Keiko Fujimori has been sworn in as Peru’s president after a narrow victory in the June runoff election. The swearing-in ceremony took place on Tuesday. She is the ninth president in a decade and has said she aims to stabilize the country. Her Popular Force party and allies will hold half the senate seats in the new legislature. Fujimori's campaign focused on improving security and infrastructure while she's also announced plans to fight crime with policies similar to those in El Salvador. Peru remains economically stable but there's a growing gap in living standards between coastal and highland areas. Fujimori's victory in the June runoff election confirmed a regional shift in South America toward the conservative wing.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has denounced China in a veiled rebuke in his state of the nation speech. He vowed on Monday that his government will defend a 2016 arbitration ruling that invalidated Beijing’s expansive claims in the disputed South China Sea, and said that Filipinos “do not yield” to conquerors. On domestic issues, Marcos disclosed that a special anti-graft prosecutor would soon file charges against former House of Representatives Speaker Martin Romualdez, who has been implicated in a corruption scandal that the president exposed in his state of the nation speech last year. He did not identify Romualdez, his cousin, but was obviously referring to him.

Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández has returned to his country to face corruption charges. Hernández had been extradited to the U.S. for drug trafficking and sentenced to 45 years. But he was released in December after a pardon from President Donald Trump. Hernández led Honduras from 2014 to 2022 and was once a U.S. ally in the drug war. He now faces charges in Honduras related to a corruption case involving public funds. Legal experts fear the weak justice system may ensure his impunity. Hernández claims innocence and plans to appear before a judge on Aug. 3 for his arraignment.

Former Rep. Cori Bush, outside the courthouse where the Dred Scott case was argued, promises to reverse her ouster from Congress. Bush, a progressive who started as a Black Lives Matter organizer, lost a primary to Wesley Bell, a more moderate prosecutor. Now, they're in a rematch that highlights Democrats' shifting landscape, including anger at the party establishment and growing support for democratic socialists. Bush blames the American Israel Public Affairs Committee for her previous loss. Bell, dismissing Bush’s attacks, argues he’s a more pragmatic lawmaker. The primary race has national implications, with both candidates accusing each other of corruption.

President Donald Trump has warmly welcomed new Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi to the White House. Trump on Tuesday praised their "tremendous chemistry" and the relationship between the two countries. The Republican president had endorsed al-Zaidi earlier this year after threatening to cut U.S. support if another candidate became prime minister. Al-Zaidi has been likened to the "Trump of the Middle East" and is focusing on economic partnerships with the U.S. Discussions also include Iraq's efforts to disarm Iran-backed militias. Iraqi officials say an oil pipeline deal involving U.S. and Qatari companies is expected to be announced later this week.