“The Trump administration said Wednesday it will impose an additional 25% tariff on [American buyers of] many Brazilian goods, escalating a trade fight it says is rooted in Brazil’s treatment of U.S. companies. The new policy includes exemptions for key consumer staples like coffee and beef, suggesting the White House is trying to minimize the inflationary impact on American shoppers even as it steps up pressure on Brazil over disputes involving U.S. tech firms, ethanol and more. A senior administration official says the tariffs are in response to Brazil’s unfair barriers against U.S. technology and payment companies.” (07/16/26)
“An Argentine court struck down a decree by President Javier Milei that transferred the authority to grant citizenship by naturalization from the federal judiciary to the executive branch, reversing a change to a system that had existed for more than 150 years. This week’s ruling marks another setback for the Milei’s strategy of implementing institutional reforms through emergency decrees rather than legislation approved by Congress. The decision was issued by Argentina’s National Electoral Chamber, which declared Emergency Decree 366/2025 null and void. Milei signed the decree in October as part of a broader immigration reform package. The measure tightened immigration controls and shifted responsibility for granting Argentine citizenship by naturalization to the National Directorate of Migration.” (07/16/26)
“Two families are suing a North Dakota hospital, alleging hospital staff mistakenly switched two baby boys at birth more than 36 years ago. Kyle Bylin and Jeremy Morrison were the only two babies born at Unity Medical Center in Grafton, North Dakota, on Jan. 26, 1988, the men and their families said in the lawsuit, according to KVLY. Christian Unity Hospital Corporation, doing business as Unity Medical Center, was named as the defendant. The plaintiffs allege hospital staff switched the infants and sent them home with the other child’s biological parents, the outlet reported. The two men were then raised by each other’s biological families, allegedly without anyone’s knowledge. The lawsuit says the switch was not discovered for more than 36 years.” (07/16/26)
“Protesters gathered in downtown Kyiv on Thursday after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy moved to dismiss his defense minister as parliament convened to appoint a new prime minister as part of a major government reshuffle. The shake-up could become a test of Zelenskyy’s political authority as Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion approaches 4½ years. Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, whose technological expertise is credited in part with a significant improvement in Ukraine’s military performance in recent months against Russia’s bigger army, was expected to leave the government after just six months in the post. Before he became defense minister last January, 35-year-old Fedorov was the head of Ukraine’s digital transformation policies and seen as a modernizer. He won public popularity by spearheading Ukraine’s speedy development and deployment of drone technology and introducing several successful e-government platforms.” (07/16/26)
“British Steel has been taken into public ownership in what the government said was a bid to ‘protect UK steelmaking’. The future of the steelworks, which employs roughly 2,700 people in Scunthorpe and supports many other industries in north Lincolnshire, has been dogged by uncertainty over recent years. ‘Today’s decision secures the future of steelmaking in the UK, protects skilled jobs and safeguards a vital national capability,’ Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said. The UK government took control of British Steel operations in Scunthorpe last year, though it has since remained under the ownership of the Chinese firm Jingye Group.” (07/16/26)
“International Criminal Court judges on Thursday ordered a suspect from Libya to stand trial on charges including murder, rape and torture of detainees at a notorious prison, setting the stage for the global court’s first trial to focus on the North African nation. The unanimous written decision to confirm 17 charges against Khaled Mohamed Ali El Hishri came after prosecutors laid out a summary of their evidence at a hearing in May, where they alleged that El Hishri abused detainees at Mitiga prison between 2014 and 2020.” (07/16/26)
“United States Vice President JD Vance says the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein had unspecified connections to Israeli intelligence. In a lengthy interview with podcaster Joe Rogan, released on Wednesday, Vance was asked about theories that Epstein may have had ties to Israel’s Mossad spy agency. ‘He clearly had connections to the upper, the highest levels of American intelligence. He clearly had connections to the highest levels of Israeli intelligence,’ he said. The vice president also claimed that Epstein’s connections in Israel appeared to have a left-of-centre ideological bent. … During the interview, Vance also conceded that the Trump administration ‘absolutely’ mishandled the communications surrounding the Epstein files.” (07/16/26)
“The United States attacked Iran on Wednesday, and Iran struck U.S. assets across the region into Thursday morning, marking the fifth straight day of strikes between the two nations as they fight over the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. Central Command launched two waves of attacks seeking to degrade Iran’s ability to threaten vessels transiting the vital chokepoint between Iran and Oman. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said early Thursday that it was conducting missile and drone strikes targeting U.S. assets at Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait. … The IRGC-aligned Fars News Agency reported early Thursday that U.S. bases and facilities in Bahrain, as well as in Kuwait, were being struck. It separately said it was attacking U.S. assets at the Al-Azraq Base in Jordan.” (07/16/26)
“Top Russian energy companies have approached Indian refiners for more gasoline after Ukrainian strikes knocked out a significant portion of Russia’s refining capacity, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Wednesday. India is the biggest buyer of Russian seaborne crude oil, making Moscow’s bid to secure Indian gasoline an unusual reversal in the countries’ energy trade relationship, highlighting the extent of the disruption caused by the Ukrainian attacks. Moscow is witnessing its worst gasoline crisis. At least one cargo of Indian gasoline has already sailed to Russia and more are expected, with nearly 40% of Russia’s refining capacity unlikely to return for at least two months if there are no further attacks, one of the sources with knowledge of the matter said.” (07/15/26)
“House Republicans kicked off their plans for a third party-line spending bill Tuesday, releasing a budget resolution that calls for $90 billion in new money for the military and election-related measures. With no plans to seek Democratic votes, it will be a herculean task to pass through the narrow Republican majorities, given the unpopularity of the Iran war, the lack of spending cuts to offset the new spending, which is already angering conservative hardliners, and the limits of the budget process. … It contains $12 billion for the Agriculture Committee, which is set to be used for farm assistance as the industry suffers from higher food and fertilizer prices resulting from the Iran war and the inability of ships to safely pass through the Strait of Hormuz.” (07/15/26)
