Significant developments happening simultaneously have rearranged the worldwide dynamic overnight. Here is a summary of some of the most critical news.
Russia and Iran Pledge to Retalliate Against Further ‘U.S. Agression’ In a joint statement the command centre for the two countries and allied groups said: "We will respond to any aggression."
The statement read: "What America waged in an aggression on Syria is a crossing of red lines. From now on we will respond with force to any aggressor or any breach of red lines from whoever it is and America knows our ability to respond well."
In a phone call with Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, Iran’s Rouhani told him: "Allegations that Syria launched the chemical attack were just a pretext to disrupt the Syrian peace process."
However, the evidence that the Assad regime carried out the horrific chemical attack is nearly overwhelming. Autopsies confirmed there were chemical agents used in the bombing, which witnesses said was carried out by Syrian aircraft.
The international community has also backed President Trump’s decision to retaliate with an air strike.
U.S. Re-routes Warships to South China Sea
The Navy Third Fleet’s super-carrier armada is en route to North Korea, where the regime of Kim Jong Un continues to test missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons.
The redirection occurs after President Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, met in Florida to discuss issues such as North Korea’s volatility.
On Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster followed up with comments widely viewed as warnings against North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.
Instead of traveling to its previously intended destination of Australia after departing Singapore, the San Diego-based Carl Vinson Strike Group is heading north on orders from Adm. Harry Harris, commander of the U.S. Pacific Command in Hawaii. His decision followed both a recent visit to Washington, D.C., and Thursday’s missile barrage on a Syrian airfield in a show of American force designed to prod Syria President Bashar Al-Assad to quit using chemical weapons on his citizens.
Dave Benham, spokesman for the command, called the strategy of diverting the super-carrier and its guided-missile escorts north a "prudent measure to maintain readiness and presence" in the volatile western Pacific.
ISIS Palm Sunday Attack Kills 44 in Egypt
Suicide bombers struck hours apart at two Coptic churches in northern Egypt, killing 44 people during Palm Sunday services.
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the violence, adding to fears that extremists are shifting their focus to civilians, especially Egypt’s Christian minority.
The attacks in the northern cities of Tanta and Alexandria that also left 126 people wounded came at the start of Holy Week leading up to Easter, and just weeks before Pope Francis is due to visit.
Intelligence Suggests Imminent Attack On Israel
Israel closed its Taba border crossing to the Sinai peninsula on Monday following warnings by its anti-terrorism office of an "imminent" militant attack there and urged its citizens to leave Egypt hours before the start of the Passover holiday, when Sinai is a popular destination for many secular Israelis.
Soon after the announcement, sirens wailed in parts of southern Israel alerting residents to a rocket attack. The military said a rocket fired from Sinai exploded in southern Israel, hitting a greenhouse but causing no injuries. The Islamic State group later claimed responsibility for the attack.
Stockholm Truck Attack Kills 4
A dozen people were injured in an attack Friday, which appeared to be the latest use of a vehicle as a weapon of terror in Europe.
The Swedish Security Service said the attack happened just before3 p.m. local time when a beer truck was hijacked as it made a delivery nearby.
Migrant Rakhmat Akilov from Uzbekistan then drove the stolen 30-ton truck into pedestrians at a busy department store.
The failed asylum seeker had been given four weeks to leave Sweden in December after his final appeal failed. But he managed to evade detection simply by giving the authorities a fake address.
Sweden’s Prime Minister has pledged to crackdown on illegal immigration – vowing to deport migrants who’s asylum applications fail immediately. He said: "Sweden will never go back to the [mass migration] we had in autumn 2015, never."
US Officials On Alert In Nicaragua
Intelligence officials are keeping a keen eye on a Russian complex near the edge of a volcanic crater in Nicaragua. The center, which is believed to be a satellite station, has been built near the Laguna de Nejapa in the capitol city, Managua.
Officials said there are concerns the hub could be a "dual use" facility, meaning it could house equipment and workers with the ability to conduct electronic surveillance against American citizens. From where the compound is located, it affords a clear view of the US Embassy.
The US and Russia have a long and complicated history with Nicaragua, as the Soviet Union backed rebels during the Cold War to overthrow the American-supported dictator, Anastazio Somoza in 1979.
In recent years, Russia has worked in the country to reestablish its foothold, which largely disappeared after the Soviet Union fell.
Putin’s government has donated everything from food to transportation to Nicaragua – support which was seen by many intelligence officials as an attempt by the Russians to have a military presence in the heart of Central America. It has also sold tanks and other military equipment to the Nicaraguan government.
Officials believe there are about 250 Russian military personnel currently stationed there.
