(1) Israel Says Iran Launched Drones at Its Territory in Retaliatory Strike: Live Updates - The New York Times nytimes.com/live/2024/04/1…

Unprecedented times in the Middle East as Iran launches an attack on Israel from its own territory. This upends the unwritten rules of engagement that have contained their conflict for years. We are now in a escalatory spiral that risks triggering a much wider military conflict.

The day after Russian forces arrive, Niger signs a $400m oil deal with China. Life moves pretty fast…

“Iran has signalled to allies and western nations that it will retaliate against a suspected Israeli air strike on its Damascus consulate in a “calibrated” manner to keep an all-out regional conflict at bay, according to officials briefed on the talks.” ft.com/content/bdbc3a…

⚡️BREAKING

Iran has released a video of the seizure of the MSC Aries, owned by Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer.

Normally, Iran only seizes oil tankers and not container ships, but it seems that the Strait of Hormuz is being closed to ships linked to Israel

Why is the Middle East is on the cusp of developing a methamphetamine crisis?

Vanda Felbab-Brown answers in Foreign Affairs.
foreignaffairs.com/middle-east/mi…

Brookings scholar Vanda Felbab-Brown highlights China's role in #fentanyl production.

thefederalnewswire.com/stories/657632…

Instead of required pics of timber, 'some drivers had submitted photographs of drinking parties, chairs, and truck tires that went undetected'

Now why would anyone think relying on truck drivers was a reliable, let alone sophisticated, tracing system
occrp.org/en/investigati…

My story for The Economist on Congo's illiberal turn since the elections: death penalty brought back, government critics under pressure. economist.com/middle-east-an…

Happy to return to POLITICOEurope with an opinion piece about the recent Voice of Europe case: disinformation is part of the broader Russian espionage and ‘active measures’. To fight against one you also need to counter the others.

OPINION: We must brace for more Russian meddling. trib.al/XOJuj1b

Media freedom in Italy fast deteriorating. The govt has just altered the rules of the media game in electoral campaign:

Govt exponents, ministers etc are no longer subject to rules on fair and pluralistic media presence: the PM herself now counts as Institutional Communication

Arab states’ punitive policies toward drug users have not curbed drug use, writes Vanda Felbab-Brown. With the region facing a growing methamphetamine crisis, it is increasingly urgent for these countries to change tack.
trib.al/lT2CQYM

Thank you!

20 years later, Abu Ghraib detainees get their day in US court (from The Associated Press) apnews.com/article/47bca6…