1 Dead, Baby Among 9 Injured In Ukraine Post Office Bombing

One person was killed and nine others including a baby were injured Sunday in a strike on a post office in Ukraine's second city Kharkiv, local authorities said.

The head of Kharkiv's regional administration, Oleg Synegubov, said an eight-month-old baby was among those injured.

"A man, a post office employee, was killed," he said on Telegram.

The city of Kharkiv has been regularly targeted by Russian troops, who launched a major ground offensive in the region on May 10.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the offensive in Ukraine's northeast was intended to create a "buffer zone" to protect Russia's border Belgorod region from shelling.

On Saturday, seven people were also killed and nearly 40 injured in a Russian strike on Vilniansk, close to the regional hub of Zaporizhzhia.

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How Nigel Farage Is Using TikTok To Challenge Rishi Sunak In UK Polls

Keir Starmer, the Labour Party leader, is currently in poll position to become the UK Prime Minister after the July 4 elections. While PM Rishi Sunak's Conservative Party faces an uphill battle to retain power, the return of Nigel Farage to front-line politics has only added to his woes. Leading the right-wing Reform UK, the pro-Brexit campaigner has been buoyed by a strong presence on TikTok.

The 60-year-old leader has become an unlikely breakout star on the app, with a five-second clip of him lip-synching Eminem's "Guess Who's Back?" pulling in over eight million views. 

Nigel Farage, the leader of the Reform UK (formerly the Brexit Party), taunts the British PM Rishi Sunak with Eminem's "Without Me". pic.twitter.com/Ym3uX0G2Vu

— The Eminem Bible (@Shadyind) June 15, 2024

Mr Farage's TikTok account has twice the followers as Labour, the Conservatives, and the Liberal Democrats combined. The Reform UK's TikTok presence stands out among political parties. With a following of 1,97,000, they far surpass their closest competitor, the Green Party. 

The Tories, Labour, and the Lib Dems did not even have official channels on the app until recently, with parody accounts the first to surface when users searched for the big three. By establishing a presence on TikTok, Mr Farage and Reform UK tapped into a younger demographic, setting themselves apart from other political parties.

The Conservatives top-performing clip, "this will change lives," features British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promoting his national service policy, It has 4.2 million views. However, Labour's 11-second response, a clever takedown using Cilla Black's "Surprise, Surprise," surpassed it with 5.1 million views.

???? NEW: Rishi Sunak has posted his first TikTok video pic.twitter.com/P0cAg0c8PW

— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) May 26, 2024

Nigel Farage's success on TikTok comes courtesy of 23-year-old Jack Anderton, a self-described "concerned citizen" and right-wing Zoomer. "Zoomer" refers to a member of Generation Z, specifically someone born between 1997 and 2012.

Mr Anderton, a contractor for Farage, has been instrumental in creating content that resonates with a younger voter, as per Politico. His views align with Farage's, and he has expressed concerns about immigration and Britain's future. Mr Anderton represents the growing phenomenon of the "Zoomer Right," a Gen Z conservative movement gaining traction across Europe. Polling shows a large proportion of 18-24-year-olds plan to vote for Reform UK than 25-29-year-olds.

Reform UK's emergence on TikTok has surprised even party insiders. Initially, their views were modest, but as the party grew nationwide, their TikTok views "rocketed way ahead of any other platform," says Matt Stevens, Reform's press officer. 

This surge in popularity has been a pleasant surprise, given TikTok's predominantly young demographic. Mr Stevens believes this age group is "crying out for change" after years of Conservative rule, making them a key audience for Reform's message.

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5 ISIS Bombs Found Hidden In Iconic Iraq Mosque: UN Agency

A United Nations agency said it has discovered five bombs in a wall of Mosul's iconic Al-Nuri mosque, planted years ago by Islamic State group jihadists, during restoration work in the northern Iraqi city.

Five "large-scale explosive devices, designed to trigger a massive destruction of the site," were found in the southern wall of the prayer hall on Tuesday by the UNESCO team working at the site, a representative for the agency told AFP late Friday.

Mosul's Al-Nuri mosque and the adjacent leaning minaret nicknamed Al-Hadba or the "hunchback", which dates from the 12th century, were destroyed during the battle to retake the city from IS.

Iraq's army accused IS, which occupied Mosul for three years, of planting explosives at the site and blowing it up.

UNESCO, the UN cultural agency, has been working to restore the mosque and other architectural heritage sites in the city, much of it reduced to rubble in the battle to retake it in 2017.

"The Iraqi armed forces immediately secured the area and the situation is now fully under control," UNESCO added.

One bomb was removed, but four other 1.5-kilogram (3.3-pound) devices "remain connected to each other" and are expected to be cleared in the coming days, it said.

'Complex manufacturing'

"These explosive devices were hidden inside a wall, which was specially rebuilt around them: it explains why they could not be discovered when the site was cleared by Iraqi forces" in 2020, the agency said.

Iraqi General Tahseen al-Khafaji, spokesperson for the Joint Operations Command of various Iraqi forces, confirmed the discovery of "several explosive devices from ISIS jihadists in Al-Nuri mosque."

He said provincial deminers requested help from the Defence Ministry in Baghdad to defuse the remaining munitions because of their "complex manufacturing".

Construction work has been suspended at the site until the bombs are removed.

It was from Al-Nuri mosque that Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, the then-leader of IS, proclaimed the establishment of the group's "caliphate" in July 2014.

The jihadists took over large swathes of territory in Iraq and neighbouring Syria, which they ruled with brutality.

Iraqi forces backed by a US-led coalition drove IS out of Mosul in 2017.

The Al-Nuri mosque derives its name from Nureddine al-Zinki, the unifier of Syria who also reigned for a time over Mosul and ordered its construction in 1172.

It was destroyed and rebuilt in 1942 in a renovation project, with only the ancient minaret remaining from the original structure.

The current restoration of Al-Nuri, largely funded by the United Arab Emirates, is still expected to be completed in December 2024.

This, said UNESCO, will finally erase "the stigma" of IS occupation.

The minaret -- which will be reconstructed at a slant upon the request of locals -- is being rebuilt with 45,000 of the original bricks saved from the rubble, only a third of the original structure.

The bomb scare was not the first surprise discovery at Al-Nuri. In January 2022, restoration teams unearthed an underground prayer room from the original 12th century building.

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2 Priests Among Prisoners Exchanged Between Ukraine, Russia

Ukraine and Russia said Saturday that priests were among the dozens of captured soldiers and civilians they had exchanged earlier this week.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said two Ukrainian Greek Catholic priests taken captive in Moscow-occupied Berdiansk were handed back to Ukraine thanks to the mediation of the Vatican.

Meanwhile, Russia said a high-ranking Ukrainian Orthodox cleric was handed over to Moscow along with two other priests.

Churches have been heavily affected by the war, with Kyiv's Orthodox church breaking ties with Moscow and Ukraine regularly accusing clerics of treason.

Moscow and Kyiv exchanged 90 POWs and some civilians each earlier this week.

Speaking at an event in Kyiv, Zelensky named the two released Ukrainian Greek Catholic priests as Bogdan Geleta and Ivan Levytskyi, and said they had been preaching in Berdiansk.

Bediansk, on the Azov Sea, fell to Russian forces in the first days of their February 2022 invasion. The priests had been held by the Russians since 16 November 2022, Zelensky added.

He said they were freed "thanks to the efforts of our team and the mediation of the Vatican, for which I am especially grateful."

Pope Francis earlier this year expressed hopes for a "general" prisoner exchange between the two countries.

Metropolitan Ionafan, the Ukrainian Orthodox cleric handed over to Moscow, had been convicted in August 2023 of justifying the Russian invasion and was facing five years in prison.

Moscow's ombudsman Tatiana Moskalkova said Ionafan was received by the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill in Moscow.

She said two other Orthodox priests who had remained with Moscow's patriarchy when the church split were also handed over to Russia in the course of the exchange.

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Russia Releases 10 Ukrainian Civilian Prisoners: Zelensky

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday 10 civilians, including a politician and two priests, taken prisoner in Russia and Belarus had been freed in a deal mediated by the Vatican.

Russia and Ukraine have exchanged hundreds of prisoners throughout their two-year conflict, typically in one-for-one swaps, but the release of civilian prisoners is rarer.

"We managed to return 10 more of our people from Russian captivity," Zelensky said in a post on Telegram. It was not immediately clear if the release was part of an exchange deal involving Russian prisoners held in Ukraine.

Some of those released have been in prison since 2017, he said, arrested in Russian-controlled parts of eastern Ukraine that at the time were run by Moscow-backed separatists.

Russia has since annexed four Ukrainian regions -- Donetsk, Kherson, Lugansk and Zaporizhzhia -- alongside the Crimea peninsula which it seized in 2014.

The list of those freed included Nariman Dzhelal, a senior Crimean Tatar politician and two priests from the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.

Five of them were originally arrested in Belarus, Russia's close ally, including on charges of aiding Kyiv's army by providing information on Russian military movements.

Russia invaded Ukraine through Belarus at the start of the war and although Minsk has not joined Russia's offensive, the two countries' militaries are closely linked.

"They have all been released and are now back home in Ukraine," Zelensky said.

"I would also like to note the Vatican's efforts to bring these people home," he added, without elaborating.

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137 Indian Nationals Arrested In Sri Lanka For Cybercrime Operations: Cops

As many as 137 Indian nationals who were allegedly involved in a large-scale online financial scam across multiple locations in Sri Lanka have been arrested by police, according to a media report on Friday.

They were arrested on Thursday from the Colombo suburbs of Madiwela and Battaramulla and the western coastal town of Negombo, said Police Spokesman SSP Nihal Thalduwa was quoted as saying by Daily Mirror newspaper.

He said the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) conducted simultaneous raids in these areas, leading to the seizure of 158 mobile phones, 16 laptops, and 60 desktop computers.

In Negombo, 55 suspects were detained along with 55 mobile phones and 29 laptops.

Similarly, in Kochchikade, authorities apprehended 53 individuals and confiscated 31 laptops and 58 mobile phones.

The operation in Madiwela led to the arrest of 13 suspects and recovery of eight laptops and 38 mobile phones, while in Thalangama, 16 suspects were taken into custody with eight laptops and 38 mobile phones.

The SSP said that all the arrested suspects were males.

The crackdown follows a complaint from a victim who was lured into a WhatsApp group promising cash for social media interactions.

Further investigation revealed a scheme where victims were coerced into making deposits after initial payments. In Peradeniya, a father-son duo admitted to aiding the fraudsters, the newspaper reported.

Key evidence uncovered during a luxury house raid in Negombo led to the initial arrest of 13 suspects and the seizure of 57 phones and computers.

Subsequent operations in Negombo yielded 19 additional arrests, exposing international links in Dubai and Afghanistan. Victims included both locals and foreigners, the report added.

It is suspected that they were involved in financial fraud, illegal betting and various activities of gambling.

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US Aid Pier Removed From Gaza "Due To High Sea States": Pentagon

A temporary US aid pier has again been removed from the Gaza coast due to high seas and will be towed to an Israeli port, the Pentagon said on Friday.

It is the third time the pier has been detached from the shore because of weather conditions since its initial installation in mid-May, and the effort is also facing difficulties with distribution of assistance once it reaches Gaza.

"Due to high sea states expected this weekend, Central Command has removed the temporary pier from its anchored position in Gaza and will tow it back to Ashdod, Israel," Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told journalists, referring to the military command responsible for the Middle East.

She said she does not have a date for the pier's reinstallation, and that "the commander will continue to assess the sea states over the weekend."

The pier was first anchored to the Gaza coast in mid-May, but was damaged by bad weather later in the month and had to be removed for repairs.

It was then reattached on June 7, but was moved to Ashdod on June 14 to protect it from anticipated high seas -- a situation that is now being repeated.

When the pier has been operational, it has been used to deliver a large amount of aid to the shore.

"Since May 17, Central Command has assisted in the delivery of more than 8,831 metric tons, or approximately 19.4 million pounds, of humanitarian aid to the shore for onward distribution by humanitarian organizations," Singh said.

But distribution has been a problem, with the UN World Food Program suspending its deliveries of assistance that arrive via the pier earlier this month to assess the security situation.

The move came after Israel conducted a military operation nearby that freed four hostages, but which Hamas-run Gaza's health ministry said killed more than 270 Palestinians.

As a result, aid is piling up in the marshalling yard where it is delivered onshore.

"There's still some room there, but it's, I would say majority is pretty full right now," Singh said.

Gaza is suffering through a war which broke out after Hamas's unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel that resulted in the deaths of 1,195 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.

The operatives also seized hostages, 116 of whom remain in Gaza although the army says 42 are dead.

Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 37,765 people, also mostly civilians, according to data from the health ministry in Gaza.

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US Agency Sanctions Boeing For Sharing Probe Details Of 737 MAX Incident

A US investigative authority sharply rebuked Boeing for sharing details about an ongoing probe of a near-catastrophic aviation incident that were not supposed to be discussed publicly.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said that as a result, it will block Boeing from reviewing information gathered in its investigation.

Boeing "blatantly violated" investigative regulations under a signed agreement as a party to the probe, NTSB said in a statement late Wednesday.

The agency is also barring Boeing from asking questions of other participants at a two-day investigative hearing on the case which the NTSB will hold in early August in Washington.

The investigation concerns a January 5 Alaska Airlines flight on a Boeing 737 MAX that made an emergency landing after a fuselage panel blew out mid-flight.

Earlier this week, Boeing invited news media to a tour and briefings on its efforts to improve quality control. An AFP reporter attended the gathering, which was held on Tuesday under an agreement to embargo information until Thursday morning.

But NTSB said Boeing disregarded the agreement "by providing non-public investigative information to the media and speculating about possible causes of the Jan. 5 door-plug blowout."

"As a party to many NTSB investigations over the past decades, few entities know the rules better than Boeing," the NTSB said.

Under the party agreement Boeing signed with the NTSB, the company is supposed to refer all comment on the Alaska Airlines probe to the agency.

Boeing apologized to the NTSB, saying it "stands ready to answer any questions as the agency continues its investigation," according to a company statement.

"We conducted an in-depth briefing on our safety & quality plan and shared context on the lessons we have learned from the January 5 accident," Boeing said.

"We deeply regret that some of our comments, intended to make clear our responsibility in the accident and explain the actions we are taking, overstepped the NTSB's role as the source of investigative information."

What went wrong

In a preliminary announcement in February, NTSB officials said four bolts securing the door plug were missing. Part of the NTSB probe centers on what went wrong.

The NTSB has taken issue with comments from Elizabeth Lund, senior vice president for quality at Boeing.

During a session with reporters, Lund discussed aspects surrounding work on the door plug.

She also said Boeing was focused on closing a "gap" over the lack of documentation and that determining who did the work "is the responsibility of the NTSB and that investigation is still going on."

NTSB responded that "in the briefing, Boeing portrayed the NTSB investigation as a search to locate the individual responsible for the door plug work."

"The NTSB is instead focused on the probable cause of the accident, not placing blame on any individual or assessing liability," the agency said.

The NTSB said it was also "coordinating" with the Department of Justice, which plans to soon announce next steps after concluding that Boeing could be prosecuted for violating a 2021 deferred prosecution agreement over two fatal MAX crashes.

The NTSB will provide DOJ "details about Boeing's recent unauthorized investigative information releases in the 737 MAX 9 door plug investigation," the NTSB said.

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Joe Biden vs Donald Trump Presidential Debate: When And Where To Watch?

US President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump will meet on a debate stage on Thursday for the first of two televised face-offs that could prove critical in their tight rematch race to win the White House in November.

Here is what you need to know:

WHEN AND WHERE ARE THE DEBATES?

The first debate will air at 9 p.m. ET on Thursday (0100 GMT on Friday) on CNN and be broadcast from an Atlanta studio without a live audience.

It can also be viewed on CNN affiliates, without a cable login on CNN.com and is available for simulcast on other U.S. channels.

More than four months ahead of the Nov. 5 vote, the CNN debate will be the earliest presidential debate in modern U.S. history.

Television news channel ABC said it will host the second presidential debate on Sept. 10, also from an audience-free studio.

WHO WILL MODERATE THE DEBATES?

Anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash will moderate CNN's debate. ABC's will be moderated by anchors David Muir and Linsey Davis.

WHO WILL DEBATE?

CNN said only Biden and Trump met its conditions for participating in the debate: appear on enough state ballots to potentially win the presidency and receive at least 15% in four separate national polls of registered or likely voters.

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr did not make the cut.

ABC will also require debaters to appear on enough state ballots to reach the 270 electoral votes and receive at least 15% in four separate national polls.

WHAT ARE THE RULES?

In Thursday's 90-minute debate, candidates will appear at a uniform podium, be given a pen, paper and bottle of water and cannot use props or notes, CNN said.

"Microphones will be muted throughout the debate except for the candidate whose turn it is to speak" and moderators "will use all tools at their disposal to enforce timing and ensure a civilized discussion," CNN said.

Biden will be on the podium on the right side of viewers' screens, and Trump will get the last word after a coin toss.

Campaign staff may not interact with candidates during the two commercial breaks, and there will be no studio audience.

ABC's debate rules have not yet been announced.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

U.S. presidential debates often draw tens of millions of viewers, and through history have determined the course of some races. This time, strategists say there are risks for both candidates, who are locked in a tight race and share low enthusiasm from voters.

Biden, 81, and former president Trump, 78, are the oldest candidates ever to seek the presidency and viewers are sure to question their cognitive abilities and emotional steadiness.

Trump aides see Biden as prone to verbal slip-ups that could amplify voter concerns about the president's age.

Biden aides think debates could hurt Trump by exposing his volatility and sometimes changing positions on issues, such as abortion.

Biden's campaign is hoping to talk about abortion and Trump's about immigration, but CNN's moderators will decide the questions.

Topics may include: how the candidates would handle challenges posed by persistently high grocery prices, migrants on the U.S.-Mexico border, and the ongoing Israel-Hamas and Russia-Ukraine wars.

Trump's role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his conviction on 34 felony counts for involvement in a hush money scheme could come up during the debate, as could the legal troubles facing Biden's son, Hunter, who was convicted of lying about his drug use to illegally buy a gun.

WHO WILL BE THERE?

Campaign staff will be on hand to talk to reporters afterward in the "spin room."

The Biden campaign declined to comment on whether the president might bring any guests to the debate, but California Governor Gavin Newsom is expected to be there.

Trump's campaign is hosting a watch party in Atlanta, with rumored contenders to be Republican vice presidential running mate - North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, U.S. Senators Marco Rubio and J.D. Vance, and others listed as "special guests."

WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME?

Then-President Trump and Biden debated twice during the 2020 race, with their first exchange devolving into a chaotic shouting match.

According to Nielsen Media Research, more than 73 million people tuned in for the first Biden-Trump debate in 2020.

For the second debate, moderators said they would mute each candidate's microphone to allow the other to speak without interruption for the first two minutes of each debate segment. But the candidates behaved more civilly and the mute button was not a major factor.

A third debate was canceled after Trump tested positive for COVID-19 and spent three days in a hospital. He declined to participate in a virtual event.

IS THAT IT?

Traditionally, there are three presidential debates, however no third Trump-Biden matchup has been announced yet.

Vice President Kamala Harris accepted a CBS News invitation for a vice presidential debate on either July 23 or August 13, according to a campaign spokesperson.

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Biden-Trump Presidential Debate Tomorrow: Biggest Moment So Far In US Polls

Joe Biden and Donald Trump prepared Wednesday for the biggest moment so far in the US election -- the first of two high-stakes debates that could upend the race.

Thursday's showdown will raise the campaigning to boiling point, with both camps recently escalating their increasingly personal attacks.

"I think I have been preparing for it for my whole life...We'll do very well," Trump told right-wing network Newsmax in an interview on his debate preparation.

The 2024 election looks close, with Trump enjoying a slight polling advantage in the all-important swing states in an election likely to be decided by a few hundred thousand votes across a handful of battlegrounds.

The rivals both step onstage for the 90-minute clash, hosted by CNN in the southern city of Atlanta, seeking to allay fears about serious political liabilities.

Biden, 81, faces the most concern about his mental sharpness, with voters much more likely to bring up his age than Trump's, despite the Republican being just three years younger.

'Out for himself'

Both have faltered and appeared muddled during public events, although Trump in particular has raised eyebrows over his rambling and occasionally bizarre campaign speeches.

Trump is also engulfed in controversy over his inflammatory rhetoric and a glut of criminal cases he faces, as well as fears that he would weaponize the presidency to settle personal scores.

Biden spent the week off the radar at the mountainside retreat of Camp David near Washington, preparing with mock debates.

Trump's preparation has been more relaxed, eschewing dress rehearsals in favor of informal policy roundtables and workshopping debate strategy with rally crowds.

Aides have encouraged him to focus on his perceived strength on the economy and crime, while Biden will seek to paint Trump as unhinged and unfit for office.

The Biden campaign released an ad saying Trump is preoccupied with "revenge" rather than helping voters, and the Democratic National Committee put up billboards in Atlanta reminding voters that the Republican is a convicted felon.

"Come November, Georgians will head to the polls remembering that President Biden looks out for them, while white-collar crook Donald Trump will only look out for himself," said DNC spokesperson Jackie Bush.

'Ready for this'?

The Trump campaign has repeatedly characterized Biden as feeble and incompetent, but changed tack in recent days following warnings that setting low expectations for the Democratic president would only help him.

"We know that Joe Biden, that after taking an entire week off, will be ready for this," senior Trump campaign advisor Jason Miller told reporters.

Backed by right-wing media figures, Trump and his team have been pushing the baseless theory that Biden will be hyped up on performance-enhancing drugs.

The ex-president and his people have also been accused of "working the ref" and laying the groundwork for a poor Trump performance by repeatedly making insinuations of bias on the part of CNN.

Miller said Trump would emerge as the clear choice if "allowed" to set out his vision for America "without the blatant interference of CNN or the two moderators" of the debate -- the first ever between two candidates who have already served in the Oval Office.

One of Biden's biggest vulnerabilities is border security, with Trump promising to combat an influx of undocumented migrants from Mexico with mass deportations and repeatedly bringing up killings by migrants.

US media reported that Trump is expected to invite family members of victims of migrant violence to Atlanta, although the debate itself will have no audience.

The Biden administration announced Wednesday that new restrictions had brought illegal migrant crossings to their lowest levels in more than three years, undercutting immigration as an attack line.

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Bangladesh PM Says Will Gauge India, China Proposals On Teesta Project

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said on Tuesday that Bangladesh would gauge proposals from both India and China to build a mega project on the cross-border Teesta River involving a reservoir and accept the better one for her country.

PM Hasina, who visited India last week at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, described her trip as "very fruitful" and said the outcome of her talks with India's top leadership will play a "pivotal role" in strengthening the existing bilateral relations and opening new avenues of cooperation.

"We undertook the Teesta projects. China has proposed, and so has India. We will evaluate both proposals and accept the one that is most beneficial and acceptable in terms of the interests of our people," the 76-year-old leader said while addressing a press conference here.

Asked which side she favoured more as far as India and China were concerned regarding the Teesta Project, PM Hasina said, "We maintain our friendships based on the developmental needs of our country”.

"When we receive a proposal, we consider factors such as its suitability for us, our capacity to repay any loans, the returns we will enjoy after project completion, and how it will benefit the people of our country," she said.

China has completed a physical survey on the project while India expressed its willingness to do another study regarding the implementation of the Teesta project.

India is presumed to have a reservation over China's involvement in a major project near its strategic Siliguri Corridor, also known as the Chicken's Neck, while Bangladesh's foreign ministry earlier said Dhaka would "take into cognizance the geopolitical issues" in proceeding with the proposal.

According to Bangladesh officials, China in 2020 proposed a major dredging work on the Teesta River and building reservoirs and embankments without India having to play any role, but Bangladesh has kept the billion-dollar project on hold.

Several analysts said the Chinese involvement in the project could complicate the India-Bangladesh dispute over the major common river.

The Teesta water sharing agreement has been in the talks since the Awami League government returned to power in 2009 while PM Hasina today said “Bangladesh has a longstanding issue over Teesta River water sharing with India”.

"So, it will be easy for Bangladesh if India does the Teesta project. In that case, we won't need to talk about the Teesta water sharing always," she added.

PM Hasina simultaneously said Bangladesh has a longstanding issue with India over water sharing of the 54 common rivers but added that “if there are problems, there are solutions as well".

"India has agreed to cooperate with us on the Teesta project. A joint committee will be formed to decide not only how the water will be shared but also how to revive the river, use it for cultivation in the northern region, and enhance its navigation," she said.

She said the water-sharing discussion included river dredging, constructing embankments and water conservation measures as well.

"India will send a technical team after the 1996 Ganges water treaty expires in 2026. The team (with their Bangladesh counterparts) will explore options and negotiate the terms," she added.

Dhaka and New Delhi were set to ink the Teesta Agreement during former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Bangladesh visit in 2011 when West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was also supposed to be his entourage member.

But Ms Banerjee precluded her from his entourage at the last minute, opposing the treaty.

India and Bangladesh agreed to sign the deal but it could not be materialised due to opposition from the West Bengal government.

Indian media reports have suggested that the West Bengal government decided in principle to dig two new canals to divert the Teesta waters for irrigation purposes in the Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar districts.

Replying to another query about Ms Banerjee's objection to the Indian government's move over the Teesta and Ganges rivers water sharing with Bangladesh, PM Hasina said she doesn't want to make any comment over the issue as it is solely their internal matter.

But PM Hasina said she has a good relationship with all the political parties in India, including PM Modi and Ms Banerjee.

Asked how she wanted to strike a balance regarding ties between India and China in her fifth term, four in a row, the premier said there was nothing to balance as her government was following a foreign policy principle that suggests -- "Friendship to all, malice to none".

Mr Hasina said India is very important for Dhaka as they along with the Freedom Fighters shed blood for the independence of Bangladesh during the 1971 Liberation War.

Simultaneously, she said, there were many things to learn from China about how the country could be developed.

"We maintain the relations considering all these aspects," she said, adding that she never interfered with what relations the two countries have.

"I work for the welfare and development of the country and people maintaining friendly relations with all." She also said she didn't see any problem with maintaining relations with India and China.

The premier said she went to New Delhi as she was first invited to visit India to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Modi and later invited for a state visit to India and now, she would visit China as that country has also invited her.

Replying to a question about rail transit to India, she said Bangladesh and India decided to resume the rail connectivity considering their trade and commerce and socio-economic development.

The premier said Bangladesh is an independent country and “we liberated the country through the Liberation War”.

She said everyone should keep in mind that India was the only force in the world which left a country after helping in its liberation and referred to the American troops of allied forces which were still staying in Japan and Russian troops in Germany.

"Even then, some talk about the rail issue that Bangladesh will be sold to India. How do they say this? Those who talk like this are themselves sold to India," she said.

They criticise India publicly and flatter secretly, she added.

"Look at Europe where there are no borders. Is one country selling itself to another country there? …will we keep our doors shut in Bangladesh?" she added.

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Russia Bans Distribution Of 81 EU News Outlets In Retaliatory Step

Russia said on Tuesday it was banning access inside Russia to the broadcasts of 81 different media outlets from the European Union including Agence France-Presse and Politico in retaliation for a similar EU ban on several Russian media outlets.

The European Union said in May it was suspending the distribution of what it described as four "Kremlin-linked propaganda networks," stripping them of their broadcasting rights in the bloc.

It said at the time that the ban applied to Voice of Europe, to the RIA news agency and to the Izvestia and Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspapers.

The Russian Foreign Ministry hit back on Tuesday, releasing a list of 81 media outlets from 25 EU member states, as well as pan-European outlets, whose broadcasts it said would no longer be available on Russian territory.

It accused the outlets of "systematically distributing inaccurate information" about what Russia calls its special military operation in Ukraine.

France's Agence France-Presse (AFP) news agency, Austria's ORF state TV company, Ireland's RTE broadcaster, and Spain's EFE news agency were among the outlets affected by the Russian move along with many other national broadcasters, newspapers, and Politico.

"The Russian Federation has repeatedly warned at various levels that politically motivated harassment of domestic journalists and unjustified bans on Russian media in the EU will not go unanswered," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

"In spite of this, Brussels and the capitals of the bloc's countries preferred to follow the path of escalation, forcing Moscow to adopt mirror and proportional countermeasures."

It said it would review its own ban if the EU lifted its restrictions on RIA, Izvestia and the Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper, all of which it described as Russian media outlets.

Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of the State Duma lower house of parliament, said in May that the EU move had shown that the West refused to accept any alternative point of view and was destroying freedom of speech.

Italy's foreign ministry on Tuesday condemned the Russian decision to ban access to dozens of European media outlets, including Italian broadcasters Rai and La7 and newspapers La Repubblica and La Stampa.

"We regret the unjustified measure taken against these Italian broadcasters and newspapers, which have always provided objective and unbiased information on the conflict in Ukraine," the ministry said.

AFP declined to comment. Politico and RTE did not immediately reply to requests for comment on the move, which comes a day before the Russian trial of U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich on espionage charges is due to begin.

The first American journalist to be detained on spy charges in Russia since the Cold War more than three decades ago, Gershkovich, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, has denied he is a Central Intelligence Agency spy. The Journal says Gershkovich was doing his job and denies he is a spy.

Many Western news organisations pulled staff out of Russia after it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and passed laws soon afterwards that set long prison sentences for "discrediting" the armed forces.

Russian officials say large parts of the Western media spread false and excessively unbalanced stories about Russia, and that Western media organisations are engaged in an information war against Russia.

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Princess Anne, Sister Of King Charles III, In Hospital With Minor Injuries

Britain's Princess Anne, the sister of King Charles III, is in hospital after sustaining minor injuries and concussion after an incident in Bristol, Buckingham Palace said on Monday.

The Princess Royal, 73, sustained the injuries at the Gatcombe Park estate on Sunday evening and remains in Bristol's Southmead Hospital as a “precautionary measure”. It is believed there were horses on the estate and the senior royal is likely to have sustained minor head wounds in an incident involving one of the horses.

“The Princess Royal has sustained minor injuries and concussion following an incident on the Gatcombe Park estate yesterday evening,” the palace statement said.

“Her Royal Highness remains in Southmead Hospital, Bristol, as a precautionary measure for observation and is expected to make a full and swift recovery. The King has been kept closely informed and joins the whole royal family in sending his fondest love and well-wishes to the princess for a speedy recovery,” the statement said.

The palace stressed that Princess Anne, one of the senior-most working royals as the monarch's sister, is “recovering well” and is in a comfortable condition.

“On doctors' advice, Her Royal Highness's engagements for the week ahead will be postponed. Her Royal Highness sends her apologies to any who may be inconvenienced or disappointed as a result,” it said, which implies a trip to Canada scheduled for the end of this week is now off.

The Princess will also be unable to attend tomorrow's state banquet organised by her brother in honour of Japanese Emperor Naruhito, who will be visiting the UK this week alongside his wife, the Empress Masako.

Princess Anne was accompanied by husband Sir Tim Laurence, daughter Zara Tindall and her brother Peter Phillips on the estate at the time. Laurence is said to have accompanied his wife to the hospital. 

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Over 1,300 Deaths During Hajj Due To Heat, 83% Pilgrims Unregistered: Saudi

Saudi Arabia said Sunday that more than 1,300 faithful died during the hajj pilgrimage which took place during intense heat and that most of them who died did not have official permits.

"Regrettably, the number of mortalities reached 1,301, with 83 percent being unauthorised to perform hajj and having walked long distances under direct sunlight, without adequate shelter or comfort," the official Saudi Press Agency reported.

An AFP tally last week, based on official statements and reports from diplomats involved in their countries' responses, put the count at more than 1,100.

The dead came from more than 10 countries stretching from the United States to Indonesia, and some governments are continuing to update their totals.

Arab diplomats told AFP last week that Egyptians accounted for 658 deaths -- 630 of them unregistered pilgrims. 

The diplomats said the cause of death in most cases was heat-related. 

Temperatures in Mecca this year climbed as high as 51.8 degrees Celsius (125 degrees Fahrenheit), according to Saudi Arabia's national meteorological centre. 

Riyadh had not publicly commented on the deaths or provided its own count until Sunday. 

On Friday, however, a senior Saudi official gave AFP a partial count of 577 deaths for the two busiest days of hajj: June 15, when pilgrims gathered for hours of prayers in the blazing sun on Mount Arafat, and June 16, when they participated in the "stoning of the devil" ritual in Mina.

The official also defended Riyadh's response, saying: "The state did not fail, but there was a misjudgement on the part of people who did not appreciate the risks."

'Heat stress'

The Saudi health minister, Fahd Al-Jalajel, on Sunday described management of the hajj this year as "successful", SPA reported. 

He said the health system "provided more than 465,000 specialised treatment services, including 141,000 services to those who didn't obtain official authorisation to perform hajj," according to SPA, which summarised an interview he gave to the state-affiliated Al-Ekhbariya channel.

Jalajel did not specify how many deaths Saudi officials attributed to heat.

"The health system addressed numerous cases of heat stress this year, with some individuals still under care," SPA reported. 

"Among the deceased were several elderly and chronically ill individuals."

The hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam that all Muslims with the means must complete at least once in their lives.

Saudi officials have said 1.8 million pilgrims took part this year, a similar number to last year, and that 1.6 million came from abroad.

For the past several years the mainly outdoor rituals have fallen during the sweltering Saudi summer.

The timing of the hajj moves forward about 11 days each year in the Gregorian calendar, meaning that next year it will take place earlier in June, potentially in cooler conditions.

A 2019 study by the journal Geophysical Research Letters said because of climate change, heat stress for hajj pilgrims will exceed the "extreme danger threshold" from 2047 to 2052 and 2079 to 2086, "with increasing frequency and intensity as the century progresses".

Off-the-books hajj

Hajj permits are allocated to countries on a quota system and distributed to individuals by lottery.

Even for those who can obtain them, the steep costs spur many to attempt the hajj without a permit, though they risk arrest and deportation if caught.

Saudi authorities said before the hajj that they had cleared hundreds of thousands of unregistered pilgrims from Mecca.

But the Saudi official who spoke to AFP on Friday said around 400,000 unregistered pilgrims took part, and that "almost all of them (were) from one nationality", an apparent reference to Egypt. 

On Saturday, Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly ordered 16 tourism companies stripped of their licences and referred their managers to the public prosecutor over illegal pilgrimages to Mecca, Egypt's cabinet said.

It said the rise in the number of deaths of unregistered Egyptian pilgrims stemmed from some companies which "organised the hajj programmes using a personal visit visa, which prevents its holders from entering Mecca" via official channels.

Unregistered pilgrims in many cases did not have access to amenities meant to make the pilgrimage more bearable, including air-conditioned tents.

Unregistered Egyptian pilgrims told AFP last week that in some cases they struggled to access hospitals or hail ambulances for loved ones, some of whom ended up dying.

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Gunmen Kill 6 Cops, A Priest In Russia's Dagestan, Says Counter Terror Agency

Gunmen on Sunday attacked a synagogue and churches, killing a priest and six police officers in Russia's Caucasus region of Dagestan, the national counter-terrorism agency and police said.

The attacks took place in Dagestan's largest city of Makhachkala and in the coastal city of Derbent.

Russia's Investigative Committee said it had opened criminal probes over "acts of terror".

Dagestan is a largely Muslim region of Russia bordering Georgia and Azerbaijan.

"This evening in the cities of Derbent and Makhachkala armed attacks were carried out on two Orthodox churches, a synagogue and a police check-point," said the National Antiterrorism Committee in a statement to RIA Novosti news agency.

"As a result of the terrorist attacks, according to preliminary information, a priest from the Russian Orthodox Church and police officers were killed."

In all, six police officers had been killed and another 12 wounded in the attacks, the spokeswoman for Dagestan's interior ministry, Gayana Gariyeva, told RIA Novosti.

A 66-year-old priest was killed in Derbent, the press secretary of Dagestan's interior ministry, Gariyeva told the agency.

"The synagogue in Derbent is on fire," the chairman of the public council of Russia's Federation of Jewish Communities, Boruch Gorin wrote on Telegram.

"It has not been possible to extinguish the fire. Two are killed: a policeman and a security guard".

He added: "The synagogue in Makhachkala has also been set on fire and burnt down. During the attack on the Orthodox church in Derbent, the priest's throat was cut."

The leader of Dagestan, Sergei Melikov, wrote on Telegram: "This evening in Derbent and Makhachkala unknown (attackers) made attempts to destabilise the situation in society.

"They were confronted by Dagestani police officers."

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"Sensational": World's Oldest Deep-Sea Shipwreck Discovered Near Israel

The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) recently discovered the world's oldest deep-sea shipwreck in the Mediterranean Sea, 90 km off the coast of northern Israel. Dating back approximately 3,300 years to the Late Bronze Age, this remarkable find is redefining our understanding of ancient seafaring.

Discovered at a depth of 1.8 km during a routine survey by a natural gas company, the vessel remains remarkably intact and is loaded with hundreds of amphorae – ancient pottery vessels used for transporting goods.

According to Jacob Sharvit, head of the IAA marine unit, only two other shipwrecks from the Late Bronze Age with cargo have been discovered in the Mediterranean, both near the Turkish coast and in relatively shallow waters. The depth and preservation of this newly discovered vessel make it a unique and significant archaeological find. 

“There is tremendous potential here for research,” he told the Times of Israel, adding the newly found ship is remarkably preserved at a “great depth that time has frozen since the moment of disaster.”

“Its body and contents have not been disturbed by the human hand, nor affected by waves and currents, which do impact shipwrecks in shallower waters,” Mr Sharvit said. 

The vessel was found when a robot operated by Energean, the natural gas exploration company, stumbled upon what looked like a collection of amphorae on the seabed. Using specialised equipment aboard the "Energean Star" ship, archaeologists carefully retrieved parts of the ship and some of its cargo over a meticulous two-day operation. 

The vessel is estimated to have been around 12-14 metres long and carried a substantial amount of cargo. Some amphorae were visible on the ocean floor, but others were hidden under muddy sediment along with parts of the ship's wooden beams.

Over two days, they carefully removed two large Canaanite jugs from different parts of the ship to avoid disturbing the rest of the cargo. In ancient times, such jugs were the best way to carry inexpensive and widely made items like oil, wine and fruits, according to the experts.

Karnit Bahartan, Energean's environmental lead, described it as a "sensational discovery" that far exceeded their expectations.

Jacob Sharvit pointed out that during the Late Bronze Age, there was a significant increase in international trade due to improvements in ship technology. This allowed ships to carry larger quantities of goods, which made ports like Byblos and other Phoenician cities more important for trade. 

Previously, scholars believed that ancient traders navigated cautiously, staying close to shore and moving between ports within sight of land. However, the discovery of this ship challenges that view entirely. It is the first of its kind found so far from any coastline, indicating that ancient mariners had advanced abilities to navigate long distances across open waters. "The newly discovered boat's sailors probably used the sun and the stars to find their way," said Mr Sharvit.

While the exact cause of the ship's sinking remains unclear, experts speculate it could have been due to a storm or encounters with ancient raiders known as 'The Sea Peoples'. Further research is expected to provide more insights into this discovery.

The artifacts recovered from the shipwreck will be displayed at the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel in Jerusalem, giving a rare opportunity for the public to witness firsthand the remnants of ancient maritime history. 

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Iran Supreme Court Overturns Popular Rapper's Death Sentence, Says Lawyer

Iran's supreme court has overturned a death sentence against popular rapper Toomaj Salehi who was jailed for backing nationwide protests sparked by Mahsa Amini's death, his lawyer said Saturday.

"Salehi's death sentence was overturned," the rapper's lawyer Amir Raisian said in a post on X, adding that the Islamic republic's top court had ordered a retrial.

In April, an Iranian court sentenced Salehi to death for the capital offence of "corruption on earth", Raisian said at the time.

The rapper was also found guilty of "assistance in sedition, assembly and collusion, propaganda against the state and calling for riots", the lawyer said.

Salehi, 33, was arrested in October 2022 after publicly backing demonstrations which had erupted a month earlier, triggered by Amini's death in police custody.

Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, was detained by the morality police in Tehran over an alleged breach of the Islamic republic's strict dress rules for women.

"The Supreme Court prevented an irreparable judicial error," Raisian said, adding that the court also ruled that Salehi's "previous sentence (6 years and three months) was also without compliance with the rules of a multiplicity of crimes."

The months-long protests sparked by Amini's death saw hundreds of people killed, including dozens of security personnel.

Thousands were arrested as authorities moved to quell what they branded foreign-instigated "riots".

In January, another singer, Mehdi Yarrahi who criticised the headscarf requirement for women was sentenced to a total of two years and eight months in prison on multiple charges, which would have been served concurrently.

The court later changed Yarrahi's sentence to home confinement due to his health issues.

Nine men have been executed in protest-related cases involving killings and other violence against security forces.

Covering the neck and head has been compulsory for women in Iran since 1983, following the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Since the protests, women have been increasingly flouting the strict dress code but Iranian police have in recent months toughened controls on women who ignore the rules.

Iranian media has in recent weeks reported that police in the capital have launched a campaign codenamed "Noor", the Persian word for light, in their efforts to double down on those who break the dress code.

In an effort to tackle those breaking hijab laws, the authorities have also shut down cafes and restaurants where the wearing of the hijab was not respected.

The country's parliament has also approved a draft "Chastity and Hijab" law that seeks to toughen penalties on women not adhering to the dress rules.

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Halal Meat Not On Menu, Afghanistan Cricketers Turn Chefs In Barbados

For the Afghanistan cricketers, it was a meatball-sized problem to fork through! The non-availability of halal meat, a must-have in their menu, in their Bridgetown hotel forced them to temporarily wear a chef's apron.

For the Afghans, who descended to this beautiful seaside town for their T20 World Cup Super Eights match against India, it was a different experience after tasting the overflowing Indian hospitality during last year's 50-over showpiece.

Halal meat is available in the Caribbean, but it is not certain that all hotels and restaurants will have it on their menu.

"Halal meat is not available in our hotel. Sometimes we cook on our own or sometimes we go out. In the last World Cup in India, everything was perfect. Halal beef is an issue here. We had it in St Lucia but it is not there at all venues. A friend arranged it for us and we cooked on our own," a player told PTI.

India thumped Afghanistan by 47 runs at the Kensington Oval here on Thursday to make an ideal start to the Super 8 stage.

The scheduling of Super 8s is pretty intense with teams having to play three games in different countries with only one day for travel in between - a logistical nightmare in these islands with limited air connectivity.

Another member of the Afghanistan team said the nature of the Super-8 schedule has also impacted the preparations.

"There is uncertainty over flights and training schedule. We are often informed about it at the last minute. We understand that the organisers are doing their best considering logistical challenges, which are bigger in the Caribbean than anywhere else," he said.

Afghanistan face Australia next in St Vincent on Saturday.

Indian Fans Flock To The Caribbean

The World Cup caravan has rolled from mainland America to the Caribbean but that has not diminished the support for the Indian team.

Though the Kensington Oval was half-empty for the India-Afghanistan clash, the majority of the people in the stands were wearing the blue jersey.

There were a couple of New Zealand and Pakistan fans though their teams had already bowed out of the tournament.

The proximity of the Caribbean to the USA and Canada have allowed the expat Indians to make the trip. Indians based in the UK have also taken the trans-Atlantic journey.

"I have come here from Toronto. There was no direct connectivity so I went to Miami and then came to Barbados. I have tickets for all India games, I just want one for the final here," said a fan, Paresh.

Locals in the Caribbean locals are also involved in the frenzy. From the taxi driver to the front desk hotel manager, all are glued to the tournament and are backing the West Indies to win a record third title.

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No Afghan 'Reintegration' Without Progress On Rights: UN

Restrictions on women's rights continue to prevent Afghanistan's "reintegration" into the international community, a senior UN official said Friday, noting the Taliban's participation in upcoming talks in Doha is not legitimization of the isolated government.

Since their 2021 return to power, Taliban authorities have not been formally recognized by any nation and apply a rigorous interpretation of Islam, leading to suppression of women's freedoms that the United Nations has described as "gender apartheid."

Restrictions on women and girls, particularly in education, "deprive the country of vital human capital" and lead to a brain drain that undermines the impoverished country's future, Roza Otunbayeva, head of the UN mission in the country, UNAMA, told the Security Council.

"By being deeply unpopular (the restrictions) undermine the de facto authorities' claims to legitimacy," she said.

"And they continue to block diplomatic solutions that would lead to Afghanistan's reintegration into the international community."

Last year marked the start of a process to consider strengthening the world community's commitment to Afghanistan. A third round of talks, to include foreign special envoys to Afghanistan and representatives from its civil society, including women, is set for June 30 and July 1 in Doha.

Discussions continued through this week on the gathering in Qatar's capital.

"For this process to truly begin, it is essential that the de facto authorities participate at Doha," Otunbayeva said, warning however that high expectations "cannot realistically be met in a single meeting."

"It cannot be repeated enough that this sort of engagement is not legitimization or normalization," she stressed.

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Hezbollah Fires Rockets At Israel In Retaliation For Deadly Strike

Hezbollah said it fired "dozens" of rockets into northern Israel on Thursday in retaliation for a deadly strike in south Lebanon, a day after a fiery speech from the group's leader.

Israel and Hezbollah, a powerful Lebanese movement allied with Hamas, have traded near-daily cross-border fire since the Palestinian group's October 7 attack on Israel which triggered war in the Gaza Strip.

Fears of a regional war surged after Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah warned on Wednesday that "no place" in Israel would be spared in the event of all-out war against his group, and threatened the nearby island nation of Cyprus if it opened its airports to Israel.

Hezbollah on Thursday said that "in response to the assassination that the Israeli enemy carried out in the village of Deir Kifa", fighters targeted an Israeli barracks "with dozens of Katyusha rockets".

Lebanon's official National News Agency (NNA) had reported one dead after an "enemy drone" struck a vehicle in south Lebanon's Deir Kifa area.

Hezbollah announced that one of its fighters was killed. A source close to the group, requesting anonymity, told AFP he was killed in the Deir Kifa strike.

The Israeli military said an air strike "eliminated" a Hezbollah operative in the Deir Kifa area, saying he was "responsible for planning and carrying out terror attacks against Israel and commanding Hezbollah ground forces" in south Lebanon's Jouaiyya area.

Elsewhere, Israeli fighter jets struck "a Hezbollah surface-to-air missile launcher that posed a threat to aircraft operating over Lebanon", the army statement added.

Hezbollah claimed several other attacks on Israeli troops and positions on Thursday, while the NNA reported further Israeli strikes in south Lebanon.

'Stop the firing'

The exchanges between the foes, which last went to war in 2006, have escalated in recent weeks, and the Israeli military said Tuesday that "operational plans for an offensive in Lebanon were approved and validated".

After the Hezbollah leader's threats against Cyprus, Lebanon's foreign ministry said on Thursday that "relations between Lebanon and Cyprus are based on a rich history of diplomatic cooperation".

Contacts and consultations continue between the two countries "at the highest levels", a foreign ministry statement said, without making specific reference to Nasrallah's remarks.

In a conversation with his Cyprus counterpart, Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib expressed "Lebanon's constant reliance on the positive role that Cyprus plays in supporting regional stability", the NNA reported.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati and British Foreign Secretary David Cameron discussed bilateral relations "and the situation in Lebanon and the region" in a telephone call, the premier's office said in a statement.

Also on Thursday, the United Nations special coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert said there was "no inevitability to conflict" as she visited UN peacekeepers deployed in the Lebanese border town of Naqura.

"It is crucial for all sides to stop the firing and for the parties to commit to sustainable solutions in line with Security Council Resolution 1701," she said in a statement.

The resolution ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah and called for the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers to be the only armed forces deployed in the country's south.

The cross-border violence since October has killed at least 479 people in Lebanon, most of them fighters but also including 93 civilians, according to an AFP tally.

Israeli authorities say at least 15 soldiers and 11 civilians have been killed in the country's north.

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UK PM Rishi Sunak's Party Hit With Election Date Betting Allegations

The campaign director for Rishi Sunak's ruling Conservatives has stepped aside following reports that he and his wife were under investigation for allegedly betting on the UK general election date.

Conservative Campaign Headquarters on Thursday said that Tony Lee "took a leave of absence" on Wednesday, and the Gambling Commission was looking into "a number of individuals".

The regulator made no mention of identities but the BBC reported that Lee and his wife Laura Saunders, who is standing as a candidate in the July 4 poll, were under investigation.

Her lawyers said she would "be co-operating with the Gambling Commission" and claimed the report infringed her privacy rights.

The commission was already looking at claims that another would-be MP, Craig Williams, who served as Sunak's ministerial aide, staked £100 ($127) on the date before it was called.

London's Metropolitan Police has also said one of Sunak's security detail -- a police officer -- was arrested for allegedly placing a bet on the date.

Political bets are allowed in the UK, including on the date of the election, but using insider knowledge to do so is against the law.

The formal inquiry heaps further misery on Sunak, whose party has trailed Labour by about 20 points in the polls for nearly two years, making it odds on to be dumped out of office after 14 years.

On the campaign trail, senior minister Michael Gove admitted to reporters that the situation "doesn't look great", even if he could not comment on the specifics.

But earlier he said that the "broad principle" of using inside information to place bets was "reprehensible".

Labour leader Keir Starmer, tipped to succeed Sunak in Downing Street, urged the prime minister to withdraw his support for those allegedly involved.

"It's astonishing that we're in this place... The government, Rishi Sunak, just needs to take action. He needs to account for exactly who knew what," he said.

Labour's campaign co-ordinator Pat McFadden separately wrote to Sunak and said the claims were "a pattern of behaviour" in the Tories focused on making "a quick profit".

Ed Davey, who leads the smaller Liberal Democrats, said the allegations smacked of "corruption". "It needs to have a heavy hand from the top," he added.

Wipe-out?

Sunak announced the date of the election on May 22, in a rain-soaked statement outside Downing Street, taking his own party by surprise as he still had six months to call a vote.

Critics lambasted him for not using an umbrella and the campaign has hardly shifted the dial in his favour since then, even with indications the British economy has turned a corner.

One reporter asked him if he was the captain of a sinking ship at a photocall in Belfast, near where the doomed Titanic was built.

This week, he was ignored by a flock of sheep as he tried to feed them in southwest England while personally his ratings have suffered after he left early from a D-Day 80th anniversary commemoration event.

Two polls published on Wednesday predicted a record win for Labour, eclipsing even the landslide victory for former leader Tony Blair in 1997, and a historic drubbing for the Tories.

Pollsters YouGov said the Conservatives could slump to their "lowest seat tally in the party's almost 200-year history".

Sunak could even become the first sitting prime minister to lose his own seat, according to a Savanta survey.

The Metropolitan Police said its officer, a member of the Royalty and Specialist Protection Command, was held on Monday on suspicion of misconduct in a public office, then released on bail.

The force has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

The allegations against Williams came to light last week. He is alleged to have placed a bet on a July date for the election three days before Sunak called the vote.

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Legendary Canadian Actor Donald Sutherland Dies At 88

Donald Sutherland, one of Canada's most versatile and gifted actors, who charmed and enthralled audiences in films such as "M*A*S*H," "Klute," "Ordinary People" and the "Hunger Games" films, has died at the age of 88.

The Canadian actor, whose lengthy career spanned from the 1960s into the 2020s, died on Thursday, his son, actor Kiefer Sutherland, said on social media.

With a heavy heart, I tell you that my father, Donald Sutherland, has passed away. I personally think one of the most important actors in the history of film. Never daunted by a role, good, bad or ugly. He loved what he did and did what he loved, and one can never ask for more… pic.twitter.com/3EdJB03KKT

— Kiefer Sutherland (@RealKiefer) June 20, 2024

The tall actor with a deep voice, piercing blue eyes and mischievous smile managed to switch effortlessly from character roles to romantic leads, opposite the likes of Jane Fonda and Julie Christie. He also played his share of oddballs and villains during a career that began in the 1960s.

One of the biggest stars in Hollywood in the 1970s, he remained in demand for film and TV projects into his 80s. Known for his unconventional looks and his versatility as an actor, Sutherland played a wide range of memorable characters.

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"No Place" In Israel Will Be Spared In Case Of War: Hezbollah Chief

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah on Wednesday warned "no place" in Israel would be spared in case of a full-blown war and threatened nearby Cyprus if it opened its airports and bases to Israel.

"The enemy knows well that we have prepared ourselves for the worst... and that no place... will be spared our rockets," Nasrallah said in a televised address.

Israel must expect "us on land, by sea and by air", he said.

"The enemy really fears that the resistance will penetrate Galilee" in northern Israel, he said, adding that this was possible "in the context of a war that could be imposed on Lebanon".

Israel and Hezbollah, a powerful Lebanese movement allied with Hamas, have traded near-daily cross-border fire since the Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel which triggered war in the Gaza Strip.

The exchanges have escalated in recent weeks, and the Israeli military said Tuesday that "operational plans for an offensive in Lebanon were approved and validated".

Earlier, Foreign Minister Israel Katz had warned of Hezbollah's destruction in a "total war".

"Opening Cypriot airports and bases to the Israeli enemy to target Lebanon would mean that the Cypriot government is part of the war, and the resistance will deal with it as part of the war," Nasrallah threatened.

Cyprus has good relations with both Israel and Lebanon, and lies close to the coast of both countries.

Britain has retained sovereign control over two base areas in its former colony Cyprus under the terms of the treaties that granted the island independence in 1960.

Nasrallah also warned that his group had only used "a part of" its weapons since October.

"We have obtained new weapons," Nasrallah said, without elaborating.

"We have developed some of our weapons... and we are keeping others for the days that will come," he said.

"Years ago we talked about 100,000 fighters... today, we have greatly exceeded" that number, Nasrallah said.

The Israel-Lebanon clashes have killed at least 478 people in Lebanon, most of them fighters but also including 93 civilians, according to an AFP tally.

Israeli authorities say at least 15 soldiers and 11 civilians have been killed in the country's north.

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Pak Journalist Shot Dead In Restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province: Report

A Pakistani journalist was gunned down on Tuesday by unknown gunmen in the restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in the country's northwest, according to a tribal journalist association.

Khalil Jibran, associated with Pashto News Channel 'Khyber News' was shot dead by shooters near his home in the Mazrina Sultankhel area of the Khyber district.

Another person, identified as Sajid, was injured in the shooting.

The attackers managed to flee from the scene after killing the journalist.

Police contingents were on their way to the shooting site, according to sources.

The Mazrina area of the tribal district is a hotbed of militants.  Family sources confirmed Jibran's killing, and a senior journalist alleged that it was a case of targeted killing.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur condemned the killing of the senior tribal journalist and ordered the immediate arrest of those involved.

The Association of Electronic Media Editors condemned the killing and demanded the arrest of the attacker.

Khyber Union of Journalists and Peshawar Press Club also urged the provincial government to take proper measures for the protection and security of the journalists.

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Iran Slaps 1-Year Prison Term On Nobel Prize Laureate For "Propaganda"

An Iranian court has sentenced Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi to a year in prison for "propaganda against the state", the jailed activist's lawyer said on Tuesday.

Mohammadi, 52, has been jailed since November 2021 over several past convictions relating to her advocacy against the obligatory hijab for women and capital punishment in Iran.

Lawyer Mostafa Nili said on social media platform X that "Mohammadi was sentenced to one year in prison for propaganda against the system."

Nili said "the reasons for issuing this sentence" include calls to boycott parliamentary elections, letters to Swedish and Norwegian lawmakers and "comments about Mrs Dina Ghalibaf".

Rights groups have said that Ghalibaf, a journalist and student, had been taken into custody after accusing security forces on social media of putting her in handcuffs and sexually assaulting her during a previous arrest at a metro station.

Ghalibaf has since been released.

The Iranian judiciary's Mizan Online website said on April 22 that Ghalibaf "had not been raped" and that she was being prosecuted for making a "false statement".

Mohammadi has refused to attend a trial session in Tehran earlier this month, and in March shared an audio message from prison in which she decried a "full-scale war against women" in the Islamic republic.

Iranian police in recent months have intensified enforcement of the country's Islamic dress code for women, notably making use of video surveillance.

Under rules adopted shortly after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, women in Iran are required to cover their hair and dress modestly in public spaces.

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Nvidia Beats Apple, Microsoft To Become World's Most Valuable Company

Nvidia edged ahead of other tech companies Tuesday to become the world's most valuable publicly traded company in the latest sign of the might of artificial intelligence.

The chip company, which has enjoyed a monumental ascent over the last 18 months amid enthusiasm over generative AI, jumped 3.4 percent near 1725 GMT, giving it a market capitalization of about $3.3 trillion, slightly ahead of Microsoft and Apple.

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US "Concerned" About Closer Ties Between Russia, North Korea: White House

The United States is "concerned" about closer ties between Russia and North Korea, the White House said Monday, ahead of a rare state visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to Pyongyang.

"We're not concerned about the trip. What we are concerned about is the deepening relationship between these two countries," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters.

Kirby said this concern was "not just because of the impact it's going to have on the Ukrainian people, because we know North Korean ballistic missiles are still being used to hit Ukrainian targets, but because there could be some reciprocity here that could affect security on the Korean peninsula."

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Explained: Cases Of Rare "Flesh-Eating Bacteria" Surge To 1,000 In Japan

Health officials in Japan are on high alert after close to 1,000 cases of a deadly infection were reported across the country. The disease, known as Streptococcal Toxic Shock Syndrome (STSS), or ‘flesh-eating bacteria', is spreading rapidly, resulting in deaths within a short period. 

STSS cases have reached 977 by June 2 this year. This figure has already surpassed last year's total of 941 cases, according to the National Institute of Infectious Diseases.

What is Streptococcal Toxic Shock Syndrome?

STSS is a rare but severe bacterial infection caused by group A Streptococcus bacteria. It occurs when these bacteria enter deep tissues and the bloodstream, releasing toxins that cause a rapid and dangerous response in the body, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). While it is rare for someone with STSS to spread the infection to others directly, less severe infections with group A strep can progress to STSS if untreated.

Symptoms

STSS starts with initial symptoms like fever, chills, muscle aches, nausea and vomiting. Within 24 to 48 hours, it can lead to low blood pressure, organ failure, rapid heart rate and fast breathing. 

Group A Streptococcus (GAS) usually causes strep throat in children, but in adults it can lead to serious symptoms like limb pain, swelling, fever and low blood pressure. This can quickly worsen to tissue death, breathing problems, organ failure and sometimes death, especially in people over 50. 

Early medical care is very important to treat these severe symptoms and prevent complications.

Prevention

Preventing STSS involves practising good hygiene, like washing hands regularly and covering your mouth while you cough and sneeze. 

Care for wounds properly and seek medical attention for any signs of infection. This helps prevent the bacteria from causing further infections that can sometimes lead to STSS.

Diagnosis

Diagnosing STSS involves several tests, including blood tests to detect group A strep bacteria and check organ function. A diagnosis is confirmed when someone has a group A strep infection along with low blood pressure and signs of two or more organ failures, like kidney or liver problems.

Treatment

Treating STSS involves giving strong antibiotics through an IV to kill the bacteria. Patients also receive fluids to stabilise their blood pressure and help their organs work properly. 

In severe cases, surgery might be needed to remove infected tissue and prevent further problems. It is important to get treatment quickly to improve chances of recovery and lower the risk of serious complications or death from STSS.

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Explained: 4 Cases That Could Trigger Political Crisis In Thailand

Thailand faces a critical week of court cases that could trigger a political crisis in Southeast Asia's second-largest economy, with the fate of the prime minister and the main opposition hanging in the balance.

Four cases before the courts on Tuesday involve the country's most powerful politicians: Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, former prime leader Thaksin Shinawatra, the popular opposition Move Forward party and upper-house lawmakers.

For decades, Thailand's politics has been shaped by a struggle between its conservative-royalist establishment, supported by the military, and populist parties such as those backed by Thaksin and the current opposition Move Forward party.

"These cases highlight the fragility and complexity of Thailand's political climate," ANZ Research said in a note.

"On the economic front, the immediate concerns are the potential for disruptive protests and delays to fiscal policy implementation."

HOW IS THE PRIME MINISTER INVOLVED?

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, a political novice who took office last August, has been accused by a group of conservative senators of breaching the constitution when he appointed a former lawyer with a conviction record to his cabinet.

Srettha, who denies any wrongdoing, could face dismissal if the Constitutional Court rules against him.

If Srettha is removed from office, a new government must be formed and his ruling Pheu Thai party would need to put forward a new candidate for premier to be voted on by parliament.

The court will likely announce the next hearing or verdict date on Tuesday.

WHAT IS THE CASE AGAINST THAKSIN?

Thaksin, the influential former premier who was ousted in a 2006 military coup, is to be formally indicted in a criminal court in Bangkok for allegedly insulting the royalty and other charges linked to a 2015 media interview on Tuesday.

The court will then decide whether or not to grant bail to the billionaire politician, who has said he is innocent. "This case has no merit at all," he told reporters earlier this month.

Thailand's lese-majeste law, one of the world's toughest, carries a maximum jail sentence of up to 15 years for each perceived royal insult.

The 74-year-old returned to Thailand to a rock star's reception last August after 15 years of self-imposed exile.

Hours after his arrival, Shinawatra family-backed Pheu Thai and Srettha sailed through a parliamentary vote to pick the prime minister, fuelling speculation that Thaksin had struck a deal with his former enemies in the conservative establishment.

Thaksin and the Pheu Thai party have denied this.

IS THE OPPOSITION UNDER THREAT?

Another case could lead to the dissolution of the progressive Move Forward party, which has 30% of seats in the lower house after winning last year's closely-fought election but was blocked by conservative lawmakers from forming a government.

The dissolution of Move Forward's predecessor party, Future Forward, in 2020 over a campaign funding violation was among the factors that triggered massive anti-government street protests.

The Constitutional Court is considering an Election Commission complaint that alleges the Move Forward party breached the constitution with an election campaign to reform the country's royal insult law.

Move Forward, which denies any wrongdoing, ceased efforts to change the law following a January verdict from the same court that ruled the party's plan to amend the law was a hidden effort to undermine the monarchy.

The court is expected to announce the next hearing or verdict date on Tuesday.

WHAT ABOUT THE SENATE ELECTION?

The Constitutional Court will also deliver a verdict on Tuesday on the ongoing selection of a new 200-member Senate, after accepting a petition questioning whether parts of the complex, three-tier process were lawful.

If the process is cancelled or delayed, it would temporarily extend the term of military-appointed lawmakers who have been central in determining government formation, including last year's manoeuvre to block Move Forward from forming a government.

The current upper house was hand-picked by the military following a 2014 coup that ousted an elected Pheu Thai government that had been led by Thaksin's sister, who still lives in self-imposed exile.

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"Best Way To End War In Gaza": Biden Pushes For Truce Deal In Eid Message

President Joe Biden used his Eid al-Adha message to Muslims to advocate a US-backed ceasefire deal in Gaza, saying Sunday it was the best way to help civilians suffering the "horrors of war between Hamas and Israel."

"Too many innocent people have been killed, including thousands of children. Families have fled their homes and seen their communities destroyed. Their pain is immense," Biden said in a statement.

"I strongly believe that the three-phase ceasefire proposal Israel has made to Hamas and that the UN Security Council has endorsed is the best way to end the violence in Gaza and ultimately end the war," he added.

The United States has been pressing Israel and Hamas to formally accept the ceasefire deal greenlighted by Security Council members last week, which would allow an initial six-week pause to fighting.

Eid al-Adha, which marks the prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son to God, saw a rare day of relative calm in Gaza after Israel announced a "tactical pause" in fighting near Rafah to facilitate aid deliveries.

The president highlighted American efforts to "advocate for the rights of other Muslim communities" facing persecution, including the Rohingya in Myanmar and the Uyghurs in China.

He said "we're also working to bring a peaceful resolution to the horrific conflict in Sudan," which has been gripped by fighting between the country's army and a rival paramilitary group since April 2023.

On the domestic front, Biden's message Sunday also promised a crackdown on Islamophobia in a direct appeal to American Muslims, a key voting demographic in the Democrat's reelection bid against Republican rival Donald Trump.

"My Administration is creating a national strategy to counter Islamophobia and related forms of bias and discrimination, which affect not only Muslims, but also Arab, Sikh, and South Asian Americans," Biden said.

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Ukraine Summit Sees Hard Road To Peace As Way Forward Uncertain

Western powers and their allies at a summit in Switzerland denounced Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Sunday, but they failed to persuade major non-aligned states to join their final statement, and no country came forward to host a sequel.

Over 90 countries attended the two-day talks at a Swiss Alpine resort at the behest of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, billed as a "peace summit" even though Moscow was not invited.

Russia ridiculed the event from afar. A decision by China to stay away all but assured that the summit would fail to achieve Ukraine's goal of persuading major countries from the "global South" to join in isolating Russia.

Brazil attended only as an "observer". And in the end, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and South Africa all withheld their signatures from the summit communique, even though some contentious issues were omitted in the hope of drawing wider support.

Still, the conference provided Kyiv with a chance to showcase the support from Western allies that it says it needs to keep fighting against a far bigger enemy.

"We are responding to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine not only with a full-scale defense of human life, but also with full-scale diplomacy," Zelenskiy said.

Leaders including U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron gathered at the mountaintop resort of Buergenstock. U.S. President Joe Biden, in Europe for other events last week, did not attend despite public invitations from Zelenskiy.

The frontlines in Ukraine have barely moved since the end of 2022, despite tens of thousands of dead on both sides in relentless trench warfare, the bloodiest fighting in Europe since World War Two.

In her closing remarks, Swiss President Viola Amherd warned that the "road ahead is long and challenging".

Russia, as it has for weeks, mocked the gathering.

"None of the participants in the 'peace forum' knows what he is doing there and what his role is," said Dmitry Medvedev, Russia's former president and now deputy chairman of the country's Security Council.

'Things Can't Go On Like This'

After initial Ukrainian successes that saw Kyiv repel an assault on the capital and recapture territory in the war's first year, a major Ukrainian counter-offensive using donated Western tanks fizzled last year. Russian forces still hold a fifth of Ukraine and are again advancing, albeit slowly. No peace talks have been held for more than two years.

"We know that peace in Ukraine will not be achieved in one step, it will be a journey," European Commission Chief Ursula von der Leyen said, calling for "patience and determination".

"It was not a peace negotiation because (Russia's President Vladimir) Putin is not serious about ending the war, he's insisting on capitulation, he's insisting on ceding Ukrainian territory - even territory that today is not occupied."

In the absence of a clear path to ending the war, Zelenskiy emphasised practical issues, such as nuclear safety and securing food supplies from Ukraine, one of the world's biggest grain exporters.

The summit's final declaration called for Ukraine's control over the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and its Azov Sea ports to be restored. But in line with the conference's more modest stated aims, it omitted tougher issues of what a post-war settlement for Ukraine might look like, whether Ukraine could join the NATO alliance or how troop withdrawals from both sides might work.

"The more allies that can be found to say 'Things can't go on like this', 'This is too much', 'That's overstepping the mark', that also increases the moral pressure on the Russian Federation," said Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer.

As Sunday's talks turned towards issues of food security and nuclear power, some leaders left early.

No country came forward to host another such meeting, with notable silence from Saudi Arabia, mooted as a possible future venue. Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said the kingdom was ready to assist the peace process but a viable settlement would hinge on "difficult compromise."

Since initial peace talks in the first months after the Feb. 2022 invasion, Ukraine has consistently demanded Russia withdraw from all its land, while Moscow has demanded recognition of its rule over territory its forces captured.

Last week, in remarks clearly aimed at the conference, Putin said Russia would not halt the war until Kyiv withdraws its forces fully from four provinces that Moscow only partially controls and claims to have annexed. Kyiv swiftly denounced that as a demand for surrender.

"Of course we...understand perfectly that a time will come when it will be necessary to talk to Russia," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said. "But our position is very clear: We will not allow Russia to speak in the language of ultimatums like it is speaking now."

Western leaders at the summit endorsed Kyiv's refusal to negotiate under such terms.

"Confusing peace with subjugation would set a dangerous precedent for everyone," said Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

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"There's No Joy": Gazans Celebrate Eid Under The Shadow Of War

In tents in the stifling heat and in bombed-out mosques, Gazans marked Sunday the start of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, devoid of the usual cheer as the Israel-Hamas war raged on.

"There is no joy. We have been robbed of it," said Malakiya Salman, a 57-year-old displaced woman, now living in a tent in Khan Yunis city in the southern Gaza Strip.

Gazans, like Muslims the world over, would usually slaughter sheep for the holiday -- whose Arabic name means "feast of the sacrifice" -- and share the meat with the needy.

Parents would also gift children new clothes and money in celebration.

But this year, after more than eight months of a devastating Israeli campaign that has flattened much of Gaza, displaced most of the besieged territory's 2.4 million people and sparked repeated warnings of famine, the Eid is a day of misery for many.

"I hope the world will put pressure to end the war on us, because we are truly dying, and our children are broken," said Salman.

Her family was displaced from the far-southern city of Rafah, a recent focus of the fighting which began after Hamas's October 7 attack on southern Israel.

The military on Sunday morning announced a "tactical pause of military activity" around a Rafah-area route to facilitate the delivery of desperately needed humanitarian aid to Gazans.

AFP correspondents said there were no reports of strikes or shelling since dawn, though the Israeli military stressed there was "no cessation of hostilities in the southern Gaza Strip".

The brief respite in fighting allowed worshippers a rare moment of calm on the holiday, which honours the prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son before God offered a sheep instead.

- 'Strange' silence -

Many gathered for the Eid al-Adha morning prayer in the courtyard of Gaza City's historic Omari Mosque, which was heavily damaged in Israeli bombardment, placing down their frayed prayer mats next to mounds of rubble.

The sound of prayers travelled down some of the city's destroyed and abandoned streets.

"Since this morning, we've felt a sudden calm with no gunfire or bombings... It's strange," said 30-year-old Haitham al-Ghura from Gaza City.

He said he hoped that the pause meant a permanent ceasefire was near, though truce mediation efforts have stalled for months.

In several areas of the war-battered territory, especially in Gaza City, young boys were seen manning roadside shops selling perfumes, lotions and other items against the backdrop of piles of rubble from destroyed buildings and homes.

Many vendors used umbrellas to protect themselves from the scorching sun as they sold household items on Gaza City's main market street. But there were few buyers.

Prices of food and other goods can reach four or five times their usual price, but those who can, cling to the holiday traditions they can still afford.

In Khan Yunis, displaced man Majdi Abdul Raouf spent 4,500 shekels ($1,200) -- a small fortune for most Gazans -- on a sheep to sacrifice.

"I was determined on buying it despite the high prices, to perform these rituals and bring some joy and happiness to the children in the displacement camp," said the 60-year-old, who fled his home in Rafah.

"There is sadness, severe pain and suffering, but I insisted on having a different kind of day."

- 'Comfort' -

The deadliest-ever Gaza war began after Hamas's unprecedented October 7 attack which resulted in the deaths of 1,194 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.

Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 37,296 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-ruled territory.

For many, a halt in fighting can never bring back what has been lost.

"We've lost many people, there's a lot of destruction," said Umm Muhammad al-Katri from Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza.

"This Eid is completely different," she said, with many Gazans forced to spend the holiday without their loved ones killed or displaced during the war.

Grieving families on Sunday flocked to cemeteries and other makeshift burial sites, where wooden planks marked the graves.

"I feel comfort here," said Khalil Diab Essbiah at the cemetary where his two children are buried.

Even with the constant buzzing of Israeli drones overhead, visitors at the cemetery "can feel relieved of the genocide we are in and the death and destruction," he said.

Hanaa Abu Jazar, 11, also displaced from Rafah to the tent city in Khan Yunis, said: "We see the (Israeli) occupation killing children, women and the elderly."

"How can we celebrate?" asked the girl.

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Ex French President To Run For Parliament Again In Surprise Comeback

France's former Socialist president Francois Hollande on Saturday said he would run for parliament again, the latest political twist following his successor Emmanuel Macron's surprise decision to call snap legislative elections.

Macron's dissolving of parliament after the French far right's victory in European parliamentary elections has swiftly redrawn the lines of French politics.

A new left-wing alliance has emerged and the main right-wing party's leader has announced he is prepared to back an alliance with the far right, sparking in-fighting within his political family.

On Saturday, police estimated that a quarter of a million people protested across France against the prospect of the far right coming to power.

But the latest polls still put the far right comfortably in the lead.

Hollande, France's president from 2012-2017, left office with record levels of unpopularity. He is hated by parts of the radical left and even the Socialist leadership regards him with suspicion.

He said he would stand as an MP for the southwestern Correze department for the New Popular Front, a left-wing grouping formed for the elections that includes the Socialists, hard-left, Greens and Communists.

- 'I want to be of service' -

"An exceptional decision for an exceptional situation," Hollande told reporters in the department's main town of Tulle, explaining his surprise comeback.

"I am not seeking anything for myself," he insisted, after a flurry of recent media appearances sparked speculation he might be eyeing a run for the presidency.

"I just want to be of service."

Hollande has already backed the new broad left-wing alliance, saying that we "must all do everything to make sure the far right does not come to power in France".

Officially, the Socialist Party reacted coolly to the move, the head of its election commission Pierre Jouvet simply saying that it "takes note" of the candidacy.

But one senior party figure, asking not to be named, said they were "devastated" by the news while conceding: "We said we wanted the broadest possible left wing."

The elections were called by Macron after the far right National Rally (RN) trounced his own centrist ruling party in last week's European elections, recording more than double its vote.

The first round is set for June 30 and the second on July 7.

- Protests against far right -

Throughout France on Saturday, demonstrators mobilised against the prospect of a victory for the far right and the possibility that RN leader Jordan Bardella, 28, could become prime minister.

"I thought I would never see the far right come to power and now it could happen," said Florence David, 60, who took part in the Paris protest.

The new left-wing coalition faced its first crisis on Saturday after some prominent MPs from the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) party found they had not been put forward to stand again.

Many had at some point disagreed publicly with LFI figurehead Jean-Luc Melenchon, and they and their supporters inside the new alliance denounced a "purge".

In an interview with 20 minutes newspaper, Melenchon said no one was guaranteed a seat for life, adding: "Political coherence and loyalty in the first left-wing parliamentary group are also a requirement to govern."

But there was anger too that Adrien Quatennens, a close ally of Melenchon, was on the list of candidates despite a 2022 conviction for domestic violence.

- Sarkozy speaks out -

Another former president, Nicolas Sarkozy, stepped into the row over the decision of Eric Ciotti, the leader of the right-wing Republicans party, to seek an election pact with the RN.

Ciotti's move provoked fury inside the party and a move by its leadership to dismiss him, which a Paris court blocked on Friday.

Sarkozy told the Journal du Dimanche newspaper that Ciotti should have consulted the party leadership over the coalition and put it to a members' vote.

"Then the question could have been settled calmly and clearly," he said.

But he doubted the wisdom of such an alliance, saying the Republicans would be the junior partners. 

What is more, he said, prospective PM Bardella "has never been in a position to manage anything".

Hours after French football star Marcus Thuram called on voters to stop the far right coming to power, the French Football Federation on Saturday called for everyone to respect its "neutrality".

Two days ahead of their opening match at the European Championships in Germany, the Federation called on everyone to "avoid any form of pressure and political use of the French team".

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