BRUSSELS: EU leaders meeting in Brussels Monday appeared increasingly to line up behind Ursula von der Leyen for a new term heading the powerful European Commission — but a push from her conservative camp for a bigger slice of the bloc’s top jobs threatened to drag out the horse-trading.
Far-right gains in EU-wide elections in early June, which triggered snap polls and political upheaval in France, had seemed to focus minds around the positions helming the bloc — negotiated with an eye to geographic and political balance.
Leaders were aiming to forge the contours of a deal on who takes the EU’s top three jobs — heading the commission, chairing summits, and stewarding the bloc’s diplomacy — before making a formal choice at a summit on June 27-28.
“I am sure we can find an agreement in the shortest possible time,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said as he arrived for the evening talks.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte echoed that, saying there seemed to be an “increasing amount of consensus” around the post of commission chief in particular.
But hopes of a quick agreement floundered after diplomats said leaders from von der Leyen’s center-right European People’s Party (EPP) made a surprise bid to split another of the top jobs.
The other roles to be decided are: president of the European Council, which represents member states and is currently filled by Charles Michel; and the “high representative” — the EU’s foreign policy chief — currently Josep Borrell.
The EPP was the biggest winner in the June 6-9 EU Parliament elections, cementing the German conservative’s bid for five more years leading the executive body of the world’s second-largest economy.
The second-biggest group in parliament, the Socialists and Democrats (S&D), had their sights set on the Council position, with Antonio Costa, Portugal’s 62-year-old former prime minister, seen as the frontrunner.
But Costa has a cloud hanging over him after he became embroiled in a corruption probe that forced his resignation, even if the case has since appeared to come apart.
Diplomats said EPP leaders suggested the council chief role should be split, with the socialists getting it for 2.5 years and the conservatives getting it for the rest of the five years.
“They are playing hardball,” said a European diplomat.
The high representative position, meanwhile, could go to Kaja Kallas, 46, current premier of Estonia and an outspoken Kremlin critic — in a strong signal to the EU’s east.
The bloc’s biggest eastern power Poland announced ahead of the talks that it was backing Kallas for the role.
A fourth job in play is that of European Parliament president, which is decided by the legislature, not the leaders.
It is likely to return to the incumbent, the EPP’s Roberta Metsola, 45, for another two-and-a-half-year term — but could form part of a swap deal with the socialists to oil the wheels.
To secure the nod from EU leaders, von der Leyen, 65, needs support from a “qualified majority” of 15 out of 27 countries, covering at least 65 percent of the bloc’s population.
A dozen leaders come from her EPP political grouping, but she also needs to win over Macron, from the centrist Renew Europe group, and Scholz of the S&D.
Both leaders of the French-German axis at the heart of the European Union have emerged weakened after being beaten by far-right parties in the EU Parliament elections.
Most spectacularly, in France the National Rally (RN) of Marine Le Pen trounced the party of the president, who now faces the prospect of the RN’s leader — the 28-year-old TikTok-friendly Jordan Bardella — potentially becoming his prime minister.
Conversely, the elections strengthened the hand of Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, who diplomats suggest may want to let the dust settle in the new EU parliament — where her far-right party’s grouping gained seats and may yet gain more — and negotiate accordingly.
If, as expected, von der Leyen ultimately pockets enough leaders’ votes, she can set about choosing her commissioners — drawn from each of the EU member countries, with consideration for gender balance and political affiliation.
But she will have one more hurdle to pass: The new European Parliament has to approve leaders’ picks and proposed commissioners.
Most lawmakers from the EPP, which holds 190 seats in the incoming 720-seat parliament, will endorse von der Leyen, but she will need support from elsewhere to secure a majority.
That would likely come from the other mainstream political families, the S&D and Renew, or from the Greens — but von der Leyen has also been covering her bases by courting Meloni on the hard right.
Von der Leyen tipped for nod, as EU leaders haggle over top jobs
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Von der Leyen tipped for nod, as EU leaders haggle over top jobs
- Leaders were aiming to forge the contours of a deal on who takes the EU’s top three jobs
UN condemns Taliban ban on Afghan women working at NGOs
- Since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, women have been progressively erased from public spaces
- ‘No country can progress – politically, economically or socially – while excluding half of its population from public life’
Since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, women have been progressively erased from public spaces, prompting the United Nations to denounce the “gender apartheid” the administration has established.
“I am deeply alarmed at the recent announcement by the de facto authorities in Afghanistan that non-governmental organizations’ licenses will be revoked if they continue to employ Afghan women. This is absolutely the wrong path being taken,” Turk said in a statement.
He said that in a letter dated Thursday, the Taliban’s economy ministry ordered national and international NGOs to comply with a decree issued two years ago which bars them from employing Afghan women.
“The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan remains dire, with more than half the population living in poverty. NGOs play a vital role in providing critical life-saving assistance — to Afghan women, men, girls and boys — and this measure will directly impact the ability of the population to receive humanitarian aid,” said Turk.
“I once again urge the de facto authorities in Afghanistan to revoke this deeply discriminatory decree, and all other measures which seek to eradicate women and girls’ access to education, work and public services, including health care, and that restrict their freedom of movement.
“No country can progress — politically, economically or socially — while excluding half of its population from public life.
“For the future of Afghanistan, the de facto authorities must change course.”
Since the Taliban’s return to power, women have been progressively erased from public spaces, prompting the United Nations to denounce the “gender apartheid” the administration has established.
Taliban authorities have banned post-primary education for girls and women, restricted employment and blocked access to parks and other public places.
A recent law prohibits women from singing or reciting poetry in public under the Taliban government’s ultra-strict application of Islamic law. It also encourages them to “veil” their voices and bodies outside the home.
Some local radio and television stations have also stopped broadcasting female voices.
The Taliban administration claims that Islamic law “guarantees” the rights of Afghan men and women.
Russian missile and drone attack on Ukraine hits multiple targets, including Kyiv
- Ukraine’s air force reported a ballistic missile threat at 3:00 a.m., with at least two explosions heard in Kyiv minutes later
- The air force also reported missiles and drones targeting several other regions of Ukraine
KYIV: Russia launched an aerial attack on Ukraine on Tuesday, striking the capital and other regions with multiple missiles and drones.
Ukraine’s air force reported a ballistic missile threat at 3:00 a.m. (0100 GMT), with at least two explosions heard in Kyiv minutes later. Another missile alert was issued at 8:00 a.m. followed by at least one explosion in the city. Missile debris fell in the Darnytskyi district of the capital with no reports of casualties or damage, the local administration said.
Authorities in the northeastern Sumy region reported strikes near the city of Shostka, where the mayor, Mykola Noha, said 12 residential buildings had been damaged as well as two educational facilities. He said some “social infrastructure objects” were destroyed, without providing detail.
The air force also reported missiles and drones targeting several other regions of Ukraine.
Around half of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has been destroyed during the war, and rolling electricity blackouts are common and widespread.
Kyiv’s Western allies have provided air defense systems to help Ukraine protect critical infrastructure, but Russia has sought to overwhelm its air defenses with combined strikes involving large numbers of missiles and drones.
Russian attacks come as uncertainty looms over the course of the nearly three-year conflict. US President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office next month, has vowed to end the war and has thrown into doubt whether vital US military support for Kyiv will continue.
On Monday, President Joe Biden announced that the United States will send an additional $2.5 billion in weapons to Ukraine as his administration works quickly to spend all the money it has available to help Kyiv fight off Russia before Trump takes office.
Russia has held the initiative this year as its military has steadily rammed through Ukrainian defenses in the east in a series of slow but steady offensives.
Militants attack a security post in restive northwest Pakistan, killing 2 people
- No one claimed responsibility for the attack but suspicion was likely to fall on the Pakistani Taliban
- Security forces have also stepped up intelligence-based operations against the Pakistani Taliban
PESHAWAR, Pakistan: Militants armed with assault rifles attacked a security post in restive northwest Pakistan early Tuesday, killing a police officer and a civilian, officials said.
Another officer was also wounded in the attack at the Draban Post in Dera Ismail Khan, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, local police official Abdullah Khan said, adding that the civilian was an employee of the Customs department.
He also said security forces returned fire and that “a group of insurgents” fled the scene.
No one claimed responsibility for the attack but suspicion was likely to fall on the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, who often target security forces across the country, especially in the former tribal regions in the troubled northwest bordering Afghanistan.
Security forces have also stepped up intelligence-based operations against the Pakistani Taliban, emboldened since the Afghan Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021. The TTP is a separate group but a close ally of the Afghan Taliban.
South Korea starts releasing Jeju Air crash victims to families
- Investigators race to determine why the Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 crash landed and burst into flames
- Everyone aboard Jeju Air Flight 2216 was killed, save two flight attendants pulled from the wreckage
MUAN, South Korea: South Korean authorities began releasing the bodies of plane crash victims to families Tuesday, as investigators raced to determine why the Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 crash landed and burst into flames.
US investigators, including from Boeing, arrived at the crash site in southwestern Muan, officials said, as South Korean authorities began assessing two black boxes retrieved from the burned-out wreckage of the aircraft.
The plane was carrying 181 people from Thailand to South Korea when it made a mayday call and belly-landed before crashing into a barrier and bursting into flames.
Everyone aboard Jeju Air Flight 2216 was killed, save two flight attendants pulled from the wreckage.
South Korea is observing seven days of mourning, with flags flying at half-mast.
Acting President Choi Sang-mok, who has only been in office since Friday, said the accident was a “turning point” for the country, calling for a full overhaul of air safety systems.
He urged officials to “thoroughly reexamine the overall aircraft operation system... and immediately address any necessary improvements.”
“Today marks the final day of 2024,” he said Tuesday, urging citizens to “reflect on the past year and prepare for the new one.”
“I am well aware that whenever challenges arose, both domestically and internationally, all citizens and public officials united with one heart and mind to overcome these crises.”
At Muan airport, investigators combed over the wrecked fuselage and soldiers picked carefully through the fields around the airport Tuesday, as people left ritual offerings for victims – including food and letters – near the airport’s perimeter.
“Captain, first officer, and crew members, thank you so much for doing your best to save the passengers. I pray for your eternal rest,” one letter left on the fence said.
Inside the airport, where victims’ relatives have been camped out since Sunday, waiting for information, anger was growing over delays in identifying passengers on the doomed plane.
But officials said they had begun releasing the first bodies to relatives, even as work to identify all victims continued.
“Of the 179 victims, the bodies of four have completed the handover procedures to their bereaved families for funerals,” transport minister Park Sang-woo said at Muan airport Tuesday.
“For 28 victims, whose identities have been confirmed and autopsies completed, we will allow funeral procedures to begin from 2 p.m. (0500 GMT) today with the consent of their families,” he added.
One family lost nine members – including the oldest passenger on the plane, who was taking his first-ever overseas trip to celebrate his birthday, local broadcaster KBC reported.
The passenger, surnamed Bae, was traveling with his wife, his two daughters, one son in law, and four grandchildren, including a five-year-old.
The entire family was killed, with only one of the daughter’s husbands – who was not able to join the trip – left behind to face the loss of his wife and three children.
“Yesterday, the village chief went to Muan Airport and said the son-in-law was in utter despair, saying, ‘I should have gone with them and died with them,’” KBC said.
Memorial altars for the victims have been set up nationwide, including in Seoul.
At Muan airport, families were overseeing the set-up of a new altar Tuesday, with black-and-white funeral flowers filling the area.
A fuller account of what went wrong in the flight’s final moments is expected once authorities have analyzed the black boxes.
“Regarding the black box, surface contamination cleaning has been completed at the testing and analysis center, and its condition is currently being assessed,” deputy civil aviation minister Joo Jong-wan said.
“However, the flight data recorder’s data storage unit is still under evaluation,” he said, as it was found with a missing connector.
Technical reviews are underway to determine how to extract the data.
South Korean court issues warrants to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol and search his office
South Korean court issues warrants to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol and search his office
- The country’s anti-corruption agency said it is investigating whether Yoon’s declaration amounted to rebellion
- But experts still say there is little chance of detention or searches unless he is formally removed from office
SEOUL: A South Korean court issued warrants Tuesday to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol and search his office and residence over his short-lived declaration of martial law.
The country’s anti-corruption agency said it is investigating whether his declaration amounted to rebellion. But experts still say there is little chance of detention or searches unless Yoon is formally removed from office.
The Seoul Western District Court issued warrants to detain Yoon and to search the presidential office and residence in central Seoul, according to a statement from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials, which is leading a joint investigation with police and military authorities.
Under South Korean law, the leader of a rebellion can face the death penalty or life imprisonment if convicted. Yoon has presidential immunity from most criminal prosecution, but the privilege does not extend to allegations of rebellion or treason.
Yoon’s powers have been suspended since the opposition-controlled National Assembly voted to impeach him on Dec. 14 over his imposition of martial law, which drew hundreds of troops and police officers into Seoul streets.
Yoon has argued his decree was a legitimate act of governance, calling it a warning to the main liberal opposition Democratic Party, which he has called “a monster” and “anti-state forces” that has used its legislative majority to impeach top officials, undermine the government’s budget, and which he claims sympathizes with North Korea.
The Constitutional Court is to determine whether to dismiss Yoon as president or reinstate him.
Experts said Yoon is likely to ignore the warrants. He’s ignored repeated requests by investigative authorities to appear for questioning, and the presidential security service has blocked attempts to search his office and residence citing a law that bans raids on sites with state secrets.
A lawyer for Yoon rejected the anti-corruption agency’s request for warrants on Monday, arguing it lacked legal authority to investigate rebellion charges.
The anti-corruption agency said it has no immediate plans on how to proceed with the warrants.
“Unless Yoon voluntarily lets them detain him, there is no way to detain him,” said Choi Jin, director of the Seoul-based Institute of Presidential Leadership. “Should investigators have hand-to-hand fights with the security service?”
Choi said that investigators were still likely to visit Yoon’s residence to show they are strictly and fairly carrying out their work.
Park Sung-min, president of Seoul-based political consulting firm MIN Consulting, said the push for an arrest warrant is likely an attempt to pressure Yoon to cooperate with investigations.
Former President Park Geun-hye, who was thrown out of office in 2017 following an impeachment over a corruption scandal, also refused to meet with prosecutors while in office. She underwent questioning by them and was arrested after the Constitutional Court removed her from office.
Yoon’s imposition of martial law lasted only six hours but triggered huge political turmoil, halting high-level diplomacy and rattling financial markets. Despite Yoon’s deployment of troops and police, enough lawmakers managed to enter the assembly chamber to overturn it unanimously.
Yoon’s defense minister, police chief and several top military commanders have already been arrested over their roles in the martial law enactment.
Yoon has claimed he wasn’t trying to stop the functioning of the assembly, saying that the troops were sent to maintain order, and also denied planning to arrest politicians. But comments by now-arrested commanders of military units sent to the assembly have contradicted this claim. Kwak Jong-keun, the commander of the Army Special Warfare Command, testified at the National Assembly that Yoon called on troops to “quickly knock down the door and drag out the lawmakers who are inside.” Kwak said he did not carry out Yoon’s orders.
The country’s political crisis deepened last Friday, when the Democratic Party and other small opposition parties voted to impeach acting President Han Duck-soo as well over wrangling over his refusal to fill in three justice seats at the Constitutional Court. Observers say adding more justices could affect the court’s ruling on Yoon’s impeachment.
The deputy prime minister and finance minister, Choi Sang-mok, has become South Korea’s new interim leader.
