Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at France and Britain’s migration and nuclear weapons deals, U.S. tariff threats against Brazil, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to Asia.
Anglo-French Deals
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron unveiled a joint migration deal on Thursday that is aimed at reducing the flow of migrants across the English Channel, which divides France and the United Kingdom. The announcement came at the end of Macron’s three-day trip to Britain, which also included high-level discussions on defense and energy.
Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at France and Britain’s migration and nuclear weapons deals, U.S. tariff threats against Brazil, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to Asia.
Anglo-French Deals
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron unveiled a joint migration deal on Thursday that is aimed at reducing the flow of migrants across the English Channel, which divides France and the United Kingdom. The announcement came at the end of Macron’s three-day trip to Britain, which also included high-level discussions on defense and energy.
Under the agreement, the two countries will launch a pilot “one in, one out” scheme in which Britain will be able to deport to France migrants who arrive illegally by boat, in exchange for accepting an equal number of migrants from France who might have stronger cases for asylum in the United Kingdom. However, it remains unclear when the agreement will be implemented, as it is subject to legal scrutiny by the European Commission and EU member states.
Small boat crossings have become a political flash point in Britain, which recently witnessed a surge in popularity for the far-right, anti-immigration Reform U.K. party during local elections. In 2024, around 37,000 people crossed into the United Kingdom in small boats via the English Channel, and arrivals increased further in the first half of 2025.
“There is no silver bullet here, but with a united effort, new tactics and a new level of intent, we can finally turn the tables,” Starmer told reporters. However, the deal has drawn criticism from the opposition Conservative Party, which called it a “weak and ineffective gimmick,” as well as from aid groups, which say it ignores the root causes of migration. A lawmaker from Starmer’s own Labour Party also said he was “skeptical that this is the answer.”
Macron and Starmer also signed new defense cooperation agreements in response to what Macron described as a “markedly more threatening environment” in Europe amid the fourth year of Russia’s war against Ukraine. Among the agreements is a pledge to coordinate the use of the two countries’ nuclear arsenals in the event of a serious attack on the continent, a commitment to boost bilateral nuclear research cooperation, and a deal to jointly develop a new cruise missile and advanced anti-drone weapons.
The agreements signal a new chapter of post-Brexit Anglo-French cooperation, and they come as the United States—under President Donald Trump—has pushed Europe to do more to shoulder the burden of defending the continent. In a speech in front of British lawmakers on Tuesday, Macron called on London and Paris to defend the international order. “The United Kingdom and France must once again show the world that our alliance can make all the difference,” he said.
Today’s Most Read
What We’re Following
Trade war. Trade tensions between the United States and Brazil sharply escalated this week after Trump announced plans to charge a 50 percent tariff on Brazilian goods starting Aug. 1. It’s not just Brazil that could face tougher measures, either; Trump sent a raft of letters to other world leaders this week with new tariff levels, although none of the others are as high as 50 percent.
The steeper tariff appears to be at least partly motivated by Trump’s support for former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, a longtime Trump ally who is on trial in Brazil on allegations of making a coup attempt. Trump cited Bolsonaro’s trial in his tariff announcement, calling it a “Witch Hunt that should end IMMEDIATELY!”
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has vowed to reciprocate the measures and said in a statement on X that his predecessor’s judicial proceedings “are not subject to any interference or threats that could compromise the independence of national institutions.” He added, “Brazil is a sovereign nation with independent institutions and will not accept any form of tutelage.”
“Frank conversation.” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, in Malaysia on Thursday, on the sidelines of a foreign ministers’ conference of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Afterward, Rubio said he used the meeting with Lavrov—which he called a “frank conversation”—to voice U.S. frustrations with stalled peace talks in the Russia-Ukraine war.
“Look, the president’s been pretty clear,” Rubio told reporters afterward. “He’s disappointed and frustrated that there’s not been more flexibility on the Russian side to bring about an end to this conflict.”
Russia fired hundreds of drones at Ukraine on Wednesday in an attack that Ukrainian officials said was of record scale, coming just days after Trump promised to resume arms deliveries to Ukraine. The White House had previously said that the Pentagon would halt some of those shipments in an announcement that shocked Kyiv, Ukraine’s European allies, and some Republican lawmakers.
Deadly toll. An Israeli strike in Gaza on Thursday killed 16 civilians—including 10 children and two women—at a health clinic in the city of Deir al-Balah. According to Project Hope, the U.S.-based aid group that runs the clinic, the victims were waiting outside for the facility to open to receive treatment for malnutrition, infection, and chronic illness.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it was targeting and struck a Hamas operative who was involved in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, adding that it was “aware of reports regarding a number of injured individuals in the area” and would review the strike. “The IDF regrets any harm to uninvolved individuals and operates to minimize harm as much as possible,” the military said in a statement.
The strike comes as the death toll in Gaza has surpassed 57,000 people since the war first erupted on Oct. 7, 2023, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. “This is a blatant violation of international humanitarian law, and a stark reminder that no one and no place is safe in Gaza, even as ceasefire talks continue,” Project Hope President Rabih Torbay said in a statement on X.
Odds and Ends
Thousands of fans have flocked to Thailand’s Khao Kheow Open Zoo to celebrate Moo Deng’s first birthday. The adorable pygmy hippopotamus, who became an internet sensation last year, was greeted by as many as 12,000 visitors from around the world as of Thursday afternoon, the zoo director told The Associated Press. Ahead of the four-day birthday celebration, which began Thursday, the zoo held an online auction of Moo Deng-themed items in an effort to raise funds for the facility’s more than 2,000 animals. It also auctioned off the privilege of sponsoring the beloved icon’s cake—which reportedly went for about $3,000.
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