Good morning,

We’re covering China’s response to U.S. tariffs, a curfew in Sri Lanka and a journey through ancient Greek mythology.

China hits back at the U.S. by raising tariffs, too

The country’s finance ministry announced that it would increase duties on a wide range of American goods to 20 or 25 percent from 10 percent on June 1.

The news rippled through Wall Street, which had its worst day since the beginning of the year, as investors digested the prospect that the trade war could persist.

Takeaway: While China’s decision intensifies the ongoing trade war, delaying implementation leaves room to reach a deal that could end the standoff.

The move mirrors the Trump administration’s increased tariffs on Chinese goods. Those won’t bite immediately, either: they will apply to shipments that left China on Friday, which typically take two to four weeks by sea to reach the U.S.

Bigger picture: The question now is whether the U.S. and China can reach a deal this time. Negotiators have met 11 times, with both sides asserting that a deal was close, only for talks to fall apart at the last minute.

Sri Lanka imposes a curfew

The country declared a nationwide curfew from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. in an attempt to curb violence after attacks against the minority Muslim population. Tensions have been high in the weeks since the deadly Easter Sunday bombings, claimed by the Islamic State.

The Muslim Council of Sri Lanka said attacks had been reported in at least five towns in the North Western province. On Monday, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe deployed security forces in the province to control the situation.

“People are so afraid that they are fleeing their homes and hiding in paddy fields with small children,” said the president of the Muslim Council.

Context: Sectarian violence has a long history in Sri Lanka. In 1983, mobs of Sinhalese, the ethnic majority, angered by attacks by the separatist Tamil Tigers, burned down Tamil shops and houses, killing anywhere between 400 and 3,000 people.

Sweden reopens rape case against Julian Assange

The Swedish authorities announced that they would reopen an investigation into a rape allegation against the WikiLeaks founder, adding a layer of complication to the cases he is tangled in.

This investigation stems from an accusation in 2010 by a Swedish woman that was dropped after Mr. Assange fled to the Ecuadorean Embassy in London. He was removed from the embassy last month and promptly arrested for jumping bail.

Reminder: The U.S. is still seeking Mr. Assange’s extradition over accusations that he had tried to assist in a massive breach of classified information, primarily about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Even without the rape investigation, extraditing him to the U.S. was bound to be a long and complicated process that could take years.

What’s next: British officials will have to decide which of the two cases takes precedence. If he is extradited to Sweden to face the rape allegations, he can’t be sent to the U.S. without permission from Britain, Swedish prosecutors said.

Oil tankers sabotaged off coast of United Arab Emirates

Saudi Arabia’s energy minister said two of its oil tankers sustained “significant damage” near the Strait of Hormuz, the gateway to the Persian Gulf. A Norwegian company said one of its tankers was also damaged.

Neither Saudi Arabia nor the United Arab Emirates assigned blame, and the nature of the sabotage was still unclear. But the news raised fears of escalating tensions with Iran.

In recent years, Iran has threatened to block traffic in the strait in response to Western sanctions but has not followed through.

Context: The news came after the Trump administration deployed aircraft carriers and bombers to the gulf to counter what it says is the possibility of increased aggression from Iran. The pressure tactics are aimed at forcing political change in Iran.

On the ground: Iran’s president, Hassan Rouhani, said that U.S. sanctions had ruined the country’s economy as much as the devastating Iran-Iraq war had in the 1980s, a remarkable comparison that hints at the seriousness of the situation. But he also signaled that Iran had no intention of bowing to pressure.

If you have 13 minutes, this is worth it

Cumbria, a land of beauty and austerity

In Britain, the government’s decade-long austerity program has rippled through every aspect of life, resulting in the closing of tiny community centers and the elimination of bus routes.

For many retired people, those small changes can profoundly upend their lives — particularly in Cumbria, one of the poorest rural areas in England.

Here’s what else is happening

Sudan: The country’s former president, Omar Hassan al-Bashir, has been charged in connection with the deaths of protesters who died in demonstrations last month that led to his ouster, the nation’s public prosecutor said. The military council said it has been holding Mr. al-Bashir at a prison in the capital city of Khartoum.

Apple: The U.S. Supreme Court allowed an antitrust case against the technology giant to move forward. The case, in which plaintiffs argue that the company used its monopoly power to raise app prices, is in its early stages, but the damages claimed could be significant.

Afghanistan: A Taliban attack on two aid groups last week that killed 13 people is an ominous signal that, as peace talks falter, the insurgents are targeting so-called soft targets.

Australia: In the week before general elections, we’ll bring you a daily snapshot of voters from across the country and of what they care about. In our first installment, we speak to an Indigenous elder who wants to limit immigration and a farmer who doesn’t believe in climate change.

Ireland: An American pastor, who has been accused of anti-Semitic and homophobic hate speech, was barred from entering the country. It was the first use of a 1999 law that allows the government to exclude people for national security or public policy reasons.

The moon: A new study suggests that shallow moonquakes are caused by a combination of escaping internal heat and the Earth’s gravitational pull, prompting questions about the moon’s evolution.

Snapshot: Above, Dexa Beach on Ithaca, Greece. One writer chronicled his voyage to the island, once thought to be the home of Odysseus as told in Homer’s epic eighth-century B.C. poem “The Odyssey.”

What we’re reading: This article in The Washingtonian. “This look at how high-end Washington restaurants treat their VIP customers really drove home a central truth of fine dining,” says Michael Gold, a metro reporter: “The people you might expect to say ‘don't you know who I am?’ to get a table really don't need to.”

Now, a break from the news

Cook: This take on a Niçoise salad turns the recipe into an elegant sheet-pan dinner with roasted mustard-glazed salmon in place of tuna. (Our Five Weeknight Dishes newsletter has more recommendations.)

Watch: The penultimate episode of “Game of Thrones” episode was “horrifyingly dazzling” but “ultimately frustrating,” writes our TV critic (spoilers ahead).

Listen: Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber’s new collaboration, “I Don’t Care,” is a tale of insecurity at a party that somehow turns into romance.

Read: “Boy Swallows Universe,” by Trent Dalton, a celebrated Australian journalist, is a thrilling coming-of-age novel based on his unusual childhood.

Smarter Living: Maintaining relationships is like earning compound interest: We make investments through our words and actions, and over time our relationships blossom. Shared experiences with our loved ones are what get us through the other parts of our lives. So today, check in with an old friend, text someone a meme or even take a minute to say an overdue thank you. It could brighten both of your days.

When you want to shut everything out, there are many pros and cons to noise-cancelling headphones.

And now for the Back Story on …

The straw

Around the world, limits are being imposed on plastics, which break into particles that end up permeating the oceans, the air, the earth and even our bodies.

One common target is the drinking straw.

In the U.S. alone, hundreds of millions are used daily. Seattle has banned them. In Los Angeles, if you want a straw, you have to ask for it. Hipster bars all over are switching to paper.

But humans and straws go way back. The Sumerian civilization (4,000 B.C.) in southern Mesopotamia used hollow reeds or golden tubes to sip beer, bypassing gunk left from fermentation.

In 19th-century America, an inventor, Marvin Stone, wrapped paper strips around a pencil, glued and waxed them, and patented his creation in 1888.

Forty years later, another inventor, Joseph Friedman, put a screw in a straw. Wrapping floss around the screw’s thread created small ridges that made the straw bendable, which proved helpful for hospital patients when drinking from cups.

Only since the polymer boom of the 1960s have straws been predominantly made of plastic.

That’s it for this briefing. See you next time.

— Alisha

Thank you
To Mark Josephson, Eleanor Stanford and Kenneth R. Rosen for the break from the news. James K. Williamson wrote today’s Back Story. You can reach the team at [email protected].

P.S.
• We’re listening to “The Daily.” Our latest episode is about John Bolton, the national security adviser, and Iran.
• Here’s our Mini Crossword, and a clue: Word before Ranger or toast (Five letters). You can find all our puzzles here.
• The New York Times Crossword has more than 500,000 subscribers.

Alisha Haridasani Gupta writes the Morning Briefing. @alisha__g

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