Socialists sail towards victory with 94% of votes counted in poll seen as pivotal to country's hopes of joining EUAlbania's prime minister, Edi Rama, looks to have sailed to victory in general elections after a near-complete vote count showed voters had returned him to power for an unprecedented fourth term.With 94% of the ballots counted, Rama's party was leading the leftwing Socialists to a resounding win over Sali Berisha's centre-right Democratic party in a poll viewed as pivotal for the Balkan country's attempt to join the EU. Continue reading...
Security forces stage raids against cult-like extremist Kingdom of Germany' group, arresting alleged ringleaderThe German government has outlawed a major part of an extremist movement seeking to undermine the state, in a move the new administration said signalled tough action against a subversive far-right scene.Hundreds of security forces across seven states staged early morning raids on Tuesday against the cult-like group calling itself Kingdom of Germany" (KRD), a large group within the Reichsburger (Citizens of the Reich) movement. Four suspects were arrested including alleged ringleader Peter Fitzek, the self-proclaimed Peter I. Continue reading...
Immigration plans to increase language requirement could prevent Armenian man from joining British wifeA couple fear they will be unable to be together for the birth of their first child due to Labour's plan to increase the standard of English proficiency required before people can enter the UK.The plans are contained in the new immigration white paper that introduces a new English language requirement across a broader range of immigration routes for both main applicants and dependants, including an assessment of improvements over time. Continue reading...
Buckingham Palace says French president and his wife have been invited to stay at Windsor CastleKing Charles is to host French president Emmanuel Macron on a state visit to the UK from 8-10 July, Buckingham Palace has announced.The French leader and his wife Brigitte Macron will stay at Windsor Castle and will be honoured with a state banquet at the historic Berkshire royal residence.Charles and Camilla paid a state visit to France in September 2023. Continue reading...
Abdel Ghani al-Kikli, known as Gheniwa, had recently been involved in disputes with rival armed groupsThe killing of the head of one of Libya's most powerful militias, which has been accused of abusing asylum seekers and faced allegations of crimes against humanity, has triggered armed clashes in Tripoli, resulting in at least six deaths.Abdel Ghani al-Kikli, better known as Gheniwa, the commander of Support Force Apparatus SSA, one of Tripoli's powerful armed groups, based in the densely populated Abu Salim neighbourhood, was killed on Monday night at the headquarters of the 444th Combat Brigade of the Libyan army, a source in one of the country's security forces told Al Wasat television. Continue reading...
Police say 21-year-old man arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger lifeA man has been arrested in connection with a series of suspected arson attacks on property linked to Keir Starmer, Scotland Yard has said.The 21-year-old was arrested in the early hours on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life and remained in custody, the Metropolitan police said. The force said the arrest related to three incidents being investigated by counter-terrorism police. Continue reading...
Birmingham, Brighton, London and Manchester suspend participation over lack of protection for trans rightsThe UK's largest Pride organisers have suspended political party participation in their events in unequivocal solidarity" with the transgender community.In a joint statement, the organisers of Pride events in Birmingham, Brighton, London and Manchester said the move was a direct call for accountability and a refusal to platform those who have not protected our rights" after the UK supreme court ruling last month. Continue reading...
French actor, 76, convicted of assaulting set dresser and assistant director during film shoot in Paris in 2021Gerard Depardieu has been found guilty of sexually assaulting two women during a film shoot in 2021 and given an 18 month suspended prison sentence.Depardieu, France's biggest film star, who has made more than 200 films and TV series, is the highest-profile figure in the French film industry to be convicted of sexual assault since the #MeToo movement. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: Keir Starmer promises a suite of new measures will lower net migration - but a survey of immigration plans in the past suggests otherwiseGood morning. On Monday, Keir Starmer added his name to the dubious list of prime ministers who have used very forceful language to describe the impact of migration on the UK. The UK is at risk of becoming an island of strangers, not a nation that walks forward together", he said; the system seems almost designed to permit abuse". But while the tone echoed much of the rhetoric of the last 20 years, Starmer insisted he was doing something different.In his speech launching the government's immigration white paper, he accused the Conservatives of a one-nation experiment in open borders conducted on a country that voted for control", and said that the experiment is over". He also claimed that his approach was not about politics. But with Reform UK on the march, this looks thoroughly political. And even to some of his own backbenchers, his approach looks very likely to fuel racism.Middle East | Gaza is at critical risk of famine", food security experts have warned, 10 weeks after Israel imposed a blockade. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) said there had been a major deterioration" in the food security situation facing Palestinians living there since its last assessment in October 2024.Security | Counter-terrorism police are investigating after two properties linked to Keir Starmer were hit by suspected arson attacks. A blaze broke out at a home owned by Starmer in Kentish Town, London in the early hours of Monday morning, following two other fires within the last week.Trump administration | The first group of white South Africans granted refugee status by Donald Trump's administration has arrived in the US, stirring controversy in South Africa as the US president declared the Afrikaners victims of a genocide". On the same day, Trump's government ended legal protections that had temporarily protected Afghans from deportation.Armed forces | Former UK special forces personnel have accused colleagues of committing war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan, including alleging that they executed civilians and a child. Graphic accounts of routine executions of handcuffed prisoners were handed to the BBC, which reported that weapons were planted during cover-ups.Crime | Six Bulgarians convicted of spying for Russia in Britain have been jailed at the Old Bailey. The ringleader, Orlin Roussev, was sentenced to 10 years and eight months for his role in executing six sophisticated" operations that risked national security and the safety of the public. Continue reading...
Deportees face inhumane treatment and torture, say lawyers contesting Labour's migration policyThe UK government's migration plans are facing an imminent challenge this week, with lawyers seeking to overturn deportations to Bulgaria due to allegations of brutal conditions faced by migrants and asylum seekers in the country.There have been more than 24,000 returns - both enforced and voluntary - from Britain since Labour's election victory in July 2024, according to government figures. More than 200 people were returned to Bulgaria in 2024. Continue reading...
by Denis Campbell Health policy editor on (#6X82D)
Royal College of Nursing findings described as a scandal in plain sight' with with conditions close to torture'Thousands of people in a mental health crisis are enduring waits of up to three days in A&E before they get a bed, with conditions close to torture" for those in such a distressed state.At one hospital, some patients have become so upset at the delays in being admitted that they have left and tried to kill themselves nearby, leading nurses and the fire brigade to follow in an attempt to stop them.Some trusts that previously had no long waits for mental health patients now have hundreds.The number of people seeking help at A&E for mental health emergencies is rising steadily and reached 216,182 last year.The recruitment of mental health nurses has lagged far behind the rise in demand.The number of beds in mental health units has fallen by 3,699 since 2014. Continue reading...
Opponents of proposals say it is ethically wrong to allow state to help someone take their own lifeOpponents of proposals to legalise assisted dying in Scotland have warned it is ethically wrong to allow the state to help someone take their own life.Campaigners against assisted dying, including the Silent Witness actor Liz Carr, are staging demonstrations outside the Scottish parliament on Tuesday, hours before MSPs hold a free vote on new legalisation proposals. Continue reading...
Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) will work with Australia and the Netherlands to consider reparationsThe UN aviation council has ruled that Russia was responsible for the downing of a Malaysian airliner over Ukraine that killed all 298 passengers and crew, prompting calls for reparations" for the families of victims.Flight MH17 was travelling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was shot down by a Russian surface-to-air missile while flying over eastern Ukraine in 2014 as fighting raged between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces. Among the victims were 196 Dutch citizens and 38 Australian citizens or residents. Continue reading...
Exclusive: In the wake of unrest that rattled the French overseas territory, Alcide Ponga discusses how to rebuild and his plan for the futureOne year after the deadly riots that ravaged Noumea and shattered New Caledonia's economy and social fabric, newly elected president Alcide Ponga faces a series of challenges including deep division over the territory's political future - and the prospect of independence from France.Ponga, who was elected in January is an indigenous Kanak who is also anti-independence. The 49-year-old former nickel executive and mayor has vowed to get the economy back on track and support discussions on independence. Continue reading...
Consumers shrugged off anxiety over effect of US tariffs as card spending grew by 4.5% year on yearBritish households increased their spending in April as unusually warm weather and the long Easter weekend helped consumers shrug off anxiety around the global economy, new data has suggested.Consumer card spending grew by 4.5% in April compared with the same period last year, the biggest rise since June 2023, the high street bank Barclays found. Non-essential spending, such as on entertainment or takeaway food, rose by 5.1% last month, its highest rate in almost two years. Continue reading...
Development minister will tell MPs that Britain will share incredible expertise' instead of fundingThe days of viewing the UK as a global charity" are over, the new development minister, Jenny Chapman, will tell MPs, in remarks that are likely to prove a controversial defence of the large-scale aid cuts she is about to oversee.Lady Chapman replaced Anneliese Dodds in February after Dodds refused to back Keir Starmer's decision to cut the UK aid budget from 0.5% of gross national income (GNI) to 0.3% in 2027. Continue reading...
Investigation of two further fires comes after blaze at home owned by prime minister early on MondayCounter-terrorism police are investigating three separate fires after a blaze broke out at a home owned by Keir Starmer in the early hours of Monday morning.London fire brigade attended the property in Kentish Town after the fire was reported shortly after 1.30am. The door was damaged but nobody was hurt. Continue reading...
Rapper, serving 10-year sentence for shooting Megan Thee Stallion, given aid and taken to outside hospitalRapper Tory Lanez was hospitalized after an attack Monday at a California prison where he is serving a 10-year sentence for shooting hip-hop star Megan Thee Stallion in the feet, authorities said.Lanez, whose legal name is Daystar Peterson, was attacked at a housing unit at the California correctional institution in Tehachapi, at about 7.20am, Pedro Calderon Michel, a spokesperson for the state department of corrections and rehabilitation, said in an email. Continue reading...
Sean Combs's racketeering and sex-trafficking trial had plenty of cameras but few if any demonstrations or protestsOutside the southern district courthouse in Manhattan, at least a hundred members of the media gathered on Monday as the high-profile racketeering and sex-trafficking trial of Sean Diddy" Combs begins.Passersby could see dozens of cameras and crew members; perhaps surprisingly, there were few, if any, demonstrations or protests. Rows of cameras in front of the courthouse on both sides of the street could be seen pointed at the entrance. Continue reading...
by Emma Graham-Harrison and Quique Kierszenbaum in Je on (#6X7TK)
American soldier Edan Alexander meets family at Israel border after masked fighters hand him over to Red CrossHamas has freed the last living US citizen it held in Gaza, soldier Edan Alexander, in a unilateral move Donald Trump described as a good faith step" towards ending the war and bringing home all remaining hostages.The release of 20-year-old Alexander, a dual national serving in the Israel Defense Forces who spent 584 days in captivity after he was seized from his base on 7 October 2023, was agreed with little Israeli involvement beyond practical coordination on the ground. Continue reading...
Prime minister's island of strangers' speech was likened to rhetoric of Enoch PowellKeir Starmer has defended his plans to curb net migration after an angry backlash from MPs, businesses and industry to a speech in which he said the UK risked becoming an island of strangers" without tough new policies.The rhetoric was likened by some critics to the language of Enoch Powell, and the prime minister was accused of pandering to the populist right by insisting he intended to take back control of our borders" and end a squalid chapter" of rising inward migration. Continue reading...
UK Foreign Office criticised by campaigners as Ahmed al-Doush given sentence for charges thought to relate to deleted tweetA British national arrested in Saudi Arabia on charges that appear to relate to a deleted tweet has been jailed for 10 years, according to British lawyers and campaign groups representing the family.Ahmed al-Doush was arrested in August and, while it is understood that UK Foreign Office officials were allowed into the Saudi court for his hearing, the British government has been criticised for a lack of action since his arrest. Continue reading...
The US president will not visit Israel on a trip to the Middle East and his envoy has reportedly said Netanyahu's government is drawing out the warTrump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff didn't mince his words. In a meeting late on Sunday with former hostages and relatives of those still held in Gaza, he told them Israel is drawing out a war the US wants to end, local media reported.On the eve of the release of Edan Alexander, the last living American being held by Hamas, Witkoff spelt out the gulf between his boss and the government of Benjamin Netanyahu. Continue reading...
Kurdistan Workers' party says it will dissolve its guerrilla forces, months after call to do so from its jailed leaderA Kurdish militant group whose attacks and insurgency against Turkey have spanned more than four decades has declared it will disarm and disband, after a call from its jailed leader earlier this year.The Kurdistan Workers' party (PKK) announced the decision to dissolve its guerrilla forces, heeding a watershed announcement from Abdullah Ocalan three months ago. Continue reading...
PM unveils new policies meant to drive down net migration by end of this parliamentQ: If you want to grow the economy, won't these plans make it harder because it will be more difficult for people to get UK citizenship?Starmer says he does not accept the argument that high immigration is always good for growth. The last government had high immigration but stagnant growth.I promise that [net migration] will fall significantly, and I do want to get it down by the end of this parliament, significantly. Continue reading...
by Rebecca Ratcliffe South-east Asia correspondent on (#6X7PK)
Former president of nation re-elected as mayor of city of Davao despite his enforced absenceFormer Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte has been re-elected as mayor of the city of Davao, the family's stronghold, despite being imprisoned thousands of miles away in The Hague for alleged crimes against humanity.With more than 60% of returns in, Duterte, 80, had an insurmountable lead of 405,000 votes - far ahead of his nearest competitor who trailed on 49,000, according to unofficial results from the election commission published by local media. Continue reading...
US president tells White House press conference he would fly to Turkey to join talks if I thought it would be helpful'Pope Leo then says that one of the most important challenges he sees is how to promote communication that can bring us out of the Tower of Babel in which we sometimes find ourselves, out of the confusion of loveless languages that are often ideological or partisan."Curiously, he then turns to artificial intelligence, which he hails its immense potential," but also warns that it requires responsibility and discernment in order to ensure that it can be used for the good of all, so that it can benefit all of humanity."Let us disarm communication of all prejudice and resentment, fanaticism and even hatred, let us free it from aggression.We do not need loud, forceful communication, but rather communication that is capable of listening and of gathering the voices of the weak who have no voice." Continue reading...
Groundbreaking Swiss-Cameroonian curator would have been the first African woman to head up the art eventKoyo Kouoh, the groundbreaking Swiss-Cameroonian curator who was to become the first African woman to head up the Venice Biennale, died suddenly on Saturday, the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa announced.It is with profound sorrow that the trustees of Zeitz MOCAA announce the sudden passing of Koyo Kouoh, our beloved executive director and chief curator, on Saturday, 10 May 2025," said the museum in a statement on Monday. Continue reading...
by Miranda Bryant Nordic correspondent on (#6X7FP)
Officials in the city, where last year's competition was held, say it is too big an event to do every two yearsThere are still several days to go until the Eurovision final in Switzerland, but the Swedish city of Malmo has already pre-emptively said it does not want to host the event again next year if the country's hotly tipped sauna-themed entry wins this year's contest.The song - called Bara bada bastu (Just sauna) - is top of the streaming charts in Sweden and Finland on Spotify and is a favourite to win Saturday's final in Basel. Continue reading...
by Natricia Duncan and Anthony Lugg in Kingston on (#6X7DH)
Officials hail fewer homicides as rights advocates call for body-worn cameras to improve police accountabilityJamaican officials have hailed a sharp reduction in murders but rights campaigners warn that tackling crime should not come at the expense of accountability amid an alarming" rise in fatal police shootings.Already burdened with the highest homicide rates in the region, Jamaica has recently struggled with a surge in gang-related violence. But the number of murders per capita has been falling this year, with a marked decline between January and April. Continue reading...
Countries to lower reciprocal tariffs by 115% as US treasury secretary says neither side wants a decoupling'. Plus, meet the TV and film stars who didn't even actGood morning.China and the US have agreed a 90-day pause to the deepening trade war that has threatened to upend the global economy, with reciprocal tariffs to be lowered by 115%.What does the 90-day pause apply to? Donald Trump's tariffs ultimately escalated to 125% on Chinese imports, with Beijing responding with equivalent measures. With the new deduction, Chinese duties on US goods will be lowered to 10%, while the US tax on Chinese goods will be lowered to 30% (as the US tariffs include a 20% rate imposed by Trump before the latest trade war).Was there any immediate reaction? China's yuan jumped to a six-month high on the signal that the trade war would be paused. Up to 16m jobs were at risk in China, according to some estimates, while the US faced rising inflation and empty shelves thanks to dizzying tariffs on the biggest supplier of US goods.When was the last time the two leaders spoke? They have not spoken directly since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and there have been no publicly known talks between Moscow and Kyiv since March 2022, shortly after the war began. Continue reading...
by Tobi Thomas Health and inequalities correspondent on (#6X7BQ)
Exclusive: Minority ethnic patients in most deprived areas more likely to face asthma emergency, analysis showsPeople from minority ethnic backgrounds in the most deprived areas of England are up to three times more likely to need emergency treatment for asthma than their white counterparts, analysis has found.Analysis of NHS statistics conducted by the charity Asthma and Lung UK found that Asian people with asthma from the most deprived quintile in England are almost three times more likely to have an emergency admission to hospital than their white counterparts. Black people with asthma in the most deprived quintile are more than twice as likely than their white counterparts to be admitted to hospital. Continue reading...
by Malak A Tantesh in Gaza and Julian Borger on (#6X6TB)
Six-month-old Palestinian girl's painfully emaciated body symbolised starvation in GazaSiwar Ashour was born into war and hunger and has known nothing else. She is now in real danger of dying without ever having known a moment of peace or contentment.The six-month-old Palestinian girl, whose painfully emaciated body symbolised the deliberate starvation of Gaza when she appeared on the BBC this week, was only 2.5kg when she was born on 20 November last year. Continue reading...
Two dozen fasting students also press university system to divest from weapon manufacturers in list of demandsAround two dozen California State University students began a hunger strike last week to protest starvation in Gaza due to Israel's aid blockade, marking the latest act of political protest on college campuses.The strikers - students from San Jose State, Sacramento State, San Francisco State and CSU Long Beach - began their fast on 5 May Continue reading...
High court case to test whether ministers have illegally supplied Israel parts that may be used to attack PalestiniansPreserving the British role in the F-35 jet fighter programme takes precedence over the need to comply with UK laws on arms export controls, or any UK obligation to prevent a genocide in Israel, UK government lawyers will argue in court this week.The long-awaited high court case will test whether ministers have broken the law by continuing to supply parts for the F-35 programme that may be used by Israel to attack Palestinians in Gaza. The four-day case starts on Tuesday and has taken nearly a year to come to court. Continue reading...
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