Trump’s threat of China tariffs. China said that it would retaliate with “corresponding measures” after Trump on Friday announced new 100 percent tariffs on Chinese goods beginning November 1. Those new tariffs respond to broad Chinese export controls announced the previous week. Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are due to meet in person before the tariffs take effect. Trump appeared to soften his tone over the weekend, writing on social media late yesterday that the United States “wants to help China, not hurt it.”
U.S.-Ukraine military coordination. The United States might send Ukraine long-range Tomahawk missiles if Russia does not settle the war soon, Trump said yesterday. A Kremlin spokesperson called the prospect of the provision one of “extreme concern.” Separately, the Financial Times reported that the United States has stepped up intelligence support for Ukrainian long-range strikes on Russian energy facilities in recent months.
Afghanistan-Pakistan border clash. Both countries said their security forces killed dozens of each other’s combatants in the worst border hostilities in months. The fighting began Thursday following explosions in Afghanistan that the Taliban blamed on Pakistan. Islamabad did not confirm or deny carrying out strikes in Kabul, saying that it carried out “a series of retribution operations.” Pakistan has accused Afghanistan of harboring members of the Pakistani Taliban.
Madagascar’s political crisis. President Andry Rajoelina’s office claimed a coup attempt is underway and said that Rajoelina will address the nation later today; it was not clear if he remained in the country. An elite army unit joined anti-government protesters over the weekend and claimed it took control of the country’s military command. The same unit had helped Rajoelina seize power in a 2009 coup.
France’s new old government. Sébastien Lecornu announced a new cabinet yesterday after President Emmanuel Macron reappointed him as prime minister on Friday—just days after Lecornu resigned amid political deadlock. The new government includes new defense and interior ministers, while Macron’s foreign minister is staying on.
Seychelles election. Opposition leader Patrick Herminie won the country’s runoff presidential election with 52.7 percent of the vote to incumbent leader Wavel Ramkalawan’s 47.3 percent. The Seychelles is one of Africa’s richest countries by GDP per capita in large part due to luxury tourism, though opposition to a major project by a Qatari company may have turned voters against the governing party ahead of the election.
Economics prize. This year’s Nobel Prize in Economics went to Philippe Aghion, Joel Mokyr, and Peter Howitt for research on how innovation and technological progress drive sustained growth. A member of the Nobel committee said today their work underscored the need for society to focus on factors that generate growth, such as commitments to science and innovation.
Qatari military in Idaho. Qatar will build an air force training facility in Idaho, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Friday. The facility is intended to boost interoperability between the two countries, host Qatari F-15 fighter jets, and train Qatari pilots. It comes after Trump issued a security guarantee to Qatar last month via executive order.
