Minimalist News

AI Summary

President Trump's administration continues to impose heavy tariffs on various countries, raising concerns about escalating global trade tensions, particularly with nations like Brazil and Mexico, while negotiations on new trade agreements remain uncertain.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza is deteriorating, with famine warnings from U.N. groups, prompting Trump to pledge new aid efforts alongside European nations while critiquing ongoing cease-fire negotiations.
El Salvador's legislative assembly abolishes presidential term limits, thus solidifying President Nayib Bukele's potential indefinite control over power, raising alarms about authoritarianism in the region.
There is an emerging trend of international recognition of a Palestinian state, with the U.K. and other nations pressing Israel for substantive actions to improve conditions in Gaza, amid ongoing violence between Israel and Hamas.
In the tech sector, major companies like Amazon and Apple report mixed earnings as they navigate challenges in AI investments and revenue growth, with firms like Nvidia continuing to see significant demand for AI technology amid competitive pressures.

Wall Street Journal

In a Country Trump Says Nobody’s Heard Of, Tariffs Bring Chaos wsj.com 26 minutes ago by Alexandra Wexler
President Trump promised Africa that trade would replace aid, but in one of the world’s poorest countries his administration is slashing both.
Trump Should Get Nobel Peace Prize for Brokering Cease-Fire Deal, Cambodian Deputy PM Says wsj.com 3 hours ago by Gabriele Steinhauser
Sun Chanthol said Cambodia and Thailand would likely not have forged a deal to end the fighting without the U.S. president’s intervention.
How a Youth-Led Backlash Pushed Zelensky to His Biggest U-Turn Yet wsj.com 6 hours ago
The Ukrainian president signed a bill that returned power to anticorruption agencies, the removal of which had lifted the lid on simmering dis…
Salvadoran Legislators Clear Way for Bukele’s Unlimited Re-Election wsj.com 7 hours ago by José de Córdoba
El Salvador’s ruling New Ideas party eliminated presidential term limits, likely cementing President Nayib Bukele’s hold on power.
U.S. Envoy Steve Witkoff to Visit Gaza as Trump, Under Pressure, Seeks Aid Plan wsj.com 8 hours ago by Alexander Ward
The visit, to inspect food-distribution sites and meet with locals, reflects a new sense urgency after cease-fire talks go nowhere.
Trump’s Vow to Be ‘President of Peace’ Falls Short in Ukraine and Gaza wsj.com 8 hours ago by Michael R. Gordon
President Trump says he has averted a half-dozen wars and deserves the Nobel Peace Prize, yet he has made scant headway with two of the most i…
Wider Recognition of a Palestinian State Leaves Israel More Isolated wsj.com a day ago by David Luhnow
Moves by France and the U.K. toward recognizing Palestine as an independent state could spur other U.S. allies to follow.
Why Israel and Hamas Won’t Stop Fighting wsj.com 2 days ago by Dov Lieber
Another breakdown of negotiations shows neither side is ready for the 21-month war to end. A deadly hunger crisis is taking hold.
U.K. Gives Israel Ultimatum on Palestinian State Recognition wsj.com 3 days ago by Max Colchester
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Israel must take “substantive steps” to improve the situation in Gaza before September.
What’s Israel’s Next Move? Some Call for Full Takeover of Gaza wsj.com 3 days ago by Shayndi Raice
President Trump has signaled that Israel might have to take a new approach to its war with Hamas.
Famine Is Unfolding in Gaza, U.N.-Backed Group Says wsj.com 3 days ago by Margherita Stancati
A U.N.-backed group’s finding is the most dire assessment of the enclave’s deepening hunger crisis since the war began.
Global Trade Raised Living Standards for Millions. New Barriers Are Reversing the Trend. wsj.com a day ago by Jon Emont
In Indonesia and elsewhere, export manufacturing helped narrow the wealth gap with the West, creating a consumer class, but that transformatio…
Thailand, Cambodia Agree to Cease-Fire wsj.com 3 days ago by Gabriele Steinhauser
At least 38 people have been killed in fighting linked to a century-old dispute over the countries’ shared border.
U.S. Promised Windfalls From Japan Deal. Tokyo Has Other Ideas. wsj.com 4 days ago by Megumi Fujikawa
Japan is playing down the risks from its deal after the White House said the U.S. would direct $550 billion in investments by Japan and keep 9…
China Strong-Armed Japan Over Rare Earths. It’s a Lesson for the U.S. wsj.com 5 days ago by Yoko Kubota
The U.S. found out this year that China could use its chokehold on rare-earth minerals as a coercive tool. For Japan, it was déjà vu: It had b…
As North Koreans Shun State Propaganda, Kim Tries a Flashier TV Show wsj.com 5 days ago by Dasl Yoon
The regime is giving people a new TV program depicting some of the realities of North Korean life, warts and all.
Trump Sought Escape on His Summer Golf Vacation. Some Scots Thought Otherwise. wsj.com 6 days ago by James Hookway
A small group of protesters greeted the president at his golf course on Scotland’s west coast.
Hopes Rise for U.S.-Europe Trade Deal as Trump Visits Scotland wsj.com 7 days ago by Max Colchester
Trump and Ursula von der Leyen, a top EU top official, are set to meet Sunday during president’s golf trip.
U.K. Government Will Stick to Budget Rules, Treasury Chief Says wsj.com 10 days ago by Paul Hannon
The U.K. government will continue to stick to its budget rules despite a series of challenges that include big changes in geopolitics and trad…
The U.K. Closed a Tax Loophole for the Global Rich. Now They’re Fleeing. wsj.com 13 days ago by Chelsey Dulaney
Instead of paying up, wealthy expats are getting out—sparking questions about whether the move will raise any money at all.
Defense Official’s Data Blunder Forced U.K. to Secretly Relocate Thousands of Afghans wsj.com 17 days ago by Max Colchester
The U.K. government went to great lengths to keep the mistake and its ramifications secret, including acquiring a rare court injunction bannin…
Opinion | A Nixonian Trump Offer to China? wsj.com 11 hours ago by The Editorial Board
The President wants to break up the Moscow-Beijing axis.
Opinion | Haredim Are in the Israeli Army Now wsj.com 12 hours ago by Yehoshua Pfeffer
Ultra-Orthodox communities have an uneasy relationship with military service.
Opinion | Left to Rebuild, Hamas Will wsj.com 15 hours ago
The terrorist group would use a cease-fire to rebuild its arms supply and manpower for another attack on Israel.
Opinion | India Is Losing Its Best and Brightest wsj.com a day ago by Sadanand Dhume
Without political and economic reform, the country’s top engineers, doctors and scientists will keep leaving.
Opinion | Britain Caves on Hong Kong Extradition wsj.com a day ago by The Editorial Board
A new proposal could endanger dissidents who escaped political arrest.
Opinion | Macron’s View of Palestine Fits the Progressive Model wsj.com 2 days ago
French President Emmanuel Macron recognized something that doesn’t exist: a Palestinian state.
Canada-U.S. Trade Talks Might Fail to Produce Tariff Deal by Aug. 1, Carney Says wsj.com a day ago by Paul Vieira
The uncertainty over trade is weighing on the Canadian economy.
U.S. Raises Brazil Tariffs and Sanctions Judge, Citing Trump Ally Bolsonaro wsj.com 2 days ago by Alyssa Lukpat
The Trump administration escalated its pressure campaign against Brazil, raising tariffs on the country to 50% and freezing U.S. assets belong…
Why America Is Rallying to Save 400 Canadian Ostriches wsj.com 2 days ago by Vipal Monga
Canada wants to euthanize birds exposed to the avian flu, prompting RFK Jr. and other U.S. officials to join the fight to save them.
Trump Administration Greenlights Chevron to Resume Pumping Oil in Venezuela wsj.com 7 days ago by Alex Leary
The decision marks a softening in the White House’s approach to the South American country.
Brazil’s Bolsonaro Ordered to Wear Ankle Monitor wsj.com 13 days ago by Samantha Pearson
President Trump’s plan to place tariffs on Brazilian goods because of a legal action against the country’s former president has boosted its le…
EU Expects Spirits, Wine to Be Hit With 15% U.S. Tariff wsj.com 18 hours ago by Edith Hancock
The U.S. and EU are ironing out the finer details of their trade agreement. Wine and sprits are not expected to be exempted from U.S. tariffs,…
Inside Ukraine’s Effort to Fortify Hundreds of Miles of Defensive Lines wsj.com a day ago by Matthew Luxmoore
Kyiv must install hundreds of lines of defense fast enough to outpace Russia’s advance. But the effort faces increasingly long odds.
Europe’s Star Economy Picks Up Pace as Fresh Tariff Hikes Loom wsj.com 3 days ago by Joshua Kirby
Spanish GDP grew 0.7% in the second quarter, a sign of resilience as the eurozone faces a slowdown from U.S. tariffs.
How Trump Got the Upper Hand Over the EU on Tariffs wsj.com 3 days ago by Kim Mackrael
European officials gave up on trying to avoid tariffs altogether and instead looked for the best agreement they could get.
Who’s Afraid of a Little Bacteria? Not These Swimmers in Paris. wsj.com 4 days ago by Noemie Bisserbe
Locals and tourists are lining up this summer for a dip in the Seine. But the reopening of the storied river to public swimming after a centur…
China Politburo Holds off on Further Stimulus wsj.com 2 days ago
The country’s top policymaking body pledged to better execute policies that are already in place.
A Buddhist Monk’s Alleged Indulgence in Money and Sex Transfixes China wsj.com 3 days ago by Chun Han Wong
An official probe into the jet-setting abbot of China’s Shaolin Temple has fueled cynicism about capitalism and religion.
CK Hutchison Seeks to Include Chinese Investor in Panama Port Deal wsj.com 4 days ago by P.R. Venkat
CK Hutchison Holdings is in talks with a BlackRock-led consortium to include a strategic investor from China to push ahead with its plans to s…
A Cosmic Mystery: Is China Building the World’s Biggest Telescope? wsj.com 6 days ago by Stu Woo
Top American astronomers are hunting for clues about a 48-foot-wide scope that Beijing isn’t talking about.
U.S. Says Government Employee Blocked From Leaving China wsj.com 10 days ago by Chun Han Wong
The disclosure of the exit ban on an employee of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office comes after Beijing confirmed imposing similar restricti…
Africa Wants Its Critical Minerals to Yield Jobs, Not Just Dollars wsj.com 23 days ago by Nicholas Bariyo
The Trump administration wants to cut deals to secure more of the key materials, but African countries are imposing export restrictions to hel…
Congo Braces for HIV Surge After U.S. Funding Stops wsj.com a month ago by Nicholas Bariyo
U.S. funded treatments in the country have helped reduce deaths from HIV/AIDS to around 14,000 a year, from as high as 200,000.
The Coup Leader Who’s Become an Anti-Western Hero in Africa and Beyond wsj.com a month ago by Caroline Kimeu
Ibrahim Traoré, Burkina Faso’s leader, counts admirers from Nairobi to Jamaica and London. Russia is also courting him.
Congo and Rwanda Sign a Peace Accord in Washington wsj.com a month ago by Nicholas Bariyo
The deal opens critical mineral deposits to U.S. investment.
Oil Workers, Snagged in a Dispute Over a Dictator’s Son’s Yacht, Are Freed After Two Years wsj.com a month ago by Michael M. Phillips
Equatorial Guinea’s President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo freed two South African oilmen who were imprisoned in apparent retaliation for the…
Russian Plane Crashes, Killing Nearly 50 Aboard wsj.com 8 days ago by Georgi Kantchev
The Soviet-era turboprop, a model with a poor safety record, crashed in a mountainous region in Russia’s far east.
Nationalist Vigilantes Are Now Policing Russia’s Streets wsj.com 15 days ago by Thomas Grove
Far-right groups are filling the vacuum left in Russian cities as many police officers serve in the war in Ukraine.
A Day After Trump Promised New Arms for Ukraine, He Warns Kyiv Against Striking Moscow wsj.com 17 days ago by Matthew Luxmoore
The president’s call for Ukraine to avoid hitting Moscow continued his pattern of swinging between pressure on both sides to end the war and u…