- Associated Press
South Africa's top court rules former President Zuma cannot stand in election over criminal record
South Africa's highest court ruled Monday that former President Jacob Zuma is not allowed to stand as a candidate for Parliament in a national election next week because of a previous criminal conviction, a decision that's likely to increase political tensions ahead of a pivotal vote. The Constitutional Court said that a section of the constitution disqualifying people from standing for office if they've been sentenced to more than 12 months in prison without the option of a fine does apply to the 82-year-old Zuma. Zuma was sentenced to 15 months in prison in 2021 by the Constitutional Court for contempt of court for refusing to testify at a judicial inquiry into government corruption.
- Reuters
Greek PM urges EU to tackle high prices ahead of elections
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has urged the European Union to bring down prices as soon as possible, which he labelled a crucial political challenge ahead of European parliamentary elections. In a May 18 letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the Greek conservative leader said that inflation had highlighted problems in the functioning of the markets which led to discrepancies in prices of essential goods across the 27-nation bloc. In Greece, he said, and other countries including Belgium, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark and Slovakia, essential consumer goods made by multinational companies were sold at "unreasonably high prices" compared with other EU member states.
- Associated Press
Ireland's top diplomat concerned over slow pace of justice in peacekeeper's killing in Lebanon
Ireland’s top diplomat in a visit to Lebanon on Monday expressed his concern over the slow progress in criminal proceedings against several Lebanese men charged with the killing of an Irish peacekeeper in 2022 in the tiny Mediterranean country. Micheál Martin, Irish foreign and defense minister, said he was “very, very concerned” about the case.
