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Mr. Trump said on Thursday that the U. S. should recognize Israel’s authority over the long disputed Golan Heights, overturning decades of American policy in the Middle East.
Mr. Trump’s announcement on Twitter came after persistent pressure from the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, an ally who is fighting for his political life with an election scheduled for next month. While popular in Israel and among some U. S. lawmakers, Mr. Trump’s decision is likely to be condemned almost everywhere else.
Catch up: The United Nations has rejected Israel’s occupation of the Golan Heights since 1967, when Israeli troops seized the 400 square miles from Syria during the Arab-Israeli War. Here’s a brief history of the dispute.
What’s next: Practically speaking, Mr. Trump’s announcement doesn’t change much, as the status of the Golan Heights is not under negotiation, and there’s no expectation that Israel will withdraw. But symbolically, the decision shakes up a debate that has changed little since the 1970s.
European Union officials agreed on Thursday to extend the deadline for Britain’s withdrawal from the bloc until May 22, as long as Prime Minister Theresa May can persuade Parliament to accept her plan for doing so. If she can’t — and lawmakers have already rejected her proposal twice — the deadline would be moved up to April 12.
The agreement effectively averted a disorderly and chaotic departure at the end of next week, yet such a break remains a possibility.
What’s next: Neither side wants Britain to leave without a deal. European Union officials said they remained open to a longer delay but that it would require Britain to participate in European Parliament elections — something that Mrs. May has said would be an absurdity.
A week after the terrorist attack on two mosques that left 50 people dead, mourners from around the world gathered in Christchurch, New Zealand, today to share the Muslim call to prayer and two minutes of silence.
“This terrorist sought to tear our nation apart with an evil ideology that has torn the world apart — but instead we have shown that New Zealand is unbreakable,” said Imam Gamal Fouda of Al Noor Mosque, one of the two attacked.
Related: In addition to announcing a ban on the type of weapons used in the shooting, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has pledged to hold social media companies accountable for letting hateful speech thrive on their platforms. As of Thursday, at least two people have been charged in New Zealand with spreading the killer’s video of part of the attack.
The Daily:Today’s episode is about the speed with which New Zealand planned changes to its gun laws after the attack.
