- Spain recalls ambassador after Argentina's Milei calls PM's wife 'corrupt' Reuters
- European far-right leaders gather ahead of EU elections The Guardian
- Javier Milei triggers diplomatic row after calling Spanish PM's wife 'corrupt' Financial Times
- Protesters rally against right-wing Vox party's conference in Madrid Euronews
- Spain recalls ambassador as spat with Argentina’s Milei extends Al Jazeera English
Ebrahim Raisi: what we know so far about Iranian president’s helicopter crash
Raisi and the foreign minister are missing after their aircraft came down in mountain terrain near border with Azerbaijan in heavy fog
A rescue operation is under way in the mountains close to the Iranian-Azerbaijani border after one of the helicopters in a convoy carrying Iran’s president, Ebrahim Raisi, was involved in a “hard landing” on Sunday, according to Iranian state media. This is what we know so far.
The incident, which involved one helicopter in a convoy of three, was described by Iranian state television as an accident.
An unnamed Iranian official told Reuters that the lives of the president and his foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, were “at risk” after a “crash” as it was crossing mountain terrain in heavy fog.
Three rescue workers searching for the crashed helicopter were reported missing by the Red Crescent but were later accounted for. A spokesperson said the search and rescue operation will slow down as the weather is expected to get “severely cold” soon with more rain forecast.
Raisi was travelling in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province. State TV described the area of the helicopter incident as being near Jolfa, a city on the border with Azerbaijan.
The president had been in Azerbaijan earlier on Sunday to inaugurate a dam with the country’s president Ilham Aliyev. The dam is the third one that the two nations have built on the Aras River.
Iran’s army chief of staff said all army resources will be used for the search and rescue operations, state TV reported. Maj Gen Mohammad Bagheri has also ordered guards to take part in the search efforts, it said.
Iraq has instructed its interior ministry, the Red Crescent and other relevant bodies to offer help to neighbouring Iran and assist in the search.
Continue reading...President Raisi’s helicopter crashes in Iran: What we know so far
Israel war updates: Netanyahu given ultimatum for postwar Gaza plan – USA TODAY
- Israel war updates: Netanyahu given ultimatum for postwar Gaza plan USA TODAY
- Fareed: Israeli military officials are turning on Netanyahu CNN
- Israel-Hamas War in Gaza: Latest Updates The New York Times
- Israeli minister Gantz presents ultimatum to Bibi on post-Gaza war strategy Axios
- Benny Gantz threatens to quit Israeli government over Gaza plan NPR
US advisor Jake Sullivan in Israel for ceasefire talks – BBC.com
- US advisor Jake Sullivan in Israel for ceasefire talks BBC.com
- Israel-Saudi ties in reach but path to Palestinian state a must, Sullivan tells reluctant PM The Times of Israel
- Latest Israel-Hamas war news and Gaza conflict updates The Washington Post
- U.S. and Saudi Arabia near potentially historic security deal CBS News
- Saudi crown prince, US national security adviser meet on bilateral deal Reuters
Biden vows to fight ‘poison of white supremacy’ at Morehouse speech
Speech warmly received at historically Black college despite backlash from students in weeks leading to address over war
Joe Biden told graduating students of Morehouse College that American democracy has failed the Black community, but vowed to continue fighting “the poison of white supremacy”, in a widely watched speech to a historically Black college during an election year.
Despite a backlash from some students and alumni in the weeks leading up to Biden’s commencement address, including over the Hamas-Israel war and concerns that Biden would use the speech as a campaign event, the president’s address to the all-male school was warmly received. He used his speech to reaffirm his commitment to democracy in the wake of the January 6 insurrection, and to reiterate his call for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Continue reading...UN humanitarian chief delivers ‘apocalyptic’ warning over Gaza aid
Emergency relief coordinator says famine looming as Israel’s Rafah offensive blocks vital aid routes
The United Nations’ humanitarian chief has warned of “apocalyptic” consequences due to aid shortages in Gaza, where Israel’s military offensive in the southern city of Rafah has blocked desperately needed food.
“If fuel runs out, aid doesn’t get to the people where they need it. That famine, which we have talked about for so long, and which is looming, will not be looming any more. It will be present,” the UN under-secretary general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, Martin Griffiths, told AFP on the sidelines of meetings with Qatari officials in Doha.
Continue reading...Rwanda denies entry to senior human rights researcher
Human Rights Watch says Clementine De Montjoye’s case raises fresh questions about UK’s asylum seeker scheme
The Rwandan government has barred a senior human rights researcher from entering the country, prompting accusations that officials are seeking to dodge independent scrutiny just weeks before the UK government is due to send asylum seekers there for the first time.
Rwandan immigration authorities denied entry to Clementine de Montjoye, a senior researcher in Human Rights Watch’s Africa division, when she arrived at Kigali International Airport on 13 May.
Continue reading...‘Scary’: public-school textbooks the latest target as US book bans intensify
A school district in Houston has voted to redact chapters on vaccines and climate change, and parents and educators are worried
The wave of book bans sweeping the US, typically reserved for works of fiction deemed controversial, has hit textbooks used in public schools, marking the next step in Republicans’ war on education.
The board of trustees for the Cypress Fairbanks independent school district in Houston voted 6-1 earlier this month to redact certain chapters in science textbooks, including those about vaccines, human growth, diversity, and climate change.
Continue reading...Slovakia: PM Fico’s life no longer in danger after shooting, minister says
Verstappen resists Norris fightback to claim dramatic F1 victory at Imola
Week in pictures: From a Putin-Xi meeting to Cannes film festival
At least 27 killed in central Gaza airstrike as U.S. envoy visits the region – CBS News
- At least 27 killed in central Gaza airstrike as U.S. envoy visits the region CBS News
- Israel-Hamas war updates: Airstrike kills 20 in central Gaza The Associated Press
- Fierce clashes in north Gaza as Israel continues strikes on Jabalia Al Jazeera English
- Devastation in Gaza as Israel wages war on Hamas: Live updates CNN
- Gaza Officials Say Death Toll From Israeli Strike On Nuseirat Rises To 31 Barron's
Brazil counts cost of worst-ever floods with little hope of waters receding soon – The Guardian
- Brazil counts cost of worst-ever floods with little hope of waters receding soon The Guardian
- Brazil’s floods smashed through barriers designed to keep them out, trapping water in for weeks — and exposing social woes CNN
- Stunning aerial photos show devastating scale of flooding in Brazil Reuters
- A second scourge is battering Brazil's flooded south: Disinformation The Associated Press
- Brazil floods: On board a rescue helicopter BBC.com
Helicopter carrying Iranian president crashes
The campaigners who fought for justice, but didn’t live to see it – BBC.com
- The campaigners who fought for justice, but didn't live to see it BBC.com
- UK to spend $12.7 billion on compensation in infected-blood scandal Reuters UK
- 'I was looking at my child, planning his funeral': The horror of the infected blood scandal, by the families it destroyed The Telegraph
- Ella Baron on the infected blood inquiry report – cartoon The Guardian
- Justice at last as both parties pledge billions to blood victims The Times
Australian home lenders accused of ignoring mortgage customers in financial distress
Some borrowers have been abandoned in a cost-of-living crisis and lenders must meet their obligations, the regulator says
- Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates
- Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast
Major Australian lenders are not doing enough to support mortgage customers in financial hardship, and in some cases they are ignoring requests for assistance altogether, the corporate regulator has found.
In a major report to be released on Monday, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (Asic) found that more than one-in-three customers dropped out of a hardship application, a process designed to vary repayments while a borrower gets back on their feet, because of unnecessary barriers.
Continue reading...‘Proud and happy’: Ukrainians embrace Oleksandr Usyk’s boxing victory
People in Kyiv and Kharkiv celebrate win in world heavyweight unification fight as symbolic achievement for the country
From the capital, Kyiv, to the heavily attacked region of Kharkiv, news of Oleksandr Usyk’s win over Tyson Fury brought war-weary Ukrainians a rare and very welcome moment of victory and celebration.
Usyk, who became the first undisputed world heavyweight champion this century after his victory in Riyadh in the early hours of Sunday, said his triumph did not belong to him alone.
Continue reading...