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The EU gains of the Far Right Conventional powers are rattled by Parliament, prompting Macron to announce early elections.

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7 months ago

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With significant gains in parliamentary seats, far-right groups rocked the established powers in the European Union, handily defeating French President Emmanuel Macron, who called early legislative elections.

The results of the European Parliament election on Monday indicated a strong tilt to the right in the 27-nation bloc’s parliamentary membership. However, some votes were still being counted. Giorgia Meloni, the premier of Italy, more than doubled the number of assembly seats held by her party. And even though a controversy involving candidates plagued them, the far-right Alternative for Germany party managed to garner enough seats to overtake Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s collapsing Social Democrats.

Prior to the elections, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s Christian Democrats made further rightward shifts on immigration and climate change, sensing a threat from the far right. Her efforts were rewarded with the party’s continued dominance in the 720-seat European Parliament and its role as de facto middleman over the legislature’s ever-growing powers.

However, it will be far more difficult for the assembly to enact laws on topics ranging from climate change to farm policy during the next five years due to the rise of nationalist and populist parties throughout Europe.

But without a doubt, the highlight of an incredible election night was Marine Le Pen’s National Rally party, which topped the French polls to such an extent that Macron dissolved the national parliament right away and announced that fresh elections would take place later this month. It was a huge political gamble because more losses for his party could have ruined his chances of winning the presidency until 2027.

Le Pen accepted the challenge with great pleasure. She echoed the catchphrase of several far-right leaders across other nations who were commemorating significant victories, saying, “We’re ready to turn the country around, ready to defend the interests of the French, ready to put an end to mass immigration.”

The pro-European centrist Renew party, led by Macron, is predicted to receive fewer than 15% of the vote, whereas her National Rally received almost 30%, or nearly twice as much.

Macron admitted to feeling defeated. “I will address your concerns and I have heard your message,” he declared, adding that holding an early election would only strengthen his democratic credentials.

Forecasts showed that voters in Germany, the most populous country in the EU, had not been deterred by the AfD’s problems, as its share of the vote increased to 16.5% from 11% in 2019. In contrast, the three parties that make up the German governing coalition’s combined result only about managed to reach 30%.

Scholz’s ruling Social Democratic party suffered a humiliating defeat as the Alternative for Germany quickly took the lead. “After all the dire predictions, after the barrage of the last few weeks, we are the second strongest force,” a jubilant AfD leader Alice Weidel said.

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In the end, Sunday’s voting showed that the Christian Democrats and the Socialists, two mainstream and pro-European parties, continued to lead the EU. The Greens, who were predicted to lose roughly 20 seats and revert to sixth place in the assembly, suffered as a result of the far right’s victories. Macron’s pro-industry Renew group suffered a significant loss too.

After toying with the notion of forming an alliance with a party farther to the right during the campaign, von der Leyen made an offer late on Sunday to form a coalition with the pro-business Liberals and the Social Democrats, who mostly maintained their position in the polls.

Von der Leyen declared, “We are the anchor of stability; we are by far the strongest party.” She went on to say that the outcome provides “great stability for the parties in the centre,” reflecting on the growth of the far-right and the strong showing of the far-left. Everybody is interested in stability and wants to see a powerful, cohesive Europe.

Provisional results indicated that the pro-business Renew group would have 83 seats, down 19, the Social Democrats would have 135 seats, down 4, and the Christian Democrats would have 189 seats, up 13. The Greens dropped to 53, a deficit of 18.

Germany, which has historically been a bastion for environmentalists, served as an example of the Greens’ decline, as they were expected to go from 20% to 12%. More losses are anticipated in France and other countries. the Greens’ defeat could well have an impact on the EU’s climate change policies, still the most progressive across the globe.

Leaders of the major parties in the European Union parliament were scheduled to meet on Monday to discuss potential coalitions. Whether the extreme right comes together to form a powerful enough bloc to take on the main pro-European organisations will be crucial to how the assembly operates going forward.

Voter confidence among the 450 million or more members of the bloc is being tested during the elections. The EU has been rocked during the past five years by the coronavirus pandemic, a downturn in the economy, and an energy crisis brought on by Russia’s conflict in Ukraine. However, national concerns were frequently the focus of campaigns rather than the interests of all of Europe.

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Populist or far-right parties have taken control of governments in three countries since the 2019 EU elections: Hungary, Slovakia, and Italy. They also form coalitions that rule in other countries including Sweden, Finland, and shortly the Netherlands.

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Lionel Messi’s final jab at Cristiano in a million-dollar text message for Lyon’s Argentina player: “Don’t listen to Ronaldo”

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2 days ago

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January 16, 2025

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French club Lyon stoked the flames of the Ronaldo-Messi rivalry in their announcement video for Argentine midfielder Thiago Almada.

With the January football transfer window currently open and clubs across Europe looking to add talent to their rosters for the run-in in the second half of the season, French team Olympique Lyonnais have made the exciting signing of Argentine midfielder Thiago Almada. Almada joins on an initial loan from Brazilian club Botafogo, but his announcement was made in style in the latest in a long line of iconic transfer videos.

The 23-year-old midfielder’s signing was announced through a video shared by Lyon in which he receives a text message from ‘Lionel’ along with a goat emoji, clearly meant to be the legendary Lionel Messi, Almada’s compatriot and teammate in the Argentine national team. The text sent to Almada in this video reads “Don’t listen to Cristiano, Ligue 1 is incredible.”

Lyon’s retribution for Ronaldo’s comments
The text provides a sneaky tongue-in-cheek remark from the seven-time French champions, who are referencing Cristiano Ronaldo’s past comment regarding Ligue 1 being a weaker competition than the Saudi Pro League, where he currently plies his trade for Al Nassr. Ronaldo had claimed there was a better standard of football in Saudi Arabia, with the French league considered the weakest of the ‘top five’ leagues in Europe.

Messi, meanwhile, spent two years playing in France, having spent a period in the capital with Paris Saint-Germain after leaving Barcelona. Messi was the latest star at PSG, playing alongside Neymar Jr and Kylian Mbappe, before the trio was broken up as they left France with Messi heading to Inter Miami, Neymar to Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia, and Mbappe finally getting his marquee move to Real Madrid.

Almada was part of the Argentina squad that lifted the World Cup trophy in Qatar in 2022, helping Messi finally get his hands on the coveted trophy and firmly setting his status as the greatest of all time in stone. Almada has represented Argentina six times, scoring twice, and finally earned a move to Europe after playing for Atlanta United in the MLS and a brief spell in the Brazilian Serie A at Botafogo. Almada will be joining fellow Argentine Nicolas Tagliafico, who also made a cameo appearance in the announcement video.

Lyon currently sit in sixth place in the Ligue 1 table with half the season concluded, but will have intentions of fighting for spots in next year’s UEFA Champions League with a strong end to the season, in which Almada could play an important role.

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India applauds Israel and Hamas’ ceasefire agreement.

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2 days ago

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January 16, 2025

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The conflict was triggered by Hamas’s brazen terror attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023 that killed almost 1,200 people

India on Thursday welcomed the ceasefire deal reached between Israel and Hamas and reiterated its call for a return to a path of dialogue and diplomacy.

Negotiators from Israel and Hamas have agreed on a 42-day truce and hostage release, and the deal will come into effect on January 19, US President Joe Biden and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said on Wednesday. The truce comes after more than 460 days of war that has devastated Gaza.

“We welcome the announcement of the agreement for the release of hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza,” the external affairs ministry said in a brief statement.

“We hope this will lead to a safe and sustained supply of humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza. We have consistently called for release of all hostages, ceasefire, and return to a path of dialogue and diplomacy,” the statement said.

The conflict was triggered by Hamas’s brazen terror attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023 that killed almost 1,200 people. More than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s retaliatory attacks and bombardment of the Gaza Strip.

Qatar’s prime minister told reporters that Israel and Hamas were still to conclude some logistical matters related to the ceasefire, while the office of the Israeli prime minister said in a statement that a number of details of the agreement remained unresolved. The deal also needs to be formally ratified by the Israeli cabinet and the government.

The initial phase of the ceasefire, set to last six weeks, will see a limited prisoner exchange, partial withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and a surge of aid into the region. Thirty-three Israeli nationals taken hostage during the October 7 attacks will be released in exchange for a large number of Palestinian prisoners, according to reports.

Around 100 Israeli hostages are thought to be still in Gaza, though Israeli authorities believe some if them are dead.

India initially expressed solidarity with Israel after the attacks by Hamas, in line with its “zero tolerance” policy on terrorism, but it adopted a more nuanced position subsequently because of concerns expressed by Arab partners.

India has strong strategic ties with Israel while Arab states are key sources of energy and have developed stronger defence and security ties with India in the past decade. India also had significant concerns about the potential expansion of the conflict because West Asia is home to nine million Indians, with almost six million of them concentrated in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

As the war dragged on, India repeatedly urged Israel to be mindful of humanitarian concerns in its response. The Indian side also called for the unimpeded provision of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza and a return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy aimed at finding a two-state solution.

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Pricey’ private security business hired by Secret Service for high-profile events during Trump’s Inauguration

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2 days ago

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January 16, 2025

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Donald Trump will be inaugurated as the 47th President on January 20th, with heightened security measures following assassination attempts.

Donald Trump is set to be inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States on January 20th. Preparations for the momentous day are already underway, with a particular focus on security, especially following two assassination attempts on the incoming president during his political campaign.

Trump’s inauguration ceremony will be reportedly secured by a private security company, with significant costs borne by the government to ensure the safety of the incoming president.

Trump inauguration event hires private security firm
TMZ has obtained federal procurement documents revealing that the Secret Service has hired Arcus Group LLC, a private security company, to help with the upcoming inauguration. The event which will kick off with a service at St. John’s Church, a historic Washington DC church, followed by tea at the White House is set to welcome several high-profile figures including former US Presidents and First Ladies.

This company as per the data has secured an $8.1 million contract for the task, primarily focused on securing the event’s perimeter.

Who is Arcus Group?
Arcus Group specialises in providing temporary security perimeters for high-profile events, which is why they’ve been selected for Trump’s inauguration. Their services include setting up security barriers, anti-scale fencing, barricades, and even mobile command posts.

According to their website, their “security services include a complete threat assessment to ensure attendee safety.” For all event sizes, they prioritise “crowd control and provide 8’ – 12’ anti-scale fences or bike rack barriers. Our team can assist you in selecting the most appropriate security setup.”

The costs of private security have risen, with the Secret Service spending $7.5 million for Joe Biden’s inauguration. Meanwhile, apart from Trump and his wife Melania, other prominent figures like incoming Vice President JD Vance, former President George W. Bush, Bill and Barack Obama alongside Joe and Jill Biden, former First Lady Hillary Clinton are expected to attend Trump’s inauguration.

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