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Brussels, Belgium – It had been portrayed as a day of reckoning between pro-European and anti-European forces – between those who want greater integration, and those who want to retreat into their nation states. The European Parliament election results, however, tell the story of a much more fragmented European Union , where mainstream parties on both the left and the right are losing voters’ confidence – a trend that reflects European national politics in the past few years. Nationalist parties took home impressive results in countries such as Italy, France , Belgium, Hungary and Poland. “The result was mixed for nationalists as they are for other forces,” Doru Frantescu, CEO of Brussels-based think-tank Votewatch Europe, told Al Jazeera. “However, they did much better than five years ago,” Frantescu added. “The most important thing now is whether this trend will continue in the next few years or not. These elections are not the end of European electoral history.” Turmoil in E...

Green parties’ surprisingly strong showing in elections for the 751-seat European Parliament raised hopes — particularly among young voters — that global warming and other environmental issues will get more serious consideration on the continent. Provisional results Monday showed the left-leaning Greens coming in fourth in the balloting with 69 seats, an increase of 17 from the last election, five years ago. Perhaps more significantly, the results showed how environmental concerns can transcend the political issues that dominate most European Union elections. “The European election was a climate election,” declared Anna Kretzschmar, a German in her 20s who was out in a Berlin park with her young child. Kretzschmar welcomed the lift the Greens received in Sunday’s vote, saying it would give them a stronger voice to raise the alarm about global warming. “I think we are more affected by climate change than we realize,” she added. Among other things, the Green movement has strongly ...

Cargo planes were discovered flying clandestinely into bases controlled by renegade Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar and dropping off unidentifed payloads at the time his forces attacked Tripoli last month, an Al Jazeera Arabic TV investigation found. Satellite images and flight data show two Russian-made Ilyushin 76 aircraft registered to a joint Emirati-Kazakh company called  Reem Travel made several trips between Egypt , Israel, and Jordan before landing at military bases controlled by Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA) in early April, just as it attempted to seize the capital. Flight transponders appear to have been turned off while flying into the war-torn North African country. Libya is currently under an arms embargo imposed by the United Nations after years of fighting.  Video published by Haftar’s forces shows one of the cargo planes – with the registration number  UP-I7645 – after landing at  LNA’s Tamanhant military base in southern...

Bill Buckner was an All-Star and batting champion, a gritty gamer who was welcome on any team. A reliable fielder, too. But a little grounder forever changed his legacy. Buckner, who made one of the biggest blunders in baseball history when he let Mookie Wilson’s trickler roll through his legs in the 1986 World Series, died Monday. He was 69. “He deserved better,” former Dodgers teammate Bobby Valentine tweeted . Buckner died after a long battle with Lewy body dementia, his family said in a statement. The disease causes Alzheimer’s-like symptoms along with movement and other problems. Buckner made his major league debut as a teenager, played until he was 40 and amassed 2,715 hits in between. Yet for all he accomplished, it was his October error at first base that fans always remembered. Trying for their first crown since 1918, the Boston Red Sox led the New York Mets 5-3 going into the bottom of the 10th inning in Game 6 at Shea Stadium. The Mets tied it with two outs, then Wi...

Fiat Chrysler is in merger talks with Renault, proposing a €32.6 billion, or $36.5 billion, all-share deal that would create the world’s third-largest carmaker in production terms, behind Volkswagen and Toyota. Fiat Chrysler and Renault would each own half of the new business, which would be larger than General Motors with sales of 8.7 million vehicles a year and combined annual revenue of €170 billion, Fiat Chrysler said in a release . The deal would be meant to help the combined brands boost their presence in the rapidly growing electric-vehicle and autonomous-driving markets, which is being targeted by Silicon Valley. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is part-owned by the Agnelli family, while the French government has a 15% stake in Renault. Differences in market value mean that FCA shareholders would receive a €2.5 billion dividend. The company’s shares were trading up 10% as of 9:45 a.m. in London (4:45 a.m. ET); Renault’s stock was up 15%. Renault and Nissan have had a strategic pa...

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has hit out at the United States after President Donald Trump said Washington was not looking for “regime change” in Iran but was only interested in preventing Tehran from getting nuclear weapons. In a Twitter post on Monday, Zarif insisted Iran was not seeking nuclear weapons and accused the US, which has recently beefed up its military presence in the Middle East, of causing regional tensions and “hurting the Iranian people”. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei “long ago said we’re not seeking nuclear weapons – by issuing a fatwa (edict) banning them”, Zarif tweeted. Ayatollah @khamenei_ir long ago said we’re not seeking nuclear weapons—by issuing a fatwa (edict) banning them. #B_Team ‘s #EconomicTerrorism is hurting the Iranian people & causing tension in the region. Actions—not words—will show whether or not that’s @realDonaldTrump ‘s intent — Javad Zarif (@JZarif) May 27, 2019 His comments came after Trump sai...

The embattled Texas election s chief who questioned the U.S. citizenship of nearly 100,000 people resigned Monday ahead of being forced out of office, stepping down as Republicans went home to defend their vulnerable majority in 2020 rather than try forcing a late vote to save Gov. Greg Abbott’s nominee. Secretary of State David Whitley never received a confirmation vote for his post before the Texas Legislature gaveled out for two years. It was a quiet end to an unusually mild five months in the Capitol that for a decade has been a battlefield of culture wars and bare-knuckled conservatism. Republicans in gun-friendly Texas even quietly went around the National Rifle Association before going home, setting up a test for Abbott on whether he will veto a $1 million public safety campaign for gun storage. Abbott publicly kept up hopes for Whitley until the end, refusing to rule out just hours before Monday’s deadline that his hand-picked elections chief might hang onto his job. He sai...

At least 16 people, including eight primary school children, have been wounded in a suspected stabbing attack in the Japanese city of Kawasaki, just outside Tokyo, according to local media. Two children and an adult were without vital signs after the incident on Tuesday morning, Japan ‘s national broadcaster NHK said, citing city authorities. A male suspect was detained on the spot by the police and was badly hurt after stabbing himself in the shoulder, according to NHK. It said the man, likely in his 40s to 50s, reportedly began slashing at people waiting at a bus stop. Two knives, along with some victims, were found in a nearby park, it added. Al Jazeera’s Wayne Hay, reporting from Tokyo, said the attack took place very close to a train station and a time when the area was likely to be very busy with commuters. “I heard the sound of lots of ambulances and I saw a man lying near a bus stop bleeding,” an eyewitness, who was not identified, told NHK. “There is another bus stop ne...

President Donald Trump on Monday said that there had been a “tremendous imbalance” of trade between the US and Japan and that the two countries were working to bridge the gap. Despite the friendly disposition between the leaders, Trump stressed that the US was not pleased with its nearly $60 billion trade deficit with Japan. Trump has threatened to impose higher tariffs on imports of Japanese auto parts unless the two nations can iron out the difference. “There’s been a tremendous imbalance and we’re working on that,” Trump said , adding that the US needed to “do a little catching up with Japan.” “They have been doing much more business with us — we’d like to do a little bit more business in the reverse. We’ll get the balance of trade I think straightened out rapidly.” Trump made statements about trade, as well as North Korea and Iran, during a joint press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday ahead of their bilateral meeting. The president also met with J...

A Roman Catholic diocese in Massachusetts says a longtime priest has been suspended amid an allegation of sexual misconduct. The Herald News reports that Fall River Bishop Edgar Moreira da Cunha said in an email Sunday that Father Bruce Neylon, pastor of Holy Trinity Church, was removed from active ministry. Da Cunha said an individual claimed Neylon had sexual contact with him on numerous occasions in the early 1980s, when the victim was aged 14 or 15. He said the victim was not a member of the parish to which Neylon was assigned at the time and the alleged abuse did not occur on church property. Neylon has denied the allegation. Da Cunha called the allegation “credible” and said the case was referred to the Bristol County District Attorney’s office. ——— Information from: The (Fall River, Mass.) Herald News, http://bit.ly/1glob3M Read More from Viral Newses http://bit.ly/2M89t9F

Tennessee authorities say three ATV riders from North Carolina were killed when their vehicle fell down an embankment through thick brush. Media outlets report a fourth person was found injured by emergency responders. The Campbell County Sheriff’s office said Monday the injured minor was airlifted to a Knoxville hospital. His condition was not immediately known. The crash occurred Sunday in the area of a privately owned, off-road adventure park that offers riding trails. Authorities have identified the dead as 47-year-old Ronnie Akins, 19-year-old Dillon Akins and 19-year-old Jonathan Laws, all of Weaverville, North Carolina. The sheriff’s office says the ATV left a trail and fell more than 100 feet (30 meters). Rescuers had to cut through thick brush and trees to reach the crash site. Read More from Viral Newses http://bit.ly/2I2QM1Q

An international media group has demanded that Egypt free an Al Jazeera journalist held for more than two years after a court formally ordered his release last week.  The Vienna-based International Press Institute (IIP) sent an open letter to Egypt’s minister of foreign affairs, Sameh Hassan Shoukry, on Monday expressing “deep concern” over the “unexplained delay” in Mahmoud Hussein’s release. An Egyptian court on Thursday upheld an earlier ruling ordering Hussein’s release from prison after more than 880 days of detention.  As per Egyptian law, Hussein should have been released within 24 hours. The IIP urged the Egyptian foreign minister to “ensure that your government respects the rule of law by immediately releasing Mahmoud Hussein”. “Press freedom is an essential element of a democratic society, which Egypt claims to be,” the letter said.  IPI member & @AlJazeera journalist Mahmoud Hussein: – Jailed w/o charge in #Egypt since Dec ’16 – 888 days...

President Donald Trump offered unprecedented public support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid tense chaos ahead of a possible snap election in the country. Trump said in a Monday afternoon tweet that he hopes “things will work out with Israel’s coalition formation,” the struggle over which has kept the country in a tense period of political instability. “Hoping things will work out with Israel’s coalition formation and Bibi and I can continue to make the alliance between America and Israel stronger than ever,” Trump posted on Twitter during his state visit to Japan, using the veteran leader’s nickname. “A lot more to do!” Trump’s comment was notable because it was a public show of support amid in coalition negotiations for a contender for power and in a foreign country’s politics. Netanyahu, a controversial figure to back as he’s currently facing indictments for bribes, breach of trust, and fraud, thanked Trump for the tweet during a press conference shortly afte...

U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter of California has acknowledged taking a photo with a dead combatant during his time as a Marine as he defended a Navy SEAL charged with multiple war crimes. The Union-Tribune reports the Republican congressman made the comments during a town hall Saturday in his San Diego-area district. Hunter has advocated for a pardon for Edward Gallagher, who’s charged with stabbing to death a teenage Islamic State fighter under his care in Iraq in 2017 and then holding his reenlistment ceremony with the body. Hunter told the audience that he also posed for a photo next to a dead combatant but said he didn’t text it or post to social media. He called the military justice system “corrupt.” Calls to Hunter’s offices weren’t returned Monday. Read More from Viral Newses http://bit.ly/2HDvEAk

Dartmouth College and nine women suing the school over allegations of ignoring years of harassment and assault by former psychology department professors say they want to resolve the matter through mediation. In a joint motion filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Concord, New Hampshire, they asked a judge for a stay of all deadlines and rulings until three days after agreed-to mediation or July 31, whichever comes earlier. The parties said they’ve selected a mediator and are working on a date for the mediation. The November lawsuit by current and former students accuses Dartmouth of failing to take action to address years of sexual harassment and other inappropriate behavior by three Department of Psychological and Brain Science professors. Dartmouth said it was unaware of the allegations until it was alerted by students. Read More from Viral Newses http://bit.ly/2EDwmf0

Russian-backed Syrian government forces will be able to advance all the way to the Turkish border if they pierce rebel defences in the northwest, a top opposition official in the Idlib province said, urging Turkey to do more to shield the area from a major attack. The month-long onslaught is the most serious escalation of the war between President Bashar al-Assad and his enemies since last summer. Syrian government air raids and barrel bombing backed by Russian air power have uprooted around 250,000 people in the territory, the last significant rebel stronghold. Fawaz Hilal, the head of the “Salvation Government” that runs Idlib province, expressed confidence that opposition fighters gathered in the Idlib region from all over Syria would be able to resist the onslaught. “This ferocious attack is a bone-breaking battle. If the regime is able to break our defensive lines in northern Hama and southern Idlib it will not stop until it reaches the borders,” Hilal told the Reuters new...

Oklahoma is poised to become the first state to go to trial in a lawsuit against the makers of pharmaceuticals blamed for contributing to the nation’s opioid crisis. Although several states have reached settlements with drugmakers, including Oklahoma’s agreements this year with OxyContin-maker Purdue Pharma and Teva Pharmaceuticals, the trial set to begin Tuesday against consumer products giant Johnson & Johnson and some of its subsidiaries, could bring to light documents and testimony that show what companies knew, when they knew it and how they responded. The outcome could also shape negotiations on how to resolve the roughly 1,500 opioid lawsuits filed by state, local and tribal governments that have been consolidated before a federal judge in Ohio. Here are some things to know about the Oklahoma trial: Q: Who are the players? A: Oklahoma will be represented by three law firms that stand to earn up to 25 percent of any award, combined. The firms netted nearly $60 million fo...

An Iraqi court on Monday condemned a fourth French citizen to death for joining the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant ( ISIL  or ISIS), despite France reiterating its opposition to capital punishment. Iraqi court officials said the man, 37-year-old  Mustafa Mohammed Ibrahim,  had been sentenced on Monday to death by hanging, a day after three other Frenchmen were given death sentences for being ISIL members. They can appeal against their convictions. The French foreign ministry said in a statement following the judgment that it respected the sovereignty of the Iraqi authorities and that ISIL members “had to answer for their crimes”, but stressed  France ‘s opposition to the death penalty. “The French embassy in Iraq, in its role as provider of consular protection, is taking the n ecessary steps to convey its position to the Iraq authorities,” the statement added. The other three French citizens sentenced to death on Sunday were named Kevin Gonot, Leonard...

A Wawa employee died after being shot while in her car, police in Virginia report. The woman has not been publicly identified and the Norfolk Police Department are calling for the public to share tips. The employee was shot in her car in the parking lot near the Wawa on East Little Creek Road in Norfolk on Sunday evening. Police confirmed to ABC News that they responded to a call at 11:00 p.m. on Sunday for a gunshot disturbance and found the woman in her car when first responders arrived. The woman was transported to a local hospital, where she later died, the police department reported in a tweet. A spokesperson for Wawa said that they are “deeply saddened by the tragic incident” but would referred any questions to the police as the investigation is ongoing. “We remain focused on providing law enforcement with any assistance they need and on supporting our associates in any way we can,” Wawa public relations manager Lori Bruce told ABC News. This is a breaking news article. Pl...

Amazon has been slowly growing its fleet of Amazon Books and Amazon 4-star stores — but they’re still designed primarily as a place for purchasing and browsing. While most stores with both an online and physical presence — like Target, Walmart, and mall-based stores — will accept online order returns in their stores, Amazon takes a more streamlined approach. The 19 Books and three 4-star stores will accept customer returns, but only for items actually purchased at each store. Amazon Go’s locations, of course, don’t even have cashiers, so forget about those. “You can return most items purchased at Amazon Books for a full refund within 30 days of purchase,” the Amazon.com help page says . “Purchases made on Amazon.com cannot be returned to the Amazon Books stores.” The 4-star help page says the exact same thing. Read more: You can now return Amazon orders for free at all Kohl’s stores — here’s how it works Taking into account the wide breadth of products available on Amazon.com, ...

On a Sunday in early April, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez announced via Twitter that she’d be adopting a rooftop community garden plot in Washington, DC. “Any green-thumbs out with sage words of advice?” the New York progressive asked her 4 million-person following. Among the thousands of responses were puns from an Israeli rabbi and counsel from British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn . The 29-year-old freshman lawmaker framed her new gardening hobby as a way to practice “self-care” and “mindfulness,” an escape from her demanding life as a member of Congress. “I feel like plants are a great accountability partner because they literally die if you don’t take time to tend to yourself and to them,” she said in an April Instagram story. Ocasio-Cortez has a habit of using her social media celebrity to mix politics with daily life in a way that targets a millennial and Gen Z audience. She’s brought her legions of fans into her kitchen for live “ Cook + Q&A ” sessions and into ...

President  Donald Trump  has said the United States is not looking for “regime change” in Iran. He said this on Monday after bilateral talks with Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe , who has offered to broker a dialogue between the two nations. “We’re not looking for regime change, we’re looking for no nuclear weapons,” Trump said at a joint press conference in Tokyo on Monday, adding that he believed “we’ll make a deal” with Iran . T ensions between Washington and Tehran have risen with the US deploying troops to the region, but Trump sought to downplay concerns about military conflict. With Abe at his side, Trump told reporters at Akasaka Palace that “nobody wants to see terrible things happen”. Earlier, Trump became the first foreign leader to meet Japan’s newly enthroned Emperor Naruhito, on a state visit overshadowed by tensions over trade and policy on North Korea. Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako greeted Trump at the Imperial Palace in the Japanese capita...

In an interview with ABC News , which aired on Sunday, 2020 presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg said that there is “no question” that President Trump faked a disability to avoid serving in the Vietnam War. “There is no question, I think, to any reasonable observer that the president found a way to falsify a disabled status, taking advantage of his privileged status in order to avoid serving,” he said. He continued: “You have somebody who thinks it’s all right to let somebody go in his place into a deadly war and is willing to pretend to be disabled in order to do it. That is an assault on the honor of this country.” Buttigieg first surfaced the rebuke earlier in the week when talking with The Washington Post. Trump was exempted from Vietnam after receiving a letter from a doctor that said he had a bone spur ailment in his foot, which made him unfit for service. Buttigieg, who is currently mayor of South Bend in Indiana previously served in the US Navy Reserve and is an Afghan...

A Utah judge has been suspended for six months without pay for making controversial comments about President Trump online and in court. According to the court ruling , Kwan made a series of comments bashing the President on social media in both the run-up and the years after the 2016 Presidential election. Kwan said that his comments before the election were largely “social commentary or humor” and were not “expressly” critical of Trump. He said he was more “direct” and “critical” after the election but that these comments should be protected under the first amendment as they were synonymous with his views on issues such as racism and civil rights. The court ruling listed examples of his Trump bashings on social media. In 2016, after Trump was elected, he wrote: “Think I’ll go to the shelter to adopt a cat before the President-Elect grabs them all.” Kwan appears to be referencing an Access Hollywood tape that surfaced before the election and in which Trump was heard bragging about...