BIG: US security officials have informed Israel's defense establishment that a phased withdrawal of U.S. military forces from Syria will begin within two months.

Source: Israel's Ynet

Israel views the U.S. presence in Syria as a key stabilizer against Turkish influence.

A senior Israeli official warned:

“We estimate the exit, if it happens, will be partial – and we’re still trying to prevent even that.”

Israel is urging Washington to delay the move.

European and American officials made little progress in resolving trade disputes, Bloomberg reports.

American officials signaled that the bulk of the US tariffs imposed on the EU will not be removed.

OpenAI is developing its own social network, similar to X.

The project is in early stages, with an internal prototype focused on ChatGPT’s image generation and a social feed.

CEO Sam Altman has been seeking feedback from outsiders.

Source: The Verge

Turkish President Erdogan:

Let me be clear: whoever stands in the way of Syria achieving lasting peace and stability will find not only the Syrian government but also us standing against them.

Turkish President Erdogan to Israel on Syria:

Türkiye is not a country whose borders can be tested or whose friendship or enmity can be taken lightly.

Serbia may be blocked from joining the EU if President Vučić attends Russia’s Victory Day parade on May 9.

European officials warned the visit would violate EU membership standards.

“Certain decisions come at a cost,” said Estonia’s foreign ministry secretary-general, Jonatan Vseviov.

“The consequence is them not joining the European Union.”

Source: The Telegraph

Iran is expected to reject a U.S. proposal to transfer its highly enriched uranium stockpile to a third country—like Russia—as part of efforts to curb its nuclear program.

Source: The Guardian

BREAKING France says it will expel 12 Algerian diplomats and has recalled its ambassador from Algeria.

Netanyahu visited Israeli occupied northern Gaza today.

NATO’s Rutte today:

Will Ukraine become a NATO member?

Yes, absolutely.

The path is irreversible.

White House:

President Trump will not tolerate anti-Semitism on college campuses.

President Trump has made it clear to Harvard University that it must abide by the law and ensure that no student is subjected to discrimination.

Trump held a meeting on Tuesday morning in the White House situation room about the ongoing nuclear deal negotiations with Iran.

Top officials including VP Vance and Secretary Rubio attended the meeting.

Vance and Witkoff think diplomacy could lead to a nuclear deal and think the U.S. should be ready to make some compromises in order to get it.

Other senior members of the administration, including Rubio and Waltz, are highly skeptical and support a maximalist approach to the negotiations.

Trump himself is sending mixed messages.

Source: Axios

White House:

Trump wants Harvard to apologize for anti-Semitism on its campus.

White House on tariffs:

The ball is in China's court. China needs to make a deal with us; we don't have to make a deal with them.

White House:

Trump's position on Canada has not changed, and he believes Canada will benefit greatly when it becomes the 51st U.S. state.

White House:

Trump believes that Russia wants to end the war in Ukraine.

Trump administration is looking at closing nearly 30 overseas embassies and consulates, CNN reports.

Reporter: Would the president support a ban on members of congress trading stocks?

White House: I am certain that is something the president would be interested in looking at.

Dan Caldwell, the top advisor to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, was escorted out of the Pentagon after being identified in a leaks probe.

Sudan’s militia leader Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, known as Hemedti, announced the formation of a so-called “Government of Peace and Unity” via Telegram, claiming it represents the “true face of Sudan” with backing from civilian and political groups.

Hemedti’s forces, RSF, however, have a long and brutal record, including over a decade of genocidal violence in Darfur and across Sudan.