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Hardline cleric Ebrahim Raisi has taken a big lead in Iran’s presidential election and his rivals have conceded defeat, according to state TV.

Mr Raisi has taken an unassailable lead in the election, winning 17.8 million votes, an interior ministry official said.

His closest rival, Mohsen Rezaei, a senior conservative general, won just 3.3 million votes, while the sole reformist candidate, Abdolnaser Hemmati, a former central bank governor, took 2.4 million votes.

Mr Raisi’s victory means hardliners will have full control over all branches of government in Iran for the first time in almost a decade, after ultraconservatives took a majority in last year’s parliamentary elections.

Mr Raisi, a 60-year-old Shi’ite cleric who is subject to US sanctions for alleged human rights abuses, had been widely tipped to win the contest, in large part due to the support he had from supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani recently said Iran would abide by the agreement if the US and other countries did
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Iran’s outgoing president Hassan Rouhani will vacate the position in August

And on Saturday, Mr Raisi’s only moderate rival congratulated him.

“I hope your administration, under the leadership of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, will make the Islamic Republic proud, improve livelihood and ensure the nation’s wellbeing and welfare,” Mr Hemmati was quoted as saying in a letter.

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In a televised speech, outgoing president Hassan Rouhani congratulated “the people’s elected (president)”, without naming him.

“Because it has not been officially announced yet, I will delay the official congratulations. But it is clear who received the votes,” Mr Rouhani said.

Iran’s president is the second highest ranking official in the country, after the supreme leader.

Mr Raisi is a harsh critic of the West and has presented himself as the best candidate to fight corruption and improve Iran’s economic problems.

A supporter of Ebrahim Raisi holds a poster of him during an rally in Tehran
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A supporter of Ebrahim Raisi holds a poster of him during a rally in Tehran

The election was held at a crucial time for the republic and the region – with US President Joe Biden’s administration seeking to ease tensions in the Middle East, which were inflamed by former president Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw the US from the nuclear accord and impose sanctions on Iran in 2018.

Mr Raisi remains committed to continuing negotiations with the deal’s remaining signatories – the UK, France, Germany, Russia and China.

But he previously said domestic policies would be his key priority, notably reviving an economy crippled by US sanctions and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr Raisi is considered a potential candidate for replace Mr Khamenei, who served as president twice before being appointed in Iran’s most powerful position.

Mr Raisi lost in his previous run for president in 2017, but was this time boosted by the support from the supreme leader and a lack of choice of other candidates.

A hardline election body, the Guardian Council, barred moderate and conservative candidates from standing in the elections.

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Trump says US will take over Gaza and all Palestinians should relocate

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Trump says US will take over Gaza and all Palestinians should relocate

The US will take over Gaza and “own it”, Donald Trump has said.

Speaking alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, he said the two million Palestinian people living in the territory, which he described as a “demolition site”, would go to “various domains”.

Asked about deploying US troops to fill a potential security vacuum, the president replied: “We’ll do what is necessary.”

Expanding on plans for the territory, he said the US would “develop it, create thousands and thousands of jobs” and turn it into “something the entire Middle East can be very proud of”.

Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu during a news conference in the East Room of the White House. Pic: AP
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Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu during a news conference in the East Room of the White House. Pic: AP

The president reiterated his suggestion from 25 January that Palestinians could be relocated to Egypt and Jordan – something both countries, other Arab nations including Saudi Arabia, and Palestinian leaders, have rejected.

Palestinians in Gaza could go to countries beyond Jordan and Egypt too, he said.

Follow latest: Trump accused of ‘openly calling for ethnic cleansing’

Asked whether he thought Egypt and Jordan would accept Palestinians, he said he believed they would.

But, he added: “I hope we could do something where they wouldn’t want to go back. Who would want to go back?

“They’ve experienced nothing but death and destruction.”

Saudi Arabia immediately responded, stressing its rejection of attempts to displace Palestinians from Gaza, and insisted it would not establish relations with Israel without a Palestinian state.

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Asked on what authority the US could take control of Gaza, Mr Trump told reporters he sees a “long term ownership position” which would, he claimed, bring stability to that part of the Middle East.

“This was not a decision made lightly,” he said.

“Everybody I’ve spoken to loves the idea of the United States owning that piece of land, developing and creating thousands of jobs.”

It would be the “Riviera of the Middle East”.

He continued: “I’ve studied it. I’ve studied this very closely over a lot of months, and I’ve seen it from every different angle.”

He does not believe Palestinians should return to Gaza because it is a “guarantee that they’re going to end up dying”.

He talked about finding a “beautiful area to resettle people, permanently, in nice homes where they can be happy and not be shot and not be killed and not be knifed to death like what’s happening in Gaza”.

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Gazans return home to rubble

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The war, triggered by Hamas carrying out a massacre of 1,200 people and taking 250 others hostage during the 7 October 2023 attacks in Israel, has temporarily stopped since the long-sought ceasefire deal came into effect on 19 January.

More than 47,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Hamas’s attack, according to local authorities.

Mr Netanyahu, the first world leader to meet Mr Trump since the pro-Israel president’s return to the White House, sat beside the Republican as he answered questions from the press.

Trump relocation call will horrify Palestinians

President Trump has a habit of saying the quiet stuff out loud. And the proud global disrupter did just that today with his breathtaking announcement. Critics will say he is either ignoring history, is indifferent to it or is ignorant of it.

But if President Trump is to be taken at face value then he is set to repeat history – the history of American occupation of the Middle East and the history of Palestinian displacement.

It would end the prospect of a two-state solution – Israelis and Palestinians living side by side on the same land. It could also wreck any prospects of diplomatic normalisation between Israel and Gulf Arab states.

Nations like Saudi Arabia wouldn’t stand for such a permanent resettlement and probably wouldn’t trust any resettlement presented as ‘temporary’ – which this is conspicuously not.

The two countries being told to take the people of Gaza – Egypt and Jordan – have firmly refused to do so. The American president seems convinced they will roll over.

Maybe though this is part of Trump’s art of the deal: to suggest something, then not follow through – and present that as a concession down the line.

There’s something else too.

Even if Israeli PM Netanyahu believes it’s a plan that can’t work and could further the cries of ethnic cleansing (it’s notable that he didn’t add his overt support to it alongside Trump) the president’s plan will certainly help him domestically where his future is fragile.

Netanyahu can dangle ‘permanent relocation’ in front of the real hardliners in his government who keep him in power.

Whatever is at play here, the announcement today will horrify Palestinians and it will delight and embolden the hardline elements of Israeli society who have dreamt of a Jewish state free of Palestinians.

‘Plans change with time’

The US president hinted he would seek an independent Palestinian state as part of a broader two-state solution to the decades-long Israel-Palestine conflict.

“Well, a lot of plans change with time,” he told reporters when he was asked if he was still committed to a plan similar to the one he spelled out in 2020 that described a possible Palestinian state.

That plan proposed a series of Palestinian enclaves surrounded by an enlarged Israel, did not have the Palestinian capital in East Jerusalem, but suggested a Palestinian capital on the outskirts of the city.

“A lot of death has occurred since I left and now came back. Now we are faced with a situation that’s different – in some ways better and in some ways worse. But we are faced with a very complex and difficult situation that we’ll solve,” he said.

On the likelihood of getting a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, Mr Trump said: “We are dealing with a lot of people, and we have steps to go yet, as you know, and maybe those steps go forward, and maybe they don’t.

“We’re dealing with a very complex group of people, situation and people, but we have the right man. We have the right leader of Israel. He’s done a great job.”

Mr Trump was also asked whether he should get the Nobel Peace Prize.

He said: “They will never give me a Nobel Peace Prize. It’s too bad. I deserve it, but they will never give it to me.”

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Worst mass shooting in Sweden’s history as around 10 killed at adult education centre

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Worst mass shooting in Sweden's history as around 10 killed at adult education centre

Swedish police have said around 10 people have been killed at an adult education centre, in what the country’s prime minister said is the worst mass shooting in Sweden’s history.

The attack happened at around 12.30pm local time (11.30am UK time) at Campus Risbergska in the town of Orebro, around 200km (125 miles) west of the capital Stockholm.

A spokesperson told a news conference on Tuesday evening that police believe the “primary perpetrator” is dead and acted alone. They do not expect more attacks, the spokesperson added.

Police at the scene of a shooting at Risbergska School, in Orebro, Sweden 
Pic: Kicki Nilsson/TT News Agency
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Police at the scene of the shooting. Pic: AP/Kicki Nilsson/TT News Agency

Police said they carried out investigations at various addresses in Orebro, with technical personnel working at the scene.

Sweden shooting latest: ‘Everything points to typical loner attack’

“At present, the police believe that the perpetrator acted alone, but we cannot rule out more perpetrators connected to the incident,” the update on the Swedish police’s website said.

Police also said they do not know the motive but do not believe it is terrorism, adding they “had no warning sign” about the attack.

More on Sweden

Officers are working to identify the perpetrator and the victims.

The damage at the crime scene was so extensive that investigators were unable to be more definitive on the number killed, said Roberto Eid Forest, head of the local police.

Head of the local police Roberto Eid Forest attends a press conference after a shooting at the adult education center Campus Risbergska school in Orebro, Sweden, February 4, 2025. Pontus Lundahl/TT News Agency/via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. SWEDEN OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN SWEDEN.
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Head of the local police Roberto Eid Forest. Pic: Reuters

“When it comes to saying anything more about the perpetrator, it is still very early. The operation is ongoing and that will undoubtedly become clearer. But we are working very intensively right now,” Mr Forest said.

He described the attack as a “horrible” incident, calling it “exceptional” and a “nightmare”.

The suspected gunman had not previously been known to police, Mr Forest said..

Speaking at a press conference this evening, Sweden’s prime minister Ulf Kristersson said the tragedy is the worst mass shooting in the country’s history.

“Today, we have witnessed brutal, deadly violence against completely innocent people,” Mr Kristersson told reporters.

Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson speaks to media during the Joint Expeditionary Force Leaders' Summit, at the Estonian Knighthood House in Tallinn, Estonia, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
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Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. File pic: AP

“This is the worst mass shooting in Swedish history. Many questions remain unanswered, and I cannot provide those answers either.

“But the time will come when we will know what happened, how it could occur, and what motives may have been behind it. Let us not speculate,” he said.

Meanwhile, the country’s king Carl XVI Gustaf said the shooting was a “terrible atrocity”.

Danish Royals State Visit To Sweden - Day 2 ** STORY AVAILABLE, CONTACT SUPPLIER** Featuring: King Carl Gustaf Where: Stockholm, Sweden When: 07 May 2024 Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE**  (Cover Images via AP Images)
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King Carl Gustaf. File pic: AP

“We send our condolences tonight to the families and friends of the deceased. Our thoughts at this time also go to the injured and their relatives, as well as to others affected.

“My family and I would like to express our great appreciation for the police, rescue and medical personnel who worked intensively to save and protect human lives on this dark day.”

Police earlier urged the public to stay away from the centre as they were searching and evacuating the premises.

At least five people were taken to hospital. Four underwent surgery – one is critically injured, two are stable and one is lightly injured, police said at an earlier news conference.

Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter said police officers had been shot at, but police said no officers had been shot.

A police officer at Risbergska School in Orebro, Sweden.
Pic: TT News Agency/Kicki Nilsson/Reuters
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A police officer at the school. Pic: Reuters

Emergency personnel and police officers work at the adult education center Campus Risbergska school after a shooting attack in Orebro, Sweden, February 4, 2025. TT News Agency/Kicki Nilsson via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. SWEDEN OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN SWEDEN.
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Pic: Reuters

The centre is for students over the age of 20, according to its website. It offers primary and upper secondary school courses, as well as Swedish classes for immigrants, vocational training and programmes for people with intellectual disabilities.

Google Maps shows a number of schools for children in the vicinity.

The shooting happened after many students had gone home following a national exam.

A helicopter at the scene of the shooting  at Risbergska School, in Orebro. 
Pic: Kicki Nilsson/TT News Agency/AP
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A police helicopter above the scene. Pic: AP

Students were taking shelter in nearby buildings and other parts of the campus were evacuated.

Teacher Lena Warenmark told SVT News that there were unusually few students on the campus on Tuesday afternoon after the exam. She also told the broadcaster that she heard probably 10 gunshots.

Andreas Sundling, 28, was among those forced to barricade themselves inside the school.

Read more: What we know about Sweden shooting so far

“We heard three bangs and loud screams,” he told the Expressen newspaper while sheltering in a classroom.

“Now we’re sitting here waiting to be evacuated from the school. The information we have received is that we should sit and wait.”

Police cars pass near the adult education center Campus Risbergska school after a shooting attack in Orebro, Sweden, February 4, 2025. REUTERS/Philip O'Connor
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Police cars pass near the Campus Risbergska school. Pic: Reuters

Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet reported one person trapped in the centre as saying: “We have heard several shots outside.”

The newspaper also quoted a person who had received a text from a teacher at the centre saying “there was a shooting with automatic weapons”.

It said local emergency and intensive care departments are being made ready for casualties.

Fatal attacks at educational establishments in Sweden are rare, with 10 killed in seven incidents between 2010 and 2022, according to the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention.

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Sweden shooting: What we know after around 10 people killed at adult education centre, police say

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Sweden shooting: What we know after around 10 people killed at adult education centre, police say

A major police operation is under way after around 10 people were killed at an adult education centre in Sweden.

Authorities have warned the public to stay away from the area in the town of Orebro, around 200km (125 miles) west of the capital Stockholm.

Sweden shooting latest: Follow updates

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Footage shows classroom on lockdown during shooting

In an update on Tuesday afternoon, police said around 10 people had been killed in the shooting.

The gunman is believed to be among the dead, officers said.

The website for the Swedish police added: “About ten people have been killed in the incident.

“We are currently working on identification. The total number of injured is currently unclear.”

Here is everything we know about the shooting so far.

A police officer unrolls police tape at Risbergska School in Orebro, Sweden.
Pic:TT News Agency/Kicki Nilsson/Reuters
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Pic:TT News Agency/Kicki Nilsson/Reuters

What happened?

Police were alerted to shots being fired at Campus Risbergska adult education centre just after 12.30pm local time (11.30am UK time) on Tuesday.

The violence broke out after many students had gone home following a national exam. Video footage from the scene showed a large police presence and other emergency vehicles.

In a news conference after 5pm UK time, police said around 10 people had been killed.

Officers added they don’t believe there is a terror motive in the attack, but this is not conclusive.

None of those admitted to hospital are children, according to a separate update on the Orebro regional authorities’ website.

Police at the scene of a shooting at Risbergska School, in Orebro, Sweden 
Pic: Kicki Nilsson/TT News Agency
Image:
Pic: Kicki Nilsson/TT News Agency

Students that were sheltering in nearby buildings, and other parts of the school, were evacuated following the shooting.

Campus Risbergska serves students who are over the age of 20, according to its website.

Primary and upper secondary school courses are offered, as well as Swedish classes for immigrants, vocational training and programmes for people with intellectual disabilities.

What we know about the suspect

The suspect remains unnamed, but police confirmed they are a male.

In their evening update, police said they believed the suspect had also died.

He was not known to officers, police said.

A spokesperson added that they cannot rule out that there are more suspected attackers involved.

Pic: AP
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Pic: AP

‘Three bangs and loud screams’

Teacher Lena Warenmark told SVT News that there were unusually few students on the campus on Tuesday afternoon after the exam. She also told the broadcaster that she heard probably 10 gunshots.

Andreas Sundling, 28, was among those forced to barricade themselves inside the school.

“We heard three bangs and loud screams,” he told the Expressen newspaper while sheltering in a classroom.

“Now we’re sitting here waiting to be evacuated from the school. The information we have received is that we should sit and wait.”

Video Grab from AP
Image:
Police at the scene

Pavel Koubak, a photographer who was in the area at the time of the attack, said that he saw at least three police helicopters in the sky.

“I was talking to a guy riding a bicycle who passed through the area,” he told Sky News presenter Kamali Melbourne.

“He had a friend that was working inside the school that had sent him a text message that there was automatic rifle fire. He was laying down on the floor inside the school.”

Asked whether gun violence was rare in the area, Mr Koubak said it was not.

“We’ve had plenty of shootings around Sweden and also in Orebro in the last couple of years. But, this seems to be sort of a bigger magnitude,” he said.

“I think [the police] are pretty educated on these types of situations nowadays. There was a pretty quick response from the big unit of police and lots of helicopters very, very quickly after the alarm.”

Police at Risbergska School in Orebro, Sweden.
Pic: TT News Agency/Kicki Nilsson/Reuters
Image:
Pic: TT News Agency/Kicki Nilsson/Reuters

What have the police said?

Police said they carried out investigations at various addresses in Orebro, with technical personnel working at the scene.

“At present, the police believe that the perpetrator acted alone, but we cannot rule out more perpetrators connected to the incident,” the update on the Swedish police’s website said.

Police added that they “had no warning sign” about the attack.

Officers are also working to identify the perpetrator and the victims.

The damage at the crime scene was so extensive that investigators were unable to be more definitive on the number killed, said Roberto Eid Forest, head of the local police.

A helicopter at the scene of the shooting  at Risbergska School, in Orebro. 
Pic: Kicki Nilsson/TT News Agency/AP
Image:
Pic: Kicki Nilsson/TT News Agency/AP

“When it comes to saying anything more about the perpetrator, it is still very early. The operation is ongoing and that will undoubtedly become clearer. But we are working very intensively right now,” Mr Forest said.

He described the attack as a “horrible” incident, calling it “exceptional” and a “nightmare”.

What has the government said?

Sweden’s prime minister Ulf Kristersson said the tragedy is the worst mass shooting in the country’s history.

“Today, we have witnessed brutal, deadly violence against completely innocent people,” Mr Kristersson told reporters.

“This is the worst mass shooting in Swedish history. Many questions remain unanswered, and I cannot provide those answers either.

“But the time will come when we will know what happened, how it could occur, and what motives may have been behind it. Let us not speculate,” he said.

Meanwhile, the country’s king Carl XVI Gustaf said the shooting was a “terrible atrocity”.

“We send our condolences tonight to the families and friends of the deceased. Our thoughts at this time also go to the injured and their relatives, as well as to others affected.

“My family and I would like to express our great appreciation for the police, rescue and medical personnel who worked intensively to save and protect human lives on this dark day.”

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