Headlines: 13-19 May 2024
UN organizations' news
Sunday, 19 May 2024
Iranian President Raisi and Foreign Minister confirmed dead in helicopter crash — ground.news: 163 media reports — 19 May 2024 (LINK)
— Helicopter crashed in northern Iran's Varzaqan region after a dam inauguration ceremony. Two out of the three helicopters in the president's convoy landed safely.
Two police officers and a local coup leader reported killed at politicians home as DR Congo military averts 'attempted coup' by US-based Congolese politician Christian Malanga in Kinshasa presidency: 50 arrests, including U.S. and U.K. citizens — ground.news: 47 media reports — 19 May 2024 (LINK)
— "Malanga was definitively neutralized during the attack on the Palais de la Nation, a certain Aboubacar was neutralized during the attack on the residence of Vital Kamarhe." A shell fired from Kinshasa hit the city of Brazzaville in neighbouring Republic of Congo, injuring several people, that country's government said in a statement, adding that one person had been hospitalised. — (LINK)
Lai Ching-te sworn in as Taiwan's new president for a third consecutive term, new Vice President is Hsiao Bi-khim: Beijing openly dislikes both leaders — ground.news: 95 media reports — 19 May 2024 (LINK)
Saudi Arabia's 88-year-old King Salman, suffering from fever and joint pain, undergoes medical exams — ground.news: 28 media reports — 19 May 2024 (LINK)
US troops will complete their withdrawal from Niger by mid-September, the Pentagon says — ground.news: 40 media reports — 19 May 2024 (LINK)
Spain recalls ambassador after Argentina's Milei calls PM's wife 'corrupt' at far-right rally in Madrid — ground.news: 85 media reports — 19 May 2024 (LINK)
Hot weather poses new risk in Texas as thousands remain without power after deadly Houston storm — AP — 19 May 2024 (LINK)
World Bank to issue CHF digital bond settled using Swiss Franc Central Bank digital currency (CBDC) on 11 June — news.bitcoin.com — 19 May 2024 (LINK)
— The bond, a 7-year, CHF 200 million ($219 million) bond and the largest CHF issuance by the World Bank since 2009, is listed on both the SIX Digital Exchange and the traditional SIX Swiss Exchange, governed by Swiss law.
Saturday, 18 May 2024
UNRWA chief says 800,000 'forced to flee' Rafah since start of Israeli operation — ground.news: 41 media reports — 18 May 2024 (LINK)
Israeli minister Gantz presents 8 June ultimatum to Netanyahu on post-Gaza war strategy: should prioritize releasing hostages held by Hamas and only afterwards focus on toppling Hamas rule in Gaza — axios.com — 18 May 2024 (LINK)
Islamic Jihad leader killed in West Bank and 70 targets hit in Gaza, says Israel — The Guardian UK ● — 18 May 2024 (LINK)
Austria to unblock funds for UN Palestinian relief organisation — ground.news: 25 media reports — 18 May 2024 (LINK)
Iran hangs 7, including 2 women, as surge in executions intensifies: Norway-based Iran Human Rights reported 223 executions this year, 50 in May: ethnic and religious minorities, like Kurds and Arabs, are disproportionately targeted — ground.news: 20 media reports — 18 May 2024 (LINK)
Ukraine says Russian shelling targeted civilians in two cities in the north-eastern region of Kharkiv — The Guardian UK ● — 18 May 2024 (LINK)
A divisive mobilisation law in Ukraine came into force on Saturday, as Kyiv struggles to boost troop numbers. The legislation, which was watered down from its original draft, will make it easier to identify every conscript in the country. It also provides incentives to soldiers, such as cash bonuses or money toward buying a house or car. Zelenskiy also signed two other laws Friday, allowing prisoners to join the army and increasing fines for draft dodgers fivefold.
At least 7 dead after hurricane-force winds pound Houston: power outages persist amid rising temperatures — CNN — 18 May 2024 (LINK)
Zelenskiy says situation in Kharkiv under control but he fears second Russian attack: Ukraine's president says air defences must quadruple to halt Russian advance as morale falls among troops — AFP — (LINK)
Repeat COVID-19 vaccinations elicit antibodies that neutralize variants, other viruses — medicalxpress.com — 18 May 2024 (LINK)
In Dubrovnik, rolling suitcases are now banned because of the noise — www.wecb.fm — 18 May 2024 (LINK)
Friday, 17 May 2024
Climate and environment: Global efforts to prevent crimes against nature and bring offenders to justice are being hampered by glaring differences in environmental protection laws among countries and regions, UN crime prevention experts said — news.un.org — 17 May 2024 (LINK)
Rhinos, elephants, pangolins, cedars, rosewoods & agarwood most affected by illegal wildlife trade: UNODC — downtoearth.org.in — (LINK)
FIFA changes rules to permit move out of Zurich: President Macron had pressed for move to France (German) — NZZ — 17 May 2024 (LINK)
FIFA Congress takes historic decisions on racism and FIFA Women's World Cup 2027: Brazil appointed host by 119-78 for European group, first time it will take place in South America — inside.fifa — (LINK)
— An anti-racism plan is to be implemented in all member associations and based on five pillars: rules and sanctions, action on the pitch, criminal charges, education and players' voice.
— Following a presentation by the Palestine Football Association, it was agreed to conduct a legal assessment of the situation to be presented to the FIFA Council. An independent report is being commissioned before an emergency sitting of the Council. "Palestine is a full member of FIFA, like any of the other 210 members of FIFA, with exactly the same rights and exactly the same obligations, like any other country," said the FIFA President. "Now, like everyone else, I was extremely, extremely shocked by what happened on 7 October in Israel. And like anyone else, I was extremely, extremely shocked and am extremely shocked by what is happening now in Gaza. I pray. I pray for the mothers who lost their children. I pray for the children who lost their parents. I pray for all those people who suffer. And, I want, like all of you, just one thing — just one thing: peace. Peace."
Islamic State claims responsibility for gun attack that killed three Spanish tourists in Afghanistan, says shot Christian tourists and Shiite companions shopping in Bamiyan's bazaar in central Afghanistan — ground.news: 71 media reports — 17 May 2024 (LINK)
UN experts say South Sudan is close to securing a $13 billion oil-backed loan from a UAE company — ground.news main source: AP, 14 media reports — 17 May 2024 (LINK)
US officials held indirect talks with Iran on avoiding regional escalation — ground.news main source: Reuters, 10 media reports — 17 May 2024 (LINK)
Trucks are rolling across a new US pier into Gaza. But challenges remain to getting enough aid in — AP — 17 May 2024 (LINK)
Argentine president begins unusual visit to Spain, snubbing officials and courting the far-right — ground.news: 15 media reports — 17 May 2024 (LINK)
Buenos Aires metro fare jumps 360% amid Argentina’s harsh austerity measures — ground.news main source: AP, 20 media reports — 17 May 2024 (LINK)
China pledges to buy apartments and finish stalled housing projects — ground.news: 7 media reports — 17 May 2024 (LINK)
An unusual autumn freeze grips parts of South America, giving Chile its coldest May in 74 years — ground.news main source: AP, 12 media reports — 17 May 2024 (LINK)
11 things that aren't worth buying anymore because they're too expensive — goBankingRates — 17 May 2024 (LINK)
Thursday, 16 May 2024
Turkish court sentenced Kurdish leader to 42 years over 2014 unrest: another received a sentence of just over 30 years, 108 defendants, including many senior HDP members, faced various charges like murder and harming Turkish state unity — ground.news: 45 media reports — 16 May 2024 (LINK)
U.S. House of Representatives passes bill to prevent Biden from withholding weapons to Israel as GOP ramps up pressure on Democrats — ground.news: 68 media reports — 16 May 2024 (LINK)
US military says Gaza Strip pier project is completed, aid to soon flow as Israel-Hamas war rages on — ground.news: 20 media reports — 16 May 2024 (LINK)
EU investigates Facebook owner Meta over child safety and mental health concerns — ground.news: 97 media reports — 16 May 2024 (LINK)
'Lone wolf' charged in assassination attempt on Slovak prime minister — LA Times/AP — 16 May 2024 (LINK)
— Robert Fico, 59, was in serious but stable condition a day after being shot multiple times, a hospital official said. President-elect Peter Pellegrini said he spoke to Fico at the hospital and confirmed his condition "remains very serious." Fico's pro-Russia views have contributed to deep divisions in the small European country that borders Ukraine.
Key Boeing supplier Spirit AeroSystems is laying off 450 after production of troubled 737s slows — ground.news main source: AP, 16 media reports — 16 May 2024 (LINK)
Microsoft offers relocation to China-based employees — cryptopolitan.com — 16 May 2024 (LINK)
Pope Francis says US Catholic conservatives have 'suicidal attitude' — Reuters ● — 16 May 2024 (LINK)
Columbia Faculty of Arts and Sciences passes vote of no confidence in University President Shafik — Reuters ● — 16 May 2024 (LINK)
— With 709 faculty participating — a 79 percent response rate — 65 percent voted in favor of the no-confidence resolution, while 29 percent voted against and 6 percent abstained. The Faculty of Arts and Sciences makes up roughly 20 percent of the University’s full-time faculty body.
Algerian man has been found alive and captive in his neighbour's cellar after going missing about 26 years ago. — BBC — 16 May 2024 (LINK)
Pentagon fears quaint Swiss Alps hotel, Hotel Rössli in Unterbach (BE), bought by Chinese couple was Beijing spying post: The Wangs were arrested amid mounting suspicion in 2023: It sits 100 yards from an airstrip which is slated to house F-35 jets — dailymail.co.uk — 16 May 2024 (LINK)
Wednesday, 15 May 2024
FIFA meets in Thailand with women's soccer decisions, anti-racism pledge and retreat from key reforms on agenda — AP — 15 May 2024 (LINK)
— The seven most senior elected roles in the FIFA hierarchy all rose to power since 2013 because their predecessors were ousted, indicted or left while implicated in corruption allegations. There are echoes of the Dec. 2, 2010 votes that made Russia and Qatar hosts of the 2018 and 2022 tournaments. But this year there will be no contested votes or losers, with opaque deals done that let FIFA announce last October its preferred only candidate for each of the 2030 and 2034 tournaments.
— The panel's advisory document, including 12-year presidential term limits and as few as nine standing committees to improve efficiency, was broadly voted into FIFA statutes. Now, Infantino is set to stay as president for 15 years through 2031 and FIFA is preparing to give itself 35 committees plus more ad hoc taskforces.
— The congress Friday should also hear a proposal by the Palestinian federation for FIFA to take action against Israeli soccer.
The inside story of why Elon Musk fired the entire Tesla Supercharger staff — autoblog.com — 15 May 2024 (LINK)
— After charging chief Rebecca Tinucci had cut between 15% and 20% of staffers two weeks earlier, part of much wider layoffs, they believed Musk would affirm plans for a massive charging-network expansion. Musk, the employees said, was not pleased with Tinucci's presentation and wanted more layoffs. When she balked, saying deeper cuts would undermine charging-business fundamentals, he responded by firing her and her entire 500-member team.
German scientists discover how the sixth sense really works: "This sense, known as proprioception, is what allows the central nervous system to send the right signals through motor neurons to muscles so that we can perform a specific movement" — thebrighterside.news — 15 May 2024 (LINK)
Wall Street boasts record closes as inflation data fuels rate-cut bets — ground.news main source: AP, 35 media reports — 15 May 2024 (LINK)
Temu faces legal challenge in EU over 'manipulative practices' — ground.news: 6 media reports — 15 May 2024 (LINK)
Blinken says U.S. will give Ukraine another $2 billion in military financing — ground.news: 24 media reports — 15 May 2024 (LINK)
?FoxNews: NY vs Trump: Liar Michael Cohen can run but can't hide from the truth even though lying is in his DNA — foxnews — 15 May 2024 (LINK)
Tuesday, 14 May 2024
Migration tracking group says 76 million people were displaced within their countries in 2023 — ground.news: 65 media reports — 14 May 2024 (LINK)
UN: 450,000 people have fled Rafah in past week — ground.news: 96 media reports — 14 May 2024 (LINK)
U.N. lowers count of women and children killed, citing incomplete information — nytimes — 14 May 2024 (LINK)
— The change came because the United Nations switched to citing a more conservative source for its numbers — the Gazan Ministry of Health — rather than using Gaza's Government Media Office, as it had in recent weeks. Both offices are part of the Hamas-run government in the enclave.
— The health ministry says its count of women and children killed is based on the total number of people whose identities it can fully verify — 24,840 individuals in all as of May 13. More than 10,000 other people have also been killed, the health ministry says, but it does not have their full names, official ID numbers or other information it needs to be certain of their identities. That is why they are not included in the breakdown of women and children killed that is now being cited by the U.N., officials said.
