Trump Proposes Tariffs on Japanese Imports Amid Stalled Trade Talks; Floats Lara Trump for NC Senate Run – 7/2/2025, 6:21:10 AM

Here are the latest major world news updates as of July 2, 2025:

United States
– President Donald Trump is considering imposing 30% or 35% tariffs on Japanese imports, citing stalled trade negotiations and describing Japan as “very tough” and “very spoiled”[1].
– Trump has also floated his daughter-in-law Lara Trump as a potential candidate for the North Carolina Senate seat, following Senator Thom Tillis’s decision not to seek reelection after disagreements over Trump’s tax-cut and spending bill[2].
– The Senate passed Trump’s spending and tax cut bill with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote. The bill includes significant cuts to Medicaid, potentially causing over 11 million Americans to lose health insurance, and provides approximately $4 trillion in tax cuts favoring the wealthy, with an estimated $3.3 trillion increase in national debt[3].
– Zohran Mamdani has been confirmed as the Democratic candidate for New York City mayor[2].

Asia-Pacific
– The Quad countries (Japan, US, Australia, India) agreed to deepen cooperation on critical minerals, aiming to reduce reliance on China for rare earth elements[1].
– Southwestern Japan’s Tokara Islands experienced another magnitude 5.1 earthquake; the area has been repeatedly hit by strong tremors recently, but no major damage or injuries have been reported[1].
– A Japan Airlines flight from Shanghai to Tokyo rapidly lost altitude (26,000 feet), forcing oxygen masks to deploy. No casualties reported, but passengers described the experience as terrifying[2].
– The Quad foreign ministers condemned the Pahalgam terror attack in India and called for justice for the victims[2].

Middle East
– Israel has agreed to conditions for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, according to President Trump[2].
– Ongoing violence in the Gaza Strip reported, with Israeli forces killing dozens of Palestinians amid continued unrest[4].

Other Major Events
– In the US, a mass shooting occurred in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho: A gunman opened fire on firefighters and law enforcement responding to a wildfire, resulting in three deaths (including the shooter) and multiple injuries. The FBI was deployed to the scene[4].
– After the 2025 NYC Pride March, a shooting outside the Stonewall Inn left two teenagers injured, one critically[4].
– Serbia continues to see large-scale anti-corruption protests, with over 140,000 demonstrators in Belgrade and calls for the removal of President Aleksandar Vučić[4].
– A court in Manila determined that Alice Guo, former mayor of Bamban, Tarlac, is a Chinese citizen, nullifying her mayoral proclamation[4].

Weather
– The US Northeast is experiencing dangerous storms and damaging winds, causing flight cancellations in Washington, Philadelphia, and New York City, and resulting in at least one fatality due to storm-related accidents[3].

These highlights cover the most significant global developments as of the morning of July 2, 2025.