Axios

In his first remarks as prime minister of Canada on Friday, Mark Carney categorically shot down the notion that the U.S. would annex Canada as its 51st state.

Why it matters: Carney enters the role during a politically and economically volatile time for Canada, amid threats from the U.S., its closest ally and neighbor, during the Trump administration.

A Columbia University student left the country after having a student visa cancelled and a second student was arrested for overstaying an expired visa, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Both students had participated in pro-Palestine protests.

Why it matters: The State Department is exercising a seldom-used power to remove legal immigrants connected to protests.

BlackRock's landmark deal for two Panamanian ports is in danger of running aground, threatened by geopolitical forces outside of its control.

Driving the news: Panama's Maritime Authority requested all legal and financial documents involved in the sale, while China urged Hong Kong-based seller CK Hutchinson to "think twice" about a plan that it called a "betrayal."

President Trump said on Friday he "strongly requested" that Russian President Vladimir Putin "spare the lives" of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers, whom he claimed were "surrounded" in the Kursk region in Russia.

Why it matters: Ukraine launched a risky cross-border incursion into Kursk last August and occupied a significant swath of Russian territory, but Russia has been making rapid gains in recent weeks and putting those forces under severe pressure. Trump claimed the troops now faced a potential "massacre."

Hamas said on Friday it agreed to release Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander, 21, and return the bodies of four other American-Israeli hostages, but the U.S. and Israel rejected that claim.

Why it matters: Hamas' statement didn't make clear what the group demands in return for releasing the five remaining American hostages.

Lawyers for Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia graduate and legal resident from Syria, are asking a federal judge to order U.S. immigration authorities to immediately release him and find his detention in violation of the First Amendment.

The big picture: Court documents filed late Thursday show that Khalil's lawyers intend to aggressively challenge the Trump administration's use of a rarely used law that gives the secretary of state the authority to revoke visas from foreigners deemed to be a threat.

Columbia University announced Thursday it's disciplining students involved in the occupation of a campus building during protests against the Israel-Hamas war last spring.

The big picture: The move comes after the Trump administration last week pulled some $400 million in federal grants and contracts from the university over allegations of antisemitism and after federal agents arrested a Columbia protest leader.

Nearly 100 people were arrested after protesters gathered at Trump Tower in Manhattan Thursday to demand the release of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist and Columbia University alumnus who was detained by immigration authorities on Saturday.

The big picture: The protest, organized by Jewish Voice for Peace, featured signs such as "Free Mahmoud Khalil," "Fight Nazis not students" and "You can't deport a movement."

A new documentary on the Columbia University student Palestinian rights movement featuring now-detained graduate Mahmoud Khalil will be released at a film festival later this month.

Why it matters: The film, months in the making, gives more insight into the plight of Khalil's family from Palestine during the 1948 Nakba to decades in refugee camps in Syria and his role in 2024 encampment protests.

Ronald Johnson, President Trump's pick for Mexican ambassador, said during a confirmation hearing Thursday that U.S. military strikes on cartels — even without Mexico's knowledge — are an option.

The big picture: Trump on his first day in office signed an executive order naming eight drug cartels — including six in Mexico — as foreign terrorist organizations, a move administration ally Elon Musk contended made them "eligible for drone strikes."

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a press conference in Moscow on Thursday that he needs more clarifications before Russia agrees to a ceasefire with Ukraine.

Why it matters: The U.S. and Ukraine both endorsed an unconditional 30-day ceasefire on Tuesday that calls for all air and artillery strikes to stop and fighting to cease all along the front lines. Putin raised doubts about that idea and said any ceasefire should also be part of a process that addresses the "root causes of this crisis."

White House envoy Steve Witkoff presented an updated U.S. proposal for extending the Gaza ceasefire deal by several weeks in return for additional hostage releases by Hamas and the resumption of humanitarian aid to Gaza, four sources with direct knowledge tell Axios.

Why it matters: The proposal is an effort by the Trump administration to buy more time for negotiations and prevent the resumption of the war during the holy month of Ramadan and the Jewish holiday of Passover, two sources said.

GSR Ventures tells Axios that it has formally separated its U.S. business from its China business, and renamed the U.S. effort as Informed Ventures.

Why it matters: GSR was one of several VC firms rebuked last year by Congress for its cross-border investing activities, and has decided that its 20-year history as a global firm is no longer worth the political pain.

President Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow on Thursday ahead of his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to flightradar data and a source familiar with the trip.

Why it matters: The Moscow talks are crucial to Trump's efforts to secure a 30-day ceasefire in the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Polish President Andrzej Duda has called on the U.S. to move some of its nuclear arsenal to Polish territory to deter potential future Russian aggression.

Why it matters: The move would likely anger Moscow, which views NATO's encroachment — and any shift of its member countries' military might — eastward as a threat.

The number of migrants trying to travel through the dangerous jungles of the Darién Gap to get from Colombia into Panama has fallen dramatically in recent months to the lowest levels since the pandemic, new data show.

Why it matters: The decline is the latest sign that fewer migrants from South America are risking the treacherous, 2,600-mile journey north to the U.S. border in the early days of President Trump's immigration crackdown.

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is now in the custody of the International Criminal Court following his arrest in Manila in connection with his deadly war on drugs during his presidency, the ICC confirmed Wednesday.

The big picture: The ICC Office of the Prosecutor alleged in a statement "there are reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Duterte bears criminal responsibility for the crime against humanity of murder" for the drugs crackdown.

President Trump's tariffs that targeted Canada, Mexico and China before being expanded to all steel and aluminum imports have not only triggered trade wars, they're also leading to a "Boycott USA" global consumer backlash against U.S. goods.

The big picture: "Boycott USA" has spiked on Google in the past seven days, with four EU countries and Canada topping the search list and multiple countries have large Facebook groups dedicated to boycotting U.S. products.