Ukraine

• UK intelligence estimates that Russia has now lost one-third of the fighting force it invaded Ukraine with, which suggests Russia's heavy losses at the beginning of the campaign have continued apace.
• With Russia's force crippled, Ukraine says its troops defending Kharkiv have pushed Russian troops back to the border in a successful counteroffensive.
• NATO SecGen Stoltenberg cheered on the defenders, declaring: "Ukraine can win this war."

• Sweden's parliament is debating whether it will apply to join NATO, but the answer is likely to be yes: the ruling Social Democrats - who had been the primary opponents of joining - said they would support the application. Russia warned that it would be a "grave mistake."

• North Korea deployed its military to respond to the nationwide COVID outbreak ravaging the unvaccinated population. There are now 1.2 million reported "fever" cases in North Korea - out of a population of 25 million.

• Somalia finally held a long overdue election clan council yesterday, and (re)elected Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, a former president and peace activist. Incumbent president Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed had stalled the vote for almost two years in an effort to cling to power, but now appears likely to concede and leave office.
• Mohamud faces an uphill battle against Al Shabaab, which exploited Somalia's prolonged political turbulence to expand its reach and gain strength.

• Shanghai will begin a phased reopening on June 1, after eight weeks of lockdown. Beijing will remain under lockdown, though.

• Early results from Lebanon's election yesterday suggest a poor showing for Hezbollah and its allies, confirming that frustrated voters blame the Shia militia-cum-political party for the economic woes that worsened on its watch in recent years.