Two former Syrian army officers go on trial today (NYT) in Germany on charges of crimes against humanity committed in the early days of Syria’s civil war. The trial is the world’s first of a high-ranking official from Bashar al-Assad’s government and sets a precedent for a universal jurisdiction approach to war crimes.
 
Anwar Raslan and Eyad al-Gharib are accused (New Humanitarian) of helping operate a prison where four thousand people faced “systematic and brutal torture” in 2011 and 2012. The officers entered Germany as asylum seekers. Although China and Russia blocked (Al-Monitor) the International Criminal Court from prosecuting Syrian regime figures, Germany investigated this case using universal jurisdiction, which allows for trial of grave crimes anywhere in the world.

Chinese agents amplified social media and mobile phone messages falsely warning of an impending militarized lockdown in the United States in mid-March, U.S. intelligence officials told the New York Times.
 
Indonesia: A British-Indonesian research team found that the site of Indonesia’s new capital could have a heightened risk of tsunamis (BBC).

U.S. President Donald J. Trump and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani spoke on the phone (TOLO) about the importance of the Taliban reducing violence in Afghanistan so a peace process can proceed. Dozens of people were killed within twenty-four hours in nationwide clashes (Reuters) between the Afghan government and Taliban forces, authorities said Wednesday.
 
India: Two Muslim student activists in Delhi were charged (Guardian) with conspiring to incite riots under a law usually reserved for terrorist activity. Amnesty International condemned the measure, calling it an extension of a crackdown on anyone who is critical of the state.

Lebanon reported its first case of coronavirus in a refugee camp (Daily Star) after weeks of tightly controlling its outbreak (WaPo). The country has reported just over twenty coronavirus deaths since its first infection in late February.
 
Iran: A top U.S. military official walked back (NBC) President Trump’s threat to “shoot down” Iranian gunboats that harass U.S. ships, saying that the president meant U.S. ships “retain the right of self-defense.” Responding to Trump’s comment, the head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps said Iran would “destroy” (Reuters) any U.S. forces that threaten its security in the Persian Gulf.
 
For CFR’s Strength Through Peace blog, Amir Asmar and Jacob Ware discuss why Iran is unlikely to negotiate with the United States in the near future.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation urged (Reuters) its members to support states struggling to respond to the coronavirus, especially those in Africa, and echoed a UN call for a global cease-fire.
 
South Africa: President Cyril Ramaphosa ordered (Guardian) security force members to be on standby to reinforce the country’s strict coronavirus lockdown. Around three thousand soldiers are currently on the streets.
 
For Think Global Health, a CFR initiative, Salma Abdalla and Sandro Galea look at what factors will determine the success of lockdowns in African countries.

The European Central Bank moved to allow bonds (FT) that lose their investment-grade credit rating to be used as collateral for accessing credit until September 2021. The bank said it was open to loosening requirements further if necessary to prevent a eurozone debt crisis.
 
In Foreign Affairs, Erik Jones looks at Europe’s economic response to the virus.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and opposition leader Juan Guaido have held secret talks on rapprochement in the face of an impending coronavirus crisis and fuel shortages, according to a Reuters report.
 
Chile: The country is lifting coronavirus quarantines on a rolling basis (Bloomberg), based on new cases per capita, health resources in each area, and the size of the elderly population. It plans to start issuing “immunity passes” next week for people who have recovered from the virus.

Rick Bright, who until yesterday served as a top vaccine official at the Department of Health and Human Services, said he was ousted (WSJ) over his refusal to promote treatments for the coronavirus that were endorsed by President Trump but not scientifically proven.