German leader Merz says his government has a ‘stable foundation' despite a dispute
Merz took office on May 6, leading a coalition of his conservative Union bloc with the center-left Social Democrats that has a relatively thin parliamentary majority. He vowed to strengthen Europe's biggest economy after years of stagnation, enable Germany to build Europe's strongest conventional army and keep the U.S. on board with aid to Ukraine.
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Toronto Sun
3 minutes ago
- Toronto Sun
Syria to hold first parliamentary elections since Assad's fall in September
Published Jul 27, 2025 • 1 minute read In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa receives the final version of the provisional electoral system for the People's Assembly, in Damascus, Syria, Sunday, July 27, 2025. Photo by SANA via AP / AP DAMASCUS, Syria — Syria will hold parliamentary elections in September, the head of a body tasked with organizing the election process told state media Sunday. 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 Mohammed Taha al-Ahmad, chairman of the Higher Committee for People's Assembly Elections, told state news agency SANA that elections will take place between Sept. 15 and 20. They will be the first to take place under the country's new authorities after the fall of former President Bashar Assad in a lightning rebel offensive in December. One third of the 210 seats will the appointed by interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, with the rest to be elected. In a recent interview with the Erem News site, another member of the elections committee, Hassan al-Daghim, said an electoral college will be set up in each of Syria's provinces to vote for the elected seats. A temporary constitution signed by al-Sharaa in March called for a People's Committee to be set up to serve as an interim parliament until a permanent constitution is adopted and general elections held, a process that could take years. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The announcement of impending elections comes at a time when the country is increasingly divided in its views of the new authorities in Damascus after sectarian violence broke out in the southern province of Sweida earlier this month. The fighting killed hundreds of people and threatened to unravel Syria's fragile postwar transition. The violent clashes, which broke out two weeks ago, were sparked by tit-for-tat kidnappings between armed Bedouin clans and fighters from the Druze religious minority. Syrian government forces intervened, ostensibly to end the fighting, but effectively sided with the clans. Some government fighters reportedly executed Druze civilians and burned and looted houses. Israel intervened, launching airstrikes on government forces and on the Defence Ministry headquarters. Israel said it was acting to defend the Druze minority. Sports Columnists Toronto & GTA Sunshine Girls Toronto Blue Jays
Calgary Herald
20 minutes ago
- Calgary Herald
Israel eases Gaza aid curbs, hoping to defuse hunger outcry
Israel rolled back curbs on aid distribution to Gaza over the weekend in an effort to defuse a growing international outcry over hunger convulsing the shattered Palestinian enclave. Article content The Israel Defense Forces on Sunday suspended some military operations against Hamas to facilitate the movement of UN relief convoys, and restored electricity supplies to a desalination plant in Gaza for the first time since March. Article content Article content Article content The UN World Food Program has warned for weeks that the entire population of 2.1 million people in the Gaza Strip faces crisis levels of food insecurity. Scores of aid groups say starvation is fast spreading. Article content Article content That's seen world anger toward Israel's government on the rise amid increasing reports and images of emaciated babies, children crammed into soup queues, and men tussling over bags of flour. Article content German Chancellor Friedrich Merz spoke by phone on Sunday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, expressing 'deep concern about the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza' and urging 'further substantial steps,' according to a readout from his office. Article content While continuing to deny accusations that it's deliberately starving Gazans, Israel has now begun parachuting in food supplies. That's a delivery mechanism tried by several foreign air forces a year ago but abandoned, at the time, amid concerns about scale and safety. Article content Article content 'There's a campaign full of lies under way' that's created 'a mistaken impression of famine in Gaza,' Danny Danon, Israel's ambassador to the UN, told Tel Aviv radio station 103 FM. 'Therefore the cabinet decided yesterday to bring in aid, in order to show the world that we are heeding the claims, even if we disagree about the facts.' Article content Article content Sunday's decision was announced by the military without comment from Netanyahu or Defense Minister Israel Katz. It marked a de facto reversal of Israel's cut-off of UN-led humanitarian relief in March after the previous Gaza ceasefire expired, a tactic Netanyahu aides had said would deprive Hamas of a means of controlling the populace while feeding its own fighters. Article content Mahmoud Mardawi, a senior Hamas official, described the about-face on Telegram as 'not a solution, but rather, a belated and twisted confession of a crime having been committed.'
Canada News.Net
43 minutes ago
- Canada News.Net
Brewing friendship: beer culture connects China's Qingdao with world
QINGDAO, July 27 (Xinhua) -- Zhu Junhai, assistant to the president of Tsingtao Brewery Co., Ltd., presented an old photograph from 1991 that captured the inaugural Qingdao International Beer Festival. This moment was shared at an industry meeting held during the ongoing international beer festival in Qingdao, a coastal city in east China's Shandong Province. Back then, the festival only showcased around 40 to 50 domestic beer varieties alongside a handful of international brands, but it was enough to amaze both local residents and visitors. Nowadays, the beer festival has grown into an internationally renowned celebration. The host city Qingdao is home to the Tsingtao Brewery, a time-honored beer brand in China. Last year, over 6 million visitors from across the globe joined the festival, consuming nearly 2,800 tonnes of beer and generating approximately 7.3 billion yuan (about 1.02 billion U.S. dollars) in comprehensive revenue. The 35th Qingdao International Beer Festival opened on July 18 near the beach in Qingdao's Xihai'an (West Coast) New Area and will last around one month. This year's event features over 2,300 domestic and international beer brands and, for the first time, introduced an "exclusive festival beer" to give visitors a truly unique tasting experience. "In Bavaria, we consume more than 180 liters of beer per person annually, so we do have a say when it comes to beer," said Toni Lautenschlger, director of economic development bureau of Regensburg in Bavaria, Germany. "Tsingtao Beer is lighter and smoother than our local beer, and I find it quite tasty," Lautenschlger remarked after sampling the brew at this year's festival. Warsteiner, a well-known German beer brand, has made its seventh consecutive appearance at the Qingdao International Beer Festival with its iconic beer tent. This year, the brand has rolled out some exciting new options, including alcohol-free beer and a refreshing beach lager, catering to the diverse tastes of its international guests. Chen Feng, who is in charge of the Warsteiner beer tent, revealed that over 1,200 liters of beer were sold on the opening night alone, demonstrating visitors' strong enthusiasm for authentic German brews. Qingdao has developed beer culture into a bridge that connects international friendships. "Qingdao is a dynamic and ever-evolving city. Both its urban development and beer culture have impressed me greatly," said Gertrud Maltz-Schwarzfischer, mayor of Regensburg, who made her first visit to the city in 2019. In the same year, a cooperative mechanism for international beer festivals was set up in Qingdao. Initiated by the Qingdao beerfest, the mechanism is set to boost exchanges among popular beer festival organizers including Munich's Oktoberfest, Great American Beer Festival, and Toronto's Festival of Beer. The mechanism aims to enhance cooperation within the beer industry and related tourism, while also creating a platform for international players to explore overseas business opportunities. On July 19, representatives from beer festivals in Belgium, the Republic of Korea, Japan, Hungary, and other countries and regions participated in the International Beer Festivals Alliance Cooperative Mechanism 2025 Qingdao Meeting. "Since each city and region that joins the alliance has a unique beer festival culture with its own charm, we need to protect our distinct traditions and carry them forward," said Christian Scharpf, director of the department of labor and economic development of Munich, Germany, and chief coordinator of the Munich's Oktoberfest.
