While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, May 1 edition

US President Donald Trump has invited Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to the White House. PHOTOS: AFP/ST

Donald Trump calls PM Lee, invites him to White House to further strengthen 'deep' ties

President Donald Trump called Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Sunday evening for their second conversation since Mr Trump won the Presidency, and invited him to the White House to "further strengthen ties".

Prime Minister Lee and President Trump "affirmed the deep and longstanding relationship between Singapore and the United States", a statement from Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

The brief statement added: "They expressed satisfaction that ministers from both sides are already working with each other and looked forward to meeting each other soon."

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US President Donald Trump calls North Korea's Kim Jong Un 'a pretty smart cookie'

US President Donald Trump offered some backhanded praise for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, calling him "a pretty smart cookie" in a television interview that aired on Sunday (April 30).

Trump's almost admiring remarks came amid soaring tensions with North Korea over its missile and nuclear programs, with an alarmed Washington looking to China for help in reining in Kim.

Trump said he had "no idea" whether Kim was sane or not, but said the North Korean leader had faced a formidable challenge in taking over the country at a reported age of 27 after his father's death in 2011.

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Football: Chelsea take giant step towards Premier League title with impressive win at Everton

Chelsea took a major step towards the Premier League title with an impressive 3-0 win over Everton at Goodison Park on Sunday.

A brilliant strike from Pedro in the 66th minute broke the deadlock, and then goals from skipper Gary Cahill and substitute Willian made sure of the three points for Antonio Conte's side.

The four remaining fixtures look straightforward - Chelsea are at West Brom and then at home to Watford, 19th-placed Middlesbrough and relegated Sunderland, and it would take an unlikely series of upsets to stop the Blues from winning their second title in three seasons.

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Football: Dele Alli and Harry Kane earn Spurs stirring derby win

Dele Alli and Harry Kane kept Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League title hunt as their side torpedoed Arsenal 2-0 in White Hart Lane's last north London derby on Sunday.

Leaders Chelsea extended their advantage to seven points by winning 3-0 at Everton earlier in the day, but Mauricio Pochettino's Spurs cut the gap back to four points with a thrilling display.

The two goals arrived within 146 seconds of each other in the second half, Alli polishing off a rebound and Kane netting a penalty to take their respective goal tallies to 17 and 21 for the campaign.

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Furious 8 charges ahead to outpace 3 new releases

Universal's The Fate of the Furious continued to dominate the North American box office over the weekend, easily fending off three newcomers at home while also passing the US$1 billion ($1.4 billion) mark worldwide, industry data showed Sunday (April 30).

The eighth installment in the high-octane series starring Vin Diesel and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson took in an estimated US$19.4 million for the three-day weekend, website Exhibitor Relations reported.

The film has grossed US$192.7 million domestically in its three weeks out.

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