International

The vote count begins in Ireland with the three major parties tied

The vote count in Ireland, after the general elections last Friday, began this Saturday with the three major parties of the country in an apparent technical tie and exploring government pacts waiting to know the final result.

The vote count started at 9:00 a.m. GMT this Saturday, after a voting day in which the majority of the electorate, of almost 3.7 million, divided their first preferences between the leftist Sinn Féin of Mary Lou McDonald, the Christian Democrat Fine Gael of the Prime Minister, Simon Harris, and the centrist Fianna Fáil of Michál Martin.

Results according to a survey at the foot of the ballot box

According to a poll at the ballot box of the public broadcaster RTE and the newspaper ‘The Irish Times’, the three formations obtained 21.1%, 20% and 19.5% of the votes, respectively.

The campaign director of Fianna Fáil, Jack Chambers, said today that it is still early to guess who will win, since it will depend largely on the transfer of votes between candidates, as allowed by the complex Irish electoral system.

The centrist leader insisted, however, that his party does not contemplate a government pact with Sinn Féin, former political arm of the IRA, which indicates that they could reissue the historic coalition of the last legislature with the Fine Gael, in which the Greens also entered, who now obtain 4%.

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Chambers highlighted that the aforementioned poll indicates that 35% of voters want their leader, Micheál Martin, to be the next ‘taoiseach’ (prime minister), while McDonald gets 34% and Simon 27%, in line with his drop in popularity during the campaign.

For her part, the nationalist leader has assured that she will seek support in the space of the left, a path that did not work for Sinn Féin after the 2020 elections, when it was the most voted, but remained one seat away from the Fianna Fáil.

In this regard, the leftist People Before Profit-Solidarity (PBP-S) criticized McDonald’s strategy today to ask for transfers of votes from his party to progressive candidates.

Its leader, Richard Boyd Barrett, who obtained 3.1%, maintained that Sinn Féin took too long to offer a “real alternative” of government in the face of the “obvious and historical decline” of centrists and Christian Democrats, rivals since the Civil War (1922-1923) and who have shared power since then.

Forced to look for pacts

With so much equality, the three parties are obliged to seek pacts between themselves and/or with other minority forces, while Harris and Martin have been in favor of re-editing, if needed, the pact of the last legislature.

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The three leaders could also look at the independent bloc, which obtains 14.6% of the votes, while formations such as the Labor Party and the Social Democrat receive 5 and 5.8%, respectively, and run as possible partners.

Most likely, according to observers, Martin and Harris will join forces again, although their number of seats will determine who leads the negotiations and who will be the new ‘taoiseach’, a position that could be rotating again.

International

Former Trump allies call for removal, cite 25th Amendment amid Iran threats

Former allies of U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday called for his removal from office, arguing he is unfit to continue in the role following recent threats to “wipe out an entire civilization,” made just hours before the deadline of his ultimatum to Iran.

One of the most prominent voices was former Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who invoked the 25th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution as a mechanism to remove the president from power.

“25th Amendment! Not a single bomb has fallen on the U.S. We cannot annihilate an entire civilization. This is evil and insanity,” Greene wrote on social media platform X.

Greene, once a leading figure within Trump’s political movement during his first term, broke with the president last November over disagreements on foreign policy and his handling of controversial cases.

Another former supporter, controversial commentator Alex Jones, also raised the possibility of applying the constitutional provision during his show, in a conversation with attorney Robert Barnes.

Barnes explained that invoking the 25th Amendment requires the support of two-thirds of Congress, making it a more complex process than impeachment.

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Section 4 of the amendment, ratified in 1967, establishes that the vice president, together with a majority of the cabinet, can declare the president unable to perform the duties of the office, a decision that must then be confirmed by both chambers of Congress.

The statements come amid rising international tensions and increasing domestic political pressure on the president.

International

Trump pauses strikes on Iran, extends ultimatum by two weeks

The president of the United States, Donald Trump, announced a temporary suspension of attacks against Iran for a period of two weeks, extending the ultimatum he had imposed on Tehran just hours before its deadline.

According to the president, the measure is conditional on Iran allowing the “full, immediate, and secure” reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Trump stated that the decision would involve a reciprocal ceasefire between both parties.

The announcement was made through a message on his social media platform, where he emphasized that the pause in military actions is intended to create space for de-escalation in the region.

He also noted that the decision followed a conversation with the prime minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, who requested a two-week extension of the ultimatum.

The move comes amid heightened global tensions, marked by escalating threats and concerns over the potential impact of the conflict on key international energy trade routes.

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International

WHO worker killed as Israeli forces fire on Gaza medical convoy

An employee of the World Health Organization (WHO) was killed on Monday in Gaza Strip after Israeli forces opened fire on a medical convoy transporting patients for evacuation, according to witnesses and official accounts.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the vehicle approached troops in a “threatening manner,” alleging that the driver accelerated toward soldiers despite warning shots. “The troops fired warning shots. The vehicle continued advancing, and additional fire was directed at it,” the military said in a statement.

The army also claimed the vehicle lacked clear markings and was therefore treated as a potential threat.

However, survivors disputed that account. Raed Aslan, a passenger in the convoy, told reporters in Khan Younis that the vehicles were clearly marked with WHO insignia. “The vehicle was clearly identified as belonging to the WHO,” he said, adding that an Israeli tank blocked the road and fired at the driver despite the route being empty.

The convoy was transporting patients to the Rafah crossing, the only exit point available for medical evacuations abroad, as Israel does not permit transfers to Jerusalem or the West Bank.

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The incident adds to a series of controversial cases involving Israeli military actions against humanitarian convoys. In April 2024, seven workers from World Central Kitchen were killed in an Israeli strike in Deir al-Balah. The military initially cited a “misidentification,” despite the vehicles being clearly marked.

Similarly, in March 2025, 15 paramedics, rescuers, and a UN worker were killed near Rafah. Israeli authorities first claimed emergency lights were off, but video evidence later contradicted that assertion.

A subsequent investigation by organizations including Forensic Architecture found that Israeli forces fired hundreds of rounds at the convoy, and that the vehicles were later destroyed and buried along with the bodies before being recovered days later.

The latest incident is likely to intensify scrutiny over the conduct of military operations in Gaza, particularly regarding the safety of humanitarian personnel and medical evacuations.