US tightens investment in Chinese technology; Malaysia wants Singapore to pay more for water

According toReutersThe US government says it is "well-coordinated" in returning 2,053 children to their families after they were separated from their parents under President Donald Trump's "zero tolerance" policy.

According to the released documents, 522 children have been reunited with their families. One official said that was because their parents received court orders to remove them before they were transferred to the custody of the Department of Health and Human Services, where more than 2,000 children remain in custody.

The Trump administration will aim to deport families after returning children to their parents, the Department of Homeland Security said, a process that could take months, but the document did not say whether families would be reunited during the process.

Syrian President declares not to accept reconstruction aid from the West

In an interview with Russia's NTV television channel, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad stressed that he will not accept any money from the West to help rebuild the war-torn country,Reutersreport

"We have enough money to rebuild the country. If we don't have money, we will borrow from friends and Syrians living abroad," he said.

President Assad also affirmed that he will resolutely regain control of northern Syria, possibly using force if necessary.

An elderly woman in South Korea applies to meet her relatives in North Korea. Photo: Yonhap

South Korea on June 25 began selecting people eligible to attend family reunions with North Korean relatives in late August. Tens of thousands of South Koreans have applied to the country's Red Cross in the hope of having a chance to see their relatives again.

After confirming the eligibility of the applications, the Red Cross will randomly select 500 candidates by computer at the end of the day. The shortlist of 200 candidates will be sent by Seoul to Pyongyang by July 3, so that the North Korean authorities can search and identify the relatives.

The two countries are expected to exchange the final lists on August 4.

Prince William on official visit to Israel and Palestine

On June 25, British Prince William, grandson of Queen Elizabeth, made an official visit to Israel and Palestine.

The 36-year-old prince's visit takes place in the context of the Middle East peace process facing many deadlocks, along with tense developments in the Gaza Strip as well as the issue of sovereignty over the city of Jerusalem.

The prince will stop in Tel Aviv (Israel), Jerusalem and Ramallah in the West Bank. The governments and people of Israel and Palestine are all very happy to welcome the British Prince.

Although Britain has always considered Israel a close ally, the Kingdom has maintained its stance of not supporting the US recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and has not followed Washington in moving the Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Türkiye to announce official election results on July 5

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (left) with supporters at a polling station in Istanbul on June 24. Source: THX/TTXVN

According to AP, Chairman of Türkiye's Supreme Election Council Sadi Guven announced on June 25 that the official results of the June 24 presidential and parliamentary elections will be announced on July 5, one week later than expected.

Sadi Guven said “nearly 100%” of the votes had been counted. Meanwhile, votes from overseas voters in 41 border areas were still being processed.

Argentina paralyzed by strike over government deal with IMF

Protest against Argentina's deal with the International Monetary Fund. Photo: AFP

Argentine unions paralyzed the country with a 24-hour strike on June 25 to protest the government's deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to rescue the country's economy.

Although the General Confederation of Labor (CGT) only called for a strike, many extremist groups organized rallies, blocking roads into the capital Buenos Aires.

From 7:00 a.m. local time on June 25 (5:00 p.m. Hanoi time), protesters began blocking major routes into the capital, where hundreds of law enforcement officers were deployed. Railways, trams, buses, and planes were all suspended. Strike organizers estimated that at least one million workers participated in this large-scale strike.

US considers tightening investment in technology sector from China

Companies with at least 25% Chinese ownership could be banned from acquiring key US technology companies.

SheetThe Wall Street JournalOn June 25, citing a source, the US National Security Council and the Department of Commerce are drafting new regulations that would prohibit companies with at least 25% Chinese ownership from acquiring US companies in the field of "critical industrial technology".

The ban is expected to be announced on June 29 and will be subject to public comment before it takes effect. The new rules will apply to new contracts, not to deals that have already been signed. They will apply to both state-owned and private Chinese companies.

Malaysian Prime Minister Wants Singapore to Pay More for Water

According toAFP, New Prime Minister Mahathir considers the 1962 Water Agreement, which allows Singapore to buy water from Malaysia at a price of US$0.08 per 1,000 gallons (about 3.7 m3), "absolutely ridiculous" and wants the two sides to renegotiate this price.

Mr. Mahathir said he was studying plans to renegotiate the agreement before officially informing neighboring Singapore.

Under the 1962 Water Agreement, Singapore is entitled to extract about 946,000 cubic metres of water per day from the Johore River in Johor State, which borders Singapore.

In return, Johor will be able to purchase a certain amount of treated water from Singapore. This agreement will expire in 2061.