Millions of files leaked to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and examined by hundreds of journalists worldwide (ICIJ) revealed how thirty-five current and former heads of state have used offshore structures to hide their assets (Guardian) from tax authorities and criminal investigators.
 
Dubbed the Pandora Papers, the leak implicated current leaders (WaPo) including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Jordanian King Abdullah II and revealed how the U.S. state of South Dakota rivals better-known tax havens in Europe and the Caribbean for its financial secrecy. The files described more than double the number of offshore accounts revealed by the 2106 Panama Papers leak. Media organizations will continue to publish reports in the coming days.

After a monthslong review of U.S. trade policy toward China, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai is expected to accuse Beijing (WaPo) of failing to comply with a deal it made with the Donald Trump administration in a speech today. Tai is expected to hold her first talks (SCMP) with China’s top trade official in the coming days.
 
This timeline traces U.S.-China relations.
 
North Korea: The country restored a military hotline (Yonhap) with South Korea that it had suspended for nearly two months.

The Taliban said they carried out a deadly operation (TOLOnews) against a hideout in Kabul belonging to the self-declared Islamic State following a bombing (NYT) outside of a Kabul mosque. No group claimed responsibility for the bombing, which resembled others perpetrated by the Islamic State’s affiliate in Afghanistan.
 
India: The government of Uttar Pradesh State suspended internet access (Hindustan Times) and blocked lawmakers from entering a region where eight people were killed in protests against changes to agricultural laws.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates issued alerts about heavy flooding (Al Jazeera) after the cyclone pummeled Oman yesterday.
 
Jordan/Syria: Jordanian King Abdullah and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad spoke on the phone (Reuters) for the first time since Syria’s war began a decade ago.

One peacekeeper was killed (AP) and four others were injured when a UN peacekeeping convoy was attacked with an improvised explosive device.
 
Nigeria: Officials told Reuters that Boko Haram insurgents have taken over communities in the country’s northwestern Niger State in an apparent expansion from their stronghold in the country’s northeast.
 
For the Africa in Transition blog, Eric G. Berman looks at Boko Haram’s recent capture of military gear.

The measure came after French President Emmanuel Macron reportedly made comments criticizing Algerian elites’ “discourse of hatred toward France.” In response to the comments, Algeria also banned French planes from its airspace (Al Jazeera) and accused France, its former colonizer, of genocide.
 
Russia: Moscow announced that it successfully test-fired (AFP) a hypersonic cruise missile from a submarine for the first time.

In the largest defection of Cuban athletes (BBC) in years, as many as twelve players reportedly stayed in Mexico after a tournament for athletes under twenty-three years old.
 
This virtual meeting unpacks Cuba’s recent political and economic strife.
 
Brazil: Tens of thousands of Brazilians protested across the country (Guardian) on Saturday to call for the impeachment of President Jair Bolsonaro.

Cleanup efforts are underway (AP) after one of the largest oil spills in California’s recent history. The suspected cause of the incident is a leak from an underwater pipeline.