Germany and France’s far right make gains in EU elections
Far-right parties have made major gains at the European Union parliamentary elections, dealing stunning defeats to two of the bloc’s most important leaders: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron. In Germany, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) was on track to take second place in Sunday’s EU election, according to projections from public broadcaster ARD, underscoring the party’s resilience ahead of next year’s federal election. The Eurosceptic party was set to secure a record 16.5 percent of the vote on Sunday, according to an exit poll published by ARD. That was 5.5 percentage points more than in the last European Union election in 2019, and more than all three parties in Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition. The conservatives, who are in opposition at the federal level, have been forecast to come first, rising slightly to 29.5 percent. Germany’s Greens were the biggest losers on Sunday, falling 8.5 percentage points to 12 percent, punished by voters for the cost of policies to reduce CO2 emissions – in line with expectations for environmental parties across Europe. Scholz’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the third coalition partner, the pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP), also fared poorly, expected to win 14 percent and 5 percent of the vote respectively, down from 15.8 percent and 5.4 percent in the previous election. The results are in line with an expected broader shift rightwards for the European Parliament across the bloc of 450 million citizens. The strong showing comes as Germany’s party landscape undergoes its biggest upheaval in decades, with new populist parties vying to take space vacated by the shrinking mainstream parties that have dominated since reunification in 1990. This looks set to make it much harder for established parties to form workable coalitions, and is coarsening the political climate, say analysts. The campaign was overshadowed by a surge in violence against politicians and activists. The AfD was plagued by scandals in recent months, with its lead candidate having to step back from campaigning in May after declaring that the SS, the Nazis’ main paramilitary force, were “not all criminals”. “We’ve done well because people have become more anti-European,” the AfD’s co-leader Alice Weidel said on Sunday. “People are annoyed by so much bureaucracy from Brussels,” she added, giving a plan ultimately to ban CO2-emitting cars as an example. [embedded content] In France, the National Rally party of Marine Le Pen dominated the polls to such an extent that Macron immediately dissolved the national parliament and called for new elections, a massive political risk since his party could suffer more losses, hobbling the rest of his presidential term that ends in 2027. Projected results from France put Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally around 33 percent, with 31 seats in the incoming European Parliament – more than double the score of President Emmanuel Macron’s liberals, at 15 percent. Macron acknowledged the thud of defeat. “I’ve heard your message, your concerns, and I won’t leave them unanswered,” he said, adding that calling a snap election only underscored his democratic credentials. Overall across the EU, two mainstream and pro-European groups, the Christian Democrats and the Socialists, remained the dominant forces. The gains of the far right came at the expense of the Greens, who were expected to lose about 20 seats and fall back to sixth position in the legislature. Reporting from Berlin, Al Jazeera’s Step Vaessen said that the Eurosceptic parties appeared set to form a large bloc in the next European Parliament. “With this very large bloc of far-right parties, there can be an influence on climate policies, for example … Also, [the EU’s] agriculture policies … and migration policies, which is a very important issue here in Germany and in the Netherlands,” she said. However, Vaessen noted that the far-right parties are not united. “They have a lot of divisions among themselves, and they have been trying to reach out to each other. We’ve seen [France’s] Marine Le Pen, for example, reaching out to [Prime Minister] Giorgia Meloni in Italy,” she said. “But after tonight, we will have to see how these groups will be formed and what kind of influence they will have.” Adblock test (Why?)
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen wins Canadian Grand Prix for third year in a row
The victory was Verstappen’s sixth of the season, extending his lead in the F1 Drivers’ Championship to 56 points. Red Bull’s triple world champion Max Verstappen has completed a Canadian Grand Prix hat-trick of victories on a wet, wild and tricky race at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Verstappen, who started on the front row alongside Mercedes pole sitter George Russell on Sunday, stayed clear of trouble on a day of changing conditions, snatching the lead from McLaren’s Lando Norris on the final pit stops. The Dutchman then grimly hung on to claim his sixth victory from nine races this season and the 60th of his Formula One career. It was another brilliant drive from the 26-year-old, who dealt with constantly changing weather, pit stop battles and challenges from McLaren and Mercedes while wrestling with his Red Bull’s suspension. After Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Williams’s Alex Albon came together, bringing out the safety car for a second time, Verstappen pulled away on the restart and finished 3.879 seconds ahead of Norris while Russell won a nail-biting last-laps duel with teammate Lewis Hamilton to complete the podium. Verstappen now leads the Formula One (F1) Drivers’ Championship with 194 points. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc is next best, at 138 points. Adblock test (Why?)
How is the plight of Israeli captives affecting ceasefire-deal chances?
The Israeli government is under pressure to secure the release of captives held in Gaza. Four captives have been brought back from Gaza and hundreds of Palestinians killed during a major Israeli military operation. On the streets of Israel, many are celebrating – but also demanding that all remaining captives must be freed under a deal. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Israel next week for talks on a proposal for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and the exchange of captives for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. Can the negotiations succeed? And with the resignation of war cabinet member Benny Gantz, will Blinken have the support of the remaining members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government? Presenter: Laura Kyle Guests: Gershon Baskin – Middle East director of the International Communities Organization, an NGO Muhammad Dahleh – Lawyer and founder of Muhammad Dahleh and Associates Scott Lucas – Professor of international politics at the Clinton Institute, University College Dublin Adblock test (Why?)
Trump riles up fiery swing state crowd in first rally since New York conviction
Former President Trump riled up a fiery crowd of supporters in a key swing state on Sunday, his first rally since his conviction in a New York court on what he and his supporters have described as “sham” charges. Thousands of Nevadans piled into Sunset Park, just miles from the Las Vegas Strip, to hear the former president, who spared no time in blasting the “Biden crime family” and his conviction, which he called “bulls–t.” “We’re going to knock off the Biden crime family. It’s a Biden family of crime, including the fact that they’ve weaponized the Department of Justice like has never happened in this country,” Trump said. “We’re going to end the weak and failed regime of crooked Joe Biden, the worst president in the history of our country, and we’re going to make America great again.” TRUMP ENDORSEMENT TAKES CENTER STAGE IN BRUTAL SWING STATE PRIMARY AS ACCUSATIONS OF ‘DISLOYALTY’ FLY Trump also spent significant time early on in his speech slamming President Biden’s handling of the southern border, a particularly important issue for voters in the state. “Under Biden, the invasion is just a disaster. … In four years, crooked Joe has imported more people than at any other time in our history,” Trump said. “They’re changing the fabric of our country. They’re destroying our country.” Trump later targeted Biden’s age, mental fitness and frequent vacations to the beaches of Delaware, saying, “This guy goes to the beach all the time. Somebody thinks he looks good in a bathing suit. I don’t know.” DEMOCRATS ‘FEAR’ THIS POSSIBLE TRUMP VP PICK WHO ‘COULD SPELL THE END FOR BIDEN’: INSIDERS “He’s not old, he’s incompetent,” he added, stating he took a “second” cognitive test and that he “aced” them both. “Biden should have a cognitive test, and before the debate in two weeks he should take a drug test,” Trump said. Trump notably made no endorsement in the ongoing Republican primary for U.S. Senate, but he did offer praise for former Army Captain Sam Brown, who has been largely viewed as the front-runner in the race. FOLLOWING TRUMP’S GUILTY VERDICT, FIRST SWING STATE POLL REVEALS HOW IT IMPACTS VOTERS’ DECISIONS Trump’s rally comes just days after a new Fox News poll found the former president leading Biden by five points (50%-45%) in a head-to-head matchup. That lead holds steady (45%-40%) with the inclusion of independent presidential candidates Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (7%) and Dr. Cornel West (2%) as well as Green Party candidate Dr. Jill Stein (2%). Trump was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records in a New York City court on May 30, but that appears to have had little effect on his level of support. The former president was tied with Biden in Democrat-leaning Virginia, another Fox News poll found. Virginia hasn’t voted for a Republican presidential candidate since former President George W. Bush won there in 2004. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
GOP senator calls for Jan 6 style investigation into DC anti-Israel demonstration
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., called on the Justice Department to investigate anti-Israel agitators who vandalized statues at Washington, D.C.’s Lafayette Square the same way the department went after rioters who participated in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol protests. “Anti-American, pro-Hamas thugs desecrated the statues of our veterans literally across the street from the White House, a blatant violation of federal law. On video,” Cotton said in a post on X Sunday. “I expect the Department of Justice to use every technique against them that it used against grandmas in MAGA hats on Jan. 6. And if it doesn’t now, it will next year.” Cotton’s comments come as thousands and thousands of people descended on the White House Saturday to protest President Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war, with many waving Palestinian flags and chanting “Free Palestine” as they marched around the nation’s capital. ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATOR IN HAMAS HEADBAND HOLDS UP BLOODIED BIDEN FACE MASK STEPS FROM WHITE HOUSE Although the protests started peacefully, some demonstrators turned their attention to the statues at Lafayette Square just outside the White House and vandalized them with spray paint and graffiti. Other demonstrators turned their attention to park rangers working the area, shouting “”F— you, fascist!” and “Piggy, piggy, oink, oink!” Another man wearing a Hamas headband held up a bloody face mask that depicted Biden and shouted, “Down, down occupation!” while another demonstrator lit an American flag on fire. Cotton likened the event to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots that saw thousands of supporters of former President Trump descend on the U.S. Capitol, with many breaking barriers and breaching the building. ADDITIONAL BARRIERS ERECTED AROUND WHITE HOUSE AHEAD OF PLANNED PRO-PALESTINIAN DEMONSTRATION Cotton’s office did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment. Those protests led to thousands of arrests, with the Justice Department boasting in January that over 1,265 defendants had been charged in cases relating to the demonstrations. But no arrests were made during Saturday’s demonstrations, according to a report from NBC News, with police saying they attempted to arrest a person who climbed a statue but were unsuccessful after the crowd intervened. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Police say they then deployed pepper spray and the suspect was able to get away. The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment. A spokesperson for the U.S. Park Police said anyone with information can aid the investigation into the incidents by calling 202-379-4877 or emailing [email protected].
Previously deported migrant accused of murder in Las Vegas
An illegal migrant with a long criminal record who has previously been deported from the U.S. is now accused of second-degree murder in Las Vegas. Jorge Miranda, a 46-year-old migrant from Ecuador, faces murder and other charges after allegedly selling fentanyl to a 45-year-old man who later died of an overdose, according to a report from KLAS. Police say Miranda was deported from the U.S. in 2016, but regained entry illegally at an unknown time. Detectives issued a search warrant at Miranda’s home in February after being tipped off by a family member of the overdose victim, with the family member showing police a text message exchange on the victim’s phone with a man named “John Fenty” arranging a drug sale. ‘UNACCEPTABLE’: ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WANTED FOR MURDER HAS ‘EXTENSIVE’ CRIMINAL PAST An undercover detective arranged another meeting with Miranda using the victim’s phone, resulting in Miranda meeting the detective and allegedly selling 20 fentanyl pills for $400. Police also noted that Miranda had a gun in his pocket during the meeting, though undocumented migrants are not able to obtain a concealed carry permit by law. During the search of Miranda’s home, police found drug packaging materials and cocaine inside a Ninja Turtles lunch box, fentanyl and four firearms. Police determined Miranda had over 174 grams of fentanyl, over 243 grams of cocaine, and over $19,000 in cash inside the home, KLAS reported. Miranda was also wanted on two previous warrants, the report noted, including a 2016 incident in which he was arrested for possession of marijuana with intent to sell after being pulled over for driving 30 mph over the speed limit. At the time, Miranda only had a passport from Ecuador and no driver’s license, the report notes, but was released from jail the next day. The second warrant was for an incident just five days before the marijuana arrest, according to the report, when Miranda was suspected of driving without a license. EL SALVADORAN SEX OFFENDER LIVING ILLEGALLY IN US ARRESTED IN VIRGINIA Miranda was first admitted into the U.S. in 1988, the report notes, but later violated the terms of his entry with multiple incidents. In 1997, Miranda was convicted of robbery and petit larceny in Las Vegas. In 1998, he was convicted of grand larceny in Clark County District Court. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) has placed a detainer on Miranda, a request that the agency be notified before he is released from jail, with the Clark County Detention Center. Despite that, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department told KLAS they have not done immigration checks on Miranda and have not participated in 287G, a program that allows local law enforcement to work with federal immigration authorities to deport illegal migrants, since 2019. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Miranda has been indicted by a grand jury on 17 felony charges, including second-degree murder, carrying a concealed firearm or other deadly weapon, possession of a short-barreled shotgun, two counts of trafficking in a controlled substance, two counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, two counts of sale of a controlled substance, four counts of ownership or possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, and four counts of use or possession of a firearm by a person committing a drug-related offense, the report notes. His bail has been set at $250,000 with high-level electronic monitoring, though he has remained in custody since his arrest. Miranda’s next court appearance is scheduled for June 11.
PM, 71 ministers take oath in Modi 3.0 govt: Check caste-wise representation here
BJP’s NDA partners have got five cabinet ministerial berths in the third term of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Kamala Harris mourns death of Palestinians in raid that rescued 4 Israeli hostages
Vice President Harris mourned the Palestinians who were killed in a successful Israeli hostage rescue operation this weekend during an address delivered Saturday. The Israeli operation retrieved four hostages who were taken into Gaza by Hamas on Oct. 7. Harris, speaking before the Michigan Democratic Party, celebrated their retrieval but spent more time lamenting the deaths of Palestinians killed in the operation, many of whom Israel has described as terrorists. “Before I begin, I just say a few words about the morning which I know weighs heavily on all of our hearts,” she said. “On Oct. 7, Hamas committed a brutal massacre of 1,200 innocent people and abducted 250 hostages,” she continued. “Thankfully, four of those hostages were reunited with their families tonight. And we mourn all of the innocent lives that have been lost in Gaza, including those tragically killed today.” HOW ISRAEL’S DARING HOSTAGE RESCUE MISSION UNFOLDED: ‘A SURGICAL OPERATION’ “We have been working every day to bring an end to this conflict in a way that ensures Israel is secure, brings home all hostages, ends ongoing suffering for Palestinian people and ensures that Palestinians can enjoy their right to self-determination, dignity and freedom,” she added. “As President Biden said last week, it is time for this war to end.” EX-ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTER SAYS IRAN PLANNING NUCLEAR HOLOCAUST AS REGIME CENSORED OVER ATOMIC PROGRAM Hamas-run authorities in Gaza claim over 270 Palestinians were killed in the Israeli operation, though they make no distinction between militants and innocents. Israeli forces claim the number was fewer than 100. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan also confirmed reports on Sunday that some number of innocents appeared to have been killed in the operation. FAMILIES OF HOSTAGES TAKEN IN ISRAEL ON OCT. 7 PLEAD FOR PEACE AT INTERFAITH CONFERENCE IN NYC “We the United States are not in a position today to make a definitive statement about [the death toll],” Sullivan said in a Sunday interview with CNN. “But we do know this: innocent people were tragically killed in this operation. The exact number we don’t know, but innocent people were killed.” “Every day that we see more innocent people lost is another horrible, awful, tragic day,” he added. Israeli forces say Hamas intentionally kept the hostages in a “civilian environment.” They also said even the Palestinians who were holding the hostages were also “civilians.” Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari of the IDF said Hamas has been holding hostages inside civilian buildings, including the locations where Israeli forces rescued Noa Argamani, 26, Almog Meir Jan, 22, Shlomi Ziv, 41, and Andrey Kozlov, 27.
Who is Bandi Sanjay, BJP firebrand leader, who moved from RSS to PM Modi 3.0 Cabinet?
Kumar’s political ascent may be attributed to his involvement in student politics at the Akhil Bhaaratiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the student branch of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, which he had been a part of since his early years.
Biden’s inner circle deeply involved with family’s business dealings: report
President Biden has long attempted to distance himself from his family’s business dealings as he ran for and eventually became president, but a new report details just how involved those in the president’s inner circle have been in Biden family ventures. Biden has shared a personal bookkeeper with this son, Hunter Biden, a personal lawyer with this brother, Jim Biden, and the former head of then-Vice President Biden’s Secret Service detail helped Jim Biden investigate a potential Chinese business partner, according to a report from Politico. While the Bidens have long said they observe strict “firewalls” when it comes to discussing business with each other, the Politico report details just how involved those in the president’s orbit have been in dealings with Hunter and Jim Biden. In one case, the president’s brother, Jim Biden, hired the head of the former vice president’s Secret Service detail, Dale Pupillo, to investigate a Chinese executive the president’s son, Hunter Biden, was traveling to meet in 2017. TOP CHAOTIC MOMENTS FROM THE HOUSE OVERSIGHT HEARING INTO BIDEN FAMILY’S ‘INFLUENCE PEDDLING’ The president’s brother stressed during the February impeachment inquiry that he personally commissioned the investigation into the executive so that he was not going into the situation blind, but insisted he did not know the details of the potential venture being led by his nephew. “I wanted to know who I was meeting with and if there were any complications at all,” he said at the impeachment interview, noting that it was common in the Biden family to keep the details of business dealings away from each other. The executive, Patrick Ho, was later arrested and convicted on federal corruption charges. The Politico report notes that Jim Biden had a long habit of tapping those connected to his powerful older brother. In one case, in 1975, during Joe Biden’s first Senate term, Jim Biden secured a loan from the senator’s old law firm, Walsh, Monzack & Owens, to help fund his nightclub business. One of those partners, Mel Monzack, has gone on to serve as the president’s personal attorney and campaign treasurer. Monzack’s current firm has also served as the registered agent for the president’s personal S Corporation, CelticCapri, which handles income from activities such as writing and speaking fees. GOP LAWMAKER SAYS REPUBLICANS ‘DON’T HAVE THE GUTS’ TO IMPEACH BIDEN Monzack has also served as Jim Biden’s personal attorney, helping to negotiate a proposed deal that would have given the president’s brother’s company a 35% stake in the Americore hospital chain. While the deal fell through, Monzack’s involvement raised questions, though Jim Biden has insisted he does not have knowledge of the attorney’s arrangement with President Biden. “I don’t have the full depth of what he does or doesn’t do,” he said in February. “But I know that he’s intricately involved and has been, you know, for the last 40 or 50 years.” Another close associate of President Biden, body man Fran Person, stayed involved with Hunter Biden after leaving government in 2014. Emails showed that Person, who the Bidens have said became like a son to them over the course of Joe Biden’s service in the Senate and as vice president, pitched Hunter Biden on a plan to develop SeaWorld parks in China in a deal between Person’s business and the state-owned Chinese Development Bank in 2015. WhatsApp messages that were revealed as part of an IRS investigation into Hunter Biden’s tax matters also showed conversations between Person and Hunter Biden, including conversations in which Person told Hunter Biden his Chinese business partner, Bo Zhang, was eager to help the president’s son overcome his growing financial troubles. GOP LAWMAKER SAYS REPUBLICANS ‘DON’T HAVE THE GUTS’ TO IMPEACH BIDEN The Politico report also detailed the role another Hunter Biden business partner, personal bookkeeper Eric Schwerin, played in the family, with President Biden leaning on the bookkeeper to handle his own finances. Nevertheless, Schwerin testified during the impeachment inquiry that there was no intermingling between the president and his son’s finances. The connection between the president’s orbit and his family even extended to President Biden’s personal physician, Army doctor Kevin O’Connor. O’Connor served as then-Vice President Biden’s personal physician and grew close to Biden throughout his time in the Biden administration. The doctor now serves as Biden’s White House physician, the report notes. In between those two roles, the president’s brother, Jim Biden, sought O’Connor’s help as part of his proposed Americore deal. According to the report, the president’s brother wanted to partner with the Veterans Affairs Department “to use vacant space at rural hospitals to treat veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.” The White House did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.