Dutch center-left parties unite to challenge the right in a historic merger
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Two center-left Dutch political parties agreed Thursday to a formal merger, just months away from a general election where they will seek to turn the political tide in the Netherlands away from right-wing populism.
Members of the Labor Party and Green Left both voted overwhelmingly in favor of the move to form a single new party. The parties have been working together in parliament for years.
Now they will go to the polls as a single entity known by its Dutch name, Groen Links-PvdA. A new party with a new name will follow next year, the parties said after the vote.
'This is a historic moment. This step shows that we, as parties, believe in the power of cooperation, because we can achieve so much more together than apart,' the chair of the Labor Party, Esther-Mirjam Sent, said in a statement.
Green Left chair, Katinka Eikelenboom, added that her party's members 'choose with full conviction for cooperation and renewal. We are building a broad, green and social people's party that is ready for the future.'
The Oct. 29 election for all 150 seats in the lower house of the Dutch parliament was triggered when right-wing anti-Islam lawmaker Geert Wilders pulled his ministers out of the four-party ruling coalition in a dispute over the pace of reforms to implement tough new measures to rein in migration.
The remaining three parties remain in power in a caretaker capacity under Prime Minister Dick Schoof until a new government is formed.
The Labor Party is led in parliament by former European Commission climate chief Frans Timmermans, a former Dutch foreign minister. The two center-left parties currently trail Wilders' Party for Freedom in Dutch polling.
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Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Activists stopped in Libya and Egypt ahead of planned march on Gaza
RABAT, Morocco (AP) — A planned march protesting aid restrictions on Gaza faced uncertainty Friday, as organizers in Cairo awaited Egyptian approval and Libyan authorities blocked a convoy of activists en route. Activists from 80 countries planned to march to Egypt's border with Gaza to spotlight the deepening humanitarian crises facing Palestinians since Israel began blocking aid trucks from entering the coastal enclave in March. It slightly eased restrictions last month, allowing limited aid in, but experts warn the measures fall far short. The Global March on Gaza was slated to be among the largest demonstrations of its kind in recent years, coinciding with other efforts including a boat carrying activists and aid that was intercepted by Israel's military en route to Gaza earlier this week. Activists detained in Egypt Organizers said hundreds arriving in Cairo had been detained and deported to their home countries in Europe and North Africa. They said they planned to gather at a campsite outside of Cairo on Friday to prepare for the Sunday march, noting that authorities had not yet granted them authorization to travel through the Sinai, which Egypt considers a highly sensitive area. 'We continue to urge the Egyptian government to permit this peaceful march, which aligns with Egypt's own stated commitment to restoring stability at its border and addressing the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza,' they said in a statement. Hicham El-Ghaoui, one of the group's spokespeople, said the group would refrain from demonstrating until receiving clarity on whether Egypt will authorize their protest. The planned demonstrations cast an uncomfortable spotlight on Egypt, one of the Arab countries that has cracked down on pro-Palestinian activists even as it publicly condemns aid restrictions and calls for an end to the war. The government, a major recipient of U.S. military aid that maintains ties with Israel, has arrested and charged 186 activists with threatening state security since the war began, according to a June tally by the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights. Many of them said they were protesting peacefully and collecting donations for Gaza. Still, the severity of the crackdown surprised European activists. Antonietta Chiodo, who traveled to Cairo from Italy, said those awaiting further instruction had been detained, interrogated, treated harshly by Egyptian authorities or deported. Alexis Deswaef, a Belgian human rights lawyer, said he woke up on Friday to dozens of security vehicles packed with uniformed officers surrounding Talat Harb Square, where he and other activists had found hotels. Members of his group snuck out of the lobby as security entered, holding up a guidebook and asking an officer for assistance booking taxis to the Pyramids of Giza, where they've been since. 'I am so surprised to see the Egyptians doing the dirty work of Israel,' he said from the Pyramids. He hoped there would be too many activists at the new meeting point outside Cairo on the road to Gaza for Egyptian authorities to arrest en masse. In a divided Libya, Egypt-backed authorities stop a convoy Meanwhile, an aid convoy traveling overland from Algeria picked up new participants along the route in Tunisia and Libya yet was stopped in the city of Sirte, about 940 kilometers (585 miles) from the Libya-Egypt border. Organizers of the overland convoy said late Thursday night that they had been stopped by authorities governing eastern Libya, which has for years been divided between dueling factions. The convoy was allowed to cross from Tunisia to Libya but halted near the front line where territory shifts to a rival administration whose backers include Egypt. The Benghazi-based government in a statement urged activists to 'engage in proper coordination with the official Libyan authorities through legal and diplomatic channels to ensure the safety of all participants and uphold the principles of solidarity with the Palestinian people.' It said they should return to their home countries and cited Egypt's public statements that marchers had not been granted authorization. Organizers leading the overland convoy said authorities had allowed them to camp in Sirte and await further approval. Their group, which includes thousands of participants, had already traversed parts of Algeria, Tunisia and the western Libyan cities of Tripoli and Misrata. They 'called on all relevant parties to intervene and help facilitate the mission of our convoy.' The efforts — the activist flotilla, the overland convoy and the planned march — come as international outcry grows over conditions in Gaza. As part of a campaign to pressure Hamas to disarm and release hostages, Israel has continued to pummel the territory with airstrikes while limiting the flow of trucks carrying food, water and medication that can enter. The U.N. has said the vast majority of the population relies on humanitarian aid to survive and experts have warned the coastal enclave will likely fall into famine if Israel doesn't lift its blockade and stop its military campaign. Over U.N. objections, a U.S.-backed group has taken control of the limited aid entering Gaza. But as desperate Palestinians crowd its distribution sites, chaos has erupted and almost 200 people have been killed near aid sites. Nearly half a million Palestinians are on the brink of possible starvation, and 1 million others can barely get enough food, according to findings by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a leading international authority. Israel has rejected the findings, saying the IPC's previous forecasts had proven unfounded. __ McNeil reported from Barcelona. Youssef Murad contributed reporting from Tripoli, Libya.
Toronto Sun
an hour ago
- Toronto Sun
Timeline of tensions and hostilities between Israel and Iran
Published Jun 13, 2025 • 3 minute read Iranian protesters hold up Iranian and Palestinian flags in an anti-Israeli gathering in Tehran, Iran, Friday, June 13, 2025. Photo by Vahid Salemi / AP Israel and Iran opened a new chapter in their long history of conflict when Israel launched a major attack with strikes early Friday that set off explosions in the Iranian capital of Tehran. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Israel said it targeted nuclear and military facilities. Iranian state media reported the leader of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and two top nuclear scientists were killed. Israel's attack comes as tensions have escalated over Iran's rapidly advancing nuclear program, which Israel sees as a threat to its existence. Here is a timeline of some significant events in the hostilities between the two countries: Iran's nuclear program is a primary target 2010 — The Stuxnet computer virus is discovered and widely believed to be a joint U.S.-Israeli creation. The virus disrupted and destroyed Iranian centrifuges. 2018 — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel obtained tens of thousands of pages of data showing Iran covered up its nuclear program before signing a deal with world powers in 2015. An ex-Mossad chief confirms the information was obtained by more than a dozen non-Israeli agents from safes in Tehran in 2018. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 2020 — Alleged Israeli attacks against Iran's nuclear program are stepped up significantly after the disintegration of the 2015 nuclear deal meant to keep Iran from developing nuclear weapons. July 2020 — A mysterious explosion tears apart a centrifuge production plant at Iran's Natanz nuclear enrichment facility. Iran blames the attack on Israel. November 2020 — A top Iranian military nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, is killed by a remote-controlled machine gun while traveling in a car outside Tehran. A top Iranian security official accuses Israel of using 'electronic devices' to remotely kill the scientist, who founded Iran's military nuclear program in the 2000s. April 11, 2021 — An attack targets Iran's underground nuclear facility in Natanz. Iran blames Israel, which does not claim responsibility, but Israeli media widely reports the government orchestrated a cyberattack that caused a blackout at the facility. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. April 16, 2021 — Iran begins enriching uranium up to 60%, its highest purity ever and a technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90%. June 2022 — Iran accuses Israel of poisoning two nuclear scientists in different cities within three days of each other, though circumstances remained unclear. Mideast wars Oct. 7, 2023 — Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip storm into Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 hostage, beginning the most intense war between Israel and Hamas. Iran, which has armed Hamas, offers support to the militants. Feb. 14, 2024 — An Israeli sabotage attack causes multiple explosions on an Iranian natural gas pipeline running from Iran's western Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province to cities on the Caspian Sea. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. April 1, 2024 — An Israeli airstrike demolishes Iran's Consulate in Damascus, Syria, killing 16 people including two Iranian generals. April 14, 2024 — Iran launches an unprecedented missile and drone attack on Israel, firing over 300 missiles and attack drones in response to the Israeli airstrike in Damascus. Working with a U.S.-led international coalition, Israel intercepts much of the incoming fire. April 19, 2024 — A suspected Israeli strike hits an air defense system near an airport in Isfahan, Iran. July 31, 2024 — Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh is assassinated by an apparent Israeli airstrike during a visit to Tehran. Israel had pledged to kill Haniyeh and other Hamas leaders over the Oct. 7 attack. Sept. 27, 2024 — Israeli airstrike kills Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Formed by Iranian Revolutionary Guard members who went to Lebanon in 1982 to fight invading Israeli forces, Hezbollah was the first group that Iran backed and used as a way to export its brand of political Islam. Oct. 1, 2024 — Iran launches its second direct attack on Israel, though a U.S.-led coalition and Israel shoot down most of the missiles. Oct. 16, 2024 — Israel kills Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in the Gaza Strip. Oct. 26, 2024 — Israel openly attacks Iran for the first time, striking air defense systems and sites associated with its missile program. April 30, 2025 — Iran executes a man it said worked for Israel's Mossad foreign intelligence agency and played a role in the killing of Revolutionary Guard Col. Hassan Sayyad Khodaei in Tehran on May 22, 2022. Sunshine Girls World Toronto & GTA Toronto & GTA Sunshine Girls
Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Republican enthusiasm for Musk cools after his feud with Trump, a new AP-NORC poll finds
WASHINGTON (AP) — Tech billionaire Elon Musk has lost some of his luster with Republicans since his messy public falling-out with President Donald Trump last week, a new survey finds. Fewer Republicans view Trump's onetime government efficiency bulldog 'very favorably' compared with April, according to the poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Though most Republicans continue to hold a positive view of Musk, their diminished fervor suggests his vocal opposition to Trump's signature spending and tax cut legislation — and Musk's subsequent online political and personal taunts — may have cost him some enthusiasm within the party. 'Some things have happened lately that have changed how I feel about him a little,' said Alabama Republican Katye Long, whose feelings for Musk have cooled to 'somewhat favorable.' 'I liked what he was doing when he was helping. But now I feel like he's kind of hurting,' said the 34-year-old automotive component factory employee and mother of three from Woodstock, Alabama. 'I also don't feel like he matters that much. He's not actually part of the government. He's just a rich guy who pushes his opinions.' Musk's overall popularity hasn't shifted, the poll found, and most of the shift among Democrats and Republicans was between 'very' and 'somewhat' strong opinions. Americans are less likely to view him favorably than his electric vehicle company, Tesla. That said, about half of Americans have a negative opinion of Tesla, highlighting another challenge for Musk when the company has dropped in value and been the target of protests in the U.S. and Europe. About one-third have a favorable view of Tesla, while about 2 in 10 don't know enough to say. Republicans' enthusiasm waned, but so did Democrats' antipathy Even a subtle shift in the intensity of Republicans' feelings about Musk could be important as the electric car and aerospace mogul weighs a second political act after spending about $200 million in service of Trump's 2024 election effort. After decrying the GOP's massive tax and budget policy bill as 'a disgusting abomination,' Musk wrote on X, his social media platform, 'In November next year, we fire all politicians who betrayed the American people.' The poll suggests the messy feud with Trump may have rubbed some Republicans the wrong way, as the share of Republicans viewing Musk as 'very favorable' has dropped from 38% in April to 26% now. At the same time, antipathy toward Musk among Democrats has waned a little. About two-thirds, 65%, of Democrats have a very negative view of Musk, down slightly from about three-quarters, 74%, in April. Musk's bitter back-and-forth with Trump has business implications, too. Tesla was already struggling with a backlash against Musk's association with Trump. Sales across Europe plunged by half in May, even as growth in the electric car market accelerated. Then the company's shares plunged in value when Musk began sparring publicly with the president. Victoria Brown, of Kansas City, Kansas, rated Tesla 'somewhat unfavorable' because she objects to how Trump is conducting his administration and links the company's owner with the president's agenda. 'I don't favor Trump. So, pretty much the fact that they have been working together means I don't care too much for Tesla,' said Brown, 63, a political independent and an insurance agent. Musk's overall approval remains unchanged While the intensity of people's feelings about Musk may have changed, their overall opinions have not. About one-third of U.S. adults have a favorable opinion of Musk, compared with about 6 in 10 who hold an unfavorable view, while about 1 in 10 don't know enough to say. That's unchanged from the April poll. The new poll was conducted June 5-9, after Musk left his government role and began attacking Trump's marquee legislative priority. Musk's public clash with Trump began four days after Trump honored Musk effusively during an Oval Office event discharging him from duties as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency. After first tearing down the budget bill, Musk two days later complained he had never seen the language, and he aimed his fire at Trump, suggesting the president didn't sufficiently appreciate the role Musk assumed as the chief benefactor to Trump's reelection effort. 'Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate,' Musk wrote. 'Such ingratitude.' Musk went on to claim without evidence that the federal government was concealing information about Trump's association with infamous pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Musk deleted the post, and early Wednesday he stepped back from his attacks on Trump, writing on X that he regretted some of his posts and they 'went too far.' Views of Tesla are far more negative than other car companies Tesla endured a difficult first quarter in 2025, with its sales falling while the world's leading electric car manufacturer faced protests in showrooms. The new poll also shows that Tesla is viewed far more negatively than some of its peers — notably, Ford, Toyota and General Motors. Only about one-third of U.S. adults have a 'very' or 'somewhat' favorable view of Tesla. About half of U.S. adults have an unfavorable opinion of Tesla, including 30% of Republicans. Democrats, at 66%, are more than twice as likely as Republicans to have a negative view of Tesla. But even among Republicans, Tesla is viewed less favorably than the other brands. Marisa Mills is no Musk fan. The 41-year-old teacher from Oakland, California, objects to his association with Trump and what the Democrat sees as their misguided notion that government is always well served by operating like a business. And yet she was once proud to have Tesla building cars in her own county. She soured on the company in 2020, when Musk sued Alameda County over its workplace restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic, before he moved the company to Texas in 2021. 'My government is supposed to serve the people, not his company. We were all glad to see him go,' Mills said. 'I do regret that we now have feelings of regret for the Tesla car product. We were once so proud.' Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. ___ Beaumont reported from Des Moines, Iowa. ___ The AP-NORC poll of 1,158 adults was conducted June 5-9, using a sample drawn from NORC's probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 4 percentage points. ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find the AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
