International Relations

• What to Know About the Rafah Border Crossing in Gaza - The only crossing that connects Gaza with Egypt has reopened. The move will allow residents to leave for medical care or return to homes and families in the territory.
• U.A.E. Firm Quietly Took Stake in the Trump Family’s Crypto Company - The $500 million agreement raises new concerns about the propriety of the president negotiating foreign policy with his own business partners.
• How Europe Is Moving to Reduce Dependence on Trump - Since President Trump made threats about Greenland, the continent’s leaders have debated the rapid deterioration of U.S. ties in policy papers and at dinner.
• Iran Rules Out Talks With U.S. Until Trump’s Threats Stop - Iran’s foreign minister ruled out direct talks unless President Trump stops threatening to attack it. He also said Iran would not discuss its ballistic missiles.
• Xi’s Military Purge May Set Back His Taiwan Ambitions - By ousting his top generals, Xi Jinping has secured absolute control but also hollowed out the command structure preparing for possible war over Taiwan.
• Panama Court Strikes Down Hong Kong Firm’s Canal Contract - President Trump has said he wants American control of the canal, putting the longtime ports operator, CK Hutchison, in the cross-hairs of the U.S.-China trade conflict.
• Venezuelan Lawmakers Approve Sweeping Overhaul of Oil Sector - Bowing to Trump administration pressure, the new legislation improves conditions for foreign oil companies and opens the way to slash the taxes they pay.
• Trump Warns Iran With Military Muscle, but Risks a Regional War - Iran’s Islamic Republic, weakened by airstrikes in June and huge popular unrest, warns that it will strike back hard if attacked by the United States. This time, Iran may mean it.
• U.K.’s Starmer Meets Xi Jinping in Beijing as Ties Warm - Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain met with President Xi Jinping of China as he sought to promote business ties with the world’s second-largest economy.
• U.S. allies in the Middle East have been pressing for weeks to prevent a conflict with Iran. - Diplomats in the region have spent weeks trying to prevent a confrontation that they say risks a wider conflict.