World News Roundup: Biden, Putin set to meet in 18th-century Swiss villa for summit; No breakthrough in UK-EU 'sausage war' talks and more

Bitter disputes over election interference, cyber attacks, human rights and Ukraine hang over their first face-to-face meeting since Biden took office on Jan 20. No breakthrough in UK-EU 'sausage war' talks Britain and the European Union failed on Wednesday to agree any solutions to ease post-Brexit trade with Northern Ireland, in a standoff that is not only deepening mistrust between the two sides but could also cloud a weekend international summit.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Biden, Putin set to meet in 18th-century Swiss villa for summit

U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to hold their June 16 summit in an 18th-century Swiss villa overlooking Lake Geneva, a soothing setting for what promises to be heated talks. Bitter disputes over election interference, cyber-attacks, human rights, and Ukraine hang over their first face-to-face meeting since Biden took office on Jan 20.

No breakthrough in UK-EU 'sausage war' talks

Britain and the European Union failed on Wednesday to agree on any solutions to ease post-Brexit trade with Northern Ireland, in a standoff that is not only deepening mistrust between the two sides but could also cloud a weekend international summit. Since Britain completed a tortuous exit from the EU late last year, its relations with Brussels have soured further, with both sides accusing each other of bad faith over a part of their trade deal that covers goods movements to Northern Ireland.

'She screams when someone comes near': Gaza children in trauma

Three weeks since Suzy Eshkuntana was pulled from the rubble of her house, destroyed by an Israeli air strike, the six-year-old girl has barely spoken except to ask for her mother and four siblings who were killed that day. Her life turned upside down, Suzy and her father are now living with her uncle, who said she barely eats, doesn't sleep well and cannot muster the will to play.

Philippine president spars with Pacquiao over South China Sea

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has stoked a feud with boxer Manny Pacquiao by criticising his "shallow" foreign policy knowledge, after the senator and eight-division champion said he found the leader's stand on the South China Sea was "lacking". In a late night interview with SMNI news channel on Tuesday, Duterte said Pacquiao, a senator and close ally, should "study first" before weighing in.

With G7 summit the first stop, Biden embarks on 8-day trip to Europe

U.S. President Joe Biden departs for Britain on Wednesday on his first trip abroad since taking office, an eight-day mission to rebuild trans-Atlantic ties strained during the Trump era and to reframe relations with Russia. The trip represents a test of the Democratic president's ability to manage and repair relationships with major allies who grew disenchanted with then-President Donald Trump's trade tariffs and withdrawal from international treaties.

China defends cultural links with Japan amid online nationalist fury

The Chinese foreign ministry defended the value of cultural exchanges with Japan on Wednesday after Chinese intellectuals came under heavy attack from nationalists online for attending events sponsored by the Japanese government over many years. The ministry's mild tone contrasted with the hardline "wolf warrior diplomacy" it has often favoured on international issues, especially those concerning Japan, whose brutal wartime occupation of China is a touchstone for Chinese nationalists.

Brexit bureaucracy creates British nightmare for Dutch boat captain

When Dutch boat captain and engineer Ernst-Jan de Groot applied to continue working in Britain after Brexit, he became ensnared in a bureaucratic nightmare because of an online glitch and says he is now likely to lose his job. Under new immigration rules coming into force, de Groot faces the prospect of losing the right to come to Britain to work unless he can successfully apply for a visa through a government website by the end of June.

Man held over Macron slap was medieval swordsmanship fan

The man alleged to have slapped French President Emmanuel Macron in the face ran a club for enthusiasts of medieval swordsmanship and had no previous criminal record, two sources familiar with the investigation said on Wednesday. A police source identified the suspect as 28-year-old Damien Tarel. Acquaintances in his hometown of Saint-Vallier, in southeastern France, described a man who loved period role-play and did not cause trouble.

Peru leftist Castillo inches nearer win in sharply divided election

Peruvian socialist Pedro Castillo was holding on to a razor-thin lead in the deeply divided country's presidential election on Wednesday with almost all votes processed, though, with a gap of just 70,000, contested ballots could still be decisive. Castillo, the son of illiterate farmers who has rattled the Andean nation's political elite and garnered huge support from the rural poor, had 50.2% with 99.8% of votes processed, just 0.4% percentage point ahead of right-wing rival Keiko Fujimori.

Before summit, EU urges U.S. to "walk the talk" on trade disputes

The European Union hopes next week's summit with the United States will help bring a rapid end to trade disputes and foster a transatlantic alliance to address global trade challenges, EU trade chief Valdis Dombrovskis said on Wednesday.

Joe Biden will visit Brussels for the first time as U.S. president after a rancorous four years in relations during the Trump administration.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)