German Chancellor Friedrich Merz faces his first electoral challenge since taking office as voters head to the polls in the state of Baden-Württemberg on Sunday. The election is seen as an early test of support for Merz’s conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which hopes to regain dominance in a region long tied to Germany’s car […]
Iceland’s government is preparing to propose a referendum on whether to restart negotiations to join the European Union. According to public broadcaster RUV, the government is expected to submit a bill to parliament next week seeking approval to hold the vote later this year. Sources cited by the broadcaster suggest the referendum is most likely […]
Russia’s capital city Moscow will reduce its investment programme for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting growing financial pressure across the country’s regional governments. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said revenue growth in the first two months of the year slowed to 2%, far below the expected 6.5%, prompting the city to cut planned 2026 […]
The global airline industry faced fresh volatility on Thursday as rising jet fuel prices and widespread flight disruptions followed the escalating conflict involving Iran and joint strikes by the United States and Israel. Several Middle Eastern airspaces were closed due to missile risks, forcing airlines to cancel or reroute flights. Operations at Dubai International
A French appeals court has reduced the charges against a police officer accused of fatally shooting a teenager during a traffic stop in 2023. The court ruled that the officer, Florian M., will face trial for voluntary assault leading to death instead of the more serious charge of murder. The case centres on the shooting […]
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Iran’s government is undermining its own future by launching indiscriminate attacks across the region. Speaking to reporters, she accused Tehran of pursuing a strategy aimed at spreading instability and escalating conflict in the Middle East, warning that such actions could ultimately backfire on the Iranian leadership.
The White House said Spain has agreed to cooperate with the U.S. military after pressure from Donald Trump, but Spanish officials quickly denied any such agreement. Trump had earlier threatened to cut off trade with Spain over its refusal to allow U.S. forces to use military bases in the country for operations linked to strikes […]
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has firmly rejected US President Donald Trump’s threat to sever trade ties with Spain, reiterating Madrid’s opposition to war and what he described as breaches of international law. In a televised address from the Moncloa Palace, Sánchez said Spain’s position on conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza and Iran could be summed […]
An appeals court in Athens has upheld the landmark 2020 ruling that senior figures of the far-right Golden Dawn operated as a criminal organisation under the guise of a political party. Founder Nikos Mihaloliakos and six other top officials were again found guilty of leading the group, while another 24 defendants — including 11 former […]
Germany’s foreign intelligence service, Federal Intelligence Service (BND), has accused Moscow of understating the economic toll of its war in Ukraine, estimating that Russia’s 2025 budget deficit is significantly higher than officially reported. In a LinkedIn post, the BND said the actual federal deficit stood at 8.01 trillion roubles, compared with the official figure of









