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Today’s 3-by-3 travels across a crackdown on Afghan migrants in Pakistan, a ban on Chinese components in Germany, President Obama’s visit with Team USA, and more. Let’s fly!

Politics

• U.S.-South Korea sign nuclear guidelines

In an increasingly reactive arena of global alliances, the U.S. and South Korea have signed joint nuclear deterrence guidelines to better address North Korea’s nuclear threats — a first-time action that responds to Kim Jong Un and Russian President Putin signing their strongest partnership in recent history, including a vow to protect each other if attacked. The guidelines, signed by officials on Thursday at the NATO summit, build on the U.S.-South Korea Nuclear Consultative Group that was formed last year amid North Korea’s threat to increase missile testing and South Korea’s lack of nuclear weapons altogether. The most recent deterrence guidelines include joint military exercises and an American commitment of certain nuclear assets to defend its ally, though it is still unclear if nuclear weapons will be stationed permanently in South Korea.

• Pakistan cracks down on Afghan migrants

Pakistan has entered the second phase of its “Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan” to deport undocumented migrants within its borders, most notably implicating 1.7 million Afghans who fled their country during its 1979-1989 Soviet occupation or when the Taliban assumed power in 2021. The U.N. refugee agency chief visited Pakistan this week and reported that the nation’s government would be suspending its deportation of undocumented persons per his conversations, but Pakistan’s foreign ministry soon after denied this claim — clarifying that deportations for those without legal documentation would continue but that the 1.45 million Afghan refugees who reside in Pakistan legally would be allowed to stay until June 2025. This crackdown first began in November and has repatriated around 600,000 undocumented Afghans since, with Pakistan now also calling for the international community to “recognize the burden being shouldered… while hosting such a large refugee population” and assist in relocation efforts.

• South Sudan security bill threatens peace talks

South Sudan’s ongoing peace talks with rebel opposition groups have been derailed by the newly passed National Security Act that would allow people to be detained without an arrest warrant, prompting the opposition groups to refuse any peace agreement unless the president vetoes the “draconian” bill. Human Rights Watch and 9 Western envoys, including the U.S., have also condemned the bill as a “significant step away from the opening of political and civil space” and expressed its negative implications as South Sudan prepares to hold its first-ever elections in December and establish its young democracy. This negotiation process involves opposition groups that were excluded from the 2018 resolution to South Sudan’s five-year-long civil war, ending a destructive conflict that killed over 400,000 and displaced millions.

Business

• Germany bans network components from Chinese companies

Germany is removing components made by Chinese companies from its 5G network system, barring their use in core networks by the end of 2026 and in access/transport networks by the end of 2029. Targeting Huawei and ZTE specifically, Germany aims to protect communication between its citizens, companies, and government and reduce cyber security risks — aligned with America’s push for its European and Asian allies (Britain, Japan, Sweden, etc.) to restrict Huawei equipment out of security concerns. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz wants to reduce dependence on China while still maintaining lucrative trade as Europe’s largest economy, but China’s foreign ministry has received this barring very negatively — saying it is damaging to mutual trust and “not in the interest of any party.”

• Mexico is building train lines to the U.S. border

Set to assume office this October, Mexican President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum has committed to building 1,850 miles of railway — 3 electric train lines that will run from Mexico City to U.S. border cities such as Nuevo Laredo across from Texas and Nogales across from Arizona. Her predecessor President López Obrador was known for high, debt-laden spending on a $30 billion tourist train on the Yucatan Peninsula, and Sheinbaum will tack on at least $25 billion more for her expansive plan involving army engineers and private contractors. With the considerable financial commitment in mind, critics doubt there is consumer demand to justify it — noting that Mexicans today use cars, buses, or planes more readily than trains when traveling domestically.

• DoorDash enforces traffic laws among its drivers

Convenience delivery leader DoorDash is addressing an increase in traffic violations among its Boston drivers, responding to the city’s formal complaint about delivery workers on motorcycles, mopeds, and motorized scooters. DoorDash will work with the city’s police department to electronically verify vehicle registration, confirm driver identity, and remove riders from the platform if they commit infractions such as running red lights or driving on sidewalks. The company’s efforts are expected to reach other major cities after Boston, with New York City Mayor Eric Adams notably destroying 200 motorized delivery vehicles at an event last month and blaming unlawful operators as a terror to the city’s pedestrians — especially senior citizens.

Culture

• Obama celebrates U.S. men’s basketball

Former President Barack Obama stopped by USA Basketball’s 50th-anniversary party on Tuesday to deliver a 10-minute speech to a room of the world’s best basketball players, with current stars like Steph Curry and Lebron James and alumni like Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony present alike. Self-proclaiming himself as the world’s biggest basketball fan, Obama encouraged the team to bring back the gold and emphasized the need for national unity — joining Vice President Kamala Harris who had visited earlier that day to wish the team success in Paris. He also attended the team’s first game of five preparatory exhibitions on Wednesday night, sitting courtside and greeting players one-by-one in a viral video that resembles an iconic Key & Peele skit from Comedy Central.

• Judge considers dismissal of Alec Baldwin's trial

Actor Alec Baldwin’s high-profile involuntary manslaughter trial has been put on hold as the New Mexico judge considers his lawyer’s motion to dismiss the case due to ammunition evidence that was allegedly buried. Charged in the accidental killing of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins while filming the movie “Rust” in 2021, Baldwin has been accused of reckless behavior in pointing a gun at someone and pulling the trigger — while Baldwin’s attorneys assert that the film’s armorer and first assistant director are responsible for the tragic death by failing to identify a real bullet in the prop. As he awaits the judge’s decision, Baldwin faces up to 18 months in prison if found guilty and would join the film’s armorer who has already been convicted for her negligence.

• Refugee Olympic Team prepares for the Paris Games

At a record time for global migration and displacement, 36 athletes will play for the Refugee Olympic Team in the upcoming Paris Games — hailing from 11 countries and competing across 12 sports. The team was created for the 2016 Rio Olympics and maintains a space for elite, lifelong athletes who have fled their home countries due to war or persecution, such as Fernando Dayán Jorge (a two-time Olympian canoeist who left Cuba due to Communist treatment) and Iman Mahdavi (a 7x-national junior wrestling champion who left Iran for his safety). In addition to performing well across events, the team hopes to symbolize hope amid global crises and raise awareness about the refugee experience.

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