LIVE UPDATES: US president Donald Trump slams Putin on Ukraine at cabinet meeting

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Here’s where things stand on Wednesday 9 July 2025:

• The death toll from flash floods in the state of Texas has risen to at least 109 people, while more than 160 remain missing as rescue operations continue. The Trump administration has pushed back against criticism that steep cuts to federal agencies and weather services may have hindered preparedness efforts.
• Trump met with his cabinet at the White House, discussing a wide variety of topics and renewing threats to ramp up tariff rates on countries that do not reach trade agreements with the US by August 1.
• The US president also voiced some of his harshest criticism of his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, to date, questioning whether he was serious about finding a way to end the war in Ukraine and suggesting that the US could pursue further sanctions against Russia.
• Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the second day in a row, as the two continue discussions on a possible ceasefire in Gaza and recent attacks against Iran.

FBI launches probes into former FBI director, ex-CIA director: Report

The FBI has launched probes into former CIA director John Brennan and former FBI director James Comey, Fox News reported on Tuesday, citing sources.

Two sources cited by Fox said the FBI viewed their actions as part of a “conspiracy”.

Bernie Sanders slams meeting between Trump and Netanyahu

The progressive senator has said that Trump and the US Congress have given the Israeli prime minister a glamorous welcome, despite widespread evidence that Israeli forces have committed systematic abuses in Gaza.

“As President Trump and Congress roll out the red carpet for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, let’s remember that Netanyahu has been indicted as a war criminal by the International Criminal Court for overseeing the systematic killing and starvation of civilians in Gaza,” Sanders said in a statement.

“This is the man Trump and Congress are welcoming this week: a war criminal who will be remembered as one of modern history’s monsters.”

Coming hours may be telling in Trump-Netanyahu meet: Analyst

The private nature of the Trump-Netanyahu meeting suggests the two men are not yet close to an agreement, said Mohamad Elmasry, a professor of media studies at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies.

“If there’s nothing to announce, then there may not be much reason to to have all the lights and the cameras,” Elmasry told Al Jazeera. 

“Israeli media is also reporting that Trump is intending to put a lot of pressure on Netanyahu in today’s meeting. I have my doubts about that, but we’ll see. I think that the coming two or three hours will be telling, and I think we’ll start to learn about what was discussed, what these two leaders agree on and what they disagree on.”

US Supreme Court lifts order that blocked Trump’s mass federal layoffs

The US Supreme Court has cleared the way for the Trump administration to resume carrying out mass job cuts and restructuring agencies, elements of his campaign to downsize and reshape the federal government.

The justices lifted a San Francisco court’s order that had blocked large-scale federal layoffs affecting potentially hundreds of thousands of jobs while litigation in the case proceeds.

Trump in February announced “a critical transformation of the federal bureaucracy” in an executive order directing agencies to prepare for a government overhaul aimed at significantly reducing the federal workforce and gutting offices and programmes opposed by the administration.

Workforce reductions were planned at the US Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Health and Human Services, State, Treasury, Veterans Affairs and more than a dozen other agencies.

The Supreme Court in recent months has sided with Trump in a number of major cases that were acted upon on an emergency basis since he returned to office in January.

US stocks end day largely unchanged despite tariff concerns

Major stock indexes finished the day largely flat, as investors remain wary of ongoing turbulence over US tariffs and trade policy.

The S&P 500 dropped by a small 0.1 percent, while the Dow Jones lost 0.4 percent and the Nasdaq increased by 0.1 percent.

Qatari delegation visits White House for Gaza ceasefire talks: Report

A Qatari delegation has arrived at the White House for talks about the Gaza captives and ceasefire deal, Axios reported, citing a source familiar with the details.

The Qatari delegation met on Tuesday with senior White House officials for several hours prior to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s arrival for his meeting with Trump, according to the Axios report.

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs to be sentenced on October 3

The music mogul will be sentenced on October 3 for his conviction on prostitution-related charges after a split verdict that saw him acquitted of offences that would have carried more serious punishment.

Combs was found not guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking charges in his New York trial. But the jury found him guilty of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

It is unlikely the judge will impose the maximum punishment.

Prosecutors said in court filings that based on federal sentencing guidelines, a range of 51 to 63 months in prison potentially would be appropriate – but they could also ask for a longer punishment.

The defence, in its interpretation of federal sentencing guidelines, has indicated it plans to propose lighter sentencing of 21 to 27 months.

Combs, 55, has been held since September in a Brooklyn detention centre, and the time he has already spent behind bars will count towards his ultimate sentence.

Abbott says legislature will focus on new warning systems

With questions mounting about whether local early warning systems were adequate to preventing flood deaths, Abbott says the state legislature will prioritize creating improved systems.

“We’re going to have in place the systems that are needed to prevent deadly flooding events like this in the future,” he said.

Asked by a reporter “who is to blame”, Abbott called it “the word choice of losers”.

“Every football team makes mistakes,” said Abbott. “The losing teams are the ones that try to point out who’s to blame. The championship teams are the ones who say ‘don’t worry about it ma’am, we got this. We’re going to make sure that we go score again and we’re going to win this game… What Texas is all about is solutions”.

Spanish-language journalist remains in ICE custody despite being granted bond

A week after a US immigration judge granted him bond, a Spanish-language journalist who was arrested while covering a protest last month remains in federal custody.

Police just outside Atlanta, Georgia arrested Mario Guevara while he was covering a protest on June 14, and he was turned over to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) several days later. He was being held at an immigration detention centre in Folkston – in southeast Georgia, near the Florida border – when an immigration judge last week granted him bond.

But when his family tried to pay the $7,500 bond last week, ICE didn’t accept it and he has since been shuffled between three other jails, his lawyer Giovanni Diaz said.

“We are of the opinion that there seems to be a concerted effort between different jurisdictions to keep him detained,” Diaz said.

Guevara, 47, was livestreaming video on social media from a DeKalb County rally protesting President Donald Trump’s administration when local police arrested him.

The Salvadoran national has been authorised to work and remain in the country, Diaz said. A previous immigration case against him was administratively closed more than a decade ago, and he has a pending green card application sponsored by his adult US citizen son, the lawyer said.

At least 161 still missing after Texas floods: governor

At least 161 people are known to be missing following the devastating July Fourth floods, according to Texas Governor Greg Abbott.

Speaking at a press conference Tuesday, Abbott updated the total number of deaths to 109, adding that five campers and one counsellor were still missing from Camp Mystic.

Twelve children remain missing, said Abbott, who urged Texans to report any yet to be identified missing flood victims.

Abbott said he spoke with US President Trump Tuesday morning, and he expressed particular sadness over the loss of life at Camp Mystic, a girls’ camp where at least 27 children and counsellors died.

“He wants to step up and make sure that any need we have here in Texas is going to be met very quickly,” he said.

Abbott said the Secretary of Health Robert F Kennedy texted him saying the government was going to declare the floods a public health emergency, which will make it easier for out-of-state healthcare and mental healthcare providers to respond.

Chile says it is not aware of any changes on US copper tariffs

The South American nation and world’s largest copper producer says that it has not received any new information regarding a change in US tariff policy after Trump said the US would place a 50 percent tariff on copper imports.

“There is no executive order from the United States regarding the investigation into copper tariffs,” the country’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The statement adds that Chile has not received new information from US counterparts and remains in contact with the relevant authorities.

Trump says ‘no extensions’ for tariff deadline

The US president says that there will be no changes to the August 1 deadline he has set for new tariffs, which will not be extended.

“There has been no change to this date, and there will be no change,” Trump said in a social media post. “In other words, all money will be due and payable starting AUGUST 1, 2025 – No extensions will be granted. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

Netanyahu says meeting with Trump has been bumped up

The Israeli prime minister says he will meet with the US president at 4:30pm (20:30 GMT) instead of 6pm (22:00 GMT).

He stated earlier that he and Trump saw “eye to eye” on the goal of destroying Hamas, with whom the US and Israel are seeking a ceasefire.

Zohran Mamdani says campaign received most votes of any primary in state history

The winner of the New York City Democratic mayoral primary says that his campaign received a record number of total votes.

“With the updated RCV [ranked choice voting] totals just released by the Board of Elections, our campaign has officially earned the most total votes in a primary in New York City history,” Mamdani said in a social media post.

Texas officials say they’re willing to pay for flood warning sirens

Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader, had said he wants an investigation into whether cuts to the National Weather Service contributed to a lack of warnings that might have prepared people.

There also had been suggestions among local officials that they have a series of air-raid style flood warnings down the river that would sound off and alert people to leave because many people didn’t respond to the first couple of warnings that might have saved lives.

Now officials we’ve talked to here and the state lieutenant governor say they’re going to ensure that that happens – even if the state has to pay for it.

Another tranche of tariff letters coming: Lutnick

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has said more tariff letters will be rolled out in the coming days.

In an interview with CNBC, Lutnick said the public can expect another 15-20 letters to be sent in the next two days.

Migrants describe abysmal conditions in Florida detention centre: Report

The TV network CBS reports that migrants being held at a newly opened detention centre in Florida are living in inhumane conditions with inadequate access to water, lights that stay on 24 hours a day and food containing maggots.

“We’ve been here at Alcatraz since Friday. There’s over 400 people here. There’s no water to take a bath. It’s been four days since I’ve taken a bath,” Cuban reggaeton artist Leamsy La Figura is quoted as saying in the report. La Figura was arrested in Florida on charges of assault and transferred to the migrant detention facility, which the Trump administration calls “Alligator Alcatraz”.

Poor conditions in immigrant detention facilities have been a source of consistent scrutiny by rights groups under both Republican and Democrat administrations, but those concerns have been exacerbated as the Trump administration seeks to ramp up the number of people detained by immigration authorities.

“They’re not respecting our human rights,” another man is quoted as saying in the report. “We’re human beings. We’re not dogs. We’re like rats in an experiment.”

“I don’t know their motive for doing this, if it’s a form of torture. A lot of us have our residency documents, and we don’t understand why we’re here,” he added.

Here’s what’s going on

Let’s get you up to speed if you’re just joining us:

• The Trump administration’s policies on tariffs and trade continue to be a source of uncertainty for consumers and trading partners around the world, with the president stating that he could slap 50 percent tariffs on copper as other countries scramble to reach trade agreements with the US before new tariffs take effect on August 1.
• The US president convened his cabinet secretaries at the White House, the first time that all have met together since April. Trump touted his recent accomplishments while cabinet members praised him for his leadership.
• Trump will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a second time this evening, following a conversation at the White House on Monday in which they discussed the forced displacement of Palestinians living in Gaza and the recent conflict with Iran.
• Lashing out at his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, Trump accused the Russian president of saying “a lot of b*******” over peace talks with Ukraine and said he was considering further sanctions against Russia.

Ukraine’s Zelenskyy says he ordered expanded contacts with US

The Ukrainian president has stated that he has ordered intensified contacts with the US to ensure that “critical deliveries” of military support, including defensive weapons, are maintained.

Last week, the US temporarily suspended some weapons transfers to Ukraine. Trump said on Monday that he would resume transfers as Ukraine comes under heavy Russian shelling.

“Today, I instructed the minister of defence and the commander in chief to intensify all contacts with the American side,” Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address.

“These are critical deliveries that mean saving lives and protecting Ukrainian cities and villages.”

Voters strongly oppose president having authority to revoke citizenship: Poll

The progressive pollster Data for Progress has released a poll indicating that voters are firmly against the president having the power to revoke the citizenship of naturalised US citizens as the Trump administration tests its ability to do so for certain people.

The poll suggested that voters oppose the president having such powers by a margin of 45 points with 25 percent in favour and 70 percent against.

Democrats oppose the president having that power by a margin of 78 points and independents by 54 points. Republicans are more likely to be in favour but remain opposed by a margin of 7 points.

A majority of respondents also said they believed Trump would use such powers to target and deport his political enemies. A large majority of Republicans denied that he would do so.

Rubio impersonator using AI contacted foreign ministers, cable says

An individual using an artificially generated voice to impersonate Secretary of State Marco Rubio has contacted three foreign ministers and two US officials, pretending to be the top US diplomat, according to a diplomatic cable seen by Reuters.

In mid-June, the person contacted the ministers, a US governor and a member of Congress via the Signal messaging app and left voicemails for at least two of them, the cable said. In one instance, a text message was sent to invite the targeted person to communicate on Signal.

“The actor likely aimed to manipulate targeted individuals using AI-generated text and voice messages with the goal of gaining access to information or accounts,” the cable said. The Washington Post first reported the attempt.

“The State Department is aware of this incident and is currently investigating the matter,” a senior State Department official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

Neither the cable nor the US officials pointed to a suspected perpetrator, but the cable made reference to a second effort in April that was attributed to a Russia-linked hacker who conducted a phishing campaign targeting think tanks, Eastern European activists and dissidents, and former State Department officials.

Netanyahu says he and Trump see ‘eye to eye’

The Israeli prime minister, currently the subject of an ICC arrest warrant over war crimes in Gaza, says he and Trump see “eye to eye” on the war.

“Hamas will lay down its weapons, and there will be no Hamas,” Netanyahu said while answering questions on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.

Trump stated earlier that he will meet with Netanyahu at the White House this evening for the second day in a row.

Pro-Israel US group slams Netanyahu’s calls for forced displacement in Gaza

The liberal pro-Israel group J Street says discussions between Trump and Netanyahu about expelling Palestinians from Gaza would be a violation of international law.

The Israeli prime minister has called the plan a “free choice” for Palestinians between being forced to move to the rubble of the southern Gaza city of Rafah or leave the enclave.

“Mass displacement is not ‘free choice.’ It is a violation of international law and a moral outrage,” J Street said in a social media post. “Netanyahu’s embrace of population transfer – echoed alongside Trump – should alarm anyone who cares about democracy, human rights and the future of both peoples.”

Trump to meet with Netanyahu for a second time this evening

The White House is saying very little about this meeting, saying there will be further guidance. But reporters travelling with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from the Israeli side are already confirming that this meeting will take place. It will be the second meeting in roughly 24 hours between the Israeli prime minister and the US president.

We know on Monday evening, also at that meeting was the Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and the National Security Adviser and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. It’s not clear who will be in attendance this time.

Trump says White House could run New York City if ‘we have to’

Asked who he would encourage New Yorkers to support in the upcoming mayoral election, Donald Trump demurred from naming a pick, but used the occasion to criticise Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani.

“I’m not getting involved,” he said. “But I can tell you this. I used to say ‘We will not ever be a Socialist country. Well, I’ll say it again. If a Communist gets elected to run New York – it can never be the same, but we have tremendous power at the White House to run places when we have to.”

Trump also said he was thinking of taking over the governance of Washington, DC.

Trump says he is not concerned about Musk’s new party

The US president brushed aside concerns about his former billionaire ally’s announcement that he will start a new political party and help find primary candidates to run against Republican lawmakers who voted in favour of Trump’s tax and spending bill.

“I think it will help us. It will probably help,” he said of billionaire Elon Musk’s efforts. “Third parties have always been good for me. I don’t know about Republicans, but for me.”

Witkoff predicts ‘lasting peace’ in Gaza

Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff says he’s hopeful that by the end of the week Hamas and Israel will reach an agreement for a 60-day ceasefire.

“We’re in proximity talks now. We had four issues, and now we’re down to one after two days of talks.”

He said 10 live hostages would be released and nine deceased and “we think this will lead to a lasting peace in Gaza.”

For more of our Gaza coverage, please follow our live blog here.

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Trump says he will impose a 50 percent tariff on copper

The Trump administration had announced a so-called Section 232 investigation into red metal imports in February, saying that US reliance on foreign copper was a national security concern.

Trump says BRICS nations will face additional 10 percent tariff ‘soon’

“Anybody that’s in BRICS is getting a 10 percent charge pretty soon,” Trump says, repeating a threat that countries aligned with the bloc of 10 emerging economies could face penalties in the form of additional tariffs.

Trump says Putin talking ‘a lot of b*******’ on Ukraine

Trump has lashed out against his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, over peace talks in Ukraine as he suggested an interest in placing new sanctions on Moscow.

“We get a lot of b******* thrown at us by Putin if you want to know the truth. He’s very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless,” he told reporters during a cabinet meeting at the White House.

Asked about his interest in a bill proposed by the Senate for further sanctions on Russia, Trump said: “I’m looking at it very strongly.”

Trump lashes out over question about Epstein list

Trump has said that he “can’t believe” people are still talking about disgraced financier and sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein.

The comments come one day after the Justice Department said that Epstein did not keep a “client list” of people who had underage girls trafficked to them, a theory that had been promoted by members of the Trump administration such as Attorney General Pam Bondi and become an item of fixation for many on the US right.

“Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein?” Trump asked in response to a question from a reporter. “This guy has been talked about for years.”

“I can’t believe you’re asking a question on Epstein at a time like this,” he added.

Poll finds mixed sentiments over relationship with US across the world

The Pew Research Center has released a poll gauging views of the US among 25 different countries, with some seeing the US as a key ally and others seeing it as a possible threat.

Respondents in Israel, South Korea, and Japan were the most likely to view the US as their most important ally, with 95 percent of Israeli adults saying so, 89 percent of South Koreans, and 78 percent of Japanese.

The survey found that people in Canada, Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil saw the US as both a top ally and a top threat.

The number of Canadians who view the US as their country’s top threat has nearly tripled in recent years, rising from 20 percent in 2019 to 59 percent today.

Trump says Federal Reserve chief is ‘terrible’, should resign

The US president has resumed his attacks on Jerome Powell, the head of the country’s central bank, suggesting that he should resign. Trump’s attacks on Powell, who has not acceded to Trump’s pressure to lower interest rates, have raised concerns about efforts to undermine the independence of the bank.

In response to a question from a conservative reporter suggesting that Powell may have lied to Congress, Trump said he should “resign immediately”.

“We should get somebody in there that’s going to lower interest rates,” he said.

Asked if he wants Congressional Republicans to investigate Powell, Trump said it was “OK with me; I think he’s terrible”.

Which countries could see tariff hikes, and what goods could be impacted?

As the Trump administration considers substantial import duties for countries across the world, what different rates are nations facing, and in what areas could they affect US consumers?

1. Myanmar: 40 percent – clothing, leather goods, seafood

2. Laos: 40 percent – shoes with textile uppers, wood furniture, electronic components, optical fibre

3. Cambodia: 36 percent – textiles, clothing, shoes, bicycles

4. Thailand: 36 percent – computer parts, rubber products and gemstones

5. Bangladesh: 35 percent – clothing

6. Serbia: 35 percent – software and IT services, car tyres

7. Indonesia: 32 percent – palm oil, cocoa butter, semiconductors

8. Bosnia and Herzegovina: 30 percent – weapons and ammunition

9. South Africa: 30 percent – platinum, diamonds, vehicles and auto parts

10. Japan: 25 percent – cars, car parts, electronics

11. Kazakhstan: 25 percent – oil, uranium, ferroalloys and silver

12. Malaysia: 25 percent – electronics and electrical products

13. South Korea: 25 percent – vehicles, machinery, electronics

14. Tunisia: 25 percent – animal and vegetable fats, clothing, fruit, nuts

Trump has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Can he win?

The US president has been recommended for the prize by leaders from Pakistan and Israel for what they say are his efforts to foster peace and stability.

Some have panned Netanyahu’s recommendation, which comes several weeks after the US carried out attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities that critics said were likely illegal under international law.

If Trump were to win, he would be the fifth US president to receive the prize after Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama.

Anyone can win the prize, and a wide range of groups, leaders and institutions may submit proposals for potential winners.

The recipient is ultimately chosen by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, which consists of five people selected by the Norwegian parliament. The announcement of this year’s prize will take place on October 10.

Trump says he will visit Texas on Friday

The US president says he will travel to Texas, where flash floods killed dozens of people.

“I’ll be going down on Friday with the first lady,” he said.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said that people remain missing.

“We are still looking for people. We’re still looking for a lot of little girls and other family members that were camping along that river. They will continue until they find every single person, and we will continue to help them and assist in that,” she said, adding that some people in the area were finding pieces of clothing or personal items from their missing children.

Japanese prime minister says US tariffs ‘extremely regrettable’

Shigeru Ishiba says during a cabinet meeting in Tokyo that while Trump’s announcement that Japanese goods would face a 25 percent tariff is “extremely regrettable”, negotiations would continue in search of a mutually beneficial agreement.

The Japanese leader also noted that the 25 percent rate was lower than previous duties threatened by Trump.