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Israeli forces have seized Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon as the IDF pushes beyond the Litani river, with the UK, France, and Germany condemning the escalation.

This comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned of an imminent Russian strike and appealed to President Trump for additional Patriot missile systems.

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1️⃣ 🇺🇦 Zelenskyy warns of massive incoming Russian attack: Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned of an imminent "massive" Russian strike, urging civilians to monitor air alerts after last weekend's attack involving 90 missiles and 600 drones. He also wrote to Trump directly requesting additional Patriot missile systems, describing depleted batteries as among Ukraine's most painful realities.

2️⃣ 🇯🇵🇨🇳 Japan pushes back on China's "neo-militarism" label: Defense Minister Koizumi rejected Beijing's accusations at the Shangri-La Dialogue, reaffirming Tokyo's adherence to international law and calling for transparent dialog across the Asia-Pacific. Beijing sent a lower-ranking delegation after its defense minister skipped the forum for a second consecutive year.

3️⃣ 🇺🇸🇮🇷 Trump seeks third round of edits to Iran deal: President Trump requested further amendments to the US-Iran framework for the third time, focusing on the Strait of Hormuz and highly enriched uranium, with negotiations still unresolved. Iran's chief negotiator said Tehran will not sign any deal unless its rights are fully secured.

4️⃣ 🇧🇾🇺🇦 Concerns grow over Belarus as potential Russian launchpad: Ukrainian intelligence warned Russia is pressuring Belarus to facilitate attacks on the Chernihiv-Kyiv corridor or NATO border states, prompting Zelenskyy to order strengthened northern defenses. French President Emmanuel Macron called Belarusian President Lukashenko directly last week to warn against further involvement in the war.

5️⃣ 🇦🇺 Australia to receive only used submarines under revised AUKUS deal: All three Virginia-class submarines Australia is set to receive will now be pulled from active US Navy stock, scrapping the original plan that included at least one new vessel, with Canberra citing cost-effectiveness and operational simplicity as justification. The overhaul comes as American shipyards struggle to hit production targets, drawing criticism domestically over whether the US should be selling submarines before meeting its own military needs.

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Major Story

🇮🇱🇱🇧 Israel captures Beaufort Castle as Lebanon offensive deepens

Israeli forces have seized Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon, a strategically significant hilltop fortress overlooking the Litani valley, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu describing the capture as a "decisive shift" in Israel's campaign against Hezbollah. 

The IDF issued evacuation orders for a broad stretch of southern Lebanon below the Zahrani river, the second such warning in recent days, as ground troops push beyond the Litani river, their original demarcation line. 

Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam accused Israel of a "scorched-earth policy and collective punishment," while the UK, France, and Germany condemned the escalation, with France requesting an emergency UN Security Council meeting.

Both sides have accused the other of violating the temporary ceasefire that has been extended twice since coming into force last month.

A fourth round of negotiations between Israeli and Lebanese government delegations is scheduled in Washington this week.

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2️⃣ 🇪🇹 Ethiopia heads to polls with Abiy's landslide widely expected: Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's Prosperity Party is widely forecast to win today's election, though ongoing insecurity in the Amhara and Oromia regions could weigh on turnout among 50 million registered voters. Tigray will be excluded from federal representation for the second consecutive election, with opposition parties denouncing the process as fundamentally undemocratic.

3️⃣ 🇲🇲🇮🇳 Myanmar's junta leader visits India amid legitimacy concerns: Min Aung Hlaing traveled to India for meetings with President Murmu and Prime Minister Modi, his first visit since taking office after an election critics say entrenched military rule. Activist groups condemned India for legitimizing the junta despite Western sanctions imposed following the 2021 coup.

4️⃣ 🇨🇴 Colombia heads to presidential runoff after violent campaign: Pro-Trump outsider De la Espriella topped the first round with 44 percent, narrowly ahead of leftist Cepeda on 41 percent, setting up a June 21 runoff in the most violent campaign in over a decade. De la Espriella has pledged an immediate military offensive against armed groups while Cepeda has vowed to continue Petro's negotiated peace strategy.

5️⃣ 🇦🇲 Pashinyan on course for landslide as Russia ramps up pressure on Armenia: A new poll projects Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's Civil Contract party will win nearly 65 percent of decided voters ahead of June 7 elections, as Moscow recalls its ambassador and imposes trade bans to counter Yerevan's EU pivot. Reuters cited Western intelligence officials claiming Russia plans to bus tens of thousands of Armenian voters from Russia to influence the result.

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