Author: Publisher
From reforming the UN Security Council to taxing billionaires, thousands of leftists gathered in Barcelona over the weekend to brainstorm ways to halt the rise of authoritarianism and win back voters who have drifted rightwards.The gathering, which drew more than 6,000 people from over 40 countries, comes as far-right and nationalist forces have gained ground globally, eclipsing the left with messaging that pins cost-of-living concerns on immigration, outdated institutions and out-of-touch political elites.Spearheaded by Spain’s Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, whose outspoken opposition to US President Trump’s foreign policy has boosted his image, the summit was buoyed by hopes that the far-right surge may have peaked, with Trump’s polling numbers falling, Hungary’s Victor Orban ousted after 16 years in government and the French far-right underperforming in last month’s municipal elections.Leaders including South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Brazil’s Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva rallied the crowd with calls to reform international organisations and cement new left-leaning alliances, as the shadow of Trump’s attacks on multilateral institutions loomed large.”To be progressive is to defend a reformed multilateralism, where the rules work for everyone,” said Lula da Silva, addressing a packed closing plenary of supporters waving red flags, sporting ‘Make Science Great Again’ caps and periodically chanting Spanish anti-fascist anthems.Left-wing parties hoping for a resurgence need to address kitchen table issues such as the cost of living, said Marcus Roberts, CEO of political strategy consultancy Mandate Research.A 30-country Ipsos survey published last month showed voters were far more worried about unemployment, inflation, poverty and inequality than the rise of extremism or moral decline.Indeed, anger at rising fuel prices due to the war in the Middle East has seen Trump’s approval ratings tank, polls show, in what Democrat strategists have described as a window of opportunity to make convincing arguments on the economy ahead of midterm elections in November.Economist Gabriel Zucman took the stage to advocate for higher wealth taxes on millionaires and billionaires, a policy which is hugely popular in polls across Europe and the US but was rejected by lawmakers in his native France.”It’s hard for people who can’t afford eggs to be concerned about democracy,” said Neera Tanden, former advisor in Joe Biden, Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama’s administrations and director of the Center for American Progress think tank.Isabel Allende, former Senate president of Chile and daughter of Salvador Allende, Latin America’s first Marxist leader who was ousted in 1973 by a US-led military coup, warned that the left had become disconnected from citizens’ concerns.”It’s unimaginable to fight against the right if we can’t get closer to ordinary people,” she said.Attendees returning from the Spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank said discussions in Barcelona reflected a similar urgency for reforming the balance of power in global institutions, though specifics on what would come next remained unclear.”The institutions are still standing but the logic inside them is shifting,” said Mariana Mazzucato, a professor of economics advising governments and policymakers on how states can use public investment to foster growth.”Trump is accelerating the crisis of the old order… but if progressives do not offer a credible alternative framework, someone else will fill that vacuum,” she said.Studies like Freedom House’s “Freedom in the World” index show the number of authoritarian governments swelling in the past two decades, as a rise in conflicts, coups, and crackdowns on freedoms has coincided with a pivot away from foreign aid programs by wealthy democracies, whose populaces have grown weary of sending funding abroad while facing cost-of-living challenges at home.While organisers were adamant the event, hosted by several left-wing political networks and Spain’s Socialist Party, was not a mobilisation against Trump, they also said the left could not afford to sit tight and wait for a new US administration, with many echoing Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s call for “middle powers” to coalesce.”Trump has become a symbol for the extreme right. But this is about social democrats coming together. The fact that US Democrats are so well represented is a first and shows that this movement is growing,” Lars Klingbeil, vice-chancellor of Germany and head of the German Social Democrats, told reporters on the sidelines.The American left and centre-left featured heavily in the closing plenary of the two-day gathering, with former vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz urging crowds not to give up on Democrats and voices from Bernie Sanders to New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Hilary Clinton sending video messages in support.”The reality is that the tools that the right wing are using to try to destroy our democracy are similar from country to country,” US Democratic Senator and Foreign Relations Committee member Chris Murphy said in an interview with Reuters.”We need to share experiences to understand how we can fight back,” he said. Related Story Source link
The Qatar Football Association Disciplinary Committee has reshaped the Qatar Stars League title race, ruling in favour of Al Shamal after confirming a player eligibility violation by Qatar SC in their April 13 clash. In its official decision, issued after reviewing Al Shamal’s protest, the committee stated: “The protest submitted by Al Shamal Club is accepted in form and substance.” It added: “Qatar Club lost the match with a score of 3-0, and a financial penalty of (10,000) Qatari riyals only.” The ruling overturns the original 2-0 result and instead awards Al Shamal a 3-0 victory, significantly altering the standings at the top of the QSL. The case centred on a second-half substitution made by Qatar SC after they were reduced to ten men just before half-time following the dismissal of Ali Saoudi for a dangerous challenge on Baghdad Bounedjah. Despite the red card involving a foreign player, Qatar SC later introduced Argentine defender Franco Russo in place of Ahmed a;=Rawi, a local player – a move deemed a direct violation of squad regulations. The committee cited Article 15 of the player status rules, which states that if one of six foreign players is sent off, the team must continue with five foreign professionals and cannot replace a local player with another foreigner. It also referenced Article 61/1/b, noting: “The club shall be penalised as having lost if it commits in any match a violation of the participation system – B: Participation of foreign players.” Al Shamal lodged their protest within 24 hours of the match, arguing that the substitution involving a foreign player after the red card breached the competition rules. Before the decision, the defeat had left Al Shamal trailing leaders Al Sadd by five points, a gap that placed the title out of reach with one round remaining. The revised outcome restores three points to Al Shamal, bringing them back into direct contention and dramatically tightening the race. Defending champions Al Sadd, on 42 points, now lead Al Shamal by just two points. Attention now turns to the final round on April 27, where Al Shamal face Al Sadd in a decisive clash that will determine the QSL champion on the pitch. Related Story Source link
The Pakistan Cricket Board has named four uncapped players in its 16-member squad for the upcoming two-match Test series in Bangladesh next month. The selection, announced…
Ships and tankers in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Musandam, Oman, Saturday. (Reuters) Iran’s military declared the Strait of Hormuz closed again Saturday, prompting ships to abandon attempts to transit the waterway and President Donald Trump to warn Tehran against trying to “blackmail” the United States.On Friday, Tehran had declared the strait, which usually carries a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas, open after a ceasefire was agreed in Israel’s war with Iran’s ally Hezbollah in Lebanon.This prompted elation in global markets and sent oil prices plunging but, with Trump insisting that a US naval blockade of Iranian ports would continue until a deal to end the wider Middle East war was concluded, Tehran threatened to shutter the strait once more.Late last morning, Iran’s central military command said that, in response to the US blockade, “control of the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous status” and “is under strict management and control of the armed forces”.Trump had previously said the two sides were “very close” to striking a deal, but following Iran’s announcement Saturday, he insisted Tehran “can’t blackmail us”, even as he maintained communications were ongoing.”We’ll be talking about Iran later. We have very good conversations going on,” he added, accusing Tehran of getting “a little cute” with its recent moves.Iran’s top national security body, meanwhile, said that during a visit by the military chief of mediator Pakistan that concluded Saturday, “new proposals have been put forward by the Americans, which Iran is currently reviewing and has not yet responded to”.It went on to say, however, that Iran’s negotiating delegation would not offer “even the slightest compromise, retreat or leniency” in talks with Washington.A handful of oil and gas tankers crossed the Strait of Hormuz early Saturday during the brief reopening, tracking data showed, but others retreated and tracking platforms showed hardly any vessels crossing the waterway by the late afternoon.A UK maritime security agency said Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) fired at one tanker, while security intelligence firm Vanguard Tech reported the force had threatened to “destroy” an empty cruise ship that was fleeing the Gulf.In a third incident, the UKMTO said that it received a report of a vessel in the same area “being hit by an unknown projectile which caused damage” to shipping containers but no fire.Speaking at a diplomatic forum in Turkiye, Iranian deputy foreign minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said the “Americans cannot impose their will over Iran” with a siege, and suggested the blockade was a violation of the ceasefire that merited “repercussions”.Meanwhile, in a written message, Iran’s supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has yet to be seen since taking power, said Iran’s navy “stands ready” to defeat the United States.There are just four days remaining before the end of the two-week ceasefire in the US and Israel’s war on Iran, launched by Washington and its ally on February 28.Nevertheless, Trump has appeared convinced that a deal could be finished shortly, and has made a series of social media posts praising talks mediator Pakistan.Egypt, which has also been involved in diplomatic efforts, appeared similarly upbeat Saturday, with Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty saying Cairo and Islamabad hoped to secure a final agreement “in the coming days”.He was speaking at the same event in Antalya as Khatibzadeh, who insisted no date had been set for the next round of talks, though Tehran was “very much committed to diplomacy”.Islamabad has emerged as the lead mediator during the conflict, hosting a marathon first round of talks last weekend, with a second expected in the Pakistani capital this coming week. Related Story Source link
Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles (left) and Japan’s Minister of Defense Koizumi Shinjiro shake hands during a Defence Ministers’ Meeting at…
Children play football amid makeshift shelters for displaced Palestinians in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on April 18, 2026. Since October 10, a fragile US-sponsored truce in Gaza has largely halted the fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas, but both sides have alleged frequent violations. Source link
A farmer inspecting a rice field that has recently been treated with microbial solution Soil Digest, in Chiang Rai province, Thailand. (AFP) Rice farmers Siriporn and Amnat Taidee used to burn their paddy fields between plantings — a common method of clearing crop residue partly blamed for toxic smog that blankets much of Thailand every spring.A quick and affordable way to prepare for a new growing cycle, the practice has long been seen as the only feasible option for millions of Thai rice farmers.But for the couple from Chiang Rai, abandoning what Amnat called “the old way of doing things” for new microbial solutions has been a boon.Thanks to the hungry bacteria that chew up post-harvest leftovers — their soil is softer, their yields are up and their fertiliser bills are down.”My life has changed,” said Siriporn, 63, as she sloshed through a verdant paddy field in Chiang Rai. “I’m so happy… we don’t have to burn anymore.” This aerial photo…
Zahra Eid, 60, who was displaced in Byblos district, reacts while inspecting her house destroyed by Israeli strikes, after returning to her village, following the ceasefire…
New Delhi summoned the Iranian ambassador yesterday to lodge a protest over a “shooting incident” involving two Indian-flagged ships in the Strait of Hormuz, the foreign ministry said. Iran has reversed its pledge to reopen the strategic trade route to commercial traffic during a ceasefire in the Middle East war in protest at a US counter-blockade of the waterway, a crucial passage for crude oil and gas.Security monitors said several commercial ships came under fire and threats from Iranian forces yesterday as they tried to cross the strait. India’s foreign ministry said in a statement that Secretary Vikram Misri summoned the Iranian ambassador and “conveyed India’s deep concern at the shooting incident earlier today involving two Indian-flagged ships in the Strait of Hormuz”. New Delhi also urged Iran to “resume at the earliest the process of facilitating India-bound ships across the Strait”, the statement said, adding that the envoy “undertook to convey these views to the Iranian authorities”. Monitoring site TankerTrackers.com said in post on X that “two Indian vessels were forced back west out of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran’s Sepah (IRGC) Navy”, adding one of the vessels was “an Indian-flagged VLCC supertanker carrying 2 mn barrels of Iraqi oil”. India, the world’s second-largest buyer of liquefied petroleum gas, has managed to secure passage for several Indian-flagged vessels in recent weeks. India imports about 60% of its LPG needs and has been grappling with a gas crunch since the war in the Middle East began on February 28. New Delhi maintains strong relations with Tehran but has steadily expanded co-operation with Iran’s rival Israel in defence, agriculture, technology and cybersecurity. Source link
Israeli occupation forces again incurded today into the town of Taranga in the northern Quneitra countryside in southern Syria, arresting a Taranga resident.Local sources reported that an Israeli military patrol stormed the town before arresting a resident and transferring him to an Israeli military base inside the Jubata al-Khashab nature reserve in the northern part of the governorate.This incursion comes amidst repeated incursions by Israeli occupation forces into the Quneitra countryside, where they have carried out similar raids and house searches over the past two days.The Israeli occupation continues to violate the 1974 Disengagement Agreement, despite Syrian demands to halt these violations and for Israeli forces to withdraw from Syrian territory. Source link