.
Europe
France
(31 March 2025 13:14 CEST) French court today barred Le Pen from seeking public office for five years, with immediate effect, for ’embezzlement’. Although she can appeal the verdict, such a move won’t suspend her ineligibility - which could rule her out of the 2027 presidential race. As the judge went into greater detail with the verdict, saying Le Pen’s party had illegally used European Parliament money for its own benefit, “Incredible,” she whispered at one point. The judge said Le Pen and other co-defendants didn't enrich themselves personally. Le Pen and 24 other officials from the National Rally were accused of having used money intended for EU parliamentary aides to pay staff who worked for the party between 2004 and 2016, in violation of the 27-nation bloc’s regulations. The judge also handed down guilty verdicts to eight other current or former members of her party who, like her, previously served as European Parliament lawmakers. Le Pen and her co-defendants face up to 10 years in prison. They can appeal, which would lead to another trial. The court also convicted 12 other people who served as parliamentary aides for Le Pen and what is now the National Rally party, formerly the National Front. Le Pen, 56, was runner-up to President Macron in the 2017 and 2022 presidential elections, and her party’s electoral support has grown in recent years. Prosecutors requested a two-year prison sentence and a five-year period of ineligibility for Le Pen. She said she felt they were only interested in preventing her from running for president. “There are 11 million people who voted for the movement I represent. So tomorrow, potentially, millions and millions of French people would see themselves deprived of their candidate in the election,” she told the panel of three judges. (Source: Africanews, located in Lyon, France)
(Monday), 31/03/2025 - 04:20 CEST French ’far-right’ leader Le Pen faces a pivotal moment today as a court decides her fate in an embezzlement case, potentially barring her from the 2027 presidential race. Le Pen, head of the ’far-right’ National Rally (RN), her party and two dozen party figures are accused of diverting over 3 million euros of European Parliament funds to pay France-based staff. The defendants say the money was used legitimately and the allegations define too narrowly what a parliamentary assistant does. Prosecutors have asked that Le Pen face an immediate five-year ban from public office if found guilty, regardless of any appeal process, using a so-called provisional execution measure. Judges can adopt, modify or ignore the prosecutors' request. The party has called the trial a witch hunt. The leader transformed the RN into the biggest single party in France's parliament. Le Pen, 56, a three-time presidential contender is a front-runner in polls ahead of the 2027 vote. Her political fate is in court's hands. Le Pen’s removal from the race would intensify debate about how judges police politics. The National Rally, which sees her as a leading contender, has denounced the trial as politically motivated, since Le Pen, the main opposition leader would be prevented from running by the judges. Le Pen accuses prosecutors of seeking her political death, alleging a plot to keep the RN from power. "With provisional execution, the judges have the power of life or death over our movement," Le Pen said in an interview with La Tribune Dimanche, published on Saturday. Senior RN figures do not expect Le Pen to be barred. Her protege, 29-year-old party president Bardella, will take her place if she is, they say. Prosecutors and a judge involved in the trial have received online death threats, part of a growing international backlash against judges seeking to rein in political wrongdoing. ’Far-right’ expert and political scientist Camus said a five-year ban could anger Le Pen's supporters. RN voters are quite prone to thinking they are victims of the 'elite', he said. "An immediate ineligibility verdict could reinforce this sentiment of being ostracised." (Source: France 24 "with Reuters" - United Kingdom)
European Union
March 31, 2025 EU received 4.3 million immigrants in 2023 from non-EU countries. This figure does not include asylum seekers and/or refugees from Ukraine under temporary protection. Additionally, 1.5 million people migrated between EU countries. Compared with 2022, the number of people who immigrated to the EU decreased by 17.9%, down from 5.3 million. The number of people migrating between EU countries remained stable at 1.5 million. There was an estimated 10 immigrants from non-EU countries per 1,000 residents in the EU in 2023. Relative to the size of the resident population, Malta recorded the highest rate of immigration from EU and non-EU countries in 2023 (76 immigrants per 1,000 residents), followed by Cyprus (43) and Luxembourg (40). By contrast, Slovakia registered the lowest rate of immigration, with 1 immigrant per 1,000 residents, followed by France (6) and Italy (7). The highest proportions of immigrants from countries outside the EU were recorded in Czechia (89.2%), Lithuania (88.9%) and Ireland (87.2%). (Source: EU Reporter, based in Brussels, Belgium)
See also: Statistics Explained article on Migration to and from the EU - Data extracted in March 2025 (Source:Eurostat):
Russia
(31 March 2025) Russia’s next spring conscription campaign begins on April 1. Based on open sources, Mediazona [independent Russian media outlet] and BBC News Russian, together with volunteers, have verified the names of 100,001 Russian fighters killed in Ukraine, including 11,628 mobilized soldiers. (Source: Conflict Intelligence Team – Headquarters Tbilisi, Georgia)
Asia
Israel
March 31, 2025 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left his corruption trial abruptly today to give evidence in a separate investigation into possible ties between his aides and Qatar. Two suspects in the investigation, dubbed "Qatar-gate" in Israel, had been arrested earlier today. Israel's public broadcaster Kan said Netanyahu was not a suspect and would provide testimony at his office in Jerusalem. Netanyahu, who is on trial over a separate series of corruption charges which he denies, has rejected the accusations regarding his aides and Qatar as "fake news" and a politically motivated campaign against him. A Qatari official also dismissed the accusations as part of a "smear campaign" against Qatar. Qatar is not defined by Israel as an enemy state but is home to some Hamas leaders. Along with Egypt, it has been mediating indirect negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian militant group for a ceasefire in Gaza. According to recent investigations by Kan and the left-leaning Haaretz newspaper, the aides are suspected of having orchestrated or been involved in a campaign to improve Qatar's image abroad. They deny any wrongdoing. Earlier today, Netanyahu named a new chief to take over Israel's domestic intelligence agency after a bitter standoff with the current head who has been presiding over the Qatar investigation, together with police. Netanyahu tapped a former commander of Israel's navy, Sharvit, to replace Shin Bet head Bar, who remains in office pending a Supreme Court decision over legal challenges to his dismissal. Government moves to dismiss Bar, have provoked street protests in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Netanyahu said he had lost his confidence in Bar over the October 7, 2023, security failure. The Supreme Court has frozen Bar's dismissal and is due to hear petitions against it on April 8. Netanyahu's Likud party said today that the investigation, today's arrests, were part of a plot to halt Bar's dismissal and oust the prime minister. (Source: Reuters - United Kingdom)
North America
United States
(Monday), March 31, 2025 U.S. President Trump said yesterday that Zelensky is trying to back out of a minerals deal with the United States. On Friday, Zelensky said that Ukraine would not accept any minerals deal that threatens its future accession to the European Union. “He's trying to back out of the rare earth deal and if he does that he’s got some problems, big, big problems,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. He added that Zelensky ’wants Ukraine to be a member of NATO, but he's never going to be a member of NATO. He understands that.” Publicly, Trump has only referred to rare earth metals when discussing the deal. Media reports last week indicated that he has been pushing for an agreement that would give Washington vast control over Kyiv’s critical energy and mineral resources via a joint investment fund. During the same exchange with reporters, Trump addressed a possible ceasefire in Ukraine, saying there is a psychological deadline for Moscow to reach an agreement. For now, he said he believes Russian President Putin "wants to make a deal." (Source: Meduza - based in Riga, Latvia / Reuters - United Kingdom)
.5 3 31 11:57
