UVALDE, Texas — Two of the 19 children killed last week in the Texas school shooting will be laid to rest Tuesday in the first of a series of funeral services for the grieving town of Uvalde over the next two weeks. The services come as Uvalde grapples with law enforcement's admittedly flawed response to the May 24 shooting at Robb Elementary School. “There is nothing in the City Charter, Election Code, or Texas Constitution that prohibits him from taking the oath of office. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., also said last week he wanted Republican lawmakers to work with Democrats on legislation "directly related" to the Uvalde shooting. The gunman in the Uvalde shooting legally purchased two rifles after his 18th birthday, police said.

We go in with an active shooter,” he said during an appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”“Not only would the police go in with an active shooter, but the FDNY, EMS, they’re trained to go in with an active shooter,” the mayor added. “Mayors are being impacted by that.”In the days after the May 24 school shooting, Uvalde authorities have come under intense scrutiny for their handling of it. Law enforcement on the grounds of Robb Elementary School on May 24. “That is not going to happen in New York,” Adams said of the Texas tragedy. Greg Abbott fumed that he was “livid” that law enforcement “misled” him about their response to the rampage at the elementary school.

Mr. Brooks offered a simple answer to why he’s not worried about his race: There’s no fraud in Republican primaries, he said. “I’m in a Republican primary, and noncitizens don’t normally vote in Republican primaries,” Mr. Brooks said. Not all Republicans who spread false claims about the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election considered their own races to be exempt. Mr. Perry focused on Philadelphia as a source for fraud in the presidential race and called for additional review. By the time Mr. Trump lost the 2020 election, he and millions of his supporters were primed to believe false allegations about “ballot harvesting” and machines miscounting in America’s populous cities.

Navarro is among a handful of Republicans who have invoked executive privilege to keep their communications with former President Donald Trump confidential, but President Biden rejected those claims. The House voted last month to hold Navarro in contempt for not complying with a subpoena delivered to him in early February. The decision gave the Jan. 6 committee access to presidential diaries, visitor logs, drafts of speeches and other records it had been seeking. But the justices in an unsigned opinion noted that there are lingering questions about the limitations of executive privilege. A number of Trump aides, including former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and one-time White House strategist Steve Bannon, have also ignored the subpoenas.

Democratic and Republican senators will meet virtually on Tuesday to discuss possible legislative measures to address gun violence in the U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, is leading the talks on the Republican side after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., picked him for the job. President Biden described Cornyn as "a rational Republican," as he did for McConnell as well. BIDEN CALLS 9MM ‘HIGH-CALIBER WEAPONS,’ SUGGESTS BANNING THEMPresident Biden has also pointed to a potential ban on assault weapons, which Republicans have opposed because the term "assault weapon" does not have a set definition. A 1994 ban of semi-automatic assault weapons named which specific weapons were banned, while also including those that could accept detachable magazines and that had two features from a list of several other features.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov denied reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin is seriously ill on Sunday as rumors about the leader's health continue to spread. Rumors about the Russian leader's health have swirled since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine in late February. You can see him on the screens, read his speeches, listen to his speeches," Lavrov said. Lavrov's statement comes after a recording reportedly revealed a Kremlin-aligned Russian oligarch stating that Putin was seriously ill with "blood cancer." Putin, 69, has never publicly addressed his health rumors, but he has for years sought to present himself as a sportsman and outdoorsman.

President Biden walked back an assertion that the U.S. would intervene militarily to defend Taiwan against China for the third time of his presidency on Tuesday. Biden stated unequivocally on Monday that the U.S. would send the military to defend Taiwan if China invaded the island nation. US MILITARY WILL DEFEND TAIWAN ‘IF IT COMES TO THAT,’ BIDEN SAYS"You talked about our adversaries, China and Russia. Biden made the statement again during a CNN town hall in October, stating that the U.S. has a "commitment" to defend Taiwan against an attack. "The U.S. defense relationship with Taiwan is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act," the White House said at the time.

The U.S. National Guard is planning a "cooperation" program with the Taiwanese military, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen announced Tuesday. Tsai has not offered details regarding the upcoming cooperation, but previous reports suggest the Taiwan military may link with the Hawaii National Guard. Tsai made the announcement during a meeting in Taipei with Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill."The U.S. Department of Defense is now proactively planning cooperation between the U.S. National Guard and Taiwan's defense forces," Tsai said. Mainland China has long claimed Taiwan as its own territory, and has threatened to take it back by force. US MILITARY WILL DEFEND TAIWAN ‘IF IT COMES TO THAT,’ BIDEN SAYSPresident Biden has further complicated relations by repeatedly stating that the U.S. military would intervene if China were to invade the island.

President Biden appeared to contradict a previous statement from the White House claiming he was not discussing Putin’s power in Russia when he said the Russian president "cannot remain in power." RUSSIA INVADES UKRAINE: LIVE UPDATES"The President’s point was that Putin cannot be allowed to exercise power over his neighbors or the region. He was not discussing Putin’s power in Russia, or regime change," a White House official told Fox News Digital shortly after the conclusion of the speech. BIDEN ASSERTS PEOPLE LIKE PUTIN ‘SHOULDN’T BE RULING COUNTRIES,' BUT US POLICY IS NOT REGIME CHANGE"He shouldn't be in power," Biden said of his Russian counterpart during comments at the White House. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPThe White House did not immediately respond to request for comment.

President Joe Biden is reportedly frustrated with his staff in the White House and their efforts to "rush to explain" something the president has said. The White House has walked back several of the president's statements, including when Biden said that Russian President Vladimir Putin "cannot remain in power." White House spokesperson Andrew Bates pushed back on the NBC report. Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., said that the White House has not been able to introduce an "intellectually honest" inflation plan. A White House spokesperson told Fox News Digital at the time that the policy towards Taiwan has not changed.

TAIPEI, Taiwan — The United States is planning on “cooperation” between its National Guard and Taiwan’s military, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said on Tuesday, deepening security ties in the face of what Taipei’s government complains is a rising threat from China. The United States is Chinese-claimed Taiwan’s most important international supporter and arms supplier, despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties. China’s military said last week it had recently conducted an exercise around Taiwan as a “solemn warning” against its “collusion” with the United States. Download the NBC News app for breaking news and politics“As a result, the U.S. Department of Defense is now proactively planning cooperation between the U.S. National Guard and Taiwan’s defense forces,” Tsai said, without giving details. Taiwanese media has previously reported that Taiwan could partner with Hawaii’s National Guard for the program.

"Sadly, the prime minister appears unwilling to bring matters to a head," Stevenson said in a statement. "Therefore, the only option is for the Conservative MPs to facilitate a vote of confidence. Should Johnson lose a confidence vote, he would be removed as prime minister. At least 54 Conservative members of parliament are required to formally request a confidence vote to the chairman of the party's 1922 Committee for one to be triggered. L8N2XN32WScience Minister George Freeman, asked on Sky News whether the prime minister would win a vote of no confidence next week, said: "I just don't know."

We currently live in a fundamentally different and much more dangerous world than we did prior to February 24. Meanwhile, Turkey, a long-standing member of the alliance, has stalled the newcomers’ road to NATO by criticizing the countries for harboring, and even supporting, terrorist organizations. At the same time, the Turkish president has also attacked his country’s traditional opponent, Greece, saying Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis “no longer exists” for him, because of his stance on Turkey’s veto. Initially, Turkey was hoping that NATO’s open-door policy would also help them become a member of the European Union. Given these developments, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg should undertake robust diplomatic efforts toward negotiating an agreement among current NATO members, focusing on the non-use of the veto in cases where more than three-quarters of members support a new applicants’ entry to the organization.

Denmark is the only member of the 27 nation bloc not in the Common Security and Defence Policy, having secured exemptions from it and the euro currency in a 1993 referendum on the Maastricht Treaty, which laid the groundwork for the modern EU. Both Denmark and Germany have already promised to sharply raise defence spending. "NATO will of course remain our most important tool, but the EU gives us another tool in securing our defence in the east," said Mogens Jensen, defence spokesman for the ruling Social Democrats. Denmark is a founding member of NATO, but the alliance's biggest military power, the United States, has signalled European allies must take greater responsibility for their own security. Participating in the Common Security and Defence Policy would enable Denmark to take part in joint EU military operations, such as those in Somalia, Mali and Bosnia.

Federal officers ultimately decided to enter the building and killed the gunman, according to law enforcement sources. Story continues"That question will be answered," McGraw said when asked directly if the incident commander on the ground received the 911 information. But the video obtained by ABC News, taken just outside the premises, appears to show that 911 dispatchers were relaying the information -- including information that the room was "full of victims." The dispatcher's information heard on the video appears to match the readout of the 911 calls provided last week by law enforcement officials. 'Full of victims': Video appears to show Texas 911 dispatchers relaying information from children in classroom originally appeared on abcnews.go.com

Newcomers Mario Mitchell and Jovan Jackson are trying to unseat incumbent Councilman Scott Black in North Las Vegas Ward 3. Scott Black, left, Jovan Jackson and Mario Mitchell, candidates for North Las Vegas Council Ward 3, 2022 primary. North Las Vegas Councilman Scott Black faces two political novices in the upcoming primary to represent Ward 3. Scott BlackBlack, owner of the graphic design company LogoZoo, grew up in North Las Vegas. Now, North Las Vegas can be strategic and selective as the competition increases between businesses that want to come there, he said.

A 10-year-old Florida boy is under arrest for allegedly threatening by text to conduct a mass shooting, police in Lee County said Sunday. The boy was arrested Saturday and charged with making a written threat to conduct a mass shooting after the Patriot Elementary School fifth-grader sent a threatening text message, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said. “This student’s behavior is sickening, especially after the recent tragedy in Uvalde, Texas,” Sheriff Carmine Marceno said in a statement. “Making sure our children are safe is paramount. My team didn’t hesitate one second … NOT ONE SECOND, to investigate this threat.”

But even more hostile to the Union cause was the fiery and articulate Samuel Medary of Columbus. Medary often remarked, “This boy will someday be president.”With some friends, he began editing a newspaper called the Ohio Sun in Clermont County in 1828. Prominent in Ohio politics, Medary was offered the governorship of the Minnesota Territory in 1857. Returning to Columbus in 1860, he soon founded and was outspoken editor of The Crisis newspaper. Medary was not a man to be swerved from his purpose by a mob, and the tone of The Crisis continued as before.

Based on early voting data alone, 37,144 former Democrats voted in the Republican primary. Trump’s opponents encouraged Democrats to help defeat U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene in her Georgia primary last week. Of Republican primary voters who cast early or absentee ballots this year, only 1.7 percent voted Democratic in the 2020 primary. Kinzinger’s political organization, Country First, targeted thousands of former Georgia Democrats with mailers and text messages urging them to support Raffensperger for the sake of democracy. Back in Georgia, Raffensperger’s team pushed back on the idea that he won the GOP primary because of Democrats.

Updated 3 timesWASHINGTON — When President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden disagree, they don’t hash it out in front of other people. She says she could soon be sharing White House living quarters with a teenage granddaughter. When Joe Biden was vice president, the couple decided to settle disagreements by text to avoid fighting in the presence of their Secret Service agents — and dubbed it fexting. “You have to be able to stand on your own two feet.”Jill Biden met then-Sen. Joe Biden in 1975, and they were married two years later. Granddaughter Naomi is engaged to be married and is planning a White House wedding reception in November.

"It would be hypocritical for the Supreme Court to prevent its own employees from taking advantage of that fundamental legal protection." The Supreme Court did not respond to a CNN request on Monday for comment related to the phone searches and affidavits. The young lawyers selected to be law clerks each year are regarded as the elite of the elite. Six of the current nine Supreme Court justices are former clerks. The escalating scrutiny of law clerks reflects Roberts' concerns about the breach in confidentiality and possibly further leaks.

Dominic Cummings has accused Sue Gray of not properly investigating the alleged “Abba party” in Boris Johnson’s flat during lockdown, saying the music was so loud that dozens of people working in the office downstairs could hear it. Cummings said Gray’s justification not to properly look into the event was “brazen”, suggesting she turned a blind eye and took a “fuck this” attitude. It became known as the “Abba party” because the song The Winner Takes It All was reportedly blasted out of the flat, allegedly because Johnson’s wife, Carrie, was celebrating Cummings’ departure. Some Tory MPs told the Guardian they feared a cover-up when the flat party was not properly investigated. “He’s thinking if they don’t put him out before August, he’s got a reasonable chance of swinging the election,” Cummings said.

During most of this term's arguments, the main question was whether the Supreme Court's conservative majority would rule narrowly or broadly. The issues include abortion, guns, religion and climate change. But the state's attorneys said the court should go further and overturn the right to abortion established in 1973. vs. Bruen)Religious schools: Do students enrolled in religious schools have an equal right to public funds if their state funds other private schools? Now, West Virginia and 18 other coal states want the court to rule that the EPA and the Biden administration lack broad regulatory authority to fight climate change.

We spoke directly to Wayne LaPierre at the NRA Convention and thanked him for all his thoughts and prayers. “You kept hearing [after each] that Wayne LaPierre isn’t doing enough, and frankly that’s not true,” Selvig continued. “The NRA under Wayne LaPierre’s leadership has provided thoughts and prayers to the victims and their families and maybe these mass shootings would stop happening if we all thought a little bit more and we prayed a little bit more. He scowled and frowned as Selvig repeatedly uttered the phrase “thoughts and prayers”, words that critics say are used by opponents of meaningful gun control to deflect responsibility for action after mass shootings. Selvig, along with Good Liars collaborator Davram Stiefler, had previously targeted one of the convention’s highest-profile speakers, former president Donald Trump.

Joe Rogan has continued to wade in on the Uvalde school massacre, by saying it's not 'wise' to take weapons away from gun owners. The controversial podcaster was speaking on an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience when he was asked about how you stop a situation like what happened in Texas. “This country has a mental health problem disguised as a gun problem,” he told scientist Lex Fridman. "I don't think it's wise to take the guns away from the people and leave all of the power to the government." Click here to sign up to our newsletters.

Many Supreme Court clerks have wondered whether they should seek outside counsel as the court has escalated its probe into who leaked a draft opinion showing that the court would likely overturn Roe v Wade, CNN reported. Supreme Court clerks are often considered to be some of the most elite young legal minds in the country. Mr Roberts was himself a clerk on the Supreme Court for future Chief Justice William Rehnquist when he was an associate justice and Justice Amy Coney Barrett clerked for Associate Justice Antonin Scalia. Mr Roberts ordered Supreme Court Marshal Gail Curley, a former US Army Colonel, to lead the investigation the day after the leak of the draft opinion, which Associate Justice Samuel Alito wrote. The opinion is not the official opinion and as of right now, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that enshrined the right to seek an abortion remains intact.

Police arrested Mr Pelosi, who was charged with two misdemeanors. According to Mr Kamer, the reports are "erroneously" attributing a past traffic infraction to the wrong Mr Pelosi. Some early reports claimed that Mr Pelosi blew through a stop sign, which resulted in the Jeep clipping his rear bumper. “A prior driving offense erroneously attributed to Mr. Pelosi is untrue and likely refers to an unrelated person with the same name. “There are also incorrect reports that misstate the timing of events.”

Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny says he has been charged with a new case and faces "up to 15 more years to my sentence" if found guilty. Mr Navalny has been outspoken against President Vladimir Putin and was recently sentenced to nine years in prison after he was found guilty of large-scale fraud and contempt of court by a Russian court. Mr Navalny wrote about the new charges on Twitter. "It turns out that I created an extremist group in order to incite hatred towards officials and oligarchs," he said. "And when they put me in jail, I dared to be disgruntled about it (silly me) and called for rallies.

(ANSA) - ROME, MAY 31 - Premier Mario Draghi on Tuesday said Italy was "satisfied" with the results of a two-day EU summit on Ukraine that included a partial ban on Russian oil imports excluding pipelines and an EC study on an energy price cap that Rome fought hard for. "It was a little long European Council but we can say we are satisfied with the results," Draghi told a press conference. Draghi said Italy had been pleased with gettig the victory over the price cap, saying "the Commission officially received a mandate to study the feasibility of a price cap". "Now we must press ahead with RePowerEu, which is a response to the reliance of Russian gas," she said, according to sources. She said EU gas reserves were higher than last year and sanctions were now biting Moscow hard.

According to the report in daily newspaper Domani, the office of Premier Mario Draghi knew nothing about the meeting. The centre-left Democratic Party (PD), which, like the League, is part of the coalition supporting Draghi's government, demanded an explanation. "We are calling for answers," said PD leader Enrico Letta. Salvini had expressed admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin on several occasions before the war in Ukraine. The League leader has condemned Moscow's invasion of its neighbour.

Two Russian soldiers were sentenced to more than 11 years in jail each on Tuesday after a court in central Ukraine found them guilty of firing artillery at civilian areas. They were found guilty of firing Grad missiles on two villages in the northeastern Kharkiv region in the early days of the war. The verdicts this month against Russian servicemen are expected to be the first in a wave of trials. Rights organizations have voiced hope that Ukraine's trials of Russian soldiers will be impartial and transparent. Ukrainian lawyers representing the Russian servicemen say they have not been in contact with legal or military officials in Moscow.

I think Governor LePage either didn’t understand the implications this harmful practice had, or he did understand and agreed that LGBTQ people should be subject to this harmful practice. Unlike Trump, LePage grew up in extreme poverty, as one of 18 children in an abusive, alcoholic household, and ended up homeless during his teenage years in the early 1960s. Mike Tipping, the author of As Maine Went: Governor Paul LePage and the Tea Party Takeover of Maine, is adamant that there’s no room for complacency. It’s difficult to reach certain populations, and a lot of people are reluctant to say they support LePage or Trump. “Paul LePage,” says Steve, at 3 Cousins Firearms, “is a man’s man.

(CNN) The White House this week is kicking off a month-long effort to place a heavy focus on the economy as inflation worries become the top concern for the White House before this fall's midterm elections. The administration is also blanketing airwaves with Biden's top economic officials in a concerted push to use those aides more as spokespeople to push the President's message on the economy as a majority of voters say the government isn't doing enough to fight inflation. An official told CNN to expect to see this effort to focus on the economy to continue for the rest of the month as officials want to convey to voters that Biden is paying attention to their concerns, while also preparing them to see fewer job-creation numbers as the economy stabilizes. "For month of June, we are just really communicating how in touch we are with what Americans are dealing with and how it's our number one economic priority," one official told CNN. The effort comes as the White House is facing more questions about whether the economy is going into a recession.

And please do not forget this most salient fact of all: There has been one major expansion of mental health spending and coverage in recent American history. The ACA’s impact on the country’s mental health has been salutary, according to this Commonwealth Fund report. So the sole major expansion of mental health coverage in this century was contained in a bill whose passage every Republican in Washington opposed and on which most Republican governors have refused to participate in the state-level implementation. Republicans are not going to expand mental health funding. Mental health care is for sissies and liberals.

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court declined Tuesday to prevent Texas state legislators from answering questions in a lawsuit over the state’s plan for drawing new congressional and legislative district boundaries. But the Justice Department said it routinely seeks testimony from state legislators who represent challenged districts. The Justice Department lawsuit said the state intentionally discriminated against minority voters in West Texas and the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. The lawsuit said most of the increase in the state’s population came from Black, Latino and Asian residents. The number of districts with a majority of those voters was below their percentage of the state’s overall population, the suit contended.

World Message from the European Union: "EU needs to become a military power" The conflict in Ukraine has made it clear that soft power is not enough, so the European Union should become a military power. Source: Tanjug Tuesday, May 31, 2022 | 13:38 Tweet Share EPA-EFE/OLIVIER HOSLETThe conflict in Ukraine has made it clear that soft power is not enough so the European Union needs to become a military power, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said on arrival at an EU summit on Tuesday. "What we have learned from the Ukrainian war is that trade is not enough, the rule of law is not enough, it’s not enough to be a good civil power, we need to be also a military power," Borrell pointed out, as TASS reports. "Defense is the competence of member states," Borrell noted. But we have to do it all together.

Dutch Prime Minister Prime Minister Mark Rutte (L), Finland's Prime Minister Sanna Marin (C), Greek Prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (2-R) and the Prime Minister of Belgium Alexander De Croo (R) at the first day of a Special European Summit on Ukraine at the European Council, in Brussels, Belgium, on Monday. [OLIVIER HOSLET/EPA]In response to Turkey’s aggression “on a rhetorical and ground level” particularly over the last few days, Athens is formally raising the issue with its allies and partners. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis briefed the EU summit in Brussels on Monday, and described Turkey “as a factor of destabilization in the Eastern Mediterranean region” during brief comments to reporters upon his arrival. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said last week that he will never meet Mitsotakis again. Meanwhile, Defense Ministry sources said on Monday that Greece may face “hybrid-type threats” this summer aiming to destabilize the country internally.

Russian troops in Ukraine nearly killed a general who ordered them to the front lines, Ukraine said. Ukrainian intelligence published audio it said was of a Russian soldier describing it. Now Russian forces are focusing on taking the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, where Russia has taken territory and Ukraine admits it is struggling. "Our brigade can't capture anything because there's fucking nothing left of it," the voice on the audio says of his fellow troops. Other reports have detailed a growing number of Russian troops and mercenaries refusing to fight in Ukraine.

Serbia may adopt EU sanctions against RussiaSerbia, a stalwart ally of Russia, may join the rest of Europe in adopting sanctions against Russia. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, sworn in for his second five-year term Tuesday, pledged to keep the Balkan country on its European Union membership path. Serbia is the only European nation country that has not joined in sanctioning Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. But he added that Serbia is "not politically neutral" because of its European Union aspirations. The compromise was reached after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged E.U.

Marshall is seen handing the woman water and questioning her about an injury on her leg. The Biden Administration has faced increasing criticism over the rising number of border crossings from Mexico since taking office last year. Renders Aid to Victim of Biden’s Border Crisis. YouTube / Senator MarshallSen. Roger Marshall put his medical training to use and help a migrant woman suffering from the effects of extreme heat. REUTERS/Evelyn HocksteinThe Biden Administration has faced increasing criticism over the rising number of border crossings from Mexico since taking office last year.

US Supreme Court law clerks could be asked to turn over their cell phone records as part of the escalating hunt for whoever leaked Justice Samuel Alito’s draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade, a new report revealed Tuesday. Protective fencing remains up around the U.S. Supreme Court building in anticipation of protests. Former law clerks told CNN the documents could have been circulated to about 75 people. Getty ImagesPro-choice activists object to a pro-life supporter trying to provoke arguments outside the Supreme Court. Allison Bailey/NurPhoto/ShuttersIt is unclear at this time whether other staffers at the Supreme Court, besides the law clerks, have been asked to turn over their phone records as part of the leak probe.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said that, as of earlier this month, Iran has accumulated a stockpile of enriched uranium more than 18 times the limit set out in the nuclear deal signed in 2015. The deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), forbade Iran from exceeding 300 kg of a compound that translates to roughly 202.8 kg of uranium. As of May 15, the Islamic nation had amassed an estimated 3,809 kg of enriched uranium, the IAEA found, according to Agence France-Presse. A new IAEA report noted that while the JCPOA also capped Iran's uranium enrichment levels at 3.57% – 90% is needed for a nuclear weapon – Iran currently has 43.1 kg of uranium enriched to 60%, up 9.9 kg since March. They also have 238.4 kg of 20% enriched uranium, up 56.3 kg since March.

A Russian soldier was sentenced to life in prison Monday for killing an unarmed Ukrainian civilian in the first war crimes trial since Moscow's invasion began three months ago. The case drew international attention amid mounting allegations of war crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine, some of which have been documented by international human rights organizations. Ukraine has launched a massive effort to prosecute the alleged war crimes on its territory, and both the International Criminal Court and the United Nations have set out separate inquiries. Ukrainian Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova said this month that there were more than 11,000 ongoing war crimes cases in Ukraine, with 40 suspects already identified. “A prisoner of war cannot be prosecuted for a lawful act of war,” said William Schabas, an international law professor at Middlesex University in London.

A view of the Natanz uranium enrichment facility 250 km (155 miles) south of the Iranian capital Tehran, March 30, 2005. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi//File Photo/File PhotoDUBAI/PARIS, May 31 (Reuters) - Iran accused the International Atomic Energy Agency on Tuesday of publishing an unfair report on its investigation into Tehran's nuclear activities, possibly setting up a fresh diplomatic clash with the West. read more"Unfortunately this report does not reflect the reality of talks between Iran and the agency," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh told reporters on Tuesday. If Western powers seek a resolution criticising Tehran, it could deal a further blow to stalled efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear deal. Those powers have until now repeatedly shied away from admonishing Iran at the board on the same issue fearing it could jeopardise the nuclear talks.

Ukraine's top prosecutor Iryna Venediktova listens as she attends a news conference after a meeting at the International Criminal Court to discuss investigations into alleged war crimes amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in The Hague, Netherlands May 31, 2022. REUTERS/Eva PlevierTHE HAGUE, May 31 (Reuters) - Ukraine has identified more than 600 Russian war crime suspects and has started prosecuting around 80 of them, Kyiv's top prosecutor said on Tuesday. The list of suspects includes "top military, politicians and propaganda agents of Russia", prosecutor general Iryna Venediktova told a news conference in The Hague. read moreRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThey are working with the International Criminal Court (ICC), which launched its investigation into possible war crimes in Ukraine in early March. Venediktova said international support was vital to Ukraine's efforts to investigate all possible war crimes.

PRAGUE, May 31 (Reuters) - The Czech Foreign Ministry summoned Russia's ambassador on Tuesday to express concerns about the use of Russian diplomatic properties. The Czech Republic expelled around 100 Russian embassy staff last year in a diplomatic row over Prague's accusations of Russian involvement in a 2014 explosion at an arms depot, and the government has been one of the toughest advocates of sanctions against Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine. CTK news agency reported that a newly created working group to deal with properties owned by Russia had found dozens of properties that raised doubts whether they were still used for diplomatic activities. Earlier this year, the district of Prague where the Russian embassy is located requested that a Russian school building -- unused since the Czechs expelled the Russian diplomats last year -- be made available for Ukrainian refugee children. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Jason Hovet; Editing by Alison WilliamsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

It was nearly three weeks ago when the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack made a bold and historically unusual move: The bipartisan panel subpoenaed five sitting Republican congressmen. The members’ reticence led some to wonder whether the GOP lawmakers were open to the possibility of honoring the legal process. In fact, last week, 21 former House Republican lawmakers urged the subpoenaed members to cooperate with the investigation. “As part of that duty, we write to urge you to cooperate with the House Select Committee investigating the attack.”The advice was not well received. He and McCarthy then wrote a joint op-ed for The Wall Street Journal, questioning the “legitimacy” of the Jan. 6 panel.

WASHINGTON — The Democratic-led House Judiciary Committee is planning an emergency session Thursday to mark up a package of gun violence prevention bills and send it to the full chamber for a vote as soon as possible, a committee aide told NBC News. The meeting was scheduled even though the House of Representatives is out of session this week. "We felt like we needed to do something big and comprehensive after two mass shootings in two weeks," the aide said. "It’s inconceivable to me that we have not passed significant federal legislation trying to address the tragedy of gun violence in this nation, especially because since Sandy Hook ... the pace of everyday gun violence has dramatically escalated over the past two years," Murphy said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.”"We need federal legislation. Any gun restrictions would face difficulty gaining the minimum of 10 Republican votes needed to defeat a Senate filibuster.

A group of plaintiffs and their supporters celebrate a court decision outside the Sapporo district court Tuesday, May 31, 2022 in Sapporo, Hokkaido prefecture, Japan. (Yohei Fukai/Kyodo News via AP)A group of plaintiffs and their supporters celebrate a court decision outside the Sapporo district court Tuesday, May 31, 2022 in Sapporo, Hokkaido prefecture, Japan. The Sapporo District Court ruled that Hokkaido Electric Power Co. must not operate any of the three reactors at its coastal Tomari nuclear power plant in northern Japan because the inadequate tsunami protection could endanger people’s lives. ADVERTISEMENTMany of Japan’s nuclear power plants have been shut down since the disaster for safety checks and upgrades. The court also ruled that Hokkaido Electric had failed to adequately explain how it can ensure the safety of spent nuclear fuel inside the reactors.

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster ceremonially signs a bill allowing early voting in the state on Wednesday, May 18, 2022, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster ceremonially signs a bill allowing early voting in the state on Wednesday, May 18, 2022, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina begins regular early voting across the state for the first time Tuesday. South Carolina’s primaries are June 14 and early voting is available Monday through Friday. A list of sites is on the South Carolina Election Commission’s website.

Courts have lawsuits from 3 Republicans barred from ballotLANSING, Mich. (AP) — Two more Republican candidates for governor are suing to get on the Aug. 2 primary ballot, just days before the Michigan lineup must be settled. The candidates want courts to order the board to put them on the ballot. Five other Republican candidates landed a ballot spot, including Tudor Dixon, a former conservative TV news host who has the backing of Betsy DeVos, head of the U.S. Education Department during the Trump administration. But it’s not clear how much that will help in a Republican primary. The winner of the Republican primary will face Democratic Gov.

Australia's new prime minister appoints a record 10 women to his CabinetEnlarge this image toggle caption David Gray/Getty Images David Gray/Getty ImagesAustralia's new government will look more like its country, as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has named a record 10 women to his incoming Cabinet. The high-profile appointments include Penny Wong as foreign minister, Claire O'Neil as home affairs and cyber security minister, and Katy Gallagher as finance minister. "This is the largest number of women who have ever served in an Australian Cabinet," he added. A few of the new leaders were sworn in last week, but Albanese has now unveiled the full slate of Cabinet postings. With 10 women in leadership roles, Albanese is raising the bar set by seven women in top jobs under Scott Morrison, the former prime minister.

By Guy FaulconbridgeLONDON (Reuters) - A senior Russian lawmaker has suggested kidnapping a NATO defence minister in Ukraine and bringing them to Moscow for questioning about what "orders" the West has been giving to Kyiv. And would wake up somewhere in Moscow," Morozov said. He also accuses the United States of using Ukraine to threaten Russia through NATO enlargement. Ukraine and its Western backers say Russia is waging an unprovoked war against a sovereign state which is fighting for its existence. Russia has repeatedly warned the West that the supply of advanced arms to Ukraine risks escalating the war.

Inflation, which had been scarcely noticeable for decades, is suddenly the top concern most people have about the economy. On July 19, 2021, President Joe Biden played down the risk of persistent inflation, telling reporters that price hikes "are expected to be temporary." On June 16, the Fed revises forecasts for inflation, predicting a 3.4% rate by late 2021, up significantly from its previous estimate. The Council of Economic Advisers calls the news "encouraging" but notes that inflation could rise or fall in coming months. "There's a real risk now, we believe - I believe - that inflation may be more persistent," Powell tells reporters on Dec. 15.

Lawmakers did just that in a bipartisan vote that raised the spending limit to match the amount of money they approved last summer. By "we," Boyer said he means the 31 votes in the House and the 16 in the Senate needed to approve a state budget. Boyer, chairman of the Senate Education Committee, envisions a long-term fix to the 40-year-old spending limit as part of a larger compromise. As president of the Arizona Tax Research Association, Kevin McCarthy has tracked school spending for decades at the Capitol. It's a certainty the spending limit will emerge as an issue early next year.

From the moment Russia invaded on Feb. 24, the West has sought to make Moscow pay economically for its war. AdvertisementIn a move unthinkable just months ago, EU leaders agreed late Monday to cut around 90% of all Russian oil imports over the next six months. AdvertisementThe deputy head of Russia’s Security Council said Tuesday that energy sanctions against the country were intended to hurt ordinary Russians by making it harder for Moscow to fund social programs. Hungary gets more than 60% of its oil from Russia, much of it through the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline. The EU estimated that would mean around 90% of Russian oil is banned by the end of the year.

From the moment Russia invaded on Feb. 24, the West has sought to make Moscow pay economically for its war. AdvertisementIn a move unthinkable just months ago, EU leaders agreed late Monday to cut around 90% of all Russian oil imports over the next six months. AdvertisementThe deputy head of Russia’s Security Council said Tuesday that energy sanctions against the country were intended to hurt ordinary Russians by making it harder for Moscow to fund social programs. Hungary gets more than 60% of its oil from Russia, much of it through the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline. The EU estimated that would mean around 90% of Russian oil is banned by the end of the year.

From the moment Russia invaded on Feb. 24, the West has sought to make Moscow pay economically for its war. AdvertisementIn a move unthinkable just months ago, EU leaders agreed late Monday to cut around 90% of all Russian oil imports over the next six months. AdvertisementThe deputy head of Russia’s Security Council said Tuesday that energy sanctions against the country were intended to hurt ordinary Russians by making it harder for Moscow to fund social programs. Hungary gets more than 60% of its oil from Russia, much of it through the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline. The EU estimated that would mean around 90% of Russian oil is banned by the end of the year.

Ohio Republicans are moving to lower training requirements for teachers who want to carry guns following the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School where 19 children and two teachers died. House Bill 99 would let school districts arm teachers and other personnel after 20 total hours of training. More:Teachers can't carry firearms without police training, Ohio Supreme Court rulesJustice Sharon Kennedy, who is running to replace O'Connor in November 2022 and is a former police officer, disagreed. The bill doesn't require school districts to tell parents that they plan to let teachers, coaches, bus drivers and other staff carry firearms. Ohio Federation of Teachers President Melissa Cropper has said she will ask DeWine to veto the bill if it passes in the state Senate.

The Tucson-area's urban outdoor gem, Catalina State Park, had its genesis in the 4,200-acre Rancho Romero along what was then the Tucson-Florence Highway, 14 miles north of downtown Tucson. A group called the Coalition Opposed to the Rancho Romero Development quickly formed in opposition to the project. The Arizona State Museum said the site includes a Hohokam Indian village dating back to 700 A.D. The State Parks Board was very slow to embrace establishment of Catalina State Park. So, Tucson Rep. Charles King introduced a bill in the state legislature for the establishment of Catalina State Park.

“To sing Wind of Change as we have always sung it, that’s not something I could imagine any more,” Klaus Meine told Die Zeit. “It simply isn’t right to romanticise Russia with lyrics like: ‘I follow the Moskva / Down to Gorky Park … Let your balalaika sing’”. In his interview with Die Zeit, Meine again denied that his most successful song had been written by US propaganda officers. In his interview with Die Zeit, Meine denied that his band, too, had overlooked Ukraine’s plight, pointing out Scorpions had played concerts in Donetsk, Kharkiv and Odesa. “I haven’t spoken with Gerhard Schröder for a while,” Meine told Die Zeit.

Peter Navarro, a top White House adviser to Donald Trump, revealed in a court filing on Monday that he had been ordered to testify before a federal grand jury and produce to prosecutors any records concerning January 6, including communications with the former president. The grand jury subpoena to Navarro, which he said was served by two FBI agents last week, compels him to produce documents to the US attorney for the District of Columbia and could indicate widening justice department action ensnaring senior Trump administration officials. The grand jury subpoena appeared to be part of a case to hold Navarro in contempt rather than pertaining to the justice department’s criminal investigation into the Capitol attack, though the exact nature of the justice department subpoena was not immediately clear. “Since the subpoena of the Committee is ultra vires, unlawful, and unenforceable, the US Attorney’s Grand Jury Subpoena is likewise ultra vires, unlawful, and unenforceable and the US Attorney must be enjoined from any actions to enforce this subpoena,” Navarro wrote. A spokesman for the select committee declined to comment.

When Joe Biden and Jill Biden disagree, they don’t hash it out in front of other people. She says she could soon be sharing White House living quarters with a teenage granddaughter. When Joe Biden was vice-president, the couple decided to settle disagreements by text to avoid fighting in the presence of their Secret Service agents – and dubbed it fexting. “You have to be able to stand on your own two feet.”Jill Biden met then-senator Joe Biden in 1975, and they were married two years later. Granddaughter Naomi is engaged to be married and is planning a White House wedding reception in November.

Such easing of gun laws was approved less than two years after the Odessa and the El Paso mass shootings left 30 people dead. Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general who faces felony fraud charges, voiced similar sentiments and predicted more mass shootings. Anybody who shoots somebody else has a mental health challenge. Debbie Plotnick, executive vice president for state and federal advocacy at the nonprofit Mental Health America (MHA), told ABC that mental health was a regular scapegoat. “Hate is not a mental illness … having a mental health condition does not make someone violent,” she said.

4m ago 14.48 House 'to vote on Protecting Our Kids Act'An emergency gun reform package will be presented to the House judiciary committee on Thursday as politicians grapple with the aftermath of mass shootings in New York and Texas this month that killed 31 people, including 19 elementary school children. It doesn’t include an outright ban on assault weapons, which many gun reform activists have called for following the massacres in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas. According to Punchbowl, Nancy Pelosi plans to bring the measures for a House vote next week, and the speaker is confident she has the votes to pass them. Separately, bipartisan talks between senators on gun controls will take place over Zoom today, with Texas Republican John Cornyn leading negotiations for his side. Here’s my colleague Lauren Gambino on the challenge of getting gun reform legislation through a bitterly divided Congress:

The Crown Stamp will consequently not be allowed to represent an accurate measurement in Northern Ireland, and can only be used as decoration. In Britain, the Crown Stamp will be displayed alongside the new UK Conformity Assessed (UKCA) mark, which is replacing the CE mark. The CE mark, which can still be used in Britain until January 1, 2023, must still be used in Northern Ireland. 'The crown gracing our pints is a welcome tribute to Her Majesty'"The Crown Stamp may be only symbolic but it is an important symbol," said Andrew Bridgen, the Brexiteer Tory MP for North West Leicestershire. Separate regulations to allow British traders to display exclusively imperial measurements will also not be allowed in Northern Ireland because of the Protocol.

Russian forces have taken about half of Sievierodonetsk in eastern Ukraine, its mayor has said, as heavy fighting continued in and around the key city and civilians were told to stay underground. “Half of the city has been captured by the Russians and fierce street fighting is under way,” Striuk said. “The Ukrainian military continues to resist this frenzied push and aggression by Russian forces. It is still Ukrainian,” he said, advising those still trapped inside to stay in cellars. “Putin is now hurling men and munitions at the last remaining major population centre in [Luhansk], Sievierodonetsk, as if taking it would win the war for the Kremlin.

The recent Russian advances in the Donbas lead to an inevitable question: whether the indiscriminate tactics the Kremlin deployed there will be a template for future offensives. While much has been made of the painfully slow and grinding pace of Russia’s recent offensive in the Donbas, the speed of territorial gains is not the only metric. “In April and early May, after Ukraine’s victory in the battle of Kyiv, a degree of triumphalism crept into Ukraine war narratives. But as the Russians have shown recently, by concentrating their forces on smaller regions of Ukraine, they can generate tactical victories,” he said. “Despite the Russians and Ukrainians losing people and equipment in the hundreds (if not thousands), neither are exhausted nations.

A politician on Russian state television said it would take just four missiles to destroy the east and west coasts of the US. "I will competently tell you that to destroy the entire east coast of the US, two Sarmat missiles are necessary and two missiles for the west coast," Zhuravlyov said as fellow commentators listened on. This wouldn't be the first time people on Russian state television mentioned firing nukes at the US. In another video uploaded to social media last month, Kremlin propagandists spoke about striking New York City with Vladimir Putin's Sarmat Missle, or Satan 2. This prompted another panelist to respond with: "Objects like the city of New York, a good city, but it would be gone."

Former Trump administration trade adviser Peter Navarro has been subpoenaed to give evidence to a federal grand jury that is investigating the events leading up to the 6 January 2021 attack on the US Capitol. As reported by Politico, the details of the subpoena were made public via a draft version of a lawsuit that Mr Navarro himself has been circulating. Mr Navarro was earlier this year held in contempt of Congress after refusing to comply with a similar subpoena from the congressional select committee investigating the insurrection, which interrupted but failed to thwart the certification of Joe Biden’s victory. Along with producing numerous documents falsely claiming the election was stolen, Mr Navarro also formulated a strategy known as the “Green Bay Sweep” with ex-Trump aide and far-right extremist Steve Bannon with the aim of keeping Mr Trump in office. In several TV appearances since the riot, Mr Navarro has described plans to have Mike Pence essentially throw the result out citing non-existent voter fraud.

A man in Massachusetts was arrested and accused of threatening to commit a mass shooting at a school, according to local police. Justin Moreira, 29, of Hyannis, was arrested on Saturday after Barnstable and Yarmouth police received multiple reports that a man was threatening a school shooting on Facebook. Mr Moreira has been charged with making terroristic threats and has been ordered to be held without bail. Weeks before the Uvalde shooting another gunman attacked a predominantly Black neighborhood grocery store and live-streamed the shooting on a helmet mounted camera. However, some people — like Mr Moreira — post their threats to social media ahead of time.

Under Title 42, Border Patrol can expel migrants back to Mexico without hearing their asylum claims in the midst of a public health emergency. 'So I didn't find that they were ignorant about Title 42.' The lawsuit argues the CDC is violating the Administrative Procedures Act because they did not provide a notice-and-comment period for the plan to lift Title 42. Since implementation in March 2020, Title 42 procedures have stopped 1.7 million illegal immigrants attempting to illegally cross the border. Internal estimates show that once Title 42 is dropped, migration can spike from 8,000 per day to 18,000 per day – other predictions show it tripling.

Two serving Russian colonels have been 'intercepted' making blistering criticisms of Vladimir Putin and his defence minister Sergei Shoigu over the failing war with Ukraine. 'There must have been a f****** missile hitting Kyiv, the Supreme Rada,' he said. I don't understand, f****** Putin, mother******! Hit Kyiv, hit the centre of the city, buildings of Supreme Rada and Government House. 'Spend the f****** bombs, f***, there are f****** plenty of them, just f****** throw them!

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri heads the first session of the newly elected parliament, in Beirut, May 31, 2022. Lebanese lawmakers re-elected Nabih Berri as parliament speaker Tuesday for a seventh consecutive term, cementing the octogenarian politician's reputation as an immovable centrepiece of the country's political landscape. But although Hezbollah and its allies lost their majority in parliament, Berri was the heavyweight candidate for a post reserved for a Shiite Muslim. In his address to parliament, Berri acknowledged the frustrations with the country's political system and vowed to work to heal the divisions. Berri will preside over a deeply fragmented parliament prone to the kind of deadlock that has paralysed Lebanese politics for decades.

A total of 248 civilian deaths were attributable to the defence and security forces, the report said. These "well documented" abuses were specifically attributable to Malian security forces, the report said. The Malian authorities have still not allowed UN experts to visit the site. The MINUSMA report noted that the Malian authorities had announced their own investigation into the events in Moura. The MINUSMA report, more generally, pointed to a "continuous narrowing" of democratic debate, and restrictions in the exercise of public freedoms.

Bob Graham signed the Florida Affordable Housing Act into law in 1986. Then in 1992, Florida enacted a small tax on real estate transactions and earmarked it for the State Housing Trust Fund. In his first three years as governor, DeSantis signed budgets that swept $447 million from the housing trust fund for other purposes. Though political debates often focus on the state housing trust fund, Ross believes Florida would have an affordable housing problem even if lawmakers hadn't reneged on their commitment. "People come up to me who are traditionally apolitical and say, 'What are we going to do about affordable housing?'"

It is inconceivable that anyone reaching a voting booth in November would spurn a Senate Democrat because of tech legislation. Who is the non–Big Tech employee that will be inconsolable after hearing that their senator voted for one of these bills? That way, nobody will have to know about their tacit deal to not anger Big Tech. If you’re big enough, Google will cut you a deal, and all the concerns about privacy and security and functionality melt away. The choice is simple: call the vote and end the blockade propping up the Big Tech monopoly, or keep pretending in speeches that you care when your actions show otherwise.

The Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary received a temporary exemption for pipeline oil until they can completely cut their dependency on oil imports from Russia. The Czech Republic was granted one more exemption - for imports of diesel made from Russian oil. In the end, the Czech Republic was granted an exemption - it will be able to import diesel from other EU states for another two years. I asked Pavel Havlí?ek from the Association for International Affairs whether this scenario is doable for the Czech Republic. The conditions that were negotiated by the Czech prime minister and his team were, I think, quite favourable for the Czech Republic.

In a lawsuit, Peter Navarro revealed he'd been served a grand jury subpoena over the Jan 6 riot. Navarro's lawsuit said that the committee subpoena against him was "unlawful and unenforceable," and that the grand jury subpoena was the "fruit of the poisonous tree." When asked by The New York Times if he would comply with the grand jury subpoena and testify on Thursday, he responded with: "TBD." During his time serving under Trump, Navarro helped work on trade policies and the US' pandemic response. Ali Alexander, a key organizer in the "Stop the Steal" movement, was also served a federal grand jury subpoena in April and said he would cooperate with the probe.

Taiwan's defence ministry said that it had scrambled its own aircraft and deployed air defence missile systems to monitor the latest Chinese activityChina has made the second largest incursion into Taiwan's air defence zone this year with Taipei reporting 30 jets entering the area, including more than 20 fighters. Taiwan's defence ministry said late Monday it had scrambled its own aircraft and deployed air defence missile systems to monitor the latest Chinese activity. In recent years, Beijing has begun sending large sorties into Taiwan's defence zone to signal dissatisfaction, and to keep Taipei's ageing fighter fleet regularly stressed. Monday's incursion was the largest since January 23, when 39 planes entered the air defence identification zone, or ADIZ. A flight map provided by the Taiwanese defence ministry showed the planes entered the southwestern corner of the ADIZ before they looping back out again.

Within days the couple had packed their bags and were headed for Montenegro, a tiny Balkan state that has become a refuge for thousands of Russians fleeing sanctions, military conscription or political oppression. According to government data, Russians own around 19,000 pieces of real estate in Montenegro, where Russian investments equalled more than a quarter of its GDP in 2019. Gelman said that among Russians seeking refuge in Montenegro were wealthy business people and their families, as well as young Russian draft dodgers fleeing military conscription to avoid being deployed to fight in Ukraine. In April, the country joined EU sanctions against Moscow, including banning Russian air carriers from its airspace as well as Russian state media. Owner Artyom Yukhin said 50 employees and their families had accepted an offer to move from Moscow to Montenegro.

File Photo: Wayne LaPierre, CEO of the National Rifle Association (NRA), speaks at the NRA-ILA Leadership Forum during the NRA annual convention in Houston, Texas, U.S. REUTERS/Shannon StapletonMay 30 (Reuters) - The National Rifle Association board reappointed Wayne LaPierre as executive vice president on Monday, turning back the latest leadership challenge amid corruption allegations and flat membership for the still-powerful gun lobby. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe NRA said there was one vote against LaPierre, who is also CEO of the NRA, on the 76-member board. Monday's board vote came after dues-paying members on Saturday voted overwhelmingly in support of LaPierre. Phil Journey, the lone board member to vote against LaPierre and in favor of West, said the vote was 54-1. The NRA says it has undergone a "course correction" by reinforcing oversight, promoting whistleblowers and having LaPierre reimburse the group for spending on personal items.

On today's episode of the 5 Things podcast: What mattered most to voters in the May primariesCongress reporter Candy Woodall breaks things down. Congress reporter Candy Woodall has more on what topics mattered most for voters during the primaries. Now, two things happened in May that really changed the scope of the primaries and the general election in 2022. So the mass shootings would be one area where they think red flags could help more. Arredondo led the law enforcement response during last week's mass shooting at Robb Elementary School that left 19 children and 2 adults dead.

Canadian Prime Minster Justin Trudeau said in a news conference Monday that he's introducing a "national freeze" on handgun sales in his country to curb the increase in homicides. Trudeau's announcement comes a week after 19 children were killed in the tragic school shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. On Politics:Despite Texas shooting, gun control advocates fear inactionAfter Uvalde:Biden to push for more gun control but says he hasn't talked to Republicans yetCanada had a reported 743 homicides in 2020 – the highest number since 1991 – prompting change. In the U.S., a bipartisan group of senators began informal talks last week to address gun-related deaths following shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas. President Joe Biden has pushed strong for gun control since the Uvalde shootings, saying, "there’s only one reason for something that can fire 100 shots."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband was driving home from a dinner party when he was in a crash while allegedly driving drunk, his attorney has revealed. Pelosi was attending a dinner party at the home of friends near Oakville,” Paul Pelosi’s attorney, Paul Kramer, told Fox News’ Chad Pergram of Saturday night’s bust in upscale Napa Valley, California. “He left that party at 10:15 p.m. Saturday, to drive to his home a short distance away. Pelosi was fully cooperative with California Highway Patrol officers who arrived a few minutes later,” his attorney said. Pelosi left the dinner party at 10:15 p.m. Saturday.

The Russian Ministry of Defense claims to have discovered the bodies of approximately 152 dead combatants in a van rigged to detonate. Russian officials reported finding the dozens of bodies in an Azovstol steel plant after successfully advancing into and taking the Ukrainian city of Mariupol. "Ukrainian troops left behind a van with 152 dead militants in underground facilities of the Azovstal steel complex in Mariupol and planted mines underneath them on Kiev’s direct instruction as a provocation against Russia," the Russian state news agency claimed. RUSSIA CLAIMS IT TESTED HYPERSONIC ZIRCON CRUISE MISSILEThe Russian government has not yet produced concrete evidence of the alleged incident. Authorities cited "interrogation of captured Azov battalion militants" as their source of information on the van and its contents.

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., ripped President Biden for being on the "wrong side" of every issue, telling "Fox & Friends First" that Democrats will see big losses in November. Mace also commented on her state's primary election, saying she looks forward to representing South Carolina going forward. There is going to be a giant red wave and that red wave starts in 2022, and it starts in South Carolina's first congressional district where I serve. WATCH FULL INTERVIEW BELOW:I will tell you, South Carolinian families are worried about inflation, they're worried about the price of groceries and food when they go to the store, they're worried about gas prices and they're worried about the southern border. We're up 20 points right now and expect to hold the line over the next two weeks and looking forward to continuing to represent South Carolina going forward.

Two captured Russian soldiers have each been sentenced to 11.5 years in prison Tuesday after pleading guilty to shelling a town in eastern Ukraine during the war, a report says. Alexander Bobikin and Alexander Ivanov were told their punishment while standing inside a glass box at a district court in central Ukraine, according to Reuters. "The guilt of Bobikin and Ivanov has been proven in full," Judge Evhen Bolybok reportedly said. We fired at Ukraine from Russia," Bobikin told the court, according to Reuters. Both soldiers were captured after they crossed the border in Ukraine and continued shelling, Ukraine’s prosecutor general’s office said.

Should Klain go, a potential successor is Anita Dunn, a White House adviser and Biden confidant whom he often turns to when his fortunes look bleak. (The White House didn't specify when Biden got his first briefing on the formula shortage.) Democratic lawmakers are sparring among themselves and blaming the White House for their dim prospects in November. A spokeswoman for her office said she hasn't talked about policy with a senior White House official in six months. But Biden has been leaning on White House aides to come up with a message that captures the stark choice voters face.

London (CNN Business) The European Union's historic agreement to ban the vast majority of imports of Russian oil by the end of the year is without question a major achievement. The deal, however, does have flaws that reveal the limitations of European unity and nod to headaches for the bloc further down the road. First and foremost, the deal does not include oil that is imported via the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline to Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Vladimir Putin's key ally in the EU, started Monday by criticizing the EU Commission and calling it "irresponsible" for putting the economies of these countries at risk. He ended the day with a video message claiming: "We have managed to defeat the Commission's proposal to ban the use of oil from Russia in Hungary."

Senator Elizabeth Warren questions Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen during the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee hearing titled ?The Financial Stability Oversight Council Annual Report to Congress,? “This investigation found that Wall Street insiders have used SPACs as their own personal piggy banks while retail investors have suffered," Warren said in a prepared statement. read moreIf finalized, SEC rules proposed in March would largely close current loopholes by offering SPAC investors protections similar to those they would receive during the IPO process. It would expand the definition of underwriter to include any party that facilitates the takeover of the target company, increasing legal liability for financial institutions, SPAC sponsors and boards, and the target company. The bill would also increase the disclosures required in relation to the target takeover.

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna listens during a news conference with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (not pictured) in Berlin, Germany May 24, 2022. The action won support from 500 foreign ministry civil servants in a newspaper opinion piece and has seen widespread backing from senior diplomats and ambassadors on social media. France has the world's third-largest diplomatic network with some 1,800 diplomats and in total about 13,500 officials working at the foreign ministry. Macron's past accusations of diplomats at times working against the executive and a sense that the work of the foreign ministry is not always recognised have also not gone down well. Some say Macron's appointment of career diplomat Catherine Colonna as foreign minister was an effort to appease the diplomatic corps.

French diplomats will go on strike for the first time in 20 years on Thursday in protest against a perceived lack of recognition and reforms pushed by the president that they say could damage France's global standing. undefined ago

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrives for the an extraordinary meeting of EU leaders to discuss Ukraine, energy and food security in Brussels, Monday, May 30, 2022. The European Commission’s “proposal to ban the use of Russian oil in Hungary was defeated,” Orban said in a video statement on Facebook. “Families can sleep well tonight as the most outrageous idea has been averted.”EU leaders concluded four weeks of negotiations on Monday to impose a partial embargo on Russian oil imports. EU officials say the agreement will succeed in cutting off 90% of Russian oil imports by year’s end. Yet despite Hungary’s refusal to adopt the oil embargo as proposed, EU leaders hailed Monday’s agreement as a success.

Jill Biden says she and the president don't hash out disagreements in front of other people, but argue instead by text. Jill Biden says she and the president don't hash out disagreements in front of other people, but argue instead by text. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)WASHINGTON (AP) — When President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden disagree, they don’t hash it out in front of other people. “You have to be able to stand on your own two feet.”Jill Biden met then-Sen. Joe Biden in 1975, and they were married two years later. “I’m going to be raising a teenager?” Jill Biden exclaimed.

(Reuters) - Iran urged Greece on Tuesday to cooperate to resolve a crisis over the seizure of ships without involving the United States, after Iranian forces seized two Greek tankers in the Gulf following the seizure of an Iranian vessel off Greece. Tehran seized the Greek ships on Friday after Athens impounded the Iranian-flagged Pegas in April. The United States, which has imposed a tough sanctions regime on Iran, confiscated the Iranian oil cargo that was on the Pegas. U.S. and Greek diplomats have called on Iran to immediately release the Greek tankers, their cargoes and their crews. But we believe relations between Iran and Greece should remain well-intentioned,” he told reporters in Tehran.

Vladimir Putin has reportedly said tens of thousands of dead Russians is a "small price to pay". (AP)Russia's army could be on the verge of collapse in the Ukraine, amid claims Vladimir Putin has seen the reported 30,000 dead troops as 'a price worth paying'. Putin ordered Kremlin troops into Ukraine on 24 February, but despite Western intelligence suggesting he anticipated an easy victory, has now spent almost 100 days waging war. According to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, as of 31 May, 30,500 Russian soldiers have so far been killed. Instead of seeking control over Kyiv, Russian troops are now concentrating on seizing the Donbas region in the east, some of which was already under the control of Russian-backed breakaway rebels.

Story continuesPrevious presidents, too, have attempted to make improvements to America's law enforcement system, but Biden faced particular pressure to find the right balance. Not only did law enforcement groups dislike various parts of the draft, they felt like the administration hadn't adequately listened to their perspective. In addition to Rice’s team, Justice Department officials and the White House counsel’s office under Dana Remus worked through the details. Long days were fueled by Hershey's Kisses, M&Ms and whatever else that could be scrounged from White House desks. However, the executive order requires federal law enforcement officers to prioritize de-escalation and then intervention if they see another officer using excessive force.

FILE - President Joe Biden points to Mexico's first lady Beatriz Gutierrez Muller as first lady Jill Biden watches as he speaks during a Cinco de Mayo event in the Rose Garden of the White House, May 5, 2022, in Washington. Jill Biden says she and the president don't hash out disagreements in front of other people, but argue instead by text. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)WASHINGTON (AP) — When President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden disagree, they don't hash it out in front of other people. When Joe Biden was vice president, the couple decided to settle disagreements by text to avoid fighting in the presence of their Secret Service agents — and dubbed it fexting. “I'm going to be raising a teenager?” Jill Biden exclaimed.

Russia’s largest bank will be removed from the SWIFT international banking system in the latest round of international sanctions announced by the European Union late Monday. President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, called the decision a "good" move in a late-night address Monday before announcing other areas where Russia will be sanctioned. "This is an important step forward," von der Leyen said. Three Russian media outlets were also targeted for "broadly" spreading misinformation regarding Russia’s war in Ukraine. "But we think that, of course, the European Union has to carry its fair share, too," von der Leyen said in a statement released Tuesday morning.

In the most competitive districts, the two candidates who will face each other after the June 7 primary are pretty much determined; those races won’t kick off with intensity until the general election in the fall. The outcome of a handful of contests in the state’s top-two primary in June could tilt the parties’ prospects in the general election. Candidates in some races are trying to pick their rival by boosting the person they believe would be the easiest to beat in the Nov. 8 general election. Under the state’s primary rules, the two candidates who receive the most votes in June will advance to the fall election —regardless of party affiliation. These are the battlegrounds to watch in the primary and beyond.

The 25 challengers include a seasoned Northern California lawmaker, Republican state Sen. Brian Dahle and Green Party candidate and former Los Angeles poet laureate Luis Javier Rodriguez. Brulte said Shellenberger, who is running as an independent, “no party preference” candidate, must overcome the disadvantage of having no political party in his corner. Jenny Rae Le Roux, a Northern California Republican candidate, raised the third most at $738,000 — although that includes $445,000 of her own money. “I’ve spent 10 years in the corporate world in the corner office and then in my own company,” the Republican candidate said. To qualify to run for California governor, candidates must either pay a $4,371 filing fee or collect 4,750 signatures from California registered voters.

The battle to become California’s attorney general is perhaps the most contested race on the June 7 state primary ballot. Gen. Nathan Hochman and Los Angeles attorney Eric Early — and comes amid debate about rising crime and the impact of decades of criminal justice reform in California. AdvertisementCalifornia Your guide to California’s 2022 primary election Here’s everything you need to know about the California primary election. The last attorney general, Xavier Becerra, sued then-President Trump more than 100 times. Kamala Harris won a U.S. Senate seat as attorney general, then became vice president.

Five years ago, Los Angeles City Councilman Gil Cedillo faced a serious election scare. A walkway at Los Angeles State Historic Park in Chinatown. Eunisses Hernandez, a candidate for City Council, said residents of that neighborhood are reeling from rising rents. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)In an interview, Cedillo pointed to a city report that showed his council district produced the most affordable housing in L.A. between 2009 and 2020. “But police are necessary.” (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)District residents don’t want to be harassed or profiled by police, said Ibarra, who serves on the city’s Board of Fire Commissioners.

In the most significant effort yet to punish Russia for its war in Ukraine, the European Union agreed to ban the overwhelming majority of Russian oil imports. In a move unthinkable just months ago, EU leaders agreed late Monday to cut around 90% of all Russian oil imports over the next six months. Russian energy giant Gazprom said it cut natural gas supplies to Dutch trader GasTerra on Tuesday. The EU estimated that would mean around 90% of Russian oil is banned by the end of the year. The compromise came after Zelenskyy urged leaders again to target Russia’s oil.

On June 28, Illinois voters will head to the polls to select their party nominees in the Illinois 2022 primary. Voters will cast their ballot for every statewide office, as well as one U.S. Senate seat, two seats on the Illinois Supreme Court, all 17 of Illinois’ representatives in Congress, every state senator and representative in the General Assembly, and scores of county and judicial offices. These primary elections set the stage for the general election on Nov. 8. [Election 2022] Read all of our coverage here[Sign up now] Get the top stories in politics delivered to your inboxTo inform voters and to help the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board make endorsements, the board posed a series of questions to the candidates running for governor. [Editorial: Tribune announces endorsement in GOP governor primary]Democratic candidatesRepublican candidates

Ohio’s largest public corruption case in state history stretches from the Ohio Statehouse to corporate executive suites to regulatory agencies to campaign war rooms. It involves more than 4 million electric bill payers, an Ohio-based Fortune 500 company and key political figures. For years, FirstEnergy Corp. and its former affiliate, FirstEnergy Solutions, wanted a $1 billion government bailout to keep two nuclear power plants running. In October 2019, House Bill 6 became law. House lawmakers removed Householder from his legislative seat in June 2021.

In a move unthinkable just months ago, EU leaders agreed late Monday to cut around 90% of all Russian oil imports over the next six months. Russian energy giant Gazprom said it cut natural gas supplies to Dutch trader GasTerra on Tuesday. Hungary gets more than 60% of its oil from Russia, much of it through the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline. The EU estimated that would mean around 90% of Russian oil is banned by the end of the year. The compromise came after Zelenskyy urged leaders again to target Russia's oil.

LVIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian forces in a “frenzied push” have seized half of the eastern Ukrainian city of Sievierodonetsk that is key to Moscow’s efforts to quickly complete the capture of the industrial Donbas region, the mayor told The Associated Press on Tuesday. “The city is essentially being destroyed ruthlessly block by block,” Oleksandr Striuk said. Evacuation efforts from Sievierodonetsk have been halted because of shelling. Military analysts described the fight for Sievierodonetsk as part of a race against time for the Kremlin. In neighboring Luhansk, two people were killed and four were wounded by shelling, Luhansk governor Serhiy Haidai said on Telegram on Tuesday.

Based on early voting data alone, 37,144 former Democrats voted in the Republican primary. Trump’s opponents encouraged Democrats to help defeat U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene in her Georgia primary last week. Of Republican primary voters who cast early or absentee ballots this year, only 1.7 percent voted Democratic in the 2020 primary. Kinzinger’s political organization, Country First, targeted thousands of former Georgia Democrats with mailers and text messages urging them to support Raffensperger for the sake of democracy. Back in Georgia, Raffensperger’s team pushed back on the idea that he won the GOP primary because of Democrats.

© Stringer/Reuters A Ukrainian serviceman inspects the area from a building damaged by a Russian military strike in the town of Marinka in the Donetsk region of Ukraine on May 28. As the 100th day since Russia launched its invasion nears, the tide of battle in Ukraine’s east seems to be pulling in Moscow’s favor. “The recent Russian gains appear at least in part to be the products of past Ukrainian success,” noted Bloomberg News. The expansion and consolidation of Russian control in Ukraine’s east marks a new phase in the conflict, one that will test both Western and Ukrainian wartime resilience. Russian victory, on the other hand, would mark the victory of might over right, of brute tyranny over the rule of law.

Two high-ranking Russian military officers have been caught shit-talking Kremlin leadership in unimaginably colorful language. And you know, I am familiar with military history a bit, and I compare this to the fucking Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940. “Shoigu has assembled all these fucked up [Emergency Situations] guys… if we have head of inspection Colonel-General [Pavel] Plat, fuck, he’s never even served in the army…” Vlasov said. “Well, basically, he’s fucking washed up, a brain-dead idiot,” he said. The pair’s expletive-laced venting session has surfaced as Western intelligence reports more and more mutiny by Russian troops on the battlefield.

People took to the streets in Abadan, south-west Iran, over the collapse of a building last Monday that killed at least 31 people. The protesters shouted down Ayatollah Mohsen Heidari AleKasir, an emissary sent by the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which led to clashes with riot police. The protest challenged the government’s response to the disaster as pressure rose in Iran over rising food prices and other economic problems amid the unravelling of its 2015 nuclear deal. Authorities acknowledged that the building’s owner and corrupt government officials had allowed construction to continue despite concerns over poor workmanship

EU leaders suggested Russian gas was unlikely to be part of the next round of sanctions against Vladimir Putin’s war machine, hours after agreeing a historic but incomplete oil embargo. These landlocked central European countries, heavily dependent on Russian oil, can continue being supplied via the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline for an indeterminate period. Following the oil embargo, a measure that would have been unthinkable six months ago, Baltic leaders called for talks on further sanctions. EU leaders played down the row with Hungary, currently embroiled in a long-running stand-off with Brussels over the rule of law and its access to EU cash. Zelenskiy addressed EU leaders by video link on Monday, urging them to unite because disputes “only encourage Russia to put more pressure on you”.

Two Russian soldiers have each been sentenced to more than 11 years in jail after a court in central Ukraine found them guilty of firing artillery at civilian areas. It said their legal defence had requested a more lenient sentence, claiming the soldiers had been following orders and acting under duress. Ukraine says it has already opened thousands of war crime investigations since the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, sent in his troops. Rights organisations have voiced hope that Ukraine’s trials of Russian soldiers will be impartial and transparent. Ukrainian lawyers representing the Russian servicemen say they have not been in contact with legal or military officials in Moscow.

The bed linen was used to cover something, Ms Koreniuk added, probably a TV or other electronic equipment, all of which had been left at the house when they were forced to leave.

Ukraine war: Severodonetsk turning into another Mariupol' as Russians advanceRussian troops now control 'around half' of the Ukrainian city of Severodonetsk, an official has said, with British intelligence warning 'gains are being held'.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has denounced the apparent targeting of civilians as “genocide” and war crimes. US President Joe Biden has also called Russian President Vladimir Putin “a war criminal” who should be brought to trial. A tough road aheadThe joint investigation team meeting on Tuesday includes officials from Ukraine, Lithuania and Poland. The ICC's Karim Khan has already visited parts of Ukraine, including Bucha, and has a team on the ground in the country gathering evidence. Her office has opened more than 8,000 criminal investigations related to the war and identified more than 500 suspects, including Russian ministers, military commanders and propagandists.

Supreme Court law clerks are being asked to turn over their personal cell phone records and sign affidavits as the search ramps up for the person who leaked the draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade. Considering the crack down on law clerks, it's likely the court has not yet been successful in determining the source of the breach. While the move asking for personal phone records is unprecedented in the Supreme Court, so is a leak of a draft opinion that led to the investigation in the first place. Efforts are ramping up to find who leaked a draft Supreme Court opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade as investigators ask clerks to hand over their personal cell phone records and sign affidavitsHe appointed Supreme Court Marshal Gail A. Curley to lead the investigation to track down the leaker. According to CNN, Justice Roberts met with law clerks as a group following the breach.

Russian state media has issued a chilling new nuclear threat to the US, boasting that Putin could wipe out the entire East and West coast with just four missiles. A single launch, Boris, and there is no England,' - state media host Dmitry Kiselyov, May 2 'I think the war in Ukraine... is a rehearsal for a possible larger conflict in the future. We are testing our weapons against those of NATO, we will find out how much stronger our weapons are than theirs,' - Professor Alexei Fenenko, speaking on state media, May 21 'Where will we stop? Maybe Stonehenge,' state media host Vladimir Solovyov, May 30 AdvertisementHe continued: 'Don't delude yourselves. What should be said is that there'll be nothing left, no-one harbours any illusions about it, that everyone will be fine in case of nuclear war.

Boris Yeltsin's son-in-law has quit his role as a Kremlin adviser amid speculation Vladimir Putin is losing his grip on power due to his health. Under Yeltsin, who was Russian president from 1991 to 1999, Yumashev served as a Kremlin adviser and later as Kremlin chief of staff. When Yeltsin asked Yumashev his thoughts on Putin, he told the then leader he thought he was 'a superb candidate. In January 2020, according to the Kremlin website, Putin visited Yeltsin's daughter Tatyana at her home to congratulate her on her birthday. Kyiv military spy chief Kyrylo Budanov said previously he fears the Russian leader still has a 'few more years' left in him.

Internal conflicts in the borderlands that have plagued Myanmar since independence from Britain "have proved that any fundamental problems cannot be solved by military force", it said. Analysts say the PDFs have surprised junta forces with their effectiveness. Wa forces dwarf the collage of other ethnic rebel groups, posing a deterrent to the military and providing Beijing with a useful bridgehead into its resource-rich neighbour. China remains a major ally of the Myanmar junta and has refused to label the military's power grab a coup. In April, Beijing said it would help safeguard Myanmar's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity "no matter how the situation changes".

But the city is still defending itself, the city is still Ukrainian, our soldiers are defending it," said Oleksandr Stryuk, head of Severodonetsk's military and civil administration. Lugansk regional governor Sergiy Gaiday earlier described the situation as "extremely complicated", conceding that parts of the city were controlled by Russian forces. But as Russian troops edged closer to the Severodonetsk city centre, EU leaders at a summit in Brussels were tightening the economic screws on Moscow. Moscow has shifted the bulk of its firepower in a bid to capture the Donbas's Lugansk region ARIS MESSINIS AFPEurope is heavily reliant on Russian gas. Therefore the gas embargo will not be an issue in the next package of sanctions" Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said.

Lithuania is considering buying Turkish-made Bayraktar combat drones, Defence Minister Arvydas Anušauskas has said. “The acquisition of combat drones is in the plans, possibly a Bayraktar, too,” Anušauskas told reporters on Tuesday. “I don’t want to elaborate on all those plans right now.”According to the minister, Lithuania regularly updates its military acquisition plans “in line with the lessons of the Ukrainian war”. Read more: Lithuanians raise €5m for Ukraine’s Bayraktar drone in 3 daysLithuanian Deputy Defence Minister Vilius Semeška left for Turkey on Tuesday to negotiate the purchase of the drone. The Defence Ministry has previously announced plans to purchase US-made Switchblade combat drones.

© Provided by Associated Press Russia Ukraine War EuropeBUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungary's divisive leader has once again got his own way with the European Union — this time in tough negotiations on Russian oil at a summit in Brussels. The European Commission’s "proposal to ban the use of Russian oil in Hungary was defeated,” Orban said in a video statement on Facebook. “Families can sleep well tonight as the most outrageous idea has been averted.”EU leaders concluded four weeks of negotiations on Monday to impose a partial embargo on Russian oil imports. (AP Photo/Olivier Matthys)EU officials say the agreement will succeed in cutting off 90% of Russian oil imports by year's end. Yet despite Hungary's refusal to adopt the oil embargo as proposed, EU leaders hailed Monday's agreement as a success.

Mohammed Shtayyeh describes attacks by far-rights Israelis against Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem as ‘aggression’. Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh has described attacks by far-right Israelis in occupied East Jerusalem as “aggression which crossed all red lines”. Nida Ibrahim, reporting from the West Bank city of Ramallah, said the Shattyeh has been issuing statements “since yesterday”. Meanwhile, in the West Bank city of Hebron, Israeli settlers resumed their march on Monday. The situation in Hebron’s old city is particularly volatile, as some 700 Israeli settlers live among a Palestinian population of nearly 40,000.

Germany had said it would provide military support to Ukraine amid its ongoing war with Russia. Putin last week warned Germany against sending arms to Ukraine. The country has only sent two deliveries of weapons since March, according to documents obtained by the German publication Welt am Sonntag. Ukraine also asked Germany for Harpoon anti-ship missiles, a request which Germany has not granted, per the documents obtained by Welt am Sonntag. The report came three days after Putin warned Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron sending arms to Ukraine.

A damaged Eritrean military tank is seen near the town of Wikro, Ethiopia, March 14, 2021. REUTERS/Baz Ratner/File PhotoNAIROBI, May 31 (Reuters) - Eritrean forces shelled a town in north Ethiopia over the weekend, according to internal U.N. documents and regional forces, in a rare bombardment after two months of relative peace in the Tigray conflict. The TPLF said its forces had killed four Eritrean commanders and more than 300 Eritrean soldiers in the weekend flare-up. Eritrean and Ethiopian troops withdrew from most of Tigray in mid-2021 and the government declared a unilateral ceasefire in March. read moreHowever, earlier this year, Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki told state media his troops would intervene again should Tigrayan forces attack his country or threaten Ethiopia's stability.

Sexuality was just as fluid and complex in the camps as in the outside world. Some female prisoners, like Ms. Heuman, knew they were attracted to women before their deportation; others discovered their sexuality once they were imprisoned. Others bartered with their female guards sex for food or safety, or sought intimacy with fellow prisoners though neither partner identified as gay. But Ms. Heuman and Dita, as Ms. Heuman recalled, were called out only once, when a group of fellow prisoners, seeing them cuddle, sneered, “That’s not natural!” Dita’s aunt, who was interned with them, brushed the slur away. Margot weighed only 76 pounds and was nearly dead from starvation and typhus; the schoolteacher sent her to summer camp and private schools and, Ms. Heuman said, nurtured her like a mother.

He has done plenty, Selvig told them — namely, by offering his thoughts and prayers after each tragedy. We spoke directly to Wayne LaPierre at the NRA Convention and thanked him for all his thoughts and prayers. That mass shooting happened as the country was reeling from another 1½ weeks earlier, when a shooter killed 10 people in a racist attack at a grocery store in Buffalo. Neither the NRA nor LaPierre immediately responded to a request for comment from The Post late Monday. “I want to thank you … for all your thoughts and all your prayers — thank you.”Selvig turned and walked away.

President Biden has tapped Steve Dettelbach to lead ATF, the federal agency tasked with enforcing gun laws and prosecuting illicit activity, including gun trafficking. His confirmation hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee was last week and he is gaining support among Democrats critical to his quest for confirmation. …All Republicans are expected to oppose Dettelbach with the agency serving as a boogeyman on the right and a director nomination as a litmus test among conservatives for where you stand on gun laws. But with 50 votes and control of the Senate, Democrats have the ability to confirm Dettlebach and a failure to do so would send a stark message to the country that not even the party in favor of gun control measures can muster the votes to act in response to the latest mass shootings that have shaken the country.

A Chicago 911 dispatcher is demanding accountability from the city's leadership as bloodshed rocked the Memorial Day weekend, leaving 38 dead and dozens wounded nationwide. The dispatcher, Keith Thornton Jr., joined "Fox & Friends First" to discuss the significance of accountability in ceasing the rampant crime in the Windy City. According to Chicago Sun-Times, 52 people were shot in the city over the weekend, with 10 killed. "This nonsense has to stop," Thornton Jr. told co-host Todd Piro. Thornton Jr. stressed "nothing is going to change" unless the city's leadership changes course on its soft on crime approach.

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan holds a news conference during the NATO summit at the Alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium June 14, 2021. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterMevlut Cavusoglu said Turkey, a NATO member for seven decades, would not lift its veto unless its demands were met, echoing recent comments by President Tayyip Erdogan. We want them to halt their support for terror," Cavusoglu told the state-run Anadolu news agency, adding Ankara was aware that some of its demands would require laws to be amended. "They put it this way: 'since we are far away from terror regions, our laws are designed that way'. Earlier, Erdogan's Communications Director Fahrettin Altun told Finland's largest daily Helsingin Sanomat that Finland must take Turkey's concerns seriously.

Deputy White House counsel Danielle Conley and Council of Economic Advisers aide Saharra Griffin are among others planning to leave in the coming weeks, according to White House officials. The official added that the number is expected to increase as more Black staffers are brought on board and that 15 percent of Black staffers have been promoted in the last year. White House press secretary Karine Jean-PierreA number of staffers who left, moreover, said it was on good terms. A current Black White House officialIn interviews, several Black staffers expressed frustration, in part, that deputy chief of staff Jen O’Malley Dillon hadn’t done more to retain and promote some Black employees — though other officials said such concerns are misplaced. “The issues that are the highest priority for our community are no longer at the forefront of the administration’s priority list,” said the third Black White House official.

Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic takes oath during the ceremony of his inauguration for a second term in Parliament building, in Belgrade, Serbia, Tuesday, May 31, 2022. Vucic was inaugurated Tuesday for his second term as Serbia's president, saying the Balkan country will remain on its European Union membership path and hinted that a new government might consider joining Western sanctions against ally Russia over the war in Ukraine. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic takes oath during the ceremony of his inauguration for a second term in Parliament building, in Belgrade, Serbia, Tuesday, May 31, 2022. Vucic was inaugurated Tuesday for his second term as Serbia's president, saying the Balkan country will remain on its European Union membership path and hinted that a new government might consider joining Western sanctions against ally Russia over the war in Ukraine. “We are not politically neutral because we want membership in the European Union,” said Vucic.

“They have to be careful on this crime stuff,” said Adrianne Shropshire, executive director of BlackPAC, a progressive organization working in six swing states this year to activate Black voters. “Black voters worry a lot about crime, about gun violence. President Biden in February announced Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as his pick to serve on the Supreme Court. “Voting rights is a top-two or -three issue for Black voters,” said Cornell Belcher, a Democratic pollster who worked on President Obama’s campaigns. “People are gearing up for the fight.”It’s not just voting rights and police reform that are on the minds of Black voters.

That put the so-called gun lobby at 33 on the list, far behind other industries like real estate and accounting. Health professionals alone gave roughly seven times more money to Scalise ($1,072,904) than the gun lobby. Say what you will about Scalise’s views on guns, they weren’t “bought and paid for” by the gun lobby. In 2020, the NRA gave less than $1 million directly to candidates — putting it 996th on the list of top donors. Indeed, there’s something cowardly, lazy and undemocratic about blaming everything on the gun lobby.

The issues include abortion, guns, religion and climate change. But the state’s attorneys said the court should go further and overturn the right to abortion established in 1973. vs. Bruen)Religious schools: Do students enrolled in religious schools have an equal right to public funds if their state funds other private schools? Now, West Virginia and 18 other coal states want the court to rule that the EPA and the Biden administration lack broad regulatory authority to fight climate change. Since the 1960s, the court has told public schools they may not promote group prayers based on the principle of church-state separation.

Ukrainian forces desperately tried to block a complete Russian takeover of one of the country’s two eastern provinces Tuesday, with Russian troops clawing out incremental gains even as European leaders agreed to a partial oil embargo aimed at starving Moscow’s mammoth war machine. “But above all, we want to preserve the infrastructure of the city as much as possible.”A Russian armored unit is deployed along a road lined with buildings damaged by bombardment near the eastern Ukrainian city of Severodonetsk. (Maxar Technologies)AdvertisementOver the weekend, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the Russian assault had already destroyed all of Severodonetsk’s “critical infrastructure.” Another city official last week said about 90% of residential buildings in the city were damaged. “The situation is very serious and the city is essentially being destroyed ruthlessly block by block,” Striuk said, adding that “the Ukrainian military continues to resist this frenzied push and aggression by Russian forces.”Elsewhere, Russian forces continued shelling Ukraine’s northeast, while Ukrainian and Russian forces traded control of parts of the country’s south. Amid the fighting, two Russian soldiers were convicted of war crimes by a Ukrainian court, which sentenced each man to 11½ years in prison.

Based on early voting data alone, 37,144 former Democrats voted in the Republican primary. Trump’s opponents encouraged Democrats to help defeat U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene in her Georgia primary last week. Of Republican primary voters who cast early or absentee ballots this year, only 1.7 percent voted Democratic in the 2020 primary. Kinzinger’s political organization, Country First, targeted thousands of former Georgia Democrats with mailers and text messages urging them to support Raffensperger for the sake of democracy. Back in Georgia, Raffensperger’s team pushed back on the idea that he won the GOP primary because of Democrats.

Based on early voting data alone, 37,144 former Democrats voted in the Republican primary. Trump's opponents encouraged Democrats to help defeat U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene in her Georgia primary last week. Of Republican primary voters who cast early or absentee ballots this year, only 1.7 percent voted Democratic in the 2020 primary. Kinzinger's political organization, Country First, targeted thousands of former Georgia Democrats with mailers and text messages urging them to support Raffensperger for the sake of democracy. Back in Georgia, Raffensperger's team pushed back on the idea that he won the GOP primary because of Democrats.

President Joe Biden lays a wreath at The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day, May 30, 2022. “I think things have gotten so bad that everybody’s getting more rational, at least that’s my hope,” Biden told reporters before honoring the nation’s fallen in Memorial Day remarks at Arlington National Cemetery. Faced with chants of “do something” as he departed a church service, Biden pledged: “We will.”After the Uvalde trip, Biden spent Sunday night at his home in Delaware. As he arrived at the White House for Memorial Day events, he was asked if he’s now more motivated to see new federal limits imposed on firearms. Delivering remarks honoring fallen servicemembers, he said “Memorial Day is always a day where pain and pride are mixed together.”“Today we are free because they were brave,” the president said.

In a move unthinkable just months ago, EU leaders agreed late Monday to cut around 90% of all Russian oil imports over the next six months. Russian energy giant Gazprom announced it would cut natural gas supplies to Dutch trader GasTerra on Tuesday and it is considering cutting off Denmark. Hungary gets more than 60% of its oil from Russia, much of it through the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline. The EU estimated that would mean around 90% of Russian oil is banned by the end of the year. That figure includes a ban on all Russian oil delivered by sea — which accounts for two-thirds of the EU's imports — plus a decision by Germany and Poland to stop using oil from the northern branch of the Druzhba pipeline.

He had been living in a West Chester Township townhome apartment when he was arrested. A federal grand jury indicted Johnson in February 2021 on one count of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees and one count of brandishing a firearm in relation to a crime of violence. The group previously came to Louisville that July, and though an opposing armed group was also in attendance, no violence ensued. Police have said the officers were on the Jefferson County grand jury building, 514 W. Liberty St., which is just south of Jefferson Square Park, to keep an eye on the protest for safety reasons. Johnson and members of his group were also advised not to point weapons at any officers during the protests, LMPD officials said previously.

Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt has said creating Jackson's position was something he asked City Manager Craig Freeman to do when he was hired in 2019. More:OKC could form human rights commission after first disbanded in 1996 over LGBTQ+ issuesWhat inclusion and diversity efforts are happening for Oklahoma City? In April, the Oklahoma City Police Department and the Municipal Courts met with criminal justice students from Langston University, a historically black college 40 miles from downtown Oklahoma City. Jackson said her goal is to make the city of Oklahoma City the "most inclusive employer and community of choice for all." In founding the new Inclusion and Diversity Committee, Kelley and committee co-chair Battalion Chief Derrick Kiel said there is no pre-conceived agenda.

“This budget contains no tax increase, this contains no tax decreases,” Senate Ways and Means Chairman Michael Rodrigues said to start debate on the budget. Three days and more than 1,100 amendments later — over 500 of which were adopted — and Rodrigues’ prediction proved true. Charlie Baker’s tax cut proposals were included in the final engrossed version of the bill. “We know the governor has filed, separately from the budget, tax relief proposals totaling well over $700 million. Rodrigues, of Westport, and House Ways and Means Chair Aaron Michlewitz, of Boston, will lead a committee to resolve the two chambers’ budget differences.

"It would be hypocritical for the Supreme Court to prevent its own employees from taking advantage of that fundamental legal protection." The Supreme Court did not respond to a CNN request on Monday for comment related to the phone searches and affidavits. The young lawyers selected to be law clerks each year are regarded as the elite of the elite. Six of the current nine Supreme Court justices are former clerks. The escalating scrutiny of law clerks reflects Roberts' concerns about the breach in confidentiality and possibly further leaks.

A consortium of Ukrainian and international lawyers is preparing to launch a mass civil legal action against the Russian state, as well as private military contractors and businesspeople backing the Russian war effort, in an attempt to gain financial compensation for millions of Ukrainian victims of the war, the Guardian can reveal. But McCue said they would also include business figures linked to these contractors, and to the Russian war effort more broadly. The class action will be a private case, independent of the Ukrainian state. The Ukrainian MP and businessman Serhiy Taruta is supporting the initiative by facilitating meetings for the lawyers and investigators with Ukrainian officials. They include Bellingcat, which has been investigating the activities of the Wagner Group and other Russian private military contractors for some years.

By Max Hunder and Sergiy KarazyKYIV – Relatives of Ukrainian fighters who remained for weeks under the besieged Azovstal steel works said on Monday they had received no news of the whereabouts of their loved ones since they were evacuated to Russian-controlled areas of Ukraine. The relatives, all women, said they had formed a Council of Wives and Mothers, to ensure the fighters were treated in accordance with the Geneva Convention on prisoners of war. “I was informed that it has been registered that he left the Azovstal plant but none of my questions – whether he is still alive, what condition he is in, where they have been taken – have been answered,” Zarytska said. Ukrainian authorities have said they expect the fighters to be part of an exchange with Ukrainian prisoners of war. Some Russian politicians have suggested the Azov fighters, part of a right-wing militia before being folded into the Ukrainian National Guard in 2014, should be put on trial.

Lebanon's veteran parliament speaker Nabih Berri presides over the new assembly's first session after his re-election for a seventh consecutive termBeirut (AFP) – Lebanese lawmakers re-elected Nabih Berri as parliament speaker Tuesday for a seventh consecutive term, cementing his reputation as an immovable centrepiece of the country's political landscape. "I will put the insults behind me... and approach blank ballots with a blank heart," Berri said after his victory, in one of his trademark quips. "The Lebanese, and the rest of world, are looking to you as a beacon of hope, possibly the only one," Berri told lawmakers. Berri will preside over a deeply fragmented parliament prone to the kind of deadlock that has paralysed Lebanese politics for decades. A lawyer by training, Berri won power as a militia leader during the 1975-1990 civil war and transitioned to politics as the war ended.

Former President Donald Trump tosses red MAGA hats to the crowd at a rally Saturday at the Ford Event Center in Casper, Wyo. Cheney's strategy is unique among Republicans who have stood up to Trump: Many have chosen to retire rather than face brutal re-election bids; others have sought to appease his base. His team said his aim — a successful one — was to create a permission structure for voters to back both Trump and Kemp. "There is no middle ground here: You are either Team Cheney or Team Harriet," said a Republican source with deep ties in the state. "Gotta think Cheney has something big up her sleeve; otherwise she's going to lose big."

The school police chief faulted for having officers stay back during a gunman's deadly siege at a campus in Uvalde, Texas, last week is free to take his elected seat on the City Council, the mayor said Monday. Arredondo, the chief of police for the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District, was said to be the incident commander who ordered officers to remain outside during the more-than-hourlong siege at Robb Elementary School last week. He was scheduled to be sworn in Tuesday, but Mayor Don McLaughlin said the event was being postponed so the city's focus can remain on survivors. Arredondo told the Uvalde Leader-News in a story published May 12 that he was anticipating the additional role. In an interview distributed to television stations nationwide Monday, the mayor indicated that he supports Arredondo and his additional role.

This month, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik has talked a lot about critical race theory (CRT), a framework for understanding racism as a systemic problem. And in April and May, she made claims about critical race theory. What do people mean when they talk about "critical race theory"? “I don't expect teachers to do anything around critical race theory in grades kindergarten through 12. In fact, I don't actually introduce the notion of critical race theory to undergraduates.

(CNN) The US is set to bring home and identify the remains of unknown World War II soldiers from the only American cemetery in Africa, the US Embassy in Tunisia said on Monday, Memorial Day. The announcement comes after the US and Tunisia signed a memorandum of understanding that will allow the US to exhume the remains of unknown soldiers from the North African American Cemetery and repatriate them for identification and reunification with family members. "Today's historic agreement will ensure American service men and women who gave their lives to defend our freedom are recognized and honored for the ultimate sacrifice they gave to our country." The cemetery in Carthage, Tunisia, near the Mediterranean Sea is the burial site for 2,841 US service members from the North African campaign. The Wall of the Missing, a memorial wall bordering the cemetery, lists the names of 3,724 service members who went missing in action and have never been found.

Tehran seized the Greek ships on Friday after Athens impounded the Iranian-flagged Pegas in April. The United States, which has imposed a tough sanctions regime on Iran, confiscated the Iranian oil cargo that was on the Pegas. U.S. and Greek diplomats have called on Iran to immediately release the Greek tankers, their cargoes and their crews. But we believe relations between Iran and Greece should remain well-intentioned,” he told reporters in Tehran. "I suggest the Greek government take the legal and judicial route in this respect without any fanfare," he said, adding that the crew members of the seized Greek ships were in good health and were in telephone contact with their families.

Pakistan on Tuesday dispatched a second consignment consisting of items of humanitarian assistance to Ukraine at the request of the war-torn country. According to a Radio Pakistan report, a special C-130 aircraft took off today to deliver more than 7.5 tons of relief items for the war-stricken people of Ukraine. The first consignment of more than 15 tons of humanitarian aid was sent to Ukraine through two special C-130 aircrafts from the Noor Khan Base in March. The decision was taken at the request of the Ukrainian embassy in Islamabad for humanitarian assistance along with a list of urgently-needed items. Because of the rapidly deteriorating situation, Ukraine had already raised an international appeal for global assistance to address humanitarian needs.

Colorado has hired three cybersecurity experts to monitor sites for misinformation. California’s office of the secretary of state is searching for misinformation and working with the Department of Homeland Security and academics to look for patterns of misinformation across the internet. The moves by these states, most of them under Democratic control, come as voter confidence in election integrity has plummeted. Some conservatives and civil rights groups are almost certain to complain that the efforts to limit misinformation could restrict free speech. “State and local governments are well-situated to reduce harms from dis- and misinformation by providing timely, accurate and trustworthy information,” said Rachel Goodman, a lawyer at Protect Democracy, a nonpartisan advocacy group.

The endorsement came as a multipronged Kremlin assault closed in on the easternmost Ukrainian-controlled city, Sievierodonetsk. Russian forces continued their pattern of bombarding cities and towns, including civilian areas, reducing them to depopulated wastelands before attempting to seize control. With the war driving up prices, the European Union countries alone have been paying $23 billion a month for Russian oil. Russian forces have held onto most of the areas they conquered in the south early in the war. And in the first weeks of the war, Russian offensives in the north aimed at Kyiv, the capital, and Kharkiv, the second-largest city, became hopelessly bogged down.

A high-profile coterie of former US military and intelligence officials who tried to discredit The Post’s reporting on Hunter Biden’s laptop are now being accused of taking money from Big Tech to spread “misinformation” about antitrust legislation, The Post has learned. “These signers are keen to have Big Tech censor so-called misinformation, yet these letters themselves are full of it,” Grassley told The Post. New York Post cover for Saturday, April 3, 2021. csuarezAs intelligence director under Obama, Clapper developed a close relationship with tech companies including Google and Facebook, which turned over user data to the FBI under his watch. Panetta, Townsend and Morrell also sent a separate antitrust letter that circulated about six months ago. “It’s Big Tech’s last gasp at trying to change a few votes,” he said, “and they’re gonna lose.”

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Representatives of a group of nations working together to investigate war crimes in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are meeting in The Hague amid ongoing calls for those responsible for atrocities to be brought to justice. Since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, the AP and PBS series Frontline have verified 273 potential war crimes. Representatives of a group of nations working together to investigate war crimes committed since Russia's invasion of Ukraine are meeting May 31 in The Hague amid ongoing calls for those responsible for atrocities to be brought to justice. The meeting in The Hague isn’t the only place accountability is being sought. The ICC can’t prosecute the crime of aggression because neither Russia nor Ukraine are members of the court.

The bill, called the American Innovation and Choice Online Act, or AICO, aims to curb Big Tech’s monopoly power. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has committed to putting AICO up for a floor vote by early summer, Axios reported last week. A second tech bill, the Open App Markets Act, is also moving through Congress, and would force Apple and Google to open their app stores to rival marketplaces. “People don’t want to stand with Big Tech.”Numerous polls have found that most Americans approve of legislation to rein in the power of the tech giants. The challenge for AICO’s supporters, sources say, will be to finagle the bill through a busy summer docket—especially as the Big Tech lobbying firms intensify their effort to thwart it.

Self-defense classes help Asian and Pacific Islander women feel safer in New YorkEnlarge this image toggle caption Mengwen Cao for NPR Mengwen Cao for NPRNEW YORK, N.Y. — Inside a community room in Brooklyn on a rainy day in May, seven women pair off for a series of drills. Enlarge this image toggle caption Mengwen Cao for NPR Mengwen Cao for NPRNg attended a community healing event after Go's death. Enlarge this image toggle caption Mengwen Cao for NPR Mengwen Cao for NPRAfter returning to New York, she joined a gym and decided to participate in a fight. Enlarge this image toggle caption Mengwen Cao for NPR Mengwen Cao for NPRAfter the seminar, Yabuki said she was "pleasantly surprised" by her own strength. Robie Evangelista, a Filipino-American woman, said she has taken self-defense classes led by men in the past.

Russian troops pushed deeper into a key eastern Ukrainian city Monday, fighting street by street with Kyiv’s forces in a battle that has left Sievierodonetsk in ruins. In a bid to pressure Moscow to end the war, the European Union agreed to embargo most Russian oil imports by the end of the year. Moscow-backed separatists already held territory in the region and have been fighting Ukrainian troops for eight years. EU Council President Charles Michel said the agreement covers more than two-thirds of oil imports from Russia. He said the intensity of the latest fighting and the influx of Russian troops have surprised Ukrainians, who are trying to hold out until more weapons arrive.

If the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, Tennessee's "trigger law," passed in 2019, would go into effect 30 days after the decision comes down. Then, within 30 days of that notice, the state would have an abortion ban in place. That law bans abortions after the point a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which is as early as six weeks. Overturning Roe v. Wade would remove that argument and could lead to the lifting of the injunction, meaning the law would go into effect. If Roe v. Wade is overturned, Tennessee's trigger ban would take effect 30 days later.

An unprecedented leaked supreme court draft decision showed a conservative majority of the nine justices are open to reversing Roe v Wade entirely. If that happened, 26 states would be certain or likely to ban abortion, including in Texas. The state has a “trigger” ban that would almost immediately ban abortion. Vela said the council would likely consider the act after the supreme court releases its final decision in the highly anticipated abortion case. “Whatever your thoughts on abortion, criminal prosecution of women who have abortion is absolutely unacceptable and abuse by the criminal justice system,” said Vela.

In Texas and beyond, many politicians receive mega donations from pro-gun supportersTexas Sens. MORE: Will Texas school shooting force Congress to finally act on gun control? Since the Georgia runoffs, the group has been largely dormant, according to its disclosure reports -- not receiving significant donations or participating in political activities. The super PAC was also heavily funded by ESAPAC, another super PAC that itself is funded by top GOP donors like the Ricketts family, Charles Schwab, and Ken Griffith. In Texas and beyond, many politicians receive mega donations from pro-gun supporters originally appeared on abcnews.go.com

Vatican Media/Handout via ReutersHouse Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi, responded through a spokesperson Sunday night to reports of his arrest in Napa County, California, over the holiday weekend for driving under the influence. Instead of taking responsibility, the 82-year-old businessman and millionaire’s spokesperson Larry Kamer took aim at “incorrect information” in mysterious news reports. “Several news reports about Saturday night’s traffic incident involving Paul Pelosi have included incorrect information,” Kamer said in a statement obtained by The Daily Beast. “There are also incorrect reports that misstate the timing of events.”Early Sunday morning, the millionaire was bailed out of Napa Valley Detention Center on a $5,000 bond. Despite Speaker Pelosi frequently taking issue with personal matters regarding former President Donald Trump, she said she wouldn’t be commenting on her husband’s DUI.

KYIV, Ukraine -- The mayor of Sievierodonetsk says Russian forces have taken around half of the city in eastern Ukraine. “Half of the city has been captured by the Russians and fierce street fighting is under way,” Striuk said. He also wants Turkey to be part of an Istanbul-based “control center” including Ukraine, Russia and the United Nations to find a way to end the war. A readout of that call from Erdogan’s office referred to an “observation mechanism” involving Turkey, Ukraine, Russia and the U.N. No further details were given. Many staff have fled and those who remain have to deal with an influx of war wounded on top of their usual flow of sick patients.

It was a familiar scene from Ukraine’s frontlines: a tatty Soviet-era apartment block ripped apart by one of Vladimir Putin’s missiles. It was Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell. Instead it fell to Valery’s wife, Larisa, to tell me how what seemed like a dystopian fantasy now felt like a warning of things to come. “When we first read it in Soviet times, it felt like an abstract fantasy, which didn’t connect to reality,” she said. Last week, Putin’s foreign ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, claimed that it was the West, not Russia, where Nineteen Eighty-Four had really come true.

The Windrush Scandal saw hundreds of Caribbean immigrants living and working in the UK wrongly targeted by immigration enforcement as a result of the government’s “hostile environment” policies. Wednesday 22 June marks the fifth national Windrush Day, which was established to honour the British Caribbean community and the Windrush generation. Here’s everything you need to know about the Windrush scandal. ?The Windrush generation were a group of Caribbean immigrants who arrived on British shores between 1948 and 1973. This meant that elderly Caribbean immigrants were being denied access to NHS healthcare, losing their jobs and even being threatened with deportation.

German chancellor Olaf Scholz has sparked a backlash for appearing to compare protesting climate activists to Nazis. He was reportedly interruped by climate activists during his speech, and one person allegedly tried to climb on stage but was stopped by security personnel. One should not do this.”The one-minute clip was shared by climate activist Luisa Neubauer, who said the chancellor “compares climate activists to Nazis”. Ms Neubauer has also started an online petition demanding Mr Scholz clarify exactly what he meant, and suggested again that he was defaming environmentalists as ideologues. “These statements by the chancellor speak for themselves and I would not want to comment on them here.

Russian troops now control "around half" of the Ukrainian city of Severodonetsk, an official has said, with British intelligence warning "gains are being held". If his forces capture Severodonetsk, it would give Moscow control of the whole of Luhansk - and would be his biggest victory in the invasion so far. Yesterday, Russian forces were at the eastern edge of Severodonetsk - and had taken a power station and a hotel. This forces Russia to accept risk elsewhere in occupied territory." The port city of Kherson was one of the first in Ukraine to fall under Russian control.

(Refiles to clarify that speaker was spokesman for defence ministry of Ukraine)– Russian forces are regrouping to resume their offensive in the direction of the Sloviansk region, while also seeking to encircle the city of Sievierodonetsk, Ukraine’s defence ministry spokesman said on Monday. Ukrainian forces, however, had some success in advancing towards the coastal areas where Russian forces took defensive positions, he added. (This story refiles to clarify that speaker was spokesman for defence ministry of Ukraine)

LONDON -Valentin Yumashev, the son-in-law of former Russian leader Boris Yeltsin who helped Vladimir Putin come to power, has quit his role as a Kremlin adviser, two people familiar with Yumashev’s thinking told Reuters. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Yumashev’s leaving his adviser role, and did not answer a call to his mobile number. Lyudmila Telen, first deputy executive director of the Boris Yeltsin Presidential Centre foundation, where Yumashev is a member of the board of trustees, told Reuters that Yumashev had given up his Kremlin adviser role in April. Under Yeltsin, who was Russian president from 1991 to 1999, Yumashev served as a Kremlin adviser and later as Kremlin chief of staff. In January 2020, according to the Kremlin website, Putin visited Yeltsin’s daughter Tatyana at her home to congratulate her on her birthday.

KYIV – A car bomb exploded in the Russia-controlled Ukrainian city of Melitopol city on Monday, injuring several people in what Russia’s Investigative Committee and a Ukrainian official said may have been the work of Ukrainians opposed to Russia. “On 30 May 2022, an explosion reportedly took place in the centre of Melitopol near a residential building at the time of distribution of humanitarian aid, which was organized by Ukrainian saboteurs,” the Russian investigative committee said on its website. Melitopol’s exiled mayor Ivan Fedorov also reported the explosion in separate statement, adding that it occurred near a building that belongs to the head of Russia-appointed administration. He said it was possible that the explosion was the work of local resistance as the city’s inhabitants continued to protest against the occupation. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov earlier on Monday condemned the explosion, saying attacks against civilian infrastructure in Russia-occupied areas of Ukraine were “outrageous”.

– The president of the Georgian breakaway region of South Ossetia suspended on Monday an earlier announced referendum on whether to become part of Russia until consultations with Moscow are complete. “Until the completion of consultations, suspend the Decree of the President of the Republic of South Ossetia dated May 13, 2022 ‘On calling a referendum of the Republic of South Ossetia’,” President Alan Gagloyev said in a decree. On May 13, the president announced that a referendum was to be held on July 17.

– Belarus will conduct military mobilisation exercises in June and July in the Gomel region, state news agency BelTA reported on Monday. On June 22-July 1, planned exercises with military commissariats – military administrative agencies – and armed forces will be conducted, BelTA reported, citing Andrey Krivonosov, military commissar of the Gomel region. “Events of this kind are traditionally held to increase the combat and mobilization readiness of military commissariats, and improve military knowledge and practical skills of those liable for military service,” BelTA quoted Krivonosov as saying. On June 28-July 16, military training will take place with those liable for military service for territorial defence formations, Krivonosov said. On May 26, Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko ordered the creation of a new military command for the south of country bordering Ukraine.

LONDON – Britain’s data protection regulator called on Tuesday for police and prosecutors to stop treating rape victims as suspects and end excessive scrutiny of their personal information which critics have likened to a digital strip search. “Our investigation reveals an upsetting picture of how victims of rape and serious sexual assault feel treated,” he said. Last year, the government-commissioned Rape Review into failings said digital material requested from victims should be strictly limited to what was necessary and proportionate. Victims groups welcomed the report and said it showed more needed to be done to protect victims’ privacy. “Excessive intrusion into irrelevant and deeply personal data of rape complainants has become habitual in the justice system,” said Vera Baird, the Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales.

– People are slowly starting to return to the streets of the southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol, pummeled by weeks of shelling from Russian forces and now fully under Russian control. On Monday, local residents charged electric devices from generators and exchanged food and clothes at impromptu street markets, while at an empty bus station Russian state television blared out from a giant screen brought in by officials. Lyuba, wearing sunglasses and a hat to protect her from the sun, said she was charging her phone. Russia seized full control of Mariupol earlier this month when more than 2,400 Ukrainian fighters who had been holding out surrendered at the besieged Azovstal steelworks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has described Mariupol as “completely destroyed”, but Moscow has pledged to rebuild it.

Volodymyr Zelensky has slammed the EU for a lack of unity as the bloc failed to agree a promised ban on Russian oil imports. Von Der Leyen said the exemption will be 'temporary' while Hungary seeks ways to replace Russian oil supplies, but did not give a firm end date. The EU will also continue to buy Russian natural gas upon which economies such as Germany are heavily dependent. EU leaders had been pressured to act on Russian fossil fuel imports under heavy pressure from Zelensky, who accused them of financing Putin's war on his country. Dutch GasTerra had 'decided not to comply with Gazprom's unilateral payment requirements' as they would breach EU sanctions and create 'financial and operational risks', the Dutch firm said in a statement Monday.

(ANSA) - ROME, MAY 31 - An armed assault on a security van in Sardinia failed on Tuesday. A gang blocked a state highway with two SUVs and opened fire on the van but then fled and torched the vehicles when the guards drove on anyway. The bandits fired at least ten rounds at the van, police said.

Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri, who has been re-elected for a seventh consecutive term, is seen voting in last month's parliamentary electionBeirut (AFP) – Lebanese lawmakers re-elected Nabih Berri as parliament speaker Tuesday for a seventh consecutive term, cementing his reputation as an immmovable centrepiece of the country's political landscape. He clinched a new four-year term during parliament's opening session on Tuesday with the votes of just 65 of parliament's 128 members. Berri will preside over a deeply fragmented parliament prone to the kind of deadlock that has paralysed Lebanese politics for decades. A lawyer by training, Berri won power as a militia leader during the 1975-1990 civil war and transitioned to politics as the war ended. That year, in the first polls after the war ended, Berri was simultaneously elected a member and speaker of parliament -- the highest post for a Shiite in the country's sectarian political system.

Lebanon's Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri is seen on a large billboard in Beirut, while another in the background shows Hassan Nasrallah, leader of HezbollahBeirut (AFP) – Skilfully riding decades of turbulence and shifting political tides, Nabih Berri is returning for a seventh consecutive term as speaker of Lebanon's parliament, despite growing popular demands for fresh faces. Over the past three decades, he has fashioned himself into a mediator among Lebanon's deeply divided political factions and their foreign patrons, sealing his reputation as the indispensible guardian of the status quo. During Lebanon's war, he rose to prominence by taking over the leadership of the Amal movement in 1980, two years after the mysterious disappearance in Libya of its founder, Imam Mussa Sadr. In 1988, his militia fought a deadly power struggle with Hezbollah, which took control of almost all the Shiite southern suburbs of Beirut and swathes of Lebanon's Shiite-dominated south. In another leaked US embassy cable, the Berri family's net worth was already estimated at around $2 billion in 2006.

Ukrainian cell service has been cut off in the country’s southern Kherson region, Russian state media reported Tuesday, as Moscow continues to cement its presence in occupied territories. Russian SIM cards were apparently unaffected by the latest outage Monday, which Ukrainian and Russian-installed officials in Kherson both blamed on each other. The outage comes days after Kherson and the occupied area of neighboring Zaporizhzhia switched from Ukraine’s +380 to Russia’s +7 telephone area code Friday. Several Russian and pro-Moscow local officials have signaled in recent weeks that occupied territories in southern and eastern Ukraine will be annexed by Russia. One-fifth of Ukrainian territory — including annexed Crimea, Donbas, and parts of the Kharkiv, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions captured during the 2022 invasion — is currently under Russian occupation, according to Forbes Ukraine.

Advertising Read moreThe court said there was no indication an offence had been committed. In its latest damning ruling against Turkey, the ECHR said his pre-trial detention had been "unlawful and arbitrary" and there had been "no reasonable suspicion that Mr Kilic had committed an offence." The court said Kilic's detention violated the European Convention on Human Rights on four counts. The ECHR enforces the convention and all 46 member nations of the Council of Europe must adhere to it. The verdict was the latest ECHR ruling against Turkey.

Two Russian soldiers were sentenced to more than 11 years in jail each on Tuesday after a court in central Ukraine found them guilty of firing artillery at civilian areas. They were found guilty of firing Grad missiles on two villages in the northeastern Kharkiv region in the early days of the war. The verdicts this month against Russian servicemen are expected to be the first in a wave of trials. Rights organizations have voiced hope that Ukraine's trials of Russian soldiers will be impartial and transparent. Ukrainian lawyers representing the Russian servicemen say they have not been in contact with legal or military officials in Moscow.

In the declaration, the organizations expressed their "deep concern that the DPRK government has engaged in the systematic abduction, denial of repatriation and subsequent enforced disappearance of persons from other countries as a matter of state policy and creates large numbers of victims related to the Republic of Korea including South Korean abductees, prisoners of war and ethnic Korean displaced from Japan under the paradise on earth operation." The DPRK is the acronym for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

A Russian soldier accused of rape is being tried in Ukraine, the first such case since Russia invaded. Mikhail Romanov is accused of murdering a man and raping his wife in the Kyiv region. A destroyed tank on March 10, 2022, in Brovary, Ukraine, where prosecutors say a woman was raped by Russian soldiers. The announcement came after a Russian soldier pleaded guilty in Kyiv to murdering a 62-year-old Ukrainian man. That trial, the first of a Russian accused of any war crime in the invasion, ended in 21-year-old Vadim Shishimarin being sentenced to life in prison.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi attends a news conference upon his arrival from Iran at Vienna International Airport in Schwechat, Austria, March 5, 2022. The lack of progress could set up a new diplomatic clash with the West when the International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-nation Board of Governors meets next week. If Western powers seek a resolution criticising Tehran it could deal a further blow to stalled efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear deal. That amounts to slightly more than what the IAEA calls a "significant quantity", defined as "the approximate amount of nuclear material for which the possibility of manufacturing a nuclear explosive device cannot be excluded". Western powers fear Iran is getting closer to being able to sprint towards producing a nuclear bomb if it chose to, though Iran says its intentions are entirely peaceful.

If either succeeds, it will result in the first union of Amazon workers in the company’s 28-year history. Staten Island, New York, warehouse: Votes for unionizing: 1,518Votes against unionizing: 1,154 Bessemer, Alabama, warehouse Votes for unionizing: 875Votes against unionizing: 993 In New York, vote counting is expected to continue today at 9:30 a.m. As Reuters notes, New York warehouse workers in favor of unionizing are currently leading with a 57% tally, although that could change today. However, if those in favor of unionizing go on to win the vote, the warehouse will make history as the first Amazon workers to unionize. On April 25, another Amazon warehouse in Staten Island, New York, will vote whether to unionize, too.

There are many examples of photographs that gave history a nudge — sometimes even a vigorous one. But just as the Till photograph didn’t end Jim Crow, the My Lai images didn’t end the Vietnam War (nor did press reports of the atrocity), the Abu Ghraib photographs didn’t end the Iraq war (or even lead to high-level prosecutions), and the Floyd video didn’t end police brutality. These photographs did support, encourage and strengthen public perceptions, political movements and public debates that were already in play. And viewers who look to photographs to effect political change should be careful what they wish for: Formulating political decisions on the basis of images can be treacherous. People, not photographs, create political change, which is slow, difficult and unpredictable.

KYIV, May 31 (Reuters) - A Ukrainian court sentenced two captured Russian soldiers to 11 and a half years in jail on Tuesday for shelling a town in eastern Ukraine, the second war crimes verdict since the start of Russia's invasion in February. Alexander Bobikin and Alexander Ivanov, who listened to the verdict standing in a reinforced glass box at the Kotelevska district court in central Ukraine, both pleaded guilty last week. The shelling destroyed an educational facility in the town of Derhachi, but caused no casualties, the prosecutors said. Bobikin and Ivanov, described as an artillery driver and a gunner, were captured after crossing the border and continuing the shelling. read moreProsecutors had asked the court to jail the Russian servicemen for 12 years, while the defence asked for leniency, saying the two soldiers had been following orders and repented.

Should Klain go, a potential successor is Anita Dunn, a White House adviser and Biden confidant whom he often turns to when his fortunes look bleak. White House chief of staff Ron Klain walks on the South Lawn of the White House on May 1. (The White House didn’t specify when Biden got his first briefing on the formula shortage.) (At a news conference in September, Biden said flatly, “I don’t look at the polls — not a joke.”)The White House official denied that Biden is feeling frustrated. But Biden has been leaning on White House aides to come up with a message that captures the stark choice voters face.

It’s an understatement to say Cotton is a polarizing force in American politics. His favorite phrase to use with reporters is “no comment.”Two copies of the Bible are seen in the office of Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) And I would say Tom has facts,” said Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.). But Tom is on my list.”On the other side of the Republican coin is Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo. Last year, Hawley, Cotton and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) orchestrated a wide-ranging campaign to hold up many of Biden’s lower-level appointments.

David Sedaris reflects on the driving force of his life: His war with his dadEnlarge this image toggle caption Anne Fishbein Anne FishbeinIs it possible to love a hateful person? "I don't know if ... that was his little core finally shining through," Sedaris says. On the nuance of loving a person who was meanYou can still love a mean person. On Sedaris' father hitting himIt was like a Three Stooges cartoon. And then she said, "I remember Dad coming into my room in the middle of the night," and then it became "Dad sexually abused me."

Progressives take a leaf out of the conservative playbook to target school boardsEnlarge this image toggle caption Octavio Jones/Getty Images Octavio Jones/Getty ImagesA lot of people who run for school board are parents or teachers; 19-year-old Maryam Zafar is neither. A spike in attention on school boardsInterest in running for school board is up nationwide. Because school board elections are overwhelmingly nonpartisan, it's hard to quantify who or what is behind all that energy. "I really think in many cases, the place for school board members is what can they do to push state legislators? How can school board members use their political platform and their bully pulpit to help advocate for broader statewide change?"

The Danish referendum comes as the latest example of European countries seeking closer defense links with allies in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Denmark joining the EU defense policy would have a relatively modest impact on Europe's security architecture, particularly compared to Sweden and Finland joining NATO. This time, however, Danes appear ready to say goodbye to opting out of common defense. "I am voting in favor of abolishing the opt-out" decision, said Peter Jakobsen, a 61-year-old pharmacist in Copenhagen. There is widespread support for dropping the defense opt-out decision in Parliament.

Airline passengers could face disruption this summer as a union said it will ballot British Airways' check-in staff at Heathrow Airport, London, on industrial action in a pay dispute. If workers vote for industrial action, strikes are anticipated in July--when demand for flights is expected to be high. British Airways said the notification that some employees were participating in the ballot was extremely disappointing. It further said it has contingency plans in place should industrial action proceed. If they back strikes in the consultative ballot, Unite will hold a full industrial action ballot.

Opposition activists say at least 31 people have been killed in a car bomb attack in Damascus near the headquarters of the ruling Baath party and the Russian Embassy. Opposition activists say at least 31 people have been killed in a car bomb attack in Damascus near the headquarters of the ruling Baath party and the Russian Embassy.

The leader of Russia-backed separatists who control part of Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region says his administration will nationalize some of the ships in the port of Mariupol. Russian forces encircled Mariupol, a strategic port city on the Azov Sea, early in the war. A readout of that call from Erdogan’s office referred to an “observation mechanism” involving Turkey, Ukraine, Russia and the U.N. No further details were given. POKROVSK, Ukraine — Across eastern Ukraine, hospitals in cities and towns near the front lines of Russia’s war are increasingly coming under pressure. Many staff have fled and those who remain have to deal with an influx of war wounded on top of their usual flow of sick patients.

The Danish referendum comes as the latest example of European countries seeking closer defense links with allies in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Denmark joining the EU defense policy would have a relatively modest impact on Europe’s security architecture, particularly compared to Sweden and Finland joining NATO. Denmark, a founding member of NATO, has stayed on the sidelines of EU efforts to build a common security and defense policy in parallel with the trans-Atlantic alliance. This time, however, Danes appear ready to say goodbye to opting out of common defense. There is widespread support for dropping the defense opt-out decision in Parliament.

BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon’s newly elected parliament was holding its first session Tuesday, with lawmakers expected to choose the country's longtime parliament speaker, Nabih Berri, for a seventh four-year term. His reelection is practically guaranteed, even though there are more than a dozen new lawmakers who won seats running on a reform platform. Elected on May 15, the new parliament is deeply divided with no coalition holding majority seats in the 128-member legislature. “Beirut has the right to know who killed her,” said independent legislator Yassin Yassin, in a reference to the bungled probe. The presence of the independent lawmakers in the legislature is a major achievement — they went into the vote fragmented and faced intimidation and threats by entrenched mainstream parties.

An unprecedented leaked supreme court draft decision showed a conservative majority of the nine justices are open to reversing Roe v Wade entirely. If that happened, 26 states would be certain or likely to ban abortion, including in Texas. The state has a “trigger” ban that would almost immediately ban abortion. Vela said the council would likely consider the act after the supreme court releases its final decision in the highly anticipated abortion case. “Whatever your thoughts on abortion, criminal prosecution of women who have abortion is absolutely unacceptable and abuse by the criminal justice system,” said Vela.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Tuesday hailed the exemption in an EU Russian oil ban that allowed his country to keep receiving cheap crude from Moscow. "Families can sleep peacefully tonight, we kept out the most hair-raising idea," mr Orban said in a video message posted on his Facebook page. Mr Orban had threatened to veto the deal and warned that halting supplies would wreck his country's economy. A blanket import ban "would have been unbearable for us...like an atomic bomb, but we managed to avoid this," said Mr Orban. Budapest - which under Mr Orban sought close ties to Moscow until the invasion of Ukraine - said banning Russian oil would spark recession, shortages and rocketing prices, and undermine Hungary's energy security.

By Katharine HoureldMOGADISHU – Somalia’s new president has applauded the return of U.S. troops to help fight a deadly insurgency and says delivering security depends on reconciliation with other Somali leaders, after a power battle splintered the security forces into rival factions. Somali legislators selected Mohamud as president this month – the country has not held one-person-one-vote elections since civil war erupted in 1991. Legislators foiled attempts by the previous president to extend his term, but the issue deeply divided security forces, who battled each other in the capital’s streets. The last major offensive against al Shabaab was in 2019. This month, al Shabaab overran an AU peacekeeping base, killing dozens of soldiers.

By Khalid AbdelazizKHARTOUM – Sudanese authorities freed several dozen political detainees on Monday though others remain jailed, a lawyers’ group said, a day after Sudan’s military ruler announced the lifting of the state of emergency imposed after an October coup. The releases included 24 people connected to the anti-military protest movement in Port Sudan, and another 39 in or near the capital, Khartoum, said the emergency lawyers’ committee, an activist group. Military ruler Abdel Fattah al-Burhan announced on Sunday the lifting of the state of emergency imposed after the coup, saying the step was meant to create an atmosphere for dialogue. Doctors connected to the protest movement say 98 civilians have been killed by security forces in crackdowns on the demonstrations. Military rulers say they allow peaceful protests and that casualties will be investigated.

“Not all the reported climate-related spending under the EU budget was actually relevant to climate action,” said ECA member Joelle Elvinger. Agriculture subsidies made up 80% of the “climate” spending the auditors said was mislabelled. While some schemes had made a solid contribution to fighting climate change, such as enriching soil carbon storage, others had little climate impact, the auditors said. Among those having little impact were crop diversification,The European Commission stood by its assessment that the 20% target was met and said its method of tracking EU climate spending was reliable and used transparent underlying assumptions. “The Commission has already significantly strengthened the EU climate tracking methodology,” a Commission spokesperson said.

A yacht sails before the skyline of the Emirate of Dubai on April 21, 2022Dubai (AFP) – Israel signed a free trade deal with the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, its first with an Arab country, building on their US-brokered normalisation of relations in 2020. Two-way trade between Israel and the UAE last year totalled some $900 million dollars, according to Israeli figures. Trade diplomacyThe UAE was the first Gulf country to normalise ties with Israel and only the third Arab nation to do so after Egypt and Jordan. #photo3Talks for a free trade agreement began in November and concluded after four rounds of negotiations. In February, Israel signed a trade deal with Rabat to designate special industrial zones in Morocco.

The Polish defense chief and South Korean government agencies and companies discussed ways to accelerate and increase the delivery of weapons to the Polish srmy. “My task as the minister of national defense is to equip the Polish Army with this weapon as soon as possible. So, in self-propelled howitzers Krab and infantry fighting vehicles,” Blaszczak was quoted as saying. DAPA spokesperson Park Geun-young on Tuesday said South Korea and Poland have continued to “discuss defense cooperation focusing on ground weapon systems” during a regular press briefing. South Korea has been requested to step up support to countries who need to fill up their weapons stocks sent to Ukraine.

Defense Ministry think tank: Russia's invasion of Ukraine likely to be prolongedA Japanese Defense Ministry think tank says Russia likely launched its invasion of Ukraine without fully understanding the capabilities of Ukrainian forces. The report compiled by the National Institute for Defense Studies concludes that Russia began the invasion because President Vladimir Putin was determined to annex Ukraine. The report points out the invasion will likely be prolonged, and that the obvious war of aggression is uniting Ukraine and its partners. The report notes that the United States actively employed strategic communication, by such means as revealing intelligence on Russia. The report points out that although China did not foresee Russia's invasion of Ukraine, its cooperative ties with Russia will likely be maintained against a backdrop of tougher competition with the US.

Summary Port on Azov Sea resumes operationsKyiv says metal shipment to Russia is 'looting'May 28 (Reuters) - A ship has entered the Ukrainian port of Mariupol for the first time since Russia completed its capture of the city to load metal and ship it east to Russia, TASS news agency reported on Saturday, in a move that Kyiv decried as looting. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterUkraine's Human Rights Ombudsman Lyudmyla Denisova said the shipment amounted to looting by Russia. "Following the theft of Ukrainian grain, the occupiers resorted to exporting metal products from Mariupol." Asked on Saturday whether the metal due to be shipped out belonged to Metinvest, a company spokesman said: "We said yesterday that our metal is in the port of Mariupol, yes." Russia seized full control of Mariupol last week when more than 2,400 Ukrainian fighters surrendered at the besieged Azovstal steelworks on the Azov Sea.

© Provided by Associated Press FILE - Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a news conference, in Ankara, Turkey on May 14, 2022. ( AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici, File)ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey's president highlighted the activities of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party as part of his country's objections to Sweden and Finland joining NATO and said both nations doing so would carry security risks for Turkey. It is designated a terrorist entity by the United States and the European Union, including Sweden and Finland. Sweden and Finland were among countries to impose defense export restrictions on Turkey following its 2019 incursion into northeast Syria that aimed to drive back the YPG. The president set out Turkey’s role in “arguably the greatest military alliance in history” since it joined in 1952 and called for other NATO members to persuade Sweden and Finland to change their positions.

MADRID (Reuters) - The latest European Union sanctions on Russia are "not enough" and the pace of sanctions so far has been too slow, a senior official in Ukraine president's office said in a speech in Madrid on Tuesday. "If you ask me, I would say far too slow, far too late and definitely not enough," Ihor Zhovkva, deputy head of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's office, said. European Union leaders agreed a new sanction package in Brussels on Monday. (Reporting by Christina Thykjaer, writing by Nerijus Adomaitis; Editing by Kevin Liffey)Political Cartoons on World Leaders View All 162 Images

The 2020 normalisation deal was part of the US-brokered Abraham Accords that also saw Israel establish diplomatic ties with Bahrain and Morocco. Two-way trade between Israel and the UAE last year totalled some $900 million dollars, according to Israeli figures. - Trade diplomacy -The UAE was the first Gulf country to normalise ties with Israel and only the third Arab nation to do so after Egypt and Jordan. Sudan in 2020 also agreed to normalise ties with Israel, but the strife-torn northeast African country has yet to finalise a deal. Israel has already struck free trade agreements with other countries and blocs, including the United States, European Union, Canada and Mexico.

Ukraine produces around 12 percent of the world’s wheat, 15 percent of its corn and half its sunflower oil. At the same time, European leaders are working to expand broad economic support to bolster the Ukrainian economy. At an intense summit that ended around midnight Monday, European leaders agreed to ban the vast majority of Russian oil imports, delivering billions’ worth of pain to the Kremlin’s finances. The European Union will also phase out the offer of various services such as insurance to Russian entities by European Union companies, and ban E.U. firms from insuring Russian oil transfers.

If Russia takes the city, it would occupy nearly all of Luhansk, a major part of the Donbas region. Severodonetsk: A pro-Moscow separatist leader in Luhansk on Tuesday told Russian news agency Tass that his forces have taken control of one-third of the city. Russian troops, now reportedly positioned northeast and southeast of the city, continue to capture more territory. Russian troops have been prevented from seizing Ukraine’s second-largest city, but about they occupy one-third of Kharkiv, according to the regional military administrator. The city of Kherson fell under Russian occupation in the early days of the war, and a local separatist leader said it had started shipping grain to Moscow.

The EU's partial embargo covers Russian oil brought into the bloc by sea, with an exemption carved out for imports delivered by pipeline following opposition from Hungary. Moscow pledged to find other importers for its oil shortly after the world's largest trading bloc agreed to impose a partial embargo on Russian crude. The European Union on Monday agreed to ban most Russian oil imports by the end of the year as part of new measures designed to punish the Kremlin over its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. The move was hailed by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell as a "landmark decision to cripple [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's war machine." It covers Russian oil brought into the bloc by sea, with an exemption carved out for imports delivered by pipeline following opposition from Hungary.

Former President Donald Trump tosses red MAGA hats to the crowd at a rally Saturday at the Ford Event Center in Casper, Wyo. Cheney's strategy is unique among Republicans who have stood up to Trump: Many have chosen to retire rather than face brutal re-election bids; others have sought to appease his base. His team said his aim — a successful one — was to create a permission structure for voters to back both Trump and Kemp. "There is no middle ground here: You are either Team Cheney or Team Harriet," said a Republican source with deep ties in the state. "Gotta think Cheney has something big up her sleeve; otherwise she's going to lose big."

Rescue crews work at the site of a ten-storey building collapse in Abadan, Iran May 23, 2022. Another unverified video shows riot police roaming on motorcycles in the same area, apparently to disrupt or intimidate protesters. In the southern port city of Bushehr, protesters are heard shouting "Death to the dictator", also a reference to Khamenei. Videos of protests in other Iranian cities are also posted on social media. Speaking on state television, Abadan's governor has warned people to solely follow official media and eschew "rumours" from social media.

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban listens to a media question as he arrives for the European Union leaders summit, as EU's leaders attempt to agree on Russian oil sanctions in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Brussels, Belgium May 30, 2022. By making a promise that the EU's embargo excludes the pipeline that landlocked Hungary relies on for Russian oil, the bloc aims to reduce Moscow's income to finance the war it launched three months ago in Ukraine. "The important news is that the EU is still united in its purpose; the purpose is to stop Russia's aggressive war in Ukraine," Karins said. Moscow, which says its war in Ukraine is a "special military operation" to rid Ukraine of dangerous nationalists, has responded to EU sanctions by cutting energy supplies to Bulgaria, Poland, Finland and the Netherlands. Targeting Russian natural gas supplies looked set to be the EU's next diplomatic battleground in the weeks ahead, after pushing through the oil embargo.

FILE - Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a news conference, in Ankara, Turkey on May 14, 2022. ( AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici, File)FILE - Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a news conference, in Ankara, Turkey on May 14, 2022. ( AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici, File)ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey’s president highlighted the activities of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party as part of his country’s objections to Sweden and Finland joining NATO and said both nations doing so would carry security risks for Turkey. It is designated a terrorist entity by the United States and the European Union, including Sweden and Finland. The president set out Turkey’s role in “arguably the greatest military alliance in history” since it joined in 1952 and called for other NATO members to persuade Sweden and Finland to change their positions.

The leader of Russia-backed separatists who control part of Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region says his administration will nationalize some of the ships in the port of Mariupol. Russian forces encircled Mariupol, a strategic port city on the Azov Sea, early in the war. A readout of that call from Erdogan’s office referred to an “observation mechanism” involving Turkey, Ukraine, Russia and the U.N. No further details were given. ___POKROVSK, Ukraine — Across eastern Ukraine, hospitals in cities and towns near the front lines of Russia’s war are increasingly coming under pressure. Many staff have fled and those who remain have to deal with an influx of war wounded on top of their usual flow of sick patients.

FILE - Karim Ahmed Khan, International Criminal Court chief prosecutor, speaks during a news conference at the Ministry of Justice in the Khartoum, Sudan, Aug. 12, 2021. (AP Photo/Marwan Ali, File)FILE - Karim Ahmed Khan, International Criminal Court chief prosecutor, speaks during a news conference at the Ministry of Justice in the Khartoum, Sudan, Aug. 12, 2021. ADVERTISEMENTSince Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, the AP and PBS series Frontline have verified 273 potential war crimes. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has denounced killings of civilians as “genocide” and “war crimes,” while U.S. President Joe Biden has called Russian President Vladimir Putin “a war criminal” who should be brought to trial. The meeting in The Hague isn’t the only place accountability is being sought.

Voters on Wednesday will decide whether to abandon their country's 30-year-old opt-out from the bloc's common defense policy. Voters on Wednesday will decide whether to abandon their country's 30-year-old opt-out from the bloc's common defense policy. The Danish referendum comes as the latest example of European countries seeking closer defense links with allies in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine . Denmark joining the EU defense policy would have a relatively modest impact on Europe’s security architecture, particularly compared to Sweden and Finland joining NATO. There is widespread support for dropping the defense opt-out decision in Parliament.

OLHA HLUSHCHENKO - TUESDAY, 31 MAY 2022, 04:12The Ukrainian Armed Forces have killed 78 Russian troops and destroyed Russian tanks, howitzers, and other equipment while defending the southern borders of Ukraine. Source: Pivden (South) Operational CommandQuote: "Failing to succeed in its advance, the enemy is stepping up air and artillery and mortar strikes. In the Black Sea, Russian ships continue to carry out operations to block shipping and work in the ports. A Dyugon landing craft and two Raptor patrol boats are moving towards the island in order to support the Russian units on Zmiinyi (Snake) Island. One that was discovered and defused in time was fished out on Monday and taken to a safe location for controlled detonation.

Whether President Biden will seek reelection next year is one of the most discussed topics inside and outside the Beltway. Biden has said he plans to run for a second term, privately telling former President Obama and other Democrats of his intentions. Democratic strategists say he would be well positioned for a 2024 run. Amy KlobucharThe Minnesota senator didn’t perform too well in the 2020 presidential election, but if Biden doesn’t run, Klobuchar could benefit, receiving support from moderate Democrats. “Because few people think Biden is going to run again.”For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.

The Danish referendum comes as the latest example of European countries seeking closer defense links with allies in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Denmark joining the EU defense policy would have a relatively modest impact on Europe’s security architecture, particularly compared to Sweden and Finland joining NATO. Denmark, a founding member of NATO, has stayed on the sidelines of EU efforts to build a common security and defense policy in parallel with the trans-Atlantic alliance. This time, however, Danes appear ready to say goodbye to opting out of common defense. There is widespread support for dropping the defense opt-out decision in Parliament.

Senator Tammy Duckworth reiterated support for the island amid rising Chinese threats. Duckworth met with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on Tuesday and emphasized the close economic, political and security relations between Taipei and Washington. China claims Taiwan as its own territory to be annexed by force, and sent 30 military aircraft into airspace close to the island Monday. In her remarks to Tsai, Duckworth said she wanted to “emphasize our support for Taiwan security." While relations with Taiwan are informal in deference to Beijing, the U.S. remains its main supplier of defensive arms and source of political support in international organizations where China blocks Taiwan's participation.

Annie Black, Chance Bonaventura and Sam Peters, Republican candidates for Congressional District 4, 2022 primary. Three Republicans touting their conservative credentials and public service experience are seeking the GOP nomination in Nevada’s 4th Congressional District. The winner will challenge incumbent U.S. Rep. Steven Horsford, who faces no Democratic primary opposition in his re-election bid for a fourth term in the district that includes Mesquite, North Las Vegas, Pahrump and central Nevada counties. “Enough is enough,” said Peters, who cited illegal immigration and border security as a reason he is seeking the seat. “They are ignoring the safety and security of our country,” said Peters, who finished second in the 2020 Republican primary in the 4th District.

The growing threat of a vote of no confidence in Boris Johnson's leadership is a "distraction", a minister admitted this morning, as Tory rebels believe a contest could be triggered as soon as next week. Lord Parkinson, the arts minister, said it is "pretty pointless to speculate" about how many letters have been submitted to Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of the 1922 Committee, calling for a vote to oust the Prime Minister. He said the speculation is a "distraction from the work of government", telling Sky News: “There is an awful lot of speculation about the numbers of letters that go in and past experience shows… the only person that knows how many letters have been sent in is the chairman of the 1922 Committee and it is pretty pointless to speculate about the numbers before then. One Conservative rebel told The Times that they believed a vote could be triggered "by the end of next week". ??Follow the latest updates below.

Russian shelling has reduced much of the city of Severodonetsk to ruins, but the Ukrainian defence has slowed the wider Russian campaign across the Donbas region. Then shelling and attack follow again, and so on until they break through somewhere." "Agreement to ban export of Russian oil to the EU," said Charles Michel, the European Council President, in a tweet at the end of the first day of a two-day summit. "This immediately covers more than 2/3 of oil imports from Russia, cutting a huge source of financing for its war machine. Maximum pressure on Russia to end the war," he said.

Russian troops are slowly advancing towards the centre of the Ukrainian city of Severodonetsk, a regional governor has said, with British intelligence warning "gains are being held". Mr Gadai said Ukrainian troops defending Severodonetsk could retreat across the Siverskyi Donets river to the city of Lysychansk to escape encirclement. Moscow's main objective likely remains the encirclement of Severodonetsk and the closure of the pocket around Ukrainian forces in Luhansk Oblast, said the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD). "Routes into the pocket likely remain under Ukrainian control. This forces Russia to accept risk elsewhere in occupied territory."

"Lavrov will come to Turkey on June 8 with a military delegation to discuss, among other things, the establishment of secure corridors for the transport of grain. He did not specify what form this observation could take, or the exact role of Turkey. According to Putin, "the Russian side is ready to facilitate unhindered maritime transit of goods, in coordination with Turkish partners. This also applies to the export of grain from Ukrainian ports." Although an ally of Ukraine, to which it provides combat drones, Ankara has managed to maintain relations with Moscow, on which it depends in particular for its energy supplies.

TAIPEI, Taiwan — The United States is planning on “cooperation” between its National Guard and Taiwan’s military, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said on Tuesday, deepening security ties in the face of what Taipei’s government complains is a rising threat from China. The United States is Chinese-claimed Taiwan’s most important international supporter and arms supplier, despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties. “As a result, the U.S. Department of Defense is now proactively planning cooperation between the U.S. National Guard and Taiwan’s defense forces,” Tsai said, without giving details. Taiwanese media has previously reported that Taiwan could partner with Hawaii’s National Guard for the program. “In the near future, we look forward to Taiwan and the United States working together in taking new steps to develop concrete plans that further deepen our economic partnership.”

KYIV, May 30 (Reuters) - Relatives of Ukrainian fighters who remained for weeks under the besieged Azovstal steel works said on Monday they had received no news of the whereabouts of their loved ones since they were evacuated to Russian-controlled areas of Ukraine. The relatives, all women, said they had formed a Council of Wives and Mothers, to ensure the fighters were treated in accordance with the Geneva Convention on prisoners of war. Sandra Krotevich, sister of the Azov regiment's first deputy commander, Bohdan Krotevich, said relatives had no idea what was happening to the detained fighters. Ukrainian authorities have said they expect the fighters to be part of an exchange with Ukrainian prisoners of war. read moreSome Russian politicians have suggested the Azov fighters, part of a right-wing militia before being folded into the Ukrainian National Guard in 2014, should be put on trial.

The National Hurricane Center said Agatha was expected to dissipate overnight, but warned that the system's heavy rains still posed a threat of dangerous flash flood. EU Council President Charles Michel said on Twitter the deal covers more than two-thirds of oil imports from Russia. Scripps had 245 regional sponsors in 2020 for the bee that was ultimately canceled because of the pandemic. That number is down to 198 this year, meaning some kids faced a tougher path to the bee in super-sized regions. Another huge change: Scripps broke with longtime partner ESPN and will broadcast the competition on its own networks, ION and Bounce.

An Oregon man has been convicted of sexual abusing three young children over a period of seven years while he babysat them at an apartment complex over a decade ago, prosecutors said Monday. Louis Howard Johnson, now 58, repeatedly abused the three children sexually while he worked as a manager at the Tigarden Apartments in Tigard, Oregon, from 1997 to the late 2000s, the Washington County District Attorney’s Office said. Johnson and his wife had babysat several children living in the apartments during that time, including the three victims in the case, according to prosecutors. The abuse remained unreported until May 2019, when one of the victims contacted Tigard police and detailed the abuse she endured, the district attorney’s office said. When police confronted Johnson with the allegations, investigators said he confirmed babysitting the victims but denied any wrongdoing.

Flags of United Arab Emirates, Israel and Expo 2020 Dubai flutter during Israel's National Day ceremony at Expo 2020 Dubai, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, January 31, 2022. REUTERS/Christopher PikeDUBAI, May 31 (Reuters) - Israel signed a free trade agreement with the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, its first big trade accord with an Arab state and a move aimed at boosting trade between the two Middle East nations. "Done," Israel's Ambassador to the UAE Amir Hayek said on Twitter, replying to another tweet he posted earlier saying "the UAE and Israel will sign FTA in the next hour." For oil-rich UAE, the deal with Israel is its second bilateral free trade agreement after signing a similar accord with India in February. Israel and the UAE established ties in September 2020 in a U.S. brokered deal that broke with decades of Arab policy that had called for a Palestinian state before ties with Israel.

A view shows apartment buildings damaged during Ukraine-Russia conflict in the town of Popasna in the Luhansk region, Ukraine May 27, 2022. REUTERS/Alexander ErmochenkoLONDON, May 31 (Reuters) - British military intelligence said on Tuesday that Russia was advancing slowly into Ukraine's Luhansk Oblast, adding that the massing of its forces in a small area raised risks for others elsewhere. "Russia has achieved greater local successes than earlier in the campaign by massing forces and fires in a relatively small area. This forces Russia to accept risk elsewhere in occupied territory." Russian troops were slowly advancing towards the city centre in Sievierodonetsk, the governor of Luhansk region said earlier in the day.

AdvertisementAccording to an FBI affidavit, in the days after the riot, Gable’s fraternity brother from roughly 15 years ago notified the FBI. Levi Gable U.S. Department of Justice“I was among the first people to make our way into the US Capitol Building,” Gable said in one post, per the FBI. In an interview with the FBI on Jan. 21, 2021, Gable denied ever going inside the Capitol, the affidavit said. However, he admitted that he traveled to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 5 and attended the Jan. 6 rally that preceded the riot. The FBI said it obtained multiple surveillance videos that appeared to show Gable inside the building.

An elderly patient is carried in a stretcher to board a medical evacuation train run by MSF (Doctors Without Borders) at the train station in Pokrovsk, eastern Ukraine, eastern Ukraine, Sunday, May 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)An elderly patient is carried in a stretcher to board a medical evacuation train run by MSF (Doctors Without Borders) at the train station in Pokrovsk, eastern Ukraine, eastern Ukraine, Sunday, May 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)POKROVSK, Ukraine (AP) — In wheelchairs and on stretchers, in ambulances and on train station platforms, they wait. ADVERTISEMENTThe city itself has come under attack, including on April 8, when a missile struck Kramatorsk train station, killing more than 50 people and wounding more than 100. In 2014, it was soldiers, but this is the first time that the medical staff in Kramatorsk are seeing many wounded civilians.

Back before Sunny Isles was home address for Rudy Giuliani’s sleaze-ball Ukrainian fixers. The scene captures the transformation of Sunny Isles, from middle-class kitsch to high-roller tacky. Two years ago, Reuters reported that least 63 Russians had spent $98.4 million buying condos in the six Trump-branded luxury towers in Sunny Isles and a seventh in Hollywood. No wonder they call Sunny Isles Moscow-by-the-Sea. Fred Grimm (@grimm_fred or leogrimm@gmail.com), a longtime resident of Fort Lauderdale, has worked as a journalist in South Florida since 1976.

Chalmers told Sky News the government wanted to work with anybody across the parliament who shared the objective of increasing the uptake of cleaner, cheaper energy. Treasurer Jim Chalmers with Anthony Albanese as Labor prepares to receive a treasury briefing in the cabinet room of Parliament House. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian Chalmers said Labor wanted to work with the whole community, including different parts of the parliament. “The reality is, as we saw with Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard and others right since federation, that you would expect to see a byelection at some stage,” Dutton told Sky News. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian Chalmers said Labor wanted to work with the whole community, including different parts of the parliament.

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia’s center-left Labor Party secured enough seats Tuesday to hold an outright majority in the House as vote counting from an election 10 days ago continued. The calculus remains different in the Senate, where the Labor Party will likely need help from other liberals to command a majority. Albanese's party defeated the conservative coalition led by Prime Minister Scott Morrison in the May 21 election. He flew to Tokyo for a summit with President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Albanese told his colleagues the party won by showing unity, discipline and a sense of purpose.

A proposed migrant camp in north Yorkshire - dubbed Guantanamo-on-Ouse - has been delayed after a Tory council began legal action to block it. The former RAF base in Linton-on-Ouse was due to receive its first 60 asylum seekers by Tuesday, but Home Office sources admitted it had been delayed amid a local revolt over the plans to turn it into a camp holding up to 1,500 migrants. It has been opposed by not only the villagers - who will be outnumbered two-to-one by the asylum seekers - but also Kevin Hollinrake, the local Conservative MP, and Tory-controlled Hambleton council whose chief executive has begun legal proceedings with a pre-action letter to the Home Office. It was announced on the same day as Boris Johnson unveiled plans to send migrants to Rwanda. It is a fact that in any cohort of 1,500 people you are going to have some dodgy characters.

Nancy Hilsbos, a former coal miner living in the West Virginia county that Senator Joe Manchin calls home, barely noticed the nondescript office block she passed almost daily. People protest against Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) as they blockade the Grant Town coal waste power plant in Grant Town, West Virginia, on 9 April. They prompted demonstrations outside the power plant in April to demand its closure because of the additional pollution caused by gob. He said the Grant Town power plant revelations are likely to stoke the dissatisfaction within that part of the electorate. West Virginia voted for him in both presidential elections by the largest margin of any state except Wyoming.

Russian troops have taken control of one-third of the city of Severodonetsk, the leader of the Moscow-backed Luhansk People's Republic, Leonid Pasechnik, has said. Preparing for the worst, Mr Gadai said Ukrainian troops defending the city could retreat across the Siverskyi Donets river to the city of Lysychansk to escape encirclement. Russia has been seeking to seize the entire Donbas, consisting of Luhansk and Donetsk which Moscow claims on behalf of separatist proxies. Capturing the twin cities of Severodonetsk and Lysychansk would give Moscow effective control of Luhansk and allow the Kremlin to declare some form of victory after more than three months of war. ??Follow the latest updates below.

LONDON – British military intelligence said on Tuesday that Russia was advancing slowly into Ukraine’s Luhansk Oblast, adding that the massing of its forces in a small area raised risks for others elsewhere. “Progress has been slow but gains are being held. Routes into the pocket likely remain under Ukrainian control,” Britain’s Ministry of Defence said in a Twitter update. “Russia has achieved greater local successes than earlier in the campaign by massing forces and fires in a relatively small area. This forces Russia to accept risk elsewhere in occupied territory.”Russian troops were slowly advancing towards the city centre in Sievierodonetsk, the governor of Luhansk region said earlier in the day.

Iranians inspect the remains of the 10-storey tower block which collapsed in the southwestern city of Abadan last week, killing at least 34 peopleTehran (AFP) – The death toll from last week's collapse of a tower block in southwestern Iran has risen to 34, state media reported Tuesday, as emergency crews continue to comb the rubble. "The total number of fatalities stands at 34 with the discovery of another body this morning," state news agency IRNA quoted the city's governor Ehsan Abbaspour as saying. That leaves four people unaccounted for from the 38 authorities had previously said were missing in the collapse. Others poured onto a platform used by state television, knocking a camera to the ground, the Tasnim news agency reported. According to the provincial judiciary, 13 people have been arrested in connection with the building collapse, including the mayor and two former mayors.

South Korean voters are heading to the polls again on Wednesday for local elections, just three months after the 20th presidential election in early March.Occurring every four years, the local elections will determine the new heads of autonomous local government units and members of local councils, including the two high-profile posts of Seoul mayor and Gyeonggi Province governor. The total number of public offices up for grabs are nearly 4,000.The stake, however, goes beyond the control of local bodies. Lee was formerly governor of Gyeonggi Province.The Incheon seat has been left vacant since Song Young-gil, the Democratic Party candidate for mayor of Seoul, resigned from the post in April.In Seoul, Song is up against current Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon. Oh, who has served as the mayor of the city three times, is highly popular. Recent polls show he is ahead of Song outside the margin of error.Yoon also won Seoul by 4.7 percent in the presidential election.But Song seems aware that the political tide is against him.

The territorial dispute over the Dokdo islets has flared up once again, even as the governments of South Korea and Japan have expressed determination to reset their long-strained relationship.After the Japanese government lodged a complaint against Seoul for conducting a marine survey in the waters off the Dokdo islets on Monday, over which it claims sovereignty, South Korea rejected the protest, saying its research activity was legitimately carried out in accordance with related laws.“We cannot accept Japan’s claims on our legal activities which have been carried out in accordance with international laws, such as the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and other related domestic laws,” Korea’s Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.While South Korea currently holds control over the Dokdo islets to manage it as its own territory, Japan has been claiming sovereignty over the islets, and claims that the sea surrounding the islets is also their Exclusive Economic ZoneJapanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno raised the issue on Monday, after the government lodged a complaint against Korea for operating a research vessel in the waters off Dokdo, which Japan calls Takeshima, for two days.Matsuno said the Korean research vessel carried out a survey without making a prior request to Japan and accused it of intruding Japan’s EEZ around the islets. The two governments discussed the incident, but both sides kept to their stance to claim sovereignty over the islets.According to Sankei News in Japan, a director-general level talk is scheduled to be held in Seoul on Friday, where the Japanese government will ponder raising an issue over Korea’s research vessels.While the South Korean government did not confirm the details of their diplomatic meetings over this matter, Japanese media outlets reported that it is the first time that the Japanese government has lodged a complaint against Korea’s marine survey activities since May 2017.The complaint is seen as a move to show that t

That might sound like good news to gun reform advocates, who have for decades seen the NRA as the primary driver of gun absolutism in the United States. But even if the NRA went away tomorrow, gun politics in the United States would not change. In many ways, the NRA has already won: It has fundamentally transformed the Republican Party, gun jurisprudence and conservative political identity in ways that will continue even if the NRA fades. The right-wing takeover of the group in the mid-1970s turned, by the early 1990s, into an all-out push to reshape the Republican Party into an anti-gun control institution. Though the NRA does donate heavily to politicians who reflect its views, it is no longer a necessary part of gun politics.

(AP Photo/Francisco Seco)An elderly patient is carried in a stretcher to board a medical evacuation train run by MSF (Doctors Without Borders) at the train station in Pokrovsk, eastern Ukraine, eastern Ukraine, Sunday, May 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)POKROVSK, Ukraine -- In wheelchairs and on stretchers, in ambulances and on train station platforms, they wait. The city itself has come under attack, including on April 8, when a missile struck Kramatorsk train station, killing more than 50 people and wounding more than 100. The region, along with neighboring Luhansk, is part of the Donbas, where Russia-backed separatists began fighting Ukrainian forces in 2014 and have controlled sections of eastern Ukraine since then. In 2014, it was soldiers, but this is the first time that the medical staff in Kramatorsk are seeing many wounded civilians.

Taiwan said China had sent J-11 fighter jets (file photo from August)Taiwan says it deployed fighter jets to warn off 30 warplanes sent by China into its air defence zone. The latest incident included 22 fighters, as well as electronic warfare, early warning and antisubmarine aircraft, Taiwan's defence ministry said. The aircraft flew in an area to the northeast of the Pratas Islands that is part of the Taiwan's air defence identification zone (ADIZ), according to a map the ministry provided. 30 PLA aircrafts (KJ-500 AEW&C*2, Y-8 ELINT*4, Y-8 EW*1, Y-8 ASW*1, J-16*6, J-11*8, J-10*4, SU-35*2, and SU-30*2) entered #Taiwan’s southwest ADIZ on May 30, 2022. China and Taiwan: The basicsWhy do China and Taiwan have poor relations?

“The Durham County Board of Elections determined that 9,599 out of 15,685 signatures submitted to the County Board were valid and counted toward the signature requirement. The County Board rejected 6,086 signatures as invalid.”“This is an unusually high number of rejected signatures,” Gannon later added. County board of elections officials told her “somebody had signed different signatures” on the seven pages. “Durham needs a sheriff for all of Durham County,” Jocys told the INDY. Gannon added that both the NC State Board of Elections and Durham County Board of Elections received complaints from voters listed on Jocys’ petition.

Three months in, the war in Ukraine has reached a state of paradox. “I think there was an enormous opportunity lost to explore the possibility of a neutral Ukraine,” Menon says about this period. So has fellow NATO member Turkey, which brokered peace talks between Kiev and Moscow in March. Still, it’s remarkable that a Western leader traveled to a war-torn country to try to scuttle progress on a diplomatic settlement to end hostilities. Experts told Jacobin they were skeptical that victory for either side was possible, and that the most likely outcome was a bloody stalemate — making the task of pursuing peace talks even more important.

Anti-war campaigners warn that U.S. escalation, amid renewed tensions between Ukraine and Russia, could bring dire consequences, and spill into a much larger and more protracted war. ?“Who will most likely set up and teach the Ukrainian army how to use these weapons systems? The U.S. military.”Among those openly discussing the boon to profits is Raytheon CEO Greg Hayes. And of course, the tensions in Eastern Europe, the tensions in the South China Sea, all of those things are putting pressure on some of the defense spending over there. ?“They are cashing in on tensions over Ukraine as the U.S. pours weapons into the region.”General Dynamics, meanwhile, has noted that past tensions have increased demand for the company’s products.

As the criticism of the police response to last week’s Texas school shooting deepens, Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin now says that local law enforcement has not misled anyone and Texas Lt. Gov. “They showed amazing courage by running toward gunfire for the singular purpose of trying to save lives,” Texas Gov. Investigators search for evidences outside Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. APUvalde Mayor Dan McLaughlin said Monday that local law enforcement has not misled Patrick or any other officials. The Governor and I were both livid at the information initially given to Texas DPS,” Patrick told Fox News Digital on Monday evening.

FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas, gave assistance to a migrant suffering from heat exhaustion on a recent dramatic trip to the southern border -- an incident that he said was a window into the "unsustainable humanitarian crisis" at the U.S.-Mexico border. It’s a hazardous area with treacherous conditions for migrants who have often traveled thousands of miles. Agents caught many of those fleeing, including one woman who Marshall said was showing severe symptoms of heat exhaustion that had the potential to turn deadly. While heat exhaustion is not uncommon at the border, the risk of that developing into heatstroke is significant. That’s heat exhaustion going into heatstroke, and once heat stroke starts, it's almost irreversible," he said.

EXCLUSIVE – Indiana native Bobi Gephart ascended the stage of a Warsaw church to which she had dedicated decades of her life, including her formative years. Lying to protect the Lowe family. — Bobi Gephart to Fox News DigitalNH PASTOR CHARGED WITH CHILD PORNOGRAPHY POSSESSION AFTER 5-YEAR INVESTIGATION"I was just 16 when you took my virginity on your office floor. Lowe is facing the crowd of now-questioning congregants as Nate and Bobi Gephart descend from the stage. Not only did Gephart’s mother work as a nanny for the Lowe family, but Bobi and her brother even lived with the family for a short time, she said.

In addition to sounding off on the progressive agenda, parents shared their thoughts on school safety in light of the Texas tragedy. While he took issue with how Fairfax schools were handling curricula, he credited administrators on school safety. Parent Stacy Langton said the presence of school resource officers in Fairfax schools puts her at ease. POLICE FACE QUESTIONS OVER TIMELINE OF EVENTS SURROUNDING UVALDE SCHOOL SHOOTINGFerguson offered a third way to help keep students safe. TEXAS SCHOOL SHOOTING: WHO ARE THE VICTIMS KILLED AT UVALDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL?

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, second right, acknowledges fellow Labor Party colleagues during a party caucus at Parliament House in Canberra, Tuesday, May 31, 2022. Australia's liberal Labor Party secured enough seats to hold an outright majority in the House as vote counting from an election 10 days ago continued. (Lukas Coch/AAP Image via AP))Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, second right, acknowledges fellow Labor Party colleagues during a party caucus at Parliament House in Canberra, Tuesday, May 31, 2022. Australia's liberal Labor Party secured enough seats to hold an outright majority in the House as vote counting from an election 10 days ago continued. He flew to Tokyo for a summit with President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The embargo covers Russian oil brought in by sea, allowing a temporary exemption for imports delivered by pipeline, a move that was crucial to bring landlocked Hungary on board a decision that required consensus. EU Council President Charles Michel said the agreement covers more than two-thirds of oil imports from Russia. Hungary gets more than 60% of its oil from Russia and depends on crude that comes through the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline. In addition to its need for Russian oil, Hungary gets 85% of its natural gas from Russia. Von der Leyen and Michel said the commitment by Germany and Poland to phase out Russian oil by the end of the year and to forgo oil from the northern part of the Druzhba pipeline will help cut 90% of Russian oil imports.

She became the country’s first out lesbian speaker of a state House of Representatives in 2013. She broke barriers once again by becoming Oregon’s longest-serving speaker, before stepping down in January to run for governor. Now, after winning the state’s Democratic nomination for governor last week, Kotek hopes to add another notch to her political belt by becoming the first lesbian governor in the United States. “It’s also made me open to saying, ‘Look, I want to understand where you’re coming from and let’s have a conversation.’”“I’ll talk to anybody,” she added. “What I would say is, let’s have dialogue, let’s work through it, let’s keep moving forward.”“That’s why I consider myself a progressive,” she added.

Unlike my friends from Dagestan, Buryatia, Yakutia or North Osetia, I could afford not to think about my Russian identity. With a Slavic face and a Slavic name, I was not subject to the everyday chauvinism that saturates Russian society. The great Russian director Andrey Zvyagintsev made a powerful film, Loveless, about an absence of love in everyday Russian life. The Russian that Putin and his cronies speak reflects this – it is deliberately un-alive. But while I am very much against the war and against Putin, I am Russian.

He added: "We are Labour because we're patriotic. That great generation came back from war and elected a Labour government to change the country for the better. "You cannot be more patriotic than being prepared to lay down your life for your country. "So for me, those were Labour people and those were people who were invested in our country being better and fairer and opening up opportunity. “I'm one of the people that's helping to organise a street party on our street.

More now on the coalition's new leaders. Both the Liberal and National Parties both have chosen new leaders as they work to reset after their election loss.

No special inspector was appointed during the Moon Jae-in administration. The People Power Party and Yoon Suk-yeol had pledged to revive the position during the election campaign.However, a day earlier, some media outlets reported that Yoon is considering abolishing the special inspector system. According to Yoon’s aide, he said the controversy over the abolition of the special inspectorate was “absurd.”The special inspector office was launched in March 2015 with the appointment of Special Inspector Lee Seok-su during the Park Geun-hye administration. The position has been vacant since.President Moon Jae-in did not appoint a special inspector for five years on the grounds that the role overlapped with the anti-corruption agency. Since it was an organization established by law, more than 1 billion won ($807,558) was spent on it every year.“The special inspection system did not work properly in the last two governments,” said an official from the presidential office.

Kim Gi-hyeon, co-head of the People Power Party's election campaign committee, joined Kweon for a canvassing event in Seongnam. The party asked voters to give support for the liberal bloc as a means to provide checks against the Yoon Suk-yeol administration.Rep. "If nothing major happens until election day, I don't see how the People Power Party would lose in this election," Eom Gyeong-yeong, head of the local think tank Zeitgeist Institute, told The Korea Herald. "It's just a matter of how big the victory would be, and the Democratic Party would be lucky to clinch any region other than their traditional strongholds. Local elections usually see much lower voter turnout than other elections, meaning both parties could be losing votes.The two-day early voting for the Wednesday elections ended with a turnout of 20.62 percent, the highest figure seen in any local elections.

Names begin circulating to replace Kirby at the PentagonJohn Kirby speaks during a news briefing at the Pentagon May 13, 2022 in Arlington, Virginia. But having a Pentagon spokesperson in uniform is problematic for some because members of the military are supposed to be apolitical. Kirby himself was appointed Pentagon press secretary by Defense Secretary CHUCK HAGEL in 2013 while he was still serving in uniform — a move some criticized at the time. Another factor for the administration to consider is that if Breasseale is chosen as Kirby’s permanent replacement, he would be the first openly LGBTQ+ Pentagon press secretary. For example, while Kirby was press secretary under Hagel, BRENT COLBURN filled the assistant to the secretary job.

Pakistan's former prime minister, Imran Khan, has insisted he wasn't aware that Russia was going to invade Ukraine on the same day he met Vladimir Putin in Moscow. On a video link from Peshawar, Mr Khan, who arrived in Russia on 23 February for a two-day visit, said: "How the hell was I supposed to know that the day I landed in Moscow that Putin was going into Ukraine. The former PM was also questioned about his government's close ties with China and Russia, with Mr Khan stating that he was elected to serve the people of Pakistan. Pakistan shares a large border with Afghanistan and Mr Khan was asked about the Taliban takeover of the country last year. He stated "there was never going to be a military solution" in Afghanistan.

China has made the second largest incursion into Taiwan’s air defence zone this year with Taipei reporting 30 jets entering the area, including more than 20 fighters. Taiwan’s defence ministry said late on Monday it had scrambled its own aircraft and deployed air defence missile systems to monitor the latest Chinese activity. In recent years, Beijing has begun sending large sorties into Taiwan’s defence zone to signal dissatisfaction, and to keep Taipei’s ageing fighter fleet regularly stressed. Monday’s incursion was the largest since 23 January, when 39 planes entered the air defence identification zone, or ADIZ. The highest number of aircraft China has sent in a single day was 56 on 4 October 2021.

Firefighters tackle blazes in Kharkiv after strikesUkraine's second largest city was struck by several explosives during Russian shelling on Monday, causing damage and fires in Kharkiv's residential neighborhoods.

Kalush Orchestra with its Eurovision trophy in Krakovets, Ukraine, near the Polish border. Ukraine’s victory at the Eurovision Song Contest brought national pride, joy and artistic prestige to the country amid the devastation of war. The trophy, a handmade glass microphone designed by the Swedish artist Kjell Engman, was auctioned in cryptocurrency, Ms. Pysarenko said. While it does not have overtly political lyrics, it has been reinterpreted as a patriotic hymn to Ukraine as a motherland. “If Stefania is now the anthem of our war,” Mr. Psiuk wrote in the video’s caption, “I would like it to become the anthem of our victory.”John Ismay contributed reporting.

As the 100th day since Russia launched its invasion nears, the tide of battle in Ukraine’s east seems to be pulling in Moscow’s favor. “The recent Russian gains appear at least in part to be the products of past Ukrainian success,” noted Bloomberg News. But Ukrainian fighters in the east, as my colleague Sudarsan Raghavan reported, are complaining of being outmanned and outgunned. The expansion and consolidation of Russian control in Ukraine’s east marks a new phase in the conflict, one that will test both Western and Ukrainian wartime resilience. Russian victory, on the other hand, would mark the victory of might over right, of brute tyranny over the rule of law.

As the Russian offensive continued across Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, the European Union agreed to ban most imports of Russian oil, a move intended to blow a hole in the Kremlin's war finances. read moreThey also agreed to cut off the largest Russian bank, Sberbank, from the SWIFT system and to ban three more Russian state-owned broadcasters, Michel added. The announcement came as Russian forces pushed into key objectives in the Donbas, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the situation remained "extremely difficult". read moreZelenskiy said Russian forces shelled the northeastern city of Kharkiv again on Monday, as well as the border region of Sumy, which was hit from inside Russia. Russian shelling has reduced much of Sievierodonetsk to ruins, but the Ukrainian defence has slowed the wider Russian campaign across the Donbas region.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visits a place of a fight with Russian troops during Russia's invasion to Ukraine, in Kharkiv region, Ukraine May 29, 2022. read more* Luhansk region governor Serhiy Gaidai said Russian troops had advanced into the southeastern and northeastern fringes of Sievierodonetsk. But he said Ukrainian forces had driven the Russians out of the village of Toshkivka to the south, potentially frustrating Moscow's push to encircle the area. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register* Ukraine's defence ministry said Russian forces were also regrouping to attack the Sloviansk region. read more* NATO's support for Ukraine is unbreakable and Russian President Vladimir Putin will not reach his objectives, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said.

DETAILS: Under the proposal, only Russian oil traveling by ship into the EU will be banned by year-end, representing about two-thirds of imports from the country. Russian oil that reaches the EU via pipeline will be exempt, at least temporarily. THE GOOD NEWS: The world is waking up to the headline that the EU has agreed a deal on a Russian oil embargo. Ursula von der Leyen is due to arrive after today’s European Council; European Parliament chief and close Weber ally Roberta Metsola will also be in attendance. **AGENDA— Day 2 of European Council kicks off at 9:30 a.m.— EPP Congress in Rotterdam begins from 9 a.m.

GalleryA Moscow backed separatist leader was reported by state-run TASS news agency on Tuesday as saying that Russian forces had not advanced as rapidly as they had hoped in the battle for Sievierodonetsk, the easternmost city still in Ukraine's hands.

But officers in Uvalde, Texas, took more than an hour to kill a shooter who massacred 19 children, a lapse of time that will likely be a key part of a Justice Department probe that could last months. The timeline of the police response is confounding for experts who say a quick response to active shooters is drilled into police. Others question why a school police chief was able to make the call to delay entry into the classroom. A U.S. Border Patrol tactical team finally used a janitor’s key to unlock the classroom door and kill the gunman, raising more questions about the choice of entry. Detectives have arrested an 18-year-old Florida man after receiving a tip that he threatened a mass shooting at a school in a social media post.

Based on early voting data alone, 37,144 former Democrats voted in the Republican primary. Trump's opponents encouraged Democrats to help defeat U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene in her Georgia primary last week. Of Republican primary voters who cast early or absentee ballots this year, only 1.7 percent voted Democratic in the 2020 primary. Kinzinger's political organization, Country First, targeted thousands of former Georgia Democrats with mailers and text messages urging them to support Raffensperger for the sake of democracy. Back in Georgia, Raffensperger's team pushed back on the idea that he won the GOP primary because of Democrats.

And by the end of the year, 90% of the Russian oil imported in Europe will be banned,” Michel said. And by the end of the year, 90% of the Russian oil imported in Europe will be banned. pic.twitter.com/uVoVI519v8 — Charles Michel (@eucopresident) May 30, 2022 Speaking to the media late on Monday night, Michel said: This is a remarkable achievement by the European Council. “Council should be able to now finalise a ban on almost 90% of all Russian oil imports by the end of the year,” she added. EU leaders agree to partial embargo of Russian oil imports Read more

“When women withdraw from these processes because they can't bear the intrusive distress, that means the prosecution can't proceed. That means that he is out on the streets able to offend again,” he told The Telegraph. Where there was “systemic non-compliance” by a force, it would face fines, he said. Collapsed cases blamed for intensifying searchesThe intensifying of searches has been blamed on a series of cases that collapsed due to inadequate police checks. But victims groups say police have over-compensated with increasingly intrusive checks.

The UK lagged behind France in luring foreign investment again last year as Emmanuel Macron fights to win more business from the City. The gap between the number of foreign investment projects sealed in the UK and France widened after Mr Macron’s drive to entice deals through pro-business policies. France was the top foreign investment destination in Europe in 2021 with 1,222 projects, up 24pc compared to the year before to mark a record for the region, according to EY’s annual attractiveness survey. Peter Arnold, UK chief economist at EY, said: “Macron has been very successful in showcasing France as a place for inward investment. Mr Arnold said the gap will narrow between Britain and France as confidence in the UK improves following the Brexit deal.

"The fine will ensure that Crown is stripped of the revenue it derived from the process and will send a clear message that it must comply with its regulatory obligations," Ms Thorn added.

The leader of Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia on Monday scrapped plans to hold a referendum on joining Russia which his predecessor had scheduled for July 17. South Ossetia was at the center of the Russian-Georgian war in 2008 after which the Kremlin recognized the territory as an independent state and stationed military bases there. In a decree issued Monday, the Moscow-controlled enclave's president Alan Gagloev invoked "uncertainty of the legal consequences of the issue submitted to a referendum." On May 13, Gagloev's predecessor, Anatoly Bibilov, signed a decree on holding the referendum, citing the region's "historic aspiration" to join Russia, his office said at the time. Tbilisi has previously denounced as "unacceptable" plans by South Ossetia to hold a referendum on joining Russia.

More than 100 members of Russia 's Rosgvardia were fired for disobeying orders to fight in Ukraine . AdvertisementMore than 100 soldiers of Russia's national guard have been sacked for disobeying orders to fight in Ukraine, according to multiple media reports. The dismissal of the 115 guardsmen surfaced on May 25 after a Russian military court rejected their lawsuit to challenge their termination. In a separate case in March, 12 national guardsmen were fired for the same reason. Some Russian soldiers reportedly didn't know they would be fighting in Ukraine or why Russia had invaded Ukraine, according to their families and footage from Ukraine.

If anyone from the Trump campaign had been in touch with me. The subpoenas also seek any communications with more than two dozen named Trump campaign officials, attorneys and Georgia electors. He told the FBI that he didn't have direct contact with anyone in the Trump campaign. Shepherd said he didn't have any documents to turn over, but he encouraged the federal investigators to subpoena other state party officials. FBI interview in MichiganIn Michigan, federal investigators have pursued Republicans who had similar roles in 2020 to share information about the organization of the Trump elector slates.

A Ukrainian teacher who spent 65 days sheltering underground with her six-month-old baby in the besieged Azovstal steelworks has spoken of life in the last outpost of Ukrainian resistance in Mariupol. In a striking account given to Ukrainian website The Village, Anna Zaitseva tells the story of her two-month ordeal trapped in the "fortress within a city". When Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February, they decided to head to Azovstal with their newborn son. "But Russian soldiers once again broke the silence," she said. She says women were strip-searched by female Russian soldiers.

Israeli security officials called and directly warned more than 100 Israeli citizens in Turkey that they are in Iran’s crosshairs, and asked them to return, according to a television report Monday. A Kan TV report also said Israel fears that Iran is about to target ordinary Israeli tourists there. At level four, “high threat,” Israelis are explicitly told not to visit the country and to leave if they are already there. AdvertisementSince the Iranians did not succeed with those efforts, they were widening the target to ordinary Israelis in Turkey, Channel 12 reported. A senior Israeli MK denied this.

Specially trained agents with the CBP force’s Bortac SWAT team drove from the US-Mexico border to assist responding officers in Uvalde. Bortac agents with ballistic shields were ultimately able to get inside the classroom where Ramos was hiding and fatally shoot him. finance.yahoo.com/...x "In all, as many as eighty CBP agents, including some who were off duty, rushed to the school during and after the shooting. Bortac (Border Patrol Tactical Unit) is CBP’s’s paramilitary force, an elite group of agents trained to exchange gunfire with cartels. loudly question why immigration officers were so prominent on the scene.

“I’ve seen what these weapons do to adult bodies, let alone little babies’ bodies,” said Senator Tammy Duckworth in a Chris Hayes interview on 5/26/2022. “And you know, these colleagues of mine, at the drop of a hat, put a blown-up giant poster of a fetus on the floor of the Senate. Hayes started by saying there is a “learned helplessness” about dealing with gun control, and asked Duckworth how she felt. “I’m calling for us to suspend the filibuster and pass sensible gun legislation at the 51 vote threshold,” she replied. That’s the bottom line here.”For those of you who believe that Democrats will be unable to suspend the filibuster, that’s certainly a possibility.

“Well, what we must demand is a thorough and complete investigation,” Demings told Brennan. “We all know post-Columbine, there is no time to waste, that the officers on that scene are expected to go into those active shooter situations. We trained on it at the Orlando Police Department, and every sworn member, including the chief of police, went through the active shooter training,” Demings added. “So, obviously, that did not happen.”Demings also said more questions than answers remain about the police response to the shooting. “We have certainly more questions than answers, and I know that we’re gonna get to the bottom of it.”

That’s the header at The NY Times; hurricane season officially starts the first of June for the Atlantic/Gulf region, but May 15 to November 30 is Pacific season. Agatha was the first Category 2 to ever make landfall in the eastern Pacific basin, said Dan Pydynowski, a senior meteorologist at AccuWeather. This year is expected to be an above normal hurricane season in the Atlantic; President Biden had an interagency briefing earlier this month. Here is the NOAA Atlantic 2022 hurricane season forecast. Bigger and badder is the new normal — a more apt phrasing would be the season is expected to exceed historic norms.

Ukrainian counterattacks occur even as Russian forces continued to incrementally capture areas of Severodonetsk but have not yet fully encircled the city. Zelenskiy added that Russian forces “have already stolen at least half a million tons of grain” and “are now looking for ways to illegally sell it somewhere”. It may make sense for Ukrainian forces to fall back to Lysychansk and defend the western bank of the Siverskyi Donets River. [16] Russian forces will likely continue to focus on pushing towards GLOCS northeast of Bakhmut and are unlikely to attempt to capture the city itself. The focus of Russian forces at the moment is the city of Severodonetsk.

Let's start by going after its undeserved tax-exempt privileges...www.irs.gov/…Following Mary Trump’s suggestion that we flood the IRS with these specific complaints about the NRA’s abuse of its non-profit, tax-exempt status, today, Memorial Day, I completed and submitted IRS form13909, as in the image. The text of the Description of Activities (in case the image is too small) is: “Wayne LaPierre and the NRA have continually violated the Johnson Act of 1954 in that they exclusively and actively endorse Republican party candidates, support the Republican party candidates through significant donations, and provide a platform for Republican party candidates to gain publicity. Wayne LaPierre has also used funds generated from NRA fundraising for his own personal gain, including the financing of vacations for himself and for his family members.”EIN is 53-0116130. Let’s all do it, just fill it out as I did, and we can hit ‘em where it hurts -- in the pocketbook.

The garden, one of a few planned for the center, will mimic a plot Michelle Obama planted during her White House tenure as first lady. “Almost immediately after moving into the White House, she starts having her own press conferences with the women members of the press. Anna Roosevelt said she sees a similarity in the way her grandmother took to being first lady and how Michelle Obama used the platform. Anna Roosevelt said the women were both “strong partners” with their husbands and that Eleanor Roosevelt would feel right at home in Michelle Obama’s garden. “She’d hope that this would be a place where they can understand that democracy is not something that’s static.

The middle arrow is the attack around Davydiv Brid, where Ukraine appears to have advanced around 9 kilometers south. This middle prong threatens supply lines for those Russian troops in north Kherson oblast, further pressuring them to fall back. After Voznesensk, Ukrainian forces pushed Russia back 120 kilometers (75 miles), the first time Ukraine proved it could retake lost territory. Ukrainian forces got as far as Posad-Pokrovsikote and Snihurivka, until overwhelming Russian artillery halted the advance. This video shows what a typical engagement looks like, with Ukrainian artillery destroying a Russian vehicle attempting to run the gauntlet.

How has each of the four classes (upper, upper-middle, middle, and working class) been affected by the departure of Yankee businesses (McDonalds, Pepsi, auto, and gas companies)? The loss of jobs in places like these would affect the working class. There would be serious implications in the closing of plants that are involved in big projects like the auto industry, which would lead to loss of jobs for the whole spectrum, from the working class till the upper-middle class. How have the sanctions from the US affected the everyday life of each class? The upper and upper-middle class may lose some of their luxuries, but I do not see them having any difficulties at all.

Whilst Ukraine is not a formal member of NATO, for all practical purposes Ukraine has become a de-facto member of NATO. The US, Britain, and many other countries have supplied large numbers of weapons to Ukraine, including sophisticated ones, such as drones, and modern anti-tank missiles. The US has biological weapons labs in Ukraine, many close to the Russian border. Approximately 260,000 Ukrainian troops have been trained to NATO standards by the US military. The Russians have stated since 2008, that NATO expansion into Ukraine, is an existential threat, because the US could then put nuclear missiles in Ukraine, pointing at Russia..

Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Is our new age (the age of no responsibility and no culpability) the result of end stage, free market Capitalism? Will the war in Ukraine end and Vladimir Putin and the Russian people go on with their lives as if nothing happened? Will the lies of all the Politicos surrounding the Jan. 6th insurrection simply be amplified and the liars not punished? I guess it depends on how much one loves their car?

Recent developments, including talks with Chinese officials, have fortified Scott's view that China remains extremely reluctant to go to war over Taiwan. Scott reiterated his longstanding view that Russian forces will prevail on the ground in Ukraine, adding that recently they have been performing in a very impressive, professional way. UPDATEIn this context, the trial-balloon-type media reports yesterday afternoon, after our interview, that the U.S. is preparing to send long-range rocket systems to Ukraine, takes on added importance. This is much farther than the systems currently in Ukraine's inventory, and could put Russia itself within range. This system has been sitting atop the long list of requests from Ukrainian officials, who say it is needed to curb advancing Russian forces in the Donbas.

- Rocío RivasThose making a decision in LAUSD Board District 4 are out of luck as none of the three candidates bothered to participate in the program. In comparison, all of the candidates in LAUSD Board District 2 respected the voters enough to spend the time needed to create these videos. Kelly Gonez, the incumbent in LAUSD Board District 6, continued her silence as she continued with a re-election strategy that appears to be centered on running out the clock. Carl Petersen is a parent advocate for students with special education needs and public education. As a Green Party candidate in LAUSD's District 2 School Board race, he was endorsed by Network for Public Education (NPE) Action.

So Michael Moore is calling for. With his signature sense of angry humor, activist filmmaker Michael Moore sets out to explore the roots of this bloodshed. In order to arrive at a possible explanation, Michael Moore takes on a deeper examination of America's culture of fear, bigotry and violence in a nation with widespread gun ownership. Furthermore, he seeks to investigate and confront the powerful elite political and corporate interests fanning this culture for their own. We've had a kind of rein on the weapons in the past -- HR3355 -- which banned "assault weapons", but Congress let the legislation lapse and die under a sunshine clause.

It was apparently a "gaffe" of the kind we had forgotten since George W Bush stepped down from the US presidency in early 2009. During a speech in Dallas last week, he momentarily confused Russian President Vladimir Putin's current war of aggression against Ukraine and his own war of aggression against Iraq in 2003. The western media, in so far as it has bothered to report Bush's speech, has laughed along nervously too. It is intended to deflect us, the audience, from thinking about the real significance of Bush's "gaffe". They are not calling for Blair and Bush to be tried for war crimes.

In the video, Black discusses the conflict in Ukraine, his views on NATO expansionism, and draws parallels with the conflict in Syria. He said the decision for war in Ukraine was made in Washington, DC. Black said that Ukraine is meaningless to Americans, and yet American lives are affected by paying billions of dollars for weapons for Ukraine. A similar case in Syria, where Radical Islamic terrorists were used for a proposed regime change, failed. "NATO's arrogance prevents a serious response to Russia's reasonable request that Ukraine never is accepted into the alliance," said Black.

The unsuccessful attempt of including Finland and Sweden in NATO has become evidence of the weakness and disunity of the Western bloc. Turkey blocked NATO membership for Finland and Sweden, citing security concerns. Turkey has always been a unique NATO ally. The non-inclusion of Finland and Sweden in NATO undermines the deterrence effect and the preventive value of the alliance's collective defence potential. A bridge between Europe and Middle East Turkey has not become.

That is, the power to release or not release presidential documents belongs to the current president, not whichever former president may have happened to generate those documents. The "would I be candid if what I say wasn't kept secret?" If you're not willing to be "candid" with the public you claim to work for, you're not a "public servant," you're a "public enemy." Government activity shouldn't take place -- at any level or in any department -- "in camera." It should all take place on Candid Camera.

School corridor(Image by ignat.gorazd) Details DMCAAuthoritarian politicians wasted no time using the recent shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, to justify new infringements on liberty. This is a step toward achieving the longstanding goal of many progressives of focusing the national security state on "domestic terrorists" and "right-wing extremists." Supporters of these efforts have used the Buffalo shooter's mention of "replacement theory" in his "manifesto" to attack prominent conservative commentators, most notably Tucker Carlson. Both sides fail to realize that a violation of any individual's liberty is a threat to everyone's liberty. If Congress was serious about protecting liberty and security, they would pass Kentucky Representative Thomas Massie's legislation repealing the "Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990."

How was "legalized lawlessness," the term used by historian Caroline Elkins in The Legacy of Violence: A History of the British Empire, the rule rather than the exception, carried out by countless emissaries, merchants, officers and soldiers? As a tool of the British Empire, "legalized" violence becomes a weapon to engage "in a bloodless battle" with its subjects. " Legalized lawlessness," writes Elkins, empowers the little island nation to rule over older and larger nations with impunity. Violence is the "British Empire's midwife," as Elkins points out, "endemic to the structures and systems of British rule." "Legalized lawlessness" was a justification for the employment of white violence, systemic violence, endemic to a host of repressive policies and tactics.

Conflict in the Donbas Region(Image by manhhai) Details DMCARussia's "Special Military Operation", which began on Feb. 24, is entering its fourth month. The Russian victory in Donbass comes after weeks of intensive combat that saw the Russian military shift gears away from what has become known as Phase One. Ukraine has no organized reserves left." Russia has completed Phase One despite the efforts of the U.S., NATO, and the E.U. to supply Ukraine with a significant amount of lethal military assistance, primarily in the form of light anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons.

When Ukraine's defeat becomes impossible for the imperialist media to deny, Zionism will be dealt a blow along with it. Kiev's officials have explicitly called for the ethnic Russians to be forcibly relocated should the Donbass separatists lose the war. When Kiev loses, Zionism will be repudiated by extension, as Zionism depends on the same ethnic-supremacist logic that Kiev uses. Such is the reasoning of the Ukrainian fascists, and those throughout the imperialist bloc who support Ukraine's war crimes out of supposed love for "human rights." The imperialists, in tandem with their Zionist running dogs, can call the liberation of the Donbass peoples a Russian "imperialist" project all they like.

And even with that much lower starting point, some 65,000 Americans died of COVID-19 during the summer of 2021. Tragically, the prediction that “Memorial Day gatherings” would generate another rise in infections is already about to be realized. This would mean that the actual number of new infections is above 700,000 a day, close to the all-time peak of 900,000 daily infections during the Omicron spike in January. On May 18, the county Public Health Department reported 4,384 new cases. Public health officials, however, have responded only by urging residents to wear masks in indoor public spaces, without suggesting a return to any form of mandate.

In other words, the US is effectively providing Ukraine with a blank check on strikes inside Russian territory. The Ukrainian army has already carried out multiple strikes within Russia, killing at least one civilian and wounding dozens. The Russian Defense Ministry recently increased its troops and artillery deployments to the Kursk region neighboring Eastern Ukraine. In addition to advanced weapons systems, the US has plans to provide Ukraine with even longer-range weapons in the form of multiple rocket launchers potentially capable of striking deep inside Russia. On March 11, Biden still declared, “We will not fight a war against Russia in Ukraine.

Yesterday’s unopposed installation of former Defence Minister Peter Dutton as the new leader of the Liberal Party marks a further sharp shift to the right, and toward the agenda of war and austerity, by Australia’s entire political establishment. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)Dutton is the leader of the Liberals’ most right-wing conservative faction. The most significant feature of Dutton’s first media conference yesterday as the Liberal leader was his defiant defence of his incendiary anti-China agitation in the lead-up to the election, during which he said the country had to “prepare for war” against China. Notably, Albanese, who has unequivocally committed his government to the Biden administration’s escalating moves against China, sprang to Dutton’s defence last week as soon as it was clear that Dutton would be unopposed as the Liberal leader. “Anthony Albanese looked Australian workers in the eye and said that he would absolutely support the 5.1 per cent increase in wages,” Dutton said.

VideoEuropean Union leaders agreed on Monday to ban most imports of Russian oil to the 27-nation bloc as Ukrainian and Russian forces battled on the outskirts of Sievierodonetsk, the last city still held by Kyiv in Ukraine's strategic Luhansk province.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen speaks at a rank conferral ceremony for military officials from the Army, Navy and Air Force, at the defence ministry in Taipei, Taiwan December 28, 2021. REUTERS/Annabelle ChihTAIPEI, May 31 (Reuters) - The United States is planning on "cooperation" between its National Guard and Taiwan's military, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said on Tuesday, deepening security ties in the face of what Taipei's government complains is a rising threat from China. The United States is Chinese-claimed Taiwan's most important international supporter and arms supplier, despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties. "As a result, the U.S. Department of Defense is now proactively planning cooperation between the U.S. National Guard and Taiwan's defence forces," Tsai said, without giving details. Taiwanese media has previously reported that Taiwan could partner with Hawaii's National Guard for the programme.

Based on early voting data alone, 37,144 former Democrats voted in the Republican primary. Trump’s opponents encouraged Democrats to help defeat U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene in her Georgia primary last week. Of Republican primary voters who cast early or absentee ballots this year, only 1.7 percent voted Democratic in the 2020 primary. Kinzinger’s political organization, Country First, targeted thousands of former Georgia Democrats with mailers and text messages urging them to support Raffensperger for the sake of democracy. Back in Georgia, Raffensperger’s team pushed back on the idea that he won the GOP primary because of Democrats.

The embargo covers Russian oil brought in by sea, allowing a temporary exemption for imports delivered by pipeline, a move that was crucial to bring landlocked Hungary on board a decision that required consensus. EU Council President Charles Michel said the agreement covers more than two-thirds of oil imports from Russia. Hungary gets more than 60% of its oil from Russia and depends on crude that comes through the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline. In addition to its need for Russian oil, Hungary gets 85% of its natural gas from Russia. Von der Leyen and Michel said the commitment by Germany and Poland to phase out Russian oil by the end of the year and to forgo oil from the northern part of the Druzhba pipeline will help cut 90% of Russian oil imports.

The New Mexico Supreme Court affirmed a district court judge’s ruling Tuesday to let the Democratic primary candidate for Valencia County sheriff remain on the ballot. In March, Michael Candelaria, a Valencia County voter and the chairman of the Republican Party of Valencia County, challenged the candidacy of Democrat Rodney Jones, the only candidate on the primary ballot for his party, saying Jones was not a resident of Valencia County. Later that same month, 13th Judicial District Court Judge James Lawrence Sanchez ruled Jones could remain on the ballot, which prompted Candelaria’s attorney to file an appeal with the New Mexico Supreme Court. On the Republican ticket, incumbent Valencia County Sheriff Denise Vigil is also unchallenged. After the district court hearing, Jones said he would “absolutely” physically reside in Valencia County if he were to win in November.

The Conservatives have been accused of punishing Sir Lindsay Hoyle over partygate, by forcing him to miss Platinum Jubilee tributes to the Queen. Tory whips are said to be furious that the House of Commons Speaker allowed a vote among MPs on whether to refer Boris Johnson to Parliament’s privileges committee. But sources close to Sir Lindsay said the date for his trip could only be confirmed close to the time, because of the Falkland Islands’ Covid restrictions. Sir Lindsay is said to have prioritised the foreign trip, which involved an 18-hour flight on an RAF jet, because of his love of Britain’s overseas territories. One MP familiar with the spat said Mr Heaton-Harris had been angry that Sir Lindsay had allowed the privileges committee vote last month.

The EU has agreed to ban around 75% of Russian oil imports. The embargo covers Russian oil brought in by sea - but has a temporary exception for imports delivered by pipeline to appease Hungary and other countries concerned about the economic impact of a full ban. AdvertisementHe added that 75% of Russian oil imports to the EU would be immediately banned - rising to 90% by the end of the year. I believe that Europe will have to give up Russian oil and oil products in any case. "And the sooner this happens, the more complete the abandonment of Russian oil will be, the greater the benefit will be for Europe itself in the end."

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced plans to freeze handgun ownership, after mass shootings in the USOttawa (AFP) – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Monday a proposed freeze on handgun ownership in Canada that would effectively ban their importation and sale, following recent mass shootings in the United States. "We're introducing legislation to implement a national freeze on handgun ownership," Trudeau told a news conference, joined by dozens of families and friends of victims of gun violence. But Trudeau acknowledged Monday that gun violence continues to rise. "Gun violence is a complex problem," he said. "Today's announcement fails to focus on the root cause of gun violence in our cities: illegal guns smuggled into Canada by criminal gangs," she tweeted.

EU leaders on Monday backed a ban on most Russian oil imports, after a compromise deal with Hungary to punish Moscow for the war in Ukraine. The 27-nation bloc has spent weeks haggling over a proposed total embargo on Russian oil but came up against stubborn resistance from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. "Agreement to ban export of Russian oil to the EU. It will allow a ban on oil imports from #Russia. The sanctions will immediately impact 75% of Russian oil imports.

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks at a news conference about firearm-control legislation in the House of Commons in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada May 30, 2022. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Monday a proposed freeze on handgun ownership in Canada that would effectively ban their importation and sale, following recent mass shootings in the United States. "We're introducing legislation to implement a national freeze on handgun ownership," Trudeau told a news conference, joined by dozens of families and friends of victims of gun violence. The government statistical agency reported last week that firearms-related violent crimes account for less than three percent of all violent crimes in Canada. Almost two-thirds of gun crimes in urban areas involved handguns.

Taipei (AFP) – China has made the second largest incursion into Taiwan's air defence zone this year with Taipei reporting 30 jets entering the area, including more than 20 fighters. Advertising Read moreTaiwan's defence ministry said late Monday it had scrambled its own aircraft and deployed air defence missile systems to monitor the latest Chinese activity. In recent years, Beijing has begun sending large sorties into Taiwan's defence zone to signal dissatisfaction, and to keep Taipei's ageing fighter fleet regularly stressed. Monday's incursion was the largest since January 23, when 39 planes entered the air defence identification zone, or ADIZ. The most number of aircraft China has sent in a single day was 56 on October 4, 2021.

Ukrainian and Russian forces are still fighting in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the situation there as "extremely difficult" on Monday. Russia has been seeking to seize the entire Donbas, consisting of Luhansk and Donetsk which Moscow claims on behalf of separatist proxies. GasTerra is a private company that is owned by the Dutch arms of energy giants Shell and Esso and the Dutch government. (FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and REUTERS)© France Médias Monde graphic studioDaily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning Subscribe

Military analysts described the fight for Sievierodonetsk as part of a race against time for the Kremlin. That failure forced Moscow to withdraw, regroup and pursue the more limited objective of seizing the Donbas, where Moscow-backed separatists already held swaths of territory and have been fighting Ukrainian troops for eight years. Zelenskyy said Russian troops also shelled Kharkiv on Monday, as well as the Sumy region near the Russian border. He said the struggle also continued for the southern Kherson region, which has been largely controlled by Russian troops since the early days of the war. He said sanctions haven’t blocked Russian food, and he accused Russia of stealing at least a half million tons of Ukrainian grain.

When a reporter asked Biden outside the White House if he felt more motivated to act on legislation now, in the wake of recent shootings such as Uvalde, he said he has been "motivated all along." "I'm going to continue to push and we'll see how this works," he said. "The idea of these high-caliber weapon, there's simply no rational basis for it, in terms of whether this be about self-protection, hunting," he said. The White House, which took a more direct role in previous legislative priorities, has said the president will observe the process as it proceeds. The president said Monday at the White House that he "deliberately did not engage in a debate about that with any Republican" during his trip.

A man holds his baby inside Azot chemical plant's bomb shelter, where people have been hiding from from shelling since the beginning of the war, in Sievierodonetsk, Luhansk region, Ukraine, April 16, 2022. REUTERS/Marko DjuricaMay 31 (Reuters) - Russian forces have seized control of about a third of the Ukrainian city of Sievierodonetsk, but their assault was taking longer than they had hoped, according to a Moscow-backed separatist leader quoted in a TASS news agency report. Russian shelling has reduced much of Sievierodonetsk to ruins and Russian troops have entered the city's southeastern and northeastern fringes, but the Ukrainian defence has slowed the wider Russian campaign across the Donbas region. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterPasechnik told the Russian state news agency that fighting was raging in the city, but Russian forces were not advancing as rapidly as might have been hoped. The advance of Russian troops was complicated by the presence of several large chemical plants in the Sievierodonetsk area, TASS reported.

EU leaders agree to ban 90% of Russian oil by the end of 2022Enlarge this image toggle caption Olivier Matthys/AP Olivier Matthys/APEuropean Union leaders agreed Monday to embargo most Russian oil imports into the bloc by year-end as part of new sanctions on Moscow worked out at a summit focused on helping Ukraine with a long-delayed package of new financial support. EU Council President Charles Michel said the agreement covers more than two-thirds of oil imports from Russia. Hungary gets more than 60% of its oil from Russia and depends on crude that comes through the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline. In addition to its need for Russian oil, Hungary gets 85% of its natural gas from Russia. Von der Leyen and Michel said the commitment by Germany and Poland to phase out Russian oil by the end of the year and to forgo oil from the northern part of the Druzhba pipeline will help cut 90% of Russian oil imports.

UVALDE, Texas — Uvalde school district police chief Pete Arredondo will not be sworn in as a newly elected Uvalde City Council member as planned on Tuesday, the city mayor announced. Arredondo was elected to the City Council on May 7 and was slated to take the oath of office during a special called City Council meeting on Tuesday, according to a meeting agenda posted online. “Our focus on Tuesday is on our families who lost loved ones," McLaughlin said in a statement provided to USA TODAY. It was not immediately clear if Arredondo would be sworn in at a later time, or if it could be done privately. Arredondo, 50, who grew up in Uvalde and graduated from high school here, was set to be sworn in Tuesday to his new spot on the City Council after being elected earlier this month.

As the criticism of the police response to last week's Texas school shooting deepens, Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin now says that local law enforcement has not misled anyone and Texas Lt. Gov. Immediately following the shooting that left 19 children and two adults dead, a slew of Texas officials praised the law enforcement response to the tragedy. TEXAS SCHOOL SHOOTING: LIVE UPDATESLt. Gov. Patrick told Fox News on Saturday that law enforcement's choice not to immediately confront the shooter was a "bad decision, and that decision cost lives." The Governor and I were both livid at the information initially given to Texas DPS," Patrick told Fox News Digital on Monday evening.

“We are, however, facing a level of gun violence in our communities that is unacceptable.”AdvertisementThe proposed legislation came after mass shootings in Texas and across the U.S.-Canada border in Buffalo in recent weeks have revived a long-simmering debate in the United States about whether Congress might act to curb gun violence. “Unfortunately, the reality is in our country [gun violence] is getting worse and has been getting worse over the past years,” Trudeau said. The Liberals pledged stricter gun-control measures if reelected. The Liberal Party typically employs guns as a wedge issue during federal election campaigns, painting their Conservative counterparts as supportive of easing gun-control measures to gain an edge. Wortman, a denturist, did not possess a firearms license and obtained his weapons illegally.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese boards the plane to Japan to attend the QUAD leaders meeting in Tokyo, in Canberra, Australia, May 23, 2022. AAP Image/Lukas Coch via REUTERSSYDNEY, May 31 (Reuters) - Australia's centre-left Labor party has secured enough seats in the lower house of parliament to govern in its own right, the country's new prime minister said on Tuesday, letting it form government without the support of independents or minor parties. read moreAt Tuesday's party meeting, he planned to discuss the make-up of a full cabinet and expected to make the appointments public within the next day, media reported. The Liberals selected former police officer and former home affairs minister Peter Dutton to replace former Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who stepped down after the election defeat, while the Nationals chose David Littleproud to replace Barnaby Joyce. The former government was on track to win 57 lower house seats, according to news outlets.

The embargo covers Russian oil brought in by sea, allowing a temporary exemption for imports delivered by pipeline, a move that was crucial to bring landlocked Hungary on board a decision that required consensus. EU Council President Charles Michel said the agreement covers more than two-thirds of oil imports from Russia. Hungary gets more than 60% of its oil from Russia and depends on crude that comes through the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline. In addition to its need for Russian oil, Hungary gets 85% of its natural gas from Russia. Von der Leyen and Michel said the commitment by Germany and Poland to phase out Russian oil by the end of the year and to forgo oil from the northern part of the Druzhba pipeline will help cut 90% of Russian oil imports.

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Former Defense Minister Peter Dutton was chosen Monday to lead Australia's conservative opposition following the party's election defeat nine days ago. Defeated Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he would step down as Liberal Party leader after his loss to new Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who leads the left-leaning Labor Party. Dutton was elected unopposed to become the new leader of the Liberal Party, and former environment minister Sussan Ley was elected his deputy. He said China's leadership under Xi Jinping was the “biggest issue our country will face in our lifetimes." He was elected in a party meeting on Monday after a three-way contest with former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce and Darren Chester.

Police ordered the crowd not to chant slogans against the Islamic Republic and then ordered them to leave, calling their rally illegal. During unrest, Iran has disrupted internet and telephone communications to affected areas, while also limiting the movement of journalists. In 1978, an intentionally set fire at Cinema Rex — just a few blocks from the collapsed building in modern Abadan — killed hundreds. Abadan, in Iran's oil-rich Khuzestan province, is home to Iran's Arab minority, who long have complained about being treated as second-class citizens in the Persian nation. Monday night, Iranian state TV aired footage of the raid on the Prudent Warrior.

© Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post People gather in Uvalde, Tex., on Sunday to see President Biden. President Biden, who spent nearly four hours Sunday visiting with the families of Uvalde victims, told reporters he would not give up on efforts to achieve “common-sense” gun legislation. Some came two hours early,” Biden told reporters at the White House. ), whose Houston-based district is several hours from Uvalde and Robb Elementary School, the site of the shootings. Jackson Lee attended church with the president and first lady Jill Biden in Uvalde on Sunday.

EU leaders have backed a partial embargo on Russian oil after late-night talks at a summit in Brussels. The sanctions will immediately impact 75% of Russian oil imports with the aim to ban 90% of all Russian oil imported to Europe by the end of the year, officials said. The president of the European Council, Charles Michel, hailed the deal as a “remarkable achievement” that would place “maximum pressure on Russia to end the war”. European Council president Charles Michel addressed speculation of disunity within the EU in the days leading up to the agreement. The Council will “continue helping Ukraine with its immediate liquidity needs, together with the G7” European Council President Charles Michel said late on Monday night.

Former Trump adviser Peter Navarro is launching legal action against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the January 6 committee, claiming that they have no legal right to hold him in contempt of Congress for refusing to give evidence. He faces possible criminal charges after the House last month voted to forward the case to the Department of Justice. Last month, the House voted 220 to 203 - mostly along party lines - calling for prosecutions of Navarro, a trade adviser to Trump, and Scavino, former deputy chief of staff. Meanwhile, the committee has been closing in on big names around Trump as it prepares for a series of public hearings. And last month Trump's daughter spoke to the committee days after her husband Jared Kushner appeared before lawmakers for six hours.

Voters mark ballots at polling booths at a voting center in Ulsan last Friday, the first day of two-day early voting for the June 1 local elections and parliamentary by-elections. (Yonhap)The rival parties made last-ditch efforts Tuesday to woo undecided voters on the eve of nationwide local elections amid expectations the results will boost or weaken the mandate of the new government of President Yoon Suk-yeol. The PPP hopes it can extend the momentum of the presidential election victory. "We should remember that we won the presidential election just by a 0.7 percentage point. In the run-up to Wednesday's local elections, a proposal to relocate Seoul's Gimpo International Airport has emerged as a hot button issue recently.

Russian President Vladimir PutinMoscow: As the Ukraine-Russia war continues, Russian President As the Ukraine-Russia war continues, Russian President Vladimir Putin today spoke on the phone with Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan . According to the official comminique, Putin had also "noted the readiness of the Russian side to facilitate the unimpeded maritime transit of goods in coordination with Turkish partners." The Russian leader also 'confirmed' that his country could export significant amounts of fertilizers and agricultural products if sanctions against it are lifted. Sanctions have however made it hard for Russian exporters to access vessels to move commodities to global markets. As the war continues, Russia on Monday launched artillery and missile attacks to expand the territory that Moscow-backed separatists have held since 2014 in the region known as the Donbas.

Joe Biden has said the US will not supply Ukraine with rockets that can reach into Russia, in an attempt to ease tensions with Moscow over the potential deployment of long-range missiles with a range of about 185 miles. “We are not going to send to Ukraine rocket systems that can strike into Russia,” Biden told reporters on Monday after arriving back at the White House after a weekend in Delaware. The longest range can fire missiles up to 185 miles away, but others use rockets with shorter ranges of 20 to 40 miles. Ukraine has also been pressing the UK to supply some of its own M270s, with some sources complaining that Britain has been dragging its feet. Last Friday Boris Johnson, the UK prime minister, said MLRS would enable the Ukrainians “to defend themselves against this very brutal Russian artillery, and that’s where the world needs to go”.

(CNN) With the first funerals from last week's school shooting taking place this week in Uvalde, Texas, the city's mayor has postponed a city council meeting at which several new members were to be sworn in -- including school police chief, Pedro "Pete" Arredondo, who had been elected to the council earlier this month. "Our focus on Tuesday is on our families who lost loved ones," Mayor Don McLaughlin said in a Monday statement. "We begin burying our children tomorrow, the innocent victims of last week's murders at Robb Elementary School. The special City Council meeting will not take place as scheduled." At a Friday press conference, Texas Department of Public Safety director Col. Steven McCraw confirmed that the Uvalde school district police chief was the official who made the decision not to breach the classrooms -- though McCraw did not identify Arredondo by name.

Peter Navarro, a former Trump aide, represents himself in a lawsuit against House Jan. 6 panel. Navarro is one of four Trump aides found in contempt by the House for defying subpoenas. WASHINGTON – Peter Navarro, a former trade adviser to then-President Donald Trump, announced he would file a federal lawsuit Tuesday challenging a subpoena from the House committee investigating the Capitol attack Jan. 6, 2021. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., one of the committee members investigating the attack, said in April federal courts confirmed the panel's legislative purpose in several rulings. Navarro is one of four Trump aides found in contempt by the House for defying committee subpoenas.

Seven people were injured after two rival outlaw biker gangs got into a shootout on a highway in Nevada, police said. Keep up with today's most important news Stay up on the very latest with Evening Update. It’s not clear which biker gang those charged are affiliated with. The shooting caused a traffic nightmare in the Las Vegas metro area as investigators shut down US-95 from Boulder Highway to Horizon Drive and Horizon Drive from Pacific Avenue in both directions for several hours. No details on what may have led to the shooting have been released at this time.

Canada moved to make the sale of handguns illegal under a sweeping new bill introduced in Ottawa Monday in the wake of the Uvalde, Texas school shooting. “It will no longer be possible to buy, sell, transfer or import handguns anywhere in Canada. In other words, we’re capping the market for handguns,” Trudeau said. The country has already unveiled plans to ban 1,500 types of military-style firearms and implement a mandatory buyback program of high-capacity weapons. Getty Images/Tim Krochak“In Canada, gun ownership is a privilege, not a right,” said Bill Blair, minister of emergency preparedness.

As usual, the Biden administration dithers while the world burns. But some inside the White House were worried the MLRS could be used to hit targets inside Russia, escalating the response. It’s idiotic that the administration is having meeting after meeting about limiting the range of missiles as Ukrainian soldiers fight for their lives. The head of the Ukrainian presidential administration, Andriy Yermak, said Ukrainian forces needed the weaponry “yesterday.” Slogging through red tape and the Biden administration’s own waffling not only makes things worse for Ukraine, it will cost everyone more down the road. The least President Biden can do for Ukraine is supply them with the weapons they need — now.

France is calling for an investigation into the death of a French journalist who was killed while reporting in war-torn Ukraine. Colonna, who was in Ukraine Monday, said she had spoken with the Governor of Luhansky and asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for an investigation. BFM TV reporter Frédéric Leclerc-Imhoff, 32, was fatally hit by shell shrapnel while covering a Ukrainian evacuation operation, according to the French news broadcaster he worked for. According Zelenskyy, Leclerc-Imhoff was the 32nd media person killed since the start of Russia’s invasion on February 24. French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted that Leclerc-Imhoff was in Ukraine to "show the reality of war."

President Biden on Tuesday will meet with Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell to discuss record-high inflation before meeting the K-pop group BTS. According to the White House agenda, Biden will first meet with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern before meeting with Powell to discuss the state of the U.S. economy. Biden has not met with Powell since November when he announced his attention to nominate him for a second term as Federal Reserve Chairman. BIDEN SAYS US WON'T SEND UKRAINE ROCKET SYSTEMS THAT CAN REACH RUSSIAThe seven-piece K-pop supergroup BTS will join Biden at the White House later in the afternoon to discuss Asian hate crimes. Last summer, popstar Olivia Rodrigo visited the White House to promote COVID-19 youth vaccination.

That might sound like good news to gun reform advocates, who have for decades seen the NRA as the primary driver of gun absolutism in the United States. But even if the NRA went away tomorrow, gun politics in the United States would not change. In many ways, the NRA has already won: It has fundamentally transformed the Republican Party, gun jurisprudence and conservative political identity in ways that will continue even if the NRA fades. The convention went ahead with a now-familiar message that liberals and media outlets were politicizing the shooting, while calling for fewer regulations. Though the NRA does donate heavily to politicians who reflect its views, it is no longer a necessary part of gun politics.

COPENHAGEN — Russia’s war in Ukraine has pushed Finland and Sweden to apply to join NATO, and now Denmark — already a member of the military alliance — is considering scrapping its EU opt-out on security and defense. On Wednesday, Danes will vote in a referendum on the future of the opt-out, which has been in place for 30 years. It would also be a blow to the Social Democratic government and the eight other parties that are rallying for the Yes vote. “If the Yes vote is ahead with 14 percent, it would mean the final result is relatively close but still a Yes vote,” Beach said. The EU is “something sensitive to Danes, many have the feeling that … everything we give to the EU, we lose,” Beach said.

To take account of this factor, EU leaders agreed in their written conclusions that "in case of sudden interruptions of supply, emergency measures will be introduced to ensure security of supply." Even without Hungary’s pressure, the embargo was designed to give countries long reliant on Russian oil supplies time to adjust. The Czech Republic was granted an 18-month exception from a ban on the resale of oil products. Von der Leyen first announced plans for the oil ban in a speech to the European Parliament on May 4 and predicted adoption of it within days. Officials and diplomats said that ending EU purchases of Russian natural gas is going to be even more complicated.

EU Council President Charles Michel said the agreement covers more than two-thirds of oil imports from Russia. Hungary gets more than 60% of its oil from Russia and depends on crude that comes through the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline. But Hungary led a group of EU countries worried over the impact of the oil ban on their economy, including Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria. In addition to its need for Russian oil, Hungary gets 85% of its natural gas from Russia. Von der Leyen and Michel said the commitment by Germany and Poland to phase out Russian oil by the end of the year and to forgo oil from the northern part of the Druzhba pipeline will help cut 90 percent of Russian oil imports.

With 28.2% of votes, Hernandez got second place in a surprise result, beating establishment favorite Federico Gutierrez. “It was a punishment vote for the national government and political parties - the former presidents who control those parties -, the traditional political class. But on the other hand it was a vote for change. Once more, (to change) the national government, a vote coming from unhappiness so Colombians’ situation can change,” Restrepo said. He thinks voters who supported other candidates will most likely align with their vote for the second round with their political views.

President Biden said Monday that the “2nd Amendment was never absolute,” and that after the Texas elementary school shooting, there may be some bipartisan support to tighten restrictions on the kind of high-powered weapons used by the gunman. “I think things have gotten so bad that everybody’s getting more rational, at least that’s my hope,” Biden told reporters before honoring the nation’s fallen in Memorial Day remarks at Arlington National Cemetery. Faced with chants of “do something” as he departed a church service, Biden pledged, “We will.”After the Uvalde trip, Biden spent Sunday night at his home in Delaware. As he arrived at the White House for Memorial Day events, he was asked whether he was more motivated now to see new federal limits imposed on firearms. The tree came from a sapling of a nearby magnolia planted by President Andrew Jackson in 1835.

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden walk across the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Monday, May 30, 2022, after returning from Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden, joined by surviving families of service members, participates in a magnolia tree planting ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Monday, May 30, 2022. “I think things have gotten so bad that everybody’s getting more rational, at least that’s my hope,” Biden told reporters before honoring the nation’s fallen in Memorial Day remarks at Arlington National Cemetery. As he arrived at the White House for Memorial Day events, he was asked if he’s now more motivated to see new federal limits imposed on firearms. As the group used shovels to toss dirt on the newly planted tree, Biden grinned and said “shovel brigade.” He and the first lady later held hands with those gathered in a circle around the tree and prayed silently.

Do you have an unpaid Covington parking ticket? The Covington Board of Commissioners is offering month-long amnesty for anyone with an unpaid parking ticket. To qualify for the program, individuals with one or more unpaid parking tickets must pay their original fine within the month of June. Pay your parking ticket online at covington.rmcpay.com, or pay it in person at the Covington ABM Parking office at 501 Scott Blvd. Drivers who have unpaid parking fees will receive a letter about the city's amnesty program in the mail.

UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet’s six-day trip to China began with some controversy, and ended with even more. Some complained Bachelet had dwelled too much on the US’s human rights problems but not China’s. Knowing a top envoy from the UN would be restrained in her tone and delivery, Beijing took the occasion to say Bachelet’s trip was an opportunity “to observe and experience first-hand the real Xinjiang”. This trip was a microcosm of the bigger issue between China and the west these days. But the world is also waiting to hear more about Bachelet’s promise that she would “follow up” on instances of human rights abuse as highlighted by advocacy groups.

U.S. President Joe Biden said Monday he would not send rocket systems to Ukraine that could hit targets well inside Russian territory, despite urgent requests from Kyiv for long-range weapons. “We are not going to send to Ukraine rocket systems that can strike into Russia,” Biden told reporters in Washington.

'The day this legislation goes into effect it will no longer be possible to buy, sell, transfer or import handguns in Canada,' Trudeau told reporters. Canada's public safety minister has tabled regulatory amendments in parliament to ensure it can be implemented swiftly, according to a ministry statement. 'In Canada, gun ownership is a privilege not a right,' Blair said. In Canada, guns are only intended to be used for hunting and sport purposes.' Canadian Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino announcing new gun control legislation in Ottawa on Monday.

- 'Ukraine the major reason'-The defence opt-out means that the Scandinavian country, a founding member of NATO, does not participate in EU foreign policy where defence is concerned and does not contribute troops to EU military missions. Denmark is the only country to have negotiated a defence opt-out, though Malta remains de facto outside as well. "For the past many, many years, nobody thought that the government would put the defence opt-out to a national referendum", she said. Berlin's announcement that it was reversing decades of defence policy by massively hiking its military spending also played a key role in the Danish decision, Friis said. One of their main arguments is that the emergence of a joint European defence would come at the expense of NATO, which has been the cornerstone of Denmark's defence since its creation in 1949.

Mr. Navarro’s subpoena, by his own account, was issued by a different grand jury. In the draft of the suit he said he intends to file, he argues that only Mr. Trump can authorize him to testify. He asks a judge to instruct Mr. Graves, the U.S. attorney in Washington, to negotiate his appearance with Mr. Trump. Mr. Navarro cites Mr. Trump’s invocation of executive privilege over materials related to the attack on the Capitol. “The executive privilege invoked by President Trump is not mine or Joe Biden’s to waive,” Mr. Navarro writes.

A fifth grade student in Florida was arrested over the weekend after allegedly threatening to carry out a mass shooting in a text message, authorities said. In a statement Saturday, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said it had learned earlier that day of a "threatening text message" sent by a student at an elementary school. It said its local school threat enforcement team was immediately notified and started investigating. The 10-year-old boy was interviewed and later charged with "making a written threat to conduct a mass shooting," the sheriff's office said. “This child made a fake threat, and now he’s experiencing real consequences.”Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno speaks Wednesday about the school shooting in Texas and pledges his commitment to keep Lee County students and staff members safe.

The embargo covers Russian oil brought in by sea, allowing a temporary exemption for imports delivered by pipeline, a move that was crucial to bring landlocked Hungary on board a decision that required consensus. EU Council President Charles Michel said the agreement covers more than two-thirds of oil imports from Russia. It has targeted more than 1,000 people individually, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and top government officials as well as pro-Kremlin oligarchs, banks, the coal sector and more. In addition to its need for Russian oil, Hungary gets 85% of its natural gas from Russia. Von der Leyen and Michel said the commitment by Germany and Poland to phase out Russian oil by the end of the year and to forgo oil from the northern part of the Druzhba pipeline will help cut 90% of Russian oil imports.

Europe Along Ukraine’s northern border with Russia, fears of a new invasion Loading... Members of a border guard unit from the Chernihiv region stand guard at their base, which was damaged by Russian strikes in recent months, in Chernihiv, Ukraine, on May 17. Between two and eight shells land in the Chernihiv region every day, said Oleksandr Sereda, deputy commander of the region’s border guards. The video shows Russian soldiers firing a rocket-propelled grenade at the border guards’ pickup truck, then summarily executing those who survived. That we surrender?”AdvertisementPeople in Tykhonovychi and other villages are instead giving everything they have to the border guards. correction An earlier version of this article misidentified the deputy commander of the Chernihiv region’s border guards.

As Title 42 continues through court proceedings, data from the United States Customs and Border Protection shows undocumented migrants continue to cross the U.S.-Mexico border at unprecedented levels. Once Title 42 expires, the Department of Homeland Security predicts up to 18,000 migrants could cross the border daily. FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS BIDEN ADMIN FROM ENDING TITLE 42 BORDER EXPULSIONSLocal, state, and federal resources are partnering to prepare for an influx of migrants. However, undocumented migrants continue to cross the Southwest border at record levels. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrol has encountered 1,219,920 undocumented migrants so far in 2022.

Gun control activist Igor Volsky criticized gun culture as racist and built on misleading ideas about masculinity while appearing on MSNBC’s "The Mehdi Hasan Show." Volsky agreed that gun culture was prominent among Republicans but due to their ideas of "masculinity" and "racism" rather than the NRA alone. "Well, it is a force, and it’s a force because gun ownership isn’t just about the NRA, it’s about an entire identity, and it’s intertwined in many ways like a braid with our notions of masculinity, racism, and guns. It's those three issues that we have seen over decades really strengthen and grow within the conservative movement," Volsky said. Following the Uvalde school shooting, several Democrats including President Joe Biden have called for more gun control legislation.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday said the U.S. was not interested in entering into a "Cold War" with China and vowed to increase Washington’s lines of communication with Beijing. "We are not looking for conflict or a new Cold War. To the contrary, we’re determined to avoid both," Blinken said speaking at George Washington University in D.C. "Even as President Putin's war continues, we will remain focused on the most serious long-term challenge to the international order — and that's posed by the People's Republic of China," Blinken said. "Absent a clearer directive from the president himself, the inter-agency will likely remain dogged by ‘analysis paralysis’," he argued.

European Union leaders agreed to partially cut off Russian oil imports on Monday as part of the sixth round of sanctions against the country since Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine in February. French President Emmanuel Macron said 90% of Russian oil imports will be banned by the end of this year. I believe that Europe will have to give up Russian oil and oil products in any case," Zelenskyy said. "And the sooner this happens, the more complete the abandonment of Russian oil will be, the greater the benefit will be for Europe itself in the end." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPThe United States banned all Russian oil imports in March, just weeks after Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine.

Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid attends a cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister's office in Jerusalem May 15, 2022. Abir Sultan/Pool via REUTERS/File PhotoJERUSALEM, May 30 (Reuters) - Reaching a deal to normalize ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia will be "a long and cautious process", but Israel believes it can happen, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said on Monday. Israel has said it hopes to build on its 2020 U.S.-brokered accords with four Muslim nations and establish diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia. "We will not wake up one morning to a surprise, rather it will be a long and cautious process on both sides. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Ari Rabinovitch Editing by Tomasz JanowskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The school police chief faulted for having officers stay back during a gunman's deadly siege at a campus in Uvalde, Texas, last week is free to take his elected seat on the City Council, the mayor said Monday. He was scheduled to be sworn in Tuesday, but Mayor Don McLaughlin said the event was being postponed so the city's focus can remain on survivors. Arredondo told the Uvalde Leader-News in a story published May 12 that he was anticipating the additional role. In an interview distributed to television stations nationwide Monday, the mayor indicated that he supports Arredondo and his additional role. The mayor thanked the Justice Department in Monday's statement for committing to the review.

The embargo covers Russian oil brought in by sea, allowing a temporary exemption for imports delivered by pipeline, a move that was crucial to bring landlocked Hungary on board a decision that required consensus. EU Council President Charles Michel said the agreement covers more than two-thirds of oil imports from Russia. Hungary gets more than 60% of its oil from Russia and depends on crude that comes through the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline. In addition to its need for Russian oil, Hungary gets 85% of its natural gas from Russia. Von der Leyen and Michel said the commitment by Germany and Poland to phase out Russian oil by the end of the year and to forgo oil from the northern part of the Druzhba pipeline will help cut 90% of Russian oil imports.

EU Council President Charles Michel said the agreement covers more than two-thirds of oil imports from Russia. Hungary gets more than 60% of its oil from Russia and depends on crude that comes through the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline. But Hungary led a group of EU countries worried over the impact of the oil ban on their economy, including Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria. In addition to its need for Russian oil, Hungary gets 85% of its natural gas from Russia. Von der Leyen and Michel said the commitment by Germany and Poland to phase out Russian oil by the end of the year and to forgo oil from the northern part of the Druzhba pipeline will help cut 90% of Russian oil imports.

In his nightly address Monday, Zelenskyy said the result is the threat of famine in countries dependent on the grain and could create a new migration crisis. The watered-down embargo covers only Russian oil brought in by sea, allowing a temporary exemption for imports delivered by pipeline. KYIV, Ukraine -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has asked France not to succumb to Russian “blackmail” over food supplies at a meeting with French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna. Ukraine has accused Russia of looting grain and farm equipment from regions its troops hold in Ukraine and of obstructing Ukraine’s exports of grain. An official installed by Russia in the Kherson region of southern Ukraine says grain from the area is being sent to Russia.

EU Council President Charles Michel said the agreement covers more than two-thirds of oil imports from Russia. Hungary gets more than 60% of its oil from Russia and depends on crude that comes through the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline. But Hungary led a group of EU countries worried over the impact of the oil ban on their economy, including Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria. In addition to its need for Russian oil, Hungary gets 85% of its natural gas from Russia. Von der Leyen and Michel said the commitment by Germany and Poland to phase out Russian oil by the end of the year and to forgo oil from the northern part of the Druzhba pipeline will help cut 90% of Russian oil imports.

An eyewitness says police in Kansas City, Missouri repeatedly shot an unarmed pregnant woman as she tried to run away. “They shot five times,” the witness, who only gave her first name, Shedanja, told the Kansas City Star. The male suspect reportedly jumped out of the car and ran away, but Ms Hale stayed and put her hands up. As they argued back and forth, Ms Hale told police there was a gun in the car. “Why they shot her, y’all?”Police say the Missouri State Highway Patrol is investigating the incident.

Three more Russian state-owned broadcasters have also been bannedThere are ambitions to ban 90 per cent of Russian oil imports by the end of 2022Leaders also agreed to cut off Russian bank Sberbank from the SWIFT systemThe EU council president Charles Michel said that the 27-nation bloc agrees a ban covering more than two-thirds of Russian oil imports. And there are ambitions to ban 90 per cent of Russian oil imports by the end of 2022, official say. It has targeted more than 1,000 people, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and top government officials, as well as pro-Kremlin oligarchs, banks, the coal sector and more. Hungary and Slovakia depend on Russian oil that comes through the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline. The problem with hitting sea-transported Russian oil is that countries like Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands - which are most reliant on that form - would suffer a surge in oil prices, distorting competition because Hungary would still be purchasing cheaper Russian oil.

A woman looks through coils of razor wire that divide the breakaway territory of South Ossetia from Georgian-controlled land, in the Georgian village of Khurvaleti in July 2013Tbilisi (AFP) – The leader of Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia on Monday scrapped plans to hold a referendum on joining Russia which his predecessor had scheduled for July 17. Tbilisi has previously denounced as "unacceptable" plans by South Ossetia to hold a referendum on joining Russia. War crimesMonday's announcement came on the 96th day of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, where Moscow-backed separatists in Donetsk and Lugansk regions have also expressed interest in joining Russia. The war's aftermath saw the Kremlin recognise the independence of South Ossetia and another separatist region, Abkhazia, which have since remained under Russia's military control. Last year, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Russia was responsible for human rights violations in the war's aftermath.

Optometrists and online eyewear sellers may end their long-running feud over mobile vision prescription apps in Rhode Island this year. Legislation that would require contact lens and glasses wearers to get an in-person eye exam at least every two years if they want to renew their prescriptions passed the House Human Services Committee on Wednesday night. On their behalf, lawmakers introduced a series of bills that would require users of corrective eyewear to visit local optometrists in person for an eye exam. Opponents of the original bill include the American Telemedicine Association, Rhode Island Business Coalition, Rhode Island TechNet and Americans for Vision Care Innovation, which represents 1-800 Contacts. The bill passed the House on the last day of last year's legislative session but died in the Senate.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last week that the State Department will launch a similar "China House" team of diplomats to coordinate and implement policy regarding the Asian nation. While Japan is strengthening its security partnership with the United States, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has said that Tokyo is also aiming to build a "constructive relationship" with China with a focus on economic ties. Communist-led China and democratic Taiwan have been governed separately since they split in 1949 due to a civil war. China has regarded Taiwan as a renegade province to be reunified with the mainland, by force if necessary. Related coverage:Japan urges China to play "responsible role" for peaceChina military body may be target of Japan counterstrike capabilityJapan, China talks over food import ban not held for over 1 year

© Provided by Associated Press This satellite photo from Planet Labs PBC shows the Metropol Building collapse site, center, in Abadan, Iran, Thursday, May 26, 2022. Ayatollah Mohsen Heidari AleKasir tried to address upset mourners near the site of the 10-story Metropol Building but hundreds gathered Sunday night instead booed and shouted. Following the tower collapse in Abadan last Monday, authorities have acknowledged the building’s owner and corrupt government officials had allowed construction to continue at the Metropol Building despite concerns over its shoddy workmanship. The collapse reminded many of the 2017 fire and collapse of the iconic Plasco building in Tehran that killed 26 people. In 1978, an intentionally set fire at Cinema Rex — just a few blocks away from the collapsed building in modern Abadan — killed hundreds.

The White House appears to be walking back President Joe Biden's remarks that the U.S. will not send long-range rocket systems into Ukraine. "We're not going to send to Ukraine rocket systems that can strike into Russia," Biden said to reporters on the South Lawn Monday morning. Following his remarks, a senior administration official said there has been no decision yet on sending multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) to Ukraine. "Apparently, once again the Biden Administration is intimidated by Russian rhetoric," Graham tweeted. Zelensky has asked for the long-range systems, some missiles have a range of nearly 185 miles.

First, concerted offensive operations by the military have failed to contain, let alone crush, anti-regime resistance forces in the nation’s ethnic Bamar heartland. Dry season chaosMaking military sense out of the chaotic violence that swept much of the national heartland over the dry season since late 2021 is challenging. Thirdly, while most hostilities take place in rural areas, PDFs have increasingly been able to take the war to their enemy. And that, in turn, may mean a defining shift in the war foreshadowed by other modern guerrilla conflicts. Despite a stark crisis of manpower and emerging cracks in its morale, the military still retains significant organization and firepower, while resistance forces face an uphill struggle to organize, arm and coordinate a wider strategy.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks to the media in Brussels on Monday. “I’m very glad that the leaders were able to agree in principle on the sixth sanctions package, this is very important. This is an important step forward,” von der Leyen said. Von der Leyen added that the remaining 10% of imports of Russian oil is via a pipeline into Hungary and Slovakia. Von der Leyen emphasized that coordination across EU states is necessary to carry this out.

The embargo covers Russian oil brought in by sea, allowing a temporary exemption for imports delivered by pipeline, a move that was crucial to bring landlocked Hungary on board a decision that required consensus. EU Council President Charles Michel said the agreement covers more than two-thirds of oil imports from Russia. It has targeted more than 1,000 people individually, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and top government officials as well as pro-Kremlin oligarchs, banks, the coal sector and more. In addition to its need for Russian oil, Hungary gets 85% of its natural gas from Russia. ADVERTISEMENTVon der Leyen and Michel said the commitment by Germany and Poland to phase out Russian oil by the end of the year and to forgo oil from the northern part of the Druzhba pipeline will help cut 90% of Russian oil imports.

“Sign a formal agreement saying we will not use these weapons in Russia,” McFaul explained. Biden shut down reports that the White House was preparing to send long-range systems to Ukraine. Yuichi Yamazaki/Getty ImagesA visibly frustrated McFaul said not arming Ukraine is “a losing strategy,” on the network. “I just think it’s a losing strategy,” said McFaul, who sounded flustered. Two, Ukraine pushes Russia out of Ukraine.

The Jan. 6 rioter who openly wore a “Hitler mustache” to his job at a Navy base was convicted on all counts Friday after testifying that he didn’t know Congress met inside the Capitol — and blamed his ignorance on growing up in New Jersey. “I know this sounds idiotic, but I’m from New Jersey,” Hale-Cusanelli said, according to WUSA-TV. Hale-Cusanelli stormed the U.S. Capitol because he wanted to kick off a civil war and create “a clean slate,” a federal prosecutor said May 24, 2022. One juror told WUSA that he was troubled by Hale-Cusanelli’s use of anti-Semitic slurs, given his testimony that he’s half-Jewish. Hale-Cusanelli, who’s been held without bail since his arrest on Jan. 15, 2021, is scheduled for sentencing on Sept. 16.

The schools have sent 180,000 letters to the education department Tuesday opposing draft guidelines for new measures on the religious institutions. “We have done a magnificent job in educating our children,” Aaron Twerski, a Brooklyn Law School professor and Yeshiva parent, wrote to state officials. Getty ImagesPrevious attempts at more oversight were met with resistance from a wide array of independent school groups, from elite Manhattan private schools to Catholic schools. A spokesperson for the New York State Education Department said the agency has yet to count the letters, and did not know if it was the largest volume it had received on a proposed regulation. “New York State law requires education substantially equivalent to that provided in public schools be provided to all students in non-public schools,” said JP O’Hare, an agency spokesperson.

Uvalde officials have canceled Tuesday’s planned City Council meeting where a local police chief — under fire for his handling of last week’s deadly school shooting — was set to be sworn in as a new member. “We begin burying our children tomorrow, the innocent victims of last week’s murders at Robb Elementary School. The special City Council meeting will not take place as scheduled.”But the statement suggested that Arredondo would eventually be sworn in, saying there is no procedure for the city to prohibit him from ever taking office. “Pete Arredondo was duly elected to the City Council,” the statement said. School District Police Chief Pete Arredondo was elected to the council earlier this year — but has stayed in his home under police protection.

Choose your plan ArrowRight President Biden, who spent nearly four hours Sunday visiting with the families of Uvalde victims, told reporters he would not give up on efforts to achieve “common-sense” gun legislation. Some came two hours early,” Biden told reporters at the White House. “We will look comprehensively at Uvalde and the incident that occurred last Tuesday,” said Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Tex. ), whose Houston-based district is several hours from Uvalde and Robb Elementary School, the site of the shootings. Jackson Lee attended church with the president and first lady Jill Biden in Uvalde on Sunday.

A far-right Missouri organization has launched a disturbing map alerting followers to “hot spots” of so-called “woke” activity in the state. As of Monday, the 12 map locations all concerned educational institutions, and linked to articles, videos and tweets trashing things like critical race theory and diversity training. “The first step in fighting back is uncovering their crazy ideas — from Critical Race Theory to grooming toddlers with sexually explicit books,” the statement added. “That is why we have officially launched the Woke Heat Map — an interactive tool designed to expose the insane actions of the radical Left. Instead, followers are encouraged to interact with the organization by filling out forms on the web page reporting “woke hot spots” for the map.

Porter appeared to be unaware of the event where Trump exploited the hit song “Hold On, I’m Coming.”A statement from Hayes’ family did refer to the fact that Trump specifically used it at NRA convention. “Our condolences go out to the victims and families of Uvalde and mass shooting victims everywhere,” it read. In his speech at the convention Friday, Trump bashed gun control and hailed firearms just days after 19 children and two teachers were killed in a mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas. He then mangled the pronunciation of a list of victims’ names.

The Ukrainian military is fighting to expel the Russians from Kharkiv OblastRead also: Russian attack kills four and wounds seven in KharkivRussian forces in Kharkiv Oblast are attempting to hold their positions and prevent an offensive by the Ukrainian army, the General Staff said. In Kharkiv Oblast, the Russians are fortifying positions to the west of the occupied Kozacha Lopan, a town to the north of the city of Kharkiv, near the Russian border. Read also: Putin's Russia might repeat the fate of the USSROn May 5, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, announced that Ukrainian forces had launched a counteroffensive in Kharkiv Oblast. The Armed Forces drove Russians out of Oleksandrivka, Fedorivka, Ukrainka, Shestakove, Peremohy, and occupied part of Cherkaski Tyshky. On May 11, the army liberated Pytomnyk, and a week later the village of Dementiivka, close to the Russian border.

This was the soldier, a former English teacher who gave his name as Dymytro: "You know now what I'm most afraid of, now that the fighting is so intense, so tough? That we would be told "That's it, stop it, we have a ceasefire. Negotiated settlement can only happen on Ukrainian terms and at present if it happened it would be horror, it would be the end of the president's career and of them all. More than two-thirds of residential dwellings are completely destroyed. To capture Sievierodonetsk is of primary importance to the occupation corps.

The embargo covers Russian oil brought in by sea, allowing a temporary exemption for imports delivered by pipeline, a move that was crucial to bring landlocked Hungary on board a decision that required consensus. EU Council President Charles Michel said the agreement covers more than two-thirds of oil imports from Russia. Hungary gets more than 60% of its oil from Russia and depends on crude that comes through the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline. In addition to its need for Russian oil, Hungary gets 85% of its natural gas from Russia. Von der Leyen and Michel said the commitment by Germany and Poland to phase out Russian oil by the end of the year and to forgo oil from the northern part of the Druzhba pipeline will help cut 90% of Russian oil imports.

KATERYNA TYSHCHENKO — MONDAY, MAY 30, 2022, 18:38Ukrainian troops forced the enemy to withdraw from the village of Mykolaivka, Kherson oblast. Details: In general on Pivdennobuzkyi front, the enemy did not conduct any active military operations. In order to reduce the offensive potential of the Ukrainian troops, Russian forces are firing on the positions of the Defense Forces from barrel and rocket artillery. On the Kharkiv front the enemy did not carry out active offensive operations. In certain areas, the enemy additionally deployed up to two S-300 anti-aircraft missile divisions from the 4th Army of the Southern Military District.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Monday that his government is introducing legislation to "implement national freeze on handgun ownership" throughout the country. "What this means is that it will no longer be possible to buy, sell, transfer, or import handguns anywhere in Canada," Trudeau said at a press conference. About 55,000 new handguns have been registered annually in Canada per year over the last decade, Mendicino said. The legislation will also create new red flag laws that will allow courts to remove guns and suspend licenses for people who pose a threat to themselves or others. Magazines that hold more than five rounds will also be banned under the new laws.

Biden said that the "Second Amendment was never absolute" and that, after the Texas elementary school shooting, there may be some bipartisan support to tighten restrictions on the kind of high-powered weapons used by the gunman. 3m read 3m read

? Close President Zelensky meets US officialsBelarus is making preparations to conduct military mobilisation exercises in June and July, reports say. According to state news agency BelTA, the exercises will be held in the Gomel region which borders Ukraine in the south and Russia to the east. From 22 June to 1 July, planned exercises with military commissariats - military administrative agencies - and armed forces will be conducted. Meanwhile, EU leaders have agreed on to ban the export of Russian oil to the 27-nation bloc, its president has announced“This immediately covers more than two thirds of oil imports from Russia, cutting a huge source of financing for its war machine,” EU Council president Charles Michel wrote on Twitter. It was also agreed that the largest Russian bank Sberbank from the Swift system be cut off, while a further three Russian state-owned broadcasters will be outlawed.

What is Roe v Wade? Is Roe v Wade constitutional? What did Roe v Wade establish? The ruling from Roe v Wade established federal protections for women who wish to have an abortion. Was Roe v Wade overturned?

“As a government, as a society, we have a responsibility to act to prevent more tragedies,” Mr Trudeau said. In 2019, New Zealand banned semi-automatic weapons and bought back guns following attacks on two mosques in Christchurch that killed 51 people. The US has never engaged in a large-scale assault weapon buyback like other nations, but it did temporarily ban semi-automatic weapons, although the prohibition lapsed in 2004. Previous attempts at gun control in Canada have come in for criticism. Critics have accused Mr Trudeau of bringing back a national long-gun registry that was ended by the previous Harper administration.

Canada is introducing a bill that would ban the sale of handguns, less than a week after 19 children and two teachers were killed in a school shooting in Texas. "The day this legislation goes into effect it will no longer be possible to buy, sell, transfer or import handguns in Canada," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters. Canada already has much tougher gun ownership restrictions than the US, but the killings at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, have sparked concerns about gun violence worldwide. AdvertisementSpeaking alongside Mr Trudeau, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said a mandatory programme to buy back and compensate owners of such weapons would be launched soon. The number of registered handguns in Canada increased by 71% to 1.1 million between 2010 and 2020, according to Mr Trudeau's office.

We begin burying our children tomorrow, the innocent victims of last week’s murders at Robb Elementary School. The special City Council meeting will not take place as scheduled," McLaughlin told KSAT. next Image 1 of 3prev next Image 2 of 3prev Image 3 of 3A course guide for the active shooter training program states that "the student will be able to compare/contrast an active shooter event and a hostage or barricade crisis." SUSPECTED GUNMAN MADE THREATS, CALLED 'YUBO SCHOOL SHOOTER' ON PLATFORM, USERS SAID"A simple barricade crisis develops when an armed actor(s) isolates themselves with little or no ability to harm innocent others. The Uvalde city manager told NBC News that the meeting to swear in Arredondo as a city council member on Tuesday was "not happening."

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden’s economic troubles stand to get even worse as the sweeping Covid lockdowns in China begin to ripple through the U.S. economy. In Ohio, China policy is proving to be a focal point of one of this fall's highest-profile Senate races. “But the supply chain issues are so complex that you need a Ph.D. in economics to fully grasp them. "Part of it is that Covid has laid bare this fragility of the China-related supply chain," he said. Kevin Frayer / Getty Images fileIn the meantime, the effects of the Shanghai lockdowns are beginning to be felt.

Ibrahim Kalin, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman and chief foreign policy adviser, speaks during an interview with Reuters in Istanbul, Turkey May 14, 2022. REUTERS/Murad Sezer/File PhotoANKARA/WASHINGTON, May 30 (Reuters) - A chief adviser to Turkey's president told his U.S. counterpart that Turkey wanted "concrete steps" on the existence of what it calls "terrorist organisations" in Finland and Sweden before it would consider their NATO bids, the Turkish presidency said. "It was emphasised that it is imperative for Sweden and Finland to take concrete steps regarding the terrorist organisations that threaten Turkey's national security," it added. The White House said Sullivan in the call "expressed support for Turkey’s continued direct talks with Sweden and Finland to resolve concerns over their applications for NATO membership, which the U.S. strongly supports." Sweden and Finland have said they condemn terrorism and are open to dialogue.

Mr Di Meglio believes that despite Beijing's aggressive power projection in the region, and positioning over the Solomon Islands, Xi' China is actually weaker "than any time in the very last years." Mr Di Meglio told France24: "Even though you mentioned that China is now positioning itself in the Solomon Islands and China might seem more aggressive in the region. "It's a moment where China is weaker than any time in the very last years. A draft communique and five-year action plan sent by China to the invited nations ahead of the meeting showed China was seeking a sweeping regional trade and security agreement. Wang said some had questioned China's motives for being so active in the Pacific islands, and his response was China supported developing countries in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean also.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrives for the European Union leaders summit, as EU's leaders attempt to agree on Russian oil sanctions in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Brussels, Belgium May 30, 2022. REUTERS/Johanna GeronBRUSSELS, May 31 (Reuters) - EU leaders have reached an agreement "in principle" on banning oil imports from Russia, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said early on Tuesday. "I am very glad that the leaders were able to agree in principle on the sixth sanctions package," she told reporters after the first day of an EU summit in Brussels. "Council should now be able to finalise a ban on almost 90% of all Russian oil imports by the end of the year. On the remaining 10%, on these we will soon return to the issue of these remaining 10% of pipeline oil," she added.

“I’m very glad that the leaders were able to agree in principle on the sixth sanctions package, this is very important. This is an important step forward,” von der Leyen said. Von der Leyen added that the remaining 10% of imports of Russian oil is via a pipeline into Hungary and Slovakia. Von der Leyen added that there would be a suspension of broadcasting of three more Russian state outlets in the EU. Von der Leyen emphasized that coordination across EU states is necessary to carry this out.

It’s targeted more than 1,000 people, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and top government officials, as well as pro-Kremlin oligarchs, banks, the coal sector and more. According to several diplomats, leaders will try to reach a deal for an EU embargo on Russian oil brought in by sea by the end of the year that would cover more than two-third of the EU’s oil imports from Russia. Hungary and Slovakia depend on Russian oil that comes through the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline. The problem with hitting sea-transported Russian oil is that countries like Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands — which are most reliant on that form — would suffer a surge in oil prices, distorting competition because Hungary would still be purchasing cheaper Russian oil. Some protesters gathered outside EU buildings Monday before the summit, holding signs like “No to Russian oil and gas.”___Karel Janicek contributed to this story from Prague.

Mayor Eric Adams received a warm reception in Staten Island Monday as he joined local politicians in the borough’s annual Memorial Day parade to honor fallen veterans. “This is what Memorial Day is all about, honoring the men and women who won our freedom with their blood every day, defending our country,” Adams told the crowd. “This is one parade that continues to get a crowd every year,” Councilman Joe Borelli said. Rudy and Andrew Giuliani made an appearance at the Memorial Day parade. “I don’t think the answer is taking away our second amendment rights, to be perfectly honest,” he said.

Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, now 98 years old, has jumped into the fray. In an address to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Kissinger said Ukraine must give up some of its territory to Russia for the war to end and to avoid a wider conflict. If Ukraine surrendered territory to Russia, it would likely invite Russian President Vladimir Putin to move against other countries once under control of the Soviet Union. If Ukraine surrenders, Putin will stop at nothing to invade more territories. I understand the feelings of those who say we can’t be the policemen of the world and with our $30 trillion debt we can’t afford sending troops everywhere.

Russian troops pushed farther into a key eastern Ukrainian city and fought street by street with Kyiv's forces Monday in a battle the mayor said has left the city in ruins and driven tens of thousands of people from their homes. Military analysts painted the fight for Sievierodonetsk as part of a race against time for the Kremlin. Weapons from the West have already helped Kyiv's forces thwart a Russian advance on the capital in the early weeks of the war. That failure forced Moscow to withdraw, regroup, and pursue the more limited objective of seizing the Donbas, where Moscow-backed separatists already held swaths of territory and have been fighting Ukrainian troops for eight years. The Russian military's focus on Sievierodonetsk has already left the city "completely ruined," Mayor Oleksandr Striuk said.

London (CNN Business) The European Union has agreed on a partial ban on Russian oil imports, according to European Council chief Charles Michel. "Agreement to ban export of Russian oil to the EU. This immediately covers more than 2/3 of oil imports from Russia, cutting a huge source of financing for its war machine," Michel announced in a tweet on Monday evening. "This sanctions package includes other hard-hitting measures: de-Swifting the largest Russian bank Sberbank, banning 3 more Russian state-owned broadcasters, and sanctioning individuals responsible for war crimes in Ukraine," Michel added. EU leaders will meet again in Brussels on Tuesday to discuss the bloc's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

EU leaders agreed late Monday night on a political deal to impose sanctions on Russian oil imports. “Agreement to ban export of Russian oil to the EU,” European Council President Charles Michel tweeted from a leaders’ summit in Brussels. “This immediately covers more than 2/3 of oil imports from Russia, cutting a huge source of financing for its war machine.”The Council of the EU must still formally agree on the sanctions. An EU official said the Czech Republic got an 18-month exemption from the ban to cover the resale of oil products. Slapping an embargo on Russian oil would be one of Europe’s most significant steps in restricting the revenue available to President Vladimir Putin to wage war in Ukraine.

Canada's new bill would freeze handgun sales and importsCanadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government introduced legislation Monday that would put a national freeze on importing, buying or selling handguns. The government said the bill would also allow for the removal of gun licenses from people involved in acts of domestic violence or criminal harassment, such as stalking. The government also plans to fight gun smuggling and trafficking by increasing criminal penalties, providing more tools to investigate firearms crimes and strengthening border measures. The bill would create a new "red flag" law allowing courts to require that people considered a danger to themselves or others surrender their firearms to police. Trudeau has long had plans to enact tougher gun laws but the introduction of the new potential law comes after mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas, and Buffalo, N.Y., this month.

Canada already has far stricter gun ownership laws than the United StatesCanada should introduce a total ban on the buying and selling of all handguns, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said. His government is proposing a new law that would freeze private ownership of all short-barrelled firearms. The legislation would not ban the ownership of handguns outright - but would make it illegal to buy them. Canada already has stricter rules on gun ownership than its southern neighbour and records fewer firearm incidents every year. The new bill would effectively limit the number of legally-owned handguns in Canada to present levels.

“The folks who were victimized, their families, they spent three hours and 40 minutes with me,” Biden said Monday. I think a lot of it is unnecessary.”He said he hadn’t spoken with Republicans, so he didn't know whether they would support passage of gun safety laws. Democrats, Republicans talking gun billsSenate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said last week he wants GOP lawmakers to work with Democrats on a legislative solution for limited gun measures "directly related" to the Uvalde shooting. On Monday, Biden recalled hearings he held when he was a senator to talk about “rational gun laws” and seeing an X-ray when visiting a trauma hospital in New York. “I think things have gotten so bad that everybody is getting more rational about it,” Biden said.

In the first round of increased security funding last July, state Sen. Derek Slap speaks outside a Bloomfield synagogue regarding security at houses of worship. (Christopher Keating)HARTFORD — After the recent gun massacres in Buffalo and Texas, the State Bond Commission voted Thursday to allocate $5 million for houses of worship and other facilities to improve their security. AdvertisementThe program provides upgrades such as bulletproof glass, surveillance cameras, fencing, alarm systems and solid doors sought by Connecticut organizations. Connecticut is trying “to keep our kids safe in schools, keep our worshippers safe in their houses of worship,” said Gov. Advertisement“If you drive down Albany Avenue in West Hartford on any Saturday, you’ll notice something,” Slap said at the time.

BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union leaders reached a compromise Monday to impose a partial oil embargo on Russia at a summit focused on helping Ukraine with a long-delayed package of sanctions that was blocked by Hungary. The watered-down embargo covers only Russian oil brought in by sea, allowing a temporary exemption for imports delivered by pipeline. Maximum pressure on Russia to end the war.”The EU had already imposed five previous rounds of sanctions on Russia over its war. In addition to its need for Russian oil, Hungary gets 85% of its natural gas from Russia. Some protesters gathered outside EU buildings Monday before the summit, holding signs like “No to Russian oil and gas."

Nato must uplift these tanks and send them to Ukraine or to sanction Germany until it toes the line. Mr Putin must be stopped sooner rather than later. The nuclear deterrent is too important for maintaining world peace to allow Mr Putin to threaten the nuclear option. A Third World War is inevitable if we do not stand up to Mr Putin and test the efficacy of the nuclear deterrent. Barbara WhitakerHalton, BuckinghamshireLunchtime teaSIR – Two friends and I celebrate our birthdays by having afternoon tea (Letters, May 27) in London.

Just 11 forces - a quarter of the 44 constabularies - were within the target with their average time to answer. One in 20 999 calls across all forces took more than a minute to answer, equivalent to 500,000 a year and six times the target timescale. It follows warnings by HM Inspectorate of Police that forces are in danger of being overwhelmed by a surge in 999 calls driven by a lack of confidence in the non-emergency 101 line. It found 999 calls rose by 11 per cent in two years and a quarter of forces were often “overwhelmed” by demand. Some forces said as many as 30 per cent of 999 calls now involved issues, such as mental health crises, that should be dealt with by other organisations such as the NHS.

Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska has given a rare interview with husband Volodymyr Zelensky. This is only the second time the couple have been seen together since the beginning of the war in Ukraine.

Protesters angry over a building collapse in Iran that killed at least 32 people shouted down an emissary sent by the country's Supreme Leader, sparking a violent crackdown that saw riot police club demonstrators and fire tear gas. Ayatollah Mohsen Heidari AleKasir tried to address mourners near the rubble of the 10-storey Metropol Building on Sunday but was met by shouts of "Shameless!" The deadly collapse in the city of Abadan in southwestern Iran on May 23 has raised questions about the safety of similar buildings in the country. AdvertisementImage: A man stands amid the ruins of the under-construction 10-story commercial building that collapsed. Image: The disaster in the city of Abadan in southwestern Iran has raised questions about the safety of similar buildings in the country.

File photo: In this Saturday, Aug. 9, 2008 file photo, a column of Russian armored vehicles seen on their way to the South Ossetian capital Tskhinvali somewhere in the Georgian breakaway region, South Ossetia, Georgia. The leader of Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia on Monday scrapped plans to hold a referendum on joining Russia which his predecessor had scheduled for July 17. Tbilisi has previously denounced as "unacceptable" plans by South Ossetia to hold a referendum on joining Russia. In August 2008, Russian forces launched an all-out invasion of Georgia, which was battling pro-Russian militia in South Ossetia, after they shelled Georgian villages. The war's aftermath saw the Kremlin recognise the independence of South Ossetia and another separatist region, Abkhazia, which have since remained under Russia's military control.

The declaration is the first show of unity from the Security Council since the beginning of the Ukraine war. The ministry said in a statement Russia would continue react "harshly and decisively" to all sanctions imposed by London. Citing anonymous senior US officials, the newspaper said that of the approximately dozen Russian generals killed by Ukrainian forces, “many” had been targeted with the help of US intelligence. In a video address, Zelensky also said Russian forces were still storming and shelling the city’s Azovstal steel plant, where civilians and military forces are sheltering. Ukrainian President Zelensky said Russia was devastating hundreds of hospitals in a video address on May 5, 2022.

EU leaders on Monday backed a ban on most Russian oil imports, after a compromise deal with Hungary to punish Moscow for the war in Ukraine. Advertising Read moreThe 27-nation bloc has spent weeks haggling over a proposed total embargo on Russian oil but came up against stubborn resistance from Hungarian premier Viktor Orban. EU leaders meeting in Brussels hatched a compromise deal to exempt deliveries by pipeline from the ban, after Budapest warned halting supplies would wreck its economy. "Agreement to ban export of Russian oil to the EU. This immediately covers more than two thirds of oil imports from Russia, cutting a huge source of financing for its war machine," European Council chief Charles Michel tweeted during the summit.

It’s too early to tell what will happen in the governor's race, but the shooting has already affected both parties. Last week, following the massacre of 19 elementary school students and two teachers by an 18-year-old man with an AR-15-style rifle in Uvalde, Texas, O'Rourke — now campaigning for governor — again briefly seized the national political spotlight. It’s too early to tell what will happen in the governor's race, but the shooting has already affected both parties. Of course, the domination of guns in Texas culture has long predated the law. “There are more people shot every weekend in Chicago than there are in schools in Texas,” the governor said hyperbolically.

© Reuters/JOHANNA GERON EU leaders hold summit on Russian oil sanctions, in BrusselsBy Sabine Siebold and John ChalmersBRUSSELS (Reuters) -EU leaders on Monday made clear they would fail to agree on a Russian oil import ban at a summit in Brussels, prompting swift criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy who chastised them for being too soft on Moscow. © Reuters/JOHANNA GERON EU leaders hold summit on Russian oil sanctions, in BrusselsThe leaders of the 27 EU countries are set to agree at the two-day summit on the principle of an eventual oil embargo, a draft of their summit conclusions showed. © Reuters/JOHANNA GERON EU leaders hold summit on Russian oil sanctions, in BrusselsBut Zelenskiy denounced the lack of EU resolve. © Reuters/JOHANNA GERON EU leaders hold summit on Russian oil sanctions, in BrusselsHowever, the leaders will task diplomats and ministers to agree how it would work, including by ensuring fair competition between those still getting Russian oil and those cut off. © Reuters/JOHANNA GERON EU leaders hold summit on Russian oil sanctions, in BrusselsHungary receives Russian oil via a pipeline that runs through Ukraine.

A chief adviser to Turkey's president told his US counterpart that Turkey wanted “concrete steps” on the existence of what it calls “terrorist organisations” in Finland and Sweden before it would consider their NATO bids, the Turkish presidency said. US national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Ibrahim Kalin, chief foreign policy adviser to President Tayyip Erdogan, spoke on Monday to discuss the NATO bids and the war in Ukraine, the Turkish presidency said in a statement. “Sweden's and Finland's uncompromising insistence on joining the alliance has added an unnecessary item to NATO's agenda,” he said. Read more:Turkey’s Erdogan says will not approve Sweden and Finland joining NATOExplainer: Why is Turkey wary of Nordic states’ NATO bid? Macron urges Turkey to respect Finland, Sweden NATO choice

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin told Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Moscow was prepared to export significant volumes of fertilizers and food if the West’s sanctions against Moscow are lifted, the Kremlin said on Monday. AdvertisementPutin also said that Russia would be willing to facilitate unrestricted sea transit of cargoes, including grains from Ukrainian ports. Russia was slapped with crippling sanctions by US and its European allies after Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine on February 24. The sanctions have disrupted supplies of fertilizer, grains and other commodities from both Russia and Ukraine, which together produce 30 percent of global wheat supply. Read more:Russia’s Putin says he’s willing to discuss resuming Ukrainian grain shipmentsPutin says Russia ready to help solve food crisis if West lifts sanctionsPutin says West won’t succeed in cutting Russia off

Zelenskiyhad called the EU too soft on Moscow when it appeared leaders would not reach an agreement on the oil ban. In his nightly address, Zelenskiy said the Donbas situation "remains extremely difficult" and said the Russian army was "trying to gather a superior force to put more and more pressure on our defenders." RUSSIAN SHELLINGZelenskiy said Russian forces shelled the city of Kharkiv again on Monday, as well as the border region of Sumy, which was hit from inside Russia. HUNGARY BLOCKING EU OIL EMBARGOEfforts to agree an EU oil embargo has been blocked by Hungary's refusal to agree to a ban on Russian imports it receives through the huge Soviet-era "Friendship" pipeline that runs across Ukraine. "Why are you dependent on Russia ... Why can Russia still earn almost a billion euros a day by selling energy?"

"Other than using firearms for sport shooting and hunting, there is no reason anyone in Canada should need guns in their everyday lives," Mr Trudeau told reporters.

EU leaders agreed late Monday night on a political deal to impose sanctions on Russian oil imports. “Agreement to ban export of Russian oil to the EU,” European Council President Charles Michel tweeted from a leaders’ summit in Brussels. “This immediately covers more than 2/3 of oil imports from Russia, cutting a huge source of financing for its war machine.”The Council of the EU must still formally agree on the sanctions. An EU official said the Czech Republic got an 18-month exemption from the ban to cover the resale of oil products. Slapping an embargo on Russian oil would be one of Europe’s most significant steps in restricting the revenue available to President Vladimir Putin to wage war in Ukraine; oil accounted for .

The watered-down embargo covers only Russian oil brought in by sea, allowing a temporary exemption for imports delivered by pipeline. It has targeted more than 1,000 people, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and top government officials, as well as pro-Kremlin oligarchs, banks, the coal sector and more. Hungary and Slovakia depend on Russian oil that comes through the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline. The problem with hitting sea-transported Russian oil is that countries like Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands — which are most reliant on that form — would suffer a surge in oil prices, distorting competition because Hungary would still be purchasing cheaper Russian oil. Some protesters gathered outside EU buildings Monday before the summit, holding signs like “No to Russian oil and gas.”___Karel Janicek contributed to this story from Prague.

Florida Police department arrested a 10-year-old child on Saturday for sending a text message where he was threatening to pull off a mass shooting. "This student's behavior is sickening, especially after the recent tragedy in Uvalde, Texas," Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno stated. The sheriff's office's School Threat Enforcement Team was tipped off to the alarming messages and the Youth Services Criminal Investigations Division soon took on the case, due to the child's young age. My team didn't hesitate one second...NOT ONE SECOND, to investigate this threat," he added. Detectives took those threats seriously and interviewed the boy whose name will not be disclosed because he is a minor.

The Justice Department announced Sunday that it will review the law enforcement response to last week’s mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, a massacre that left 19 children and two teachers dead. “As with previous Justice Department after-action reviews of mass shootings and other critical incidents, this assessment will be fair, transparent, and independent,” said Coley. "The Justice Department will publish a report with its findings at the conclusion of its review.”It’s not the first time that the Justice Department has reviewed law enforcement responses to a mass shooting in the wake of such events, the New York Times notes, as was the case after the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida. “It was the wrong decision, period,” Steven McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, said of the police errors. According to the Times, the Texas Rangers are leading an investigation into the shooting and the police response.

This episode of the Media Buzz Meter first aired on May 24th, 2022 …. Howie Kurtz on President Biden saying the United States will defend Taiwan if China attacks, Georgia Republican party being forced to spend against fellow GOP candidates and a top level Russian diplomat resigning over Ukraine invasion. Follow Howie on Twitter: @HowardKurtzFor more #MediaBuzz click here

President Biden faced a new round of backlash on Twitter for his comments on gun control legislation and 9mm ammo on Memorial Day. While Biden admitted that his executive options are limited, he suggested that 9mm bullets have no "rational basis" to be used for self-defense. BIDEN CALLS 9MM ‘HIGH-CALIBER WEAPONS,’ SUGGESTS BANNING THEMAccording to the ATF’s Annual Firearms Manufacturing & Export Report, pistols produced in 9mm comprised of approximately 56.8% of new pistols produced in 2019, making up about 42% of pistols produced between 2010 and 2020. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPBiden has frequently claimed that the Second Amendment is "not absolute," though the White House has insisted he is not planning to do anything about the Second Amendment itself. He has since repeatedly called for more gun control legislation.

tweeted Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz as he listed off the accomplishments the men and women in green had accomplished in just three days. Ortiz said that agents had stopped 13 lbs of methamphetamine, 26 lbs of heroin and 131 lbs of fentanyl in that time period. Agents also stopped 10 sex offenders, three gang members, one "assassination suspect" and a fugitive wanted for murder from getting into the country. Border Patrol agents regularly pick up migrants, sometimes traveling among large groups of migrants, who are members of gangs like MS-13 or who have sex crime convictions. The stats mark a window into the ongoing crisis at the southern border and the sheer number of challenges that Border Patrol faces each day.

Three months after Chancellor Olaf Scholz first announced Germany’s so-called Zeitenwende, or historic turning point, political leaders late on Sunday approved the main pillar of the new policy — a massive €100 billion military modernization fund. Here are five things to know about Germany’s freshly agreed military investment fund, the so-called Sondervermögen. Critics like Rüdiger Wolf, a former state secretary in the German Defense Ministry, say that’s not enough. Germany’s military procurement office has a reputation for being slow and bureaucratic. The special fund is set to be adopted by Parliament as early as this Friday.

of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond could end up coasting into reelection. California Your guide to California’s 2022 primary election Here’s everything you need to know about the California primary election. California voters have not elected a Republican to a statewide office since 2006. Despite some outcry, polling released last month by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California showed that 73% of public school parents approve of Newsom’s handling of K-12 education. You need to actually use it in order to keep the governor and the Legislature accountable,” Amaral said.

The European Union is near an agreement on a sixth sanction package that would include an oil embargo against Russia, a top EU official said Monday. The Times said the measure will ban all Russian oil transported to the European Union by tankers – but permit crude arriving by pipeline. That would still outright ban two-thirds of all oil imported into the bloc from Russia, based on a draft seen by the Times. Hungary relies on Russia for more than 60% of its oil and 85% of its natural gas. Russian players have said little about Russian leader Vladimir Putin's “special military operation” in Ukraine.

Memorial Day marked Waukesha's first parade since tragedy struck the city's annual Christmas Parade in 2021. Commemorating Memorial Day is important to proud Army veteran and lifelong Waukesha resident Jim Charles. Public safety vehicles were also used, including as guards for access points necessary for parade vehicles. Officials created a full-circuit route that will remain the same for all three parades — Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Christmas — every year, making the placement of the safety barriers routine. The Memorial Day Parade featured veterans organizations, the mayor, Police and Fire Department personnel and military vehicles.

Biden said that the "Second Amendment was never absolute" and that, after the Texas elementary school shooting, there may be some bipartisan support to tighten restrictions on the kind of high-powered weapons used by the gunman.

The Cowlitz Indian Tribe Chairman who was a key proponent of the ilani casino near Ridgefield died of an apparent heart attack Saturday night, according to the tribe. David Barnett was a lifelong Cowlitz Indian Tribe member and son of the late Cowlitz Chairman, John Barnett, who led the Tribe to federal acknowledgement in 2002, officials said in a news release on Sunday. According to Barnett’s biography on the Tribe’s website, Barnett was inspired to become a leader by attending meetings with his father from a young age. Barnett was an early driving force behind the ilani casino, according to his own biography and news coverage. His legacy also includes development of the Tribe’s language conservancy program to help preserve and grow the Cowlitz Indian Tribe’s native tongue, establishing vote-by-mail for Tribal members and working to provide universal health coverage for Tribal members, according to the Tribe’s news release.

The EU has already imposed five rounds of sanctions on Russia over its war. It's targeted more than 1,000 people, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and top government officials, as well as pro-Kremlin oligarchs, banks, the coal sector and more. Hungary and Slovakia depend on Russian oil that comes through the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline. The problem with hitting sea-transported Russian oil is that countries like Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands — which are most reliant on that form — would suffer a surge in oil prices, distorting competition because Hungary would still be purchasing cheaper Russian oil. Some protesters gathered outside EU buildings Monday before the summit, holding signs like “No to Russian oil and gas."

KYIV, Ukraine -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has asked France not to succumb to Russian “blackmail” over food supplies at a meeting with French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna. Ukraine has accused Russia of looting grain and farm equipment from regions its troops hold in Ukraine and of obstructing Ukraine’s exports of grain. Britain has accused Russia of “trying to hold the world to ransom,” insisting there would be no sanctions relief. An official installed by Russia in the Kherson region of southern Ukraine says grain from the area is being sent to Russia. Some countries like Somalia get more than 90% of their wheat from Russia and Ukraine.

Australia’s defeated conservative party, the Liberals, has elected a partisan warrior who has promised the party will return to the concerns of everyday people in opposition. Under my leadership the Liberal party will be true to our values,” Dutton said. “I have seen the best and the worst that society has to offer,” Dutton told parliament. In 2017, Dutton told chief executives, including Qantas boss Alan Joyce, to stop using shareholders’ money to campaign for marriage equality. Simon Birmingham, the most senior moderate in the Liberal party, said of Dutton: “we have agreed more often than people might expect”.

Sky-high inflation and record gas prices rank as the top concerns for American voters in four battleground states, a new poll suggested on Monday. A quarter of those voters blame President Joe Biden for inflation and rising gas prices, compared to 12 percent who hold Democrats in Congress primarily responsible. Biden's average disapproval across multiple polls is 54.2 percent, slightly down from the tracker's all-time high of 54.9 percent. The nationwide average gas price is now just under $4.62 per gallon, the most expensive ever recorded by the American Automobile Association (AAA)'s gas price tracker. Georgia's primary, which Kemp swept, was the first challenge to publicly pit the two former running mates against each other.

Asked during an epidemiological briefing whether the virus, which is endemic in a range of west and central African nations, might provoke another pandemic, WHO's top monkeypox expert Rosamund Lewis acknowledged that "we don't know." Monkeypox is related to smallpox, which killed millions around the world every year before it was eradicated in 1980. Experts worry monkeypox could take advantage of the gaps in global immunity to fill the smallpox void. "We are concerned that it will replace smallpox and we really don't want that to happen," said Lewis, who also heads WHO's smallpox secretariat. Sylvie Briand, WHO's epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention chief, acknowledged that "respiratory transmission" was also happening.

Reporters and officials that traveled overland to an event the president held in the latter municipality encountered a checkpoint manned by approximately 10 heavily armed men. Asked on Saturday about the presence of armed men on the highway, López Obrador said that fortunately nothing sinister occurred. In footage from the press van, armed men can be seen walking around the vehicle and eventually, unblocking the road to let the reporters pass. I’m not Felipe Calderón,” López Obrador said, referring to the former president. Early last year, the president rejected a United States government claim that criminal organizations control “ungoverned areas” that account for about one-third of Mexico’s territory.

Welcome to the 'What happened in your state last week' thread, where you can post any local political news stories that you find important in the comments. This is a weekly thread posted every Monday, in order to facilitate more discussion on local issues on r/politics. Since this is intended to be a thread about local politics, top-level comments that are exclusively about national issues will not be allowed. Things like "I live in X, you know what happened", "Nothing happened" or "[Politician] continues to be an idiot" isn't helpful to users and will be removed. Because this thread is about local politics, I'd like to reiterate that news about President Biden or any other national political figure is off topic in this thread and will be removed.

The government also is pledging to start buying back thousands of banned assault weapons before the end of the year. "In other words, we're capping the market for handguns," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a press conference Monday. Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino presented the bill in the House of Commons Monday. "We recognize that the vast majority of gun owners use them safely, and in accordance with the law," Trudeau said. He added that the government is aiming to ban an even larger number of assault-style weapons through an amendment to the bill.

A former comedian, Mr. Zelensky grew up speaking Russian, but switched to Ukrainian in 2017 before running for office. Under his leadership, Kyiv strengthened its Ukrainian language law in 2019, requiring schools and public places to use Ukrainian. Russia pointed to this law before its invasion to argue that Ukrainian Russian speakers were under attack. They were also subject to population transfers under Stalin, whose government expelled more than half a million Ukrainians to Russia. This brought many Russian engineers and technicians to eastern Ukraine, as well as specialists from other parts of the Soviet Union, and they used Russian as a common language.

World Ukraine: We will get the most powerful weapon so far; "Russians are afraid of it" Mikhail Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Zelensky, said that Ukraine should soon get the long-awaited multi-barrel rocket launchers (Cs). If that happens, it will be the most powerful weapon Ukraine has ever received from the West. Podolyak: The Russians are afraid of those weaponsPodolyak said that Russia "reacts hysterically" to the announcements that the United States will send modern MLRS to Ukraine, adding that this is "one of Moscow's greatest fears." Namely, these weapons have a much greater range than any weapons currently available to the Ukrainian army. Just to recall, the Washington Post announced late last week that the United States is preparing to send MLRS to Ukraine, and the final decision should be made by U.S. President Joe Biden this week.

“Alex was livid,” the deputy told me. At some point, the East L.A. deputies figured out that Vivian was accessible. “She started building her network,” the mid-career deputy told me. One evening in November of 2017, Robles-Placencia, a trainee at East L.A. Station who reportedly had previously worked under Vivian, was driving a department S.U.V. The sheriff’s department is not “a criminal organization,” the retired East L.A. deputy said.

The largest of these can carry more than twenty thousand shipping containers per voyage; collectively, they transport a quarter of a billion containers around the globe every year. Others, preferring their shipping containers in the wild, have become passionate container spotters, deducing the provenance of each one based on its color, logo, decals, and other details, as delineated in resources like “The Container Guide,” by Craig Cannon and Tim Hwang, the John James Audubons of shipping containers. On April 26, 1956, one of the tankers, the SS Ideal-X, sailed from New Jersey to Texas carrying fifty-eight shipping containers. With the advent of the shipping container, that price dropped to an estimated sixteen cents—and cargo-related employment plummeted along with it. In the meantime, the only available data come from the World Shipping Council, a trade organization with twenty-two member companies that control some eighty per cent of global container-ship capacity.

Shakira is accused of owing $15 million in taxes for income she earned in 2012 to 2014A court in Spain reportedly dismissed Shakira's appeal in a tax fraud case, ruling Thursday that there was enough proof to move forward. However, those spending fewer than 183 days in Spain would only be accountable for income earned within the country. Shakira previously claimed that she had spent the majority of those years as a resident of the Bahamas, and filed her taxes accordingly. The Spanish court determined Thursday that it has been proven the star was "a habitual resident in Spain," and there was not enough evidence to show she lived elsewhere, per the AP. Shakira's representatives told the Associated Press that she paid the debt after the country's tax agency told her what she owed.

An activist posed for a photo with the senator before their conversation about gun control escalated. That’s on your hands!” Cruz heard as the man was pulled awayTed Cruz Confronted by Man at Sushi Eatery About Gun Control After Uvalde School Shooting: 'Children Died'Hours after speaking at a National Rifle Association meeting Friday, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz was confronted at a sushi restaurant by a man who expressed anger at the Republican lawmaker for attending at the conference and over the deaths of 19 children and two adults in the Uvalde school shooting earlier in the week. a man, identified as Benjamin Hernandez, asked Cruz. "It was as if he was deflecting responsibility from being a U.S. senator," Hernandez said of Cruz's response to the heckling. Uvalde, TX May 24, 2022 Shooting at Robb Elementary School kills 19 students and 2 teachers.

US actress Amber Heard looks on during a hearing at the Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse in Fairfax, Virginia, on May 3, 2022. US actor Johnny Depp looks on in the courtroom at the Fairfax County Circuit Court in Fairfax, Virginia, on May 3, 2022. US actress Amber Heard looks on during a hearing at the Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse in Fairfax, Virginia, on May 3, 2022. Closing arguments are in session in the Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard defamation trial. Amber Heard and Johnny Depp Amber Heard; Johnny Depp | Credit: JIM LO SCALZO/POOL/AFP/GettyDepp is suing Heard for $50 million in damages for defamation over a December 2018 op-ed she wrote about coming forward with abuse allegations, though she didn't mention him by name in the article.

Through what is called the Election Integrity Network, Mitchell is working with groups like the Tea Party Patriots and the Republican National Committee, according to the report. Save America PAC, Trump’s political action committee, gave the institute $1 million in 2021. Her organizing efforts in Virginia, for instance, have supported a coalition that includes a group that favors the hand-counting of ballots. It was Mitchell who, having been selected by Trump in August 2020 to lead lawsuits after the election, brought onboard lawyer John Eastman. Like Thomas, Eastman contacted state GOP legislators — this time in Pennsylvania — claiming they could just toss out valid absentee ballots.

The organization holds itself out as a stalwart defender of the everyman against “the world’s most powerful, deceitful and ruthless opponents,” as NRA honcho Wayne LaPierre put it in a Saturday address to NRA members. The mass of NRA members at the annual convention are motley crew. But if you look closely, you’ll also identify a rarefied group of NRA convention gowers who dress like they’re ready to take in the Kentucky Derby, decked out in tailored jackets and southern cocktail finery. The annual meeting in Houston featured a slate of private events for these grandees that was not publicized to rank-and-file NRA members. Friday morning in the George Bush Grand Ballroom of the convention center, the NRA hosted its Ring of Freedom Celebration Breakfast.

Not much has gone wrong for the Yankees so far this season, but they swung and missed with their local member of Congress last week by using the term “Latinx” in a tweet about gun violence. In lieu of game updates Thursday night, the Yankees’ Twitter account posted facts about gun violence. Never heard anyone locally use the term ‘Latinx.’ Does a majority of Hispanics actually use the term ‘Latinx’?” Torres posted in a Twitter thread on Friday. The lawmaker revisited the issue on more time on Saturday, tweeting: “I never said there should be a ban on the term ‘Latinx.’ Quite the opposite. Neither the Yankees nor Torres immediately responded to The Post’s request for additional comment.

“We’ve gotten little to no response from all of our outreach to [Homeland Security] Secretary [Alejandro] Mayorkas,” Stefanik said. One source told The Post in October that ultimate migrant destinations included locations in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, upstate Newburgh, and Bridgeport and Danbury in Connecticut. Republicans feel like Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas is leaving them in the dark with unanswered questions. In addition to the migrant flights, Stefanik also wants to subpoena Gov. Stefanik told The Post she’ll also be subpoenaing the Biden administration for additional information regarding Hunter Biden’s laptop.

The board voted 54-1 to reelect LaPierre as CEO/executive vice president at its annual meeting over the weekend in Houston, the NRA announced Monday. According to journalist Stephen Gutowski, seven of the board members in attendance did not vote. In addition to LaPierre, who has been the NRA’s executive vice president since 1991, the board reelected Charles Cotton as NRA president, Lt. Col. Wilkes K. Lee as first vice president, and David Coy as second vice president. West had launched a takeover campaign earlier this month after a group of NRA board members urged him to run in the wake of the scandals surrounding LaPierre. The killings in Uvalde took place just 10 days after another 18-year-old shooter carrying an AR-15 mowed down 10 black people at a Tops Friendly Market in Buffalo.

Former Trump deputy national security adviser Victoria Coates denounced President Biden's decision Monday not to send rocket systems to Ukraine that could potentially reach Russia, arguing on "Fox News Live" that the move shows a "complete lack of strategy" from the White House regarding Russia's invasion of Ukraine. I mean, from the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine, President Biden has repeatedly told Vladimir Putin what he will and will not do, and meanwhile, Putin's put everything on the table up to and including nuclear weapons. BIDEN SAYS PUTIN ‘NATOIZED’ EUROPE WITH WAR IN UKRAINEAnd here we are telling him, "Oh, we are not going to provoke you." It’s just emblematic of the administration’s complete lack of strategy on Ukraine. …CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPZelenskyy has a plan.

LONDON — Boris Johnson’s luck may finally be running out — or at least waning. But an ill-timed parliamentary holiday, which saw many MPs return to their constituencies, has hardened the mood against him. Political analyst Joe Armitage found more than 20 of the MPs in the 39 most vulnerable seats had either called on Johnson to resign or criticized him publicly. The aide said there were still MPs who were wavering and had not yet submitted letters. We are very Brexitty up here so still lots of Boris fans.”And even if a confidence vote is triggered, Johnson could squeak through again.

AdvertisementWillis “has a good case walking in the door to that grand jury because she’s got the tape” of Trump soliciting votes after the election, Vance added. Trump called Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger ahead of the official vote certification, telling him to “find” enough votes to change his loss to Joe Biden in the state into a victory. As many as 50 witnesses are expected to be called before the grand jury. Raffensperger, fresh from his GOP primary victory for secretary of state despite fierce opposition from Trump, is slated to testify Thursday. Donald Trump blasts Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis over probe into Trump's recorded solicitation of votes for him after the presidential election.

The activists, Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara and Maykel Castillo, are prominent members of the Havana-based San Isidro Movement, an artists collective that led several protests before many of the group left Cuba, alleging repression. A small group of family was allowed access to the courthouse, an official from Cuba´s International Press Center told Reuters. Human Rights Watch last week called the trials of Otero Alcantara and Castillo a "farce" on social media, while Amnesty International called them a "circus." Cuba has said those detained before and after the July 11 protests have received fair trials, in accordance with Cuban law. Maritza Herrera, 66, said she came to show her support for her friends Otero Alcantara and Castillo.

“I think things have gotten so bad that everybody’s getting more rational, at least that’s my hope,” Biden told reporters before honoring the nation’s fallen in Memorial Day remarks at Arlington National Cemetery. Faced with chants of “do something” as he departed a church service, Biden pledged: “We will.”After the Uvalde trip, Biden spent Sunday night at his home in Delaware. As he arrived at the White House for Memorial Day events, he was asked if he’s now more motivated to see new federal limits imposed on firearms. The tree came from a sapling of a nearby magnolia planted by President Andrew Jackson in 1835. As the group used shovels to toss dirt on the newly planted tree, Biden grinned and said “shovel brigade.” He and the first lady later held hands with those gathered in a circle around the tree and prayed silently.

Military analysts painted the fight for Sievierodonetsk as part of a race against time for the Kremlin. That failure forced Moscow to withdraw, regroup, and pursue the more limited objective of seizing the Donbas, where Moscow-backed separatists already held swaths of territory and have been fighting Ukrainian troops for eight years. In its latest move, Russian state gas giant Gazrpom said it will halt gas supplies to Dutch gas trader GasTerra starting Tuesday. The Russian military’s focus on Sievierodonetsk has already left the city “completely ruined,” Mayor Oleksandr Striuk said. In addition to the journalist, two civilians were killed in the latest Russian shelling, he said.

During a part of the conference when NRA members directly spoke to the group’s CEO, Wayne LaPierre, Mr Selvig stepped up to the microphone. The NRA under Wayne LaPierre’s leadership has provided thoughts and prayers to the victims and their families.”We spoke directly to Wayne LaPierre at the NRA Convention and thanked him for all his thoughts and prayers. Story continuesBut as Mr Selvig spoke, he kept a straight face even while repeating the words ad absurdum. Give your thoughts and your prayers, and your thoughts and your prayers, and your prayers and your thoughts.”Finally, Mr Selvig addressed Mr LaPierre directly. “So I want to thank you, Wayne LaPierre, for all your thoughts and all your prayers,” he concluded.

LONDON (Reuters) -Valentin Yumashev, the son-in-law of former Russian leader Boris Yeltsin who helped Vladimir Putin come to power, has quit his role as a Kremlin adviser, two people familiar with Yumashev's thinking told Reuters. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Yumashev's leaving his adviser role, and did not answer a call to his mobile number. A second person familiar with Yumashev's thinking, who spoke on condition of anonymity, also said that Yumashev in April ceased to be a presidential adviser. Under Yeltsin, who was Russian president from 1991 to 1999, Yumashev served as a Kremlin adviser and later as Kremlin chief of staff. In January 2020, according to the Kremlin website, Putin visited Yeltsin's daughter Tatyana at her home to congratulate her on her birthday.

STORY: Russian troops have entered the outskirts of the Ukrainian city of Sievierodonetsk, according to the regional governor, who described fierce fighting on Monday over the ruins of a city that has become the focus of Moscow's offensive. Russia has concentrated its firepower on the last major population centre still held by Ukrainian forces in the eastern Luhansk province, in a push to achieve one of President Vladimir Putin's stated objectives after three months of war. Incessant shelling has left Ukrainian forces defending ruins in Sievierodonetsk, but their refusal to withdraw has slowed the wider Russian offensive across the Donbas region, large parts of which are already controlled by Moscow-backed separatists.

Political pranksters trolled NRA executive vice president Wayne LaPierre at the NRA Convention. National Rifle Association leader Wayne LaPierre appeared to be unknowingly trolled by political pranksters at the NRA Convention in Houston on Saturday. "I am sick and tired of the left-wing media and frankly, people in this room today, spreading misinformation about Wayne LaPierre," Selvig said. "You kept hearing that Wayne LaPierre isn't doing enough and frankly that's not true. "So I want to thank you, Wayne LaPierre, for all your thoughts and all your prayers.

President Biden on Monday took aim at 9mm handguns, appearing to suggest that the "high-caliber weapons" ought to be banned. Recounting a visit to a New York trauma hospital, Biden said doctors showed him X-rays of gunshot wounds. A 9mm bullet blows the lung out of the body," Biden said. "Why should we allow people to have military-style weapons including pistols with 9-mm bullets and can hold 10 or more rounds," he said. The data showed that throughout the 2010s, 9mm pistols made up more than 40% of all pistols produced in the United States – or roughly four in every ten pistols.

“I think things have gotten so bad that everybody’s getting more rational, at least that’s my hope,” Biden told reporters before honoring the nation’s fallen in Memorial Day remarks at Arlington National Cemetery. Faced with chants of “do something” as he departed a church service, Biden pledged: “We will.”After the Uvalde trip, Biden spent Sunday night at his home in Delaware. As he arrived at the White House for Memorial Day events, he was asked if he’s now more motivated to see new federal limits imposed on firearms. The tree came from a sapling of a nearby magnolia planted by President Andrew Jackson in 1835. As the group used shovels to toss dirt on the newly planted tree, Biden grinned and said “shovel brigade.” He and the first lady later held hands with those gathered in a circle around the tree and prayed silently.

“I think things have gotten so bad that everybody’s getting more rational, at least that’s my hope,” Biden told reporters before honoring the nation’s fallen in Memorial Day remarks at Arlington National Cemetery. Delivering remarks honoring fallen servicemembers, he said “Memorial Day is always a day where pain and pride are mixed together.”“Today we are free because they were brave,” the president said. He called upholding democracy “the mission of our time.”“Our memorial to them must not be just a day when we pause and pray,” Biden said. The tree came from a sapling of a nearby magnolia planted by President Andrew Jackson in 1835. As the group used shovels to toss dirt on the newly planted tree, Biden grinned and said “shovel brigade.” He and the first lady later held hands with those gathered in a circle around the tree and prayed silently.

Biden said that the "Second Amendment was never absolute" and that, after the Texas elementary school shooting, there may be some bipartisan support to tighten restrictions on the kind of high-powered weapons used by the gunman. 19 mins ago

"I think things have gotten so bad that everybody’s getting more rational, at least that’s my hope,” Biden told reporters before honoring the nation's fallen in Memorial Day remarks at Arlington National Cemetery. Delivering remarks honoring fallen servicemembers, he said “Memorial Day is always a day where pain and pride are mixed together.”“Today we are free because they were brave,” the president said. The tree came from a sapling of a nearby magnolia planted by President Andrew Jackson in 1835. As the group used shovels to toss dirt on the newly planted tree, Biden grinned and said “shovel brigade." He and the first lady later held hands with those gathered in a circle around the tree and prayed silently.

'He described wads of cash and 'get ready' to commit a mass shooting,' Marceno said of the text during a W radio interview Monday, adding: 'We don't wait one second. Salvador Ramos blasted his grandmother in the face before going on a rampage at Robb Elementary School last Tuesday. The shocking incident is being investigated by the The School Threat Enforcement Team and the Youth Services Criminal Investigations Division. On May 27, Sheriff Marceno appeared in an eight-minute long video in which he criticized federal aid for Ukraine. Lee County Sheriff Marceno pictured with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on May 23In 2020, Marceno, a Republican, won a decisive election victory over Democratic challenger Robert Neeld.

British inventors have been called upon to create new drones to help Ukraine in a new competition. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has launched a £25 million campaign fund for the design and delivery of equipment that can be used in battle. Lastly, the judges want to see more unmanned aerial systems from lethal effects to surveillance, electronic warfare and heavy lift. From desktop to front lineJeremy Quin, the defence procurement minister, said: “Since Russia’s brutal invasion UK defence suppliers with active support from the MoD and DE&S [Defence Equipment & Support] have taken equipment from desktop ideas to the front line. The UK has committed more than £2.8 billion to support Ukraine through humanitarian aid and grants, as well as military kit including 120 armoured vehicles, air defence systems and more than 6,500 anti-tank missiles.

Elliot Colburn, the Tory MP for Carshalton and Wallington, confirmed that he had submitted a letter of no confidence in Mr Johnson. To trigger an automatic vote of confidence in Mr Johnson, 54 Tory MPs need to submit a letter of no confidence to the 1922 committee, which is made up of Tory backbenchers. What happens if 54 MPs submit no confidence lettersSir Graham Brady, the chairman of the committee, collects the letters. As close to 30 Tory MPs have publicly called for the resignation of Mr Johnson, the political danger is real. 'Letters will come in' before the summerOn Monday, it emerged that Carl Les, Rishi Sunak’s local council leader, was among Tories calling for Mr Johnson to quit.

A former guerilla who has pledged to end Colombia’s failing war on drugs is in pole position to win the country’s presidential election. Mr Hernández is an outspoken businessman who has been compared to Donald Trump for his anti-establishment rhetoric and aggressive social media campaigning. Mr Petro, formerly a member of the M-19 guerrilla movement, would bring a radical shift in Colombia’s drug policies after decades of failures. He has instead proposed to tackle the problem by legalising the consumption of cannabis and stopping forced eradication of coca crops. As Mr Petro did not reach the 50 per cent vote share needed to win outright he will face Mr Hernández in a June 19 runoff.

A comedian gatecrashed the National Rifle Association’s event in Houston with a sublime takedown of CEO Wayne LaPierre - and the subtle roast has been viewed more than 5 million times. He highlighted many mass shootings that have happened in the US in recent years, and said what was needed now was more thoughts and prayers to prevent future incidents. “They all say that Wayne LaPierre isn't doing enough to stop these mass shootings and even implying that Wayne LaPierre has played a part in making it easier for these shooters to get guns, to get weapons. So I want to thank you Wayne LaPierre for all your thoughts and all your prayers." Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Russia's army could collapse amid huge losses of more than 30,000 troops in Ukraine, according to a confidential UK report that emerged on Monday. In the latest example of heavy Russian losses, it was reported on Monday that a Ukrainian paratrooper regiment destroyed a Russian regiment. Smoke rises in the city of Severodonetsk during heavy fighting between Ukrainian and Russian troops at eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas on May 30, 2022, on the 96th day of the Russian invasion. A victory in the region would give Russia leverage over Kyiv, the report says, while defeat would likely result in Putin being ousted as president. According to The Mirror, the confidential report says: 'Russia's attempt to achieve a speedy and decisive victory in the Donbas has not yet succeeded.

Returning to Washington, Biden said the pain he witnessed in Uvalde was "palpable" and "unnecessary" and that he was -- and always had been -- committed to gun control efforts intended to reduce more violence. "I'm going to continue to push and we'll see how this works," he said. The White House, which took a more direct role in previous legislative priorities, has said the president will observe the process as it proceeds. President Joe Biden speaks to reporters as he returns to the White House from Delaware on the South Lawn in Washington, D.C., May 30, 2022. The president said Monday at the White House that he "deliberately did not engage in a debate about that with any Republican" during his trip.

A 10-year-old has been charged in Florida after allegedly threatening to carry out a mass shooting, US police said. The sheriff's office added: "Due to the nature of the incident, the Youth Services Criminal Investigations Division assumed the case." A fifth-grade pupil was questioned by officers, arrested and later charged with "making a written threat to conduct a mass shooting", according to police. AdvertisementFootage has been released of the boy being led into the back of a car by an officer. Read more from Sky News:Texas school shooting: 21 victims named and picturedWhat do we know about the primary school massacre?

(CNN) The House select committee investigating the insurrection is no longer fighting for access to Republican National Committee email marketing data in time for its public hearings next month. The DC Circuit had been planning to hear arguments against the House accessing the data in mid-June, and Salesforce was barred from providing the data to the House until at least then. The information "cannot be obtained, analyzed, and utilized by the Select Committee in the public hearings scheduled during the next several weeks. That information, therefore, could only be useful for additional hearings later this year and/or for an ensuing final Select Committee report recommending legislative action." The House committee first demanded data about the RNC's marketing emails in late February, and the RNC sued in March to block the handover of its information.

(CNN) A bipartisan group of senators hoping to find common ground on gun policy plans to continue talks this week in the wake of the tragic elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. The Senate is not in session this week during the Memorial Day recess period, but lawmakers plan to meet remotely. The Texas Republican has been tapped by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to engage in bipartisan talks on gun reform. Cornyn said Monday that many issues on gun reform should be discussed at the state level, but that he does believe "there are some things we need to do, and I think we can do, at the national level." He also said background checks have to be a national conversation as well.

The EU has already imposed five rounds of sanctions on Russia over its war. According to several diplomats, leaders will try to reach a deal for an EU embargo on Russian oil brought in by sea by the end of the year that would cover more than two-third of the EU's oil imports from Russia. Hungary and Slovakia depend on Russian oil that comes through the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline. The problem with hitting sea-transported Russian oil is that countries like Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands — which are most reliant on that form — would suffer a surge in oil prices, distorting competition because Hungary would still be purchasing cheaper Russian oil. Some protesters gathered outside EU buildings Monday before the summit, holding signs like “No to Russian oil and gas."

Biden honors fallen by planting tree at White HouseUS President Joe Biden, the first lady and representatives from five Gold Star families who lost relatives in combat also planted a Southern magnolia tree on the White House South Lawn.

It is a situation that plays to the advantage of President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, who has grown friendlier with Mr. Erdogan in recent years. It hosts a major U.S. air base where American nuclear weapons are stored, and Mr. Erdogan has blocked Russian warships headed toward Ukraine. Image Mr. Erdogan met with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia in September. Credit... Sputnik, via ReutersBut under Mr. Erdogan, Turkey has increasingly become a problem to be managed. Mr. Erdogan also objects to Swedish and Finnish arms embargoes against his country, which were imposed after the 2019 incursion into Syria.

A federal jury will resume deliberations Tuesday in the trial of a former Hillary Clinton campaign lawyer accused of hiding his political agenda when he gave the FBI “pure opposition research” purporting to link Donald Trump to Russia in the closing weeks of the 2016 presidential race. The jury considered the case against Michael Sussmann for about three-and-a-half hours after hearing closing arguments Friday before being released for the long Memorial Day weekend. Evan Vucci/APHillary Clinton personally authorized sharing the Trump-Russia dirt with a reporter even though it hadn’t been verified, according to campaign manager Robby Mook. Former Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook also revealed under cross-examination by the prosecution that the Democratic candidate personally authorized sharing the Trump-Russia dirt with a reporter even though it hadn’t been verified. “If it were, the jails of Washington, DC, would be teeming over.”If convicted, Sussmann would face a maximum of five years in prison.

New audio from the Texas school massacre published Monday captures a police dispatcher telling officers how a terrified student reported that he was in a “room full of victims.”The chilling recording, is heard in a video obtained by ABC news that shows police responding to the May 24 shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde that killed 19 children and two teachers. “Advise, we do have a child on the line,” an unidentified dispatcher can be heard saying. In the video, police officers can be seen at a distance, helping children escape the school through an open window. The video includes audio of a police dispatcher telling officers a child reported being in a “room full of victims.” ABC NewsGunman Salvador Ramos killed 19 children and two teachers in the elementary school shooting. Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty ImagesThe Department of Justice announced Sunday that it will be investigating the Uvalde police response to the shooting.

The National Rifle Association on Monday announced that its board of directors had re-elected Wayne LaPierre as CEO and executive vice president, despite the organization being hit by financial woes and allegations over its spending. Gunmen killed 10 in a supermarket in Buffalo, and 19 children and two adults in Uvalde, Texas. Those shootings have been followed by fresh calls for gun restrictions -- calls that have been fiercely rebuffed by the NRA and LaPierre, who say instead that mental health and school security should be the focus. "Like all Americans, we grieve for the people of Uvalde and Texas," LaPierre said in a statement. BETO O'ROURKE, GUN-CONTROL ADVOCATES PROTEST OUTSIDE OF NRA CONVENTION: 'SHAME ON YOU'The NRA has been rocked by scandal and financial woes in recent years.

President Biden on Monday took aim at 9mm handguns, appearing to suggest that the "high-caliber weapons" ought to be banned. The president made the remarks outside the White House after returning from a visit to the site of a mass shooting in Texas where 21 people, including 19 elementary school children, were killed last week. Recounting a visit to a New York trauma hospital, Biden said doctors showed him X-rays of gunshot wounds. "You couldn’t buy a cannon when the Second Amendment was passed," Biden said. Speaking during a fundraising event in Seattle in November 2019, Biden said he supported the Second Amendment but called absolutist arguments about gun-rights "bizarre."

Ibrahim Kalin, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman and chief foreign policy adviser, speaks during an interview with Reuters in Istanbul, Turkey May 14, 2022. REUTERS/Murad Sezer/File PhotoANKARA, May 30 (Reuters) - A chief adviser to Turkey's president told his U.S. counterpart that Turkey wanted "concrete steps" on the existence of what it calls "terrorist organisations" in Finland and Sweden before it would consider their NATO bids, the Turkish presidency said. "It was emphasised that it is imperative for Sweden and Finland to take concrete steps regarding the terrorist organisations that threaten Turkey's national security," it added. Sweden and Finland have said they condemn terrorism and are open to dialogue. All 30 NATO members must approve plans to enlarge NATO.

REUTERS/Abderrahmane MokhtariOTTAWA, May 30 (Reuters) - Allegations of sex crimes in the Canadian military should be investigated externally by civilian authorities and the armed forces should establish clear targets for the promotion of women, a former supreme court justice said in a report released Monday. Former justice Louise Arbour, who was tasked last year with leading a probe into military harassment and sexual misconduct claims in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), laid out 48 recommendations aimed at changing the culture inside the military. The Canadian military has been under pressure over allegations of sexual misconduct by senior officers, including Canada's former top soldier. In the report submitted to Canada's Defense Minister Anita Anand, Arbour provides recommendations pertaining to subjects including the military justice system, definitions of sexual misconduct, as well as military colleges. Anand said it was "very important to review the military justice system," and that she would consult provincial and territorial authorities.

The National Rifle Association’s board of directors voted Monday to re-elect longtime CEO Wayne LaPierre, signaling that the gun rights group isn’t changing direction despite a rise in mass shootings and its own internal turmoil. Active shooter incidents last year surged by more than 50 percent from 2020 and nearly 97 percent from 2017, the FBI said last week. Guns have overtaken vehicle crashes as the leading cause of death among children and teenagers. LaPierre’s position atop the NRA has been threatened by allegations that he used its money for personal expenses, including flights to the Bahamas on private jets. New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat, is seeking LaPierre’s ouster in a lawsuit she filed in 2020 over his expenses, alleged gifts from vendors and alleged no-show contracts for associates.

(Adds further Blinken comment, context)WASHINGTON, May 30 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday condemned the "unjustified seizure" of two Greek-flagged vessels by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard last week, the State Department said. The U.S. and Greek diplomats called on Iran to immediately release the seized vessels, their cargoes, and their crews. Blinken said the United States stands with its NATO ally "in the face of this unjustified seizure." Iran's state maritime body said on Saturday the crew of the two Greek tankers not been detained, and were in good health and being cared for onboard their vessels. The United States later confiscated the Iranian oil cargo held onboard, Reuters reported on Thursday.

Results of a Compton City Council race decided by one vote have been overturned following an election rigging scandal that prompted criminal charges against the winner last year. After a contentious primary, Galvan and Spicer advanced to a runoff in June 2021, which Galvan won, 855 to 854. The municipal contest drew attention last August, when the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office charged Galvan with election rigging and bribery. The official immediately reported the attempt, according to Dean Logan, the county’s top elections official. Blake Jr. is listed as an aide to Galvan, according to the city’s website.

One person died after a shooting at a house party that left five other people, including teenagers, injured early Sunday near 59th Avenue and Thomas Road. Vincent Cole, spokesperson with Phoenix police, said the shooting occurred after a party around 3:30 a.m. at a residence in the area. When officers arrived on scene they found an 18-year-old man with gunshot wounds. Another 18-year-old man, a 17-year-old boy, a 17-year-old girl and two 16-year-old boys were also injured. Cole said several shots had been fired and police are investigating what led up to the shooting.

Military analysts painted the fight for Sievierodonetsk as part of a race against time for the Kremlin. The city is key to Russian efforts to complete the capture of the eastern industrial region of the Donbas quickly — before more Western arms arrive to bolster Ukraine’s defense. AdvertisementWeapons from the West have already helped Kyiv’s forces thwart a Russian advance on the capital in the early weeks of the war. That failure forced Moscow to withdraw, regroup, and pursue the more limited objective of seizing the Donbas, where Moscow-backed separatists already held swaths of territory and have been fighting Ukrainian troops for eight years. The Russian focus on Sievierodonetsk has already left the city “completely ruined,” Mayor Oleksandr Striuk said.

President Joe Biden lays a wreath at The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day, Monday, May 30, 2022. “I think things have gotten so bad that everybody’s getting more rational, at least that’s my hope,” Biden told reporters before honoring the nation’s fallen in Memorial Day remarks at Arlington National Cemetery. Delivering remarks honoring fallen servicemembers, he said “Memorial Day is always a day where pain and pride are mixed together.”“Today we are free because they were brave,” the president said. He called upholding democracy “the mission of our time.”Advertisement“Our memorial to them must not be just a day when we pause and pray,” Biden said. Advertisement“Today’s the day our son died,” Biden said at Arlington, telling families that he knows remembrances like Monday’s can “reopen that black hole” of pain.

President Joe Biden lays a wreath at The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day, Monday, May 30, 2022. “I think things have gotten so bad that everybody’s getting more rational, at least that’s my hope,” Biden told reporters before honoring the nation’s fallen in Memorial Day remarks at Arlington National Cemetery. Delivering remarks honoring fallen servicemembers, he said “Memorial Day is always a day where pain and pride are mixed together.”“Today we are free because they were brave,” the president said. He called upholding democracy “the mission of our time.”Advertisement“Our memorial to them must not be just a day when we pause and pray,” Biden said. Advertisement“Today’s the day our son died,” Biden said at Arlington, telling families that he knows remembrances like Monday’s can “reopen that black hole” of pain.

Military analysts painted the fight for Sievierodonetsk as part of a race against time for the Kremlin. The city is key to Russian efforts to complete the capture of the eastern industrial region of the Donbas quickly — before more Western arms arrive to bolster Ukraine’s defense. AdvertisementWeapons from the West have already helped Kyiv’s forces thwart a Russian advance on the capital in the early weeks of the war. That failure forced Moscow to withdraw, regroup, and pursue the more limited objective of seizing the Donbas, where Moscow-backed separatists already held swaths of territory and have been fighting Ukrainian troops for eight years. The Russian focus on Sievierodonetsk has already left the city “completely ruined,” Mayor Oleksandr Striuk said.

Military analysts painted the fight for Sievierodonetsk as part of a race against time for the Kremlin. The city is key to Russian efforts to complete the capture of the eastern industrial region of the Donbas quickly — before more Western arms arrive to bolster Ukraine’s defense. AdvertisementWeapons from the West have already helped Kyiv’s forces thwart a Russian advance on the capital in the early weeks of the war. That failure forced Moscow to withdraw, regroup, and pursue the more limited objective of seizing the Donbas, where Moscow-backed separatists already held swaths of territory and have been fighting Ukrainian troops for eight years. The Russian focus on Sievierodonetsk has already left the city “completely ruined,” Mayor Oleksandr Striuk said.

President Joe Biden lays a wreath at The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day, Monday, May 30, 2022. “I think things have gotten so bad that everybody’s getting more rational, at least that’s my hope,” Biden told reporters before honoring the nation’s fallen in Memorial Day remarks at Arlington National Cemetery. Delivering remarks honoring fallen servicemembers, he said “Memorial Day is always a day where pain and pride are mixed together.”“Today we are free because they were brave,” the president said. He called upholding democracy “the mission of our time.”Advertisement“Our memorial to them must not be just a day when we pause and pray,” Biden said. Advertisement“Today’s the day our son died,” Biden said at Arlington, telling families that he knows remembrances like Monday’s can “reopen that black hole” of pain.

Legislation set for debate as early as this week in the Arizona Senate, however, makes it unclear whether it would preclude students in Arizona public schools from being told that the Buffalo shooter targeted the victims because they were Black. "I'm not sure whether or not that would be an appropriate conversation in those classrooms," Rep. Michelle Udall said during debate on HB 1412 last week. "Our history is full of systems that have been based on one race thinking they are above others," she said. "So what you're going to see is an avalanche of complaints based on 'feels' that his our public schools that are going to have to be dealt with," he said. There are other concernsOne is that SB 1412 covers not just K-12 education in public schools but also what is taught at community colleges and universities.

Joe Biden has said the US will not supply Ukraine with rockets that can reach into Russia, in an attempt to ease tensions with Moscow over the potential deployment of long-range missiles with a range of about 185 miles. “We are not going to send to Ukraine rocket systems that can strike into Russia,” Biden told reporters on Monday after arriving back at the White House after a weekend in Delaware. The longest range can fire missiles up to 185 miles away, but others use rockets with shorter ranges of 20 to 40 miles. The M270 tracked MLRS, and its wheeled equivalent, the M142 high mobility artillery rocket system (HIMARS), have a far greater range than anything Ukraine can deploy at the moment. Ukraine has also been pressing the UK to supply some of its own M270s, with some sources complaining that Britain has been dragging its feet.

British inventors have been called upon to create new drones to help Ukraine. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has launched a £25 million campaign fund for the design and delivery of equipment that can be used in battle. Lastly, the judges want to see more unmanned aerial systems from lethal effects to surveillance, electronic warfare and heavy lift. From desktop to front lineJeremy Quin, defence procurement minister, said:“Since Russia’s brutal invasion UK defence suppliers with active support from the MoD and DE&S [Defence Equipment & Support] have taken equipment from desktop ideas to the front line. The UK has committed more than £2.8 billion to support Ukraine through humanitarian aid and grants, as well as military kit including 120 armoured vehicles, air defence systems and more than 6,500 anti-tank missiles.

Russia’s offensive reached the centre of Severodonetsk on Monday, with Ukrainian officials warning the battle over the Donbas had reached its “maximum intensity”. Moscow’s troops were said to have been sent on suicide missions in a bid to capture the last Ukrainian-held city in Luhansk, which would give them control over the region. As Russian units edged through the city’s suburbs, a French journalist was killed during an attack on an aid convoy evacuating civilians. Oleksandr Striuk, Severodonetsk’s mayor, said Russian troops had “advanced a few blocks towards the city centre”. Witnesses said the city had been bombed up to “200 times an hour” as Russian troops attempt to sever supply lines.

Volodymyr Zelensky has accused the EU of strengthening Vladimir Putin’s hand by refusing to back a full ban on Russian oil. It came as EU leaders were poised to back a significantly watered-down ban on Russian oil after countries reliant on fossil fuel imports blocked a full embargo. Ban all oil importsEarlier this month Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission’s president, announced plans to ban all oil imports by the end of the year. Before EU leaders arrived in Brussels diplomats had hammered out a further compromise in the hope of winning over Viktor Orban, Hungary's prime minister. Since the German eurocrat first touted a "complete ban" on Russian oil, her officials have been forced to offer several concessions to member states.

Protestors angry over a building collapse in Iran that killed at least 32 people shouted down an emissary sent by the country's Supreme Leader, sparking a violent crackdown that saw riot police club demonstrators and fire tear gas. Ayatollah Mohsen Heidari AleKasir tried to address mourners near the rubble of the 10-storey Metropol Building on Sunday but was met by shouts of "Shameless!" The deadly collapse in the city of Abadan in southwestern Iran on May 23 has raised questions about the safety of similar buildings in the country. AdvertisementImage: A man stands amid the ruins of the under-construction 10-story commercial building that collapsed. Image: The disaster in the city of Abadan in southwestern Iran has raised questions about the safety of similar buildings in the country.

Pakistan's former prime minister, Imran Khan, has insisted he wasn't aware that Russia was going to invade Ukraine on the same day he met Vladimir Putin in Moscow. On a video link from Peshawar, Mr Khan, who arrived in Russia on 23 February for a two-day visit, said: "How the hell was I supposed to know that the day I landed in Moscow that Putin was going into Ukraine. The former PM was also questioned about his government's close ties with China and Russia, with Mr Khan stating that he was elected to serve the people of Pakistan. Pakistan shares a large border with Afghanistan and Mr Khan was asked about the Taliban takeover of the country last year. He stated "there was never going to be a military solution" in Afghanistan.

Donald Trump was “stunned” that Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger handily won his GOP primary last week despite the former president’s best efforts to drive him out of office, sources told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Raffensperger stood up to Trump after the 2020 presidential election, flatly denying Trump’s order to find him extra votes to transform his defeat into a victory. AdvertisementRaffensperger also denied Trump’s claim that the Georgia vote was somehow rigged, declaring that several investigations had found nothing wrong. His victory was the one that surprised Trump the most, according to the Journal-Constitution. Trump is now facing even worse Raffensperger news.

The IAEA estimates that Iran's total enriched uranium stockpile as of May 15, 2022 was 3,809.3 kilogramsVienna (AFP) – The UN nuclear watchdog said Monday that it estimated Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium had grown to more than 18 times the limit laid down in Tehran's 2015 deal with world powers. Advertising Read moreThe International Atomic Energy Agency said in its latest report on Iran's nuclear programme that it "estimated that, as of May 15, 2022, Iran's total enriched stockpile was 3,809.3 kilograms." The limit in the 2015 deal was set at 300 kg (660 pounds) of a specific compound, the equivalent of 202.8 kg of uranium. The report also says that Iran is continuing its enrichment of uranium to levels higher than the 3.67 percent limit in the deal. The latest reports come as talks to revive the landmark 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers remain deadlocked after stalling in March.

Police on Monday arrested two suspects who allegedly assaulted a journalist covering the unrest that followed the Flag March through Jerusalem’s Old City. AdvertisementAlso Monday, footage was also released of Israelis breaking through fences in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan. ????? ??? ??????? pic.twitter.com/5eGmd9eMke — Yossi Eli ???? ??? (@Yossi_eli) May 30, 2022The events added to a series of clashes throughout Jerusalem on Sunday as Israel marked Jerusalem Day with the contentious Flag March. Anticipating tensions, police deployed some 2,000 officers to secure the rally and plainclothes security officers dotted the Old City’s alleyways. Five Israeli police officers, three Israelis and 40 Palestinians were wounded, according to police and medics.

Gun advocates faced off with protesters over the weekend outside the NRA convention in Houston, Texas. "I do think there's an opportunity right now to be able to pass something significant. Meanwhile, at least three states — California, New York and New Jersey — have pledged action on tougher gun laws in the wake of the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. Arkansas' Republican Governor Asa Hutchinson says he wants to convene a bipartisan group of governors, but argues the focus should be on school safety instead of guns. The House is working on its own package of legislation and could vote on a red-flag bill as soon as next week.

Russian officials and family members of former Russian President Boris Yeltsin attend Yeltsin's funeral ceremony in the Christ the Saviour Cathedral in Moscow April 25, 2007. read moreKremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Yumashev's leaving his adviser role, and did not answer a call to his mobile number. Under Yeltsin, who was Russian president from 1991 to 1999, Yumashev served as a Kremlin adviser and later as Kremlin chief of staff. That promotion provided the springboard for Putin to be anointed as Yeltsin's heir apparent, and win a presidential election in 2000 after Yeltsin had stepped down. In January 2020, according to the Kremlin website, Putin visited Yeltsin's daughter Tatyana at her home to congratulate her on her birthday.

Elsewhere in Kurdistan, the war has been roiling for weeks — despite lack of public attention or outrage. On April 17, the Turkish army launched an invasion of the Zab region of southern Kurdistan. In Rojava, too, a low-intensity war against the civilian population and its administration has been in progress for months. Now he is also trying to use the Kurds to achieve his dreams of making Turkey a regional imperial superpower. A Turkish war of aggression with NATO’s blessing would make clear that the talk of shared values, freedom, and democracy only applies when it serves NATO’s own interests.

President Joe Biden’s recent trip to Asia and Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s May 26 speech on China were both meant to communicate the same message: Although determined to help the Ukrainians resist Russian aggression in Europe, the administration remains equally committed to curbing China’s rise in Asia. To counter those claims, and advance its program for isolating China, President Biden spent five days in Asia at the end of May, stopping in Seoul and Tokyo. It is largely in pursuit of this master plan that Biden spent those five days in Asia. It was here that Biden spelled out his long-term goal of a NATO-like alliance system for Asia, in opposition to China. This does not mean that the nations of Asia had to “choose” between China and the West, he went on to say—while clearly suggesting otherwise.

A 32-year-old French journalist was killed Monday in eastern Ukraine, fatally hit by shell shrapnel while covering a Ukrainian evacuation operation, according to the French news broadcaster he worked for. French President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to Leclerc-Imhoff on Twitter, saying he "was in Ukraine to show the reality of the war." "Shrapnel from the shells pierced the vehicle’s armor, fatally wounding an accredited French journalist in the neck who was reporting on the evacuation. Several Ukrainian and foreign journalists have been killed since February, including another French national, veteran videographer Pierre Zakrzewski, 55. Zakrzewski, who also had Irish citizenship, and 24-year-old Ukrainian journalist Oleksandra "Sasha" Kuvshynova, both working for Fox News, were killed when their vehicle came under fire outside of Kyiv on March 14.

A guest essay in the New York Times argued Monday that the Biden administration's "fixation" and posture on China would both make it more difficult to cooperate with Beijing and "distracts from the real threat" Russia. The essay noted that China was a "more powerful adversary" than Russia and noted China's investment in its military, history of human rights abuses, free speech suppression, and more. Russia, he said, is "constrained" by how far Vladimir Putin "is willing to go." BIDEN WARNS XI OF ‘CONSEQUENCES’ IF CHINA SUPPORTS RUSSIA, WHITE HOUSE SAYSHe contended that President Biden should figure out a way to work with China as opposed to "trying to coerce it to be different." Biden said Monday that the U.S. wouldn't send rocket systems that could possibly reach Russia to Ukraine after some have raised escalation concerns.

FILE PHOTO - Wayne LaPierre, CEO of the National Rifle Association (NRA), speaks at the NRA-ILA Leadership Forum during the National Rifle Association (NRA) annual convention in Houston, Texas, U.S. May 27, 2022. REUTERS/Shannon StapletonMay 30 (Reuters) - The National Rifle Association board reappointed Wayne LaPierre as executive vice president on Monday, turning back the latest leadership challenge amid corruption allegations and flat membership for the still-powerful gun lobby. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe NRA said there was one vote against LaPierre, who is also CEO of the NRA, on the 76-member board. Monday's board vote came after dues-paying members on Saturday voted overwhelmingly in support of LaPierre. Phil Journey, the lone board member to vote against LaPierre and in favor of West, said the vote was 54-1.

A battleship gun barrel used by the Navy in WWII that seemed destined for the scrapyard will get a second life in Virginia Beach. The 120-ton gun barrel, which was used on the USS Iowa battleship, is the last of nine that remained at a storage facility in Chesapeake. Plans are underway for the battleship barrel and two 16-inch projectiles to be displayed in a field next to the lighthouse parking lot. Another USS New Jersey barrel went to the Philadelphia Navy Yard in Pennsylvania to be displayed on its parade ground. Another USS New Jersey barrel went to the Battleship New Jersey Memorial in Camden, New Jersey, to be a display next to the ship.

A fifth grade student in Florida was arrested over the weekend after allegedly threatening to carry out a mass shooting in a text message, authorities said. In a statement Saturday, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said it had learned earlier that day of a "threatening text message" sent by a student at an elementary school. It said its local school threat enforcement team was immediately notified and started investigating. The 10-year-old boy was interviewed and later charged with "making a written threat to conduct a mass shooting," the sheriff's office said. In video shared by authorities, the boy can be seen being led into a police vehicle.

Last week, following the massacre of 19 elementary school students and two teachers by an 18-year-old man with an AR-15-style rifle in Uvalde, Texas, O’Rourke — now campaigning for governor — again briefly seized the national political spotlight. It’s too early to tell what will happen in the governor’s race, but the shooting has already affected both parties. Of course, the domination of guns in Texas culture has long predated the law. “I think it’s a net loss.”Abbott hasn’t mentioned O’Rourke much since the shooting but answered questions about possible new state gun limits by slamming high crime rates in cities primarily run by Democrats. “There are more people shot every weekend in Chicago than there are in schools in Texas,” the governor said hyperbolically.

Greg Abbott in Uvalde, Texas Wednesday, May 25, 2022. Greg Abbott in Uvalde, Texas Wednesday, May 25, 2022. Last week, following the massacre of 19 elementary school students and two teachers by an 18-year-old man with an AR-15-style rifle in Uvalde, Texas, O’Rourke — now campaigning for governor — again briefly seized the national political spotlight. It’s too early to tell what will happen in the governor’s race, but the shooting has already affected both parties. It’s about everyone as a whole.”___More on the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas: https://apnews.com/hub/school-shootings .

Alexander Lebedev's charity is to close down after the billionaire was sanctioned in Canada. The Telegraph called attention to Alexander Lebedev's links to Independent Print Ltd on Saturday, May 21. Independent Print Ltd previously provided digital publishing services to the Independent and Evening Standard, according to statements filed in September 2020 with Companies House. Alexander Lebedev's resignations will dial up the pressure on Boris Johnson, who has faced mounting scrutiny over his decision to hand a peerage to his son. A spokesman for the Independent previously said: "Alexander Lebedev has no role, commercial or otherwise, in the running of either the Independent or the Evening Standard.”

The furore began when Warwick University’s Conservative Association invited him to the campus - one of Britain's 24 top-flight institutions - to speak to students. That prompted Warwick Pride to issue an open letter accusing Mr Zahawi of “inciting hatred”. The Warwick student union’s society for “Lesbian, Gay, Bi+, Trans, Undefined and Asexual/Aromantic”, claimed he “plays a significant role in institutionalised transphobia” and that his presence on campus “clearly violates SU by-laws on equality and diversity”. Following their unsuccessful attempt to have him deplatformed by complaining to the student union, about 30 students gathered outside the lecture hall where Mr Zahawi was speaking and chanted “Tory scum”. As the Education Secretary left a second talk to the Conservative Association’s members following two hours on campus, videos obtained by The Telegraph showed them pursuing him out of the venue while security staff tried to protect him.

Candace Owens, the conservative influencer once hailed by Trump as being "so good for our country", has shared her opinion on the recent rise in monkeypox cases - and it didn't go well. "I will laugh in the face of any person who lines up to get the monkey pox vaccine", tweeted Owens, adding (and this is the kicker), "because stupid is funny." It's also pretty stupid given the smallpox vaccine - which works against it - has been around for a long time and is widely taken. Bolling asked Klitschko what he would like to say to conservative Americans - like Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens - who do not feel it is the United States' place to help Ukraine amidst the Russian invasion. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

A Republican congressman who last year joined with his colleagues in an attempt to overturn the 2020 election is now hitting Democrats for supposedly politicising the tragedy of back-to-back mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas and Buffalo, New York. “You know, I don’t get on the Metro in DC because I don’t like it, I kind of somewhat fear it because I got stuck on it once. He suggested that those calls were coming from people who “fear” what they don’t understand, apparentely referring to firearms and gun ownership. Firearms kill thousands of people in the US every year; in 2020, the total number of Americans killed through intentional or accidental use of firearms totaled nearly 20,000, according to the Gun Violence Archive. The DC Metro, by comparison, has not seen a fatal crash since 2009 and last saw a fatal incident in 2015 when a car stopped at the L’Enfant Plaza station filled with smoke, causing dozens of injuries and one death.

Despite the recent events, and everything that has been discussed today I owe the Marine Corps a lot. I realized the military was continuing to make the same mistakes because senior leaders continued to diagnose the wrong problem. This in my perception, was as an attempt by the Marine Corps to paint me into something I'm not. Then I saw a statement released by the Marine Corps public affairs office that stated, 'the Marine Corps is trying to locate LtCol Scheller to ensure his safety and the safety of those around him.' I did what I did because I thought it was in the best long-term interest of the Marine Corps.

The Netherlands is the latest in a series of European countries to be hit with a cut in Russian gas. The Dutch rely on Russia for around 15 percent of their gas supplies, amounting to some six billion cubic metres a year, the government says. 'Gazprom Export continues to demand that Orsted pays for gas supplies in rubles. The company said Russia could not directly cut off gas supplies to Denmark because there is no direct pipeline between the two countries. Orsted said it was filling up its storage facilities in Denmark and Germany to secure gas supplies to their customers.

Remarking on the seventh anniversary of his eldest child's death, the president continued: 'Memorial Day is always a day where pain and pride are mixed together. Roughly 140 others were also in attendance, comprised of members of various veterans' organizations, other military service organizations, military family organizations, Pentagon officials, and other administration officials. The president began Memorial Day with a visit to his late son's grave - the seventh anniversary of Beau Biden's death at age 46 after a battle with brain cancer. The president frequently brings up his late eldest son, a military veteran, in speeches and conversation - particularly when discussing military service or personal loss. He spent his Sunday grieving with those families in-person during an all-day trip to Uvalde, Texas alongside Dr. Jill Biden.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett ordered police to show "zero tolerance" towards Jewish extremists who planned to "incite" tensions, singling out La Familia. Foreign Minister Yair Lapid described Lehava and La Familia as a "disgrace" who weren't "worthy of holding the Israeli flag". La Familia is a group of fans of the Beitar Jerusalem football club, notorious for their anti-Arab racism and violence. La Familia brushed aside the latest wave of condemnation and attention as an attempt to garner political support. "La Familia is a football organisation only, and as regular civilians we have the right to march in Jerusalem," they said.

US President Joe Biden said Washington would not send rocket systems to Ukraine that can strike well inside Russian territoryWashington (AFP) – US President Joe Biden said Monday he would not send rocket systems to Ukraine that could hit targets well inside Russian territory, despite urgent requests from Kyiv for long-range weapons. Advertising Read more"We are not going to send to Ukraine rocket systems that can strike into Russia," Biden told reporters in Washington. Pro-Western Ukraine has received extensive US military aid since Russia invaded its outgunned neighbor in late February, but says it needs long-range rockets equivalent to what Moscow's forces use. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said Monday that the Biden administration's "decision not to send these weapons is a betrayal of Ukraine and democracy itself." A US official said later that dispatching MLRS was still under consideration, but without long-range strike capabilities.

Donald Trump lashed out at his defeated endorsees in Georgia, The Washington Post reported. He reportedly insulted David Perdue — who was seeking the governor nomination — as "lazy." The losses deprived Trump of revenge on Georgia officials who disputed his election-fraud "Big Lie." Advisors to Trump told the Post that the former president now sees the candidates he endorsed in the races as "embarrassments," adding that he considered Perdue lazy. The former president campaigned for Perdue, who based his campaign around promoting Trump's election-fraud "Big Lie."

The radical activist group Black Lives Matter railed against the “white supremacist” institution of “policing,” decrying its roots in “racism” and “slave patrolling,” while attacking politicians who support “our killers,” in a series of tweets Thursday following President Joe Biden’s signing of an executive order on policing reforms. In the wake of the president’s signing an order intended to improve accountability in policing, the official Black Lives Matter (BLM) Twitter account, which has over one million followers, expressed outrage over the fact that policing continues. “Maintaining a white supremacist institution like policing costs Black lives,” the group wrote. “This continued commitment by politicians to support our killers makes them accessories to our demise.”Maintaining a white supremacist institution like policing costs Black lives. — Black Lives Matter (@Blklivesmatter) May 25, 2022In follow-up tweets, the recent policing reforms were deemed ineffective as the very institution of policing is described as inherently rooted in racism.

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban listens to a media question as he arrives for the European Union leaders summit, as EU's leaders attempt to agree on Russian oil sanctions in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Brussels, Belgium May 30, 2022. REUTERS/Johanna GeronSummarySummary Companies Bloc struggles to agree Russian oil embargoEU summit set to agree 9 billion euro loan packageBRUSSELS, May 30 (Reuters) - EU leaders on Monday made clear they wouldfail to agree on a Russian oil import ban at a summit in Brussels, prompting swift criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy who chastised them for being too soft on Moscow. Zelenskiy asked the EU leaders. However, the leaders will task diplomats and ministers to agree how it would work, including by ensuring fair competition between those still getting Russian oil and those cut off. Hungary receives Russian oil via a pipeline that runs through Ukraine.

Russian officials and family members of former Russian President Boris Yeltsin attend Yeltsin's funeral ceremony in the Christ the Saviour Cathedral in Moscow April 25, 2007. read moreKremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Yumashev leaving his advisor role, and did not answer a call to his mobile number. A second person familiar with Yumashev's thinking, who spoke on condition of anonymity, also said that Yumashev in April ceased to be a presidential advisor. Under Yeltsin, who was Russian president from 1991 to 1999, Yumashev served as a Kremlin advisor and later as Kremlin chief of staff. In January 2020, according to the Kremlin website, Putin visited Yeltsin's daughter Tatyana at her home to congratulate her on her birthday.

Americans hitting the road on Memorial Day weekend were greeted by record-high gas prices as the average cost of a gallon of fuel hit $4.62 nationwide. On average, gas in the Golden State costs $6.15 a gallon, more than in any other in the nation, according to AAA. Californians are saddled with higher prices due to taxes and surcharges that are added onto the baseline cost of fuel. DON EMMERT/AFP via Getty ImagesGlobal oil prices also continue to tick upwards. EU countries failed to agree on a Russian oil import ban despite last-minute haggling before the summit got under way in Brussels on Monday.

The White House is leaning toward canceling $10,000 of student debt per borrower. In the meantime, activists have taken action to forgive debt for the people who need it most. MSNBC’s Ayman Mohyeldin walks us through what a federal response could mean for those crushed by student loans.May 30, 2022

That a person looking to become a federal representative might have tried to incite an insurrection against our country should be considered disqualifying by voters. Cawthorn lied to the crowds, telling them there’d been election fraud and that Democrats were trying to silence them. He lost in a Republican primary election Tuesday, but that doesn’t make the appellate court’s ruling any less significant. In 1868, in the wake of the Civil War, the United States added the Fourteenth Amendment to our Constitution. In Greene's case, a judge didn't say the 1872 law invalidated the anti-insurrectionist clause in the Fourteenth Amendment.

Red states are not prepared for the impending baby boom if Roe v. Wade is overturned. Texas abortion provider Dr. Bhavik Kumar tells MSNBC’s Ayman Mohyeldin how concerned he is for his state as abortion restrictions become “the most extreme ever.” May 30, 2022

A state senator representing Uvalde, Texas, says President Joe Biden indicated a willingness to provide federal money to raze Robb Elementary School and build another in its place following the shooting there. “He said, 'I’m not going to leave here, we’re gonna bring resources, we’re gonna look at bringing a federal grant to raze the school,'” Gutierrez said Monday on MSNBC. “Every parent that I’ve talked to doesn’t want to see this school again, is traumatized. Other mass shooting sites also have been razed and rebuilt, including the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. The president and the first lady visited Uvalde on Sunday, meeting with first responders and grieving with the families of the 19 children and two teachers killed in the shooting rampage at the elementary school.

Returning to the White House on Memorial Day, President Biden said it “makes no sense” to legally purchase high-caliber weapons, adding that there’s “no rational basis for it in terms of self-protection, hunting.” May 30, 2022

Stoltenberg visits Madrid for Spain's celebration of its 40th year as part of the military alliance one month before the capital hosts an important NATO summit. Stoltenberg visits Madrid for Spain's celebration of its 40th year as part of the military alliance one month before the capital hosts an important NATO summit. “At the Madrid summit, we will chart the way ahead for the next decade,” Stoltenberg said. The Madrid summit is an important opportunity to reaffirm our NATO values.”But the leader of the 30-member alliance didn’t address Turkey’s reluctance to opening the doors to Sweden and Finland. “Next month Madrid will host another historic summit,” Stoltenberg said.

Some Taiwanese people who legally changed their names to “Salmon” in exchange for free sushi are now stuck with the name one year later. Sushiro, a conveyor belt sushi chain restaurant, ran a two-day promotion in March 2021 where individuals with the Chinese characters for salmon, “gui yu,” would receive free all-you-can-eat sushi. Several participants gained large social media followings after changing their names, while others accepted small fees to take friends to the restaurant. While most participants were able to change their names back, some got stuck with “Salmon” after having used all three of their allowed name changes. Feature image via PexelsMore from NextShark: Beauty Guru Michelle Phan Gets Racially Harassed Over Coronavirus FearsEnjoy this content?

The Justice Department announced Sunday it will conduct a review of the law enforcement response to the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, that left 19 children and two teachers dead. “At the request of Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin, the U.S. Department of Justice will conduct a Critical Incident Review of the law enforcement response to the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24,” DOJ spokesman Anthony Coley said in a statement. The massacre, America’s deadliest school shooting since the Sandy Hook shooting in 2012, has been followed by conflicting official accounts of how it unfolded. The delayed police confrontation with the mass shooter has compounded parents’ anger, with some saying a quicker response could have saved children’s lives. “As with prior Justice Department after-action reviews of mass shootings and other critical incidents, this assessment will be fair, transparent, and independent.

Police said a body believed to an unidentified woman was recovered from the Connecticut River in Wethersfield Monday. The Wethersfield Police Department received a call at about 9:30 a.m. from an individual who reported he had found a body in the river, according to police Lt. Michael Connolly, Wethersfield officers, assisted by the Wethersfield Volunteer Fire Department and the Glastonbury Volunteer Fire Department, recovered the body and brought it to the Wethersfield Cove, Connolly said. AdvertisementConnolly said the preliminary investigation indicates that the body is that of a female. Additional investigation will be conducted by the Wethersfield Police Detective Division, Connolly said. Anyone that may have information on the possible identity of the individual or information on any missing persons is asked to call Detective Robert Malinowski at (860)721-2866 or email robert.malinowksi@wethersfieldct.gov .

"I think things have gotten so bad that everybody’s getting more rational, at least that’s my hope,” Biden told reporters on the White House lawn after returning to Washington. That included encouraging state “red flag” laws to keep guns away from those with mental health problems. After flying back to the White House, they hosted a Memorial Day breakfast in the East Room with 130 or so members of veteran organizations, military family groups and senior Defense Department and other administration officials. Standing at attention under a cloudless sky in the late-May heat, Biden saluted as taps played, after laying the wreath of red and white roses wrapped in red, white and blue ribbon in front of the tomb. Biden was set to deliver remarks honoring servicemembers before returning to the White House, where he was to join families in the planting of a magnolia tree on the White House South Lawn in honor of the fallen.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The leader of a pro-gun group that has staged armed protests has been convicted of pointing a rifle at law enforcement while in Kentucky for a demonstration, officials said. Court documents and evidence presented during the weeklong trial said Johnson pointed an AR-15 platform rifle and tactical flashlight at two federally deputized officers on a roof in downtown Louisville, the statement said. The alleged incident occurred the day before the Kentucky Derby, when hundreds of protesters peacefully marched to demand justice in the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor by Louisville police. Johnson’s group, known as the NFAC, has an all-Black membership and often demonstrates against white supremacy and police violence. Johnson, 59, of Ohio faces at least seven years in prison when he is sentenced on Aug. 22, the statement said.

Van Morrison has issued legal proceedings against Northern Ireland’s Department of Health and its minister Robin Swann over an opinion piece written for Rolling Stone magazine. In the piece, Swann expressed “a real feeling of disappointment” in Morrison, who he acknowledged as a “music legend”. The Northern Ireland Department of Health told the BBC it would not comment on active legal matters. Morrison’s action against Swann follows the Ulster Unionist party minister issuing proceedings against Morrison in November 2021. “We will be seeking leave for judicial review to challenge the blanket ban on live music in licensed premises in Northern Ireland,” said his solicitor, Joe Rice at the time.

“So the idea of these high-caliber weapons is, uh, there’s simply no rational basis for it in terms of self-protection, hunting,” the president went on. “Remember, the Constitution, the Second Amendment, was never absolute,” Biden said. “You couldn’t buy a cannon when the Second Amendment was passed.”Biden seemingly ruled out executive action on gun control. “The Second Amendment did not place limits on individual ownership of cannons,” PolitiFact stated in April when it rated his claim false. Biden called Mitch McConnell a “rational Republican.” Getty ImagesAsked whether Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) authorizing Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) to work with Democrats could lead to results, he said “I don’t know.”“McConnell is a rational Republican.

Photographs of Putin meeting top aides are inspected in microscopic detail: is he gripping the table in pain during a meeting with defence minister Sergei Shoigu in late April? As Russia’s war in Ukraine enters its fourth month, reports suggest that Russia’s leader may be ill. Both meetings were held remotely, as the Kremlin leader continues his coronavirus isolation. The Kremlin has not confirmed any reports about Putin being sick, saying that the Russian leader is in excellent health. Putin will turn 70 in October and the focus on his health is likely to continue as he ages.

A Russian television personality with close links to Vladimir Putin has threatened Britain, claiming the despot’s invasion could stretch as far as Stonehenge. Firebrand anchorman Vladimir Solovyov, known as ‘Putin’s Voice’, and ranted that Russia could invade Britain and target Boris Johnson’s foreign secretary Liz Truss, the Daily Mirror reported. Before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the foreign secretary was taunted by her counterpart in Moscow, Sergei Lavrov, who claimed after talks with her that it was “like the conversation with a deaf person… who is here, but does not hear”. Putin loyalist Solovyov has been the target of sanctions and has lost two Lake Como mansions in Italy due to the invasion. Previous claims on Russian TV made against Britain included a former MP, Yuri Shvytkin, claiming Moscow could wipe out “the whole of the UK in two minutes” with nuclear weapons.

Gun activists who claim they need the type of weapons used in a pair of deadly mass shootings earlier this month to defend themselves from hypothetical government tyranny would be hopelessly outgunned, President Joe Biden has said. “You couldn’t buy a cannon when the Second Amendment was passed and you couldn’t go out and purchase a lot of weapons [today]”. Continuing, the president said those who say they need AR-15 rifles to “take on the government” are “wrong” because the weapons they would need aren’t legal to own. “To do that you need an F-15, you need an Abrams tank,” he said. “History demonstrates ... the right was not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose”.

'He described wads of cash and 'get ready' to commit a mass shooting,' Marceno said of the text during a W radio interview Monday, adding: 'We don't wait one second. Salvador Ramos blasted his grandmother in the face before going on a rampage at Robb Elementary School last Tuesday. The shocking incident is being investigated by the The School Threat Enforcement Team and the Youth Services Criminal Investigations Division. Amd on May 27, Sheriff Marceno appeared in an eight-minute long video in which he criticized federal aid for Ukraine. Lee County Sheriff Marceno pictured with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on May 23In 2020, Marceno, a Republican, won a decisive election victory over Democratic challenger Robert Neeld.

Advertising Read moreMaverick millionnaire Rodolfo Hernandez, 77, finished second in presidential elections Sunday with 28 percent of votes cast. Colombia presidential election AFPHernandez's program is described as inscrutable, but he has a reputation for calling out endemic corruption by Colombia's long-ruling political and economic elite. Gutierrez and Hernandez garnered 52 percent of the vote between them -- almost 11 million ballots cast to Petro's 8.5 million. And Gutierrez on Sunday threw his lot in with Hernandez, saying Petro represented "a danger for democracy." "So the big challenge for Petro is going to be first to show who Rodolfo Hernandez is, to highlight his weaknesses as a candidate.

By Scott RitterSpecial to Consortium NewsRussia’s “Special Military Operation”, which began on Feb. 24, is entering its fourth month. The Russian victory in Donbass comes after weeks of intensive combat that saw the Russian military shift gears away from what has become known as Phase One. Ukraine has no organized reserves left.”Russia has completed Phase One despite the efforts of the U.S., NATO, and the E.U. Putin was very careful in trying to link Russia’s military operation to the legal authorities that existed under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter governing self-defense. Indeed, both Phase One and Phase Two of Russia’s operation were specifically tailored to the military requirements necessary to eliminate the threat posed to Lugansk and Donetsk by the buildup of Ukrainian military power in eastern Ukraine.

Ironically, since the start of the war, Russian speakers in Ukraine have been signing up for classes to improve their Ukrainian-language skills. A law was passed in 2019 that initiated a process to make Ukrainian language materials obligatory in all areas of the public sector. Dora, in the foreground, was a member of an association promoting use of the Ukrainian language in Luhansk. But even among the youth witnessing Russian aggression for the first time, the desire to distance themselves from the Russian language is strong. “The Russian language is not guilty for what the Russian’s are subjecting us to,” she said.

President Joe Biden has committed $265 million of federal funding toward construction of a long-awaited reservoir in South Florida that is a critical component to restoration of the Everglades. ‘Cornerstone project’A range of organizations dedicated to Everglades restoration lauded the announcement. On Tuesday, Wasserman Schultz lauded “Biden’s awesome level of support” for Everglades restoration. The money for the reservoir is coming from $350 million allocated last year for Everglades restoration. >Biden has also asked for another $407 million for Everglades restoration in the next federal budget.

President Joe Biden, pressed on potential avenues for gun control in the wake of the devastating school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, pointed to an assault weapons ban Monday morning. He and Jill Biden visited the school and attended mass at a local church, where demonstrators nearby chanted "Do something." President Joe Biden speaks with reporters on the South Lawn of the White House on Monday. On Monday, Biden appeared to credit a federal assault rifle ban — which expired in 2004 — for reducing gun deaths previously, saying, "I know what happened when we had rational action before," adding that the prohibition "cut down mass murders." “So, it's just, as I say, I think things have gotten so bad that everybody’s getting more rational about it," he concluded.

REUTERS/Elizabeth FrantzWASHINGTON, May 30 (Reuters) - The United States will not send Ukraine rocket systems that can reach into Russia, President Joe Biden said on Monday, as Ukraine pushes for longer-range weapons system to help in its fight. Ukrainian officials have been asking allies for longer-range systems including the Multiple Launch Rocket System, or MLRS, that can fire a barrage of rockets hundreds of miles away. "We're not going to send to Ukraine rocket systems that strike into Russia," Biden told reporters after arriving back at the White House after a weekend in Delaware. The Ukrainian government has urged the West to provide it with more longer-range weapons in order to turn the tide in the war, now in its fourth month. read moreBiden wants to help Ukraine defend itself but has been opposed to providing weapons that Ukraine could use to attack Russia.

— The Missouri State Highway Patrol is investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting of a woman by KCMO police Friday night during a carjacking investigation. The shooting occurred about 8 p.m. in the parking lot of a Family Dollar store near East Sixth Street and Prospect Avenue, according to a spokesperson from the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Andy Bell, Missouri Highway Patrol spokesperson. The woman got out of the passenger seat and was in the parking lot when she was shot, Bell said. The Missouri State Highway Patrol will handle the investigation of the shooting as it does all shootings involving KCMO police officers.

According to Politico, Sinema and Manchin have — wait for it — “credibility” with Senate Republicans over their stance on the filibuster. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) have cut a huge infrastructure deal with Republicans and helped preserve the filibuster. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema quickly ruled out weakening the filibuster to pass gun safety legislation. If Republicans win the Senate in the fall, they will not need Sinema and Manchin. And as for the Senate Republicans...Well, here is when they slather the kisses on Sinema and Manchin.

We always seem to be in a position of needing to reframe issues. We’re much worse than the other side at framing. We need to call for a ban on “weapons of war” because that is what they are. Force Cruz and Abbott to explain why weapons of war are a good thing. “Assault Rifle” is simply too wimpy of a term.

It looks like CPAC head Matt Schlapp and Carlson feel that the time is right to drop the charade, though. Recent CPAC events in Budapest, Hungary, boasted a notorious Hungarian antisemite, one who has publicly declared Jews to be "stinking excrement," among their featured speakers. "Stinking excrement" is just one of the xenophobic and genocide-supporting rants that Hungarian television screamer Zsolt Bayer is known for. Even before the Trump era, CPAC conferences were a dodgy blend between ultra-powerful Republican elected leaders and absolute conspiracy cranks. Just as far-right militant groups sought to internationalize their movements during those days, CPAC conservatives found new appreciation for international autocrats like Vladimir Putin.

In essence, the Vote column shows the net vote, but biased by the number of ballots submitted. This election seems to be for thirteen positions, perhaps in a legislature, and interestingly the winners turned out all to have positive net support; in fact only a single candidate with positive net support failed to win. This data allows us to easily compare, for this election, AV with Balanced Approval Voting (BAV). And the most notable advantage of BAV is when there a two-party polarized electorate is either existing or developing. In that case there would be a much more obvious difference in outcomes between AV and BAV elections.

Official politics were riven by profound pressures that threatened to result in the breakup of Canada into two or more states. 50 years ago: Poet Joseph Brodsky expelled from the Soviet UnionOn June 4, 1972, the Russian poet Joseph Brodsky was expelled from the Soviet Union. —from “The End of a Beautiful Era” written 1969Brodsky continued to receive great acclaim in the US where his works were published more widely than in the Soviet Union. Marshall’s speech followed the breakdown of talks between the US, Britain, France and the Soviet Union at the Moscow conference, which lasted six weeks, until April 24. The US would also offer the economic assistance to states within the orbit of the Soviet Union.

Under the title “No third world war! Billions for health and work instead of armaments and war!” they discussed NATO’s proxy war against Russia in Ukraine and the need for an international movement against war. Germany, he said, played a central role in not only preparing for a third world war, but in concretely organizing it. In view of the historical experiences of the working class, this was deeply rooted, especially in Germany. When a participant raised the question of how to mobilise the working class, Peter Schwarz responded that the question of perspective was central.

Bowman)At this point, the claim that anything Ocasio-Cortez and the DSA do is “against the forces of capitalism and reaction” is downright embarrassing. Ocasio-Cortez and the DSA members of Congress voted to spend such massive sums of money to pursue the geostrategic interests of Wall Street amid mass social suffering at home. Featherstone and Jacobin present the DSA slate as the spearhead of socialism, but the DSA recipients of Ocasio-Cortez’s endorsement are not opponents of imperialist war. Other elected officials who declined to comment or did not return requests for comment included Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez; State senators Julia Salazar and Jabari Brisport; and Assembly members Zohran Kwame Mamdani, Marcela Mitaynes and Phara Souffrant Forrest. Such fecklessness is to be expected of Democratic Party politicians like those the DSA hopes to send to Albany.

Blinken’s “concerns” over Bachelet’s trip were amplified in more strident terms by Sophie Richardson, China Director of the US-based Human Rights Watch—an “independent” organisation that closely mirrors the “human rights” campaigns of the US State Department. “It is critical that counter-terrorism responses do not result in human rights violations,” she said. In broad outline, Bachelet voiced the anti-China “human rights” agenda that the US and its allies have been advancing for years. A question posed at Bachelet’s press conference on Saturday pointed to the utter hypocrisy of the US “human rights” campaigns against China and other countries. Far more egregious human rights abuses and crimes against humanity can be laid at the door of US imperialism.

New York politicians — including Mayor Eric Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul — joined military officials to commemorate Memorial Day Monday at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum for the first time since 2019. During the annual ceremony, — which was canceled the last few years due to the COVID-19 pandemic — Adams heaped praise on the US military and thanked the armed forces for protecting the American dream. “There’s no German dream … but darn it there’s an American dream,” Adams said. Kathy Hochul joined military officials to commemorate Memorial Day at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum.

Russian forces have entered the outskirts of Severodonetsk, the last major city in the Luhansk oblast under Ukrainian control. With the overwhelming majority of the Luhansk oblast now under Russian control, Kremlin forces have focused withering firepower on Severodonetsk in recent days. Severodonetsk had a peacetime population of roughly 100,000 — a number authorities say has now dwindled to fewer than 20,000. Ukrainian authorities estimate that some 90% of the city’s structures have been damaged by Russian artillery fire. Ukrainian authorities estimate that some 90% of the city’s structures have been damaged by Russian artillery fire.

President Biden led commemorations of Memorial Day at a ceremony honoring fallen US service members at Arlington National Cemetery on Monday. On Monday morning, the Bidens hosted a breakfast at the White House for service members and their families as well as veteran, military service and military family organizations. President Joe Biden arrives to lay a wreath at The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day. SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty ImagesFirst lady Jill Biden and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland arrive before President Joe Biden lays a wreath at The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. AP Photo/Andrew HarnikBiden started Memorial Day by visiting the grave of his late son Beau Biden to mark the seventh anniversary of his death.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's mega-millionaire husband allegedly drove under the influence of alcohol in Napa County, California, on Saturday night instead of calling an Uber or taxi, resulting in a car crash and thousands of dollars for his bail following his arrest on suspicion of drunk driving. Paul Pelosi was arrested at 11:44 p.m. and charged with driving with a blood-alcohol level of .08 or higher as well as driving under the influence of alcohol, both misdemeanors. Paul Pelosi has accumulated more than $100 million from his San Francisco-based venture capital firm, Financial Leasing Services, according to Celebrity Net Worth. It is unclear whether, before the crash, Pelosi was headed to the vineyard that he and Speaker Pelosi owned as recently as last year. According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), an average drunken driver has driven drunk over 80 times before their first arrest.

Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz talks to press as he arrives at EUCO | John Thys/AFP via Getty ImagesClimate activists are accusing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz of comparing them to Nazis, something his spokesperson called "absurd." "Scholz is comparing climate activists with Nazis," wrote Luisa Neubauer, a prominent figure in the Fridays for Future movement. "The chancellor of the republic trivializes the Nazi regime and, paradoxically, the climate crisis too ... That's such a scandal." "Chancellor Scholz does not have to like the civil disobedience of climate activism — but here he compares people who campaign for the climate with Nazis." "The chancellor's comments stand for themselves and I wouldn't comment on that further," she said, and added that comparing climate activists to Nazis would be "absurd."

The Ukrainian military said Russian forces reinforced their positions on the northeastern and southeastern outskirts of Sievierodonetsk, 145 kilometers (90 miles) south of the Russian border in an area that is the last pocket of Ukrainian government control in Luhansk province. He said two civilians were killed and another five were wounded in the latest Russian shelling. Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk sit on either side of the strategically important Siverskyi Donetsk River. The Russian advance in Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk is part of an all-out push — executed without regard for personnel and equipment losses, said Ukrainian military analyst Oleh Zhdanov. Russian Defense Ministry spokesperson Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said an artillery strike on a shipyard in the southern port of Mykolaiv destroyed Ukrainian armored vehicles parked there.

Whether President Biden will seek reelection next year is one of the most discussed topics inside and outside the Beltway. Biden has said he plans to run for a second term, privately telling former President Obama and other Democrats of his intentions. Democratic strategists say he would be well positioned for a 2024 run. “President Biden is running for reelection in 2024 and I’m supporting him.”But if Biden doesn’t run, Warren would instantly vault into contention and her plans would likely change. “Because few people think Biden is going to run again.”For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.

Pat Brothwell says most politicians are self-absorbed, but few are as blatant about it as Madison Cawthorn. I wanted to be elated at Madison Cawthorn’s primary defeat, but as a gay man, there’s a bittersweet element. If they’d known I was gay, they’d never make those comments in my presence. More: Trump-endorsed Madison Cawthorn loses reelection bid for NC 11th congressional districtBoyle column: Will Madison Cawthorn get the message now? This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Opinion: Madison Cawthorn’s loss may have been aided by homophobia

The United Kingdom’s defense ministry on Monday said Russia has likely experienced “devastating” losses among its mid- and junior-level military officers during its invasion of Ukraine. “Russia has likely suffered devastating losses amongst its mid and junior ranking officers in the conflict,” the ministry wrote in an intelligence update posted on Twitter. “Brigade and battalion commanders likely deploy forwards into harm’s way because they are held to an uncompromising level of responsibility for their units’ performance. The intelligence update comes more than three months after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine. “One of the stated purposes with this invasion of Ukraine was to get less NATO on Russia’s borders.

Marjorie Taylor Greene joined a growing list of right-wing House members who have spread a false rumour that the Uvalde shooter was transgender in the wake of the horrific shooting that left nearly two dozen dead in Texas last week. Ms Greene is far from alone in spreading this false rumour: conservative activist Candace Owens, as well as Ms Greene fellow House members Paul Gosar and Pete Sessions have both spread versions of the budding conspiracy in statements on Twitter and in interviews. That claim has not been verified by a single law enforcement agency or news organisation, and it’s unclear where the congresswoman first heard it. Then, she suggested that this supposed third-party “groomer” was a former FBI agent. Ms Greene is no stranger to controversy and remains stripped of her committee memberships thanks to past remarks she made that were seen as encouraging violence against Democrats including Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House.

"I think things have gotten so bad that everybody’s getting more rational, at least that’s my hope,” Biden told reporters on the White House lawn after returning to Washington. That included encouraging state “red flag” laws to keep guns away from those with mental health problems. After flying back to the White House, they hosted a Memorial Day breakfast in the East Room with 130 or so members of veteran organizations, military family groups and senior Defense Department and other administration officials. Standing at attention under a cloudless sky in the late-May heat, Biden saluted as taps played, after laying the wreath of red and white roses wrapped in red, white and blue ribbon in front of the tomb. Biden was set to deliver remarks honoring servicemembers before returning to the White House, where he was to join families in the planting of a magnolia tree on the White House South Lawn in honor of the fallen.

Associated PressTampa, Fla. — Detectives have arrested an 18-year-old Florida man after receiving a tip that he threatened a mass shooting at a school in a social media post. Corey Anderson's post showed him with a handgun, a rifle and a tactical-style vest along with a caption that said, “Hey Siri, directions to the nearest school," Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a news release. Anderson was arrested at his home near Tampa on Sunday, and charged with a written or electronic threat to conduct a mass shooting or act of terrorism. The sheriff said his agency will “do everything within our power" to track down anyone who makes school threats. In the Florida case, deputies discovered that the weapons in the photo were airsoft guns, the news release said.

PARIS — A French news broadcaster says a 32-year-old French journalist has been killed in Ukraine while "covering a humanitarian operation." Orban’s remarks came Monday at an extraordinary EU summit focused on helping Ukraine, with sanctions a clear focus of attention. MOSCOW — Authorities in a Russia-backed separatist region in eastern Ukraine say at least five civilians have been killed in new Ukrainian shelling. KYIV, Ukraine — A regional governor says an intense battle is going on for the key city of Sievierodonetsk in eastern Ukraine. The World Food Program chief say’s Russia’s war on Ukraine is “piling catastrophe on top of catastrophe” for the world’s poor.

Associated PressLincoln, Neb — Two people were killed and 20 others were injured after a crash that sent two cars careening into a crowd of bystanders at an annual Memorial Day weekend cruise night in Nebraska’s capital, police said Monday. Two women, ages 20 and 22, had been inside one of the cars and died in the Sunday night crash on O Street in Lincoln. A witness told the Lincoln Journal Star that a speeding car crashed into another vehicle attempting a turn at an intersection. Details of the cruise night are not clear. Authorities have previously said that some drivers have attempted dangerous maneuvers to excite the crowd, such as burnouts and speeding.

ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has discussed Ankara’s planned military operation in northern Syria and the war in Ukraine with Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Erdogan’s office said Monday. In recent days Erdogan has said Turkey will launch a cross-border incursion against Kurdish militants in Syria to create a 30-kilometer (19-mile) deep buffer zone. He told Putin in a phone call that the frontier zone was agreed in 2019 but had not been implemented, the Turkish presidency said. However, the YPG forms the backbone of U.S.-led forces in the fight against the Islamic State group in Syria. The Turkish president also called for peace in Ukraine as soon as possible and for confidence-building steps to be taken.

PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — A Kosovo court decided Monday to continue detaining two Albanian men who allegedly joined extremist groups in Syria. The Pristina court decided in separate cases in favor of prosecutors' requests to leave the suspects in detention for a month. A statement said one man, identified only as H.S., left Kosovo in November 2015 “to join the terror organization ISIS." In another case, the Pristina court also left in detention for one more month the suspect identified as Y.B. on same terror offenses.

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Two more Republican candidates for governor are suing to get on the Aug. 2 primary ballot, just days before the Michigan lineup must be settled. The candidates want courts to order the board to put them on the ballot. Five other Republican candidates landed a ballot spot, including Tudor Dixon, a former conservative TV news host who has the backing of Betsy DeVos, head of the U.S. Education Department during the Trump administration. But it's not clear how much that will help in a Republican primary. The winner of the Republican primary will face Democratic Gov.

"The idea of these high-caliber weapons -- there is simply no rational basis for it in terms of self-protection, hunting," Biden said. Since then, mass school shootings have rocked Virginia Tech University, Sandy Hook Elementary school in Connecticut and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, among others. Biden has backed multiple actions, including a renewal of the assault weapons ban imposed in the 1990s and universal background checks. Some states, including those like Florida and Connecticut that have faced a mass shooting, have separately sought to tackle some gun law changes. (Reporting by Steve Holland in Washington and Brad Brooks in Uvalde, Texas, Writing by Susan Heavey; Editing by Scott Malone and Andrea Ricci)

Under a compromise plan to be discussed at a Brussels summit on Monday, Russian oil transported through the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline for Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia would be exempt from the EU embargo. Germany, along with Poland, has pledged to phase out Russian oil by the end of the year. Budapest had already been offered a two-year delay in implementing the ban on Russian oil, but said this wasn’t enough to allay its concerns about rising energy prices or pay the bill for retooling its refineries. A European diplomat suggested it could take “some weeks” to find a solution for countries that were ultra-dependent on Russian oil. Beyond sanctions, EU leaders are expected to approve €9bn in emergency support for Ukraine, although there is no decision yet on whether the funds will be low-interest loans or non-repayable grants.

The new US ambassador to Ukraine has arrived in Kyiv, the Guardian understands, a symbolic move after the US withdrew all diplomats from the country before the Russian invasion in February. The US embassy evacuated all family members and non-essential staff in January and moved operations to Lviv in western Ukraine in mid-February. Right before the Russian invasion, the diplomats moved again, to Rzeszów in Poland. In the end, almost all western diplomats left Kyiv, either before or immediately after Russia launched its invasion. The British ambassador arrived at the end of April.

Six million households in Britain face the possibility of morning and evening blackouts this winter to maintain sanctions against Russia, as do consumers across Europe. Sanctions may have harmed Russia’s credit-worthiness, but the 70% surge in world gas prices alone has supercharged its balance of payments. Russia’s reaction to sanctions has been to threaten to cut off gas to Europe, further driving up prices to its advantage. Whether it means this is moot, but the west cannot be blind to the unintended consequence of its sanctions war. The EU should stick to helping Ukraine’s war effort and withdraw economic sanctions against Russia.

The Home Office said the eligible universities had been identified from three of the world’s most reliable rankings. To be in the top 50, they must appear in at least two of either: Times Higher Education World University Rankings, Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings or The Academic Ranking of World Universities. Home Office defends visa routesShe also said graduates from the universities were eligible regardless of their nationality. The new visa route will be open to graduates from the top 50 non-UK universities awarded degrees no more than five years before the date of application. Under previous rules, they would have needed a sponsor with a concrete job offer to get a work visa, have to have met required salary levels and show they were not taking a post that could be filled by a British worker.

Boris Johnson has the lowest approval rating of any Cabinet minister among the Conservative grassroots, new polling has shown. The Prime Minister’s rating now stands at -15 per cent, down from 6.6 per cent in April when the same metric had Rishi Sunak as the least popular member of the Cabinet. Mr Johnson has returned to negative figures after his Government’s response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine returned two months of positive scores. Behind Mr Wallace are Nadhim Zahawi, the Education Secretary, at 66.2 per cent, and Anne-Marie Trevelyan, the International Trade Secretary, at 64.6 per cent. Liz Truss, the Foreign Secretary, and Stephen Barclay, the Cabinet Secretary, round off the top five.

Prominent German climate activist Luisa Neubauer – known as the country's Greta Thunberg - said the comparison between climate protesters and Nazis “left her speechless”. “He stylizes climate protection as an ideology with parallels to the Nazi regime. Mr Scholz continued, saying he recognised the tactic as a means of preventing objective discussion. Nazi comparisons 'completely absurd'Government spokesperson Christiane Hoffmann hit back at the Nazi comparisons on Monday, saying they were “completely absurd”. And therefore, (if you want to act) in favour of the climate movement, leave the radicalism out.”

In a letter to constituents, seen by The Telegraph, she said Ms Gray’s full report – published last Wednesday – “does not make for comfortable reading”. She wrote: “I was incredulous and appalled in equal measure reading Ms Gray’s report on the numerous events in Downing Street that took place during the lockdowns. “Many people have asked me whether I believe that the Prime Minister should stand down. I fear that the continued reporting and constant speculation will continue to damage both the Government and the Conservative Party. On Monday, Jeremy Wright, the former Attorney General, and Elliot Colburn, a 2019-intake MP who represents Carshalton and Wallington, became the latest Conservative MPs to call on the Prime Minister to resign after the publication of Sue Gray’s full report.

Marjorie Taylor Greene joined a growing list of right-wing House members who have spread a false rumour that the Uvalde shooter was transgender in the wake of the horrific shooting that left nearly two dozen dead in Texas last week. Ms Greene is far from alone in spreading this false rumour: conservative activist Candace Owens, as well as Ms Greene fellow House members Paul Gosar and Pete Sessions have both spread versions of the budding conspiracy in statements on Twitter and in interviews. That claim has not been verified by a single law enforcement agency or news organisation, and it’s unclear where the congresswoman first heard it. Then, she suggested that this supposed third-party “groomer” was a former FBI agent. Ms Greene is no stranger to controversy and remains stripped of her committee memberships thanks to past remarks she made that were seen as encouraging violence against Democrats including Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House.

He also warned anyone who attempts a school shooting: 'If you think you’re going to come and kill a child or a faculty member, think again. Salvador Ramos blasted his grandmother in the face before going on a rampage at Robb Elementary School last Tuesday. The shocking incident is being investigated by the The School Threat Enforcement Team and the Youth Services Criminal Investigations Division. Amd on May 27, Sheriff Marceno appeared in an eight-minute long video in which he criticized federal aid for Ukraine. Lee County Sheriff Marceno pictured with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on May 23In 2020, Marceno, a Republican, won a decisive election victory over Democratic challenger Robert Neeld.

(CNN) The Justice Department announced Sunday it will conduct a review of the law enforcement response to the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, that left 19 children and two teachers dead. "At the request of Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin, the U.S. Department of Justice will conduct a Critical Incident Review of the law enforcement response to the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24," DOJ spokesman Anthony Coley said in a statement. The massacre, America's deadliest school shooting since the Sandy Hook shooting in 2012, has been followed by conflicting official accounts of how it unfolded. "As with prior Justice Department after-action reviews of mass shootings and other critical incidents, this assessment will be fair, transparent, and independent. The Justice Department will publish a report with its findings at the conclusion of its review."

President Biden told reporters Monday that "rational Republicans" could act on some gun control in the wake of the recent mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas. Driving the news: "I think things have gotten so bad that everybody is getting more rational about it, at least that’s my hope,” Biden said. Biden said Monday he would welcome congressional action gun control. Yes, but: Biden said he has not spoken with Republicans yet about finding a compromise on gun control, “but my guess is ... they’re going to have to take a hard look.”"I know I have responsibility. The big picture: Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) told ABC's "This Week" on Sunday that there are "many more Republicans willing to talk" about gun control legislation than he'd seen before, Axios Ivana Saric reports.

Greg Abbott in Uvalde, Texas Wednesday, May 25, 2022. Greg Abbott in Uvalde, Texas Wednesday, May 25, 2022. Last week, following the massacre of 19 elementary school students and two teachers by an 18-year-old man with an AR-15-style rifle in Uvalde, Texas, O’Rourke — now campaigning for governor — again briefly seized the national political spotlight. It’s too early to tell what will happen in the governor’s race, but the shooting has already affected both parties. It’s about everyone as a whole.”___More on the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas: https://apnews.com/hub/school-shootings .

Pressed on potential avenues for gun control in the wake of the devastating school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, President Joe Biden pointed to an assault weapons ban Monday morning. He visited the school and attended mass at a local church, where demonstrators nearby chanted "Do something." President Joe Biden speaks to the media on the South Lawn of the White House on May 30, 2022. Biden appeared to credit a federal assault rifle ban — which expired in 2004 — for reducing gun deaths previously, saying, "I know what happened when we had rational action before," adding that the prohibition "cut down mass murders." “So, it's just, as I say, I think things have gotten so bad that everybody’s getting more rational about it," he concluded.

KRAMATORSK, Ukraine -Russian troops pushed farther into a key eastern Ukrainian city and fought street by street with Kyiv's forces Monday in a battle the mayor said has left the city "completely ruined" and driven tens of thousands from their homes. Weapons from the West have already helped Kyiv's forces thwart a Russian advance on the capital in the early weeks of the war. That failure forced Moscow to withdraw, regroup, and pursue a more limited objective of seizing the Donbas, where Moscow-backed separatists already held swaths of territory and have been fighting Ukrainian troops for eight years. In recent days, the fighting has focused on Sievierodonetsk in a battle Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called "indescribably difficult." The Ukrainians hope they can hold the Russians off long enough for them to run out of steam -- or for more Western weapons to arrive.

Athens seeks EU funds to extend its 40km steel border wall to 120km with construction work due to start later this year. Greece has announced its plan to triple the length of a wall along the country’s border with Turkey, seeking European Union financial support for the additional construction. Notis Mitarachi, the migration affairs minister, said the steel wall would be extended from 40 to 120km (25 to 75 miles), with construction work due to start later this year. “It is a government decision to extend the border wall further and we have requested European funding,” Mitarachi said, speaking in an interview on Sunday with a radio station near Athens. Border wall fundsLast year, 12 countries, including Greece, requested EU funding for border walls, which are currently financed by national budgets.

In high school, Rishi Sharma made it his mission to meet as many World War II combat veterans as possible. "I ditched so many days of high school to go do an interview," he recalled. America is losing more than 200 World War II vets every day. In five years, Sharma said he has interviewed 1,400 World War II veterans. "I have a nonprofit organization called RememberWWII.org, and I'm going to be interviewing World War II veterans every day until there are none," Sharma said.

“The folks who were victimized, their families, they spent three hours and 40 minutes with me,” Biden told reporters Monday. Democrats, Republicans talking gun billsSenate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said last week he wants GOP lawmakers to work with Democrats on a legislative solution for limited gun measures "directly related" to the Uvalde shooting. Biden on Monday recalled hearings he held when he was a senator to talk about “rational gun laws” and seeing an x-ray when visiting a trauma hospital in New York once. Ten days before the slaying in Uvalde, a gunman killed 10 shoppers at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York. “I think things have gotten so bad that everybody is getting more rational about it,” Biden said.

A Florida fifth grader was arrested after making a fake threat to commit a mass shooting, according to police. The incident comes just days after a horrific shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, left 19 children and two teachers dead. In Florida, the "School Threat Enforcement Team" was immediately notified and began "analytical research," the Facebook post said. The fifth grader was charged with making a written threat to conduct a mass shooting. Uvalde shooting:Over $5.5 million raised on GoFundMe campaigns for school shooting victimsWhat's everyone talking about?

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has trashed mounting speculation that warmongering President Vladimir Putin is seriously ill. The Kremlin’s top diplomat was asked by French broadcaster TF1 about the rumors sparked in part by Putin’s bloated features and unusual tics and twitching during recent appearances. “I don’t think that sane people can see in this person signs of some kind of illness or ailment,” Lavrov insisted, according to Agence France-Presse. The Kremlin official insisted that Putin has appeared in public “every day.”“You can watch him on screens, read and listen to his speeches,” Lavrov said, AFP reported of comments released by the Russian foreign ministry. Sergei Lavrov was asked about the rumors of Vladimir Putin being seriously ill. Russian Foreign Ministry / Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesPutin sparked more health speculation after covering legs with blanket at parade.

WorldZelensky says most of the Ukrainian city Severodonetsk is destroyedPresident Volodymyr Zelensky said on May 29 that Russian shelling has destroyed all of the critical infrastructure in Severodonetsk, Ukraine.

President Biden on Monday said the United States will not send rocket systems to Ukraine that could potentially reach into Russia, after reports that the administration was preparing to send long-range systems to the besieged European ally. BIDEN SAYS PUTIN ‘NATOIZED’ EUROPE WITH WAR IN UKRAINEBiden was asked about the potential move by reporters outside the White House and said that his administration would not send Ukraine rocket systems that strike into Russia. Koffler said that another motivation for Biden could be concern about how the systems would be used by the Ukrainians. She also noted that Russia had sought to deter Washington from sending the systems to Ukraine by testing a hypersonic missile this week. "Apparently, providing Ukraine this new capability creates concerns among some in the Biden Administration that it will be seen as provocative and escalatory in the eyes of Putin," he tweeted.

President Biden pointed to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Sen. John Cornyn as Republicans he believes he can work with on gun control. Biden said there was a chance for compromise on gun control with "rational Republicans" such as McConnell, R-Ky., and Cornyn, R-Texas, during remarks to reporters Monday, though he warned that there is not much he can do on his own through executive action. TEXAS SCHOOL SHOOTING: LIVE UPDATESThe president's remarks come after multiple shootings over the last week, starting with the Uvalde, Texas shooting at Robb Elementary School that left 21 dead and 18 injured. Biden called for gun control legislation after the Uvalde shooting, arguing that the government can work to prevent similar acts of violence in the future. "As a nation, we have to ask, when in God's name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby?

U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Bide speak with Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District (C.I.S.D.) "The idea of these high-caliber weapons -- there is simply no rational basis for it in terms of self-protection, hunting," Biden said. Since then, mass school shootings have rocked Virginia Tech University, Sandy Hook Elementary school in Connecticut and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, among others. Biden has backed multiple actions, including a renewal of the assault weapons ban imposed in the 1990s and universal background checks. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Steve Holland in Washington and Brad Brooks in Uvalde, Texas, Writing by Susan Heavey; Editing by Scott Malone and Andrea RicciOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

President Joe Biden offered more of his thoughts on gun control on Monday, expressing concern to reporters at the White House about the lethality of modern weapons. “The Constitution, the Second Amendment, was never absolute. You couldn’t buy a cannon when the Second Amendment was passed,” Biden said. Biden addressed questions by reporters on gun control after the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, last week that killed 19 children and two teachers. Biden has been a part of various efforts to control gun violence over the years.

President Joe Biden will honor U.S. service members in remarks at Arlington National Cemetery on Monday as part of a day of events commemorating veterans and their families. Before heading to the cemetery, the president and first lady Jill Biden hosted a breakfast in the East Room of the White House with members of veterans, military service and military families groups, senior Defense Department officials and other administration officials. The Bidens will be joined at Arlington National Cemetery by Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, for a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, followed by the president’s speech at the Memorial Amphitheater. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley are also expected to speak. Afterward, the Bidens will plant a magnolia tree on the South Lawn of the White House alongside the families of service members who have passed away.

Members of the media are visible in the sunglasses of President Joe Biden as he speaks on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Monday, May 30, 2022, after returning from Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)Members of the media are visible in the sunglasses of President Joe Biden as he speaks on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Monday, May 30, 2022, after returning from Wilmington, Del. “I think things have gotten so bad that everybody’s getting more rational, at least that’s my hope,” Biden told reporters on the White House lawn after returning to Washington. That included encouraging state “red flag” laws to keep guns away from those with mental health problems. Later, the Bidens planned to honor families of service members killed with the planting of a magnolia tree on the White House South Lawn.

FILE - The so-called "Judensau," or "Jew pig," sculpture is displayed on the facade of the Stadtkirche (Town Church) in Wittenberg, Germany, Jan. 14, 2020. A German federal court on Monday mulled a Jewish man's bid to force the removal of the 700-year-old antisemitic statue from the church where Martin Luther once preached, say it will deliver its verdict in the long-running dispute next month. A German federal court on Monday mulled a Jewish man's bid to force the removal of the 700-year-old antisemitic statue from the church where Martin Luther once preached, say it will deliver its verdict in the long-running dispute next month. The case went to the Federal Court of Justice after lower courts ruled in 2019 and 2020 against plaintiff Michael Duellmann. The federal court, based in the southwestern city of Karlsruhe, plans to announce its ruling on June 14.

Pressed on potential avenues for gun control in the wake of the devastating Uvalde, Texas, shooting, President Joe Biden pointed to an assault weapons ban on Monday morning. The president visited Uvalde on Sunday, meeting with first responders and consoling the families of the 19 children and two teachers killed in a shooting rampage at Robb Elementary School. President Joe Biden speaks to the media on the South Lawn of the White House on May 30, 2022. Biden appeared to credit a federal assault rifle ban — which expired in 2004 — for reducing gun deaths previously, saying, "I know what happened when we had rational action before," adding that the prohibition "cut down mass murders." “So, it's just, as I say, I think things have gotten so bad that everybody’s getting more rational about it," he concluded.

Republican gubernatorial candidate David Perdue campaigning on May 20, 2022, in Plainville, Georgia, to be made the GOP nominee for governor. Joe Raedle/Getty ImagesDonald Trump lashed out at his defeated endorsees in Georgia, The Washington Post reported. He reportedly insulted David Perdue — who was seeking the governor nomination — as "lazy." Former President Donald Trump was furious that his endorsed candidate David Perdue's lost the Republican gubernatorial primary in Georgia, and lashed out at him as "lazy," The Washington Post reported. Advisors to Trump told the Post that the former president now sees the candidates he endorsed in the races as "embarrassments," adding that he considered Perdue lazy.

Anila Ali, a Pakistani-born U.S. citizen living in Washington, responded to growing criticism from Pakistanis, some of whom questioned who was actually behind the visit. Pakistan is among the countries that have no diplomatic relations with Israel because of the lingering issue of Palestinian statehood and Pakistan says no delegation from Pakistan visited Israel. Ali said she led a 15-member delegation comprised of Pakistani expatriates to Israel earlier this month. “We have no intentions of speaking for the Pakistani government whether to normalize relations with Israel or not,” Ali said. The visit appeared to go under the radar in Israel, with few media covering it and those that did doing so belatedly.

"I think things have gotten so bad that everybody’s getting more rational, at least that’s my hope,” Biden told reporters on the White House lawn after returning to Washington. Faced with chants of “do something” as he departed a church service, Biden pledged: “We will.”As he arrived back in Washington for Memorial Day, Biden was asked if he's now more motivated to see new federal limits imposed on firearms. That included encouraging state “red flag” laws to keep guns away from those with mental health problems. “The Second Amendment was never absolute," Biden said. Later, the Bidens planned to honor families of service members killed with the planting of a magnolia tree on the White House South Lawn.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia legislative leaders are proposing a new criminal misdemeanor in state law for possession of more than four ounces of marijuana in public. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that the proposal is included in a new two-year state budget plan, which became publicly available online Sunday evening. The General Assembly will meet Wednesday in special session to consider the budget. In 2021, the Democratic-controlled General Assembly legalized adult possession of up to an ounce of marijuana for personal use. But it does not include some of the tax cuts proposed by Youngkin, including a three-month suspension of the state tax on gasoline.

The EU gets about 40% of its natural gas and 25% of its oil from Russia, and Ukraine says those energy imports are funding Russia's war on its neighbor. But Hungary is leading a group of EU countries — along with Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria — that rely on Russian oil and can't afford to take such steps. Hungary gets more than 60% of its oil from Russia and 85% of its natural gas. Hungary and Slovakia depend on Russian oil that comes through the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline. A small group of protesters gathered outside EU buildings Monday before the summit, with some holding signs like “No to Russian oil and gas."

KRAMATORSK, Ukraine (AP) — Russian troops pushed farther into a key eastern Ukrainian city and fought street by street with Kyiv's forces Monday in a battle the mayor said has left the city “completely ruined” and driven tens of thousands from their homes. Weapons from the West have already helped Kyiv's forces thwart a Russian advance on the capital in the early weeks of the war. That failure forced Moscow to withdraw, regroup, and pursue a more limited objective of seizing the Donbas, where Moscow-backed separatists already held swaths of territory and have been fighting Ukrainian troops for eight years. The Ukrainians hope they can hold the Russians off long enough for them to run out of steam — or for more Western weapons to arrive. Follow AP’s coverage of the Ukraine war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Mr Zelensky did not specify Mr Dudin’s suspected transgressions but the security chief on Monday pushed back in a long-winded statement accusing the president of smearing his reputation. The former security chief also said he had hours of incriminating footage showing local officials plotting to collaborate with the Russians. Mr Dudin’s dismissal appears to mark a return of the political infighting in Ukraine that has been barely seen since the outbreak of war on February 24th. Last week, the SBU unveiled testimony by a jailed Ukrainian tycoon who accused Petro Poroshenko, a former Ukrainian president, of profiting by purchasing coal from territory currently held by pro-Russian separatists. Mr Poroshenko denied the accusations, calling them a political hit-job on behalf of Mr Zelensky.

Jon Stewart has called on US lawmakers to “do the right thing” by American veterans at a time when they are sending billions of dollars to help service members in Ukraine. “Any senator that voted to send $40bn to Ukraine can stand up and do the right thing by the veterans of this country,” he said. “There’s 46 Republican senators that should get on this bill just because it’s the right thing to do,” he said. “And we want to make sure they do the right thing. If it passes the Senate vote, it is likely to be signed into law as soon as July.

A Republican congressman from California was apparently offended Saturday by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Memorial Day greeting. Mr Gascon is not well liked by his Republican colleagues. “When I was 18 years old, I joined the United States Army,” Mr Gascon tweeted. Neither is recognizing the difference between felonies and misdemeanors,” Mr Garcia wrote. As a vet I could care less about weekend holiday shaming people’s confusion, as long as they continue to care," one user wrote.

Ukraine war: On the Izyum frontlineSky's special correspondent Alex Crawford has spent time with Ukraine's 93rd Brigade on the western border of the Donbas region.

The Ukrainian soldiers from the 93rd Brigade, who we're with, are awaiting their orders. The Russian troops don't seem to be moving much in this area. They have had some successes recently and point out the destroyed Russian tanks and other military vehicles over the other side of a stretch of water. "We need tanks and more artillery," Ivan says, echoing what every senior Ukrainian official including the president seems to be saying right now. Open Privacy OptionsSubscribe to Ukraine War Diaries on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and SpreakerIt appears the Russians have learnt from their earlier failures, in trying to encircle the capital Kyiv and the second city Kharkiv.

French journalist Frédéric Leclerc-Imhoff has been "fatally shot" in Ukraine, Emmanuel Macron has said. "On board a humanitarian bus, alongside civilians forced to flee to escape Russian bombs, he was fatally shot," Mr Macron tweeted. Mr Macron said he shared the "pain of the family, relatives and colleagues" of Mr Leclerc-Imhoff, to whom he sent his condolences. It also said Mr Leclerc-Imhoff was a graduate of the Institute of Journalism Bordeaux Aquitaine and had worked for the channel for six years. Two civilians were killed and another five wounded in the latest Russian shelling, Mr Haidai added on Monday.

President Joe Biden announced on Monday that the U.S. will not be giving Ukraine long-range missiles that can reach into Russia after Moscow warned that such a move would cross a red line. Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS) that can fire missiles hundreds of miles as it fights for control of its eastern Donbas region. 'We are not going to send to Ukraine rocket systems that strike into Russia,' he told reporters. Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov warned Washington against sending long-range weapons. In the case of long range rocket systems, officials are reported to have proposed reducing that risk by only offering Ukraine shorter-range rockets, which have an effective range about 50 miles.

Ukrainian activists staged a demonstration in Brussels ahead of Monday's EU summit to call for tougher sanctions against Russia.

Ukraine's Zelensky Tours Kharkiv as Donbas Fight RagesUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday visited the city of Kharkiv, marking his first trip to eastern Ukraine since Russia invaded his country on Feb. 24. Kharkiv, once the site of some of the war's fiercest fighting, now lays relatively quiet as Russia pushes for control of the Donbas region to the southeast. But Russian forces remain within striking distance of the city and it has come under renewed Russian shelling in recent days. Zelensky toured frontline positions as well as areas of Kharkiv damaged by Russia's invasion before presenting troops with medals. Here are photos of the city during Zelensky's visit.

Ukrainian soldiers who surrendered to Russian forces at the Azovstal steel plant in the city of Mariupol may face the death penalty, a pro-Moscow separatist official said Monday. "For such crimes we have the highest form of punishment in the DNR — the death penalty. "All the prisoners of war are on the territory of the DNR," he said, adding that there were around 2,300 soldiers from Azovstal among them. Among the Ukrainian fighters who gave themselves up were members of the Azov regiment, a former paramilitary unit which has integrated into the Ukrainian armed forces. In a phone call with Vladimir Putin on Saturday, the leaders of France and Germany urged the Russian president to release the Ukrainian fighters from Azovstal.

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — The district attorney of coastal Georgia’s largest county has become the latest prosecutor statewide to say she’ll generally stop prosecuting misdemeanor marijuana cases involving possession of less than an ounce of the drug. Like other prosecutors, police chiefs and sheriffs who have stopped marijuana enforcement, she cited the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s refusal to test for small amounts of marijuana unless other felony charges are involved. A number of Georgia cities and counties, including Savannah, Atlanta and Macon-Bibb County have also reduced penalties for possessing marijuana. Savannah Mayor Van Johnson, who led that city’s previous efforts to cut marijuana penalties, told WTOC-TV that he supports the move . State lawmakers, mostly Democrats, have introduced a number of bills in the Georgia General Assembly seeking to legalize marijuana or reduce penalties for possession, but none have advanced.

There’s growing pressure on Washington to act after two deadly mass shootings rocked the nation this month. Lawmakers have projected mild optimism about reaching a compromise despite multiple failed attempts to pass gun reform legislation over the past decade. An emotional Biden visited the grieving cities of Buffalo, N.Y., and Uvalde, Texas, less than two weeks apart. On Sunday in Texas, a crowd stood outside of the Catholic church where the president attended mass, chanting, “Do something!”“We will,” Biden responded. Senators will continue talks while on Memorial Day recess, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has said his chamber will address the legislation when lawmakers return on June 6.

FILE - Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a news conference, in Ankara, Turkey on May 14, 2022. Within a two-week span, Turkey's president has caused a stir by throwing a wrench in Sweden and Finland's historic bid to join the NATO alliance, lashed out at NATO-ally Greece and announced plans for a new incursion into Syria. ( AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici, File)FILE - Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a news conference, in Ankara, Turkey on May 14, 2022. ( AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici, File)ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has discussed Ankara’s planned military operation in northern Syria and the war in Ukraine with Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Erdogan’s office said Monday. The Turkish president also called for peace in Ukraine as soon as possible and for confidence-building steps to be taken.

The auditors said, however, that the EU had overstated its climate spending by at least 72 billion euros and the actual figure was likely nearer 144 billion euros - or 13% of the total budget. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register"Not all the reported climate-related spending under the EU budget was actually relevant to climate action," said ECA member Joëlle Elvinger. Agriculture subsidies made up 80% of the "climate" spending the auditors said was mislabelled. While some schemes had made a solid contribution to fighting climate change, for example by enriching soil carbon storage, others had little climate impact - such as crop diversification - the auditors said. The EU assigns a score to spending based on its expected contribution to addressing climate change.

Bogota (CNN) Colombia's presidential election appears destined for a runoff, after preliminary results on Sunday showed no candidate had garnered over 50% of the votes. Petro and Hernandez are now expected to face each other during a second round of voting on June 19th. Petro casts a ballot at a polling location during the first-round presidential election in Bogota, Colombia, on Sunday, May 29, 2022. Rodolfo Hernandez leaves a polling station after voting in presidential elections in Bucaramanga on Sunday, May 29, 2022. We have one of the most solid democracies and it becomes solid because every four years we make an orderly transition," outgoing president Ivan Duque said on Sunday.

BARCELONA, Spain -NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday that next month's summit in Madrid will be a "historic" opportunity to strengthen the alliance in the face of Russian aggression against Ukraine. "At the Madrid summit, we will chart the way ahead for the next decade," Stoltenberg said. "We will also be joined by Finland and Sweden, who have just made historic applications to join our alliance. The Madrid summit is an important opportunity to reaffirm our NATO values." "Next month Madrid will host another historic summit," Stoltenberg said.

WASHINGTON (REUTERS) - The United States will not send Ukraine rocket systems that can reach into Russia, President Joe Biden said on Monday (May 30). The comments followed reports that the Biden administration was preparing to send advanced long-range rocket systems to Kyiv for its fight against Russia. "We're not going to send to Ukraine rocket systems" that can reach into Russia, Biden told reporters after arriving back at the White House after a weekend in Delaware. Ukrainian officials have sought a longer-range system called the Multiple Launch Rocket System, or MLRS, that can fire a barrage of rockets hundreds of miles away. Responding to the news, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said on Monday that Washington's decision on the rocket systems was "rational".

A French journalist has been killed after an armoured evacuation vehicle in which he was travelling was hit by shrapnel from a Russian shell in the city of Sievierodonetsk in eastern Ukraine, Ukrainian and French authorities have said. He was the victim of shrapnel while following a humanitarian operation in an armoured vehicle on Monday,” the 24-hour news station said. The French president, Emmanuel Macron, said the reporter “was in Ukraine to show the reality of the war. The Committee to Protect Journalists, an international media advocacy group, said over a dozen journalists had been killed while reporting on the Ukraine conflict. There was no immediate comment from the Russian authorities, who have repeatedly denied targeting civilians in Ukraine.

'We will': President Biden responds to 'do something' chants during trip to Uvalde, TexasPresident Biden and first lady Jill Biden offered comfort to the Uvalde community after a mass shooting left 19 children and two teachers dead.

Alabama Rep. Mo Brooks insisted during a Fox News interview Sunday that widespread voter fraud cost former President Donald Trump the 2020 election — forcing “Fox News Sunday” guest host Sandra Smith to intervene and push back. Residents of Astoria vote at PS 70 during the 2020 election. What are you calling them when you say 150 Republican senators and congressmen look at the voter fraud issue and said there was a major problem? Former President Donald Trump greets Mo Brooks during a “Save America” rally at York Family Farms on August 21, 2021. The conversation went off the rails after Smith asked about former President Trump pulling his endorsement for Brooks.

The United States will not provide Ukraine with advanced missile systems that can hit targets inside Russia, President Biden revealed Monday – once again rejecting a request from the Kyiv government for vital military aid. “We are not going to send to Ukraine rocket systems that can strike into Russia,” the president said after arriving back at the White House from Delaware. Top Ukrainian officials – including President Volodymyr Zelensky – have requested the US and its allies provide Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS) as well as High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS). Reports last week indicated the Biden administration was preparing to send long-range systems to Ukraine. Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP via Getty ImagesTop Ukrainian officials have requested the US and its allies provide Multiple Launch Rocket Systems and High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems.

Dan Patrick, and the Lone Star State’s two GOP senators – Ted Cruz and John Cornyn – also declined to appear. ?A Fox News spokesperson told Mediaite that the White House also turned down interview requests from “Fox News Sunday.”“State of the Union” anchor Dana Bash said Texas Gov. As the Republican governor arrived at the school where a memorial had been erected for the 21 victims, mourners heckled him. President Biden and first lady Jill Biden visited a memorial at Robb Elementary School on Sunday. “It’s awful — he’s not doing anything about gun laws and wants everyone to own a gun,” she said.

What to know as the jury deliberates a verdict in Depp-Heard trialWho testified to what? What will determine the outcome? What’s the scene like in and out of the courtroom?

VideoRussian troops have entered the outskirts of the Ukrainian city of Sievierodonetsk, according to the regional governor, who described fierce fighting on Monday over the ruins of a city that has become the focus of Moscow's offensive.

LONDON, May 30 (Reuters) - Conservative lawmaker Jeremy Wright, a former British minister and attorney general, said on Monday he believed Prime Minister Boris Johnson had damaged the government's authority and should resign. Wright said restoring accountability and faith in good government required more than apologies, and Johnson remaining in office would hinder crucial government objectives. "I have therefore, with regret, concluded that, for the good of this and future governments, the prime minister should resign," he said. More than 20 Conservative lawmakers have publicly called for Johnson to quit since the reports of lockdown-breaking parties began to steadily drip into the media. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Kylie MacLellan; Editing by Kate HoltonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Hungarian PM VIktor Orbán has been blocking the EU's sanctions package for weeks | Emmanuel Dunand/AFP via Getty ImagesHungary is demanding further exemptions from a Russian oil ban in case its pipeline supplies are disrupted, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Monday. During a summit on Monday, EU leaders are set to discuss a compromise sanctions proposal that includes a carve-out for Russian oil delivered by pipeline — a key request from Budapest. Under the latest plan, EU sanctions would only hit Russian oil delivered by ship, while temporarily omitting Russian oil delivered by pipeline, giving landlocked countries like Hungary more time to transition to other energy sources. The prime minister said that “in the next round” there would have to be a discussion on the kind of investments and time Hungary will need to end its dependency on Russian oil. “We need a guarantee that in the case of an accident with the pipeline … we have to have the right to get Russian oil from other sources,” Orbán said.

A fifth grade student in Florida was arrested over the weekend after allegedly threatening to carry out a mass shooting in a text message, authorities said. In a statement Saturday, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said it had learned earlier that day of a "threatening text message" sent by a student at an elementary school. It said its local school threat enforcement team was immediately notified and started investigating. The 10-year-old boy was interviewed and later charged with "making a written threat to conduct a mass shooting," the sheriff's office said. Andrew West / The News-Press via USA Today NetworkMarceno said his team “didn’t hesitate one second...NOT ONE SECOND,” to investigate the incident.

Ukrainian servicemen park a Russian BMP-2, an infantry combat vehicle, in the Kharkiv area, eastern Ukraine, Sunday, May 29, 2022. The Ukrainian military has been recovering abandoned Russian combat vehicles on the frontline to repair them and use them to their advantage. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office on Sunday, May 29, 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reacts as he visits the war-hit Kharkiv region. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)A Ukrainian serviceman attends a Sunday Ukrainian Orthodox mass in Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine, Sunday, May 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)KRAMATORSK, Ukraine — Russian troops pushed farther into a key eastern Ukrainian city and fought street by street with Kyiv’s forces Monday in a battle the mayor said has left the city “completely ruined” and driven tends of thousands from their homes.

Meriden police arrested an individual in connection with a stabbing Saturday in the area of Camp Street at Colony Street. The suspect, who was not identified by police, is charged with first-degree assault and interfering with an officer in connection with the incident that left the victim with a single stab wound and life-threatening injuries. “due to the Domestic nature of this investigation, no names will be released at this time.”Meriden police said they received a 911 call about the stabbing and officers found the victim suffering from a single stab wound. At one point during the altercation, the suspect stabbed the victim one time” police said in a statement. The Meriden Police Department shared the Connecticut Domestic Violence Hotline, at 1-888-774-2900 (English), 1-844-831-9200 (Spanish); and the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.

Yuras Karmanau and Elena BecatorosAssociated PressKramatorsk, Ukraine — Russian troops pushed farther into a key eastern Ukrainian city and fought street by street with Kyiv's forces Monday in a battle the mayor said has left the city “completely ruined” and driven tends of thousands from their homes. Weapons from the West have already helped Kyiv's forces thwart a Russian advance on the capital in the early weeks of the war. That failure forced Moscow to withdraw, regroup, and pursue a more limited objective of seizing the Donbas, where Moscow-backed separatists already held swaths of territory and have been fighting Ukrainian troops for eight years. The Ukrainian military said Russian forces reinforced their positions on the northeastern and southeastern outskirts of Sievierodonetsk, 145 kilometers (90 miles) south of the Russian border in an area that is the last pocket of Ukrainian government control in Luhansk province. The Ukrainians hope they can hold the Russians off long enough for them to run out of steam — or for more Western weapons to arrive.

One person died Sunday evening in an apparent shooting on the Ohio Statehouse grounds, the State Highway Patrol reported. Around 10 p.m. on Sunday evening, Patrol officers responded to gunshots at the northwest corner of the Ohio Statehouse grouand located a male victim suffering from an apparent gunshot wound, Sgt. Responding officers attempted to perform life-saving measures on the victim, but the victim died shortly after, Nihiser said. The incident is not related to any official Statehouse business, Nihiser said. The Patrol is in charge of providing security services for the Ohio Statehouse.

Republican senator Ron Johnson has blamed "wokeness" and critical race theory for school shootings, in the wake of the Uvalde massacre. "We stopped teaching values in so many of our schools. Now we’re teaching 'wokeness'," he said in a new interview. "We’re indoctrinating our children with things like CRT, telling, you know, some children they’re not equal to others and they’re the cause of other people’s problems.”"This is a much larger issue than what a simple new gun law’s going to – it’s not going to solve it." Click here to sign up to our newsletters.

China has urged nearly a dozen Pacific Island nations not to be “too nervous” about its intentions in the region, after they refused to sign a sweeping pact with Beijing. The deal has sparked concern in the West that China intends to assert greater control over the Pacific region, directly challenging the United States and its allies. The US has previously warned Pacific nations against signing “shadowy, vague deals with little transparency”. In response to concerns about Beijing’s motivation, Mr Wang said China had already proved its development credentials in Asia and Africa. “Don't be too anxious and don't be too nervous,” he said.

SNP leaders accused of stoking tensionsDespite Scots voting to reject independence by 55 to 45 per cent in 2014, some have claimed that the problem of anti-English bigotry is getting worse in Scotland. Councillors in Moray called for Anglophobia to be recognised by the council alongside other forms of prejudice, such as Islamophobia, saying the problem was regularly raised by constituents. “The debate surrounding independence has become increasingly divisive and that is one of the reasons why the majority of Scots do not wish to have another referendum. She later condemned the protests but refused to commit to taking disciplinary action against SNP members who took part. He has since said he has "zero tolerance" for anti-English sentiment and "there is absolutely no place for it".

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are making plans to step up production and distribution of lab tests that can detect monkeypox in the event that the outbreak of the disease, which is related to smallpox, becomes more widespread. According to CNN, 74 facilities in 46 states already use a monkeypox test that has received Food and Drug Administration approval and can process approximately 7,000 of those tests per week. Both monkeypox and smallpox belong to the same group of viruses, called orthopox viruses. Dr Adalja said smallpox remains “the most worrisome” of that category. The CDC has its own monkeypox test that is “more specific” for monkeypox and can perform the kind of genetic sequencing needed to determine whether different cases are caused by the same virus.

The Senate is typically the place where gun legislation goes to die. The winds are still blowing against those who want to see comprehensive gun legislation pass, but an opportunity was there. Recess is typically an enemy of any legislation – Tea Party protesters famously confronted legislators at town halls in their states and districts as Congress deliberated on Obamacare in 2009 – but with gun legislation, the passing of time often proves deadly. He also slammed efforts to pass gun legislation and, without a hint of irony, criticized President Joe Biden for politicizing the event – ignoring the fact that he himself received millions in campaign donations from the NRA. Wherever overall public opinion might lie, any legislator seen as negotiating with Democrats is now in the conservative voters’ sights.

But last week, Mahamat Nour Ibedou, the head of Chad's National Human Rights Commission, said the soldiers who were sent to intervene "fired on people", AFP quotes him as saying.

LONDON – Conservative lawmaker Jeremy Wright, a former British minister and attorney general, said on Monday he believed Prime Minister Boris Johnson had damaged the government’s authority and should resign. He joins several of Johnson’s lawmakers who have withdrawn their support for the British leader since a damning official report published last week detailed a series of illegal parties at his Downing Street office during COVID-19 lockdowns. Wright said restoring accountability and faith in good government required more than apologies, and Johnson remaining in office would hinder crucial government objectives. “I have therefore, with regret, concluded that, for the good of this and future governments, the prime minister should resign,” he said. More than 20 Conservative lawmakers have publicly called for Johnson to quit since the reports of lockdown-breaking parties began to steadily drip into the media.

Video: Steelworks prisoners from Mariupol 'are being tortured with pliers, electrocuted and strangled' after being captured by Russian forcesRussian President Vladimir Putin marked Border Guards Day on Saturday by congratulating Russian servicemen for their 'courageous actions' in protecting Russian territory amid the special military operation in...

Boris Johnson faced more Partygate woe today as an ex-minister joined resignation calls and he slipped to last place in closely-watched Cabinet rankings. Mr Johnson suffered another blow as his ratings dropped into negative territory in the latest ConservativeHome grassroots poll - with a net score of minus 15. A vote of no confidence must be held if 15 per cent of Tory MPs write to the chairman. Despite the sniping, ministers have moved to shore up Mr Johnson, dismissing calls for yet another investigation of lockdown-breaching in Whitehall. The cross-party Privileges Committee is still due to probe whether Mr Johnson deliberately misled the Commons over Whitehall parties, a process which could take months.

Colombia presidential election: Who is Gustavo Petro? 01:44Video by: Shirli SITBONColombians clamoring for "change" gave a leftist ex-guerrilla an historic lead Sunday in a first round of presidential elections that will culminate in a runoff against a maverick outsider in June. 62-year-old Gustavo Petro, a former Bogota mayor, won 40.3% of votes in Sunday's first round.

Orban confirmed that the proposal on the table would see Russian oil arriving in the EU and in Hungary by pipeline, rather than by sea, exempted from the sanctions. "If Russian oil does not arrive by pipeline, then we would have the right to receive oil by sea, and have it arrive from elsewhere, that is the guarantee that we need." An EU official said the leaders would attempt to find a "political agreement" on the Russian oil ban, with exceptions for specific countries worked out "as soon as possible". Origin of EU oil imports Jonathan WALTER AFP"The European Council aims to reach a political agreement today on an embargo on Russian oil," an EU official told reporters. Hungary's intransigence comes on the back of Orban's recent resounding re-election to a fourth term and some experts are sceptical about the official claims of alarm over a Russian oil ban.

Some placards at the protest site also read that UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet is complicit in the issue of 'Uyghur genocide'. The US urged China to respect the human rights of Tibetans, those living in Hong Kong, and all who seek to peacefully exercise their human rights and fundamental freedoms as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. "It is scandalous that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights went to China and East Turkistan without being able to even condemn the government for committing genocide. The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) has expressed its serious disappointment to the outcomes of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet's visit to China, including a trip to Xinjiang. As they feared, human rights groups say this visit has turned out to be a "propaganda opportunity" for China to whitewash its crimes against humanity and genocide against the Uyghur people.

Legislation and executive actions signed by former President Trump added $7.8 trillion in ten-year budget deficits. When accounting for non-legislative budget savings, the total projected budget deficits expanded by $3.9 trillion over the decade. The largest drivers were pandemic-relief legislation ($3.9 trillion), the 2017 tax cuts ($2 trillion), and legislation raising the discretionary spending caps ($1.6 trillion). Congressional Democrats have understandably decried the Trump deficits, yet they share much of the responsibility. Of course, President Trump owns the 2017 tax cuts, tariffs, and ACA individual mandate reforms.

For the first time, the organ­iz­a­tion form­ally embraced the idea that the sacred Second Amend­ment was at the heart of its concerns. An essay contest, grants to write book reviews, the creation of “Academ­ics for the Second Amend­ment,” all followed. In 1989, he published an article tweak­ing other progress­ives for ignor­ing “The Embar­rass­ing Second Amend­ment.” “For too long,” he wrote, “most members of the legal academy have treated the Second Amend­ment as the equi­val­ent of an embar­rass­ing relat­ive, whose mention brings a quick change of subject to other, more respect­able, family members. Over the past decade, the idea of a Second Amend­ment right has become synonym­ous with conser­vat­ism, even with support for the Repub­lican Party. This article has been adap­ted from his book The Second Amend­ment: A Biography, published this week by Simon & Schuster.

Last month, 26-year-old Lizelle Herrera was arrested and charged with murder in Rio Grande City, Texas after allegedly self-inducing an abortion, even though abortion is not currently a criminal offense in Texas. The new resolution doesn’t explicitly decriminalize abortion but rather directs police to make it their lowest enforcement priority in an effort to skirt conflict with state law, Vela said. Austin’s proposal, which aims to protect both patients and providers, comes as an extension of the city’s efforts to preserve abortion access despite the state’s restrictions. “We live in a state where abortion is going to remain legal in the short term, at least after Roe goes down. “When you’re in a purple state, cities might have an interesting role to play.”

CHICAGO (CBS) – Ahead of the expected spike in summer violence - and the tragedy in Texas, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) is calling for sensible gun reform. During a news conference at Lurie Children's Hospital Friday morning -- he acknowledged the tough political climate for change but remained hopeful. "Politics is no excuse, election is no excuse, it's a reason for us to roll up our sleeves and get it done," Durbin said. He says one of the most frequent conversations he has with constituents involves them telling him to "do something" about the violence and the toll it's taking on young people and communities.

PPP is sending a delegation to UkraineThe conservative People Power Party (PPP) announced Monday that party leader Lee Jun-Seok will lead a delegation to visit Ukraine after the June 1 local government elections.The party’s Special Delegation for Korea-Ukraine Freedom and Peace Solidarity, which will include Lee and other PPP lawmakers, will visit Ukraine in early June, with a detailed schedule to be announced later, according to a party press release.The PPP offered “deep sympathy for the recent situation in Ukraine and wishes for an early peace” in the announcement, adding that the party’s delegates hope to “meet and comfort the Ukrainian people with good wishes from the Korean people.”The release noted that the delegation would be the first from a political party in an Asian country, saying, “[The visit] will be a good opportunity to express the PPP’s support and solidarity with Ukraine and the party’s hopes for an end to the war as soon as possible.”The PPP leader attended a live video address by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the National Assembly in April. Lee uploaded a post to Facebook shortly after, in which he said, “The time has come for the ruling and opposition parties to open their minds and discuss both humanitarian support for Ukraine and greater direct support,” without specifying what the latter would entail.While Korea is the world’s sixth largest weapons exporter, it has balked at Ukrainian requests for lethal weapons, citing the country’s diplomatic and security situations and the impact on its own military’s readiness posture.Instead, it has provided Kyiv only with humanitarian relief and non-lethal military supplies such as bulletproof helmets, blankets and medical supplies, according to Seoul’s defense ministry.Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov requested anti-aircraft weapons from then-Defense Minister Suh Wook during a call in early April. But Seoul has said it would be unable to provide lethal weapons to Ukraine.In an A

Finland's Speaker of Parliament, Matti Vanhanen (Cen), said that Finland's pending membership in Nato would increase stability across the Baltic region. "We are confident that Finland's Nato membership would increase the stability of the Baltic Sea region and strengthen security in the transatlantic," he said, adding that Finland were "security producers, not consumers," and that the country's decision to join the alliance was not directed towards anyone in particular. Finland and Sweden formally applied for Nato membership nearly two weeks ago. Vanhanen noted that Finland's decision to apply for Nato membership was not taken lightly. The Nato session was originally planned to be held in Kyiv, but was moved to Vilnius due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Kherson, a port city in Ukraine’s agricultural heartland, was the first major city to fall as Russian forces swept north out of Crimea more than three months ago. After seizing it, Moscow used the city as a staging ground for operations across southern Ukraine. But in recent weeks, Russian forces — stretched thin and taking heavy losses as they gain ground in the eastern Donbas region — have concentrated their efforts in the south on fortifying defensive positions. In a war that is increasingly becoming an arms race, powerful American-made howitzers reached Ukrainian forces this month, and Ukrainian troops recently received Harpoon anti-ship cruise missiles from Denmark. Ukraine’s defense minister, Oleksiy Reznikov, said they would be used to try to break Russia’s Black Sea blockade and to protect the port city of Odesa.

London (CNN Business) Europe's united front against Moscow is being put to the test as countries struggle to agree a ban on Russian oil imports . Officials first proposed joining the United States and others in banning Russia's oil a month ago aspart of a sixth package of EU sanctions over the country's invasion of Ukraine. An EU official told CNN that banning all seaborne oil would cover more than two-thirds of imports from Russia. But pipeline deliveries made up a much bigger share of Russian oil shipments to Hungary (86%), the Czech Republic (97%) and Slovakia (100%). Earlier this month, Hungary's Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó likened the EU's proposals for a complete ban on Russian oil to an "atomic bomb" for his country's economy .

EU leaders gather Monday and Tuesday for their latest summit, where Russia’s war in Ukraine will once again be the focus. At issue is not just a stalled ban on Russian oil purchases, which has been held up over Hungary’s objections, but also rising energy costs and looming global food shortages — all spillover effects from Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will directly address EU leaders on Monday via video link, amid his calls for the bloc to impose more penalties on Russia and to expand military equipment shipments to Ukraine. Funding Ukraine’s rebuild is also on the agenda. POLITICO’s live blog will bring you all the news, reactions and analysis from the summit.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has denied that Vladimir Putin is seriously ill in the wake of numerous reports suggesting that the Russian leader has cancer. You can see him on the screens, read his speeches, listen to his speeches,” Lavrov said, speaking to French media TF1. Last week, a former British spy who worked in Russia for many years, Christopher Steele, said Putin was “seriously ill” and claimed his disease was “an element” in Russia invading Ukraine. In May, Former KGB agent Boris Karpichkov told the Sun — without evidence — that he believes Putin is suffering from “numerous” ailments including dementia and Parkinson’s. But experts have largely agreed so far that the evidence around Putin’s health is insufficient.

She broke barriers once again by becoming Oregon’s longest-serving speaker, before stepping down in January to run for governor. Now, after winning the state’s Democratic nomination for governor last week, Kotek hopes to add another notch to her political belt by becoming the first lesbian governor in the United States. Like her learnings about religion, Kotek said that her coming out experience has equally shaped her success and political style. Kotek said that if elected, she would “look into” modifying Oregon’s Constitution to protect same-sex marriage, which the Supreme Court legalized nationwide in a landmark ruling in 2015. “What I would say is, let’s have dialogue, let’s work through it, let’s keep moving forward.”“That’s why I consider myself a progressive,” she added.

VALENTYNA ROMANENKO - MONDAY,30 MAY, 2022, 10:02The Security Service of Ukraine has evidence that Russian contract soldiers refuse to participate in the offensive because they are suffering significant losses. Therefore, the Russian general shamefully fled from the front line. Previously: The Security Service of Ukraine has released a hotline number - 2402 - for Russian occupiers seeking a way out of the war. Russian contract soldiers who came to fight in Ukraine in February have grounds to "legally" leave the service. According to the Security Service of Ukraine, Russian contract soldiers are dreaming of leaving Ukraine.

The family of the late legendary musician Isaac Hayes has posted an angry tweet lashing former President Donald Trump’s use of one of Hayes’s songs at his controversial speech Friday at the National Rifle Association convention. “The estate and family of Isaac Hayes DID NOT approve and would NEVER approve the use of ‘Hold On I’m Coming’ ... by Donald Trump at this weekend’s NRA convention,” said the tweet. Our condolences go out to the victims and families of #Uvalde and mass shooting victims everywhere. Trump wrapped up his speech smiling, with his clenched fists and wooden dance steps to the 1996 song “Hold On, I’m Coming,” written by Hayes and David Porter, and performed by rhythm-and-blues duo Sam and Dave. The lyrics — including “Just hold on, I’m coming” — sounded suspiciously like a preening campaign song, shockingly inappropriate as Uvalde prepares to bury the slain children.

AdvertisementAfter a tip, detectives found that Anderson had posted images of himself with what appeared to be a handgun, a rifle and a tactical-style vest, deputies said. The caption said, “Hey Siri, directions to the nearest school.”The items appearing to be weapons were later discovered to be airsoft guns, deputies said. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office described Anderson’s action as a “school-based threat” in a news release Sunday. This man intentionally instilled fear into our community as a sick joke, but be warned, this is no laughing matter,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said in the release. We take school threats very seriously, if you see something suspicious, please contact us immediately.”©2022 Tampa Bay Times.

Today is Memorial Day. Meanwhile, hundreds of flights worldwide were canceled by Sunday evening, adding to the mounting number of scrubbed flights during the busy Memorial Day holiday weekend in the U.S. An online booking report shows Paul Pelosi was taken into custody late Saturday in Napa County. A spokesperson for Nancy Pelosi says she will not be commenting on this private matter. Paul and Nancy Pelosi have been married since 1963.

Last week, following the massacre of 19 elementary school students and two teachers by an 18-year-old man with an AR-15-style rifle in Uvalde, Texas, O'Rourke — now campaigning for governor — again briefly seized the national political spotlight. It’s too early to tell what will happen in the governor's race, but the shooting has already affected both parties. Of course, the domination of guns in Texas culture has long predated the law. “I think it's a net loss.”Abbott hasn't mentioned O'Rourke much since the shooting but answered questions about possible new state gun limits by slamming high crime rates in cities primarily run by Democrats. More on the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas: https://apnews.com/hub/school-shootings.

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong’s next leader, John Lee, received an official letter of appointment from Beijing on Monday, a month before he is to take over the leadership of the semi-autonomous city. Lee received his letter of appointment from Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, who congratulated him on his selection as Hong Kong’s next chief executive. Critics say the framework, which provides Hong Kong with semi-autonomity and special freedoms for 50 years, is threatened by growing restrictions imposed by Beijing. Premier Li also expressed full support for Lee and urged him to develop Hong Kong's economy and improve the livelihoods of its people. Lee is expected to be sworn in as Hong Kong’s new chief executive on July 1, the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover to China.

But Hungary is leading a group of countries — along with Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria — that rely on Russian oil and can't afford to take such steps. “The European Council aims to reach a political agreement today on an embargo on Russian oil," an EU diplomat said on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the negotiations. The EU gets about 25% of its oil from Russia, most of which goes toward gasoline and diesel for vehicles. Hungary and Slovakia depend on Russian oil they receives through the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline. A small group of protesters gathered outside EU buildings before the summit, with some holding signs like “No to Russian oil and gas."

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday that next month's summit in Madrid will be a “historic” opportunity to strengthen the alliance in the face of Russian aggression against Ukraine. “At the Madrid summit, we will chart the way ahead for the next decade,” Stoltenberg said. “We will also be joined by Finland and Sweden, who have just made historic applications to join our alliance. The Madrid summit is an important opportunity to reaffirm our NATO values.”But the leader of the 30-member alliance didn't address Turkey's reluctance to opening the doors to Sweden and Finland. “Next month Madrid will host another historic summit," Stoltenberg said.

The book in question, “When Aidan Became A Brother” written by Kyle Lukoff, was challenged by a parent for reasons the school system did not explain. This second level would require each School Board member to appoint a parent from the same level as the school in which the complaint originated. A retired librarian for the county school system, Beth Via, said the new procedures would put librarians in an unmanageable situation. But “given the current political climate,” the school system believed it necessary to add them to the policy manual. However, Lionberger said the changes do not require a School Board vote.

Senator Cory Booker sounded a pessimistic note on the US government’s ability and willingness to reform gun control laws in the country while appearing on a Sunday morning talk show. “The red flag law or the expanded background check wouldn’t have done anything,” Todd began. “It feels like you’re gonna solve a problem that doesn’t address the problem,” the morning news show host finally posed. For his part, the New Jersey lawmaker acknowledged that these proposed pieces of legislation were “not a one-move solution”. “We are at a point in this nation, where we are going to have to mobilise a greater movement,” he told the Todd.

US President Joe Biden, who only a week before the deadly shooting at Robb Elementary School travelled to Buffalo, the site of another deadly mass shooting, offered a sharp rebuke of his country’s gun control policies. Democratic lawmakers similarly made stirring pleas on the Senate floor, pleading for action on gun control. “What are we doing?” begged Senator Chris Murphy, whose home state, Connecticut, was the site of the Sandy Hook massacre, one of the deadliest school shootings in history. Lining up behind that one-door proposal was former US president Donald Trump, a politician who famously promoted the gun advocates’ solution of arming teachers following the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018. Armed parent militiasPutting a spin on the old tried-and-true conservative classic of arming teachers, was Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene’s suggestion of instead creating a volunteer militia of parents and guardians.

Irish ex-soldier Lisa Smith has been convicted of membership of the Islamic State (IS) terror group, a court in Dublin has ruled. Smith, who left the army in 2011, was found to have been a member of the Islamist militant group between at least 28 October 2015 and 1 December 2019. Judge Tony Hunt of the Special Criminal Court ruled that contrary to her plea of not guilty, Smith had knowingly travelled to an area of Syria controlled by IS in 2015 after converting to Islam. She was deported with her two-year-old daughter after the fall of IS in 2019 and arrested at Dublin Airport. At the close of the nine-week trial, Smith was, however, was found not guilty of financing a terrorist organisation over an €800 donation she had said was for humanitarian purposes.

Given Vermont's liberal reputation, it might seem strange that it would be the last state to send a woman to Congress. "I believe strongly — and I think a lot of other people believe strongly — that if women, Democratic women, were actually at the table, these kinds of threatening situations would not be occurring, because women's lived experiences would be at the center of the discussion and of the policy," she said. Montana in 1916 made Rep. Jeannette Rankin the first woman elected to Congress, four years before the 19th Amendment secured women's constitutional right to vote. The women seeking the Democratic nomination in the Vermont House race have not focused their campaigns on the possibility that one of them will be the first woman from the state elected to Congress. Balint has served in the state Senate for eight years, including six years in leadership positions, with the last two as president pro tempore.

But as progressives wait to see who will win the runoff race, they cannot help but think of what might have been if House Democratic leaders had not come to Cuellar’s assistance. “On the day of a mass shooting and weeks after news of Roe, Democratic party leadership rallied for a pro-NRA, anti-choice incumbent under investigation in a close primary. — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) May 25, 2022Progressives see a pattern in how party leaders and center-left groups are targeting their candidates in primaries. “It’s so abundantly clear what young people want and how Democratic leadership is willing to do the exact opposite,” he said. They are ready to keep up the fight, even if Democratic leaders attempt to stand in their way.

The NATO-Russia agreement signed 25 years ago no longer binds the Alliance because Russia itself violated the agreement by invading Ukraine, says NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoan?, visiting Vilnius. Under the 1997 NATO-Russia Framework Agreement, NATO has pledged not to permanently deploy significant forces in central and eastern Europe, including the Baltic states. As a result, he said, the Alliance is no longer bound by restrictions on the expansion of forces in its eastern flank. We expect very important decisions from our leaders in Madrid,” said the deputy secretary general of NATO. A new Strategic Concept for the Alliance is due to be adopted at the NATO Summit in Madrid in June.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says next month’s NATO summit in Madrid will be a “historic” opportunity to strengthen the alliance in the face of Russian aggression against UkraineBARCELONA, Spain -- NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday that next month's summit in Madrid will be a “historic” opportunity to strengthen the alliance in the face of Russian aggression against Ukraine. “At the Madrid summit, we will chart the way ahead for the next decade,” Stoltenberg said. “We will also be joined by Finland and Sweden, who have just made historic applications to join our alliance. The Madrid summit is an important opportunity to reaffirm our NATO values.”But the leader of the 30-member alliance didn't address Turkey's reluctance to opening the doors to Sweden and Finland. “Next month Madrid will host another historic summit," Stoltenberg said.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Porsche-driving husband was involved in a two-vehicle crash in California before his weekend arrest for drunken driving, police have since revealed. There were no reported injuries and the police report does not identify either driver as being at fault, CNN said. Paul Pelosi’s 2021 Porsche collided with a 48-year-old man driving a 2014 Jeep on Napa County’s State Route-29. The former venture capitalist has been married to the House Speaker since 1963, and the couple has five children together. Nancy Pelosi was in Rhode Island on Sunday delivering a commencement address at Brown University.

Shocking, new footage shows a Russian soldier flipping off a Ukrainian drone before being blown up by enemy munitions. As the camera pans out, the drone releases a grenade onto the BTR-82A, a 8×8 wheeled armored personnel carrier, causing it to burst into flames. Twitter/@UAWeaponsOne of the six Russian soldiers turns his head up to the sky and flips off the drone. Twitter/@UAWeaponsThe drone releases a grenade onto the armored personnel carrier. Twitter/@UAWeaponsThe armored personnel carrier bursts into flames.

REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo/File PhotoBRUSSELS, May 30 (Reuters) - European Union countries are struggling to agree oil sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, nearly four weeks after the European Commission proposed them. The proposal included an import ban on all Russian oil - sea-borne and pipeline, crude oil and refined products. However, reliance on Russian crude varies significantly between EU countries, and so does their ability to replace Russian supplies with alternatives. As a result, the EU is struggling to find an oil sanctions package that all states accept. It says halting Russian oil imports would pummel its land-locked economy because it cannot easily get oil from elsewhere.

Russian forces stormed Sievierodonetsk after trying unsuccessfully to encircle it, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has described the situation as “indescribably difficult.” A Russian artillery barrage has destroyed critical infrastructure and damaged 90 percent of buildings. The Ukrainian military said Russian forces were reinforcing their positions on the northeastern and southeastern outskirts of Sievierodonetsk and bringing additional equipment and ammunition to press their offensive. He said two civilians were killed and another five were wounded in the latest Russian shelling in the war. Zelenskyy on Sunday visited soldiers in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, where Ukrainian fighters pushed Russian forces back from nearby positions several weeks ago. In the wider Kharkiv region, Russian troops still held about one-third of the territory, Zelenskyy said.

Greg Abbott in Uvalde, Texas Wednesday, May 25, 2022. Greg Abbott in Uvalde, Texas Wednesday, May 25, 2022. Last week, following the massacre of 19 elementary school students and two teachers by an 18-year-old man with an AR-15-style rifle in Uvalde, Texas, O’Rourke — now campaigning for governor — again briefly seized the national political spotlight. It’s too early to tell what will happen in the governor’s race, but the shooting has already affected both parties. It’s about everyone as a whole.”___More on the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas: https://apnews.com/hub/school-shootings .

But it has symbolic value as the administrative centre of the part of Luhansk that remained under Ukrainian control when Russian-backed separatists seized the rest in 2014. "The capture of Sievierodonetsk and reaching the boundaries of Luhansk region would be more important for the leadership of Russia from a political point of view ... as a victory and achievement of their military and political goals," said Ukrainian military analyst Kostyantyn Mashovets. "In military terms, of course it will make the situation worse for us, but it won't be crucial." Story continuesIt also became a hub for both the Ukrainian military and for aid organisations operating in the area. He said the shelling of recent weeks had damaged 90% of the buildings in Sievierodonetsk and all of its critical infrastructure.

People at an exhibition of destroyed Russian military equipment in Kyiv, Ukrane, on May 28, 2022 SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP via Getty ImagesRussia is suffering 'devastating losses' of junior and mid-ranking officers, UK intel suggested. Officials said Russian commanders get closer to the fighting than their Western counterparts. The losses are harming Russia's ability to fight and costing it future leaders, the officials said. Russia has suffered "devastating losses" among its mid- and junior-level officers in Ukraine, degrading its ability to fight, UK intelligence claimed Monday. "Similarly, junior officers have had to lead the lowest level tactical actions, as the army lacks the cadre of highly trained and empowered non-commissioned officers (NCOs) who fulfil that role in Western forces."

The Russian army has lost a huge number of officers in UkraineRead also: Ukrainian guerillas would stop Russia winning war in Ukraine, Russian experts concludeAccording to the report, brigade and battalion commanders likely deploy forwards into harm's way because they are held to an uncompromising level of responsibility for their units' performance. Similarly, junior officers have had to lead the lowest level tactical actions, as the army lacks a cadre of highly trained and empowered non-commissioned officers (NCOs) who fulfil that role in Western forces. "The loss of large proportion of the younger generation of professional officers will likely exacerbate its ongoing problems in modernizing its approach to command and control," the ministry's assessment reads. Read also: Russia continues covert mobilization for Ukraine invasion, says Ukraine's General StaffIt is noted that more immediately, battalion tactical groups (BTGs) which are being reconstituted in Ukraine from survivors of multiple units are likely to be less effective due to a lack of junior leaders. Read also: Russian commandant's office rocked by grenade blast in occupied Melitopol, says Zaporizhzhya administration"With multiple credible reports of localized mutinies amongst Russia's forces in Ukraine, a lack of experienced and credible platoon and company commanders is likely to result to a further decrease in morale and continued poor discipline," reads the report.

But Hungary is leading a group of countries, including Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria, that rely on Russian oil and say they can’t afford to take such steps. The EU has already imposed five rounds of sanctions on Russia over its war in Ukraine. Hungary and Slovakia depend on Russian oil they receive through the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline. The issue of food security will be on the table Tuesday, with the leaders set to encourage their governments to speed up work on “solidarity lanes” to help Ukraine export grain and other produce. A small group of protesters gathered outside EU buildings before the summit, with some holding signs with slogans such as “No to Russian oil and gas.”

Fierce street fighting is underway in the city as Ukrainian defenders are trying to push the Russians out, Mayor Oleksandr Striuk said by telephone. They are the last major areas under Ukrainian control in Luhansk, which makes up the Donbas together with the adjacent Donetsk region. The Ukrainian army reported heavy fighting around Donetsk city, the regional capital, as well as Lyman to the north, a small city that serves as a key rail hub in the region. Zelensky on Sunday visited soldiers in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, where Ukrainian fighters pushed Russian forces back from nearby positions several weeks ago. In the wider Kharkiv region, Russian troops still held about one-third of the territory, Zelensky said.

As leader of the state Senate, Kevin de León was one of the most powerful politicians in California. Los Angeles mayor? He eventually resurrected himself with a successful run for the state Senate in 2010. Hernandez said she does not endorse political candidates but has contributed to De León’s campaign. Los Angeles City Councilman Kevin de León, who is running for mayor, with constituents at the grand opening of his campaign headquarters on March 12.

After Newsom beat back a recall, “the gubernatorial election seems like an afterthought,” said Republican political consultant Kevin Spillane. “There are a couple very interesting down-ballot statewide races. Those ballots could largely remain unopened by voters who more often turn out to participate in presidential election cycles. Among the more intriguing twists in statewide races is the emergence of candidates shunning affiliation with any political party, including a top candidate for California attorney general. Voters also have more ways to participate than in the last statewide election four years ago.

For perspective, the last time inflation was this bad, in 1980, voters ousted Democratic President Carter and installed Republican Ronald Reagan. In California, Republicans picked up six House seats and gained three in the state Assembly. “I do think it will be the dominant issue.”“High inflation always has an impact on elections,” says Democratic strategist Garry South. The PPIC poll found independents thinking more like Republicans on things besides inflation. Half of GOP voters are “very” or “extremely” enthusiastic about casting ballots in House elections.

The figure includes the pricing out of all components sketched out by CDOT officials just two years ago, along with contingencies for price spikes and other emerging risks, said Kurt Kionka, CDOT’s Floyd Hill project director. CDOT and contractors are working on designDuring a recent Colorado Transportation Commission briefing on the Floyd Hill project, several members raised cost-control pressures as “an elephant” of a challenge, in one member’s words. As it studied the project, CDOT eliminated a tunnel at the bottom of Floyd Hill from consideration because of the costs and challenges involved. CDOT recently applied for $240 million for Floyd Hill under a U.S. Department of Transportation program funded by the infrastructure bill. The submission even includes a photo of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg speaking at the base of Floyd Hill during a press event in February.

Abortion rights and anti-gun violence measures are at the top of the docket for the Democratic-led New York State Legislature during the final week of its 2022 session, spurred by a series of national events. Legislators also are likely to act on bills tailored for localities, such as extending mayoral control of New York City schools. Another would allow for civil lawsuits against those interfering with a woman’s attempts to travel to New York for abortion access. Democrats say it will boost voter participation in local elections — and Republicans are afraid of anything that increases turnout. The political reality is either side is trying to improve its chances of winning local elections.

The eighth Oklahoman charged over the U.S. Capitol attack was turned in by a college fraternity brother who saw his 10 Facebook videos of the riot, the FBI reported. He is accused in four misdemeanor counts of illegally going inside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and engaging in disruptive conduct. "I was among the first people to make our way into the US Capitol Building," he purportedly posted on Facebook, according to the FBI. The FBI reported finding Capitol surveillance footage and cell tower records that place Gable inside during the riot. "The videos ... show scenes of individuals yelling or chanting while inside the U.S. Capitol building.

In a bright, sunlit conference room, Istanbul’s mayor, Ekrem ?mamo?lu, crosses his arms and leans back in his chair. ?mamo?lu strives to position himself as Erdo?an’s opposite, an erudite and committed social democrat, despite their shared roots on Turkey’s Black Sea coast. An Istanbul court is expected to rule this week on whether he insulted election officials, and if found guilty he risks being banned from politics altogether. Pressed on whether he is weighing up a presidential run, ?mamo?lu smiles and decline. “I have no agenda regarding the presidential election or the presidency,” he says.

Ethiopia has launched a sweeping crackdown against an influential armed militia in its Amhara region that has led to the arrest of more than 4,000 people, including journalists, activists and a former general. Tefera appeared at the supreme court of the Amhara region on 20 May, accused of trying to dismantle the constitution. The conflict in northern Ethiopia broke out in November 2020 and has heightened ethno-nationalist sentiment among the Amhara, Ethiopia’s second largest ethnic group. All parties have been accused of atrocities, including Fano militia members, who moved to occupy the western part of the Tigray region when the conflict began. It subsequently evolved into an armed militia group before the current conflict further swelled its ranks.

During unrest, Iran has disrupted internet and telephone communications to affected areas, while also limiting the movement of journalists inside the country. The collapse reminded many of the 2017 fire and collapse of the Plasco building in Tehran, which killed 26 people. In 1978 an intentionally set fire at Cinema Rex – a few blocks away from the collapsed building in modern Abadan – killed hundreds. Anger over the blaze triggered unrest across Iran’s oil-rich regions and helped lead to the Islamic Revolution that toppled Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Abadan, in Iran’s oil-rich Khuzestan province, is home to Iran’s Arab minority who have long complained about being treated as second-class citizens.

Ukrainian forces have launched a major counter-offensive against Kherson’s Russian occupiers in a bid to sever Moscow’s supply into the southern port city. Announcing the mission on Sunday, Ukraine’s military said on Twitter: "Hold on Kherson, we’re coming." Kherson was the first major city to fall as Russian forces pushed north out of Crimea at the beginning of the invasion. The Ukrainian counter-attack targeted the villages of Andriivka, Bilohirka, and Bila Krynytsia, as well as the Russian supply routes over the Dnipro River. Russian military presence in Ukraine

'You can watch him on screens, read and listen to his speeches,' Lavrov said in comments released by the Russian foreign ministry. His statements come amid reports that the kremlin was reusing old footage of Putin for several meetings. An FSB officer was quoted in media outlets on May 29 warning that Putin has just three years left to live as speculation abounded over his health. Reports about Putin's health have conflicted, with accounts differing on whether Putin has thyroid, abdominal or blood cancer. Kyiv military spy chief Kyrylo Budanov said previously he fears the Russian leader still has a 'few more years' left in him.

Former Irish soldier Lisa Smith was found guilty of joining the so-called Islamic State group but acquitted of funding terrorismDublin (AFP) – Three judges at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin on Monday found former soldier Lisa Smith guilty of joining the so-called Islamic State group in Syria. Advertising Read moreSmith, 40, wept in the dock as judge Tony Hunt read the panel's decision, which was delivered after a nine-week trial. The Muslim convert, who wore a hijab to court, pleaded not guilty to membership of an unlawful terrorist group between October 28, 2015 and December 1, 2019. Defence lawyers argued that Smith's presence in IS territory did not make her a de facto member of the extremist Sunni group. The three judges sat without a jury at the Special Criminal Court, which adjudicates on cases involving terrorism and organised crime offences.

He was joined, via videolink, by his counterparts from 10 island nations that have established diplomatic ties with Beijing. It was the second meeting between Wang and the Pacific islands’ foreign ministers after they held a virtual meeting last October. “It is also China’s policy – we never impose anything on other countries.”03:15 Chinese foreign minister starts Pacific tour, offering security and free trade pactsFijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama said the Pacific nations were prioritising consensus. US State Department spokesman Ned Price last week warned South Pacific nations to be wary of “shadowy, vague deals with little transparency or regional consultation” with China. In a separate meeting earlier on Monday, Wang told Fijian President Ratu Wiliame Katonivere that China would continue to develop its ties.

Chinese minister Wang is in the Fijian capital Suva as part of a 10-day diplomatic blitz. Talks between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and 10 Pacific Island nations failed to reach an agreement on a wide-ranging security deal Monday, after sharp warnings the proposal would push the region into "Beijing's orbit". A virtual summit of leaders and foreign ministers was expected to discuss proposals to radically increase China's involvement in the security, economy and politics of the South Pacific. China has pitched itself to the South Pacific as a "major developing country" that stands shoulder to shoulder with small and medium-sized nations. He added: "China will release its own position paper" highlighting "our own positions and propositions and cooperation proposals with Pacific Island countries".

(AP) — Louisiana’s Legislature is heading into its final week after a Memorial Day weekend break, with major budget work completed and a debate that divided opponents settled. Other issues remain unresolved as the session nears its deadline for adjournment, June 6 at 6 p.m.BUDGETHistorically, budget battles in the Louisiana Legislature are usually down-to-the-wire affairs. It’s one of several bills filed by gun-control opponents awaiting action in the final days. Major anti-abortion organizations came out strongly against the bill, which conflicted with their oft-repeated stand that women shouldn’t be prosecuted for abortion. CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTSLawmakers suspended the 2022 regular session to convene a “veto session,” where they overrode Edwards’ veto of a new congressional district map adopted earlier in a February special session.

© Sasha Mordovets/Getty Images Rodina party leader Alexei Zhuravlyov attends the Security Council meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin on November 20,2013 Moscow, Russia. He suggested on state television that Russia won’t be satisfied with offers of some Ukraine territory, amid the ongoing war. Moscow won't be satisfied with offers of some Ukraine territory, a Russian lawmaker has suggested on state television. Zelensky has repeatedly asserted that he will not give up any Ukrainian territory to Russia. Zelensky said Kissinger "emerges from the deep past and says that a piece of Ukraine should be given to Russia."

Muscovites are voting to name a square outside the city’s U.S. embassy in honor of Russia’s war in Ukraine. They are “Defenders of Donbas Square,” “Donetsk People’s Republic Square” and “Hero of Russia Vladimir Artyomovich Zhoga Square,” in honor of a separatist battalion commander who was killed in combat on March 5. Muscovites, who will vote digitally via Moscow City Hall’s Active Citizen platform, also have a fourth option: delegating the decision to local officials. “The Moscow city administration has received numerous requests from citizens with different names [for the square], so we decided to put the issue to a city-wide vote,” Active Citizen said on its website. The Active Citizen platform had registered at least 25,000 votes at the time of writing, but did not indicate when voting would close.

A former Irish soldier has been found guilty of being a member of so-called Islamic State. Lisa Smith, from Dundalk in Co Louth, was convicted by a judge at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin. The judge told the court it could not be proved beyond reasonable doubt that Smith's intentions when she sent €800 to a so-called Islamic State member were not charitable or humanitarian. Smith had a daughter, born in June 2017, before she returned to Ireland in December 2019 after the collapse of Islamic State. "It is the lifeblood of the Islamic State," Mr Gillane said.

POTTER Much like “Hamilton,” “Suffs” tended to reduce both the successes and the flaws of the campaign for the 19th amendment to the personality of one person, Alice Paul. But I think it also connects with the show’s efforts to resonate with today’s politics (and the way people view America’s recent wars). More broadly, do these shows fall into a trap of trying to provide a comfortable, “relatable” place for the audience (especially the white audience)? They come off as terrified of failing to check off every box on the sensitivity list. All of this is a process we are learning from every day.

In 1976, 26.8 percent of voters lived in “landslide” counties — counties, that is, in which the winner in the presidential election won by more than 20 percent. Michael Kruse: Is there any way in which the Big Sort has gotten better? Kruse: The Big Sort is now the Bigger Sort. Bishop: You could see that people don’t come to a big church necessarily because of the preacher. I mean, the interesting thing about the guy who looked at the 80-percent counties: Most of the counties were Trump counties.

Under wording put forward by EU ambassadors, deliveries of Russian oil by pipeline would continue temporarily while sanctions are applied to supplies delivered by ship. The plan, first reported by POLITICO last week, would represent a weakening of the European Commission's original proposal for a "complete ban" on Russian oil imports. The draft conclusions don't mention a specific timeline for the temporary exception for crude oil delivered by pipeline, stating the exemption should end "as soon as possible." If EU leaders agree on a political deal on the package, the Council of the EU will still have to formally agree on the sanctions. Russia supplies about a quarter of the EU’s crude oil, according to Eurostat figures.

But Hungary is leading a group of countries — along with Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria — that rely on Russian oil and can’t afford to take such steps. Hungary and Slovakia depend on Russian oil they receives through the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline. The problem with hitting sea transported oil is that countries like Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands most reliant on that form would suffer a surge in oil prices, distorting competition because Hungary would still be purchasing cheaper Russian oil. The issue of food security will be on the table Tuesday, with the leaders set to encourage their governments to speed up work on “solidarity lanes” to help Ukraine export grain and other produce. A small group of protesters gathered outside EU buildings before the summit, with some holding signs like “No to Russian oil and gas.”

Russian forces stormed Sievierodonetsk after trying unsuccessfully to encircle it, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has described the situation as “indescribably difficult.” A Russian artillery barrage has destroyed critical infrastructure and damaged 90% of buildings. Mariupol is the city on the Sea of Azov that spent nearly three months under Russian siege before the last Ukrainian fighters surrendered. The Ukrainian military said Russian forces were reinforcing their positions on the northeastern and southeastern outskirts of Sievierodonetsk and bringing additional equipment and ammunition to press their offensive. Zelenskyy on Sunday visited soldiers in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, where Ukrainian fighters pushed Russian forces back from nearby positions several weeks ago. In the wider Kharkiv region, Russian troops still held about one-third of the territory, Zelenskyy said.

"I believe there may be rare and unusual cases that would warrant the permanent revocation of an attorney's license to practice law." The Office of Lawyer Regulation had prepared a six-count complaint against Schwefel, a 1995 graduate of University of Wisconsin Law School. In 2010, Schwefel used $72,600 of the woman's money to buy a Florida condo in Schwefel's name. She loaned $100,000 of the woman's money to another lawyer for that lawyer's personal real estate transaction. She dissented from a 2019 Supreme Court decision denying a petition to allow permanent revocation.

Gathering in a cold wind and rain outside the state Capitol on Wednesday, a new anti-corruption group is calling on Oklahomans to take out the trash. Much like the committee's priorities, the pledge outlines a candidate commitment to avoid nepotism, secret meetings and big money donors while promoting voting rights and increased transparency. “The more public support we have, the more these candidates and legislators are going to take notice,” said Jay Williams, director of Clean Up Oklahoma. According to the group, since April, nearly 20% of the 569 candidates seeking office signed the pledge. For Clean Up Oklahoma, success will mean bringing those issues to the attention of voters and earning the support of average citizens.

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong’s next leader John Lee on Monday received an official letter of appointment from Beijing, a month before he is due to take over the leadership reins of the semi-autonomous city. Lee received his letter of appointment during a ceremony with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Monday, during which Li congratulated him on his appointment as Hong Kong’s next chief executive. “The central government will, as always, fully and accurately implement the ‘one country, two systems’ framework, as well as the principles of Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong, and a high degree of autonomy,” Li said Monday, referring to the framework under which Hong Kong is governed semi-autonomously and afforded certain freedoms not found in mainland China. Lee responded that he was honored to become the next leader and will “do all that he can” to live up to the expectations of Beijing and the Hong Kong people. Lee is expected to be sworn in as Hong Kong’s new chief executive on July 1, the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to China.

TIRANA, Albania (AP) — The Albanian Parliament on Monday failed to elect a new president after no candidates were nominated for a third round of voting. The governing left-wing Socialist Party and the opposition failed to reach a compromise on a candidate to replace President Ilir Meta, and no independent candidate was nominated. The ruling Socialists — with 74 out of 140 seats in Parliament — have so far lacked the votes to get a candidate through. The Socialists are expected to propose and vote on a candidate, though they have not said who that would be. Meta, in the post since July 2017, was once a member of the Socialist party before founding his smaller left-wing Socialist Movement for Integration.

Courts rejected the cases and election officials were unconvinced, thwarting a stunning assault on the transfer of power. Some former election officials say they are hopeful that when election skeptics observe the process they may finally be convinced that the system is sound. Asked about her project at the Pennsylvania training, Ms. Mitchell declined an interview request and asked a reporter to leave. This year, its multimillion-dollar investment includes hiring 18 state “election integrity” directors and 19 state “election integrity” lawyers. The post Lawyer Who Plotted to Overturn Trump Loss Recruits Election Deniers to Watch Over the Vote appeared first on New York Times.

Ukraine war: President Zelenskyy visits troops on frontline in KharkivUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has visited troops on the frontline in the northeastern region of Kharkiv in his first official appearance outside of Kyiv since the start of Russia's invasion.

By Andrew MacAskillLONDON – Britain will offer work visas to graduates from the world’s best universities in an expansion of its post-Brexit immigration system that is designed to attract the “best and brightest” workers. Successful applicants will then be able to switch to longer-term employment visas, the government said. Under the new scheme, applicants must have been awarded degrees no more than five years before the date of application. Eligible universities must appear in the top 50 rankings of at least two of the following: the Times Higher Education world university rankings, the Academic Ranking of World Universities and the Quacquarelli Symonds world university rankings. The most recent list of eligible universities from 2021, published online by the UK government, comprises more than two dozen U.S. universities, as well as institutions in Canada, Japan, Germany, China, Singapore, France and Sweden.

"I believe that the administration of the new government will definitely bring forth a new atmosphere, and compose a new chapter in Hong Kong's development," Xi said, according to official news agency Xinhua. Lee was the sole candidate in the race to succeed outgoing leader Carrie Lam at a time when Hong Kong is being remoulded in China's authoritarian image. He promised to "unite all sectors" and bring the government and people together to "strive for the well-being of Hong Kong and its people". "Together, we will build Hong Kong into a city with long-term prosperity and a caring and inclusive society," he added. But Beijing hailed the process as "a real demonstration of democratic spirit" and said it was the culmination of a strategy to ensure only "patriots" run Hong Kong.

Russian forces edged toward the center of the eastern Ukrainian city of Severodonetsk Monday, while President Volodymyr Zelensky prepared to appeal to EU leaders at an emergency summit where a ban on Russian oil imports is on the agenda. Meanwhile, Russian forces continued their push in the eastern Donbas region, upping the pressure on the twin cities of Severodonetsk and Lysychansk. Pressure on the eastWhile Russia concentrated its efforts in the east, Ukrainian forces pushed back over the weekend in the southern region of Kherson, the country's military leadership said. Ukrainian forces counterattacked in the region of Kherson, the only region of the country fully controlled by Russian troops. While limited in nature, the attack could have the effect of stretching Russian forces.

A former Irish soldier has been found guilty of being a member of so-called Islamic State. Lisa Smith, from Dundalk in Co Louth, was convicted by a judge at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin. Smith wiped away tears from her eyes as the verdict was read out by Mr Justice Tony Hunt. AdvertisementThe judge told the court it could not be ruled beyond reasonable doubt that the intention of Smith to send €800 to a so-called Islamic State member was either for charitable or humanitarian reasons. Smith had a daughter, born in June 2017, before she returned to Ireland in December 2019 following the collapse of Islamic State's territory.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks at a Turkish Technology and Aviation festival, held abroad for the first time, in Baku, Azerbaijan, Saturday, May 28, 2022. (Turkish Presidency via AP)Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks at a Turkish Technology and Aviation festival, held abroad for the first time, in Baku, Azerbaijan, Saturday, May 28, 2022. (Turkish Presidency via AP)ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey’s president told journalists that Ankara remains committed to rooting out a Syrian Kurdish militia from northern Syria. And we must,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on his plane following his Saturday visit to Azerbaijan, according to daily Hurriyet newspaper and other media. The YPG and its affiliated political party have controlled much of northeastern Syria after the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad withdrew in 2012.

Mr. Giuliani raised just a little over $220,000 from donors this filing period, with no individual donations greater than $25,000, according to state campaign finance records. Mr. Giuliani performed worse, financially, than all three of his Republican rivals, even if some polling suggests he may be leading among voters. Rob Astorino, the former Westchester County executive, raised about $600,000 this period, leaving him with more than $1.1 million on hand. Mr. Zeldin, the party-backed candidate, raised a little over $3 million, leaving him with roughly that same amount to spend in the final weeks of the primary race. “The unparalleled outpouring of grass-roots support from every corner of our state has only grown stronger,” Mr. Zeldin said in a statement.

This year, its multimillion-dollar investment includes hiring 18 state “election integrity” directors and 19 state “election integrity” lawyers. These efforts are separate from the Election Integrity Network, said Emma Vaughn, an R.N.C. election integrity directors have been involved in Ms. Mitchell’s events. Ms. Vaughn acknowledged that party officials participate in events hosted by other groups to recruit poll workers and poll watchers. works with other groups who have an interest in promoting election integrity, but the party’s efforts are independent from any outside organization,” Ms. Vaughn said.

BRUSSELS — With Ukraine defending European values and security against a blatant Russian invasion, what obligation does the European Union and NATO have toward Ukraine? The moral answer may be obvious, as European and American governments vow support for Kyiv and are pouring money and arms into Ukraine. Defying expectations, the European Union has acted with speed and authority, providing significant military aid and inflicting enormous sanctions on Russia. But now it is confronting a more difficult question — how to bind vulnerable countries like Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia to Europe in a way that helps them and does not create a further security risk down the road. It is a question that will hang over a summit meeting of E.U.

FIRST ON FOX – Former Republican congressional candidate and Green Beret veteran Jason Bacon launched Green Beret PAC Monday, aiming to bolster several U.S. Army Special Forces veterans and other conservative veterans running for Congress in the 2022 midterm elections, aiming to avoid another "travesty" like the Afghanistan withdrawal. "It is imperative that we elect real leaders to Congress with the knowledge and experience to prevent this kind of travesty." "They are warrior-diplomats, who have learned foreign languages, understand foreign cultures, and have lived among local populations. BIDEN DISMISSES CRITICISM OF AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWALThe PAC is endorsing Christian Castelli in North Carolina's 6th Congressional District, Pat Harrigan in North Carolina's 14th Congressional District, Derrick Anderson in Virginia's 7th Congressional District, Jay Collins in Florida's 15th Congressional District, Tyler Allcorn in Colorado's 8th Congressional District, Joe Kent in Washington's 3rd Congressional District, Don Buldoc in New Hampshire's U.S. Senate race, Mike Waltz in Florida's 6th Congressional District, and Eli Crane in Arizona's 2nd Congressional District. Each of these candidates is a Republican, and all are Green Berets, except Crane, who was a Navy SEAL.

Russian forces have entered the outskirts of Sievierodonetsk, a major city in Ukraine’s Donbas region, that has been a military objective of Russia in recent weeks, an official said. Like in Mariupol before it, Ukrainian forces in Sievierodonetsk continue to resist Russia’s military dominance and have slowed Russia’s advance with their unwillingness to surrender even an inch of the city, according to the report. U.S.-SUPPLIED HOWITZERS HAVE REACHED UKRAINE MILITARY, AMID ONGOING WAR WITH RUSSIA: DEFENSE MINISTERThe Ukrainian president was not without hope and said his military was actively fighting to defend against Russia’s invasion. In all our state, in all Donbas and of course - in Severodonetsk," Zelenskyy continued. Ukraine’s military successfully fended off Russia’s attempts to siege its capital city of Kyiv and has found success pushing Russian forces out of towns they once occupied.

Trump’s favored GOP candidates for Georgia’s attorney general and secretary of state didn’t work out either. Assuming he runs in 2024, Trump will likely enter the race as the presumed nominee. In 2016’s crowded presidential Republican primary, Trump’s competitors fought against one another mercilessly — and helped to clear a lane for Trump. All this is to say, Trump’s mediocre primary showing may be giving the notoriously arrogant billionaire a reality check. But it’s not a death knell for his potential 2024 candidacy.

Ukrainian servicemen park a Russian BMP-2, an infantry combat vehicle, in the Kharkiv area, eastern Ukraine, Sunday, May 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)Ukrainian servicemen park a Russian BMP-2, an infantry combat vehicle, in the Kharkiv area, eastern Ukraine, Sunday, May 29, 2022. The Ukrainian military said Russian forces were reinforcing their positions on the northeastern and southeastern outskirts of Sievierodonetsk and bringing additional equipment and ammunition to press their offensive. Zelenskyy on Sunday visited soldiers in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, where Ukrainian fighters pushed Russian forces back from nearby positions several weeks ago. In the wider Kharkiv region, Russian troops still held about one-third of the territory, Zelenskyy said.

Two others have parroted concerns about election security that are often raised by those seeking to throw the 2020 election into question. “My husband served on the front lines of Ferguson,” Hubbard said at a May 1 Assyrian GOP candidate forum in Skokie. Anthony W. Williams, GOP candidate in the primary seeking the U.S. Senate nomination, speaks at a candidate forum in Skokie on May 1, 2022. GOP Senate candidate Jimmy Lee Tillman II speaks at a candidate forum in Skokie on May 1, 2022. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)Jimmy Lee Tillman II, the only Senate candidate from Chicago, is the son of former Ald.

A political action committee affiliated with Nancy Pelosi threw its support behind electoral novice Carrick Flynn in the 6th Congressional District primary shortly after receiving a $6 million donation from the cryptocurrency billionaire backing Flynn. Bahamas-based cryptocurrency billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried made the donation to the House Majority PAC on April 4, Federal Election Commission filings show. The donation came seven days before it became public that the House Majority PAC was spending about $1 million on TV ads in support of Flynn, who lost the seat to state lawmaker Andrea Salinas of Lake Oswego.

Memorial Day is here, and as summer approaches, Louisville has an extra incentive for residents to ditch gas-guzzling mowers and other lawn care equipment and go green. The Louisville Metro Air Pollution Control District offers rebates for people who buy lawn care products that don't use gasoline through its Lawn Care for Cleaner Air program, which was founded 19 years ago to curtail the use of gas-powered lawn equipment. Rebates are offered for items like electric mowers, leaf blowers and other products that are cleaner than devices that burn gasoline, with additional money offered for trade-ins. The rebate amounts vary depending on the equipment, but they could reach $100 if a gas lawnmower is being replaced. The Lawn Care for Cleaner Air Community Equipment Grant will be awarded annually to a Louisville-based nonprofit, giving several pieces electric lawn care equipment to an organization that has applied and has shown a need for the products as well as a commitment to sustainability.

The Jefferson County Attorney's Office, which handles civil, criminal and child support cases, has 265 employees, 107 of whom are attorneys, Geiser said. The county attorney's office staff have left for higher-paying jobs at places like the Jefferson Commonwealth Attorney's Office, Humana, Louisville Water Co. or private law firms, according to Geiser. The national average salary at entry level for public defenders is $66,193 per year, according to a survey cited last year by Law360. He said it is "not unusual" for the public defenders to work 60 hours a week. Public defenders in Louisville voted 32 to 5 in January to unionize with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 369.

“On the day of a mass shooting and weeks after news of Roe, Democratic party leadership rallied for a pro-NRA, anti-choice incumbent under investigation in a close primary. This was an utter failure of leadership.”On the day of a mass shooting and weeks after news of Roe, Democratic Party leadership rallied for a pro-NRA, anti-choice incumbent under investigation in a close primary. — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) May 25, 2022Progressives see a pattern in how party leaders and center-left groups are targeting their candidates in primaries. “It’s so abundantly clear what young people want and how Democratic leadership is willing to do the exact opposite,” he said. They are ready to keep up the fight, even if Democratic leaders attempt to stand in their way.

As the health of the Russian leader Vladimir Putin appears to be in decline, some are questioning if the Kremlin is currently using a body double to cover up his death. “It is believed that Putin has employed body doubles in the past when he has been unwell and the Kremlin could be doing so now. An FSB officer claimed Putin “has no more than two to three years to stay alive” and claimed he “is losing his eyesight due to illness”. A Russian oligarch with ties to the Kremlin was also reportedly recorded saying Putin is “very ill with blood cancer”. However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has denied the speculation of Putin's ill health.

Police in Florida arrested a fifth-grade student on Saturday after he allegedly threatened to conduct a mass shooting. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office said they were tipped off about a threatening text message sent by a 10-year-old student at Patriot Elementary School in Cape Coral on 28 May. “The School Threat Enforcement Team was immediately notified and began analytical research. The US Department of Justice will now investigate the police response to the Uvalde school shooting. On 27 May, after the Uvalde shooting, Mr Marceno had said at a press conference: “You don’t get to shoot our children.

Two more Russian colonels have been killed in Ukraine - including the country’s “best paratroop commander” delivering another blow to Vladimir Putin’s war. Lt Col Alexander Dosyagayev, 34, was a commander of an airborne assault battalion of the 104th paratrooper regiment. Troops from his 104th air assault regiment were reportedly in Bucha, which was the scene of alleged rape and torture atrocities by Vladimir Putin’s forces earlier in the war. Additionally, according to Ukraine’s defence ministry over 30,000 Russian troops have been killed since the invasion began on 24 February. The news comes amid growing concerns around Mr Putin’s health with recent reports claiming the Kremlin leader has been given just three years to live by doctors.

The UK also has the MLRS. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Ukraine should get the rockets "to defend themselves against this very brutal Russian artillery", but he did not say the UK would supply them.

CAIRO – An Egyptian court sentenced former presidential candidate Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh and several prominent figures from the banned Muslim Brotherhood to lengthy jail terms on Sunday on accusations including plotting to overthrow the state. Aboul Fotouh, who is in his early 70s and according to his family suffers from several medical conditions, was sentenced to 15 years in prison, subject to appeal, the court ruling said. Rights groups say thousands of politicians, activists and journalists are detained in Egypt after unfair trials or without legal basis. Aboul Fotouh quit the Muslim Brotherhood in 2011 after disagreements over the role of religion in politics and founded the more centrist Strong Egypt party, launching an independent bid for the presidency in 2012. Egypt banned the Brotherhood after Sisi, then army chief, led the overthrow of democratically elected Brotherhood President Mohamed Mursi following mass protests in 2013.

By Uditha JayasingheCOLOMBO -Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Sunday his government was working to make the president and cabinet accountable to parliament after weeks of street protests triggered by the worst economic crisis in decades. Hit hard by the pandemic, rising oil prices and populist tax cuts, Sri Lanka faces rampant inflation and shortages of fuel and other essentials, prompting the resignation of former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and his cabinet this month. “According to the new system we have proposed, the president will be held accountable to the parliament. The cabinet of ministers is also accountable to parliament,” Wickremesinghe said in a televised address. Opposition leaders had accused the Rajapaksa government of disproportionately increasing presidential powers and diluting the role of the parliament in lawmaking.

AdvertisementThe heroic final moments of a lone Ukrainian soldier who took on a squad of Russian troops in WWI style trench warfare have been captured in chilling drone footage. This map depicts the latest developments in the battle for the DonbasRussian and Ukrainian troops are now locked in intense fighting in Severodonetsk and its neighbouring town Lysychansk. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)The Ukrainian army said heavy fighting was continuing around Donetsk, the provincial capital. Petr Andryushchenko yesterday Russian troops were dumping civilian bodies in the Shchirii Kum supermarket and leaving them to rot, and posted a harrowing picture of decomposing corpses lying in the aisle on his Telegram channel. The two European leaders also 'insisted on an immediate ceasefire and a withdrawal of Russian troops' in an 80-minute phone call with the Russian leader on Saturday, the German chancellor's office said.

(ANSA) - ROME, MAY 30 - Uncertainty and controversy continued on Monday after League leader Matteo Salvini's said he might take a trip to Moscow in an attempt to make a breakthrough that could lead to an end to the war in Ukraine. Salvini has come under heavy fire over the mooted peace mission, including from other parts of the centre-right alliance the League belongs to. "Contacts and negotiations with foreign embassies... can compromise our country's diplomatic and institutional relations and, therefore, also our national security," Vito said. Salvini expressed admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin on several occasions before the war in Ukraine. The League leader has condemned Moscow's invasion of its neighbour.

President Volodymyr Zelensky makes his first visit outside the Kyiv area since the war beganKyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – Here are the latest developments in the war in Ukraine:Advertising Read moreRussians advance into eastern cityRussian forces advance closer to the centre of the eastern Ukrainian city of Severodonetsk, which has been under bombardment for weeks in the battle for Ukraine's industrial heartland, the Donbas. He sacks Kharkiv's security chief, "for not working to defend the city from the first days of the full-scale war but thinking only of himself". Ukraine counterattack in KhersonUkrainian forces counterattack in the south, claiming to have pushed back Russian troops in Kherson, the only region fully controlled by Russian forces. Kherson, which borders Crimea, was taken by Russian forces in March and Moscow-backed officials in the region have recently pushed for its annexation. French foreign minister in KyivFrench Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna visits Kyiv for talks with Zelensky, the first visit by a French minister to Ukraine since the invasion.

Russians enter the outskirts of Severodonetsk, Odesa Oblast hit by missile attacks 30 May, 12:10 PM Invaders managed to break into Severodonetsk from two directions (Photo:REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko)Today, May 30, is the 96th day of Ukraine's defense against a full-scale Russian invasion. They have not been able to make significant progress otherwise, our boys are holding the line," reported Roman Vlasenko, head of the Severodonetsk regional administration. Much of the oblast is occupied by Russian forces, but the oblast capital, Zaporizhzhya itself, remains free. 8:40 am: Russian forces have entered the outskirts of Severodonetsk, killing several local residentsThat's according to a statement made by Luhansk regional governor Serhiy Hayday. While news of the Ukrainian counter-offensive in Kherson Oblast has been scarce, reports suggest that Ukrainian forces have begun firefights in the outskirts of the oblast capital of Kherson itself.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that the military-political leadership is doing everything to contain the offensive of Russian troops and their attempt to occupy Severodonetsk. "As a result of Russian strikes on Severodonetsk, the entire critical infrastructure of the city was destroyed. He stressed that everything is now being done to contain the offensive. "We are doing everything to contain this offensive. There was not a single day that we did not try to find more weapons to protect our land and our people.

The numerous bogus insinuations about the alleged possibility of Russia using nuclear weapons in Ukraine are being dishonestly spread," Galuzin posted on social media on May 25. "We believe it is very important that everyone sees the consequences of the atomic bomb in person," she said. But when the situation changes, then we will again invite Russia to attend the ceremony in the future," she added. Others share that opinion, with Ken Kato, a Tokyo-based businessman and activist for conservative causes, saying Japan has been "truly shocked" at Putin's threats to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine. 'Intolerable threats'"It is intolerable that anyone uses the threat of atomic weapons to bully the rest of the world," he said.

Russian tanks and troops have begun advancing into Sievierodonetsk, the largest city in Donbas still held by Ukraine, witnesses and officials have said. “Unfortunately we have disappointing news: the enemy is moving into the city,” the Luhansk regional governor, Serhiy Gaidai, told Ukrainian national television on Monday. “They [the Russian army] use the same tactics over and over again,” Gaidai said. “They don’t care how many lives they will have to pay for this,” said Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in his latest national address, referring to Russian forces in the region. According to Ukrainian officials, Lysychansk is still under Ukrainian control, while the main road into the two cities has been shelled, but not blocked.

Olena Roshchina – Monday, 30 May 2022, 09:46Serhii Haidai, Head of Luhansk Oblast Military Administration, said that fighting in Sievierodonetsk is now taking place on the city’s streets. Source: Serhii Haidai on TelegramQuote: "Fighting is taking place on the streets of Sievierodonetsk…The enemy is advancing towards the central parts of the city." According to the head of Luhansk Military Administration, critical infrastructure in Sievierodonetsk is almost 100% destroyed, 90% of housing stock is damaged, 60% of which is critically damaged. The main road between Lysychansk and Bakhmut is ours, but it is under intense [Russian] fire, it’s dangerous to use. Earlier: On the morning of 30 May, Haidai reported that there was heavy fighting in Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk and that Russian troops had entered the outskirts of Sievierodonetsk.

More than 100 members of Russia's Rosgvardia were fired for disobeying orders to fight in Ukraine. The dismissal of the 115 guardsmen surfaced on May 25 after a Russian military court rejected their lawsuit to challenge their termination. This isn't the first time that members of the Rosgvardia have been punished for refusing to join the war in Ukraine. In a separate case in March, 12 national guardsmen were fired for the same reason. Some Russian soldiers reportedly didn't know they would be fighting in Ukraine or why Russia had invaded Ukraine, according to their families and footage from Ukraine.

VideoRussian troops have entered the outskirts of the Ukrainian city of Sievierodonetsk, the regional governor said on Monday, describing "very fierce" fighting in the ruins of a city that has become the focus of Moscow's offensive.

And in an unusual move, the Justice Department has said it will investigate the law enforcement response. “The second guessing and finger pointing among state and local law enforcement is destructive, distracting, and unfair,” he tweeted Saturday. “If not for the failed law enforcement response in Parkland, [Jaime] and others would be alive today,” he wrote. If not for the failed law https://t.co/kDgY1y0rlO — Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) May 29, 2022(2,3) enforcement response in Parkland she and others would be alive today. The facts will show that if not for the failed response in Uvalde, fewer would have been killed.

In Texas, where an 18-year-old shot and killed at least 21 people at an elementary school earlier this week, Republicans enacted permitless carry in September 2021. The shooting raised questions about which, if any, of Texas' lax gun restrictions could have contributed to Tuesday's violence. Kemp endorsed permitless carry in January and signed it into law April 13, allowing legal gun owners to carry concealed handguns without a permit. NRA spokesperson Amy Hunter wrote to NBC News that the NRA began to push legislation to allow permitless carry in 2003. Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit organization that advocates for gun restrictions, also linked gun restrictions and firearm-related deaths after analyzing every state.

As an Asian American, you're called a 'model minority' — until they decide you aren'tEnlarge this image Sally Deng for NPR Sally Deng for NPRPrivilege-adjacent. As an Asian American, that's how I typically used to think of my minority status. Society labels us the "model minority" when it is convenient. In a lot of ways, my family fit this model minority image. Asian Americans are more likely than other groups to have three or more workers per household, one reason why the averages seem so inflated.

They were sent to help Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers with arrests of immigrants living in the country illegally. Many Border Patrol agents and officers with Customs and Border Protection, its parent agency, live in the Uvalde area, which is part of the 245-mile-long Del Rio Border Patrol sector. Parts of the Texas border are popular crossing points for migrants, and Border Patrol agents — about 9,200 of them in the state and in their green uniforms — are everywhere. “Sometimes in South Texas, law enforcement is just seen as one thing.”Chief Victor Rodriguez of the police department in McAllen, Texas, said Border Patrol works so closely with local law enforcement that it is considered another law enforcement asset in the community. Most often, he said, incidents that Border Patrol responds to along with local officers are related to immigration.

Luhansk regional Gov. The Ukrainian military said the Russian forces were reinforcing their positions on the northeastern and southeastern outskirts of Sievierodonetsk and bringing additional equipment and ammunition into the area to press their offensive. Russian forces stormed Sievierodonetsk after trying unsuccessfully to encircle it, Ukrainian officials said, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has described the situation there as “indescribably difficult.” An intense Russian artillery barrage has destroyed critical infrastructure and damaged 90% of the buildings. Sievierodonetsk, located 143 kilometers (89 miles) south of the Russian border, has emerged in recent days as the epicenter of the Donbas fighting. Zelenskyy on Sunday visited soldiers in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, where Ukrainian fighters pushed Russian forces back from nearby positions several weeks ago.

A government minister has called for councils to show "flexibility" and allow the public to throw street parties for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, even if the application is received late. Chris Philp, the technology minister, told Sky News he wanted to see "pragmatism" on behalf of local leaders in allowing the country to properly celebrate 70 years of Her Majesty's time on the throne. When asked about councils warning the public against hosting unauthorised Platinum Jubilee street celebrations, he said: “I can fully sympathise with the problems you just described." "I think it is fantastic we are celebrating the Queen’s Jubilee and I would just say to local councils around the country including my own in Croydon, if you do get a late application and maybe the deadline has technically passed, I would just say to councils to show a little bit of flexibility, show a little bit of willingness to accommodate people and if you are at all able to, please do grant these requests even if they are made technically after the deadline." "Let’s just show a bit of flexibility and pragmatism in support of Her Majesty’s 70th Jubilee."

The vote in Niigata, home to the world’s largest nuclear power plant, was closely watched by LDP heavyweights in Tokyo as a gauge of voter readiness to re-embrace nuclear power. In the last gubernatorial election in Niigata four years ago, nuclear power was the main issue. Kishida said on Friday Japan will take concrete steps to restart idled nuclear power plants with a priority given to safety, to stabilise energy prices and supply. Only 10 nuclear reactors are operational in Japan, compared with 54 before the Fukushima disaster. The government aims to raise the nuclear power contribution in its energy mix up to 22% by 2030, from 6% in 2019.

By Max Hunder and Natalia ZinetsKYIV – Ukrainian forces endured heavy artillery barrages on Sunday as they held off Russian attempts to capture Sievierodonetsk, the largest city Kyiv still controls in the Luhansk region of the Donbas, Ukrainian officials said. Having failed to take the capital Kyiv in the early phase of the war, Russia is seeking to consolidate its grip on the Donbas, large parts of which are already controlled by Moscow-backed separatists. Governor Gaidai said on Sunday that Russian forces had dug in at the Myr hotel on Sievierodonetsk’s northern edge. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy – who has won widespread admiration in the West for his leadership in the conflict – visited Ukrainian troops on the frontlines in northeastern Kharkiv region on Sunday. Ukrainian troops pushed Russian forces back from around Kharkiv earlier this month but the city has come under renewed artillery fire this week.

Iran’s semi-official ISNA news agency said members of an Israeli intelligence service network had been discovered and arrested by the Guards immediately after the Tehran shooting. However, in broadcast remarks to his ministers on Sunday, Bennett accused Iran of repeatedly targeting Israeli interests. “For decades, the Iranian regime has practiced terrorism against Israel and the region by means of proxies, emissaries, but the head of the octopus, Iran itself, has enjoyed immunity,” Bennett said. “As we have said before, the era of the Iranian regime’s immunity is over. Those who finance terrorists, those who arm terrorists and those who send terrorists will pay the full price,” he added.

-Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited troops on the frontline in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region on Sunday, his first official appearance outside the Kyiv region since the start of Russia’s invasion on Feb. 24. “You risk your lives for us all and for our country,” the President’s office website cited him as telling the soldiers, adding that he handed out commendations and gifts. Zelenskiy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, wrote on the Telegram app that the president had also visited Ukraine’s second-largest city of Kharkiv. Yermak said Zelenskiy toured destroyed residential buildings, noting that their replacements had to be built with bomb shelters in place. The president’s chief of staff added that 31% of Kharkiv region’s territory was currently occupied by Russia, and a further 5% had been taken back by Ukraine having been occupied earlier.

– Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited Ukrainian troops on the front lines in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region on Sunday, the President’s office announced. The visit marks his first official appearance outside kyiv region since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24. “You risk your lives for us all and for our country,” the President’s office website cited him as saying to the soldiers, adding that he handed out commendations and gifts.

LONDON – Russia appears to have suffered devastating losses amongst mid- and junior-ranking officers in its conflict with Ukraine, raising the prospect of weaker military effectiveness in future, Britain’s defence ministry said on Monday. Brigade and battalion commanders were probably deploying to the most dangerous positions while junior officers have had to lead low-level tactical actions, the ministry said on Twitter in its latest Defence Intelligence update. The loss of younger officers was likely to exacerbate Russia’s problems in modernising its military command and control, the ministry said. “More immediately, battalion tactical groups which are being reconstituted in Ukraine from survivors of multiple units are likely to be less effective due to a lack of junior leaders,” it said. Russian forces intensified attacks on Monday to capture Sievierodonetsk, a key city in Ukraine’s southeastern Donbas region which Moscow is targeting having failed to take the capital Kyiv early in the war.

Despite concerns that newly elected Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese lacks foreign policy experience, he has spent his first days emphasizing that his government will re-engage with the Pacific region and work closely with the United States, Japan, and India to help counter China’s growing influence. Albanese and his Labor Party won a majority in the May 21 election, returning the party to power for the first time in nine years. Albanese found himself on a plane to Tokyo on his first full day in office in order to attend a “Quad” meeting with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, U.S. President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Ukraine's Kalush Orchestra, which won the Eurovision Song Contest earlier this month, raised $900,000 for the country's military battling the Russian invasion by selling the contest's trophy. The group won Eurovision with their entry 'Stefania', surfing a wave of public support to claim an emotional victory that was welcomed by the country's president. Kalush Orchestra sold the Eurovision trophy in a an online auction on Sunday, it said on Facebook. Ukraine's Kalush Orchestra returned to their homeland mid-May after an emotional Eurovision Song Contest victory, greeted at the border with Poland by servicemen and women whose cause the band had championed in Turin. Oleh Psiuk, frontman of the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest winners Kalush Orchestra, takes a selfie with fans.

EU struggles to clear Hungary's block on Russian oil ban02:27EU ambassadors made a final push to persuade Hungary to accept a watered-down oil embargo against Russia before a summit on Monday (May 30). Envoys from the 27 member states were meeting in an attempt to finalise a sixth package of sanctions against Moscow, but remain deadlocked over a proposed embargo on Russian oil. FRANCE 24's Dave Keating tells us more.

Biden grieves with Uvalde as anger mounts over worst US school shooting in decade01:22President Joe Biden tried ,to comfort families in the south Texas town of Uvalde on Sunday (May 29) after the nation's deadliest school shooting in a decade as federal officials announced they would review local law enforcement's slow response to the attack.

President Yoon Suk-yeol is pushing to put the Ministry of Justice in charge of vetting and screening candidates for roles at the Cabinet, courts and other state agencies -- a job undertaken by the now-abolished post of senior presidential secretary for civil affairs in previous administrations.The immediate beneficiary of the ministry’s new function is Han Dong-hoon, the president’s longtime colleague at the prosecution and a close associate who was appointed the Justice Minister in the face of strong protest from the opposition.Yoon told reporters Friday that he does not believe the president’s secretaries should have the power to “vet or dig after potential appointees.”“This is the way it’s done in the US,” he said. “The presidential office does not get involved, and appointments are vetted by a separate body.”This is not entirely true. The Office of Presidential Personnel and other offices within the White House typically have a role in the review and vetting process of political appointees, according to its website.As the rules for enabling this change are not law, they do not require the National Assembly’s approval.The Justice Ministry’s advance notice of establishing a body for the appointee vetting process have already been deliberated upon and approved at a Ministry of Government Legislation and vice ministers’ meeting last week. A final round of deliberation at the Cabinet meeting await the rules before they can be officially adopted.Han argues that having the office responsible for vetting under the ministry -- which he says “so far had remained the presidential secretary’s secretive prerogative powers” -- will mean greater transparency.The president’s secretaries had “not been as open or approachable to the press” nor “obliged to be forthcoming about the vetting process,” he said. “The presidential secretary’s office is not subject to parliamentary questionings or audits, but the Justice Ministry is.”Former President Moon Jae-in’s senior presidential sec

WASHINGTON — The head of the Wyoming Republican Party, who was on restricted Capitol grounds during the U.S. Capitol riot, delivered a speech at Donald Trump's rally Saturday. Eathorne had pushed for Cheney to be censured after she voted to impeach Trump in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack. NBC News has reached out to the Wyoming Republican Party for comment. Thousands of Trump supporters, like Eathorne, entered the restricted grounds of the Capitol on Jan. 6, but only a handful of defendants have been charged with misdemeanor offenses for their presence. Eathorne had a "short, questionable career as a Worland police officer" and "served as a parole officer in south Texas" before becoming the head of the Wyoming Republican party, the Casper Star-Tribune reported.

Statement of the MFA of Armenia on the violation of the ceasefire regime by the Azerbaijani armed forces on May 28 29 May, 2022We strongly condemn the gross violation of the ceasefire by the Azerbaijani armed forces in the south-eastern direction of Armenia's border area on May 28, as a result of which Davit Vardanyan, a serviceman of the Armed Forces of Armenia, was killed. We extend our deepest condolences and support to the family members and relatives of the fallen soldier. In this regard, we would like to remind that the units of the Azerbaijani armed forces illegally invaded the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia in the Sotk-Khoznavar area since May of 2021, and occupied an area of ??more than 45 square kilometres. Taking into account that the Commission on border delimitation and border security between Armenia and Azerbaijan has already started its work, this incident should be investigated and assessed by the commission. At the same time, we would like to remind that the consequences of the previous gross violation of the November 9, 2020 statement as a result of which the Azerbaijani armed forces invaded the village of Parukh in Nagorno-Karabakh - in the area of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping contingent, have not been eliminated yet.

Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw of Texas tells CNN's Dana Bash that "we're a country that has long had a Second Amendment that believes in the right to self-defense."

President Vladimir Putin is not unwell despite rumors, Russia's foreign minister said. Ukrainian officials and other sources have spread rumors that Putin is concealing a major ailment.. Sergei Lavrov told French TV station TF1 on Sunday, according to Russian news agency TASS: "President Vladimir Putin makes public appearances on a daily basis. KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/POOL/AFP via Getty ImagesEx-spies and a Ukrainian official have suggested that Putin is in battling a serious illness. Other Russian officials have also denied that Putin is unwell.

Ukrainian servicemen park a Russian BMP-2, an infantry combat vehicle, in the Kharkiv area, eastern Ukraine, Sunday, May 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)Ukrainian servicemen park a Russian BMP-2, an infantry combat vehicle, in the Kharkiv area, eastern Ukraine, Sunday, May 29, 2022. He said two civilians were killed and another five were wounded in the latest Russian shelling in the war . In Luhansk, constant Russian shelling has created what provincial governor Serhiy Haidai called a “severe situation.” But some Luhansk supply and evacuation routes functioned Sunday, he said. ___Follow AP’s coverage of the Ukraine war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

If you saw the tweets about the Georgia Republican gubernatorial candidate that was running on “I’m the only avowed anti-Satanist” and thought gee that’s dumb, you’re not alone. And baby, it only gets dumber upon closer inspection. John Oliver explained how Kandiss Taylor managed run afoul of furries, the LGBTQIA+ community, and weirdest of all, dead white supremacists with her deeply confused/confusing campaign. What’s more, he gave us all a new daily affirmation to say into our mirrors every morning: “The furry days are over when I’m governor.” Try it yourself tomorrow morning!

On Sunday, Zelensky visited the Kharkiv area, where city officials say thousands of residents are returning each day. Then, he turned to the regional head of Ukraine’s Security Service. “I arrived, understood the situation, and fired the head of the Security Service of Ukraine in the Kharkiv region,” Zelensky said. “He did not work to secure the city from the first days of the full-scale war and only thought of himself. In another recorded speech about a month into Russia’s invasion, he described two Security Service officials as “antiheroes” and said they were “no longer generals.”

Crowd chants 'do something,' Biden says 'we will'President Joe Biden grieved with the community of Uvalde on Sunday, mourning privately with anguished families of the 19 schoolchildren and two teachers killed by a gunman. Faced with chants of “do something", Biden pledged: “We will.” (May 30)

Oil prices rose as traders closely monitored the prospect of the EU agreeing to impose a ban on Russian oil imports. The European Union on Monday will continue to work toward an agreement to embargo Russian oil after attempts to do so on Sunday failed. The talks are largely held up by Hungary, a major user of Russian oil and whose leader Viktor Orban is on friendly terms with Russia's Vladimir Putin. Energy prices, already high at the start of this year, have skyrocketed since Putin launched the war against Ukraine. Oil prices rose on Monday as market participants closely monitored the prospect of the world's largest trading bloc agreeing to impose a ban on Russian oil imports.

Tanks of pro-Russian troops drive along a street during Ukraine-Russia conflict in the town of Popasna in the Luhansk Region, Ukraine May 26, 2022. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko/File PhotoLONDON, May 30 (Reuters) - Russia appears to have suffered devastating losses amongst mid- and junior-ranking officers in its conflict with Ukraine, raising the prospect of weaker military effectiveness in future, Britain's defence ministry said on Monday. Brigade and battalion commanders were probably deploying to the most dangerous positions while junior officers have had to lead low-level tactical actions, the ministry said on Twitter in its latest Defence Intelligence update. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe loss of younger officers was likely to exacerbate Russia's problems in modernising its military command and control, the ministry said. read moreRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterWriting by William Schomberg; Editing by Kate HoltonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Donald Trump was “stunned” that Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger handily won his GOP primary last week despite the former president’s best efforts to drive him out of office, sources told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Raffensperger stood up to Trump after the 2020 presidential election, flatly denying Trump’s order to find him extra votes to magically transform his defeat into a victory. AdvertisementRaffensperger also denied Trump’s claim that the Georgia vote was somehow rigged, declaring that several investigations had found nothing wrong with the vote. Trump endorsed U.S. Rep. Jody Hice, who got 33% of the vote to Raffensperger’s 52% (eliminating the need for a runoff). His victory was the one that surprised Trump the most, according to the Journal-Constitution.

The European Union's executive commission has proposed phasing out imports of Russian oil within six months. The European Union's executive commission has proposed phasing out imports of Russian oil within six months. Hungary gets more than 60% of its oil from Russia and 85% of its natural gas. “If we target the oil arriving by sea, we’ll hit at least two thirds of exports, perhaps more,” a senior EU official said. Hungary and Slovakia depend on Russian oil they receives through the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline.

(Bloomberg) -- European Union officials are meeting Monday morning to try to break an impasse over a proposed embargo on Russian oil imports amid continued resistance from Hungary. Hungary is refusing to back a compromise despite proposals aimed at ensuring its Russian oil supplies, according to people familiar with the talks. On Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited front-line troops in the Kharkiv region in his first trip away from Kyiv since Russia’s invasion. Canada has been providing lethal weapons to Ukraine and recently requested South Korea to provide weapons to Ottawa, it said. It’s a reverse-image of the way European nations now pay for Russian gas while avoiding obstacles imposed by sanctions.

NRA leader Wayne LaPierre survived a confidence vote on Saturday. The NRA board is set to vote on Monday over whether to renew LaPierre's status as the executive vice president. The annual NRA convention forged ahead over the weekend in Houston following the mass shooting in Uvalde. The longtime leader of the National Rifle Association, Wayne LaPierre, survived a confidence vote by NRA members on Saturday. The vote of confidence comes before a Monday vote by the NRA board on whether to renew LaPierre as executive vice president, which he is expected to win, Reuters reported.

LONDON (Reuters) - Russia appears to have suffered devastating losses amongst mid- and junior-ranking officers in its conflict with Ukraine, raising the prospect of weaker military effectiveness in future, Britain's defence ministry said on Monday. Brigade and battalion commanders were probably deploying to the most dangerous positions while junior officers have had to lead low-level tactical actions, the ministry said on Twitter in its latest Defence Intelligence update. The loss of younger officers was likely to exacerbate Russia's problems in modernising its military command and control, the ministry said. "More immediately, battalion tactical groups which are being reconstituted in Ukraine from survivors of multiple units are likely to be less effective due to a lack of junior leaders," it said. (Writing by William Schomberg; Editing by Kate Holton)

A minister has rejected calls for a new investigation to be launched into fresh allegations of a gathering taking place in the Downing Street flat on Boris Johnson's birthday at a time when Covid rules were in place. Chris Philp, the technology minister, said there has already been an "unbelievably comprehensive set of investigations" into the partygate scandal in the form of the Sue Gray report and the Metropolitan Police probe. The Gray inquiry was made aware of the existence of the text messages in January but the event was not investigated. The gathering on June 19, 2020 on Mr Johnson’s 56th birthday was attended by at least two friends of his wife, it has been claimed. Covid rules at the time banned indoor gatherings of two or more people except for work purposes.

Oil prices hit their highest level in more than two months on Monday morning as EU officials gathered in Brussels to debate the best way to ban Russian oil imports. Nevertheless, international oil benchmark Brent crude hit highs of $120 in early trading, with its US counterpart also rising to $115.85 a barrel, suggesting many in the industry see an embargo on Russia oil for its invasion of Ukraine as highly likely. AdvertisementEuropean Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the European Parliament earlier this month the time had come for the bloc to ban Russian oil supplies within six months and refined products by the end of the year. The country sources almost 65% of its oil supplies, including refined products, from Russia. "Some member states are strongly dependent on Russian oil.

Ahead of Wednesday’s local elections, candidates are making their last-minute plea for votes, with some of them talking big to take advantage of big name companies and their huge investment plans unveiled recently.Politicians offering populist pledges is nothing new during election campaigns, but this year their rhetoric appears to have gained some weight as they come along with a series of new investment plans, worth a combined 1,000 trillion won ($800 billion), announced by the nation’s top conglomerates over the past week.Amid people’s heightened interest in where the massive spending will go, candidates who are competing for 17 metropolitan mayors and provincial governors and hundred others of lower-level council seats are issuing promises that are closely linked to new growth drivers of big businesses.The most frequently cited names are Samsung and SK, the nation’s No. 2 conglomerates that plan to invest 450 trillion won and 247 trillion won, respectively, over the next five years with their renewed emphasis on chips.Their costly, sophisticated chip-manufacturing plants, in particular, are coveted facilities that create hundreds of jobs and other ripple effects in the local economy.Gyeonggi Province’s governor candidate Kim Eun-hye of the ruling People Power Party who is the front-runner has said she would host a “big chip company” by creating a 400,000- to 500,000-square-meter industrial complex in the northern part of the province.“Currently, we are carrying out a feasibility study on several candidate areas and about 110 trillion won will be poured into the project,” she said last week in a press conference.“Upon my inauguration, a task force will be set up to execute the plans right away. By hosting a big company in the northern part of the province along with the existing LG Display in Paju, I’ll make people there feel the change immediately.”Even though she didn’t specify names, it was obvious she was referring to Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, the wor

South Korea, the United States and Japan are moving to bolster trilateral cooperation, planning for a series of top-level meetings to discuss measures to deter the increasing nuclear threats from North Korea.Kim Gunn, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs will hold bilateral and trilateral meetings Friday with his American and Japanese counterparts, Sung Kim and Takehiro Funakoshi, respectively, according to Foreign Ministry here.This is the first face-to-face meeting for the three countries since Kim’s appointment earlier this month, and also four months since the last meeting was held in Honolulu in mid-February.In the following week, South Korea’s First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong will also meet with his counterparts, US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Takeo Mori, who will travel to Seoul.The relay of meetings is planned as follow-up events to US President Joe Biden’s visits to Seoul and Tokyo, where he held summits with the leaders of the respective countries to affirm their alliances amid growing nuclear threats and the US’ intensifying rivalry with China.The three special envoys for North Korea of South Korea, Japan and the US are expected to discuss possible countermeasures to handle the recalcitrant regime’s military provocations, including its recent launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile and also of a potential underground nuclear test that Pyongyang is expected to carry out soon.Around the end of this month, South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin is also expected to travel to Washington and Tokyo to meet with his respective counterparts.Defense ministers of the three countries are also expected to hold a trilateral meeting during the Shangri-La Dialogue, an intergovernmental security forum scheduled to take place June 10-12 in Singapore.While the defense chiefs of the three countries held telephone conversations in February, it would be the first for a face-to-fac

Kuomintang lawmakers protest in Taiwan’s legislature on Monday over changes to the accounting act.

The European Union's executive commission has proposed phasing out imports of Russian oil within six months. Hungary gets more than 60% of its oil from Russia and 85% of its natural gas. Ahead of the summit, officials suggested that a solution might be found by targeting oil transported by ships and holding fire on the pipeline oil so valuable to Hungary. Hungary and Slovakia depend on Russian oil they receives through the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline. The problem with hitting sea transported oil is that countries like Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands most reliant on that form would suffer a surge in oil prices, distorting competition because Hungary would still be purchasing cheaper Russian oil.

China has shelved its plan to sign a regional agreement with Pacific island nations. Foreign Minister Wang Yi has been travelling to Pacific nations and had planned to visit 10 countries in the two-week blitz. Mr Wang says China will instead release a position paper following a meeting with Pacific foreign ministers in Fiji on Monday. Advertisement"After meeting, China will release its own position paper on our own positions and propositions and cooperation proposals with Pacific island countries," he said. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong arrives at Pacific Island Forum on May 26, 2022 in Suva, Fiji.

CNN —House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband was arrested and charged with driving under the influence after being involved in a collision Saturday night, law enforcement officials said. There were no injuries reported in the crash and the Jeep’s driver was not arrested, the report said. Bail was set at $5,000 according to the booking report, and records indicate Pelosi was released Sunday morning. CNN reached out for an updated statement after the collision report was released. Paul Pelosi, a native of San Francisco, has been married to Nancy Pelosi since 1963.

"I think that this afternoon, we will be able to offer to the heads of the member states an agreement," Borrell told broadcaster France Info. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterAmbassadors failed on Sunday to agree on a proposal that would ban Russian oil delivered to EU countries by sea by the end of this year, but exempt oil delivered by a pipeline that supplies landlocked Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. However, the talks will be overshadowed by their month-long struggle to agree on a sixth round of sanctions against Moscow. "After Russia's attack on Ukraine, we saw what can happen when Europe stands united," German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said on Sunday. ($1 = 0.9296 euros)Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterEditing by Edmund BlairOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

If Russian troops were to take the city, Moscow would occupy nearly all of Luhansk, which makes up roughly half of the Donbas region. Russian troops are trying to gain a foothold along the northeastern outskirts and conducting operations toward the city center, Ukraine’s military said. Russian troops withdrew from both regions nearly two months ago when they abandoned their efforts to seize the capital, Kyiv — but shelling has not ceased. Ukrainian forces have prevented Russian troops from seizing Ukraine’s second-largest city, but about a third of the region is occupied by Russian forces, according to the regional military administrator. Mykolaiv: Russian forces fired on a residential district in this southern city, according to the mayor.

The EU will continue to work Monday toward an agreement to embargo Russian oil, after attempts to do so on Sunday failed. The talks are largely held up by Hungary, a major user of Russian oil and whose leader Viktor Orban is on friendly terms with Russia's Vladimir Putin. Talks were held up however by demands from Hungary for EU financing. The proposed sanctions on oil imports would be part of the EU's sixth sanctions package on Russia since it invaded Ukraine in late February. Roughly 36% of the EU's oil imports come from Russia.

Authorities in Lincoln, Nebraska responded to a mass casualty incident Sunday evening where at least two people are dead and several others are believed to be injured after multiple vehicles crashed and rolled into a crowd of people. Two female victims were declared dead at the scene, both believed to be occupants of the vehicles, and 19 others have been hospitalized, the Lincoln Police Department said. — Lincoln Police (@Lincoln_Police) May 30, 2022Lincoln Fire & Rescue officials are reportedly on the scene clearing the fire and assisting victims. Initial reports indicate the incident occurred after a car reportedly ran a red light, struck another vehicle and the two cars hit the crowd. There will be large crowds all along O street, and we don't need anyone in a wreck or worse in the hospital!"

Faced with chants of “do something” as he departed a church service, Biden pledged: “We will.”At Robb Elementary School, Biden visited a memorial of 21 white crosses — one for each of those killed — and first lady Jill Biden added a bouquet of white flowers to those already placed in front of the school sign. After visiting the memorial, Biden attended Mass at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, where several victims’ families are members, and one of the families was in attendance. The visit to Uvalde was Biden’s second trip in as many weeks to console a community in loss after a mass shooting. Hours after the shooting, Biden delivered an impassioned plea for additional gun control legislation, asking: “When in God’s name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby? ___More on the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas: https://apnews.com/hub/uvalde-school-shooting

Vladimir Putin will not use nuclear weapons in the conflict in Ukraine, Russia's ambassador to the UK has claimed. Meanwhile, Russian troops are advancing into the centre of the eastern city of Severodonetsk, a key target in the Kremlin's bid to secure control of the Donbas region. Full takeover of the Donbas is Moscow's 'unconditional priority'Russian forces intensified their attacks in the Donbas region with barrages of heavy artillery in a bid to capture a key city still under Ukrainian control. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said constant Russian shelling had destroyed all critical infrastructure in Severodonetsk, the largest city Ukraine still controls in Luhansk, one of the regions in Donbas. "Capturing Severodonetsk is a fundamental task for the occupiers... We do all we can to hold this advance."

Two original outfits worn at the Queen’s coronation by a maid of honour and a page have been rediscovered from storage. Lady Moyra was one of six maids of honour at the coronation, while Lord Erne was the First Page of Honour. The Queen on her coronation (PA)While both have since died, their families found their carefully preserved garments from the special day in time for the jubilee. Lady Moyra’s son Rory Campbell described finding the dress at the family home close to Randalstown, Co Antrim. The dress was designed by the renowned British couturier Sir Norman Hartnell, who also designed the Queen’s dress for the day.

Joe Biden faced calls from protesters to “do something” as he visited the Uvalde community on Sunday to grieve with families left anguished and shattered by last week’s gun violence. After visiting the memorial, Mr Biden attended Mass at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, where family members of the shooting victims were already assembled. Mr Biden replied “we will” as he got into his car. During the visit, the president tweeted that he grieves, prays and stands with the people of Uvalde. US president Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden pay their respects at a memorial at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on 29 May (Reuters)The president’s visit came amid criticism and growing calls for scrutiny of police’s alleged delayed response in taking action during the hour of violence at the school in Uvalde.

(File Photo -Canadian Army)The South Korean government has been reviewing the export of artillery shells to Canada in a bid to help the country replenish its depleted weapons stocks sent to Ukraine. The South Korean official said the government has not yet formally begun procedures to proceed with the export. Since February, the Canadian government has provided military aid packages, including equipment from its armed forces’ existing weapons stocks, on numerous occasions. The company will be paid by the Canadian government and additionally produce 100,000 artillery shells for the South Korean military, the report said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the same month asked for weapons aid during a virtual address to South Korean lawmakers.

A UN report has claimed that the relationship between the in Afghanistan and remains close, with the latter "renewing its pledge of allegiance to Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada", the supreme leader of the . The report by the UN Security Council's Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team assessed the presence of the and Islamic State (IS) terror groups in Afghanistan, reports TOLO News. "Member State assessments thus far suggest that has a safe haven under the and increased freedom of action. Al-Zawahiri has been the leader of Al Qaeda since 2011, succeeding the terror group's former leader Osama bin Laden following his death. The report estimated that an approximate presence of "180 to 400 fighters affiliated with Al Qaeda" from "Bangladesh, India, Myanmar and Pakistan" are settled in Afghanistan's "Ghazni, Helmand, Kandahar, Nimruz, Paktika and Zabul provinces"The Taliban government in Afghanistan has not yet reacted to the report yet.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has promised Serbia "uninterrupted supplies" of natural gas. Serbia has condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine but has not joined in sanctions against Moscow. Serbia, a long-time ally of Russia, voted on March 2 in favor of a United Nations resolution condemning the invasion of Ukraine. It is also almost wholly dependent on Russian gas as Gazprom holds majority stakes in its only oil company and its sole gas storage facility, per Reuters. Serbia has a 10-year gas supply contract with Russian state-owned Gazprom that expires on May 31, according to Reuters.

Shelling killed two civilians and wounded five others as Russian troops advanced into the city's southeastern and northeastern areas fringes, Luhansk region Governor Serhiy Gaidai said. read moreIncessant shelling has left Ukrainian forces defending ruins in Sievierodonetsk, but their refusal to withdraw has slowed a massive Russian offensive across the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Sunday said the "liberation" of the Donbas, an industrial region which includes Luhansk and Donetsk, was an "unconditional priority" for Moscow. read moreUkrainian forces in the Donbas said they were on the defensive all day on Sunday. Russian forces fired on 46 communities in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, killing at least three civilians, wounding two others or destroying or damaging 62 civilian buildings.

They are the last major areas under Ukrainian control in Luhansk province, which makes up the Donbas together with the adjacent Donetsk region. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky awards a servicewoman as he visits the war-hit Kharkiv region on May 29, 2022. In the wider Kharkiv region, Russian troops still held about one-third of the territory, Zelensky said. After failing to seize Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, Russia is focused on occupying parts of Donbas not already controlled by pro-Moscow separatists. On the ground in the eastern Donetsk region, fighters battled back and forth for control of villages and cities.

A fixture of Wellstone’s campaign was a beat-up old school bus painted green and white with a speaker’s platform rigged onto the rear exit. Irked, Bush asked an aide, ?“Who is this chickenshit?”While serving in the Senate, Wellstone remained an organizer.. During most of Wellstone’s Senate career, the Democrats were the minority party. ?“There are people in the White House who wake up in the morning thinking about how they will defeat Paul Wellstone,” observed a senior Republican aide confided at the time. Wellstone’s legacy is memorialized in many ways, from the the schools and affordable housing projects named after him to the numerous fellowships and awards established to honor the Wellstones’ dedication to social justice.

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden visited the site of Wednesday's school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, on Sunday as federal officials announced they had opened an investigation into how police responded to the attack. The Department of Justice said its "fair, transparent, and independent" critical incident review had been launched at the request of Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin and would culminate in a report to be published with any findings. As they moved from picture to picture at a makeshift memorial site, the first lady touched the faces of each child and patted at her tears. Greg Abbott — who has been criticized for his defense of the state's gun laws — received some jeers as he appeared. As the governor arrived at the school, one man in the crowd shouted, "We need help!"

Prager discussed why he believed the road to this week’s revelation was paved, in part, by decades of mistakes and missed opportunities made by the pro-choice movement. And it gave (the pro-life movement) a very simple, clear target, a new raison d’etre: We want to overturn Roe. Tell me a little more about the blame the pro-choice movement shares. These were all pro-life weapons in attacking Roe, and over and over again, you had the pro-choice movement outfoxed. Where does the pro-choice movement go from here?

Fumio Kishida, Japan's prime minister, speaks at a news conference following the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) leaders meeting at the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo, Japan May 24, 2022. Kiyoshi Ota/Pool via REUTERS/File PhotoTOKYO, May 30 (Reuters) - Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida scored his highest approval ratings since taking office eight months ago in a weekend survey, the Nikkei daily reported, with critical upper house elections just weeks away. Support for Kishida and his cabinet climbed to 66%, a rise of 5 points from the previous April survey and the highest since he took office last October, according to a weekend survey by the Nikkei and TV Tokyo. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterA total of 61% of respondents said they "approved" of his talks with Biden. Kishida's support also rose in a survey last week by Fuji News network, hitting hit 68.9%, up 3 points from the previous month.

Colombian centre-right presidential candidate Rodolfo Hernandez of Anti-Corruption Rulers' League Party, greets his supporters after his arrival at Palonegro International Airport in Bucaramanga, Colombia May 21, 2022. Hernandez, a septuagenarian former mayor of the northern city Bucaramanga, won 28.2% of votes in a first election round on Sunday, beating establishment favorite Federico Gutierrez for second place in a surprise result. Petro, long forecast to win the first round, won 40.3%. KING OF TIKTOKHernandez has relied heavily on social media, posting eccentric videos on TikTok, including one of him riding an electric scooter. Hernandez has also pledged to strengthen law and order and create jobs, although he has shared scant details of those plans.

But the move had become controversial after the names of the people on the list were leaked on social media, with some pointing out that it increased the threat to their lives.

08:14EU leaders meet today, overshadowed by lack of progress on new sanctionsEuropean Union leaders will meet on Monday to declare continued support for Ukraine to help it fend off Russia's assault, but the talks will be overshadowed by their failure to agree on a new sanctions package against Moscow. Over two days, leaders of the 27-nation bloc are to discuss how best to aid Ukraine four months into Russia's invasion and how to deal with the conflict's impacts: high energy prices, an impending food shortage and the EU's defence needs. "After Russia's attack on Ukraine, we saw what can happen when Europe stands united. With a view to the summit tomorrow, let's hope it continues like this. But it is already starting to crumble and crumble again," German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said on Sunday.

Song said people will be prompted to use relatively lesser-used airports if Gimpo Airport is closed.Song claimed that those in southern Seoul could use the Cheongju International Airport in North Chungcheong Province, and those in eastern Seoul can use the Wonju Airport in Gangwon Province. Others can use the Incheon Airport, he added.The proposal’s reception has not been positive, however, with cacophony apparent even within the Democratic Party.Rep. Yun Ho-jung, chair of the emergency steering committee for the Democratic Party, told reporters Friday that the pledge is not reflective of the party’s official stance. This is not something that can be taken lightly as a pledge from an individual candidate; it should be seen as a pledge coming from the Democratic Party,” Lee Jun-seok added.Lee Jun-seok and the People Power Party claimed the local airline business and tourism sector will face immense difficulties if Gimpo Airport is shut, as 51 percent of domestic travelers move between Gimpo and Jeju.Closing the airport will directly result in a loss of tourists visiting Jeju Island, the People Power Party claimed, as people will not be inclined to travel further to other airports when Gimpo Airport is gone. Jeju Island as a whole would lose its competitiveness as a tourist destination, Lee said.The conservative party is using the momentum as a chance to boost ratings for its flagbearers in the local elections.“We ask you to strongly condemn and judge the Democratic Party’s politicians, who are making decisions in the capital region without any consideration of the tourism industry, the core economic power of Jeju Island,” Lee Jun-seok said during the Saturday briefing.By Ko Jun-tae ( ko.juntae@heraldcorp.com

Serbian president refuses to explicitly condemn Russian invasion of Ukraine, has not joined Western sanctions on Moscow. As the war in Ukraine rages, Serbia’s president has announced that he has secured an “extremely favourable” three-year natural gas supply deal with Russia during a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russia’s deal with Serbia follows after Moscow cut off gas exports to EU members Finland, Poland, and Bulgaria. “The agreement reached by President Vucic with President Putin is proof of how much Serbia’s decision not to participate in anti-Russian hysteria is respected,” Interior Minister Aleksandar Vulin said. Serbia is almost entirely dependent on Russian gas, and its main energy companies are under Russian majority ownership.

Russia’s war on Ukraine is not just being fought with bombs but bytes too, causing nations to now ramp up their cyber defence capabilities. Protests were then triggered by false claims by Russian media that the statue and Soviet war graves were being destroyed by Estonia’s government. File - Estonian police officers secure the Bronze Soldier monument during celebrations of Victory Day over Nazi Germany in World War II, at the military cemetery in Tallinn. Out of the 2007 ashes came Estonia’s Cyber Defence League, a unit of volunteer cyber defences that was set up a decade ago to help the government face cyber threats. Combing the talents of the private sector is one way Estonia has built up its cyber defence.

Russian forces reportedly seized a hotel on Severodonetsk’s outskirts, damaged 14 high-rise buildings, and battled on the streets with Ukrainian troops. The battle for the main eastern Ukrainian city of Severodonetsk raged on Sunday with Russian forces conducting assault operations that led to street fighting with Ukraine defenders. Regional officials reported Russian forces were “storming” the strategic eastern city. Ukrainian troops may have to retreat from the city to avoid capture, said Haidai. Haidai reported later that Russian forces had seized a hotel on the city’s outskirts, damaged 14 high-rise buildings, and were battling on the streets with Ukrainian forces.

Authorities in Tennessee said six people were injured after a shooting in a popular downtown district in Chattanooga on Saturday night. "Six teenagers were shot last night in what we believe was an altercation between other teenagers," Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly said in a news conference on Sunday andechoed on Twitter. Prior to the shooting, Murphy said police had been nearby monitoring "several large groups and what appeared to be a lot of unchaperoned juveniles." Chattanooga police spokesperson Jeremy Eames called it a “very vibrant and active area during summer weekends" in a Sunday news release. The Tennessee shooting comes days after an attack killed 21 people — including 19 children — at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.

CNN's Dana Bash speaks with Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) about what he sees as the fear of Republican lawmakers to switch their stance on gun restrictions and why he is open to banning assault weapons now.

Uvalde resident Ben Gonzales explains to CNN's Jim Acosta why he shouted at President Joe Biden and Texas Governor Greg Abbott during their visit to the city.

Incessant shelling has left Ukrainian forces defending ruins in Sievierodonetsk, but their refusal to withdraw is stalling a massive Russian offensive across the Donbas. Zelenskiy visited Ukrainian troops on the frontlines in northeastern Kharkiv region on Sunday, his first trip outside the Kyiv region since the invasion began. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the "liberation" of the Donbas, an industrial region which includes Luhansk and Donetsk, was an "unconditional priority" for Moscow. read moreUkrainian forces in the Donbas said they were on the defensive all day on Sunday. Russian forces fired on 46 communities in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, killing at least three civilians, wounding two others or destroying or damaging 62 civilian buildings.

An 18-month-old was fatally struck in a drive-by shooting that did not intentionally target the boy, Pittsburgh police said Sunday. The attack Sunday afternoon in near-80-degree weather in downtown Pittsburgh unnerved city officials, who vowed to make an arrest in the case. "I know that our thoughts and our prayers are not enough," Mayor Ed Gainey said at a news conference Sunday. "We are utilizing all available resources to find the responsible people so that we can bring them to justice." The toddler and his mother, the two occupants of a vehicle struck by gunfire, did not appear to be the intended targets, Schmidt said.

KRAMATORSK, Ukraine — Russia claimed to have overrun a key rail hub while its troops fought Ukrainian defenders in the streets of another city in eastern Ukraine. The Russian Defense Ministry said the railroad center Lyman had been “completely liberated’’ by a joint force of Russian soldiers and Kremlin-backed separatists. Pavlo Kyrylenko said Russian troops controlled most of it and were trying to press their offensive toward Bakhmut, another city in the region. Serhii Haidai reported that Ukrainian fighters repelled an assault on Sievierodonetsk but Russian troops still pushed to encircle them. Moscow and Kyiv have traded accusations over which side bears responsibility for keeping shipments tied up, with Russia saying Ukrainian sea mines prevented safe passage and Ukraine citing a Russian naval blockade.

Previous presidents, too, have attempted to make improvements to America’s law enforcement system, but Biden faced particular pressure to find the right balance. Not only did law enforcement groups dislike various parts of the draft, they felt like the administration hadn’t adequately listened to their perspective. Senior administration officials described a sort of shuttle diplomacy, and they met separately with civil rights advocates and law enforcement groups while trying to keep everyone on the same page. However, the executive order requires federal law enforcement officers to prioritize de-escalation and then intervention if they see another officer using excessive force. As an executive order, the new policies are limited to federal agencies.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesRep. Marjorie Taylor Greene spent more on security this year than previous years, the NYT reported. Greene spent $1,000 a month on security prior to 2022 but now that number is over $49,000 a month. Georgia GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's campaign spent $183,000 on security between January and May of 2022, according to a new report from The New York Times. Prior to 2022, Greene spent $1,000 a month on security, but now that number is up to over $49,000 a month, The Times reported. The campaign spokesperson did not note when the uptick in threats began.

Canada has provided Ukraine with M777 towed howitzers, which fire 155-millimetre shells. Last week Defence Minister Anita Anand announced Canada would be sending an additional 20,000 rounds of 155mm ammunition, sourced from the United States. "We are actively pursuing a plan to provide 100,000 rounds to Canada," the official told SBS. South Korea is a major manufacturer of 155mm ammunition, with its K9 self-propelled howitzer dominating the international market. South Korea has provided humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and has shipped non-lethal items including bulletproof helmets and medical kits.

Former Assemblywoman Francis Allen-Palenske, who is running for Las Vegas City Council in Ward 4, poses for a portrait at her home in Las Vegas, Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @bizutesfayeFormer Las Vegas Councilman Bob Beers (Jeff Scheid/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @jeffscheidBrenda Flank, candidate for Las Vegas City Council Ward 4. (Brenda Flank campaign)Four people are vying to succeed term-limited Las Vegas Councilman Stavros Anthony in Ward 4, with candidates whose experiences range from political to public safety. Former Assemblywoman Francis Allen-Palenske, former Ward 2 Councilman Bob Beers, community leader Brenda Flank and retired Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Capt. Public safety rises to topAllen-Palenske, 44, said that public safety is the top pressing concern of voters.

UVALDE, Texas (AP) — President Joe Biden grieved with the shattered community of Uvalde on Sunday, mourning privately for three hours with anguished families of the 19 schoolchildren and two teachers killed by a gunman. After visiting the memorial, Biden attended Mass at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, where several victims’ families are members, and one of the families was in attendance. Biden later tweeted that he grieves, prays and stands with the people of Uvalde. The visit to Uvalde was Biden’s second trip in as many weeks to console a community in loss after a mass shooting. Hours after the shooting, Biden delivered an impassioned plea for additional gun control legislation, asking: “When in God’s name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby?

Previous presidents, too, have attempted to make improvements to America's law enforcement system, but Biden faced particular pressure to find the right balance. Not only did law enforcement groups dislike various parts of the draft, they felt like the administration hadn't adequately listened to their perspective. In addition to Rice’s team, Justice Department officials and the White House counsel’s office under Dana Remus worked through the details. Long days were fueled by Hershey's Kisses, M&Ms and whatever else that could be scrounged from White House desks. However, the executive order requires federal law enforcement officers to prioritize de-escalation and then intervention if they see another officer using excessive force.

A suppressed report on the Windrush scandal has concluded that its origins lie in three decades of racist immigration legislation designed to reduce the UK’s non-white population. It found that the “deep-rooted racism of the Windrush scandal” had roots in the fact that “during the period 1950-1981, every single piece of immigration or citizenship legislation was designed at least in part to reduce the number of people with black or brown skin who were permitted to live and work in the UK”. The leaked copy of the government-commissioned paper, which the Home Office has repeatedly refused to make public, lists a few specific examples. Here are some of those considered among the most damaging:

2m ago 06.27 Zelenskiy to address EU leaders at Brussels summitUkraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskiy is set to address European Union leaders at an emergency summit later today to push for new sanctions against Russia. EU leaders will meet in Brussels to declare their continued support for Ukraine but have so far failed to agree on a new sanctions package against Moscow. After Russia’s attack on Ukraine, we saw what can happen when Europe stands united. With a view to the summit tomorrow, let’s hope it continues like this. However, the decision will be only made later, after the European Commission makes a proposal on how to raise the money.

Germany’s government and conservative opposition have agreed to a deal that will release €100 billion ($107 billion) to modernize the army in the face of the Russian threat — a move that is likely to reverberate as far away as Japan. An agreement was reached late Sunday to create a special fund for military procurement that will also allow Berlin to meet NATO’s target of spending 2% of gross domestic product on defense. Three days after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February, Chancellor Olaf Scholz pledged a special budget of €100 billion to rearm the German military and modernize its outdated equipment over the next few years. The €100 billion will be paid into a special fund outside the national budget. The unexpected and dramatic rethink by Germany comes as leaders in Japan debate doubling their country’s defense budget to 2% of GDP, from an informal cap of around 1%.

A 10-year-old in Florida was arrested Saturday after allegedly sending a text message threatening to shoot up his school. According to the Lee County Sheriff's Office, Marquez is a 5th grade student at Patriot Elementary School in Cape Coral, Florida. Amd on May 27, Sheriff Marceno appeared in an eight-minute long video in which he criticized federal aid for Ukraine. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said in 2020 that Lee County's crime rate dropped by 18.4% during his initial tenure between 2018 and 2020. Parents of the students at Robb Elementary School showed up at the school after hearing about the reports of a shooting while the massacre was continuing inside.

Queensland MP David Littleproud has been elected as leader of the Nationals, with NSW senator Perin Davey elected deputy leader. Mr Littleproud defeated the incumbent leader Barnaby Joyce and former minister Darren Chester in a three-way leadership contest.

Peter Dutton is now opposition leader, after being elected unopposed as the new leader of the Liberal party.

WAR IN UKRAINEA girl looks on at a display of Russian weapon systems used in their attacks, outside St Michael's Cathedral, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Kyiv, Ukraine May 29, 2022. "The situation is very bad [in the] Donbas, where the Russian forces are advancing and the Ukrainian forces are in difficulty." 03:179:22pm: Donbas 'unconditional priority' for Russia, Lavrov saysThe "liberation" of Ukraine's Donbas is an "unconditional priority" for Moscow, while other Ukrainian territories should decide their future on their own, RIA news agency cited Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying on Sunday. "The liberation of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, recognised by the Russian Federation as independent states, is an unconditional priority," Lavrov said in an interview with French TV channel TF1, according to RIA. For the rest of the territories in Ukraine, "the people should decide their future in these areas," he said.

McConnell told CNN that he “encouraged” Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) to engage with Democrats Sens. "I am hopeful that we could come up with a bipartisan solution," he said. In June 2016, after a man with a gun murdered 49 people at the Pulse Night Club in Orlando, McConnell told reporters “nobody wants terrorists to have firearms." “I am convinced that Mitch wants to do something,” Trump told reporters on Aug. 13, 2019. But those reforms were far from the sweeping changes that most advocates believe are necessary to actually reduce gun violence.

Greg Abbott gave 2 speeches about gun violence on Friday with different messages. In Uvalde, he said legislation is "on the table" to address gun violence following a shooting that killed 21. To an NRA audience, Abbott said laws do not stop "madmen" from "carrying out evil." Greg Abbott on Friday gave two different speeches about gun control that went on at the same time – with two vastly different messages. And there will be laws in multiple different subject areas," Abbott added during the Uvalde press conference.

Russian forces intensified their attacks with barrages of heavy artillery to capture a key Ukrainian city in the southeastern region of Donbas, whose full takeover Moscow's top diplomat said was now an "unconditional priority". Constant Russian shelling has destroyed all of the critical infrastructure in Sievierodonetsk, the largest city still controls in Luhansk, one of the regions in Donbas, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said, while pledging to do everything to hold off the advance. "Capturing Sievierodonetsk is a fundamental task for the occupiers ... We do all we can to hold this advance," he added. In a Facebook post, Ukrainian forces in the Donbas said they had been on the defensive all day on Sunday. Russian forces fired on 46 communities in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, killing at least three civilians, wounding two or destroying or damaging 62 civilian buildings.

If there’s a new cold war brewing and both China and the United States are trying to get African countries on their side, it’s clear where Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s allegiance lies. In his latest column in the local Sunday Mail newspaper, the 79-year-old president slammed the West and lavished praise on Beijing. "Here in Zimbabwe, China has helped fund and implement several projects in the sectors of energy, air transport, water, real estate, industrial value addition, mining and defense," the president said. When asked about the war of words with the West, Zimbabwe government spokeswoman Monica Mutsvangwa echoed the president’s remarks. Meanwhile, the Chinese embassy in Harare is adopting an increasingly shrill tone in tweets frequently accusing U.S.-backed organizations of paying journalists to write anti-China articles.

A Ukrainian MP visiting Britain has urged the west to supply long-range rockets to her country – and warned without further military help her country risked deadlock or defeat in its war against Russia. “One bad outcome is that this war becomes a stalemate, like a long-term frozen conflict,” Rudik said in an interview with the Guardian. “We need to let our soldiers on the front fight better and for that we need MLRS systems, longer-range systems,” Rudik said. That has prompted warnings from Moscow that a US decision to supply the systems would “cross a red line”. On the second day of the war Rudik was pictured holding a Kalashnikov rifle, saying she was prepared to use it to defend Kyiv.

AdvertisementGermany: Coalition government, CDU agree €100 billion military boost30.05.2022The center-right opposition has backed the German government's plans to massively increase military spending. Germany's coalition government and the conservative CDU/CSU alliance on Sunday agreed on the details of a €100 billion ($107 billion) boost to the country's military spending. "In doing so, the so-called NATO 2% target [of GDP on military spending] will be achieved on a multi-year average." Why is Germany hiking military spending? Scholz announced that the government wouldincrease military spending just two days after Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine.

I doubt anything will top this:An extreme political party that makes it harder to vote and easier to die of gun violence is unfit to govern.

The red-faced, nearly teary-eyed Trump Jr. shouted that the shooter was a “sociopath” who could wreak the same havoc with nearly any other weapon. “ It’s the gun; it’s not the sociopath wielding it,” people are claiming, he complained. “He wouldn’t have done the exact same thing with a bat, or a bomb, or some sort of improvised device — or a machete?” he added. The real problem is that people are “screwed up,” and we have “crazy teachers” and “indoctrination programs” in our schools, he insisted. Did he also say, “Eric, you catch him and hold him, and I’ll club him?”www.huffpost.com/...

Trump tried out new material since it’s easy to punch downward. President Donald Trump had decided to focus his new rallies around attacking transgender children. By 2022, Politico explained that Trump's new campaign is going after minors. In a 90-minute rant in Casper, Wyoming on Saturday, Trump attacked Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), who is one of the Republicans on the House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Instead of discussing issues that those in Wyoming care about most, he took a different turn.

President Joe Biden was warmly greeted when he visited Uvalde Sunday, but Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott was loudly booed as he approached the makeshift memorial at the elementary school where 19 children and two teachers were killed last week in a mass shooting. Greg Abbott on Friday gave two different speeches about gun control that went on at the same time – with two vastly different messages. He instead held an in-person press conference in Uvalde and sent a pre-recorded message to the NRA audience. And there will be laws in multiple different subject areas," Abbott added during the Uvalde press conference.

[4] Russian Telegram channels reported that Russian forces successfully seized Pasika on May 28, but ISW cannot independently confirm this claim. [5] Russian forces did not attempt to advance directly south of Izyum and are likely prioritizing an advance north of Lyman. [7] Russian forces from Izyum may join units in Lyman to conduct an offensive on Siversk or pursue a separate drive on Slovyansk. [9] Haidai stressed that Russian forces have not isolated the city, despite damaging a bridge along the Lysychansk-Severodonetsk road. [16] Russian forces will likely continue offensive operations on Bakhmut as well as the T1302 and T1303 highways to isolate Ukrainian forces in the Severodonetsk-Lysychansk area.

This one was in Wyoming where Trump is trying to oust Rep. Liz Cheney, a fellow Republican who he has declared insufficiently worshipful. In addition to his first impeachment, his second impeachment, his extortion of Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, the COVID-19 virus, the Mueller Report, climate change, the 2020 presidential election results, and his well-documented connections to Russia, Trump is now adding the January 6th insurrection. It’s another con job just like Russia Russia Russia. It’s another con job just like Russia Russia Russia pic.twitter.com/u8bJLBFXri — Acyn (@Acyn) May 28, 2022So now Trump wants his glassy-eyed disciples to believe that the riots on Capitol Hill that everyone saw on live television, never actually happened. RELATED: PolitiFact’s Lie of the Year: The January 6th Insurrection Disinformation By Trump and Fox NewsTrump may have a difficult time selling this notion that the insurrection was hoax to the populace at large.

NPRAfter Uvalde, mass shootings continue over the weekend across the U.S.At least eight mass shootings took place across the U.S. over the weekend following Tuesday's mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas. Another 765 people were forced to leave their homes, at least temporarily, according to the state government. Authorities in the neighbouring state of Alagoas had registered two deaths, according to Brazil’s federal emergency service. The hurricane comes as federal forecasters expect yet another busy Atlantic hurricane season in 2022: As many as 10 hurricanes could form, meteorologists said last week. Rights groups say thousands of politicians, activists and journalists are detained in Egypt after unfair trials or without legal basis.

… They came to us for our expertise, and they got a professional report that is factual,” Edwards told ProPublica in an email. “If they build this, this community will not survive,” Joy Banner told ProPublica. … The trauma of not being able to talk freely about our own history is hurting our communities,” Joy Banner told ProPublica. “We at the Corps are seeing adverse impacts,” Ricky Boyett, chief of public affairs for the New Orleans District, told ProPublica. … We need to do a little more research on those as well.”The permit for the grain elevator remains under review, Boyett told ProPublica.

Let’s start localLocal races, from city, county, district attorneys, and state house are the races most directly impacted by the retirement of a Democratic official. The district, representing southern Chicago, is a solid Democratic seat. If the district you are sitting in is so solidly Democratic, you generally don’t have to worry about recruiting. Your seat is solid Republican Are you a Democratic official who held a local office? Your seat is new Let’s say your state house or county district is now divided, and there is an entirely new district that exists.

Despite the increased violence they have been facing in the last few years, Asian Americans are making strides nationwide. But while the jump was high and AAPI voters outpaced all other ethnic groups in every single battleground state, overall participation remains low. “They’re really the nucleus of AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) communities across the community. The effort is one of the first to target the AAPI community. The AAPI community needs our support now more than ever.

Reprinted from chrishedges.substack.comThere are ways to defeat the billionaire class and many of these tactics have been pioneered by Socialist City Councilwoman Kshama Sawant and the Socialist Alternative (SA) party in Seattle. She and the SA have adopted a series of unorthodox methods to fight the ruling oligarchs and, in that confrontation, exposed the Democratic Party leadership as craven tools of the billionaire class. The Democratic Party in Seattle is currently trying to gerrymander her district to separate her from working-class supporters. She is not interested in "cordial relationships" with big business, establishment politicians, the Democratic Party and business lobbyists. The self-identified progressives in the Democratic Party, she says, play "a role which is contrary to the interests of working people.

It's always important to remember that before Maidan in 2014, Ukraine had the option to become a full member of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), and even balance it with a loose association with the EU. The Eurasian Economic Forum was established by the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council explicitly to further deepen economic cooperation between EAEU members. To really appreciate the scope of what's implied, it's important to remember that the Greater Eurasian Partnership concept was presented by Putin in 2016 at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum, focused on a "more extensive Eurasian partnership involving the Eurasian Economic Union" and including China, Pakistan, Iran and India. Putin for his part was careful to define the Greater Eurasian Partnership as "a big civilizational project. Thus, the necessity to "draft a comprehensive strategy for developing large-scale Eurasian partnership", including "a roadmap for industrialization".

Most likely, the Democratic leadership already knows this, via polling they've commissioned. It is at least a little mysterious why pollsters have done a poll on the effect of such announcements on the 2022 and 2024 elections. This is exactly the reason why now we are staring into potential clobbering of the Democrats by the Republicans and by the right-wing in the midterm elections." I think declarations Biden, Harris and even Pelosi will make a big difference, maybe even shifts of a point or two in key races in Florida, Arizona, Pennsylvania and elsewhere. The Centrist Democratic leadership has been the biggest problem the Democratic party has had, and of course Joe Biden is at the top.

To see the state-by-state breakdown of abortion restrictions after the Supreme Court’s expected overturning of Roe v. Wade, click here. Each state’s laws on abortion are different, which means the effect of the expected decision will also vary state by state. While these regulations do not ban abortion completely, they will make it much more difficult to obtain an abortion. Ohio: Abortion will remain legal up to 20 weeks, unless the state legislature manages to pass a trigger ban prior to Roe being overturned. New Mexico: Abortion care will remain legal throughout pregnancy, and is unlikely to change, unless the Republicans win several state elections.

An 18-month-old was fatally struck in a drive-by shooting that did not intentionally target the boy, Pittsburgh police said Sunday. The afternoon attack in near-80 degree weather in downtown Pittsburgh unnerved city officials, who vowed to make an arrest in the case. "I know that our thoughts and our prayers are not enough," Mayor Ed Gainey said at a news conference Sunday. "We are utilizing all available resources to find the responsible people so that we can bring them to justice." The toddler and his mother, the two occupants of a vehicle struck by gunfire, did not appear to be the intended targets of attackers, the director said.

Colombian leftist Gustavo Petro came out on top in the first round of the Andean country's presidential election on Sunday and will face a surprise contender - businessman Rodolfo Hernandez - in a second round on June 19. 2:24 AM UTC

Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala,) is absolutely opposed to any new restrictions on guns — even regarding military-style assault weapons — because we need them to “take back” our government, he explained on Fox News Sunday. Such action should only be undertaken in the event America becomes “dictatorial,” Brooks told host Sandra Smith. The lawmaker highlighted that slippery slope when he immediately went at it with Smith, and angrily defended his fantasy of a rigged election. Smith pointed out “on the record” that there is still “no evidence or proof provided” of a rigged election. That is absolutely false,” said Brooks, before Smith corrected him yet again.

He was among several high profile Republicans who decried demands for new gun control laws at the opening day of three-day event, calling instead for drastic changes in the country’s approach to mental health and for teachers to be trained to carry a gun on school grounds. "We, the NRA, will never ever stop fighting for the right of the innocent and the law-abiding to defend themselves against the evil, criminal element that plagues our society." Outside the convention centre, about 500 protesters held signs and photos of victims from Tuesday’s school shooting. The deadly event, coming 10 days after a shooting in Buffalo, New York killed 10 people, has renewed many people’s anger at the NRA, the nation's biggest gun lobby and a major donor to Congress members, mostly Republicans. But the NRA's decision to go ahead with its largest annual gathering despite the tragedies is part of a decades-long strategy of standing up to pressure for gun control, dating back to the Columbine High School shooting in Colorado in 1999.

Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene on Sunday suggested that the Texas gunman was into "cross dressing," referencing a baseless conspiracy theory about the shooter's identity that originated on fringe messaging board 4Chan. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty ImagesGreene pushed a baseless conspiracy theory about the Texas gunman being into "cross-dressing." Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene pushed a baseless rumor on Sunday about the Texas elementary school massacre, positing without evidence that the gunman was into "cross-dressing." Greene seemed to be referencing the baseless rumor pushed by her colleague, Rep. Paul Gosar, that the shooter was a transgender individual. Greene also casually referenced a baseless conspiracy theory that the Texas massacre was a false flag operation.

NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre was trolled right to his face at the NRA convention in Houston as some of his biggest supporters looked on. Not everyone caught what was happening in the stunt by the Good Liars, aka progressive pranksters Jason Selvig and Davram Stiefler. It soon got very uncomfortable for LaPierre as Selvig rattled off a lengthy list of mass shootings, then mockingly praised him for offering “thoughts and prayers” for each. When Selvig finished speaking, many in the room applauded:We spoke directly to Wayne LaPierre at the NRA Convention and thanked him for all his thoughts and prayers. pic.twitter.com/EfdDrgD4Af — The Good Liars (@TheGoodLiars) May 29, 2022LaPierre has come under increasing criticism, and not just from those who oppose the NRA’s agenda.

By Arathy Somasekhar and Daniel TrottaHOUSTON (Reuters) -National Rifle Association members overwhelmingly supported longtime leader Wayne LaPierre with a vote of confidence on Saturday, even as the gun rights group struggles with allegations that millions of dollars were misspent. The vote of confidence came ahead of a vote by the NRA board on Monday on whether to renew LaPierre as executive vice president, which he is expected to win. "The NRA family is in mourning with the people of Uvalde and Texas," LaPierre, who is also the group's chief executive, said in a statement. In a show of hands, nearly everyone in the room supported LaPierre. "In the last few years, you (LaPierre) have brought down questioning and shame down on the NRA," said Robert Bryan of Arkansas.

Push from election deniersIn an interview, Marchant, 65, said he doesn’t trust electronic voting machines based on his background — he previously owned technology companies — saying that gives him more insight into the voting machines than the clerks and their staff who work directly with the machines. The voting machines are not connected to the internet and do not use Wi-Fi, making it extremely unlikely that they could be hacked, Bryan said. Other problems with hand countingMerlino put together a summary of what hand counting paper ballots would look like in real time. There is also a looming paper shortage that could make the logistics of moving to paper ballots nearly impossible. Eliminating voting machines entirely could also violate requirements set by the Americans with Disabilities Act, leading to even more lawsuits.

FILE - In this April 20, 2017 file photo, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks in New York. Clinton said Tuesday, May 2, 2017, that she's taking responsibility for her 2016 election loss but believes misogyny, Russian interference and questionable decisions by the FBI also influenced the outcome. (AP Photo/Kevin Hagen, File)Regarding your May 23 story, “Witness: Hillary Clinton OK’d leak to the media”:Many in the media are now strangely silent about a Clinton lawyer who withheld information which showed that President Donald Trump did not collude with the Russian government. I guess the media would rather attack Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani. Maybe that’s why so many Americans just don’t trust the media right now.

to review response to Texas school shootingUVALDE, Texas (AP) — The Justice Department said Sunday it will review the law enforcement response to the Texas school shooting, an unusual federal look back prompted by questions about the shifting and at times contradictory information from authorities that have enraged a community in shock and sorrow. Ukraine's leader also made a rare frontline visit to Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city, to assess the strength of the national defense. In the east, Russian forces stormed Sievierodonetsk after trying unsuccessfully to encircle the strategic city, Ukr