“A new age of peace” between the two Koreas. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has made history by crossing his country’s southern border to meet his South Korean counterpart for a summit on the nuclear crisis. The meeting with Moon Jae-in is only the third time that leaders of the two countries have met in the 65 years since the Korean War – and the first time one of the Kim leaders has crossed over to the South. The two leader shook hands on the border before Mr Kim crossed into the South. Mr Moon later crossed into the North as well. North Korea’s state news agency suggested that Mr Kim would “open-heartedly” discuss “all the issues arising in improving inter-Korean relations and achieving peace, prosperity and reunification of the Korean peninsula” with Mr Moon. The historic meeting comes ahead of a summit planned between Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump in May or June.

Closer to home, there is no sign of progress to resume talks between Northern Ireland’s political parties. Rebuilding confidence between Stormont’s two main parties is going to take “an incredibly long time,” according to the Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster. She has argued that Sinn Féin’s behaviour after talks to restore power sharing in Northern Ireland collapsed in February have been “quite disgraceful.” Meanwhile, Sinn Féin’s Michelle O’Neill claimed on Thursday that the government’s Westminster deal with the DUP was the “greatest obstacle” to restoring devolution at Stormont.

Germany on course to ban arms sales to Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. The proposed ban comes amid fears they are being used to carry out human rights abuses. Weapons exports to the three countries will be prevented if new legislation is approved.The draft bill, proposed by the opposition social democratic party Die Linke, will also make it illegal to sell arms, expertise and related goods to any other government suspected of using the equipment to abuse human rights.The bill mentions Saudi Arabia and the UAE for their role in the war in Yemen, and Turkey for its military bombardment of Kurdish forces fighting in in northern Syria. It specifically refers to previous sales of patrol boats to Saudi Arabia – which have been used to blockade Yemeni ports – and of Leopard tanks to Turkey, which formed part of the country’s military action against the Kurdish YPG groups.

Sinn Féin votes help unionist into Irish Senate. County Armagh farmer Ian Marshall has made a little bit of political history by becoming the first unionist elected by the Seanad. His achievement has been seen as indicative of “a wind of change” in southern politics. Mr Marshall, who was elected on the fourth count, said the result is “hugely significant.” The former president of the Ulster Farmers’ Union is not the first northern Protestant to become a member of the Seanad. He is, however, the first to have entered office on the back of a vote by the Seanad and the 158 in the Dáil.

Controversy at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.The annual event is usually seen as an opportunity for the US news media and the President to poke fun at each other, but this year’s dinner struck a sour note. Donald Trump skipped the event, instead choosing to hold a campaign-style rally in Michigan. Some senior staffers, including Kellyanne Conway and Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, did, however, show up. Sanders said it was “important” for presidential staff to attend. President Trump’s Press Secretary was the subject of a pointed barrage of mockery by comedian Michelle Wolf. The brutal roasting – which attacked both her job performance and appearance – has caused controversy and divided opinion. An in an apparent critique of Ms Sanders’ feminist identifications, she asked: “What’s Uncle Tom, but for white women who disappoint other white women?”