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What to expect from the first plenary session after the EU elections

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What to expect from the first plenary session after the EU elections

Roberta Metsola, support for Ukraine and Ursula von der Leyen will be the main topics of the first plenary session since the June elections.

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The European Parliament is back in session with the newly-elected 720 lawmakers gathering in Strasbourg for the first plenary of the 10th legislature, set to begin on Tuesday.

It marks the dawn of a five-year mandate that is poised to be the rowdiest in history: following the June elections, over a quarter of MEPs now sit with hard- and far-right groups, posing a direct challenge to the pro-European centrist parties that, despite holding onto a governing majority, worry an increase in polarisation could dampen the bloc’s long-term ambitions and foster legislative paralysis.

The latest addition to the radical right is the so-called Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN), a 24-strong group that encompasses forces ardently anti-migration, anti-LGBT, anti-feminism, anti-Green Deal, anti-vaccination and anti-military aid to Ukraine.

Its creation came on the heels of that of Patriots for Europe, with the likes of France’s National Rally, Hungary’s Fidesz, Italy’s Lega and Austria’s Freedom Party (FPÖ). The formation has amassed 84 MEPs, enough to become the third largest in the hemicycle.

The shifting landscape will test the limits of the cordon sanitaire that mainstream parties have until now placed on the far right, depriving it of high-profile positions in the institutions, such as vice-presidents and committee chairs.

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Before the Parliament descends into full-blown, finger-pointing brawls, here’s an overview of the agenda for the first plenary session.

Tuesday: Metsola’s done deal

MEPs will kick off their work by electing their president for the next two years and a half. The frontrunner is a familiar face: Roberta Metsola, the Maltese politician who has led the institution since early 2022.

Hailing from the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP), Metsola is a moderate figure who is well-liked across the political spectrum and is considered to have done a good job representing the Parliament’s views. Thanks to her track record, her re-election by an absolute majority (50% of MEPs plus one) is a foregone conclusion.

The Left is reportedly interested in filing an alternative candidate, as they did last time in 2022. However, the alternative bid will be entirely symbolic.

The vote will be followed by the election of the 14 vice-presidents, proportionally distributed among the main parties. This will assess the effectiveness of the cordon sanitaire: Patriots for Europe is vying to secure one of the vice-presidents, something that the EPP, the Socialists and the Liberals have vowed to prevent.

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“These are elected posts of the Parliament,” an EPP spokesperson said on Friday. “We don’t want these MEPs to represent the institution, that’s the main reason.”

Wednesday: backing Ukraine, rebuking Orbán

The emergence of new far-right groups has raised fears the Parliament’s iron-clad support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s aggression will be progressively weakened over the next five years.

To dispel any doubts, MEPs are expected to devote the first resolution under the 10th legislature to double down on their backing for the war-torn nation, urging member states to step up military assistance and make progress in the accession process.

The joint call can be read as a rebuke to Viktor Orbán’s extremely controversial visits to Russia and China as part of his self-proclaimed “peace mission,” which EU leaders harshly denounced. Although Budapest insists the trips took place in the context of bilateral relations, the fact they coincided with the start of Hungary’s six-month presidency of the EU Council prompted accusations of power exploitation.

Charles Michel, the president of the European Council, was initially expected to attend the plenary session and debate Orbán’s tour with MEPs. But the item was eventually taken off the agenda and Michel will not show up in Strasbourg.

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Wednesday will also see a vote on how many lawmakers sit in each of the Parliament’s standing committees, subcommittees and delegations. The MEPs chairing these bodies will be decided at a later stage – another test for the cordon sanitaire.

Thursday: von der Leyen faces the music

Here’s the grab-your-popcorn moment of the week: MEPs will vote on whether to elect Ursula von der Leyen as president of the European Commission for a second term.

EU leaders hand-picked the incumbent as part of a three-pronged deal on the top jobs. But the Parliament is set to flex its muscles as the bloc’s only directly elected institution and make von der Leyen sweat.

The Socialists and the Liberals have all come up with detailed wishlists that they want the Commission chief to include in her work programme in exchange for their endorsements. Von der Leyen’s own family, the EPP, is not fully behind her re-election, meaning she needs as many votes as possible from other mainstream parties.

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The Greens, which, strictly speaking, are not part of the president’s centrist platform, are shaping up to be the day’s kingmakers. Its 53 MEPs have no shortage of complaints about von der Leyen’s stewardship (for instance, on the rule of law and migration) but they acknowledge her policy accomplishments under the Green Deal.

The result of these give-and-take negotiations will crystalise in the big speech that von der Leyen will deliver on Thursday at 09:00 CET, outlining the main priorities and initiatives she intends to undertake during her (potential) second mandate.

Making matters more dramatic, the day before the crunch vote, the European Court of Justice will issue a much-anticipated ruling over access to information related to von der Leyen’s handling of vaccine contracts, particularly her texts with the Pfizer CEO.

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If the nominee fails to secure the necessary 361 votes, EU leaders will have one month to propose a new name. The last-minute hiccup could force the re-opening of the entire deal on top jobs, which also covers António Costa and Kaja Kallas.

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Kianna Underwood, former Nickelodeon star, killed in hit-and-run

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Kianna Underwood, former Nickelodeon star, killed in hit-and-run

NEW YORK (AP) — Law enforcement officials say Kianna Underwood, a former Nickelodeon child star, was killed Friday in a hit-and-run in New York. She was 33.

According to the New York Police Department, Underwood was crossing an intersection in the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn when a black Ford Explorer SUV hit her in the morning.

While lying in the street, she was then “subsequently struck by a black and gray sedan,” NYPD said in a statement. Underwood was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police say both drivers left the scene and have not been identified. The investigation remains ongoing.

Underwood starred in Nickelodeon’s popular children’s sketch comedy show, “All That,” over seven episodes in 2005. Between 1999 and 2004, Underwood voiced the character Fuschia Glover in the Nick Jr. show, “Little Bill.”

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She also spent a year on the first national tour of “Hairspray” as Little Inez.

“All That” was Underwood’s last credited role. The program helped launch multiple careers over its decade-long run, ranging from Nick Cannon, Kenan Thompson and Amanda Bynes.

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Lindsey Graham speaks against pending execution of 26-year-old Iranian protester: ‘This regime must fall’

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Lindsey Graham speaks against pending execution of 26-year-old Iranian protester: ‘This regime must fall’

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Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., is calling for the end of the Iranian regime amid ongoing protests and as the country holds its breath to see if a 26-year-old protester will be executed, something President Donald Trump has said could trigger U.S. intervention.

“I read with great sadness and heartache about the pending execution of Erfan Soltani, a 26-year-old shopkeeper. He is facing death at the hands of the ayatollah simply for protesting in the street for a better life. His family is calling on the world to come to their son’s aid,” Graham wrote in a post on X along with an article about Soltani.

“I hope and pray that the execution does not go forward and this young man does not forfeit his life because he wants to live in freedom without fear,” the senator added. “This regime must fall, and the Iranian people must have a better life.”

Graham said that he believes if the regime falls and the “murderous ayatollah running Iran” is gone, the impact on the region “would be incredibly positive.” He also warned, however, that if Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei were to remain in power, it would be “a giant step backward into the darkness.”

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LINDSEY GRAHAM CALLS FOR US TO USE ‘ANY MEANS NECESSARY’ TO STOP THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE KILLING OF IRANIANS

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., spoke out against the pending execution of 26-year-old Iranian protester Efran Soltani. (Erfan Soltani via Facebook/via Reuters; Anonymous/Getty Images)

Soltani’s story has spread in recent days as the unrest in Iran continues. The 26-year-old was arrested in Fardis and was sentenced to death after an expedited trial, according to ABC News, which cited Soltani’s second cousin, Somayeh.

“As someone who is an activist myself and who has fought this regime for many years, I felt it was my right — and my duty — to be Erfan’s voice outside the country, despite all the pressure and sanctions that fall on families,” Somayeh, who is based in Germany, told ABC News.

Iranians began protesting in late December amid worsening economic conditions. Earlier this month, the regime instituted a nationwide internet blackout, blocking demonstrators from contacting each other or the outside world amid international fears that protesters would be met with violence and death.

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In this frame grab from video obtained by the AP outside Iran, a masked demonstrator holds a picture of Iran’s Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi during a protest in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)

TOP IRAN PRAYER LEADER WHO DUBBED PROTESTERS ‘TRUMP’S SOLDIERS’ CALLS FOR EXECUTIONS AMID ONGOING UNREST

On Jan. 2, just days after the protests erupted, Trump said the U.S. was “locked and loaded” and ready to take action if the regime used violence against demonstrators. One day after the threat was made, the U.S. captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, adding weight to Trump’s words, though no known action has been taken yet.

Trump claimed on Wednesday the administration was told “on good authority” that the killing in Iran had stopped.

“We’ve been told that the killing in Iran is stopping, and it’s stopped and stopping, and there’s no plan for executions or an execution,” Trump said in the Oval Office. “So, I’ve been told that on good authority. We’ll find out about it.”

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Protesters burn images of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a rally held in Solidarity with Iran’s uprising on Whitehall in central London on Jan. 11, 2026. (Carlos Jasso/AFP via Getty Images)

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On Friday, he seemed to double down on the idea that the regime had stopped using violence when he issued a Truth Social post saying that Iran had cancelled over 800 scheduled hangings.

“I greatly respect the fact that all scheduled hangings, which were to take place yesterday (over 800 of them), have been cancelled by the leadership of Iran,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The fate of Soltani remains unclear, as does the prospect of U.S. intervention in Iran.

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Thousands take part in ‘Hands off Greenland’ protests in Denmark

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Thousands take part in ‘Hands off Greenland’ protests in Denmark

By&nbspEuronews&nbspwith&nbspAFP

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Thousands of people took to the streets of Denmark’s capital on Saturday to protest at US President Donald Trump’s push to take over Greenland.

The protest followed Trump’s warning on Friday that he “may put a tariff” on countries that oppose his plans to take over mineral-rich Greenland, which is an autonomous territory of Denmark.

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They also coincided with a visit to Copenhagen by a bipartisan delegation from the US Congress that has made clear the opposition of many Americans to the Trump administration’s sabre-rattling.

Waving the flags of Denmark and Greenland, the protesters formed a sea of red and white outside Copenhagen city hall, chanting “Kalaallit Nunaat!” — the vast Arctic island’s name in Greenlandic.

Thousands of people had said on social media they would to take part in marches and rallies organised by Greenlandic associations in Copenhagen, and in Aarhus, Aalborg, Odense and the Greenlandic capital Nuuk.

“The aim is to send a clear and unified message of respect for Greenland’s democracy and fundamental human rights,” Uagut, an association of Greenlanders in Denmark, said on its website.

A sister demonstration was scheduled to happen in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, to protest the US’ “illegal plans to take control of Greenland”, organisers said.

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Demonstrators would march to the US consulate carrying Greenlandic flags.

The Copenhagen rally made a stop outside the US embassy in the Danish capital.

Demand respect

“Recent events have put Greenland and Greenlanders in both Greenland and Denmark under pressure,” Uagut chairwoman Julie Rademacher said in a statement to AFP, calling for “unity”.

“When tensions rise and people go into a state of alarm, we risk creating more problems than solutions for ourselves and for each other. We appeal to Greenlanders in both Greenland and Denmark to stand together,” she said.

The demonstration in Greenland was “to show that we are taking action, that we stand together and that we support our politicians, diplomats and partners,” Kristian Johansen, one of the organisers, said in a statement.

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“We demand respect for our country’s right to self-determination and for us as a people,” added Avijaja Rosing-Olsen, another organiser.

“We demand respect for international law and international legal principles. This is not only our struggle, it is a struggle that concerns the entire world.”

According to the latest poll published in January 2025, 85 percent of Greenlanders oppose the territory joining the United States. Only six percent were in favour.

No security threat

Speaking in Copenhagen, where the Congressional delegation met top Danish and Greenlandic politicians and business leaders, US Democratic Senator Chris Coons insisted there was no security threat to Greenland to justify the Trump administration’s stance.

He was responding after Trump advisor Stephen Miller claimed on Fox News that Denmark was too small to defend its sovereign Arctic territory.

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“There are no pressing security threats to Greenland, but we share real concern about Arctic security going forward, as the climate changes, as the sea ice retreats, as shipping routes change,” Coons told the press.

“There are legitimate reasons for us to explore ways to invest better in Arctic security broadly, both in the American Arctic and in our NATO partners and allies,” said Coons, who is leading the US delegation. Trump has repeatedly criticised Denmark — a NATO ally — for, in his view, not doing enough to ensure Greenland’s security.

The US president has pursued that argument, despite strategically located Greenland — as part of Denmark — being covered by NATO’s security umbrella.

European NATO members are deploying troops in Greenland for a military exercise designed to show the world, including the United States, that they will “defend (their) sovereignty”,

French armed forces minister Alice Rufo said this week.

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Britain, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden have announced they are sending small numbers of military personnel to prepare for future exercises in the Arctic.

The United States has been invited to participate in the exercise, Denmark said on Friday.

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