ROME: Italians waited in long queues at polling booths on Sunday to vote in an election that could bring political gridlock after a campaign marked by anger over the listless economy, high unemployment and immigration.
Pollsters have predicted that former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi’s center-right party and his far-right allies will emerge as the largest bloc in parliament but fall short of a majority.
The anti-establishment 5-Star Movement looks set to be the biggest single party, feeding off discontent over entrenched corruption and growing poverty, while the ruling center-left bloc led by the Democratic Party (PD) is seen in third place.
“I think 5-Star will win ... but I’m also worried that there won’t be a winner. Both scenarios look catastrophic to me,” said Giuseppe Ottaviani, who voted in Amelia, central Italy.
Berlusconi and 5-Star leader Luigi Di Maio both had to wait in queues to cast their votes as new election procedures slowed the process at several polling stations.
At Berlusconi’s voting station in Milan, a Femen activist bared her chest in front of the former premier and shouted, “time’s up” before being hauled away.
“She passed so quickly I didn’t get a chance to see her,” said Berlusconi, who has a history of being caught up in sex scandals.
TURNOUT
Berlusconi also said he was concerned about the queues.
“There will be queues as well this evening. I am worried that there might be some situations in which some people will not be able to vote,” he said.
In Rome, many stood in line for more than an hour before voting. City hall invited the capital’s residents to show up well before polls close at 11 p.m. (2200 GMT) so they can be sure of voting.
At 7 p.m. preliminary figures showed voter turnout above 58 percent. That was higher than five years ago, when Italians voted over two days, and slightly higher than a 2016 referendum in which the final turnout exceeded 68 percent. In 2013, final turnout was above 75 percent.
During the morning, turnout was higher in the south compared with the 2016 referendum, which is a good sign for 5-Star, while a fall in the PD’s central Italian strongholds was a bad omen for the party, said pollster and data analysis group YouTrend.
Heavily indebted Italy is the third-largest economy in the 19-member euro zone and, though investors have been sanguine ahead of the ballot, prolonged political stalemate could reawaken the threat of market instability.
Exit polls are due out immediately after voting ends. The election is being held under a complex new electoral law that could mean the final result will not be clear until late on Monday.
Confusion over the new system led to 200,000 ballot papers having to be reprinted overnight in Palermo, where some polling stations delayed opening amid protests from voters. There were also reports of misprinted ballots at one polling booth in Rome.
The campaign has marked the return to frontline politics of 81-year-old Berlusconi, who was forced to quit as prime minister in 2011 at the height of a sovereign debt crisis and was widely written off after sex scandals, legal woes and ill health.
A 2013 conviction for tax fraud means he cannot hold public office and he has put forward Antonio Tajani, president of the European Parliament, as his candidate for prime minister.
POPULIST POWER
Tajani’s moderate profile is aimed at allaying fears in Europe about Berlusconi’s populist allies, notably the League, whose leader Matteo Salvini has promised to deport hundreds of thousands of migrants who have landed in Italy over the past four years.
Some pollsters say the League could overtake Berlusconi’s Forza Italia party on Sunday.
Populist parties have been on the rise across Europe since the 2008 financial crisis, and Italy’s mainstream parties have found it especially hard to contain voter anger, with the economy still 6 percent smaller than a decade ago and unemployment stuck at about 11 percent.
The 5-Star Movement, led by 31-year-old Di Maio, has been particularly successful at tapping into the disaffection in the underdeveloped south and has promised a monthly universal wage of up to 780 euros ($960) for the poor.
Although all party leaders have ruled out any post-election alliances with rivals, Italy has a long history of finding a way out of apparently intractable political stalemate.
But if, as expected, no one clinches clear victory on Sunday, it might take weeks before a government deal is reached.
Italians queue to vote in election seen ending in political gridlock
Italians queue to vote in election seen ending in political gridlock
Bangladesh says ousted PM will face charges of ‘crimes against humanity’
- Bangladeshi court issued arrest warrants for Sheikh Hasina and her ministers in October
- In 2015, Dhaka returned Indian separatist leader under extradition treaty with Delhi
DHAKA: Ousted Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will face multiple charges of crimes against humanity, the country’s interim government said on Tuesday after sending an extradition request to India.
Hasina travelled to New Delhi in August during the student-led demonstrations that ended her 15 years in power. The initially peaceful protests, which began in early July, were met with a violent crackdown by security forces, which left hundreds dead and sparked a nationwide uprising against Hasina, forcing her to flee the country.
In October, a Bangladeshi domestic criminal tribunal issued arrest warrants for Hasina and more than 40 other people linked to the protest killings.
Bangladesh’s foreign affairs adviser, Md. Touhid Houssain, said on Monday that his country had sent a diplomatic note to India’s Foreign Ministry asking for Hasina’s return in order to begin a “judicial process.”
“We expect (India) will respond as soon as possible,” Azad Majumder, deputy press secretary of the head of Bangladesh’s interim government Muhammad Yunus, told Arab News.
There are multiple charges against Hasina, including that she bears responsibility for forced disappearances, and for ordering the killings that took place during the protests, he added.
“She will face multiple charges against her regarding crimes against humanity, and investigations are underway in this regard,” Yunus said.
India has confirmed reception of the request from Bangladesh. Bangladesh has an extradition treaty with India, which serves as a “commitment that both parties will comply with this instrument,” said Jyotirmoy Barua, a lawyer at the Bangladesh Supreme Court and a human rights activist.
In 2015, Bangladesh handed over Anup Chetia, a separatist rebel leader whose group had fought Indian rule in the northeastern state of Assam. He was arrested in 1997 for illegal entry into Bangladesh and for possession of large amounts of foreign currency.
Though Bangladesh expects that India will return Sheikh Hasina in respect of their bilateral treaty and the precedent that was set in Chetia’s case, there are concerns that New Delhi may not comply.
“India may (refer to) this clause of the treaty that Sheikh Hasina may face ‘political vengeance’ in the trial process and may not receive justice. On these grounds, India may not eventually comply with Bangladesh’s request,” Barua said.
“So, there is a fear that India may not follow the diplomatic norms here in returning Sheikh Hasina. It depends on the good judgement of Indian leadership.”
Five convicted over Amsterdam violence against Israelis
AMSTERDAM: A Dutch court on Tuesday convicted five men for their part in last month’s violence against Israeli football fans in Amsterdam that shocked the world and sparked accusations of anti-Semitism.
The Amsterdam district court found them guilty for a range of crimes from kicking fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv in the street to inciting violence in chat groups.
The heaviest sentence imposed was six months in prison, for a man identified as Sefa O. for public violence against several people.
The Maccabi Tel Aviv fans came under “hit-and-run” style attacks in the early hours of November 8 after their European League match against Amsterdam giants Ajax.
Images of the violence, which left five fans briefly hospitalized, went around the world and sparked a furious reaction in Israel including accusations of a “pogrom.”
The most serious case under consideration Tuesday was O., who prosecutors said played a “leading role” in the violence.
The court saw images of a man identified as O. kicking a person on the ground, chasing targets, and punching people in the head and the body.
The prosecutor said the beatings had “little to do with football” but added that “in this case, there was no evidence of... a terrorist intent and the violence was not motivated by anti-Semitic sentiment.”
“The violence was influenced by the situation in Gaza, not by anti-Semitism,” said the prosecutor.
The attacks followed two days of skirmishes that also saw Maccabi fans chant anti-Arab songs, vandalize a taxi and burn a Palestinian flag.
Police said they were investigating at least 45 people over the violence, including that carried out by fans of the Israeli club.
Another man identified as Umutcan A., 24, received a sentence of one month for assaulting fans and violently ripping a Maccabi scarf from one of them.
Prosecutors had called for heavier sentences against the men — of up to two years in the case of O.
The judge said that people convicted of such crimes would normally have to serve community service.
“But the court finds that, given the seriousness of the offense and the context in which it was committed, only imprisonment is appropriate,” she said.
Only one of the five men was in court to hear the verdicts, an AFP reporter saw.
A 22-year-old identified as Abushabab M., 22, faces a charge of attempted murder but his case has been postponed while he undergoes a psychiatric assessment.
He was born in the Gaza Strip and grew up in a war zone, his lawyer told the court, while M. sat sobbing as his case was being heard.
A further six suspects are set to appear at a later stage.
Three of these suspects are minors and their cases will be heard behind closed doors.
At an emotionally charged news conference the morning after the riots, Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema said the city had been “deeply damaged” by “hateful anti-Semitic rioters.”
However, Halsema later said she regretted the parallel she had drawn between the violence and “memories of pogroms,” saying this word had been used as propaganda.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the violence at the time as a “premeditated anti-Semitic attack.”
Noche Buena: How Filipinos celebrate Christmas Eve with a traditional family feast
- Noche Buena is the dinner that follows the last evening mass of the Christmas season
- In Philippines’ Pampanga province, some Christmas celebrations take place from Dec. 24 to Jan. 2
MANILA: For many Filipinos, the time-honored traditions of Noche Buena, or Christmas Eve, is the most awaited part of this holiday season, when dinner tables across the country are filled with a hearty selection of traditional dishes.
Noche Buena, which is Spanish for “the good night,” is the dinner that follows the last evening mass of the season, known as misa de gallo or simbang gabi.
The multi-generational feast features staples like queso de bola, a ball-shaped Edam cheese wrapped in red wax coating, or lechon, the popular roasted pig dish that often gets the spotlight in most Filipino festivities.
But it is the classic hot chocolate that Noelle Lejano looks forward to the most, as her grandmother makes it extra special and only at this time of the year.
“Hot chocolate holds a deeper sentimental value because my lola (grandmother) makes it only once a year, every Noche Buena. It’s the best hot chocolate I’ve ever had, and it makes the celebration feel extra special and nostalgic,” the 24-year-old writer and brand strategist from Manila told Arab News.
Her family mixes it up between classic and more modern fare for the occasion, from the tried-and-tested favorite Christmas ham to a charcuterie board that she makes with her mother.
“These dishes aren’t just food — they’re traditions that bring us together and make the holiday feel like home,” Lejano said.
“Noche Buena is a highlight, especially with everyone gathering together and making the rounds to greet and hug each other as the clock strikes midnight. To pass the time before midnight, we play games, which keep the energy alive and the laughter flowing.”
Noche Buena is also celebrated in Latin America, reflecting a unique mix of Catholic traditions, indigenous folk practices, and more recent American influences, the late food historian Doreen Fernandez wrote in her 1994 book “Tikim: Essays on Filipino Food and Culture.”
For people in Pampanga province, about 80 km north of Manila, the deep-seated Catholic and Spanish influences are reflected in their culinary fare.
In Gerald Gloton’s household, Noche Buena is a time to indulge in their provincial roots, which includes serving sopas, or Filipino chicken soup, from the morning of the 24th all the way into Christmas morning.
They also serve an array of other beloved dishes, such as the ube halaya, a rich purple jam made from boiled and mashed ube and thickened with milk, rice cakes, and menudo, a stewed pork and tomato dish.
“We gather for sumptuous meals, exchange gifts, and attend Mass to celebrate the birth of Christ, reinforcing our shared faith and family values,” Gloton said.
The celebration of Noche Buena, which comes after Midnight Mass, has been “customary and required” for food anthropologist and writer Ruston Banal, who was raised in a devout Catholic household and is also from Pampanga.
“It’s significant because, in my situation, it marks the moment when the entire family gets together. Some of my siblings are already employed elsewhere, but they still make an effort to honor this custom by coming home,” he said.
In his hometown of Guagua, Christmas is an extended celebration that begins from Dec. 24 all the way to Jan. 2, where celebrations are centered on food.
“It’s all about the food; some of my relatives even spend a lot of money to prepare a lavish feast for other relatives who visit us,” he said.
Every year, the occasion turns into “a quiet competition among family members,” as they try to make the greatest dishes, ranging from bringhe, a local version of the Spanish paella made with sticky rice, chicken, sausage, vegetables and coconut milk, to kaldereta, a hearty tomato and liver stew made with leghorn chicken with carrots, potatoes, and bell peppers.
“Food is an extension of themselves,” Banal said. “(They cook like) a person in love, giving it their all.”
Russian court jails US citizen Spector for 15 years in espionage case, RIA says
- Spector in his first court case had pleaded guilty to helping bribe an assistant to an ex-Russian deputy prime minister
MOSCOW: A Russian court has sentenced US citizen Eugene Spector to 15 years in jail for espionage, Russia’s RIA state news agency reported on Tuesday.
Currently serving a 3-1/2-year sentence in Russia for bribery, Spector, who was born in Russia and then moved to the US, was charged last August with espionage.
Before his 2021 arrest, he served as chairman of the board of Medpolymerprom Group, a company specializing in cancer-curing drugs, state media has said.
Spector in his first court case had pleaded guilty to helping bribe an assistant to an ex-Russian deputy prime minister.
US, UK criticize Pakistani military court convictions of civilian supporters of Imran Khan
- The convictions had previously also been criticized by the European Union and domestic human rights activists
ISLAMABAD: The United States and the United Kingdom have expressed deep concern over the recent handing down of convictions by Pakistani military courts to 25 civilian supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan over their alleged involvement in riots last year.
The convictions had previously also been criticized by the European Union and domestic human rights activists.
“The United States is deeply concerned that Pakistani civilians have been sentenced by a military tribunal for their involvement in protests on May 9, 2023. These military courts lack judicial independence, transparency, and due process guarantees,” according to a statement released by State Department on Monday.
It asked Pakistan to respect the right to a fair trial and due process.
In London, the Foreign Office said that “while the U.K. respects Pakistan’s sovereignty over its own legal proceedings, trying civilians in military courts lacks transparency, independent scrutiny and undermines the right to a fair trial. We call on the Government of Pakistan to uphold its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.”
The statements were referring to the violence that erupted after Khan’s arrest in Islamabad in May 2023. The former premier was ousted through a no-confidence vote in the parliament in 2022, and he was convicted of corruption and sentenced in August 2023. Since then, Khan has been behind bars. Khan’s popular opposition party is in talks with the government to secure his release.
The 25 supporters on Monday received prison terms ranging from two years to 10 years, which the army in a statement warned acted as a “stark reminder” for people to never take the law into their own hands.
Khan's opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, or PTI, has rejected the convictions of civilians, demanding they should be tried in the normal courts if they were involved in the riots.
There was no response from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's government to the criticism from the U.S. and the U.K., but state-run Pakistan Television on Tuesday showed people welcoming the convictions, saying the punishments were given to people who attacked military installations.
Earlier this month, Khan and dozens of others were indicted by a civilian court on charges of inciting people on May 9, 2023, when demonstrators attacked the military’s headquarters in Rawalpindi, stormed an air base in Mianwali in the eastern Punjab province and torched a building housing state-run Radio Pakistan in the northwest.
