Protests against Netanyahu intensify
Thousands of people gathered outside the Israeli Parliament yesterday in one of the largest demonstrations against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu since the start of the war in Gaza.
He has faced growing pressure, abroad and at home, over Israel's handling of the war, with many Israelis calling for him to step down. Close allies such as the United States have criticized the war's heavy civilian toll and urged Israel to allow more aid to Gaza. And many Israelis have called on Netanyahu to prioritize the release of hostages held by Hamas as part of a ceasefire agreement. Thousands of people demonstrated in Tel Aviv on Saturday against Netanyahu's government.
The protests in Jerusalem, which were expected to continue into Wednesday, came as in-person talks on a potential ceasefire resumed in Cairo.
Context: Protests against Netanyahu over his plan to overhaul the justice system largely died down after the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, but public dissatisfaction with the war has now driven Israelis into the streets.
Another problem: Netanyahu is also facing controversy over a bill to extend exemption from compulsory military service for ultra-Orthodox Jews, with his right-wing ruling coalition at stake. If the state does not extend the exemption, ultra-Orthodox lawmakers could leave the coalition; if it did, the lay members might leave.
The killing of a Russian defector raised fears of the presence of assault teams
The men who killed Maksim Kuzminov wanted to send a message. The killers shot him six times in a car park in southern Spain, then ran over his body with their car. At the scene, investigators found shell casings of ammunition commonly used in the former communist bloc.
Kuzminov defected from Russia to Ukraine last summer, flying into Ukrainian territory in a military helicopter with secret documents. He committed the one crime that Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he will never forgive: treason.
His murder in the seaside resort of Villajoyosa in February raised fears that Russia's European spy networks continue to operate and are targeting the Kremlin's enemies, despite concerted efforts to dismantle them after Putin invaded Ukraine in 2022.
No evidence of direct Kremlin involvement has emerged. But Russia has made no secret of its desire to see Kuzminov dead, and senior police officials said the attack resembled similar ones in the Kremlin.
Angry farmers are reshaping Europe
Farmers are protesting across Europe, angered by tougher EU environmental regulations, reduced agricultural subsidies and cheap imports of grain and poultry from Ukraine.
Their discontent risks doing more than changing the way Europe produces food. Farmers are undermining climate goals, reshaping politics ahead of June's European Parliament elections and shaking up European unity against Russia, as the war in Ukraine raises costs. The turmoil has emboldened a far right that thrives on grievances and rattled a European establishment forced to make concessions.
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Julia Louis-Dreyfus wants you to listen to older women
When Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who won nearly a dozen Emmys for her roles on “Seinfeld” and “Veep,” turned 60, she was hit with a realization: She wanted to hear from the old ladies.
So she started a podcast, “Wiser Than Me,” which was named Apple Podcasts' show of the year for 2023. On the show, she interviews famous women, such as Isabel Allende, Patti Smith and Carol Burnett, about the joys and pains of aging .
So does age breed candor? Louis-Dreyfus thinks so. “With these women,” he said, “it's like, 'Oh, who cares, here's the truth.'”