A furious political row has broken out after two Labour MPs were denied entry to Israel and deported after being accused of planning to "spread anti-Israel hatred".

Yuan Yang and Abtisam Mohamed were rejected because they were suspected of plans to "document the activities of security forces and spread anti-Israel hatred", according to a statement from the Israeli immigration ministry.

Ms Yang, who represents Earley and Woodley, and Ms Mohamed, the MP for Sheffield Central, both flew to the country from Luton on Saturday - and later said they were "astounded" by their treatment.

The Israeli immigration ministry said the MPs were accompanied by two assistants on the trip and during questioning, they claimed they were visiting Israel "as part of an official parliamentary delegation".

The European Parliament will send a fact-finding mission to Hungary in mid-April to assess the latest developments regarding the rule of law, and 19 EU member states are already ready to take away Hungary's voting rights.

The EUobserver claims that "rule of law in Hungary continues to deteriorate," which is why EU institutions are considering accelerating sanctions under Article 7 of the Treaty.

This claim comes even as Marine Le Pen is banned from running for office in France on trumped-up charges as well as the presidential frontrunner in Romania, Călin Georgescu, being banned from running for president and suffering a show-trial arrest. At the same time, Germany is working on banning the largest opposition party in the country, the Alternative for Germany (AfD), all in a clear breach of fundamental democratic rights.

Although perhaps not yet obvious to Washington, a US war on Iran will be viewed as one against Russia and China too. Both Putin and Xi know that Trump's war is singularly directed at the transformational global 'changes they are driving together.'
Russia and Iran are at the forefront of the multi-layered Eurasia integration process - the most crucial geopolitical development of the young 21st century.

Both are top members of BRICS+ and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). Both are seriously implicated as Global Majority leaders to build a multi-nodal, multipolar world. And both have signed, in late January in Moscow, a detailed, comprehensive strategic partnership.

The second administration of US President Donald Trump, starting with the "maximum pressure" antics employed by the bombastic Circus Ringmaster himself, seems to ignore these imperatives.

It was up to the Russian Foreign Ministry to re-introduce rationality in what was fast becoming an out of control shouting match: essentially Moscow, alongside its partner Tehran, simply will not accept outside threats of bombing Iran's nuclear and energy infrastructure, while insisting on the search for viable negotiated solutions for the Islamic Republic's nuclear program.

And then, just like lightning, the Washington narrative changed. US Special Envoy for Middle East Affairs, Steven Witkoff - not exactly a Metternich, and previously a "maximum pressure" hardliner - started talking about the need for "confidence-building" and even "resolving disagreements," implying Washington began "seriously considering," according to the proverbial "officials," indirect nuclear talks.

These implications turned to reality on Monday afternoon when Trump allegedly blindsided the visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with the announcement of a "very big meeting" with Iranian officials in the next few days. Tehran later confirmed the news, with Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi saying he would engage in indirect nuclear negotiations with Witkoff in Oman on Saturday.

It's as if Trump had at least listened to the arguments exposed by the Islamic Republic's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. But then again, he can change his mind in a Trump New York minute.

No EU country would enforce the International Criminal Court's (ICC) arrest warrant for Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu, Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever has claimed.

During last week's visit from the Israeli prime minister, Hungary announced its intention to withdraw from the Rome Statute, the treaty that grants authority to the ICC. The court, which depends on national jurisdictions to execute arrests, accuses Netanyahu of war crimes in the Gaza conflict.

De Wever, leader of the nationalist New Flemish Alliance and head of a five-party coalition, expressed understanding for Budapest's defiance during an appearance on VRT's Terzake program last week, admitting, "We would do that too, to be completely honest."

"There is also realpolitik. I don't believe there is any European country willing to arrest Netanyahu if he were on its soil," he added.

Poland unveiled this week that it has signed a new defense deal with the United States valued at nearly $2 billion. This is for more Patriot air defense systems and expanded logistical support.

"The safety of Polish skies has no price," Deputy Prime Minister of Poland Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz told a news briefing while discussing missile defense cooperation with Washington.

"Poland's defense ministry said implementing the agreement would enable the operational readiness of Patriot launchers, which form the foundation of the Wisla program," one international report says. "It aims to counter, among other things, short-range tactical ballistic missiles, including maneuvering missiles."

Under the same program, the NATO eastern flank country acquired its first two Patriot system batteries in 2018. The Trump administration has praised Poland for being among NATO's top spenders in terms of GDP.

Susan Collins and Rand Paul were the only Republicans to oppose the measure

The Senate passed a framework for a sweeping bill promoting President Donald Trump's agenda after an hours-long series of amendment votes during which Democrats sought to put Republicans on record on issues like tariffs and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

It passed mostly along party lines in a 51 to 48 vote around 2:30 a.m. ET on Saturday morning. Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Rand Paul, R-Ky., were the only two Republicans to join Democrats in opposing the measure.

The amended framework would raise the debt ceiling by up to $5 trillion within the reconciliation process, taking future leverage away from Senate Democrats. It would also make Trump's 2017 tax cuts permanent by using what's called a current policy baseline that Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., decides.

The presence of American tech companies within Vietnam's military infrastructure could pose a serious risk to national security.

In recent years, the entry of Starlink, Elon Musk's satellite company, into Vietnam has been a contentious issue. Despite initial interest, the Vietnamese government resisted due to legitimate national security concerns. However, after facing commercial pressure and tariff threats from the Trump administration, Vietnam's typically cautious National Assembly rushed to amend regulations to approve the service. This unusual move in the country's political system raises serious doubts about Vietnam's sovereignty in the face of U.S. geopolitical interests.

Economic Pressure and Strategic Submission

This year, Donald Trump's tariff threats against Vietnam forced the country to reconsider its stance on Starlink. The government, which had previously hesitated to allow the company's operations, is now adjusting its laws to avoid tensions with Washington. According to internal sources, Vietnam's Ministry of Defense has always opposed Starlink's entry, warning that satellite infrastructure controlled by U.S. companies could pose a national security risk.

"Ah, the delicious smell of peak fear on Sunday/Monday...and max NOISE on X."
— Raoul Pal

That ruckus you hear in the capital markets is the sickening howl of the Fugazy Economy meeting its extinction. Fugazy means fake, unreal, dishonest, misaligned to what societies need to thrive. Fugazy means mis-using the time-value of things that purport to be wealth to multiply fake wealth in the hands of a few at the expense of the many. The pernicious effects of that system are visible all across the ruined landscape of our country, a nation of broken cities, failed towns, and a demoralized populace.

Mr. Trump apparently aims to convert the expiring Fugazy economy into a production economy — yikes! — based on making things of value, and perhaps more importantly, of people at all social levels having meaningful roles in the making and moving of things. The Trump tariffs are the first big step in a process that is already generating a whole lot of friction, heat, and ferment. The aim of the tariffs is straightforward: the end of a trade regime that punishes and cripples American production.

As Polish presidential elections near and the term of current President Andrzej Duda comes to an end, the head of state gave an interview to Telewizja Trwam and Radio Maryja. During the segment, Duda covered many topics, including the Sejm's new so-called hate speech law, which he said he would not sign, saying it is built on lies about "well-established" concepts.

The president also called out the left for being hypocritical. According to wPolityce, Duda said it is very characteristic that these left-liberal trends, which shout so loudly about tolerance and diversity, are the first to block free speech," defining language "as they wish" while also "punishing any deviation" from what they say is correct.

"This is an ongoing attempt to build a world, a language, on lies, on giving new meaning to concepts that are established," Duda told the show.

Claiming Poland is still a fully democratic country upholding the will of the majority, despite many being afraid of certain developments around them, Duda still cautioned against an erosion of democratic norms. He specifically cited St. John Paul II, who warned that democracy without values ​​easily turns into open or camouflaged totalitarianism.

Nearly two months after a top Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) official and support team arrived at IRS headquarters to investigate waste and fraud — aiming to streamline a bloated and corrupt federal bureaucracy — the Trump administration has begun a sizeable workforce reduction across the federal agency.

Fox News reported late Friday evening that the IRS will begin laying off about 20,000 staffers — up to 25% of the workforce — on Friday and through next week.

Most job cuts will center around the IRS Office of Civil Rights and Compliance, which protects taxpayers from discrimination, audits, and investigations.