BLINKEN IN CHINA WITH HOPES LOW FOR ANY BREAKTHROUGH

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Beijing for meetings with Chinese officials, marking the first visit by a top American diplomat to China in five years. The visit takes place amid strained relations and low expectations for resolving the numerous disputes between the two countries. Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang greeted Blinken at the entrance of a villa, deviating from the customary practice of welcoming guests inside. While no public statements were made, Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Hua Chunying expressed hope that the meeting would help bring China-U.S. relations back to the track agreed upon by the two presidents. Blinken's visit aims to establish open and reliable communication channels to prevent the strategic rivalry between the two nations from escalating into conflict. The trip is seen as a precursor to potential future meetings and could set the stage for discussions between President Xi Jinping and President Joe Biden at multilateral summits later this year. The international community will closely monitor the visit, as tensions between the superpowers could have global repercussions. Both sides recognize the need for senior-level communication to reduce the risk of miscalculation and prevent further deterioration of the relationship.

Meanwhile, the Chinese embassy in London on Sunday condemned a meeting last week between Britain’s security minister, Tom Tugendhat, and Taiwan’s digital minister, saying it violated international relations.

PUTIN REJECTS KEY ELEMENTS OF AFRICAN PEACE PLAN FOR UKRAINE

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with African leaders who sought to mediate in the war in Ukraine. The African leaders presented a plan for "confidence building measures" to address the conflict, but Putin challenged the assumptions of the plan. He reiterated his position that Ukraine and its Western allies were responsible for starting the conflict, denied Russia's involvement in it, and blamed the West for global food price rises that affected Africa. Putin also mentioned that Russian grain exports from Black Sea ports, allowed for the past year, did not alleviate Africa's food price difficulties as they mostly went to wealthy countries. He emphasized Russia's commitment to dialogue but insisted on the recognition of "new realities," including the annexation of Ukrainian provinces, which Kyiv opposes. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed support for the African plan, while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that its realization would be challenging.

Meanwhile, both Russia and Ukraine are suffering high numbers of military casualties as Ukraine fights to dislodge the Kremlin’s forces from occupied areas in the early stages of its counteroffensive, UK military officials said in their regular assessment onSunday. Russian losses are probably at their highest level since the peak of the battle for Bakhmut in March, they said. According to British intelligence, the most intense fighting has centred on the southeastern Zaporizhzhia province, around Bakhmut and further west in eastern Donetsk province. While the update reported that Ukraine was on the offensive in these areas, it said that Russian forces were conducting “relatively effective defensive operations” in south.

EVIDENCE SHOWS RUSSIA BLEW UP UKRAINE DAM FROM INSIDE: REPORT

The destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam in Ukraine during the war has had devastating consequences, displacing thousands of people and posing risks to global food supplies and ecosystems. Evidence suggests that the collapse of the dam was not accidental. Seismic sensors, witness accounts, and infrared heat signals captured by US intelligence satellites indicate the presence of explosions before the dam gave way. The most likely cause of the collapse appears to be an explosive charge placed in the maintenance passageway within the dam's concrete structure. The dam, built during Soviet times, had detailed engineering drawings accessible to Moscow. While erosion could have contributed to a failure, experts believe the dam's foundation was designed to withstand external attacks. The Kremlin accuses Kyiv of sabotaging the dam, but engineers emphasize that a thorough examination is required once the reservoir drains to determine the exact sequence of events leading to the destruction.

PAK GOVT AGREES TO TRY BLASPHEMY SUSPECTS UNDER TERRORISM CHARGES

Lahore : Succumbing to the demands of a radical Islamist party, the Pakistan government has agreed to try blasphemy suspects under terrorism charges in addition to the other sections of the country’s penal code. The Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan ended its 25-day-long march protest at Sarai Alamgir, Gujrat district, on Saturday after signing a pact with the PML-N-led government.

Interior minister Rana Sanaullah said the government has accepted “all legitimate” demands of TLP, especially on blasphemy laws. In a 12-point deal signed on Saturday with TLP, the government agreed to book those accused of committing blasphemy and charged with Section 295-C (use of derogatory remarks, etc, in respect of Prophet Muhammad) of Pakistan penal code under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, too.

IMRAN & HIS SISTER SUMMONED IN LAND GRAFT PROBE

Lahore : Pakistan’s former PM Imran Khan has been summoned in a corruption case related to the purchase of over 5,000 kanals (625 acres) of land at throwaway prices through fraud in the country’s Punjab province.

The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) in Punjab has sent summonses to Khan, his sister Uzma Khan and her husband Ahad Majeed in the Layyah land corruption case, a spokesperson of the ACE said on Saturday.

The 70-year-old PTI chief has been asked to appear at the ACE headquarters on June 19, while Uzma and her husband have been informed to present themselves before the ACE DG Khan, Express Tribune newspaperreported. Khan was booked in the Layyah land corruption case on Sunday.

BIBI TO GO ON WITH JUDICIAL REFORMS AS TALKS CRUMBLE

Tel Aviv : Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday his government intends to move ahead on contentious plans to change the country’s judicial system after talks aimed at finding a compromise solution appeared to be crumbling. The government’s plans to overhaul the judiciary plunged Israel into one of its worst domestic crises ever earlier thisyear.

Negotiations between the government and opposition somewhat alleviated the crisis with attempts to find a middle ground over proposed changes to the country’s justice system. Those talks were jolted last week over a crisis surrounding the powerful regular committee responsible for picking the country’sjudges.

Opposition leaders said negotiations were frozen untilthe committee is formed.

At a meeting of his Cabinet on Sunday, Netanyahu said the opposition hadn’t been negotiating in good faith and that his government would move ahead cautiously on the overhaul. Netanyahu put the overhaul on hold in March after mass protests erupted.

Opposition leader Yair Lapidsaid moving ahead unilaterally on the plan “will critically harm the economy, endanger security. ”

SWISS, FEELING THE HEAT, BACK LAW ON NET-ZERO CARBON

Geneva : The Swiss, feeling the impact of global warming on their rapidly melting glaciers, on Sunday backed a new climate bill aimed at steering their country towards carbon neutrality by 2050.

Near-final results showed almost 59% of voters supporting the new law, which will require Switzerland to slash its dependence on imported oil and gas, scaling up the development and use of greener and more homegrown alternatives. Voters also overwhelmingly backed adopting a global minimum tax rate of 15% for multinational corporations in a second referendum, with nearly 79% in favour, with full results in from all but one of Switzerland’s 26 cantons. Voter participation in the referendums stood at around 42%.

TALIBAN GOVERNMENT RUNS ON WHATSAPP. THERE’S JUST ONE PROBLEM

WhatsApp has become an essential tool for the Taliban government in Afghanistan, but the platform's ban on accounts linked to the Taliban due to US sanctions has posed a significant problem. Taliban officials, police, and soldiers have experienced widespread complaints of their WhatsApp accounts being banned or deactivated. The US has criminalized support for the Taliban, leading WhatsApp to scan group names, descriptions, and profile photos to identify and block Taliban-related accounts. However, with the increasing use of smartphones and improved networks in Afghanistan, the Taliban's reliance on WhatsApp has grown. As the Taliban consolidates control, the messaging app has become central to their official communications. The frequent shutting down of accounts has become a daily challenge for Taliban officials, highlighting their isolation on the global stage. Despite the bans, many individuals have found ways to circumvent them by purchasing new SIM cards. WhatsApp has become an integral part of the Taliban's functioning, with officials considering it crucial for their daily activities.

NYC AIR IMPROVES TO ‘MODERATE’ AFTER ‘UNHEALTHY’ DUE TO WILDFIRES

New York City’s air quality was rated as “moderate” early Sunday morning after falling to an “unhealthy” level overnight as smoke from wild fires in Canada continues to impact the US East Coast. The current reading means that only those “unusually sensitive” to particle pollution should consider reducing time outdoors, according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s airnow. gov tracker. The gauge had fallen to “unhealthy” around midnight local time, and then improved to “unhealthy for sensitive groups” as New Yorkers were starting to wake up. The smog isn’t likely to reach the intensity seen in the previous week, when smoky air turned the Manhattan skyline orange. Air quality is forecast to remain at moderate levelslater Sunday and Monday.

BIDEN’S REMARK ‘GOD SAVE THE QUEEN’ SPARKS ROYAL CONFUSION

Joe Biden on Friday left Americans scratching their heads with an off-the-cuff remark that was, well, royally unusual for a US president: “God save the queen, man!” What he meant, which queen he was referring to, and why he threw in what sounded like the traditional patriotic British cry, no one could tell. Queen Elizabeth II, whom Biden met, died in September 2022 and was replaced by a king — her son Charles. Biden had just completed an impassioned speech at the National Safer Communities Summit in Connecticut on getting Congress to toughen gun ownership laws when he made the remark from the stage. Later, White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Olivia Dalton somewhat cleared up the mystery, telling reporters that Biden had been “commenting to someone in the crowd”. The queen of Connecticut, however, was not immediately identified.