International
The federal president of Austria commissions the far-right Herbert Kickl to form a government
The federal president of Austria, Alexander Van der Bellen, commissioned on Monday the far-right Herbert Kickl, leader of the liberal party FPÖ, to form a new government after the collapse of negotiations between conservatives, social democrats and liberals.
After meeting this morning for an hour with Kickl, the head of state said that he has instructed him to negotiate with the popular party ÖVP on the formation of a government coalition.
“Mr. Kickl has the necessary confidence to find viable solutions within the framework of government negotiations, and he wants to assume this responsibility, so I commissioned him to enter into talks with the ÖVP on the formation of a federal government,” Van der Bellen said.
“I have not taken this step lightly, I will continue to ensure the correct compliance and observance of the principles and rules of our Constitution,” added the president, who in the past had been against a government led by Kickl.
It is the first time in the history of Austria that the far-right FPÖ, winner of the elections of last September 29 with about 29% of the votes, is commissioned to form a government.
“The ÖVP has reversed its categorical rejection of cooperation with Kickl. That’s the new situation,” Van der Bellen said about the change of position announced on Sunday by the new conservative leader, Christian Stocker.
He succeeded yesterday the hitherto federal foreign minister and conservative leader, Karl Nehammer, who had announced his resignation on Saturday after failing the negotiations for a tripartite government between the ÖVP and the social democratic party SPÖ and the liberal Neos.
Nehammer was against a coalition with the FPÖ under Kickl, which he accuses of being a danger to the country’s security for his xenophobic, pro-Russian and critical positions of the European Union (EU).
Who is Kickl?
Kickl is a former Minister of the Interior (2017-2019) in a government led by former conservative foreign minister Sebastian Kurz.
In June 2021, he assumed, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, the presidency of the FPÖ and radicalized the tone and discourse of the party.
He not only rejects the measures taken by the then conservative-ecologist government against the coronavirus, but also Western support for Ukraine and sanctions against Russia, the cooperation of neutral Austria with NATO, and is critical of the EU.
One of Kickl’s main allies is the Hungarian Prime Minister, the ultra-nationalist Viktor Orbán, with whom he formed the “Patriots for Europe” faction, the third group of the European Parliament.
In addition, the FPÖ maintains close relations with Alternative for Germany (AfD), in which there are elements who are being investigated by the German justice as right-wing extremists.
The FPÖ is a party founded after World War II by former Nazi hierarchs and to this day brings together the most extremist and right-wing circles in the country.
International
Dominican court postpones hearing in deadly nightclub collapse case
A Dominican court on Monday postponed until March a preliminary hearing against the owners of a nightclub that collapsed last year, killing more than 200 people.
The roof of the Jet Set nightclub collapsed in the early hours of April 8, 2025, during a concert by popular merengue singer Rubby Pérez, who died along with 235 other people.
Jet Set owner and manager Antonio Espaillat and his sister Maribel, who served as the club’s administrator, were arrested on charges of involuntary manslaughter but were later released on bail after posting approximately $842,500.
Both appeared at the Palace of Justice, where they were met by a small protest from relatives and friends of the victims.
“Thirty years in prison is not enough” and “President, we want JUSTICE,” read signs held by demonstrators.
The preliminary hearing determines whether there is sufficient evidence to send the case to trial. The court decided to reschedule the hearing for March 16.
“We don’t want money and we’re not demanding anything else, only justice for those who died,” said Secundino Pérez, a 75-year-old shopkeeper who lost 12 friends in the Jet Set tragedy.
“Antonio and his family celebrated Christmas sitting at a table, celebrating their freedom,” said Edgar Gómez, who lost his daughter in the collapse.
The Dominican Republic’s Public Prosecutor’s Office maintains that the defendants “significantly altered” the structure of the nightclub. Prosecutors filed formal charges in November and requested that the case proceed to trial.
The charge of involuntary manslaughter carries a sentence of three months to two years in prison.
“May your conscience never let you sleep. I lost my son,” a woman shouted through tears before the hearing, while others chanted, “Murderers, murderers, murderers.”
International
Venezuelan opposition leader dedicates Nobel Prize to Trump
U.S. President Donald Trump said last week that he was “eager” to welcome the opposition leader, who left Venezuela clandestinely with U.S. assistance, to receive her Nobel Prize in Oslo.
Machado dedicated her Nobel Prize to Trump, who nevertheless showed a very cautious attitude toward including her in any potential political transition in Venezuela.
The opposition leader said on Monday, after an audience with Pope Leo XIV, that “the defeat of evil is closer” in Venezuela following the U.S. military operation that overthrew and removed President Nicolás Maduro and his wife from the country.
Trump has claimed that he is now in control of the South American nation, stating that the primary objective at this stage is to stabilize the country before considering elections.
Venezuelan oil is Washington’s main objective, Trump added after Maduro’s overthrow.
International
Police hunt gunmen after fatal shooting in Corsica
A man was shot dead on the French Mediterranean island of Corsica, local media reported. The victim was identified as Alain Orsoni, former president of local football club AC Ajaccio, according to sources close to the investigation cited by French news channel BFMTV.
Orsoni, 71, was killed in the town of Vero, near Ajaccio, the island’s capital, while attending his mother’s funeral.
He was also a former member of the National Liberation Front of Corsica (FLNC), a nationalist organization that has long sought independence for the island, reports said.
BFMTV reported that the gunmen fled the scene and remain at large. Local police have opened an investigation into the shooting.
Dominican court postpones hearing in deadly nightclub collapse case
Venezuelan opposition leader dedicates Nobel Prize to Trump
Police hunt gunmen after fatal shooting in Corsica
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