Welcome back to Global Overview, where we highlight a United States timeline of events Iran washow Republicans MPs prioritize money for the implementation of immigration, and the state of Russiastagnant economy.
How long?
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told his fellow G-7 leaders on Friday that the US-Israel war against Iran—already about to end one month—could go on for another. two to four weekssources told Axios. Speaking to reporters after the G-7 meeting, Rubio he said that the United States is “scheduled or ahead of schedule in the operation, and expects to conclude in a timely manner here—a matter of weeks, not months.”
Welcome back to Global Overview, where we highlight a United States timeline of events Iran washow Republicans MPs prioritize money for the implementation of immigration, and the state of Russiastagnant economy.
How long?
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told his fellow G-7 leaders on Friday that the US-Israel war against Iran—already about to end one month—could go on for another. two to four weekssources told Axios. Speaking to reporters after the G-7 meeting, Rubio he said that the United States is “scheduled or ahead of schedule in the operation, and expects to conclude in a timely manner here—a matter of weeks, not months.”
Analysts suggest that prolonging the conflict for that period could be bad results for the world economy, as 28 days of war have already caused an unprecedented disruption to global energy flows and worsening instability in the Middle East.
G-7 foreign ministers and their allies met in the French countryside on Thursday for a a two-day conference aimed at dealing with the increase in geographic insecurity. However, the main show did not begin until Rubio arrived on Friday, where he insisted that the United States remains committed to achieving all of its war goals.
“Our mission is clear. Iran will never get a nuclear weapon,” Rubio said he wrote on X on Friday. “In my meeting with the G7 foreign ministers, I reiterated that we must meet this time with the highest contributions from partners.”
However such donations may not be easy to come by. Washington’s G-7 partners remain hesitant to join US military efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world’s oil normally passes. “We have taken a supportive approach to defensive measures, but we have also taken a different view on the offensive action that has taken place as part of this conflict,” British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said on Friday.
The reluctance has angered the President of the United States, Donald Trump, who has expressed his views on NATO in general. “We are very disappointed in NATO because NATO has not done anything,” Trump said during a cabinet meeting on Thursday. He later appeared to suggest that the United States would not come help of the coalition members due to their own inaction regarding Hormuz. “We will always be there—at least we were,” Trump said. “I don’t know anymore, to be honest with you.”
This has forced Rubio to do so walk a fine line between appeasing the White House and selling America’s Iran strategy to Washington’s closest allies.
Still, some common ground has been found. G-7 foreign ministers agreed to adopt statement on Friday calling for an “immediate halt” to attacks on civilian facilities and infrastructure. “Nothing justifies the deliberate targeting of civilians during armed conflicts, nor attacks against diplomatic posts,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said, adding that the declaration “also confirms the absolute necessity of restoring free and safe navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.”
Meanwhile, it remains unclear how close (if at all) the Iran war is to a diplomatic solution. Rubio reportedly told attendees at the meeting on Friday that Washington is still in contact with Tehran through mediators but is close to serious talks. On Thursday, Trump released Tehran another 10 days to reopen Hormuz or face attacks on its energy infrastructure.
Rubio’s comments come amid reports that the US Department of Defense is focusing on deployment at least 10,000 additional combat troops in the Middle East in the future. Rubio said on Friday that the United States could achieve its goals in Iran without ground troops but was sending some to the region “to give the president more options and more room to adjust to emergencies, should they arise.”
Today’s Most Read
What we’re after
DHS funding battle. Top Republican lawmakers vowed Friday to block a measure approved by the Senate to restore funding to most of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), except immigration enforcement. The Senate they voted in favor of the bill early Friday; however, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has promised to reject the argument and instead make his own proposal.
The Senate-approved bill would refund money to key DHS agencies—namely, the Transportation Security Administration, which oversees airport security personnel. Many of the 50,000 security personnel who have gone without pay since the partial shutdown began in mid-February have called in sick or resigned. The shortage of workers has caused long lines and major delays at major airports across the country.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle seem eager to reduce this transportation chaos. However, it is still likely that House Republicans will approve the bill in its current form, which does not include funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as well as Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Instead, Johnson plans to recommend A 60-day continuing resolution that would fund all of DHS, including ICE and CBP.
Democrats are unlikely to support the offer, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer warning Friday that Johnson’s proposal would be “.dead on arrival” in the upper room.
Woe to Moscow money. Kremlin rejected reports on Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin has asked some of the country’s oligarchs to contribute to Moscow’s budget to help stabilize Russia’s stretched economy during its war with Ukraine.
“It is not true that Putin made such a request,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Meanwhile, Peskov admitted that one participant in a private meeting between Putin and wealthy business leaders on Thursday had offered to give “a very large amount of money” to the country. “This was entirely his plan, and not President Putin’s. Although, of course, the head of state welcomed the plan,” Peskov added.
Russia’s war against Ukraine has taken big tax on the money of Moscow. Its war-torn economy, and sanctions have forced the Kremlin to act tough financial decisions to avoid recession. These include government confiscation of private assets, a Moscow court ruling that Russia can nationalize its second-largest airport, and the central bank ending regulations that required Russian exporters to repatriate and convert foreign currency earnings.
Still, Putin doesn’t seem ready to lower his expectations for war. sources told Financial Times on Thursday that Moscow plans to fight until it captures the remaining parts of Ukraine’s Donbas region that are not under Russian control.
The new leader of Nepal. Balendra Shah was to be sworn in as Nepal’s new prime minister on Friday, making him the youngest head of government in its history. Shah assumed the post after his Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) won a landslide victory in the parliamentary elections held on March 5. This was Nepal’s first vote since The rebellion led by generation Z Last September it toppled the government of the then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.
Experts predict that RSP’s sweeping authority in the House of Representatives will help Shah push forward many of the promised reforms aimed at combating corruption and mismanagement. This anti-establishment platform is what largely convinced young people in Nepal to vote for the former mayor of Kathmandu following last year’s protests against the government.
The road ahead, though, could still be challenging for Shah. Among the first tasks of the new prime minister is to address a long delayed diagnosis in the terrible violence and massive arson that occurred during the September uprising. Shah will be expected to decide who is responsible, even if conflicting reports may implicate some members of his own party.
What In The World?
South Africa’s top police officer was granted bail on Wednesday to appear in court as part of an investigation into an alleged botched contract to give police officers what?
A. Military grade weapons and equipment
B. Training in using AI diagnostic tools
C. Health and welfare services
D. Opportunities for additional overtime pay
Odds and Ends
Sitting through a PowerPoint presentation may not be many people’s idea of fun. But some young, London-based singles tired of dating apps are doing just that to find love: attending “Date My Partner” night, where people gather in pubs to present two-minute slideshows of their friends to potential mates. After one such event in north London on Wednesday sold out in less than five minutes, organizers are now hoping to hold similar nights once a week across the UK. Similar events have also been held in Australia and the US.
And The Answer Is…
C. Health and welfare services
The latest scandal comes after various allegations of corruption in South Africa last year, which Max Meizlish and David May. he wrote about the month of November.
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