Donald Trump is sailing into battle against President Joe Biden powered by anger over the two policy issues that have driven his comeback campaign so far: immigration and the economy. Trump came close to sweeping the board in the 16 “Super Tuesday” Republican primary races, putting him on the verge of clinching the party's nomination and allowing him to train his full fire on Biden ahead of the November election. Trump has tapped into a current of dissatisfaction about the state of the country that he has amplified at every opportunity. It is one that could tip the scales in the rematch with Biden, who beat him in 2020. Republican voters who went to the polls on Tuesday exhibited a deep pessimism about the economy that extends beyond Trump’s loyal base of supporters to many moderate and swing voters that could help determine the election – Reuters
Olena Zelenska will not attend U.S. President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address to the US Congress on Thursday despite being invited by the White House. According to Washington Post sources, Zelenska was supposed to sit near US first lady Jill Biden and Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died in an Arctic prison in Russia last month. But the Post said that caused discomfort for Ukraine’s top leadership, as many Ukrainians do not see Navalnaya and other Russian opposition figures as allies in the fight against President Vladimir Putin. That’s due to Navalny’s former remarks about Crimea “not being a sandwich to give back and forth,” which was viewed as backing Russia’s claim over the Ukrainian peninsula that it illegally annexed and occupied in 2014. In the end, Navalnaya also declined the White House’s invite to the State of the Union, citing fatigue – Politico
After the Red Wave – Post-Election Politics
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The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Sergey Kobylash and Viktor Sokolov for alleged crimes committed in Ukraine from “at least” between Oct. 10, 2022 and March 9, 2023. The two are “allegedly responsible for the war crime of directing attacks at civilian objects, the war crime of causing excessive incidental harm to civilians or damage to civilian objects, and the crime against humanity of inhumane acts,” the ICC said. Koblyash, a lieutenant general, is commander of Russia's Long-Range Aviation of the Aerospace Force. Sokolov, an admiral, is the former commander of Russia's Black Sea Fleet – RFE/RL
Soldiers have been deployed to defend the airport of the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, from an assault by armed gangs. Witnesses reported hearing shots ringing out in the vicinity of Toussaint Louverture Airport as security forces clashed with armed men. The gangs' aim is to prevent the return to Haiti of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who is believed to be abroad. Violence has spiraled in his absence with the gangs demanding he resign – BBC
New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez was indicted Tuesday on a dozen new criminal charges related to a years-long bribery scheme involving the governments of Egypt and Qatar. The new charges come days after Jose Uribe, one of the New Jersey businessmen who was previously indicted alongside Menendez, his wife Nadine Menendez, and two others, agreed to plead guilty and cooperate with the investigation. Among the new charges in the superseding indictment are conspiracy, obstruction of justice, public official acting as a foreign agent, bribery, extortion and honest services wire fraud – CNN
Maldives officials said on Tuesday they have ordered Indian troops to leave the archipelago and signed a “military assistance” deal with China. The Maldives Minister of Defense and a senior Chinese military official “signed an agreement on China's provision of military assistance gratis to the Republic of Maldives, fostering stronger bilateral ties,” according to a statement from the Ministry of Defense on X, formerly Twitter. India and Maldives had historically enjoyed good relations, which turned sour after pro-China President Mohamed Muizzu came to power on an “India Out” platform in last year's elections. The islands, which lie in a strategically important position halfway along major east-west shipping routes, have long been considered by India as part of its sphere of influence in the Indian Ocean – DW
The Philippines Coast Guard says one of its ships was damaged after a collision with a Chinese Coast Guard vessel in the South China Sea Tuesday. In a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Jay Tarriela said Chinese coast guard ships carried out “dangerous maneuvers” against two Philippine coast guard ships, one of which sustained minor structural damage. A separate statement by the Philippines’ task force on the South China Sea said four crewmen aboard the other vessel were injured when it was hit by water cannons from the Chinese Coast Guard ships. The two ships were escorting two civilian vessels carrying supplies and a fresh rotation of troops to a Philippine warship intentionally grounded on the Second Thomas Shoal to maintain the archipelago’s claims on the submerged reef. The Chinese coast guard issued a statement accusing the Philippine ships of illegally intruding into the waters around the shoal, which it calls Ren'ai Reef, prompting their vessels to take “control measures.” – VOA
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