President #Trump says talks with Iran over an interim peace deal will "work out well," even as the countries’ forces clashed again near the Strait of #Hormuz

#Taiwan fans seek divine help to secure K-pop band BTS concert seats

#Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, says Tehran will not accept any agreement with the United States unless there is certainty that the rights of the Iranian people are protected.

Democratic Republic of #Congo said on Sunday that the number of confirmed #Ebola cases had increased to 282 after 19 new positive test results were recorded.

#US-based Foundation Future Industries related to the family of President Donald Trump held trials of android #robots in the combat operations zone in Ukraine, CNBC television said, citing the company CEO.

According to CNBC, the company sent two Phantom MK-1 model robots for the pilot demonstration. This was the first case of using robots in the combat zone. Their core function was to deliver ammunition to the frontline, company CEO Sankaet Pathak said.

The model has a number of weaknesses, the TV channel said. Its carrying capacity is not above 20 kg, and the body is not water-proof. The short time of robots’ independent operation became one more obstacle to their large-scale use.

The company plans now to send an improved version to Ukraine. The Phantom 2 will boast "superman" abilities, and its carrying capacity will be twice above the one of the Phantom MK-1. #GlobalNews

#WASHINGTON, May 31. US President Donald Trump has appointed US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack his special envoy to Iraq.

"I am pleased to announce that United States Ambassador to Turkiye, Tom Barrack, who has done an outstanding job, will be named Special Presidential Envoy to Syria and, likewise, Special Presidential Envoy to Iraq, as we advance our strategic cooperation with the Governments of Syria and Iraq, our relationship with them continues to grow!" he wrote on his Truth Social platform.

"Tom will remain Ambassador to Turkiye, and operate with the full backing of the United States Department of State," he added.

Barrack was appointed Ambassador to Turkey in April 2025 and a special presidential envoy to Syria a month later.

Rescuers say a blast at a building storing #explosives in Myanmar has killed more than 45 people

South Korea says it will hold its first search and rescue drill at sea with #Japan in nine years

#Trump set to headline 'Great American State Fair' after artists drop out over ties.

#WASHINGTON — An upcoming celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, “The Great American State Fair,” recently had several musical guests back out partly over the event’s ties to President Donald Trump. Now, Trump himself is slated to headline the festivities, the organizers said Saturday.

“I understand Artists are getting `the yips’ having to do with their performance,” Trump posted to his social media platform Truth Social Saturday, adding that he was thinking of bringing “the man who some say is the Greatest President in History (THE GOAT!), DONALD J. TRUMP, to take the place of these highly paid, Third Rate ‘Artists.”’

The group organizing the June fair on Washington’s National Mall, Freedom 250, confirmed the billing in a statement, writing, “we are excited to announce that President Trump will personally kick off this historic celebration on Wednesday, June 24.”

Trump’s social media post twice referenced him holding a rally “Wednesday,” without a specific date. The White House did not immediately clarify the discrepancy.

Danielle Alvarez, a spokesperson for Freedom 250, emphasized the broader fair that is scheduled from June 25 through July 10 includes an array of exhibits, family friendly attractions, musical performances, flyovers and more.

Trump was dismissive of the acts that backed out, suggesting in a follow-up post that the solution is to “Cancel it.”

“We should have a giant MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN RALLY, for 250, instead of having overpriced singers, who nobody wants to hear, whose music is boring, and yet who do nothing but complain,” Trump said on social media.

Freedom 250 is billed as nonpartisan, but was launched last year by Trump and is led by a former State Department appointee from Trump’s first term. Several artists, including Bret Michaels, the Commodores and Martina McBride dropped out last week.

Michaels and other artists have said that they were misled about the theme of the shows or were otherwise wary of being caught up in a political fight. McBride, in a statement on Instagram, said she had been “presented with an opportunity to perform at a nonpartisan event but that turned out to be misleading.”

Other artists plan to attend, including Flo Rida, Fab Morvan of Milli Vanilli and Vanilla Ice. The latter’s representative previously said that the “Ice Ice Baby” rapper was “proud to help celebrate America’s 250th Anniversary!”

Jesse Bedayn and Collin Binkley, The Associated Press

‘A path forward’: Industry expert weighs potential changes to #CUSMA auto rules. Trade talks between the United States and Mexico are now officially underway, as the two sides held a first round of bilateral negotiations to review the Canada-U.S-Mexico agreement, on Friday.

Canada however, has not entered into negotiations with Washington yet, and was not part of Friday’s talks.

The U.S. Trade Representative’s office says “automotive rules of origin, steel and aluminum, and economic security” were priorities in a first round of talks with Mexico.

Reuters reported that Trump’s negotiation team set out clear new expectations for the auto sector: that North #American vehicles would need to contain at least 50 per cent American content.