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Daily Briefing

Russia says two people were killed after Ukraine shelled a town near the border, Japan's birth rate declines for the seventh consecutive year, and the US Congress averts a historic default.

Plus, the top photos of the week.

By Edson Caldas

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Today's Top News

Ammunition casing in a damaged street in the town of Shebekino, in this image released May 31, 2023. Governor of Russia's Belgorod Region Vyacheslav Gladkov via Telegram/Handout via REUTERS

UKRAINE WAR

The governor of Russia's Belgorod region said that two people were killed after Ukraine shelled a town near the border, while officials in nearby regions reported overnight drone attacks. Separately, Ukrainian forces in Kyiv said they shot down 36 Russian missiles and drones in and around the capital overnight, with two people injured by falling debris.
The US is seeking to secure supplies of TNT in Japan for 155mm artillery shells, as Washington rushes weapons and ammunition to Ukraine for a counteroffensive against Russia, two people familiar with the matter said. For Japan, any procurement would test its willingness to court controversy to help Kyiv.

DIPLOMACY

BRICS foreign ministers asserted their bloc's ambition to rival Western powers but their talks in South Africa were overshadowed by questions over whether Russia's president would be arrested if he attended a summit in August. Today's Reuters World News podcast explains President Cyril Ramaphosa's diplomatic headache – and how the West fear South Africa's drift towards Russia.
Asia's top security meeting opened today, with intensifying competition between the US and China expected to dominate a weekend of high-level speeches, backroom military dealings and delicate diplomacy.

ELSEWHERE

Japan's birth rate declined for the seventh consecutive year in 2022 to a record low, the health ministry said, underscoring the sense of crisis gripping the country as the population shrinks and ages rapidly. The fertility rate was 1.25, far below the rate of 2.07 considered necessary to maintain a stable population.
Prince Harry will become the first senior British royal to give evidence in court for 130 years when he testifies next week. Harry will appear in the witness box as part of the case he and more than 100 other high-profile figures have brought against Mirror Group Newspapers.

Business & Markets

US Capitol police stand outside the Capitol building as the Senate votes on debt ceiling legislation to avoid a default, June 1, 2023. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

The US Senate passed bipartisan legislation backed by President Joe Biden that lifts the government's $31.4 trillion debt ceiling, averting what would have been a first-ever default. Senators voted 63-36 to approve the bill that had been passed on Wednesday by the House of Representatives. Here's what's in the debt ceiling deal struck by Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Jamie Dimon, the chief executive of JPMorgan, is visiting Taiwan on Friday, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said, his first trip to the island in a nearly a decade. Dimon's visit to Taipei, where JPMorgan has had a banking presence since 1970, comes amid heightened tension over the democratically-governed island.
Twitter's head of trust and safety, Ella Irwin, told Reuters that she has resigned from the social media company, which has faced criticism for lax protections against harmful content since Elon Musk acquired it. Irwin joined Twitter in June 2022 and took over as head of the trust and safety team in November.
Japan's privacy watchdog said it has warned OpenAI, the startup behind the ChatGPT chatbot, not to collect sensitive data without people's permission, adding it may take further action if it has more concerns. And Japan isn't alone. Here are the steps governing bodies are taking to regulate AI tools around the world.

The Week Ahead

OPEC and its partners meet on Sunday to discuss oil production.
Guinea Bissau holds a snap election on Sunday after President Umaro Sissoco Embalo dissolved the opposition-controlled parliament in May.
Apple holds its annual developers conference from Monday, where it is expected to unveil a mixed reality headset and discuss AI strategy.
Biden welcomes Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen to the White House on Monday.
The Bank of Canada announces its interest rate decision on Wednesday.
Former Vice President Mike Pence launches his presidential campaign with a video and a speech in Iowa on Wednesday.

In Pictures

NATO Kosovo Force (KFOR) soldiers clash with local Kosovo Serb protesters at the entrance of the municipality office, in the town of Zvecan, May 29. REUTERS/Laura Hasani

From the closing ceremony of the 76th Cannes Film Festival to protests in Kosovo and missile strikes in Kyiv, we bring you a selection of some of our top photos of the past week (and also some of the oddest ones).

And Finally...

Dev Shah reacts after winning the Scripps National Spelling Bee competition in National Harbor, Maryland, June 1, 2023. REUTERS/Leah Millis

Tell someone to spell "psammophile." Fourteen-year-old Dev Shah nailed that word to win the 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee in the 15th round of the contest's finals. The word means an organism that thrives in sandy soils. Shah, who was crowned champion in a hail of confetti, takes home $50,000 cash from E.W. Scripps Co, the bee's sponsor, plus further monetary prizes and reference works from Encyclopedia Britannica and Merriam-Webster.

Read more here: Dev Shah, 14, crowned US National Spelling Bee champion

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