Iniaes

In U.S. politics

Donald Trump ended an NBC Meet the Press interview after a tense exchange with Kristen Welker over his repeated false claims about the 2020 election and questions about pardons for people charged in the January 6 attack. The interview was recorded in Wisconsin and is set to air Sunday.

Separately, last-minute redistricting in several Southern states is scrambling election planning for officials, candidates, and voters, who now have to work out who is running where and under what map.

And in another policy change with direct impact on low-income households, nearly a dozen more states are preparing to add new restrictions on what SNAP benefits can buy in the coming months.

In world news

Iran says it has ended attacks on Israel as President Trump claims ceasefire talks are underway. Iranian media reported no immediate casualties after apparent Israeli strikes on the Karun petrochemical plant in southwestern Iran. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they responded with a missile strike on a petrochemical site in Haifa, while Trump said both sides want an immediate ceasefire and that final peace talks are under way.

North Korea has rejected renewed U.S. calls to abandon its nuclear weapons program. Kim Yo Jong, the sister of leader Kim Jong Un, dismissed denuclearization as an outdated U.S. fantasy.

In business, tech, and security

Trade unions are urging the government to intervene after Tata Steel warned its new furnace in south Wales could be delayed by up to a year because of problems connecting it to the electricity grid. Tata had previously told investors the delay could run from six to eight months, but said unexpected engineering issues could stretch that to 12.

In Saudi Arabia, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal’s Kingdom Holding has seen its shares slide after clarifying the value of its SpaceX stake. The company is set to benefit from SpaceX’s planned IPO, but investors have not exactly rushed to reward that promise.

Meanwhile, Lansing Community College says a February 2025 breach exposed personal information from some of its systems, affecting about 174,000 people.

In tech and security

Security researchers say a vulnerability in SolarWinds Serv-U is being actively exploited by unauthenticated attackers. The flaw can be triggered with crafted POST requests that crash the service.

In the Middle East

Iran and Israel traded airstrikes again as tensions kept climbing, with diplomatic efforts still failing to produce anything resembling a durable ceasefire. The Israeli military said it intercepted missiles launched from Iran over East Jerusalem and the West Bank after earlier Israeli strikes prompted the response.

In the Philippines

A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck southern Philippines early Monday, collapsing buildings and killing at least 15 people. Authorities warned residents to stay out of damaged homes and other structures while rescuers work and aftershocks remain a risk.

In entertainment and culture

British-Nigerian singer and songwriter Talay Riley has died at 35 after a stabbing in East London on 5 June. His work helped shape modern R&B and pop, and the loss is being felt across the music world.

At the Tony Awards, John Lithgow made history by winning best actor in a play for Giant at age 80, becoming the oldest man to win a competitive acting Tony and setting a new gap record of 53 years between acting wins. The ceremony’s other top honors went to Death of a Salesman, Schmigadoon!, and Ragtime.

In the Philippines

A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck off the southern coast of Mindanao, triggering tsunami warnings and evacuation orders in several coastal provinces. Officials said waves could rise more than one metre above normal tide levels in parts of the Philippines, with smaller waves possible in Indonesia and Malaysia. The quake collapsed some houses, knocked out power in affected areas, and killed at least one person as rescue work continued.

In the Middle East

Israel’s military said it carried out strikes in central and western Iran, adding to the strain on a fragile cease-fire. Separately, CBS News reports that the Treasury Department is considering using Iranian assets to help Gulf allies with rebuilding after war damage, though the plan is still being worked on.

In U.S. news

Five people were injured in a stabbing at New York City’s Penn Station, according to fire officials. One person was seriously hurt, two had moderate injuries, and the others suffered minor injuries. No further details were immediately given.

In markets and science

Asian tech shares fell in South Korea and Japan after a recent rally, as investors also reacted to renewed attacks in the Middle East. The move came after weeks of strength in the sector.

In environmental news, a long-term study of Indonesia’s coral reefs found that hard coral cover stayed broadly stable at most sites from 2004 to 2023, even as sea temperatures rose. But the protection has a limit: once heat stress crosses a threshold, coral loss rises sharply. Marine protected areas cannot stop bleaching, the study says, but they can help reefs recover by reducing local pressure.

In courts and culture

The Fifth Circuit ruled that the Second Amendment does not block a felon-in-possession charge against a convicted heroin trafficker, saying historical tradition supports disarming people deemed dangerous. The court held that the ban can apply even when the gun is kept at home.

At the Tony Awards, Schmigadoon! and Liberation were among the big winners, while John Lithgow and playwright Bess Wohl made history. Scott Rudin also won for Death of a Salesman revival, though he was not onstage to accept after leaving the theater over bullying allegations.

In the Middle East

Keir Starmer has rejected reports that Britain might trade Richard Jan, described as the country’s worst stalker, for Craig and Lindsay Foreman, the British couple jailed in Iran. No. 10 says there is no truth to the reported deal, while the Foreign Office says it is still pressing Tehran hard for the couple’s release. Donald Trump, meanwhile, downplayed the latest strikes on Iran and said he would urge Benjamin Netanyahu not to retaliate.

In Europe and Ukraine

The leaders of Britain, France and Germany met Volodymyr Zelensky in London and promised continued support for Ukraine, including plans to strengthen its air defenses.

In East Asia

Xi Jinping is due to visit North Korea for the first time in nearly seven years, in a two-day trip to Pyongyang meant to reset ties with Kim Jong-un after pandemic-era trade slumps and North Korea’s closer alignment with Russia. In South Korea, President Lee Jae-myung has ordered a joint probe into alleged voting-rights violations tied to local elections, while the Constitutional Court is also examining complaints over ballot shortages in the same vote. Thousands of protesters stayed outside a Seoul vote-counting site through the weekend, demanding a new election after the shortages in Songpa District.

South Korea’s won has also fallen to its weakest level in more than 17 years, with foreign investors selling stocks and pushing the dollar exchange rate higher. Separately, Hyundai and Nvidia chiefs met in Seoul to discuss deeper cooperation on AI, self-driving cars and robotics, and Lee has nominated Han Seong-sook, the minister for SMEs and startups, to be the country’s next prime minister.

In Britain and the health service

Survivors of abuse by former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed are urging police to launch a full trafficking investigation, saying that without it the scale of the alleged network may never be properly exposed. New NHS figures show 403 serious never-events last year, including wrong-site surgery and objects left inside patients.

In U.S. business and institutions

Former CIA official David Rush has been accused of stealing 303 gold bars, dozens of luxury watches and more than $2 million in foreign currency from his government office, while investigators say he also used a fake special-access program to siphon money from the U.S. government. Separately, Scott Pelley has accused CBS executive Bari Weiss of trying to influence coverage of the fatal shooting of Renée Good by an ICE officer, reviving questions about editorial independence inside the network.

In the Middle East

Iran fired ballistic missiles at Israel after an Israeli strike on Beirut killed members of Hezbollah, according to Israeli officials. Israel said it was the first direct Iranian attack since the April ceasefire, and the exchange has raised the risk of a wider regional escalation.

In Ukraine and its neighborhood

Volodymyr Zelenskyy met Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron, and Friedrich Merz in London as Kyiv tries to keep momentum after recent strikes on Russian positions. The talks came hours after a Russian drone strike hit a spent nuclear fuel storage site near the Chornobyl plant.

In U.S. news

A federal lawsuit is trying to block a planned UFC event on the White House South Lawn, arguing that Donald Trump could financially benefit from the mixed martial arts showcase. The event is tied to Trump’s 80th birthday and the nation’s 250th anniversary.

Trump also cut short a Sunday interview on Meet the Press after Kristen Welker challenged his repeated claims about the 2020 election and January 6. He took off his microphone and walked out mid-interview.

In the Caucasus

Counting is underway in Armenia’s decisive election, a vote being watched closely for what it could mean for the South Caucasus and for the country’s balancing act between Russia and the West.

In U.S. news

Multiple colleagues say Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been giving little attention to the routine work of the Health Department and has instead focused on food recommendations, pesticide exposure, and support for his long-held anti-vaccine views. Separately, President Trump told NBC he did not campaign on ending “endless wars” while trying to reach a deal involving Iran, saying he simply does not like them.

In international news

An Auburn University student, 20-year-old James Weston Higginbotham, has been found dead in a mountainous area near Kyoto after being reported missing in Japan. In Nigeria, the army says it freed 360 people abducted by Boko Haram in southern Borno, though it gave few further details. In Tehran, an Iranian court upheld filmmaker Jafar Panahi’s one-year prison sentence over charges tied to propaganda against the state. In Peru, voters have opened a presidential runoff between Keiko Fujimori and Roberto Sánchez.

Also in the region, Israel carried out airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs in what Lebanese officials described as the most serious escalation since a ceasefire was established in mid-April. State media said the strikes hit two apartments, killing two people and wounding 11 in the initial toll.

In Europe

Russia hit a building used to store spent nuclear fuel near the disused Chornobyl plant with a Shahed drone, damaging the site and prompting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to call it a deliberate attack. The building was empty at the time, but it was still a sensitive target.

In Armenia, voters are choosing between two blocs and 17 parties in an election seen as a test of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s pro-Europe shift under pressure from Moscow.

In Britain

David Lammy says he pushed back in a call with JD Vance after the vice president blamed mass migration for the killing of Henry Nowak. Lammy said the claim was wrong, the convicted killer was British, and the family had asked for calm rather than a political brawl. Separately, a six-year-old autistic boy was refused NHS mental health support by Alder Hey because he attends a private school, a decision his mother says is unfair and his MP says deserves answers.

The Royal Navy’s five Astute-class attack submarines are all currently in port, a sign of the maintenance and manpower shortages that have been limiting time at sea. The navy has started a recovery plan and is looking at longer-term fixes, while declining to say how many boats are actually available.

In business and technology

Bernie Sanders wants the public to take a 50 percent ownership stake in AI companies, Sam Altman says he broadly supports the idea, and President Trump says Americans should benefit from AI’s success. The White House is set to discuss the proposal with executives from leading AI firms.

In global health

The World Health Organization says unsafe food is causing more than 1.5 million deaths and making 860 million people sick worldwide each year, with children among the most affected.

In the Middle East

One person was killed and five others were wounded in a shooting attack in Israel, according to medics. Israeli police say the suspect is a Palestinian with Israeli citizenship.

In the Middle East

U.S. forces shot down two Iranian attack drones near the Strait of Hormuz, a day after intercepting four more, as Washington said the aircraft threatened shipping in one of the world’s most sensitive chokepoints. In a separate warning, Trump’s threat to bomb Oman has rattled a longtime Gulf mediator, while Israeli strikes in Lebanon killed at least five people and wounded 22, including three children, as the conflict linked to Iran passed its 100th day.

In U.S. courts and intelligence

A federal judge has struck down Trump-era rules that froze many immigration applications, potentially easing part of a backlog that has left more than a million citizenship, green card, work permit and asylum cases stuck in limbo. Meanwhile, two senior Republican senators are urging the administration to prepare for the possible expiration of a key surveillance tool, warning against any gap in intelligence collection.

In U.S. politics

Nancy Mace says her role in pushing the Epstein files may have cost her Donald Trump’s endorsement in South Carolina’s governor’s race, after he backed Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette instead. The move could matter a lot in a crowded Republican primary, where endorsements still function as a kind of political weather vane.

In business and technology

Washington-based General Hypersonics says it flew the same reusable launch system twice in one day, with both tests topping Mach 4. The company says the result points toward cheaper, faster hypersonic and suborbital testing, and it wants to move toward routine missions.

In U.S. news

White House AI adviser Sriram Krishnan says he will leave at the end of the month, closing out a run that made him one of the administration’s main figures on artificial intelligence planning.

In Idaho, 9th Circuit Judge Ryan Nelson faces misdemeanor battery and property charges after police say he swiped a man’s glasses, threw them across a parking lot, and stomped on them during a dispute. He reportedly admitted knocking them off and stomping on them, while denying he touched the man.

A Penn State senior was shot and killed early Saturday morning in South Philadelphia. Police say he was shot in the chest and died from his injuries.

In tech and education

UC Berkeley says failure rates jumped in several computer science classes this spring, with instructors pointing to heavier AI use, weaker math preparation, and understaffing. In CS 10, 35.3 percent of students got F’s, while CS 61A saw a 10.6 percent failure rate. One professor said nearly 30 CS 10 students were caught cheating on take-home exams.

McDonald’s is testing a Google-backed AI drive-thru system called ArchIQ at five restaurants.

In international affairs

China says the PLA has tested its new HQ-16F air defense missile in a live-fire exercise near Taiwan, with state media showing the system intercepting a target at about 31 miles. The missile is being fielded by a frontline unit based in Xiamen, across the strait.

In Britain, the National Association of Muslim Police is under criticism after a policy paper defended Hamas, called the IDF a terrorist group, and described Zionism as anti-Muslim hatred. The document has since been removed, and Jewish groups are calling for an investigation.

Thousands protested in Albania’s capital against a proposed luxury beach resort linked to Trump and Kushner.

In Europe

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth used a Normandy D-Day anniversary speech to attack Europe’s migration policies, casting the issue in invasion terms. In the same broader debate over defence and security, British MPs say delays to the UK’s Defence Investment Plan have hurt credibility and left the military without clear direction. A plan is now expected before next month’s Nato summit, which is, in its own way, cutting things rather close.

In the U.S.

Xavier Becerra has advanced to California’s governor’s race after a rough start that briefly left him polling near the bottom. If he wins in November, he would become the state’s first Latino governor since 1875.

Police in Toledo, Ohio, say multiple people were shot near a community festival and the suspect is still at large. In Philadelphia, a man was fatally shot on a South Philadelphia street early Saturday morning. Separately, protests outside a New Jersey immigration detention center have continued for weeks, with demonstrators and police repeatedly clashing at the site.

In global affairs

Iran’s World Cup team has shifted its preparations to Mexico after U.S. visa delays left senior officials unable to enter the country ahead of the tournament. The players have been cleared, but key administrators are still stuck outside the U.S., which is not exactly ideal timing for a major international competition.

In sports

Golden Tempo won the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga, holding off Commandment down the stretch to add the race to its Kentucky Derby victory. One horse, two classics, and a very busy season.

In tragedies and investigations

An Auburn University student, James Weston Higginbotham, was found dead in a remote mountainous area near Kyoto after disappearing following an argument involving artificial intelligence. The case remains under investigation.

A Memphis woman who lost both legs during a Carnival cruise has filed a lawsuit over the incident.