| History's reckoning | Biden visited Tulsa to mark the centenary of a White mob's destruction of its once-thriving Black business district, one of the worst episodes of racial violence in U.S. history. "The events we speak of today took place 100 years ago and yet I'm the first president in 100 years to ever come to Tulsa," he said. Tough call | The U.K. recorded no new Covid-19 deaths for the first time since the pandemic began, bolstering demands from industry groups for Prime Minister Boris Johnson to lift lockdown restrictions on June 21. Johnson has warned he'll need to wait for more data on the spread of the delta variant first identified in India before announcing by June 14 whether curbs will be eased. - Member nations of a Pacific regional trade deal today agreed to allow the U.K. to begin the process to join in a potential boost for the country's trade following Brexit.
Midterm forecast | Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's ruling coalition is close to retaining its lower house super-majority in June 6 midterm elections, according to a final pre-vote poll by Parametria. That would be a stronger result than some expect in elections which usually see the ruling party lose seats. The pollster also expects record voter turnout for a midterm.  Crowds have returned to Hong Kong's streets after weeks of near-zero local infections, schools have reopened and the annual Art Basel festival is being held indoors. Yet protests remain rare as the city's Beijing-backed government repeatedly extends rules banning gatherings of more than four people. Frank talks | The U.S. and China took another step toward restarting economic and trade talks, with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Vice Premier Liu He holding what they described as frank discussions in their first call. It was the fourth exchange of views between U.S. cabinet-level officials and Chinese representatives since Biden took office in January. 'Lovable' China | President Xi Jinping urged Chinese officials to create a "trustworthy, lovable and respectable" image for the country, in a sign Beijing may be looking to smooth its hard-edged diplomatic approach. Until now, China has increasingly hit back against perceived violations of its core interests — an approach sometimes dubbed "Wolf Warrior" diplomacy. What to Watch - Rivals of Benjamin Netanyahu are up against a midnight deadline to lock down a new government that would unseat Israel's longest-serving prime minister.
- The European Commission will tomorrow propose the introduction of digital wallets that offer access to a range of services across the European Union for the bloc's 450 million citizens, a further step toward closer integration.
- The Biden administration is suspending Arctic refuge drilling rights sold in the final days of Donald Trump's presidency, a victory for environmentalists who argued for decades against oil development in the remote Alaskan region.
- Malaysia will summon China's ambassador to protest flights by 16 Chinese air force planes over the South China Sea, calling it a "breach of Malaysian airspace and sovereignty."
And finally ... A dispute over whether to rotate the presidency of the Pan-African Parliament descended into chaos, with lawmakers exchanging death threats and scenes of fisticuffs broadcast from the proceedings. The legislative arm of the African Union meeting near Johannesburg has been unable to elect a new president as a result. Discussions were abandoned again yesterday after members failed to heed an appeal for calm.  Pan-African Parliament members inside the house following its postponement. Photographer: Phill Magokoe/AFP/Getty Images | 
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