While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Aug 1, 2025
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
US President Donald Trump doubled down on his wide-ranging levies on July 31.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Trump’s trade policy faces test, hours from tariff deadline
President Donald Trump’s dream of a new world trade order faced a crucial test on July 31, with dozens of economies – including key commercial partners like Canada – yet to secure US tariff deals ahead of a midnight deadline.
The last-gasp scramble to strike bilateral accords came as an appeals court in Washington considered the legality behind Mr Trump’s strategy of invoking emergency economic powers to declare sweeping duties on imports.
The 79-year-old Republican doubled down on his wide-ranging levies, posting on Truth Social: “Tariffs are making America GREAT & RICH Again.”
He insisted in a separate post that the world’s biggest economy would have “no chance of survival or success” without protectionist measures.
Russia’s actions in Ukraine ‘disgusting’, says Trump
PHOTO: REUTERS
US President Donald Trump said on July 31 that Russia’s actions in Ukraine were “disgusting” and indicated that new sanctions against Moscow were coming over its invasion of its neighbour.
“Russia – I think it’s disgusting what they’re doing. I think it’s disgusting,” Mr Trump told journalists. “We’re going to put sanctions. I don’t know that sanctions bother him,” the US president said, referring to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
On July 31, at least 16 people were killed, including a six-year-old boy, and more than 100 wounded during a pre-dawn wave of missile and drone strikes on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv
US Senator Roger Wicker to visit Taiwan
PHOTO: REUTERS
US Senator Roger Wicker, chairman of the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee, will lead a congressional delegation to Taiwan in August, a senior congressional official said on July 31.
The trip, which was first reported by the Financial Times, takes place as some members of Congress - both President Donald Trump’s fellow Republicans and Democrats - have expressed concern that Mr Trump is de-emphasising security issues as he works on negotiating a trade deal with China.
Lawmakers have proposed legislation to put pressure on China and voiced unhappiness with reports that Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te is set to delay a diplomatically sensitive trip his team had floated to the Trump administration for August that would have included stops in the United States.
US end of parcel tax relief threatens eBay, Etsy trade
PHOTO: ISTOCKPHOTO
Americans shopping for secondhand, vintage or handmade items on platforms like eBay and Etsy face steep customs duties on international purchases in August, potentially hurting trade on those peer-to-peer sites.
In a surprise move late on July 30, US President Donald Trump ordered the removal of “de minimis” duty-free treatment on parcels under US$800 (S$1,000) from all countries, starting Aug 29 - bringing forward a change previously set for July 2027.
The acceleration follows pressure from groups that argue the exemption facilitates fentanyl smuggling and has led to a flood of cheap products entering the US duty-free, undermining US retailers and manufacturers.
Summer McIntosh claims 3rd title, misses world mark
PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
Even after producing yet another dominant performance to claim her third title of the World Aquatics Championships (WCH) in Singapore, Summer McIntosh’s immediate reaction was not one of jubilation.
Instead, the Canadian sensation looked visibly upset, covering her face with her hands after seeing her timing of 2min 1.99sec that won her the women’s 200m butterfly final at the WCH Arena on July 31.
It was a personal best, championships and Americas record, but the 18-year-old’s first thought was how she had just missed out on the all-time mark set in 2009 by China’s Liu Zige – by just 0.18 of a second.
