Hong Kong cancels passports of six pro-democracy activists in exile in UK | Politics News

The six, including former legislator Nathan Law, are also banned from any business dealings and financial transactions.

Hong Kong has cancelled the passports of six pro-democracy activists who are in exile overseas under its newly-enacted domestic security law, calling them “lawless wanted criminals”.

The government said that in addition to the cancellation of the “absconders’” travel documents, the six were also banned from any business dealings in Hong Kong, including financial transactions from cash to gold.

“These lawless wanted criminals are hiding in the United Kingdom and continue to blatantly engage in activities that endanger national security,” a government spokesman said in a statement on Wednesday.

“They also make scaremongering remarks to smear and slander the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. More so, they continue to collude with external forces to protect their evil deeds. We therefore have taken such measure to give them a strong blow.”

The six men, accused of national security crimes in Hong Kong and wanted by police, include former legislator Nathan Law and British consulate worker Simon Cheng who was detained for 15 days in China in August 2019. The others are activist Finn Lau, labour rights activist Christopher Mung, Fok Ka-chi and Choi Ming-da, according to the statement.

Writing on the social media platform X, Lau said the move was “an explicit act of transnational repression” but it would not stop him from campaigning for what he believed in. He said he had never applied for, or had, a passport for the HKSAR, Hong Kong’s official name.

“The act of repression does not deter me from advocating for human rights & democracy,” he wrote. “The fighting spirit of Hongkongers, including mine, remains.”

The territory’s legislature passed the security law, known as Article 23, in March, adding to a security law imposed by Beijing in July 2020 in the wake of mass protests which sometimes turned violent.

Hong Kong and Beijing say the laws have helped bring stability to the territory. Critics say they have decimated Hong Kong’s freedoms.

The government statement also warned people in Hong Kong that providing any kind of financial assistance to the six, or having business dealings with them, was an offence with a potential seven-year jail term.

Some of the activists have Patreon accounts.

Hong Kong police have offered to pay as much as 1 million Hong Kong dollars ($128,000) to anyone providing information leading to the arrest of 13 pro-democracy activists living overseas, including the six men whose passports have been cancelled.

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Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 838 | Russia-Ukraine war News

As the war enters its 838th day, these are the main developments.

Here is the situation on Wednesday, June 12, 2024.

Fighting

  • Ihor Terekhov, the mayor of Ukraine’s second-largest city Kharkiv, said the number of Russian attacks on the city had fallen since Ukraine’s army struck missile launch positions in Russia. While missile and drone attacks were continuing, Terekhov told the Reuters news agency that enabling Ukrainian forces to target sites across the border had helped bring relative “calm”.
  • Russia claimed to have seized two more Ukrainian villages – Myasozharivka in the Luhansk region and Tymkivka in the northeastern Kharkiv region – Russia’s state TASS news agency reported, citing the Ministry of Defence.
  • India’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said two Indian nationals recruited by the Russian army were killed recently on the battlefield. The ministry urged the Russian ambassador in New Delhi and authorities in Moscow to quickly release and return all Indian nationals who are with the Russian army, and stop any further recruitment of Indian nationals, it added in a statement.

Politics and diplomacy

  • White House spokesman John Kirby said the United States will announce new “impactful” sanctions and export controls during the G7 summit in southern Italy later this week, targeting entities and networks helping Russia fight its war against Ukraine. “We’re going to continue to drive up costs for the Russian war machine,” Kirby said.
  • China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Lin Jin said Beijing would oppose all unilateral sanctions after new warnings from G7 countries on small Chinese banks about their links to Russia.
  • Germany’s far-right AfD and far-left BSW parties boycotted a parliamentary address by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who earlier had warned that pro-Russian rhetoric posed a growing threat to the European Union. The AfD and BSW, which are both opposed to military support for Ukraine, made huge gains in the EU parliamentary elections.
The US said the Azov brigade of 2024, pictured on the front lines in January, is different from the militia that was set up in 2014 and later disbanded [Efrem Lukatsky/AP Photo]
  • The United Nations annual Children in Armed conflict report said the Russian army and its “affiliated armed groups” had killed 80 children in Ukraine in 2023 and injured 339. The report, due to be published on Thursday but seen by multiple news agencies, said violence against children in armed conflict reached “extreme levels” in 2023.
  • The Moscow Regional Court upheld a ruling that 19-year-old Maksim Lypkan, who was arrested in February 2023 as he planned a protest against the Ukraine offensive, must remain in a psychiatric hospital and be subjected to involuntary psychiatric treatment, according to SOTA independent media. Lypkan was charged with spreading “fake [information] on the Russian army”.
  • Russian President Vladimir Putin will keep demoted ally Nikolai Patrushev, a Cold War warrior who crafted the Kremlin’s national security strategy, on Russia’s national Security Council, according to a decree. The council is a consultative body chaired by Putin.

Weapons

  • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on allies to increase their air defence support to help protect Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, telling delegates at an international conference on rebuilding Ukraine that at least seven Patriot missile systems were needed.
  • The US State Department said it had conducted a “thorough review” of Ukraine’s Azov brigade and found “no evidence” of human rights violations, clearing the way for the unit to receive training and weapons from the US. Washington said the current brigade was different from the “Azov battalion” that was established a decade ago and “disbanded in 2015” and was blighted by accusations that some members held openly far-right and extremist views.

 

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What is behind the rise of the far right in Europe? | Elections

Success of populist and far-right parties in European Parliament election poses a threat to mainstream politicians.

European far-right parties made substantial gains in the EU’s parliamentary election.

In France and Germany, parties once considered to be on the fringes are now establishing themselves as viable challengers to the establishment.

So what is driving this shift on the “Old Continent”?

And will these parties be able to turn their successes in European elections into power at a national level?

Presenter: Nastasya Tay

Guests

Janine di Giovanni – Foreign policy analyst and correspondent

Katy Brown – Postdoctoral fellow at Maynooth University

Alberto Alemanno – Professor of European Union law and policy at the HEC business school

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France’s Republicans leader wants to form ‘alliance’ with Le Pen’s NR | Elections News

Republicans party chairman Eric Ciotti urges country-wide alliance with Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally in upcoming polls.

France’s conservative Republicans party chairman Eric Ciotti has called for a country-wide alliance between his party’s candidates and Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN) in forthcoming parliamentary elections.

“We say the same things so let’s stop making up imagined opposition”, Ciotti told TF1 television on Tuesday.

The announcement is the first time in modern French political history that a leader of a traditional party has backed an alliance with the far-right National Rally (RN).

President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday called the elections for June 30, with a second round on July 7, in a major gamble after the RN scored more than double the number of votes of his centrist alliance in the EU elections.

Ciotti spoke to RN party leaders Le Pen and Jordan Bardella before announcing the move, which he said was aimed at ensuring the Republicans (LR) can secure enough seats to still form a parliamentary group.

“We need some sort of alliance and that’s what I am offering”, Ciotti said. He added: “This is what the vast majority of voters wants.”

Le Pen praised “the courageous choice” and “sense of responsibility” of Ciotti, saying she hoped that a significant number of LR figures would follow him.

The call from Ciotti, who hails from the more conservative branch of LR, may drive a wedge through the party. More centrist members of the party have already said they would not countenance such a move.

Olivier Marleix, LR’s chief in the lower house of parliament, said he would not support “any arrangement” with a far-right movement.

Marleix demanded Ciotti’s resignation.

National Rally is widely expected to emerge as the strongest force after snap elections starting in three weeks, although the party may fall short of an absolute majority.

Macron’s office delayed until Wednesday a major news conference initially slated for Tuesday afternoon, while insisting that the nationwide vote would put a choice before the French people of “Republican forces on one side and extremist forces on the other”.

Macron told Figaro Magazine he ruled out resigning, “whatever the result” of snap elections.

Macron scoffed at a question about whether he was “crazy” to dissolve parliament and call for elections at such short notice.

“I am only thinking of France. It was the right decision, in the interest of the country,” he said, adding that he was prepared to debate head-to-head with Le Pen.

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UEFA Euro 2024: full football match schedule, start times, format and teams | Football News

  • The UEFA Euro 2024 tournament is hosted by Germany and will kick off on June 14, with the final on July 14.
  • In the opening match of the tournament, Germany take on Scotland in Munich on June 14.
  • The Euro 2024 final will take place on July 14 in the capital, Berlin.
  • Ten cities have been chosen as venues across Germany – Berlin, Cologne, Dortmund, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Gelsenkirchen, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich and Stuttgart.
  • A total of 24 teams divided into six groups will be taking part in the tournament, with 51 matches in total.
  • The group stage of the tournament will run until June 26, with the 16-team knockout stage scheduled to begin on Saturday, June 29.
  • To qualify for the knockout stage, nations must finish top two in their group to automatically qualify, while four third-place finishers will also advance.

Here are the details on the teams, groups, match fixtures, kickoff times and venues for Euro 2024:

Groups and teams

⚽ Group A: Germany, Scotland, Hungary, Switzerland
⚽ Group B: Spain, Croatia, Italy, Albania
⚽ Group C: Slovenia, Denmark, Serbia, England
⚽ Group D: Poland, Netherlands, Austria, France
⚽ Group E: Belgium, Slovakia, Romania, Ukraine
⚽ Group F: Turkey, Georgia, Portugal, Czech Republic

Format

Teams will be divided into six groups, consisting of four teams each. The top two sides from each group along with the best four third-placed teams will advance to the round of 16.

Winners of the last-16 will proceed to the quarterfinals followed by the semifinals and the final.

In the knockout stage, if a match is level at the end of normal playing time, extra time (two periods of 15 minutes each) will be played. If still tied after extra time, the match will be decided by a penalty shoot-out.

Al Jazeera has a dedicated fixtures page listing the entire Euro 2024 match schedule, featuring all the kickoff times, venues and real-time goal updates.

Match Schedule

⚽ Group Stage

14 June
Group A: Germany vs Scotland (Munich Football Arena, Munich, 9pm local/19:00 GMT)

15 June
Group A: Hungary vs Switzerland (Cologne Stadium, Cologne, 3pm local/13:00 GMT)
Group B: Spain vs Croatia (Olympiastadion, Berlin, 6pm local/16:00 GMT)
Group B: Italy vs Albania (BVB Stadion, Dortmund, 9pm local/19:00 GMT)

16 June
Group D: Poland vs Netherlands (Volksparkstadion, Hamburg, 3pm local/13:00 GMT)
Group C: Slovenia vs Denmark (Stuttgart Arena, Stuttgart, 6pm local/16:00 GMT)
Group C: Serbia vs England (Arena AufSchalke, Gelsenkirchen, 9pm local/19:00 GMT)

17 June
Group E: Romania vs Ukraine (Munich Football Arena, Munich, 3pm local/13:00 GMT)
Group E: Belgium vs Slovakia (Frankfurt Arena, Frankfurt, 6pm local16:00 GMT)
Group D: Austria vs France (Düsseldorf Arena, Düsseldorf, 9pm local19:00 GMT)

18 June
Group F: Turkey vs Georgia (BVB Stadion, Dortmund, 6pm local/16:00 GMT)
Group F: Portugal vs Czech Republic (Leipzig Stadium, Leipzig, 9pm local/19:00 GMT)

19 June
Group B: Croatia vs Albania (Volksparkstadion, Hamburg, 3pm local/13:00 GMT)
Group A: Germany vs Hungary (Stuttgart Arena, Stuttgart, 6pm local/16:00 GMT)
Group A: Scotland vs Switzerland (Cologne Stadium, Cologne, 9pm local/19:00 GMT)

20 June
Group C: Slovenia vs Serbia (Munich Football Arena, Munich, 3pm local/13:00 GMT)
Group C: Denmark vs England (Frankfurt Arena, Frankfurt, 6pm local/16:00 GMT)
Group B: Spain vs Italy (Arena AufSchalke, Gelsenkirchen, 9pm local/19:00 GMT)

21 June
Group E: Slovakia vs Ukraine (Dusseldorf Arena, Dusseldorf, 3pm local/13:00 GMT)
Group D: Poland vs Austria (Olympiastadion, Berlin, 6pm local/16:00 GMT)
Group D: Netherlands vs France (Leipzig Stadium, Leipzig, 9pm local/19:00 GMT)

22 June
Group F: Georgia vs Czech Republic (Volksparkstadion, Hamburg, 3pm local/13:00 GMT)
Group F: Turkey vs Portugal (BVB Stadion, Dortmund, 6pm local16:00 GMT)
Group E: Belgium vs Romania (Cologne Stadium, Cologne, 9pm local/19:00 GMT)

23 June
Group A: Switzerland vs Germany (Frankfurt Arena, Frankfurt, 9pm local/19:00 GMT)
Group A: Scotland vs Hungary (Stuttgart Arena, Stuttgart, 9pm local/19:00 GMT)

24 June
Group B: Croatia vs Italy (Leipzig Stadium, Leipzig, 9pm local/19:00 GMT)
Group B: Albania vs Spain (Dusseldorf Arena, Dusseldorf, 9pm local/19:00 GMT)

25 June
Group D: Netherlands vs Austria (Olympiastadion, Berlin, 6pm local/16:00 GMT)
Group D: France vs Poland (BVB Stadion, Dortmund, 6pm local16:00 GMT)
Group C: England vs Slovenia (Cologne Stadium, Cologne, 9pm local/19:00 GMT)
Group C: Denmark vs Serbia (Munich Football Arena, Munich, 9pm local/19:00 GMT)

26 June
Group E: Slovakia vs Romania (Frankfurt Arena, Frankfurt, 6pm local/16:00 GMT)
Group E: Ukraine vs Belgium (Stuttgart Arena, Stuttgart, 6pm local/16:00 GMT)
Group F: Czech Republic vs Turkey (Volksparkstadion, Hamburg, 9pm local/19:00 GMT)
Group F: Georgia vs Portugal (Arena AufSchalke, Gelsenkirchen, 9pm local/19:00 GMT)

Rest days on 27 and 28 June

Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt is one of the 10 host stadiums for Euro 2024 [Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP]

⚽ Round of 16

29 June

2A vs 2B (Olympiastadion, Berlin, 6pm local/16:00 GMT)
1A vs 2C (BVB Stadion, Dortmund, 9pm local/19:00 GMT)

30 June

1C vs 3D/E/F (Arena AufSchalke, Gelsenkirchen, 6pm local/16:00 GMT)
1B vs 3A/D/E/F (Cologne Stadium, Cologne, 9pm local/19:00 GMT)

1 July

2D vs 2E (Dusseldorf Arena, Dusseldorf, 6pm local/16:00 GMT)
1F vs 3A/B/C (Frankfurt Arena, Frankfurt, 9pm local/19:00 GMT)

2 July

1E vs 3A/B/C/D (Munich Football Arena, Munich, 6pm local/16:00 GMT)
1D vs 2F (Leipzig Stadium, Leipzig, 9pm local/19:00 GMT)

Rest days on 3 and 4 July

⚽ Quarterfinals

5 July

Quarterfinal 1 (Stuttgart Arena, Stuttgart, 6pm local/16:00 GMT)
Quarterfinal 2 (Volksparkstadion, Hamburg, 9pm local/19:00 GMT)

6 July

Quarterfinal 3 (Dusseldorf Arena, Dusseldorf, 6pm local/16:00 GMT)
Quarterfinal 4 (Olympiastadion, Berlin, 9pm local/19:00 GMT)

Rest days on 7 and 8 July

⚽ Semifinals

9 July

Semifinal 1 (Munich Football Arena, Munich, 9pm local/19:00 GMT)

10 July

Semifinal 2 (BVB Stadion, Dortmund, 9pm local/19:00 GMT)

Rest days on 11, 12 and 13 July

⚽ Final

14 July

Final (Olympiastadion, Berlin, 9pm local/19:00 GMT)

Berlin’s Olympiastadion will be the venue for the Euro 2024 final on July 14, 2024 [Annegret Hilse/Reuters]

You can follow the action on Al Jazeera’s dedicated Euro 2024 tournament page with all the match build-up and live text commentary, and keep up to date with group standings and real-time match results and schedules.

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Why ‘All Eyes on Rafah’ viral campaign did nothing to stop Gaza massacres | Israel-Palestine conflict

A viral AI-generated image shared more than 50 million times sparks a discussion about solidarity and depiction of reality.

After a deadly Israeli air strike on Rafah, an AI-generated image circulating on Instagram aimed to generate global solidarity for Palestinians in Gaza. Despite controversy over its sanitised portrayal, the “All Eyes on Rafah” message gained momentum, prompting individuals and groups worldwide to focus on the ongoing genocide in Gaza. The AI image and its slogan have become a unifying cry for action, echoed by celebrities, athletes and advocacy organisations, leading to discussions on how to help the people of Gaza. On The Stream, we will delve into why the AI image went viral and the value of this type of social media activism.

Presenter: Anelise Borges

Guests:
Helmi Hirez – displaced Palestinian
Mo Hirez – displaced Palestinian
Dr Mohamad Abdelfattah – Palestinian American Medical Association
Ameera Kawash – artist
Farrah Koutteineh – Key48return founder and writer
Duaa Tuaima – journalist

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Hong Kong hits back as UK judge says rule of law ‘profoundly compromised’ | Courts News

Hong Kong has hit back at a British judge who announced his resignation from the territory’s top court last week and expressed concern that the rule of law was in danger following the landmark conviction of 47 pro-democracy politicians and activists.

Jonathan Sumption, one of two British judges who resigned from the Court of Final Appeal last week, wrote in the Financial Times on Monday that last month’s decision, which he noted could still be reversed by an appeal court, was “symptomatic of a growing malaise in the Hong Kong judiciary” where judges had to “operate in an impossible political environment created by China.”

The 47 were found guilty of subversion for organising an unofficial primary to choose their candidates in the largest ever trial under the National Security Law, which Beijing imposed on the territory in 2020.

Among his concerns, Sumption listed the security law and the revived colonial-era sedition law, which he said were “illiberal legislation” that “severely” limited judges’ freedom of action, “interpretations” by a standing committee of the National People’s Congress in Beijing such as in the case of jailed tycoon Jimmy Lai, and the “paranoia” of the authorities.

“The least sign of dissent is treated as a call for revolution,” Sumption wrote. “Hefty jail sentences are dished out to people publishing ‘disloyal’ cartoon books for children, or singing pro-democracy songs, or organising silent vigils for the victims of Tiananmen Square. Hong Kong, once a vibrant and politically diverse community is slowly becoming a totalitarian state. The rule of law is profoundly compromised in any area about which the government feels strongly.”

In a lengthy statement on Tuesday, the Hong Kong government rejected the British judge’s comments, saying there was “absolutely no truth” to suggestions that Hong Kong’s judiciary was under pressure from Beijing, or that there had been any decline in the rule of law in Hong Kong, which was returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

“The government has never, and also will not allow anyone to, interfere with the prosecutions of the Department of Justice and trials by the court,” Chief Executive John Lee said in the statement, noting that prosecutorial power and adjudication power were independent, and citing the Basic Law, Hong Kong’s mini constitution.

“These two powers are fully and affirmatively protected by the Basic Law. The prosecutorial decisions of the Department of Justice has [sic] not been subject to any interference. Likewise, the court has always exercised its independent judicial power without any interference. This is how it was in the past, how it is at present, and how it will be in future. The rule of law in Hong Kong is strong and will not change.”

In his weekly news conference on Tuesday, Lee pointed his finger at the United Kingdom, the former colonial ruler of Hong Kong.

“Some UK officials and politicians try to weaponise the UK’s judicial influence to target China and HKSAR [Hong Kong]” Lee told reporters. “A judge is entitled to his personal political preferences, but that is not a judge’s area of professional expertise.”

Political upheaval

Sumption, who in 2021 resisted pressure on foreign judges to resign their positions, stepped down last week with another British judge Lawrence Collins.

Collins told the Associated Press news agency that while he retained confidence in the independence of the courts, he had decided to leave “because of the political situation in Hong Kong”.

In 2019, the territory was rocked by mass protests which began over concerns about plans to extradite suspects for trial in Chinese courts and evolved into calls for democracy, which later turned violent. Beijing imposed the National Security Law on July 1 the following year and Hong Kong passed its own security law earlier this year.

Since the protests, rules governing Hong Kong elections have also been tightened with all candidates required to undergo strict vetting to ensure only “patriots” hold public office.

Many pro-democracy politicians and activists, including some who once sat in the territory’s legislature, have been arrested or gone into exile with the police offering financial rewards for information leading to their detention. Civil society groups have also wound down and independent media closed.

Dozens of people are now facing trial under the Chinese law and the first arrests were made under the Hong Kong law last month.

The governments in Beijing and Hong Kong say the laws have restored stability following the 2019 protests.

Amid the debate over overseas judges, Hong Kong announced late on Monday that former Canadian Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin, who is 80, would step down in July when her contract expires.

McLachlin, who has previously come under pressure for her decision to remain on the bench, was appointed in 2018.

“I continue to have confidence in the members of the Court, their independence, and their determination to uphold the rule of law,” she said in a brief statement.

Hong Kong is a common law jurisdiction, unlike mainland China where the courts are controlled by the Communist Party.

Non-permanent overseas judges have consistently served on the bench of its top court since the handover. There were 15 such judges in 2019, and with McLachlin’s departure, about seven will remain.

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British TV’s Dr Michael Mosley likely died of natural causes, police say | News

A post-mortem ruled out foul play in the death of Mosley, who went missing on the Greek island Symi last week.

An initial examination has determined that British television presenter Michael Mosley, whose body was found on the Greek island Symi, likely died of natural causes.

The 67-year-old’s body was found on Sunday, five days after he had gone missing while on a walk.

Mosley’s body was transferred to a state-run hospital on the nearby island of Rhodes, where an initial post-mortem examination on Monday concluded that he succumbed to natural causes.

Coroner Despina Nathena told Greece’s public channel, ERT, that Mosley’s passing did not appear to have been the result of a criminal act. Nathena could not “determine the exact cause of death” because of the delay in finding his body.

Greek police spokeswoman Konstantia Dimoglidou told the British broadcaster BBC that the initial post-mortem found no injuries on Mosley’s body that could have led to fatality.

Following a four-day search, Mosley’s body was found near the bottom of a steep slope, lying face up.

As police officers were on site, one fell on the slope and had to be carried away on a stretcher, local media reported.

Mosley’s wife said her husband took the wrong route on a hike and collapsed just short of reaching a marina in a place where his body could not easily be seen.

Symi Mayor Lefteris Papakalodoukas told ERT that the island was baking under “insufferable heat” and the area where Mosley was last sighted was “difficult because it’s very rocky”.

Mosley is best known for a string of British television programmes, including the BBC series Trust Me, I’m a Doctor and a number of documentaries about diet and exercise, including the Channel 4 show Michael Mosley: Who Made Britain Fat?.

Mosley, who studied medicine in London, also made radio appearances and was a columnist in the Daily Mail newspaper.

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Belgium seeks new government after PM De Croo resigns | Elections News

Alexander De Croo resigned after his Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats party slumped in Belgium elections.

Belgium has kicked off its quest for a new governing coalition after elections pushed centre-right parties into prime positions across the country, in a rare alignment.

Sunday’s regional and national vote saw the conservative New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) maintain its decade of control in Dutch-speaking Flanders, beating far-right Vlaams Belang, in second place.

Meanwhile in French-speaking Wallonia, the centre-right Reformist Movement smashed through the long-standing supremacy of the Socialist Party. They also claimed first place in Brussels.

On Monday, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo – who had seen his Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats party haemorrhage support – handed in his resignation to King Philippe as per protocol.

“This is an extremely hard evening for us. We have lost this election,” De Croo said, adding he would take full responsibility for the loss.

N-VA chief Bart De Wever, the current mayor of Antwerp, could be the most likely PM candidate to get the initial nod – as his party claimed the most seats (24) in the 150-seat federal parliament.

“We’re completely moving away from the traditional Belgian narrative of the last 50 years, according to which Flanders is on the right and Wallonia is on the left,” Vincent Laborderie, a professor at UCLouvain university, told AFP news agency.

“We have the impression of a structural shift in the electorate towards the centre right.”

Over the coming months, political parties in Belgium will seek to forge a governing coalition between the largely right-of-centre parties of the Dutch-speaking north, and the more left-leaning parties of the French-speaking south.

With its complex regional and national system, Belgium has an unenviable record of painfully protracted coalition discussions – reaching 541 days back in 2010-2011.

“Logically, we should go faster this time,” Laborderie said, still suggesting that it would take six months to find a “landing”.

In the meantime, De Croo will remain caretaker prime minister.

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Stateless in Syria | Syria’s War

A controversial aid worker is stranded in war-torn Syria when he is deprived of his citizenship by the United Kingdom’s government.

British-born Tauqir Sharif runs a humanitarian aid organisation in war-torn Syria. When the British government revokes his citizenship over alleged ties to al-Qaeda, he decides to appeal but is forced by circumstances to boycott his own trial. Soon after, his worst fears are realised when he is arrested by a powerful rebel group. With rare access to Idlib during a dangerous and unpredictable time in northern Syria, this film demonstrates the real-life consequences of citizenship revocation. Stateless in Syria is a documentary film by Horia El Hadad.

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