News

Romania in full crisis – again!

First, Romania’s National Assembly toppled the EU-friendly Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan. That was on 5 May. On Monday, half of the National Assembly retaliated by staying away when it was time to vote on a new prime ministerial candidate – Adrian Vestea from the centre-right National Liberal Party (PNL). Even though Vestea received 189 votes and only 23 voted against, it made no difference when the majority stayed at home.

Statistics Norway: Dramatic shift in attitudes towards refugees since 2023

A rightward shift is taking place among the public. In 2023, 9 per cent were sceptical of accepting refugees and asylum seekers. Today, the figure stands at 32 per cent. It is a dramatic change that politicians can no longer afford to ignore.

Canada passes bill that effectively bans parts of the Bible

Canada removes legal protection for quoting religious scriptures. As a result, Christians could face prosecution for citing passages that others deem “hateful” or “offensive”.

University provost pulls Palestinian flag from Muslim student at graduation ceremony

The greatest controversy, however, was that Provost Shane Martin allegedly attempted to shake hands with Sumeyya Osman. For the university’s graduates, this will be one of their final memories of student life, says a reporter from Fox 13 Seattle, who has spoken with students who appear as though they will be marked by the experience for the rest of their lives.

Starmer announces resignation

The predictions proved accurate: Starmer announces his resignation. In the speech announcing his departure, he paints a glowing portrait of his record in office. Nevertheless, he accepts that the party wants new blood.

Norway’s pro-EU media narrative: “People realise Brexit was a blunder”

Ten years after Brexit, Norwegian News Agency NTB is pushing unabashedly pro-EU messaging. We are now told that Norway belongs in the EU and that the British have realised they made a mistake in 2016. The explanation, according to this narrative, is disinformation and propaganda. The key issue, of course, was immigration.

Secret inspection of Norwegian spaceport after Chinese satellite receiver seized

The Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection has conducted a classified inspection of Andøya Spaceport, which may have been the target of one or more Chinese intelligence operations.

Trump-backed candidate wins in Colombia

Abelardo de la Espriella has won Colombia’s presidential election, confirming that a rightward shift is sweeping across Latin America. Trump remains popular in many countries, writes the Los Angeles Times. Closely following developments, Trump personally called de la Espriella to congratulate him on his victory.

Hizbollah wedges itself into the negotiations

Hizbollah has gained a hand on the diplomatic steering wheel in Lebanon and is exploiting it for all it is worth. The memorandum states that the ceasefire in Iran and the negotiations there are linked to the situation in Lebanon. Yet Hizbollah was not originally a party to the negotiations concerning Lebanon.

Austrian teacher sounds alarm over rising extremism in schools

Both Islamism and right-wing extremism are becoming increasingly prevalent among schoolchildren, warns a teacher in the Austrian state of Styria. “Terrorists have become heroes, and Hitler a role model,” he says.