TOKYO — Reclusive North Korean leader Kim Jong Un hosted a South Korean presidential delegation for dinner in Pyongyang on Monday, the latest surprising development in the thaw between the estranged neighbors aided by the Winter Olympics.

This is the first time the 34-year-old North Korean leader is known to have met with any South Korean officials. He has not met any heads of state — including the presidents of historical allies like China and Russia — since he took over the totalitarian state after his father’s death in late 2011.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in sent a 10-member delegation to Pyongyang to begin preparations for an inter-Korean summit, the first in 10 years, and to persuade Kim to start talks with the U.S. on denuclearization and stave off a potential conflict with the United States over his nuclear program.

The envoys also planned to discuss with Pyongyang officials the release of three Korean-Americans detained in North Korea.

Kim Jong Un last month invited Moon to visit Pyongyang, with the invitation hand-delivered by his sister, Kim Yo Jong, when she visited South Korea last month for the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.

The South’s delegation is led by Chung Eui-yong, Moon’s national security adviser and someone who talks regularly to his American counterpart, H.R. McMaster.

After their two-day trip to North Korea, the South Korean envoys are due to travel to Washington later this week to discuss with the Trump administration the results of their discussions.

Trump blames Democrats for failing to fix DACA by March 5

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is blaming Democrats for failing to pass legislation extending protections for young immigrants that he has tried to end.

Trump tweeted, “It’s March 5th and the Democrats are nowhere to be found on DACA.” He added: “We are ready to make a deal!”

Trump announced last year he was ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program but asked Congress to come up with a legislative fix in six months.

Trump had insisted that any legislation saving DACA had to be coupled with funding for a border wall and an overhaul of the immigration system. Democrats and some Republicans balked at those demands.

Trump spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders blamed both parties, saying it’s “terrible that Congress has failed to act.”

Mississippi GOP Sen. Cochran says he will resign April 1

WASHINGTON — Sen. Thad Cochran of Mississippi announced Monday that he will resign effective April 1.

Cochran, a Republican, said in a statement released by his office that his health “has become an ongoing challenge.” He missed weeks of work last fall because of recurring medical issues.

“I intend to fulfill my responsibilities and commitments to the people of Mississippi and the Senate through the completion of the 2018 appropriations cycle, after which I will formally retire from the U.S. Senate,” said Cochran, who is 80.

Under Mississippi rules, GOP Gov. Phil Bryant will appoint an interim senator, who will serve until a special election in November. The winner will hold the seat until 2020, when Cochran’s term would have ended.

Florida Senate passes bill to put age restriction on gun sales

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida’s Senate narrowly passed a bill Monday that would create new restrictions on rifle sales and allow some teachers to carry guns in schools.

The 20-18 vote came after three hours of debate. Support and opposition crossed party lines, and it was clear many of those who voted for the bill weren’t entirely happy with it. The bill raises the age to buy a firearm from 18 to 21. The Senate voted to name a program that will allow some teachers to carry guns in schools after Aaron Feis, an assistant football coach who was killed in a Feb. 14 high school massacre.

In Oregon, meanwhile, a bill prohibiting domestic abusers and people under restraining orders from owning firearms became America’s first new gun control law since the Florida massacre.

British media: Ex-Russian spy in critical condition

LONDON — British media reported Monday that a former Russian spy was in critical condition after coming into contact with an “unknown substance,” a case that immediately drew parallels to the poisoning of former Russian agent Alexander Litvinenko.

Authorities did not identify the man, saying only that he and a woman were found unconscious Sunday on a bench in a shopping mall in Salisbury, about 90 miles west of London.

British media identified him as Sergei Skripal, 66, who was convicted in Russia on charges of spying for Britain and sentenced in 2006 to 13 years in prison. Skripal was freed in 2010 as part of a U.S.-Russian spy swap.

Police said the man and woman appeared to know one another and “did not have any visible injuries.” Both are in a critical condition in intensive care, police said.

Protesters, supporters of Spencer clash at Mich. State

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Protesters clashed Monday with police and supporters of white nationalist Richard Spencer during his visit to Michigan State University.

Police say at least a dozen people were arrested Monday. Michigan State allowed Spencer to appear, but the venue was an auditorium at a remote end of campus.

Students are on spring break. But hundreds of protesters turned out, shouting profanities at Spencer supporters and police. Officers formed lines outside the auditorium to try to keep the peace and protect people who had tickets as they entered the event. The officers wore helmets and clutched batons.

Spencer popularized the term “alt-right” to refer to a fringe movement that’s a mix of white nationalist and anti-Semitic beliefs.

Washington became the first state Monday to set up its own net-neutrality requirements after U.S. regulators repealed rules that banned internet providers from blocking content or interfering with online traffic. The FCC prohibited state laws from contradicting its decision, so some say the Washington law will lead to suits.

A senior Cuban official on Monday condemned Washington’s decision to make the withdrawal of 60 percent of the U.S. Embassy staff permanent in response to mysterious ailments affecting U.S. diplomats. Carlos Fernandez de Cossio said the decision was motivated by politics and had nothing to do with safety.