Should the AfD be banned? Germany's dilemma after spy agency ruling
Friedrich Merz's expected confirmation as Germany's next leader this week will take place in the shadow of a row about whether to ban the rival far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party after it was formally classified as 'extremist' by the country's intelligence services.
Merz, 69, a multimillionaire former corporate lawyer, is set to be elected as chancellor by parliament on Tuesday after his centre-right Christian Democrat Union (CDU) agreed on a 'grand coalition' with the Social Democrats following weeks of detailed negotiations.
Among those present in the Bundestag to watch his coronation will be Angela Merkel, the former chancellor and erstwhile rival, who long manoeuvred behind the scenes to prevent him from securing the top job.
• AfD designated as 'right-wing extremist' by German intelligence
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Belfast Telegraph
2 days ago
- Belfast Telegraph
From bros to foes: how the unlikely Trump-Musk relationship imploded
Two White House officials familiar with the matter said Trump expressed confusion and frustration in the meeting about Musk's attacks on his sweeping tax and spending bill. But he held back, the officials said, because he wanted to preserve Musk's political and financial support ahead of the midterm elections. By Thursday afternoon, Trump's mood had shifted. He had not spoken to Musk since the attacks began and was fuming over what one White House aide described as a 'completely bats**t' tirade by the Tesla CEO on X, his social media platform. Musk had blasted Trump's tax bill as fiscally reckless and a 'disgusting abomination'. He vowed to oppose any Republican lawmaker who supported it. The bill would fulfil many of Trump's priorities while adding, according to the Congressional Budget Office, $2.4 trillion to the $36.2 trillion US public debt. Privately, Trump had called Musk volatile. On Thursday, he told his team, it was time to take the gloves off. Sitting next to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the Oval Office, Trump told reporters he was 'very disappointed' in his former adviser. Musk quickly hit back on social media and the back-and-forth devolved from there. 'The easiest way to save money in our budget, billions and billions of dollars, is to terminate Elon's government subsidies and contracts,' Trump posted on Truth Social, his social media site. Within minutes, Musk said it might be time to create a new political party and endorsed a post on X from Ian Miles Cheong, a prominent Musk supporter and right-wing activist, calling for Trump's impeachment. The Trump-Musk relationship at its height was unprecedented in Washington — a sitting president granting a billionaire tech CEO access and influence inside the White House and throughout his government. Musk spent nearly $300m backing Trump's campaign and other Republicans last year. For months, Musk played both insider and disruptor, shaping policy conversations behind the scenes, amplifying Trump's agenda to millions online, and attacking the bureaucracy and federal spending through his self-styled Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Just last week, Trump hosted a farewell for Musk and declared that 'Elon is really not leaving'. Now, he had not only left but had turned into a top critic. Hours after Trump's Oval Office remarks, a third White House official expressed surprise at Musk's turnaround. It 'caught the president and the entire West Wing off guard', she said. Musk did not respond to emails seeking comment about the downturn in relations. His super PAC spending group, America PAC, and spokeswoman Katie Miller did not respond to calls and texts requesting comment. In a statement, the White House called the breakup an 'unfortunate episode from Elon, who is unhappy with the One Big Beautiful Bill because it does not include the policies he wanted'. The Musk-Trump breakup sent Tesla's stock price plunging and drove uncertainty among Trump's allies in Congress, who are working to pass the monumental spending package that Democrats and a small number of vocal Republicans oppose. The breakup could reshape both men's futures. For Trump, losing Musk's backing threatens his growing influence among tech donors, social media audiences, and younger male voters — key groups that may now be harder to reach. It could also complicate fundraising ahead of next year's midterm elections. For Musk, the stakes are potentially even higher. The break risks intensified scrutiny of his business practices that could jeopardise government contracts and invite regulatory probes, which might threaten his companies' profits. Some of Musk's friends and associates were stunned by the fallout, with a number of them only recently expressing confidence that the partnership would endure, according to two other sources familiar with the dynamics. The split had been simmering for weeks, said the first two White House officials, but the breaking point was over personnel: Trump's decision to pull his nomination of Jared Isaacman, Musk's hand-picked candidate to be Nasa administrator. 'He was not happy' about Isaacman, one of the White House officials said of Musk. Isaacman, a billionaire entrepreneur and close Musk ally, was seen as key to advancing Musk's vision for space exploration and commercial space ventures. After his nomination was scuttled, Isaacman posted on X: 'I am incredibly grateful to President Trump, the Senate and all those who supported me.' The move was viewed within the administration as a direct snub to Musk, the two officials said, signalling a loss of political clout and deepening the rift between him and Trump's team. Before the Isaacman episode, top White House aides behind the scenes had already begun limiting Musk's influence — quietly walking back his authority over staffing and budget decisions. Trump himself reinforced that message in early March, telling his cabinet that department secretaries, not Musk, had the final say over agency operations. At the same time, Musk began to hint that his time in government would come to a close, while expressing frustration at times that he could not more aggressively cut spending. His threats and complaints about Trump's bill grew louder, but inside the White House, few believed they would seriously alter the course of the legislation — even as some worried about the fallout on the midterms from Musk's warnings to cut political spending, the first two White House officials said. Still, a fourth White House official dismissed the impact of Musk's words on the president's signature bill. 'We're very confident,' he said. 'No one has changed their minds.' But there was bafflement at the White House at how a relationship that only last week had been celebrated in the Oval Office had taken such a turn. Time will tell whether the rift can be repaired. White House aides have scheduled a call between the two men on Friday.
The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- The Herald Scotland
Trump tells German leader D-Day was 'not a pleasant day for you'
He reminded Trump their meeting was taking place a day before the 81st anniversary of D-Day, when Allied forces, most of them U.S. troops, invaded Normandy, France, marking the beginning of the end of World War II and the defeat of Nazi Germany. More: 'We had a job' to do: Humble veteran, 100, recalls D-Day 81 years later The U.S. could play such a role in the Russia-Ukraine war, said Merz. "We are having June 6th tomorrow, this is D-Day anniversary, when the Americans once ended a war in Europe," Merz said. "That was not a pleasant day for you," Trump responded. "This was not a great day." More: 'Sometimes you have to let them fight': Trump compares Russia, Ukraine to brawling children Merz replied: "In the long run, Mr. President, this was the liberation of my country from a Nazi dictator." D-Day, on June 6, 1944, marked a pivotal moment in World War II, bringing together the land, air and sea forces of the Allied armies in the largest amphibious invasion in history. Nearly 160,000 Allied troops landed on D-Day - more than 4,400 of whom died in the assault. The German leader was in town to talk about a range of issues from increased NATO spending, trade and applying "more pressure on Russia" to end its three-year-old war on Ukraine. More: WWII bombs found in Cologne, Germany prompt evacuations "We know what we owe you... this is the reason why I'm saying that America is again in a very strong position to do something on this war and ending this war," he said. The chancellor later reported he was "extraordinarily happy" with the Trump meeting. Merz was not the first world leader to encounter an awkward situation in the Oval Office. Watch: Trump photo of dead 'White farmers' is from Congo, not South Africa, video shows Last month, Trump confronted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office saying White South Africans are the victims of "genocide" - an accusation the South African government and human rights experts say is not supported by evidence. And in February, Trump and Vice President JD Vance ambushed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy before live cameras in the Oval Office, accusing him of ingratitude for U.S. support.
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Scottish Sun
What is Ukraine's ‘mystery missile'? Russia quaking after Kyiv uses ‘new weapon' to blitz Putin on night of hell
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) VLADIMIR Putin has been left shell-shocked by a brand new mystery missile he claims Ukraine attacked him with overnight. A massive strike ripped through an airport in Bryansk and reportedly destroyed a placement of Putin's Iskander missile system. 9 Vladimir Putin has been left shell-shocked by a brand new mystery missile he claims Ukraine attacked him with overnight in Bryansk Credit: East2West 9 The huge blasts targeted a Russian airfield with a giant mushroom cloud eruption seen by onlookers Credit: East2West 9 The severity of the attack has led to Russians accusing Kyiv of using German-supplied Taurus missiles Credit: Getty 9 Thursday saw one of the most explosive evenings of fighting for some time during the gruelling war. The night of hell saw Putin exact revenge for Ukraine's stunning Operation Spiderweb drone blitz last weekend. The Russia tyrant hammered Ukraine with 407 drones and 44 missiles - unleashing a deadly wave of strikes that killed three and injured dozens. But a valiant Ukraine hit back with their own set of attacks. Dramatic footage shows one explosion, believed to be from the mystery weapon, followed by a powerful secondary blast. A follow up attack also took out a launcher for the Iskander a day earlier, Ukraine claimed. But the blasts were something never been seen before by the quaking Russians during their illegal invasion. This led to speculation on pro-Kremlin media channels that Ukraine may have fired a powerful German-supplied Taurus missile. Putin-loyalists Tsargrad said on Telegram: 'Did the first Taurus strike Russia? "Unprecedented escalation in Bryansk and destruction of Iskander missiles.' Putin plotting 'final killer offensive' to WIN Ukraine war despite Russian losses nearing 1 MILLION As channel MIG Russia claimed the pinpoint Bryansk strike was carried out with Western-made long-range missiles. If it was a Taurus, it would mark the first ever time it has been used by Kyiv. The Russians would also view it as an 'unprecedented escalation' in the conflict due to the damage the weapon can cause. Discourse around German weapons has ramped up in the parts 24 hours ever since Chancellor Friedrich Merz met in the Oval Office with Donald Trump. German sources have had to deny that any agreement had been reached during the talks to send supplies of long-range Taurus' to Ukraine. Merz had announced at the end of May that Ukraine's key backers - including Germany, France, the UK and the US - had all lifted restrictions on where donated weapons can be used. And the announcement could even mean that Britain's state-of-the-art Storm Shadow missiles could soon be used by Ukraine. Britain's bunker-busting Storm Shadow rockets are a nightmare for enemies as they are capable of dodging air defences. 9 The mystery blast from Ukraine saw two explosion ring out across the airfield Credit: East2West 9 Firefighters work at the site of a Russian drone attack in Kyiv Credit: Reuters 9 A Russian bomb lands in Ukraine overnight Credit: AP The £800,000 missiles - already being fired within Ukraine - use GPS to precisely hit targets, and can travel at 600mph. The Taurus missile system is widely regarded as Germany's equivalent to the Storm Shadow. The tit-for-tat attacks came hours after US President Donald Trump said it might be better to let Ukraine and Russia fight for a while. The president has been so far unsuccessful on getting the two countries to agree to peace - with Moscow not moving on its demands. The American was full of praise for Ukraine though as he labelled the daring Operation Spiderweb attack as "strong and badass". The daring operation saw a fired up Ukraine wreck 41 Russian planes across the strategic airfields. Putin's doomsday bomber fleet was crippled with a third of his most prized aircraft lying in smouldering wrecks. It comes as a new report accused Putin of plotting a final killer offensive along three fronts to win the war this summer. The Russian army is nearing one million casualties in its bungled three-year-old invasion as peace talks continue to stall. Now, some 125,000 Russian soldiers are reportedly right now massing along the Sumy and Kharkiv frontiers, according to Ukraine's military intelligence. Over the past fortnight border villages have fallen to Russia as it is may to be preparing the ground for the offensive. But some senior commanders in Ukraine believe that could be a feint and Russia is actually preparing to attack further south to push further into the Donbas, Ukraine Pravda reports. Russia is likely to attack through three areas near each other in the Donbas - Kramatorsk, Kostiantynivka, and Pokrovsk. 9 Fire and smoke rise in Kyiv following a Russian drone and missile strike overnight Credit: Reuters
