WorldAFPBattered EU centre holds off populist surge in vote
Europe's mainstream political parties took a hit in elections on Sunday but held off a strong surge by the populist right of Marine Le Pen, Matteo Salvini and Nigel Farage. In one of the world's biggest democratic votes, the main centre-right and centre-left groups lost their combined majority in the European Parliament in the face of a challenge by eurosceptic and nationalist forces. The symbolic clash of the campaign saw French far right leader Le Pen's National Rally on course to come in just ahead of President Emmanuel Macron's centrist movement, damaging his drive for deeper European integration.
- WorldReuters
UPDATE 3-Iran will defend itself against any aggression, says foreign minister
Iran will defend itself against any military or economic aggression, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Sunday, calling on European states to do more to preserve a nuclear agreement his country signed. Speaking at a Baghdad news conference with his Iraqi counterpart Mohammed al-Hakim, Zarif said Iran wanted to build balanced relations with its Gulf Arab neighbors and had proposed signing a non-aggression pact with them. "We will defend against any war efforts against Iran, whether it be an economic war or a military one, and we will face these efforts with strength," he said.
WorldAssociated PressUS sanctions on Iran felt in Iraqi Shiite tourist districts
For years, Karar Hussein has sold sweets in his shop near the entrance to one of Shiite Islam's holiest shrines, accepting whatever currency was offered to him by his clients, many of them religious tourists from neighboring Iran. Hussein and many other shop owners in Baghdad's northern Shiite holy neighborhood of Kadhimiya have seen sales drop sharply over the past year since President Donald Trump began re-imposing sanctions on Iran, home to the largest number of Shiite Muslims around the world. The value of Iran's currency, the rial, has decreased almost fourfold, pushing the price of nearly everything beyond the reach of ordinary Iranian consumers in Iran and abroad.
- NewsThe Daily Beast
Amanda Eller, Missing Maui Yoga Instructor, Ate Berries and Drank From Waterfalls to Survive
Amanda Eller, the 35-year-old yoga instructor and physical therapist who went missing on a hike in a Maui forest on May 8, ate plants and berries and drank from the base of waterfalls to survive, her rescuers say. Hours after rescuers in a helicopter plucked Eller from a ravine, she said that she had to make the choice to stay alive while lost for 16 days in the forest. “There were times of total fear and loss and wanting to give up, and it did come down to life and death, and I had to choose,” Eller said from her hospital bed on Saturday.
- NewsThe Independent
Violence and disruption against abortion clinics at highest rates since 1999
Violence and disruption against abortion clinics in the US increased to its highest levels since the 1990s last year, a report by the National Abortion Federation has found. The increase in violence was attributed, at least in part, to president Donald Trump and his administration's rhetoric. “Anti-choice individuals and groups have been emboldened by the rhetoric of president Trump, vice president Pence, and other elected officials and we are seeing this play out in more instances of activities meant to intimidate abortion providers and disrupt patient services,” said Dr Katherine Hancock Ragsdale, who serves as interim president and CEO of NAF.
NewsUSA TODAY51 attorneys general call on Betsy DeVos to cancel up to 42,000 disabled veterans' student debts
In April last year, DeVos announced a new partnership between the Departments of Education and Veterans Affairs that would match borrowers in the Department of Education's records system with disabled veterans in the Department of Veterans Affairs records system. People deemed eligible for loan discharges would be mailed a letter including an application for "totally and permanently disabled" (TPD) status. Under the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008, if student borrowers die or become permanently disabled, they are eligible to have their loans forgiven, so a successful granting of TPD status would allow for the complete discharge of student loans.
- WorldThe National Interest
Eating Way Too Much Rice Almost Doomed Japan's Imperial Navy
After the war, the Emergency Beriberi Investigative Committee investigated the disease's devastation of Japanese ranks. In August 1882 in Incheon Bay near Seoul, four Japanese warships were locked in a tense stand-off with two Chinese warships that had brought troops to quell a revolt on the Korean peninsula. On paper, the Japanese flotilla outnumbered the Chinese, but the hulls of the Japanese ships hid a deadly secret.
- BusinessArchitectural Digest
AD PRO's 20 Favorite Furnishings from ICFF
Miss New York's International Contemporary Furniture Fair? Senior style and market editor Benjamin Reynaert shares his favorite new products that launched at the fair Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
NewsReutersRescuers search for survivors after Oklahoma tornado kills at least two
The tornado that hit El Reno on Saturday night was the latest in a barrage of violent weather that is expected to continue after pounding the Central Plains states last week with deadly tornadoes, high winds, drenching thunderstorms and widespread flooding. In addition to the two fatalities, 29 people suffered minor to critical injuries in the El Reno twister and hundreds more were displaced, the city's mayor said. People have absolutely lost everything." Rescue workers searched the debris field that had been a mobile home park and an Americas Best Value Inn motor lodge where the tornado did its worst damage in the community about 25 miles (40 km) west of Oklahoma City.
PoliticsFOX News VideosHogan Gidley challenges Democrats to produce evidence of a 'cover-up'
White House deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley responds to accusations from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
WorldAFPBlow for Macron as Le Pen tops EU election in France
The far-right National Rally party led by Marine Le Pen looked set to finish top in European elections in France on Sunday, dealing a symbolic blow, but not a knock-out punch, to pro-EU President Emmanuel Macron. Le Pen's National Rally (RN) appeared on track for around 24.0 percent of the vote, with Macron's centrist alliance trailing with 22.5-23.0 percent, according to exit polls. Le Pen, who lost out to Macron in a bitter presidential contest in 2017, called for the head of state to dissolve the parliament and call new elections, a proposal that was immediately rejected by the government.
- WorldReuters
Iran can sink U.S. warships with "secret weapons," military official says
Iran can sink U.S. warships sent to the Gulf region using missiles and "secret weapons," a senior Iranian military official was quoted as saying by the semi-official news agency Mizan on Saturday. The United States on Friday announced the deployment of 1,500 troops to the Middle East, describing it as an effort to bolster defenses against Iran as it accused the country's Revolutionary Guards of direct responsibility for this month's tanker attacks. "America..
- LifestyleThe Daily Beast
Scouted: The 10 Best Memorial Day Mattress Sales, According to Experts
Memorial Day Weekend is famous for the many mattress sales it surfaces — and this year is no exception. To help you sift through all of your options, we teamed up with the expert reviewers over at Mattress Advisor to help us break down each of the best mattress deals around right now. Using a 6-point testing procedure and 8-point evaluation* in their Mattress Lab for every single mattress, they gave us some tips on what Scouted readers should know and keep in mind as they're shopping this Memorial Day weekend for the greatest savings and highest quality mattress.
BusinessAssociated PressOverturning Roe v. Wade wouldn't turn back the clock to 1973
A wave of state abortion bans has set off speculation: What would happen if Roe v. Wade, the ruling establishing abortion rights nationwide, were overturned? Although far from a certainty, even with increased conservative clout on the Supreme Court, a reversal of Roe would mean abortion policy would revert to the states, and many would be eager to impose bans. Women now have far more methods to avoid unwanted pregnancies, as well as safer, easier options for abortion.
- PoliticsUSA TODAY
Trump lawyers and House Committees reach an agreement that prevents Trump's financial records from being made public -- for now
President Donald Trump's financial records from two banks will not have to be turned over for now, according to a new court filing with the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. At the end of April, Trump sued Deutsche Bank and Capital One to prevent them from supplying information to congressional investigators related to subpoenas from the House Intelligence and Financial Services Committee. Federal judges upheld the subpoenas in later rulings, saying that they related to a "legitimate legislative purpose" of congressional oversight According to the filing, "the parties have reached an agreement regarding compliance with and enforcement of the subpoenas during...
- BusinessConsumer Reports
Best Exterior Paints From Consumer Reports' Tests
Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with advertisers on this site. Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with advertisers on this site. Exterior paints have improved significantly in recent years.
- LifestyleBGR News
10 deals you don’t want to miss on Saturday: 4K TV for $199, $25 true wireless earbuds, Apple Watches, more
The weekend is here but the daily deals are just as good as they have been all week long. Highlights from today's roundup include a 43-inch 4K TV with built-in Fire TV for just $199.99 (and discounts up to $70 on the 50-inch and 55-inch models), AirPods 2 for just $139.99 (order now to lock in the deal and they'll ship when they're back in stock), another pair of awesome true wireless earbuds for only $25.49 if discounted AirPods 2 are still too pricey, all-time low prices on Apple Watch Series 3 models from $199 and Series 4 models from $349, deep discounts on SanDisk Ultra microSD cards, renewed Philips Hue white LED bulbs for $10 each when you buy a 4-pack, a fantastic compact Vizio sound bar for just $79, and a $20 Alexa smart speaker that's just as good as a $50 Echo Dot.
- NewsThe Independent
Jayme Closs kidnapping: Jake Patterson jailed for life for killing girl’s parents and keeping her prisoner
The kidnapper of 13 year-old Jayme Closs has been jailed for life after she told the judge she wanted him “locked up forever” for murdering her parents and keeping her prisoner for 88 days. Jake Patterson, 21, targeted the teenager after spotting her getting on a school bus in a rural area of Wisconsin while he was driving to work at a cheese factory. After two aborted attempts to kidnap her, he dressed up in black clothing, armed himself with his father's shotgun and drove to her home in Barron in the early hours of 15 October.
- WorldReuters
RPT-Hong Kong protestors demand China be held to account for 1989 Tiananmen crackdown
Thousands of protesters marched through central Hong Kong on Sunday as part of annual demonstrations demanding that China be held accountable for its democracy crackdown in and around Tiananmen Square three decades ago. Human rights groups and witnesses say that hundreds, perhaps thousands, died in the bloodshed as Chinese tanks rolled into Tiananmen Square and soldiers fired on student-led democracy protesters, beginning on the night of June 3, 1989. The Tiananmen crackdown is a taboo subject in China and authorities have refused to accept full accountability or release the death toll.
- WorldThe Telegraph
Emmanuel Macron embarrassed by Marine Le Pen in elections but emerges as EU kingmaker
Emmanuel Macron suffered defeat at home in the European elections but could console himself with securing a kingmaker role that could determine the next five years of EU politics. The ardently Europhile French president was narrowly beaten by Marine Le Pen's virulently anti-EU National Rally in the French vote but stands to benefit from a fragmentation in support for the older centrist parties in the European Parliament. Ever since the first European elections in 1979, the centre-right European People's Party and centre-left Socialists and Democrats have dominated EU politics.
WorldAFPIran state TV fires managers over 'insult' to Sunnis
Iranian state TV has fired two channel managers over a live programme deemed insulting to Sunni Muslims, it said in a statement Sunday. The sackings at Channel 5 came after a broadcast on May 20 celebrating the birthday of the second imam in Shiite Islam, Hassan ibn Ali. During the programme, religious chanter and story-teller Ahmad Qadami recited a eulogy that "insulted the sanctities of Sunni Muslims", according to official news agency IRNA.
- PoliticsReuters
Trump agrees with North Korean leader Kim on Biden: White House
U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong Un agree on their assessment of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said on Sunday, aligning the American president with an authoritarian foreign leader over a former U.S. vice president. North Korea's state-run news agency issued a biting attack last week on Biden, who has been critical of the communist state. quot;I think they agree in their assessment of former Vice President Joe Biden," Sanders said of Trump and Kim during an interview with NBC's "Meet the Press.
- WorldThe Independent
Pope Francis likens abortion in any scenario to ‘hiring a hitman’
Pope Francis has compared having an abortion to hiring a hitman and said the procedure can never be condoned, even when the foetus is gravely sick. Speaking at a Vatican-sponsored anti-abortion conference, he urged doctors and priests to support families to carry all pregnancies to full term. The pontiff said that the matter was not a religious issue but a human one.
WorldAssociated PressAP Explains: What lies ahead for UK after May's resignation
British Prime Minister Theresa May has announced she will step down as leader of the Conservative Party on June 7, starting a process that will lead to a Conservative Party leadership contest and a new British prime minister who will lead the government during the Brexit process. HOW CAN THERE BE A NEW PRIME MINISTER WITHOUT A NEW ELECTION? Under Britain's parliamentary system, a party in power can change its leader in a variety of ways, and can choose its new leader by following its own party rules.
BusinessUSA TODAYFiat Chrysler and Renault talk of linking businesses is heating up, report says
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and French automaker Renault are in talks that could result in a tie-up of their operations. The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday that discussions involve a "wide-ranging tie-up that could include joining large portions of their businesses." FCA is declining comment.
