Prepares Host

China’s deep relationship with Russia remains a continuing cause for concern in the west, particularly since Moscow launched its invasion of UkraineXi Jinping and Vladimir Putin exchanged “congratulatory letters” on Sunday ahead of the Russian president’s visit to Beijing this week, four days since Donald Trump left China after a high-stakes summit.Xi, China’s leader, said bilateral cooperation between Russia and China had “continuously deepened and solidified”, with this year marking the 30th anniversary of the two countries’ strategic partnership, according to Chinese state media. Continue reading...

Army deployed in Pakistan’s capital as negotiations set to begin. Plus, Melania Trump issues bafflingly timed denial of ties to Jeffrey EpsteinGood morning.As Pakistan prepared to host negotiations between Iran and the US, the already fragile ceasefire in the conflict showed further strain as Donald Trump accused Tehran of doing “a very poor job” in upholding promises on the strait of Hormuz, and Israel attacked Lebanon – which Iran claimed violated the truce.What about the strait of Hormuz? The agreement also included Iran lifting its near-total blockade of the strait, which has caused the worst-ever disruption to global energy supplies. Trump posted on Truth Social late Thursday that Iran was being “dishonorable” in not allowing oil to go through the strait. “That is not the agreement we have!” Trump wrote.This is a developing story. Follow our liveblog here.Why did she make this speech? The first lady’s surprise address created confusion about why she had chosen to speak out now – or whether her husband knew she was planning to draw attention to a subject he has called for the public to move on from.What did she ask for? In a final twist, Melania urged Congress to give Epstein survivors a public hearing to help uncover the truth, a call immediately endorsed by the Democrat Ro Khanna and the Republicans Majorie Taylor Greene and Nancy Mace. Continue reading...