Axios

U.S. and Israeli officials are trying to brush off several days of behind-the-scenes tensions over the Trump administration's unprecedented talks with Hamas ahead of crucial Gaza negotiations this week.

Why it matters: Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Axios on Monday that President Trump "fully backs and supports" the talks his hostage envoy Adam Boehler held with Hamas. But the administration is also signaling it doesn't want those talks — and Israel's anger over them — to block other paths to a Gaza deal.

Just days after its announcement, a new AI agent named Manus is winning expert acclaim while stoking concern over another AI advance rooted in Chinese research and development.

Driving the news: Manus AI, named after the Latin word for hand, is billed as "a general AI agent that turns your thoughts into actions."

Canada's ruling Liberals elected a new party leader in Ottawa, Canada, on Sunday who will serve as the nation's next prime minister, replacing the outgoing Justin Trudeau.

Why it matters: Liberal Party members' vote for Mark Carney, former governor of the Banks of Canada and England, comes as the Liberals are experiencing a polling boost amid widespread opposition to President Trump's U.S. policies targeting its northern neighbor.

Pro-Palestinian activist and Columbia University alumnus Mahmoud Khalil was arrested Saturday by immigration authorities, his lawyer confirmed to Axios.

The big picture: Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents told Khalil that his student visa had been revoked before his arrest.

• However, Khalil is a legal permanent resident and not in the U.S. on a student visa, attorney Amy Greer said in a statement.

President Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday that the U.S. is close to lifting the pause on intelligence sharing with Ukraine.

Why it matters: The pause that mostly focused on intelligence sharing regarding offensive operations against Russia created significant difficulties for the Ukrainian military.

U.S. hostage envoy Adam Boehler said Sunday that while he understands Israel's concerns over direct talks with Hamas, the U.S. is "not an agent of Israel."

The big picture: Hours after Boehler met with a senior Hamas political official, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-hand man Ron Dermer condemned the U.S. making proposals without Israel's consent in an intense call last week, Axios' Barak Ravid scooped.

White House envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to travel to Doha on Tuesday evening in an effort to broker a new hostage-release and ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, two U.S. officials said.

Why it matters: The talks would be the first since President Trump took office and since the original agreement between Israel and Hamas that established a 42-day ceasefire in Gaza in exchange for the release of 33 hostages in its first phase, which ended one week ago.