Rules:

• Deadly Highway Collapse in China’s Guangdong Province: At least 24 people were killed after a highway section collapsed. in the Guangdong province, near Meizhou City, China. The cause of the collapse is unknown and rescue operations continued throughout Wednesday.

• Tornado Hits Westmoreland, Kansas: One person was killed after a tornado touched down in Westmoreland, Kansas. Local authorities reported that the tornado destroyed 22 homes, three RVs, and five outbuildings. It also damaged another dozen or so homes and a commercial building.

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• Nearly 100 Arrested at Columbia University: Nearly 100 individuals were arrested at Columbia University after the NYPD cleared Hamilton Hall, which had been taken over by protestors. Due to ongoing demonstrations, police presence will remain on campus till at least May 17.

• May Day Demonstrators Met by Police in Türkiye: May Day demonstrations took place throughout multiple capital cities in Asia and Europe on Wednesday. Demonstrators in İstanbul, Türkiye were met by riot police, while 30 members of the People’s Liberation Party were detained after breaking through central Taksim Square’s security barrier. President Erdogan has banned all rallies and demonstrations at the square.

Morning Brief of Global Events:

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• Spanish PM Will Continue to Serve Despite Allegations: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will continue to serve in his role despite corruption allegations involving his wife. Sanchez made the announcement on Monday morning, dispelling speculation that he would resign.

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• Scottish PM to Announce Potential Resignation: Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf is stepping down from his position amidst a breakdown in power-sharing and in anticipation of a no-confidence vote later in the week.

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• Hamas Considering Israeli Ceasefire Proposal: Today, a Hamas delegation in Cairo is set to respond to an Israeli proposal for a ceasefire.

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• Ukrainian Troops Withdraw as Russian Troops Concentrate on Frontline: Ukrainian troops have withdrawn from multiple positions in Donetsk on the eastern front amid heightened intensity on the frontline. Russia has increased troop numbers in the area ahead of Ukraine receiving a US military aid package that will include air defense and artillery ammunition.

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• 200 Arrested Across US as University Demonstrations Continue: Pro-Palestinian demonstrations have spread to numerous university campuses across the US, resulting in the arrest of over 200 people on Saturday. Additional encampments were established at multiple universities on Sunday.

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• Iraqi Anti-LGBTQIA+ Law Draws International Condemnation: On Saturday, the Iraqi parliament approved a law permitting the imprisonment of individuals in same-sex relationships for up to 15 years and up to three years for people who undergo gender transition operations. Human rights groups and diplomats worldwide have condemned the law.

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• Thousands Demonstrate in Tbilisi Ahead of Second Reading of Controversial Law: Thousands of people marched through the streets of Tbilisi on Sunday to demonstrate against the proposed “foreign agents” bill, which is perceived as authoritarian and inspired by Russian policy. A second reading of the bill is expected at Georgia’s parliament on Tuesday.

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• Israel Intensifies Strikes on Rafah Ahead of Threatened Invasion: Israel says a Rafah assault looms after two-day airstrikes in Northern Gaza. A spokesperson for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was “moving ahead” with its plans for a ground operation on Rafah but gave no timeline.

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• Student Demonstrations Over Israel-Hamas War Continue: Student demonstrations over the Israel-Hamas war have increased across college campuses in the United States following last week’s arrest of more than 100 demonstrators at Columbia University. So far, more than 500 people have been arrested at colleges and universities across the country.

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• India Begins Voting in Second Phase of Election: Polls have opened in the second of the seven-phase Indian elections, with 13 states voting for 88 seats in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of India’s Parliament. General elections began on April 19 and will end on June 1. A heat wave currently underway in Southeast India could affect voter turnout.

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• Russia May Downgrade Ties With US if Assets Are Confiscated: Russia is considering downgrading the level of its diplomatic relations with the United States if Western governments proceed with proposals to confiscate its frozen assets. The G7 is preparing to use nearly $300 billion of Russian assets frozen by previous sanctions to help support Ukraine.

• Haiti Prime Minister Resigns: Ariel Henry resigned as prime minister of Haiti, leaving the way clear for a new government to be formed in the Caribbean country amid widespread unrest. Henry’s finance minister, Michel Patrick Boisvert, will be interim prime minister until the transition council appoints a new head of government.

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• Tanzania Floods and Landslides Kill More Than 150: Flooding in Tanzania caused by weeks of heavy rain has killed 155 people and affected more than 200,000 others. Heavy rains have also swept through neighboring countries Kenya and Burundi.

• 127 Students Arrested at US Campuses Over Israel-Hamas Conflict: 127 students were arrested on Wednesday, 24 April, at the University of Texas (UT) and the University of Southern California (USC) after demonstrations erupted relating to the Israel-Hamas conflict. 

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• Airspace Temporarily Closed in Southern Norway: Airspace over Southern Norway was temporarily closed on Thursday morning due to an error at the Oslo Control Center. Although the error was resolved, major flight disruptions are still expected.

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• Myanmar Rebel Group Withdraws from Key Border Town: Myanmar's junta forces have retaken the border town of Myawaddy, two weeks after rebel forces took control of the strategically important trading post on the Thai border.

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• Hamas Would Disarm if Palestinian State Established: A Hamas official stated that they are willing to lay down arms and enter a truce with Israel if Palestine were to establish an independent state. 

• Impending Ground Operation in Rafah: A military ground operation in Rafah is anticipated soon as aid organizations establish a tented camp for the expected mass evacuation of over one million displaced people. The operation will be conducted in phases starting with evacuations that could take more than four weeks.

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• Russian Security Leader Meets with Chinese and Iranian Counterparts: On Tuesday, the Secretary of Russia's Security Council, Nikolai Patrushev, and China's security chief, Chen Wenqing, met to discuss strengthening relationships between their respective security forces. Additionally, Iran's National Security Council head is scheduled to meet with Patrushev in Russia.

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• China Opposes Taiwan's Inclusion in US Aid Package: China has expressed its opposition to the inclusion of Taiwan in the recently announced US aid package. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to arrive in China on Wednesday for meetings with his Chinese counterpart at the end of the week.

• TikTok Legislation Approved by US Senate: On Tuesday, the US Senate approved a bill that would mandate the Chinese-owned social media company TikTok either sell its operations or face a ban from the US. The legislation will now be forwarded to President Biden, who is expected to sign the bill into law. Hundreds of TikTok users have already been calling congressional offices and demonstrations are possible.

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• Columbia University Extends Dispersal Deadline: Columbia University extended the deadline for pro-Palestinian demonstrators to disperse from campus grounds to 48 hours. Initially, the University had set a midnight deadline on Tuesday but revised it early Wednesday morning.

• Poland in Negotiations to Host Nuclear Weapons: Poland and the United States are in the process of negotiating the hosting of nuclear weapons on Polish territory. Poland’s President says this would make NATO’s eastern flank stronger.

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• Demonstrators Arrested at Top US Universities: Over 150 pro-Palestinian demonstrators were arrested at some of America's top universities on Monday, following days of demonstrations and campus occupations at universities including Columbia, NYU, Yale, Berkeley, and MIT. Demonstrations are expected to continue through the school year. 

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• UK Aid Package for Ukraine: The UK will provide Ukraine with its largest military aid package to date. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will visit Poland on Tuesday to discuss regional security.

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• Rwanda Bill Passes in UK Amid UN Warning to Airlines: A controversial bill has passed in the UK that will allow for the relocation of asylum seekers to Rwanda. The UN had previously warned that airlines facilitating the removal of these political refugees could be in violation of human rights. 

• Palestinians conducted a general strike throughout the West Bank on Sunday following an IDF raid on Nur Shams refugee camp on Saturday. 10 people were killed during the raid. 

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• Amid escalating tensions, the United Nations Security Council warned of impending intercommunal conflict and violence on Friday as fighting in El Fasher threatens to spill over throughout Darfur.

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• The United States House of Representatives passed a $95 billion foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan on Saturday. The majority ($61 billion) will be allocated to Ukraine. The bill now goes to the Senate and could pass early this week.

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• North Korea fired several ballistic missiles into the sea off the east coast on Monday. South Korea condemned the launch calling it a “clear provocation” that threatens peace in the region.

• The cause for the 911 emergency service outages in Nebraska, Nevada, and South Dakota was due to workers cutting into a fiber line while installing a light pole in Missouri. In Texas, the outages are believed to have been caused by an outage involving a cellular carrier.

• Unnamed US sources say Israeli missiles hit a site in Iran following the Iranian retaliatory drone strikes on Israel over the weekend. Iranian media contradicted the reports saying the explosions were caused by air defense systems and claims to have shot down three drones over Isfahan. Separately, Israel carried out a missile strike in Syria, causing material damage to an air defense unit.

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• Police arrested over 100 demonstrators during a pro-Palestinian protest at Columbia University on Thursday.

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• FBI Director Christopher Wray says Chinese government-linked hackers have successfully gained access to US critical infrastructure, specifically in telecommunications, energy, water, and other critical sectors, including 23 pipeline operators. He says the US is waiting for "for just the right moment to deal a devastating blow.”

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• The Chinese government has ordered META to remove WhatsApp and Threads from its App Store in China; however, the apps remain available for download on other storefronts.

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• India’s nationwide vote for prime minister has begun with current Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking re-election. Polling will take place in seven phases over the next six weeks.

Quick brief of ongoing events that are top of mind this morning:

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• Multiple states in the US experienced a 911 emergency service outage which included the entire state of South Dakota, portions of Nevada, Texas, and Nebraska. The cause of the outages is not immediately clear. 

• The potential for additional eruptions of Mount Ruang volcano in Indonesia remains high and has already caused the evacuation of hundreds of residents living near the volcano since the initial eruptions on Wednesday, 16 April.

• Following the Iranian attack on Israel, EU leaders have agreed to new sanctions on Iran which would target companies involved with the production of drones and missiles.

• Bondi Westfield Mall in Sydney reopens after fatal stabbing attacks on Saturday, 13 April.

• Two German-Russian nationals were detained by German authorities on suspicion of spying for Russia and plotting attacks on military and industrial infrastructure.

• Police in the UK have arrested 24 suspects accused of using technology to scam victims into making online payments and stealing their identity. 

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Our Global Intelligence Team puts together a brief each morning of noteworthy events to keep in mind. Sharing here in case anyone's interested:

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• Further Sanctions Imposed on Iran as Israeli War Cabinet Scheduled to Meet: The U.S. plans to impose additional sanctions on Iran following the recent attack on Israel. EU allies are also expected to take similar actions in the coming days. Meanwhile, the Israeli war cabinet is scheduled to convene again on Wednesday.

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• Flooding Causes Major Disruptions in UAE: Major flooding is causing widespread disruption throughout the UAE as the largest rainfall in over seven decades brings cities to a standstill. Dubai International Airport is experiencing significant flight disruptions, with schools and government offices closed on Wednesday morning as authorities work to pump water from flooded highways. In neighboring Oman, at least 18 people have been killed in the flooding that has swept the region since Sunday

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• 29 Maoists Killed in Central India: Security forces in the Kanker District of India’s central state of Chhattisgarh killed 29 Maoist rebels in a skirmish on Tuesday. This encounter marks the most significant clash in recent times and comes just ahead of India's General Elections, which are set to commence on Friday and span six weeks. India boasts the largest democratic electorate in the world.

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• Russian Missile Strike Claims Lives in Chernihiv: A Russian missile strike hit the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv on Wednesday morning, claiming the lives of at least 10 people. The town's Mayor reported three explosions in the city center, resulting in damage to buildings and infrastructure. The strike follows warnings from President Zelensky on Monday that the military was running out of missile defenses.

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