Iran war live: Trump due to make ‘final determination’ on deal with Tehran
blinking-dotLive updatesLive updates, Israel pushes deeper into Lebanon just days after Israel’s prime minister ordered the occupation of Gaza to expand to 70 percent of the Palestinian territory. Published On 30 May 202630 May 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
First survivor rescued from flooded cave in Laos
NewsFeed Divers in Laos have rescued the first of five villagers trapped in a flooded cave for more than a week. The men entered the cave to look for gold before flash floods blocked their escape. Two other villagers are still missing. Published On 30 May 202630 May 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
Louisiana lawmakers pass congressional map favouring Republicans
Louisiana lawmakers have passed a new map of congressional districts designed to help Republicans pick up a seat in the United States House of Representatives. But to do so, the map eliminates one of the state’s two majority-Black districts, both of which are represented by Democrats. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list Approval in Louisiana’s legislature came on Friday. It follows an April decision from the US Supreme Court striking down Louisiana’s current map as an illegal racial gerrymander because it was drawn to include two majority-Black districts. That ruling, in the case Louisiana v Callais, weakened the landmark 1965 federal Voting Rights Act, meant to prevent discrimination against minorities at the ballot box. It also intensified a national redistricting battle fuelled by President Donald Trump’s efforts to protect the Republicans’ slim House majority in the midterm elections. Louisiana is one of several Southern states now redrawing their maps to help Republicans. Louisiana Republicans had considered drawing a map giving the party a shot at winning all six of the state’s US House seats. But that would have required adding more registered Democrats to Republican-held districts, which could have potentially backfired with Republican losses. Republicans currently hold four of Louisiana’s six congressional seats, and they are slated to pick up a fifth with the newly passed map. It was approved on Friday by the Louisiana state Senate in a 28-to-10 vote. ‘Vicious race to the bottom’ Republican Governor Jeff Landry is expected to sign the new map into law, even as threats of more litigation emerged Friday. Advertisement A half-hour Senate floor debate revolved around Democrats contending that the proposed map is racially gerrymandered to squeeze more Black voters, who tend to be registered Democrats, into a single district. Democratic state Senator Royce Duplessis pointed out that some fellow Southern states, such as South Carolina, had refused to redraw their maps in the middle of an election year. He warned that Louisiana is participating in a “vicious, vicious race to the bottom” by participating in the redistricting push. The bill’s sponsor, Republican state Senator Jay Morris, repeatedly insisted that party affiliation, not race, drove the new district boundaries. “I purposely put more Democrats into District 2 to make the remaining districts better performing for Republicans,” Morris said at one point. Morris said he instructed the map demographers to avoid including any data on race or including those statistics in information shared with lawmakers before the vote. Democratic state Senator Sam Jenkins told Morris, “I think it’s a racially gerrymandered district that’s going to get us into a lot of trouble here.” “Agree to disagree,” Morris told Jenkins. More litigation expected in Louisiana Louisiana is currently using a map ordered by a lower court in 2024 to comply with the Voting Rights Act. It includes a second district with a majority-Black population. That map, however, was challenged in court, and the Supreme Court responded on April 30 by striking it down as an illegal racial gerrymander. Landry has postponed the state’s closed US House primary slated for May 16 to allow for the new congressional map to be implemented. He later signed a law making the US primary open and shifted the date to November 3 to allow time for Republican lawmakers to draw and pass a new map. All candidates, regardless of party affiliation, will be on the ballot for voters in their district. The proposed map redraws a district currently represented by Democratic Representative Cleo Fields, clustering it around predominantly white communities in the Baton Rouge area and southern Louisiana. It also adds part of Baton Rouge to a heavily Democratic, majority-Black district based in New Orleans, represented by Democratic Representative Troy Carter. More lawsuits are expected over the new map. Democrats say the proposed map could draw a legal challenge over racial gerrymandering, and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Louisiana suggested Friday that it could sue, calling the map a “racial gerrymander hiding behind the thin veneer of partisanship”. Advertisement “This fight is just beginning,” the ACLU branch added. Meanwhile, the victorious plaintiffs in the US Supreme Court’s decision criticised the legislature’s map for leaving a majority-Black district in place. Nationwide battle over district lines In the weeks following the Supreme Court’s decision, other Republican-controlled Southern states have seized upon the weakened federal Voting Rights Act to redraw their own congressional districts. So far, Republicans are winning the nationwide redistricting contest, passing more partisan maps to gain House seats than Democrats. But that doesn’t necessarily mean they will win in the narrowly divided US House in November. Republicans think they could gain as many as 15 seats from their redistricting efforts so far, while Democrats think they could gain six seats from new districts in California and Utah. Meanwhile, a court decision in Wisconsin on Friday could give Democrats a new avenue to pick up seats in 2028. The liberal-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court said it would hear an appeal of a case filed by a bipartisan coalition of business executives that seeks to redraw the state’s Republican-friendly congressional districts. Republicans hold six of the state’s eight House seats, but only two are considered competitive. A three-judge panel dismissed the case in April. Those who filed the lawsuit weren’t seeking a ruling in time for the 2026 election. Instead, they asked the state Supreme Court to send the case back to the lower court for a trial on their claims, which would likely not take place until 2027. Adblock test (Why?)
How Indian PM Modi’s efforts to isolate Pakistan ‘backfired’
Doha, Qatar – Thumping his fist on a lectern, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued a direct challenge to the leaders of Pakistan. “India has been successful in isolating you, and we will intensify those efforts,” he said, addressing a large rally of supporters in the southern Indian state of Kerala, as dusk set in. “We will make sure that you are isolated around the world.” Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list It was September 2016, and Modi was responding to an attack by armed fighters in Indian-administered Kashmir days earlier, in which 18 Indian soldiers had been killed. “The leaders of Pakistan should listen: The sacrifice of our 18 soldiers will not go in vain,” the Indian leader said. Yet a decade later, Pakistan stands far from isolated: It is a close strategic ally of China, where the Pakistani prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, visited this week, and has reemerged as a trusted partner of the United States under President Donald Trump. Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir and Sharif have both visited Trump at the White House over the past year. Islamabad is the principal mediator between the US and Iran amid their ongoing war. Trump has also frequently praised the Pakistani leadership. In part, say analysts, that’s a reflection of Pakistan’s success in wooing Trump, and in capitalising on key geopolitical events to make itself an important diplomatic player for superpowers and regional players alike. But equally, say analysts, Pakistan’s growing diplomatic stature underscores missteps by Modi’s administration. Advertisement “Certainly, India’s strategy of undercutting and indeed isolating Pakistan, regionally and globally, has backfired in a big way,” Michael Kugelman, a senior fellow on South Asia at the Atlantic Council think tank, told Al Jazeera. Rubble of buildings in Muridke, Pakistan, hit by Indian missiles in May 2025 [Abid Hussain/Al Jazeera] The ceasefire and the Nobel nomination On May 10, 2025, Trump announced that he had secured a ceasefire between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan. “After a long night of talks mediated by the United States, I am pleased to announce that India and Pakistan have agreed to a FULL AND IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE,” he posted on his Truth Social platform. Shortly after, Sharif, the Pakistani PM, thanked Trump’s “leadership and proactive role” in securing the truce that ended four days of intense fighting involving ballistic missiles, fighter jets and drones. It was the worst fighting between India and Pakistan in decades: Dozens of people were killed on both sides of their heavily militarised border. The conflict erupted after the Indian military carried out attacks on “terror” sites deep inside Pakistani territory, in response to an attack by gunmen who killed 26 tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir. But unlike Sharif, Modi, who had cultivated a personal rapport with the US president – whom he had met just months earlier in the Oval Office – chose to remain silent, even as India’s foreign secretary confirmed the ceasefire. Days later, the US president offered to work with the two arch foes to find a solution to the Kashmir issue, which has defined India-Pakistan relations since 1947, the year the two South Asian nations achieved independence from British colonial rule. For India, Trump’s attempts to portray himself as a peacemaker between New Delhi and Islamabad were troubling: India has long insisted that its disputes with its neighbour were strictly bilateral, for the two countries to resolve among themselves – though US former President Bill Clinton had played a role in ending the 1999 Kargil War. In June, Modi was visiting Canada when Trump asked him to also fly over to Washington. Modi turned down the offer. He instead told the US president over the phone that New Delhi wouldn’t accept third-party mediation, and that the ceasefire in May was solely the result of bilateral conversations with Pakistan. Yet that tit-for-tat spiral of claims around the May truce continued. Trump has since insisted on more than 30 occasions that he brokered the ceasefire between India and Pakistan. He has claimed that he averted a nuclear war that could have killed millions. The US president also asserted that Indian fighter jets were shot down on the first day of the conflict, echoing the Pakistani narrative of downing several Indian planes. Advertisement New Delhi also failed to convince the international community on Pakistan’s role in the attack that triggered the May 2025 fighting in the first place, analysts say. “The world did not step back and encourage India to carry out strikes… World capitals noted that India did not provide proof of any Pakistani complicity in the Pahalgam attack,” Kugelman of the Atlantic Council said, referring to the scenic town in Indian-administered Kashmir where tourists were shot. Pakistan, he said, appeared to have won “the global battle of narratives”. “The fact that Pakistan was able to hold its own in a conflict and shoot down several Indian jets … that’s something that got a lot of attention around the world, including in the White House,” he added. New Delhi’s silence on the downing of the jets for almost three weeks further gave impetus to that perception. The country’s top general eventually acknowledged that several fighter planes were shot down by Pakistan, though India has never confirmed the number. Analysts say Modi’s refusal to give credit to the US president for the truce strained US-India ties. Pakistan, on the other hand, promptly acknowledged Trump’s efforts in achieving the truce and even nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize – an award the US president has said he deserved. Trump, who had accused Pakistan of “deceit and lies” during his first term, has since repeatedly praised Pakistani leadership, including army chief Asim Munir who led the war efforts against India. And to India’s dismay, Trump invited Munir to the White House for lunch – the first time that a Pakistani military chief who was not also president had been hosted by a US president. Trump has described Munir as his “favourite Field Marshal” and an “exceptional human being” –
Blue Origin rocket explodes on launch pad during test
NewsFeed A rocket belonging to Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin exploded during a test at the Florida launch pad Thursday night. The explosion shook nearby homes and briefly painted the sky orange. Bezos said it was “too early to know the root cause” of the incident. No one was injured in the blast. The same rocket, New Glenn, failed a mission to deliver a satellite last month and prompted an investigation. Published On 29 May 202629 May 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
Israel football dispute to ‘heat up’ after protest in Ireland-Qatar match
Ireland’s football match against Qatar was stalled by pro-Palestinian protests as pressure builds on upcoming games against Israel. By Al Jazeera Staff and Reuters Published On 29 May 202629 May 2026 Republic of Ireland midfielder Jamie McGrath has warned that the controversy surrounding Nations League games against Israel could intensify after their friendly win over Qatar in Dublin was disrupted by pro-Palestinian protests. Ireland are set to host Israel at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium on October 4, while a September 27 fixture designated as an Israel home match is expected to be staged at a neutral venue. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list Qatar’s match against Ireland was part of their preparations for this summer’s World Cup, where they begin their campaign against Switzerland on June 13. Ireland failed to qualify for the event. Earlier this month, leading Irish footballers joined with celebrities in a campaign calling for a boycott of Israel’s matches, but Ireland’s governing body for football (FAI) has said it will go ahead with the fixtures and that a refusal to play could lead to disciplinary measures. Tennis balls featuring the Palestinian flag were thrown on to the pitch in Thursday’s friendly, causing the match to be halted twice, and McGrath expected more protests to follow. “I’m sure it’s going to heat up over the next few months. We (the players) don’t want to be put into a position,” he told the BBC’s Northern Ireland bureau after the match. “It’s obviously a unique scenario. The people [protesters], we have to listen to them, they have the right to do what they do, as long as it’s done in a peaceful way, that’s all that matters. “Hopefully, the powers above us can work something out or use it for the greater good, I’m not sure what the process will be as it heats up. Advertisement “At the end of the day, we’re footballers and we don’t want to be caught in this, but sometimes we might have to.” In November last year, 93 percent of FAI members voted for its leadership to press UEFA to suspend the Israel Football Association from European competitions. On Tuesday, the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign held a protest at the Dail (Irish parliament). Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson has also regularly weighed in on the debate and, ahead of the Qatar match, said his players must “win this war” against Israel in the upcoming matches. McGrath was pressed further on the matter as to whether he believed a resolution would be found ahead of the matches. “To be honest, I’ve no idea,” he replied. “We obviously touched on it a few days, I’m sure as it heats up, it might be taken out of our hands, I’m not sure.” Adblock test (Why?)
US Treasury secretary confirms plans for banknote featuring Trump’s face
Proposed $250 bill would mark the first time a living person has appeared on US currency in more than a century. Published On 29 May 202629 May 2026 US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent says preparations are under way to print a new $250 banknote featuring President Donald Trump’s face, with lawmakers to decide whether the bills will be put into circulation. US law bars any living person from appearing on US currency, but legislation was introduced last year to create an exception to allow current and former presidents to be featured. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list Speaking at the White House on Thursday, Bessent said a design had been prepared in anticipation of a change in the law. “Right now, there is proposed legislation – front of the House, in front of the Senate – to change the first requirement so that a living person, Donald J Trump, could be on a $250 bill,” Bessent said. Bessent made his comments after The Washington Post reported that Treasurer Brandon Beach, a Trump appointee, has been pushing the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to expedite the process for a new currency note to mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. “I don’t think that there’s anything untoward about having the president of the United States, the person who’s president of the United States, on the 250th anniversary bill,” Bessent told reporters. A design mock-up obtained by The Washington Post showed the words “America 250 anniversary”, a nod to the US declaring its independence on July 4, 1776. The Treasury Department did not immediately respond to Al Jazeera’s request for comment. Behaviour of dictators, monarchs A banknote featuring Trump’s face would be the latest example of the US president expanding his personal brand in his official capacity since returning to the White House in 2025. Advertisement Banners featuring Trump’s portrait have been hung on the Department of Justice and other federal buildings. And his slate of appointees to the Kennedy Center governing board added his name to the national performing arts facility, which Congress originally designated as a memorial to assassinated President John F Kennedy. Trump’s signature is also set to appear on US currency as part of plans to mark the 250th anniversary, a first for a sitting president. US banknotes have until now featured the signatures of the Treasury secretary and the treasurer. In March, the US Commission of Fine Arts, led by Trump appointee Rodney Mims Cook Jr, approved the minting of a commemorative gold coin bearing the Republican president’s image. The announcement, which relied on a legal loophole for commemorative coins, prompted a backlash from critics, who likened the move to the behaviour of dictators and monarchs. Adblock test (Why?)
Anthropic soars to $965bn valuation, leapfrogging OpenAI
Anthropic has usurped OpenAI as the world’s most valuable artificial intelligence startup, soaring to a $965bn valuation ahead of expected public listings by the rival firms. Anthropic, the maker of the Claude family of chatbots, said on Thursday that it had raised $65bn from private investors after a fundraising round led by Altimeter Capital, Greenoaks, Dragoneer and Sequoia Capital. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list The announcement catapults Anthropic, led by CEO and cofounder Dario Amodei, ahead of ChatGPT maker OpenAI in value, which attracted an $852bn valuation in its last fundraising round in March. “This funding will help us serve the historic demand we are experiencing, stay at the research frontier, and bring Claude to more of the places where work happens,” Anthropic’s Chief Financial Officer Krishna Rao said in a statement. Altimeter Capital CEO Brad Gerstner hailed the adoption of Claude among the “world’s most demanding organisations” as evidence of Anthropic’s command in the field. “This momentum positions Anthropic to lead the next phase of AI innovation and capture the enormous opportunity ahead,” Gerstner said. Founded in 2021 by former OpenAI researchers, Anthropic has rapidly emerged as one of the leading players in Silicon Valley’s scramble to dominate AI. Anthropic’s Claude, first launched in 2023, is among the most popular AI models worldwide. In March, the San Francisco-based company said that the chatbot was receiving more than 1 million new sign-ups each day. While achieving stellar success in rapid time, Anthropic has also faced challenges – in particular, a high-profile dispute with US President Donald Trump’s administration, which has labelled the firm a “supply chain risk” over its refusal to allow unrestricted access to its tools for military purposes. Advertisement Anthropic unveiled its latest iteration of Claude, Opus 4.8, in a separate announcement on Thursday, calling it a “modest but tangible improvement” on its predecessor. Anthropic, OpenAI and Elon Musk’s rocket company SpaceX are all expected to go public in the near future in what are expected to be among the biggest initial public offerings in history. Jay R Ritter, an emeritus professor at the University of Florida who specialises in IPOs, said Anthropic has generated a lot of market excitement due to its widespread use by companies for software coding. “This is a big market where apparently Anthropic has the best product,” Ritter told Al Jazeera. “The increase in valuation in a short period of time is unprecedented for a startup, although publicly traded tech companies such as SK Hynix, Nvidia, and Alphabet have seen even bigger increases, although not as much in percentage terms,” Ritter said, referring to the South Korean and US chip giants, and Google’s parent company. While it remains to be seen whether the massive investments pouring into AI are creating a bubble, Ritter said, the handful of successful firms that are likely to emerge in the field could see enormous profits. “Nobody wants to use the eighth best product, so these companies are either one of the handful of successful firms, or they will have a zero market share,” he said. “The tech industry is different than the restaurant industry, where there are not large economies of scale, and where competition limits the profit margins.” Adblock test (Why?)
Lebanon Latest: Mass evacuations as Israel expands attacks
NewsFeed Al Jazeera’s Obaida Hitto brings you the latest from southern Lebanon amidst increasing Israeli attacks. Published On 29 May 202629 May 2026 Save Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share facebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylink googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
Parisians defy swimming ban to cool off as record heat hits Europe
NewsFeed Parisians cooled off in the city’s Saint-Martin canal as an unprecedented heatwave pushed temperatures across Europe far above seasonal norms. Swimmers ignored long-standing bans, swimming outside designated bathing sites. Published On 28 May 202628 May 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)