US President Donald Trump faces significant challenges in passing his agenda due to receding popularity, economic uncertainty, and concerns over immigration and trade policies. His executive orders can be undone by future presidents and are vulnerable to legal and constitutional challenges. Analysts believe that lasting impact requires political brinkmanship and consensus-building, which Trump has struggled with in the past. Despite some successes, such as the Abraham Accords and a trade deal with Canada, he failed to achieve key priorities like repealing Obamacare. Republicans have set a deadline of July 4 to pass his agenda, but slim majorities will require almost perfect unity, making it "a lot trickier" due to mathematically impossible tax cuts and potential evisceration of Medicaid.
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/trumps-next-100-days-now-comes-the-hard-part-8317857The US has imposed a 25% tariff on auto parts imported from Japan, dealing another significant blow to the country's economy. The move is part of President Trump's ongoing trade tensions with Japan, which have been escalating since March 2025. The tariffs are expected to impact Japanese automakers such as Toyota and Honda, who rely heavily on imports for their vehicles.
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20250503/p2g/00m/0bu/025000cUS President Trump is increasing pressure on China to stop buying Iranian oil amid a trade war between the two nations. The US has taken steps to reduce Iran's oil exports, including sanctioning Chinese oil refineries and ships transporting Iranian oil to Yemen's Houthis, but these measures have been insufficient. Trump is now looking to ratchet up pressure on Beijing to eschew Iranian barrels, with China being the largest buyer of Iranian oil. The US has imposed tariffs on Chinese goods, which may be deterring China from taking Iranian oil. However, Iran continues to export large volumes of oil to China, and it's unclear how much impact Trump's new announcement will have on oil prices unless he takes further action.
https://www.csis.org/analysis/trade-war-reduces-washingtons-leverage-iranian-oil-exportsUS President Donald Trump is attempting to broker an end to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. A bipartisan group of senators, led by Graham and Democrat Richard Blumenthal, proposed legislation that would impose sanctions on countries friendly to Moscow if they disrupt efforts to end the war. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian stated that Vladimir Putin is the main obstacle to peace in Ukraine. He welcomed an unfiltered exchange with US counterpart Marco Rubio, who shares convergence of objectives on regional and international crises.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1307376-eu-preparing-new-sanctions-on-russia-french-fmUS policymakers must take immediate action to reassure allies and restore confidence in the transatlantic relationship after a digital decoupling could potentially end today's open Internet. Experts at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C., including Abraham Newman, Henry Farrell, Emily Benson, Max Bergmann, and Federico Steinberg, warn of the consequences of such a scenario.
https://www.csis.org/analysis/transatlantic-tech-clash-will-europe-de-risk-united-statesThe US and Ukraine signed a minerals deal on April 30, recognizing significant financial and material support provided to Ukraine's defense since Russia's invasion. The agreement aims to secure long-term investment from the US amid efforts by President Trump's administration to reduce global security commitments. A bill with severe sanctions against Russia has been endorsed by 72 US senators, led by Senator Lindsey Graham, who claims he has enough support in the House to bring it to a vote. The proposed sanctions include a 500% tariff on imports from countries buying Russian oil, gas, petroleum products, or uranium.
https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-uk-britain-victory-day-russia-london-germany/33403614.htmlUS Ambassador to Pakistan Rizwan Saeed Sheikh urged President Donald Trump to intervene in the escalating tensions with India, warning that a misstep could lead to a nuclear conflict in the region. The ambassador described Kashmir as a "nuclear flashpoint" and criticized India's response to the Pahalgam attack, calling it "dangerously premature and inflammatory". Saeed accused India of looking outside its borders rather than addressing administrative issues in Jammu and Kashmir, and warned that Pakistan would consider cutting off water supplies from the Indus Waters Treaty as an act of war. He appealed for international help to find a lasting settlement, citing Pakistan's loss of 70,000-90,000 lives over 20 years due to terror attacks.
https://www.geo.tv/latest/602904-envoy-sheikh-warns-of-nuclear-interface-if-tensions-flareU.S. lawmakers are urging the Securities and Exchange Commission to delist Chinese stocks listed in the U.S., including Alibaba (BABA), Baidu (BIDU), JD.com (JD), and others with military links, citing "unacceptable risk" to investors. Notable companies mentioned include PDD (PDD), Tencent (TCEHY), and NetEase (NTES).
https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/u-s-lawmakers-tell-sec-to-delist-chinese-stocks-listed-in-u-s-ft-reports-1034665765The heads of two Congressional panels have written to the Securities and Exchange Commission, urging it to delist Chinese companies with alleged military links that pose a threat to U.S. national security. Specifically, lawmakers are targeting companies such as Huawei and ZTE, which have been accused of using their financial systems for military purposes. The move is seen as part of a broader effort to crack down on Chinese firms deemed a national security risk by the US government.
https://channelnewsasia.com/business/us-lawmakers-urge-sec-delist-alibaba-and-chinese-companies-ft-reports-5106041