Syrian President Makes First Visit to Europe Since Assad's Fall
President Ahmed al-Shara of Syria arrived in France on Wednesday for his first trip to a European country since ascending to power, marking a pivotal moment in his bid to reintegrate Syria into the international community.
The visit came at a time of deep uncertainty for the country, which has been mired by spasms of sectarian violence as it tries to emerge from more than a decade of war.
Mr. al-Shara met with President Emmanuel Macron of France at the Élysée Palace in Paris, in both a diplomatic boost and a key test for the Syrian president as he faces skepticism at home and abroad.
Mr. Macron and Mr. al-Shara were to discuss Syria's political transition, its security, the fight against terrorism, economic aid and regional stability, according to the French presidency. Mr. Macron's office said he was particularly worried about ongoing sectarian violence and would press Mr. al-Shara on continuing the transition to a 'free, sovereign and pluralist Syria.'
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Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Poland Ponders Its Future Under Nawrocki
Warsaw - The mood here on Monday was subdued. Political signs supporting Warsaws progressive mayor, Rafal Trzaskowski, for president of Poland still littered the capital city, hanging from apartment balconies and highway overpasses. But Trzaskowski had lost Sundays runoff election to Karol Nawrocki, a conservative historian backed by Trump. With a Trumpian flair for political invincibility, Nawrocki overcame a bundle of scandals (including reports he had hired sex workers and defrauded an elderly pensioner), eventually outperforming opinion polls and even exit polls to win the presidency. The first exit poll - published immediately after voting ended at 9:00 p.m. local time on Sunday - showed Trzaskowski winning by just over half a point. He declared an early victory. "We won, although the phrase 'razor's edge will forever enter the Polish language and politics," Trzaskowski told his supporters in Warsaw. Meanwhile, Nawrocki told his supporters to remain hopeful. "I believe that we will wake up tomorrow with President Karol Nawrocki." Sure enough, by the time votes were officially tallied, Nawrocki had won by nearly two points, ending Trzaskowskis second presidential bid in failure. The result will affect European politics at a time when security concerns grip the continent. Donald Tusk, Polands center-right prime minister and the former president of the European Council, backed Trzaskowskis campaign in hopes that the mayors pro-Europe inclinations would lead to expanded influence for Poland in Brussels. But Nawrocki, who is backed by the Law and Justice (PiS) party, can stymie Tusks domestic and foreign policy agendas through veto power. Nawrocki opposes EU ambitions to further integrate, share the burdens of immigration, and address climate change collectively. Though Tusk will continue to represent Poland at EU summits, Nawrocki and PiS can challenge the prime ministers legitimacy abroad by tactfully fracturing his coalition at home. 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Though Mentzen never formally endorsed Nawrocki, an analysis of Sundays vote found that nearly 90% of Mentzens first-round voters backed Nawrocki in the presidential runoff. Progressive unity proved much more elusive. Multiple voters told me of friends and colleagues who had voted for some of the most liberal candidates in round one only to vote for Nawrocki in the runoff as a way of sticking it to Prime Minister Tusk, whom they believe has neglected his 2023 campaign promise to expand abortion rights. Nawrocki, by contrast, garnered overwhelming support in rural areas by focusing on conservative Catholic values and anti-abortion policies. PiS has also cultivated support in farming communities by championing government subsidies for farmers and parents. A major question moving forward is whether these voters simply care more about issues like abortion than foreign policy or are willfully shifting their support away from Ukraine. 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32 minutes ago
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Deschamps banking on France depth against 'best in the world' Spain
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Washington Post
an hour ago
- Washington Post
3 World War II bombs are defused in a German city's biggest postwar evacuation
COLOGNE, Germany — Three unexploded U.S. bombs from World War II were defused on Wednesday in Cologne after the German city's biggest evacuation since the end of the war. More than 20,000 residents were evacuated from the city center earlier Wednesday after the bombs were unearthed on Monday during preparatory work for road construction.
