Kim Jong-un and Moon Jae-in met today for historical peace talks about the future of their peninsula
Happy Friday! This is Anna getting you up to speed before the weekend.
Today's headlines
North-South Korea talks
Leaders of North and South Korea have vowed to ‘write a new chapter’ in their troubled history at the beginning of a summit that seeks to curtail Pyongyang’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. Kim Jong-un and Moon Jae-in met across a concrete slab marking the border between their countries and shook hands for more than 20 seconds. Kim became the first North Korean leader to set foot in South Korea since the end of the 1950-53 Korean war as millions watched the momentous occasion on television. Kim reportedly told Moon that he ‘won’t interrupt your early morning sleep any more’ with ballistic missile tests. Moon said there had been ‘very good discussion today’. After entering the Peace House, where talks are being held, Kim wrote in the guestbook: ‘New history starts from now, at the historic starting point of an era of peace.’
Golden State killer DNA
Investigators in Sacramento, California, tracked down the Golden State Killer by comparing the suspect’s DNA to the genetic profiles available online through genealogy websites, the district attorney’s office revealed on Thursday. 72-year-old Joseph James DeAngelo Jr, a former police officer, was arrested on Tuesday evening at his home in Citrus Heights, following a decades-long search for the alleged rapist and murderer. He is accused of 12 murders and at least 45 rapes from 1976 to 1986.
Avicii’s battle with fame and business
The family of Swedish DJ Avicii, who was found dead last week, have released a statement saying he ‘could not go on any longer’ and ‘he wanted to find peace’. Tim Bergling (Avicii), was found dead in Muscat, Oman, on Friday. Although his cause of death has not yet been announced, authorities have ruled out any foul play. 'Our beloved Tim was a seeker, a fragile artistic soul searching for answers to existential questions,’ his family said. ‘An over-achieving perfectionist who travelled and worked hard at a pace that led to extreme stress. When he stopped touring, he wanted to find a balance in life, to be happy and be able to do what he loved most: music. Tim was not made for the business machine he found himself in; he was a sensitive guy who loved his fans but shunned the spotlight. Tim, you will forever be loved and sadly missed. The person you were and your music will keep your memory alive.’
Protests erupt in Spain after gang rape case ruling
Protests were held across Spain yesterday after five men accused of the gang rape of a teenager during the running of the bulls festival in Pamplona were found guilty of the lesser offence of sexual abuse, not rape. The verdicts were delivered at a court in Pamplona, the capital of the Navarre region of northern Spain. José Ángel Prenda, Alfonso Cabezuelo, Antonio Manuel Guerrero, Jesús Escudero and Ángel Boza were sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment, five years’ probation and ordered to pay €10,000 each to the woman. Guerrero, a Guardia Civil police officer, was also fined €900 for stealing her phone after the attack. Protests erupted onto the streets of Spain’s major cities - including Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Sevilla and Bilbao - and the lesser court ruling was largely seen as a way of validating the machismo culture of the country. Both the victim and the defendants are appealing the decision.
Pompeo sworn in
Mike Pompeo has been sworn in as the 70th US secretary of state after the Senate voted to confirm him, 57-42, paving the way for the former CIA Director to become the nation's top diplomat.
What we like
Must-read
Doreen St. Félix’s stinging piece about Kanye West’s vacant adoration of Donald Trump is the high brow hot take on the drama you need in your life.
If you want to read our take as well, read it here:
In-depth
The economy may be booming, but for how long? The New Statesman speaks with economic experts about the threat of a future recession and the breakdown of today’s financial climate.
Culture
Take a trip to the summer of ‘78 in America with these wanderlust photographs in the New York Times. It will make you yearn for those days of unencumbered, responsibility-free liberties in the blazing sunshine.
Entertainment
Singer Kelis has opened up about her marriage to Nas, saying the relationship was dark and abusive. In a new interview with Hollywood Unlocked, Kelis —who was married to the rapper between 2005 and 2009—accused Nas of abusing her and admitted that she also hit him. Kelis described their relationship as ‘really dark,’ and that 'there was a lot of mental and physical abuse and it got to the point where I probably would have stayed longer had I not been pregnant because I really did love him and because we were married.’ She was seven months pregnant with their son Knight when she filed for divorce.