Author: staff

Published on 29/07/2026 – 6:19 GMT+2 The US military said on Tuesday that it knocked down an Iranian missile barrage and worked with Saudi Arabia’s forces to strike sites in Iraq that Tehran-backed militias have used to launch attacks in recent days, shattering a brief pause in fighting. All Iranian missiles launched against American forces in the Middle East were intercepted, US Central Command said, adding that they “remain vigilant and at a high state of readiness.” In announcing the strikes in Iraq, the US warned that further attacks on American troops or Saudi Arabia’s energy infrastructure risked additional action.…

Wer regiert die Welt – und was treibt sie an? In unserem regelmäßigen Machthaber-Spezial geht es um die mächtigsten und umstrittensten Politikerinnen und Politiker unserer Zeit. Wir zeigen, wie sie denken, entscheiden – und was das für uns bedeutet. Eine Politikerin oder Politiker, ein Blick hinter die Kulissen der Macht. Das Berlin Playbook als Podcast gibt es jeden Morgen ab 5 Uhr. Gordon Repinski und das POLITICO-Team liefern Politik zum Hören – kompakt, international, hintergründig. Für alle Hauptstadt-Profis: Der Berlin Playbook-Newsletter bietet jeden Morgen die wichtigsten Themen und Einordnungen. ⁠Jetzt kostenlos abonnieren.⁠ Mehr von Host und POLITICO Executive Editor Gordon…

Published on 29/07/2026 – 5:19 GMT+2 13 people were found dead as rescue efforts continued into Wednesday after a powerful earthquake struck part of Japan’s southwestern regions, according to a statement by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. “There are people who are still waiting to be rescued, and it’s a race against time,” said Takaichi. “We will go all out to find and rescue as many people as we can.” Many people were reported missing prompting major search and rescue efforts to take place. A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the Kumamoto area on the southern main island of Kyushu late on…

Images of the Bordeaux region, home to a large population and many popular vacation spots, engulfed by flames have deepened an already grim mood in the political class and among ordinary citizens alike. Macron made an impromptu visit to the area on Monday to meet with local firefighters and appealed for national unity as his government sought to contain criticism of its response.  Le Pen herself struck a more restrained tone. In a post on X, she said the images had filled the country with horror, offered support to victims and evacuated families, and praised firefighters and civil-protection forces for…

Instead, Mélenchon wants France to strengthen ties with China as well as French-speaking countries in Africa, as well as South American countries. He sees the United States as an imperialist danger, while Germany — despite its turbulent relations with President Donald Trump — views the transatlantic relationship as paramount to its foreign policy. Mélenchon is opposed to Germany’s deeply held attachment to its free-market economic model and favors a planned economy instead. Mélenchon is also critical of Germany’s rearmament and the continued presence of U.S. nuclear weapons on its soil, which he said: “raise serious security concerns for neighboring countries.”…

FIFA says its plan will spur more investment in grassroots and women’s football. But European football associations, already smarting from FIFA’s handling of the 2026 men’s World Cup, are outraged at the proposals and at the leadership of FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who they see as too close to U.S. President Donald Trump. Thrive Capital, whose CEO Josh Kushner is the brother of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, is heavily involved with the plan, as reported by POLITICO’s West Wing Playbook. “The World Cup is not a product,” continued Burnham. “It is the greatest competition in world sport, and it was…

Roberto Mancini has once again been tasked with revitalizing an Italy team in crisis, almost exactly three years after he bolted on the national team. Italian soccer federation president Giovanni Malagò announced Mancini as the new Italy coach on Tuesday, adding that Claudio Ranieri will become the new technical director after Paolo Maldini stepped down the previous day — just 16 days after being appointed. “Time was running out … I believed the person who should become the new coach of Italy is Roberto Mancini, for a whole list of reasons,” Malagò said. “There will be a press conference tomorrow…

Conservative leader Keiko Fujimori was sworn in as Peru’s president on Tuesday after narrowly winning June’s election by fewer than 50,000 votes, becoming the country’s first female head of state. The 51-year-old leader of the Popular Force party, whose father Alberto Fujimori ruled Peru from 1990 to 2000, takes office promising to restore political stability, tackle rising crime and revive economic growth after a decade of political turmoil. Peru has had nine presidents in the past decade, with only three elected by popular vote. The others took office after their predecessors resigned or were removed by Congress, often amid corruption…

“It is extraordinary that the French navy will fire live rounds to defend their waters against a visiting British politician but cannot bear to do anything about stopping illegal Channel crossings,” he fumed. Small boat crossings are a hot-button issue in British politics, and a particular sore point for the Tories, who are trying to show they are tougher on the issue than Nigel Farage’s Reform UK. Philp said on X that the incident felt “like warning shots or attempted intimidation.” But a statement issued by the French embassy — quoting French defence officials — denied any intent and said…

Asked by POLITICO whether this proposed cut was identical to the €400 billion in budget reductions that a German document suggested at the end of last month, Merz declined to go into detail, referring to ongoing negotiations. Merz also lashed out at a Commission plan to increase the number of EU staffers, a move that Brussels says is necessary to deal with the increased work load caused by the current geopolitical crises. “It is unacceptable that 2,500 new positions are now to be created for the European institutions. We will not accept that,” the chancellor said, arguing that Germany was…