US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and China's Vice-Premier He Lifeng have been leading trade talks between the two countries. Harvard scholar Graham Allison, a former assistant secretary of defence under Bill Clinton, believes an agreement could be reached as early as next week, with a memorandum of understanding potentially coming out of the discussions.
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3315914/us-china-trade-deal-near-harvard-scholar-hints-progress-very-intense-talks?module=top_story&pgtype=sectionThe US no longer values large exclusive multilateral groupings like the G7, Group of 20, or UN organizations, instead opting for smaller "minilateral" groups such as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue with Australia, India, and Japan, or the AUKUS partnership between Australia, Britain, and the US.
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/06/26/world/trump-and-death-of-multilateralism/Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged China and the European Union to strengthen their cooperation, citing mutual responsibility and capability to provide stability in a turbulent world. He made these remarks during a meeting with EU diplomats at the Polish embassy in Beijing, ahead of a two-day summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and EU leaders later this month. The gathering comes as trade tensions between China and the EU widen, and marks 50 years of diplomatic ties between the two entities.
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3315882/china-eu-relations-rare-earths-taiwan-discussed-wang-yis-visit-embassy?module=top_story&pgtype=sectionKorean President Yoon Suk-yeol and Czech President Petr Pavel discussed a nuclear power plant deal, calling it a "cornerstone" of economic cooperation between their countries. The agreement is rooted in shared values and trust, according to the Czech envoy. A nuclear research reactor design will be exported to the US after meeting safety assessments from the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety and prior evaluations by the NSSC's technical advisory committee.
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2025-06-26/business/industry/Korea-approves-decommissioning-of-Kori1-its-first-commercial-nuclear-reactor/2339814Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed an agreement with Council of Europe chief Alain Berset in Strasbourg, paving the way for a Special Tribunal to investigate Russia's crimes of aggression against Ukraine, sending a clear message that no one in Russia's leadership is untouchable.
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-polytics/4008526-no-one-in-russias-leadership-untouchable-kallas.htmlVolodymyr Zelensky became the first Ukrainian president to visit the Palace of Europe in Strasbourg, where he signed a historic agreement with the Council of Europe to establish a Special Tribunal. The move marks a significant step towards Ukraine's integration into European institutions and aims to hold those responsible for war crimes accountable.
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-polytics/4008400-zelensky-at-pace-hague-is-ideal-place-to-establish-justice.htmlUkraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset have signed an agreement to establish a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine in Strasbourg. This tribunal aims to prosecute senior Russian leaders for war crimes committed since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The existing International Criminal Court lacks jurisdiction to try Russian nationals for this specific offense, prompting the creation of a dedicated international tribunal within the Council of Europe framework.
https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/06/26/zelenskyy-council-of-europe-sign-agreement-to-launch-ukraine-war-tribunalAmnesty International has accused Cambodia's government of being "acquiescent" and "complicit" in human trafficking and exploitation at scam compounds across the country, with at least 53 centres operating in border areas. The report says these groups, mostly run by Chinese bosses, use tactics such as forced labour, torture, and debt bondage to control victims, who are often lured into investing fake businesses. The Cambodian government has denied the allegations, but Amnesty's Montse Ferrer claims that interventions against scam centres have been "woefully ineffective" due to corruption among police officers.
https://www.victoriaadvocate.com/news/nation/mass-scale-abuses-in-cambodia-scam-centres-amnesty/article_0282d11d-39dd-5616-b4e2-ba7586b649d2.htmlAmnesty International has accused Cambodia's government of ignoring human rights abuses by cybercrime gangs that traffic people, including children, into slavery at brutal scam compounds. The group identified 53 suspected sites, including Phnom Penh, where victims are subjected to punishments like electric batons and beatings. A report by Amnesty found a "pattern of state failures" allowing the billion-dollar industry to flourish, with the government not responding to its list of scamming compounds or investigating human rights abuses. The group's Secretary General, Agnes Callamard, described the survivors' experiences as a "living nightmare".
https://www.malaymail.com/news/world/2025/06/26/amnesty-cambodia-turning-blind-eye-as-brutal-scam-compounds-traffic-victims-children/181775