Sean and Catherine Lowe reveal the amount of time 'Bachelor' contestants really spend together

Reuters
Hard right wants more EU power to reflect likely election gains
From his office in a distant annexe, French right-wing lawmaker Jean-Paul Garraud has his sights set on a spot much closer to the decision-making heart of the European Parliament. The chair of France's Rassemblement National (RN) lawmakers expects nationalist and eurosceptic parties to surge in the June 6-9 EU assembly election, giving them a first taste of influence in Brussels and Strasbourg, if other right and centre-right parties work with them. Polls predict radical right parties will gain across the EU, including France, Germany and Italy where many seats are at stake, as voters frustrated by a cost of living and energy crisis, illegal migration, and rattled by a changing geo-political landscape seek alternatives beyond mainstream parties.
Associated Press
Civil rights leader Daisy Bates and singer Johnny Cash to replace Arkansas statues at the US Capitol
When Arkansas lawmakers decided five years ago to replace the statues representing the state at the U.S. Capitol, there was little objection to getting rid of the existing sculptures. The statues that had stood there for more than 100 years were obscure figures in the state's history. “I remember giving tours to constituents from Arkansas, to young people, and I would point out the two representatives in Statuary Hall in our United States Capitol from Arkansas,” said former Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who also served in Congress.
AFP
Ode to joy: How Austria shaped Beethoven's Ninth
The night Ludwig van Beethoven's monumental Ninth Symphony rang out in a Vienna concert hall for the first time almost exactly two centuries ago, the great German composer was anxious for all to go well.And on Tuesday night that certainly will be the case, with Beethoven's masterpiece reverberating throughout Europe with anniversary concerts in major venues in Paris, Milan and Vienna. kym/fg
AFP
Indonesia first-quarter growth boosted by election, holiday spending
Indonesia's economic growth accelerated in the first quarter of 2024 on the back of election and religious holiday spending, official data showed Monday.Government estimates had projected growth of 5.17 percent but experts warned Jakarta's official data might not be reliable to judge economic performance.
AFP
Far-right parties wage disinfo war ahead of EU vote
Far-right populist parties are way ahead of their traditional rivals in the race for voter attention on social media, where disinformation is stirring fear and rage around key issues in June's European elections, experts say.Social media is "handy for... organised right-wing populist political parties to impose their lies, conspiracies and frames", said Ayhan Kaya, chair of European Politics of Interculturalism at Istanbul Bilgi University.
Associated Press
Israeli army tells Palestinians to temporarily evacuate parts of Rafah ahead of an expected assault
The Israeli army on Monday ordered tens of thousands of people in the southern Gaza city of Rafah to begin evacuating, signaling that a long-promised ground invasion could be imminent. Hamas and Qatar, a key mediator, have warned that an invasion of Rafah could derail the talks. Israel has described Rafah as the last significant Hamas stronghold after seven months of war, and its leaders have repeatedly said they need to carry out a ground invasion to defeat the Islamic militant group.
Associated Press
Hungary and Serbia's autocratic leaders to roll out red carpet for China's Xi during Europe tour
Chinese leader Xi Jinping will spend the bulk of his five-day tour in Europe this week in two small countries at the continent’s eastern half, a region that Beijing has used as a foothold for its expanding economic ambitions in Europe. Following a stop in Paris on Monday to kick off his first European trip in five years, Xi will then travel to Hungary and Serbia, two nations with autocratic leaders that are seen as China-friendly and close to Russian President Vladimir Putin. As mainstream European leaders have pursued more protectionist policies to limit Beijing and Moscow’s reach on the continent, the governments of nationalist conservative leaders Viktor Orbán of Hungary and Aleksandar Vučić of Serbia have vigorously courted economic ties with China, inviting major investments in infrastructure, manufacturing, energy and technology.
AFP
Boeing's Starliner set for first crewed mission to ISS
After years of delays, Boeing's Starliner capsule is set to ferry astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) Monday, a milestone for the US aerospace giant and NASA. The flight, a final test before Starliner takes up regular service for the space agency, is critical for Boeing, whose reputation has suffered of late due to safety issues with its passenger jets.But problems since then have delayed Monday's crewed test flight, necessary for the capsule to be certified for NASA's use on reg
AFP
Philippines, US fire at 'invasion' force in South China Sea war games
US and Filipino troops fired missiles and artillery at an imaginary "invasion" force during war games on the Philippines' northern coast Monday, days after their governments objected to China's "dangerous" actions in regional waters.Filipino troops followed up by firing rockets aimed at wearing down the attackers, before the two forces finished the job with machine guns, Javelin missiles and more artillery rounds.
AFP
EU's Green Deal target of disinfo ahead of June vote
The EU's Green Deal has been the target of virulent online disinformation ahead of European parliament elections in June, such as fabricated claims that Brussels plans to introduce a "carbon passport" or ban repairs of cars older than 15 years.This has been seized upon by many as an attack on individual freedoms, with social media users across Europe sharing misleading claims that Brussels wants to ban the repair of vehicles over 15 years old, or even seize and scrap them.
AFP
Bodies of murdered Australian, US surfers identified in Mexico
Relatives on Sunday identified the bodies of two Australians and an American shot dead in a suspected robbery in Mexico, authorities said, marking a tragic end to the search for the missing surfers.The state prosecutor's office later confirmed that the bodies had been formally identified as those of the missing surfers.
Associated Press
Stock market today: Asian shares track Wall St's advance fueled by cooler jobs data
Asian shares were mostly higher on Monday after Wall Street ended last week with the stock market's best day in over two months in a rally backed by the cooler-than-expected U.S. employment data. The Japanese yen weakened slightly after its value swung from a low of 160.25 to the U.S. dollar to 151.86 late last week following suspected government intervention. The dollar bought 153.93 yen, up from 152.90 yen.
Associated Press
Macron sets Ukraine as top priority as China's Xi Jinping pays a state visit to France
French President Emmanuel Macron will seek to press China's Xi Jinping to use his influence to move Russia toward ending the war in Ukraine during a two-day state visit to France. Macron’s office said talks about diplomatic efforts to support Ukraine and put pressure on Russia are a top priority for France.
Associated Press
Heavy rains ease around Houston but flooding remains after hundreds of rescues and evacuations
Floodwaters closed some Texas schools on Monday after days of heavy rains pummeled the Houston area and led to hundreds of rescues including people who were standed on rooftops. Houston is one of the most flood-prone metro areas in the country. In one soggy area of Houston, school officials in Channelview canceled classes and said a survey of their employees found many of them had experienced circumstances that would prevent them from coming to work.
Associated Press
Prosecutors move deeper into Trump's orbit as testimony in hush money trial enters a third week
Prosecutors in Donald Trump's hush money trial are moving deeper into his orbit following an inside-the-room account about the former president's reaction to a politically damaging recording that surfaced in the final weeks of the 2016 campaign. Hope Hicks, a former White House official and for years a top aide, is by far the closest Trump associate to have taken the witness stand in the Manhattan trial.
CNN
Israel orders shut down of Al Jazeera in the country, seizes equipment, in ‘dark day for democracy’
Israel shut down Al Jazeera’s operations in the country and seized some of its communication equipment Sunday, prompting condemnation from the United Nations and rights groups over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s moves to restrict press freedoms.
Associated Press
As China and Iran hunt for dissidents in the US, the FBI is racing to counter the threat
After a student leader of the historic Tiananmen Square protests entered a 2022 congressional race in New York, a Chinese intelligence operative wasted little time enlisting a private investigator to hunt for any mistresses or tax problems that could upend the candidate's bid, prosecutors say. As an Iranian journalist and activist living in exile in the United States aired criticism of Iran's human rights abuses, Tehran was listening too. Members of an Eastern European organized crime gang scouted her Brooklyn home and plotted to kill her in a murder-for-hire scheme directed from Iran, according to the Justice Department, which foiled the plan and brought criminal charges.
Reuters
Global health heavyweights team up for climate, disease funding
Three of the biggest global health funders have joined forces for the first time in a $300 million partnership aimed at tackling the linked impacts of climate change, malnutrition, and infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance. The Novo Nordisk Foundation, Wellcome and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced the research partnership, focused particularly on finding affordable solutions for people in low and middle-income countries, in Denmark on Monday. A key aim is to "break down barriers between often isolated areas of research", said Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen, chief executive officer of the Novo Nordisk Foundation.
Associated Press
Panama's new president-elect, José Raúl Mulino, was a late entry in the race
José Raúl Mulino said he was practically retired from politics just over six months ago. Now, he’ll be Panama’s president for the next five years. Standing before a pack of supporters Sunday night, Mulino said: “I never imagined this.”
Associated Press
Nervous about falling behind the GOP, Democrats are wrestling with how to use AI
President Joe Biden’s campaign and Democratic candidates are in a fevered race with Republicans over who can best exploit the potential of artificial intelligence, a technology that could transform American elections — and perhaps threaten democracy itself. That has led disinformation experts to issue increasingly dire warnings about the risks posed by AI’s ability to spread falsehoods that could suppress or mislead voters, or incite violence, whether in the form of robocalls, social media posts or fake images and video.

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