It’s May 30 and it’s a week to go before the European elections. Across Europe, people are bracing for a surge of support for the far-right in the European Parliament. But what of the far left? It’s a small but loud faction, drawing the support of many young voters. It’s also the only group on the left of the political spectrum that is expected to gain seats. 

We also discussed the global race for AI and the European Commission’s attempts to remain competitive. 

This podcast is also produced by the journalist Eleonora Vasques and the sound engineer Zacharia Vigneron. Music by Alexandre Jas.

Additional sources • Zacharia Vigneron

CHICAGO (AP) — Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Alek Manoah left Wednesday night’s game against the Chicago White Sox in the second inning with an apparent injury.

With two out and a runner on third, Manoah was checked on by manager John Schneider and a trainer after throwing a 91.4 mph sinker to Dominic Fletcher for a ball. The big right-hander then departed after a short discussion on the mound.

There was no sign of any issue on the pitch to Fletcher. The Blue Jays did not immediately announce the reason for Manoah’s departure.

The 26-year-old Manoah is 1-2 with a 3.70 ERA in five starts this season. He was tagged for six runs, four earned, and five hits in 4 2/3 innings in a 6-2 loss at Detroit on Friday night.

Manoah began the season on the 15-day injured list with a right shoulder injury.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Another U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone went down in Yemen, images purported to show Wednesday, as Yemen’s Houthi rebels continued attacks on shipping around the Red Sea over the Israel-Hamas war.

The Houthis released footage they said showed the aircraft being targeted with a surface-to-air missile in a desert region of Yemen’s central Marib province. It marked the third-such downing this month alone.

Images analyzed by The Associated Press showed the MQ-9 on its belly in the barren desert, its tail assembly disconnected from the rest of its body. At least one hatch on the drone appeared to have been opened after it landed there, though the drone remained broadly intact without any clear blast damage. One image included Wednesday’s date.

IRAN-BACKED HOUTHI REBELS IN YEMEN CLAIM THEY SHOT DOWN ANOTHER US DRONE AS ATTACKS INTENSIFY

Noticeably, the drone did not appear to carry any markings on it.

Authorities in Marib, which remains held by allies of Yemen’s exiled government, did not acknowledge the drone.

A U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters, told the AP that “the U.S. Air Force has not lost any aircraft operating within U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility.” The official declined to elaborate.

The CIA also is believed to have flown Reaper drones over Yemen, both to monitor the war and in its campaign against al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, Yemen’s local affiliate of the militant group. The CIA declined to comment when reached by the AP.

Located 75 miles east of Sanaa, Marib sits on the edge of the Arabian Peninsula’s Empty Quarter Desert at the foot of the Sarawat Mountains running along the Red Sea. The province has seen U.S. drones previously brought down there, in part because the region remains crucial for the outcome of Yemen’s yearslong war.

Since Yemen’s civil war started in 2014, when the Houthis seized most of the country’s north and its capital of Sanaa, the U.S. military has lost at least five drones to the rebels. This month alone, there’s been two others suspected shootdowns of Reapers that the American military hasn’t confirmed.

Reapers cost around $30 million apiece. They can fly at altitudes up to 50,000 feet and have an endurance of up to 24 hours before needing to land.

The Houthis in recent months have stepped up attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, demanding that Israel end the war in Gaza, which has killed more than 36,000 Palestinians there. The war began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking some 250 hostage.

The Houthis have launched more than 50 attacks on shipping, seized one vessel and sunk another since November, according to the U.S. Maritime Administration.

Shipping through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden has declined because of the threat.

On Wednesday, Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree acknowledged the rebels attacked the bulk carrier Laax on Tuesday. Saree also claimed a number of other attacks on vessels that have not reported assaults without offering any evidence to support his claim. Saree in the past has exaggerated Houthi attacks.