Israel to release two detained Gaza flotilla activists
Lawyer representing Saif Abu Keshek and Thiago Avila tells Al Jazeera they will be 'released to their home countries'.
UK warship HMS Dragon heads to Middle East for potential Strait of Hormuz mission
The Ministry of Defence says the ship will prepare to join an international mission to safeguard shipping, but only when fighting in the region ends.
Neither US nor Iran can sustain strait of Hormuz standoff indefinitely
Simply hanging on could be a disaster for Iranians, while Trump needs to resolve this economic crisis he created
Exchanges of fire between Iran and the US demonstrate the serious instability of the situation in the Middle East. Though the US strikes late on Thursday were just “a love tap”, according to the US president, Donald Trump, the reality is that neither side can continue the high-stakes standoff in the strait of Hormuz indefinitely.
The US and its ally Israel demonstrated a comprehensive military superiority over Iran – taking minimal casualties in the 38-day war – but Washington has both failed to translate that into strategic dominance and allowed Iran to take control of the strait, driving up the oil price.
Continue reading...U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces calls to resign after disastrous local elections – CBS News
- U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces calls to resign after disastrous local elections CBS News
- Britain’s Electorate Is ‘Splintering.’ Can Its System Stand the Strain? The New York Times
- An Epic Collapse for Britain’s Labour Party The American Prospect
- Labour MPs have put Starmer on notice after election battering. Can he turn it around? BBC
- Nigel Farage’s triumph is not quite what it seems The Economist
Bahrain rounds up dozens over alleged links to Iran’s IRGC
Interior Ministry says legal proceedings are under way against the 41 people arrested.
Hungary’s New PM Magyar Demands President Quit in Showdown – Bloomberg.com
- Hungary’s New PM Magyar Demands President Quit in Showdown Bloomberg.com
- Peter Magyar Takes Over as Hungary’s Leader From Viktor Orban The New York Times
- In Hungary, jubilation marks Péter Magyar's inauguration as prime minister Le Monde.fr
- Péter Magyar Led Hungarians out of Autocracy. Where Will He Take Them Now? The New Yorker
- Hungary's new PM Magyar sworn in after landslide victory over Orbán BBC
Russia will always be victorious, says Putin at scaled-back Victory Day parade
Moscow blanketed in heavy security despite last-minute announcement of three-day ceasefire with Ukraine
Vladimir Putin has declared Russia will always be victorious as he oversaw a scaled-back Victory Day parade on Red Square held under heavy security amid mounting fears of Ukrainian attacks and growing public fatigue with the war.
Speaking to the crowd, the Russian leader invoked the sacrifices of the second world war to rally support for his soldiers fighting in the war in Ukraine. “The great feat of the generation of victors inspires the warriors carrying out the tasks of the special military operation today,” he said, using the Kremlin’s preferred euphemism for his invasion of Ukraine.
Continue reading...Peter Magyar sworn in as Hungary’s PM, ending Orban’s 16 years in power
Magyar's Tisza party secured a huge parliamentary majority in last month's election.
Indonesian rescuers retrieve body from Mount Dukono as search continues
Woman recovered after volcanic eruption on remote island, while operation to find two missing Singaporeans goes on
Rescuers have recovered the body of an Indonesian woman who was caught in a volcanic eruption on Mount Dukono on Indonesia’s remote island of Halmahera, officials have said.
Search operations continued on Saturday for the bodies of two Singaporeans. The dead hikers were among 20 who set out to scale the 1,355-metre (4,445ft) volcano in defiance of safety restrictions and became stranded when Dukono erupted early on Friday, spewing a thick ash column about 6 miles (10km) into the air.
Continue reading...Indonesian rescuers retrieve body from Mount Dukono as search continues – The Guardian
Guardian reporter and colleagues detained and beaten by Somali police
Mohamed Bulbul arrested in Mogadishu after covering case of woman allegedly being tortured in prison
A journalist who covered the case of a woman who said she was being tortured in prison was detained and beaten with pistols by Somali authorities, along with two others, for his reporting for the Guardian.
Mohamed Bulbul was arrested with the journalists Abdihafid Nor Barre and Abdishakur Mohamed Mohamud on Friday evening while in a restaurant in the centre of the Somali capital, Mogadishu. They said they were assaulted by members of Somalia’s US-trained counter-terrorism police unit and taken to be questioned by police. All three were released in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Continue reading...Rosenberg: Scaled-back Victory Parade in Moscow’s Red Square
The BBC's Russia editor reports from Moscow, where the annual Victory Day display was quieter than usual.
Japanese council votes to remove unconscious mayor
Kikuo Hatakeyama, 72, has served as the mayor of Hachirogata in north-east Japan since 2008, but fell ill in February.
Venice Biennale opens without a jury amid strife over Russian and Israeli participation – AP News
- Venice Biennale opens without a jury amid strife over Russian and Israeli participation AP News
- At the Venice Biennale I saw anger at Russia and Israel – and its leadership pretending everything was fine The Guardian
- Dozens of Venice Biennale Artists Withdraw From Awards En Masse Hyperallergic
- Without Its Expert Jury, Venice Biennale Lets the Public Choose Its Prize Winners The New York Times
Putin denounces Nato at scaled back Victory Day parade
The Russian leader used his annual speech to justify his so-called special military operation in Ukraine.
Russia Ukraine: Putin’s fear is showing. There’s good reason for it. – Slate
Australia’s right-wing One Nation party scores historic parliamentary win
One Nation gains its first seat in the lower house, in a by-election seen as a key test for the populist party.
I will serve – not rule over Hungary, says new PM
Nearly a month ago Péter Magyar steered his Tisza party to a landslide victory, sweeping away 16 years of rule by Viktor Orbán.
North Korean troops join Putin’s scaled-back military parade as Ukraine agrees temporary ceasefire – NBC News
- North Korean troops join Putin’s scaled-back military parade as Ukraine agrees temporary ceasefire NBC News
- North Korean leader Kim calls ties with Russia top priority in Victory Day message to Putin Reuters
- Russia-Ukraine latest: North Korean troops take part in Russian Victory Day parade for first time The Telegraph
- Why a 5-year defence pact between North Korea and Russia could make China uneasy South China Morning Post
- Kim Jong Un: Relations with Russia Are a Top Priority Hasht-e Subh Daily
Long Overlooked, Caspian Sea Provides Strategic Trade Route for Iran – The New York Times
- Long Overlooked, Caspian Sea Provides Strategic Trade Route for Iran The New York Times
- Iran said to get Russian drone parts via Caspian Sea Breakingthenews.net
- Russia bypasses naval blockade, resupply Iran via Caspian Sea Roya News
- The Caspian Sea’s Role in the Iran War The National Interest