☕ Does China's military parade matter?

Good morning!

Some breaking news this morning from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans, where a court has rejected President Trump’s attempts to use a centuries-old wartime law to deport immigrants alleged to be affiliated with a Venezuelan street gang.

We’ve got the latest news for you below, as well as a deep dive into China’s massive military parade and the release of 30,000 Epstein files.

I’ve got 30 seconds

Some headlines from this morning:

• A federal appeals court has ruled that President Trump cannot use the Alien Enemies Act to expedite deportations of alleged Venezuelan gang members. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said in a 2-1 decision that Trump's invocation of the centuries-old wartime law did not meet legal requirements for war or invasion, and rejected the administration's argument that Tren de Aragua gang members constituted an invading force. In the ruling, Judge Leslie Southwick wrote that "encouraging residents to enter illegally is not the modern-day equivalent of sending an armed, organized force."

• The U.S. military struck a Venezuelan vessel carrying alleged narcoterrorists in waters near the U.S. coast, President Trump announced on Truth Social Monday. The operation killed 11 members of the Tren De Aragua gang who were transporting drugs, according to Trump's statement. The strike represents escalating pressure on Venezuela, where the Trump administration has placed a $50 million bounty on President Nicolás Maduro. The military action was authorized after Trump designated several narcotics groups as terrorist organizations during his second term.

• A federal judge ordered Google to end multi-billion dollar contracts that promote its search engine and share data with competitors following an antitrust lawsuit. The Justice Department had accused Google of maintaining illegal monopolies in digital advertising and search markets. The ruling stopped short of forcing Google to break into smaller companies, as prosecutors had requested. Judge Amit Mehta said the Justice Department "overreached in seeking forced divestiture of these key assets, which Google did not use to effect any illegal restraints."

• President Trump has said he plans to send federal authorities to combat crime in Chicago and Baltimore despite opposition from local leaders. Trump told reporters "we're going in" when asked about deploying National Guard troops to Chicago, though he didn't specify timing and called it "an obligation" rather than politics. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson have rejected federal intervention, with Pritzker calling Trump's demands for cooperation "unhinged." The announcement comes after Trump deployed National Guard troops to Los Angeles and Washington.

I’ve got 1 minute

A House Committee has released a batch of files relating to the planned trial of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Democrats on the committee have said many of the materials, including 33,000 pages of documents, were already publicly available.

The Trump administration has been under pressure from both Democrats and Republicans to release the files.

The Epstein Files

The ‘Epstein Files’ is the name given to documents held by the Department of Justice (DoJ) from its investigation into Epstein.

He was known to have links to A-list celebrities, political figures, and billionaires from around the world.

This included Prince Andrew (King Charles’ brother), former President Bill Clinton, and current President Donald Trump.

They also relate to the activities that occurred on Epstein‘s private Caribbean islands.

New release

The U.S. House Oversight Committee has been investigating the DoJ’s investigation of Epstein.

It legally requested the DoJ’s files last month. The request has partly been granted, with files published today ranging from records of Epstein’s flight logs to a copy of the judgment handed down in Maxwell’s trial.

In a statement, the committee said the DoJ would release further documents, but was currently redacting (erasing) some of their contents to protect “victim identities and any child sexual abuse material”.

The responses

One of the top Democrats on the Oversight Committee, California representative Robert Garcia, said: “Most of the documents that were sent to the committee... were given to right-wing influencers back in February”.

Another Democrat, Ro Khanna, estimated 97% of the documents were already publicly available.

Republicans are divided over the release of the documents. Trump was photographed with Epstein on several occasions in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Republican Thomas Massie, a Kentucky representative who heads the committee, has filed a congressional petition that could see a request for the DoJ to release all the remaining files.

It needs at least half of the 435-member chamber to vote in favor.

In the hours since it was posted, more than 130 representatives have signed the petition, including four Republicans.

I’ve got 2 minutes

Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un at a massive military parade in Beijing, marking the first public meeting of all three leaders.

The parade commemorated 80 years since Japan's defeat in World War II, but drew international attention for bringing together leaders from nations that have strained relationships with Western powers.

The gathering highlights shifting global alliances as China positions itself as an alternative to U.S.-led international institutions. Here's what you need to know.

What happened?

Over 50,000 people attended the Beijing parade, which featured China's military technology, including hypersonic jets, intercontinental ballistic missiles, and underwater drones. Xi sat alongside Putin and Kim, plus leaders from Iran and Pakistan—and notably, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"Today, mankind is faced with the choice of peace or war, dialogue or confrontation, win-win or zero-sum," Xi told the crowd.

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran have increased cooperation through weapons transfers, technology sharing, and economic partnerships.

Why does this matter?

The parade takes place amid debates over the global governance structures established after World War II. The current system includes institutions like the United Nations, World Trade Organization, and various treaty frameworks that emphasize sovereignty, dispute resolution, and international law.

China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran have all faced sanctions or diplomatic isolation under this system for various actions deemed violations of international norms.

Xi addressed this directly: "The house rules of a few countries should not be imposed upon others."

Different perspectives

Western officials view the gathering as a coordination among nations seeking to reshape international institutions.

A China expert quoted by CNN said bringing these leaders together signals that Xi believes China should determine "which countries should be deemed acceptable by the international community."

Chinese officials present the gathering as promoting multilateralism and resisting what they call unilateral dominance by any single power.

India's participation drew particular attention because the U.S. has been strengthening ties with Modi's government as part of broader regional partnerships.

U.S. response

President Trump responded on Truth Social: "May President Xi and the wonderful people of China have a great and lasting day of celebration. Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un, as you conspire against The United States of America."

The Biden administration previously described coordination among these nations as challenging established international frameworks.

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