In Germany, center-right wins election
German opposition leader Friedrich Merz is set to be the country’s next chancellor after the center-right Christian Democratic Union party secured victory in the highly consequential election on Sunday.
In his campaign, Merz focused on strengthening the European Union amid rapidly changing international relations with the United States. He has also promised tougher immigration policies and wants to transform Germany’s technology industry.
“My absolute priority will be to strengthen Europe as quickly as possible so that, step by step, we can really achieve independence from the USA,” Merz said. “After Donald Trump’s statements last week at the latest, it is clear that the Americans, at least this part of the Americans, this administration, are largely indifferent to the fate of Europe.”
The far-right Alternative for Germany party, supported by billionaire Elon Musk and Vice President JD Vance, finished second and had been rising in the polls for months before the election. While it didn’t come out on top, the party secured over 10 million votes — the most in its short history.
Merz’s party won 28.5% of the votes and 208 seats in parliament, over a hundred shy of the 315 seats required to form a government. He is expected to form a governing coalition with the incumbent Social Democratic Party, which suffered its worst showing since World War II, securing just 120 seats.
In Israel, first phase of ceasefire agreement set to conclude
Hamas returned the bodies of four dead Israeli hostages on Wednesday in preparation for the release of more than 600 Palestinian prisoners. Israel had delayed the exchange last weekend, saying it would proceed only after the release of additional hostages “has been assured.”
In an interview with Al Jazeera, former Hamas government minister Basem Naim said the Palestinian militant group will not continue to negotiate agreements until Israel releases the 620 prisoners, 400 of whom were taken captive during the war.
“Before going to the next step, we have to make sure the past step will happen,” Naim told Al Jazeera.
Last week, the Israeli government condemned Hamas’ release ceremonies as “repeated violations” that indignified the hostages. Israel’s delay of the prisoner exchange postponed the completion of the first part of a three-phase ceasefire deal.
Under the terms of the agreement, both parties are prohibited from fighting in Gaza during the ceasefire period. Hamas is expected to release 33 Israeli hostages and Israel is expected to release nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. The Egyptian government announced Friday that talks for the next phase of the ceasefire have begun in Cairo.
In France, scientists hurl explosives at Russian Consulate
Two French researchers were sentenced to eight months’ house arrest after throwing three Molotov cocktails over the Russian Consulate wall on Monday morning, the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
All three incendiary devices — two of which exploded — were plastic bottles filled with a concoction of nitrogen and other chemicals. Although the explosives landed in the consulate’s garden, there were no reported injuries or damage.
The two French citizens, both employed at the National Centre for Scientific Research, were apprehended by the police on Wednesday and admitted to carrying out the attack. They are expected to return from jail soon and serve an at-home sentence, monitored by an electronic ankle bracelet.
“France condemns any infringement of the security of diplomatic compounds,” a French foreign ministry spokesperson told The Guardian. “The inviolability, protection and integrity of diplomatic and consular compounds and their staff are fundamental principles in international law.”
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakhorova said Monday’s incident had “all the hallmarks of a terrorist attack.” On the day of the incident in Marseille, several European leaders were in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv. The visit came less than a week after President Donald Trump falsely claimed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy started the yearslong conflict.
Contact Amanda Chen at [email protected].
