Welcome back to the World Roundup, where we cover the latest news United States protective measures, Argentina approve Brazilextreme right-wing presidential candidate, and the new seat of power in England.
Forced Labor Claims
US President Donald Trump’s trade war is back in full swing. On Friday, the White House posted sweeping tax about 60 trade partners of the United States, including China and the European Union, and provoked sharp criticism from foreign leaders. Although Washington claims that the duties—which range from 10 percent to 12.5 percent—are to punish countries for failing to deal with forced labor, many argue that these claims are only a thinly veiled strategy to restore charges that the Supreme Court struck down several months ago.
Welcome back to the World Roundup, where we cover the latest news United States protective measures, Argentina approve Brazilextreme right-wing presidential candidate, and the new seat of power in England.
Forced Labor Claims
US President Donald Trump’s trade war is back in full swing. On Friday, the White House posted sweeping tax about 60 trade partners of the United States, including China and the European Union, and provoked sharp criticism from foreign leaders. Although Washington claims that the duties—which range from 10 percent to 12.5 percent—are to punish countries for failing to deal with forced labor, many argue that these claims are only a thinly veiled strategy to restore charges that the Supreme Court struck down several months ago.
“Lack of a legal basis under domestic law to support its protectionist trade policy, the US Trade Representative chose to pursue an issue of great importance to the human rights and labor rights movement,” the Brazilian government said in a statement.
Friday duties were introduced under Section 301 of the Commerce Act of 1974. They replace the temporary 10 percent global tariff that expired at 12:01 a.m. the same day; the tax was issued in February a few hours after the Supreme Court it prevailed that Trump lacked the authority to issue his initial round of duties under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
Initial reactions to Trump’s newest tariffs were excessively angry. These tariffs are “absolutely unacceptable,” Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell said he saidadding that Canberra will continue to “argue very strongly” for Washington to remove all duties on Australian goods. Brazil vowed to take the issue to the World Trade Organization, and New Zealand insisted it would continue to change its trade partnership to reduce its dependence on the United States. “Tax is not the way,” New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon he wrote on X on Friday. “They add cost and uncertainty to the business.”
Several governments pointed to their workforce protections to undermine Trump’s claims. “If you compare our labor laws with those of the United States, I mean, we have paid holidays, we have good working conditions for our workers, so it’s not fundamental,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Thursday, accusing Washington of rejecting its trade deal with the bloc.
Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara similarly condemned the tariffs for being imposed “even though Japan’s industry and trade are in line with international law.” And the Philippines expressed outrage at the duties just a day after Manila signed a joint administrative order to better address forced labor issues.
Spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Lin Jian said Beijing “opposes all forms of unilateral tariffs.” The new tariffs come just two months before Trump is expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Today’s Most Read
What we’re after
Miley’s dangerous game. Argentine President Javier Milei flew to São Paulo on Friday give us his help behind Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, who is set to officially announce his presidential campaign on Saturday. The approval underscores Milei’s ambitions to expand on the recent Latin American wave right-wing electoral victory for the large economy of the region.
But publicly supporting him could be a risky move. Most of Brazil’s conservative groups have refrained from supporting the senator while his father, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, is serving a 27-year prison sentence for attempted revolution following his defeat in the 2022 presidential election. The younger Bolsonaro has further fallen from grace after a public spit with his stepmother undermining his already weak position with women voters and new US tariffs on Brazilian goods. raised claims that the Trump administration is trying to swing the vote in favor of the senator.
Flávio Bolsonaro reportedly asked the White House to delay 25 percent of new roles until after the Brazilian elections, argue that they would give the government of the incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva “mainly a political victory that has been engineered.” But the tax went into effect on Wednesday, and local voting now Lula has led with 45 percent of the votes against Bolsonaro’s 37.
Number 10 North. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s commute to work just got shorter. On Friday, the leader of the Labor Party opened a new government center outside the city of Manchester, more than 200 miles from London. Named “No. 10 North” in reference to the location of Downing Street, the Former mayor of Manchester he emphasized that the move is part of a broader effort to move economic decisions away from the capital.
“It’s not just a new office,” Burnham said. “Through this place, power will flow, energy will flow, new ideas will come.” He explained it opposed London’s further south, and he claimed it would help bring growth to “every corner of the country.” However, Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch dismissed it as a “trick” which is “creating another branch of the public service in a different place.”
Burnham campaigned on a promising to bring about a revolution British power structure. This attracted the attention of many Labor MPs, who were looking for a change following the disappointing tenure of Keir Starmer, whose tenure was fraught with controversy. scandal and the victory of the right wing. Already, Burnham has used his first week as Prime Minister to introduce several new measures aimed at improving the high cost of living, which include reducing bus fares, reducing prices. sales tax on household electricity bills, and lower business rates for pubs, live music venues, and social clubs.
Khan is in the ICC. Members of the International Criminal Court (ICC) they voted on Friday to fire chief prosecutor Karim Khan following allegations of sexual misconduct. With 82 votes in favor, 13 against, and 15 abstentions, Khan’s dismissal prompts an immediate search for a replacement at a critical time for the court’s international standing.
Last month, Khan was temporarily removed from his post after a report by the ICC’s executive board found that he committed “gross misconduct” with a female employee. Khan has ever rejected any wrongdoing, and his legal team has called the process that led to Friday’s vote illegal. But the US has capitalized on the scandal to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the ICC, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accusing the court on Thursday of being filled with “lunatics and lunatics.”
Last week, the US State Department he swore to dismantle the ICC “brick by brick,” accusing the body of violating US authority and being biased against Israel. In 2024, Khan released arrest warrants to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Defense Minister at the time Yoav Gallant, and three Hamas leaders.
What In The World?
Which country did Yemen’s Houthi rebels announce a naval blockade against on Monday?
A. Saudi Arabia
B. Eritrea
C. Israel
D. Egypt
Odds and Ends
With domestic temperatures reaching record highs, Japan needs a brand new vocabulary to explain its unusual weather. In April, the Japan Meteorological Agency asked residents to choose a name for a day when the temperature reaches 104 degrees or higher. Selected natives to play (or “severe hot day”), and just three months later, Japan used its first official use. “It feels like being in a sauna,” one tourist said local media on Wednesday.
And The Answer Is…
A. Saudi Arabia
Despite the recent escalation from Riyadh and the Houthis, no one is interested in a return to full-scale war, Annelle Sheline. he writes.
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