Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte pitched his new left-leaning coalition to lawmakers Monday ahead of crucial confidence votes, while the right-wing leader who brought down the last government protested at a rally outside Parliament that citizens wanted their say at the ballot box.
The lower Chamber of Deputies, where Conte's second government has a fairly comfortable majority, was set to vote Monday evening. Fortunes for the coalition - the populist 5-Star Movement, the center-left Democratic Party and a tiny left-wing party - are dicier in the Senate, which is set to vote Tuesday.
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Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte pitched his new left-leaning coalition to lawmakers Monday ahead of crucial confidence votes, while the right-wing leader who brought down the last government protested at a rally outside Parliament that citizens wanted their say at the ballot box.
But the 5-Stars and Democrats set aside bitter rivalry to forge an alternative coalition, foiling Salvini and his far-right allies in their immediate quest for an election.
While he spoke, boos and catcalls rose from the ranks of opposition lawmakers, as well as from protesters in the square outside the Chamber's headquarters.
Any defections by lawmakers uneasy with the new alliance could cost Conte victory in the confidence votes, especially in the Senate, where his majority comes down to a handful of senators. If he loses, he must resign as premier.
Harsh EU fiscal rules, coupled with a perceived lack of EU solidarity as Italy struggled to serve huge numbers of migrants who headed to Europe by crossing the Mediterranean Sea, helped boost Salvini's popularity when he was interior minister in Conte's first government.
Salvini was defiant. "We'll close the ports, all together, because in Italy you don't get in without permission."
Conte's first, all-populist government collapsed after 14 months when Interior Minister Matteo Salvini withdrew his anti-migrant League as a coalition partner. The firebrand League leader bet the move would trigger an early election to him the premiership.
Brothers of Italy right wing party leader Giorgia Meloni waves during a demonstration with the League protesting against the 5-Star and Democratic party coalition government outside the Lower Chamber, in Rome, Monday, Sept. 9, 2019. Conte is pitching for support in Parliament for his new left-leaning coalition ahead of crucial confidence votes and the lower Chamber of Deputies, where the government has a comfortable majority, is set to vote Monday evening. (Riccardo AntimianiANSA via AP)
But the 5-Stars and Democrats set aside bitter rivalry to forge an alternative coalition, foiling Salvini and his far-right allies in their immediate quest for an election.
Conte vowed his new government would be long-lasting and focused on getting Italy's stubbornly stagnant economy growing again.
His coalition will pursue "a broad-ranging reformist agenda and for a long period, to make the best energies of Italy grow and to help relaunch sustainable growth, employment and social cohesion" in Europe," the premier told lawmakers Monday.
The League's leader Matteo Salvini speaks during a demonstration with far-right party Brothers of Italy against the 5-Star and Democratic party coalition government while Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte was addressing Parliament at the Lower Chamber, in Rome, Monday, Sept. 9, 2019. The lower Chamber of Deputies, where the government has a comfortable majority, is set to vote Monday evening. (Riccardo AntimianiANSA via AP)
While he spoke, boos and catcalls rose from the ranks of opposition lawmakers, as well as from protesters in the square outside the Chamber's headquarters.
"Inside, there's a regime that know that it's about to fall," Salvini, still hopeful of getting an early election, told the rally crowd.
The Democrats and the 5-Stars were political enemies until last month, and Conte will have to work to get his two main coalition partners to stick together. He called for political forces to "put aside egoism and old rancor."
Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte addresses parliament ahead of confidence vote later at the Lower Chamber in Rome, Monday, Sept. 9, 2019. Conte is pitching for support in Parliament for his new left-leaning coalition ahead of crucial confidence votes. (AP PhotoAndrew Medichini)
Any defections by lawmakers uneasy with the new alliance could cost Conte victory in the confidence votes, especially in the Senate, where his majority comes down to a handful of senators. If he loses, he must resign as premier.
With the difficult task of slashing billions of euros from the 2020 state budget looming, Conte also appealed to European Union leaders for flexibility in spending rules.
Conte also insisted that EU nations take more of the share of asylum-seekers and refugees, who are fleeing poverty as well as persecution. Opinion polls show Italians favored the crackdowns on illegal immigration led by Salvini under the previous government.
Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte, standing at center, sits with his cabinet ministers as he addresses parliament ahead of confidence vote later at the Lower Chamber in Rome, Monday, Sept. 9, 2019. Conte is pitching for support in Parliament for his new left-leaning coalition ahead of crucial confidence votes. (AP PhotoAndrew Medichini)
Harsh EU fiscal rules, coupled with a perceived lack of EU solidarity as Italy struggled to serve huge numbers of migrants who headed to Europe by crossing the Mediterranean Sea, helped boost Salvini's popularity when he was interior minister in Conte's first government.
Buoyed by a League triumph in European Parliament elections this year, Salvini stiffened an already-tough government policy on illegal immigration, in particular banning charity migrant rescue boats from entering Italian ports.
Conte indicated that policy will be tweaked, without giving details.
Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte, standing at center, sits with his cabinet ministers as he addresses parliament ahead of confidence vote later at the Lower Chamber in Rome, Monday, Sept. 9, 2019. Conte is pitching for support in Parliament for his new left-leaning coalition ahead of crucial confidence votes. (AP PhotoAndrew Medichini)
Salvini was defiant. "We'll close the ports, all together, because in Italy you don't get in without permission."
Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte leans to listen to Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese, left, ahead of confidence vote later, at the Lower Chamber in Rome, Monday, Sept. 9, 2019. Conte is pitching for support in Parliament for his new left-leaning coalition ahead of crucial confidence votes. (AP PhotoAndrew Medichini)
PARIS (AP) —
Reuters photographer Mohammed Salem captured this year’s prestigious World Press Photo of the Year award Thursday with a depiction of loss and sorrow in Gaza, a heartrending photo of a Palestinian woman cradling the body of her young niece. The photograph, taken in Khan Younis just days after Salem’s own child was born, shows 36-year-old Inas Abu Maamar holding five-year-old Saly, who was killed along with her mother and sister when an Israeli missile struck their home.
Salem, who is Palestinian, described this photo filed Nov. 2 last year, as a “powerful and sad moment that sums up the broader sense of what was happening in the Gaza Strip.”
The image ”truly encapsulates this sense of impact,” said global jury chair Fiona Shields, The Guardian newspaper's head of photography. “It is incredibly moving to view and at the same time an argument for peace, which is extremely powerful when peace can sometimes feel like an unlikely fantasy,” she added.
The World Press Photo jury praised the shot’s sense of care and respect and its offering of a “metaphorical and literal glimpse into unimaginable loss.”
This is not the first time Salem has been recognized for his work on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; he received a World Press Photo award more than a decade ago for another depiction of the human toll of conflict in the Gaza strip.
In the three other global categories announced Thursday, South Africa’s Lee-Ann Olwage won Photo Story of the Year for her touching series “Valim-babena,” featured in GEO magazine. The project focused on the stigmatization of dementia in Madagascar, a topic she explored through intimate portraits of “Dada Paul” and his family. Lack of public awareness surrounding dementia means that people displaying symptoms of memory loss are often stigmatized.
In the series, “Dada Paul,” who has lived with dementia for 11 years, is tenderly cared for by his daughter Fara. One of the standout images in the series shows him preparing for church with his granddaughter Odliatemix, capturing moments of normalcy and warmth amidst the challenges of dementia.
Photographer Alejandro Cegarra, a Venezuelan native who migrated to Mexico in 2017, won the Long-Term Project award for “The Two Walls,” published by The New York Times and Bloomberg. Cegarra’s project, initiated in 2018, examines a shift in Mexico’s immigration policies, which have moved from being historically open to enforcing strict regulations at its southern border. The jury said the photographer's perspective as a migrant gave it a “sensitive," human-centered perspective, according to a press release.
Julia Kochetova of Ukraine won the Open Format award for “War Is Personal.” The project stood out from coverage of the ongoing conflict by offering a personal look at the harsh realities of war. On a dedicated website, she merged traditional photojournalism with a diary-like documentary style, incorporating photography, poetry, audio clips and music.
The Associated Press won the Open Format award in the regional Africa category with the multimedia story “Adrift,” created by journalists Renata Brito and Felipe Dana. The story investigates the fate of West African migrants who attempted to reach Europe via a treacherous Atlantic route but ended up on a ghost ship discovered off Tobago. The team’s compelling use of photography, cinematography and detailed narrative, enhanced by expert design and multimedia elements, highlights the perils faced by migrants and the human stories behind global migration issues.
The Associated Press' Ebrahim Noroozi won the Asia Stories award for his series “Afghanistan on the Edge,” which documents the country since the Taliban took over in August 2021.
World Press Photo is an independent, nonprofit organization based in the Netherlands, founded in 1955.
This image provided by World Press Photo is part of a series titled Afghanistan on the Edge by Ebrahim Noroozi, Associated Press, which won the World Press Photo Asia Series category and showsAn Afghan refugee rests in the desert next to a camp near the Torkham Pakistan-Afghanistan border, in Torkham, Afghanistan, Friday, Nov. 17, 2023. A huge number of Afghans refugees entered the Torkham border to return home hours before the expiration of a Pakistani government deadline for those who are in the country illegally to leave or face deportation. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
This image provided by World Press Photo is part of a series titled Afghanistan on the Edge by Ebrahim Noroozi, Associated Press, which won the World Press Photo Asia Series category and shows : Since the chaotic Taliban takeover of Kabul on Aug. 15, 2021, an already war-devastated economy once kept alive by international donations alone is now on the verge of collapse. There isn't enough money for hospitals. The World Health Organization is warning of millions of children suffering malnutrition, and the U.N. says 97% of Afghans will soon be living below the poverty line. Three Afghan internally displaced children look with surprise at an apple that their mother brought home after begging, in a camp on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Feb 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
This image provided by World Press Photo is part of a multimedia project by Associated Press' Renata Brito and Felipe Dana titled Adrift, won the World Press Photo Africa Regional Winner Open Format category and shows a mortuary technician opening the door of a refrigerator used to store the remains of migrants recovered from inside the Mauritania boat that appeared drifting near the island of Tobago, in Scarborough, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022. In May 2021 a boat from Mauritania full of dead men was found off the coast of the Caribbean Island of Tobago. Who were these men and why were they on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean? Two visual journalists sought answers, uncovering a story about migrants from West Africa who seek opportunity in Europe via an increasingly popular but treacherous Atlantic route. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
This image provided by World Press Photo is part of a multimedia project by Associated Press' Renata Brito and Felipe Dana titled Adrift, won the World Press Photo Africa Regional Winner Open Format category and shows young fishermen walk into the ocean to board an artisanal fishing boat in Nouakchott, Mauritania, Friday, Dec. 10, 2021. In May 2021 a boat from Mauritania full of dead men was found off the coast of the Caribbean Island of Tobago. Who were these men and why were they on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean? Two visual journalists sought answers, uncovering a story about migrants from West Africa who seek opportunity in Europe via an increasingly popular but treacherous Atlantic route. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
This image provided by World Press Photo is part of a multimedia project by Associated Press' Renata Brito and Felipe Dana titled Adrift, won the World Press Photo Africa Regional Winner Open Format category and shows Moussa Sako, an asylum-seeker from Mali, who survived 22 days aboard a Mauritanian boat drifting in the Atlantic Ocean covers his face during an interview with the Associated Press in Guadalajara, Spain, Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021. In May 2021 a boat from Mauritania full of dead men was found off the coast of the Caribbean Island of Tobago. Who were these men and why were they on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean? Two visual journalists sought answers, uncovering a story about migrants from West Africa who seek opportunity in Europe via an increasingly popular but treacherous Atlantic route. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
This image provided by World Press Photo and taken by Julia Kochetova is part of a series titled War is Personal which won the World Press Photo Open Format Award. Amidst tens of thousands of civilian and military casualties and an effective stalemate that has lasted for months, there are no signs of peace on the horizon for Russia's war in Ukraine. While news media updates its audience with statistics and maps, and international attention drifts elsewhere, the photographer has created a personal website that brings together photojournalism with the personal documentary style of a diary to show the world what it is like to live with war as an everyday reality. (Julia Kochetova/World Press Photo via AP)
This image provided by World Press Photo and taken by Julia Kochetova is part of a series titled War is Personal which won the World Press Photo Open Format Award and shows a stabilization point near Bakhmut, Ukraine, of the 5th assault brigade and 77th brigade. Hospitalliers battalion - volunteer battalion of combat medics are helping here. Amidst tens of thousands of civilian and military casualties and an effective stalemate that has lasted for months, there are no signs of peace on the horizon for Russia's war in Ukraine. While news media updates its audience with statistics and maps, and international attention drifts elsewhere, the photographer has created a personal website that brings together photojournalism with the personal documentary style of a diary to show the world what it is like to live with war as an everyday reality. (Julia Kochetova/Der Spiegel/World Press Photo via AP)
This image provided by World Press Photo and taken by Julia Kochetova is part of a series titled War is Personal which won the World Press Photo Open Format Award and shows the training of mobilized conscripts of 68th brigade in Donetsk region, not far from frontline. 68th brigade recently liberated Blagodatne village during the Ukrainian counter-offensive. The instructors came from US, working for NGO "Saber".Amidst tens of thousands of civilian and military casualties and an effective stalemate that has lasted for months, there are no signs of peace on the horizon for Russia's war in Ukraine. While news media updates its audience with statistics and maps, and international attention drifts elsewhere, the photographer has created a personal website that brings together photojournalism with the personal documentary style of a diary to show the world what it is like to live with war as an everyday reality. (Julia Kochetova/Der Spiegel/World Press Photo via AP)
This image provided by World Press Photo and taken by Alejandro Cegarra for The New Times/Bloomberg is part of a series titled The Two Walls which won the World Press Photo Long-Term Project Award and shows Carlos Mendoza, a Venezuelan migrant, crossing the Rio Grande river to seek asylum in the United States. Piedras Negras, Mexico, 7 October 2023. (Alejandro Cegarra/The New York Times/Bloomberg/World Press Photo via AP)
This image provided by World Press Photo and taken by Alejandro Cegarra for The New Times/Bloomberg is part of a series titled The Two Walls which won the World Press Photo Long-Term Project Award and shows a migrant walking atop a freight train known as "The Beast." Migrants and asylum seekers lacking the financial resources to pay a smuggler often resort to using cargo trains to reach the United States border. This mode of transportation is very dangerous; over the years, hundreds have fallen onto the tracks and have been killed or maimed. Piedras Negras, Mexico, 8 October 2023. (Alejandro Cegarra/The New York Times/Bloomberg/World Press Photo via AP)
This image provided by World Press Photo and taken by Lee-Ann Olwage for GEO is part of a series titled Valim-babena which won the World Press Photo Story of the Year Award and shows Dada Paul Rakotazandriny (91), who is living with dementia, and his granddaughter, Odliatemix Rafaraniriana (5), get ready for church on Sunday morning at his home in Antananarivo, Madagascar. 12 March 2023. (Lee-Ann Olwage/Geo/World Press Photo via AP)
This image provided by World Press Photo and taken by Lee-Ann Olwage for GEO is part of a series titled Valim-babena which won the World Press Photo Story of the Year Award and shows Joeline (Fara) Rafaraniriana (41) watches her father, Dada Paul Rakotazandriny (91) clean fish at home on Sunday afternoon. A typical Sunday consists of the family attending church in the morning and spending time together in the afternoon. Fara works during the week and as the sole provider and carer for her daughter and father struggles to manage all her responsibilities in the absence of assistance by her siblings who live close by. Mandrosoa Ivato, Antananarivo, Madagascar. 12 March 2023. (Lee-Ann Olwage/Geo/World Press Photo via AP)
This image provided by World Press Photo and taken by Mohammed Salem of the Reuters news agency won the World Press Photo Award of the Year and shows Palestinian woman Inas Abu Maamar, 36, embracing the body of her 5-year-old niece Saly, who was killed in an Israeli strike, at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, October 17, 2023. (Mohammed Salem/Reuters/World Press Photo via AP)
