June 4 (Reuters) – Peru’s leftist presidential candidate Roberto Sanchez has gained ground against conservative Keiko Fujimori ahead of Sunday’s presidential runoff, though both candidates remained in a statistical tie, an Ipsos poll showed on Thursday.

Sanchez, ally of ousted and jailed former President Pedro Castillo, has recently moderated his messaging and secured 43.8% of support in the poll. Fujimori, daughter of former president Alberto Fujimori, gained 43.2% of the intended vote, the poll showed.

BY THE NUMBERS

• The poll was conducted on June 3 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.1%, sources close to Ipsos said.

• About 13% of poll respondents voted blank or annulled their ballot.

• A previous Ipsos poll released May 31 showed Fujimori at 38% and Sanchez at 35%, with 27% of voters still undecided.

• Fujimori, running for the fourth time and considered pro-market, won the first round of the presidential vote on April 12 with 17.18% of votes.

• Sanchez narrowly came second with 12.03% of votes.

• It is illegal within Peru to publish polls during the last week before a presidential election. Surveys can be carried out as long as local media do not publish them.

(Reporting by Marco Aquino, Editing by Daina Beth Solomon)

June 4 (Reuters) – The International Monetary Fund selected Alvaro Piris Chavarri as its new mission chief for Venezuela, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The IMF told Reuters it does not comment on staff issues.

Piris currently serves as the IMF’s assistant director in its African Department and mission chief for Ethiopia, according to the IMF. His prior roles include leading IMF missions in Mozambique, Lebanon and China.

The appointment comes after Venezuela, which has been in default on its external debt since 2017, said last month it would begin restructuring. Analysts estimate the total, including unpaid bonds, arbitration awards and interest, exceeds $150 billion.

Venezuela is seeking to reintegrate into the global financial system following the re-establishment of relations with the IMF and the World Bank, which were suspended in 2019 over government recognition disputes.

The IMF said it was discussing a path toward holding an “Article IV” consultation with Venezuela, a sign that engagement with Caracas is moving toward regular economic surveillance.

(Reporting by Rhea Rose Abraham in Bengaluru; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)

By Patricia Zengerle

WASHINGTON, June 4 (Reuters) – The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation on Thursday to provide aid to Ukraine and impose new sanctions on Russia, the latest sign that some Republicans are willing to defy party leaders and push back on President Donald Trump.

The House voted 226 to 195 for the Ukraine Support Act, which reached the floor after languishing for months. A handful of Republicans joined Democrats in signing a discharge petition to force the vote.

On Thursday, 18 Republicans and one independent who normally votes with them joined Democrats to pass the bill. It was the latest sign of a crack in what had been virtually unanimous support among members of Trump’s party for his policies.

Passage came a day after a smaller group of House Republicans joined Democrats to pass a resolution that would force the withdrawal of troops from hostilities with Iran unless Congress declares war or orders the use of military force.

However, the future of the Ukraine Support Act is uncertain. To become law it must be passed in the Senate, whose Republican leaders have not allowed votes on Russia sanctions legislation that has broad bipartisan support, saying they would wait for Trump’s guidance.

If it did pass the Senate, the bill would likely be vetoed by Trump. 

While many members of Congress from both parties strongly supported Ukraine in the first years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, some of Trump’s closest Republican allies – including House and Senate leadership – have grown cooler towards Kyiv since Trump returned to the White House in January 2025.

The president has also kept decisions on sanctions at the White House, not Congress, since starting his second term.

U.S. aid to the Kyiv government has slowed sharply even as Russia and Ukraine have been pummeling each other ⁠with missiles, drones and artillery. Peace talks are stalled, with Ukraine rejecting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s demand that it surrender territory it has successfully defended since 2022.

The Ukraine Support Act includes measures to help Ukraine rebuild after the war, authorizes more than $1 billion in assistance for Kyiv, and up to $8 billion in support via direct loans.

It also imposes stiff sanctions and export controls on Russia, including on financial institutions, oil and mining and Russian officials.      

(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Nia Williams and Ross Colvin)

Antisemitic Hate Crimes in New York City Jump 71% Since Last Year  

By The Media Line Staff  

Antisemitic violence continued to dominate New York City’s hate crime statistics, with the New York Police Department reporting a sharp increase in anti-Jewish offenses both month-over-month and over the longer term.  

According to NYPD figures, antisemitic hate crimes climbed 71% in May compared with May 2025 and were up 46% from the average recorded during the previous three months.  

The data showed that Jewish victims accounted for 60% of all confirmed hate crimes in the city despite Jews representing only about 10% of New York City’s population.  

Police statistics further indicated that anti-Jewish offenses exceeded the combined total of hate crimes directed at every other demographic group during the reporting period.  

Authorities recorded 41 antisemitic hate crimes in May, making Jews the most frequently targeted group in the city’s hate crime data.  

Other reported incidents included three crimes targeting Asians, five targeting Muslims, five based on sexual orientation, one targeting a Hispanic individual, one targeting a white person, one based on gender, one targeting an unspecified ethnicity and 10 targeting unspecified religious groups.  

The figures illustrate the disproportionate concentration of anti-Jewish hate crimes within New York City’s broader hate crime landscape.  

The latest statistics also come amid wider concerns about antisemitism across the United States. Recent records cited in the report showed that assaults against Jews nationwide have reached a 46-year high.  

Experts cautioned that the actual scope of the problem may be larger than official numbers suggest, noting that many incidents are never reported to law enforcement.  

Police Move To Extend Detention of 62 Suspects in Riot Outside Justice Sohlberg’s Home  

By The Media Line Staff  

Police are seeking to extend the detention of 62 suspects arrested during a violent riot outside the home of High Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, after demonstrators protesting the military draft of ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students vandalized the property and clashed with authorities.  

The suspects are scheduled to appear before the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court on Thursday morning, where police will request that they remain in custody pending further investigation.  

According to police, 65 people were arrested following the disturbances. Walla reported that 62 remained in detention and would be brought before a judge.  

The unrest unfolded Wednesday night when large numbers of protesters arrived at Sohlberg’s home in the West Bank settlement of Alon Shvut. During the riot, windows of the justice’s home and vehicle were smashed, and flower pots at the entrance to the property were destroyed.  

Ynet reported that police confiscated drones and GoPro cameras found in the possession of some of the suspects.  

The protest was linked to opposition among some ultra-Orthodox activists to Supreme Court decisions concerning military conscription. Sohlberg recently presided over rulings requiring the government to strengthen enforcement measures against draft evasion, making him a target of protesters opposed to the enlistment of yeshiva students.  

After the crowd dispersed, Magen David Adom personnel were called to the residence after Sohlberg reportedly felt unwell.  

His wife, Meira Sohlberg, expressed shock at the damage caused during the riot.  

“How is it possible that Jews are hurting each other?” she said. “Look at this destruction, a pogrom, what is this, Kristallnacht?” according to Ynet.  

Police Commissioner Danny Levy condemned the violence and instructed officers to pursue those responsible “to the fullest extent of the law.” Police said Levy was briefed by Jerusalem District Deputy Commander Yishai Shalem and stressed that legitimate protest cannot include violence, vandalism or attacks on public officials.  

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later spoke with Sohlberg and condemned the attack.  

United Torah Judaism chairman MK Yitzhak Goldknopf and Shas MK Yinon Azoulai also denounced the violence.  

Later, dozens of ultra-Orthodox protesters blocked Jerusalem’s Kikar Shabbat junction to protest the arrests. 

Netanyahu’s Lawyer Michael Rabello Wins State Comptroller Post Amid Voting Controversy  

By The Media Line Staff  

Attorney Michael Rabello, the longtime personal lawyer of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was elected Israel’s next state comptroller on Wednesday following a closely contested and controversial vote in the Knesset.  

Rabello secured the position in a second-round vote after neither candidate met the required threshold in the initial ballot.  

In the first round, retired Supreme Court justice Yosef Elron received 60 votes, while Rabello won 57. Under Knesset rules, a candidate must obtain 61 votes in the opening round to be elected.  

The runoff ended with Rabello defeating Elron by a margin of 61 votes to 57.  

The election process was overshadowed by over issues involving the secrecy of the ballot. Reports emerged that Likud lawmakers had been pressured to photograph or film their ballots to demonstrate support for Rabello, despite legal requirements that the vote remain secret.  

The allegations triggered sharp criticism from opposition parties, which accused the ruling Likud party of operating like a “crime organization.”  

According to reports, ministers suspected of supporting Elron were summoned to Netanyahu’s office during the vote.  

Amid the controversy, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana ordered the second round of voting to be restarted in its entirety. Ohana said any instruction requiring lawmakers to photograph their ballots was “illegal and invalid.”  

The final tally differed from the earlier vote, indicating that some lawmakers changed their votes between rounds.  

Opposition parties are expected to petition the High Court of Justice to overturn the election due to alleged irregularities.  

Rabello has represented Netanyahu in numerous legal proceedings and has also acted on behalf of Netanyahu and his wife, Sara Netanyahu. In addition, he has participated in political negotiations connected to the prime minister.  

The state comptroller serves as an independent oversight authority that reports directly to the Knesset. The office is responsible for auditing government ministries, monitoring local government activities, reviewing the financial affairs of political parties, and protecting the public interest. 

June 4 (Reuters) – The Pan American Health Organization said on Thursday it is stepping up efforts to help countries across the Americas to strengthen their preparedness for Ebola, although the risk of the disease remains low in the region.

The agency has activated its incident management system and is working with health ministries to strengthen surveillance, testing and infection control, so countries can rapidly detect and manage cases.

The organization is preparing shipments of materials and reagents for molecular detection of Bundibugyo ebolavirus to selected countries with appropriate biosafety capacity, based on risk assessments, it said.

A rare strain of Ebola known as Bundibugyo has prompted the World Health Organization to declare a public health emergency of international concern.

The Democratic Republic of Congo has reported 344 confirmed cases and 60 confirmed deaths, along with 116 suspected cases under investigation.

Confirmed cases have been reported in several provinces, including Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu. Uganda has reported 15 confirmed cases, including one death.

“Even with low risk, countries must be ready to detect and respond quickly to any possible importation to protect health workers and communities, and to prevent further transmission,” said Dr. Ciro Ugarte, director of health emergencies at PAHO.

The agency is also facilitating international collaboration to ensure timely laboratory analysis through the referral of samples to specialized regional laboratories.

PAHO also reiterated that countries should strengthen preparedness systems without imposing restrictions on travel or trade.

(Reporting by Sriparna Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar)

June 4 (Reuters) – EU ministers on Thursday broadly supported a proposal to limit access to temporary protection for Ukrainian men of military age, Sweden’s migration minister said.

The European Union activated the Temporary Protection Directive after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine to manage large-scale arrivals of displaced people.

The scheme, which has been extended three times and is due to expire in March 2027, grants beneficiaries residence permits, access to the labour market and social welfare.

Swedish Migration Minister Johan Forssell said his country was in favour of the proposal which was discussed at a Justice and Home Affairs meeting in Luxembourg. Any restrictions should apply only to new arrivals seeking temporary protection status, not to those already covered by the scheme, he added.

“It is essential for us to provide Ukrainians with protection, but at the same time the war needs to be fought and won. For that to happen, it is essential that more men stay in Ukraine and fight,” Forssell said ahead of the meeting.

The European Commission would need to propose any extension or modification of the scheme, which must then be approved by EU countries.

More than 4.33 million people who have fled Ukraine currently benefit from the directive, according to Eurostat data.

Germany hosts the largest share of Ukrainians under the scheme, about 29% of the EU total, followed by Poland and Czechia, Eurostat data showed.

(Reporting by Amina Ismail, additional reporting by Bart Meijer; Editing by Stephen Coates)

WASHINGTON, June 4 (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz in a call on Thursday that the Trump administration was ramping up emergency assistance and support to help with food and medical shortages amid weeks of social unrest and mass protests in the South American country, the department said.  

“Rubio reaffirmed that the Trump Administration will continue to stand with Bolivia as it works toward stability, security, and a better future for all Bolivians,” U.S. State Department Spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement.

(Reporting by Christian Martinez in Los Angeles; Writing by Ismail Shakil; Editing by Daphne Psaledakis)

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday called for face-to-face negotiations in a public letter addressed directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The letter, the first public message Zelenskyy has written directly to Putin since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, was a sweeping critique of the Russian leader’s 26 years in power.

Zelenskyy acknowledged shifting U.S. priorities, saying it would be wrong to simply wait for the Trump administration to return its attention to ending the Ukraine war while it remains heavily focused on the Iran war.

“I am proposing a meeting,” Zelenskyy wrote.

U.S. President Donald Trump said it “would be great” if Putin and Zelenskyy met. “They should get it done,” Trump said.

Asked what concessions he had urged Putin to make to end the war, Trump declined to provide details but said both sides would need to compromise.

“They’re going to both make compromises,” he said. “I suggested those compromises.”

Zelenskyy appeared to be trying to seize a pivotal moment in the war, as Ukraine has begun to regain some battlefield leverage largely through improved long-range strike capabilities that have complicated Russia’s advances. At the same time, Moscow has intensified its deadly aerial campaign across Ukraine, seeking to exploit Kyiv’s shortages and continued vulnerability to ballistic missile attacks.

He said the talks could be hosted by a neutral third country, ruling out both Moscow and Kyiv as venues and suggested Switzerland, Turkey or Arab states as possible hosts for negotiations.

“It is leaders who resolve the key issues. That has always been the case, and it always will be,” he wrote. “I propose to set a clear date for such a meeting.”

He said Ukrainian intelligence indicated Russia was considering plans to prolong the war into 2027 and 2028, while increasingly relying on ballistic missile strikes to achieve what its ground campaign had failed to accomplish.

Zelenskyy also accused Moscow of seeking to draw Belarus deeper into the conflict and of attempting to destabilize the situation around Transnistria, the breakaway Moldovan region backed by Russia.

The Ukrainian leader argued that Russia was increasingly feeling the costs of the war, pointing to drone attacks deep inside Russian territory, economic strain, fuel shortages, rising prices, and the necessity of more military mobilization.

Zelenskyy claimed Russia suffered more than 30,000 soldiers killed or seriously wounded in May alone, saying Ukraine had “video confirmation” of the battlefield losses and that such casualty levels had been sustained month after month.

He added that Ukraine also continues to suffer painful losses despite what he described as a favorable casualty ratio.

He said Ukraine was prepared to implement a full ceasefire for the duration of negotiations and proposed an all-for-all prisoner exchange as a first step toward ending the conflict.

Zelenskyy also called for the return of civilians and children taken from Ukraine during the war.

“The world has not grown tired of Ukraine, as you long hoped it would. But there is growing fatigue with Russia,” Zelenskyy said.