Xi arrives to grand welcome in Pyongyang for state visit to DPRK
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, arrived in Pyongyang on Monday for a state visit to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the DPRK and his wife, Ri Sol Ju, welcomed Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, at the airport. After Xi walked down the airstairs, Kim shook hands with him warmly.
Kim held a grand welcome ceremony for Xi at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang. The top leaders of the two parties and the two countries jointly ascended the review stand. Amid a 21-gun salute, the military band played the national anthems of China and the DPRK.
Accompanied by Kim, Xi inspected the honor guard of the three services of the Korean People's Army. After that, Xi watched a march-past with Kim.
Dressed in festive attire, people from all walks of life in Pyongyang, along with children and teenagers, holding flags, flowers and balloons, extended their sincere welcome to the distinguished Chinese guests with warm applause and cheers.
Iran, Israel signal halt to mutual strikes, but warn of renewed fighting
Iran and Israel on Monday signaled a halt to their strikes against each other after a series of mutual attacks from Sunday night, which marked the most serious escalation since the ceasefire in April.
In a statement, Iran's main military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, announced the cessation of strikes against Israel, but warned that any further Israeli "aggression and malicious acts," including in southern Lebanon, would trigger a much more "severe and crushing" response from Tehran.
It said the Iranian armed forces' actions were carried out in support of the Lebanese people following Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon and the Dahieh district south of Beirut. It also accused the United States of backing Israeli operations and said that Israel should have learned its lesson from Iran's response.
Also on Monday, an Israeli official told Israel's Channel 12 TV news that the country would halt its airstrikes in Iran at the request of U.S. President Donald Trump.
7.8-magnitude earthquake kills 35 in Philippines, tsunami warning lifted
At least 35 people were killed, numerous buildings were damaged, and schools and flights were suspended after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Sarangani province in the southern Philippines on Monday morning, according to local authorities. Multiple countries had issued tsunami warnings, which were later lifted.
Junie Castillo, spokesperson for the Philippines' Office of Civil Defense, said 10 victims were reported in South Cotabato's General Santos, a port city with a population of over 700,000, and at least 12 people remain missing so far. The deaths were caused by falling debris, building collapse and landslides. The Philippine National Police earlier said that no fewer than 134 people were injured.
A two-story school building in General Santos collapsed with students trapped inside, and authorities said they are verifying details of the incident. Online videos show university and restaurant buildings collapsed in disaster-hit areas. Some commercial facilities sustained structural damage, with signs falling and window panes shattered. Local residents rushed outdoors to seek safety.
The powerful earthquake hit shortly after schools across the Philippines started reopening following the summer break. Surveillance footage from several schools captured violent shaking during the quake. Teachers and students either evacuated urgently or took shelter under desks. The number of schools affected by the earthquake has risen to 8,642 across 43 divisions in six regions, local media reported, citing figures from the Department of Education.
WHO says Ebola outbreak expands fast in DRC, spreads to Uganda
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is expanding rapidly, with rising case numbers, wider geographic spread and cross-border transmission to Uganda, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday.
In its latest update, WHO currently assesses the risk as very high for DRC, high for Uganda and neighboring countries sharing land borders with affected areas, and low for the rest of the African region and globally.
As of Sunday, DRC has reported 515 confirmed cases, including 91 deaths. Uganda has reported 19 confirmed cases, including two deaths and one probable fatal case. All cases in Uganda remain epidemiologically linked to the outbreak in DRC, with evidence of both imported infections and secondary transmission among contacts and healthcare workers.
National authorities, working with WHO and partners, are implementing a range of response measures. On 5 June, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and WHO launched a joint continental Ebola preparedness and response plan, seeking 518 million U.S. dollars to support African countries in preparing for, detecting, and responding to the outbreak.
At least 12 killed in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon
At least 12 people were killed and several others injured in Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon on Monday, according to Lebanese health authorities, media reports, and rescue agencies.
Lebanon's Public Health Emergency Operations Center said an Israeli airstrike on Zefta in the Nabatieh district before dawn killed seven people, including a Syrian girl and a woman, and wounded eight others.
In separate attacks, one person was killed and several others injured in an Israeli strike on the southern town of Kharayeb, while four people were killed and a number of others wounded in an Israeli strike that targeted a vehicle in the Tyre district, according to Lebanon's National News Agency and civil defense authorities.
The Lebanese Red Cross said four paramedics sustained minor to moderate injuries from shattered glass when a strike occurred near its center in the city of Tyre. The injured were transferred to a hospital for treatment.■
