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UK Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has stepped down amid a tax scandal, widening challenges for Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government. In a letter to Starmer, Rayner announced her resignation as deputy prime minister and housing minister, as well as deputy Labour leader. She said under scrutiny over her property tax payments, continuing in her role had become unbearable for her and her family.
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French President Emmanuel Macron has decided to appoint outgoing Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu as his successor as prime minister, a reminder of the difficult political reality the government faces: a divided parliament, with the new government tasked with setting a budget for 2026 and finding consensus among different political forces.
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Amid a parade in Beijing, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un scored one of his most notable diplomatic victories in recent memory. He took the stage alongside Xing and Vladimir Putin for a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, raising Pyongyang’s international profile and strategic position amid growing cooperation between Kim and Moscow. At the same time, the official document following the summit with Kim for the first time did not mention the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, which many experts took as a sign that China may have de facto recognized North Korea’s nuclear status.
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Two of Donald Trump’s top economic officials — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte — nearly came to blows last week during a dinner at the Exclusive Club, CNN reported, citing several people familiar with the incident. Witnesses said Bessent threatened to punch Pulte in the face and accused him of talking to Trump about him privately, which quickly escalated into a heated argument. One witness said Bessent threatened to have Pulte leave or he would leave, after which the argument was broken up by a club co-founder who demanded they disperse. After Bessent briefly retreated, neither participant left the venue, which was attended by nearly 30 people, many of whom hold senior administration positions.
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Prince Harry has returned to the UK for a short visit to attend charity events, with a meeting with his father, King Charles III, in doubt. After returning to London, the Sussex man will pay tribute to his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, as part of the third anniversary of her death. Harry is also scheduled to visit Nottingham, where he will visit the Community Recording Studio, which teaches children and young people film, video and music production. During his visit, he will announce a significant donation to Children in Need, which supports the fight against youth violence.
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