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Biden holds out hope for Ramadan cease-fire in Gaza

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Biden holds out hope for Ramadan cease-fire in Gaza


President Biden expressed optimism on Saturday that a Gaza cease-fire deal in time for the start of Ramadan this week was still “possible.”

“My CIA director [is] in that region right at this minute still talking about it,” Biden said in an interview on MSNBC, referring to William J. Burns. “I think it’s always possible. I never give up on that.” However, Biden also said a day earlier that a cease-fire by Ramadan was “looking tough.”

In recent days, hopes for a pause in fighting in time for the first fast of the Muslim holy month on Monday appeared to fade amid stalled negotiations.

A Gaza cease-fire by Ramadan? What to know about the holy month.

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The proposed deal would pause fighting for six weeks to free some hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinians in Israeli prisons, as well as increased humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza. But Hamas has been pressing for a more durable end to the fighting, which Israel opposes.

The United States sees the potential deal as a first phase to secure the release of hostages and give civilians in Gaza relief during Ramadan, The Washington Post reported. Burns toured the Middle East over the past several days trying to push talks over the finish line.

Civilian suffering in Gaza has worsened, with hunger and a lack of aid beginning to claim lives, local health officials say. The number of deaths from malnutrition and dehydration rose to 25, the Gaza Health Ministry said Saturday. A 2-month-old baby and a 20-year-old woman were the latest casualties.

16 children have died of malnutrition in aid-starved Gaza, health officials say

Aid groups say the crisis is man-made, thanks to insufficient entry points for supplies, Israel’s arduous inspections and attacks by Israel on U.N. aid convoys and the police securing them. On Saturday, U.S. Central Command said an Army vessel was dispatched to the eastern Mediterranean with equipment to establish a floating pier off Gaza’s coastline for humanitarian assistance. Biden announced the initiative to deliver daily meals to Palestinians during his State of the Union address Thursday.

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Jordan carried out 10 aid airdrops in northern Gaza on Saturday, in an operation with Egypt, the United States, France and Belgium, the prime minister of Jordan said on X. U.S. C-130s dropped 41,400 meals and 23,000 bottles of water in the area, Centcom said, where the need for aid is the greatest.

Here’s what else to know

The United States and its allies shot down at least 28 Houthi drones in the Red Sea, Centcom said Saturday. “No U.S. or Coalition Navy vessels were damaged in the attack and there were also no reports by commercial ships of damage,” the statement said.

At least 30,960 people have been killed and 72,524 injured in Gaza since the war began, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Israel estimates that about 1,200 people were killed in Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack and says 248 soldiers have been killed since the start of its military operation in Gaza.



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Lebanon hopes crunch talks in Washington will halt an Israeli invasion

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Lebanon hopes crunch talks in Washington will halt an Israeli invasion


Beirut, Lebanon – On Tuesday, representatives from Lebanon and Israel met at the US Department of State in Washington, DC – the first session of a two-day round of negotiations that Lebanese negotiators hope will end an invasion of their country.

The negotiations, which started at 9am local time (13:00 GMT), come as Israel’s invasion of Lebanon pushes deeper than at any point since the year 2000 and as Hezbollah and Israel continue to trade attacks. Israel has killed 3,468 people in Lebanon since March 2, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health.

With the war raging on, what do Lebanon and Israel have to discuss and will the talks lead to an end of the Israeli assault?

Here’s everything you need to know.

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What will Israel and Lebanon discuss?

Similar to past meetings, the two sides are ostensibly looking to come to some kind of deal following fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, with strong doubts it will be achieved.

Lebanon’s government is still pushing for a total ceasefire. However, as talks started, Israel was striking various parts of southern Lebanon. Lebanon is also trying to get Israel to withdraw from Lebanese territory in the south, so that more than 1.2 million displaced people can return home, and so the state can resume finding a way to disarm Hezbollah and rebuild areas devastated by Israeli attacks.

Israel is meanwhile looking to get assurances that Lebanon will disarm Hezbollah, a prospect analysts say Israel knows is complicated by the continuation of its military operations and occupation of swaths of southern Lebanon. Instead, Israel appears to be trying to fuel sectarian tensions inside Lebanon, leading to chaos and internal strife.

What has happened so far?

An initial meeting took place in April between Israel and Lebanon’s ambassadors to the United States. A second round took place in May with a larger delegation on both sides.

On Friday, a meeting took place with Lebanese and Israeli military representatives, while Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Lebanese group, is not involved in the meetings.

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Israel claimed the two sides found common ground in that they both wanted to see Hezbollah disarmed. Some Israeli officials suggested there may soon be trade agreements and an exchange of tourists between the two countries. Lebanon, however, said it preferred to find a deal closer to the 1949 armistice agreement between the two countries.

In the last meeting, Beirut reportedly outlined the damage done by Israeli attacks since the 2024 ceasefire agreement and presented detailed maps showing homes destroyed or razed by Israel.

Is there a chance for a ceasefire?

That remains to be seen, but for now, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country’s military would continue attacking Lebanon.

On Monday, Netanyahu announced that attacks on Beirut’s southern suburbs would resume, despite a ceasefire. Apart from two targeted attacks, Israel has not struck the suburbs, known as Dahiyeh, since April.

Iran, which has attempted to include Lebanon in a wider ceasefire between themselves, on one side, and Israel and the US on the other, then intervened by threatening to attack northern Israel.

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US President Donald Trump reportedly intervened to stop Israel’s attacks. He announced another ceasefire, after his previous announcement of one between Israel and Lebanon on April 16, after claiming he had gotten the approval of Netanyahu and spoken to Hezbollah.

“There will be no troops going to Beirut, and any troops that are on their way have already been turned back,” Trump announced on his social media platform, Truth Social.

But attacks from Israel and Hezbollah are continuing.

How do Lebanese people feel about the talks?

Not everyone is on the same page.

Some Lebanese support the talks and say they are the only option the state, which has little leverage, has. Among those who believe direct talks are the best way forward are Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.

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“There is no option other than negotiation,” Aoun said in a statement on Tuesday.

Others, however, oppose direct talks. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and his allies, Hezbollah, have said indirect talks are preferred and that negotiations cannot be conducted while attacks are ongoing.

How are Iran and the US connected?

Israel and the US attacked Iran on February 28, killing the country’s longtime leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran is Hezbollah’s primary benefactor, and two days after Khamenei’s assassination, Hezbollah fired six rockets towards Israel on 2 March.

Hezbollah’s response brought a huge response from Israel, who have crossed the Litani River – the supposed buzzer zone in southern Lebanon it had created – towards the Zahrani River.

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Despite a 2024 ceasefire, Israel had never stopped attacking Lebanon, while Hezbollah had only responded once in December 2024.

Iran has attempted to include Lebanon in the ceasefire deal it has with the United States and Israel, who say this theatre is not part of the agreement.

Although Trump has now announced a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel twice, the invasion of southern Lebanon continues.

Are there other actors involved?

Gulf states have also intervened. Saudi Arabia has been working behind the scenes to get Lebanon’s leadership – Aoun, Salam and Berri – on the same page. Meanwhile, analysts say Saudi Arabia and Qatar engaged the Trump administration to stop an escalation in Lebanon.



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Washington Lottery Powerball, Cash Pop results for June 1, 2026

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The Washington Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at June 1, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from June 1 drawing

02-42-47-57-58, Powerball: 14, Power Play: 3

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Cash Pop numbers from June 1 drawing

11

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from June 1 drawing

8-6-0

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Match 4 numbers from June 1 drawing

07-08-09-18

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Check Match 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Hit 5 numbers from June 1 drawing

03-10-28-32-33

Check Hit 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Keno numbers from June 1 drawing

04-05-08-14-16-17-23-24-27-28-31-32-38-43-45-47-51-58-65-66

Check Keno payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Lotto numbers from June 1 drawing

05-09-10-15-21-26

Check Lotto payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from June 1 drawing

02-07-35-44-57, Powerball: 25

Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

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Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All Washington Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Washington Lottery’s regional offices.

To claim by mail, complete a winner claim form and the information on the back of the ticket, making sure you have signed it, and mail it to:

Washington Lottery Headquarters

PO Box 43050

Olympia, WA 98504-3050

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For in-person claims, visit a Washington Lottery regional office and bring a winning ticket, photo ID, Social Security card and a voided check (optional).

Olympia Headquarters

Everett Regional Office

Federal Way Office

Spokane Department of Imagination

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Vancouver Office

Tri-Cities Regional Office

For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Washington Lottery prize claim page.

When are the Washington Lottery drawings held?

  • Powerball: 7:59 p.m. PT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Mega Millions: 8 p.m. PT Tuesday and Friday.
  • Cash Pop: 8 p.m. PT daily.
  • Pick 3: 8 p.m. PT daily.
  • Match 4: 8 p.m. PT daily.
  • Hit 5: 8 p.m. PT daily.
  • Daily Keno: 8 p.m. PT daily.
  • Lotto: 8 p.m. PT Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
  • Powerball Double Play: 8:30 p.m. PT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Washington editor. You can send feedback using this form.



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Worker killed by falling tree in Washington County

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Worker killed by falling tree in Washington County


A contract worker was killed by a falling tree on Monday afternoon in Washington County, officials said.

The Washington County Office of the Coroner said in a news release that the contractor was killed after the tree fell on them around 4 p.m. The worker, who was not immediately identified, was hired to cut down a tree at a residence on Lynn Portal Road in Canton Township, and it fell in an unintended direction, killing the person, the coroner said. 

No other information was immediately released on Monday evening. The Greene-Washington Regional Police Department and the coroner are investigating.

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This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. 



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