Daily World Briefing, July 18

U.S. to impose uniform tariff rate on over 150 economies

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday unveiled a plan to impose a unified tariff rate on more than 150 countries and regions, according to a report by Politico.

"It's all going to be the same for everyone, for that group," Trump told reporters during talks with Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa at the White House.

Those to be covered under the new measure are described by Trump as "not big," and ones that "don't do that much business."

Rwanda approves peace deal with DR Congo

Rwanda on Wednesday evening approved a draft law ratifying a peace agreement with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

The agreement was signed in Washington, D.C., on June 27, according to a statement issued by the Office of the Rwandan Prime Minister.

The agreement represents a significant milestone in addressing Rwanda's security concerns, restoring peace and stability in the Great Lakes Region, and promoting regional economic integration, the statement read.

Ukrainian parliament approves new cabinet

The Ukrainian parliament on Thursday approved the formation of a new cabinet, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported.

The decision followed the resignation of former Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, which led to the automatic dismissal of the entire government.

The new cabinet, led by newly-appointed Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, includes several members who remained in office from the previous government. These include Deputy Prime Minister for the Restoration of Ukraine Oleksii Kuleba and seven ministers.

French military ends permanent presence in Senegal

France on Thursday handed over its last two military facilities in Senegal to local authorities, marking the end of its permanent military presence in the West African country.

Camp Geille, the largest French military installation in Senegal located in the capital Dakar, and the French air detachment at Dakar's international airport were officially transferred to the Senegalese authorities at a ceremony attended by Mbaye Cisse, chief of General Staff of the Senegalese Armed Forces, and Pascal Ianni, commander of French forces in Africa.

At the ceremony, Ianni said that the handover of Camp Geille marked the end of France's permanent military presence in Senegal and the beginning of a new phase in bilateral military cooperation.

Russia, Ukraine exchange bodies of fallen soldiers

Russia and Ukraine on Thursday exchanged bodies of fallen soldiers under the Istanbul deal, Russian Presidential Aide Vladimir Medinsky said.

"In continuation of the Istanbul agreements, another 1,000 bodies of Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers were handed over to Ukraine today," said Medinsky, also Russia's chief negotiator at the talks with the Ukrainian side.

He added that 19 bodies of Russian soldiers were received.

Britain, Germany sign defense, migration deal

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday signed a wide-ranging bilateral deal covering various areas including defense and migration, which is believed to be the most significant treaty between Britain and Germany since the end of World War II.

The treaty includes security and defense items requiring the two countries to conduct joint military and training exercises, counter cyber threats and information warfare, and coordinate on arms exports.

In the treaty, the two countries have also reaffirmed their commitment to limit global temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, which is laid out in the Paris Agreement on tackling climate change and its negative impacts.

Death toll nears 600 in Syria's Sweida as Israeli airstrike hits outskirts

The death toll from this week's deadly clashes in southern Syria's Sweida province has risen to nearly 600, as tensions continued Thursday amid an Israeli airstrike on the outskirts of the provincial capital of Sweida, state-run media and a war monitor reported.

According to Syria's official news agency SANA, an Israeli warplane launched a new air raid targeting the vicinity of Sweida city, a day after Israeli strikes hit military and symbolic state sites in Damascus. No immediate casualties were reported from Thursday's strike.

The escalation comes as the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 597 people had been killed since July 13, when fighting erupted between local Druze armed groups and Syrian government forces, sparking what the watchdog described as one of the deadliest episodes of intra-Syrian conflict in years.■