Situation Reports

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order implementing reciprocal tariffs with a minimum baseline of 10% and special rates for more than two dozen countries, with the 10% baseline tariff taking effect on April 5 and the higher rates on April 9, The Wall Street Journal reported on April 2.

South Africa's National Assembly adopted Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana's fiscal framework -- the first of three key pieces of legislation to pass the budget -- by 192 votes against 184, Daily Maverick reported on April 2.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that Israel had significantly expanded its ground operations in the Gaza Strip to "capture extensive territory that will be added to the State of Israel’s security areas," CNN reported on April 2.

Gen. He Weidong, Chinese vice chair of the Central Military Commission, has not been seen in public since March 11 and missed another public event, this time an annual People's Liberation Army tree-planting ceremony in the suburbs of Beijing, Bloomberg reported on April 2.

U.S. Ambassador to Angola James Story is conducting a three-day visit along the Lobito Corridor, a U.S.-backed rail project that aims to upgrade transport networks between Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo's mineral-rich regions to the port of Lobito in Angola, The New York Times reported on April 2.

The Mozambican parliament unanimously approved a proposed law based on a March 5 agreement between President Daniel Chapo and all parliamentary opposition political parties, Club of Mozambique reported on April 2.

Myanmar's military junta declared a temporary nationwide ceasefire in the country's civil war until April 22 to facilitate humanitarian relief following the recent earthquake, AP reported on April 2.

The United States approved a $5.58 billion sale of 20 F-16 fighter jets and related weapon systems and equipment to the Philippines, marking a major upgrade in Manila's air combat capabilities, Defense News reported on April 2.

The Chinese military announced on April 2 that it had conducted the "Strait Thunder-2025A" exercises around central and southern Taiwan, complemented by an aircraft carrier deployment east of Taiwan and live-fire drills in an area 300 kilometers (186 miles) north of Taiwan.

Ozgur Ozel, the head of Turkey's opposition Republican People's Party, or CHP, called for an economic boycott on April 2 to protest the arrest of CHP presidential candidate Ekrem Imamoglu and the arrest of 301 university students in subsequent protests, Hurriyet reported on April 2.