Two blown bridges in Russia kill at least 7, injure 69
Moscow — At least seven people were killed and 69 injured when two bridges were blown up in separate Russian regions bordering Ukraine ahead of planned peace talks aimed at ending the three-year-old war in Ukraine, Russian officials said on Sunday.
A highway bridge over a railway in the Bryansk region was blown up at 10.50pm (7.50pm GMT) on Saturday while a passenger train carrying 388 passengers to Moscow was passing underneath, Russian investigators said.
Just four hours later, a railway bridge over a highway was blown up in the neighbouring Kursk region, showering the road with parts of a freight train.
Russia’s Investigative Committee, which probes serious crimes, linked the incidents and said explicitly that both bridges were blown up. Reuters
New Gaza arrival GHF claims Israeli attack killed 30
Cairo — An Israeli attack near an aid distribution point run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) killed at least 30 people in Rafah, Palestinian news agency Wafa and Hamas-affiliated media said on Sunday.
There was no immediate comment from Israel on the reported attack, which Wafa said injured more than 115 people.
The GHF, also backed by Israel, recently started operating in Gaza. While some Palestinians expressed concern over its neutrality and biometric and other checks Israel said it would employ, Israeli officials said it allowed screening of recipients to exclude anyone found to be connected with Hamas.
On May 28, Hamas accused Israel of killing at least three Palestinians and wounding 46 near one of the GHF’s distribution sites, an accusation the aid group denied.
The Israeli military also said its troops fired warning shots in the area outside the compound to re-establish control, as thousands of Palestinians rushed to an aid distribution site. Reuters
Trump yanks Musk ally as Nasa head nominee
Washington — The White House withdrew Jared Isaacman on Saturday as its nominee for Nasa administrator, abruptly yanking a close ally of Elon Musk from consideration to lead the space agency.
President Donald Trump said he would announce a new candidate soon.
“After a thorough review of prior associations, I am hereby withdrawing the nomination of Jared Isaacman to head Nasa,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social site.
Isaacman, a billionaire private astronaut who had been Musk’s pick to lead Nasa, was due next week for a much-delayed confirmation vote before the US Senate. His removal from consideration caught many in the space industry by surprise. Reuters
Europe prepared to hit back at Trump steel tariffs
Brussels — The European Commission said on Saturday that Europe was prepared to retaliate against President Donald Trump’s plan to double tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, raising the prospect of an escalating trade fight between two of the world’s largest economic powers.
Trump’s announcement on Friday that he would increase tariffs on imported steel and aluminum to 50% from 25%, intensifies his global trade war and came just hours after he accused China of violating an agreement with the US to mutually roll back levies and trade restrictions for critical minerals.
The European Commission said it “strongly” regrets Trump’s plan to increase tariffs, adding it “undermines ongoing efforts to reach a negotiated solution.” Reuters
UK’s Reeves facing key multi-year spending review
London — British finance minister Rachel Reeves’ key decision in next week’s multi-year spending review will be how much to spend on healthcare versus other public services, the Institute for Fiscal Studies think tank said on Sunday.
Reeves is due to set out day-to-day spending limits for other government departments on June 11 which will run through to the end of March 2029 — almost until the end of the Labour government’s expected term in office.
Britain has held periodic government spending reviews since 1998, but this is the first since 2015 to cover multiple years, other than one in 2021 focused on the Covid-19 pandemic.
The non-partisan IFS said this spending review could prove to be “one of the most significant domestic policy events” for the current Labour government. Reuters
Indonesia quarry collapse claims 19
Jakarta — A rock collapse at a quarry at Cirebon in West Java province has killed 19 people, injured eight and six are still missing, local police said on Sunday. Indonesian search and rescue agency Basarnas said authorities continued their search for people trapped in the rubble after the collapse on Friday. Police said they had named two suspects for environmental law violations, as well as for not providing safety equipment and for negligence. Reuters
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