- US is being ‘humiliated’ by Iran’s leadership, says Friedrich Merz The Guardian
- ‘Clearly stronger’: Germany’s Merz says Iran ‘humiliated’ US in its war Al Jazeera
- Trump Being ‘Humiliated’ in Iran Talks, German Leader Says Bloomberg.com
- Iran war live updates: US being 'humiliated' by Iran, German chancellor says ABC7 Los Angeles
- Live updates: German leader says US ‘humiliated’ by Iran NewsNation
Iran War News Live Updates: Iran Wants Deal to Lift Hormuz Blockade That Postpones Nuclear Talks – WSJ
- Iran War News Live Updates: Iran Wants Deal to Lift Hormuz Blockade That Postpones Nuclear Talks WSJ
- Iran makes new offer to open Strait of Hormuz, seeks end of US blockade, officials say Fox News
- Trump Skeptical of Iran’s Strait of Hormuz Proposal WSJ
- Iran Offers Plan to Focus on Strait of Hormuz and Delay Nuclear Talks The New York Times
- Middle East crisis live: Iran’s foreign ministry condemns US seizure of Iranian-linked tankers as ‘piracy and armed robbery’ The Guardian
Virginia weighs legality of new congressional map favoring Democrats that could reshape US House
The case is part of a national redistricting fight with high stakes for the November midterm elections
Virginia supreme court justices on Monday questioned whether the state’s Democratic-led legislature complied with constitutional requirements when it sent a congressional redistricting plan to voters, in a case that carries high stakes for the balance of power in the US House.
The new districts, which could net Democrats four additional seats, won narrow voter approval last week. But a Republican legal challenge contends the general assembly violated procedural rules by placing the constitutional amendment before voters to authorize the mid-decade redistricting. If the court agrees that lawmakers broke the rules, it could invalidate the amendment and render last week’s statewide vote meaningless.
Continue reading...US supreme court weighs blocking lawsuits against Roundup makers alleging weedkiller causes cancer
Case centers on glyphosate, pesticide used in Roundup and other products that has been linked to cancer in some studies
Members of the US supreme court peppered lawyers for the former Monsanto Company with a barrage of questions over pesticide regulation on Monday, wrestling over whether federal law preempts state actions that permit consumers to sue companies for failing to warn of product risks such as cancer.
The case, Monsanto v Durnell, centers on glyphosate – a weedkilling chemical used in the popular Roundup brand and numerous other herbicide products sold by the former Monsanto company, which is now owned by Germany’s Bayer.
Continue reading...King Charles arrives in Washington for state visit fraught with tension
The British monarch and Queen Camilla come to a city still reeling from shooting at dinner attended by Trump
King Charles and Queen Camilla arrived at the White House on Monday for a state visit in Washington, a city still rattled by a weekend shooting and a transatlantic alliance showing fresh signs of strain.
British flags could be seen lining lamp-posts outside the White House, where Donald Trump and the first lady, Melania Trump, were set to host the royals for a private tea and a tour of the newly expanded White House beehive on the south lawn.
Continue reading...Putin pledges support for Iran in talks with FM Araghchi – DW.com
- Putin pledges support for Iran in talks with FM Araghchi DW.com
- Iran's flurry of diplomacy continues in Russia, as Trump reviews Iran's latest proposal NPR
- Iranian foreign minister meets with Putin as U.S.-Iran talks falter The Washington Post
- Middle East war live: Putin hosts Iran’s top diplomat, Israel strikes east Lebanon France 24
- Iran foreign minister presses on with regional tour despite Trump canceling envoys’ visit CNN
Britain becoming ‘soft target’ for Russian propaganda, says security expert
Fiona Hill tells MPs UK is ‘vulnerable’ because it does not educate people on how to deal with information warfare
Britain is becoming a soft target for Russian and other state propaganda because the UK is not prepared to educate people on how to deal with information warfare, according to a former White House adviser and security expert.
Fiona Hill told a parliamentary committee that she feared the UK had become “extraordinarily vulnerable” to online manipulation feeding into the electoral system because there was a lack of discussion about civil defence.
Continue reading...At least four killed in train collision on outskirts of Indonesian capital – Reuters
Top Foreign Office official ‘felt pressure’ for ‘rapid outcome’ on Mandelson vetting
Ian Collard tells MPs he had not seen UKSV assessment summary before briefing Olly Robbins on clearance
A top Foreign Office security official who played a key role in granting Peter Mandelson’s vetting clearance “felt pressure to deliver a rapid outcome” because of contacts from Downing Street, MPs have been told.
In testimony relayed to parliament via the Foreign Office (FCDO), Ian Collard said he had not seen the assessment summary produced by the vetting agency when he gave an oral briefing to Olly Robbins, the department’s former permanent secretary. Instead, Collard had received an oral briefing from a member of the FCDO’s personnel security team.
Continue reading...Mandelson and McSweeney: a partnership forged on winning and crushing the Labour left
Former chief of staff who helped bring Mandelson out of Labour shadows for Washington post to be questioned by MPs on vetting process
Like many Labour stories, Peter Mandelson’s and Morgan McSweeney’s both start at Lambeth council.
Mandelson was in his mid-20s. It was 1979, and he was a new councillor under the leadership of “Red” Ted Knight. He came to despise the local party, describing the Lambeth Labour party’s leadership as “contributing very little to the economic development of south London, instead politicising everything, attacking the police and the Tory government, and making the council go broke.”
Continue reading...Starmer tells MPs to ‘fight together’ before critical day for his premiership
The prime minister faces a standards investigation over Mandelson affair and testimony from Morgan McSweeney
Keir Starmer has told Labour MPs to “stick together and fight together” as ministers launched a massive operation to shore up his fragile position before a critical day for his premiership.
The prime minister faces the double threat of a standards investigation into his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the US and potentially damaging testimony from Morgan McSweeney, his former chief of staff.
Continue reading...South Sudan says 14 killed in plane crash near Juba – Reuters
- South Sudan says 14 killed in plane crash near Juba Reuters
- Plane crashes on the outskirts of South Sudan’s capital, killing 14 people AP News
- Plane crash in South Sudan kills all 15 on board BBC
- Plane crashes near South Sudan’s Juba, killing all 14 on board Al Jazeera
- Plane crashes on the outskirts of South Sudan's capital, killing 14 people ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos
Archaeologists at Pompeii use AI to reconstruct the face of a man killed in the volcano’s eruption – AP News
Violence escalates in Colombia with dozens of attacks before presidential vote – AP News
- Violence escalates in Colombia with dozens of attacks before presidential vote AP News
- Colombia offers record $1.4m-reward for rebel it blames for deadly bomb attack BBC
- Highway bombing in Colombia kills at least 14 amid a ‘wave’ of attacks CNN
- Explosive device kills 20 and injures dozens on a bus in southwestern Colombia as violence persists NBC News
- Bomb blast on Colombia highway leaves 21 dead amid pre-election violence The Guardian
US is being ‘humiliated’ by Iran’s leadership, says Friedrich Merz
German chancellor suggests Trump administration is being outwitted at negotiating table by Tehran
The US is being “humiliated” by Iran’s leadership, according to Friedrich Merz, Germany’s chancellor, who suggested the Trump administration was being outwitted at the negotiating table by Tehran.
Two days ago Donald Trump cancelled a trip by US negotiators to Islamabad for indirect talks with an Iranian delegation. A previous round in the Pakistani capital two weeks earlier, when JD Vance, the American vice-president, led the US delegation, broke up without progress.
Continue reading...Mexico warns US involvement in anti-drug operation should not be repeated
Claudia Sheinbaum says Mexico was not aware of US participation until four officials were killed in car crash
Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico’s president, said on Monday that her government told the United States, in a diplomatic note, that the unauthorized presence of US officials at an anti-narcotics operation in the northern state of Chihuahua should not be repeated.
The incident came to light after two US officials, along with two Mexican officials, were killed in a car crash on 19 April after the operation. Sheinbaum has said the federal government was not aware of the participation of the US officials, who were widely reported to be CIA officers.
Continue reading...Endangered orangutan filmed using canopy bridge to cross public road in Indonesia: “A world first” – CBS News
- Endangered orangutan filmed using canopy bridge to cross public road in Indonesia: "A world first" CBS News
- ‘Cries of delight’ as Sumatran orangutan filmed using canopy bridge to cross road for first time The Guardian
- Researchers Wait Two Years to Capture First-Ever Footage of Orangutan Crossing a Canopy Bridge PetaPixel
- Orang utan uses Indonesia canopy bridge in ‘world first’: NGO The Straits Times
- Orangutan uses canopy bridge to cross a road in North Sumatra themercury.com
German tourist dies after being bitten at snake show on family holiday in Egypt
Man, 57, was watching snake-charming show when reptile crawled into his trousers, say German police
A German tourist has died after a snake crawled into his trousers and bit him as he watched a show in Egypt on a family holiday, police in Germany have said.
The 57-year-old man was watching the snake-charming show at a hotel in Hurghada, a popular beach holiday destination on the Red Sea, in early April.
Continue reading...Bomb blast on Colombia highway leaves 21 dead amid pre-election violence
Cocaine-trafficking rebels blamed for worst attack on civilians in decades, which also left 56 people injured
The death toll in a Colombian highway bombing blamed on cocaine-trafficking rebels has risen to 21, the government said on Monday, in the country’s worst attack on civilians in decades and just ahead of elections.
The attack on Saturday left 56 injured and buses and vans mangled on the Pan-American Highway, in the restive south-western Cauca department.
Continue reading...Four killed, 70 wounded in mortar, rocket attacks by Pakistan, Afghan Taliban says – Reuters
- Four killed, 70 wounded in mortar, rocket attacks by Pakistan, Afghan Taliban says Reuters
- Pakistan accused of attacking Kunar University in Afghanistan BBC
- Ceasefire at risk as Pakistan and Afghanistan report cross-border attacks Al Jazeera
- Six Pakistani soldiers killed, one captured amid fresh Taliban-Pakistan border clashes The Times of India
- Afghan officials say Pakistani strikes killed 7 and wounded 85 in first attacks since peace talks Pittsburgh Post-Gazette