Foreign dignitaries meaning

Israel's parliament is expected to dissolve on Wednesday, ending Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's year-long tenure and triggering a fifth election in less than four years that could see ex-premier Benjamin Netanyahu reclaim power. Barring an 11th-hour shock agreement to save the coalition or form a new government within the existing parliament, Mr. Bennett's eight-party alliance is due to end by midnight, installing Foreign Minister Yair Lapid as Prime Minister. The former television anchor is set to head a caretaker government, ahead of polls due in late October or early November. Mr. Bennett's motley alliance formed in 2021 offered a reprieve from an unprecedented era of political gridlock, ending Mr. Netanyahu's record 12 consecutive years in power and passing Israel's first state Budget since 2018. Mr. Netanyahu — a divisive hawk aligned with far-right nationalists and Israel's ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties — has promised victory in new elections but may again struggle to … [Read more...] about Israel headed for polls, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid to be interim PM

Russian troops withdrawing from Ukraine's Snake Island in the Black Sea, after repeated bombardments, could have wide-ranging significance, current and former Ukrainian officials have said. Snake Island became globally famous thanks to the now-legendary "go f*** yourself" response of the defending garrison when told to surrender to a Russian warship. Moscow has explained the withdrawal as a "gesture of goodwill" that shows Russia is "not impeding [United Nations] efforts to organize a humanitarian corridor to ship agricultural products from Ukraine," and avoid catastrophic global food shortages. But Ukrainian officials have dismissed Russia's explanation and declared the regaining of the island after 127 days of occupation as a significant strategic and symbolic victory. Andriy Zagorodnyuk, Ukraine's former defense minister, told Newsweek the forced Russian withdrawal denies Moscow use of what was essentially an "unsinkable ship." The island hosted Russian … [Read more...] about Ukraine “big victory” at Snake Island could be a turning point

Ukraine's army released a video on Thursday showing how its forces successfully recaptured Snake Island from Russia , shortly after Moscow said it withdrew its forces from the strategic Black Sea outpost as a "gesture of goodwill." Moscow said on Thursday that its forces had "finished fulfilling their tasks" and "demonstrated that Russia is not blocking the UN's efforts to organise a humanitarian corridor to export agricultural goods from Ukraine." Kyiv pushed back against Russia's statement, saying that it drove Russian President Vladimir Putin 's troops from the island with military force in an overnight assault. Ukraine's armed forces released a video showing an offensive on the island, which made headlines in the early days of the war when Ukrainians stationed there told a Russian cruiser: "Russian warship, go f**k yourself!" "Unable to withstand the fire of Ukraine's artillery, missile and air strikes, Russian army left Snake Island," the commander-in-chief of the … [Read more...] about How Ukraine recaptured Snake Island from Russia

Three men who are alleged to have attempted to slow down the Russian military advance through Belarus at the beginning of Vladimir Putin 's invasion of Ukraine are set to face the death penalty for high treason. The three men, who have become known as the "rail partisans", have not been named but are said to be aged 29, 33, and 51. They have been labeled "terrorists" and "traitors" by Belarusian prosecutors. They stand accused by the Belarusian regime—often referred to as the last dictatorship in Europe—of high treason for having allegedly damaged a railway line in a bid to stop supplies of Russian weaponry and equipment from transiting through Belarus to Ukraine. They currently face treason and terrorism charges from the regime of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1994 and is a close ally of Vladimir Putin, even allowing Russia to use Belarus as a staging area for some of the Russian forces at the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine, when … [Read more...] about Men who allegedly blew up rail lines to slow Russia face death in Belarus

The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) ruled that President Joe Biden’s administration can end the Migration Protection Protocols (MPP), commonly known as the “Remain in Mexico” program, but is sending a key part of the case back to a lower court. In a 5-4 decision, SCOTUS ruled that the Biden administration did not violate the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) when it sought to end the Remain in Mexico program, which was first imposed by former President Trump’s administration. The Remain in Mexico program allows the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to quickly return border crossers to Mexico while they await their asylum and immigration hearings in the United States — effectively eliminating the practice commonly known as “Catch and Release.” A district court and a court of appeals had both previously held that the Biden administration violated the INA when it sought to end Remain in Mexico. The district court also held that the administration violated the … [Read more...] about SCOTUS Delivers Blow to ‘Remain in Mexico,’ But Court Battle Continues

Boris Johnson’s “illegal” law to scrap parts of his own Brexit deal passed its first hurdle last night - despite outrage from some Tory MPs. The Northern Ireland Protocol Bill won a ‘second reading’ in the Commons by 295 votes to 221, and will now get detailed scrutiny in Parliament. It was carried through on Tory and DUP votes while Labour , the Lib Dems, SNP and other opposition parties voted against. Theresa May said it was not “legal under international law” and did not “maintain the standing of the UK in the eyes of the world”. Ex-Cabinet minister Andrew Mitchell said it “brazenly breaks a solemn international treaty”, adding: "It trashes our international reputation, it threatens a trade war at a time when our economy is flat and it puts us at odds with our most important ally." And Simon Hoare, chairman of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, said it was “a failure of statecraft and it puts at risk the reputation of the United Kingdom. The arguments … [Read more...] about How your MP voted on ‘illegal’ Brexit Bill – full list of 72 Tories who failed to back it

Household finances failed to keep up with soaring inflation once again at the start of the year, marking the first time real disposable income has fallen for four quarters in a row since records began, according to official figures. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said real household disposable income dropped 0.2% between January and March as income growth of 1.5% was outstripped by household inflation of 1.7%. Household finances have now been under pressure for a straight year, with rising prices amid the cost-of-living crisis meaning income after inflation has fallen for a record four consecutive quarters. The latest figures came as the ONS confirmed its earlier estimation that gross domestic product (GDP) – a measure of the size of the economy – rose by 0.8% in the first quarter of the year. Recommended Over £130m handed to housing providers named and shamed by regulator This marked a decline in growth from 1.3% in the previous … [Read more...] about Soaring inflation sees household incomes fall for record four quarters in a row

The story so far: Lithuania, a member of the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), on June 18 banned goods subject to EU sanctions from passing through its territory to the Russian exclave Kaliningrad. The sanctions were imposed on Russia after Vladimir Putin launched an invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Sanctioned goods include coal, metals, construction materials and advanced technology. Russia has called the move a “blockade” and promised a stern response. According to Russian officials, the ban will affect 30-50 per cent of cargo traffic but the goods can be rerouted through the Baltic Sea. Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte refuted Russia’s allegations, saying that the sanctioned goods form only 1 per cent of the total Russian freight transit to Kaliningrad. She also added that passenger transit remains uninterrupted. The implementation of sanctions has strained EU-Russia relations even further. Why is Kaliningrad … [Read more...] about Explained | Kaliningrad is the new epicentre of the Russia-NATO standoff

The chaos at our southern border and the crisis of rule of law in the U.S. is about to get even worse, thanks to a Supreme Court ruling handed down on Thursday. The Court ruled by a 5-4 decision that the Biden administration may put an end to the Migrant Protection Protocols, known as the "Remain in Mexico" policy. Remain in Mexico, a Trump-era holdover, addressed the ongoing flood of migrants arriving at our southern border by requiring asylum seekers to either be detained in the U.S. or sent to Mexico to wait for their asylum claims to be reviewed. The Court's ruling will mean even more migrants entering the U.S. by the thousands. Remain in Mexico was one of the only remaining safeguards against the Left's fantasy of open borders. This is not only a national security issue. Our national border protects the economic resources of working-class Americans, including—perhaps especially—descendants of slaves. The economic and employment prospects for all Americans are placed at … [Read more...] about Remain in Mexico was protecting American workers. Will Biden betray them again? | Opinion