopped.” Advertisement Murat Emir, a lawmaker from Imamoglu’s Republican People’s Party, said the decision “dealt a heavy blow to our democracy”. Musavat Dervisoglu, the opposition Good Party chairman, said the annulment was “beyond purging a political rival”. 2028 election The ruling could hurt Imamoglu’s plans to challenge President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the 2028 election and came days before the opposition was expected to select Imamoglu as its presidential candidate. Under the Turkish Constitution, presidential candidates must have a higher education degree. Imamoglu, currently in his second term as the mayor of Istanbul, is the subject of multiple investigations and cases. The vocal opponent of Erdogan in January slammed what he called “harassment” after leaving an Istanbul court for questioning as part of an open investigation on his criticism of the city’s public prosecutor. In 2022, Imamoglu was sentenced to two years and seven months in jail and banned from political activities for “insulting” members of Turkiye’s High Election Council, a sentence that Imamoglu has appealed. Adblock test (Why?)