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At least 151 people have now been confirmed dead after heavy rainfall unleashed flooding in a market town in north-central Nigeria, the local emergency reports on Saturday. More than 3,000 people were displaced in the flooding in the town of Mokwa in Niger state, more than 180 miles (300 kilometres) west of Abuja, the capital of Africa’s most populous nation, Niger state emergency agency spokesman Ibrahim Audu Husseini said, reports AP. Floods kill 111 in northern Nigeria At least 500 households across three communities were affected in the predawn rain Friday, leaving roofs barely visible and residents waist-deep in water, Husseini added.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth reassured allies in the Indo-Pacific on Saturday that they will not be left alone to face increasing military and economic pressure from China, while insisting that they also contribute more to their own defence. He said Washington will bolster its defences overseas to counter what the Pentagon sees as rapidly developing threats by Beijing, particularly in its aggressive stance toward Taiwan. China has conducted numerous exercises to test what a blockade would look like of the self-governing island, which Beijing claims as its own and the US has pledged to defend, reports AP. China's army “is rehearsing for the real deal,” Hegseth said in a keynote speech at a security conference in Singapore. “We are not going to sugarcoat it — the threat China poses is real. And it could be imminent.” China has a stated goal of having its military have the capability to take Taiwan by force if necessary by 2027, a deadline that is seen by experts as more of an aspirational goal than a hard war deadline. Hamas still weighing US ceasefire proposal as Israeli airstrikes continue in Gaza But China also has built sophisticated man-made islands in the South China Sea to support new military outposts and developed highly advanced hypersonic and space capabilities, which are driving the United States to create its own space-based “Golden Dome” missile defenses. Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue, a global security conference hosted by the International Institute for Security Studies, Hegseth said China is no longer just building up its military forces to take Taiwan, it's “actively training for it, every day.” Hegseth also called out China for its ambitions in Latin America, particularly its efforts to increase its influence over the Panama Canal. He urged countries in the region to increase defense spending to levels similar to the 5% of their gross domestic product European nations are now pressed to contribute. “We must all do our part,” Hegseth said.

A Russian missile hit a front-line region in Ukraine on Saturday, killing a child and injuring another, a Ukrainian official said as uncertainty remains as to whether Kyiv diplomats will attend a new round of peace talks proposed by Moscow for early next week in Istanbul.  More than 200 Ukrainian POWs have died in Russian prisons Russian troops launched some 109 drones and five missiles across Ukraine overnight and into Saturday, the Ukrainian air force said. Three of the missiles and 42 drones were destroyed by air defenses, while another 30 drones failed to reach their targets without causing damage, it said. A 9-old girl was killed in a strike on the front-line village of Dolynka in the Zaporizhzhia region, and a 16-year-old was injured, Zaporizhzhia’s Gov. Ivan Fedorov said. “One house was destroyed. The shockwave from the blast also damaged several other houses, cars, and outbuildings,” Fedorov wrote on Telegram. Moscow did not comment on the latest attack. Meanwhile, 14 people were injured after Ukrainian drones struck apartment buildings on Saturday in the Russian town of Rylsk and the village of Artakovo in the western Kursk region, local acting Gov. Alexander Khinshtein said. Four children were among those injured in the two attacks, which also sparked several fires, he said. On Friday, Andrii Yermak, a top adviser to Ukraine's president said Kyiv was ready to resume direct peace talks with Russia in Istanbul on Monday but that the Kremlin should provide a promised memorandum setting out its position on ending the more than three-year war, before the two delegations sit down to negotiate. Speaking late Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia was “undermining diplomacy” by withholding the document. Russia and Ukraine swap hundreds more prisoners hours after a massive attack on Kyiv “For some reason, the Russians are concealing this document. This is an absolutely bizarre position. There is no clarity about the format,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram. Moscow previously said it would share its memorandum during the talks.

The U.S. Supreme Court has allowed the Trump administration to move forward with ending temporary legal protections for over 500,000 immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. This decision significantly increases the number of people at risk of deportation to nearly 1 million. The court lifted a previous lower-court ruling that had blocked the revocation of humanitarian parole for migrants from these four countries. This comes after a separate ruling allowed the administration to end temporary legal status for around 350,000 Venezuelans. As is typical with emergency rulings, the Supreme Court did not provide an explanation, though Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson and Sonia Sotomayor dissented. The administration had appealed to the high court after a federal judge in Boston, Indira Talwani, halted the attempt to end the program. While Talwani acknowledged the government’s authority to revoke parole, she required it be done on a case-by-case basis. However, the administration argued that individualized assessments were too burdensome and unnecessary under the law. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson defended the move, stating it aligns with immigration law and public safety. Critics, including Karen Tumlin of the Justice Action Center, condemned the decision as one that could lead to mass deportations and widespread instability in migrant communities. While the Supreme Court’s ruling is not final, it allows the administration to proceed with removals while legal proceedings continue in the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The decision could also affect similar humanitarian parole programs for other groups, such as Afghans, Ukrainians, and Central American children. President Joe Biden has used humanitarian parole more than any prior president, granting temporary entry to over 532,000 individuals fleeing hardship, provided they had financial sponsors and paid for their travel.  

India has recorded over 2,700 active Covid-19 cases, with Kerala reporting the highest number of infections, followed by Maharashtra and Delhi. his rise comes amid growing concerns of a potential resurgence of the virus that has claimed millions of lives globally since 2020. According to Health Ministry data updated through May 30, Kerala has reported a total of 1,147 active cases, including 227 new cases on May 29. Maharashtra currently has 424 cases, Delhi 294, and Gujarat 223. Tamil Nadu and Karnataka each have 148 active cases, while West Bengal has reported 116. In response to the uptick, Union Health and Ayush Minister Prataprao Jadhav stated that the government is fully prepared to manage any evolving situation. "Both our central health department and the Ayush ministry are vigilant and continuously monitoring developments across all states," Jadhav told ANI. He added that discussions have been held with state health and Ayush officials, and existing Covid-19 infrastructure from previous waves is being reviewed and reinforced to meet any upcoming challenges. Source: NDTV

Billionaire Elon Musk drew widespread attention when he appeared at the White House with a black eye during his farewell with U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday. The tech billionaire offered a light-hearted explanation for the bruise, attributing it to a playful moment with his son. "I was just horsing around with lil' X, and I said, 'go ahead punch me in the face,'" Musk, 53, told reporters. "And he did. Turns out even a five-year-old punching you in the face actually is..." he continued, before pausing. "I didn't really feel much at the time but I guess it bruises up." The event marked Musk's final day leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a role he previously said had grown frustrating. Despite stepping down, Musk stated he would continue to serve as a "friend and advisor." The farewell was partly overshadowed by a New York Times report alleging Musk used drugs heavily while campaigning alongside Trump in 2024. Trump, however, appeared unconcerned. "I didn't notice" the bruise, he said, adding, "X could do it, if you knew X." Musk’s son, X Æ A-Xii, was a familiar figure in the White House during Musk’s tenure at DOGE, even sitting on his father’s shoulders during an Oval Office appearance in February and once being seen picking his nose near the Resolute Desk. During the press conference, Musk also joked about French President Emmanuel Macron after a video emerged of Macron’s wife seemingly pushing the French leader’s face."I've got a little shiner here," Musk quipped with a laugh. Wearing a DOGE baseball cap and a T-shirt reading "The Dogefather," Musk repeated the story behind the injury with humor when asked again about the bruise. Source: NDTV  

Hamas announced Friday that it is still evaluating a U.S.-backed proposal for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza. Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes claimed 27 lives, according to local hospital sources. The proposal, already accepted by Israeli authorities, initially received a lukewarm response from Hamas. However, President Donald Trump stated Friday that negotiations were nearing a breakthrough. “They’re very close to a deal in Gaza,” Trump said, adding later, “They’re in a tough situation — I think they want a way out.” While the U.S. has not publicly disclosed the full proposal, a Hamas and an Egyptian official revealed it includes a 60-day halt to hostilities, guarantees of negotiations toward a long-term truce, and a commitment from Israel not to resume fighting after any hostage release — a key concern following the collapse of a previous deal in March. Earlier Friday, Hamas issued a short statement confirming it was consulting with other Palestinian groups after receiving the proposal from U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff. UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric called on all parties to demonstrate “political courage” and finalize an agreement. Reportedly, the plan includes a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces to pre-ceasefire positions. In exchange for the release of 10 living hostages and some bodies by Hamas, Israel would free more than 1,100 Palestinian prisoners — including 100 serving life sentences for deadly attacks. During the truce, hundreds of aid trucks would be allowed into Gaza daily to combat widespread hunger caused by months of blockade. Qatar’s ambassador to the UN, Alya Ahmed Saif Al-Thani, confirmed that talks involving Qatar, the U.S., and Egypt are continuing, expressing strong commitment to ending the crisis. On Thursday, senior Hamas figure Bassem Naim criticized the U.S. proposal, saying it fails to meet key demands, especially the complete cessation of war and alleviation of starvation. Meanwhile, the death toll in Gaza continues to rise. Hospital sources reported 27 deaths from Israeli strikes on Friday, including 13 killed — eight of them children — when a tent was bombed in Khan Younis. Another 12 bodies, including women, were recovered from Jabaliya refugee camp. At least 72 people were confirmed killed the day before, although figures from northern hospitals remain unavailable due to ongoing clashes. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, over 54,000 Palestinians — mostly women and children — have died since the war began. The ministry does not separate combatants from civilians in its statistics. The conflict erupted on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a deadly attack on Israel, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and capturing 250 hostages. Israel says 58 remain in Gaza, though it believes 35 are dead, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed uncertainty over the fate of several more. On the ground in Gaza, residents remain skeptical about any peace deal materializing. “This war is the nightmare of 2023, 2024, and now 2025,” said Mohammed Abed, a resident of Deir al-Balah. He described waiting hours for food, managing one meal a day, and calling the conflict a “war of starvation.” Gaza ceasefire talks gain momentum as Israel accepts a US proposal “Politics shouldn’t dictate who gets to eat or drink,” Abed said. Another resident, Mohammed Mreil, echoed the desire for peace: “We want to live — and we want them (Israelis) to live. We weren’t created to die.”

Torrents of predawn rain unleashed flooding that killed at least 111 people in a market town where northern Nigerian farmers sell their wares to traders from the south, officials said Friday as they predicted that the death toll would grow. The Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency did not immediately say how much rain fell after midnight Thursday in the town of Mokwa, which sits in the state of Niger more than 180 miles (300 kilometers) west of Abuja, capital of Africa's most populous nation. Communities in northern Nigeria have been experiencing prolonged dry spells worsened by climate change and excessive rainfall that leads to severe flooding during the brief wet season. In videos and photos on social media, floodwaters covered neighborhoods and homes were submerged, with their roofs barely visible above the brown currents. Waist-deep in water, residents tried to salvage what they could, or rescue others. Besides the 111 confirmed dead, “more bodies have just been brought and are yet to be counted,” Niger State emergency agency spokesman IIbrahim Audu Husseini told The Associated Press by telephone on Friday afternoon. Mokwa, nearly 380 kilometers (236 miles) west of Abuja, is a major meeting point where traders from the south buy beans, onions and other food from farmers in the north. The chairman of the Mokwa local government Area, Jibril Muregi, told local news website Premium Times that construction of flood-control works was long overdue. “This critical infrastructure is essential to mitigating future flood risks and protecting lives and property,” he said. In September, torrential rains and a dam collapse in the northeastern city of Maiduguri caused severe flooding that left at least 30 people dead and displaced millions, worsening the humanitarian crisis caused by the Boko Haram insurgency.

Huimin, a county of northwestern Shandong province of China, has the largest production base for new types of rope nets in China, holding over 80% of the country's market share.The area is home to 3,822 companies and more than 7,000 processing households, providing jobs for over 100,000 people. The county produces a wide range of nets, with eight main categories including safety nets for construction, agricultural nets, sports nets, fishing nets, aerospace nets, military nets, work protection nets, and everyday use nets. There are more than 320 types of these products.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi emphasized the International Organization for Mediation’s (IOMed) pivotal importance in global diplomacy, underscoring its alignment with UN principles and its potential to address critical gaps in international conflict resolution. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made these remarks during the signing ceremony of the Convention on the Establishment of the IOMed in Hong Kong on Friday. He mentined that the International Organization for Mediation (IOMed) functions as a vital public good in the realm of the rule of law, contributing to improved global governance. The birth of the IOMed can help transcend the "you-lose-I-win" zero-sum mentality, promote the amicable resolution of international disputes, and foster more harmonious international relations, Wang said. The IOMed respects the wishes of parties concerned, and draws upon the strengths of being more flexible, cost-effective, convenient, and efficient, he said, adding that it will complement and form synergies with litigation, arbitration and other existing international dispute settlement mechanisms. Emphasizing the importance of enhancing the participation of developing countries and improving the representation and say of the Global South in international governance, Wang called on parties to put in place at an early date a set of world-class mediation rules and mechanisms featuring autonomy, flexibility, pragmatism and high efficiency.