International

The British Conservative Party withdraws its support for two candidates investigated for betting on the date of the elections

The British Conservative Party decided on Tuesday to withdraw its support for the two candidates for the July 4 general elections in the United Kingdom who are being investigated for having bet on what the date of the elections would be.

“As a result of internal investigations, we have concluded that we can no longer support Craig Williams or Laura Saunders as parliamentary candidates in the next general elections,” said a spokesman for the Conservatives.

The scandal, which has further damaged the bad prospects of the ‘tories’ of achieving victory, comes just over a week before the elections, in which the Labour of Keir Starmer appear as great favorites in front of the conservatives of the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak.

The party’s spokesman assured that the Gambling Commission has confirmed, after being consulted, that the decision does not interfere with the investigation that that body is carrying out on its side.

In his first reaction to the news, Starmer, who has criticized Sunak for not taking action, asked himself: “Why didn’t this happen a week ago?”

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So far, the prime minister, who declared himself “very angry” about the scandal, had chosen not to intervene so as not to interfere with the Gambling Commission.

However, even within his own ranks there was an increasing number of voices that asked him to act to stop a case that has damaged the credibility of the ruling party.

In addition to Williams and Saunders, the latter’s husband and head of the ‘tories’ electoral campaign, Tony Lee, and the Conservative Party’s data director, Nick Mason, both of whom are currently on leave, are also being investigated.

A member of the Prime Minister’s security team has also been suspended for this case.

Sunak announced by surprise on May 22 the date of the general elections for July 4, which was unexpected because the ‘tory’ leader had indicated that it could be in the fall.

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International

Two killed in shooting at restaurant near Frankfurt Airport

Two people were shot dead early Tuesday at a restaurant in Raunheim, near Frankfurt Airport, according to local police.

Preliminary findings indicate that an armed individual entered the establishment at around 03:45 local time (02:45 GMT) and opened fire on the victims, who died at the scene from their injuries.

The suspect fled and remains at large, while the motive behind the shooting is still unclear, German media reported. Authorities have launched a large-scale search operation.

International

U.S. counterterrorism chief resigns over opposition to war in Iran

Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced Tuesday that he has resigned from his post, citing his opposition to the ongoing war in Iran.

In a post on X, Kent said he could not, “in good conscience,” support the conflict, arguing that Iran did not pose an imminent threat to the United States. He also claimed that the war was driven by pressure from Israel and its lobbying influence in Washington.

In a resignation letter addressed to Donald Trump, Kent alleged that at the start of the current administration, senior Israeli officials and influential figures in U.S. media carried out a disinformation campaign that undermined the “America First” platform and fostered pro-war sentiment aimed at triggering a conflict with Iran.

Kent further stated that he could not support sending a new generation of Americans to “fight and die in a war that provides no benefit to the American people and does not justify the cost in American lives.”

Since the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran on February 28, at least 13 U.S. service members have been killed, while 10 others have been seriously wounded and around 200 have sustained minor injuries, according to a report published by The Wall Street Journal.

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International

German president warns Iran war could spread and disrupt Strait of Hormuz

The president of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, warned Monday that the war involving Iran could expand and further disrupt shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. He urged a swift end to hostilities between Iran, United States and Israel.

Speaking in Panama City during a joint appearance with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, Steinmeier said available information suggests Iran has significant capacity to disrupt maritime traffic through the key oil route.

“Iran has considerable potential to interfere with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” Steinmeier said through an interpreter. “We should therefore reach an end to the hostilities as soon as possible and call on all parties involved to make that happen.”

The remarks came during Steinmeier’s visit to Panama, the first by a German president to the Central American nation.

The German leader described the possibility of the conflict spreading as “very dangerous,” saying recent developments indicate that such a scenario cannot be ruled out.

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Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump urged allied nations to help ensure safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran moved to block the waterway in response to U.S. strikes. However, several allies—particularly in Europe—have shown little support for the proposal.

“Some are very enthusiastic, others are not, and some are countries we have helped for many years,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We have protected them from terrible external threats, and they’re not that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm is important to me.”

Meanwhile, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, said the Strait of Hormuz falls “outside NATO’s scope” and stressed that “the war involving Iran is not Europe’s war.”