While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, July 10, 2025
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Dr Anjani Sinha speaking during his nomination hearing before the 22-member Senate Foreign Relations Committee at the Capitol Hill on July 9.
PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM US SENATE
Rough hearing for Trump’s Singapore envoy nominee
President Donald Trump’s ambassador-nominee to Singapore, Dr Anjani Sinha, struggled to defend America’s tariff policies during an unexpectedly tough Senate confirmation hearing.
The two-hour-long hearing on July 9, which featured four other hopeful nominees, kicked off soberly with an opening statement by Dr Sinha but turned into a testy back-and-forth with Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth when it came to question time.
“This is not a role you can just pick up on a whim, or because you think it will be glamorous, or because Singapore is a great place to live,” Ms Duckworth said, even before she began firing off a volley of questions.
“Frankly, I don’t think you are particularly qualified for this role, and I’m concerned about how your lack of understanding may even inadvertently cause friction in our critical relationship.”
Trump issues new tariff notices to 7 more countries
PHOTO: NYTIMES
US President Donald Trump issued final tariff notices to seven minor trading partners on July 9 as his administration inched closer to a deal with its biggest trading partner, the European Union.
Mr Trump said in posts on his Truth Social media platform that starting Aug 1 he would impose a 20 per cent tariff on goods from the Philippines, 30 per cent on goods from Sri Lanka, Algeria, Iraq, and Libya, and 25 per cent on Brunei and Moldova.
The latest letters add to 14 others issued earlier in the week including 25 per cent tariffs for powerhouse US suppliers South Korea and Japan, which are also to take effect Aug 1 barring any trade deals reached before then.
Linda Yaccarino, CEO of Elon Musk’s X, to step down
PHOTO: AFP
Billionaire Elon Musk-owned social platform X’s CEO, Ms Linda Yaccarino, said on July 9 she would step down from the role in a surprise move.
Her exit comes at a difficult time for Mr Musk, who is dealing with falling sales at his electric vehicle maker Tesla and is embroiled in a war of words with US President Donald Trump.
Ms Yaccarino, 61, did not give a specific reason for her decision.
Microsoft makes $600m in AI savings while slashing jobs
PHOTO: REUTERS
Microsoft saved more than US$500 million (S$640 million) in its call centres alone in 2024 by using artificial intelligence, Bloomberg News reported on July 9.
The tech giant last week announced plans to lay off nearly 4 per cent of its workforce as it looks to rein in costs amid hefty investments in AI infrastructure.
In May, the company had announced layoffs affecting around 6,000 workers.
PSG crush Real Madrid 4-0 to reach Club World Cup final
PHOTO: AFP
Paris St Germain’s Spanish midfielder Fabian Ruiz scored twice in a devastating first-half display as the French champions demolished Real Madrid 4-0 on July 9 to book their place in the Club World Cup final against Chelsea.
Two defensive errors handed PSG their opening goals within nine minutes at MetLife Stadium.
Raul Asencio’s poor control in the sixth minute gifted Ousmane Dembele possession and his first effort was saved by Thibaut Courtois before the rebound was picked up by Ruiz who scored into an empty net.
