We’re covering new penalties against Iran, anger toward Hong Kong’s police force and all the hats at the Royal Ascot.
U.S. imposes new sanctions on Iran
President Trump moved to ramp up pressure on the Iranian economy in retaliation for what American officials have said are recent acts of aggression.
“We will continue to increase pressure on Tehran,” Mr. Trump said before signing the executive order. “Never can Iran have a nuclear weapon.”
Details: While previous sanctions cut off revenues from Iranian oil exports, this round will bar Iranian leaders from access to financial instruments.
Analysis: The new sanctions are designed to force political change in the country and compel its leaders to reopen negotiations about its nuclear program.
But some analysts said the economic penalties had strengthened local support for hard-line officials in Tehran and might provoke the country to lash out.
Australia’s Catholic Church rejects a feminist nun
Sister Joan Chittister is a well-known figure in America. She rose to prominence in the 1980s with her opposition to nuclear proliferation, and has since given numerous lectures and written more than 50 books calling for women’s equality and social justice.
She was supposed to speak at a Catholic education conference in Australia next year. But a few weeks ago, she received a letter from the Archdiocese of Melbourne effectively disinviting her without providing a reason.
She said she suspected that it had been because church leaders didn’t like her ideas.
Quotable: “I see it as a lot bigger than one conference,” she said in an interview with The Times. “I see it as an attitude of mind that is dangerous to the church.”
Takeaway: The dispute over her invitation, unreported until now, arrives at a time of tension for the Catholic Church in Australia, writes our bureau chief, Damien Cave.
After Cardinal George Pell — a former archbishop of Melbourne who also served as the Vatican’s treasurer — was convicted for molesting two choir boys and subsequently appealed, the church has been facing a backlash from everyday Catholics over its culture of secrecy and conservative values.
DJI, made in America
The large Chinese drone-maker has recently come under scrutiny from the Trump administration over concerns that its machines send sensitive surveillance data back to Beijing.
So to win over American officials, the company announced that it would convert a warehouse in California into an assembly plant to build a new version of its popular model. And the new machine, called Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual, saves data only on the drone itself rather than by transmitting information wirelessly.
The company — the latest Chinese entity to get caught in the cross hairs of the ongoing trade war — hopes these moves will be enough to allow its new product to be sold in the U.S.
By the numbers: About 70 percent of all drones in the U.S. are supplied by DJI, including industrial-grade drones used to survey remote areas, and those used by U.S. government agencies.
Looking ahead: President Trump will meet President Xi Jinping for trade talks at the sidelines of the G-20 summit, which kicks off on Friday.
Hong Kong’s police scrambles to salvage reputation
The 30,000-member police force was once considered “Asia’s finest,” in part for being restrained in its responses.
That changed on June 12, when officers tear-gassed and beat largely peaceful demonstrators who had gathered to protest a proposed extradition law. They fired rubber bullets for the first time in decades.
That day has become a focus of ongoing demonstrations in Hong Kong, with protesters demanding an investigation into police conduct. Anger swelled when the police described the largely peaceful demonstrations as riots — a term with legal ramifications for participants.
Background: Cracks in the police force’s reputation first began to show during democracy protests in 2014, known as the Umbrella Movement, when officers used tear gas and pepper spray against peaceful protesters.
What’s next? The police and a government-appointed watchdog that monitors complaints both said they would investigate the tactics used against the protesters.
But many protesters and pro-democratic lawmakers have called for an independent inquiry.
More demonstrations to pressure the government to withdraw the extradition bill are expected on Wednesday.
If you have 15 minutes, this is worth it
Jackie Kennedy’s transformative year
A 20-year-old Jacqueline Bouvier, above, third from left, arrived in France in August 1949 and began a year that would change her life.
Our writer retraced her steps through Paris, seeking a glimpse of the period that the future wife of President John F. Kennedy later called “the high point in my life, my happiest and most carefree year.”
Here’s what else is happening
Winter Olympics: Italy beat out Sweden to host the 2026 Winter Games, amid waning interest and rising costs. The venues will be divided between Milan and a ski resort.
Vietnam: A U.S. citizen was sentenced to 12 years in prison for attempting to overthrow the state by inciting protests and by trying to attack government offices in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City with gasoline bombs and slingshots, according to a state-run newspaper.
Bangladesh: At least five people were killed and dozens injured when part of a train heading for the capital, Dhaka, careened off a railway bridge that had failed, officials said.
Nissan: The company will hold its first annual meeting today since the fall of its former chairman, Carlos Ghosn, focusing on whether to reappoint the chief executive, Hiroto Saikawa, to the board.
Amazon: The company’s domination of the books market offers insight on some of the potential problems under a tech monopoly. Its bookstore is rife with counterfeits, but it does little to rein in the lawlessness, according to publishers, writers and industry groups.
Google: Sidewalk Labs, a sibling company of the search giant, is proposing to remake Toronto’s rundown waterfront, using new technologies, such as automatic awnings to shield pedestrians from rain, sensors to track the speed of people crossing streets, and robots to pick up trash. But critics worry about how much data would be collected and about privacy.
Snapshot: Elaborately dressed spectators arriving at the Royal Ascot on its third day. Our London correspondent, Ellen Barry, went to the horse races — a major event on the British social calendar — in search of answers about class and the state of England today. She quickly realized she was wearing the wrong hat and there was much she didn’t understand about the country.
Women’s World Cup: The U.S. beat Spain for a spot in the quarterfinals. Tomorrow, China will face Italy and Japan will take on the Netherlands.
What we’re reading: This BuzzFeed News article. “Zheng Churan was detained for 37 days for protesting sexual harassment on public transit in China,” writes Jennifer Jett, an editor in our Hong Kong office. “Now she is running around her city, Guangzhou, every day to call attention to the case of her husband, a journalist and activist who disappeared into police custody in March.”
Now, a break from the news
Cook: Green goddess dressing comes together quickly in a food processor. (Our Five Weeknight Dishes newsletter has more recommendations.)
Watch: “Everything in this art form is self-expression,” the dancer José Xtravaganza says. “That’s what vogueing is.” Watch him freestyle.
Listen: From “Rocketman” to “Her Smell,” “Blaze” to “Vox Lux,” the film industry seems to think all musicians have the same ups and downs. Our critics discuss on the new Popcast.
Smarter Living: Are you a driver who doesn’t use your turn signal? There’s evidence that in addition to making the roads safer, the act of signaling provides a cognitive benefit to the driver. “When you turn on the turn signal, you’re turning on your brain,” said Chris Kaufmann, a driving school instructor and former police officer. “It’s the start of a checklist to look left, look right, signal, look left, look right.” That level of mindfulness can reduce the possibility of an accident.
And, no, your coffee habit is not the reason you aren’t a millionaire.
And now for the Back Story on …
The rainbow flag
As Pride Month winds down, we’re looking at one of the most enduring L.G.B.T.Q. symbols.
The artist Gilbert Baker, who described himself as the “gay Betsy Ross,” created the design for the rainbow flag to celebrate the diversity of the gay community. The flag first appeared at a gay pride march in San Francisco on this day in 1978.
The flag originally consisted of eight colored stripes, each with its own significance: pink for sex, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sun, green for nature, turquoise for magic, blue for peace and purple for spirit. The flag was later streamlined into the current six-color version.
“Our job as gay people was to come out, to be visible,” said Mr. Baker, who died in 2017 at the age of 65. “A flag really fit that mission, because that’s a way of proclaiming your visibility, or saying, ‘This is who I am!’”
That’s it for this briefing. See you next time.
— Alisha
Thank you Chris Stanford helped compile the briefing and wrote today’s Back Story. Mark Josephson and Eleanor Stanford provided the break from the news. You can reach the team at [email protected].
P.S. • We’re listening to “The Daily.” Our latest episode is about the recent military crackdown in Sudan. • Here’s our Mini Crossword, and a clue: Sing the praises of (5 letters). You can find all our puzzles here. • A scholarship in memory of Robert Pear, who covered health care and other national issues for the Times for 40 years, is being set up at Columbia University, where he received his master’s from the Graduate School of Journalism.
Alisha Haridasani Gupta writes the Morning Briefing. @alisha__g
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Home » Analysis & Comment » Your Tuesday Briefing
Your Tuesday Briefing
Good morning.
We’re covering new penalties against Iran, anger toward Hong Kong’s police force and all the hats at the Royal Ascot.
U.S. imposes new sanctions on Iran
President Trump moved to ramp up pressure on the Iranian economy in retaliation for what American officials have said are recent acts of aggression.
“We will continue to increase pressure on Tehran,” Mr. Trump said before signing the executive order. “Never can Iran have a nuclear weapon.”
Details: While previous sanctions cut off revenues from Iranian oil exports, this round will bar Iranian leaders from access to financial instruments.
Analysis: The new sanctions are designed to force political change in the country and compel its leaders to reopen negotiations about its nuclear program.
But some analysts said the economic penalties had strengthened local support for hard-line officials in Tehran and might provoke the country to lash out.
Australia’s Catholic Church rejects a feminist nun
Sister Joan Chittister is a well-known figure in America. She rose to prominence in the 1980s with her opposition to nuclear proliferation, and has since given numerous lectures and written more than 50 books calling for women’s equality and social justice.
She was supposed to speak at a Catholic education conference in Australia next year. But a few weeks ago, she received a letter from the Archdiocese of Melbourne effectively disinviting her without providing a reason.
She said she suspected that it had been because church leaders didn’t like her ideas.
Quotable: “I see it as a lot bigger than one conference,” she said in an interview with The Times. “I see it as an attitude of mind that is dangerous to the church.”
Takeaway: The dispute over her invitation, unreported until now, arrives at a time of tension for the Catholic Church in Australia, writes our bureau chief, Damien Cave.
After Cardinal George Pell — a former archbishop of Melbourne who also served as the Vatican’s treasurer — was convicted for molesting two choir boys and subsequently appealed, the church has been facing a backlash from everyday Catholics over its culture of secrecy and conservative values.
DJI, made in America
The large Chinese drone-maker has recently come under scrutiny from the Trump administration over concerns that its machines send sensitive surveillance data back to Beijing.
So to win over American officials, the company announced that it would convert a warehouse in California into an assembly plant to build a new version of its popular model. And the new machine, called Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual, saves data only on the drone itself rather than by transmitting information wirelessly.
The company — the latest Chinese entity to get caught in the cross hairs of the ongoing trade war — hopes these moves will be enough to allow its new product to be sold in the U.S.
By the numbers: About 70 percent of all drones in the U.S. are supplied by DJI, including industrial-grade drones used to survey remote areas, and those used by U.S. government agencies.
Looking ahead: President Trump will meet President Xi Jinping for trade talks at the sidelines of the G-20 summit, which kicks off on Friday.
Hong Kong’s police scrambles to salvage reputation
The 30,000-member police force was once considered “Asia’s finest,” in part for being restrained in its responses.
That changed on June 12, when officers tear-gassed and beat largely peaceful demonstrators who had gathered to protest a proposed extradition law. They fired rubber bullets for the first time in decades.
That day has become a focus of ongoing demonstrations in Hong Kong, with protesters demanding an investigation into police conduct. Anger swelled when the police described the largely peaceful demonstrations as riots — a term with legal ramifications for participants.
Background: Cracks in the police force’s reputation first began to show during democracy protests in 2014, known as the Umbrella Movement, when officers used tear gas and pepper spray against peaceful protesters.
What’s next? The police and a government-appointed watchdog that monitors complaints both said they would investigate the tactics used against the protesters.
But many protesters and pro-democratic lawmakers have called for an independent inquiry.
More demonstrations to pressure the government to withdraw the extradition bill are expected on Wednesday.
If you have 15 minutes, this is worth it
Jackie Kennedy’s transformative year
A 20-year-old Jacqueline Bouvier, above, third from left, arrived in France in August 1949 and began a year that would change her life.
Our writer retraced her steps through Paris, seeking a glimpse of the period that the future wife of President John F. Kennedy later called “the high point in my life, my happiest and most carefree year.”
Here’s what else is happening
Winter Olympics: Italy beat out Sweden to host the 2026 Winter Games, amid waning interest and rising costs. The venues will be divided between Milan and a ski resort.
Vietnam: A U.S. citizen was sentenced to 12 years in prison for attempting to overthrow the state by inciting protests and by trying to attack government offices in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City with gasoline bombs and slingshots, according to a state-run newspaper.
Bangladesh: At least five people were killed and dozens injured when part of a train heading for the capital, Dhaka, careened off a railway bridge that had failed, officials said.
Nissan: The company will hold its first annual meeting today since the fall of its former chairman, Carlos Ghosn, focusing on whether to reappoint the chief executive, Hiroto Saikawa, to the board.
Amazon: The company’s domination of the books market offers insight on some of the potential problems under a tech monopoly. Its bookstore is rife with counterfeits, but it does little to rein in the lawlessness, according to publishers, writers and industry groups.
Google: Sidewalk Labs, a sibling company of the search giant, is proposing to remake Toronto’s rundown waterfront, using new technologies, such as automatic awnings to shield pedestrians from rain, sensors to track the speed of people crossing streets, and robots to pick up trash. But critics worry about how much data would be collected and about privacy.
Snapshot: Elaborately dressed spectators arriving at the Royal Ascot on its third day. Our London correspondent, Ellen Barry, went to the horse races — a major event on the British social calendar — in search of answers about class and the state of England today. She quickly realized she was wearing the wrong hat and there was much she didn’t understand about the country.
Women’s World Cup: The U.S. beat Spain for a spot in the quarterfinals. Tomorrow, China will face Italy and Japan will take on the Netherlands.
What we’re reading: This BuzzFeed News article. “Zheng Churan was detained for 37 days for protesting sexual harassment on public transit in China,” writes Jennifer Jett, an editor in our Hong Kong office. “Now she is running around her city, Guangzhou, every day to call attention to the case of her husband, a journalist and activist who disappeared into police custody in March.”
Now, a break from the news
Cook: Green goddess dressing comes together quickly in a food processor. (Our Five Weeknight Dishes newsletter has more recommendations.)
Watch: “Everything in this art form is self-expression,” the dancer José Xtravaganza says. “That’s what vogueing is.” Watch him freestyle.
Listen: From “Rocketman” to “Her Smell,” “Blaze” to “Vox Lux,” the film industry seems to think all musicians have the same ups and downs. Our critics discuss on the new Popcast.
Smarter Living: Are you a driver who doesn’t use your turn signal? There’s evidence that in addition to making the roads safer, the act of signaling provides a cognitive benefit to the driver. “When you turn on the turn signal, you’re turning on your brain,” said Chris Kaufmann, a driving school instructor and former police officer. “It’s the start of a checklist to look left, look right, signal, look left, look right.” That level of mindfulness can reduce the possibility of an accident.
And, no, your coffee habit is not the reason you aren’t a millionaire.
And now for the Back Story on …
The rainbow flag
As Pride Month winds down, we’re looking at one of the most enduring L.G.B.T.Q. symbols.
The artist Gilbert Baker, who described himself as the “gay Betsy Ross,” created the design for the rainbow flag to celebrate the diversity of the gay community. The flag first appeared at a gay pride march in San Francisco on this day in 1978.
The flag originally consisted of eight colored stripes, each with its own significance: pink for sex, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sun, green for nature, turquoise for magic, blue for peace and purple for spirit. The flag was later streamlined into the current six-color version.
“Our job as gay people was to come out, to be visible,” said Mr. Baker, who died in 2017 at the age of 65. “A flag really fit that mission, because that’s a way of proclaiming your visibility, or saying, ‘This is who I am!’”
That’s it for this briefing. See you next time.
— Alisha
Thank you
Chris Stanford helped compile the briefing and wrote today’s Back Story. Mark Josephson and Eleanor Stanford provided the break from the news. You can reach the team at [email protected].
P.S.
• We’re listening to “The Daily.” Our latest episode is about the recent military crackdown in Sudan.
• Here’s our Mini Crossword, and a clue: Sing the praises of (5 letters). You can find all our puzzles here.
• A scholarship in memory of Robert Pear, who covered health care and other national issues for the Times for 40 years, is being set up at Columbia University, where he received his master’s from the Graduate School of Journalism.
Alisha Haridasani Gupta writes the Morning Briefing. @alisha__g
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