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
Floods in Central Vietnam leave 28 dead, thousands displaced
The death toll from heavy rains and flooding in central Vietnam has risen to 28, with six people reported missing and 43 injured, local newspaper VnExpress reported Friday night.
More than 22,100 homes remain flooded, primarily in the cities of Hue and Da Nang. Floods and landslides have destroyed or swept away 91 houses and damaged another 181, the report added.
Around 245,000 households are still without electricity, particularly in Da Nang, where over 225,000 homes are affected.
Additionally, 80 stretches of national highways are blocked or disrupted due to landslides. Authorities expect the flooding to continue for another day or two in the region.
International
FBI foils ISIS-Inspired attack in Michigan, arrests five teens
Kash Patel did not provide further details, but police sources told CBS News that the potential attack was “inspired” by the Islamic State (ISIS).
“This morning, the FBI thwarted a potential terrorist attack and arrested several individuals in Michigan who were allegedly planning a violent attack during the Halloween weekend,” Patel wrote on X.
“Thanks to swift action and close coordination with our local partners, a possible terrorist act was prevented before it could be carried out,” he added.
CBS reported that five people between the ages of 16 and 20 were arrested on Friday. At least one of them was reportedly acquainted with a former member of the Michigan National Guard, who was arrested in May for plotting an ISIS-inspired attack on a U.S. military facility in the Detroit suburbs.
International
U.S. warns China over Taiwan during high-level defense talks in Kuala Lumpur
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth expressed concerns over China’s growing military activity near Taiwan during a meeting on Friday with Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun in Kuala Lumpur.
“It was a constructive and positive meeting,” Hegseth wrote on X. “I emphasized the importance of maintaining a balance of power in the Indo-Pacific and raised U.S. concerns about China’s actions around Taiwan,” the self-governed island that Beijing claims and does not rule out invading.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting-Plus, one day after U.S. President Donald Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea. According to Trump, Taiwan was not discussed during their talks.
“The United States does not seek conflict and will continue to firmly defend its interests, ensuring it maintains the capability to do so in the region,” Hegseth added in his message.
Friday’s encounter followed a September 9 video call between Hegseth and Dong. Their previously planned meeting at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore was canceled due to Dong’s absence from the event.
Trump’s sit-down with Xi — their first since 2019 — resulted in some trade agreements but avoided addressing the issue of Taiwan, a long-standing source of tension between the world’s two largest powers.
Trump has taken a more ambiguous stance on Taiwan’s future compared with former President Joe Biden, who repeatedly stated that Washington would support Taipei if China launched an invasion. The Republican president has also criticized Taiwan for “stealing” the U.S. semiconductor industry.
Floods in Central Vietnam leave 28 dead, thousands displaced
FBI foils ISIS-Inspired attack in Michigan, arrests five teens
U.S. warns China over Taiwan during high-level defense talks in Kuala Lumpur
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
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