Trump Tariffs Stay On, Hamas Rejects Gaza Ceasefire Plan, Early Monsoon

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🗞️ FRONT PAGE​​

Buenos Aires-based daily Página/12 laments what it calls Argentina’s “stained justice” after a major legal setback in the case surrounding Diego Maradona’s death. On Thursday, an Argentine court annulled the trial investigating alleged medical negligence, following revelations that one the presiding judges had participated in a TV miniseries about the case — a move seen as compromising judicial impartiality. This happens nearly four years after the football icon’s death. 

🌎 7 THINGS TO KNOW RIGHT NOW

• Hamas says proposed U.S. Gaza ceasefire plan fails to meet demands. A senior Hamas official told the BBC that a U.S. plan for a ceasefire in Gaza, which the White House says was accepted by Israel, fails to meet its core demands, including “stopping the war and famine,” but that the group would continue to study the proposals before giving a formal answer. The Israeli government has not commented on the plan, which reportedly proposes a 60-day truce and the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

• U.S. warns Russia it should accept Ukraine ceasefire deal. The U.S. told the United Nations Security Council on Thursday that “the deal on offer now is Russia’s best possible outcome” and that “President Putin should take” it. The U.S. is urging Moscow to agree to a comprehensive 30-day ceasefire covering land, air, sea and critical infrastructure. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia on Thursday of engaging in “yet another deception” by failing to hand over its peace settlement proposal, a day after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Moscow had drafted a memorandum outlining a peace settlement proposal. Check this Livy Bereg analysis, translated from Ukrainian by Worldcrunch: Ukraine Wants Peace, Russia Wants An Empire — It’s That Simple.

• Trump’s tariffs to remain in effect for now, appeals court says. The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington temporarily reinstated the most sweeping of President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Thursday. This comes a day after a trade court found the bulk of Trump’s duties to be illegal and ordered their immediate suspension. The appeals court said it was pausing the lower court’s ruling to consider the government’s appeal. For more on Trump’s tariffs, read this Die Zeit analysis translated from German by Worldcrunch.

• Early voting in South Korea’s presidential election heads for record turnout. More than 12 million voters — representing more than a quarter of South Korea’s 44.3 million eligible voters — have cast their ballots as of midday on Friday ahead of the country’s upcoming presidential election. The record early voting started on Thursday and will end on Friday, as South Koreans will choose who will replace impeached President Yoon Sook-yeol on June 3.

• Flood risk threatens Swiss valley after glacier destroys village. Local authorities in the Lonza Valley in southern Switzerland have urged residents of several villages to prepare for possible evacuation in case of emergency late on Thursday, amid risk of flooding. This follows Wednesday’s collapse of glacier debris onto the village of Blatten, which is now obstructing the River Lonza and forming a lake amid the rubble. The village’s 300 residents had been evacuated earlier this month, but a 64-year-old is still missing since the landslide.

• China set to resume Japanese seafood imports after Fukushima ban. China has agreed to resume the import of Japanese seafood products, Japan’s government said on Friday, following a two-year ban over the discharge of wastewater from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea. Officials said China-bound seafood exports were expected to resume after Beijing completes “necessary procedures.”

• News Quiz! U.S. actress Sydney Sweeney has partnered with soap brand Dr. Squatch to sell a limited edition line of bars. What is the soap infused with?

A. Her hair
B. Her favorite perfume
C. Her tears
D. Her bathwater
[Answer below]

💬 LEXICON

“Éclaircissement“

Thirteen-year-old Texas-born Faizan Zaki correctly spelled the French-derived word “éclaircissement,” synonymous with enlightenment, which made him the winner of the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee in the U.S. Thursday. Winning the tournament’s 21st round, Zaki was crowned champion in a hail of confetti, taking home the $50,000 prize. He defeated last year’s champion, Sarvadnya Kadam, who had then correctly spelled “Chaldee,” a dialect of the Biblical Aramaic language, in the 20th round.

📰 IN OTHER NEWS

🇪🇬 Egypt has tried again to reaffirm its historic regional role by condemning Israel’s war in Gaza. But Cairo’s economic weakness, and reliance on Israel and the Gulf countries, ultimately leave its hands tied.
— DARAJ

💻 As Europe debates how to play a bigger role in the digital sphere, the industry and some politicians blame strict regulations for stifling innovation. But a closer look reveals that smart rules may be Europe’s greatest strength in the global tech race.
— DIE ZEIT

🧠 Becoming a parent doesn’t just change your life — it rewires your brain. Science is showing that both mothers and fathers experience profound neurological shifts.
— RECALCULATING

📣 VERBATIM

“It’s not only a moral duty, but a political necessity.”

— French President Emmanuel Macron called for the recognition of the Palestinian state Friday from Singapore, ahead of the Shangri-La Dialogue security conference he is attending with other worldwide leaders this weekend. He also said that European countries should “harden the collective position” against Israel if it does not respond appropriately to the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Macron claimed that action was needed “in the next few hours and days.” Macron and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto issued a joint statement Wednesday condemning Israeli plans to take control of Gaza and any moves to “forcibly remove the Palestinian population from their homeland.”