While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, June 18, 2025
US President Donald Trump (left) said on social media that the US knows exactly where Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is hiding. PHOTOS: REUTERS
While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, June 18, 2025
Trump says won't kill Iran's supreme leader - 'for now'
President Donald Trump dramatically stepped up his rhetoric against Iran's supreme leader on June 17, saying on social media that the United States knows where Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is located but will not kill him 'for now.'
In another post, Mr Trump also appeared to demand Iran's 'UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!' as he fuelled questions about whether the United States would join Israel's attacks on Tehran's leadership and nuclear facilities.
'We know exactly where the so-called 'Supreme Leader' is hiding. He is an easy target, but is safe there – We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now,' Mr Trump said, on his Truth Social platform.
'But we don't want missiles shot at civilians, or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin. Thank you for your attention to this matter!' said Mr Trump.
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G-7 rallies behind Ukraine after abrupt Trump exit
Group of Seven (G-7) powers, holding talks on June 17 at a summit that Donald Trump left early, promised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky fresh support as Russia stepped up attacks on its neighbour.
The US president, who has had a volatile relationship with Mr Zelensky and had been due to meet him, flew out of the summit in the Canadian Rockies late on June 16 to return to Washington to focus on the Israel-Iran conflict.
Mr Zelensky arrived at the wooded mountain resort of Kananaskis after Russia ravaged Kyiv with one of the worst bombardments since it invaded in February 2022, killing at least 15 people in the capital.
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China's Xi signs treaty to elevate ties with Central Asia
China President Xi Jinping signed a treaty to elevate ties with Central Asian nations on June 17, as Beijing looks to further deepen cooperation on trade, energy and infrastructure with the resource-rich region.
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Beijing has been stepping up efforts to boost economic links with Central Asian nations traditionally within Russia's sphere of influence, drawn by their strategic location and energy resources.
At a regional summit in the Kazakh capital of Astana on June 17, Mr Xi, lauding a milestone, signed a treaty of 'permanent good-neighbourliness and friendly cooperation' with leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, China's official Xinhua news agency reported.
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Japan's Honda conducts surprise reusable rocket test
Honda succeeded in a launch and landing test of its prototype reusable rocket on June 17, the Japanese company said in a surprise announcement, marking a milestone towards its 2029 goal of achieving a suborbital spaceflight.
Honda R&D, the research arm of Japan's second-biggest carmaker, successfully landed its 6.3m experimental reusable launch vehicle after reaching an altitude of 271m at its test facility in northern Japan's space town Taiki, according to the company.
Reusable launch vehicles have been the driver of emerging commercial space missions over the past decade, led by SpaceX's Falcon 9, while its US rivals including Blue Origin and companies in China and Europe also have reusable rocket plans.
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Streaming surpasses broadcast and cable TV in US for first time
Streaming services, which have been steadily gaining in popularity, have finally dethroned broadcast and cable television in the US, winning more viewers in May than broadcast and cable combined, audience measurement firm Nielsen reported on June 17.
Nielsen, in its monthly report The Gauge, said streaming captured 44.8 per cent of total TV usage in the US in May, highlighting the growing dominance of streaming platforms like YouTube and Netflix over the past four years.
Google's YouTube alone accounted for 12.5 per cent of all television viewing in May, representing the largest audience share for a streaming service.
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Straits Times
34 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Japan, South Korea pledge closer ties after Ishiba-Lee meeting on sidelines of G-7 summit
KANANASKIS, Alberta - South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba agreed to step up cooperation in their first in-person talks, in an early indication of the direction of future relations between the two countries after Mr Lee took office. The two leaders met on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G-7) summit in the Canadian Rockies on June 17 , just days before the 60th anniversary of the normalisation of diplomatic ties between South Korea and Japan. 'We are inseparable, like neighbours sharing a front yard. We may have small differences and disagreements, but I hope that we can overcome them and develop a more cooperative and mutually beneficial relationship in many ways,' Mr Lee said to Mr Ishiba, a televised broadcast showed. The meeting builds on a dialogue that began with a phone call about a week ago. Left-leaning Lee, who has been critical of Japan in the past, became president after winning a June 3 vote triggered by the ouster of his conservative predecessor. The two leaders agreed to beef up trilateral cooperation with the US to respond to geopolitical risks including North Korean issues, and reaffirmed their commitment to shuttle diplomacy between the neighbours , a statement from the South Korean president's office said. 'The two leaders affirmed that they will continue to work closely together, as well as within the trilateral framework with the US, on responding to North Korea on issues that include nuclear, missiles, and abductees,' according to a separate statement from the Japanese government. Mr Lee had also planned to meet with President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G-7 summit, but the talks were cancelled after Mr Trump cut short his trip amid the Israel-Iran conflict. The possibility of a three-way meeting among the leaders in Canada had also been floated in South Korean local media reports. The relationship between Japan and South Korea, as well as their trilateral ties with the United States, is under scrutiny given a tendency for new leaders in Seoul to walk back on progress made by predecessors, as well as interest over how the US will engage in the Indo-Pacific under Mr Trump. Despite his past criticism of both the US and Japan, Mr Lee is likely wanting to emphasise continuity in relations with Japan and the US at least at the start of his administration. Still, on the campaign trail, Mr Lee suggested a more balanced approach for South Korea going forward regarding its relations with the US and China. He also called for renewed dialogue with Pyongyang. Mr Ishiba's predecessor Fumio Kishida and former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol developed close ties during their time in office, bringing a thaw in relations between the two nations after lingering tensions stemming from Japan's colonial rule over the Korean peninsula from 1910-1945. BLOOMBERG Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
34 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Made in Vietnam: Hanoi cracks down on fake goods as US tariffs loom
As Vietnam tries to head off US President Donald Trump's threatened 46 per cent tariff, it has launched a crackdown on fake products. PHOTO: AFP Made in Vietnam: Hanoi cracks down on fake goods as US tariffs loom - Since the United States accused Vietnam of being a hub for counterfeit goods, Ms Tran Le Chi has found it increasingly hard to track down her favourite fake Chanel T-shirts, Gucci sunglasses and Louis Vuitton handbags. As Vietnam's government tries to head off US President Donald Trump's threatened 46 per cent tariff, it has launched a crackdown on fake products – in part to show responsiveness to US concerns. Now there are streets filled with shuttered shops in Hanoi and rows of closed stalls at Saigon Square shopping mall, a major clothing market in Ho Chi Minh City. Ms Chi – a betting agent for an illegal game known as lo-de, where punters predict the last two lotto numbers of the standard daily draw – said she had never paid more than US$40 (S$51.50) per 'designer' item. 'Only the super-rich people can afford the real ones,' she added. 'They're not for people like us.' Communist-run Vietnam is a manufacturing powerhouse that produces clothing and footwear for international brands, with the US its No. 1 export market in the first five months of 2025. But it also has a thriving market for counterfeit goods. In a report published by the US Trade Representative in January, Saigon Square shopping mall was flagged as a major market for the sale of fake luxury items including handbags, wallets, jewellery and watches. The report noted government efforts to stamp out the trade, but said 'low penalties have had little deterrent effect' and 'counterfeit products remain rampant'. Shop owner Hoa, a pseudonym to protect her identity, said almost all of the fake Nike, Lacoste and North Face products she sells in her shop in Hanoi's old quarter are from China – but tagged with a 'Made in Vietnam' label to make them seem authentic. She insists that all her customers know what they're getting. 'My clients are those who cannot afford authentic products,' Ms Hoa said. 'I've never cheated anyone.' Hanoi and Washington are in the thick of trade talks, with Vietnam doing everything it can to avoid the crushing 46 per cent tariff that could come into force in early July. Vietnam's Trade Ministry ordered the authorities in April to tighten control over the origin of goods after the Trump administration accused the country of facilitating Chinese exports to the US and allowing Beijing to get around tariffs. The Public Security Ministry also said there would be a three-month-long crackdown – until mid-August – on counterfeit goods. Mr Nguyen Thanh Nam, deputy head of the Agency for Domestic Market Surveillance and Development, said last week that in the first five months of 2025, more than 7,000 cases of counterfeit products worth more than US$8 million had been discovered. He added that 1,000 fake Rolex watches had been seized from Saigon Square shopping mall. Mounds of vitamins, cosmetics and sweets – seemingly also counterfeits – have appeared at waste grounds outside cities including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Danang, while fake electronics including Marshall speakers and smartwatches have been confiscated. Police have not specified the origin of the goods, but Vietnam was South-east Asia's biggest buyer of Chinese products in 2024, with a bill of US$161.9 billion. Dr Nguyen Khac Giang, visiting fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, said that although there were other aims of the drive, including improving Vietnam's business environment and formalising the retail sector, 'the campaign plays a role in Vietnam's strategy to appease the US'. 'The effort partly reflects Vietnam's intent to show responsiveness to US concerns,' he said. But for Ms Hoa, her livelihood is on the line. Her shop has been closed for almost two weeks and she has no idea how to restart the business. 'I have sold these sorts of clothes for a decade and experienced no problem at all. Now they crack down on us, it's hard to figure out how I continue,' she said. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
AsiaOne
42 minutes ago
- AsiaOne
Trump administration disbands group focused on pressuring Russia, sources say, World News
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration shelved in recent weeks an inter-agency working group it had set up to formulate strategies for pressuring Russia into speeding up peace talks with Ukraine, according to three US officials. The effort, which was established earlier in the spring, lost steam in May as it became increasingly clear to participants that US President Donald Trump was not interested in adopting a more confrontational stance toward Moscow, said the officials. Despite pledging during his campaign to end the war in Ukraine on the first day of his presidency, Trump in recent months has grown increasingly frustrated that his push has yielded no breakthroughs. He has begun saying that the United States may abandon its efforts to broker peace altogether. In light of that threat, the working group's task seemed increasingly irrelevant, added those officials, who requested anonymity to describe sensitive internal discussions. "It lost steam toward the end because the president wasn't there. Instead of doing more, maybe he wanted to do less," one of the officials said. The death of the working group, the existence of which has not been previously reported, is likely to deepen European allies' concerns over Trump's at-times conciliatory tone toward Russia and his reluctance to express full-throated support for Ukraine ahead of a pivotal summit of Nato allies later this month. On the first day of a meeting of Group of Seven leaders in Canada on Monday, the Republican president said removing Russia from the former Group of Eight over a decade ago had been a mistake. The final blow for the working group came roughly three weeks ago, when most members of the White House National Security Council — including the entire team dealing directly with the Ukraine war — were dismissed as part of a broad purge, according to the three officials. The effort was set up and coordinated by high-ranking NSC staffers, the officials said, though it included participants from the State Department, Treasury Department, the Pentagon and intelligence community. Among those working on the effort was Andrew Peek, the top NSC official for Europe and Russia, who was removed in May. It is unclear precisely who gave the order to discontinue the effort, but the officials suggested the depth of the NSC cuts made its continuation largely untenable. Since the effort's dissolution, Trump's broader peacemaking efforts, which had been a central element of his campaign pitch, have hit a challenging stretch. Despite some successes — such as a US-brokered ceasefire between India and Pakistan — Trump has made little tangible progress in achieving a ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of a full-blown regional war in the Middle East has risen rapidly with the Israel-Iran conflict. The dissolution of the group also follows a March suspension of work by some US national security agencies on a coordinated effort to counter Russian sabotage and disinformation operations, Reuters reported at the time. Nevertheless, Trump could choose to adopt a firmer stance toward Russia regardless of the fate of the working group, which was set up to develop options for the president "if he wanted to get tougher on Russia," one of the officials said. Some Trump allies, including Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, have publicly advocated for an expansive new round of sanctions directed at Russia, citing Moscow's effective rejection of US ceasefire proposals and the Kremlin's continual attacks on civilian targets as proof of Putin's recalcitrance. Trump has said he is considering such measures, but he has also regularly faulted both sides for the ongoing hostilities. The White House did not respond to a request for comment, nor did the Treasury Department, the State Department or the Pentagon. [[nid:719195]] The Ukrainian and Russian embassies in Washington also did not respond to requests for comment. 'Deep frustration' The working group was formed in March or April at a time when some close Trump advisers were growing increasingly sceptical of the Kremlin's willingness to reach a deal, while Trump's rhetoric suggested he might be interested in modifying his accommodating stance toward Putin. In an interview with NBC News in late March, he said he was "very angry" and "pissed off" at the Russian leader for raising questions about the legitimacy of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. NSC spokesman James Hewitt said in an April 1 statement to Reuters that there was a "deep frustration with the Russian government over negotiations." Among the topics discussed within the working group was how the US could incentivise or pressure former Soviet states, as well as other Eastern European and Asian nations, to limit the flow of goods and energy into and out of Russia, said the officials. It is unclear if Trump was aware of the working group's formation or subsequent dissolution. The NSC removals left few high-ranking people on the Russia file, complicating the prospects for any robust inter-agency debate on the topic. While reluctant to discuss the details of the options drawn up by the group due to the sensitive nature of the work, US officials said the group was still brainstorming ideas when it was dissolved. The group's work was unrelated to the Russia sanctions package in the US Senate. Ideas ranged from tailored economic deals designed to peel some countries out of Russia's geopolitical orbit to covert special operations efforts, the officials said. One official mentioned the possibility of creating an incentive structure to push Kazakhstan to more vigorously crack down on sanctions evasion. The country, like other post-Soviet states, has been used by traders to bypass some Western-imposed import restrictions on Russia since Moscow's expanded invasion began in 2022. The Kazakhstani embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment. [[nid:718992]]
