News Briefs

Judge orders detained Tufts student released. A federal judge in Vermont on May 9 released a Turkish Tufts University student detained in a Louisiana immigration center more than six weeks after she was arrested while walking along a street in a Boston suburb. U.S. District Judge William Sessions in Burlington released Rümeysa Öztürk pending a final decision on her claim that she was illegally arrested. She was detained following an op-ed she co-wrote last year that criticized the school’s response to Israel’s war in Gaza. Lawyers for Ms. Öztürk said her detention violates her constitutional rights.

They came to the US for degrees. They fear being deported without them.

Poland and France tighten defense ties. France and Poland on May 9 signed a treaty to increase cooperation on defense and energy issues. Security alliances are growing in Europe amid concerns about U.S. commitment to the continent’s defense. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the treaty includes measures in case of attack on either country. The treaty underscores Poland’s increasingly pivotal role in Europe because of its strategic position. Poland spends 4.12% of its economic output on defense, the highest percentage in NATO. Mr. Tusk emphasized the pact is not an “alternative” to Poland’s relations with the United States.

The Monitor's View: A Baltic beacon for freedom in Europe.

With US on the outs, Europe looks to an old ally for defense: Britain

U.S. military begins expelling transgender people. The Pentagon will immediately begin moving as many as 1,000 openly identifying transgender service members out of the military and give others 30 days to self-identify. That’s happening under a new directive issued on May 8. On May 6, the Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to enforce a ban on transgender individuals in the military. The Defense Department will also begin going through medical records to identify others diagnosed with gender dysphoria who haven’t come forward. Officials have said that as of Dec. 9, 2024, there were 4,240 troops with this diagnosis. There are about 2.1 million total troops serving.

Debate over transgender rights grows more fraught in new Trump era

U.S. plans major upgrade to air traffic control. The Trump administration has proposed a multibillion-dollar overhaul of the U.S. air traffic control system in the wake of deadly plane crashes that have put a spotlight on the outdated network. The plan calls for six new air traffic control centers, along with upgrades at all of the nation’s air traffic facilities over the next three or four years, said Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. Demands to fix the aging system have increased since the collision in January between an Army helicopter and a commercial airliner that killed 67 people over Washington, D.C.

Rising safety is the historical trend in aviation. But is that changing in the U.S.? In January, we reported how the midair collision over Washington, D.C., came amid what some see as growing stresses on air-safety systems.

U.S. and Britain strike trade deal. President Donald Trump said on May 8 he would scrap 25% tariffs on British steel imports and lower tariffs on cars from 27.5% to 10%. In anticipation of the deal, the Bank of England (BoE) cut interest rates hours before the details were announced. The BoE estimated the U.S. tariffs would lower British inflation by 0.2% over two years and reduce the size of the economy by 0.3% after three years. It attributed most of its forecasted hits to the British economy would come from the effects of tariffs on the world economy.

Trump leans on Carney, but Canada has its own leverage in US trade talks

India-Pakistan conflict escalates with drone attack. India’s military claims a Pakistani drone and missile attack struck the city of Jammu in Indian Kashmir late on May 8. The assault came on the second day of clashes between the two countries, their worst confrontation in over two decades. India said it hit nine “terrorist infrastructure” sites in Pakistan on May 7 in retaliation for what it says was an Islamabad-backed attack in Indian Kashmir on April 22. World powers from the United States to China have called for calm in the nuclear flashpoint region.

India and Pakistan have fought before. Why this skirmish has the world on edge.

Ukraine finalizes minerals deal. Ukraine’s parliament voted on May 8 in favor of ratifying a minerals deal with the United States, an agreement Kyiv hopes will secure future military assistance from Washington in its fight to repel Russian troops. The deal, signed last month, hands the U.S. preferential access to new Ukrainian minerals deals and sets up the investment fund, which could be used for the reconstruction of Ukraine for the first 10 years. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the agreement offers Ukraine a better deal than previous drafts, and hopes the deal will bolster its position in ceasefire talks.

The U.S. wants to catch up with China on mining rare earth elements. Digging them up brings environmental costs, but researchers say a lot of minerals are already out of the ground.

Last month, we reported on how Chinese restrictions on exports of rare earth minerals are spurring calls for increased U.S. production. 

Gates plans to donate almost all his wealth. Bill Gates pledged on May 8 to give away $200 billion via his charitable foundation by 2045 and lashed out against huge cuts to U.S. foreign aid. The billionaire co-founder of Microsoft said he was speeding up his plans to divest almost all of his fortune and would close the foundation on December 31, 2045, earlier than planned. Mr. Gates said he hoped the money would help eradicate diseases like malaria, end preventable deaths among women and children, and reduce global poverty.

What USAID cuts mean for Peru as it battles cartels on coca, gold trade

The Trump administration suddenly froze foreign aid and dismissed USAID employees in February. We reported how the move left one of global health care’s great success stories – the campaign to contain AIDS – fighting to survive.

The Federal Reserve keeps key interest rate unchanged. The agency didn’t yield to President Donald Trump’s demands to lower borrowing costs and said that the risks of higher unemployment and higher inflation have risen. The Fed kept its rate at 4.3% for the third straight meeting, after cutting it three times in a row at the end of last year. Many economists and Wall Street investors still expect the Fed will reduce rates two or three times this year, but the sweeping tariffs imposed by Mr. Trump have injected uncertainty into the U.S. economy and the Fed’s policies.

The Tufts student detained by ICE will be brought to Vermont. A federal appeals court on May 7 granted a judge’s order to bring Rümeysa Öztürk, a Turkish Tufts University student, from a Louisiana immigration detention center back to New England for hearings to determine whether her rights were violated. The order says she must be transferred by May 14. Ms. Öztürk has been detained for six weeks following an op-ed she co-wrote last year that criticized the school’s response to Israel’s war in Gaza. Immigration officials surrounded Ms. Öztürk as she walked along a street March 25 before taking her to Louisiana.

“We are in survival mode,” international students say of navigating a new landscape under the Trump administration. The arrest of a Tufts University doctoral student by undercover agents has had a chilling effect.

NCAA settlement allows some revenue to flow to athletes. A $2.8 billion NCAA settlement, awaiting final approval, will allow schools to share revenue with athletes directly for use of their name, image, and likeness. The settlement is touted as a solution for thousands of athletes to receive some compensation for the value they bring to their schools. But replacing scholarship caps with roster limitations could leave walk-ons, partial scholarship earners, non-revenue sport athletes, and high school recruits at risk. In particular, there are concerns about the potential impact on sports that feed U.S. Olympic teams.

Last May, the Monitor reported on what could happen to the amateur ideal as the NCAA and Olympics start paying athletes.

Ford raises prices on some models. Ford Motor is hiking prices this month on three of its Mexico-produced models, becoming one of the first major automakers to adjust sticker prices following President Donald Trump’s tariffs. Prices on the Mustang Mach-E electric SUV, Maverick pickup, and Bronco Sport will increase by as much as $2,000 on some models, according to a notice sent to dealers reviewed by Reuters. A Ford spokesperson said the price hikes will affect vehicles built after May 2, which would arrive at dealer lots in late June. Mr. Trump’s tariffs have unleashed uncertainty across the auto sector.

Empty shelves? Tariffs are about to hit US shoppers in a variety of ways.

Last month, we reported how some shoppers stocked up before tariffs inflated prices.

A massive fentanyl trafficking operation is dismantled. U.S. law enforcement officials said on May 6 that they had taken down one of the largest fentanyl trafficking operations in the country’s history, making 16 arrests and seizing millions of fentanyl pills. Authorities also seized 11.5 kg of fentanyl powder and large amounts of methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine in last month’s operation, according to U.S. officials. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said six defendants in the United States illegally would face charges in U.S. courts, unlike other cases in which the Justice Department opted to deport rather than prosecute undocumented immigrants accused of crimes.

In December, the Monitor reported on the variety of people who are tracing how fentanyl gets into the country – and tracking it down once it’s inside.

Conservative leader Friedrich Merz becomes Germany’s next chancellor. His election on May 6 drew a palpable sense of relief in the parliament chamber after a historic loss in the first round of voting threatened the new government’s promises of stability. No other postwar candidate for German chancellor has failed to win on the first ballot. The stunning but short-lived defeat sent shock waves throughout Europe and could affect Mr. Merz’s prospects for success for his coalition’s agenda. As the most populous member state of the 27-nation European Union and the continent’s biggest economy, Germany is Europe’s diplomatic and economic heavyweight.

Germany’s approach to its Nazi history is an increasingly pressing concern. For many Germans, the question is how to move on, without forgetting the past.

Ukrainian drones strike Russia days ahead of ceasefire. All four international airports around Moscow temporarily suspended flights as Russia said its forces intercepted more than 100 Ukrainian drones. Russia’s Defense Ministry said on May 6 that almost a dozen Russian regions were targeted. The overnight assault threatened a planned unilateral 72-hour ceasefire announced by President Vladimir Putin to coincide with celebrations in Moscow marking Victory Day in World War II. Mr. Putin last week declared the brief unilateral truce “on humanitarian grounds” from May 8. Ukraine has demanded a longer ceasefire.

The Monitor's View: Origins of Ukraine’s drone creativity

Russia and the US seem near a Ukraine peace deal. Kyiv’s role may be moot.

Israel disables Yemen’s airport. Israeli airstrikes against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen disabled the country’s international airport in the capital, Sanaa, on May 6. It also struck several power plants. The strikes, the second in two days, came after Israel launched airstrikes in retaliation for a Houthi missile strike on Israel’s international airport, the first since the start of the war in Gaza. The Houthis have targeted Israel throughout the war in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Israel has repeatedly struck against the rebels in Yemen.

Yemen’s Houthi rebels have launched long-distance missile and drone attacks on Israel and Red Sea shipping. Last December, we reported how Israel has been struggling to deter the Houthis on its own.

A small boat believed to be carrying migrants capsized off California’s coast. The U.S. Coast Guard said it was unclear where the boat was coming from before it flipped shortly after sunrise on May 5, about 35 miles north of the Mexico border. The vessel was described as a panga, single or twin-engine open fishing boats commonly used by smugglers. Migrants are increasingly turning to the risky alternative of travelling by sea to avoid heavily guarded land borders, including off California’s coast. The capsize left three people dead and four injured, while U.S. Coast Guard crews were searching for seven others, officials said.

Britain and India clinch free trade pact. They made the deal on May 6 after tariff turmoil sparked by U.S. President Donald Trump forced the two sides to hasten efforts to increase their trade. The pact, between the world’s fifth and sixth-largest economies, concluded after three years of stop-start negotiations and aims to increase bilateral trade by a further 25.5 billion pounds ($34 billion) by 2040. The deal includes lower tariffs on goods such as advanced manufacturing parts and food products, and it agrees to quotas on both sides for auto imports.

The end of free trade? What history has to say about Trump’s tariffs.

Patterns column: Slapped with tariffs, some US trade partners lean toward Beijing