European elections: Dramatic night across EU capped by Macron bombshell - BBC.com

Europe's night of election drama capped by Macron bombshell

Supporters of France's National Rally (RN) react after President Macron's decision to call parliamentary elections

Exit polls had begun to roll in at the end of European elections across the EU’s 27 countries, when President Emmanuel Macron delivered his bombshell moment in a televised address to a stunned French population.

“I’ve decided to hand you back the choice of our parliamentary future with a vote. I am therefore dissolving the National Assembly,” he declared.

The National Rally party - led by Mr Macron's rivals Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella - was one of the big gains that Europe’s far-right parties had expected, and confirmation came with all the exit polls giving the party more than 30%, double that of Mr Macron’s centrist Renaissance.

But beyond France, the broader story of Europe's four-day vote marathon really belonged to the parties of the centre right.

They tightened their grip on the European Parliament, with victories in Germany and Spain, and significant advances in Hungary, against long-dominant Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

The far right did not enjoy as great a surge across Europe as many had predicted.

In the Netherlands, Geert Wilders’ Freedom Party came second, while Austria’s party of the same name came out as winners, but only narrowly.

“The centre is holding, but it is also true that the extremes on the left and on the right have gained support,” said Ursula von der Leyen, the centre-right head of the European Commission.

“And this is why the result comes with great responsibility for the parties in the centre.”

There had been talk before the vote that her dominant European People’s Party might consider talking to the two right-wing groups that house the far right.

But she made clear her only allies would be the Socialists & Democrats and the liberal Renew group that includes Mr Macron’s party.

Germany’s opposition conservatives were always going to come out on top, and they scored an impressive 30% of the vote.

But for Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s SPD party this was the worst ever result in a European election, coming third behind the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).

The AfD has endured a slew of scandals involving espionage, foreign interference and allegations of Nazi sympathies, and yet its support still held up.

"After all the prophecies of doom, after the barrage of the last few weeks, we are the second strongest force. And I'm telling you, the only way is up," said co-leader Alice Weidel.

Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla of the AfD celebrate the exit polls

Meanwhile a new anti-migrant far-left party, BSW, led by charismatic left-wing firebrand Sahra Wagenknecht, also performed well – rounding off a good night for radical parties.

In Spain, the centre-right opposition Popular Party (PP) defeated Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s Socialists, but not by the big margin that PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo had been hoping for.

Another far-right party, Vox, came a distant third.

Meanwhile, in Italy, Giorgia Meloni’s dominance of the country's politics continues.

Her far-right Brothers of Italy defeated the centre left Democratic Party of Elly Schlein by less than four points.

“Thank you to the Italians who are continuing to choose us… I am proud of the result tonight,” she told her supporters.

Giorgia Meloni thanked Italians for "continuing to choose" her party

In just five years, Ms Meloni has more than doubled her party’s seats in the European Parliament, while Ms Schlein’s performance pleasantly surprised even party activists.

There was no far-right success story in Belgium’s national elections, even though Flemish separatist party Vlaams Belang was widely expected to win.

The Flemish National Alliance is now the dominant party there, bringing an end to the rule of liberal Prime Minister Alexander De Croo.

“The far right has underperformed in Belgium, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Finland and Poland. But it has overperformed in France,” said Prof Alberto Alemanno of HEC Paris, who was surprised that President Macron decided to dissolve parliament.

“It’s disproportionate that these election results might push a government out of a country,” he told the BBC.

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Florida shark attacks: Woman and two girls injured at beaches - BBC

South Walton Fire District

Francesca Gillett

BBC News

7 hours ago

Beachgoers in the Gulf Coast of Florida have been told to be vigilant, after three swimmers were attacked by sharks in two separate attacks.

One woman was said to have had part of her arm amputated after being bitten on Friday in Walton County in north-west Florida.

Less than two hours later, at another beach four miles further east, two teenage girls were in waist-deep water with friends when they were attacked.

One of the girls suffered "significant injuries to the upper leg and one hand" while the other had minor injuries on one of her feet, fire officials said.

Authorities have been patrolling the shoreline in boats and some beaches were closed, although they reopened on Saturday with purple flags warning of dangerous marine life.

The first incident happened at around 13:20 local time on Friday when a woman, about 45-years-old, was attacked near WaterSound Beach, South Walton Fire District said.

She suffered "critical injuries" to her hip and lower left arm and was airlifted to hospital, fire officials said.

Part of her arm had to be amputated, fire chief Ryan Crawford later told a news briefing, according to the BBC's US partner CBS News.

South Walton Fire District

The second attack - on two girls about 15 years old - happened at about 14:55 local time near Seacrest Beach, the fire department added.

"Please swim carefully, respect the Gulf, stay hydrated, and look out for your loved ones," South Walton Fire District said on X.

Walton County Sheriff's office said on X on Saturday that during patrols, deputies spotted a 14 ft (4.2m) hammerhead shark in Santa Rosa Beach - but stressed they were "not uncommon".

"We want to reiterate that sharks are always present in the Gulf," they said.

"Swimmers and beachgoers should be cautious when swimming and stay aware of their surroundings."

According to the University of Florida's International Shark Attack File, there are around 70 to 100 shark attacks every year worldwide, resulting in about five deaths.

The ISAF said last year, there were 69 unprovoked shark bites on humans and 22 provoked bites globally.

In Florida, the majority of shark attacks are by requiem sharks - a family of sharks that like warm seas and include species such as bull sharks or blacktip sharks.

Walton Co Sheriff

Most attacks occur in nearshore waters, typically near a sandbar where sharks feed and can become trapped at low tide.

Small fish are traveling in schools near the shore this time of year, which might have been a contributing factor in Friday's attacks, the Bay County Sheriff's Office suggested.

The time of the attacks - in the middle of the afternoon - was also an anomaly, Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson said, according to CBS News.

Walton Co Sheriff

Related Topics

• Florida
• Sharks
• Nature
• Animals
• Shark attacks
• United States

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Outrage over ‘massacre’ in Gaza as Israel rescued four hostages - The Guardian

Israeli attacks in central Gaza killed scores of Palestinians, many of them civilians, on Saturday amid a special forces operation to free four hostages held there, with the death toll sparking international outrage.

At least 274 Palestinians were killed and 698 wounded in Israeli strikes on the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, Gaza’s health ministry said on Sunday. The Israeli military said its forces came under heavy fire during the daytime operation.

The EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, called it a “massacre”, while the UN’s aid chief described in graphic detail scenes of “shredded bodies on the ground”.

“Nuseirat refugee camp is the epicentre of the seismic trauma that civilians in Gaza continue to suffer,” Martin Griffiths said in a post on X, calling for a ceasefire and the release of all hostages.

The bodies of 109 Palestinians including 23 children and 11 women were taken to al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital, which also treated more than 100 wounded, a spokesperson, Khalil Degran, told AP.

He also said more than 100 people killed in Israeli attacks had been taken to al-Awda hospital, with 210 victims in total. That figure was also given by the Hamas media office, but could not be verified.

The Israeli military spokesperson R Adm Daniel Hagari confirmed on Saturday that dozens of Palestinians had been killed. He knew that “under 100” casualties had been reported, but could not say how many were civilians, he told a briefing.

The rescue raid was Israel’s largest such operation of the war, freeing Noa Argamani, 25, Almog Meir Jan, 21, Andrey Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 40. All four were healthy and were reunited with their families on Saturday after medical tests.

Scores of hostages are believed to be held in densely populated areas or inside Hamas’ labyrinth of tunnels, making such operations extremely complex and risky. A similar raid in February rescued two hostages while leaving 74 Palestinians dead.

While Israelis celebrated their return, Palestinians in Gaza mourned the many dead, or watched over injured loved ones in the overcrowded al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital.

One wave of heavy Israeli bombing in Nuseirat was launched to secure the passage of the three men, who had been held together. Argamani was rescued alone, from a separate location.

The special forces team extracting male hostages was confronted by militants, Israel’s Channel 12 television reported, and when a rescue vehicle got stuck, called in backup from Israel’s airforce and other troops in the area. They escaped under heavy bombardment, the report said.

Special forces operated under heavy fire in a “complex urban environment” to carry out the rescue, the Israeli defence minister, Yoav Gallant, said, describing it as one of the most extraordinary operations he had seen in a decades-long military career.

Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said the raid – only the third successful military rescue of the war – was proof “Israel does not surrender to terrorism”. He has long insisted that military pressure is the best way to ensure the return of all Israelis captured on 7 October.

But beyond Israel, the hostages’ joyful reunions with their families were overshadowed by the horror at how many people were killed in Gaza during the operation to secure their release.

Borrell, in a post on X condemned “in the strongest terms … reports from Gaza of another massacre of civilians”. He called for a ceasefire and the release of all remaining hostages. “The bloodbath must end immediately,” he said.

As the war drags on into its ninth month, Netanyahu has come under increasing international pressure to agree a ceasefire deal and domestic pressure to secure the return of all Israelis still held in Gaza.

The rescue operation may give Netanyahu temporary relief at home. After the news broke, his political rival Benny Gantz, a security cabinet member, delayed a speech planned for Saturday evening. He had been widely expected to announce he was leaving the government, having given Netanyahu an ultimatum to form a long-term plan for Gaza.

But hostages’ families were quick to repeat their demands for a ceasefire deal to release their loved ones, saying in a statement on Saturday evening that the military could not bring back all of those still held captive.

“The hostages don’t have time. We can’t free everyone in operations, and we must go for a deal that will save lives,” said Ayala Metzger, the daughter-in-law of the hostage Yoram Metzger, 80, who this week was announced to have died in captivity.

Israeli forces have now freed seven hostages, but the majority of those who are now back home were handed over under a temporary ceasefire deal last November. There are still 120 held in Gaza, at least a third of them presumed dead.

A spokesperson for Izz ad-Din al-Qassam, Hamas’s armed brigades, Abu Ubaida, also claimed some Israeli hostages had been killed during the rescue raid, without giving evidence or details.

Internationally, the death toll in Gaza may isolate Netanyahu further, and give additional weight to calls for a halt to fighting.

US intelligence was reportedly involved in supporting the Israeli mission, and the president, Joe Biden, welcomed the return of the four hostages, but also said efforts to reach a deal to halt the war and secure the return of everyone held in Gaza would continue.

He has personally pushed hard for an agreement and apparently been frustrated by resistance in the Israeli government, suggesting in a recent interview that Netanyahu may be prolonging the war to protect his personal political interests.

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Polls open in 20 EU countries to elect new European Parliament - Al Jazeera English

The election will shape how the European bloc confronts challenges including a hostile Russia, increased industrial rivalry with China and the United States, climate change and immigration.

Voters across 20 European Union countries have started picking the bloc’s next parliament amid concern that a likely shift to the political right will undermine the ability of the world’s biggest trading bloc to take decisions as war rages in Ukraine and anti-migrant sentiment mounts.

The election began on Thursday in the Netherlands and in other countries on Friday and Saturday, but the bulk of EU votes are being cast on Sunday, with France, Germany, Poland and Spain opening the polls and Italy holding a second day of voting to elect 720 members of the European Parliament.

Seats in the assembly are allocated based on population, ranging from six in Malta and in Luxembourg to 96 in Germany.

The election will shape how the European bloc confronts challenges including a hostile Russia, increased industrial rivalry with China and the United States, climate change and immigration.

An unofficial exit poll on Thursday suggested that Geert Wilders’s anti-migrant hard right party should make important gains in the Netherlands, even though a coalition of pro-European parties has probably pushed it into second place.

Since the last EU election in 2019, populist or far-right parties now lead governments in three nations — Hungary, Slovakia and Italy — and are part of the ruling coalition in others, including Sweden, Finland and, soon, the Netherlands. Polls give the populists an advantage in France, Belgium, Austria and Italy.

The elections come at a testing time for voter confidence in a bloc of some 450 million people. Over the last five years, the EU has been shaken by the coronavirus pandemic, an economic slump and an energy crisis fueled by the war in Ukraine – the biggest land conflict in Europe since World War II.

The polls also mark the beginning of a period of uncertainty for the Europeans and their international partners. Beyond the wrangling to form political groups and establish alliances inside parliament, governments will compete to secure top EU jobs for their national officials.

Chief among them is the presidency of the powerful executive branch, the European Commission, which proposes laws and watches to ensure they are respected. The commission also controls the EU’s purse strings, manages trade and is Europe’s competition watchdog.

Other plum posts are those of the European Council president, who chairs summits of presidents and prime ministers, and EU foreign policy chief, the bloc’s top diplomat.

EU lawmakers have a say on legislation ranging from financial rules to climate or agriculture policy. They also approve the EU budget, which apart from funding the bloc’s political priorities bankrolls things like infrastructure projects, farm subsidies and aid delivered to Ukraine.

But despite their important role, political campaigning often focuses on issues of concern in individual countries rather than on broader European interests. Voters routinely use their ballots to protest the policies of their national governments.

Surveys suggest that mainstream and pro-European parties will retain their majority in parliament, but that the hard right, including parties led by politicians like Wilders or France’s Marine Le Pen, will eat into their share of seats.

The biggest political group – the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) – has already edged away from the middle ground, campaigning on traditional far-right issues like more security, tougher migration laws, and a focus on business over social welfare concerns.

Much may depend on whether the Brothers of Italy — the governing party of populist far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, which has neo-fascist roots — stays in the more hardline European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), or becomes part of a new hard-right group that could be created in the wake of the elections. Meloni also has the further option to work with the EPP.

The second-biggest group — the centre-left Socialists and Democrats — and the Greens refuse to align themselves with the ECR. A more dire scenario for pro-European parties would be if the ECR joins forces with Le Pen’s Identity and Democracy to consolidate hard-right influence.

Questions remain over what group Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s staunchly nationalist and anti-migrant Fidesz party might join. It was previously part of the EPP but was forced out in 2021 due to conflicts over its interests and values.

The EPP has campaigned for Ursula von der Leyen to be granted a second term as commission president but nothing guarantees that she will be returned even if they win. National leaders will decide who is nominated, even though the parliament must approve any nominee.

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Florida shark attacks: Woman and two girls injured at beaches - BBC.com

Three swimmers hurt in shark attacks in Florida

The local fire department shared photos of the aftermath of the attacks

Beachgoers in the Gulf Coast of Florida have been told to be vigilant, after three swimmers were attacked by sharks in two separate attacks.

One woman was said to have had part of her arm amputated after being bitten on Friday in Walton County in north-west Florida.

Less than two hours later, at another beach four miles further east, two teenage girls were in waist-deep water with friends when they were attacked.

One of the girls suffered "significant injuries to the upper leg and one hand" while the other had minor injuries on one of her feet, fire officials said.

Authorities have been patrolling the shoreline in boats and some beaches were closed, although they reopened on Saturday with purple flags warning of dangerous marine life.

The first incident happened at around 13:20 local time on Friday when a woman, about 45-years-old, was attacked near WaterSound Beach, South Walton Fire District said.

She suffered "critical injuries" to her hip and lower left arm and was airlifted to hospital, fire officials said.

Part of her arm had to be amputated, fire chief Ryan Crawford later told a news briefing, according to the BBC's US partner CBS News.

Fire officials said the 45-year-old woman, who was swimming, was airlifted to a trauma centre

The second attack - on two girls about 15 years old - happened at about 14:55 local time near Seacrest Beach, the fire department added.

"Please swim carefully, respect the Gulf, stay hydrated, and look out for your loved ones," South Walton Fire District said on X.

Walton County Sheriff's office said on X on Saturday that during patrols, deputies spotted a 14 ft (4.2m) hammerhead shark in Santa Rosa Beach - but stressed they were "not uncommon".

"We want to reiterate that sharks are always present in the Gulf," they said.

"Swimmers and beachgoers should be cautious when swimming and stay aware of their surroundings."

According to the University of Florida's International Shark Attack File, there are around 70 to 100 shark attacks every year worldwide, resulting in about five deaths.

The ISAF said last year, there were 69 unprovoked shark bites on humans and 22 provoked bites globally.

In Florida, the majority of shark attacks are by requiem sharks - a family of sharks that like warm seas and include species such as bull sharks or blacktip sharks.

Marine experts are monitoring the shoreline, the sheriff's office said

Most attacks occur in nearshore waters, typically near a sandbar where sharks feed and can become trapped at low tide.

Small fish are traveling in schools near the shore this time of year, which might have been a contributing factor in Friday's attacks, the Bay County Sheriff's Office suggested.

The time of the attacks - in the middle of the afternoon - was also an anomaly, Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson said, according to CBS News.

A 14 ft hammerhead shark was spotted by sheriff deputies - although it is not confirmed what kind of shark attacked the swimmers

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2024-06-09 04:19:37Z
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WWII veteran ties the knot with 96-year-old bride near Normandy's D-Day beaches - Sky News

A centenarian World War II veteran has tied the knot with his bride in a ceremony near Normandy's D-Day beaches.

Harold Terens - a 100-year-old US Army Air Force veteran - called it "the best day of my life" as he today married 96-year-old Jeanne Swerlin.

On her way to the ceremony, the bride-to-be said: "It's not just for young people, love, you know? We get butterflies. And we get a little action, also."

She also said her sweetheart was the "greatest kisser ever".

The pair married in the town hall of Carentan, a key initial D-Day objective that witnessed fierce fighting after the Allied landings on 6 June 1944.

The vast amphibious invasion helped pushed back Nazi forces until Germany was forced to surrender a year later.

Along with other towns and villages across the northern French coastline, Carentan is hosting remembrance events to mark 80 years since nearly 160,000 Allied troops invaded five code-named beaches while under heavy fire.

More on D-day

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Well-wishers commemorating the anniversary lined the streets outside the ceremony.

Image: Pic: AP

Image: Pic: AP

After both saying "oui" to vows read by Carentan's mayor Jean-Pierre Lhonneur in English, the newlyweds exchanged rings.

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With Champagne flutes in hand, they waved through an open window to the crowds outside.

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2:07

Biden invokes Ukraine at D-Day

"To everybody's good health. And to peace in the world and the preservation of democracy all over the world and the end of the war in Ukraine and Gaza," the groom said.

Mr Terens enlisted in 1942 and, after shipping to Britain, was attached to a four-pilot P-47 Thunderbolt fighter unit as their radio repair technician.

Read more:
These D-Day commemorations felt different
Tom Hanks speaks at D-Day memorial
Tory campaign derailed by D-Day blunder

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On D-Day he helped repair planes returning from France so they could return to battle. He said half his company's pilots died that day.

The airman went to France himself 12 days later, helping transport freshly captured Germans and just-freed American POWs to England.

On Saturday evening the happy couple attended a state dinner at the Elysee Palace with President Emmanuel Macron and US President Joe Biden.

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"Congratulations to the newlyweds," President Macron said in a toast praising French-American friendship.

The wedding was symbolic, as the mayor isn't empowered to wed non-resident foreigners of Carentan, and the couple hadn't requested legally-binding vows, the mayor's office said.

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Israel-Gaza war: 'Horror movie' scenes as 210 Palestinians killed during Israeli rescue mission, Hamas claims - Sky News

More than 200 Palestinians were killed as Israel raided Gaza to free four hostages, Hamas claims, in one of the bloodiest days of the war.

During the mission, hailed as "heroic" in Israel, the military said it freed the hostages under heavy fire and responded with strikes "from the air and from the street".

But the ensuing attack on central Gaza's al Nuseirat, a historic Palestinian refugee camp, led to scenes like a "horror movie", according to residents.

While Israel acknowledged "under 100" Palestinian casualties, Hamas said at least 210 have been killed and more wounded - though it isn't clear how many were militants.

Gazan paramedics and residents said the assault killed scores of people and left mangled bodies of men, women and children around a marketplace and a mosque.

Image: The aftermath of an Israeli strike. Pic: Reuters

"It was like a horror movie but this was a real massacre," said Ziad, 45, a paramedic and resident of Nuseirat, who gave only his first name.

"Israeli drones and warplanes fired all night randomly at people's houses and at people who tried to flee the area."

More on Israel-hamas War

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"To free four people, Israel killed dozens of innocent civilians," he added.

Emergency services tried to ferry the dead and wounded to a hospital in nearby Deir al Balah, but many bodies were still lying in the streets, Ziad and other residents said.

Image: An injured child looks on at al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. Pic: Reuters

Image: A man carries a casualty after an Israeli strike. Pic: Reuters

The EU's high representative for foreign policy, Josep Borrell, said the reports of "another massacre" are "appalling".

"We condemn this in the strongest terms," he added. "The bloodbath must end immediately."

Israeli minister Eli Cohen hit back, accusing Mr Borrell of condemning the rescue when he should be criticising Hamas for "hiding the hostages" behind civilians.

Israel named the rescued hostages as Noa Argamani, 26, Almog Meir Jan, 22, Andrey Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 41, whom the military said are in good health.

Image: Rescued hostage Almog Meir Jan embraces loved ones. Pic: Reuters

They were all kidnapped from the Nova music festival during the deadly raid by Hamas-led Palestinian militants on Israeli towns and villages near Gaza on 7 October.

About 250 hostages were taken back to Gaza during that attack, with Israeli authorities believing 116 hostages remain.

Hostage release 'less likely'

Sky News international affairs editor Dominic Waghorn said Saturday's rescue operation may reduce the chances of others being released through negotiations.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under pressure to make a ceasefire deal happen, but talks have so far stalled.

Image: A mourner at the funeral of Palestinians killed. Pic: Reuters

That pressure would have increased had his war cabinet partner and political rival Benny Gantz resigned over the lack of future strategy for Gaza, as he had threatened.

He's decided for now to postpone that move.

US President Joe Biden last week said he had every reason to believe the Israeli prime minister is prolonging the war to save his political skin.

Read more:
Who are the four hostages rescued by Israel?
Daylight operation suggests IDF had to be quick

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IDF defends actions in rescue operation

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"Israel believes that military pressure is the best way of breaking their enemy. And Netanyahu's far right coalition partners oppose such a deal," Waghorn said.

"They want the campaign to continue until Hamas is completely destroyed, and many among them also fantasise about the resettlement of Gaza by Israel.

"A ceasefire deal could see Netanyahu's governing coalition fall apart. He has wanted to avoid that at all costs.

"Now that military efforts to rescue the hostages appear to be paying off, he may have less reason to pursue the diplomatic alternative."

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2024-06-09 03:08:56Z
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