New York judge approves congressional map, throwing Democrats into disarray
By Joseph Ax (Reuters) - A New York judge approved a new congressional map that pits two veteran Democratic incumbents against one another and boosts Republican odds of capturing more seats in November's midterm elections, further endangering Democrats' fragile U.S. House majority. Justice Patrick McAllister, a judge in rural Steuben County, signed off on the map just before midnight on Friday, weeks after New York's top court ruled that the redistricting plan passed by the Democratic-controlled legislature was unconstitutionally manipulated to benefit the party.
Passport delays ‘could get worse’ and ‘put summer holidays at risk’, leaked messages reveal
Holidaymakers face further delays in receiving their passports after a leaked memo from the Passport Office warned of “rock-bottom morale” amongst staff and “creaking” IT systems. A cache of internal messages sent by officials, obtained by The Times, said that the agency’s systems were not “fit for purpose” – plunging summer holidays into doubt for millions of Britons.
Sue Gray rejects claims she initiated ‘secret meeting’ with Boris Johnson
Number 10 is under growing pressure to explain a meeting between Sue Gray and Boris Johnson to discuss her highly-anticipated partygate report. It is understood the pair met at least once to give an update on the report’s progress while it was being drafted, but a Whitehall source said that its contents were not discussed at any point.
Two taken to hospital as stand collapses at Trooping the Colour rehearsal in central London
A stand collapsed as spectators rose for the National Anthem, witnesses indicated Two people have been taken to hospital after a stand reportedly collapsed during a Trooping the Colour rehearsal in central London. Three others were treated at the scene by paramedics following the incident in Horse Guards Road at about 11am on Saturday, London Ambulance Service said.
Rishi Sunak signs off half a million of taxpayers' cash for focus groups and polls
Labour accused Rishi Sunak of spending taxpayers' money on "a vanity exercise for a Chancellor desperate to repair his image." Rishi Sunak has signed off a taxpayer-funded contract worth half a million pounds for focus groups and online polls. Researchers Deltapoll have been brought in to carry out two targeted focus groups and one national online poll each week until February 2023 under the Treasury's direction - at a rate of £9,805 per week.
Tunisian parties vow to fight president's 'autocratic rule'
By Tarek Amara TUNIS (Reuters) - Tunisia's political parties pledged to fight President Kais Saied's decision to exclude them from key political reforms including the drafting of a new constitution, accusing him of seeking to consolidate autocratic rule. Saied, who took executive power last summer and dissolved parliament to rule by decree, has since said he will replace the democratic 2014 constitution with a new constitution via a July 25 referendum and hold new parliamentary elections in December.
Cyber security checklist offered to Guernsey firms
Businesses and organisations on Guernsey have been urged to follow a cyber security checklist to reduce the risk of "becoming a target". The Office of the Data Protection Authority found more than 20 personal data breaches were made through email between March and April 2022. The authority warned of a current "heightened risk" of cyber-attacks.
One person killed and at least 40 hurt after tornadoes sweep across Germany
A man has died and at least 43 people have been injured after three tornadoes swept across Germany. The German Weather Service warned of heavy rainfall and strong winds in west and central regions of the country, advising residents to stay at home on Friday evening. The violent storms – which had already flooded homes and wreaked havoc to public transport – generated the tornadoes which saw debris thrown into the air and a church steeple ripped off.
Right to work: What's behind the laws that make it hard to form a union?
Right to work supporters claim the laws are all about giving workers the freedom to choose, but what do these measures really do and where do they come from? Protesters rally in New York City on International Workers' Day on May 1, 2022. © REUTERS As wealth inequality continues to skyrocket, workers across the US are rising up and saying enough is enough.
Young people invited to plan Jersey children's day
The government has asked for the views of young people and their families on the first public Jersey children's day. The event was created by the Jersey independent care inquiry citizen's panel, which investigated child abuse allegations in the island's care system. The panel asked for 3 July to be an annual event to remember the past and a day to look to the future.
Egypt expects Suez Canal revenues to hit $7 billion by end of fiscal year - minister
CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt expects the Suez Canal's revenues to reach about $7 billion by the end of the current fiscal year, finance minister Mohamed Maait said on Saturday. Tourism revenues are expected to reach between $10 billion and $12 billion by then, despite the Ukrainian crisis, he added.
S.Korea, U.S. vow new measures to deter N.Korea, expand economic partnership
SEOUL (Reuters) - The United States and South Korea agreed on Saturday to step up measures to deter North Korea, and expand cooperation on a range of measures from cybersecurity and nuclear energy to regional security and supply chains. In a joint statement issued after the first summit between U.S. President Joe Biden and new South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, the two countries vowed to expand their alliance to tackle issues beyond North Korea, while remaining open to talks with Pyongyang.
Rights Groups Decry Taliban Shuttering of Human Rights Commission
washington - The Taliban's decision to dissolve Afghanistan's Independent Human Rights Commission is a major setback for the country, say human rights groups and defenders. Criticism came swiftly after Taliban authorities on Tuesday said the AIHRC and four other "unnecessary" departments had been axed in the face of a $500 million annual budget shortfall.
Shanghai inches towards COVID lockdown exit, Beijing plays defence
© Reuters/ALY SONG COVID-19 outbreak in Shanghai By Eduardo Baptista and Laura Lin BEIJING/SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Shanghai cautiously pushed ahead on Saturday with plans to restore part of its transport network in a major step towards exiting a weeks-long COVID-19 lockdown, while Beijing kept up its defences in an outbreak that has persisted for a month.
Giuliani meets with U.S. House Jan. 6 panel, CNN reports
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Rudy Giuliani, who served as former U.S. President Donald Trump’s personal attorney, met for more than nine hours on Friday with the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, CNN reported, citing two sources.
Reuters’ devastating, Pulitzer Prize-winning pictures of India’s Covid crisis
A Reuters team has won the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography, for their intimate and often heartbreaking photographic coverage of India’s coronavirus pandemic. We take a look at the highlights of the winning team’s work From hospitals, funeral pyres and remote villages to a Himalayan hillside, car parks and temples, Reuters photographers produced coverage of the coronavirus pandemic in India that captured the spread of the disease and its remorseless toll.
Ukraine's Zelenskiy proposes formal deal on compensation from Russia
(Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Friday proposed a formal deal with the country's allies to secure Russian compensation for the damage its forces have caused during the war. Zelenskiy, who says Russia is trying to destroy as much of Ukraine's infrastructure as it can, said such a deal would show nations planning aggressive acts that they would have to pay for their actions.
Russia claims to have captured besieged steel plant, the last holdout in Mariupol
Russia claims it fully captured the strategically valuable port city of Mariupol after seizing the Azovstal steel plant, one of the last remaining holdouts of Ukrainian resistance in the city. The last of the Ukrainian soldiers in the besieged steel plant surrendered, and the facility has been "completely liberated," the Russian Ministry of Defense declared Friday, potentially marking one of the Kremlin's most significant victories during the war to date.