While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, May 30
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (centre) has been accused of “failing miserably” over the war in Gaza, by a Cabinet minister who called for elections.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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Israeli minister says PM Netanyahu ‘failing,’ calls for election
An Israeli Cabinet minister accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition of “failing miserably” amid the Gaza war on May 29, prompting a rebuke from Mr Netanyahu’s Likud party as political divisions deepen.
Knesset member Gadi Eisenkot, an observer in the war Cabinet, said Mr Netanyahu had failed on security and the economy and called for elections by year’s end.
Speaking at a conference, the former military chief, whose youngest son was killed in combat in the Gaza Strip in December, said Mr Netanyahu was misleading citizens with slogans of “total victory” against Hamas instead of being truthful about the complexity of the Gaza war, now in its eight month.
“Anyone who says that we’ll disband a few battalions in Rafah and then return the hostages is sowing a false illusion,” he said.
Nikki Haley writes ‘Finish Them’ on Israeli artillery shell
Republican former presidential contender Nikki Haley wrote “Finish Them!” on an Israeli artillery shell during a recent visit to Israel, amid an ongoing assault on Gaza that has left tens of thousands dead in the past eight months.
An image of Mrs Haley crouched in front of pallets of shells, writing with a marker on one, was shared on social media by Mr Danny Danon, an Israeli politician and former ambassador to the United Nations. A second image he shared showed Mrs Haley’s signed message: “Finish them - America [HEART] Israel, Always.”
Mrs Haley was quickly criticised for the message by human rights groups.
One dead after falling into jet engine at Schiphol airport
A person died on May 29 after falling into the spinning turbine blades of a departing passenger jet at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport, officials said.
The death occurred on the apron outside the busy hub’s terminal as a KLM flight was ready to depart for Billund in Denmark.
“An... incident took place at Schiphol today during which a person ended up in a running aircraft engine,” Dutch flagship carrier KLM said in a statement. “Sadly the person has died,” KLM said, without disclosing the victim’s identity.
Library book returned 84 years overdue in Finland
A book borrowed from a Helsinki library was returned in May – 84 years overdue, a librarian told AFP on May 29.
A Finnish translation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s book Refugees was received by librarian Heini Strand on Feb 27 at the main desk at the Helsinki Central Library Oodi.
“The due date of the loan was Dec 26, 1939“, Ms Strand said, adding that she had never received a book so long overdue.
Swiatek saves match point to beat Osaka in French Open epic
Defending champion Iga Swiatek saved a match point to outlast fellow four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka 7-6 (7/1), 1-6, 7-5 in a breathtaking second-round clash at the French Open on May 29.
World number one Swiatek trailed 5-2 in the final set but the Pole won the last five games of the match to keep her bid for a third successive Roland Garros title on track.
She is attempting to become only the fourth woman in the Open era to lift four Roland Garros titles and just the second – after Serena Williams – to complete the clay-court treble of Madrid, Rome and French Opens in the same season.
