Trump touts 'extremely strong' China relations after call with Xi
President Donald Trump touted relations with China as "extremely strong" on Monday following a call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who told Trump that Taiwan's "return to China" is a key part of Beijing's vision for the world order, Reuters reported.
The call, not previously flagged by either country, came weeks after the two leaders met in South Korea, where they agreed to a framework for a trade deal that has yet to be finalized.
China is locked in its biggest diplomatic crisis for years with U.S. ally Japan. This month, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said any Chinese attack on democratically governed Taiwan could trigger a Japanese military response, according to Reuters.
G20 declaration in defiance of US marks rare victory for multilateralism
Born of crisis but torn by years of tensions among its members, the Group of 20 major economies scored a rare victory this weekend for multilateralism after overcoming the boycott and objections of its most powerful member, the United States, Reuters reported.
South Africa, this year's G20 president, rallied all but two member nations - the U.S. and Argentina - to issue a declaration, ignoring Washington's warnings and quelling questions about the G20's future - at least for now.
Many doubted Pretoria would secure a declaration, much less tackle issues such as helping poor nations cope with climate change and external debt, according to Reuters.
Trump seizes control of Republicans' 2026 election strategy with his presidency on the line
President Donald Trump isn't on the ballot in next November's midterm elections, but he’s plunging into them with his own presidency at stake. He's calling candidates, making early endorsements, shaping strategy and pushing economic messaging to try to keep Congress in Republican hands, according to nine Republicans involved in election strategy, Reuters reported.
As early as this summer, 18 months before Election Day 2026, Trump was urging Republican congressmen exploring Senate or gubernatorial runs to stand for reelection instead to avoid party primary fights, according to a White House official, a senior Trump adviser and a party operative.
Such an early, hands-on involvement in midterm elections is unprecedented for a president in modern times, according to Reuters.
Zelensky welcomes amendments to proposed peace plan
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has welcomed proposed changes to the controversial 28-point peace plan for ending the war with Russia, BBC reported.
It appears Ukraine's European allies produced an amended version of the plan after rejecting parts which favoured Russia's war aims.
"Now the list of necessary steps to end the war can become doable..." Zelensky said on Telegram. "Many correct elements have been incorporated into this framework."
