| Debris from an exploded Russian drone in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Monday. David Guttenfelder/The New York Times |
Russia escalated its war against Ukraine
Russia launched a major drone and missile attack against Ukraine yesterday, soon after President Trump had sharply criticized President Vladimir Putin for taking “meaningless” steps toward peace.
Ukraine’s air force said that Russia had launched 728 exploding drones and decoys, a barrage that set a single-night record and underscored Ukraine’s need for weapons. Trump, who just last week paused arms shipments to Ukraine, said on Monday that the U.S. would resume them because the country was “getting hit very hard.”
Putin’s calculation: Trump’s newly harsh tone has had little effect on Russia’s escalation. Kremlin sources say that Putin is convinced that Russia’s battlefield superiority is growing and that Ukraine’s defenses may collapse in the coming months. “He will not sacrifice his goals in Ukraine for the sake of improving relations with Trump,” an expert said.
Penalties: The top Senate Republican said that momentum was building toward a vote on a bill to impose sanctions on countries that purchase Russian oil.
Trump threatened more countries with tariffs
Trump informed Algeria, Brunei, Libya, Iraq, Moldova, the Philippines and Sri Lanka yesterday that their exports to the U.S. would face steep tariffs unless they could broker new trade deals with the U.S. by Aug. 1. At least 21 countries have received letters detailing the tariff threats. Here’s the list.
The latest letters announced tariffs of 20 percent for the Philippines and 30 percent for Libya and Iraq. Trump also threatened to impose 50 percent tariffs on Brazil as he accused the Brazilian authorities of unfairly charging his political ally, former President Jair Bolsonaro. Brazil’s current leader, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, said his country would reciprocate.
The E.U. is pushing for a rough draft of a deal this week to avoid across-the-board tariffs. Trump also said he was planning to impose a 50 percent tariff on copper imports, sending the metal’s price soaring in the U.S.
Getting his way: The major parts of Trump’s agenda are now coming into focus. His expensive tax cuts are law, and his trade war is taking shape. The fate of the U.S. economy is now squarely in his hands.
| Yoon Suk Yeol, the former president of South Korea, at court in Seoul yesterday. Pool photo by Kim Hong-Ji |
The ex-president of South Korea was sent back to jail
Yoon Suk Yeol, South Korea’s ousted president, who was already on trial after his attempt last year to place his country under martial law, was rearrested yesterday and sent back to jail.
A special prosecutor appointed by Lee Jae Myung, the new president, accused Yoon of additional criminal offenses, including obstruction of justice, and asked a judge to issue an arrest warrant. While issuing the warrant, the judge said that Yoon could destroy evidence against him if he remained free. The special counsel and his team of investigators have wanted to return Yoon to jail since they began their work last month.
| MORE TOP NEWS |
| Texas: The death toll from devastating floods reached 120, with 173 still missing. Here’s a look at the lives lost. U.S.: The Trump administration appears to be targeting officials who oversaw the investigation into the 2016 Trump campaign’s connections to Russia. Social media: Linda Yaccarino, the chief executive of X and a top lieutenant to Elon Musk, said that she would step down. Africa: Trump met with the leaders of Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania and Senegal at the White House as his administration focuses on trade while gutting humanitarian aid. Lebanon: Despite a truce, Israel launched new ground operations in parts of the south. Middle East: Israel and Syria were enemies for decades. Now, they have found common cause in their dislike for Iran. Gaza: A British surgeon told us what she saw during her three weeks treating patients in the territory. “They’re prepared to die for a bagful of rice.” France: The police raided the headquarters of the far-right National Rally party as part of an investigation into its campaign finances. Europe: A study found that climate change may have tripled the death toll in the recent continental heat wave. Climate: A new study offers the first estimate of nanoplastic pollution in the ocean. There’s a lot. |
| SPORTS NEWS |
| Tennis: Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner will meet in the semifinals after their victories on Day 10 of Wimbledon. We have live updates. Soccer: Kylian Mbappe is still in a dispute with P.S.G. as he faces off against his former team for Real Madrid in the Club World Cup semifinals. Formula 1: Christian Horner has been fired as Red Bull Racing’s C.E.O. after more than 20 years in charge. |
| MORNING READ |
For the first time in centuries, the Bayeux Tapestry, which depicts the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, will return to Britain in a loan from France. The roughly 70-meter medieval artwork will give visitors a glimpse of a crucial episode in English history.
The British Museum said the masterpiece would be on display beginning next year.
| CONVERSATION STARTERS |
| Stepping away: At 83, Gilberto Gil says it’s time to slow down. The Brazilian singer and songwriter is on a farewell tour. “Fibermaxxing”: Social media users are loading up on soaked chia seeds to increase their fiber intake. It may be too much of a good thing. Giorgio Armani: Some health issues kept the designer away from his couture show in Paris. But he still got the last word. Two sisters: A reader doesn’t want to host a sister and her rambunctious children. Does that mean she can’t see her other sister? |
| ARTS AND IDEAS |
How Lena Dunham remade the rom-com
When Lena Dunham moved to London in 2021, she had given up on love. But love had not given up on her. She soon met Luis Felber, the British musician who would become her husband. Dunham turned their story into a 10-episode Netflix show, “Too Much,” which tries to reimagine the romantic comedy. It’s out today. Read an interview with Dunham and the show’s stars.
| RECOMMENDATIONS |
Cook: Add fresh tomatoes and corn to this chicken arroz rojo for a satisfying one-pot meal.
