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Anti-Islam populist Wilders heading for a massive win in Netherlands in a shock for Europe

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:52 GMT

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The far-right, anti-Islam populist Geert Wilders was headed for a massive parliamentary election victory Wednesday in one of the biggest political upsets in Dutch politics since World War II, and one that is bound to send shockwaves through Europe.The result puts him in line to lead talks to form a new ruling coalition and possibly become the country’s first hard-right prime minister at a time of political upheaval through much of the continent.The exit poll published by national broadcaster NOS said that Wilders’ Party for Freedom won 35 seats in the 150-seat lower house of parliament, more than double the 17 he won at the last election. Final official results were only expected on Thursday. “I had to pinch my arm,” a jubilant Wilders said.Wilders’ election program includes calls for a referendum on the Netherlands leaving the European Union, a total halt to accepting asylum-seekers and migrant pushbacks at Dutch borders.It also advocates the “de-Islam...

German police launch raids in anti-Hamas operation

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:52 GMT

German police raided 15 properties in four regions over connections to the militant group Hamas and Samidoun, a pro-Palestinian organization, the interior ministry said Thursday.“We are continuing our consistent action against radical Islamists,” Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said in a statement. “Islamists and anti-Semites cannot and must not feel safe anywhere here. These extremists must expect the full force of the rule of law.”Hamas is estimated to have around 450 members in Germany whose activities range from “expressions of sympathy and propaganda … to financing or fundraising,” the interior ministry’s statement said.German authorities have cracked down on some Muslim and Palestinian groups in the country after Hamas’ surprise attacks on October 7 killed around 1,200 people on Israeli soil. Germany has seen a rise in antisemitism since the war began.Earlier this month, Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck criticized German M...

In the news today: No terrorism link in border crossing crash: FBI

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:52 GMT

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed on what you need to know today…No terrorism link in Niagara Falls crash, no explosive materials found: FBIThe FBI says a deadly car crash and explosion at the Rainbow Bridge border crossing between New York state and Ontario shows no sign of terrorist involvement and there were no explosive materials at the scene, and the case has been turned over to the Niagara Falls Police Department as a traffic investigation.Details of what led to the crash remain scarce, with security camera video released by the U.S. government showing the car speeding through an intersection, hitting a low median and flying through the air into a line of vehicle checkpoint booths on the American side of the crossing.Federal Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc says both Canada and the U.S. are taking the “violent circumstance” very seriously, but stresses it is “simply not responsible” to spe...

South Korea says Russian support likely enabled North Korea to successfully launch a spy satellite

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:52 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea has concluded that Russian support likely enabled North Korea to put a spy satellite into orbit for the first time this week, and will know whether it is functioning properly by early next week, officials said Thursday.The launch has deepened regional animosities, with both Koreas threatening to breach a past reconciliation deal and taking hostile actions along their heavily armed border.After two launch failures earlier this year, North Korea said it successfully placed its “Malligyong-1” satellite into orbit on Tuesday night. South Korea’s military has confirmed that the satellite entered orbit, but said it needs several more days to verify whether it is working properly.In a closed-door briefing, South Korea’s spy agency told lawmakers on Thursday that Russian assistance was likely the main reason the launch was successful, according to lawmakers who attended the meeting.The National Intelligence Service cited Russian President Vladimir Putin...

In political shift to the far right, anti-Islam populist Geert Wilders wins big in Dutch elections

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:52 GMT

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Anti-Islam populist Geert Wilders won a huge victory in Dutch elections, according to a near complete count of the vote early Thursday, in a stunning lurch to the far right for a nation once famed as a beacon of tolerance.The result will send shockwaves through Europe, where far-right ideology is on the rise, and puts Wilders in line to lead talks to form the next governing coalition and possibly become the first far-right prime minister of the Netherlands.With nearly all votes counted, Wilders’ Party for Freedom was forecast to win 37 seats in the 150-seat lower house of parliament, two more than predicted by an exit poll when voting finished Wednesday night and more than double the 17 he won at the last election.“I had to pinch my arm,” a jubilant Wilders said.Political parties were set to hold separate meetings Thursday to discuss the outcome before what is likely to be an arduous process of forming a new governing coalition begins Friday.Despite his...

No terrorism link in Niagara Falls crash, no explosive materials found: FBI

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:52 GMT

The FBI says a deadly car crash and explosion at the Rainbow Bridge border crossing between New York state and Ontario shows no sign of terrorist involvement and there were no explosive materials at the scene, and the case has been turned over to the Niagara Falls Police Department as a traffic investigation.Details of what led to the crash remain scarce, with security camera video released by the U.S. government showing the car speeding through an intersection, hitting a low median and flying through the air into a line of vehicle checkpoint booths on the American side of the crossing.Federal Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc says both Canada and the U.S. are taking the “violent circumstance” very seriously, but stresses it is “simply not responsible” to speculate on what caused the incident without more accurate information.The crash and subsequent explosion prompted the closure of three other area border crossings between Ontario and western New York ...

Israel-Hamas, Ukraine wars to feature prominently in EU-Canada Summit beginning today

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:52 GMT

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — A major meeting between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the leaders of the European Union begins today in Newfoundland and Labrador’s capital city of St. John’s.The war unfolding in Gaza between Israel and Hamas militants is expected to feature prominently in the two-day EU-Canada Summit, particularly after the two sides announced a truce-for-hostages deal on Wednesday.European Union officials say a declaration supporting a two-state solution that would result in a sovereign Palestinian state existing alongside Israel will likely be a significant part of the summit’s joint statement, which is expected at the end of the event’s discussions.The officials, who offered a briefing to journalists on the condition that they not be named, said the ongoing war in Ukraine is expected to be a big part of discussions, too.Trade, climate and energy are also on the agenda, as Atlantic Canada angles to become a major supplier of hydrogen fuel to E...

Despite ceasefire, Toronto man says his family needs Canadian help to get out of Gaza

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:52 GMT

MONTREAL — With one of his sons in a Gaza hospital, Toronto resident Nahed El-Khalidy said the recently announced ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is good news, though it came too late to save his daughter’s life. El-Khalidy said his daughter Caroline, 27, was killed Monday when an Israeli airstrike hit a building near her location in Gaza. The blast, which left his 17-year-old son Mahmoud seriously injured, came one day after the teenager was turned back at the Egyptian border as he tried with other family members to escape to Canada.He said his son needs medical care that isn’t currently available in Gaza amid shortages of medicine and electricity, and he wants the Canadian government to help.“He needs surgery urgently, now,” El-Khalidy said in an interview Wednesday. “He needs oxygen and there’s no oxygen … he can’t open his eyes, he can’t move his hands.”The four-day truce announced Wednesday will free dozens of Israeli hos...

‘This is my life’: Buffy Sainte-Marie pushes against doubts over Indigenous ancestry

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:52 GMT

Buffy Sainte-Marie is pushing back on a news report that questions her Indigenous heritage, maintaining she has never lied about her identity. The iconic singer, songwriter and activist says the recent CBC report was full of mistakes and omissions. In her first public statement since it was published, Sainte-Marie calls the story an attack on her character, life and legacy.“Being an ‘Indian’ has little to do with sperm tracking and colonial record keeping: it has to do with community, culture, knowledge, teachings, who claims you, who you love, who loves you and who’s your family,” Sainte-Marie, 82, said in a written statement to The Canadian Press.Chuck Thompson with CBC said in an email Wednesday the broadcaster stands by the story and the evidence was fairly presented. CBC reported in October that it found Sainte-Marie’s birth certificate, which says she was born in 1941 in Massachusetts. The document lists the baby and parents as white and includes a signature of an attend...

Stock market today: World shares are mixed, with markets in Japan and US closed for holidays

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:24:52 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — World shares were mixed on Thursday after a modest advance on Wall Street that kept the market on track for a fourth straight weekly gain. Markets in Japan and the U.S. are closed for holidays. Oil prices initially fell about $1 a barrel after OPEC postponed until next week a meeting to discuss production cuts. The oil cartel has been maintaining a tight market for crude oil with production cuts. It is expected to extend those cuts after oil prices have fallen after a spike in the summer to almost $100 a barrel. Germany’s DAX gained 0.1% to 15,969.49 and the CAC 40 in Paris was up 0.1% at 7,266.18. Britain’s FTSE 100 edged 0.2% higher to 7,080.48. The futures for the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average were virtually unchanged. On Wednesday, the S&P 500 rose 0.4% and the Dow rose 0.5%. The Nasdaq gained 0.5%. Trading was muted ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday. U.S. markets will open for half a day of trading on Friday.In Asia, Hon...