President Trump's visit to China concluded with limited concrete breakthroughs despite pomp and diplomacy, focusing on trade, AI safety discussions, and the US stance on human rights and arms sales amidst ongoing geopolitical tensions and a shifting U.S. approach to China.

• Trump’s lack of focus on human rights in China is big departure for US diplomacy — The Guardian -
• Trump and Xi conclude 'very successful' talks but few deals confirmed — BBC World -
• Spies, Sanctions, Cyberattacks: China and the U.S. Clash Behind the Scenes — New York Times World -

• Trump and Boeing Announce China Will Purchase 200 Planes — New York Times World -
• ‘For Example, Putin’: How Xi Used a Private Garden Walk to Charm Trump — New York Times World -
• Trump Touts ‘Fantastic Trade Deals’ With China, but Details Are Scarce — New York Times World -
• In Photos and Video: President Trump Goes to China — New York Times World -
• Trump’s ‘Learning Curve’ on China Ends With Conciliation at Summit — New York Times World -
• What China critics in Maga movement make of Trump's Beijing trip — BBC World -
• German Chancellor, After Iran Spat With Trump, Reports ‘Good’ Phone Call — New York Times World -
• Here’s the latest. — New York Times World -
• Live Updates: Trump Says He and Xi Talked Extensively About Taiwan — New York Times World -
• Spotlight on China Adds to Some Chinese Americans’ Fears — New York Times World -
• Trump Discussed U.S. Arms Sales With Xi ‘In Great Detail’ — New York Times World -
• Xi Pitches His Vision for Avoiding Conflict With the U.S. — New York Times World -
• From Air Force One, Trump writes of ballrooms, a statue and TikTok. — New York Times World -
• What was actually achieved at Trump and Xi’s ‘stalemate summit’ in Beijing? — The Guardian -
• Watch: What did we learn from Trump's visit to China? — BBC World -
• Despite Tensions, China Greets Trump With Pomp and Pageantry — New York Times World -
• Trump leaves China without breakthroughs on Iran, Taiwan or AI — The Guardian -
• First Thing: China trip winds down but Trump-Xi Iran accord remains elusive | Jem Bartholomew — The Guardian -
• Nvidia’s Future in China Remains Unclear After Trump-Xi Summit — New York Times World -
• Sanctioned by China, Rubio Enjoys a Trip to Beijing — New York Times World -
• Men in the mirror: Trump and Xi’s suits put ‘chameleon effect’ to test in Beijing — The Guardian -
• What to Know About Day 2 of Trump and Xi’s Beijing Summit — New York Times World -
• Xi Warned Trump About the ‘Thucydides Trap’ for U.S. and China. What Is It? — New York Times World -
• Xi takes Trump on tour of Communist Party's seat of power as China visit ends — BBC World -
• Xi takes Trump on tour of Communist Party's seat of power as China visit ends — BBC World -
• Trump brought top CEOs to Beijing but few big deals emerge — BBC World -
• U.S. and China Will Start Discussing A.I. Safety, Bessent Says — New York Times World -
• Trump’s and Xi’s Body Language at the Summit Mirrored Their Styles — New York Times World -
• Trump Might Welcome Chinese Investment, but America Is Wary — New York Times World -
• China Starting to Fulfill ‘Promises,’ U.S. Trade Representative Says — New York Times World -
• Nvidia’s Future in China Remains Unclear After Trump-Xi Summit — New York Times World -
• Trump Was Flattering, Xi Was Resolute. The Difference Spoke Volumes. — New York Times World -
• What is Zhongnanhai, the Secretive Beijing Compound Where Trump Met Xi? — New York Times World -
• The United States and China will start discussing A.I. safety, Bessent says. — New York Times World -
• China’s State Dinner Menu for Trump Includes Beef Ribs, Roast Duck and Tiramisu — New York Times World -

Ongoing tensions in the Middle East include Israeli strikes killing six in Lebanon and targeting a Hamas leader in Gaza, a 45-day extension of the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire, and concerns over Iran's nuclear program and post-ceasefire executions, with the US seeking the death penalty for an Israeli embassy shooting suspect.

• Lebanon says six killed in Israeli strike as US announces ceasefire extension — BBC World -
• Israeli Strike Targeted Top Hamas Leader in Gaza, Officials Say — New York Times World -
• Trump says 20-year nuclear programme suspension by Iran would be enough — BBC World -

• Israel says it has killed Hamas commander in Gaza air strike — BBC World -
• Executions Surge in Iran Since Cease-Fire, Rights Groups Say — New York Times World -
• Man accused of killing two people outside Washington DC Jewish museum could face death penalty — The Guardian -
• Shaky truce between Israel and Lebanon extended for 45 days, US says — The Guardian -
• Back From China, Trump Faces Decision on Whether to Resume Strikes on Iran — New York Times World -
• US to seek death penalty for suspect in killing of Israeli embassy staff members — BBC World -
• ‘Extremely cruel and tragic’: Iranian director Asghar Farhadi speaks out against state violence and the war — The Guardian -
• New York Times defends journalist after Israel threatens to sue — BBC World -
• New York Times defends journalist after Israel threatens to sue — BBC World -
• Republicans Waited to Challenge Trump on the Iran War. Now It May Be Too Late. — New York Times World -
• Oman caught between US and Iran after Tehran’s claims of joint strait of Hormuz plan — The Guardian -
• Glitz and Boycotts at Eurovision — New York Times World -
• Why is Ireland not taking part in this year's Eurovision? — BBC World -

Significant domestic developments in the US include the Supreme Court rejecting a Virginia congressional map, the Pentagon shutting down a civilian harm prevention program, a Colorado governor commuting a sentence for an election denier, and a Tennessee school district banning Alex Haley's Roots, alongside ongoing debates on gun violence, immigration, and the Federal Reserve's independence.

• Supreme court rejects Virginia Democrats’ bid to restore congressional map — The Guardian -
• Pentagon quietly shut legally required program to prevent civilian deaths by military, watchdog finds — The Guardian -
• Colorado governor commutes sentence of election denier Tina Peters — The Guardian -

• Tennessee school district bans Alex Haley’s Roots under 2022 state law — The Guardian -
• Georgia town sues over ICE plan for vast immigration detention center — The Guardian -
• Tennessee Democrat ends re-election bid after map redrawing carves up his district — The Guardian -
• ICE releases wife of US soldier and Afghanistan veteran from detention — BBC World -
• Labor leaders call collective bargaining veto a ‘betrayal’ by Virginia governor — The Guardian -
• Minnesota Democratic lawmakers stage sit-in over gun violence protection bill — The Guardian -
• Voting Rights Act ruling is ‘red meat’ to Republicans in south, says Black lawmaker targeted by gerrymander — The Guardian -
• A billionaire, a taco, reality TV: the top 4 attack lines in California’s elections — The Guardian -
• ICE violently arrested a US citizen and filmed it ‘like a documentary’, videos reveal — The Guardian -
• The Federal Reserve’s independence is hanging by a thread in the age of Trump — The Guardian -
• 13 men killed by US military boat strikes identified: ‘These were flesh-and-blood people’ — The Guardian -
• US teens getting less sleep than ever, new report finds — The Guardian -

UK domestic affairs are dominated by Andy Burnham's potential bid for Prime Minister, the government's new deal on asylum seekers with Europe, significant protests, scrutiny over Nigel Farage's finances, and various economic and social issues including a record British Gas settlement, potential London Underground strikes, and a meningitis outbreak.

• UK joins European deal to send rejected asylum seekers to third-country hubs — The Guardian -
• How team Burnham finally cleared the first of many hurdles on route to Westminster — The Guardian -
• Man hit by van in Birmingham after residents take down union flags put up by anti-migrant group — The Guardian -

• Doe d’oh! Wild deer rescued after escalator escapade in Norwich M&S — The Guardian -
• Far-right activists barred from UK before Tommy Robinson rally — The Guardian -
• Andy Burnham will push to become PM before Labour conference, allies say — The Guardian -
• Labour’s NEC approves Burnham’s byelection pathway back to parliament — The Guardian -
• From Blair to Burnham, jogging as political metaphor has just run and run — The Guardian -
• Met police preparing for large scale far-right and pro-Palestine protests in London — The Guardian -
• Questions over Farage’s houses and £5m gift renew scrutiny of finances — The Guardian -
• Labour’s NEC opens door for Burnham to return to Westminster via Makerfield byelection – as it happened — The Guardian -
• Burnham byelection: the small town that could decide next PM – The Latest — The Guardian -
• Greens suggest they will properly contest byelection, in blow to Burnham — The Guardian -
• FTSE 100-listed insurer Hiscox’s shares leap amid report of takeover bid — The Guardian -
• Pound heads for worst week in 18 months as Burnham lines up Labour bid — The Guardian -
• Tories suspend leader at Worcestershire council after he made deal to oust Reform — The Guardian -
• British Gas faces record £112m settlement over prepayment meter scandal — The Guardian -
• X to block UK access to accounts linked to terrorist groups in Ofcom agreement — The Guardian -
• Health agency names two schools affected by Berkshire meningitis outbreak — The Guardian -
• Tesco boss’s pay rises by more than £1m to £10.8m after market share surge — The Guardian -
• Hopes grow that London Underground strikes could be called off — The Guardian -
• Heathrow could be forced to allow other firms to build third runway to cut costs — The Guardian -
• Christopher Harborne, tycoon who gave £5m to Farage, enters UK rich list at No 6 — The Guardian -
• Starmer loyalist admits PM is unpopular but warns against ‘copying Tories’ — The Guardian -
• Fears of ‘postal deserts’ as owner of former WH Smith stores puts counters under threat — The Guardian -
• King’s College and Cranfield hope to be stronger together in surprise merger — The Guardian -
• Anti-immigration AI videos traced to overseas fakers, BBC finds — BBC World -
• Britons to vote in inaugural contest to find nation’s favourite butterfly — The Guardian -
• Labour, u ok hun? - podcast — The Guardian -

US pressure on Cuba intensifies with the threat of indicting former president Raúl Castro and an ongoing energy crisis caused by US oil supply cuts, while the Justice Department explores using terrorism laws against Mexican officials to combat drug cartels.

• With Possible Raúl Castro Indictment, U.S. Eyes Venezuela Playbook — New York Times World -
• The Push to Indict Raúl Castro, Cuba’s Former President — New York Times World -
• Photos: Cuba Plunges Into Darkness as U.S. Cuts Off Oil Supply — New York Times World -

• Justice Dept. Aims to Use Terrorism Laws to Target Mexican Officials — New York Times World -
• CIA chief visits Cuba as energy crisis worsens — BBC World -
• Threatened indictment of Raúl Castro ratchets up US pressure on Cuba — The Guardian -
• How a Drug Cartel Made a Mexican State Its Tool — New York Times World -
• CIA chief visits Cuba as energy crisis worsens — BBC World -
• CIA director has met officials in Havana for talks, Cuba claims — The Guardian -

Australia faces diverse challenges, including a landmark ruling doubling the payout for Roxanne Tickle in a trans discrimination case, debates over migrant contributions and a proposed nuclear submarine base, the criminalization of a neo-Nazi group, and concerns about housing affordability and environmental destruction.

• Australia court doubles payout for trans woman in landmark discrimination case — BBC World -
• Angus Taylor says migrants are a ‘net drain’ on Australia. The numbers say the opposite is true — The Guardian -
• Secret documents reveal preferred Australian nuclear submarine base – and warn it could be a military target — The Guardian -

• Australia court doubles payout for trans woman in landmark discrimination case — BBC World -
• Work begins on Daniel Andrews statue – as it happened — The Guardian -
• Neo-Nazi group National Socialist Network criminalised under hate laws passed after Bondi terror attack — The Guardian -
• Giggle for Girls app discriminated against trans woman Roxanne Tickle, appeal judges rule when doubling damages — The Guardian -
• From drab partitions to haute couture host: how a Sydney civic masterpiece was rescued — The Guardian -
• US miner under further investigation after destroying WA habitat of black cockatoos, quokkas and numbats — The Guardian -
• Pauline Hanson claimed $16,000 for private charter despite claiming floods tour was at ‘no cost to taxpayer’ — The Guardian -
• ‘We are not in Trump’s America’: migrant groups say Angus Taylor in race to bottom with far right — The Guardian -
• Australian Jews Testify on Experiences of Antisemitism in Bondi Beach Inquiry — New York Times World -
• Australia’s housing affordability expected to worsen and homelessness soar under fossil-fuelled future — The Guardian -

International conflicts persist, with Ukraine launching drone attacks on Russia following a deadly strike on Kyiv, Mali's forces targeting a rebel alliance, and a Philippine senator evading arrest amidst international warrants, while a report identifies 13 men killed by US military boat strikes in anti-narcotics operations.

• Where is Dela Rosa? Philippine senator outmanoeuvres president in evading arrest — The Guardian -
• Ukraine ‘entirely justified’ to plan strikes against Russian energy and military targets after Kyiv attacks, Zelenskyy says – as it happpened — The Guardian -
• Delivering Mail on Ukraine’s Front Line — New York Times World -

• Mali’s forces target rebel alliance in junta’s fight to keep power — The Guardian -
• Enter the Killer Robots: The Ukrainian Forging the Future of Warfare — New York Times World -
• Prisoner swap goes ahead as Kyiv mourns 24 killed in Russian strike on flats — BBC World -
• Ukraine attacks Russia with drones after suffering three days of massive strikes — The Guardian -
• 13 men killed by US military boat strikes identified: ‘These were flesh-and-blood people’ — The Guardian -
• Russia Pummels Kyiv in the Largest Drone Attack of the War — New York Times World -
• Inside the Congolese Hotel Where Trump Deported 15 U.S. Migrants — New York Times World -

Global health and environmental issues are highlighted by a significant Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo with 65 deaths, the tragic deaths of five Italian divers in the Maldives, and reports of extreme weather events across the globe, alongside the UAE's efforts to secure oil exports by bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.

• Five Italians die during cave scuba dive in Maldives — BBC World -
• Ebola outbreak kills 65 people in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo — The Guardian -
• Large Ebola Outbreak Is Declared in Congo — New York Times World -

• New outbreak of Ebola kills 65 in eastern DR Congo — BBC World -
• Five Italians Die While Scuba Diving Deep Caves in the Maldives — New York Times World -
• Five Italians die during cave scuba dive in Maldives — BBC World -
• New outbreak of Ebola kills 65 in eastern DR Congo — BBC World -
• UAE to complete second oil pipeline bypassing strait of Hormuz by 2027 — The Guardian -
• Weather tracker: Furnace Creek sizzles as snow sweeps Siberia in a week of extremes — The Guardian -

Global legal and social issues include a mistrial in Harvey Weinstein's New York rape case, Bard College ending its president's tenure due to Jeffrey Epstein ties, the capture of an alleged paedophile by an AI vigilante in France, and a significant settlement in India's Adani civil fraud case, alongside reports of a brutal raid by a Russian vigilante group.

• Harvey Weinstein’s New York retrial ends in mistrial with jury deadlocked — The Guardian -
• Bard’s board voted to end Botstein’s tenure as president after independent review of Epstein ties — The Guardian -
• Czech police find stolen skull of medieval saint encased in concrete — The Guardian -

• Rivals actor Katherine Parkinson lauds series for depicting women’s view of sex — The Guardian -
• AI vigilante trap snares alleged paedophile ex-teacher in France — BBC World -
• Boy, 15, shot dead in France as prosecutors blame drug war — BBC World -
• Boy, 15, shot dead in France as prosecutors blame drug war — BBC World -
• India's Adanis agree to pay $18m to settle civil fraud case in the US — BBC World -
• India's Adanis agree to pay $18m to settle civil fraud case in the US — BBC World -
• US hotel owners expected a World Cup boom - so far it hasn't happened — BBC World -
• Aging Palestinian Leader Boosting His Son’s Political Rise, Officials Say — New York Times World -
• Brutal raid on woman's birthday party highlights rise of Russian vigilante group — BBC World -