分类： politics

Nearly three weeks of simmering unrest in the northern occupied West Bank boiled over on Saturday, when dozens of Israeli settlers launched a coordinated attack on the Palestinian village of Qusra, prompting an unusual public rebuke from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Tensions in the area first flared in early August, when a cohort of settlers blocked vital supply routes to Palestinian homes on Qusra’s outskirts, near the city of Nablus, trapping local residents inside their properties. The blockade already drew unusually sharp public criticism from the United States’ ambassador to Israel, yet weeks later, Israeli military operations continue in the region, and settlers still freely roam the surrounding hilltops.

On Saturday, both Qusra residents and Israeli military officials confirmed that dozens of settlers advanced into the village, hurling stones at local residents before barricading themselves inside a residential building that still had Palestinians trapped inside. According to Wafa, the official Palestinian news agency, a second attack unfolded in the nearby village of Jalud, where settlers targeted a Palestinian family and a group of foreign journalists accompanying the household.

In an official statement released following the incidents, Netanyahu said: “I strongly condemn the criminal acts of violence committed in the villages of Qusra and Jalud by a handful of rioters who are violating the law, causing a grave injustice to the law-abiding Jewish community, interfering with the IDF in carrying out its missions, and harming Israel’s standing in the world.”

Qusra resident Yussef Abdul Kareem Hassan told AFP that the confrontation began when a small group of settlers approached a handful of local villagers who were carrying out renovation work on a local home Saturday morning. The initial group of settlers called for reinforcements, and dozens more arrivals quickly surrounded the home, trapping the Palestinians inside and launching a barrage of stone throwing, Hassan explained.

AFP on-site footage captured Saturday shows hundreds of Israeli security forces deployed across Qusra to contain the unrest. The Israeli military confirmed in a statement that soldiers and border police units were dispatched to the village “following reports that Israeli rioters had arrived in the area and that violent clashes had occurred, including stone-hurling toward Palestinians and additional civilians.”

“Upon their arrival, the security forces identified dozens of rioters who had barricaded themselves inside a Palestinian home while Palestinian residents were inside,” the military statement added, noting that officials were “aware of reports of Palestinian injuries” from the attack. Security forces worked to evict the settlers from the occupied home, separate the two opposing groups, and seize vehicles suspected of being used to transport settlers to the village, the military said. These vehicles will be held as evidence for an open police investigation into the violence, and forces remain deployed in the area “to prevent further disturbances and restore order.” The statement closed with the military’s official line that it “strongly condemns all forms of violence.”

Settler violence against Palestinian communities in the West Bank has been a persistent issue for decades, with perpetrators rarely facing meaningful legal consequences, but regional observers have recorded a dramatic surge in these attacks in recent months. Today, more than 500,000 Israeli settlers reside in settlements across the West Bank, settlements that are universally recognized as illegal under international law, alongside a local Palestinian population of approximately three million. Israel has maintained military occupation of the West Bank since the 1967 Six-Day War.

An AFP tally compiled from data provided by the Palestinian Ministry of Health shows that since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, Israeli forces and settlers have killed at least 1,103 Palestinians in the West Bank, a count that includes both combatants and civilian non-combatants. Over the same period, Israeli official data records that at least 48 Israelis, including civilians and security personnel, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations in the region.

The capital of Niger, Niamey, was thrown into chaos on Saturday morning when heavily armed mutinous soldiers from the national armed forces launched coordinated assaults on high-value strategic locations across the city, including the presidential palace and the country’s main international airport complex. Hours of sustained gunfire and explosions echoed through residential and government districts before the ruling military junta announced that its security forces had quelled the uprising and reestablished full control over all targeted sites.

The unrest began shortly after 1:00 a.m. local time, when witnesses reported the first bursts of heavy weapons fire near the city’s core. Mutineers quickly blocked road access to the presidential palace and the headquarters of national broadcaster Tele Sahel, forcing the network off air for more than an hour before service was restored at approximately 10:00 a.m. GMT. A senior anonymous security source confirmed to Agence France-Presse that the mutineers had attempted to force entry into the presidential palace, but were repelled by elite units of the presidential guard, which remains loyal to junta leader General Abdourahamane Tiani, according to an African diplomat based in the capital.

In an official address broadcast on state television, Niger’s Defense Minister General Salifou Mody outlined the details of the uprising. He confirmed that a faction of disgruntled soldiers had taken fellow service members hostage at a Niamey barracks before opening fire on multiple sensitive sites across the capital. “The swift, decisive response of our defense and security forces contained the outbreak of violence and allowed them to gradually retake full control of all occupied sites,” Mody stated, urging civilians to remain calm and resume their normal daily activities. By late Saturday morning, residents in districts close to the presidential palace reported that all shooting had ceased and the situation had stabilized.

Multiple witnesses confirmed that intense exchanges of gunfire and explosions also rocked Air Force Base 101, the military installation integrated into Niamey International Airport. Videos posted to social media by local journalists showed armored military vehicles deployed to reinforce security around the airport perimeter, while residents described heavy weapons fire that continued through the night until dawn. One local resident noted that the caliber of weapons heard during the clashes was far larger than the small arms typically carried by motorcycle-borne jihadist insurgents, distinguishing the uprising from the frequent extremist attacks that have plagued the country for a decade.

This uprising comes against a backdrop of long-running instability in Niger, which has been under military junta rule for three years as it grapples with a sprawling jihadist insurgency that has killed thousands of civilians and displaced hundreds of thousands across the country. Niamey International Airport has already been targeted twice by major extremist attacks in 2024: first in January by the Islamic State in the Sahel (EIS), and again in June by its main rival, al-Qaeda’s Sahel affiliate the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM). Both attacks were repelled by Nigerien forces, but left dozens of soldiers, civilians, and attackers dead. The two extremist groups are locked in a violent struggle for territorial dominance across the Sahel region, where they operate not only in Niger but also in neighboring Burkina Faso and Mali.

Notably, all three Sahel nations are currently ruled by military juntas that came to power via coups, have withdrawn from the regional bloc Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), rejected security cooperation with traditional Western partners most notably France, and aligned themselves more closely with Russia. Air Force Base 101 holds particular strategic significance as the location of both the headquarters of Russia’s Africa Corps in Niamey and the command center for the joint military force of the Alliance of Sahel States, the mutual defense pact formed by Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali. The base has also been holding a large shipment of uranium concentrate since the end of 2023, which has remained stranded in Niamey awaiting export with no new movement reported to date.

As of Saturday afternoon, the junta has confirmed that the situation across Niamey is under control, and has urged citizens to avoid spreading unconfirmed information about the uprising on social media.

On Saturday morning, Icelanders headed to polling stations across the island nation to cast their ballots in a high-stakes national referendum that will decide whether the country reopens stalled membership negotiations with the European Union. The close-running race is being watched closely by EU leadership in Brussels, as its outcome could reshape the bloc’s future enlargement trajectory.

Iceland first submitted its EU membership application in 2009, in the aftermath of a devastating financial collapse that wiped out much of the country’s banking sector and sent its economy into a deep recession. Negotiations progressed for several years, but the process was halted indefinitely in 2013 after a Euroskeptic government coalition won national elections.

Polling ahead of the referendum showed the race on a knife edge. The most recent survey from Gallup put opposition to restarting talks at 51.6 percent, with support at 48.4 percent, a margin small enough to fall within the poll’s statistical margin of error. Voting opened at 9 a.m. GMT and closes at 10 p.m. GMT, and no exit polls are planned. Given the tight margin, the first official reliable results are not expected until late Saturday at the earliest. Around 273,000 eligible voters are answering a simple yes-no question: “Should Iceland resume accession negotiations with the European Union?”

If the yes side secures a majority, the Icelandic government will open negotiations with Brussels to finalize a full accession agreement, which would then go before voters in a second public referendum on formal membership. One of the biggest sticking points in past talks has been control over Iceland’s fishing industry, the backbone of the national economy, which Iceland insists on keeping full regulatory control over. This time around, EU officials have signaled a greater willingness to compromise on the issue.

While the core of the debate over EU membership is rooted in domestic policy and economics, global geopolitical shifts have added a new layer of context to the 2024 referendum. The return of large-scale war to Europe following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, combined with the unpredictable foreign policy of second-term U.S. President Donald Trump, has shifted how some Icelanders think about national security. Iceland has no standing military, relying entirely on NATO membership and a 1951 bilateral defense agreement with the U.S. for its security as a strategically critical sub-Arctic nation. Trump has previously made threats to take control of Greenland, and has confused the island territory with Iceland on multiple occasions, stoking quiet concern among Icelandic voters about the reliability of U.S. security guarantees.

“The fundamentals (of the debate) are very domestic, but there is a significant impact that has come with the second term of (US President) Donald Trump and this sort of geopolitical upheaval,” Eirikur Bergmann, a political scientist at Bifrost University, told AFP.

Domestically, the debate splits along lines shaped by Iceland’s post-crisis economic boom. With the national economy now growing strongly and Iceland already enjoying full access to the EU single market as a member of the European Economic Area, many opponents argue there is simply no need to pursue full membership. Opponents frame membership as a surrender of national sovereignty to unelected bureaucrats in Brussels, pointing out that Iceland built its current prosperity from poverty in just a century through independent policy.

“It’s like if you are in a relationship with someone you don’t live with, and if you lose something you have by getting married, then why get married?” said Hjordis Vilhjalmsdottir, a 60-year-old radio presenter who wore clothing in the red, blue and white of Iceland’s flag while voting. “We don’t need Brussels to rule us. We can do it ourselves. We used to be one of the poorest countries in Europe only a hundred years ago. And now we are the most prominent country in Europe. We did it ourselves,” added 65-year-old entrepreneur Elias Theodorsson.

On the pro-membership side, supporters point to the downsides of Iceland’s current prosperity: soaring inflation and sky-high interest rates that have put massive financial strain on ordinary households. Some homeowners are paying as much as 9 percent interest on their mortgages, making entry to the eurozone — which would bring far lower interest rates — an extremely attractive prospect for many working Icelanders.

“There’s such a big gap, and it would mean so much for my household,” said Alexandra Yr van Erven, a 32-year-old university administrator. “I just think it’s the responsible thing to do, to give this government the agency to negotiate a deal with the EU, so we can see what the possibilities are. And then we can evaluate the deal.”

For the EU, a yes vote would mark a major milestone for the bloc’s enlargement project, which has not added a wealthy net contributor to the EU budget since Austria, Finland and Sweden joined in 1995. EU leadership views Icelandic membership as a positive example of enlargement that could build momentum for admitting other candidate countries, including the Western Balkan nation of Montenegro. It could also shift the conversation in Norway, another wealthy Nordic nation that has twice rejected EU membership and remains outside the bloc as a wealthy non-member state.

“Iceland’s decision would undoubtedly strengthen the case for the EU to welcome new members,” EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos noted.

Norway has formally entered an unprecedented new chapter in its centuries-long royal history this weekend, as 53-year-old King Haakon VIII ascended to the throne following the passing of his father, King Harald V, who died Friday morning at Oslo University Hospital at the age of 89. After 35 years on the Norwegian throne, Harald’s death triggered an immediate national period of mourning that will remain in place until his funeral, the date of which has not yet been announced by the royal household.

Thousands of grieving Norwegians flocked to the capital Oslo within hours of the announcement, braving heavy evening rain to gather outside the Royal Palace and near Oslo University Hospital to lay flowers, share embraces, and pay their final respects to the monarch who was widely described as a unifying figurehead for the nation. On Friday evening, a motorcade carrying Harald’s casket traveled from the hospital to the Royal Palace, with crowds of well-wishers lining the route to honor the late king. Haakon, accompanied by his 22-year-old daughter Ingrid Alexandra, who is now the new crown princess, arrived at the palace earlier Friday to formally notify the Norwegian government of his father’s passing, fulfilling constitutional formalities.

In the hours after the succession, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store addressed the nation, marking the quiet turning point in Norwegian history with the iconic words: “An era has ended. A new begins. The king is dead. Long live the king.” Store praised Harald for his deep devotion to the Norwegian people, his signature good humor and quiet warmth, and his unshakable faith in the nation he led for decades. The new king released a statement thanking the government and public for their outpouring of support and sympathy for the royal family during this difficult period. Per Norway’s constitutional rules, Haakon will be sworn in with an oath of allegiance before parliament on Tuesday. Unlike many European monarchies, a formal coronation ceremony was abolished in Norway in 1908, so Haakon will not be crowned. However, following a tradition set by his father and grandfather, he may opt for a ceremonial blessing of his reign at Trondheim Cathedral, the historic coronation site for Norwegian monarchs between 1814 and 1906.

Harald, who was the oldest reigning monarch in Europe prior to his death, had been hospitalized since mid-August while being treated for haemolytic anaemia, a blood disorder that causes rapid breakdown of red blood cells and leads to fatigue and breathing difficulties. He ascended to the throne in 1991, and during his three-and-a-half decade reign, he guided Norway through a period of dramatic transformation, as the country grew economically, expanded its population, and became far more socially diverse. For many Norwegians, he was more than just a monarch — he was a beloved national grandfather figure, who embodied the country’s values of openness and tolerance.

Members of the public who spoke to AFP repeatedly highlighted Harald’s unifying leadership after the 2011 terror attacks carried out by neo-Nazi Anders Behring Breivik, which left 77 people dead in Norway’s deadliest attack since World War II. Many recalled that Harald always found the right words to unite the country and give people a sense of security in times of crisis. “He has meant a great deal, he has been a unifying king, he has been a king of the people,” 49-year-old Line Stousland told AFP as she prepared to lay a bouquet for the late king. She added, “he has been like a grandfather to the whole nation.” Caroline Vagle, a reporter for Norwegian magazine Se og Hor, echoed that sentiment, noting that “he was someone who always seemed to find the words that brought us together and gave us a sense of security.”

Tributes to Harald have poured in from across the globe, with messages of condolence coming from other European royal houses and world leaders alike. Former U.S. President Donald Trump was among those who paid tribute, remembering Harald as “a strong, proud, and greatly respected man.”

While Haakon inherits a Norwegian monarchy long celebrated for its modern, approachable style that aligns with 21st century Norwegian values, the new king also takes the throne at a turbulent moment for the royal household. The past 12 months have brought a string of scandals and health crises that have tested the family: Harald’s wife Queen Sonja, also 89, was briefly hospitalized for heart concerns in May; Haakon’s wife Crown Princess Mette-Marit has faced intense public scrutiny over her past connections to deceased American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein; in June, Mette-Marit’s son from her first relationship, Marius Borg Hoiby, was sentenced to four years in prison on two rape convictions; and Mette-Marit, who lives with a chronic serious lung disease, underwent a life-saving lung transplant in July. Despite these challenges, the nation has united in mourning this weekend, as the country says goodbye to one of its most beloved modern leaders and welcomes its new monarch.