Events in July include the U.S. deadline to reach deals with major trading partners, the BRICS summit in Brazil, the scrapping of the tax on airline tickets in Sweden, and the unveiling of the Dalai Lama’s succession plans. A smoking ban takes effect in outdoor public spaces in France, the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 football tournament kicks off in Switzerland, Jurassic World: Rebirth is released worldwide, and the Oasis reunion tour begins in Cardiff.
Jul 1, France: Smoking ban implemented in outdoor places accessed by children including beaches, parks, public gardens, bus stops and sports venues.
Jul 1, Sweden: Government scraps tax on airline tickets introduced in 2018. It aims to lower flight prices, increase demand and improve competitiveness.
Jul 2, Worldwide: Jurassic World: Rebirth, the latest instalment of the franchise is released. It takes place five years after the events of the previous film with all new dinosaurs set to be revealed.
Jul 2, Switzerland: UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 football tournament kicks off as England bid to defend their title.
Jul 4, UK: Long awaited Oasis reunion tour begins in Cardiff and takes in London, Manchester, Edinburgh and Dublin before heading abroad.
Jul 6, Tibet: Dalai Lama turns 90 and unveils his succession plans. He has indicated that the next spiritual leader will be born outside of China.
Jul 6-7 Brazil: Rio de Janeiro hosts the 17th BRICS summit and welcomes its five newest members and nine partner countries. It is expected to look into further expansion of the bloc.
Jul 9, U.S.: The pause on President Donald Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs is set to expire. Nations without an agreed bilateral accord face higher rates than the current baseline 10% level applied to most countries.
TIPP Takes
Geopolitics, Geoeconomics, And More
1. U.S. Halts Some Weapons Shipments To Ukraine Over Stockpile Concerns - UPI
The U.S. Defense Department halted shipment of some missiles and ammunition to Ukraine over concerns about U.S. military stockpiles.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered a pause in sending weapons, including Patriot interceptors, 155 mm high explosive Howitzer munitions, Hellfire missiles, GMLRS precision-guided missile systems, AIM air-to-air missiles and grenade launchers, NBC News reported, citing unnamed congressional officials and sources familiar with the decision.
2. Ukraine Says Clarifying Details With U.S. On Defense Aid - AFP
“Ukraine and the United States are clarifying all the details regarding the supply of defense support, including air defense components,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an evening address.
Minutes later, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga, wrote on X that “we need more interceptors and systems. We are also ready to purchase or rent them.”
3. N. Korea Already Using Russia's Pantsir-S1 Air-Defense System: Report - Yonhap
North Korea has already been using the Pantsir-S1 air defense system provided by Russia to defend the North's capital of Pyongyang, a Ukrainian online newspaper reported, citing Kyiv's intelligence chief.
The Pantsir missile system is made up of self-propelled, medium-range surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft artillery systems. Budanov said the first Pantsir-S1 installations have already been deployed in Pyongyang and are on combat duty.
4. Dalai Lama Confirms He Will Have A Successor After His Death - BBC
Exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has confirmed he will have a successor, putting to rest speculation over whether the 600-year-old institution will end when he dies.
In a video message keenly-awaited by his followers, he said only the trust that he founded could appoint his successor and "no-one else has any authority to interfere in this matter". According to Tibetan tradition, Dalai Lamas are "reincarnated" after they die. China annexed Tibet in 1950 and the current Dalai Lama lives in exile in India, making succession a highly contentious issue.
5. Iran Pivots Toward China, But Is Beijing Ready To Play Ball? - RFE/RL
With faith in Moscow at a low point, Iran is now urgently seeking to rebuild its defenses – and is turning to China for the advanced military hardware that Russia has failed to deliver.
But as Tehran pivots toward Beijing, it faces fresh obstacles and skepticism, revealing both the limits of its options and the depth of its strategic isolation. However, Chinese reluctance to supply Iran is pronounced, according to Andrea Ghiselli, a lecturer at the University of Exeter and head of research of the TOChina Hub's ChinaMed Project. Experts also agree that China’s relations with Iran’s regional rivals contribute to its disinclination to beef up Iran’s military.
6. China Sounds Out S. Korea On Lee's Possible Attendance At Sept. Military Parade: Sources - Yonhap
China has sounded out South Korea about President Lee Jae Myung attending its military parade set for September to mark the 80th anniversary of its victory over Japanese aggression during World War II, diplomatic sources said.
Lee's decision, either way, would carry significant diplomatic implications for his administration just weeks into its launch, putting his foreign policy to the test as Seoul increasingly faces the pressure to navigate its path amid the strategic rivalry between China and the United States.
7. Chinese Ship Conducts Survey Off Vietnam But Hanoi’s State Media Stays Silent - RFA
A Chinese survey ship has been repeatedly circling within Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea since mid-June, raising concerns of a potential maritime standoff.
In response, Vietnam’s fishery surveillance vessel Kiem Ngu 471 closely shadowed the Chinese ship. China is often accused of adopting such tactics to assert its sweeping claims over the disputed waters in the South and East China Seas. The Vietnamese government has yet to respond to China’s actions, and state-run media have not reported on the incident.
8. Middle East: Trump Urges Hamas To Accept Ceasefire Plan - D.W.
President Donald Trump said Israel agreed to finalize the terms of a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and called on the militant group Hamas to also accept a proposal created with the help of Qatari and Egyptian mediators.
Should Israel and Hamas enact a temporary ceasefire, Trump said the time would be used to attempt to negotiate a permanent settlement to the war in Gaza. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar says Israel is serious about striking a deal with Hamas to end the war in Gaza and bring hostages home.
9. Hamas Says Studying Gaza Proposals As Trump Pushes For A Ceasefire - Reuters
Hamas said it was studying what President Donald Trump called a “final” ceasefire proposal for Gaza, but that Israel must pull out of the enclave, while Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu said Hamas would be eliminated.
Trump had said that Israel had agreed to the conditions needed to finalize a 60-day ceasefire with Hamas after what he described as a “long and productive” meeting between his representatives and Israeli officials.
10. Trump Floats Idea Of Imposing 30% Or 35% Tariffs On Japan - Kyodo News
"I'm not sure we're going to make a deal. I doubt it," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, calling Japan "very tough" and "very spoiled."
He reiterated his complaint that Japan does not import enough cars or rice from the United States, claiming that it has "ripped us off for 30, 40 years." While praising the countries' "great relationship" over decades, Trump said when it comes to trade, Tokyo has been "very unfair, and those days are gone."
11. Vietnam To Open Markets, Trump Says In Surprise Trade Deal - TIPP insights
President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. has reached a trade agreement with Vietnam, marking his administration’s third major trade deal ahead of a self-imposed July 9 tariff deadline.
“I just made a trade deal with Vietnam,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding that the U.S. will impose a 20% tariff on Vietnamese exports and 40% on goods transshipped through Vietnam. In return, Trump claimed Vietnam will provide “total access” to its markets and allow American products in at zero tariffs.
12. Iran Orders Suspension Of Cooperation With UN Nuclear Agency - D.W.
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian signed legislation to suspend access for IAEA inspectors into the country until the "security" of its nuclear facilities is guaranteed.
Further details on the decision are limited and it is not yet clear how Iran will implement it. The move could further limit inspectors' ability to monitor Iran's nuclear program that had been enriching uranium to near weapons-grade levels.
13. U.S., Japan, India, Australia Announce Minerals Initiative - D.W.
The group of four, also known as the "Quad," has pledged to work towards a stable supply of minerals necessary for new technologies. The group wants to counter China's dominance in the field.
"Reliance on any one country for processing and refining critical minerals and derivative goods production exposes our industries to economic coercion, price manipulation and supply chain disruptions," a joint statement by the group said.
14. North Korea Opens Massive Beach Resort, Will Welcome Russian Tourists - UPI
North Korea has opened a massive beach resort on its east coast to the public, state-run media reported, with Russian guests expected to begin arriving next week.
The Wonsan Kalma coastal tourist area officially opened on Tuesday, Korean Central News Agency reported, welcoming its first domestic visitors from around the country. At a ribbon-cutting ceremony last week, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called the completion of the resort one of the country's "greatest successes this year."
15. EU Proposes 2040 Climate Target With Carbon Credit Allowance - D.W.
The European Commission proposed a 90% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 compared to 1990 levels.
The Commission said the proposal would build on the existing binding goal of reducing these kinds of emissions by at least 55% by 2030. Under the plan, member states would be granted more flexibility to achieve the climate targets. Currently, they have only been able to count domestic greenhouse gas reductions, but from 2036, the proposal allows carbon credits from non-EU countries to count for up to 3% of the overall 90% reduction compared to 1990 levels.
16. Microsoft To Cut Workforce By Up To 4% In Latest Round Of Layoffs - Yahoo Finance
The reductions, first reported by the Seattle Times, would amount to up to 9,120 jobs. Microsoft had 228,000 full-time employees as of June 2024, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing.
The development comes as the tech giant, like other hyperscalers, invests billions of dollars in its artificial intelligence efforts. Microsoft is set to spend $80 billion in 2025 to build out AI data centers.
17. Dairy Could Be Causing Bad Dreams, Research Indicates - HealthDay News
New research shows that people with worse symptoms of lactose intolerance tended to report more frequent nightmares, NBC News reported.
The research - a follow-up to a 2015 study of food and dreams - looked at the eating and sleeping habits of more than 1,000 people. The foods most often blamed for the nightmares were dairy and sweets, NBC News said.
