Author: staff
“Today, Swiss voters have sent a strong signal in favour of reliability, openness, and the continuation of the bilateral path,” said German lawmaker David McAllister, who chairs the European Parliament’s foreign affairs committee. “Switzerland remains committed to its ties with Europe and ready to tackle challenges in a pragmatic and cooperative manner.” The referendum was proposed by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party, which argued it would help relieve pressures on the country’s environment and public services. The party has a long history of campaigning against immigration. The “no” campaign focused on how restricting immigration might impact sectors like health care,…
Voters in Switzerland have cast their final ballots on Sunday on an initiative championed by the hard-right Swiss People’s Party (SVP) to cap the rich Alpine country’s population at 10 million. According to early results by the federal government, nearly 53% of voters rejected the proposal, with nationwide turnout exceeding 57%. Results were still pending from many of Switzerland’s 26 cantons. Recent polling from the gfs.bern agency had suggested the poll could be a close contest. A “yes” vote would have required the Swiss government to take action to cap the population by 2050, including limiting immigration. The populist SVP,…
Australian football fans took over parts of downtown Vancouver on Saturday night after the Socceroos opened their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 2-0 victory over Turkey. Supporters gathered along Granville Street, waving flags, wearing team scarves and celebrating outside bars near BC Place Stadium. Several venues reached capacity as fans continued chanting and filling the streets after the final whistle. Inflatable kangaroos bounced above the crowd while supporters expressed optimism about Australia’s chances in the tournament. Fans described the result as the perfect start to the World Cup and said they hoped this year’s team could achieve something special…
The remarks come as the political unrest entered its 14th consecutive day as Albanians flooded Tirana over the weekend in the largest demonstration yet, calling for the prime minister’s resignation. Alice Taylor/POLITICO Saturday’s protest saw an estimated 100,000-200,000 people take to the streets. They have remained peaceful, attended by children, the elderly and families, and even including an area for children to draw and paint. Now in its second straight week, the protest has transformed from demands for the cancellation of a Jared Kushner-linked luxury resort into one of the largest anti-government demonstrations that Albania has seen since the fall…
Published on 14/06/2026 – 13:06 GMT+2 Romanian President Nicusor Dan has nominated a new prime minister after Eugen Tomac dropped out on Sunday. “Eugen Tomac resigned this morning, and under these circumstances, I am appointing Adrian Vestea as Prime Minister,” Dan announced in a post on X. “Neither Mr. Tomac nor I have been playing at governing,” he added. “We moved in this direction following consultations with the political parties. At this point, however, it is clear that a political solution is the right one”. Romania has been embroiled in a renewed political crisis since its government collapsed in May…
By Sertac Aktan with AP, AFP Published on 14/06/2026 – 15:38 GMT+2 The Israeli military had carried out fresh attacks in southern Beirut, known as Dahiyeh, with a strike hitting the Ghobeiry neighbourhood, according to Lebanon’s official National News Agency (NNA). Smoke could be seen rising over the Lebanese capital as the IDF announced these strikes to be “precise” in Dahiyeh, namely a Hezbollah command centre in Beirut that was used to advance “terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers” operating in southern Lebanon. “All targets belonged to the Hezbollah terrorist organisation, in response to Hezbollah’s firing toward Israeli territory,” stated in…
Published on 14/06/2026 – 16:01 GMT+2•Updated 16:09 After 11 hours of interrogation by US immigration at Miami International Airport on Monday, Omar Artan was told he would not be allowed into the country. His diplomatic passport and single-entry US visa were rejected. Artan is suspected of being “associated with suspected members of terror organisations” by US officials. He was questioned over his links to the Somali militant group Al Shabab and told border officials he knew nothing about the organisation. “I had the right papers and everything. I had the right visa,” said Artan. Fifa assisted Artan after being put…
After three days reserved for trade visitors, the International Aerospace Exhibition (ILA) in Berlin opened its doors to the public at the weekend. Fighter jets, transport aircraft and helicopters attracted large numbers of visitors. The Bundeswehr was particularly visible, using large parts of the site as the fair’s biggest single exhibitor. Besides flight displays and static exhibitions, recruiting young talent was also visibly an important priority. At numerous stands, careers advisers provided information on entry routes, while soldiers offered an insight into their everyday working lives. Visitors could look into cockpits, talk to pilots and learn about the armed forces’…
Before the German national team even play their first World Cup match against Curaçao on Sunday, a small spectacle has already taken place thousands of kilometres away from the host nation, the United States: this year’s World Cup oracle, anteater Taio, made his first prediction on Friday. He provided plenty of suspense, as the animal at Münster’s Allwetterzoo took its time over the decision. Then came the surprise: Taio is predicting a draw. The bottles representing the possible results were filled with food. Bad news for Germany: the mealworms in the bottle standing for a draw evidently smelled particularly tempting…
Published on 14/06/2026 – 14:34 GMT+2 A new high-speed rail connection linking Belgium, France and Switzerland is set to be tested from summer 2027, as rail operators SNCB, SNCF Voyageurs and Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) join forces to extend the existing TGV INOUI service between Brussels and Strasbourg to Basel. The trial service, scheduled to launch in July 2027, aims to strengthen rail connectivity between three of Europe’s most important travel markets while offering passengers a more sustainable alternative to short-haul flights. If successful, the initiative could further enhance cross-border rail travel between Belgium, France and Switzerland, while creating new…