Brazil’s Flavio Bolsonaro meets with Trump amid troubled presidential bid
Son of former President Jair Bolsonaro is fighting to recover from a scandal that has rocked his presidential campaign. By Reuters Published On 27 May 202627 May 2026 Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro has shared a photo that appears to show him meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House, as he seeks to bolster his image amid a scandal that threatens to derail his presidential campaign in Brazil. Bolsonaro shared a photo on Tuesday of him standing by Trump’s side in the Oval Office, with a caption showing the thumbs-up emoji. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list Flavio is the son of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, a right-wing Trump ally who is serving a 27-year prison sentence in connection with a coup attempt after his re-election loss in 2022 to current leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The younger Bolsonaro has replaced his father as the standard-bearer of Brazil’s political right and is seen as the top contender challenging Lula in the South American country’s election in October. But his campaign has struggled to regain its balance following a report that he sought funds from a disgraced banker convicted of fraud to finance a film about his father. Bolsonaro has acknowledged requesting the money, but denied any impropriety or wrongdoing. Recent polls suggest that the scandal has set back his campaign, with Lula retaking the lead from the younger Bolsonaro after previous polls had shown them in a close race. Media reports in recent days stated that Bolsonaro had sought a meeting with Trump, who previously placed tariffs on Brazil in a bid to have the case against the elder Bolsonaro thrown out. Flavio then travelled to Washington without a guaranteed appointment in the hope of meeting with the US president. Trump has yet to share information about the meeting on his social media website. Advertisement While tensions have remained between Trump and Lula, the two leaders have built a more cordial relationship in recent months, with the Brazilian leader visiting his US counterpart at the White House earlier this month. Adblock test (Why?)
Group of women and children with alleged ISIL ties returns to Australia
Australian Federal Police have not made any arrests but say inquiries are ongoing. A group of 19 women and children with alleged links to ISIL (ISIS) has returned to Australia, with the government warning that anyone found to have engaged in criminal activity will be prosecuted. The six women and 13 children arrived from a Syrian refugee camp on Tuesday, with one group landing in Sydney and the other in Melbourne. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list It is the second cohort of Australian women and children to return from Syria this month. Responding to criticism over their arrival, the Australian government said it had not assisted them in any capacity. “These are people who have made the horrific choice to join a dangerous terrorist organisation and to place their children in an unspeakable situation,” Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke said. Australian women began travelling to Syria to marry members of ISIL in 2012, with some allegedly taken against their will. At the height of its power in 2015, ISIL controlled territory across Syria and Iraq roughly equivalent in size to the United Kingdom. Australian Federal Police did not arrest any members of the group upon their arrival but said that investigations were ongoing. The group’s return has sparked anger in some sections of Australian society. According to local media, a large police presence was deployed at Melbourne airport, where a scuffle reportedly broke out as the group of women and children was escorted out through a side entrance. Australia is one of several Western countries that have shown reluctance to repatriate citizens who travelled to the Middle East to join ISIL about a decade ago. Advertisement Both France and the UK have expressed opposition to allowing former ISIL members to return. In 2022, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child said that France’s failure to repatriate children born to French nationals in Syria violated their right to life and exposed them to inhumane treatment. Meanwhile, the UK stripped British national Shamima Begum of her citizenship in 2019 on national security grounds. In February, the Australian government issued a temporary exclusion order against a woman in Syria, preventing her from returning home. Her child, who was not barred from returning, chose to stay with her. The order prevents the woman from returning to Australia until February 2028, and her family is currently challenging the decision. Afzal Ashraf, a visiting fellow at Loughborough University specialising in international relations and security, said the risk posed by people returning from countries including Syria needs to be viewed proportionately. “There will be some security challenges, because people like this are likely to suffer from issues such as PTSD,” Ashraf told Al Jazeera. “The fact of the matter is that there are security challenges in Australia and other countries, but statistically speaking, the return of these nationals doesn’t increase that risk very much, while the threat to life from terrorism is far lower than the threat posed by road accidents, for example.” “That said, these threats can be reduced by providing comprehensive mental health support for returnees and ensuring they are reintegrated into society in a positive way, with follow-up programmes to address any dangerous ideas they may have adopted,” Ashraf said. “It’s worth remembering that ISIL has killed far more Muslims than Westerners.” Earlier this month, four women and 13 children arrived in Australia from Syria. Three of the women were arrested upon arrival. Adblock test (Why?)
Trump-backed Paxton topples Senator Cornyn in Texas primary run-off
Ken Paxton defeats John Cornyn in Texas race, setting up a November election that could decide control of the US Senate. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, boosted by President Donald Trump’s endorsement, has defeated four-term US Senator John Cornyn in the Republican Senate primary run-off, according to US media projections. The result, quickly called by Fox News and CNN after polls closed on Tuesday, highlighted Trump’s continuing influence over the Republican Party and dealt a major blow to the party establishment in Washington, DC. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Cornyn, a longtime establishment conservative and former Republican whip, had represented Texas in the Senate since 2002 and entered the race as the favourite, backed by major donors and senior Republican figures. But the senator struggled to connect with Trump’s political base. Cornyn had previously criticised Trump and angered some conservatives by supporting bipartisan gun legislation after the 2022 Uvalde school shooting, while Paxton presented himself as one of Trump’s strongest allies. Trump’s backing reshaped the race, making Cornyn the latest Republican incumbent to lose after falling out of favour with the president. “Tonight, we’ve come up short,” Cornyn told reporters after the race was called. “I’ve always supported the Republican ticket,” he said, adding that he intended “to do so again”. The defeat makes Cornyn the first Republican senator from Texas to lose his party’s nomination for re-election and is likely to end his Senate career next year. “Tonight, we just made history,” Paxton told cheering supporters, praising Trump’s endorsement as “the most powerful force in politics”. Advertisement This month, Trump’s endorsement of Republican primary challengers ousted incumbents including Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy and Kentucky Representative Thomas Massie. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, left, in Dallas and Senator John Cornyn in Austin, Texas, on March 3, 2026 [Julio Cortez, Jack Myer/AP] Controversies and midterm race Paxton has spent years facing legal, ethical and personal controversies, including a 2023 impeachment by the Republican-led Texas House of Representatives, allegations of bribery and misconduct, and a high-profile divorce. The 63-year-old was later acquitted by the Texas Senate and has repeatedly dismissed the allegations against him as politically motivated attacks. Paxton will now face Democratic state Representative James Talarico in a closely watched November race that could help decide control of the US Senate. Talarico, 37, has attracted moderate and independent voters, while some Republicans privately fear Paxton could struggle in a general election despite his popularity with Trump supporters. An internal Republican Senate campaign memo circulated last year warned that a Paxton nomination could give Democrats a rare opportunity to flip Texas and force Republicans to spend heavily defending a seat long considered safe. “Without a shadow of a doubt, I will be the Democrats’ number one target in November,” Paxton said. The candidate also predicted that Talarico is “going to raise more money than any Democrat in America”, and urged his followers to donate to his campaign. “If Republicans lose this state, we lose the country,” Paxton warned. Within minutes of Paxton being declared the winner of the Republican primary run-off for US Senate, the Democrat called him “the most corrupt politician in America” in a social media post. “He embodies the broken system we’re running against,” Talarico wrote on X. In another post, he invited Cornyn’s supporters to vote for him. “You have a place in our campaign,” Talarico wrote. Adblock test (Why?)
Karnataka to see leadership change after Siddaramaiah-DKS summoned to Delhi? Here’s what Congress said
Venugopal said that talks with the Congress high command on Tuesday were focused on the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections and the council seats of Karnataka. “Today we discussed about the Rajya Sabha seats and the council seats of Karnataka,” he said.
Is TMC losing its influence? Mass resignations in municipal bodies widen party cracks, MP attends BJP-led meet
more than 100 councillors have reportedly resigned across the state, and 17 councillors and local leaders have been arrested in the past few weeks due to varied allegations. The recent events point out to cracks in Mamata Banerjee’s TMC.
India strongly rejects China-Pakistan’s joint reference to Jammu & Kashmir, says ‘no country must comment’
India on Tuesday categorically rejected China and Pakistan’s reference to Jammu and Kashmir in a joint statement on Tuesday and called it “unwarranted”. India asserted that the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh is an “integral part of India.”
Smoke detected in Bengaluru-Chennai IndiGo flight, triggers panic at airport
An IndiGo flight (6E 6017) travelling from Bengaluru to Chennai was preparing for departure and trolling along the runway on Tuesday when smoke was discovered inside the aircraft at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA).
Has Congress asked Karnataka CM to resign? Rahul Gandhi holds key meeting with Siddaramaiah, DK Shivakumar
Amid the prolonged leadership tussle in Karnataka, the Congress leadership is learnt to be settling in favour of change and has apparently conveyed to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to pave the way for it.
CBSE denies claims of breach in OSM portal: ‘URL neither compromised nor has vulnerabilities’
In a statement posted on the social media platform X, the CBSE said that the portal used for exam evaluation was neither compromised nor does it have vulnerabilities.
Tamil Nadu CM Joseph Vijay set to visit Delhi today, will meet PM Modi
Vijay will be accompanied by Tamil Nadu minister Aadhav Arjuna and other state ministers. They will first arrive at the Tamil Nadu House in the national capital. According to news agency ANI, Vijay will later visit PM Modi at his residence, where he will meet him as a courtesy call.