Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have pledged to deepen bilateral ties and expand cooperation across multiple sectors as Xi concluded a rare two-day state visit to Pyongyang, his first trip to North Korea in nearly seven years. The summit underscored the enduring alliance between the two neighboring countries at a time of growing geopolitical tensions in East Asia and beyond.

According to North Korea’s state news agency KCNA, the two leaders agreed to strengthen cooperation in politics, the economy, culture, and people-to-people exchanges, while vowing to open what they described as a “new chapter” in bilateral relations. Both sides emphasized the importance of maintaining close strategic communication and increasing high-level exchanges between their governments.

Xi Reaffirms Support for North Korea

During the summit, Xi told Kim that China would remain committed to safeguarding the common interests of both countries and would not waver in its support for North Korea. The Chinese leader said Beijing and Pyongyang should work together to protect their sovereignty, security, and development interests amid a changing international environment.

Xi described relations between the two countries as standing at a “new historical starting point” and stressed the need to deepen strategic coordination. Chinese state media portrayed the visit as a demonstration of Beijing’s commitment to its only formal treaty ally.

Kim, in turn, expressed appreciation for China’s support and reaffirmed North Korea’s backing for the “One China” principle, a key foreign policy priority for Beijing regarding Taiwan. According to KCNA, Kim pledged that North Korea would continue to support China’s core interests regardless of changes in the international situation.

Elaborate Ceremonies Highlight Historic Alliance

Xi received a grand welcome in Pyongyang, with large crowds lining the streets, military honor guards, mass performances, and a formal ceremony at Kim Il Sung Square. The two leaders also attended a state banquet, planted a commemorative tree, and visited the Sino-Korean Friendship Tower, a monument honoring Chinese soldiers who fought during the Korean War.

The visit was marked by repeated references to the historical bonds forged during the Korean War and decades of socialist cooperation. State media in both countries highlighted what they called an “unbreakable” and “invincible” friendship between Beijing and Pyongyang.

China Seeks to Reassert Influence

Analysts view Xi’s visit as part of a broader effort by Beijing to reassert its influence over North Korea at a time when Pyongyang has strengthened economic and military ties with Russia. Since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, North Korea has expanded cooperation with Moscow, including trade and security links that have increased its diplomatic options.

Xi’s trip is widely seen as an attempt to ensure that China remains North Korea’s most important strategic partner. Before the visit, Chinese officials said both countries would use the occasion to promote greater development of bilateral relations “in keeping with the times.”

Nuclear Issue Largely Absent from Public Discussions

Notably absent from public statements following the summit was any direct discussion of North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, despite international concerns over Pyongyang’s continued expansion of its arsenal. Just days before Xi’s arrival, Kim called for an “exponential” increase in North Korea’s nuclear capabilities and inspected a new nuclear material production facility.

Observers noted that both governments appeared keen to focus on economic cooperation, regional stability, and bilateral relations rather than contentious security issues. Analysts said China likely sought to frame the visit as a diplomatic and economic engagement rather than one centered on North Korea’s weapons programs.

Regional Implications

The summit comes amid heightened competition between China and the United States and ongoing security tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Both leaders stressed the importance of resisting external pressure and safeguarding their national interests, language widely interpreted as a reference to U.S.-led alliances and sanctions policies in the region.

The strengthened partnership could have significant implications for regional diplomacy, particularly as efforts to restart denuclearization talks between North Korea and the United States remain stalled. The visit also signals Beijing’s intention to remain a central player in shaping developments on the Korean Peninsula.

Looking Ahead

As Xi departed Pyongyang on Tuesday, both governments hailed the visit as a success and pledged to continue expanding cooperation. While concrete agreements announced during the summit focused primarily on economic, cultural, and political exchanges, the visit highlighted the strategic importance both countries place on their longstanding relationship.

With North Korea deepening ties with Russia and geopolitical competition intensifying across Asia, the renewed commitment by Xi and Kim to closer cooperation is likely to be closely watched by governments throughout the region and beyond.

Russian drone and missile attacks across Ukraine have killed at least five civilians and injured several others, Ukrainian officials said on Tuesday, as President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed optimism following what he described as productive talks with senior U.S. envoys aimed at advancing diplomatic efforts to end the war.

The latest attacks struck several regions of Ukraine, including the northeastern Kharkiv region, where local authorities reported the deaths of three civilians, among them a pregnant woman. Additional casualties were reported in other areas as Russia continued its campaign of long-range aerial strikes against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.

Officials in Kyiv said air defense systems were activated overnight to intercept incoming drones and missiles. The attacks came amid an escalation in cross-border strikes, with Ukraine intensifying drone operations against Russian energy and military targets deep inside Russian territory and in occupied Crimea.

Despite the continuing violence, Zelensky signaled renewed diplomatic momentum after holding what he called a “very positive” telephone conversation with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. According to the Ukrainian president, the discussions focused on possible pathways toward a ceasefire and future peace negotiations.

“I appreciate their willingness to actively help bring peace closer,” Zelensky said following the talks. The Ukrainian leader added that discussions are continuing regarding further diplomatic initiatives that could be pursued at upcoming international gatherings, including the Group of Seven summit.

The talks come days after Zelensky publicly proposed direct face-to-face negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin in an open letter. The proposal was swiftly rejected by the Kremlin, with Putin saying he saw “no point” in meeting the Ukrainian leader at this stage of the conflict.

Zelensky’s outreach has received support from European allies. During meetings in London over the weekend, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz reaffirmed their backing for diplomatic efforts while calling for stronger military support for Ukraine. The leaders stressed the need to strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses in response to increasingly intense Russian missile and drone attacks.

The latest Russian attacks are part of a broader escalation that has seen Moscow launch hundreds of drones and missiles against Ukraine in recent weeks. Earlier this month, Zelensky warned that Russia was preparing additional large-scale strikes after a barrage involving more than 70 missiles and hundreds of drones killed dozens of civilians across the country.

At the same time, Ukraine has stepped up attacks inside Russia. Ukrainian drones recently targeted oil facilities, military infrastructure, and naval installations near St. Petersburg, causing disruptions to fuel supplies and forcing Russian authorities to activate emergency measures. Kyiv argues that such operations are necessary to weaken Russia’s ability to finance and sustain the war.

The intensifying exchange of long-range attacks has complicated international efforts to secure a ceasefire. While Kyiv continues to advocate for direct negotiations and international mediation, Russia maintains that any settlement must address what it calls the “root causes” of the conflict and insists that Ukraine accept territorial realities created by the war.

Meanwhile, humanitarian officials at the United Nations have voiced alarm over rising civilian casualties. Recent attacks have damaged residential neighborhoods, schools, food facilities, medical centers, and transportation infrastructure, further worsening conditions for civilians living near the front lines.

As fighting continues and diplomatic efforts remain uncertain, Zelensky has urged Ukraine’s partners to maintain military and economic support while pursuing peace initiatives. The Ukrainian president said the latest contacts with U.S. envoys demonstrate that diplomatic channels remain open, even as the battlefield situation remains volatile and deadly.

Israeli forces have killed at least eight people in strikes in the southern city of Tyre after issuing a forced displacement order for its residents, as Iran warned of “crushing measures” if Israel presses ahead with its assault on the country.

The killings on Tuesday came as an Israeli airstrike hit a popular housing area of the coastal city, the civil defence agency told Al Jazeera. The displacement order included the city’s Christian quarter that had previously been excluded. The Israeli army alleges Hezbollah ⁠fighters are operating there.

In recent days the city has been repeatedly attacked. On Tuesday, five people were killed and eight wounded in a strike near a Red Cross centre in Tyre, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency. Among those injured there were four paramedics, the report said, adding that the bombardment also damaged a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

The wave of deadly strikes came after Iran and Israel traded fire in the most significant escalation since their “ceasefire” began on April 8. The flare-up was triggered by an Israeli attack on Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, on Sunday.

“We’ve seen a continuous escalation by Israel since the tit-for-tat exchange of fire between Iran and Israel was put out, basically by both sides saying that they weren’t going to carry out any more attacks on each other,” said Al Jazeera’s Obaida Hitto, reporting from Tyre.

“But Israel has made it a point to exclude southern Lebanon, saying that it was going to continue targeting whatever they say is a potential threat to their northern communities here in the south.”

The Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, which has been fighting invading Israeli troops in southern Lebanon, claimed to have carried out 16 operations against Israeli forces, including near the strategic Beaufort Castle.

The group said it had targeted and destroyed two Israeli military bulldozers in the village of Yohmor al-Shaqif near the castle and struck multiple enemy troop concentrations. It also said it intercepted an Israeli drone operating in the airspace over Iqlim al-Tuffah.

Lebanon was drawn into the US-Israel war on Iran on March 2, when the Tehran-aligned Hezbollah fired rockets at northern Israel, citing continued Israeli attacks on the country and the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on February 28.

While the US and Iran agreed a ceasefire on April 8, Israel has not halted its campaign in Lebanon, insisting the two fronts are separate.

Iran, however, has long maintained that any peace deal with Washington must include an end to fighting in Lebanon.

Announcing the end of its strikes on Israel on Monday, Iran’s military warned that continued aggression – including in southern Lebanon – would be met with “much more severe and crushing measures”.

But Israeli Minister of Defence Israel Katz rejected the warning, pledging to press ahead with operations against Hezbollah and to launch attacks on Beirut’s southern suburbs in response to any strikes on northern Israel.

“Any Iranian attempt to link Lebanon and Iran and attack Israel will be met with great force,” he said.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, meanwhile, said on Monday that Israel has carried out nearly 3,500 air strikes, 407 demolitions, and six so-called “razing” operations – which have flattened entire villages – since April 16.

The Lebanese Ministry of Health said the overall death toll from the Israeli offensive since March 2 has risen to 3,637, with a further 11,188 wounded.

More than one million people, or a fifth of Lebanon’s population, have been displaced.

Salam’s office said that government shelters “have reached maximum absorption capacity in Beirut, Sidon, and all other regions”.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC), meanwhile, warned that Lebanon’s humanitarian crisis was worsening, with 94 percent of displaced people struggling to meet their basic needs.

Many of those returning to southern Lebanon were finding their homes or entire villages destroyed, said Rick Bartoldus, the IRC’s country director for Lebanon.

“The humanitarian needs are massive, and if we have any hope of recovery, we need to see a lasting ceasefire,” he told Al Jazeera.

A powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the Mindanao region in southern Philippines on Monday, leaving at least 19 people dead, injuring more than 200 others, and causing widespread destruction across several communities.

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake occurred at about 7:37 a.m. local time at a depth of approximately 35 kilometres (21.7 miles). The agency described the tremor as “notable.”

The earthquake triggered panic across affected areas as buildings collapsed, emergency sirens sounded, and residents rushed to safety.

Disaster authorities confirmed that at least 19 people lost their lives in the disaster, while more than 200 sustained injuries. Among the fatalities, 13 people were reportedly killed in a landslide triggered by the earthquake in Sarangani Province.

The Philippines lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a region known for frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity. The country, alongside Indonesia and Japan, regularly experiences seismic events due to its location on major tectonic fault lines.

The epicentre of Monday’s earthquake was located off the coast near General Santos City in Sarangani Province, situated at the southern tip of Mindanao Island, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.

Following the initial quake, authorities recorded at least 138 aftershocks and warned residents to remain alert for additional seismic activity near the epicentre.

Images released by local authorities in General Santos City, home to approximately 720,000 residents, showed collapsed convenience stores, damaged structures, and large slabs of concrete scattered across affected areas.

The earthquake also disrupted activities in schools as students were forced to seek safety when the tremors struck during the first day of the new academic year.

Videos circulating on social media showed frightened elementary school pupils crouching outdoors while the ground shook violently beneath them in Davao Occidental Province.

Additional footage revealed a collapsed roof at a high school campus in Davao del Sur, where students had gathered for morning activities. No injuries were reported in either incident.

In Davao City, emergency officials said more than 100 students sustained minor bruises, while several others fainted during the panic caused by the earthquake.

An academic official in General Santos City recounted the terrifying experience, saying he sought refuge beneath a table inside a university building.

“I had to duck and shelter myself under the table,” the president of Notre Dame of Dadiangas University told Reuters.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he had directed all relevant government agencies to immediately begin evacuation and rescue operations.

“To our kababayans (countrymen) in the affected provinces, please heed the tsunami warning. Move to higher ground now. Do not wait. Your life is more important than anything left behind,” he said in a statement.

The earthquake also caused structural damage in several areas. Matanao National High School, which had previously suffered damage from earthquakes in 2019, reportedly collapsed during the latest tremor.

Police officials in Sarangani said government buildings also sustained cracks, though there were no immediate reports of casualties in their area.

“This is the strongest earthquake we’ve experienced,” Alabel police chief Benjie Ancheta told Reuters.

The tremors were felt beyond the Philippines, reaching parts of Indonesia, including North Sulawesi Province.

The earthquake also triggered tsunami alerts across the region, with smaller waves recorded in Indonesia, Palau, and southern Japan. However, authorities confirmed that no tsunami threat was detected in Hawaii.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center later announced that the major tsunami threat had largely passed about five hours after the earthquake, although residents were advised to remain cautious and continue following guidance from local authorities as sea levels could still fluctuate.