PoliticsThe WeekBiden, harboring low expectations, wants Israel and Gaza to give 'calm' a chance
President Biden is trying to tackle a number of big problems, and he pretty clearly was hoping Mideast peace wasn't going to be one of them. But the long-simmering conflict between Israel and Hamas erupted again last week, more than 200 Palestinians and 10 Israelis are dead, and the Israeli airstrikes on Gaza and Hamas rockets for Israel show no sign of letting up. Biden said Monday that he had voiced support for a ceasefire in a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but he isn't publicly pressuring Israel to accept a pause in fighting and Netanyahu has made clear he's not currently interested.
U.S.Kansas City StarOn-duty police officer sexually assaulted by gas station manager, Georgia cops say
The manager of a Georgia gas station is accused of sexually assaulting a police officer who was on duty and in uniform. According to the Hogansville Police Department, Prilesh Navinchandra Thakkar “attempted to forcefully commit an indecent act on an on duty female police officer.” The officer was conducting a business check on May 11 at the Hop In service station along state Highway 54 when the 300-pound manager grabbed her and pulled her behind the counter, WAGA reported.
WorldAssociated PressSpain, Morocco square off after 6,000 migrants arrive by sea
Spain faced a humanitarian and diplomatic crisis Tuesday after thousands of Moroccans took advantage of relaxed border controls in their nation to swim or paddle in inflatable boats onto European soil. The sudden influx of migrants has deepened the diplomatic row between Rabat and Madrid in the wake of Spain's decision to allow in for medical treatment the chief of a militant group that fights for the independence of Western Sahara. Morocco annexed the sprawling nation on the west coast of Africa in 1975.
PoliticsReutersU.S. Senate Republicans readying new infrastructure proposal
U.S. Republicans are expected to unveil a new infrastructure proposal as early as Tuesday as optimism grows about a possible bipartisan deal that would cover a fraction of President Joe Biden's $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, who is leading the Republican infrastructure drive, told reporters on Monday that she expected Republicans to unveil a new counter-proposal to Biden's sweeping plan sometime this week. Her comments followed a day of discussions between Senate Republicans and White House staff, on the eve of a meeting with top administration officials slated for Tuesday afternoon.
WorldBBCAustralian businessman trapped in India dies from Covid
An Australian man has died of Covid in Delhi, after getting infected around the time Australia banned citizens in India from returning home. Govind Kant, a Sydney businessman, died on Sunday, his company said. Mr Kant is believed to be the second Australian to have died in India amid a temporary travel ban imposed after a devastating second wave.
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Pakistan police foil mob attempt to lynch blasphemy suspect
Pakistani police said Tuesday they foiled an attempt by a mob to lynch a blasphemy suspect recently arrested on charges of insulting Islam. The mob stormed the Golra police station on the outskirts of Islamabad on Monday night, after police refused to hand over the suspect to the crowd outside for punishment, local police chief Asim Ghaffar said. The suspect, Shaukat Ali, was unharmed while six police officials were slightly injured in the attack, Ghaffar said.
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Woman accused of killing her 2 kids with meat cleaver after argument with husband
A woman threatened to stab her husband over an argument about money to move to Japan before she allegedly killed their two children with a meat cleaver in a suburban Phoenix apartment, police said Sunday.
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Erdogan: High-ranking PKK militant killed in Iraq operation
Turkish security forces have killed an alleged high-ranking Kurdish militant in an operation in northern Iraq, Turkey's president said Monday. Recep Tayyip Erdogan said after a Cabinet meeting that the slain militant was allegedly responsible for the Syria operations of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK. He identified him by his codename, Sofi Nurettin, and said he was a Syrian national.
WorldThe TelegraphSir Keir Starmer could face leadership threats from Andy Burnham and Yvette Cooper
Sir Keir Starmer could face a threat to his leadership from two former frontbenchers after both Andy Burnham and Yvette Cooper signalled they still have designs on Labour's top job. Ms Cooper, who is the chairman of Parliament's home affairs committee, did not rule out running in any future race while Mr Burnham, who is now the mayor of Greater Manchester, said he would fight for the leadership if he had the support of Labour colleagues. On Sunday, Mr Burnham said he would run after the next election and suggested Labour would have lost fewer Northern seats at the 2019 election under his stewardship.
WorldReutersHK suspends operations at representative office in Taiwan as tensions rise
HONG KONG/TAIPEI (Reuters) -Hong Kong government's suspended on Tuesday operations at its representative office in Taiwan in a sign of escalating diplomatic tension between the global financial hub and the democratically ruled island that Beijing claims. Tension between Hong Kong's Beijing-backed government and Taiwan have risen since pro-democracy protests erupted in Hong Kong in 2019 and China responded by imposing a sweeping national security law in the city that prompted many activists to leave, some for Taiwan. A Hong Kong government representative did not provide an explanation for the decision to halt operations at the Hong Kong Economic, Trade and Cultural Office, adding only that the decision was not related to the recent rise in coronavirus cases in Taiwan.
PoliticsKansas City StarGOP fears taking their ‘eye off the ball’ for next election, as Trump keeps focus on 2020
Republicans trying to help their party regain power next year are growing increasingly worried that former President Donald Trump and his allies continuing to spread false claims about the 2020 election will jeopardize their mission. In the short term, GOP officials and operatives see a need to placate Trump, still the most popular figure in the party, and his most committed supporters, a majority of whom don't believe President Joe Biden fairly won the last election, according to polls.
U.S.Associated PressMan cuts own throat, dies after verdict in federal courtroom
Federal authorities say a man on trial in Fargo, North Dakota, slashed his own throat in the courtroom Monday and died. North Dakota U.S. Marshal Dallas Carlson said the incident happened after a jury returned a partial guilty verdict against the man, who had faced terrorizing-related charges. Carlson said the man had a sharp instrument that might have been made of plastic.
WorldAssociated PressEXPLAINER: Are Israel, Hamas committing war crimes in Gaza?
More than a week into their fourth war, Israel and the Hamas militant group already face allegations of possible war crimes in Gaza. Israel says Hamas is using Palestinian civilians as human shields, while critics say Israel is using disproportionate force. The firing of hundreds of imprecise rockets into Israel by Hamas and other Palestinian groups is fairly clear-cut.
WorldReutersTaiwan president says to scrutinise electricity management after outages
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen pledged on Tuesday to look into the tech powerhouse's electricity management after two major blackouts hit homes and businesses in less than a week, triggering criticism of the government's power policy. Taiwan, which hosts major chip makers such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd, imposed power cuts on Monday evening following a spike in demand amid a heatwave and drought and failure at a power plant, in the second such outage in a week. In a live broadcast online, Tsai offered her apology for the two outages and promised to reexamine the island's power management amid heated debate over the her electricity policy.
WorldBBCJust 20 firms behind more than half of single-use plastic waste - study
Plastic bottles, food packages and bags are among billions of items that are used once and then thrown away, often ending up in the oceans. The research - carried out by a consortium including the London School of Economics - looked at which companies are at the base of the plastic supply chain and make polymers, the building blocks of all plastics. It names 20 petrochemical companies which it says are the source of 55 per cent of the world's single-use plastic waste.
WorldAssociated PressRussia's northernmost base projects its power across Arctic
During the Cold War, Russia's Nagurskoye airbase was little more than a runway, a weather station and a communications outpost in the Franz Josef Land archipelago. Now, Russia's northernmost military base is bristling with missiles and radar and its extended runway can handle all types of aircraft, including nuclear-capable strategic bombers, projecting Moscow's power and influence across the Arctic amid intensifying international competition for the region's vast resources. The shamrock-shaped facility — three large pods extending from a central atrium — is called the “Arctic Trefoil” and is painted in the white-red-and-blue of the national flag, brightening the otherwise stark vantage point on the 5,600-kilometer (3,470-mile) Northern Sea Route along Russia's Arctic coast.
WorldBusiness InsiderA major cruise line has canceled its wildly hyped, fully vaccinated cruises from Israel over unrest
Royal Caribbean has canceled a series of fully vaccinated cruises from Israel amid the surging Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Royal Caribbean had planned for its new Odyssey of the Seas ship to begin sailing in June out of Haifa, Israel. The cruise series - unveiled in March - served as Royal Caribbean's first fully vaccinated cruise announcement, and would have been the cruise line's first voyage from Israel.
WorldThe TelegraphCoronavirus latest news: Indian variant now detected in 86 local authorities across UK
Analysis: Every time life nears normal, along comes another variant Indian variant surges from two to 20 per cent of Covid cases in a month Covid lockdown roadmap: Rules changing from today, May 17 Portugal dispatch: We're tested, filled in the forms and this is how it feels Now Covid-hit India grapples with a cyclone EU finally has its vaccine rollout on track, but history will judge it a loser A total of 86 local authorities now have five or more cases of the Indian variant, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has announced amid ongoing concerns about the spread of the strain.
U.S.USA TODAYBodycams haven't lived up to promises of exposing police misconduct. One reason: The police decide what to release.
In the moments after a shooting in Times Square, New York City police officer Alyssa Vogel heard an officer yell, "There's a baby." Body camera footage shows her take off running, finding a 4-year-old girl bleeding from a stray bullet. In February, an appeals court ruled that the NYPD must turn over a less-redacted version of body camera footage from the fatal shooting in 2018 of Susan Muller, who was mentally ill, in her home. The police department has fought against releasing the video for years.
PoliticsThe IndependentTrump sent bizarre secret memo after losing election urging Pentagon to immediately remove troops overseas
Then-president Donald Trump sent a secret memo to the Pentagon after he lost the election pushing them to withdraw US troops stationed around the world, according to a new report. One of Mr Trump's closest aides, John McEntee, handed a handwritten note to retired Army Colonel Douglas Macgregor on 9 November 2020, saying: “This is what the president wants you to do.” It instructed the Colonel to “complete the withdrawal from Germany,” and to “get us out of Africa,” according to new reporting by Axios.
WorldUSA TODAY OpinionIt's hard not to despair in Israel, with our sirens, safe rooms and never-ending hatreds
The unexpected rocket barrage from Gaza, some 60 miles away, damaged a few houses on the city outskirts, but did not cause casualties. Many people, myself included, keep it on as an extra precaution in addition to the sirens to see whether their area is on the list.
WorldLA TimesThese parts of Asia beat coronavirus early. Why they're suddenly in lockdown
While much of the world is moving beyond the pandemic, Taiwan, which for so long had kept the virus at bay, is unnerved by scenes countries have long forgotten: listless streets, shuttered shops, a run on toilet paper and untold empty seats on subways. For the first time since COVID-19 emerged, Taiwan has imposed strict lockdown measures to stop a virus that's killed more than 3.3 million people worldwide. All public spaces such as cinemas, libraries and recreation centers were ordered shut, and public schools will remain closed until at least the end of the month.
PoliticsThe IndependentTrump news - live: Ex-president ‘too unhealthy’ for 2024 run as lawyers say Giuliani treated like ‘terrorist’
Donald Trump supporter and influential evangelical leader Franklin Graham has claimed the former president could be too unhealthy to run for election again in 2024. Mr Graham, one of the former president's earliest backers, said he “does not eat well” and that his political ambitions could be thwarted by his “health”. Meanwhile, attorneys for Rudy Giuliani say prosecutors treated him more like a drug kingpin or terrorist than a personal lawyer.
WorldUSA TODAYIsraeli government tweets rocket emojis amid Gaza conflict
In the midst of a conflict that has now seen hundreds of deaths across the Gaza Strip, the state of Israel sent a series of tweets from its official account Monday containing hundreds of rocket emojis, drawing ire from people who said the tweets were callous, misleading or incorrect. "Just to give you all some perspective, these are the total amount of rockets shot at Israeli civilians," read a tweet near the end of the thread. Palestinian militants in Gaza have fired more than 3,200 rockets into Israel since fighting began May 10, and the Israeli military has launched hundreds of airstrikes.
WorldBBCIndia coronavirus: Tracing a family’s journey to save a life
Anoop Saxena, 59, was one of hundreds of thousands Indians who fell sick with Covid at the end of April. What followed over the next few days was just one example of a family's desperate search for help, wherever they could find it. There are many thousands more across India, just like this.
“We are a nation bobbing in multiple crises. Not one of them involves people taking COVID-19 too seriously.”
“The threat is increasingly concentrated among people who are vulnerable by choice.”
“This announcement would be very welcome if not for one big problem: There is no requirement for proof of vaccination.”
“Joining the protected vaccinated minority, which we hope will rapidly become the majority, is simple.”
“Instead of taking giant steps. I think we should be taking small steps toward the same goal.”