SITREP

Deadly Attack in Canada on Election Eve, China Seizes Disputed Atoll, Iran Port Blast and Israeli Strikes in Beirut Andrew Sheves Happy Monday. 🇨🇦** Deadly Attack in Canada Upsets Final Day of Campaigning** Canada’s federal election campaign took a somber turn as party leaders responded to a deadly incident where an SUV rammed into a Filipino festival in Vancouver, killing 11 people. Prime Minister Carney cancelled major rallies while continuing smaller events, Conservative Leader Poilievre held a moment of silence before resuming campaign activities, and NDP Leader Singh—who had left the festival minutes before the attack—cancelled multiple events to attend a Filipino mass. More - CBC ...

Canada Election Summary and the Downside of Trump’s Tariff Vacillations Andrew Sheves Good morning. 🇨🇦 Canadians vote on Monday (although a record number have already voted early) and the BBC has a neat summary of how the two parties compare on key issues. Unsurprisingly, both reject President Trump’s idea that Canada become America’s 51st state. 🤷 Bloomberg notes that the significant impact of Trump’s on-again, off-again tariff vacillations is global uncertainty for both governments and businesses. [More - Bloomberg] ...

China Returns Boeing Jets, Turkish Earthquake Andrew Sheves Good morning. / 🛫** China Returns Boeing Jets** China has returned Boeing aircraft and halted delivery of 50 more planes in retaliation for Trump’s 145% tariffs. Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg confirmed two jets have already been sent back with more to follow, forcing the company to seek alternative buyers. Despite the escalation, Trump expressed optimism that tariff levels would “come down substantially.” More - BBC ...

Tourist Attack in Kashmir, Trump Softens Tariff Stance on China and Ukraine Peace Talks Setbacks. Plus, how we’re putting the bots to the test. Andrew Sheves Good morning. 🇮🇳** 26 Tourists Killed in Kashmir Attack** Gunmen killed 26 tourists in Pahalgam, Kashmir in the deadliest attack in 25 years. The Resistance Front who claimed the attack are believed to be linked to Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba. The attack, targeting mostly Indian civilians at the “valley of shepherds” tourist destination, threatens to escalate India-Pakistan tensions, with some experts describing it as “an act of war.” More - Al Jazeera ...

US Markets, Dollar Continue Slide, Speculation of Next Pope Begins and Gaza Restrictions Increase Andrew Sheves Good morning, Three headlines to start your day 🔻 US Market Fall Resumes Amid Trump-Fed Tensions After the long weekend, US markets slumped Monday with the S&P 500 and other major indexes dropping around 2.5% as President Trump criticized Fed Chair Powell over interest rates. The dollar weakened to a 15-month low while gold surged above $3,400 an ounce amid growing investor concerns about Fed independence and global trade tensions. More - Bloomberg ...

Ratings rundown Andrew Sheves Happy Monday. It’s just the ratings today but the full report is back tomorrow 🇦🇫 Afghanistan is Unstable 🇦🇱 Albania is Weak 🇩🇿 Algeria is Weak 🇦🇩 Andorra is Stable 🇦🇴 Angola is Weak 🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda is Stable 🇦🇷 Argentina is Weak 🇦🇲 Armenia is Weak 🇦🇺 Australia is Stable 🇦🇹 Austria is Stable 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan is Weak 🇧🇭 Bahrain is Weak 🇧🇩 Bangladesh is Weak ...

Happy Easter 🐣 Andrew Sheves Good morning. I’m taking a couple of days off for easter weekend, so it will just be the ratings and summaries today and on Monday. Headlines and weekend diversions will return next week. Africa Stability Ratings and News Summary More Unstable 🇩🇿 Algeria, 🇦🇴 Angola, 🇧🇯 Benin, 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso, 🇧🇮 Burundi, 🇨🇲 Cameroon, 🇨🇫 Central African Republic, 🇹🇩 Chad, 🇰🇲 Comoros, 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic Of The Congo, 🇩🇯 Djibouti, 🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea, 🇪🇷 Eritrea, 🇸🇿 Eswatini, 🇪🇹 Ethiopia, 🇬🇦 Gabon, 🇬🇭 Ghana, 🇬🇳 Guinea, 🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau, 🇨🇮 Ivory Coast, 🇰🇪 Kenya, 🇱🇷 Liberia, 🇲🇬 Madagascar, 🇲🇼 Malawi, 🇲🇱 Mali, 🇲🇷 Mauritania, 🇲🇦 Morocco, 🇲🇿 Mozambique, 🇳🇪 Niger, 🇳🇬 Nigeria, 🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo, 🇷🇼 Rwanda, 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone, 🇸🇴 Somalia, 🇿🇦 South Africa, 🇸🇸 South Sudan, 🇸🇩 Sudan, 🇹🇿 Tanzania, 🇬🇲 The Gambia, 🇹🇬 Togo, 🇺🇬 Uganda, 🇪🇭 Western Sahara, 🇿🇲 Zambia, 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe ...

US Stock Plunge After Fed Warning, US-Iran Talks to Continue Saturday Andrew Sheves Good morning. 🔻** US Stocks Plunge After Fed Warning** US markets plunged Wednesday as Powell warned of inflation risks from trade tensions and the Trump administration restricted chip exports to China. Nvidia fell 6.9% facing $5.5 billion in charges while AMD dropped 7.4%, expecting an $800 million writedown, after both companies’ advanced chips were barred from China. The selloff deepened during Powell’s Chicago speech, with the S&P 500 closing down 2.2% and the semiconductor index dropping 4.1%. More - Bloomberg ...

New Chinese Trade Negotiator and Israel Increases Pressure on Gaza Andrew Sheves Good morning. 🇨🇳 China Names New Trade Negotiator Amid Tariff War with US China has appointed Li Chenggang, former assistant commerce minister and WTO ambassador, to replace veteran negotiator Wang Shouwen as its key trade envoy amid escalating tensions with the United States. The surprise move comes as Beijing faces the impact of Trump’s increased tariffs, which recently jumped from 10% to 145%, with China retaliating by raising duties on US goods to 125%. Despite reporting better-than-expected first-quarter GDP growth of 5.4%, Chinese officials warned of economic challenges ahead as the tariffs begin to affect exports. A Chinese official criticized the US approach as “tariff barriers and trade bullying” that “violates economic laws” and “has a serious impact on the world economic order.” More - BBC ...

Diplomats’ Expulsion Increases Algeria-French Tensions Andrew Sheves Good morning, One quick headline this morning 🇩🇿** Diplomats’ Expulsion Increases Algeria-French Tensions** Algeria has ordered 12 French embassy officials to leave the country within 48 hours, escalating diplomatic tensions between the two nations. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot linked the expulsions to Friday’s indictment of three Algerians in Paris, including a consular official accused of involvement in the 2024 abduction of Amir Boukhors, a prominent government critic with over one million online followers. The diplomatic row threatens to derail recent reconciliation efforts between the countries, with Barrot warning that France would “respond immediately” if Algeria proceeds with the expulsions. This incident follows several others straining French-Algerian relations, including Algeria’s previous ambassador recall after France supported Morocco’s claim to Western Sahara. More - BBC ...