Netanyahu’s coalition in crisis. An ultra-Orthodox party in Israel announced yesterday that it would quit Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition in protest of a bill limiting exemptions from military conscription, leaving him with only a one-seat majority in parliament. The party’s seven resignations go into effect tomorrow. It is unclear whether a second ultra-Orthodox party, which holds eleven seats, will follow; Netanyahu would lose his majority if so.
Iran snapback sanctions. France’s foreign minister said today in Brussels that, along with Germany and the United Kingdom, France would trigger a UN snapback mechanism to reimpose sanctions on Iran if nuclear talks do not restart by the end of August. An Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday that Tehran would respond with unspecified “appropriate and proportionate” measures if the mechanism was used; the spokesperson added that no date has been set for continued U.S.-Iran nuclear talks.
Shaky Syria ceasefire. The country’s defense minister announced a ceasefire in the southern city of Sweida this morning, after violence killed dozens of people. The clashes began as sectarian fighting between Bedouin and Druze groups on Sunday; one local Druze leader has encouraged people to keep fighting. Syria deployed government forces to the area, and Israel later confirmed that it had bombed the Syrian forces.
EU trade warning. European Union (EU) trade ministers met in Brussels yesterday after Trump’s weekend threat of 30 percent tariffs on the bloc. Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič warned after the meeting that there was a “big gap” between the EU and the United States positions to potentially bridge before Trump’s August 1 deadline; he had warned earlier that transatlantic trade would be “almost impossible” if the tariffs went into effect.
Mexico tariff response. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said yesterday that the United States could do more domestically to improve border security. In a letter over the weekend, Trump tied his threatened 30 percent tariff on Mexico to border issues. Sheinbaum expressed confidence that she and Trump would reach an agreement before August 1, but said any deal would not include bringing U.S. security forces to Mexico.
Trump AI announcement. The president will announce $70 billion in investments for artificial intelligence (AI) and energy today in Pennsylvania, an unnamed official told Bloomberg. It follows Trump’s April unveiling of $100 billion for AI data centers as his administration seeks to boost U.S. competition with China in the sector. Today, Trump will speak with Senator David McCormick (R-PA) at an inaugural summit in the state, which has become a presidential battleground in recent elections. Executives from companies including BlackRock, Exxon, and Palantir are expected to attend.
Australia-China talks. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Chinese President Xi Jinping met yesterday in Beijing to strengthen bilateral relations around trade, in spite of tensions over security and human rights. Calling their meeting “very constructive," this was Albanese’s second official visit to China since 2022. Albanese said he complained to Xi about Chinese naval exercises that in February had affected commercial air traffic. Xi did not press Albanese on their opposing views on Taiwan’s sovereignty.
India clean energy target. New Delhi said yesterday that 50 percent of its installed electricity capacity now comes from non-fossil fuel sources. It has beaten its 2030 target under the Paris Agreement by five years. The country’s renewable energy output has grown in the first half of this year by its fastest rate since 2022.
France “open” to Niger reparations. A letter from the office of France’s permanent representative to the United Nations, viewed by the Guardian, suggests that France is “open to bilateral dialogue” with Niger about reparations for descendants of a violent 1899 colonial campaign. The letter did not acknowledge responsibility.
