Xi Jinping set to meet Kim Jong-un in North Korea, as China seeks to revitalise relationship

The China-North Korea relationship has been strained by a fall in trade during the pandemic and Pyongyang’s increasing ties with Russia

Xi Jinping visits North Korea on Monday for a two-day trip, his first in nearly seven years, as China’s president looks to revitalise ties with his junior ally.

Xi is expected to meet North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, in Pyongyang. North Korea is China’s only formal treaty ally but in recent years their relationship has been strained by a virtual freeze in trade during the Covid-19 pandemic and Pyongyang’s increasingly close relationship with Russia.

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Tony awards 2026: full list of winners

This year’s Tony awards have already seen wins for musicals Schmigadoon! and Cats: The Jellicle Ball

Kevin Adams, Chess
Jane Cox, The Rocky Horror Show
Donald Holder, Schmigadoon!
Adam Honoré, Cats: The Jellicle Ball
Adam Honoré and Donald Holder (Lighting Design) and 59 Studio (Projection Design), Ragtime
Jen Schriever and Michael Arden, The Lost Boys – WINNER!

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Ex-CIA official accused of stealing $40m in gold bars reportedly created fake spy program

David Rush, who was arrested in May, stole millions from US government through ‘special access program’, officials say

A former executive intelligence agent who is accused of stealing more than $40m in gold bars from the CIA reportedly created a fake spy program to siphon money, the latest on his fraudulent activity, the Washington Post first reported.

David Rush, who was a senior-level employee of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) for 17 years, was arrested in May after FBI agents discovered Rush had taken 303 bullion bars, each about 2.2lbs, dozens of luxury watches, and more than $2m in foreign currency from his government office.

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Iran launches missiles at Israel in response to strikes on Beirut

Tehran official had promised ‘decisive and painful’ reply to Israeli bombing of apartment buildings in Beirut’s southern suburbs

Iran launched missiles at Israel on Sunday in response to Israeli strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, shattering a fragile ceasefire and marking the most serious escalation since April, after 100 days of war.

A senior Iranian official has promised a “decisive and painful” response to Israel’s airstrikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut and, a few hours later, sirens sounded across northern Israel.

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Italian rescuers recover 10 bodies after migrant boat capsizes off Malta

About 48 people rescued alive after vessel reportedly left Libya carrying about 60 passengers

Italian rescuers have recovered 10 bodies after a migrant boat capsized in waters off Malta, a coastguard statement said on Sunday.

The vessel, which had departed from Libya carrying about 60 people, overturned about 45 nautical miles east-south-east of Malta, the Italian coastguard said.

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Richard Scolyer, cancer researcher and former Australian of the year, dies aged 59

Scolyer, who did pioneering work on immunotherapy, was diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer in 2023

Prof Richard Scolyer, the world-renowned cancer researcher and former Australian of the year, has died at the age of 59.

Scolyer’s family shared a statement the eminent pathologist and melanoma expert penned before his final stages of illness.

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Iran rejects idea of using its assets to pay damages to US allies – Reuters

  1. Iran rejects idea of using its assets to pay damages to US allies  Reuters
  2. U.S. eyes Iranian assets for Gulf allies' reconstruction, source says  CNBC
  3. Treasury Department plans to use Iranian assets to help U.S. Gulf allies recover, source says  CBS News
  4. US Floats Steering Frozen Iran Assets to Gulf Allies for Repairs  Bloomberg
  5. Washington considering using frozen Iranian assets  Euronews.com
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Starmer hosts Zelenskyy, Macron and Merz as Russian strikes kill 3 in Ukraine – AP News

  1. Starmer hosts Zelenskyy, Macron and Merz as Russian strikes kill 3 in Ukraine  AP News
  2. Zelensky in Downing Street for Ukraine war talks with European leaders  BBC
  3. Zelenskyy meets key allies in London aiming to build on strikes on Russia  The Guardian
  4. Ukraine Turns to Europe as U.S. Steps Back as Mediator in Peace Talks  The New York Times
  5. Macron, Starmer and Merz to meet Zelenskiy in London on June 7, Elysee says  Reuters
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Ro Khanna says he supports Graham Platner’s bid for Senate despite ‘shameful’ actions

Democratic congressman issues qualified defense of Maine candidate in his bid to unseat Republican Susan Collins

Progressive Democratic congressman Ro Khanna issued a qualified defense of Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner on Sunday, saying “his actions were misogynistic, they were shameful, they were wrong, but they didn’t come as a surprise to a lot of the folks in Maine.”

The former Marine-turned-oyster farmer, who is campaigning to unseat the state’s Republican senator Susan Collins in November, has been hit with successive waves of accusation about his past actions, including sending sexually explicit messages he sent to women while married and being stenciled with a Nazi-themed tattoo.

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Pete Hegseth’s D-day speech on immigration condemned as ‘grotesque stupidity’ – The Guardian

  1. Pete Hegseth’s D-day speech on immigration condemned as ‘grotesque stupidity’  The Guardian
  2. Hegseth Criticizes Europe Over Migration ‘Invasion’ in D-Day Speech  The New York Times
  3. Residents of French village say US defense chief Hegseth not welcome for D-Day visit  France 24
  4. House Republican Says Hegseth’s D-Day Remarks ‘Inappropriate’  Bloomberg
  5. Hegseth attacks Europe on immigration at D-Day event, continuing trend for Trump officials  NBC News
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Iran fires missiles towards Israel as IDF says it is working to intercept threats – follow live – BBC

  1. Iran fires missiles towards Israel as IDF says it is working to intercept threats - follow live  BBC
  2. Iranian missile launches target northern Israel, Israeli military says  Axios
  3. Middle East crisis live: Iran launches missiles towards Israel after Lebanon airstrikes  The Guardian
  4. Iran launches missiles at Israel for first time since ceasefire, Israeli military says  The Washington Post
  5. Live Updates: Iran retaliates after Israel's deadly strike in Beirut, accuses U.S. of violating ceasefire as peace talks stall  CBS News
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Ruling party leads Armenia parliamentary election, exit polls show – politico.eu

  1. Ruling party leads Armenia parliamentary election, exit polls show  politico.eu
  2. Armenia votes as Russia piles pressure on pro-West government  BBC
  3. Exclusive: Imported voters, fake websites: Russia's covert efforts to stop Armenia's pivot West  Reuters
  4. Armenians Vote With Nation's Future Focus -- East Or West -- On The Line  Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
  5. Armenians vote with peace efforts and Russia in focus  Reuters
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Trump reportedly considers buying Chagos Islands from Mauritius

Potential proposal would secure control of Diego Garcia base amid stalled UK plans to cede sovereignty of territory

Donald Trump is reportedly weighing a plan to buy the Chagos Islands from Mauritius amid stalled plans from the UK to cede sovereignty of the territory, the Telegraph first reported.

The White House did not respond to the Guardian’s request for comment on the report about the potential plan.

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Bob Packwood, senator who resigned amid sexual misconduct scandal, dies aged 93

The moderate Republican, an advocate of abortion rights, resigned in 1995 amid accusations of sexual harassment

Former US senator Bob Packwood, a moderate Oregon Republican whose reputation as a champion of abortion and women’s rights was spoiled at the end of his career by allegations of sexual harassment, has died. He was 93.

Packwood’s death on Saturday was announced in an obituary sent to media outlets by his family.

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Russian drone hits building storing spent nuclear fuel near Chornobyl

Attack was ‘extremely vile’ and deliberate, says Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy

A Russian Shahed drone has substantially damaged a building used to store spent nuclear fuel close to the disused Chornobyl nuclear power plant, in what Ukraine’s president described as a deliberate and “extremely vile” attack.

While the structure – the reception building of the spent fuel storage facility – was empty of containers at the time, the targeting of the sensitive site appeared to be direct messaging from Moscow amid an intensifying battle of long-range aerial strikes in which high-profile locations on both sides have been hit.

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Peru votes in a presidential runoff seen as test of Latin America’s rightward shift – Reuters

  1. Peru votes in a presidential runoff seen as test of Latin America's rightward shift  Reuters
  2. She was a first lady at 19. Now she’s making her fourth attempt to win Peru’s presidency  CNN
  3. Peru’s Presidential Runoff Could Swing the Country to the Right: What to Know  The New York Times
  4. Insecurity and instability drive voters in Peru's tight presidential race  BBC
  5. Peru’s discontented voters face straight left-right choice in election runoff  The Guardian
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Record number of people waiting for NHS diagnostic tests in England

One in five of the 1.92m patients on list wait longer than six weeks for tests such as CT and MRI scans, analysis shows

A record number of people are waiting for a diagnostic test on the NHS, triggering fears that delays in accessing CT and MRI scans could endanger patients’ health.

A total of 1.92 million patients in England are waiting to have a test to diagnose their illness such as by an ultrasound scan, assessment of their hearing, bone scan or various tests for cancer.

The diagnostic waiting list has grown by 500,000 since 2022.

It is 83% higher than before the Covid pandemic.

On current trends the waiting list will hit 2 million in March 2027.

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Delivery pain for UK dad as baby magazine arrives 19 years late

Paul Edwards ordered the publication before the birth of his son in 2007, but experienced pregnant pause before receiving it this week

When Paul Edwards ordered a parenting magazine in 2007, he was hoping that it would provide helpful advice and offers to help him navigate the stresses and challenges of bringing up children.

However the magazine never arrived – until now. The copy of Mother & Baby was delivered on Friday – 19 years after he ordered it – with his children now studying at university.

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Israel strikes Beirut after Hezbollah attack, risking Iran response – Axios

  1. Israel strikes Beirut after Hezbollah attack, risking Iran response  Axios
  2. Israel hits Beirut's suburbs in retaliatory attack against Hezbollah  NPR
  3. Israel Bombs Beirut Outskirts as Fighting With Hezbollah Escalates  The New York Times
  4. Israel hits civilian area in Beirut’s southern suburbs, kills at least two  Al Jazeera
  5. IDF strikes in Beirut after Hezbollah fires towards Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu says  The Jerusalem Post
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One killed, five hurt in central Israel terror shooting spree by Arab Israeli – The Times of Israel

  1. One killed, five hurt in central Israel terror shooting spree by Arab Israeli  The Times of Israel
  2. One killed, several wounded in suspected terror attack in central Israel  CNN
  3. One dead, five injured after shooting in Israel  BBC
  4. Gunman kills one, wounds five in drive-by attacks in Israel  Reuters
  5. One person killed in attack in central Israel  NBC News
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