Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan met Mehmet Simsek, a market-friendly former finance minister, in the capital Ankara on Monday

South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham has said that he considers the Russian government’s issuance of a warrant for his arrest to be high praise for his steadfast support for Ukraine. Moscow’s Interior Ministry issued the warrant for Mr Graham’s arrest after an edited video of his recent meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky showed him saying US military assistance for Kyiv was “the best money we’ve ever spent” because “Russians are dying”. The video, which was put out by Mr Zelensky’s office, sparked outrage in Russia. Kremlin spokesperson Dimitry Peskov criticised Mr Graham in remarks on Sunday in which he said it was “hard to imagine” a “greater shame” for the US than having a man like Mr Graham as a senator. But the South Carolina Republican appeared not to be bothered by either the warrant or the comments from Mr Peskov. Writing on Twitter on Monday, he wrote: “I will wear the arrest warrant issued by Putin’s corrupt and immoral government as a Badge of Honour”. Mr Graham is also on a list of more than 200 US representatives and senators who have been banned from entering Russia. He later added that “to know that [his] commitment to Ukraine has drawn the ire of Putin’s regime brings [him] immense joy” and said he would “continue to stand with and for Ukraine’s freedom until every Russian soldier is expelled from Ukrainian territory”. Read More Ukraine-Russia war news – live: Kyiv warns Putin of revenge attack after missile strikes Ukraine warns of revenge attacks after wave of Russian missile strikes on Kyiv Belarus has no immediate plans to adopt Russian currency, its strongman leader Lukashenko says

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro called for a “multi-polar” world rather than one dominated by the US, as he

Glenn Edwards was a steelworker before finding a love for photography in his mid 20s by chance.

The White House and Republican congressional leaders geared up lobbying campaigns to win approval of a deal to

Treasury futures linked to the 10- to 30-year part of the US government bond market rallied on light

President Joe Biden on Monday said his grief for his late son Beau Biden gives him insight into pain felt by parents and family of deceased US service members, as he commemorated the nation’s honoured dead the day before the eighth anniversary of his son’s death from brain cancer. Speaking at Arlington National Cemetery just feet from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, where unidentified servicemen from the Korean War and both the First and Second World War are guarded by US Army sentries, Mr Biden urged Americans to “never forget the price that was paid to protect our democracy” by “those who died so our nation might live”. He noted that each of the “flags, flowers, and marble markers” at Arlington represents “a mother, a father, a son a daughter, a sister, a spouse, a friend” and “an American” whose loss may still be grieved by loved ones, even many years later. “Every year we remember and every year it never gets easier,” he said. Addressing America’s Gold Star families — those who’ve lost a family member in military service — Mr Biden said he knows how painful Memorial Day can be for them each year because it “can reopen ... that black hole in the centre of your chest”. “You feel like you're just sinking ... bringing you back to that exact moment you heard that knock on the door or the telephone ring, the exact moment you had to tell your children that mom or dad would not be coming home,” he said. “The hurt is still real — it's still raw”. The president noted that tomorrow, 30 May, will mark eight years since Beau Biden — his late firstborn son who served as Delaware’s attorney general as well as a Judge Advocate in the National Guard — passed away from brain cancer. Mr Biden, who has often been criticised for suggesting that his son’s death stemmed from his service in Iraq despite the fact that Beau Biden’s time overseas saw him exposed to toxic burn pits which medical experts say can cause cancer, took care this time to say that his late son “did not perish on the battlefield”. While he told attendees at the Arlington ceremony that Beau’s death and those of soldiers who lost their lives in combat were “not the same,” he said the pain of his loss is still “particularly sharp” on Memorial Day each year. He also said his late son, who held the rank of Major in the Delaware Army National Guard, lived by the same code as “all those you lost lived by”. “It’s the creed that millions of service members have followed, from the fields of Yorktown, to the shores of Normandy, to the rice paddies of Khe Sanh, to the valleys of Kandahar”. “Throughout history these women and men laid down their lives. Not for a place or a person or a president, but for an idea unlike any other idea in all of human history — the idea of the United States of America,” he said. He said the “sanctuary” of Arlington “honours that sacrifice and tells their stories, and in turn tells our story, the American story ... a story of the patriots who died to deliver a nation where everyone is entitled to certain unalienable rights, among them, life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness”. “Each of them is a link in a chain of honour that stretches back to our founding fathers,” he added. Read More Diverse Republican presidential primary field sees an opening in 2024 with voters of color Biden, GOP reach debt-ceiling deal, now Congress must approve it to prevent calamitous default Why Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's impeachment fight isn't finished yet Mechanical sails? Batteries? Shippers forming 'green corridors' to fast-track cleaner technologies Minnesota governor vetoes higher pay for Lyft, Uber drivers On 3rd anniversary of George Floyd's death, Biden stops GOP-led effort to block DC police reform law

Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan celebrated his presidential run-off victory on Monday after an election that stretched his rule into a third decade, lashing out at “LGBT+ forces” in the country. In his victory speech in the Istanbul district of Uskudar three hours after the polls had closed, Mr Erdogan claimed to have achieved “a victory where nobody is left behind”. However, he went on to hit out at LGBT+ people and said the opposition was promoting gay rights, an appeal to his ultra-conservative religious base. “In our culture, family is sacred. No one can interfere. We will strangle anyone who dares to touch it,” he told supporters, according to a report by The Times. His victory had opened the door to the “century for Turkey”, he added. The election had been seen as Erdogan’s biggest political challenge for years, with opinion polls making opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu the favourite to unseat him. Yet Mr Erdogan was ahead by four percentage points in the first round, and prevailed in the run-off with 52.2 per cent of the vote to Mr Kilicdaroglu’s 47.8 per cent. Mr Kilicadaroglu said it was “the most unfair election in years” but did not dispute the outcome. He had promised to set Turkey on a more democratic and collaborative path during the election, yet also lurched towards the right with anti-immigrant rhetoric in the final stretch of the campaign. The victory extends Mr Erdogan’s tenure as the longest-serving leader since Mustafa Kemal Ataturk established modern Turkey following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire a century ago. Following Sunday night’s results, US president Joe Biden wrote on Twitter of Mr Erdogan: “I look forward to continuing to work together as Nato Allies on bilateral issues and shared global challenges.” Mr Erdogan is set to speak with Mr Biden over the phone later on Monday, broadcaster NTV reported citing a presidential spokesperson. Relations between US and Turkey have suffered in recent months due to Mr Erdogan’s objections to Sweden joining Nato as well as Ankara’s relationship with Moscow. While Mr Erdogan now has the mandate to rule Turkey till 2028, he has to confront skyrocketing inflation that has fuelled a cost-of-living crisis. He also has to oversee rebuilding efforts in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake that killed more than 50,000 people in February. Additional reporting by agencies Read More Only Erdogan knows his plans for Turkey’s future. That is the problem Erdogan declared winner of Turkey presidential run-off – extending his 20 years in power Why Turkey’s presidential run-off matters for the world Turkey's Erdogan turns away reform-minded challenger to win another term What the papers say – May 29 Analysis: Only Erdogan knows his plans for Turkey’s future. That is the problem

Former Congresswoman Liz Cheney spoke about the political test she faced in the immediate aftermath of January 6 during her address to graduates of Colorado College this weekend. Ms Cheney, once a member of Republican leadership and now a pariah in her own party, spoke to graduates on Sunday. She graduated from the school with a degree in political science in 1988. The ex-lawmaker has left open the possibility of running for office again in the future after her defeat in Wyoming’s GOP primary to now-Congresswoman Harriet Hageman last year. She has even hinted that she may run for president in 2024, setting herself up for a potential debate-stage clash with former President Donald Trump himself. “After the 2020 election and the attack of January 6th, my fellow Republicans wanted me to lie. They wanted me to say the 2020 election was stolen, the attack of January 6th wasn’t a big deal, and Donald Trump wasn’t dangerous,” she told students and families in her address Sunday, according to the Associated Press. “I had to choose between lying and losing my position in House leadership.” The former congresswoman also referenced recent comments by an adviser to Mr Trump, Cleta Mitchell, who recently told a Republican National Committee gathering that the GOP should work to make it harder for college students to vote, given the demographic’s progressive bent. The comments, Ms Cheney said, were an example of the Trump movement’s continued threat to American democracy. “Cleta Mitchell, an election denier and adviser to former President Trump, told a gathering of Republicans recently that it is crucially important to make sure that college students don’t vote,” Ms Cheney said. “Those who are trying to unravel the foundations of our republic, who are threatening the rule of law and the sanctity of our elections, know they can’t succeed if you vote.” She would be a longshot contender for the GOP nomination, given the Republican primary electorate’s continued support for Mr Trump. There’s little reason to suggest that any Cheney 2024 bid would end differently than her 2022 bid for re-election, where her refusal to support Mr Trump’s continued lies and conspiracies about his loss to Joe Biden cost her a seat in Congress. But she remains an active player on the national stage, maintaining her political profile, as she and other anti-Trump Republicans like Maryland’s Larry Hogan and New Hampshire’s Chris Sununu bide their time and hunt for openings and opportunities in a party that by and large no longer resembles them. Though Ms Cheney’s defeat marked a pattern of Trump rivals losing their races in 2022, the former president’s work to purge the GOP of his enemies was not without its own setbacks; in two key races in Georgia, where Mr Trump and his legal team sought to overturn the valid results of the 2020 election, the former president saw two Republican who had opposed those efforts, Gov Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, re-elected against his endorsement. Read More Trump says DeSantis to blame for Disney becoming ‘woke’ and ‘disgusting’ Trump's welcome of Scott into 2024 race shows his calculus: The more GOP rivals, the better for him Texas GOP attorney general Ken Paxton impeached by Republican-controlled Statehouse Donald Trump Jr shares doctored Office clip showing Ron DeSantis wearing a woman’s suit Kimberly Guilfoyle threatens DeSantis: ‘You’re going to get hurt, and damaged – badly’ Biden marks Memorial Day nearly 2 years after ending America's longest war, lauds troops' sacrifice

Four people have died after a tourist boat capsized during a storm in Italy. Authorities confirmed on Monday that four bodies had been recovered from Lake Maggiore in the north’s Lombardy region after divers searched overnight. The victims included an Israeli tourist, two Italians and the Russian wife of the skipper, according to Italian newspaper La Reppublica. The boat had reportedly departed from a shipyard in Sesto Calende as part of a birthday outing. Sky Italia has reported that British nationals were among the 20 passengers on board. A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “We are in contact with local authorities in Italy after a boat accident and are ready to provide consular assistance to any British nationals involved.” A sudden whirlwind upturned the boat on Sunday evening. Rescue efforts managed to save 19 people from the water, with many reportedly either swimming to the shore or being picked up by neighbouring boats. The boat overturned between the towns of Sesto Calende and Arona, Italian media say. Five people are reported to have been taken to hospital, say reports, and the boat is now lies wrecked 15 metres below the surface of the lake. The whirlwind was part of a storm system that arrived in Lombardy on Sunday evening that had seen delays at Milan Malpensa airport in the region’s capital. A video released on Sunday shows pieces of wood floating on top of the lake whilst a helicopter flew overhead. The president of the Lombardy region, Attilio Fontana, confirmed in a Facebook post that the boat, which had more than 20 passengers on board, as well as crew, was 16 metres long and had been hired by tourists. He said the “very serious incident” had been “caused by a whirlwind”. According to La Reppublica, Claudio Carminati, 53, lived on the boat, which resembled a houseboat, along with his Russian partner, Anya Bozhkova, 50, who is among the reported dead. The mayor of Sesto Calende, which lies at the Southern tip of Lake Maggiore, said that there had been “no weather alert” prior to the storm, according to the paper. A large lake located on the southern side of the Alps, Lake Maggiore is the second-largest lake in Italy and the largest in southern Switzerland. The lake is divided – both the lake and its shoreline - between the Italian regions of Piedmont and Lombardy and the Swiss canton of Ticino. Read More Three dead, one still missing after capsize of tourist boat in storm on Italian lake Tourist boat overturns on Italian lake, at least 1 dead; several missing More than two dozen Pakistan citizens among dead in Italy migrant boat disaster British millionaire owner of Covid mask firm killed in yacht crash in Italy Severe flooding in Italy kills 2; drought persists Kosovo Serbs gather to take over municipality buildings in the north UK police to ‘help’ crackdown on people trafficking gangs in North Africa Pope Francis resumes regular appointments after canceling schedule with a fever

A 20-year-old Arizona man who allegedly confessed to shooting four people dead and wounding a fifth person told police he carried out the killing spree due to a hatred of drugs and homelessness, court documents show. Iren Byers claimed responsibility for the shootings after he was taken into custody for trespassing near Main St and Extension Rd in Mesa, Phoenix, on Sunday, according to a statement from the Mesa Police Department. Mr Byers was cooperative and told police where they could find a 9mm handgun and clothing he had been wearing during the shootings, according to the release. Shell casings from each of the shootings in Mesa and Phoenix were linked to the 9mm pistol found in a fanny pack in his room at his grandmother’s apartment, police said. The first shooting occurred at around 2.45pm on Friday near 26th and Oak St, in east Phoenix. According to the documents obtained by The Independent, Mr Byers said he had been walking along a canal with with 41-year-old Nicholas Arnstad. Mr Byers told police he shot Arnstad in the head because he was smoking fentanyl, which had angered him because his brother had also abused the deadly opiate. Police found Arnstad’s body soon afterwards. Mesa police officers were called to Beverly Park at about 10.30pm on Friday night where they found the body of 41-year-old Julian Cox, according to the statement. Mr Byers later claimed he had shot Cox in the head after he started talking about using “blues”, which is a street name for fentanyl, according to the court papers. Mr Byers told investigators he then met Stephen Young, 41, at a Circle K and rode with him on light rail. Mr Byers claimed that he wanted to smoke marijuana, and that Young spoke about using fentanyl. He allegedly confessed to shooting Young in the head before taking off. Police found Young’s body near a Greyhound station on Country Club Rd at about midnight. Mr Byers told investigators he then met 40-year-old John Swain, who he said was homeless and not from the Phoenix area, while walking on nearby railroad tracks, according to the probable cause statement. He said he shot Swain once, and continued to shoot him as he fell down a hill, according to the court papers. Officers found his body near Extension Road and Main Street at about 1am on Saturday. Mr Byers then met his final victim, identified as 36-year-old Angela Fonseca, while walking on Main St. He claimed to have shot her in the face after getting angry at her. Ms Fonseca was found just after midnight, and was taken to hospital where she was underwent several surgeries. Doctors say she is expected to survive. Mr Byers was initially arrested on a trespassing charge, and was reportedly cooperative with police officers. He allegedly told investigators they could find the 9mm handgun and clothing at his grandmother’s house, police said. At least one shell casing from each crime scene matched the weapon, according to documents. Security footage also showed Mr Byers wearing clothes that matched the recovered items, the papers stated. Mr Byers has been booked into prison without bond on four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder. “Knowing that Iren Byers will have to face the consequences of his unjustified actions is the start of justice to be seen,” Mesa Police Detective Brandi George said in a statement. Read More Aderrien Murry called 911 to help his mom. A police officer shot the 11-year-old as he complied with commands Succession finale review: Kendall’s wretched past comes back to bite him in poetic, violent last episode Fight over photograph sparks New Mexico biker brawl that leaves three dead and six injured

Ron DeSantis is facing three new lawsuits after he signed a new law just hours before announcing his presidential campaign – legislation which makes it harder to vote in Florida. The bill allows Mr DeSantis to continue as governor in the Sunshine State as he campaigns for the White House, but it also restricts the use of mail-in ballots, attempts to make it easier to purge voting rolls, and places limits on third-party voter registration organisations, according to Mother Jones. Meanwhile, Mr DeSantis is facing fresh fire from his top 2024 rival Donald Trump. The ex-president took to Truth Social this weekend to claim that Mr DeSantis is responsible for entertainment giant Disney becoming “woke”. “Disney has become a Woke and Disgusting shadow of its former self, with people actually hating it. Must go back to what it once was, or the ‘market’ will do irreparable damage,” he wrote on Truth Social. “This all happened during the Governorship of ‘Rob’ DeSanctimonious. Instead of complaining now, for publicity reasons only, he should have stopped it long ago. Would have been easy to do - Still is!” Read More Donald Trump Jr shares doctored Office clip showing Ron DeSantis wearing a woman’s suit DeSantis accuses Trump of ‘moving to the left’ as he tells ex-president: ‘You’ve changed’ Trump's welcome of Scott into 2024 race shows his calculus: The more GOP rivals, the better for him Disney opposes DeSantis request to disqualify judge in free speech lawsuit