World
Von der Leyen emerged ‘strengthened’ from motions of censure — for now
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After the high noon vote in Strasbourg on Thursday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has emerged not weakened but strengthened from the latest motions of censure in the European Parliament — and, crucially for the German politician, her centrist coalition has held firm.
A total of 378 and 383 MEPs backed her Commission against two separate motions of censure tabled by the far-right and far-left groups.
The show of hands represents not only more support than in the previous no-confidence vote in July, but also higher than the 370 votes that confirmed her college of commissioners at the start of this legislature in November 2024.
The results suggest that the so-called centrist majority — along with most MEPs from the Greens/EFA and the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) groups — rallied behind the von der Leyen Commission II in the face of accusations of trade policy, power-grabbing, and a lack of transparency.
The tone was set by the Greens/EFA co-chair Bas Eickhout.
“If we are looking now at the situation in the world, sending away the European Commission is not a smart thing to do,” Eickhout told Euronews.
“We have problems, we have discussions, we are not happy with this simplification agenda … but that is not a reason to send off the entire European Commission”, the Dutch lawmaker explained.
Three motions of censure in three months
The reality is that, for many different reasons, MEPs have not given Ursula a break for quite some time, but von der Leyen has acted differently since MEPs challenged her Commission back in July.
Since then, the German lawmaker has acted on the Israel-Hamas war, appealed to those in the centre during her yearly State of the Union address, and is currently discussing the 2026 Commission’s work programme with the European Parliament, experts have noted.
“My feeling was that lots of MEPs from the centre thought to themselves, okay, let’s wait and let’s give her the chance to walk the talk,” Sophia Russack, research fellow at the Brussels-based think tank CEPS, told Euronews.
“It wouldn’t be strategic for us now to punish her if she’s kind of at least indicating that she’s going in the right direction.”
Over the last months alone, the European Commission chief has faced three motions of censure, legal action for sidelining MEPs over the €150 billion defence loans scheme, as well as criticism from several corners over the Mercosur and the EU-US trade agreements.
Most of the opposition has come from The Left and the far-right group Patriots for Europe — and neither shows any sign of backing down.
“We are not giving up,” MEP Manon Aubry, leader of The Left group, told Euronews, despite her motion receiving only 133 votes in favour — far short of the threshold needed to topple the Commission.
The Patriots for Europe (PfE), whose own motion of censure secured the backing of 179 MEPs, also appears unwilling to throw in the towel.
“This is a process, (the motion) was a way to put pressure on von der Leyen and to show her weak points. We will continue this strategy until she understands that she cannot continue”, Portuguese MEP António Tanger Corrêa (PfE) told Euronews, foreseeing “more votes of confidence to come”.
CEPS’ Russack noted that the far-right group never expected the European Commission to actually step down.
“They knew that this is the majority that they couldn’t reach, but what the far-right is most concerned about is undermining the institutions and undermining their legitimacy,” Russack argued.
More battles to come?
Yet, the German Christian Democrat has reached a point where she is facing criticism from within her own ranks.
The next major battle in Parliament is expected to centre on the Commission’s proposal for the EU’s long-term budget for 2028–2034 — a €2 trillion plan known in Brussels jargon as the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).
In a very controversial move, the EU executive proposed in July merging agricultural and regional funds into a single pot to be managed by national governments.
Since then, member states have criticised the size and design of the ambitious proposal, and MEPs have blatantly opposed this decision.
“Right now, the debate within the (EPP) group is very heated,” Italian MEP Salvador de Meo (EPP), said during an interview with Euronews in Strasbourg.
The EPP fears that merging the EU’s two most significant budget funds into a single pot could lead to misuse of money, underfunding for companies and citizens who rely on them, and a diminished role for the regions.
“It is a mistake to backtrack on (the Common Agricultural Policy) that has been a real tool for European integration, enabling millions of farmers to modernise their businesses and play a leading role in the fight against climate change,” de Meo said.
“It would be a step backwards,” the Italian MEP added.
The group leaders of the budget and agriculture committees in the European Parliament, together with the European Commissioners for Agriculture and Budget — Christophe Hansen and Piotr Serafin, both from the same political family — are currently discussing potential solutions and are expected to decide on next steps in the coming days.
According to two EPP officials consulted by Euronews, several scenarios are on the table: the complete withdrawal of the Commission’s proposal, amendments introduced by MEPs to reshape the current plan, or a commitment from the Commission to revise some aspects at a later stage.
Von der Leyen may have survived two motions of censure, but her battles with Parliament are far from over — from negotiations on the next long-term budget and climate targets to shrinking majorities and heated debates over Europe’s defence ambitions.
World
Miley Cyrus, Jisoo, Sabrina Carpenter, Al Pacino and More Photos from the Dior Cruise Show in Los Angeles
Jonathan Anderson gathered some of Hollywood’s most famous faces for the front row at his Dior Cruise Collection 2027 fashion show at Los Angeles’ LACMA on Wednesday night.
Spotted taking their seats underneath the new David Geffen Galleries were Miley Cyrus, Sabrina Carpenter, Al Pacino, Jisoo of Blackpink, Anya Taylor-Joy, Jeff Goldblum, Tracee Ellis Ross, Role Model, Grace Gummer, Dominic Fike, Miranda Kerr, Mikey Madison, Paul W. Downs, Leslie Mann, Miles Teller, Macaulay Culkin and Bill Pullman.
Guests entered LACMA through a simple entrance on Wilshire Boulevard lined on both sides by gaggles of photographers (some were apparently extras hired to act like shutterbugs). Inside, there were large stone-like step-and-repeats for more photos. Attendees were gifted Dior blankets at their seats as well as a mock script titled “Wilshire Boulevard” starring Anderson explaining the show’s noir theme and looks.
An after-party took place at Chateau Marmont.
Miley Cyrus told me she was grateful Anderson chose her hometown for the event. “I love that they came to L.A.,” she said. “That’s the best part.”
Of her all-denim look, the Grammy winner said, “What I love about L.A. is that it’s casual, so just stopping by to enjoy. Not overdone.”
Meanwhile, following the success of her “Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special,” I asked Cyrus if a reboot of the Disney Channel sitcom was in the works. “I don’t know about all that,” she said, smiling.
Cyrus cracked, “You always get me in trouble.”
Cyrus has credited my question about her possible plans to mark the two-decade milestone earlier in the year that prompted her and Disney to develop the special.
Tracee Ellis Ross also said she was “so pleased” the show took place in Los Angeles: “I don’t have to get on a plane.”
See all the best celebrity looks at the Dior fashion show below.
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Miley Cyrus and Mikey Madison
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores Miley Cyrus and Mikey Madison at the Dior 2027 Cruise Collection Show held at LACMA on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles.
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Anya Taylor-Joy
Image Credit: Christopher Polk Anya Taylor-Joy at Dior 2027 Cruise Collection Show held at LACMA on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
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Danny Elfman
Image Credit: Christopher Polk Danny Elfman at Dior 2027 Cruise Collection Show held at LACMA on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles.
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Role Model
Image Credit: Christopher Polk Role Model at Dior 2027 Cruise Collection Show held at LACMA on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles.
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Jake Shane
Image Credit: Christopher Polk Jake Shane at Dior 2027 Cruise Collection Show held at LACMA on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles.
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Esther McGregor
Image Credit: Christopher Polk Esther McGregor at Dior 2027 Cruise Collection Show held at LACMA on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles.
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Paul W. Downs
Image Credit: Christopher Polk Paul W. Downs at Dior 2027 Cruise Collection Show held at LACMA on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles.
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Jay Shetty
Image Credit: Christopher Polk Jay Shetty at Dior 2027 Cruise Collection Show held at LACMA on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles.
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Christine Chiu
Image Credit: Christopher Polk Christine Chiu at Dior 2027 Cruise Collection Show held at LACMA on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles.
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Terrence O’Connor
Image Credit: Christopher Polk Terrence O’Connor at Dior 2027 Cruise Collection Show held at LACMA on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles.
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Tracee Ellis Ross
Image Credit: Christopher Polk Tracee Ellis Ross at Dior 2027 Cruise Collection Show held at LACMA on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles.
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LaKeith Stanfield
Image Credit: Christopher Polk LaKeith Stanfield at Dior 2027 Cruise Collection Show held at LACMA on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles.
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Sam Kim and Ejae
Image Credit: Christopher Polk Sam Kim and Ejae at Dior 2027 Cruise Collection Show held at LACMA on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles.
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Sabrina Carpenter
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores Sabrina Carpenter at the Dior 2027 Cruise Collection Show held at LACMA on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
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Jisoo
Image Credit: Variety via Getty Images Jisoo at Dior 2027 Cruise Collection Show held at LACMA on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles.
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Chase Sui Wonders
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores Chase Sui Wonders at the Dior 2027 Cruise Collection Show held at LACMA on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
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Cookie Johnson and EJ Johnson
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores Cookie Johnson and EJ Johnson at the Dior 2027 Cruise Collection Show held at LACMA on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
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Al Pacino
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores Al Pacino at the Dior 2027 Cruise Collection Show held at LACMA on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
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Miley Cyrus
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores Miley Cyrus at the Dior 2027 Cruise Collection Show held at LACMA on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
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Eileen Gu
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores Eileen Gu at the Dior 2027 Cruise Collection Show held at LACMA on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
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Owen Thiele
Image Credit: Variety via Getty Images Owen Thiele at Dior 2027 Cruise Collection Show held at LACMA on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
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Ejae
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores Ejae at the Dior 2027 Cruise Collection Show held at LACMA on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
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Jisoo and Anya Taylor-Joy
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores Jisoo and Anya Taylor-Joy at the Dior 2027 Cruise Collection Show held at LACMA on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
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Miles Teller and Keleigh Sperry
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores Miles Teller and Keleigh Sperry at the Dior 2027 Cruise Collection Show held at LACMA on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
World
Non-Jewish professor says he was fired for calling out Hamas supporters in online post
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A non-Jewish Canadian professor says he was fired from his university for defending Israel in a social media post as antisemitism exploded across Canada following Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attacks.
Paul Finlayson told Fox News Digital that he lost his job at Canada’s University of Guelph-Humber after taking a strong stance online about the massacre and kidnapping of Israelis and foreigners — including Americans and Canadians.
Finlayson responded in November of 2023 to a LinkedIn message from an overseas educator who he said was “calling for the eradication of Israel.” Though the author later deleted his post and all corresponding comments, the National Post quoted from Finlayson’s response in a December 2023 article.
“If you say ‘from the River to the Sea’, you’re a Nazi,” Finlayson wrote. “I’m not neutral. I stand with Israel. I stand against antisemites who want nothing but dead Jews: who take millions from their education and health care budgets and spend it on making war…You stand with Palestine means you stand with Hitler. You don’t want peace, you want dead Jews…They murdered 1,400 innocents and took 250 hostages and the people celebrated rapist monsters as heroes.”
RECORD ANTISEMITIC INCIDENTS IN CANADA FUEL CRITICISM OF CARNEY GOVERNMENT RESPONSE
Paul Finlayson says he lost his job after taking a strong stance online against the Hamas terror attacks on Israel. (Paul Finlayson )
Since the post, Finlayson says he has faced a targeted campaign against him which has affected his professional standing and job prospects.
Finlayson said that students at the school found his LinkedIn reply before the post’s author erased the thread, leading to outcry. While meeting with a student in his office on Nov. 27, Finlayson said an administrator waited outside, eventually presenting him with a suspension letter.
A copy of the suspension letter, provided by Finlayson, cites “inappropriate online comments” and places the professor “on leave pending the outcome of the investigation.” It directed Finlayson not to contact “any of your departmental staff or students or broader members of the [university].”
Finlayson said he was “very well-liked” by students, who ranked him among the highest in the business department faculty. He said that rumors about the accusations against him destroyed his academic reputation, which included formulating courses and writing textbooks.
“My trial has been by defamation, and it continues by defamation,” Finlayson said of the “Kafkaesque” situation that ensued.
FEDERAL PROBE CLAIMS UNIVERSITIES ARE ‘LEGITIMIZING AND AMPLIFYING ANTISEMITISM’
Anti-Israel protesters hold antisemitic posters in Edmonton, Alberta, on April 13, 2025. (Artur Widak/NurPhoto)
He says that his union, OPSEU Local 562, refused to represent him. The union did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Finlayson was officially fired by the university in July 2025. He provided a copy of his termination letter, which stated that after a “formal complaint of discrimination and harassment,” an investigator found that his “conduct violated the Ontario Human Rights Code and Humber’s Human Rights and Harassment Policy, and that [he] engaged in reprisal under both of those instruments.”
The Humber harassment policy states that “anyone who attempts Reprisal or threatens Reprisal against a person who initiates a complaint or participates in proceedings under this Policy may be subject to disciplinary action.”
The same policy says that “Humber upholds and supports the right to equal treatment without Discrimination” based on prohibited grounds, which include antisemitism.
CANADA’S ANTISEMITISM ENVOY RESIGNS, CITING EXHAUSTION AMID HATE SURGE
Temple Emanu-El in Toronto was shot at on March 3, 2026. No injuries were reported. (Nick Lachance/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
The University of Guelph-Humber did not respond to Fox News Digital’s questions about Finlayson’s suspension, investigation and firing, and about whether anti-Israel posts shared by its students and a professor at the University violate the Humber Human Rights and Harassment Policy.
The University of Guelph’s “UofGforPalestine” Instagram page, which presents itself as the account of “students, staff, and faculty who stand in solidarity with Palestine,” has shared posts with the inverted red triangle that Hamas uses to mark targets. Like the U.S., Canada designates Hamas as a terror group.
In November 2024, the group shared photos on its Instagram account of a guillotine that “appeared on a walking path” in Guelph, which featured photos of the heads of Canadian, American and Israeli leaders coated in red paint. Though purported to be an “anonymous submission,” the post notes its “message” as “Death to empire, death to colonialism and imperialism, death to the war machine.”
The University of Guelph Humber in Ontario, Canada. (Google Maps)
A University of Guelph-Humber professor whom Finlayson believes brought the case against him has posted inflammatory rhetoric on his own LinkedIn account, calling Israel a “terrorist state,” and stating that the world “cannot have both” peace and Israel.
The professor did not respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
While Finlayson lost his position, elsewhere in Canada, activism led to starkly different circumstances for three staffers at York University, who were among 11 individuals charged with “hate-motivated mischief” in Nov 2023 for plastering a bookstore with photos accusing a Jewish CEO of genocide, and splashing the store with red paint, as reported by the National Post.
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Though they were initially suspended from the school, at least two staff members appear to have current profiles on the York University website. One, a professor, most recently taught courses at the school in the Winter 2026 semester. York University did not respond to requests for comment about its restoration of staff members’ roles.
Since the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks, antisemitism has exploded in Canada. In April, B’nai Brith Canada’s League for Human Rights released a report showing that 6,800 antisemitic incidents took place in the country in 2025, representing a 9.4% increase over 2024. On average, this represented 18.6 incidents a day and was the “highest volume” the group has recorded since it began tracking incidents.
World
Russia’s prison population falls by 180,000 since start of Ukraine war
Published on
The number of prisoners in Russia has dropped by more than 180,000 over five years, in part driven by Moscow sending convicts to fight in Ukraine, Russia’s prison chief said on Thursday.
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In four years of war, Russia has offered prisoners army contracts to fight in Ukraine and buy out their sentences, should they survive.
Russia, which has a massive prison network inherited from Soviet labour camps, has one of the world’s largest convict populations, though that number has been decreasing in the last 20 years.
“If at the end of 2021 there were 465,000 (prisoners), then now there are 282,000,” the head of Russia’s penitentiary service, Arkady Gostev, said, according to the TASS state news agency.
That represents a drop of nearly 40%.
Around 85,000 of the current prison population is held in pre-trial detention, he added.
Gostev said the decline was in part driven by the army’s recruitment drive, but also due to more suspended sentences and other forms of punishment handed out.
Prisoners returning from the Ukraine front have led to an increase in crime and social tension in Russia.
Gostev also said thousands of prisoners were working on production sites in support of the army, contributing to the country’s wartime economy.
Russian prisoners are often made to work, in a system inherited from the Soviet Gulag.
“Over the course of the year, we had additionally deployed 16,000 inmates for these (army) purposes, specifically for manufacturing,” TASS quoted Gostev as saying.
“We produce goods for the special military operation (worth) around 5.5 billion rubles (€64 million),” he said, using Moscow’s term for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
“The volume of production (at prison sites) in 2025 amounted to 47 billion rubles (€548 million),” he said, without elaborating how much of it was for army needs.
Russia has experienced a shortage of workers during its offensive, with hundreds of thousands of men at the front and a similar amount fleeing the country due to mobilisation.
Additional sources • AFP
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