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Added on the 15/01/2021 17:07:30 - Copyright : France 24 EN
The Hague, Jan 15 (EFE), (Camera: Imane Rachidi).- The government of Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte resigned Friday in the wake of a child welfare scandal in which thousands of families, many of immigrant origin, were wrongly accused of benefit fraud.Dutch media and public broadcaster NOS said Rutte would officially tender his resignation to the king but that ministers would remain in a caretaker government until elections on 17 March.The move comes at a crucial time in the Netherlands’ Covid-19 campaign with the country still in lockdown to contain a surge in cases.With the decision, however, Rutte’s cabinet wanted to take responsibility for what is widely regarded as the biggest scandal to hit the liberal formation since it came to power in 2010.FOOTAGE OF THE HAGUE ON FRIDAY.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak addresses the wrongful conviction of more than 700 people who ran post offices between 1999 and 2005, saying that the government will do "everything we can do make this right". The prosecutions for theft and false accounting have received new attention following a new television drama about one branch manager's fight for justice. The Post Office began installing Horizon IT software made by Fujitsu in the late 1990s, but flaws in its programming showed up deficits in branch accounts. Postal service executives, refusing to acknowledge problems with the software, forced workers to repay the shortfalls. Some were imprisoned or left out of pocket, while others failed to find other jobs and lost their homes. Speaking at an event in Lancashire, the prime minister says "it's simply wrong what happened" and that new efforts are being made to hurry pardons and compensation for those who have not yet received them. SOUNDBITE
The Dutch government raises an Israeli flag in front of their headquarters in a statement of support for Israel, two days after Hamas launched a massive surprise attack, killing more than 700 Israelis according to the Israel Defence Forces. On Sunday, the Israeli government officially declared war on Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that controls Gaza. Israeli air strikes have hammered the impoverished and blockaded Gaza Strip, an enclave of 2.3 million people, with officials there reporting at least 413 Palestinian deaths. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned Israel to prepare for a "long and difficult" conflict. IMAGES
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte leaves Huis ten Bosch Palace in The Hague after presenting his resignation to King Willem-Alexander. Rutte's coalition government collapsed in a row over migration, triggering elections later this year. IMAGES
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi handed in his resignation on Thursday, the office of President Sergio Mattarella says, after his national unity coalition government crumbled. SOUNDBITE
Vienna, Oct 9 (EFE).- Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz stepped down Saturday amid a corruption inquiry targeting him, his closest aides and the ruling conservative OVP People's Party.The 35-year-old Kurz will be succeeded by Alexander Schallenberg, a career diplomat who had been serving as foreign minister. Kurz will remain his party's chairman and keep his seat in parliament. (Camera: HANDOUT).FOOTAGE COURTESY OF THE CHANCELLERY OF AUSTRIA. SOUND BITES: Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (IN GERMAN)TRANSLATION: "I want to step aside to avoid chaos and guarantee stability. I have proposed to President (Alexander Van der Bellen) that Alexsander Schallenberg assume the position of chancellor."
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