Author: staff
After a fortnight of local and national elections drama – can the machinery of government get back moving again amid global instability? With the Strait of Hormuz still shut, Sam and Anne examine a raft of announcements coming from the Treasury. Is Rachel Reeves about to open a massive argument with the NIMBYs on the right to launch judicial reviews? Away from the levers of government, the duo look ahead to some upcoming by-elections and explain the rules around the coverage of electoral events. All the candidates standing in the Makerfield by-election can be found here.
Chinese President Xi Jinping held a welcome ceremony for Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing on Wednesday. A 21-gun salute was fired at Tian’anmen Square and a military band played the national anthems of Russia and China during the ceremony. Accompanied by Xi, Putin reviewed the guard of honor of the People’s Liberation Army and watched a march-past and performances from the military band. Children waving Chinese and Russian flags greeted the leaders during the ceremony. Putin is visiting China for a two-day state visit at the invitation of Xi.
Published on 20/05/2026 – 8:00 GMT+2•Updated 8:15 Much of Europe is known for its world-class food that people travel from around the globe to sample, but Finnish cuisine isn’t quite in that bracket – yet. Visit Finland is keen to change that reputation and is inviting 16 participants to try the best of the Nordic country’s food. It’s hoping to add “Finnish” to the long list of European cuisines… think Italian, Greek, Spanish and French. This September, the tourism body is hosting the lucky guests, serving up “Official Tasting Menus”, which will showcase the best eats from the country’s different…
The by-election won’t meaningfully alter the balance of power in Ireland’s key lower house, the Dáil, where the center-right government of Taoiseach Micheál Martin has a stable majority. But it will provide a litmus test for where anti-government sentiment is growing most in urban Ireland — on the socialist left or the populist right. Saturday’s outcome may depend on how many anti-establishment votes go to Hutch, a 63-year-old gangland chieftain who came excruciatingly close to winning a Dublin Central seat in the 2024 general election. The winner will be determined by who attracts the most lower-preference votes in a system…
London streets filled with celebrating Arsenal fans after the club won its first Premier League title in 22 years. Images showed fans waving scarves, setting off fireworks and chanting outside the stadium and along Holloway Road in north London. Merchandise sellers lined the streets as crowds celebrated late into the night following Arsenal’s Premier League triumph under manager Mikel Arteta. Supporters described the victory as emotional after years of near misses, with the club finally winning its first league crown since Arsene Wenger’s “Invincibles” season in 2004.
Weil der Haushalt gekürzt wird, droht dem Elterngeld ein drastischer Einschnitt. Gordon Repinski bespricht mit Maximilian Stascheit die Optionen: Werden die Bezugsmonate gekürzt, die Einkommensgrenzen weiter abgesenkt oder gibt es doch noch Sparmöglichkeiten ganz woanders? Warum diese Pläne selbst in der Union für heftiges Bauchgrimmen sorgen und ein echtes familienpolitisches Déjà-vu zur Ampelzeit heraufbeschwören. Im 200-Sekunden-Interview bezieht die ehemalige Grünen-Parteichefin Ricarda Lang klar Stellung. Sie warnt vor einem fatalen Signal an junge Familien, kritisiert die schleichende Entwertung der Leistung durch die Inflation und fordert stattdessen den Schutz von Alleinerziehenden beim Unterhaltsvorschuss. Der Bundeskanzler hat gestern die SPD-Fraktion besucht – ein…
Published on 20/05/2026 – 6:42 GMT+2 Arsenal’s decades-long wait is finally over. The north London-based football club officially ended on Tuesday their 22-year drought as Premier League champions, after title-contenders Manchester City drew 1-1 with Bournemouth, ending their title-run mathematically. The gunners are set to lift the trophy, their 14th English top flight league title, after their last matchday against city rivals Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on 24 May, their first since their 2004-2005 campaign. “I told you all.. it’s done,” Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice posted on social media with a photo of he and his teammates celebrating. The…
Brussels wanted less red tape. It hasn’t proved as easy as that. – POLITICO Skip to main content
The European People’s Party — the largest group in the chamber — is keen to get the deal on the books, and negotiators hope a majority will back it. Zeljana Zovko, the EPP lawmaker representing the center-right group in the negotiations, told POLITICO that the deal “will save our businesses and give them breathing space to continue trade with our most important trading partner.” Failure by the Parliamentary plenary to ratify the compromise would humiliate Bernd Lange, the chair of the chamber’s trade committee and the Parliament’s chief negotiator. Lange declared himself satisfied with the result despite the concessions. “We are…
“I’m getting ready,” Hollande told the weekly magazine Marianne, which splashed the quote across its front page last month. “What’s at stake in the [2027] presidential election is major, historic. For France, but not just for France,” Hollande said last month in a clip posted to social media. “How the French vote will decide the future of Europe, and maybe even global stability.” He faces a steep climb. Two polls have explored the possibility of a 2027 comeback — and in both, the former president was projected to receive less than 10 percent of the vote, far below the current…