El Salvador arrests prominent human rights lawyer who defends deportees
Ruth Eleonora López has defended Venezuelan immigrants deported to El Salvador by US President Trump’s administration. A prominent human rights lawyer known for defending immigrants deported amid United States President Donald Trump’s hardline anti-immigration policies has been arrested in El Salvador. Ruth Eleonora López, 47, a senior figure at the rights group Cristosal and a vocal critic of El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, a Trump ally, was detained late on Sunday. The arrest was confirmed by the country’s attorney general’s office, which in an online post accused López of embezzling state funds during her time at El Salvador’s electoral court more than a decade ago. “Neither her family nor her legal team has managed to find out her whereabouts,” Cristosal said in a statement, calling the refusal to disclose her location or allow access to lawyers “a blatant violation of due process”. The group said her arrest “raises serious concerns about the increasing risks faced by human rights defenders in El Salvador”. López has publicly criticised the government’s mass incarceration of alleged gang members, many of whom have not been charged. Advertisement Cristosal, one of the most prominent human rights groups in Latin America, has assisted Salvadoran families caught in Bukele’s security policies, as well as more than 250 Venezuelan immigrants who have been deported to El Salvador under Trump’s administration. Bukele, who has called himself “the world’s coolest dictator” and has cultivated close ties with Trump, said earlier this year that El Salvador is ready to house US prisoners in a sprawling mega-prison opened last year. In March, Trump used rarely invoked wartime powers to send dozens of Venezuelans to El Salvador without trial, alleging ties to the Tren de Aragua gang – a charge their families and lawyers deny. The US Supreme Court on Friday barred the Trump administration from quickly resuming swift deportations of Venezuelans under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. In April, Cristosal reported that police had entered its offices during a news conference to film and photograph journalists and staff members – part of what observers say is a broader campaign of harassment and intimidation against civil society organisations and independent media. López was recognised by the BBC as one of the world’s 100 most inspiring and influential women for her commitment to justice and the rule of law. A joint statement signed by more than a dozen rights organisations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, demanded her immediate release. “El Salvador’s state of exception has not only been used to address gang-related violence but also as a tool to silence critical voices,” the statement said. Advertisement “Authoritarianism has increased in recent years as President Nayib Bukele has undermined institutions and the rule of law, and persecuted civil society organizations and independent journalists,” it added. Adblock test (Why?)
US PGA Championship 2025: Scottie Scheffler wins third major title
World number one Scottie Scheffler outlasts a final round challenge from Jon Rahm to record a five-stroke victory in golf’s second major of the year. Scottie Scheffler held off a spirited effort by Spain’s Jon Rahm to secure a five-shot PGA Championship victory at Quail Hollow Club for his third career major title. The top-ranked Scheffler, who was three shots clear of Swede Alex Noren at the start of the day, struggled off the tee early on Sunday but righted the ship in time for the back nine to card an even-par 71 that left him at 11 under for the week. “I knew it was going to be a challenging day, finishing off a major championship is always challenging,” Scheffler said on the 18th green after being presented with the Wanamaker Trophy. “I didn’t have my best stuff … but stepped it up on the back nine.” Ryder Cup hopeful Harris English, who began his day 11 shots adrift, shot a 65 that was the low round of the day and finished in a distant share of second place alongside fellow Americans Bryson DeChambeau (70) and Davis Riley (72). Twice major champion Rahm (73) gave Scheffler a scare early on the back nine but came apart in stunning fashion with five dropped shots over his final three holes to slide back into a share of eighth place. Advertisement Rahm, who began the day five shots back of the lead and playing two groups ahead of Scheffler, took a while to get going in the final round but found his groove right in time to set up some back-nine drama at Quail Hollow Club. The Spaniard joined Scheffler atop the leaderboard when, at the par-four 11th, he made his third birdie over a four-hole stretch, but Scheffler reclaimed the outright lead with a 9-foot birdie at the 10th moments later. Rahm nearly answered right back, but his perfectly paced 19-foot birdie attempt at the par-three 13th curled around and out of the cup before going on to misread birdie putts at the next two holes, followed by his brutal closing stretch. Jon Rahm, of Spain, reacts after missing a putt on the 16th hole during the final round of the PGA Championship [George Walker IV/AP] Scheffler added birdies at 14 and 15 and then saw his lead suddenly grow to five over JT Poston after Rahm made double-bogey at the par-three 17th, where he blasted his tee shot into the water. “It’s a tough pill to swallow right now,” said Rahm. “Pretty fresh wound right now. But there’s been a lot of good happening this week and a lot of positive feelings to take for the rest of the year.” US Open champion DeChambeau, who finished runner-up at last year’s PGA Championship, was driving the ball and giving himself chances, but struggled on the greens. “I felt like I had the game to win this week, and the golf course suited me pretty well, missed a few putts coming down the stretch and got a little unlucky in this great game of golf,” said DeChambeau. Advertisement “It was a good fight, good battle, take a lot from it. It’s just burning a bigger fire in my belly.” Noren, playing alongside Scheffler and alone in second place to start the day, stayed in the mix until his round unravelled with a trio of bogeys early on the back nine. Scheffler took home a $3.42m top prize from a record $19m purse. Scheffler plays a shot from the bunker on the 14th hole during the final round of the PGA Championship [Andrew Redington/Getty Images via AFP] Adblock test (Why?)
Trump-Putin call: What’s holding up a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire?
United States President Donald Trump has said he will speak with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on Monday to discuss an end to the war in Ukraine. His announcement came a day after direct talks between Russia and Ukraine, hosted by Turkiye, ended inconclusively. Before Trump’s call with Putin, European leaders spoke to the US president and voiced their hopes that Putin would accept a ceasefire. Trump said he also plans to speak to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after talking to Putin. Here is where talks on a potential ceasefire between Kyiv and Moscow stand, more than three years after Russia launched a full-fledged invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. What did Trump say? In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote that he would speak to Putin on a call at 10am (14:00 GMT). “THE SUBJECTS OF THE CALL WILL BE, STOPPING THE ‘BLOODBATH’ THAT IS KILLING, ON AVERAGE, MORE THAN 5000 RUSSIAN AND UKRAINIAN SOLDIERS A WEEK, AND TRADE,” Trump said in the post. He added that, after speaking to Putin, he would also speak to Zelenskyy and various NATO members. Advertisement “A CEASEFIRE WILL TAKE PLACE, AND THIS VERY VIOLENT WAR, A WAR THAT SHOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED, WILL END. GOD BLESS US ALL!!!” What happened during the Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul? On Friday, Turkiye hosted direct talks between Russia and Ukraine for the first time since the early days of the war in 2022 in Istanbul’s Dolmabahce Palace. Proposed by Putin, the talks were originally scheduled for May 15 but were deferred by a day. In advance of the talks, Zelenskyy had announced that he would personally attend the talks if Putin also joined the meeting. However, on May 14, the Kremlin announced that Putin would not attend, and instead announced a negotiating team led by a former culture minister who had also headed previous Russian delegations in unsuccessful talks on the war in Ukraine. In response, Zelenskyy, who was in Ankara, where he met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, appointed his defence minister to lead the Ukrainian delegation. The talks were ultimately held on Friday, but failed to yield any breakthrough on a ceasefire. However, the two sides reached a prisoner exchange deal. Representatives from both sides confirmed that each country had agreed to release 1,000 prisoners of war. The leader of the Russian delegation and adviser to Putin, Vladimir Medinsky, said the swap would take place “in the coming days”. The two teams also discussed a potential meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy, whose legitimacy as Ukraine’s leader has frequently been questioned by the Russian president. Advertisement What is holding up a ceasefire? Zelenskyy said Putin’s empty seat at the negotiating table kept a ceasefire agreement from taking shape since Russia was represented by a low-level delegation of officials who could not make decisions. But while the Ukrainian leader was critical of Putin, Trump appeared empathetic. At a news conference in Doha, Qatar, on the second leg of his Middle East trip last week, Trump suggested it was unrealistic to have expected Putin to attend the talks unless the US president attended too. He doubled down on that view hours later. “Nothing’s going to happen until Putin and I get together,” Trump told reporters on Thursday on board Air Force One flight to the United Arab Emirates, where the US president visited after Qatar. “Everyone could see that the Russian delegation in Istanbul was of a very low level. None of them were people who actually make decisions in Russia. Still, I sent our team,” Zelenskyy wrote in an X post on Friday after the talks in Turkiye concluded. What is each side saying? Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed to Russian news agencies that Putin would speak with Trump on Monday. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy met US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Rome on Sunday, on the margins of Pope Leo XIV’s inaugural mass. “We discussed negotiations in Istanbul to where the Russians sent a low level delegation of non-decision-makers,” Zelenskyy wrote in another X post. “I reaffirmed that Ukraine is ready to be engaged in real diplomacy and underscored the importance of a full and unconditional ceasefire as soon as possible.” Advertisement On Friday, after the talks, Zelenskyy wrote on X: “President Trump wants to end this war. We need to keep working closely with him and stay as coordinated as possible.” He also said long-term US support is essential. Ukraine is calling for an unconditional, 30-day ceasefire. Russia, however, has raised concerns that Ukraine might use such a truce to rearm and mobilise more troops. What is Europe saying? In advance of Trump’s call with Putin, leaders of the United Kingdom, the US, Italy, France and Germany discussed the war in Ukraine, a spokesperson representing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office said on Monday. French President Emmanuel Macron wrote in an X post that the conversation, which took place on Sunday, was between him, Trump, Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. “Tomorrow, President Putin must show he wants peace by accepting the 30-day unconditional ceasefire proposed by President Trump and backed by Ukraine and Europe,” Macron wrote. In an X post, Merz echoed Macron’s sentiments that Putin must accept the ceasefire proposal. “We want to continue this exchange today,” he wrote. In an X post, Meloni said Moscow ought to “seriously engage” through direct contact. What is the state of the war? On Sunday, Russia launched its largest drone attack since the beginning of the war, Ukraine said, killing at least one woman. The Ukrainian air force said Russia launched 273 drones on Sunday morning. Later on Sunday, Kyiv’s intelligence service claimed that it believed Russia planned to fire an intercontinental ballistic missile to intimidate the West. It was not clear if it actually happened. Moscow has not yet responded to these allegations. Advertisement Trump had pledged to bring a swift end to the war. And starting in February this year, representatives
Israel to allow limited food into Gaza amid intensified military offensive
Israel has said it will allow limited supplies of food into Gaza as it announced the launch of an intensified ground offensive into the battered Palestinian enclave. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that pressure from allies was behind the move. Late the previous evening, his office had said Israel would open the way for some food to enter the Gaza Strip following a “recommendation” from the army. The announcement came shortly after the Israeli military launched “extensive ground operations” that are reported to have killed more than 150 people in the last 24 hours. “Israel will allow a basic amount of food for the population to ensure that a hunger crisis does not develop in the Gaza Strip,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement late on Sunday. Pressure from allies The announcement comes amid mounting international pressure on Israel to lift a two-month-long siege that threatens widespread famine in the besieged territory. Netanyahu said in a video address on Monday that the move came after “allies” had voiced concern about “images of hunger”. Advertisement Israel’s “greatest friends in the world”, he said without mentioning specific countries, had said there is “one thing we cannot stand. We cannot accept images of hunger, mass hunger. We cannot stand that. We will not be able to support you.” “Therefore, to achieve victory, we need to somehow solve the problem,” Netanyahu said. The aid that would be let into Gaza would be “minimal”, he said, without specifying precisely when supplies would resume. A spokesperson for the United Nations aid chief, Tom Fletcher, confirmed the agency had been approached by Israel to “resume limited aid delivery”, adding that discussions are ongoing about the logistics, “given the conditions on the ground”. Munir al-Bursh, the director-general of Gaza’s Ministry of Health, said Palestinian authorities had not been informed when the border would be opened, Al Jazeera Arabic reported. Netanyahu’s far-right allies remain opposed to allowing any supplies into Gaza, insisting that military might and hunger will secure victory over Hamas. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir described the decision to allow limited food into the enclave as a “grave mistake”. Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu, from Ben-Gvir’s party, denounced the plan as a “tragedy”, saying it directly harms the “war effort to achieve victory” in Gaza. Israel has been accused of weaponising hunger and using the blockade to try to ethnically cleanse the enclave. Despite the blockade and intensified military offensive, sources on both sides told the Reuters news agency there has been no progress in a new round of indirect talks between Israel and Hamas in Qatar. Advertisement Netanyahu said the talks included discussions on a truce and a deal on the captives, as well as a proposal to end the war, in return for the exile of Hamas and the demilitarisation of the enclave – terms Hamas has previously rejected. The Israeli military suggested in a later statement that it could still scale down operations to help reach a deal in Doha, Qatar. However, Netanyahu stressed in his video address that the aim of the intensified offensive is for Israel’s forces to “take control of all” of Gaza. “The fighting is intense and we are making progress. We will take control of all the territory of the Strip,” he said. “We will not give up. But in order to succeed, we must act in a way that cannot be stopped.” Over the past week, Israel’s military said it had conducted a preliminary wave of strikes on more than 670 Hamas targets in Gaza. It said it killed dozens of Hamas fighters. Gaza’s Health Ministry said in the week to Sunday, at least 464 Palestinians were killed, many of them women and children. On Monday morning, sources told Al Jazeera that at least 23 Palestinians had been killed across Gaza since dawn, including five near al-Faluja market in Jabalia and six in Khan Younis. There have also been reports of Israeli attacks in and around Nasser Medical Complex, and the targeting of the intensive care unit at the Indonesian Hospital, where at least 55 people are trapped, including four doctors and eight nurses. Adblock test (Why?)
The UN says global hunger has hit a new high
Nearly 300 million people faced acute hunger in 2024. The world is dangerously off course, comes the stark warning from the United Nations after it found that more than 295 million people faced acute hunger in 2024. Fears are growing for the future as major donor countries are set to reduce funding this year. Climate change and economic crises are affecting 96 million people in 18 countries, including Syria and Yemen. Conflict and violence are the leading causes of the world’s largest humanitarian crisis in Sudan, after two years of civil war. In Gaza, Israel’s blockade of all food, water and medicine has entered a third month, creating a manufactured crisis. So is global food hunger a failure of systems – or a failure of humanity? Presenter: Guests: Chris Gunness – Former director of communications at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Elise Nalbandian – Regional advocacy and campaign manager for Oxfam in Africa Sara Hayat – Specialist in climate change law and policy Adblock test (Why?)
Centrist Trzaskowski leads first round in Poland’s tight presidential poll
The ruling party’s pro-European Union candidate and a right-wing nationalist are set for a decisive second-round showdown on June 1. Rafal Trzaskowski from Poland’s ruling centrist Civic Coalition (KO) is narrowly ahead of Karol Nawrocki, the candidate backed by the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party, in the first round of the country’s presidential election. It sets up a close battle to determine if the nation stays on a pro-European path or leans closer to admirers of United States President Donald Trump. On Sunday, Trzaskowski, the liberal Warsaw Mayor, placed first with 30.8 percent of the vote, ahead of Nawrocki, a conservative historian, who had 29.1 percent, the Ipsos exit poll showed. If confirmed, the result would mean the two will go head-to-head in a run-off vote on June 1. “We are going for victory. I said that it would be close, and it is close,” Trzaskowski told supporters. “There is a lot, a lot, of work ahead of us and we need determination.” Nawrocki also told supporters he was confident of victory in the second round. The campaign has largely revolved around foreign policy at a time of heightened security concerns in Poland, a key member of NATO and the European Union bordering war-torn Ukraine, and fears that the US’s commitment to European security could be wavering in the Trump era. Advertisement Commenting on X, Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who has forged a pro-European track, said the next two weeks will decide the future of Poland. In Poland, the president has the power to veto laws. A Trzaskowski victory in the second round would enable Tusk’s government to implement an agenda that includes rolling back judicial reforms introduced by PiS that critics say undermined the independence of the courts. However, if Nawrocki wins, the impasse that has existed since Tusk became prime minister in 2023 would be set to continue. Until now, PiS-ally President Andrzej Duda has stymied Tusk’s efforts. If the exit poll is confirmed, other candidates in the first round – including Slawomir Mentzen from the far-right Confederation Party, Parliament Speaker Szymon Holownia of the centre-right Poland 2050, and Magdalena Biejat from the Left – will be eliminated. Two updated polls that take into account partial official results will be published later Sunday evening and early on Monday morning Trzaskowski has pledged to cement Poland’s role as a major player at the heart of Europe in contrast with PiS, which was frequently at odds with Brussels over rule-of-law concerns. Social issues have also been a major theme on the campaign trail, with Nawrocki framing himself as a guardian of conservative values and Trzaskowski drawing support from liberal voters for his pledges to back abortion and LGBTQ rights. Adblock test (Why?)
Former US President Biden diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer
Doctors discovered the cancer in Joe Biden last week after urinary symptoms and the detection of a prostate nodule. Former United States President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with “aggressive” prostate cancer, his office has said in a statement. Biden was seen last week by doctors after urinary symptoms developed and a prostate nodule was found. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer on Friday, with the cancer cells having spread to the bone, the statement released on Sunday said. “While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive, which allows for effective management,” his office said. “The President and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians”, it added. The health of the 82-year-old Biden was a key concern among US voters during his time as president and became more so during the 2024 campaign. After a calamitous debate performance in June 2024, Biden abandoned his bid for a second term. Then-Vice President Kamala Harris became the nominee and lost to Donald Trump, who returned to the White House after a four-year hiatus. Advertisement Biden, a self-proclaimed Zionist, was also heavily criticised in some quarters at home and overseas for his unconditional support for Israel in its punishing Gaza war after the Hamas-led October 7 attack, and for not using Washington’s leverage to rein in US ally Israel, as death and devastation wracked Palestinians in Gaza. In recent days, Biden rejected concerns about his age despite reporting in the new book Original Sin that aides had shielded the public from the extent of his cognitive decline while he served as president. Prostate cancers are given a ranking called a Gleason score that measures, on a scale of 1 to 10, how the cancerous cells look compared with normal cells. Biden’s score of 9 suggests his cancer is among the most aggressive. When prostate cancer spreads to other parts of the body, it often spreads to the bones. Metastasised cancer is much harder to treat than localised cancer because it can be hard for drugs to reach all the tumours and completely root out the disease. Adblock test (Why?)
Children among 125 Palestinians killed in Israeli barrage across Gaza
The Israeli military has killed hundreds of Palestinians in the past several days as it expands its ground invasion. The Israeli military has killed at least 125 Palestinians, including children sleeping in tents, as it unleashed a wave of air strikes across the Gaza Strip in the early hours of Sunday. At least 36 people were killed and more than 100 wounded after Israeli warplanes bombed a tent camp sheltering displaced Palestinians in the al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, medical sources told Al Jazeera. Horrific verified videos from the scene showed many bodies, including some on fire. The dead and wounded were taken to a nearby field hospital and the Nasser Medical Complex. At least 125 people were killed on Sunday morning, including 42 in the heavily-bombarded northern parts of Gaza, medical sources told Al Jazeera Arabic. Three journalists were also among the victims. The death toll has been rising sharply in the past four days, with hundreds massacred as the Israeli military prepares to significantly intensify its ground invasion of the Palestinian territory despite international criticism. Advertisement Hamas said in a statement early on Sunday that the attacks on displaced Palestinians in Khan Younis marked a “brutal crime” that was a flagrant violation of international laws and norms. “By granting the terrorist occupation government political and military cover, the United States administration bears direct responsibility for this insane escalation in the targeting of innocent civilians in the Gaza Strip, including children, women, and the elderly,” the Palestinian group said. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has condemned Israel’s expanding operation in Gaza. “I am alarmed by reported plans by Israel to expand ground operations and more.” A picture released by the Israeli army shows expanded military operations in a location given as northern Gaza, in this handout image released on May 17, 2025 [Israeli army/Handout via Reuters] On Saturday, both Israel and Hamas confirmed that more mediated talks were under way in Qatar. Israel emphasised that the talks are being held with no conditions, including the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, which has been completely blocked since March 2 despite looming famine. Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Sunday called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to pull the negotiating team back from Doha talks and refrain from signing any deal with Hamas. The Israeli military has also been systematically targeting hospitals across the enclave and putting them out of commission, including two hospitals in the past week. Advertisement Gaza’s Ministry of Health announced in a statement on Sunday that the Israeli army had laid siege to the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza since dawn. This meant that “a state of panic and confusion has prevailed among patients, the wounded, and medical staff” as a result of the attacks, hindering medical care with very limited resources still available, it added. Adblock test (Why?)
Mexican Navy sailing ship crashes into Brooklyn Bridge in New York
NewsFeed Videos show the moment a Mexican Navy training ship crashed into New York’s Brooklyn Bridge, resulting in the deaths of two crew members and injuring dozens more. Eyewitnesses describe seeing people dangling from the snapped masts of the sailing vessel, the ARM Cuauhtémoc. Published On 18 May 202518 May 2025 Adblock test (Why?)
Pro-Palestinian protesters rally around the world to mark ‘Nakba Day’
Tens of thousands of people have rallied across the world in solidarity with Palestinians amid Israel’s brutal war on Gaza and to mark the 1948 ethnic cleansing of Palestinians by Jewish militias, remembered as the Nakba, or catastrophe. The Nakba resulted in the permanent mass displacement of Palestinians after the creation of Israel in 1948. Activists say that history is repeating itself today in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. In Stockholm, thousands assembled at Odenplan Square, responding to calls from various civil society organisations to protest against Israeli attacks on Gaza. Participants waved Palestinian flags, displayed photographs of children killed, and carried banners stating: “Stop the Zionist regime’s genocide in Palestine”. Many demonstrators bore placards listing the names of civilians killed in Gaza, seeking to highlight the ongoing massacre. Meanwhile, in London, United Kingdom, hundreds of thousands marched towards Downing Street, demanding an end to what they described as Israel’s genocide in Gaza, 77 years on from the Nakba. Protesters, some dressed in keffiyehs and waving Palestinian flags, chanted slogans such as “Stop the genocide in Gaza”, “Free Palestine”, and “Israel is a terror state”. Advertisement The demonstrators denounced the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip, accusing it of deliberately starving more than two million Palestinians, and criticised the UK government for its political and military backing of Israel, alleging complicity in the humanitarian crisis. In Berlin, Germany, people gathered at Potsdamer Platz to protest against Israeli attacks on Gaza. Demonstrators waved Palestinian flags and held signs reading: “Your silence is complicity” and “You cannot kill us all”. Women in traditional dress carrying Nakba-themed visuals were also present. The event took place amid heavy security measures, with at least three people reportedly detained. A solidarity march was held in Athens, Greece, where protesters, adorned in keffiyehs and carrying Palestinian flags, marched first to the embassies of the United States and Israel. Protests have erupted after hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in the past few days as Israel intensified its attacks, with the announcement of a new ground offensive. Globally, May 15 was observed as the 77th anniversary of the expulsion of 700,000 Palestinians from their homes following the establishment of Israel in 1948. The Israeli military has killed 53,272 Palestinians and injured 120,673 since it launched an offensive on October 7, 2023, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health. The Government Media Office updated the death toll to more than 61,700, noting that thousands still missing beneath the rubble are presumed dead. Adblock test (Why?)