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

UPDATED Jun 10, 2025, 06:24 AM

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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

The US State Department directed all US missions abroad and consular sections to resume processing Harvard University student and exchange visitor visas after a federal judge in Boston last week temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s ban on foreign students at the Ivy-League institution.

In a diplomatic cable sent on June 6 and signed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the State Department cited parts of the judge’s decision, saying the fresh directive was “in accordance with” the temporary restraining order.

Under that order granted to Harvard late on June 5, US District Judge Allison Burroughs blocked Mr Trump’s proclamation from taking effect pending further litigation of the matter.

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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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