Attack in Kashmir. Gunmen killed at least twenty-six people at a tourist site yesterday in India-administered Kashmir. It was the deadliest attack in decades in the area and prompted international condemnation. A group called The Resistance Front claimed responsibility. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi cut short a trip to Saudi Arabia to return to India, and said that those responsible would be “brought to justice.”
A dampened IMF forecast. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) lowered its 2025 U.S. growth forecast from 2.7 percent in January to 1.8 percent following the trade escalations of recent months—though it only took into account information until April 4, before Trump hiked levies to 145 percent on most Chinese goods. The IMF downgraded its global forecast to 2.8 percent from 3.3 percent.
Trump’s shift in economic rhetoric. Trump yesterday said that he had “no intention” of firing Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, switching course from days of warnings about a potential ouster. Separately, he also said that the level of tariffs on China will “come down substantially, but it won’t be zero.” A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said today that “the door for talks is wide open.”
The State Department’s future. Rubio announced a plan yesterday to reorganize the State Department that will consolidate 734 bureaus and offices down to 602, according to documents seen by the Associated Press. Among the positions set to be eliminated is the undersecretary for civilian security, democracy, and human rights. The plan did not include cuts as drastic as those envisioned in a draft document that was circulated over the weekend.
Blow for Ivory Coast election challenger. An Ivory Coast court removed popular opposition presidential hopeful Tidjane Thiam from the country’s electoral register, in a move Thiam called “democratic vandalism.” Being on the register is a requirement for running for office. The court argued Thiam forfeited his Ivory Coast nationality when he acquired French citizenship, which he later renounced to run for the seat. President Alassane Ouattara has ruled the country since 2010.
Delay in U.S.-Iran talks. Technical talks toward a potential U.S.-Iran nuclear deal will occur on Saturday after being originally scheduled for today, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson said, adding that host country Oman suggested the delay. The talks will now occur the same day as political negotiations. Since the last round of discussions last Saturday, Iran’s foreign minister has held meetings with UN nuclear chief Rafael Grossi and with counterparts in China.
IMF mission to Syria. The IMF appointed its first head of mission to Syria in fourteen years, interim Syrian finance minister Mohammed Yosr Bernieh said. The IMF had previously left the office vacant amid the country’s civil war. Bernieh and Syria’s central bank chief are in Washington for the IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings, the first official visit by Syria’s interim authorities to the United States since the ouster of Bashar al-Assad.
China-Vatican ties. Beijing is willing to continue to work toward mending its relationship with the Vatican following the death of Pope Francis, a foreign ministry spokesperson said yesterday. China and the Roman Catholic Church had cut off formal relations in 1951 and Francis had worked toward improving them, reaching a 2018 deal regarding the appointment of bishops in China that was never made public. China under Xi Jinping has enacted harsh restrictions on Christian religious practices.
