Washington, May 19: U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that a planned military strike on Iran has been temporarily postponed to allow more time for diplomatic negotiations.

According to Mr. Trump, leaders of Gulf nations, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, had urged the United States to continue diplomatic engagement in order to prevent further escalation in the region.

In a statement posted on his social media platform Truth Social, Mr. Trump said the proposed military action scheduled for Tuesday had been deferred. He, however, warned that the United States remained prepared for a “full-scale” response if negotiations failed to produce a satisfactory agreement.

The U.S. President stated that the American military had been instructed to remain prepared for action at any time.

Media reports in the United States said a fresh peace proposal from Iran, along with mediation efforts by Pakistan, also contributed to the decision to delay the strike.

Discussions between Washington and Tehran are currently understood to be focused on nuclear negotiations, security in the Strait of Hormuz and possible easing of sanctions. However, the United States has continued to maintain a firm position against Iran developing nuclear weapons.

New York, May 19: Three persons were killed in a shooting incident at an Islamic centre in California after two teenagers allegedly opened fire at a mosque and school premises, according to international media reports.

The incident occurred on Monday at the Islamic Center of San Diego, where two youths aged 17 and 18 reportedly entered the premises armed with firearms and began shooting near the mosque and school area.

A security guard who attempted to stop the attackers was killed in the firing. Two others also lost their lives in the incident, reports said.

Authorities stated that the two suspects later died by suicide using firearms after carrying out the attack.

Police teams reached the spot soon after receiving information and shifted the bodies for post-mortem examination. An investigation has been launched into the incident.

According to preliminary findings, one of the suspects had allegedly brought multiple weapons from his residence. Investigators also reportedly found anti-religious slogans written on the weapons. A suicide note believed to have been written by one of the suspects was recovered by police.

The Imam of the Islamic centre said teachers, students and staff members present at the school during the shooting escaped unharmed.

Reacting to the incident, Todd Gloria condemned the attack and said residents should never have to live in fear because of their identity, beliefs or place of worship. He asserted that there was no place for hatred in San Diego.

Zohran Mamdani also strongly condemned the incident.

At least 51 people, including two medical workers, were killed in Lebanon in the past 24 hours as Israeli strikes continued to pound the country in what the Lebanese Health Ministry described as a brazen violation of international law and humanitarian norms. The ministry said Israeli forces had targeted primary healthcare centres in Khalaouiyeh and Tibnin in the Bint Jbeil district on two separate occasions, killing two health workers in the attacks.

The Israeli military, the ministry said, continues to commit what it called crimes against paramedics and medical personnel, in contravention of established conventions protecting healthcare workers in conflict zones.

Ceasefire Violated Repeatedly

The strikes come even as a three-week ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel — brokered and announced by the United States — remains technically in force. Now in its third week, the truce has been repeatedly violated by Israeli forces, which have continued to carry out attacks across Lebanese territory despite the accord.

Toll Since March

Since Israeli strikes resumed on March 2 this year, the Lebanese Health Ministry has recorded 2,846 deaths. Israeli forces have conducted more than 130 strikes during this period. According to the United Nations, 103 medical workers have been killed and 230 others wounded in these attacks — a toll that has drawn widespread international concern over the targeting of healthcare infrastructure.

'We Face the Threat Every Moment'

The human cost of the relentless bombardment was starkly articulated by Ali Safiyyuddin, head of the Lebanese Civil Defence in Tyre in southern Lebanon. Speaking to the media, he said: "We face the Israeli threat every moment, every day. We ask ourselves whether we will survive these strikes or not. But we know that by continuing to work here, we have already given up our lives. We have lost so many. It feels as though we, too, are already gone."

His words offered a grim testament to the conditions faced by first responders and emergency workers operating under constant threat of aerial attack in one of the most heavily struck regions of the country.

The United Nations and several humanitarian organisations have repeatedly called on Israel to halt attacks on medical facilities and personnel, warning that the systematic targeting of healthcare infrastructure constitutes a serious violation of international humanitarian law. Those calls have so far gone unheeded, with strikes continuing to claim the lives of civilians and health workers alike.

United States President Donald Trump on Sunday rejected Iran's latest proposal to end the West Asia conflict, declaring it entirely unacceptable, even as oil prices surged nearly three per cent on Monday amid fears that the diplomatic impasse could escalate into open confrontation.

Without elaborating on the specifics of Tehran's offer, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform: "I just read the response from those who purport to represent Iran. I don't like it — it is not acceptable in any way." The blunt dismissal came shortly after Iranian state media outlined the broad contours of what Tehran had proposed.

What Iran Sought

According to Iran's state-run news agency Tasnim, Tehran's proposals included compensation for damages suffered during the conflict, a lifting of the naval blockade on its ports, a binding American assurance against further strikes, removal of sanctions, and an end to the embargo on Iranian oil sales. Iran also demanded the release of Iranian assets frozen in international banks under American pressure, and sought guarantees for safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, as well as security arrangements in Lebanon.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ismail Baghaei defended the proposals as reasonable and responsible. "Our demands are legitimate. We called for an end to the war, the lifting of the blockade, a halt to maritime piracy, and the release of frozen Iranian assets," he said, adding that safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz and broader regional security arrangements were also among Tehran's conditions.

Hormuz Tensions and Oil Markets

With negotiations deadlocked following Trump's rejection, the Strait of Hormuz — a critical chokepoint through which a significant share of global oil supplies passes — came under renewed strain. Iran has warned that it would retaliate if the United States launches strikes, and has signalled that foreign warships may no longer be permitted to enter the strait. The resulting uncertainty sent crude oil prices sharply higher on Monday, with markets registering a rise of approximately three per cent.

Trump's China Visit from Wednesday

Against this backdrop of West Asian tensions, Trump is scheduled to travel to China on Wednesday for a three-day visit — his first trip to the country since 2017. He is expected to hold meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday and Friday, with the agenda likely to include discussions on Iran, Taiwan, artificial intelligence, and nuclear weapons.

American officials indicated that the two leaders may also take up the extension of an existing critical minerals agreement between the two countries. The visit marks the first face-to-face talks between the leaders of the world's two largest economies in six months, and comes at a time when both nations are seeking to recalibrate trade ties strained by tariff disputes.

Americans Billed for Unbuilt Power Projects

In a separate development, millions of American consumers are being charged for electricity grid upgrades that have not yet been completed — and whose benefits remain years away. As ageing grid infrastructure prompts policymakers to accelerate modernisation, utilities across the United States are being permitted to bill customers in advance of the construction of new power plants and transmission lines, according to a Reuters report.

The move is being justified on the grounds that upfront financing will yield long-term savings, but households and businesses already grappling with elevated energy costs are set to see their bills rise further. Demand for grid upgrades has intensified amid the rapid expansion of data centres driven by artificial intelligence, adding urgency to the overhaul. Critics, however, argue that utilities should recover construction costs only after projects are completed, rather than passing financial risk on to consumers during the building phase. Individual household bills could rise by several dollars per month as a result of the pre-construction charges.

BEIRUT — The missiles came without warning.

In a single strike on the southern Lebanese district of Jezzine on Saturday, three journalists were dead. A 30-year veteran of war reporting. A young female correspondent who had just signed off from a live broadcast. Her brother, camera still in his hands.

Gone. All three. In an instant.

And within hours, Israel had an explanation ready — one that raised more questions than it answered.

The Strike

The facts, as far as they can be established, are these:

An Israeli airstrike hit the Jezzine district of southern Lebanon on Saturday. Among those killed were Ali Shoeib, a correspondent for Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV with nearly three decades of experience covering the south; Fatima Ftouni, a reporter for pan-Arab Al-Mayadeen TV who had just completed a live broadcast from the area; and her brother Mohammed, a video journalist working alongside her.

Three media workers. One strike. No survivors.

The Accusation

Israel's military moved quickly to justify the killing of Shoeib — and only Shoeib. In a statement, the Israeli army accused him of being a Hezbollah intelligence operative, claiming he had been "systematically exposing the locations of Israeli soldiers" and maintaining contact with Hezbollah militants.

Evidence? There was none. At least none that was made public.

As for Fatima and Mohammed Ftouni — the sister and brother who died in the very same strike — the Israeli military had nothing to say. Their names did not appear in the statement. Their deaths went unacknowledged. They were, in the eyes of the Israeli army's official account, as if they had never existed.

The Pattern

This is not the first time Israel has labeled a journalist it killed as a militant.

Throughout its devastating war against Hamas in Gaza, the Israeli military has repeatedly accused Palestinian journalists targeted in airstrikes of being Hamas operatives. The allegations have become so routine, so predictable, that press freedom organizations around the world have begun treating them as a template — a ready-made justification deployed after the fact, immune to scrutiny because the accused can no longer speak for themselves.

Saturday's strike fits that template with uncomfortable precision.

Al-Manar TV pushed back firmly, describing Shoeib as a journalist of integrity, "distinguished by his professional and credible reporting of events." The station stopped short of directly addressing Israel's specific allegations — but its message was clear.

The Broader Assault on Lebanese Media

To understand Saturday's killings, you have to zoom out.

Since the latest Israel-Hezbollah war erupted on March 2, Israel's air force has not limited itself to military targets. It has struck Al-Manar TV's headquarters. It has bombed Hezbollah's Al-Nour radio station. And just days before Saturday's strike, an Israeli airstrike on a central Beirut apartment building killed Mohammed Sherri — the head of political programs at Al-Manar TV — along with his wife.

The message being sent, critics argue, is unmistakable: if you report from the other side, you are a target.

With Saturday's deaths, five journalists and media workers have now been killed in Lebanon in less than a month of conflict. Five people who went to work with a camera, a microphone, or a notepad — and did not come home.

The Response

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called the strike exactly what many believe it to be — "a flagrant crime that violates all laws and agreements that protect journalists." His condemnation was swift, sharp, and unambiguous.

Israel has not responded to the criticism.

The Questions That Demand Answers

Here is what we know: Three journalists are dead. Israel killed them. Israel has provided no verifiable evidence to support its characterization of the strike as a legitimate military operation. Two of the three victims were not even mentioned in Israel's official statement.

Here is what we do not know: What intelligence, if any, underpinned Israel's decision to fire. Why Fatima and Mohammed Ftouni — journalists with no alleged militant connections — were in the strike zone. And whether anyone, anywhere, will be held accountable.

In wars across history, journalists have always paid a price for bearing witness. But when the killing of reporters becomes systematic, when the justifications become formulaic, and when entire media organizations are reduced to rubble — the free press itself becomes a casualty of war.

Fatima Ftouni was on air minutes before she died.

She was telling the world what was happening.

Now she is the story.

PYONGYANG — In the shadow of America's war in the Middle East, North Korea's Kim Jong Un is sending a message of his own — and it is written in rocket fuel.

State media reported Sunday that Kim personally observed the ground test of a newly upgraded high-thrust, solid-fuel missile engine, hailing it as a landmark moment in his country's drive to build a nuclear arsenal capable of threatening the United States mainland. The announcement, carried by the Korean Central News Agency, signals that while the world's eyes are fixed on Iran, Pyongyang is quietly — and deliberately — advancing its most dangerous weapons program.

Bigger, Faster, Harder to Stop

The numbers tell the story. The newly tested engine recorded a maximum thrust of 2,500 kilotons — a significant jump from the 1,971 kilotons recorded in a similar solid-fuel engine test conducted just last September. The upgraded engine was built using composite carbon fiber materials, KCNA reported, reflecting the sophistication North Korea is pouring into its missile development.

Defense analysts say the push for greater engine power is almost certainly tied to one goal: placing multiple warheads on a single missile. The strategy, known as MIRVing — Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicles — would dramatically increase the chances of penetrating and overwhelming U.S. missile defense systems.

In plain terms, North Korea wants a missile that is not just powerful, but nearly impossible to stop.

A Five-Year Plan With America in Its Crosshairs

Sunday's test was not a one-off provocation. It forms part of North Korea's formal five-year military escalation program, a sweeping blueprint to upgrade what KCNA calls "strategic strike means" — a term universally understood to refer to nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles aimed at the continental United States.

Kim left no ambiguity about the stakes. The latest engine test, he said, carries "great significance in putting the country's strategic military muscle on the highest level."

It is the language of a leader who believes he is winning an arms race — and wants Washington to know it.

Solid Fuel: The Art of Surprise

Perhaps the most alarming aspect of North Korea's missile modernization is its shift toward solid-fuel propulsion. Unlike the country's older liquid-fuel missiles — which must be laboriously fueled before launch, giving satellites and intelligence agencies precious warning time — solid-fuel missiles can be fired with little to no advance notice.

They can be hidden. They can be moved. And they can be launched before an adversary even knows they are coming.

North Korea has test-fired a growing arsenal of solid-fuel ICBMs in recent years, each one demonstrating a potential reach to the U.S. mainland. The trajectory of the program is unmistakable.

Hurdles Remain — But For How Long?

Not all experts agree that North Korea has crossed the finish line. Some foreign analysts point to unresolved technical challenges — most notably, ensuring that a warhead can survive the punishing heat and pressure of atmospheric reentry before striking its target.

But others are less reassuring. Given the decades North Korea has invested in its nuclear and missile programs, and the pace of recent advances, skeptics of Pyongyang's capabilities may be underestimating what Kim's scientists have quietly achieved behind closed doors.

The Ghost of Singapore

Sunday's test comes against a charged political backdrop. Kim delivered a fiery speech to North Korea's Parliament just days ago, pledging to irreversibly cement his country's nuclear status and accusing Washington of global "state terrorism and aggression" — a thinly veiled broadside against the U.S. military campaign in the Middle East.

Yet behind the rhetoric lies a more complex reality. At a Workers' Party congress in February, Kim left the door open — just a crack — for renewed dialogue with President Donald Trump. His condition, however, was non-negotiable: Washington must abandon any demand for North Korean nuclear disarmament before talks can begin.

It is a position that has deadlocked diplomacy since Kim and Trump's high-profile negotiations collapsed in Hanoi in 2019. Six years on, North Korea's arsenal is larger, its missiles more powerful, and its leader more confident than ever.

The World's Most Dangerous Waiting Game

As U.S. forces remain engaged in the Middle East and Washington's attention is stretched across multiple global flashpoints, Kim Jong Un appears to be playing a long and patient game — testing, upgrading, and advancing, one engine at a time.

The question hanging over every capital from Washington to Seoul to Tokyo is not whether North Korea will eventually have a fully functioning ICBM capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to American soil.

The question is how much time is left before it does.

They came by the millions. From the gleaming skyline of New York City to the quiet back roads of rural Idaho, Americans poured into the streets Saturday in a sweeping display of defiance — marching, chanting, and singing against a president they say has gone too far.

The "No Kings" movement, now in its third and largest wave, brought an estimated 9 million people into public squares, courthouse steps, and city parks across all 50 states. More than 3,100 events were registered — 500 more than the last round in October. The message was unified, the energy electric, and the anger very real.

The Boss Takes the Stage in Minnesota

If one image defined Saturday's protests, it was this: Bruce Springsteen, guitar in hand, standing before a sea of thousands on the Capitol lawn in St. Paul, Minnesota — the undisputed heart of the movement.

Springsteen performed "Streets of Minneapolis," the haunting song he wrote following the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents during a surge of ICE enforcement operations. His voice cracked with emotion as he honored their memory — but his eyes burned with defiance.

"Your strength and your commitment told us that this was still America," Springsteen told the crowd. "And this reactionary nightmare, and these invasions of American cities, will not stand."

The crowd roared.

Minnesota has become a symbol of resistance. Through a brutal winter, its residents stood firm against waves of immigration enforcement agents flooding their cities. On Saturday, the state wore that resistance like a badge of honor.

From Blue Cities to Red Heartland

What makes this movement impossible to dismiss is its geography. These are not just the protests of coastal liberals.

Saturday's rallies stretched from New York City — home to 8.5 million people in one of America's bluest states — all the way to Driggs, Idaho, a town of fewer than 2,000 souls in a state where Trump won with 66% of the vote in 2024. The "No Kings" movement has found its way into corners of America where dissent rarely gets a public stage.

Organizers say the first rally drew more than 5 million in June. The second pulled in 7 million in October. Saturday's expected turnout of 9 million suggests the movement is not fading — it is growing.

Mostly Peaceful, but Not Without Friction

The vast majority of Saturday's events were peaceful — filled with music, speeches, and impassioned crowds. But in some cities, tensions boiled over.

In Los Angeles, authorities deployed tear gas near a federal detention center downtown, where protesters had gathered in large numbers. Officers from the Los Angeles Police Department eventually arrested several individuals for failing to disperse. Earlier in the day, the atmosphere had been festive — a band playing Spanish-language music, people dancing in the streets.

In Denver, police declared an unlawful assembly after a small group of protesters blocked a road and refused to move. Officers deployed smoke canisters, and some in the crowd hurled them back. At least nine people were arrested before the situation calmed.

The White House Hits Back

Not everyone was moved by the spectacle.

The White House wasted no time going on the offensive. Spokesperson Abigail Jackson dismissed the rallies as the product of "leftist funding networks," insisting they reflected fringe opinion rather than mainstream sentiment. The protesters, she said, were little more than fodder for journalists looking for a story.

The National Republican Congressional Committee was even sharper in its rhetoric. Spokesperson Maureen O'Toole labeled the events "Hate America Rallies," claiming they gave a platform to what she called the far-left's most extreme voices.

But with millions in the streets and the movement still growing, the White House's dismissals may be harder to sell with each passing weekend.

A Movement That Will Not Be Silenced

Three rallies in. Millions in the streets. A rock legend on stage. Protests in red states and blue ones alike.

Whatever one thinks of the politics, one thing is clear: the "No Kings" movement is not going away. And as America's war in Iran grinds forward and immigration enforcement continues to reshape communities across the country, the crowds gathering each weekend seem to have no intention of going home quietly.

America is talking. The question now is — who is listening?

The number of American military personnel wounded in the ongoing conflict with Iran has now exceeded 300, with the latest wave of injuries stemming from a coordinated strike on a key Saudi Arabian air base.

Iran launched a barrage of six ballistic missiles and 29 drones targeting Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia on Friday, wounding at least 15 U.S. troops — five of them seriously. Early assessments had reported at least 10 American service members injured in the strike, with two in serious condition.

As tensions continue to escalate, the United States is reinforcing its military presence across the region. U.S. Central Command confirmed Saturday that the USS Tripoli, a Navy amphibious assault ship, has arrived in the Middle East carrying approximately 2,500 Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit. The Japan-based vessel had been conducting exercises near Taiwan when it received deployment orders nearly two weeks ago.

కాఠ్‌మాండూ: నేపాల్‌లో అల్లర్లు తారాస్థాయికి చేరుకున్నాయి. సోషల్ మీడియా నిషేధంతో ప్రారంభమైన ఆందోళనలు తీవ్ర రూపం దాల్చాయి. ఈ పరిణామాల మధ్య నేపాల్ ప్రధాని కెపి శర్మ ఒలీ తన పదవికి రాజీనామా చేశారు. సైన్యం సూచన మేరకు ఆయన పదవి నుంచి తప్పుకున్నారని సమాచారం. సోషల్ మీడియాపై నిషేధం ఎత్తివేసినా అల్లర్లు ఆగకపోవడం గమనార్హం.

అవినీతి నిర్మూలన కోసం విద్యార్థులు, యువత భారీ ఎత్తున వీధుల్లోకి వచ్చారు. కాఠ్‌మాండూ సహా అనేక జిల్లాల్లో నిరసనలు ఉధృతమయ్యాయి. మాజీ ప్రధానులు, మంత్రుల ఇళ్లపై రాళ్ల దాడులు జరిపారు. ఆందోళనకారులను అణిచివేసేందుకు భద్రతా బలగాలు కాల్పులకు తెగబడ్డాయి. ఈ ఘర్షణల్లో 20 మంది ప్రాణాలు కోల్పోయారు.

ఇప్పటికే పలువురు మంత్రులు పదవులకు రాజీనామా చేశారు. నైతిక బాధ్యత వహిస్తూ హోం మంత్రి లేఖక్ తన పదవి నుంచి తప్పుకున్నారు. తాజాగా ప్రధాని ఒలీ రాజీనామాతో నేపాల్ పగ్గాలు తాత్కాలికంగా సైన్యం చేతుల్లోకి వెళ్లనున్నాయని రాజకీయ వర్గాల్లో చర్చ జరుగుతోంది.

ఖాట్మండూ: నేపాల్‌లో సోషల్ మీడియా నిషేధంపై రాజధాని ఖాట్మండూ Monday ఉద్రిక్తంగా మారింది. కేపీ శర్మ ఓలీ ప్రభుత్వంపై యువత భారీ ఎత్తున నిరసనకు దిగగా.. ఆందోళనలు హింసాత్మకంగా మారాయి. ఇప్పటివరకు 20 మంది ప్రాణాలు కోల్పోగా, 200 మందికిపైగా గాయపడ్డారు. ఈ ఘటనల నేపథ్యంలో హోంమంత్రి లేఖక్ నైతిక బాధ్యత వహిస్తూ రాజీనామా చేశారు.

తీవ్ర ఘర్షణలు – కాల్పులు
పార్లమెంట్ వద్ద భారీ ఎత్తున బారికేడ్లు దాటి లోనికి చొరబడే ప్రయత్నం చేసిన ఆందోళనకారులపై పోలీసులు బలప్రయోగం చేశారు. ఘర్షణలు పెరగడంతో కాల్పులు జరపాల్సిన పరిస్థితి ఏర్పడింది. వేలాది మంది యువతతో ఖాట్మండూ వీధులు జనసముద్రంగా మారాయి. నిషేధిత జోన్లను కూడా నిరసనకారులు లెక్క చేయకపోవడంతో పరిస్థితి అదుపు తప్పింది.

కర్ఫ్యూ, నిషేధాజ్ఞలు
హింసాత్మక సంఘటనల కారణంగా రాజధానిలో పలు ప్రాంతాల్లో కర్ఫ్యూ విధించారు. మధ్యాహ్నం 12.30 గంటల నుంచి రాత్రి 10 గంటల వరకు సమావేశాలు, నిరసనలు, గుమికూడడాలు నిషేధించనున్నట్లు అధికారులు ప్రకటించారు. పార్లమెంట్, రాష్ట్రపతి భవన్, ప్రధాని కార్యాలయం వంటి కీలక ప్రాంతాలను సీల్చేశారు.

సోషల్ మీడియా నిషేధమే కారణం
నేపాల్ ప్రభుత్వం గత వారం 26 సామాజిక మాధ్యమాలపై నిషేధం విధించింది. రిజిస్ట్రేషన్ గడువు తీరినా ఫేస్‌బుక్, ఇన్‌స్టాగ్రామ్, యూట్యూబ్, ఎక్స్ (ట్విట్టర్), వాట్సాప్, లింక్డ్‌ఇన్, రెడిట్ తదితర ప్లాట్‌ఫారాలు రిజిస్టర్ కానందున వాటిపై ఆంక్షలు అమలుచేశారు. అయితే, టిక్‌టాక్, వైబర్, పోపో లైవ్ వంటి కొన్ని యాప్‌లు మాత్రం అనుమతులు పొందాయి. ఈ నిర్ణయాన్ని ప్రజలు భావ ప్రకటనా స్వేచ్ఛపై దాడిగా ఖండిస్తున్నారు.

ఓలీ ప్రభుత్వంపై విమర్శలు
“ప్రభుత్వ నిర్ణయం డిజిటల్ నేపాల్‌కు ముప్పు” అని కంప్యూటర్ అసోసియేషన్ ఆఫ్ నేపాల్ విమర్శించింది. పత్రికా స్వేచ్ఛ, సమాచార హక్కును కించపరిచే చర్య అని జర్నలిస్టుల సమాఖ్య మండిపడింది. మరోవైపు, ప్రతిపక్షం 20 మంది ప్రాణాలు తీసిన ఈ హింసకు కారణమైన కేపీ శర్మ ఓలీ పదవి నుంచి తప్పుకోవాలని డిమాండ్ చేసింది.

పారిస్: ఫ్రాన్స్‌లో రాజకీయ అస్థిరత మళ్లీ తలెత్తింది. పార్లమెంటులో జరిగిన అవిశ్వాస తీర్మానంలో ప్రధాని ఫ్రాంకోయిస్ బేరౌ ఓటమి చెందడంతో ఆయన ప్రభుత్వం కూలిపోయింది. దీంతో కేవలం 12 నెలల్లోనే ఫ్రాన్స్ నాలుగో ప్రధానమంత్రిని ఎన్నుకోవాల్సిన పరిస్థితి ఏర్పడింది.

ఓటింగ్‌లో ఘోర పరాజయం
గతేడాది డిసెంబర్‌లో అధ్యక్షుడు ఇమ్మాన్యుయేల్ మాక్రాన్ నియమించిన బేరౌకు వ్యతిరేకంగా 364-194 ఓట్ల తేడాతో మెజారిటీ లభించింది. దీంతో ఆయన అధికారాన్ని కోల్పోయారు.

ఆర్థిక ఒత్తిడిపై అవిశ్వాస తీర్మానం
ఫ్రాన్స్ ఎదుర్కొంటున్న ఆర్థిక సంక్షోభంపై స్వయంగా బేరౌనే అవిశ్వాస తీర్మానాన్ని ప్రవేశపెట్టారు. తన ప్రణాళికలకు మద్దతు ఇవ్వాలని జాతీయ అసెంబ్లీలో సభ్యులను కోరినా ఫలితం లేకపోయింది. అప్పుల భారం దేశ ఆర్థిక వ్యవస్థపై తీవ్ర ఒత్తిడి పెంచుతోందని ఆయన హెచ్చరించారు.

“వాస్తవం తుడిచిపెట్టలేరు”
“ప్రభుత్వాన్ని కూల్చే శక్తి మీకు ఉంది.. కానీ వాస్తవాన్ని తుడిచిపెట్టే శక్తి లేదు” అని అసెంబ్లీలో బేరౌ పేర్కొన్నారు. అయినా, ఆయన ప్రభుత్వానికి మద్దతు లభించకపోవడంతో ఫ్రాన్స్ మళ్లీ నాయకత్వ సంక్షోభంలోకి జారుకుంది.