- Blackouts In Europe Continue to Raise Cyber Alarms WSJ
- Spain’s power and information blackout Financial Times
- How warning signs hinted at Spain's unprecedented power outage Reuters
- Why Europe’s Lights Went Out The Free Press
- The Iberian Peninsula Blackout — Causes, Consequences, and Challenges Ahead Baker Institute
Trump threatens massive new China sanctions over Iranian oil – Axios
- Trump threatens massive new China sanctions over Iranian oil Axios
- Trump says any country that buys oil from Iran will not be allowed to do any business with U.S. CNBC
- Opinion | Where’s That Maximum Pressure on Iran? WSJ
- Iran Says Oil Sanctions Undermine Trump’s Seriousness in Talks Bloomberg.com
- Trump threatens sanctions against buyers of Iranian oil after US-Iran nuclear talks are postponed ABC News
US army plans for a potential parade of 6,600 soldiers on Trump’s birthday
Plans for a large military parade coinciding with the president’s 79th birthday would likely cost tens of millions
Detailed army plans for a potential military parade on Donald Trump’s birthday in June call for more than 6,600 soldiers, at least 150 vehicles, 50 helicopters, seven bands and possibly a couple of thousand civilians, the Associated Press has learned.
At the same time, Fox News reported that the parade was a definite go-ahead and would happen on 14 June, the 250th birthday of the United States army as well as Trump’s own birthday, when he will become 79.
Continue reading...US labour market holds steady despite tariffs, adding 177,000 jobs in April
While a report from the US Labor Department showed positive signs, other economic indicators suggest a looming downturn.
Pope Francis’ cardinal picks bring new voices to the conclave – Catholic News Agency
- Pope Francis’ cardinal picks bring new voices to the conclave Catholic News Agency
- Cardinals at a crossroads: While some want to continue Francis’ reforms, others want a different kind of pope CNN
- Cardinal predicts next week's conclave 'will be short' ABC News
- Conclave roundup: Some warned attacks against Francis were coming, but few think they will work National Catholic Reporter
- Who will be pope? Meet some possible contenders PBS
After Vancouver attack, family’s 16-year-old sole survivor to give donations to other victims – NBC News
- After Vancouver attack, family's 16-year-old sole survivor to give donations to other victims NBC News
- Judge orders psychiatric tests to see if Vancouver festival suspect is fit for trial Toronto Star
- 5-year-old girl and her parents among the dead in a car attack at a Filipino festival in Vancouver ABC News
- This campaign raised $57K to repatriate a 'loving mother' killed in Lapu-Lapu festival tragedy. It was fake CBC
- Portland’s Filipino Restaurants Are Fundraising for the Lapu Lapu Car Attack Victims Eater Portland
Israel strikes near Syria’s presidential palace in ‘message’ to new leader Sharaa – Reuters
- Israel strikes near Syria's presidential palace in 'message' to new leader Sharaa Reuters
- Israel Launches Airstrikes Near Syrian Presidential Palace The New York Times
- Israel said readying list of government and military targets in Syria The Times of Israel
- Israel conducts rare strike outside Damascus amid sectarian tensions in Syria CNN
- Ending Violence in Syria U.S. Department of State (.gov)
The world’s oldest person, a 116-year-old Brazilian nun, has died – NPR
- The world's oldest person, a 116-year-old Brazilian nun, has died NPR
- 115-year-old British woman, now the world’s oldest, gives her recipe to long life AP News
- World’s oldest person, Brazilian nun Inah Canabarro Lucas, dead at 116 CNN
- Brazilian nun who was the world's oldest person has died at 116 ABC News
- ‘I do what I like’: British woman, 115, claims world’s oldest living person title The Guardian
Anti-immigrant Reform UK makes broad gains in English local elections
Labour-Conservative dominance challenged by Nigel Farage’s Trump-aligned party, which has control of at least six county councils
Britain’s anti-immigrant and Trump-aligned Reform UK party has made sweeping gains in English local elections, challenging the traditional political dominance of the country’s two main parties, Labour and the Conservatives.
Nigel Farage, the Reform leader, claimed his party had overtaken the Tories as the UK’s main opposition after Reform won control of at least six county councils, one mayoralty, and narrowly defeated the governing Labour party in a parliamentary byelection in what had been considered a safe seat.
Continue reading...Why has Mike Waltz been dropped as US National Security Advisor?
Decision marks first major personnel change of Donald Trump's second term.
Canada’s Carney offers strategic invite to King ahead of Trump meeting
In his first news conference since the federal election, the PM laid out his approach to talks with his US counterpart.
Reform UK’s victories are just the latest chapter of political fragmentation
Farage’s party has benefited this time as voters flee the main parties, but there are faultlines within its own coalition too
Fragmentation in British politics is not new. Disillusionment with the choices on offer is not new. The two-party share of the vote has been below 70% in four of the last six elections. Six months before the 2019 general election the Brexit party topped the EU election results with the Liberal Democrats in second. The 2024 general election had the lowest two-party share in the modern-party system.
What is driving this change? Political scientists talk about the demand and supply sides of electoral politics. The voters are the demand side, what types of parties and positions they want to vote for. They do not always get their wish. Who appears on the ballot paper is the supply side of the electoral equation. Increasingly, it is everyone.
Professor Paula Surridge is deputy director at UK in a Changing Europe and professor of political sociology at the University of Bristol
Continue reading...Israel says it struck near Syria palace over violence in Druze areas
Israel's PM says it will "not allow any threat" to the minority in Syria after sectarian clashes in which dozens were killed.
Farage has declared a new dawn before, but this time things could really be different
Slicker presentation, a shift away from two-party politics and now hundreds of new councillors mean Reform is likely here to stay
In May 2014, Nigel Farage stood in front of the television cameras and declared his party’s victory in the European elections was “about the most extraordinary result that has been seen in British politics for 100 years”.
A year later, the Conservatives won an unexpected majority at the general election, restricting Ukip to just a single seat, with Farage failing in his attempt to win South Thanet.
Continue reading...Venezuela rejects UN ruling to refrain from holding election in disputed region
Neighboring Guyana has also laid claim to the mineral rich Essequibo, and Venezuela plans to elect officials to govern it
Venezuela’s government has said it “categorically” rejected a ruling from the U N’s top court ordering the South American country to refrain from holding elections for officials who supposedly would oversee a resource-rich region in neighboring Guyana that both countries claim as their own.
The government of Nicolás Maduro, the Venezuelan president, in a statement underscored its historical position to not recognize the jurisdiction of the international court of justice and asserted that international law does not allow the body to “interfere” or “attempt to prohibit” an election.
Continue reading...US attacks Yemen port again; Houthis launch missiles at Israel
US srtike is on same Yemeni port in Hodeidah that killed at least 80 people last month.
World Food Programme strained in Sudan as rainy season, funding cuts loom
With the rainy season and funding cuts looming, the World Food Programme is worried about the displaced in Sudan.
Why does DRC want to end ex-President Kabila’s immunity for war crimes?
The former leader is accused of allying with the rebel M23 group, active in the country's east.
Uganda’s military chief says holding opposition activist ‘in my basement’
Opposition leader says Eddie Mutwe's abduction 'a reminder to the world' of breakdown in law and order in Uganda.
King Charles to open Canada parliament as PM Carney reacts to Trump threats
Liberal PM will also meet with US president on Tuesday amid tensions over threatened annexation and tariffs
King Charles has accepted an invitation to open Canada’s parliament on 27 May, in “an historic honour that matches the weight of our times”, the country’s prime minister, Mark Carney, said on Friday.
In his first news conference since an election dominated by Donald Trump’s threats to Canada’s sovereignty, the prime minister also confirmed he would meet the US president at the White House on Tuesday.
Continue reading...