EU chief says Kremlin imposing 'digital Iron Curtain' on Russians

The battle for control of the US Congress entered its final six months on Sunday, with midterm elections in November that could reshape President Donald Trump's second term and redefine the balance of power in Washington.

As ever, the midterms will be a referendum on the president, with Democrats hoping to capitalize on economic discontent and Trump's sliding approval ratings to retake the House of Representatives and Senate -- while Republicans fight to defy political headwinds. 

At stake is not just legislative control but the trajectory of Trump's agenda, with a Democratic-run Congress able to launch investigations, block nominees and generally complicate the remainder of his presidency.

Early indicators point to a challenging environment for Republicans, with Trump's approval rating around 40 percent and economic dissatisfaction -- particularly inflation and Iran war-related costs -- eroding confidence.

Polling shows Democrats with a narrow edge on the generic ballot, while some surveys suggest voters now trust them more on the economy.

A Republican-aligned group, AFP Action, warned the party's Senate majority was "at risk," citing "structural headwinds" and disengaged voters.

In midterm elections, Americans vote to fill all 435 House seats, about one-third of the 100-member Senate and most governorships. Democrats need to flip three House seats and four in the Senate to take control.

"The Senate is on the table here," Molly Murphy, of pollster Impact Research, told cable network MS NOW, pointing to Trump's waning popularity and strong Democratic turnout in recent elections. 

"When the president's approval rating is at or below 40 percent, that is when you start to see these deeper pickups in much more Republican-heavy terrain."

Still, the landscape remains fluid, with structural challenges for both parties.

- 'Always tough' -

Republicans benefit from a favorable Senate map, with Democrats needing to win in states Trump carried. And heavily gerrymandered districts -- as well as a shrinking number of competitive seats -- limit how far a national swing can translate into House gains.

The campaign has been further complicated by a fierce redistricting battle, with states including Texas, California, North Carolina, Ohio, Florida, Missouri, Utah and Virginia pursuing new mid-decade voting maps.

The overall impact of the changes -- alongside a Supreme Court ruling limiting race-based redistricting -- remains unclear.

Republicans are banking on financial advantages and voter concerns over immigration and national security, while Democrats are focusing on cost-of-living pressures and framing the election as a defence of democratic norms.

Ahead of the six-month mark, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer accused Republicans of undermining voting rights through pushes for over-zealous election security and immigration enforcement initiatives.

"Let's call it what it is: an effort to rig the system," he said. 

For Republicans, the central challenge remains the president himself. Midterms typically punish the party in power, and Trump's weak approval ratings have heightened concerns.

At the same time, even some of his supporters say his focus on foreign policy, particularly the war with Iran, has drawn attention away from domestic economic concerns that typically dominate midterm campaigns.

Even so, Republicans insist the race is far from settled, noting that political conditions can shift rapidly ahead of an election.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise told CNBC that Republican prospects would depend on turnout and voters appreciating his party "delivering what we've delivered to finally start turning this mess around that we inherited a year and a half ago."

"Midterms are always tough for the incumbent party, but this is not your father's Democrat Party," Scalise said. 

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A gruff oyster farmer who only recently got rid of his Nazi-style tattoo is the unlikely face of the Democrats' bid to seize the Senate from President Donald Trump's Republicans -- and recover working-class voters.

That a man like Graham Platner finds himself on the front line of the fight for national power in the United States says a lot about a Democratic Party trying to find its way out of the wilderness.

Democrats are bullish about winning the House of Representatives in November's midterm elections. But the Senate -- and ability to wield real power during Trump's last two years -- is a far tougher challenge.

Enter Platner, a 41-year-old former Marine who talks movingly of his opposition to war after serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. He is targeting a key Senate seat in Maine, where longtime Republican incumbent Susan Collins is seen as vulnerable.

Virtually unknown a year ago, Platner has barnstormed across Maine, delivering a feisty, anti-establishment message.

Revelations that he had a skull tattoo similar to a Nazi symbol, as well as strings of troubling past social media posts about sexual assault and gays, failed to stop him.

On Thursday, Platner's heavyweight rival for the Democratic nomination, current state Governor Janet Mills, threw in the towel. Now, he'll be trying to dethrone 73-year-old Collins in the election.

"Thank you all for believing," Platner posted in a video highlighting working-class supporters like fishermen and nurses who back "changing our politics."

Andrew Koneschusky, head of public relations firm Beltway Advisors, said the success of Platner's insurgency reflects wider hunger.

"Voters want authenticity," he told AFP. "They don’t want robotic poll-tested candidates anymore."

- Authenticity or liability? -

For years, Democratic activists have been clamoring for everyman-candidates -- populists with blue collar backgrounds who can talk to regular folk, especially non-college-educated white men. It's natural Democratic territory that Trump and his hard-right MAGA coalition have done much to poach.

Platner, with his war record, oyster farmer's gnarled hands, and plain talk, seemed to fit the bill.

But there were problems. 

That tattoo and the social media posts -- which Platner explains respectively as the result of a misguided outing during his Marines days and dark post-combat rants -- highlighted the risk of running untested candidates.

And several Democratic grandees like Chuck Schumer, the party's leader in the Senate, pushed for Mills as the safer choice.

But polling showed voters were adamant: at 78, Mills literally represented the old guard and the party base wants to move on.

"Voters don’t like it when establishment figures anoint a candidate," Koneschusky said.

- Searching for a big tent  -

Third Way, a think tank pushing for more centrist Democratic platforms, says the party needs to do better at accepting candidates who don't fit in normal liberal boxes.

A Gallup poll last year showed that 45 percent of Democrats or Democrat-leaning independents wanted the party to become more moderate, up 11 percentage points from 2021.

That search is taking Democrats in many directions.

Another new candidate in the Platner-mold is burly Pennsylvania firefighter Bob Brooks, who is running for Congress.

He too is touted as appealing to working-class voters but ran into trouble from liberal activists over past comments defending gun ownership in the wake of a mass shooting -- a hugely sensitive issue.

Brooks quickly apologized and admitted to saying "a few stupid things."

But figures like Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherill, who convincingly won governorship races in Virginia and New Jersey last year, come from the national security world and pride themselves on centrism.

And then there's James Talarico, running for a Senate seat in ultra-conservative Texas.

Another unknown outside his home state until recently, Talarico has become a Democratic star by taking on Republicans at their own game -- by making his Christian faith the cornerstone of his politics.

The Bible-quoting 36-year-old faces a huge challenge in Texas.

But "if anybody can do it," said Matt Bennett at Third Way, "it's him."

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An Australian man has been charged with murdering a young Indigenous girl in a "deeply distressing" case that has stirred grief across the nation, police said Sunday.

Detectives last week discovered the body of five-year-old Kumanjayi Little Baby near the outback town of Alice Springs.

Soon after they arrested Jefferson Lewis, 47, who had been beaten unconscious after turning himself in to Indigenous community members.

Northern Territory Police said Lewis had now been charged with murder and two counts of rape.

"This remains a deeply distressing matter," police commissioner Martin Dole told reporters.

"Our thoughts are with Kumanjayi's family, loved ones, and the wider community that have been deeply impacted by these events."

An angry crowd clashed with police as Lewis was treated in hospital after his arrest, demanding they hand over the accused child killer so they could punish him themselves.

Images of the riot showed teargas wafting through the air, a police van in flames and crowds yelling at armed officers keeping people at bay.

Many people outside the hospital shouted that Lewis must face "payback", public broadcaster ABC reported, referring to a traditional punishment in central Australian Indigenous communities.

The girl, referred to as Kumanjayi Little Baby at her family's request, had disappeared from an Indigenous community camp, sparking a vast, days-long search on foot, horseback and by helicopter that gripped much of the country.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said her death had broken hearts across the nation.

"This is the tragic outcome we were all desperately hoping against.

"No words can measure up to the immensity of the grief her family is going through.

"In their time of terrible loss, all Australians hold them in our hearts."

Robin Granites, a spokesman for the family and an elder of the Warlpiri Indigenous group, called for calm in the community.

"It is time now for sorry business, to show respect for our family and have space for grieving and remembering," he said in a statement.

"We need to be strong for each other, we must respect family and cultural practice."

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Mizzou men's track and field runner Robert Hines finished second in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.42 seconds Friday in Lawrence, Kansas, on Day 2 of the Rock Chalk Classic. This is Hines' second consecutive podium finish, as the senior took third in the event at the Drake Relays, running 10.55 last Saturday in Des Moines, Iowa.

In shot put, Mizzou had three throwers in the top five. Chase Crawford snagged second with a throw of 56 feet, 2 inches, and fellow Tigers Sam Albert (54-2½) and Clayton Kamp (52-2) took third and fourth, respectively.

On the other side of the field in discus, Ames Burton threw a 162-1 for sixth place at the meet.

Saturday's entry was Mizzou's final regular season meet. The Tigers will open their post season campaign with the SEC Outdoor Championships on May 16 at the Hutsell Rosen Track Facility in Auburn, Alabama.

Mizzou gymnastics landed its first transfer commitment of the 2026 cycle, bringing in Oregon State transfer Jennifer McMillan on Saturday, she announced on her Instagram.

McMillan was primarily a beam and bars specialist, boasting career highs of 9.950 and 9.925, respectively.McMillan missed the entire 2026 season with an injury which required surgery.

McMillan was born in the Dominican Republic before moving to Charlotte, North Carolina. She won the national championship on bars at USAG's highest amateur level before starting her collegiate career.

For the Tigers, McMillan is a key addition to a beam and bars lineup that lost a combined five routines to graduation after the 2026 season. 

Shannon Welker and the Mizzou coaching staff will continue bolstering the beam lineup through the transfer portal. Amy Weir was brought in as a transfer from Oklahoma in 2024, serving as the steady leadoff routine on the apparatus in 2026.

McMillan joins the highest-ranked freshman class in Mizzou program history, ranked fourth-best in the country by College Gym News.

World number one Nelly Korda cruised into a three-stroke lead at the LPGA Riviera Maya Open, scoring 67 in another flawless round Saturday.

Showing no signs of fatigue after last week's triumph at the Chevron Championship, Korda has gone 43 holes since her sole opening-round bogey at Mexico's El Camaleon Golf Course.

And the 27-year-old American rarely even came close to dropping a shot in a serene third round, which finished with a tap-in eagle for a healthy lead going into the final day.

She stands at 14-under 202, followed by Thailand's Arpichaya Yubol on 11-under, and Japan's Minami Katsu a further stroke back.

Korda said she "would be lying to you if I said that my energy levels were 100 percent" after her major win last week, but insisted she was in Playa del Carmen "to work, not on vacation."

"I think just mentally, just staying in it has been the most important part for this week," she said.

A surging Arpichaya finished her best-of-the-day, bogey-free round of 66 with birdie-birdie, to keep the gap at three.

Katsu sank a rare eagle on 17 to get herself right back in the tournament, on 10-under.

The Japanese player had experienced an up-and-down day -- two-over for the front nine, before birdies on three of her next four holes.

Korda had begun the day tied on nine-under 136 with fellow American Brianna Do, who was chasing her first LPGA tour title.

Korda enjoyed a calm, risk-free front nine, her eight pars punctuated only by a birdie on the par-five fifth.

She made a superb save with a long curling putt on nine to retain her solo lead over Arpichaya and China's Liu Yu.

But three-time major winner Korda turned up the tempo down the stretch. 

On the par-five 13th, her long eagle effort just failed to drop. She settled for birdie, and a dart into the green on the par-three 14th meant a tap in for another.

She struck a perfect driver followed by an aggressive iron on the low-scoring par-five 18th, to finish with a tap-in eagle. 

Her only mistake of the day came when she twice tried and failed to retrieve the ball from the cup at the final green, laughing at her fumble.

Overnight co-leader Do had a more turbulent day. She had bogeys on the first and fourth, before pulling back birdies on six and nine to briefly move back into joint second.

But she sliced her tee shot into water on 10, carding a double bogey, and finished with a 72 on nine-under, tied for fourth with Liu.

Korda is having a totally dominant season.

She is already chasing her third win of 2026, having captured the Chevron Championship last week, and the season-opening Tournament of Champions

Korda finished second in her other three starts so far this year.

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Golden Tempo roared home to win the 152nd Kentucky Derby on Saturday, making Cherie DeVaux the first woman trainer to capture the iconic race at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.

"I don't even have any words right now, I just can't," an emotional DeVaux told broadcaster NBC as she made her way toward the winner's circle. "I'm just so, so happy for Golden Tempo."

Jockey Jose Ortiz guided Golden Tempo's late surge and held off his brother, Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard early favorite Renegade, to seize his first Kentucky Derby victory in his 11th start.

Renegade finished second by a neck and Ocelli, a 70-1 shot who was a late addition to the field after multiple scratches, was third.

"Jose did a wonderful job, masterful job of getting him there," DeVaux said. "He was so far out of it. He has had so much faith in this horse."

DeVaux is just the second female trainer to saddle a winner in any of US flat racing's Triple Crown races after Jena Antonucci with Arcangelo in the 2023 Belmont Stakes.

She won the Derby in her first opportunity.

"I'm glad I can be representative of women everywhere," she said. "We can do anything we set our minds to."

The start of the race was delayed slightly when Great White reared and flipped on his side going into the starting gate.

He was the second race-day scratch in the $5 million, 1 1/4-mile race, which originally was set for a field of 20 but went off with 18 runners.

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Tre Phelps fed the trees in the third inning at Foley Field in Athens, Georgia. It was the 126th home run for Georgia this season. 

This was the first of five home runs that carried out of the ballpark in Game 2 between Mizzou and No. 5 Georgia, which the Tigers dropped 13-3 via run-rule. 

"We made errors, which we haven't done that," Missouri coach Kerrick Jackson said postgame to Tiger Radio. "Throwing errors, bad plays in the outfield. Just not a characteristic game when it comes to that aspect of it."

The inning prior to the first home run, the Bulldogs plated two runs on a double that was misread from Tyler Macon. Starter Brady Kehlenbrink began the inning by allowing a double and a single to put two on for the fatal extra base hit.

Kehlenbrink allowed a fourth run on a sacrifice fly, then was pulled before the fifth in exchange for Trey Lawrence. 

Mizzou blew an opportunity to get back in the game when Isaiah Frost went down swinging and Tyler Macon watched three straight pitches in the zone to leave the bases loaded in the fourth. Mateo Serna and Eric Maisonet had singled, and Donovan Jordan was hit by pitch to put a man on each base. 

This was the second time that sequence of events ended an inning. Just two frames prior, Frost struck out swinging and Macon struck out looking with runners on second and third.

Mizzou was just 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position in the game.

"We just didn't swing (the bat) when we had an opportunity score runs," Jackson said.

The Tigers finally plated two runs, but both came without runners on base. Kam Durnin hit a solo home run to left in the fifth inning to bring the first run home. 

Donovan Jordan then took the first pitch of the sixth deep over an ad reading "JordanAir" on the left field wall. The right fielder's third home run of the season carried 393 feet. 

After a wide throw from Blaize Ward allowed a runner to reach base to leadoff the sixth, then a double gave a run right back. It was unearned for Lawrence.

The next one was not. Lawrence loaded the bases and hit a batter to plate another run for Georgia in the inning. A double play ended the inning with a man at each station. 

Mizzou plated another run in the seventh as Jase Woita smashed a 409-foot solo shot deep over the right field wall. This marked the Tigers' third home run of the game. 

A pitching change to reliever Isaiah Salas did not go well for the Tigers. Five more runs scored on a string of hits and a throwing error by Durnin in the seventh. It was capped off by a solo home run from Georgia's Kolby Branch to make it 11-3. 

Two more runs reached home in the eighth to reach the 13-run mark and reach the run-rule. 

Mizzou baseball will try to salvage the series against Georgia at 11 a.m. Sunday. 

Midweek cancelation

Due to expected inclement weather next week, Mizzou announced the cancelation of its midweek game against No. 19 Arizona State. The game was supposed to be at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Taylor Stadium. 

This is the third midweek overall and second consecutive that the Tigers have had canceled due to weather this season. 

After the conclusion of the Georgia series, Mizzou will next face Vanderbilt at 6 p.m. Friday at Taylor Stadium. 

Mizzou legend Karissa Schweizer is once again a national champion but this time among the ranks of the pros. 

The six-time NCAA title-winner won the USATF women's 5,000-meter championship crown Friday in Indianapolis, clocking in at 14 minutes, 58.38 seconds to top a deeply competitive field.

Schweizer was the only athlete to record a sub-15 effort, and it was her first-ever road race at that distance.

"I was just out there, and it felt so smooth, and you don't get many of those days, so I just really soaked it in," Schweizer said in an interview after the race. "I made my move, and I just didn't look back."

Schweizer held off Emma Grace Hurley, who placed second in 15:00.79. Hurley and Schweizer met on the roads of Chicago on March 22 in the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle. Hurley barreled through the Windy City in the 8,000-meter road race in 24:29, and Schweizer was the runner-up in 24:56. Hurley's time marked an American 8,000 record, breaking a 21-year-old benchmark by seven seconds.

While they've been pitted against one another in their last two meetings, they'll next race under the same flag, as both Schweizer and Hurley advanced to the World Athletics Road Running Championships with their top two finishes. The pair will take on the world Sep. 19 in Copenhagen, Denmark. 

King Charles III's US state visit was a "risk and challenge" that he "grasped in both hands", a palace aide said Sunday as the monarch returned from a widely praised trip.

Charles left for the UK from Bermuda Saturday following what a senior royal aide called a "historic" visit to the United States, aimed at healing strained ties between Washington and London.

The highlight of the four-day visit was the 77-year-old king's speech to US Congress on Tuesday -- the first such address since his mother, queen Elizabeth II spoke there after the Gulf War in 1991.

The speech, marking 250 years since American independence, was "high stakes", the aide involved in the visit told reporters.

The king urged the importance of NATO and called for a "just and lasting peace" in Ukraine, despite US President Donald Trump's critical stance on the bloc and Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelensky.

This was "a measure of how much he personally cares" and proves that he "will always be guided by the truth", the royal aide said.

- 'Warmth and laughter' -

His words won praise from Trump's opponents, with senior Democrat Gregory Meeks hailing the king's "impassioned call for a renewed commitment to NATO".

And the speech appeared to have gone down well with Trump, too.

The president told journalists Friday that Charles "is just a great person. He's a high quality person. I love the job he did in Congress".

The rapport between the king and president continued as they met behind closed doors in the Oval Office, the royal aide said with "an awful lot of warmth and laughter" amid serious topics.

By contrast, Trump has repeatedly lambasted Prime Minister Keir Starmer, particularly over his stance on Iran.

The palace aide denied any awkwardness over the differences in warmth of relationship, stressed the king's visit was on the government's request and there is "not a competition" between the monarchy and Downing Street.

On the contrary, the king and queen "have been able to help the government", the aide said, and the king himself viewed the US leg of his trip as particularly "positive".

"What looked like risk and challenge was also a phenomenal opportunity. One that was grasped in both hands by the King," the aide said.

- 'A personal triumph' -

British media lavished praise on the visit: The Daily Telegraph called it "a triumph" and a "reassertion of our shared values", while for The Times, it was a "star-spangled success".

"I think it was a personal triumph," for Charles, royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told AFP, citing the king's "superb" speech to Congress, with "brilliant jokes".

"He got it right and every nuance seemed perfect. It pleased everybody," Fitzwilliams said of the address.

The visit proved a "boost" at a "very difficult time for the monarchy," the royal expert said.

Undergoing cancer treatment and after a bitter rift with his son, Prince Harry, Charles this year saw his brother, the former prince Andrew, arrested over ties to the late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Trump reacted to the royal visit by lifting whisky tariffs, a major trade concession, in honour of Charles.

But Fitzwilliams urged caution on future consequences for the UK, citing Trump's "unpredictability".

Trump "loves all things British royal. But not necessarily the British government," he said.

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