World News

The US gives Ukraine permission to use US-supplied weapons to strike targets in Russia, but only near Kharkiv.

A popular resort town on Spain’s Costa Brava has banned inflatable penis costumes and sex dolls from stag and hen night celebrations, with fines of up to €1,500 (£1,276).

Platja d’Aro, whose population of 12,500 can host as many as 300,000 visitors on a summer weekend, is a favourite destination for bachelor and bachelorette nights. Numerous websites offer packages that include accommodation, cruises and male or female strippers.

The new bylaw specifically bans people from appearing “on the public thoroughfare without clothing or only in their underwear or with clothing or accessories representing human genitals or with dolls or other accessories of a sexual nature”.

Offenders face fines of from €300-€1,500 (£155-£1,275).

The early results declared in South Africa’s election suggest the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party could lose its majority for the first time in 30 years. With results in from 13% of polling stations at 10 a.m. local time, support for the ANC stood at 42.5%.

The official opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), had 26% of the vote, while the far-left Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) – a splinter party of the ANC – had 8.4%, data from the country’s electoral commission showed.

The respected research group CSIR modeled the ANC winning less than 45% of the national poll as of mid-morning on Thursday.

Officials of the Independent Electoral Commission have stressed that the official tally could take several days and some larger voting wards could take more time to be tallied.

In past elections, results from rural areas – where the ANC has major strongholds – have come in later, boosting results for the party.

The United States stated on Tuesday that Israel’s actions in Rafah so far did not constitute a “major ground operation” that would breach President Joe Biden's warnings.

WHO says a ‘full incursion’ into the Gaza city will only leave ill-equipped field hospitals and additional mortality. A World Health Organization official said the last working hospital in Rafah could stop functioning and a substantial number of deaths could be expected if Israel launches a “full incursion” into the southern Gaza City.

“If the incursion would continue, we would lose the last hospital in Rafah,” Richard Peeperkorn, the WHO representative for Gaza and the occupied West Bank, said on the sidelines of the World Health Assembly in Geneva on Tuesday.

Ukraine on Monday walked back an announcement that French military instructors would soon arrive in the country, saying that it was still in talks with Paris and other allies on the issue. Kyiv’s defence ministry made the “clarification” after army chief Oleksandr Syrsky said that the first French military instructors would soon arrive in the war-battered country.

“As of now, we are still in discussions with France and other countries on this,” Ukraine’s defence ministry said in a statement.

It added that it had “begun internal work on the relevant documents on this issue in order not to waste time on coordinating bureaucratic issues when the relevant decision is made.”

Asylum seekers from Sudan, Eritrea and Afghanistan detained in government’s Operation Vector share their stories. When Helen arrived at Yarl’s Wood immigration removal centre, she was taken to her cell and handed some cleaning spray and wipes and told to use them before making up her bed. She had no idea why she had been arrested when she went to report.

“They told me I had been detained for Rwanda and tried to convince us to go voluntarily saying it is now the law and we have already been selected. But they didn’t explain to me why I had been chosen.”

“There were about seven of us women detained and we all tried our best not to think about being put on a plane and tried to support each other.”

She said that materials promoting the east African country were visible around the centre and made everyone feel more terrified.

“The walls in this place are tall and horrible and scary. I had never been detained before and knowing that the Home Office can take me to the airport and put me on a plane at any time was terrifying. All I could think about was how I could get out of this place.”

A heart-wrenching incident took place at Lake Anna on May 27, 2024, when a father and son tragically drowned while trying to rescue each other.

Israeli airstrikes on the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip have left at least 35 people dead & dozens more injured, according to Palestinian medics.

Russian forces have started military drills near Ukraine simulating the use of tactical nuclear weapons in response to what Moscow deems threats from western officials about increased involvement in the conflict. Vladimir Putin ordered the drills earlier this month in a move Russian officials said was a warning to the west not to escalate tensions further.

The Kremlin has particularly been angered by the French president, Emmanuel Macron, who floated the possibility of sending European troops to fight Russia in Ukraine, and by remarks from the UK foreign secretary, David Cameron, who said Ukraine had the right to use weapons supplied by London to target sites in Russia.

The Russian defence ministry published footage on Tuesday showing trucks carrying missiles to a field where launch systems had been prepared and troops at an airfield readying a bomber to carry a nuclear warhead.

The drills are taking place in Russia’s southern military district, headquartered in Rostov-on-Don, which borders Ukraine and includes parts of the country which Russia occupies.

Only five of 16 aid trucks leaving the Gaza pier on Saturday had arrived at the warehouse with their cargo, said a UN World Food Program spokesman. The deliveries had to be suspended for two days after the trucks were intercepted by a crowd. The entire project is estimated to cost $320 million, and the pier was only installed last Thursday.

The $320 million pier project to deliver aid to Gaza has yet to connect goods with the people who need them.

Gaza's 2.2 million residents face months-long food shortages that have exacerbated already-poor health in the region. Humanitarian aid groups have criticized Israel for not letting enough aid trucks into Gaza, keeping critical crossing closed, and creating logistical hurdles.

Israel has denied the accusations and has blamed the UN for failing to distribute aid, which the UN disputes.

Pentagon press secretary Major General Pat Ryder said on Tuesday that the goods unloaded on the temporary pier that the US built off the coast of Gaza haven't reached those in need, per CNN.

And this entire project may eventually be a failure if Israel doesn't create conditions for aid groups to carry out their operations safely, the UN World Food Program said on Tuesday, per the Associated Press.

Over the weekend, trucks carrying aid from the pier were intercepted by a crowd, CNN reported.

The Taoiseach has said the Great Famine is a tragedy that "will never be forgotten" and the unfolding famine in Gaza "is repellent" to the Irish psyche. Speaking at the National Famine Commemoration in Edgeworthstown, Co Longford, Simon Harris described the famine in Gaza as a "tool of war" and called on Israel to "step back and ensure the unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid".

"This is the clear demand of Ireland, the international community and international law," he said.

His comments on the conflict follow a diplomatic row with Israeli President Isaac Herzog over the Government's plan to recognise the state of Palestine before the end of the month.

Mr Harris said the Great Famine, also known as An Gorta Mór, was Ireland's "national tragedy" that has left "scars that never fully healed".

He added: "The tragedy was national, but the lessons are global.

"By showing empathy, compassion, and solidarity with those in need, we can ensure that the spirit of all those who died lives on in our efforts to create a just and humane world," Mr Harris added.

As the IDF launched a widespread counterterrorism operation in Jenin in the early hours of Monday morning, armored bulldozers were deployed to the area to clear the roads and locate IEDS. The bulldozers scraped the asphalt off the road in order to reveal any hidden IEDS. During a raid in Jenin last month, three powerful […]

A Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore encountered severe turbulence, resulting in one death and at least 71 injuries. The Boeing 777-300ER diverted to Bangkok, carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew members. Initially, the airline reported 30 injuries, with affected passengers receiving treatment at hospitals and the airport.

The deceased was a 73-year-old British man, confirmed by Kittipong Kittikachorn, General Manager of Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport. The flight landed at 3:45 p.m. local time on Tuesday. Kittikachorn, informed of the emergency 10 minutes prior to landing, noted that while some passengers had broken arms, most suffered cuts and bruises. Several injured were sent to Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the country’s foreign minister, and other officials have been confirmed dead following a helicopter crash, according to Iranian state media on Monday.

In response to Raisi’s death, the Iranian government convened an emergency meeting. Subsequently, Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, appointed First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber as acting president and declared five days of national mourning.

The leaders of Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Iceland met to discuss their common security threats and how to further support Ukraine in the face of Russia's full-scale invasion.German Chancellor Olaf Scholz underscored his support for Ukraine at a meeting with the prime ministers of Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Iceland on Monday.

"We stand united in our support for Ukraine in its defense against the ongoing Russian aggression," Scholz said in Stockholm.

"We will continue to provide our support to Ukraine for as long as it takes."

The Swedish government said earlier that the leaders would "discuss security policy issues such as hybrid threats, civil preparedness and new technologies."

Upward of 20 American doctors are trapped in Gaza, some at the European Hospital, due to Israel’s post-invasion closure of the Rafah border crossing.Upward of 20 American doctors are trapped in Gaza as a result of Israel’s post-invasion closure of the Rafah border crossing into Egypt, according to sources with knowledge of the plight of two ill-fated medical missions.

Israel has blocked fuel, food, and water from entering Rafah for over a week, leading to severe dehydration among the general population, as well as among the doctors on mission.

Relatives of the doctors were told by the State Department that rescue efforts were underway, including through coordination with the United Nations and the Israel Defense Forces. Yet on Monday, the Israeli military fired on a United Nations vehicle that was traveling to the European Hospital in Khan Younis, near Rafah, killing a U.N. employee and injuring another.

A family member of one of the doctors stranded at the European Hospital said that he suspected the vehicle was part of the rescue mission, but was uncertain. “We are aware that a car that is similarly supposed to be their rescue passage was shot at and UN employees were killed and injured and we fear for their ability to have a safe passage and exit,” said the relative. “We are aware that there is active shelling around the hospital and that staff has been told to stay away from windows.”

Among the stranded doctors is Adam Hamawy, a plastic surgeon and Army veteran from New Jersey. While serving in Iraq, he was on duty when now-Sen. Tammy Duckworth’s mangled body was brought to the hospital after her helicopter was shot down. She credits him with saving her life. Hamawy’s friend Sami Shaban has been in touch with him the past several days and said that he is physically doing well. “He’s a tough dude,” said Shaban, who has lost 35 members of his own family in Gaza. “Now we just need to get him home. We funded the bombing of every single hospital there. You have to at least let the relief people in and out.”

The doctors are rationing water and at least one physician is in poor health and is on an IV drip to combat dehydration. The dire state of the medical mission underscores how difficult the conditions are for average Palestinians, who have spent seven months enduring the Israeli siege, whereas the medical mission arrived only recently. More than 1 million Palestinians are trapped in Rafah, which is at the southernmost end of the Gaza Strip. As Israel threatens a full-scale invasion of Rafah, Israeli troops entered the area last week and took over the crossing into Egypt.... (more in article)

Via @Silverseren

Yuriy Merkotan played in a military band and, after being caught up in the Mariupol siege, spent nearly two years in various jails

Charity Sea Watch said the ordinance was aimed at preventing the world from seeing what was happening

Via @KAVOK

A group of around 1,500 homebuyers say they have yet to see the apartments they paid for about eight years ago, as challenges persist in China’s property sector. The promise was they would be ready by 2019, but the majority are still unfinished, according to five of the homebuyers, who requested anonymity out of fear of retaliation. “I feel like I’ve been tricked this whole time,” one buyer said on Monday in Mandarin, translated by CNBC.

Israel has order the evacuation of parts of Gaza’s southern city of Rafah ahead of an imminent ground offensive in the region. "To all the residents and displaced people in Rafah area ... you are in a dangerous combat zone,” the evacuation leaflets read, before specifying certain parts of the region.

“The [Israeli military] will act with extreme force against terrorist organizations in your areas of residence. Everyone in these areas is risking their lives and the lives of their family members. For your safety, we ask you to evacuate immediately to the humanitarian zone.”

Army spokesman Avichay Adraee added that the military will also move into an area in northern Gaza where Hamas has regrouped.

It comes as the United Nations warned that food supplies in the southern Gaza region where Israel intend to conduct another ground attack “will run out tomorrow”.

The shortages have been caused by Israel’s closure of two crossings in the south through which humanitarian aid was being moved into Gaza. They are currently being blocked by Israeli forces ahead of a ground offensive in Rafah.

Marius Gustavson, 46, was involved in procedures that were ‘little short of human butchery’, UK court heard. The leader of a “grisly and gruesome” extreme body modification network who streamed mutilations on his “eunuch maker” website has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 22 years.

Marius Gustavson, 46, was the “arch manipulator” of vulnerable victims and was said to have been involved in at least 29 procedures, which were “little short of human butchery”, the Old Bailey in London heard.

The “large-scale, dangerous and extremely disturbing” four-year enterprise included castrations, the use of clamps to crush testicles, penis removals, the freezing of limbs and administering electric shocks to a 16-year-old boy, which were streamed on Gustavson’s website.

The “busy and lucrative” business is estimated to have taken more than £300,000 from its 22,841 paying subscribers across the world between 2017 and 2021.

Gustavson, who had previously admitted charges including conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm, appeared for sentence via video link alongside six other men who had all admitted their part in the scheme. The charges relate to 13 victims who are being safeguarded by specialist detectives.

Judge Mark Lucraft, the recorder of London and most senior judge at the Old Bailey, said as he announced the sentence: “Gustavson, you are very much the mastermind behind this grisly and gruesome enterprise. The business you set up was one that was both busy and lucrative. As with all the others involved, you have no medical qualifications.”

He added: “The footage uploaded was extremely explicit and made available to paying subscribers no doubt so they could watch it for their sexual gratification […] Like-minded individuals were recruited by you, Gustavson, to assist in what became a large-scale, dangerous, and extremely disturbing enterprise.”

The prosecutor Caroline Carberry KC told the three-day sentencing hearing that there was “clear evidence” of cannibalism and that Gustavson had cooked testicles for lunch in an “artfully arranged salad platter”. He also kept numerous body parts as “trophies” in a fridge at his home in Harringay, north London and “sold” severed genitalia online.

A man arrested for allegedly attacking a woman with a box cutter shot and seriously wounded two officers in a Paris police station on Thursday, May 9, after grabbing one of their weapons. According to Agence France-Presse (AFP) the incident happened in the French capital's 13th arrondissement shortly before 10:30 pm and that one of the officers' wounds were life-threatening.

Paris police chief Laurent Nunez arrived at the scene around midnight, accompanied by prosecutor Laure Beccuau. Nunez told reporters that the suspect had been arrested at around 10:00 pm for a "very violent attack on a woman" with a box cutter. "The officers intervened and brought him back here (to the police station), and it was during his processing that he snatched the weapon" and "seriously" wounded the two officers, he said.

The officers were both immediately transferred to hospital, as was the suspect, who was himself seriously wounded by return fire, Nunez added. "We are very worried about the state of health (of the officers)," he continued, lauding the station staff's "courage and responsiveness". Nunez said an investigation was underway to establish the "circumstances" surrounding the incident.

Reached by AFP, the prosecutor's office said three investigations had been opened – one into the "attempted murder of the woman", and one into the "attempted murder of persons holding public authority".

The third was being carried out by the IGPN, the national police's internal affairs department, to look into the use of "intentional violence with a weapon by a person holding public authority", as is routine when an officer uses their weapon.

.Russian forces have captured five villages as part of a renewed ground assault in Ukraine’s northeast, the country’s Defense Ministry said Saturday. Ukrainian journalists reported Friday that Russian troops took the villages of Borysivka, Ohirtseve, Pylna and Strilecha, all of which lie in a militarily contested “grey zone” on the border of Ukraine’s Kharkiv region and Russia.

Russian officials said they had also captured another village, Pletenivka, in a renewed attack on the region that Ukrainian authorities said forced more than 1,700 civilians to flee.

Artillery, mortar, and aerial bombardments hit more than 30 different towns and villages, killing at least three people and injuring five others, said Kharkiv Gov. Oleh Syniehubov.

Ukraine rushed reinforcements to the Kharkiv region on Friday to hold off a Russian attempt to breach local defenses, authorities said.

Ukrainian forces also launched a barrage of drones and missiles on Saturday night, Russia’s Ministry of Defense said, with air defense systems downing 21 rockets and 16 drones over Russia’s Belgorod, Kursk and Volgograd regions. One person died in a drone strike in the Belgorod region, and another in the Kursk region, local officials said.

A searing heat wave has prompted blackouts nationwide and pushed the power grid to the brink.Mexico registered record-high temperatures in 10 cities, including the capital, authorities said on Friday, amid a searing heat wave that has prompted blackouts nationwide and pushed the power grid to the brink.

In the normally temperate high-altitude capital of Mexico City, North America's largest metropolis, thermometers on Thursday peaked at 34.3 degrees Celsius, a tenth of a degree higher than the record hit just a month earlier.

Neighbouring Puebla broke its previous record of 34.3deg C - set in 1947 - when it reached 35.2C on Thursday.

In Ciudad Victoria, in the northern border state Tamaulipas, across from Texas in the United States, the temperature hit a sweltering 47.4C on Thursday, breaking the previous high set in 1998.

The intense heat caused blackouts lasting several hours in some areas of Mexico this week, mainly in the north, and caused classes to be suspended in the central state of San Luis Potosi, which this week reached 50C.

In a weekly report published on Thursday, Mexico's health ministry reported seven heat-related deaths this heat season between its start on 17 March 17 and 4 May, a tally that could rise after this week's brutal heat.

Human-caused climate change and El Nino have been pushing up temperatures worldwide and causing deadly heat waves.