Minimalist News

AI Summary

Poor nations are experiencing increased tariffs in trade negotiations with the U.S., highlighting their lack of leverage compared to wealthier countries.
Trump is seeking to exert pressure on Russia by manipulating oil prices, which may impact Moscow's willingness to negotiate a cease-fire in Ukraine.
Israel's government is intensifying its military operations in Gaza, raising concerns about humanitarian conditions and prompting international criticism.
China is tightening its control over the supply of critical minerals vital for Western defense, reflecting its leverage over the U.S. military supply chain.
The Bank of England has cut interest rates amid economic challenges, seeking to balance inflation against a slowing job market in the U.K.

Wall Street Journal

Why Poor Nations Got Hit With Higher Tariffs Than Rich Ones wsj.com 2 hours ago by Jon Emont
In a new era of gloves-off trade negotiations, poorer countries had the least leverage with a country the size of the U.S.
How Much Damage Can Trump’s Campaign Against Russian Oil Inflict on Moscow? wsj.com 2 hours ago by Yaroslav Trofimov
Lower prices give President Trump more room to maneuver than Joe Biden had. Will it be enough to force Vladimir Putin to accept a cease-fire i…
Gaza Takeover Plan Exposes Constraints on Israeli Military wsj.com 2 hours ago by Feliz Solomon
Operation will start with a limited move to take over Gaza City, as troop constraints and war-weariness hit home.
Putin Tells U.S. He’ll Halt War in Exchange for Eastern Ukraine wsj.com 3 hours ago by Bojan Pancevski
The proposal prompted talk of a summit with the Russian leader, with President Trump later saying a meeting would take place in Alaska on Aug.…
Vance’s British Vacation Is Latest Sign of White House’s Soft Spot for U.K. wsj.com 14 hours ago by David Luhnow
Vice President JD Vance arrived in Britain to kick off a 10-day visit that includes a weekend stay with U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy, fo…
Israel’s Plan to Expand War Raises Fears for Gazans, Hostages wsj.com 15 hours ago by Summer Said
Germany moves to suspend arms sales as Israel’s decision risks deepening international isolation.
Israeli Security Cabinet Approves Gaza Control Plan wsj.com a day ago by Dov Lieber
Israel’s security cabinet approved a plan for the military to take control of Gaza City after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to tak…
Israel’s Urgent Debate: Whether to Occupy Gaza wsj.com 3 days ago by Dov Lieber
Growing anticipation of some greater involvement in the Palestinian enclave comes as Israel’s military operation leaves its war aims unfulfill…
Israel Says It Is Easing More Restrictions on Goods Entering Gaza wsj.com 4 days ago by Feliz Solomon
The decision comes amid criticism from foreign governments over deteriorating humanitarian conditions in the enclave.
More Israelis Question Morality of War in Gaza wsj.com 4 days ago by Anat Peled
As the hunger crisis worsens, more people—including prominent public figures—are calling for an end to the almost two-year-old war.
Israeli Government Votes to Oust Attorney General wsj.com 4 days ago by Anat Peled
The attorney general, who is overseeing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s corruption trial, was fired as part of a broader effort to overhau…
North Korean, Wrapped in Plastic Foam, Floats to Freedom in the South wsj.com 2 days ago by Dasl Yoon
The man swam down the coast and evaded armed border guards with orders to shoot anyone fleeing Kim Jong Un’s regime.
North Korea Capitalizes on Russia’s Help by Expanding Satellite Launching Facility wsj.com 3 days ago by Dasl Yoon
A new seaport suggests Pyongyang wants to accelerate deliveries of large Russian components, as military ties between the two nations grow.
North Korea Refuses to Claim Body of Dead Citizen Held by the South wsj.com 4 days ago by Timothy W. Martin
The denial of the routine handover comes as South Korea’s new leader tries to improve ties with Pyongyang.
China Is Choking Supply of Critical Minerals to Western Defense Companies wsj.com 5 days ago by Jon Emont
Beijing is squeezing the flow of key elements needed to make defense systems, a sign of the leverage China has over the U.S. military supply c…
Inside Kim Jong Un’s New Beach Resort, Where the Only Foreigners Are Russian wsj.com 7 days ago by Timothy W. Martin
The first batch of outsiders were met with free jet-ski rides, an abundance of food and a $465 toy version of the Hwasong-17 missile.
Bank of England Cuts Rates After Tight Vote wsj.com 2 days ago by Paul Hannon
The U.K. central bank lowered its key rate for the fifth time in a year as it seeks to balance a pickup in inflation against a cooling jobs ma…
Trump Sought Escape on His Summer Golf Vacation. Some Scots Thought Otherwise. wsj.com 13 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 14 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 18 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 21 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.
Opinion | Hamas Pulls Israel Deeper Into Gaza wsj.com 7 hours ago by The Editorial Board
Netanyahu takes a middle road that will satisfy nobody.
Opinion | Trump Takes a Destructive Turn Against India wsj.com 11 hours ago by Tunku Varadarajan
He has a point about New Delhi’s relationship with Russia, but 50% tariffs are a counterproductive policy.
Opinion | Lebanon’s Showdown With Hezbollah wsj.com a day ago by The Editorial Board
Iran’s proxy will fan religious sectarianism to dodge disarmament.
Opinion | Interest Rate Cuts Won’t Save Britain wsj.com a day ago by The Editorial Board
The Bank of England does what Trump wants from the Fed—alas.
Opinion | The Case for the Atomic Bomb, 80 Years Later wsj.com a day ago by Andrew Roberts
Revisiting the math and morality of the Allied forces’ decision to bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945.
Opinion | Ukrainians Face a Sophie’s Choice wsj.com a day ago by Jillian Kay Melchior
Ceding land is one thing, but a peace agreement would also mean sacrificing family and friends.
Brazil’s Supreme Court Orders Ex-President Bolsonaro Under House Arrest for Defying Court Order wsj.com 4 days ago by Samantha Pearson
Justice Alexandre de Moraes accuses the right-wing leader of violating a social-media ban.
Mexico’s Drug Cartels Bedevil Sheinbaum’s Dealmaking With Trump wsj.com 4 days ago by Santiago Pérez
The Mexican president wants to reach an agreement with the U.S. to further cooperate on security, but she has been undermined by the cartels’ …
Former Colombian President Is Sentenced to House Arrest in Witness-Tampering Case wsj.com 7 days ago by Juan Forero
Álvaro Uribe, a U.S. ally revered for having battered Marxist rebels, received a 12-year term.
Salvadoran Legislators Clear Way for Bukele’s Unlimited Re-Election wsj.com 8 days 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.
Canada-U.S. Trade Talks Might Fail to Produce Tariff Deal by Aug. 1, Carney Says wsj.com 9 days ago by Paul Vieira
The uncertainty over trade is weighing on the Canadian economy.
World’s Longest Suspension Bridge to Link Sicily to Mainland Italy wsj.com 2 days ago by Margherita Stancati
The Italian government said the bridge would be a security asset, which allows it to categorize the project as a military expense and count it…
U.S. Sells $1 Billion in Arms to Europe for Ukraine, Sealing Shift in Weapons Pipeline wsj.com 3 days ago by Daniel Michaels
President Trump has stopped sending U.S. weapons to Kyiv, but he is willing to let allies buy them for transfer to Ukraine.
Home by Home, Russia Is Selling Occupied Ukraine to Russians wsj.com 5 days ago by Isabel Coles
Kremlin-linked construction firms reap profits from redevelopment of housing destroyed by Russia’s invasion.
How a Youth-Led Backlash Pushed Zelensky to His Biggest U-Turn Yet wsj.com 8 days ago
The Ukrainian president signed a bill that returned power to anticorruption agencies, the removal of which had lifted the lid on simmering dis…
EU Expects Spirits, Wine to Be Hit With 15% U.S. Tariff wsj.com 9 days 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,…
China Politburo Holds off on Further Stimulus wsj.com 10 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 11 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 12 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 14 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 18 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…
In a Country Trump Says Nobody’s Heard Of, Tariffs Bring Chaos wsj.com 8 days 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.
Africa Wants Its Critical Minerals to Yield Jobs, Not Just Dollars wsj.com a month 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.
Could the U.S. Have Saved Navalny? wsj.com a day ago by Drew Hinshaw
As the Biden administration deliberated, friends of the famous Russian opposition leader rallied behind an audacious plan to spring him from P…
How Trump and Putin Reached a New Make-or-Break Moment on Ukraine wsj.com a day ago by Alexander Ward
The threat of more U.S. sanctions jump-started stalled peace talks but might not produce a deal to halt the fighting.
Putin Says Meeting With Trump Could Be Held in U.A.E. wsj.com 2 days ago by Thomas Grove
President Trump has expressed increasing frustration with the Russian leader in recent weeks over Moscow’s unwillingness to bring the Ukraine …