Welcome again to World Temporary, the place we’re taking a look at U.S. commerce threats, French President Emmanuel Macron’s go to to the United Kingdom, and lethal protests in Kenya.
Deal or No Deal
U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday knowledgeable Japan, South Korea, and 12 different international locations that they are going to face steeper tariffs of at the very least 25 % beginning Aug. 1 until they attain new commerce agreements with america. The bulletins, despatched by letter to the person international locations, come amid Trump’s bigger commerce struggle that he kicked off in April after which he issued a ten % baseline tariff on all buying and selling companions and gave international locations 90 days to barter bilateral agreements. That deadline was set to run out this week however has now been pushed to Aug. 1.
Welcome again to World Temporary, the place we’re taking a look at U.S. commerce threats, French President Emmanuel Macron’s go to to the United Kingdom, and lethal protests in Kenya.
Deal or No Deal
U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday knowledgeable Japan, South Korea, and 12 different international locations that they are going to face steeper tariffs of at the very least 25 % beginning Aug. 1 until they attain new commerce agreements with america. The bulletins, despatched by letter to the person international locations, come amid Trump’s bigger commerce struggle that he kicked off in April after which he issued a ten % baseline tariff on all buying and selling companions and gave international locations 90 days to barter bilateral agreements. That deadline was set to run out this week however has now been pushed to Aug. 1.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba referred to as the newest tariff risk “deeply regrettable,” however he indicated that his authorities would proceed to barter with Washington to attempt to discover a resolution. South Korea’s new authorities convened emergency conferences to debate the tariff risk.
As of now, solely China, the UK, and Vietnam have been in a position to lock in restricted, partial commerce offers with Washington. Indonesia, which is dealing with a 32 % tariff on exports to america, has supplied to purchase U.S. wheat, soybean, cotton, and power merchandise price $34 billion. Thailand has made a last-ditch effort to scale back its commerce surplus with america by 70 % inside 5 years. In the meantime, Trump has indicated that Washington is near reaching a commerce settlement with New Delhi; nevertheless, the 2 international locations have but to agree on america doubtlessly exporting genetically modified crops to India.
Trump on Tuesday additionally reiterated his risk to impose 10 % tariffs on BRICS member nations, together with Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and 5 different international locations, accusing them of being “anti-American” and of attempting to destroy the U.S. greenback. On the finish of the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro over the weekend, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stated the world doesn’t want an “emperor,” referring to Trump’s risk.
But, at the same time as diplomats and commerce negotiators race to finalize commerce offers with Washington, questions stay about whether or not the White Home will abide by the August deadline or if it can deploy different commerce limitations within the interim.
In the present day’s Most Learn
What We’re Following
Bibi-Trump assembly, half two. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is ready to fulfill with Trump once more on Tuesday night to additional focus on Gaza, the U.S. president confirmed throughout a cupboard assembly on Tuesday. The 2 leaders already met on the White Home on Monday to focus on a number of high-stakes points together with an Israel-Hamas cease-fire deal, Iran’s nuclear program, and the potential normalization of Israeli-Arab relations.
The White Home and Arab mediators are working to safe a cease-fire in Gaza that may contain a 60-day truce and a hostage launch deal between Israel and Hamas. Although Trump has indicated {that a} deal could also be achieved this week, Israeli officers on Tuesday stated it would take various days to succeed in an settlement.
The Israeli chief additionally met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump’s particular envoy to the Center East, Steve Witkoff, on Monday. He’s anticipated to remain in Washington by means of Thursday to fulfill with Vice President J.D. Vance in addition to members of Congress.
A Frenchman in England. French President Emmanuel Macron embarked on a three-day journey to the UK on Tuesday with migration and protection excessive on the agenda. The journey marks the primary state go to to the UK by a French chief since 2008 and the primary by a European Union chief since Brexit.
The journey comes at a time when each Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer are dealing with political turmoil at house whereas additionally navigating challenges to European safety amid Trump’s second time period. Starmer and Macron are set to debate methods to curb the circulation of asylum-seekers who cross the English Channel, which separates southern England from northern France. One such pilot scheme on the desk is a “one in, one out” deal that may allow the U.Ok. to ship again to France a migrant who arrived illegally by boat in change for accepting an asylum-seeker from France who may need a clearer declare to asylum within the U.Ok.
Macron and Starmer, who’ve labored carefully in the previous few months to foyer for elevated European and U.S. help for Kyiv, are additionally anticipated to debate the “coalition of the keen” initiative geared toward offering safety ensures for Ukraine and can meet just about with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Thursday.
“We’re confronted with new threats, with aggressive nuclear powers, with typically hesitating alliances,” Macron stated in a speech to the British Parliament on Tuesday. “The UK can not stay on the sidelines. We should transfer ahead shoulder to shoulder.”
Lethal protests in Kenya. Not less than 11 folks had been killed and greater than 500 folks arrested throughout anti-government protests throughout Kenya, the nation’s Nationwide Police Service stated on Monday. The demonstrations marked the thirty fifth anniversary of Kenya’s Saba Saba rally, which launched the nation’s push for multiparty democracy in 1990, and adopted lethal protests that started final yr over Kenyan President William Ruto’s controversial tax reform.
Although the Kenyan authorities withdrew its tax invoice final June, the loss of life of Albert Ojwang, a Kenyan instructor and blogger who died in police custody in Nairobi final month, has sparked renewed outrage over authorities corruption and police brutality in addition to broader grievances such because the nation’s spiraling debt drawback and rising prices. The state-run fee on human rights has accused the police of utilizing extreme drive in addition to collaborating with “armed prison gangs” in Nairobi and different cities to quell protests.
“Even in Kenya—which has democratic custom, political stability, and spectacular financial development—folks we spoke to described how too most of the nation’s sources are misplaced, stolen, or wasted by corrupt or incompetent authorities officers,” U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy wrote in International Coverage final yr.
Odds and Ends
The U.S. Transportation Safety Administration is reportedly planning to permit vacationers at some main U.S. airports to maintain their footwear on whereas going by means of the overall safety line. The shoes-off coverage, which was applied in 2006 after a person tried to detonate an explosive in his shoe whereas aboard an plane flying from Paris to Miami, could also be phased out as early as Sunday, in line with an inside memo seen by ABC Information. Although the company, which is a part of the Division of Homeland Safety, has not introduced the coverage formally, some passengers will seemingly see this as a step in the suitable course.
