Daily flyovers
Latest news for 10 June 2025
Quick hits of consequential news from all corners of the world.
- 01
CHINA
US and China prepare for second day of trade talks.
The top economic officials from the US and China are in their second day of trade talks today (Tuesday). While details remain scarce, President Trump has remained upbeat, sharing he’s “only getting good reports” from his delegation. (MSN)Comment: There’s been plenty of musing around who’s really got the cards here, so it was interesting to see a central banker just appear at Australia’s Lowy Institute, sharing some concrete data around why China might be feeling relatively confident right now: it seems more US-China trade is in sectors where China has market power.
- 02
UKRAINE
Russia launches biggest aerial attack of war.
Moscow’s attack on Kyiv has included ~300 drones and missiles, mostly targeting Kyiv. Unlike Ukraine’s hit on Russian bombers last week, Russia’s attacks continue to show no apparent distinction between military and civilian targets. (Sky)
- 03
UNITED KINGDOM
NATO chief wants 400% more defence.
NATO boss Mark Rutte has called for a “quantum leap” in the alliance’s collective defence after a meeting with UK PM Keir Starmer, including a fivefold lift in air defences as Russia continues its aggression against Ukraine. (Guardian)Comment: It sounds like Rutte is prepping the ground ahead of this month’s NATO Summit in his native Netherlands, where word is leaders might agree to lift their defence spending targets from 2% to 5% of GDP (Russia is at ~6.5%).
- 04
SOUTH KOREA
Court halts new president's trial.
A South Korean court has announced it’ll ditch a trial against freshly minted President Lee Jae-myung on electoral charges from back in 2022. The country’s constitution prohibits the prosecution of sitting leaders for most crimes. (NHK)
- 05
BANGLADESH
Yunus finally pulls the election trigger.
Caretaker leader Muhammad Yunus has finally announced elections for April 2026, after months of pressure from opposition parties to transition back to democracy following last year’s mass protests that ousted longtime leader Sheikh Hasina. (DW)
- 06
COLOMBIA
Good news for the Amazon.
Colombia has seen a 33% drop in deforestation for early 2025 (yoy), with Bogota crediting community coordination and a crackdown on illegal deforestation. (AP)
- 07
IRAN
No dog walking for you!
Tehran has extended its 2019 ban on dog walking to 18 more cities, citing public order and health concerns. (BBC)
Comment: The mullahs have long seen pups as unclean and a mark of Western decay, so dog ownership has become a popular form of dissent for younger folks.