International
The far right in the European Parliament expels AfD after the scandals of its head of the list
The far-right group in the European Parliament, Identity and Democracy, decided on Thursday to expel the entire delegation of Alternative for Germany (AfD) because of the scandals in which the head of the list of this formation for the European elections, Maximilian Krah, has been involved.
“The ‘bureau’ of the Identity and Democracy group in the European Parliament has decided today to exclude the German delegation, AfD, with immediate effect. The ID group does not want to remain associated with the incidents involving Maximilian Krah, head of the AfD list for the European elections,” the group said in a statement.
Hours earlier, seven of the nine MEPs of the formation had asked ID to expel their leader to prevent the exclusion of the entire delegation from the parliamentary group, on the grounds that it has damaged “the cohesion and reputation” of ID.
In practice, the decision has a small impact because the European Parliament no longer has legislative activity and its MEPs are mainly campaigning in their countries of origin. After the elections, the groups will be composed from scratch and it was already public that AfD would not be welcome again in Identity and Democracy.
After the head of the list of the German far-right affirmed that in the Nazi organization SS “not everyone was criminals,” the National Group (RN) of the French Marine Le Pen and La Liga of the Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini distanced themselves and affirmed that they will not share a parliamentary group in the European Parliament again.
Krah’s words about the SS are only the last of the chain of scandals in which he has been involved during the campaign.
At the end of April, one of its employees in Brussels was arrested on suspicion of espionage for China and the Dresden prosecutor’s office (east of Germany) has opened preliminary proceedings to determine whether Krah could also have received payments from Beijing.
On the other hand, along with his number two, Petr Bystrom, Krah is under suspicion of having collected money from Moscow in exchange for spreading certain pro-Russian opinions, for example through contributions on the Voice of Europe platform.
The leadership of Alternative for Germany (AfD) said on Thursday that it maintains “optimism” for the next elections to the European Parliament, despite the fact that the party was expelled today from the far-right group in the European Parliament Identity and Democracy (ID).
“We are aware of the decision of the ID parliamentary group. We still see with optimism the election night and the following days,” said the co-leaders of the ultra-German formation, Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla, in a brief statement.
They indicated that the AfD will strive to increase the number of representatives it has in the European Parliament and stressed that in order to have a political effect in Brussels, a collaboration with close parties is “indispensable”.
“We are confident that we will also have reliable partners by our side in the new legislature,” Weidel and Chrupalla concluded.
International
China calls for dialogue amid rising Iran-Israel conflict
The Chinese government emphasized on Monday the importance of “creating the conditions to return to the proper path of dialogue” between Iran and Israel, which have exchanged attacks in recent days resulting in more than 20 Israeli and over 220 Iranian deaths.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun expressed deep concern at a press conference over the Israeli attacks on Iran and the “sudden escalation” of the military conflict.
Guo called on all parties to “take immediate measures to ease tensions and prevent the region from descending into further turmoil,” stating that “force cannot bring lasting peace.”
“If the conflict between Israel and Iran continues to intensify or even expand, the countries of the Middle East will be the first to suffer the consequences,” he added, while noting that China “will continue to maintain communication with the relevant parties, promoting peace and dialogue.”
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke last Saturday with his Iranian and Israeli counterparts to condemn the Israeli airstrike on Iranian territory, which he described as a “violation of international law” with the potential to trigger “disastrous” consequences.
In both calls, Wang reiterated China’s rejection of the use of force, defended diplomacy as the only solution to the Iranian nuclear dispute, and offered China’s mediation to prevent further destabilization in the Middle East.
International
Suspect arrested in killing of Minnesota legislator and husband, governor Says
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced on Sunday the arrest of Vance Luther Boelter, 57, the main suspect in the killing of Democratic legislator Melissa Hortman and her husband in a Brooklyn Park suburb on Friday night.
Boelter, who also reportedly shot State Senator John Hoffman and his wife early Saturday morning, was apprehended in Sibley County following an intensive manhunt involving hundreds of law enforcement officers.
In a public statement, Governor Walz condemned Boelter’s “unthinkable actions,” which resulted in the death of a woman who “shaped the core of who we are as a state.”
“We cannot become numb to this. We are a deeply divided nation,” Walz said in a statement posted on his X account.
“We move forward not with hatred or violence, but with humility, grace, and civility,” he added.
Expressing solidarity with the victims’ families, Walz said the entire state of Minnesota is in mourning. He also thanked law enforcement for their bravery and professionalism: “They have saved lives,” he emphasized.
“As we heal, we will not let fear win,” Walz concluded. “We must honor Melissa by moving forward with understanding, service, and above all, humanity.”
Throughout Sunday, police and sheriff units searched a rural area in Minnesota for Vance Luther Boelter, a security company director and preacher who, according to Governor Walz, acted out of politically motivated violence.
International
40,000 tourists stranded in Israel amid airspace shutdown over Iran conflict
Approximately 40,000 tourists are stranded in Israel following the closure of the country’s airspace amid escalating hostilities with Iran, the Israeli Ministry of Tourism reported on Monday.
The ministry has set up a virtual office to provide information via email (virtual@goisrael.gov.il) and phone (+972-53-583-5808), as well as a Facebook page called Israel Virtual Tourist Office.
Israeli Tourism Minister Haim Katz is in contact with hotels and accommodations across the country to offer support to tourists in need, the ministry added.
Many stranded travelers are considering crossing overland into Jordan or Egypt to seek flights from those countries. The Israel Airports Authority reminded the public that land border crossings remain open.
Three German tourists stranded in Jerusalem told EFE today that they have not received any assistance from their country’s embassy in Israel, and their primary option currently is to cross into Jordan to catch a flight from there.
Since early Friday morning, Israel launched operations against Iran, targeting military personnel and infrastructure, including energy and nuclear facilities, as well as numerous residential areas in Tehran.
In response, Iran has fired hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel, some of which have struck various locations across the country, leaving at least 24 dead so far, according to Israeli authorities.
Iranian health officials report at least 224 deaths, mostly civilians, including at least 17 senior military officials—nine from the Revolutionary Guard—and more than a dozen nuclear scientists.
The Israeli military has warned that many more “targets” remain, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guard declared on Monday that it will continue missile attacks against Israel until its “destruction.”
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Suspect arrested in killing of Minnesota legislator and husband, governor Says
40,000 tourists stranded in Israel amid airspace shutdown over Iran conflict
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