Israel carries out deadly airstrikes against suspected Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon
A series of Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon have killed at one person and wounded eight others. The Israeli military said it bombed infrastructure belonging to the Hezbollah militant group that included weapons and tunnel shafts as part of an underground network. AP video shot by Ali Sharafeddine and Fadi Tawil
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Hamilton Spectator
28 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk defends his centrist government ahead of a vote of confidence
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Prime Minister Donald Tusk defended his centrist, pro-European government before parliament on Wednesday, seeking to reassert control and rally his fractured coalition after suffering a bitter political defeat. Tusk requested a vote of confidence in the wake of the June 1 loss of Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski — his close ally — to nationalist historian Karol Nawrocki. Backed by U.S. President Donald Trump, Nawrocki is set to replace outgoing President Andrzej Duda, another conservative who repeatedly blocked Tusk's reform efforts. 'I am asking for a vote of confidence with full conviction that we have a mandate to govern, to take full responsibility for what is happening in Poland,' Tusk said. Most of the power in Poland's parliamentary system rests with an elected parliament and a government chosen by the parliament. However, the president can veto legislation and represents the country abroad. 'Anyone who is ready to move forward with me, with the government, and above all with our voters, regardless of these momentary emotions, and build a better Poland, should vote today for a vote of confidence in our government,' Tusk said. The vote, scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, is widely expected to go in Tusk's favor. His four-party coalition holds a narrow but stable majority in the 460-seat Sejm, Poland's lower house. A loss would trigger the formation of a caretaker government and may open the door for an early parliamentary election. That could potentially returning power to the conservative Law and Justice party, in coalition with the far-right Confederation party, whose candidate placed third in the presidential race. Tusk had long counted on a Trzaskowski victory to break the institutional deadlock created by Duda's vetoes. Instead, he now faces an incoming president aligned with the nationalist opposition and openly hostile to his government's legislative priorities. 'We cannot close our eyes to reality,' he said. 'A president who was reluctant to accept the changes we proposed for Poland and our voters is being replaced by a president who is at least equally reluctant to those changes and proposals.' But he also argued that Trzaskowski's narrow defeat indicates that there is continued strong support for those who share his views. The election result has rattled the already uneasy governing coalition, which spans from center-left to center-right and has struggled to deliver on key campaign pledges, including liberalizing Poland's abortion law and legalizing same-sex civil unions. Tusk acknowledged the growing strains in Wednesday's address. Many are also blaming Tusk for contributing to Trzaskowski's loss. Much of the criticism has come from within his coalition, as his partners examine whether they are better off sticking with him or risking a collapse of the coalition. Some are calling for a new prime minister to be selected. There are questions about what Tusk can realistically achieve before the next parliamentary election, scheduled for late 2027, and whether the coalition will even survive that long amid a surge in popularity for the far right. Polish media and political analysts are debating whether this might be the 68-year-old Tusk's political twilight. 'I know the bitterness of defeat, but I do not know such a word as 'capitulation,' Tusk told lawmakers. As part of his fresh start, he announced plans for a government reconstruction in July that will include 'new faces.' He said a government spokesman would be appointed in June — an acknowledgement that the coalition needs a way to present a unified message. So far Tusk has sought to communicate his policies to the public himself on social media and in news conferences. Tusk served as Polish prime minister from 2007 to 2014 and then as president of the European Council from 2014 to 2019. He became Poland's prime minister again in December 2023 in a country exhausted by the pandemic and inflation, and with political divisions deep and bitter. In a sign of those divisions, half of the parliament hall was empty on Wednesday, with lawmakers from the right-wing Law and Justice party boycotting his speech. Tusk said their absence showed disrespect to the nation. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
40 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Head of Germany's Greens urges country to sanction Israeli minister
The head of Germany's Green Party has called for Berlin to join other countries in sanctioning Israeli far-right ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir over accusations of inciting violence against Palestinians. Franziska Brantner, who co-leads Germany's second-largest opposition party, accused the two ministers of "openly calling for violence against the Palestinian population and long having propagated a policy of annexation and displacement." "This costs human lives, displaces entire communities and poses enormous hurdles on the path to a peace process," Brantner told dpa. Her comments came after the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Norway on Tuesday announced they have sanctioned Ben-Givr, the security minister in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, and Smotrich, the finance minister. Ben-Gvir and Smotrich actively support the expansion of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and condone violence by militant settlers against the Palestinian population. Smotrich recently threatened the "total destruction" of the Gaza Strip, while Ben-Gvir has spoken out strongly against resuming humanitarian aid deliveries to the embattled Palestinian territory. In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of the five countries accused Smotrich and Ben-Gvir of inciting "extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights." The British government said that the UK sanctions involve a travel ban as well as the freezing of assets. Norway also imposed a travel ban. Brantner said if the German government was serious about its proclaimed responsibility for the security of the State of Israel - a policy known in Germany as "reason of state" - as well as for international law, Berlin needed to act in lockstep with its European partners. "This is the only way a two-state solution can ever have a chance – as a way to ensure a life in security and dignity for Israelis and Palestinians."
Hamilton Spectator
43 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Russian attacks kill 3 as drones hit Kharkiv and other parts of Ukraine
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian forces launched a fresh drone assault across Ukraine overnight Wednesday, killing three people and wounding 60 more, Ukrainian officials said. One of the hardest-hit areas was the city of Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine, where 17 attack drones struck two residential districts, said Mayor Ihor Terekhov. Emergency crews, municipal workers and volunteers worked through the night to extinguish fires, rescue residents from burning homes, and restore gas, electricity and water services. 'Those are ordinary sites of peaceful life — those that should never be targeted,' Terekhov wrote on Telegram. Three people were confirmed killed and at least 60 injured, including nine children aged between 2 and 15, according to Kharkiv regional head Oleh Syniehubov. Kharkiv has been repeatedly targeted frequently in recent months as Russia had launched repeated large-scale drone and missile attacks on civilian infrastructure. Moscow's forces have deployed high numbers of drones and missiles in recent days, with a record bombardment of almost 500 drones on Monday and a wave of 315 drones and seven missiles overnight on Tuesday. The attacks come despite discussions of a potential ceasefire. The two sides traded memoranda at direct peace talks in Istanbul on June 2 that set out conditions. However, the inclusion of clauses that both sides see as nonstarters make any quick deal unlikely. Wednesday's strikes also caused widespread destruction in the Slobidskyi and Osnovianskyi districts, hitting apartment buildings, private homes, playgrounds, industrial sites and public transport. Images from the scene published by Ukraine's Emergency Service on Telegram showed burning apartments, shattered windows and firefighters battling the blaze. 'We stand strong. We help one another. And we will endure,' Terekhov said. 'Kharkiv is Ukraine. And it cannot be broken.' Ukraine's airforce said that 85 attack and decoy drones were fired over the country over night. Air defense systems intercepted 40 of the drones, while nine more failed to reach their targets without causing damage. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
