04/06/2025

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Dutch govt falls

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ministers from the Cabinet and that we can no longer bear responsibility for this,” said Wilders. “I signed up for the strictest asylum policy, not for the downfall of the Netherlands and that our responsibility for this Cabinet therefore ends at this moment.” Eighteen months after his surprise election win sent shockwaves through Europe, polls suggest his PVV is still the strongest. However, the gap to his nearest rivals has narrowed, with the Green/Left party of former European Commission vice-president Frans Timmermans following close behind. The liberal VVD party, a traditional powerhouse in Dutch politics, are also running near the top two, meaning any election would likely be closely fought. VVD leader Dilan Yesilgoz said Wilders’ move was irresponsible, adding she was afraid it would open the door to left-wing parties. “How can you do this to the Netherlands?” she told reporters. In late May, Wilders called an impromptu press conference to announce his “patience was up” with the government of Prime Minister Dick Schoof. He threatened to torpedo the coalition if a new 10-point plan to crimp immigration was not implemented within a few weeks. His plan included border closures for asylum seekers, tougher border

o Far-right leader quits coalition

Xu served two consecutive terms on the Communist Party’s highest military command body between 2012 and 2022, as Xi came to power. Before that, he spent decades in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) air force, rising to Air Force Commander in 2007 after a stint in the PLA General Staff Department. Xu was described as an “outstanding member of the party” and an “outstanding leader of the PLA” in a short obituary published by Xinhua news agency. He was the first Central Military Commission (CMC) vice-chair not to have been from the land forces, a sign of Beijing’s growing emphasis on different branches of the military as pioneer and head of Google’s Deepmind, Demis Hassabis on Monday said that greater international cooperation around AI regulation was needed but “difficult” to achieve “in today’s geopolitical context”. At a time when AI is being integrated across all industries, its uses have raised major ethical questions, from the spread of misinformation to its impact on employment, or the loss of technological control. At London’s South by Southwest nationals convicted of a crime. Summarising his demands, he said: “Close the borders for asylum seekers and family reunifications. No more asylum centres opened. Close them.” Political and legal experts criticised the plans as unworkable or illegal, with some suggesting Wilders was creating a crisis to collapse the government. The far-right leader has often been called the “Dutch Trump” for his anti-immigrant views and instantly recognisable bouffant hairstyle. His ambitions to lead his country were frustrated after his election win, as his coalition partners blocked his premiership bid, settling instead on Schoof as a compromise candidate. The leaders of the four coalition partners agreed not to take up Cabinet positions, instead running their parties as parliamentary chiefs. Wilders has been an uncompromising figure in parliament, his quick-witted jousting with Timmermans being a highlight of debates. He has frequently said that the only way to implement his policies is for him to become prime minister. However, in the fractured Dutch political system, no party can win an absolute majority in the 150-seat parliament and Wilders will need partners. He can count on the support of the

SYDNEY: An Australian woman accused of murdering three of her estranged husband’s elderly relatives with a meal laced with poisonous mushrooms wept as she was questioned over expletive-laden messages about the victims yesterday. Erin Patterson, 50, is charged with the July 2023 murders of her mother-in-law Gail Patterson, father in-law Donald Patterson and Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, along with the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson, Heather’s husband. The prosecution alleges she knowingly served the guests Beef Wellington that contained lethal death cap mushrooms at her home in Leongatha, a town of 6,000 people 135km from Melbourne. Patterson denies the charges, with her defence saying the deaths were a “terrible accident”. She faces a life sentence if found guilty. Appearing as a witness for her own defence, Patterson was questioned yesterday by her barrister Colin Mandy about expletive-laden messages sent to friends. The court previously heard the relationship between the accused and her estranged husband, Simon Patterson, deteriorated shortly before the alleged murders due to a disagreement over child support. “I wish I’d never said it. I feel ashamed for saying it and I wish that THE HAGUE: Far-right Dutch leader Geert Wilders withdrew his party from the government yesterday in a row over immigration, bringing down a shaky coalition and likely ushering in snap elections. Wilders has been frustrated with what he saw as the slow pace of introducing the “strictest-ever immigration policy”, agreed with coalition partners after his shock election win in November 2023. “No signature for our asylum plans ... PVV leaves the coalition,” said Wilders, referring to his far-right Freedom Party. The withdrawal opens up a period of political uncertainty in the European Union’s fifth-largest economy and major exporter, as far right parties make gains across the continent. The latest government crisis also comes just weeks before the Netherlands is due to host world leaders for a Nato summit. Last-ditch crisis talks early yesterday lasted barely half an hour before the leaders of the four coalition parties came out in a testy mood. “I have just informed the prime minister that I will withdraw the PVV

Wilders ... frustrated with slow pace of immigration policy changes. – AFPPIC

BBB farmers’ party. The backing of the VVD is less certain. The fourth party in the current coalition, the anti-corruption New Social Contract, has seen support collapse since charismatic leader Pieter Omtzigt stepped down. Far-right parties have been on the rise across Europe. In May, the far right Chega (“Enough”) party took

second place in Portuguese elections. In Germany, the anti-immigration far-right AfD doubled its score in legislative elections in February, reaching 20.8%. And in Britain, polls show the anti immigration, hard-right Reform UK party of Nigel Farage is making significant gains following a breakthrough in local elections. – AFP

Triple mushroom murder trial accused breaks down

Top Chinese general Xu Qiliang dies BEIJING: Top Chinese general Xu Qiliang, who was the former vice-chair of the powerful Central Military Commission, died of illness at age 75 on Monday. the PLA pursues combat integration and modernisation. He emerged unscathed by the anti

corruption campaign targeting the highest ranks of the PLA soon after Xi came into office, which took down his predecessors Xu Caihou and Guo Boxiong, both vice-chairs of the CMC. The military has undergone a anti corruption purge since last year, with over a dozen PLA generals including two former defence ministers and a serving CMC member removed or suspended from their posts. Born into a peasant family in eastern China’s Shandong province, Xu joined the PLA in 1966 at the beginning of the Cultural Revolution, a decade-long period of turmoil spearheaded by Mao Zedong. He was a strong advocate of military modernisation, helping transform the air force from a reliance on outdated equipment to festival on Monday, Hassabis also addressed the challenges that artificial general intelligence (AGI) – a technology that could match and even surpass human capability – would bring. “The most important thing is it’s got to be some form of international cooperation because the technology is across all borders. It’s going to get applied to all countries,” Hassabis said. “Many countries are involved in researching or building data centres or hosting these technologies. So I

Xu was a strong advocate of military modernisation. – AFPPIC stealth fighters and amphibian assault ships. Xu was commander of an air force unit in Fuzhou, Fujian province, when President Xi Jinping was the city’s party chief in the early 1990s. It is during this period that the men were reported to have become close. – Reuters think for anything to be meaningful, there has to be some sort of international cooperation and that’s looking quite difficult in today’s geopolitical context,” he said. At Paris’ AI summit in February, 58 countries called for enhanced coordination on AI governance. Hassabis on Monday advocated the implementation of “smart, adaptable regulation” because “it needs to kind of adapt to where the technology ends up going and what the problems end up being”. – AFP domestically developed

the family didn’t have to hear that I said that,” she said of the messages, that the court has previously heard in the prosecution’s case. “I was really frustrated with Simon but it wasn’t Don and Gail’s fault,” she told the court through tears. Patterson is the first witness for the defence after the prosecution rested its case on Monday, following a month of evidence from witnesses, including relatives and medical, forensic and mushroom experts. The accused began her testimony on Monday afternoon. The trial, which began on April 29, has seen intense interest from Australian and international media, with journalists descending on the town of Morwell, around two hours east of Melbourne, where the trial is being held. The trial continues. – Reuters

‘Global AI cooperation difficult’ LONDON: Artificial intelligence