Slovakia’s defense minister says the country’s populist prime minister, Robert Fico, remains in serious condition but now has a positive prognosis, four days after he was shot multiple times in an assassination attempt that sent shockwaves across the deeply polarized European Union nation
An Israeli strike killed 31 people in central Gaza Sunday, the Palestinian territory’s civil defence agency said, as US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan visited for talks on the conflict.
Israeli troops have moved in on the Gaza Strip’s far-southern city of Rafah, which the army describes as the last Hamas stronghold and where the United States says 800,000 civilians have been newly displaced by the fighting.
Hamas’s armed wing, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, said it was targeting Israeli forces stationed at Rafah crossing — a vital conduit for humanitarian aid that is now closed — with mortar fire.
About 1,000 demonstrators voiced concern about the rise of ultra conservative ideology in Europe, as right-wing leaders and politicians from countries including Argentina, France, Italy, and Hungary, took part in the Europa Viva 24 conference in Madrid, organised by Spain’s conservative Vox party.
The demonstration was called by a number of groups in response to the weekend Vox event. The protesters gathered under the slogan ‘All to Colón against fascism’.
Many see the meeting in the Spanish capital as a significant step in the international consolidation of far-right ideology.
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.
The Israeli army has stepped up attacks across Gaza, killing dozens of Palestinians in the central part of the besieged enclave, as US national security adviser Jake Sullivan travelled to Israel to hold talks with senior officials.
Sullivan was expected to press Israeli leaders on Sunday to take a more targeted approach in the country’s Gaza offensive and avoid a wider-scale assault on the southern city of Rafah.
He met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, as well as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has vowed to move forward with the Rafah offensive despite concerns from the United States.
The top US official “reaffirmed the need for Israel to connect its military operations to a political strategy that can ensure the lasting defeat of Hamas, the release of all the hostages, and a better future for Gaza”, the White House said in a readout of the discussions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected calls from French leader Emmanuel Macron for a truce with Russia during the Paris Olympics and criticised the West for seeking a swift end to the war.
The ancient tradition stretching back to Ancient Greece of a truce during the games will likely not be observed during this year’s Olympics in Paris, which will be held from July 26th to August 11th in the French capital.
While French President Emmanuel Macron proposed last month using the occasion for a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia, it appears that neither Kyiv nor Moscow are interested in heeding the call for peace.
Vietnam’s Communist Party has named police minister To Lam as the state president, the government said Saturday, and also nominated a new head of the parliament in a major leadership reshuffle.Unprecedentedly for a one-party nation once known for its stable politics, two state presidents and a parliament speaker have stepped down in less than 18 months, all for unspecified “wrongdoing” amid a major anti-graft campaign that is unnerving foreign investors because of its chilling effect on bureaucracy.
Thousands of Georgians led by Orthodox Christian clerics marked “Family Purity Day” on Friday, marching down the same central avenue in Tbilisi that has been the scene of some of the fiercest anti-government protests in the country’s history.
The contrasting groups staging the marches – pro-Orthodox and conservative on one side and pro-European on the other – spotlight the deep divisions within Georgian society as it grapples with an unprecedented political crisis.
For over a month, thousands of protesters, many of them young people, have filled Tbilisi’s streets on a near-nightly basis to voice their opposition to a draft law on “foreign agents” they condemn as authoritarian and Russian-inspired.
The United States and the European Union have repeatedly warned the ruling Georgian Dream party to drop the bill, which protesters fear will harm the South Caucasus country’s bid to join the European Union.
Israel continued its attacks in Gaza, including in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, despite growing international pressure to limit the scope of the offensive. Imtiaz Tyab has more.
Britain lashed out at two of Russia’s closest allies as Moscow is accused of showing “no signs of wanting peace”.
During a meeting held by the United Nations Security Council in New York on May 20, British Ambassador James Kariuki openly mentioned the weapons trade being carried out with Russia by Iran and North Korea.
He told the council during a gathering focused on the ongoing conflict in war-torn Ukraine: “We urge North Korea and Iran to cease all support to Russia. We note that any transfer of ballistic missiles or related technology from Iran to Russia would be a significant escalation.”
Mr Kariuki also pointed out that the Russian procurement of weapons from North Korea violates a number of resolutions issued by the UN Security Council.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 20. The next round of
political consultations between the Foreign Ministries of
Azerbaijan and Georgia was held in Baku, Trend reports, referring
to the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.
The Azerbaijani delegation was headed by Deputy Foreign Minister
Samir Sharifov, while the Georgian delegation was headed by First
Deputy Foreign Minister Lasha Darsalia.
During the consultations, the current state and prospects for
the development of bilateral cooperation between the countries in
political, trade-economic, transport-energy, cultural-humanitarian,
and other spheres were discussed.
Johannesburg — He’s often been dubbed “the Teflon president” for his ability to endure scandal after scandal, but on Monday something finally stuck.
The Constitutional Court ruled that due to a 2021 prison sentence, former President Jacob Zuma will not be allowed to run for parliament in pivotal South African elections on May 29.
The country’s Electoral Commission had always maintained Zuma was disqualified from running, because he had been sentenced to 15 months in jail for contempt of court in a corruption case.
HARARE — A manhunt is underway for suspects involved in the fatal shooting of Rwandan national Samuel Habimana in Waterfalls, Harare, last Friday.
Habimana, who was reportedly shot in the neck at his Mainway Meadows residence, was targeted by a four-member gang under unclear circumstances.
According to the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) national spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, the assailants forced their way into Habimana’s home, tracking him from Harare’s Central Business District.
May 19, 2024 (JUBA) – The South Sudanese mediation announced the suspension of negotiations between the Sudanese government and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) as of Sunday. This pause aims to allow the participating delegations to conduct consultations before reconvening.
On the fourth day of negotiations hosted in Juba, the parties were unable to reach an agreement on how to open routes for delivering humanitarian aid to those affected by the war and displaced civilians in areas under the control of the SPLM-N, led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu.
In a press statement following the suspension of talks, South Sudanese Foreign Minister Ramadan Mohamed Abdallah Goch stated, “We saw this as the final session in this round of talks, to give the parties a time to consult with their respective leaderships on the nature of some technical issues raised during the talks.”
President Joe Biden blasted the “outrageous” decision by the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to file arrest warrant applications for senior Israeli officials such as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday.
“The ICC prosecutor’s application for arrest warrants against Israeli leaders is outrageous,” Biden said in a statement Monday. “And let me be clear: whatever this prosecutor might imply, there is no equivalence — none — between Israel and Hamas. We will always stand with Israel against threats to its security.”
The ICC announced early Monday it was pursuing warrants for the arrests of Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as the following senior Hamas leaders: Yahya Sinwar, the head of Hamas in Gaza, Mohammed Deif, the head of the military, and Ismail Haniyeh, the head of its political bureau.
Many Republicans and Democrats are criticizing the ICC’s decision to seek arrest warrants for Israeli officials, decrying the assumption that the crimes committed by Hamas and Israel are similar.
Justice Minister Yariv Levin blasted the International Criminal Court (ICC) for seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant:
“The decision, the purpose of which is an attempt to deny the State of Israel the right of self-defense, and the comparison between Israel’s leaders and the many murderers at the head of Hamas are a clear expression of modern antisemitism and hatred of Jews wherever they are,” he says in a statement.
Khan is also seeking warrants against three Hamas leaders — Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif and Ismail Haniyeh.
“The State of Israel will continue to fight a just war of defense against terrorism, in the most moral manner and according to international law,” Levin pledges.
“The citizens of Israel, and many of our friends around the world, today stand strongly behind the prime minister, the leadership of the country, the IDF and the security forces,” he says in a statement conspicuously lacking Gallant’s name.
Six people were killed and dozens arrested following attacks on the residence of a close ally of President Felix Tshisekedi and the presidential palace, in what the country’s military described as a foiled coup attempt.
In December, Tshisekedi was reelected as president amid calls for a revote from the opposition over what they said was a lack of transparency.
The six who were killed included 3 assailants and their leader, the self-exiled opposition figure Christian Malanga, Congolese army spokesperson Brig. Gen. Sylvain Ekenge told reporters on Sunday night, adding that around 50 perpetrators were arrested.
Armed men in military uniform clashed Sunday with the guards of Vital Kamerhe, a federal legislator who is close to the Congolese president. Kamerhe’s spokesman posted on social media platform X, saying the guards were able to stop them and confirmed the lawmaker and his family were safe.’
Congolese army says it has foiled a coup. Self-exiled opposition leader threatens president
KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Congo’s army says it has “foiled a coup” early Sunday morning and arrested the perpetrators, including several foreigners, following a shootout between armed men in military uniform and guards of a close ally of Congo’s president that left three people dead in the capital, Kinshasa.
At first, local media identified the armed men as Congolese soldiers but then reported they were linked to self-exiled opposition leader Christian Malanga who later posted a video on Facebook threatening President Felix Tshisekedi.
Tshisekedi was reelected as president in December in a chaotic vote amid calls for a revote from the opposition over what they said was a lack of transparency. The Central African country has witnessed similar trends of disputed elections in the past.
Congolese army spokesperson Brigadier General Sylvain Ekenge said on state television Sunday that the attempted coup d’état was “nipped in the bud by Congolese defense and security forces (and) the situation is under control.” He did not give further details.
This also came amid a crisis gripping Tshisekedi’s ruling party over an election for the parliament’s leadership which was supposed to be held Saturday but got postponed.
Clashes were reported Sunday between men in military uniform and guards of Vital Kamerhe, a federal legislator and a candidate for speaker of the National Assembly of Congo, at his residence in Kinshasa, about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the presidential palace and where some embassies are also located.
Kamerhe’s guards stopped the armed men, Michel Moto Muhima, the politician’s spokesperson said on the X social media platform, adding that two police officers and one of the attackers were killed in the shootout that started around 4:30 a.m.
Footage, seemingly from the area, showed military trucks and heavily armed men parading deserted streets in the neighborhood as the army said the situation has been brought under control.
Meanwhile, the self-exiled Malanga appeared in the live-streamed video surrounded by several people in military uniform and said: “Felix you’re out, we are coming for you.”
On his website, the opposition leader’s group — the United Congolese Party (UCP) — is described as “a grassroots platform that unifies the Congolese Diaspora around the world opposing the current Congolese dictatorship.”
Tshisekedi hasn’t so far addressed the public about Sunday’s events.
On Friday, he met with parliamentarians and leaders of the Sacred Union of the Nation ruling coalition in an attempt to resolve the crisis seizing his party, which dominates the national assembly. He said he would not “hesitate to dissolve the National Assembly and send everyone to new elections if these bad practices persist.”
The United States Embassy in Congo issued a security alert Sunday, urging caution after “reports of gunfire.”
—
Asadu reported from Abuja, Nigeria. Associated Press journalist Ruth Alonga in Goma, Congo and Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv contributed.
Reactions are starting to trickle in as world leaders learn of Raisi’s death…
Nine people were on board the helicopter that crashed, leaving no survivors, Tasnim News Agency, a government-affiliated outlet, reported.
It listed the decedents on board with Raisi. They included Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian; Ayatollah Al Hashem, representative of the supreme leader for parts of Azerbaijan; Eastern Azerbaijan Gov. Malek Rahmati; Cmdr. Seyed Mahdi Mousavi, the head of the president’s security unit; and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps member Ansarol Mahdi.
The helicopter’s pilot and co-pilot and a technical assistant also on board were not identified.
The aircraft was returning from a trip to the inauguration of an Iranian dam on the border with Azerbaijan.
Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said fog and bad weather in the area slowed rescuers’ response. The cause of the crash was unclear, but U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said intelligence officials informed him that there is “no evidence of foul play.”
State TV said earlier on Monday that there was “no sign of life” at the crash site of the helicopter that was carrying 63-year-old Raisi, 60-year-old Abdollahian and other officials after it made a “hard landing” on Sunday.
The crash site was across a steep valley, according to state media, which gave no immediate cause for the crash.
As the sun rose on Monday, rescuers saw the helicopter from a distance of roughly 1.25 miles, head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society Pir Hossein Kolivand told state media. The officials had been missing for more than 12 hours when the helicopter was observed.
Rescuers on Monday found the helicopter that was carrying the Iranian president, as well as the country’s foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and other senior officials, after it crashed in the mountainous northwest reaches of Iran.
Minutes after the Red Crescent Society announced its team had reached the site of the crash, state TV reported that there were “no signs of life” and an official said the helicopter had been “completely burned”.
The state-run Mehr news agency then announced that the president and foreign minister had been “martyred”.
Earlier officials said the aircraft appeared to have undergone a “rough landing” near Jolfa, the Iranian city on the border of Azerbaijani exclave Nakhchivan, around 600km northwest of the Iranian capital Tehran.
Turkish authorities said drone footage showed a fire some 20km south of the Azerbaijan-Iranian border on the side of a steep mountain.
… Dr Hamidreza Azizi assessed the impact of Raisi’s death on the running of Iran, noting his first vice president, Mohammad Mokhber, would take over until elections can be held over the summer.
And he warned his connections with top members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) will likely result in an intensification of their involvement in the government – leading to a “struggle” with administrative staff.
Writing on X, the site formerly known as Twitter, Dr Azizi said: “Under Article 131 of #Iran’s Constitution, First VP Mohammad Mokhber will temporarily assume Raisi’s duties with the Supreme Leader’s approval. A council must organize a new presidential election within 50 days.
“Mokhber’s ties to the IRGC’s core leadership will guarantee that the IRGC’s role in #Iran’s administration will remain intact and even intensify. His interim presidency may pave the way for even more overt IRGC control over administrative policies.
“Raisi’s death intensifies internal power struggles. Already, factions within the hardline camp were competing for the Speaker of Parliament role. Now, this rivalry will extend to the presidency, with different factions vying for dominance.”
The Unified Command, a collection of local and federal agencies that managed the operation, said the ship became buoyant at around 6:40 a.m. ET and was slowly moved by tugboats to a local port.
The Dali crashed with the bridge in the early hours on March 26, causing a catastrophic failure of the structure which led to the deaths of six construction workers and disrupted shipping across the East Coast and has remained in the Patapsco River for the last eight weeks.
The Wisconsin Department of Administration removed cannabis plants Friday found growing near the State Capitol, WMTV reported.
Assistant Professor Shelby Ellison told the outlet that she believed someone planted cannabis there purposefully noting that the plants were “interspersed in the area.”
Ellison further reinforced this point by telling The Associated Press (AP) that “[i]t was just a large number of plants for it to be anything accidental.” The plants were found in a tulip patch, WMTV reported.
Up in smoke: Workers remove dozens of apparent marijuana plants from Wisconsin Capitol tulip garden https://t.co/becOFdhhnv
