Headline News
- Wall Street oscillates amid COVID-19 spikes, muted data
Wall Street struggled for direction on Thursday as investors weighed a resurgence in coronavirus infections and the possibility of a new round of shutdowns against data that suggested the U.S. economy might not bounce back with quick, V-shaped recovery.
  
- Facebook takes down certain posts, ads from Trump re-election campaign
Facebook Inc said on Thursday it took down certain posts and advertisements from U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence related to their re-election campaign, due to violation of the social network’s policy against organized hate.
 
- Jean Kennedy Smith, last surviving sibling of JFK, is dead at 92
Jean Kennedy Smith, the last surviving sibling of slain President John F. Kennedy, who as U.S. ambassador to Ireland in the 1990s played a pivotal role in the Northern Irish peace process, died on Wednesday at age 92.
 
- Portraits of former Confederate House speakers to be removed: Pelosi
Portraits of four former House of Representatives speakers who served the Confederacy will be removed from the U.S. Capitol, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Thursday.
 
- U.S. prison riot teams faulted for injuring staff during exercises
U.S. Bureau of Prisons riot teams that helped protect the White House during protests earlier this month injured employees by deploying flash bang grenades and pepper spray during exercises last year, the Justice Department’s internal watchdog has found.
 
- Lloyd’s of London to pay for ‘shameful’ Atlantic slave trade role
The Lloyd’s of London insurance market apologised on Thursday for its “shameful” role in the 18th and 19th Century Atlantic slave trade and pledged to fund opportunities for black and ethnic minority people.
 
- Explainer: London faces up to former role insuring Atlantic slave trade
London is facing up to its role in insuring the slave trade as part of a sweeping global reassessment of history and racism.
 
- U.S. Supreme Court blocks Trump bid to end ‘Dreamers’ immigrant program
The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday dealt President Donald Trump a major setback on his hardline immigration policies, blocking his bid to end a program that protects from deportation hundreds of thousands of immigrants – often called “Dreamers” – who entered the United States illegally as children.
 
- Exclusive: Massive spying on users of Google’s Chrome shows new security weakness
A newly discovered spyware effort attacked users through 32 million downloads of extensions to Google’s market-leading Chrome web browser, researchers at Awake Security told Reuters, highlighting the tech industry’s failure to protect browsers as they are used more for email, payroll and other sensitive functions.
 
- Pelosi urges Senate to take up ‘Dreamers’ bill after top court ruling
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday urged the Senate to take up legislation previously passed by the Democratic-led House in support of so-called “Dreamers” now that the Supreme Court has blocked President Donald Trump’s effort to end their protections.
 
Shanghai Daily
- 9th day of reverse Russia-Euro gas flow
The Yamal-Europe pipeline that usually delivers Russian gas to Western Europe was sending the fuel back to Poland for a ninth straight day yesterday, as per data from German network operator Gascade.
- 5th victim of rampage in Denver dies
A HOTEL clerk gravely wounded in a Denver-area shooting spree died on Tuesday, bringing to five the number of people killed in Monday night’s rampage by a gunman, who was slain by police, authorities
- Japan fears virus spread amid New Year holidays
Japan braced for a feared rebound in coronavirus cases as the highways and airports filled with travelers at the start of New Year’s holidays yesterday.
- Wreckage of WWII sub discovered
Greek divers have discovered the wreckage of an Italian submarine 80 years after it was sunk by the Allied Forces in the Aegean Sea during World War II.
- Andrew files claims against accuser
A LAWYER for Britain’s Prince Andrew on Tuesday questioned whether Virginia Giuffre is legally entitled to pursue her civil lawsuit accusing the Duke of York of sexually abusing her when she was under
- 5 dead in yet another US shooting spree
A LONE gunman shot four people dead and wounded three, including a police officer, on Monday in a Denver-area shooting spree that unfolded at several locations and ended with police killing the suspec
- Russia’s new post-Soviet rocket takes to the skies
Russia has conducted a third launch of its new heavy-class Angara rocket, the first developed after the fall of the Soviet Union 30 years ago this month.
- Girl in LA, 14, shot dead shopping
Body-camera video released on Monday showed the chaotic, violent moments leading to the fatal Los Angeles police shooting of an assault suspect in a clothing store, and of a 14-year-old girl caught in
- Japan aims for mission to the moon
Japan revised the schedule of its space exploration plans yesterday, aiming to put a Japanese person on the moon by the latter half of the 2020s.
- Japan maps out plan to release Fukushima water
JAPAN’S government yesterday mapped out a plan for releasing contaminated water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea, including compensation standards for local industry and the compilation
- Weather disasters cost world US$170b in 2021
The 10 most expensive weather disasters this year caused more than US$170 billion in damage, US$20 billion more than in 2020, a British aid group said yesterday.
- Japanese figure skater nails a place in Olympics
Two-time Olympic figure skating champion Yuzuru Hanyu has booked his place at the Beijing Games, laying down a marker with a commanding win at Japan’s national championships on Sunday.
BBC News (Middle East)
- Alaa Abdel Fattah: UK urged to help jailed British-Egyptian activist
British citizen Alaa Abdel Fattah’s prison conditions are “inhumane”, the foreign secretary is told.
- US military probe finds no wrongdoing in deadly Syria air strike
Dozens of people, including women and children, were killed in the 2019 strike on an IS position.
- Lebanon election: Hezbollah and allies lose parliamentary majority
The Iran-backed group suffers a setback in the first elections since mass anti-government protests.
- Juan Carlos: Spain’s ex-king to return after two-year exile
Juan Carlos left Spain in 2020 after he was linked to an inquiry into alleged corruption.
- Shireen Abu Aqla: Christian leaders condemn violence at reporter’s funeral
Christian leaders in Jerusalem accuse Israel of violating an agreement to uphold religious freedom.
- Iraq sandstorm: Red skies as Iraq hit by eighth sandstorm in weeks
This is the eighth sandstorm to sweep through the country since mid-April, hospitalising hundreds.
- Shireen Abu Aqla: UN condemns killing of Al Jazeera reporter
Shireen Abu Aqla was shot dead in disputed circumstances in the occupied West Bank.
- Lebanon poll results raise spectre of power struggle
Prolonged deadlock could ensue after Hezbollah’s allies lost seats to their rivals, says Anna Foster.
- Wealthy Russians flee to Dubai to avoid sanctions
Property purchases by Russians in Dubai surged by 67% in the first quarter of 2022, a report says.
- Captagon: Jordan’s undeclared war against Syria drug traffickers
Soldiers have a shoot-to-kill policy to stop millions of Captagon pills being smuggled from Syria.
- Lebanon’s economic crash leaves prisoners forgotten with little medical care
Inmates at overcrowded jails are left without medical care, while relatives cannot afford to visit.
- Ukraine war: The Syrians signing up to fight for Russia
Recruits are being offered thousands of dollars to be deployed on the front line in Ukraine.
- Fleeing Syria 10 years on: ‘We cried all the way to Jordan’
A family looks back after a decade living in the world’s largest Syrian refugee camp.
- Violence at Al Jazeera journalist’s funeral procession
Police with riot gear hit mourners, saying they were pelted with stones, as crowds carry her coffin.
- Doucet: Killed Al Jazeera reporter was an ‘inspiration’ to a generation of journalists
Shireen Abu Aqla was shot dead while reporting on a raid by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank.
- Ukraine war: From fighting the Nazis with the Soviets, to fleeing from Putin’s war
A Ukrainian Jew who once fought the Nazis with Russia says he had to flee to escape Putin’s war.
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A large number of Iranian university students meet with Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei at the 16th night of the fasting month of Ramadan on May 22, 2019. Photo: khamenei.ir 
Tehran, May 23, IRNA – Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyyed Abbas Mousavi pointed to the ‘psycho-propaganda’ scenario launched against Iran, and said that this scenario is pre-maturely defeated and will definitely go nowhere.
Tehran, May 23, IRNA – German Foreign Ministry political director Jens Ploetner accompanied with German Ambassador to Tehran Michael Klor Berchtold held talks with Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for political affairs Abbas Araqchi on bilateral ties and Iran nuclear deal.
Islamabad, May 23, IRNA – Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday congratulated Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the victory in general election.
Persian yellow deer, which is on the verge of extinction, is seen on a series of photos in Dasht Naz protected area in northern Iran on May 23, 2019. IRNA/Ehsan Fazli Osanloo