While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Aug 10, 2025
Europe, Ukraine press US ahead of Trump-Putin talks
European officials presented their own Ukraine peace proposals to the United States on Aug 9 as President Donald Trump prepared for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on ending the war.
Mr Trump announced on Aug 8 that he would meet Mr Putin in Alaska on Aug 15, saying the parties, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, were close to a deal that could resolve the three-and-a-half-year conflict.
Details of the potential deal have yet to be announced, but Mr Trump said it would involve 'some swopping of territories to the betterment of both'. It could require Ukraine to surrender significant parts of its territory - an outcome Kyiv and its European allies say would only encourage Russian aggression.
US Vice-President J.D. Vance met Ukrainian and European allies in Britain on Aug 9 to discuss Mr Trump's push for peace.
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UK police arrest hundreds at rally for banned group
PHOTO: EPA
Police in London arrested at least 466 people on Aug 9 for supporting Palestine Action, at the latest and largest protest backing the group since the government banned it in July under anti-terror laws.
The Metropolitan Police said it made the hundreds of arrests, thought to be one of the highest ever at a single protest in the UK capital, for 'supporting a proscribed organisation'.
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The government outlawed Palestine Action in early July, days after it took responsibility for a break-in at an air force base in southern England that caused an estimated £7 million (S$12 million) of damage to two aircraft.
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UN plastic pollution treaty talks floundering
PHOTO: EPA
Talks on forging a groundbreaking treaty to combat the scourge of plastic pollution were floundering on Aug 9, with progress slow and countries wildly at odds on what the proposed agreement should cover.
The negotiations, which opened on Aug 5, have four working days left to strike a legally-binding instrument that would tackle the growing problem choking the environment.
But in a blunt mid-way assessment, the talks chairman warned the 184 countries gathered at the United Nations in Geneva that progress so far was well off track.
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Four astronauts home from International Space Station
An international crew of four astronauts is back home on Earth on Aug 9 after nearly five months aboard the International Space Station, returning safely in a SpaceX capsule.
The spacecraft carrying US astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan's Takuya Onishi and Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov splashed down off California's coast at 8.44am local time (11.34pm in Singapore).
Their return marks the end of the 10th crew rotation mission to the space station under Nasa's Commercial Crew Programme, which was created to succeed the Space Shuttle era by partnering with private industry.
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Salah criticises Uefa tribute to 'Palestinian Pele'
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah on Aug 9 criticised Uefa's tribute to the late Suleiman Al-Obeid, known as the 'Palestinian Pele,' after European soccer's governing body failed to reference the circumstances surrounding his death this week.
The Palestine Football Association said that Al-Obeid, 41, was killed by an Israeli strike targeting civilians waiting for humanitarian aid in the southern Gaza Strip on Aug 6.
In a brief post on the social media platform X, Uefa called the former national team member 'a talent who gave hope to countless children, even in the darkest of times'.
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Straits Times
29 minutes ago
- Straits Times
US deficit grows to over $373 billion in July despite tariff revenue surge
WASHINGTON - The US government's budget deficit grew nearly 20 per cent in July to US$291 billion (S$373.4 billion) despite a nearly US$21 billion jump in customs duty collections from US President Donald Trump's tariffs, with outlays growing faster than receipts, the Treasury Department said on Aug 12. The deficit for July was up 19 per cent, or US$47 billion, from July 2024. Receipts for the month grew 2 per cent, or US$8 billion, to US$338 billion, while outlays jumped 10 per cent, or US$56 billion, to US$630 billion, a record high for the month. The month of July 2025 had fewer business days than 2024, so the Treasury Department said that adjusting for the difference would have increased receipts by about US$20 billion, resulting in a deficit of about US$271 billion. Net customs receipts in July grew to about US$27.7 billion from about US$7.1 billion in the year-earlier period due to higher tariff rates imposed by Trump, a Treasury official said. These collections were largely in line with the increase in June customs receipts after steady growth since April. Trump has touted the billions of dollars flowing into US coffers from his tariffs, but the duties are paid by companies importing the goods, with some costs often passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices. Consumer price index data on Aug 12 showed increases in prices for some tariff-sensitive goods like furniture, footwear and auto parts, but they were offset by lower gasoline prices in the overall index. For the first 10 months of the fiscal year, customs duties totaled US$135.7 billion, up US$73 billion, or 116 per cent, from the year-earlier period. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox Business Network's 'Kudlow' program that the growing US tariff revenue will make it difficult for the Supreme Court to rule against Trump's import taxes if a legal challenge to them makes its way to the country's top court. Mr Ken Matheny, director of macroeconomics at Yale University's Budget Lab, said it is unclear how much further monthly tariff revenue will grow, but the applied tariff rate measured by customs duties divided by the value of goods imports is still around 10 per cent, lower than the current average tariff rate of about 18 per cent based on the latest announcements. Significant numbers of firms are likely holding goods in bonded customs warehouses in the hope that negotiations will bring tariff rates down, but at some point those goods will enter the country, triggering duty payments, he said. 'I suspect these numbers are showing us there is a sizable balance of imports where the duties haven't been recognised yet,' Mr Matheny said, adding that this could lead to a 'temporary big surge in duties.' The overall year-to-date budget results showed a US$1.629 trillion deficit, up 7 per cent, or US$112 billion, from the same period a year earlier. Receipts were up 6 per cent, or US$262 billion, to US$4.347 trillion, a record high for the 10-month period, while outlays grew 7 per cent, or US$374 billion, to US$5.975 trillion, also a 10-month record. The year-to-date customs duties were more than eaten up by an increase of 10 per cent or US$141 billion in costs for government healthcare programs, including Medicare for seniors and Medicaid for the poor, to US$1.557 trillion. The Social Security pension program, the largest single expense item, saw an increase of 9 per cent or US$108 billion over the first 10 months of fiscal 2025 to US$1.368 trillion. Interest on the public debt also continued to grow, topping US$1.01 trillion for the 10-month period, an increase of 6 per cent or US$57 billion over the prior year due to slightly higher interest rates and increased debt levels. REUTERS
Straits Times
29 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Trump mocks Goldman CEO, says bank made bad call on tariffs
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox A research note on Aug 10 by Goldman economists that said the impact of the president's tariffs on consumer prices was just starting to be felt. WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump assailed Goldman Sachs Group Inc chief executive officer David Solomon, saying the bank made a 'bad prediction' about the impact of Mr Trump's sweeping tariff agenda on markets and consumer costs. 'David Solomon and Goldman Sachs refuse to give credit where credit is due,' the president said on his social-media platform on Aug 12. 'They made a bad prediction a long time ago on both the Market repercussion and the Tariffs themselves, and they were wrong, just like they are wrong about so much else.' Mr Trump didn't specify why he was upset with the bank, but his remarks follow a research note on Aug 10 by Goldman economists that said the impact of the president's tariffs on consumer prices was just starting to be felt. Consumers in the US have absorbed an estimated 22 per cent of tariff costs through June, but their share will rise to 67 per cent if the latest tariffs follow the pattern of levies in previous years, according to a note by researchers led by Mr Jan Hatzius, the bank's chief economist. 'I think that David should go out and get himself a new Economist or, maybe, he ought to just focus on being a DJ, and not bother running a major Financial Institution,' Mr Trump added in his post, referencing Mr Solomon's hobby as a disc jockey, which he put on pause after earlier criticism over his handling of the bank's strategy. A spokesperson for New York-based Goldman Sachs declined to comment on the president's remarks. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Sengkang-Punggol LRT line back to full service: SBS Transit World US trade team will meet Chinese officials in two or three months, Bessent says Singapore From survivable to liveable: The making of a green city Asia DPM Gan kicks off India visit in Mumbai as Singapore firms ink investment agreements Multimedia World Photography Day: Celebrating the art of image-making World Ukraine, sidelined in Trump-Putin summit, fights Russian grab for more territory Opinion Singpass use in dating apps raises difficult questions Singapore SG60: Many hands behind Singapore's success story Mr Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro also criticised Goldman in an interview later on Aug 12 on Bloomberg Television. 'The only entity which has less respect in terms of their data than the BLS these days is Goldman Sachs,' Mr Navarro said, comparing the bank unfavourably with the Bureau of Labour Statistics. Mr Trump fired and replaced the head of the federal agency after revisions to jobs data showed a weakening US labour market. The latest broadside follows Mr Trump's criticisms of some of Wall Street's biggest lenders, accusing them of debanking clients for political reasons. The president has publicly lambasted JPMorgan Chase & Co and Bank of America Corp with claims they've refused clients on such grounds, allegations the banks deny. Despite those tensions, the sector stands to benefit more broadly from the president's deregulation agenda and expectations for lower capital requirements. It's also been less than two weeks since the president met with Mr Solomon at the White House to discuss his bank's potential role in plans for an initial public offering of government-held mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The president's post came after data released earlier on Aug 12 showed underlying inflation picked up in July, though prices of goods rose at a more muted pace, tempering concerns about tariff-driven price pressures and raising expectations for a Federal Reserve rate cut in September. BLOOMBERG
Straits Times
29 minutes ago
- Straits Times
China cuts ties with Czech president over Dalai Lama visit
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The Czech government said Mr Pavel's meeting with the Dalai Lama had been private, and called on China to treat it as such. BEIJING – China said it will cease engagement with Czech President Petr Pavel over his meeting with the Dalai Lama, escalating diplomatic tensions between the two countries. Mr Pavel met the 14th Dalai Lama in India in July despite strong opposition from Beijing, which considers the Tibetan spiritual leader a separatist. The Czech presidential office said the meeting with the Dalai Lama, who celebrated his 90th birthday in July, took place in a private capacity. 'China strongly deplores and firmly opposes this, and has lodged serious protests with the Czech side,' Beijing's Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said in written remarks on Aug 12. 'In light of the severity of Pavel's provocative action, China decides to cease all engagement with him.' The central European country's vocal criticism of human-rights violations in China, as well as active diplomatic and business ties with Taiwan, have repeatedly angered the government in Beijing. In May, Czechs blamed state-linked Chinese hackers for cyber attack against Foreign Ministry's unclassified networks. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Sengkang-Punggol LRT line back to full service: SBS Transit World US trade team will meet Chinese officials in two or three months, Bessent says Singapore From survivable to liveable: The making of a green city Asia DPM Gan kicks off India visit in Mumbai as Singapore firms ink investment agreements Multimedia World Photography Day: Celebrating the art of image-making World Ukraine, sidelined in Trump-Putin summit, fights Russian grab for more territory Opinion Singpass use in dating apps raises difficult questions Singapore SG60: Many hands behind Singapore's success story The Chinese Embassy in Prague then rejected the allegations as 'unsubstantiated.' Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky told reporters that Mr Pavel's meeting with the Dalai Lama had been private, and he called on China to treat it as such, CTK newswire reported on Aug 12. Mr Pavel, a former high-ranking Czech military and Nato official, won the presidency two years ago. He replaced Mr Milos Zeman, a strong advocate for closer economic ties with China. The Dalai Lama had a close relationship with the first Czech post-communist President Vaclav Havel, who repeatedly hosted him in Prague. BLOOMBERG
