Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 862
As the war enters its 862nd day, these are the main developments.
‘Defending democracy is paramount’: Rula Jebreal warns against Meloni rule
The journalist, and critics, accuse the Italian PM of leading the country towards authoritarianism
The first time Rula Jebreal came face to face with Giorgia Meloni was for a TV debate in November 2016.
It was the day after the US presidential election, six years before Meloni became prime minister, and the pair were invited on to Piazzapulita, a talkshow broadcast on the privately owned television channel, La7, to discuss the victory of Donald Trump.
Continue reading...‘A difficult hand played poorly’: how No 10 slipped from Sunak’s grasp
Initial Brexit success was undone by poor strategy and repeated unforced errors, say expert observers
Rishi Sunak became Britain’s prime minister quickly and unexpectedly in October 2022 after the short, financially catastrophic premiership of Liz Truss and the leadership of Boris Johnson, whose loose moral compass had allowed Downing Street to party while the rest of the UK was locked down.
The economic situation was dire – inflation at 11%, mortgages threatening to soar by £5,000 a year – and the political inheritance more desperate. But since then the 44-year-old prime minister has failed to turn around the Conservative’s fortunes. Lacking a transformative touch, he led the party to a historic defeat.
Continue reading...Gen Z, social media helping fuel spiritual tourism in India
Spiritual tourism is seeing a boom in India thanks to the wide reach of social media and better transport connectivity.
Putin tells Orbán Ukraine must capitulate if it wants peace – EURACTIV
- Putin tells Orbán Ukraine must capitulate if it wants peace EURACTIV
- US reacts to Orbán's trip to Moscow Ukrainska Pravda
- ‘Peace mission’: Hungary’s Orban meets Putin in Russia, defying EU leaders Al Jazeera English
- Brussels, my love? Orbán's trip to Kyiv and Moscow Euronews
- Orban visits Putin on 'peace trip,' EU laments 'appeasement' DW (English)
‘Don’t take us for granted’: Muslim voters send message to Labour over its Gaza stance
Labour lost seats including Jonathan Ashworth’s in Leicester, where angry voters say they felt ignored
When Labour’s Jonathan Ashworth lost his Leicester South seat to the pro-Palestine independent candidate Shockat Adam, it was widely seen as one of the biggest upsets of election night.
But a walk along Evington Road, a busy shopping street with a large Muslim population in the constituency, showed that all the signs were there.
Continue reading...Survival story as Hurricane Beryl razes smallest inhabited island of St. Vincent and the Grenadines – The Associated Press
- Survival story as Hurricane Beryl razes smallest inhabited island of St. Vincent and the Grenadines The Associated Press
- Grenada minister tells UN: hurricane-devastated Islands need anything for `a human being to survive' Yahoo! Voices
- Hurricane Beryl storm damage in Yucatan Peninsula, Jamaica in photos USA TODAY
- Second Airlift Carries Emergency Field Hospital, Medical Teams to Caribbean Samaritan's Purse
- Local organizations work to get supplies to victims of Hurricane Beryl WPBF West Palm Beach
‘Now we begin’: what the papers say after Keir Starmer takes reins as UK prime minister
Forward-looking British front pages reflect the incoming government’s work ahead and the post-election-win jubilance of the Labour leader and his wife
After Labour’s seismic defeat of the Tories, the UK papers’ front pages have focused on the work ahead for Keir Starmer amid his post-election glow after the new prime minister vowed to put “country first, party second” and rebuild Britain “brick by brick”.
The Guardian ran a full-page photo of the Labour leader pointing the way forward while holding hands with his wife, Victoria Starmer, beside a quote headline from his first speech as PM: “We will fight every day until you believe again”.
Continue reading...Iranians elect reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian as president
Iran’s interior ministry has declared reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian winner of the presidential election.
The long and ‘joyous’ road to revive Nepal’s ancient taboo scripts
A formerly banned Indigenous calligraphy is now being practised ‘joyfully’ in corners of Kathmandu and beyond.
‘This is going to be a disaster’: inside the Tories’ chaotic election campaign
From the surprise decision to call a snap election to the divisions inside the doomed campaign machine
When rumours were ablaze that Rishi Sunak was about to call a snap election, one Conservative cabinet minister was asked by a colleague what was happening. “No idea,” he replied. “He’s either going to call a snap election today, name a date for the autumn or tell everyone that AI is really, really important.”
The cabinet – and most officials in Tory headquarters, which was disastrously underprepared – had been kept in the dark until almost the last moment. When Sunak did announce the election in Downing Street in the pouring rain, the move went down like a lead balloon with his colleagues.
Continue reading...Reformist Masoud Pezeshkian wins Iran presidential election
Victory reflects deep dissatisfaction with direction of country and could bring greater cooperation with west
The reformist Masoud Pezeshkian has pulled off a stunning victory in the Iranian presidential runoff, reflecting deep dissatisfaction with the direction of the country in recent years and opening potential new avenues of cooperation with the west.
Pezeshkian won 16,384,403 votes to defeat the ultra-conservative Saeed Jalili, who received 13,538,179 votes, on a final turnout of 49.8% – a big increase on the record low turnout of 39% recorded in the first round. In the first round, Pezeshkian came top, defeating three Conservative rivals. The turnout included more than 1m invalid votes.
Continue reading...Centrist Masoud Pezeshkian will be Iran’s next president
After winning the run-off with 53.7 percent of votes, Pezeshkian acknowledged 'difficult path ahead'.
Sacred buffalo calf offers hope amid efforts to revive species
The prophesized birth of a rare white bison is welcomed among tribes that work to support buffalo.
Defiant Biden says no intention to exit presidential race in TV interview
US president says his recent debacle in a televised debate with Donald Trump was due to 'exhaustion' and a 'bad cold'.
Only the ‘Lord Almighty’ could convince me to quit – Biden
The president dismisses suggestions he may end his re-election bid, as more Democrats raise questions about his candidacy.
King Charles Installs New U.K. PM Keir Starmer After Losing Conservative Apologizes – The Daily Beast
‘I’m worried’ – Democrats at Biden rally open to change
Wisconsin Democrats tell the BBC they support the president but are willing to consider replacing him.
Biden says he’s best qualified to beat Trump, brushes off low polling and denies cognitive issues – as it happened
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Joe Biden has cancelled his upcoming Sunday address to the National Education Association Staff Union after the country’s largest union announced a strike over unfair labor practice complaints including overtime nonpayments.
A statement released by Biden’s campaign team said:
President Biden is a fierce supporter of unions and he won’t cross a picket line. The president is still planning to travel to Pennsylvania this weekend, and we will have more details to share at a later point.
I know nothing about Project 2025. I have no idea who is behind it. I disagree with some of the things they’re saying and some of the things they’re saying are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal. Anything they do, I wish them luck, but I have nothing to do with them.
Continue reading...Joe Biden: key takeaways from the high-stakes ABC TV interview
The president blamed his debate performance on a bad cold, said he was in fine cognitive shape, and doubled down on staying in the race
Joe Biden is pushing back against questions about whether he has the mental and physical stamina to serve another term is president, arguing, in a much-hyped Friday television interview, “I just had a bad night.”
In a pre-taped sit-down interview that aired on Friday evening, the 81-year-old president told ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos that he had been sick, exhausted, and had not prepared well for last week’s presidential debate with Donald Trump.
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