IRAN: Tehran’s Guardian Council today approved the country’s hard-line parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and five others to run in the country’s June 28 presidential election following a helicopter crash that killed President Ebrahim Raisi and seven others.

The council again barred former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from running in the election.

EUROPEAN UNION: Tens of millions across the European Union went to the polls today for the final day of elections for the European Parliament.

Surveys suggest that mainstream and pro-European parties will retain their majority in parliament, but they will lose seats to far-right parties.

THAILAND: The former leader of Thailand’s opposition Move Forward party, Pita Limjaroenrat vowed today to keep fighting as the party faces a court case that could result in its dissolution.

The Constitutional Court has agreed to rule on whether the party violated the constitution by proposing to amend a law that forbids defaming the country’s royal family. 

The case could see the party’s dissolution and a 10-year ban on political activity by its leaders. The court has not said when it will rule on this case.

NORWAY: The sovereign wealth fund operated by Norges Bank Investment Management said on Saturday it will vote against Elon Musk’s hefty chief executive compensation package during Tesla’s annual meeting this coming Thursday.

It’s the latest knock-back of Mr Musk’s pay package, which was recently valued by the company at $44.9 billion (£35.33bn), but in January had a value of about $56bn (£45bn). 

In May, two big shareholder advisory firms, ISS and Glass Lewis, recommended voting against the package.