While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, June 10, 2025
US Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng shake hands as they pose for a photo during trade talks at the Lancaster House in London. PHOTO: AFP
While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, June 10, 2025
US, China trade talks to stretch into second day
Key trade talks between US and Chinese officials in London will stretch into a second day, a source told AFP June 9, with both sides seeking to shore up a shaky tariff truce further strained by export curbs.
The gathering of key officials from the world's two biggest economies began on June 9 in the historic Lancaster House, run by the UK Foreign Office, following a first round of talks in Geneva in May.
Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng was again heading the team in London, which included Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and China International Trade Representative Li Chenggang.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer are leading the US delegation.
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Trump suggests arresting California Governor Newsom as protests enter fourth day
President Donald Trump said on June 9 he would support the arrest of California's Gavin Newsom, in a dramatic escalation of a growing conflict with the Democratic governor about immigration protests that roiled Los Angeles during the weekend.
The Republican president's remarks came after Mr Newsom vowed to sue the federal government over the deployment of National Guard troops to Southern California, calling it an illegal act.
As Los Angeles faced a possible fourth day of protests over immigration raids in the city, Democrats and Republicans clashed over what has become the biggest flashpoint in the Trump administration's aggressive efforts to deport migrants living in the country illegally.
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US State Dept resumes processing Harvard student visas after judge's ruling
US President Donald Trump on June 9 said the US and Iran would continue talks on June 12 for a nuclear deal, adding that Tehran was a tough negotiator and that the main impediment to an agreement was over enrichment.
'We're doing a lot of work on Iran right now,' Mr Trump told reporters at an economic event at the White House. 'It's tough. ... They're great negotiators.'
'They're just asking for things that you can't do. They don't want to give up what they have to give up,' he added. 'They seek enrichment. We can't have enrichment. We want just the opposite. And so far, they're not there.'
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Canada vows to meet Nato defence budget target early
Canada, under pressure to spend more on its military, vowed on June 9 to boost funding for the armed forces and hit Nato's 2 per cent military spending target this fiscal year, five years earlier than promised.
Prime Minister Mark Carney also said Canada was likely in future to devote a greater percentage of GDP on defence, given the need to replace outdated equipment and reduce its heavy reliance on Washington.
'Now is the time to act with urgency, force, and determination,' Mr Carney said in a speech in Toronto, reiterating promises to work more closely with Europe's defence industry.
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Judge dismisses Justin Baldoni's $515 million defamation lawsuit against Blake Lively
A US judge on June 9 dismissed actor Justin Baldoni's US$400 million (S$515 million) defamation lawsuit against actress Blake Lively, who had accused Baldoni of sexually harassing her while filming the 2024 movie It Ends With Us.
US District Judge Lewis Liman in Manhattan said Lively's claims to a California state agency about Baldoni's alleged harassment during the filming were privileged, and shielded from the defamation claim by Baldoni and his Wayfarer Studios.
In a 132-page decision, Liman also dismissed Baldoni's related US$250 million lawsuit against the New York Times.
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an hour ago
- Straits Times
Explainer: Does US law allow Trump to send troops to quell protests?
California sued the Trump administration on June 9 to end the 'unlawful' deployment of troops in Los Angeles County. PHOTO: REUTERS Explainer: Does US law allow Trump to send troops to quell protests? President Donald Trump deployed National Guard troops to California after days of protests by hundreds of demonstrators against immigration raids, saying the protests interfered with federal law enforcement and framing them as a possible 'form of rebellion' against the authority of the US government. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on June 9 mobilised 700 active duty Marines as part of the government's response to the protests. California sued the Trump administration on June 9 to end the 'unlawful' deployment of troops in Los Angeles County and return the state National Guard to California Governor Gavin Newsom's command. What laws did Trump cite to justify the deployment? Mr Trump cited Title 10 of the US Code, a federal law that outlines the role of the US Armed Forces, in his June 7 order to call members of the California National Guard into federal service. A provision of Title 10 - Section 12406 - allows the president to deploy National Guard units into federal service if the US is invaded, there is a 'rebellion or danger of rebellion' or the president is 'unable with the regular forces to execute the laws of the United States'. What are national guard troops allowed to do under the law cited in Trump's order? An 1878 law, the Posse Comitatus Act, generally forbids the US military, including the National Guard, from taking part in civilian law enforcement. Section 12406 does not override that prohibition, but it allows troops to protect federal agents who are carrying out law enforcement activity and to protect federal property. For example, National Guard troops cannot arrest protesters, but they could protect US Immigration and Customs Enforcement who are carrying out arrests. What does California's lawsuit say? California National Guard troops and police officers stand guard as people attend a rally against federal immigration sweeps in Los Angeles on June 9. PHOTO: REUTERS California's lawsuit said the deployment of troops in the state without the governor's consent violates federal law and the US Constitution's 10th Amendment, which protects states' rights. The state argues the deployment does not meet any of the requirements in Title 10 because there was no 'rebellion', no 'invasion' and no situation that prevented the enforcement of US laws in the state. Mr Trump also did not consult with Newsom before deploying the National Guard, violating Section 12406's requirement that orders to deploy the National Guard 'shall be issued through the governors of the States', according to the lawsuit. What is the lawsuit asking for? The lawsuit seeks a declaration from the court Mr Trump's order is unlawful and an injunction blocking it from being enforced. How might a court view the dispute? There is little precedent for such a dispute. Section 12406 has only ever been invoked once before to deploy the National Guard, when President Richard Nixon called upon it to deliver the mail during the 1970 Postal Service Strike, according to Bonta. Five legal experts from both left- and right-leaning advocacy organisations cast doubt on Mr Trump's use of Title 10 in response to the immigration protests and called it inflammatory and reckless, especially without Governor Newsom's support. The protests in California do not rise to the level of 'rebellion' and do not prevent the federal government from executing the laws of the United States, experts said. Legal experts were split on whether a court would back Governor Newsom's interpretation of the governor's role under Section 12406. Courts have traditionally given great weight to the word 'shall' in interpreting other laws, which supports Governor Newsom's position that governors must be involved in calling in the National Guard. But other experts said the law was written to reflect the norms of how National Guard troops are typically deployed, rather than giving a governor the option to not comply with a president's decision to deploy troops. What other laws could Trump invoke to direct the National Guard or other US military troops? Mr Trump could take a more far-reaching step by invoking the Insurrection Act of 1792, which would allow troops to directly participate in civilian law enforcement, for which there is little recent precedent. Senior White House officials, including Vice President J.D. Vance and senior White House aide Stephen Miller, have used the term 'insurrection' when discussing the protests, but the administration has stopped short of invoking the act thus far. It has been used by past presidents to deploy troops within the US in response to crises like the 1794 Whiskey Rebellion and the rise of the Ku Klux Klan in the immediate aftermath of the American Civil War. Protesters clash with law enforcement in the streets surrounding the federal building in Los Angeles on June 8. PHOTO: AFP The law was last invoked by President George H.W. Bush in 1992, when the governor of California requested military aid to suppress unrest in Los Angeles following the trial of Los Angeles police officers who beat black motorist Rodney King. But the last time a president deployed the National Guard in a state without a request from that state's governor was 1965, when President Lyndon Johnson sent troops to protect civil rights demonstrators in Montgomery, Alabama. What about the Marines? Mr Trump has more direct authority over the Marines than the National Guard, under Title 10 and in his constitutional role as commander in chief of the armed forces, legal experts said. But unless Mr Trump invokes the Insurrection Act, the Marines are subject to legal restrictions that prevent them from taking part in 'any search, seizure, arrest or other similar activity'. The Defence Department said on June 9 that the Marines were ready to support the National Guard's efforts to protect federal personnel and federal property in Los Angeles, emphasizing the relatively limited scope of their role at the moment. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
The White House wants 90 trade deals in 90 days, may have 1 so far
US President Donald Trump has so far announced only one deal: a pack with Britain, which is not one of America's biggest trading partners. PHOTO: REUTERS The White House wants 90 trade deals in 90 days, may have 1 so far WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump has announced wave after wave of tariffs since taking office in January, part of a sweeping effort that he has argued would secure better trade terms with other countries. 'It's called negotiation,' he recently said. In April, administration officials vowed to sign trade deals with as many as 90 countries in 90 days. The ambitious target came after Mr Trump announced, and then rolled back a portion of, steep tariffs that in some cases meant import taxes cost more than the wholesale price of a good itself. The 90-day goal, however, is one-tenth of the time it usually takes to reach a trade deal, according to a New York Times analysis of major agreements with the United States currently in effect, raising questions about how realistic the administration's target may be. It typically takes 917 days, or roughly two and a half years, for a trade deal to go from initial talks to the president's desk for signature, the analysis shows. Roughly 60 days into the current process, Mr Trump has so far announced only one deal: a pact with Britain, which is not one of America's biggest trading partners. He has also suggested that negotiations with China have been rocky. 'I like President XI of China, always have, and always will, but he is VERY TOUGH, AND EXTREMELY HARD TO MAKE A DEAL WITH!!!' Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social on June 4. China and the United States agreed last month to temporarily slash tariffs on each other's imports in a gesture of goodwill to continue talks. Part of what the president can accomplish boils down to what you can call a deal. The pact with Britain is less of a deal than it is a framework for talking about a deal, said Ms Wendy Cutler, the vice-president of the Asia Society Policy Institute and a former US trade negotiator. What was officially released by the two nations more closely resembled talking points for 'what you were going to negotiate versus the actual commitment', she said. During his first term, Mr Trump secured two major trade agreements, both signed in January 2020. One was the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) which was a reworking of the North American free trade treaty from the 1990s that had helped transform the economies of the three nations. USMCA is an all-encompassing, legally binding agreement that resulted from a lengthy and formal process, according to trade analysts. Such deals are supposed to cover all aspects of trade between the respective nations and are negotiated under specific guidelines for congressional consultation. Closing the deal involves both negotiation and ratification – modifying or making laws in each partner country. The deals are signed by trade negotiators before the president signs the legislation that puts the deals into effect for the United States. Mr Trump's other major agreement in his first term was with China, in an echo of the current trade war. The pact, unlike previous deals, came about after Mr Trump threatened tariffs on certain Chinese imports. This 'tariff first, talk later' approach, said Ms Inu Manak, a trade policy fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, is part of the same playbook the administration is currently using. The result was a nonbinding agreement between the two countries, known as 'Phase One,' that did not require approval from Congress and that could be ended by either party at any time. Still, it took almost one year and nine months to complete. China ultimately fell far short of the commitments it made to purchase American goods under the agreement. A comparison of the two first-term Trump deals shows the drawn-out and sometimes winding path each took to completion. Fragile truces (including ones made for 90 days) were formed, only for talks to break down later, all while rounds of tariffs injected uncertainty into the diplomatic relations between countries. The Times analysis used the date from the start of negotiations to the date when the president signed to determine the length of deal making for each major agreement dating back to 1985 that's currently in effect. The median time it took to get to the president's signature was just over 900 days. A separate analysis published in 2016 by the Peterson Institute for International Economics used the date of signature by country representatives as the completion moment and found that the median deal took more than 570 days. With roughly one month before the administration's self-imposed deadline, Mr Trump's ability to forge deals has been thrust into sudden doubt. Last week, a US trade court ruled he had overstepped his authority in imposing the April tariffs. For now, the tariffs remain in place, following a temporary stay from a federal appeals court. But in arguing its case, the federal government initially said that the ruling could upset negotiations with other nations and undercut the president's leverage. 'I think when the administration first started, they thought they could actually do these binding and enforceable deals within 90 days and then quickly realised that they bit off more than they could chew,' Ms Cutler said. The administration told its negotiating partners to submit offers of trade concessions they were willing to make by June 4, in an effort to strike trade deals in the coming weeks. The deadline was earlier reported by Reuters. The current approach to deal making may be strategic, Ms Manak said. One of the benefits of not doing a comprehensive deal like USMCA is that the administration can declare small 'victories' on a much faster timeline, she said. 'It means that trade agreements simply are just not what they used to be,' she added. 'And you can't really guarantee that whatever the US promises is actually going to be upheld in the long run.' NYTIMES Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Trump's Guard deployment to LA protests puts Newsom in political predicament
California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks on transnational commerce and border security while visiting the U.S.- Mexico border in San Diego, California, U.S. December 5, 2024. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo Soon after scattered protests broke out in Los Angeles on Friday in the wake of federal immigration raids, President Donald Trump and California Governor Gavin Newsom spoke by phone. Trump never mentioned any federal response, according to Newsom, who described the conversation as "very cordial" on MSNBC on Sunday. Twenty-four hours later, Trump ordered thousands of National Guard troops to the state, bypassing Newsom and igniting another firestorm over his aggressive efforts to deport migrants living in the U.S. illegally. For Newsom, governor of the nation's most populous state and a potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate, Trump's gambit has created substantial political risks. Throughout Trump's first and second terms, Democratic governors have struggled to find the most effective approach to dealing with the mercurial Republican president; confronting Trump can result in backlash, but conceding ground sometimes encourages him to push harder. Newsom and Trump have often clashed in the past, with Trump calling the governor "Newscum" and Newsom declaring after Trump's election victory that he would "Trump-proof" California. During Trump's first months in office, however, Newsom has often opted for appeasement rather than antagonism - meeting the president on the tarmac when Trump visited during January's devastating wildfires and interviewing leading Trump acolytes such as Charlie Kirk and Steve Bannon on his new podcast. But Trump's decision to send troops into California - the first time in decades that a president had done so absent a request from a governor - and his claim that Los Angeles was being "invaded" by violent mobs appear to have convinced Newsom to abandon his conciliatory approach. "I've always wanted to approach engagement with the president of the United States in a respectful and responsible way," Newsom told MSNBC on Sunday. "But there's no working with the president, there's only working for him – and I will never work for Donald Trump." Speaking to reporters on Monday, Trump said Newsom was incompetent and that he should be arrested. "I think his primary crime is running for governor because he's done such a bad job," Trump said when asked what crime Newsom had committed. 'A DELICATE ACT' The state sued Trump on Monday, seeking to force him to rescind the Guard deployment. Meanwhile, about 700 Marines will be sent to Los Angeles until more Guard personnel can arrive, a U.S. official said. Newsom is trying to navigate choppy political waters, according to strategists from both parties. As the governor of California, a deep-blue Democratic state that Trump has gleefully caricatured at every opportunity, Newsom could struggle to appeal to swing voters as a national candidate without moderating his image. There is also the risk that angering Trump could harm Newsom's 39 million constituents; the governor is still waiting for federal funding to help rebuild after the wildfires, while the president recently threatened to cut the state's education funding after a transgender girl competed in a girls' track and field championship event. At the same time, Democratic voters want to see their leaders fight tooth-and-nail against what they see as Trump's lawlessness and corruption. "He's serving his own ambitions as well as the state of California, and those two things don't often coincide," said Steven Maviglio, a longtime Democratic consultant in the state. "It's a dilemma for Newsom." The protests allowed Trump to tout his hardline immigration policies while claiming California was helpless to stop the violence without his intervention. "On this one, I think the president has really check-mated the governor," Maviglio added. "This fed right into his scenario of what California is all about...a wildly liberal state with lawlessness and immigrants and no rules." Jon Fleischman, a Republican strategist and former executive director of the state Republican Party, said images of burning cars and protesters waving Mexican flags only served to bolster Trump's position. Newsom, he argued, had taken Trump's bait by blaming him for the escalation of violence. "Donald Trump can't force somebody to throw a rock at a police car," he said. Other Democratic governors have grappled with similar predicaments under Trump's administration. In April, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, also seen as a potential 2028 presidential candidate, visited the White House to discuss the future of a military base in her state, but was caught by surprise in the Oval Office when Trump signed executive orders targeting his political enemies. A photograph of the governor covering her face from cameras went viral. "Balancing your state's needs and working with President Trump, if you're a Democratic governor, is always going to be a delicate act," said Chris Meagher, a Democratic communications consultant. "I think the more that Governor Newsom can keep his head down and do the work and show that he has the situation under control, the better off that he's going to be." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
