Today in One Paragraph
Belgium’s border security is under scrutiny following this week’s deadly attacks in Brussels. The United States indicted seven Iranian hackers for cyber-attacks on U.S. banks and a dam. A special UN court found former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic guilty of genocide. And in the Middle East, Iraqi forces have started their campaign to liberate Mosul from ISIS insurgents, and Syrian government forces are making gains in the ISIS-controlled city of Palmyra.
Top News
Belgian Security Shortcomings? The European Union instructed Belgian authorities to tighten the country’s border security in the weeks before attacks in Brussels killed 31 people, according to a report in the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph. Belgium admitted to errors in monitoring one of the bombers after receiving warnings from Turkey. The Belgian interior and justice ministers offered their resignations, but were rejected. (USA Today; The New York Times)
Iranian Hackers Indicted. The U.S. charged seven hackers from two Iranian computer companies linked to the Iranian government with executing cyber-attacks on several banks in the United States, as well as a dam outside of New York City, according to documents unsealed Thursday. While the attacks did no harm, U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in a press conference that they “threatened our economic well-being and our ability to compete fairly in the global marketplace.” (Tami Abdollah and Eric Tucker, The Associated Press)
‘Butcher of Bosnia’ Found Guilty. Radovan Karadzic, the 70-year-old former leader of the Serb Republic also known as the “Butcher of Bosnia,” was sentenced to 40 years in prison after being found guilty of genocide for the 1995 Srebrenica massacre and other counts of war crimes. (Tim Hume, Tiffany Ap and Milena Veselinovic, CNN)
Fighting ISIS. Iraqi forces have begun liberating towns occupied by ISIS in the area surrounding Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city. And in Syria, state TV and other monitoring groups have reported that government troops are making their way into the historic city of Palmyra, which was captured by ISIS in May. (Paul D. Shinkman, US News; Reuters)
Tomorrow in One Paragraph. Bernie Sanders is campaigning in Oregon. And Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to Brussels.
Follow stories throughout the day with our new Politics & Policy page. And keep on top of the campaign with our 2016 Distilled election dashboard.
Top Read
“Over the past decade, the bounds of geography and group have been pulled back to reveal the sinews of a system that now promises that no person will ever have to be alone again. Twitter allows users to turn that solitude into coalitions, and it gives them the tools to sometimes even accomplish what the ballot box can’t.” The Atlantic’s Vann R. Newkirk on how Twitter has changed the American political landscape.
Top Lines
The ‘North American Caudillo.’ From unbridled machismo to a blatant disregard for the rules, many Latin Americans are drawing similarities between Donald Trump and populist leaders like Hugo Chavez and Juan Domingo Peron. (Ben Wofford, Politico)
Cruz and Trump Get Personal. The two candidates used their wives as proxies in a recent Twitter exchange, revealing, The Atlantic’s Emma Green argues, just how far the Republican Party has drifted from its culturally conservative base.
Top Views
Spring Is Here. It’s peak bloom for the cherry blossoms, and The Washington Post captured several photos of their annual appearance at the Tidal Basin. For those of you in the District, use this handy app to find the cherry tree nearest you. (The Washington Post; The Atlantic)
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