While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, June 12, 2025
US President Donald Trump said on June 11 that the deal with China 'is done' and that the relationship was 'excellent'. PHOTO: REUTERS
While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, June 12, 2025
Deal 'is done', says Trump, on China and US trade truce
China and the US agreed to revive a fragile trade truce after two days of talks in London, further defusing tensions between the two geopolitical rivals.
US President Donald Trump said on June 11 that the deal with China 'is done' and that the relationship was 'excellent'.
Hours earlier, Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng, who led the negotiating delegation in London, called on the US to 'stay true to your words' and 'demonstrate good faith in keeping promises'.
The agreement, which concluded close to midnight on June 10 in London, followed a roller coaster of rising and easing tensions over non-tariff measures, after both sides agreed in May in Geneva to a 90-day truce that sharply lowered tariffs on each other's goods.
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Trump admin launches review of Biden-era Aukus pact
President Donald Trump's administration has launched a formal review of a defence pact that former president Joe Biden made with Australia and the United Kingdom allowing Australia to acquire conventionally armed nuclear submarines, a US defence official told Reuters.
The launch of the formal, Pentagon-led review is likely to alarm Australia, which sees the submarines as critical to its own defence as tensions grow over China's expansive military buildup.
It could also throw a wrench in Britain's defence planning. The so-called Aukus pact is at the centre of a planned expansion of its submarine fleet.
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Serbia leader in Ukraine for first time since Russia invasion
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who maintains strong ties with Moscow, made his first visit to Ukraine since Russia invaded in 2022 on June 11 and said he supported the country's 'territorial integrity'.
The Balkan nation with close historical links to Russia has maintained an official policy of neutrality throughout Moscow's three-year war in Ukraine and has denied arming either side.
But in recent days, Russia accused Serbian arms companies of 'trying to stab Russia in the back' by selling munitions to Ukraine.
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Fulbright board resigns citing Trump interference
All members of the board that oversees the US State Department's Fulbright Programme, which facilitates international educational exchanges, have voted to resign over alleged political interference from President Donald Trump's administration, the board said on June 11.
The Trump administration had unlawfully 'usurped the authority' of the board by denying awards to a 'substantial number' of people who had already been selected for the 2025-2026 academic year through a yearlong, merit-based process, the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board said, in a statement posted on the website Substack.
The department is also putting another 1,200 Fulbright recipients through an 'unauthorised review process' that could lead to more rejections, according to the statement.
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Brian Wilson, founder of surf band The Beach Boys, dies at 82
Beach Boys cofounder Brian Wilson, who created some of rock's most enduring songs such as Good Vibrations and God Only Knows in a career that was marked by a decades-long battle between his musical genius, drug abuse and mental health issues, has died at the age of 82.
Wilson's family announced his death in a statement on the singer's website.
'We are at a loss for words right now,' the statement said. 'We realise that we are sharing our grief with the world.'
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While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, June 22, 2025
US President Donald Trump (centre) Vice-President J. D. Vance (left) and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly took part in a tense June 19 call with Israel's leaders over Mr Trump's two-week deadline on whether to strike Iran. PHOTO: REUTERS While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, June 22, 2025 US split as Israel seeks swift action on Iran, sources say Israeli officials have told the Trump administration they do not want to wait two weeks for Iran to reach a deal to dismantle key parts of its nuclear programme and Israel could act alone before the deadline is up, two sources said, amid a continuing debate on Mr Trump's team about whether the US should get involved. The two sources familiar with the matter said Israel had communicated their concerns to Trump administration officials on June 19 in what they described as a tense phone call. The Israeli officials said they do not want to wait the two weeks that US President Donald Trump presented on June 19 as a deadline for deciding whether the US will get involved in the Israel-Iran war, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The Israeli participants on the call included Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defence Minister Israel Katz and military chief Eyal Zamir, according to a security source. READ MORE HERE B-2 bombers moving to Guam amid Middle East tensions The United States is moving B-2 bombers to the Pacific island of Guam, two US officials told Reuters on June 21, as President Donald Trump weighs whether the US should take part in Israel's strikes against Iran. It was unclear whether the bomber deployment is tied to Middle East tensions. The B-2 can be equipped to carry America's 30,000-pound GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, designed to destroy targets deep underground. That is the weapon that experts say could be used to strike Iran's nuclear programme, including Fordow. READ MORE HERE Mahmoud Khalil vows to resume pro-Palestinian activism Mahmoud Khalil vowed to resume his pro-Palestinian activism as he returned to New York a day after he was released on bail from a jail for immigrants, even as US President Donald Trump's administration said it will continue its efforts to deport the recent Columbia University graduate. He arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey on the afternoon of June 21 to cheers and ululations from friends and supporters. Mr Khalil, 30, was reunited with his wife, a US citizen, and greeted at the airport by US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York. READ MORE HERE Eight dead in Brazil hot-air balloon accident At least eight people were killed on June 21 when a hot-air balloon with 21 passengers caught fire in southern Brazil, a state governor said. It was the second fatal balloon accident in the vast South American country in less than a week. Videos taken by bystanders and carried on Brazilian television showed the moment when the balloon erupted in flames above a rural area outside the Atlantic coast town of Praia Grande, a tourist hotspot popular for hot-air ballooning. READ MORE HERE Belarus opposition leader freed after US mediation Belarus' top jailed opposition leader Sergei Tikhanovsky was freed alongside over a dozen other political prisoners on June 21 in a surprise release the European Union hailed as a 'symbol of hope'. His wife, Mrs Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who took the mantle of the opposition after his jailing, said the United States helped broker the deal and thanked US President Donald Trump. Mr Tikhanovsky, 46, had been imprisoned for more than five years. READ MORE HERE Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
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Turkey detains prominent journalist for allegedly threatening Erdogan
ANKARA - Turkish authorities detained prominent independent journalist Fatih Altayli on Saturday over social media comments allegedly threatening President Tayyip Erdogan, the Istanbul prosecutor's office said. Altayli, who has more than 1.51 million subscribers on his YouTube channel, posted a video on Friday referencing an unnamed poll showing 70% of Turks opposed Erdogan ruling for life, saying this would "never be allowed" by the Turkish people. Altayli also referenced past Ottoman rulers in his comments, saying people had "drowned", "killed", or "assassinated them in the past." His comments drew backlash from an Erdogan aide, Oktay Saral, who said on X that Altayli's "water was boiling". In a statement, the Istanbul prosecutor's office said the comments from Altayli "contained threats" against Erdogan, and said an investigation has been launched against him. Legal representation for Altayli could not immediately be reached for comment. Altayli's detention comes amid a series of detentions of opposition figures in recent months, including the arrest in March of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu who is Erdogan's main political rival. The main opposition CHP says the detentions and arrests of its members, along with other opposition members and journalists or media personalities, is a politicised move by the government to muzzle dissent and eliminate electoral challenges to Erdogan. The government denies these claims, saying the judiciary and Turkey's courts are independent. Turkish authorities have in the past carried out widespread detentions and arrests against opposition politicians, namely pro-Kurdish local authorities. More than 150 people jailed so far over what Erdogan's government says is a ring of corruption that the CHP denies. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
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Israel seeks swift action on Iran, sources say, with a split US administration
US President Donald Trump (centre) Vice-President J. D. Vance (left) and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly took part in a tense June 19 call with Israel's leaders over Mr Trump's two-week deadline on possibly striking Iran. PHOTO: REUTERS Israel seeks swift action on Iran, sources say, with a split US administration WASHINGTON/DUBAI/JERUSALEM - Israeli officials have told the Trump administration they do not want to wait two weeks for Iran to reach a deal to dismantle key parts of its nuclear programme and Israel could act alone before the deadline is up, two sources said, amid a continuing debate on Mr Trump's team about whether the US should get involved. The two sources familiar with the matter said Israel had communicated their concerns to Trump administration officials on June 19 in what they described as a tense phone call. The Israeli officials said they do not want to wait the two weeks that US President Donald Trump presented on June 19 as a deadline for deciding whether the US will get involved in the Israel-Iran war, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The Israeli participants on the call included Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defence Minister Israel Katz and military chief Eyal Zamir, according to a security source. The Israelis believe they have a limited window of opportunity to move against the deeply buried site at Fordow, the crown jewel of Iran's nuclear programme, said the sources. The US is the only country with the bunker-busting bombs powerful enough to reach the facility, which is dug into the side of a mountain. Reuters reported on June 21 that the US is moving B-2 bombers to the Pacific island of Guam, reinforcing the possibility that the US could participate directly in an attack. The B-2 can be equipped to carry America's 30,000-pound GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, designed to destroy targets deep underground, such as the one at Fordow. A person in Washington familiar with the matter said Israel has communicated to the US administration that it believes Mr Trump's window of up to two weeks is too long and that more urgent action is needed. The person did not say whether the Israelis made that point during the high-level call. During the call, Vice-President J.D. Vance pushed back, saying the US shouldn't be directly involved and suggesting that the Israelis were going to drag the country into war, said the sources. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth also participated in the call, said a security source. Reuters could not determine who else took part in the call. The Jerusalem Post reported earlier that a phone call had taken place on June 19. During the phone call, US Vice-President J.D. Vance reportedly pushed back against Israeli efforts to get the US involved in striking Iran. PHOTO: AFP The prospect of a US strike against Iran has exposed divisions in the coalition of supporters that brought Mr Trump to power, with some prominent members of his base urging him not to get the country involved in a new Middle East war. Mr Vance has frequently criticised past US involvement in conflicts, including Iraq and Afghanistan, but has lately defended Mr Trump against Republican critics who urge the administration to stay out of the Iran conflict. Other Republicans, including Trump ally Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, have said they hope Mr Trump will help Israel finish destroying Iran's nuclear programme. Mr Trump, who campaigned on a promise to keep the US out of what he called 'stupid' foreign wars, has himself seemed conflicted at times about whether to join the Israeli attack on Iran or focus on diplomatic efforts to end Tehran's nuclear programme. But his rhetoric in recent days has become increasingly aggressive towards Iran. Iran insists that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes only. The White House declined to comment for this story. The Israeli Prime Minister's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Iran's mission to the United Nations also did not immediately respond. Fordow strike likely Publicly, Mr Netanyahu has not ruled out Israel attacking Fordow alone, though officials have not provided any details on how that would be achieved. Four sources said it is now increasingly likely that the country will launch a solo military operation. Israeli air superiority over much of Iran makes an operation more feasible, though still risky, said two of the sources. The Israelis feel they have the momentum and have limited time given the costs of the war, one source added. 'I don't see them waiting much longer,' said the source. A June 14 Maxar satellite image showing the site of Iran's deeply buried Fordow nuclear facility. PHOTO: EPA-EFE It is not clear whether such an operation would involve bombing, ground forces, or both. Two of the sources said that rather than attempting to destroy the entire site Israel could instead do significant damage to it. That could mean focusing on destroying what is inside the site rather than the site itself, said one of the sources, declining to elaborate. Some analysts have speculated that Israel could use special forces to enter Fordow and blow it up from inside. Another scenario being considered, according to a source familiar with the matter, would be to drop a series of munitions in rapid succession in an attempt to breach the fortified site, similar to how the Israeli military killed Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in 2024. Such a strike could be followed by an incursion by special forces, the source said. It is not clear that Israel has munitions powerful enough to penetrate the fortified facility. It is widely believed that to have a high chance of success, US intervention would be needed. But even with the massive firepower of a joint US-Israeli military action, military and nuclear experts believe that a military operation would probably only temporarily set back a programme the West fears is already aimed at producing atomic bombs one day, although Iran denies it. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
