Olaf Scholz could hold a vote of confidence in his leadership that would pave the way for new elections sooner than planned, he said Sunday night following pressure from across the political spectrum. In a televised interview with ARD journalist Caren Miosga, Scholz said a confidence vote before Christmas was possible: “If everyone sees it that way, it’s not a problem.” After his coalition collapsed on Wednesday, Scholz announced a confidence vote in his government would be held in January, likely followed by an election in March. But multiple politicians, including from within Scholz’s own ruling coalition, have been pushing…
Author: Joe Stanley-Smith
The Israeli parliament has voted to approve two bills banning the United Nations Relief and Works Agency from operating in Israel. The UNRWA agency will still be able to operate in the Palestinian territories, but being banned from Israel will severely impact its activities in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, according to local media. “These bills increase the suffering of the Palestinians and are nothing less than collective punishment,” said Philippe Lazzarini, the UNRWA’s commissioner-general. The United States has also expressed concerns about the legislation, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has justified by citing the alleged involvement of…
Japan’s ruling coalition lost its majority in an election Sunday, leaving the world’s fourth-largest economy facing the prospect of minority governance or smaller parties acting as kingmakers in coalition talks. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba called a snap election less than a month ago upon assuming the leadership of the Liberal Democratic Party, which has ruled Japan for most of its post-war history. But the move, which aimed to capitalize on a new-leader bounce and cement Ishiba’s credibility, backfired, with voters punishing the party for inflation and a funding scandal that led to the expulsion of some members. With only a…
Hungary will join the Netherlands in asking for an opt-out from the European Union’s migration policies, a government minister said Wednesday, in another sign of fracturing EU consensus around immigration. The new Dutch government last week announced it was aiming to implement the “strictest asylum policy ever,” and submitted a request for an opt-out on some EU migration policies on Wednesday. Writing on X, Hungarian Minister for EU Affairs János Bóka said: “Drastic action is needed to stem illegal migration, the Hungarian government will join the Netherlands in asking for an opt-out from EU asylum and migration rules, if a…
Thousands of counterprotestors took to the streets across the U.K. on Wednesday evening after reports police were anticipating far-right demonstrations in more than 100 locations. Businesses, restaurants and medical centers closed early following warnings from police after lists circulated on social media purporting to show where far-right actions were planned. Over the last week, the U.K. has been rocked by the worst unrest in more than a decade as anti-immigration protests turned violent. However, in many of the reported locations — particularly larger cities — thousands of counterprotestors took to the streets in defiance. Demonstrators were young and old, of many races.…