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Today's world news: what you need to know

19:42 pm on 27 May 2019

Centrist blocs suffer in European elections

Photo: AFP / Dursun Aydemir / 2019 Anadolu Agency

The big centre-right and centre-left blocs in the European Parliament have lost their combined majority as support increased for far-right nationalist parties, and the Greens.

More than 200 million people across the 28 nations of the EU voted to fill 751 parliamentary seats in the world's second-largest democratic exercise behind India.

The centre-right European People's Party remains the largest bloc, and is expected to form a pro-EU coalition.

Far-right nationalist parties in Italy, France, Hungary, and Greece scored wins.

Voter turnout was the highest for 20 years, bucking decades of decline.

Read more:

  • EU elections: Left and right win at the expense of the centre

    • British voters punish Labour and Tories

    The outcome of the EU election in Britain was polarised between strong supporters and opponents of the country's planned exit from the European Union.

    The Brexit Party, led by Nigel Farage, was the biggest single party with more than 30 percent of the vote.

    However, parties campaigning to remain in the EU also made significant gains.

    The Liberal Democrats came in in second place, with the governing Conservatives and main opposition Labour party both suffering heavy losses.

    - BBC

    New leader for Australia's Labor Party

    Photo: AFP

    The long-term Australian Labor MP Anthony Albanese is the party's new leader after an uncontested leadership contest.

    Labor suffered a shock defeat during this month's federal election, leading the former leader Bill Shorten to step down.

    Mr Albanese has been an MP for more than 20 years.

    He served as the country's Deputy Prime Minister and Deputy Labor leader in 2013, and was a Cabinet minster in the Rudd and Gillard governments.

    Read more:

  • Anthony Albanese named new leader of Australian Labor party

    • Hundreds missing after boat sinks in DRC

    At least 30 people have been killed and as many as 200 are feared missing after a boat sank on a lake in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

    The boat sank in a remote area in the west of the country and 350 people were believed to have been on board.

    Authorities said the boat had been travelling at night, which is illegal, and did not have lights.

    Last month more than 40 people drowned when travelling to neighbouring Congo-Brazzaville.

    Read more:

  • 30 drown, 200 missing after boat capsizes in Congo

    • Trump 'honoured' to meet Japan's new emperor

    US President Donald Trump has become the first foreign leader to meet Japan's Emperor Naruhito who ascended the throne in early May.

    Mr Trump, who is currently on a four-day state visit to Japan, was greeted by the emperor and Empress Masako at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.

    The US leader said it was a "great honour".

    Mr Trump also held talks with the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and said his trip so far had been very constructive.

    - BBC

    Nepal hits back on Everest overcrowding claims

    Nepal's tourism authority has denied accusations that the rise in deaths on Mount Everest is solely due to overcrowding.

    Ten climbers have been reported dead or missing this season.

    Photos of long queues near the summit have been widely shared as record numbers ascended the mountain in May.

    The department's director general Dandu Raj Ghimire said other factors including adverse weather conditions had also contributed.

    - BBC