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An agreement has been reached to extend the Israel-Hamas truce for another two days, the spokesman for Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said Monday. In turn, Israel released 39 Palestinian prisoners. Political Cartoons View All 1265 ImagesIsrael has said it would extend the cease-fire by one day for every 10 additional hostages released. Here’s what's happening in the war:QATAR SAYS ISRAEL AND HAMAS AGREE TO EXTEND TRUCE FOR TWO MORE DAYSQatar’s Foreign Ministry said Monday that an agreement has been reached to extend the Israel-Hamas truce for another two days. Hamas has released some hostages during a truce that began Friday in return for Israeli releases of Palestinian prisoners.

Persons: —, Benjamin Netanyahu, — Elon, Majid Al Ansary, Elma Avraham, wasn’t, Tzachi Slotsky, Beer Sheba, Avraham’s, Tali Amano, Avraham, Amano, “, ”, Cross, Jason Straziuso, ELON, Elon Musk, who’s, Isaac Herzog, Musk, ” Musk, Eylon Levy, Shlomo Karhi, ” Karhi, Riad, Malki, JERUSALEM, ” Yelena Magid, Roni Krivoi, ” Magid, UNRWA's, Morris Tidball, Alice Jill Edwards, Wang Yi, Wang Wenbin, ” Wang Wenbin, Frank, Walter Steinmeier, ” Steinmeier, “ Beeri, Hassan Fadlallah, Fadlallah, Islam, France’s, Samuel Paty, Charlie Hebdo, Jason J, Eaton Organizations: Qatar’s Foreign, Hamas, Sunday, Israel, Health Ministry, —, Navy, Qatari Foreign, Soroka Medical, International Committee, ICRC Media, The Associated Press, Twitter, Israeli Ministry of Communications, Palestinian Foreign Affairs, European Union, Union for, Associated Press, United Nations, ISRAEL, BEIJING, Security, Chinese Foreign Ministry, ISRAEL BERLIN —, Beeri, Hezbollah, GO, PARIS —, MEN, UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT Police, University of Vermont, Burlington Police Department, Burlington Locations: Israel, Qatar, Egypt, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Barcelona, — U.S, israel, QATAR, ISRAEL, Beer, BARCELONA, Spain, Africa, HANOUN, Beit Hanoun, Geneva, New York, China, GERMANY, ISRAEL BERLIN — Germany, Beeri, BEIRUT, Iran, Lebanon, Aita, Paris, UNIVERSITY, Burlington

☆ Dutch politician Wilders vows 'I will be prime minister' on X
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dutch far-right politician and leader of the PVV party, Geert Wilders gestures as he meets with members of his party at the Dutch Parliament, after the Dutch parliamentary elections, in The Hague, Netherlands November 23, 2023. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAMSTERDAM, Nov 25 (Reuters) - Veteran Dutch anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders on Saturday vowed to be prime minister of the Netherlands eventually, following an election in which his party won the most seats. "Today, tomorrow or the day after, the PVV will be part of government and I will be prime minister of this beautiful country," Wilders wrote. Although Wilders' Freedom Party (PVV) finished well ahead of rivals in the Nov. 22 vote on an anti-immigration platform, his party is forecast to take only 25% of the seats in Dutch parliament. On Friday, the conservative VVD Party of caretaker Prime Minister Mark Rutte, which shares many of Wilders' views on immigration, said it would not participate in a cabinet with him.

Persons: Geert Wilders, Yves Herman, Wilders, Mark Rutte, Dilan Yesilgoz, Pieter Omtzigt, Toby Sterling, Christina Fincher Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Veteran, Freedom Party, VVD Party, Party, Thomson Locations: The Hague, Netherlands, Veteran Dutch, Dutch

Now, hundreds of migrants from the Middle East and Africa have appeared at Finland's border from Russia, seeking entry into the Nordic country. They accuse Russia of driving the migrants to the border to sow discord as payback for Finland's membership in NATO. Finnish authorities quickly closed four checkpoints and then three more, leaving just one Arctic crossing point open for asylum-seekers. Finland also asked for help from EU border agency Frontex, which said it would send dozens of officers and equipment as reinforcements to the Finnish border. The Kremlin denies encouraging the migrants, and says it regrets the Finnish border closures.

Persons: Elina Valtonen, Petteri Orpo, Maria Zakharova, Valtonen, Russia’s, ”, Klaus Dodds, ” Dodds, Ylva Johansson, Sauli Niinistö, Alexander Lukashenko, Evika Siliņa, Siliņa, Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin, “, Geert Wilders, Orpo’s, Vanessa Gera Organizations: HELSINKI, —, NATO, Nordic, Associated Press, HOW, EU, Frontex, Russian Foreign Ministry, Royal Holloway, University of London, VU EU Home Affairs, Belarus —, Latvian, AP, Poland’s, Guard Locations: Finland, Russia, East, Africa, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Finnish, FINLAND, Helsinki, Belarus, Europe, Moscow, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Baltic, Netherlands, Finns, Lapland, Murmansk, Warsaw

☆ Amsterdam crowd protests against discrimination after Dutch far-right win
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Esther Verkaik | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Wilders, who is now trying to build a governing coalition, has vowed to close Dutch borders to immigrants and cut spending on climate change, cultural and foreign development programmes. "I feel sad about the election results ... And I'm really worried about our country," said Sara Coster. Another demonstrator, Jan Jaap van Oosterzee, 62, said he felt Wilders' win was "against every thing we're standing for, and that I'm personally standing for". Wilders party "stands for exclusion of my colleagues, of my children, of denying climate change," he said. Muslims, who make up around 5% of the Dutch population of almost 18 million people, have expressed shock at the election result.

Persons: Geert Wilders, Wilders, I'm, Sara Coster, Jaap van Oosterzee, Oosterzee, Toby Sterling, Alexander Smith Organizations: Social, Freedom Party, Amnesty International, Greenpeace, Thomson Locations: Amsterdam, Netherlands, AMSTERDAM, Solidarity

☆ Morning Bid: Giving thanks you're not in China stocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., September 26, 2023. A four-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas appeared to be holding shakily on Friday with no major reports of attacks, although both sides were accused of violations. The decline marked yet another investor shrug at reports of further official moves to shore up China's ailing property sector. In Europe, data showed Germany's economy shrank slightly in the third quarter, confirming an initial estimate of a 0.1% fall. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Mike Dolan, shrug, didn't, Christian Lindner, Geert Wilders, Luis de Guindos, Pablo Hernandez de Cos, Nick Macfie Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Stock, Mainland Properties, Bloomberg, Nvidia, Finance, Britain's Barclays, Central Bank, Bank of Spain, PMI Reuters Graphics Reuters, Reuters, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Wall, Israel, OPEC, United States, Friday's, Beijing, Taiwan, China, Europe, British

☆ Far-Right Populist Geert Wilders Scores Major Victory in Dutch Election
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Gareth Vipers | Laurence Norman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Dutch anti-Islamic populist Geert Wilders and his Freedom Party scored a major election victory Thursday. Wilders campaigned to ban the Quran and close the borders to migrants from Islamic countries. Photo: Remko de Waal/AFP/Getty ImagesThe electoral win by Geert Wilders , the Dutch far-right leader who has championed draconian policies against immigration and Islam, reflects how intractable the issue of migration remains in Europe—and in much of the West. Nearly a decade ago, an influx of Middle Eastern and African arrivals drove a wave of anti-immigration policies across Europe, boosted the popularity of far-right parties and stirred tensions with Europe’s growing Muslim population.

Persons: Geert Wilders, Wilders Organizations: Freedom Party, Getty Locations: Waal, AFP, Europe, Eastern

☆ Stocks maintain November reign, oil hit by OPEC doubts
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Marc Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Bull statues are placed in font of screens showing the Hang Seng stock index and stock prices outside Exchange Square, in Hong Kong, China, August 18, 2023. Wall Street's benchmark S&P 500 (.SPX) is nearing a fresh high for 2023, with the S&P 500 and MSCI's all-country world index (.MIWD00000PUS) both up more than 8% this month alone. For MSCI world that is the best showing since November 2020 when markets got a major shot in the arm from COVID vaccine hopes. Germany's 10-year bund , the benchmark for the Europe, was fractionally higher on the day at 2.57% having touched 3% last month. Bitcoin fell by 0.77% on Thursday to $37,337 after it rose nearly 5% on Wednesday.

Persons: Tyrone Siu, Geert Wilders, Robert Alster, Viktor Orban, Wilders, Mark Rutte, Sterling, Jeremy Hunt, Changpeng Zhao, Marc Jones, Christina Fincher Organizations: REUTERS, PMI, ECB, Oil, Traders, Asset Management, European Union, Freedom Party, Labour, Green, People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, European, HK, Reuters, Treasury, UK Finance, OPEC, Thomson Locations: Exchange, Hong Kong, China, Europe, U.S, EU, Germany, Holland, Ukraine, Turkey, Asia, Pacific, Japan, Brent, Bitcoin

☆ Environmental Photographer of the Year 2023: Images of flood, drought and plastic pollution
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Nell Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

All three scenes were among the winning images of the Environmental Photographer of the Year 2023 competition, and all three were taken in Bangladesh. The country is one of the most vulnerable to climate change in the world, ranking seventh on the latest Global Climate Risk Index, based on data from 2000 to 2019. It’s prone to cyclones, tornadoes and floods, and it is estimated that by 2050, one in every seven people in Bangladesh will be displaced by climate change. He adds that this year’s competition saw entries from other regions also severely threatened by climate change, such as India, West Bengal, Antarctica and Argentina. With the image, he wants to communicate the impact of plastic pollution and hopes that when people see it, they might realize the consequence of throwing away plastic and change their behavior.

Persons: It’s, Hossain, ”, Solayman Hossain, Sam Sutaria, Apu, Sutaria Organizations: CNN, Chartered Institution of Water, Environmental Management, Nikon Locations: floodwater, Bangladesh, Rivers, Kushtia, India, West Bengal, Antarctica, Argentina, Dhaka

☆ Muslims in shock over anti-Islam party's Dutch poll win
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Bart H. Meijer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] People walk past shops in Kanaleneiland, an immigrant-dominated area of the central Dutch city of Utrecht, Netherlands November 23, 2023. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw Acquire Licensing RightsTHE HAGUE, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Dutch Muslims expressed shock on Thursday at the election win of far-right populist Geert Wilders, who has previously called for mosques and the Koran to be banned in the Netherlands. "These election results are shocking for Dutch Muslims. Muslims make up around 5% of he Dutch population of almost 18 million people. After his surprise win, Wilders said he wanted to be prime minister for all Dutch people, but that appeared to do little to assuage concerns about what he might do later.

Persons: de Wouw, Geert Wilders, Wilders, Mark Rutte's, Muhsin Koktas, Mehdi Koc, Taheri, Koc, Kemal Yildiz, Yildiz, Stephanie van den Berg, Bart Meijer, Alexander Smith Organizations: REUTERS, HAGUE, Freedom Party, Labour, The Hague, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Kanaleneiland, Dutch, Utrecht, Netherlands, The

☆ Far-right anti-Islam candidate clinches shock Dutch election win. Here's what comes next
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Dutch voters have gone to the polls today in one of the most tightly contested general elections in recent years. Next stepsForming a coalition in the 150-seat Dutch parliament is typically lengthy and difficult, even where the victor is not a political pariah. There is still no guarantee Wilders will become the new prime minister, even with his Freedom Party (PVV)'s 37 seats. On fiscal policy, Wilders' party has a "clear populist" bent, said Ester Barendregt, chief economist at Rabobank. Certainly one wish of Geert Wilders is to pay less to Europe.

Persons: Geert Wilders, Carl Court, shockwaves, Wilders, Mark Rutte, Sarah de Lange, Pieter Omtzigt's, de Lange, CNBC's, Ester Barendregt, Barendregt, Liza Mügge Organizations: Party for Freedom, Getty, European Union, Freedom Party, Department of Political Science, University of Amsterdam, Party, Rabobank Locations: SCHEVENINGEN, NETHERLANDS, Dutch, Scheveningen , Netherlands, Netherlands, Brussels, Ukraine, policymaking, U.S, China, Europe

☆ Stocks maintain November reign, oil nagged by OPEC doubts
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Marc Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] The German share price index DAX graph is pictured at the stock exchange in Frankfurt, Germany, November 22, 2023. Traders were getting their moves in despite the annual U.S. Thanksgiving holiday scything volumes but there was plenty to keep them busy while they did it. Wall Street's benchmark S&P 500 (.SPX) is nearing a fresh high for 2023 and both it and MSCI's all-country world index (.MIWD00000PUS) are both up more than 8% this month alone. For the MSCI world index, that is the best showing since November 2020 when COVID-19 vaccine hopes were driving markets wild. Reporting by Marc Jones; Editing by Christina Fincher and Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Geert Wilders, Robert Alster, Viktor Orban, Wilders, Mark Rutte, Tayyip Erdogan, Sterling, Jeremy Hunt, Changpeng Zhao, Marc Jones, Christina Fincher, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, Staff, PMI, ECB, Oil, OPEC, Traders, Asset Management, Freedom Party, Labour, Green, People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, European, U.S, HK, Reuters, Europe, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, Europe, U.S, European, France, Holland, Ukraine, Asia, Pacific, Japan, COVID, Brent, Bitcoin

Wilders' win sent a warning shot to mainstream parties across Europe ahead of European Parliament elections next June, which will likely be fought on the same issues as the Dutch election: immigration, cost of living and climate change. A fan of former U.S. President Donald Trump and Hungary's eurosceptic Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Wilders is openly anti-Islam, and anti-EU and said "the Netherlands will be returned to the Dutch." "I would be very happy to become the Dutch prime minister, of course," Wilders told party members who welcomed him with champagne and cake, adding that he was willing to negotiate. "But the first thing is a significant restriction on asylum and immigration," Wilders said. "The high level of support for anti-European forces in the Netherlands is bitter," Germany's EU Minister Anna Luehrmann said.

Persons: Wilders, eurosceptics, Geert Wilders, We've, Herman Borcher, Donald Trump, Viktor Orban, Mark Rutte, Yves Herman Acquire, Rene Cuperus, It's, Cuperus, Anna Luehrmann, Muhsin Koktas, Bart Meijer, Charlotte van Campenhout, Anthony Deutsch, Johnny Cotton, Toby Sterling, Petra Wischgoll, Alvise Armellini, Dominique Vidalon, Sudip Kar, Ingrid Melander, Bernadette Baum, Toby Chopra Organizations: Freedom Party, Labour, Green, People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, Coalition, REUTERS, Statistics, Clingendael Institute, EU, Islamic, Thomson Locations: Europe, AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, Enschede, The Hague, Statistics Netherlands, Ukraine, Moroccan, Amsterdam

☆ Geert Wilders: A ‘Trump moment’ in the Netherlands shows that Europe still has a populist problem
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —The shock election results in the Netherlands have taken Europe by surprise, and left many onlookers unsure exactly what happens next. Far-right populist Geert Wilders and his Freedom Party (PVV) are now seeking to form a government after an unexpected win in Wednesday’s national vote. It would be very unusual for a party that comprehensively won the most seats to be locked out of government. Beyond those immediate concerns, there are questions as to what Wilders’ victory means for the direction of Dutch and European politics more broadly. Congratulations to Geert Wilders on winning the Dutch elections,” Hungarian PM Viktor Orban said late on Wednesday.

Persons: Geert Wilders, “, Donald, Trump, ” Catherine de Vries, Wilders, Mark Rutte, Robert Fico, Giorgia, Tiziana Fabi, Viktor Orban, Marine Le Pen, Carl Court, Emmanuel Macron, Le Pen, Giorgia Meloni, Nigel Farage, Farage Organizations: CNN, Freedom Party, Wednesday’s, Italy’s Bocconi University, European Union, Democracy Party, VVD, New, Labour, Green, Italy's, Albania's, Edi, Getty, –, EU, ”, Conservative, firebrand, Conservatives, Conservative Party Locations: Netherlands, Europe, Ukraine, Italy, Slovakia, Rome, AFP, EU, Brussels, ” Hungarian, France, United Kingdom

His party more than doubled in size in parliament to tower over mainstream parties that long specialized in marginalizing him. Suddenly on Thursday, there was hope in the air again for nationalist conservative populists, especially with an European Parliament election coming up in June. Earlier, Slovakia had already turned populist with Robert Fico’s Smer party winning a general election and setting up a coalition government with an ultranationalist party. Wilders calls for a “Nexit” referendum — a Dutch version of Brexit which saw the United Kingdom leave the EU. By nature, Dutch politics rely on coalitions between several parties and no other suitable party has followed Wilders on that.

Persons: Geert Wilders, firebrand Wilders, “, Alice Weidel, Wilders, Robert Fico’s Smer, Viktor Orbán, behemoth, Le Pen, ”, Hendrik Vos, Vos, Matteo Salvini Organizations: Party for Freedom, Law, European Union, EU, France, Inter, Ghent University, League Locations: BRUSSELS, Europe, Poland, Netherlands, Germany, Ukraine, Slovakia, Hungarian, France, United Kingdom, Italian, Italy

☆ Hamas Leader Ismail Haniyeh Leads Group's Diplomacy as Gaza War Rages
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

By Stephen Farrell and Samia Nakhoul(Reuters) - Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas leader based in Qatar, has been the tough-talking face of the Palestinian group's international diplomacy as war has raged back in Gaza where his family home was destroyed in an Israeli air strike in November. Israel regards the entire Hamas leadership as terrorists, accusing Haniyeh, Meshaal and others of continuing to "pull the strings of the Hamas terror organisation." The plan, drawn up by the Hamas military council in Gaza, was such a closely guarded secret that some Hamas officials seemed shocked by its timing and scale. During the decade in which Haniyeh was Hamas' top leader in Gaza, Israel accused his leadership team of helping to divert humanitarian aid to the group's military wing. Three senior officials told Reuters that Khamenei told the Hamas leader in that meeting, that Iran would not enter the war having not been told about it in advance.

Persons: Stephen Farrell, Samia Nakhoul, Ismail Haniyeh, Haniyeh, Israel, Khaled Meshaal, Yahya Sinwar, Adeeb Ziadeh, Meshaal, Iran's, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Khamenei, Sheikh Ahmad Yassin, Yassin, Edmund Blair Organizations: Palestinian, Gaza, Al, Hamas, Qatari, Qatar University, Reuters, Islamic University Locations: Qatar, Gaza, Turkey, Doha, Iran, Israel, Al Jazeera, Meshaal, Muslim Iran, Egypt, Tehran, Iranian, Al, Gaza City, Al Jura, Ashkelon, Dubai

Israel's response has been a fierce military campaign that has killed more than 14,000 people inside Gaza so far. Israel regards the entire Hamas leadership as terrorists, accusing Haniyeh, Meshaal and others of continuing to "pull the strings of the Hamas terror organisation." The plan, drawn up by the Hamas military council in Gaza, was such a closely guarded secret that some Hamas officials seemed shocked by its timing and scale. During the decade in which Haniyeh was Hamas' top leader in Gaza, Israel accused his leadership team of helping to divert humanitarian aid to the group's military wing. Three senior officials told Reuters that Khamenei told the Hamas leader in that meeting, that Iran would not enter the war having not been told about it in advance.

Persons: Ismail Haniyeh, Haniyeh, Israel, Khaled Meshaal, Yahya Sinwar, Adeeb Ziadeh, Meshaal, Iran's, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Khamenei, Sheikh Ahmad Yassin, Yassin, Samia Nakhoul, Stephen Farrell, Edmund Blair Organizations: Palestinian, Gaza, Al, Hamas, Qatari, Qatar University, Reuters, Islamic University, Thomson Locations: Qatar, Gaza, Israel, Turkey, Doha, Iran, Al Jazeera, Meshaal, Muslim Iran, Egypt, Tehran, Iranian, Al, Gaza City, Al Jura, Ashkelon, Dubai

[1/9] People cast their votes during the Dutch parliamentary elections in Amsterdam, Netherlands, November 22 2023. Only one thing is certain: the Netherlands will get its first new prime minister in over a decade, after Rutte resigned in July as his fourth coalition government collapsed, ending a 13-year tenure. Restricting immigration - the issue that triggered the collapse of Rutte's last cabinet - has been a key issue in the campaign. Justice Minister Dilan Yesilgoz, a Turkish immigrant tough on immigration and Rutte's successor at the helm of the VVD, who is hoping to become the country's first woman prime minister, responded:"I don't think anyone believes Wilders would be a prime minister for all. The party that wins the most seats traditionally takes a lead in negotiations and provides the prime minister, but even that is not guaranteed under the Dutch system.

Persons: de Wouw, Geert Wilders, Mark Rutte, Rutte, It's, Wilders, Dilan Yesilgoz, Frans Timmermans, Pieter Omtzigt, Johnny Cotton, Toby Sterling, Bart Meijer, Stephanie van den Berg, Charlotte van Campenhout, Ingrid Melander, Sharon Singleton, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, Freedom Party, People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, Labour, Green, NOS, Christian Democrats, Thomson Locations: Amsterdam, Netherlands, AMSTERDAM, Turkish, The Netherlands, North

☆ Praise, fear after Dutch populist Wilders' election win
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dutch far-right politician and leader of the PVV party, Geert Wilders reacts to the exit poll and early results in the Dutch parliamentary elections, in The Hague, Netherlands November 22, 2023. Congratulations to Geert Wilders on winning the Dutch elections!" BELGIAN FAR-RIGHT LEADER TOM VAN GRIEKEN:"I would like to congratulate Geert Wilders on this victory. ITALIAN FAR-RIGHT LEADER MATTEO SALVINI:"Congratulations to our friend Geert Wilders, leader of the PVV and historic ally of the League, for this extraordinary electoral victory. CONSERVATIVE, PRO-BUSINESS VVD PARTY LEADER DILAN YESILGOZ:"It is up to Wilders to show he can form a majority.

Persons: Geert Wilders, Yves Herman Acquire, VIKTOR ORBAN, Geerts Wilders, TOM VAN, SANTIAGO ABASCAL, MATTEO SALVINI, HABIB, KADDOURI, Wilders, FRANS TIMMERMANS, DILAN YESILGOZ, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Bart Meijer, John Irish, Jamie Freed Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Freedom Party, MARINE, PEN, League, INTERNATIONAL, CONSERVATIVE, Thomson Locations: The Hague, Netherlands, EU, Europe, BELGIAN, Flanders, Paris

☆ Far-Right Icon Predicted to Win Dutch Elections
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Claire Moses | More About Claire Moses | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Netherlands on Wednesday took a startling turn in national elections with the potential to ripple through Europe, as Dutch voters threw most support behind the party of a far-right icon with an incendiary reputation who had campaigned on an anti-immigrant platform. Geert Wilders, a political provocateur long known for his anti-Islam and anti-Europe stances, appeared poised to come out significantly ahead with the most parliamentary seats, according to some early results and exit polls, which were expected to be dependable, especially given the margin of victory they indicated. “The Dutch voter has spoken,” Mr. Wilders said in a speech on Wednesday night, declaring himself the winner. “The voter has said, ‘We are fed up.’” He added that he wanted to return “the Netherlands to the Dutch.”If the preliminary results hold up, the Netherlands will be at the threshold of uncertain new political terrain after 13 years of stewardship by Prime Minister Mark Rutte, a stalwart of Dutch politics and a dependable presence on the E.U.

Persons: Geert Wilders, Mr, Wilders, “, ‘, Mark Rutte Organizations: Wednesday Locations: Netherlands

☆ Geert Wilders: the anti-Islam, anti-EU populist who could be next Dutch PM
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Charlotte Van Campenhout | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Dutch far-right politician and leader of the PVV party, Geert Wilders speaks as he reacts to the exit poll and early results in the Dutch parliamentary elections, in The Hague, Netherlands November 22, 2023. REUTERS/Yves Herman Acquire Licensing RightsAMSTERDAM, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Geert Wilders, the Dutch populist whose anti-Islam comments have led to death threats, could become the next leader of the Netherlands following an election upset for his Freedom Party (PVV) on Wednesday. After 25 years in Dutch politics without holding office, Wilders was set to lead coalition government talks and has a good chance of becoming prime minister. Wilders' inflammatory views on Islam have prompted death threats and he has lived under heavy police protection for years. On a kids' TV program, Wilders last week said he enjoyed playing "Mario Kart" on his PlayStation and reading Donald Duck comics.

Persons: Geert Wilders, Yves Herman Acquire, Wilders, Frans Timmermans, Willem Post, Donald, Trump, Mohammad, Viktor Orban, Mario, Donald Duck, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Toby Sterling, Bart Meijer, Anthony Deutsch, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Freedom Party, Labour, Clingendael, PlayStation, Thomson Locations: The Hague, Netherlands, Dutch, Islam, Pakistan, Indonesia, Egypt, Hungarian, Ukraine

☆ Stuart Seldowitz: Former Obama administration official arrested after video shows Islamophobic language spewed at food vendor
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Artemis Moshtaghian | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

“You support killing little children,” Seldowitz says to the vendor in one video. In another video, Seldowitz asks the man whether he’s familiar with Egypt’s General Intelligence Service, better known as the Mukhabarat. When asked via email for additional comment on the videos, Seldowitz said, “Happy to talk (Wednesday). Mohamed Attia, of the Street Vendor Project, said the vendor told him he did not instigate the conversation with Seldowitz. New York City Councilmember Julie Menin reached out to the organization and reported the incidents to police, Attia said.

Persons: CNN —, Obama, Stuart Seldowitz, Seldowitz, ” Seldowitz, Christopher Wray, We’re, “ Mukhabarat, Prophet Mohammed, Islam, “, Barack Obama’s, hasn’t, ”, Mohamed Attia, Attia, Mohamed, doesn’t, “ Mohamed, ” Attia, Julie Menin, ” Menin Organizations: CNN, National Security Council, NYPD, Seldowitz, New York City Police Department, Defamation League, Egypt’s General Intelligence Service, Daily, Hamas, City & State, National Security Council South, Directorate, Gotham Government Relations, New, New York City Locations: New York City, Manhattan, Israel, Egypt, New, New York

☆ Dutch vote in tight election with far right set for gains
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Dutch voters cast their ballots on Wednesday in a nail-biting election in which opinion polls show at least three parties - including the far right -could hope for the top spot. ”I hope I don’t wake up tomorrow and we have Wilders as a prime minister. Mark Rutte will be leaving the post of prime minister after 13 years. A hard-right coalition could also soften plans to reduce livestock and fertilizer use, which are strongly opposed by farmers. Rutte will remain in a caretaker role until a new government is installed, likely in the first half of 2024.

Persons: Geert Wilders, Mark Rutte, Wilders, That’s, ”, Arie van der, Nicolas Economou, Rutte, Frans Timmermans, It’s, ” Wilders, Dilan Yesilgoz, Pieter Omtzigt Organizations: CNN, Freedom Party, People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy, ”, Christian Democrats, NOS Locations: Amsterdam, Netherlands, Turkish

Voters choices could be critical to the country's immigration and climate change policies, and its relations with European Union partners. A poll published on the eve of the election showed anti-Islam firebrand Geert Wilders' Freedom Party (PVV) tied for the lead with the conservative People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) of outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte, followed closely by a joint Labour/Green ticket. Justice Minister Dilan Yesilgoz, a Turkish immigrant tough on immigration, who took over from Rutte at the helm of VVD, is hoping to become the country's first woman prime minister. [1/10]Dutch far-right politician and leader of the PVV party, Geert Wilders votes during the Dutch parliamentary elections, in The Hague, Netherlands November 22, 2023. "I hope I don't wake up tomorrow and we have Wilders as a prime minister.

Persons: Geert Wilders, Mark Rutte, It's, Wilders, Anne Frank, Van, Dilan Yesilgoz, Maria Tolman, Pieter Schilperoort, Yves Herman Acquire, Hungary's Victor Orban, Ria van der, That's, Arie van der, Pieter Omtzigt, We've, we'd, Rutte, Johnny Cotton, Toby Sterling, Bart Meijer, Stephanie van den Berg, Charlotte van Campenhout, Ingrid Melander, Toby Chopra, Angus MacSwan Organizations: European Union, Freedom Party, People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, Labour, Green, Others, REUTERS, Amsterdam, Christian Democrats, NOS, Thomson Locations: AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, Van Gogh, Amsterdam, Turkish, Rutte, Yesilgoz, The Hague, Ukraine

☆ Dutch candidates snipe, scramble for undecided voters in race to deliver PM
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Major issues for Dutch voters include how to respond to climate change, the rising cost of living, and a desire to restrict immigration. Analysts said that with large numbers of undecided voters, much will depend on debate performances, including a final clash scheduled for Tuesday night. Yesilgoz, who had not ruled out a coalition with Wilders and had focused on Timmermans as her main opponent, has begun backtracking. On Tuesday she ruled out serving in a cabinet in which Wilders is prime minister. The party that wins the most seats traditionally takes a lead in negotiations and provides the prime minister -- but that is not guaranteed under the Dutch system.

Persons: Frans Timmermans, Geert Wilders, Wilders, Dilan Yesilgoz, Mark Rutte's, Yesilgoz, Timmermans, Rutte, Geert Wilders you'll, Toby Sterling, William Maclean Organizations: Party, Labour, Green Left, Research, Timmermans, Freedom Party, New, Analysts, Thomson Locations: AMSTERDAM, Netherlands

A Houthi fighter holds up a pistol in the cargo area of the Galaxy Leader cargo ship in the Red Sea in this photo released November 20, 2023. Kirby's comment was significant because one of the Biden administration's first acts after taking office in January 2021 was revoking terrorist designations of the Houthis over fears the sanctions they carried could worsen Yemen's humanitarian crisis. Kirby called the Houthis' seizure of the vessel a "flagrant violation of international law" in which "Iran is complicit." "In light of this, we have begun a review of potential terrorist designations and we will be considering other options as well with our allies and partners as well," Kirby said at a White House press briefing. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Feb. 12, 2021, revoked the designations in "recognition of the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen."

Persons: John Kirby, Biden, Houthis, Kirby, Trump, Antony Blinken, Jonathan Landay, Steve Holland, Grant McCool Organizations: Galaxy Leader, Houthi Military, REUTERS, Rights, White House, Japan's Nippon, Car Carriers, Ray Shipping, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Red, United States, Iran, Israel, Bahamas, Isle of, Tel Aviv, Yemen, Hodeidah, Islam, Saudi, Saudi Arabia, U.S

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