Xi Jinping and Kim Jong-un call for more cooperation. A summit brings together the two leaders in Pyongyang, on the occasion of the first visit of the Chinese president in seven years, reports The Chosun Daily. The South Korean daily relies on the report from the Korean Central News Agency. According to the North Korean government agency, the discussions aimed to “strengthen strategic communication between the two countries and cooperation in all areas such as politics, economy and culture†. North Korea also reaffirmed its support for the one-China principle, defending the “fundamental position of the Chinese government that Taiwan is part of its territory and is not an independent state†, indicates the Chosun Daily.
Pope meets victims of Spanish clergy. During his visit to Spain, Leo XIV spoke privately for an hour with six victims of sexual assault committed by clerics. They shared their experiences and made suggestions so that “the Church’s response to these tragic cases must be more effective†, declared the Vatican press officer. The predecessors of Leo XIV took part in meetings of this type, specifies Vatican News, citing the case of Pope Benedict XVI in 2008 in the United States or that of Pope Francis during visits to Ireland, Chile, Portugal and Belgium.
A leader of the Polisario Front killed by a Moroccan drone. The operation was carried out on Sunday. Lahbib Mohamed Abdelaziz, the main target, was the son of a former leader of the Western Sahara independence movement. Two other fighters died, says The Country, but Morocco has not confirmed the operation. The UN special envoy is in the region to relaunch negotiations between Rabat and the Polisario Front, which began in February in Madrid but were interrupted last month after an attack on a Moroccan military base.
A referee expelled before the World Cup. Omar Abdulkadir Artan est “considered the best referee on the African continent†, note AS. But he is also Somali, a country on the list of travel ban of Washington. Once he arrived at Miami airport, he was refused entry into the United States and was deported to Turkey. FIFA “requests flexibility from host countries†, recalls the Spanish sports daily but the final decision is theirs. Aymen Hussein, Iraqi football star, was questioned for seven hours at Chicago airport. The official photographer of the selection was not admitted to the territory.
France ends its preparation with a victory. The Blues won 3-1 Monday evening in Lille against Northern Ireland. Bayern Munich star Michael Olise scored a hat-trick in a match presented by the BBC like the last at home of the coach, Didier Deschamps. “It wasn’t the performance France were hoping for after their surprise 2-1 defeat to Ivory Coast on Thursday, but Olise made the difference with a performance that sent a message ahead of the World Cup†, underlines the British media.
