April 24, 2026 - Daily News Digest

On this day: in 1980, eight U.S. servicemen die in Operation Eagle Claw as they attempt to end the Iran hostage crisis

QOTD: “’The crisis cannot be allowed to obscure the tasks before us," [German Economy Minster Katherina Reiche] said. "Our potential growth is too low, and we have to lift it. Our competitiveness is under significant strain.’”

US/SPAIN/NATO/IRAN - Exclusive: Pentagon email floats suspending Spain from NATO, other steps over Iran rift, source says
https://www.reuters.com/world/pentagon-email-floats-suspending-spain-nato-other-steps-over-iran-rift-source-2026-04-24/

An internal Pentagon email outlines options for the United States to punish NATO allies it believes failed to support ​U.S. operations in the war with Iran, including suspending Spain from the alliance and reviewing the U.S. position on Britain's claim to the Falkland Islands, a U.S. official told Reuters.

The policy options are ‌detailed in a note expressing frustration at some allies' perceived reluctance or refusal to grant the United States access, basing and overflight rights - known as ABO - for the Iran war, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the email.

he email stated that ABO is "just the absolute baseline for NATO," according to the official, who added that the options were circulating at high levels in the Pentagon.

One option in the email envisions suspending "difficult" countries from important or prestigious positions at NATO, the official said.

President Donald Trump has harshly criticized ​NATO allies for not sending their navies to help open the Strait of Hormuz, which was closed to global shipping following the start of the air war on February 28.

He has also declared he is ​considering withdrawing from the alliance.

"Wouldn't you if you were me?" Trump asked Reuters in an April 1 interview, in response to a question about whether the U.S. pulling out ⁠of NATO was a possibility.

MORE: Sánchez dismisses US notion of suspending Spain from NATO
https://www.politico.eu/article/pedro-sanchez-donald-trump-nato-spain-nato-membership/

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Friday downplayed a leaked Pentagon email suggesting Spain could be penalized for not supporting the war in Iran by having its NATO membership suspended.

"No worries," Sánchez told POLITICO at his arrival at a summit of EU leaders in Cyprus. "We are fulfilling our obligations toward NATO."

"The Spanish government's position is clear: absolute cooperation with our allies, but always within the framework of international law," Sánchez added, while addressing a larger group of journalists.

IRAN/US/PAKISTAN - Iran's foreign minister to head to Islamabad, venue of US talks
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-lebanon-extend-ceasefire-trump-seeks-best-deal-with-iran-2026-04-24/

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi was expected in Islamabad on Friday, venue for past peace talks with the United States, raising hope ​that negotiations could resume after they collapsed earlier this week.

Iranian state media reported that Araqchi was beginning a trip that ‌included visits to Islamabad, Muscat and Moscow. The report made no mention of peace talks with the U.S.

Two Pakistani government sources said Araqchi's visit could signal the resumption of peace talks with the United States, though this was not yet confirmed and Washington's response was still awaited. A U.S. logistics and security team was already in place ​for potential talks.

Araqchi "will tell us what instructions he has when he arrives. All this is speculative," one of the sources said.

There was ​no immediate direct response from Washington to the report, but U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, speaking around the same ⁠time, told a briefing that Iran had a chance to make a "good deal" with the United States.

The Iranian report and the Pakistani sources made ​no mention of Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, the speaker of Iran's parliament, who was the head of its delegation at the only talks held so ​far, earlier this month.

The last round of peace talks had been expected on Tuesday but never took place, with Iran saying it was not yet ready to commit to attending and a U.S. delegation led by Vice President JD Vance never leaving Washington.

CHINA/EU/TAIWAN/TRADE - China bans dual-use items exports to 7 European entities over Taiwan arms sales
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/china-bans-dual-use-items-exports-7-european-entities-over-taiwan-arms-sales-2026-04-24/

China's Commerce Ministry said on Friday it was banning exports of dual-use items to seven European entities over arms sales to Taiwan, placing them immediately ​on its export control list, in a rare case of Europe-targeted, Taiwan-related sanctions.

Taiwan, which China ‌views as its own territory, gets most of its weapons from the U.S. Europe has not sold any big-ticket items like fighter jets to Taipei for some three decades, fearful of raising the ire of Beijing.

The entities, including German defence electronics ​firm Hensoldt AG (HAGG.DE), opens new tab and Belgian-based defence and sporting arms manufacturer FN Browning, have participated in arms ​sales to Taiwan or "colluded with Taiwan," a commerce ministry spokesperson said in a statement.

There ⁠was no immediate comment from Taiwan's government, the EU or FN Browning.

"We are currently verifying the facts ​and will assess the situation in due course," Hensoldt told Reuters.

Czech company Excalibur Army, which is also on ​the list, said it does not directly source any dual-use technologies from China and did not expect to see a material impact on its business.

PUTIN/POLLING - Putin's approval rating falls to lowest since before Ukraine war, state pollster says
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/putins-approval-rating-falls-lowest-since-before-ukraine-war-state-pollster-says-2026-04-24/

Russian President Vladimir Putin's approval ​rating has fallen for a seventh week in a row to 65.6%, its lowest level ‌since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, according to state pollster VTsIOM.

Russia's paramount leader, who was appointed acting president by Boris Yeltsin just eight years after the fall of the Soviet Union, has ruled the country since 1999 either ​as president or prime minister.

A former KGB lieutenant colonel who watched the Soviet Union collapse while ​based in East Germany, Putin will overtake Josef Stalin and become Russia's longest-serving ⁠ruler since Empress Catherine the Great if he completes his current six-year term.

But his ratings, though still ​high by Western standards, have taken a hit in recent weeks. Putin's approval rating is down from 73.3% ​in March, while trust in him has slipped over the same period to 71% from above 77%, according to VTsIOM.

It was not immediately clear why Putin's rating, though still very high, was falling. Last week he ordered his top officials ​to come up with ways to kick-start the economy after a contraction in the first two months of ​the year.

HAITI/VIOLENCIA - Haiti’s new UN-backed gang-fighting force exceeds funding expectations
https://apnews.com/article/un-haiti-gangs-force-deployment-chad-elections-018012db35203b8f4e26e0383f9cbbc4

The new U.N.-backed international force charged with combating Haiti’s violent gangs has received more pledges than the 5,500 military and police it is seeking, with Chadian troops already deployed in the capital, Port-au-Prince, the U.N. special envoy to the violence-torn country said Thursday.

Carlos Ruiz Massieu told reporters after briefing the U.N. Security Council that staggered deployments from Chad and other countries are expected to continue in the coming months with all 5,500 members on the ground “between the fall and the end of the year.”

The United States and Panama proposed the new gang suppression force in early September 2025 to replace a Kenya-led multinational force plagued by a lack of funding. Its strength hovered around 1,000, rather than the desired 2,500. The U.N. Security Council authorized the 5,500 strong force on Sept. 30, with the new power to arrest gang members.

More than $200 million has been pledged by 13 U.N. Security Council member states, of which $59 million has been disbursed, according to a report released Thursday by the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti, known as BINUH. U.N. spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said Thursday that Qatar confirmed a pledge of $30 million to the trust fund for the force, with $10 million to be paid over three years.

US/ERITREA/SEC - U.S. Seeks to Reset Ties With Reclusive but Strategically Vital African State
https://www.wsj.com/world/africa/u-s-seeks-to-reset-ties-with-reclusive-but-strategically-vital-african-state-c8380995?mod=world_lead_story

The Trump administration is exploring ways to reset ties with a reclusive and autocratic state controlling prime geopolitical real estate along the Red Sea as Iran threatens to choke off a second vital maritime corridor against the backdrop of war with the U.S.

A senior Trump administration official, Massad Boulos, has told foreign counterparts that the U.S. aims to begin lifting some sanctions on Eritrea, a small African country with more than 700 miles of Red Sea coastline, according to current and former officials familiar with the matter. It is part of an effort by the U.S. administration to restore higher-level diplomatic relations with the country for the first time in decades. Other officials said the plan to normalize ties with Eritrea and lift sanctions on the country is undergoing review and hasn’t yet been finalized.

The U.S. diplomatic push comes as an Iran-backed rebel group in Yemen, the Houthis, has threatened to shut down maritime traffic in the Red Sea amid Tehran’s efforts to cut trade through the Strait of Hormuz since the start of its war with the U.S. and Israel.

The plan to reset ties with Eritrea predated the U.S. war in Iran, but Tehran’s moves to close the Strait of Hormuz has elevated the importance of U.S. policy on the Red Sea, a crucial chokepoint used by some of the Middle East’s main oil exporters to bypass the Persian Gulf.

The Strait of Hormuz is the gateway to the Middle East’s vast oil wealth on the east side of the Arabian Peninsula. The Red Sea is on the western side, and a vital route for military and commercial maritime traffic from the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean. The Houthis have repeatedly threatened to shut the Bab al-Mandeb strait at the mouth of the Red Sea to support Tehran.

CANADA/ENERGY - Canada Approves Enbridge’s $3 Billion Westcoast Gas-Pipeline Expansion
https://www.wsj.com/world/americas/canada-approves-enbridges-3-billion-westcoast-gas-pipeline-expansion-3aa1a78d?mod=world_feat3_americas_pos1

Canada approved on Friday Enbridge’s proposed multibillion-dollar expansion of a west-coast natural gas pipeline system, a decision the government and the company say will bolster the country’s efforts to increase exports to markets other than the U.S.

In response to President Trump’s protectionist trade policy, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has made it a priority to accelerate the construction of trade corridors and approve resource projects to position the country as an energy superpower. Carney has argued this will help Canada reduce its dependence on trade with the U.S. to drive growth.

Enbridge’s Westcoast Energy affiliate operates a transmission system that transports processed natural gas to customers in the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Alberta, and to customers in the Pacific Northwest.

Canadian Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson said Enbridge’s expansion of the Westcoast system, at an estimated cost of nearly $3 billion, would meet growing energy needs by providing up to 300 million cubic feet per day of additional transportation capacity. Enbridge’s expansion project envisages adding about 90 miles of new pipeline that connects to the main corridor.

Hodgson said the project supports Canada’s trade diversification strategy because the expansion will strengthen Canada’s ability to meet natural gas demand from Asian markets.

“Our commitment to Canadians was to get projects approved and built—and with today’s approval of [Enbridge’s plan], we’re doing just that,” Hodgson said.

Enbridge said that once in service, in late 2028, the added capacity should strengthen energy security and affordability by increasing access to natural gas during periods of peak demand.

UK/ARGENTINA/US/IRAN - UK Insists Sovereignty of Falklands Is Unchanged After US Threat
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-04-24/uk-insists-sovereignty-of-falklands-is-unchanged-after-us-threat?srnd=phx-politics

The UK has insisted it will retain sovereignty of the Falklands Islands, after a leaked Pentagon email suggested the US would review the territory’s position as punishment for Britain’s lack of support on the war in Iran.

“We could not be clearer about the UK’s position on the Falkland Islands,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesman, Dave Pares, told journalists on Friday. “It’s long standing, it’s unchanged. Sovereignty rests with the UK, and the islands’ right to self-determination is paramount.”

Britain fought a war with Argentina in 1982 over the islands’ sovereignty, a matter that remains politically sensitive.

Pares added that the government was not concerned about the apparent threat from Washington. He said the UK and US have “one of the most important security and defense relationships, if not the closest that the world’s ever seen, and it’s going to continue.”

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized Starmer for failing to fully back his war in Iran. Starmer initially did not allow the use of UK military bases for strikes on Iran, and has since allowed their use only for defensive attacks.

GERMANY/ECON/IRAN - German economy growth forecasts halved
https://www.dw.com/en/german-economy-growth-forecasts-halved/a-76921673

German Federal Economy Minister Katherina Reiche of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) had only bad news to deliver in Berlin. She expects the war in the Persian Gulf to limit Germany's economic growth to just half a percentage point this year.

"The escalation has set us back economically," the minister said. "The situation remains highly volatile."

The annual economic report Reiche presented in January — before the US‑Israeli war against Iran began — is now obsolete. At the time, she expected a slow but steady economic recovery.

A range of scenarios has been mapped out at the Economy Ministry: One in which escalation in the Gulf continues — keeping the Strait of Hormuz closed — and another in which the war ends quickly and the free movement of goods through the strait becomes possible again. However, the minister told journalists in Berlin that predicting which outcome is more likely is impossible.

Reiche is certain of one thing: Inflation will rise more sharply this year — to 2.8%. Driving the higher prices are increased costs for gasoline, oil, gas and electricity. Food prices are expected to climb even higher, according to her projection.

DENMARK/POL - Danish government talks deadlocked one month after election
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/danish-government-talks-deadlocked-one-month-after-election-2026-04-24/

Talks on forming a new Danish government are in stalemate one month ‌on from the country's parliamentary election, slowing decision-making amid efforts to resolve a crisis in ties with U.S. President Donald Trump's administration over Greenland.

Caretaker Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, armed with a royal mandate, is leading coalition talks among the 12 parties in parliament but has ​so far only won support from left-wing groups, which is not enough to secure a parliamentary ​majority.

Frederiksen's centrist coalition lost its majority in the March 24 election as voters revolted over ⁠a cost-of-living crisis, although her Social Democratic Party remains the biggest group in parliament with 38 out ​of 179 seats.

"There is no end date to the negotiations (on a new government), this must take the time that ​it takes," Frederiksen told reporters late on Thursday during an EU summit in Cyprus.

The centrist Moderates Party and the right-wing Liberal Party, both members of Frederiksen's outgoing coalition, have so far rejected the idea of relying on far-left parties to secure a majority.

RUSSIA/CUBA/US - Russia vows to help Cuba withstand US 'blackmail and threats'
https://www.reuters.com/world/russia-vows-help-cuba-withstand-us-blackmail-threats-2026-04-24/

Russia said on Friday that it stood in solidarity with ​Cuba and would continue to provide humanitarian aid to the Communist‑run ‌island republic, rejecting what it described as blackmail and threats from Washington.

U.S. President Donald Trump has said that he expects to have the honour of "taking Cuba", though ​at the same time Washington has been calling for Havana to ​open up the economy and allow greater political freedoms.

"Against the ⁠backdrop of the targeted and malicious escalation against Cuba, we reaffirm ​our solidarity with the Cuban government and the Cuban people," Russian Foreign Ministry ​spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters.

"We reject blackmail and threats in foreign policy, which also applies to Washington's current demonstrative aggressive pressure on Havana with the aim of gross ​interference in Cuba's internal affairs in order to break Cuban statehood."

Cuba ​was a close ally of Moscow for decades, from the Communist revolution in 1959 that ‌brought ⁠Fidel Castro to power until the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. More recently, Russia has supported the island with both financing and material goods.