Axios

President Trump said on Friday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has no qualms about resuming the war in Gaza.

Why it matters: The first phase of the hostage-release and ceasefire in Gaza agreement between Israel and Hamas is set to expire in eight days and could end a 42-day period without fighting.

Friday marks the 60th anniversary of the assassination of Malcolm X (also known as el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz) following a brief but lasting career as a civil rights advocate and Black nationalist.

Through the lens: Here are some images of Malcolm X's evolution from a life of crime, to a prominent leader in the Nation of Islam, to an international traveler investigating racism against Asians, to a cultural icon.

OpenAI spotted and disrupted two uses of its AI tools as part of broader Chinese influence campaigns, including one designed to spread Spanish-language anti-American disinformation, the company said.

Why it matters: AI's potential to supercharge disinformation and speed the work of nation state-backed cyberattacks is steadily moving from scary theory to complex reality.

U.S. and Ukrainian officials negotiated all night into Friday morning in an attempt to conclude a minerals deal and halt the deterioration in relations, a U.S. official and a source with direct knowledge of the issue tell Axios.

Why it matters: The disagreement over minerals helped spark a wider crisis in relations this week. Now Trump administration officials and some in the Ukrainian government are pressing President Volodymyr Zelensky to make a deal.

Hamas transferred the bodies of Israeli hostages to Israel on Thursday as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal, the first time since the Oct. 7 attack that Hamas has returned the remains of dead hostages to Israel.

The latest: Hamas said it transferred the bodies of the Bibas family. Shiri Bibas was 33 years old when she was kidnapped from her home with her two children, 4-year-old Ariel and 9-month-old Kfir. However, the Israel Defense Forces said the body believed to be Shiri Bibas was an "anonymous, unidentified body" and the DNA didn't match that of any of the hostages.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Thursday that she will propose constitutional reforms to crack down on foreigners involved in gun smuggling in the country.

Why it matters: The move came after the U.S. State Department formally announced it has designated eight drug cartels — including six in Mexico — as global terrorist organizations that pose a threat to national security.

The Trump administration has given Ukraine an "improved" draft for a minerals agreement between the countries after President Volodymyr Zelensky infuriated President Trump by rejecting his initial offer, a Ukrainian official, a U.S. official and three sources with knowledge tell Axios.

Why it matters: The disagreement over minerals helped spark a wider crisis in relations this week, with Trump denouncing Zelensky as a "dictator" who chose war with Russia, and Zelensky accusing Trump of swallowing Russian "disinformation."

War-torn Ukraine sits on significant reserves of rare earth minerals critical to the world's most cutting-edge technologies.

Why it matters: The U.S. wants them — or else. Talks are ongoing after the Trump administration made a revised proposal for a minerals deal, Axios' Barak Ravid and Marc Caputo scooped.

President Trump has signed more than 75 executive orders, memos and proclamations during his first few weeks in office at a pace that surpasses his most recent predecessors'.

The big picture: The executive actions reflect much of Trump's rhetoric on the campaign trail: reducing diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives; cracking down on immigration; and formalizing "America First" foreign policy.

German voters will head to the polls this weekend to elect new leadership, marking a decisive election that will help shape how Europe responds to the new Trump administration.

Why it matters: As Europe's biggest economy and the largest member of the European Union, Germany is one of the block's most influential states. The country is also the second-largest supplier of aid to Ukraine, behind the U.S.

President Trump was not the first U.S. president or major Western leader to rail against a "dictator" for launching the war in Ukraine — but he was the first to mean Volodymyr Zelensky, not Vladimir Putin.

The big picture: It's hard to overstate how quickly and wildly Trump's foreign policy deviated from former President Biden's — and often from his own campaign pitch of America First restraint.

President Trump signed an executive order Wednesday aimed at preventing undocumented immigrants from receiving federal benefits.

The big picture: The order that's part of the Trump administration's wider immigration crackdown directs federal departments and agencies to "identify all federally funded programs" that provide financial benefits to undocumented immigrants and take "corrective action," and to "enhance eligibility verification systems."