Good morning. We’re covering new economic data in China and the U.S., and a secret program to resettle Afghans in Britain. Plus, “Severance” picks up top Emmy nominations.
China’s economy grew in the face of Trump’s tariffsChina’s economy grew at a steady pace this spring, according to official figures, despite President Trump’s steep tariffs. Part of China’s resilience rests in investments in factories and big projects like high-speed rail lines and a continual flood of global exports. The economy also got a boost, as buyers, anticipating tariffs, ramped up their orders in the first three months of the year. If China’s current pace of growth continues, the country’s economy will expand at an annual rate of about 4.1 percent — only slightly slower than the growth in the first three months of this year. The report on China’s gross domestic product was released as the U.S. took stock of the latest inflation figures, which showed that Trump’s tariffs were starting to push up prices. Prices of the products most exposed to tariffs, like household furnishings, jumped significantly in June. U-turn on chips: Three months after shutting down Nvidia’s A.I. chip sales to China, the Trump administration has reversed course and will allow Chinese tech companies to restart purchases of Nvidia’s chips. E.V.: Beijing said that it would restrict any effort to transfer out of China eight key technologies for manufacturing electric vehicle batteries. The plan could make it harder for Chinese electric carmakers to set up factories overseas, as the E.U. has pushed them to do. Australia: On a visit to China, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met with Xi Jinping, China’s top leader, pushing for even deeper ties while being under pressure from the U.S.
Trump’s shift on Ukraine is good for Europe — for nowWhen Trump agreed to sell sophisticated U.S. weapons to Europe so that they could be supplied to Ukraine, European leaders perceived an important shift. Still, these leaders are cautious, even if Trump is suddenly sharply criticizing President Vladimir Putin. Europeans are smiling through gritted teeth, infuriated by Trump’s threat to raise tariffs to 30 percent on all goods that arrive in the U.S. from the E.U. Trump’s new attitude “might be good news, but good news for how long, and under what conditions?” one expert asked, adding: “It does nothing to solve the problems of the trans-Atlantic relationship.” Details: Here’s what we know about the weapons deal. Related: Among the roughly 1,350 workers laid off at the U.S. State Department last week were senior intelligence analysts who specialize in Russia and Ukraine, several officials said.
Britain secretly resettled 4,500 AfghansThe government acknowledged for the first time yesterday having accidentally exposed information about 18,000 Afghans who had worked with the British Defense Ministry before the Taliban reclaimed power in Afghanistan. The government then secretly resettled thousands believed to be at risk of retribution. The prime minister at the time, Rishi Sunak, managed to keep the security lapse in 2022 secret from the public by using a “super injunction” from the courts, a legal mechanism that barred journalists from reporting on the error. So far, 4,500 Afghans have arrived in Britain. Another 600 people and their families are still to come.
‘Ask a Correspondent’ starts with The Times’s Moscow bureau chiefThe New York Times has reporters all over the world, in places most of us will never get to visit. So we’re starting a new feature that lets you ask our correspondents anything you want: You can ask about the news, but you can also ask about how they live or how they decide what stories to cover. First up is our Moscow bureau chief, Anton Troianovski, who has covered Russia and Ukraine, including Russia’s invasion, since 2018. (Read his bio — which explains why he’s currently based in Berlin — and his most recent article about Russian elites living in Dubai). Fill out this form to submit your question. We’ll pick a few for him to answer in this newsletter. If we decide to publish your question, we’ll reach out to you and wait until we hear back.
Researchers in Peru set up a camera trap to study birds, but they got a surprise instead: an ocelot trailing an opossum through the jungle at night. The two are usually predator and prey, but in this video, they moved in tandem like old friends. Scientists are trying to understand the odd pairing. One hypothesis is chemical camouflage — both animals could be hiding behind the other’s scent, but for different reasons. Lives lived: Fauja Singh, a runner born in India who set world records in the 95-plus age group, has died. His exact age remains a mystery.
‘Severance’ tops the Emmy nominationsThe dystopian workplace drama “Severance” picked up 27 Emmy nominations yesterday, the most of any series. “Severance” is the early favorite in a best drama race that could be unusually competitive this year. Also landing nominations were the surprise HBO Max hit, “The Pitt,” as well as another HBO favorite, “The White Lotus.” Netflix’s out-of-nowhere hit “Adolescence” was nominated for best limited series, and forecasters believe the show is the favorite in the category. The award ceremony will be Sept. 14. Here’s the full list of nominees, as well as the biggest snubs and surprises. We hope you’ve enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times.
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