World
ECR undecided ahead of von der Leyen's reelection vote
The European Commission president must gain the backing of the European Conservatives and Reformists group to secure her second term.
The debate over Ursula von der Leyen’s re-election as president of the European Commission has heated up across European capitals — and Rome in particular.
As things stand, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni — who is also the president of the European Conservatives and Reformists Party (ECR) — remains undecided over whether to give von der Leyen her backing.
The commission chief held a 50-minute meeting with the ECR parliamentary group on Tuesday morning, at which Meloni’s Brothers of Italy reportedly requested a radical change in the EU’s approach to the Green Deal.
No official statement was issued at the end of the meeting, meaning that for now, the ECR’s stance on von der Leyen’s reelection is not clear.
According to Gaetano Quagliariello, Head of the School of Government at the Luiss University in Rome, von der Leyen needs the support of Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party if she is to continue in post.
“I think Italy’s PM is able to influence at least part of the ECR,” Quagliariello said — adding that given Hungary’s Viktor Orbán and Spanish party Vox have left the group, Meloni will find it easier to convince those who remain should she decide to give von der Leyen her support.
Meloni seeks top commissioner job for Italy
As far as Meloni is concerned, a key bone of contention in the ongoing negotiations is the appointment of an Italian commissioner to a sufficiently prominent role.
Speaking at the recent NATO summit in Washington, Meloni — who in June abstained from the vote to back von der Leyen’s reelection — stated that she wants Italy’s prominence in the EU to be recognised and that she intends to secure a top spot for Rome in the EU Commission.
Should Meloni and the ECR decline to back von der Leyen, the implications could be serious.
According to Antonio Parenti, the European Commission representative in Italy, given the difficult times that lie ahead, the vote must ensure Europe doesn’t plunge into a political crisis.
“Both Italy and other EU countries have to ensure this vote allows EU institutions to be fully operational,” Parenti said. “Let’s not forget that the historic moment we face is very volatile.”
“We have a war on our doorstep, and even what happened in the US a few days ago makes us understand we are not going through an easy time.”
World
Kim Jong Un calls for North Korea to build 2 large warships per year in major naval expansion push: report
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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Tuesday called for a major expansion of the country’s naval forces, suggesting the regime should build two large warships each year for the next five years.
Speaking at a commissioning ceremony for a new destroyer, Kim suggested North Korea should build two warships comparable in size to its 5,000-ton Choe Hyon-class vessel each year over the next five years, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Kim was celebrating the deployment of the new multipurpose destroyer at the port of Nampho. In April, he observed launches of two cruise missiles and three anti-ship missiles from the vessel.
The destroyer successfully completed military operational tests over the past 14 months, according to KCNA.
KIM JONG UN OVERSEES CRUISE MISSILE LAUNCHES FROM PRIZED NEW NORTH KOREAN WARSHIP
North Korea launched two cruise missiles and three anti-ship missiles from the destroyer Choe Hyon, April 12, according to North Korean state media. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service/AP)
Kim previously hailed the development of the Choe Hyon as a major step toward expanding the operational reach and preemptive strike capabilities of North Korea’s military.
Kim also said the navy’s nuclearization is “advancing along its own course,” contributing to the country’s nuclear deterrence.
The naval buildup comes as Kim seeks to strengthen what analysts have long viewed as one of the weaker branches of North Korea’s military.
NORTH KOREA RELAUNCHES WARSHIP THAT SUFFERED EMBARRASSING FAILURE DURING INITIAL LAUNCH
The new multipurpose destroyer Choe Hyon during its commissioning ceremony at Nampho port, North Korea, Tuesday. (KCNA via REUTERS)
KCNA reported that Kim intends to deploy another 5,000-ton destroyer, the Kang Kon, along with larger 10,000-ton strategic warships.
The Kang Kon was first unveiled in May of last year but was damaged during a failed launch at the northern port city of Chongjin. The vessel was later relaunched following repairs.
By adding new capabilities, North Korea’s navy would become “something incredible beyond imagination,” Kim said.
NORTH KOREA RELEASES IMAGES OF DEVELOPMENT OF NUCLEAR-POWERED SUBMARINE
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks during the commissioning ceremony of the new multipurpose destroyer Choe Hyon at Nampho port, North Korea, Tuesday. (KCNA via Reuters)
“Building a modernized naval base has emerged as a desperate and essential task,” he added.
State media reported that Kim is also reviewing plans to construct new naval bases.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un observes strategic cruise and anti-warship missiles test-fired from the destroyer Choe Hyon, April 12. (Korean Central News Agency/Reuters)
Speaking during a meeting of the Workers’ Party’s Central Committee on Monday, Kim said the navy would undergo changes to its status, role and scope of operations.
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He did not elaborate on what those changes would entail.
Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman-Diamond and Reuters contributed to this report.
Global Sumud Flotilla group says six others remain in detention and are expected to be released within 24 hours.
Published On 24 Jun 2026
Four pro-Palestinian campaigners detained in Libya for about a month have been released, the Global Sumud Flotilla group has said.
In a statement on Wednesday, the organisation said Achraf Khoja from Tunisia, Matias Rodriguez from Uruguay, and Domenico Centrone and Leonarda Alberizia, both from Italy, had all arrived in Tunis. Six others are expected to be released in the next 24 hours, it added.
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In an earlier statement, Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani welcomed the news of the released Italians, saying the two, along with Rodriguez, who has Italian citizenship, were handed over to Italy’s consul in Benghazi. They will return to Italy on Wednesday, he said on X.
More than 400 activists were arrested last month in international waters on board dozens of vessels while sailing towards Gaza to break a siege imposed on the enclave by Israel.
The activists held in Libya were part of a separate group which tried to reach the strip by land. They had staged a hunger strike in protest at their detention, the Global Sumud Flotilla said.
According to Amnesty International, on May 24, 2026, an armed group affiliated with Khalifa Haftar’s self-styled Libyan Arab Armed Forces (LAAF), which is allied to the de facto authorities in eastern and southern Libya, the Libyan National Army, arrested the 10 humanitarian activists from eight different countries as they were en route to the city of Sirte to negotiate the convoy’s passage with local authorities.
The activists were seeking approval from the authorities for the convoy to continue the journey through Libya and Egypt to reach Gaza.
“Following periods of enforced disappearance ranging from two to nine days, prosecutors interrogated them before ordering their pretrial detention pending investigations into charges of ‘assembly without authorization,’” Amnesty said.
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