Trump’s tariffs questioned. Supreme Court justices voiced skepticism of Trump’s use of emergency powers to impose tariffs during a hearing yesterday. Chief Justice John Roberts said that tariffs are taxes, which “has always been the core power of Congress” to impose. A ruling in the case could come by the end of the year and have widespread implications for Trump’s economic and foreign policy agenda.
Putin’s nuclear testing proposal. Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered preparations for a possible resumption of nuclear tests after Trump made a similar announcement last week. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright has since clarified that Trump was talking about testing “non-critical explosions.” Putin said Russia would only resume testing if the United States did so.
Turkey’s talks with Kurds. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğa suggested yesterday he might allow a jailed Kurdish militant leader to address a parliamentary commission, and signaled he was open to freeing a prominent Kurdish political organizer. The concessions come amid peace talks between the government and the Kurds after a forty-year insurgency. A Kurdish party could lend Erdoğan much-needed support if he seeks reelection.
Cuts to U.S. air travel. The Trump administration will mandate a 10 percent air traffic cut in forty major airports beginning Friday if the government shutdown continues, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said yesterday. The measure is needed to alleviate “pressure” on unpaid air traffic controllers, he added. Hundreds of thousands of travelers could see flights cancelled.
Regional condemnation of Tanzania. Tanzania’s recent presidential election did not meet international standards, African Union (AU) election monitors said yesterday. The Southern African Development Community also said the election “fell short” of its principles. Tanzanian authorities declared President Samia Suluhu Hassan won the vote. The country’s opposition said hundreds of people were killed in election-related protests, which the government has denied.
Controversial trade clauses. A trade deal that Malaysia signed with the United States last week has prompted criticism that it compromised the country’s sovereignty, the Financial Times reported. New U.S. trade pacts with both Cambodia and Malaysia included clauses allowing their termination if the countries sign separate deals that put “essential U.S. interests” at risk. Analysts said such clauses were meant to influence the Asian countries’ relationships with trade partners such as China.
Japanese carmakers in India. Auto companies Honda, Suzuki, and Toyota are spending billions of dollars to build new factories in India as they diversify away from manufacturing in China. India is largely closed to Chinese electric vehicles, offering an opening for Japanese cars. Japan’s annual direct investment in India’s transportation sector rose sevenfold from 2021 to 2024.
Sexual harassment in Mexico. President Claudia Sheinbaum said yesterday she is pressing charges against a man who groped and tried to kiss her in public. The incident in Mexico City’s main square was caught on video. While sexual harassment is a crime in Mexico City, Sheinbaum said she would push to criminalize it across the country. “If they do this to the president, what will happen to all of the young women in our country?” she said.
