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Experts fume at Trump after  human rights advocate condemned to 'civil death'

Academics and human rights experts were aghast on Tuesday as President Donald Trump condemned an advocate to what amounts to a "civil death." Francesca Albanese, who worked as a special rapporteur for the United Nations in Palestine, has faced significant public pressure from the Trump administration since she recommended that the International Criminal Court issue an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's defense minister Yoav Gallant, and three leaders of Hamas for committing war crimes during the war in Gaza, five experts wrote in a new op-ed for The Guardian. The Trump administration has imposed sweeping sanctions against Albanese for her recommendation, the experts noted. For instance, she can't open a bank account or draw a salary from the university where she teaches. "As the U.S. Supreme Court recognized 60 years ago, the threat of sanctions can deter speech as effectively as the sanctions themselves – and this violates both the U.S. Constitution and international human rights law," they wrote in the op-ed. "Trump’s retribution against Albanese should concern far more than those focused on Israel’s human rights record," they added. "It should trouble anyone who believes in free speech. Today, the target is a UN expert. Tomorrow it could be journalists, scholars, peaceful protesters – or any citizen who challenges those in power. When a government claims the authority to police ideas, everyone’s liberty is on the line."

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Mette Frederiksen’s leftwing bloc fails to win majority in Danish election

Centre-left coalition appears likely as Social Democrats and other left-leaning parties win 84 seats, while right-leaning bloc wins 77 seatsMette Frederiksen’s Social Democrats and Denmark’s other left-leaning parties appear to have failed to win enough votes to gain a clear mandate to form a government in an election fought amid geopolitical tensions with the US over Greenland.With 100% of the vote counted in the early hours of Wednesday morning, the prime minister’s party won the most votes but performed worse than expected, with nearly 22% of the vote, leaving the Social Democrats and the other left-leaning parties that form the “red bloc” with 84 seats short of a majority in the 179-seat parliament. Continue reading...

China protests to Japan over alleged break-in at its embassy in Tokyo

Japanese authorities have confirmed the arrest of a Japanese army soldier on suspicion of trespass, a day after China protested over an alleged break-in at the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo

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Analysts torch leaked Trump peace deal: 'No idea why anyone thinks Iran will agree'

Political analysts and observers were astounded by a new report on Tuesday that included leaked details about a potential peace deal for the war in Iran. Phil Stewart, chief national security correspondent at Reuters, posted a few details leaked to Israel's Channel 12 on X. The 15-point plan includes stipulations that Iran agree not to enrich uranium, close three nuclear facilities, stop funding regional proxies, and agree to a "free trade zone" in the Strait of Hormuz. The details were released at a time when the Trump administration is facing significant scrutiny for its shifting story about why the war was started and the fallout from rising energy prices due to the Iranian regime effectively blocking the Strait of Hormuz. Political analysts and observers shared their reactions on social media. "With what leverage, sir?" military veteran John Jackson posted on X. "Iran promised Obama the same thing," Pradheep Shanker, National Review contributor, posted on X. "I have no idea why anyone thinks that #Iran will agree to this. Feels like the White House is negotiating with itself," Nadav Pollak, lecturer on the Middle East at Reichman University, posted on X. "Big question will be, how many of these 15 points are recycled from Trump 1.0’s 12-points on Iran. And if so, what are the 3 new ones, as well as how much have these points been adjusted to account for the new regional/domestic reality," Behnam Ben Taleblu, Iran program senior director for FDD, a nonpartisan think tank, posted on X.

15-point document leaks containing terms of Iran peace deal: report

A 15-point document containing terms of a potential peace deal for the war in Iran was leaked to Israel's Channel 12 on Tuesday, according to a report. Phil Stewart, chief national security correspondent at Reuters, posted four of the deal terms on X. They include Iran agreeing not to enrich any uranium in the country, agreeing to decommission the Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow nuclear plants, stopping funding of proxies in the region like Hezbollah, and agreeing to a "free maritime zone" in the Strait of Hormuz. The terms were released at a time when President Donald Trump was facing significant scrutiny for the administration's decision to start the war by coordinating a bombing campaign with Israel in late February. Global oil markets have also been rocked by the war. Over the last month, the price of a barrel of crude oil has increased by nearly 30%, reaching $88.70 at the end of trading on Tuesday. While that price is the lowest since March 11, some economists are increasingly concerned that the war could tip the U.S. economy into a recession.