Thursday, 9 July 2026

A former US Olympic canoeist pleaded not guilty to charges of deliberately damaging the lining of the refurbished Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool during Trump's renovation of the landmark.

The US and Iran exchanged intensifying strikes across the Persian Gulf as Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei was buried after a six-day funeral. Trump declared the interim ceasefire agreement 'over,' marking renewed escalation of the Iran war with multiple locations struck in both countries.

Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz fell steeply following US and Iranian strikes this week, with data showing a significant decline in ships carrying oil and gas through the critical waterway, raising energy market concerns.

A US appeals court rejected Trump's latest attempt to delay payment of the $5.8 million judgment to E. Jean Carroll from her 2023 sexual abuse and defamation trial victory against him.

Maine Democratic insurgent candidate Graham Platner dropped out of the Senate race after his ex-girlfriend publicly accused him of sexual assault. He maintained the allegations were 'all false' while withdrawing from the contest, creating uncertainty for Democrats in a key midterm race.

Palm Beach International Airport was officially renamed as President Donald J. Trump International Airport on July 9, with travellers reacting to the new designation.

Mexico announced it will file criminal complaints in the United States over the deaths of Mexican nationals in ICE custody and during immigration enforcement operations, escalating its response to the deaths including the fatal shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston on July 8.

Trump announced he will ask the US Supreme Court to rehear the birthright citizenship case after a lower court blocked his executive order. Experts note that such rehearing requests are exceedingly rare, with the last granted in 1965, making success unlikely.

A House Republican introduced the Birthright Citizenship Clarification Act to codify Trump's executive order limiting birthright citizenship by eliminating the jus soli ('right of the soil') principle. The bill comes days after the Supreme Court blocked Trump's initial executive order.

Trump's proposed 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington Cemetery cleared a preliminary federal review by the National Capital Planning Commission, which includes three Trump appointees. The commission voted 8-1 to advance the project despite concerns from historic and architectural preservationists about violations of height restrictions.

Eight men were indicted on murder and terrorism conspiracy charges for their alleged roles in a thwarted drone and sniper attack on the UFC Freedom 250 cage-fighting event held at the White House in June. Two of the defendants were identified as Southern California residents.