U.S. pause on student visa appointments. The State Department instructed overseas missions to stop scheduling new visa appointments for international students until guidance is issued on vetting applicants’ social media, according to a cable seen by Reuters. A State Department spokesperson said the United States will use “every tool” to vet people. The Trump administration has argued that some international students’ criticism of Israel’s conduct in Gaza threatens U.S. foreign policy, prompting lawsuits saying students are exercising free speech rights.
Trump’s warning to Putin. U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on social media yesterday that Russian President Vladimir Putin was “playing with fire” and that without Trump, “lots of really bad things would have already happened to Russia.” The White House and U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) have coordinated on a bill to further sanction Russia, Graham wrote yesterday in the Wall Street Journal.
Reported Israel-Syria talks. Delegations from Israel and Syria have held several rounds of direct talks in recent weeks to de-escalate tensions, multiple media outlets reported. The countries have a long history of poor relations, which worsened after Israel moved troops into Syria following the rebel takeover last December. The Israeli and Syrian foreign ministries did not immediately comment, while a Syrian official reported to have participated in the talks denied having done so.
China-Gulf-ASEAN ties. Chinese Premier Li Qiang called for Chinese, Southeast Asian, and Gulf countries to create a “big market” for trade at a meeting yesterday in Malaysia. It marks the first time China has held a joint summit with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). While no major deals were announced yesterday, Li visited ASEAN member Indonesia over the weekend and announced an agreement to partner with the country’s sovereign wealth fund.
New Delhi’s trade offer to Washington. India is offering “deep” reductions to import tariffs in trade negotiations with the United States but aims to maintain duties on agriculture products such as grains and dairy, two unnamed sources told the Financial Times. Indian and U.S. government agencies did not immediately comment. Trump has threatened 26 percent tariffs on the country and said last month that India is offering “basically no tariff.” The two sides say they seek the first pillar of a deal by the fall.
Peru climate lawsuit dismissed. A German court dismissed Peruvian farmer Saúl Luciano Lliuya’s lawsuit against German energy company RWE over purported climate damages. While the firm does not operate in Peru, it is one of the world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitters; Lliuya argued that RWE’s operations contributed to glacier melt that endangered his home. The judge said the estimate of risk to Lliuya’s home was too small to proceed with the case, but that a polluter could be held liable if damages were greater.
King Charles in Canada. The United Kingdom’s King Charles III praised Canada as “strong and free” in a speech to the Canadian parliament in Ottawa yesterday. Charles is Canada’s ceremonial head of state, as Canada is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. His participation was seen as supporting Canada’s sovereignty after annexation threats by Trump.
India’s scrutiny over surveillance market. Global manufacturers of security equipment have warned of supply disruptions after India debuted new requirements that their hardware, software, and source code must be tested in government labs, Reuters reported. Some of the concerns stem from Chinese participation in the sector, an unnamed Indian official said. India’s surveillance camera market is worth some $3.5 billion and is expected to grow to $7 billion by 2030, a market research firm estimated.
