Frenzied pursuit of trade agreements as the deadline for US tariff relaxation approaches
==========================================
In a surprising turn of events, the majority of Democrats in the US Senate voted to block weapons sales to Israel, marking a break in the bipartisan consensus in Washington backing its ally. Meanwhile, London's Heathrow airport unveiled plans for a third runway and an accompanying sixth terminal, aiming to boost annual passenger throughput from 84 million to 150 million.
Elsewhere, mass starvation in Gaza is a growing concern, as highlighted by a visit by two top American officials to Gazan food distribution sites. The situation is further complicated by a Ukrainian cyberattack that grounded hundreds of flights by Russia's state airline.
In the realm of cybersecurity, Kremlin-backed hackers are targeting foreign embassies in Moscow, using Russian internet service providers to plant malware on diplomats' computers. The group behind the hacking effort is believed to be a Russian security service unit, considered one of the world's most active and sophisticated state-sponsored hacking groups.
On the economic front, recent U.S. trade policy developments, particularly under the Trump administration in 2025, have involved imposing and modifying reciprocal tariffs that target not only tariffs but also a broader range of foreign taxes such as value-added and digital services taxes. These policy shifts have significantly influenced global markets, pushing up U.S. domestic prices for raw materials like aluminum, pressuring commodity prices such as copper, and increasing the risk of a global recession to 40% according to J.P. Morgan.
In a positive development, US President Donald Trump has reached an agreement with South Korea to reduce duties. However, the US will implement exemptions to copper tariffs on Friday, which are wider than investors had anticipated, causing prices for the metal to plummet. The US White House is also holding 11th-hour talks with India ahead of Friday's return of punishing "Liberation Day" levies.
Internationally, Canadian and Mexican negotiators are rushing to Washington to try and seal last-minute trade deals. Significantly fewer American companies plan to invest in China this year compared to 2024. This trend is further accentuated by the scientific decoupling between the United States and China, as highlighted by a Princeton researcher.
Politically, the strongman leader's hardline crackdown on gang violence has been criticized by rights groups for rounding up huge numbers of innocent people as well. El Salvador's legislature approved constitutional amendments removing term limits, potentially allowing its President Nayib Bukele to rule for life.
Lastly, the Trump administration has imposed new sanctions and visa blocks on Palestinian officials. OpenAI will expand its Stargate data center project into Norway, planning a 290-megawatt installation powered by renewable energy. However, Beijing has stopped approving requests by Chinese companies to invest or expand in the US.
The sudden shift in weather patterns has caused concern among farmers in Gaza, exacerbating the issue of mass starvation. Meanwhile, the European Union's meteorological agency has issued warnings of a potential heatwave in London, raising concerns about the impact on passengers traveling through Heathrow airport's planned third runway and sixth terminal.
