Wednesday, 9 July 2025

Trump announced a 50% tariff on Brazil, citing the prosecution of Jair Bolsonaro as justification. The tariff announcement drove copper prices to record highs in the US market and is expected to increase costs across key sectors of the economy.

Trump voiced increasing irritation with Russian President Putin, complaining about his 'bullshit' and promising to send more weapons to Ukraine. Moscow reportedly shrugged off Trump's irritation, with Russian officials undeterred in their military operations.

Ukraine's President Zelenskyy announced plans to replace his envoy to the US, Oksana Markarova, in a diplomatic shuffle designed to strengthen ties with the Trump team. The move comes as reports indicate a pause in US weapons shipments to Ukraine caught Trump off guard.

The Trump Justice Department sued California over its policy allowing transgender athletes to compete in girls' school sports, claiming the state policy violates Title IX protections against sex discrimination.

The Supreme Court lifted a lower court order blocking Trump's 'reductions in force' federal employee layoffs, clearing the way for the administration to proceed with mass terminations of federal workers.

The US Supreme Court blocked Florida from enforcing a Republican-crafted anti-immigration law, with the judge finding the law probably unconstitutional for encroaching on the federal government's authority over immigration.

Trump threatened 200% tariffs on foreign pharmaceuticals, prompting concerns from Australia's government about the unpredictable and expanding US tariff regime. The Australian Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank compared the potential impact to Brexit-scale disruptions.

Trump hosted African leaders at the White House to discuss economic investment and critical minerals access, while the administration aims to counter China's rising influence across the continent.

Police in Scotland announced preparations for potential large-scale protests ahead of Trump's planned visit to open a new golf course, after a proposed meeting with King Charles was shelved.

US Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins claimed that Medicaid recipients could replace deported farm workers and that automation could substitute immigrant labor, despite repeated evidence that such replacements have failed in the past.