NEWS OF THE DAY
1 Hezbollah ban: German police raided five sites linked to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, as authorities announced Thursday that they were banning activities by its political wing in Germany. The raids, intended to prevent evidence about possible front organizations being destroyed, took place at mosques and community centers in Berlin, Bremen, Muenster, Recklinghausen and Dortmund. Lawmakers last year called on the government to extend an existing ban on activities by the group’s militant wing to include those of its political branch. At the time, officials had warned that such a move was legally difficult, because Hezbollah doesn’t have any official presence in Germany
2 Netanyahu opinion Israel’s attorney general said Thursday that neither the criminal charges that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing nor the unusual terms of the coalition deal he struck with former rival Benny Gantz should disqualify him from forming a new government. The opinion by Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, who personally issued the indictment against him, could wind up strengthening his defenses against removal. It comes as Israel’s Supreme Court is to hear legal challenges Sunday to Netanyahu’s powersharing agreement with Gantz, who fought him to a draw in three elections.
3 New government: Slovakia’s new government, which was faced with the immediate policy challenge of the coronavirus pandemic, won a mandatory confidence vote in Parliament on Thursday. Of the 141 lawmakers present in the 150seat Parliament, 93 voted to give confidence to the fourparty coalition government that was sworn on March 21. Forty eight were opposed. The coalition is led by Prime Minister Igor Matovic, whose centerright Ordinary People captured 25% of the Feb. 29 vote. Matovic made fighting corruption the central plank of his campaign but had to refocus his priorities to deal with the pandemic. The election ended the long dominance of the scandaltainted SmerSocial Democracy, a leftofcenter party led by former Prime Minister Robert Fico.
4 Kashmir conflict: Indian artillery fire in the disputed Kashmir region hit Pakistani army posts and villages killing a soldier, a woman and a 16yearold girl, Pakistani military and government officials said Thursday. In a statement, the military blamed Indian troops for initiating an “unprovoked ceasefire violation” in the villages of Kailer and Rakhchikri along the Line of Control on Wednesday night. Lt. Col. Devender Anand, an Indian army spokesman, said Pakistani troops attacked Indian positions with small arms and mortar shells in at least four places. He called the firing an “unprovoked” violation of a 2003 ceasefire accord between the two countries. Pakistani and Indian troops often trade accusations of violating the ceasefire in Kashmir, which is divided between them and claimed by both in its entirety.
5 Peace talks: Top diplomats from Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany discussed ways to advance the peace process for eastern Ukraine in Thursday’s call, but failed to achieve any tangible progress. The call follows a December summit in Paris where the leaders of the four nations agreed to make additional steps toward ending the fighting between Ukrainian forces and Russiabacked rebels. The sixyear conflict that erupted after Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea has killed more than 14,000 people. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said after the call the four ministers agreed that negotiators from Russia, Ukraine and the rebels should quickly discuss specifics of a new ceasefire. Numerous attempts to establish a lasting truce have failed amid mutual accusations.
Chronicle News Services