Author: staff
Party officials had warned that an outcome below 5% for the CDU in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania would unleash a storm of criticism and renew calls for a change in leadership, or Kanzlertausch. But Merz is clinging to power — for now. Unless he steps aside voluntarily, forcing a leadership change risks triggering a snap election at a time when polls show the far right to be the country’s most popular party — making such a move unlikely for the time being. That could quickly change if party members begin speaking out against him. That’s why Merz has vowed to chart a…
The forthcoming draft of the EU’s long-term budget will include an “ambitious” proposal on new EU taxes, known as own resources, Irish Minister for European Affairs Thomas Byrne told journalists on Monday. The European Union is currently negotiating its long-term budget for 2028–2034, with the Irish government chairing the talks. EU institutions aim to reach a deal by the end of the year, with the package expected to include new taxes for the first time in the bloc’s history. The draft text is expected to be presented before mid-October, ahead of the European Council meeting in Brussels. It will serve…
Forces that fought on opposing sides in Ethiopia’s Tigray war have joined a seven-group military alliance to overthrow Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government and install a transitional administration, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) said on Sunday. Both the government and the TPLF have massed troops along the border of the northern state in recent months, according to the African Union, fuelling fears of a return to the war that killed up to 600,000 people. “We just formed an alliance, we are collaborating with several groups and our objectives are to remove the regime and facilitating a transitional government,” said…
Qatar has ruled out using pipelines to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, saying the alternative would require new liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities outside the country which does not make economic sense. Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, Qatar’s Minister of State for Energy Affairs and chief executive of Qatar Energy, said neighbouring countries had offered to let Qatar use an alternative route through their territories. However, LNG cannot simply be transported through a conventional gas pipeline. Qatar would have to send natural gas through the pipeline and build new facilities at the other end to turn it into LNG. Al-Kaabi said this…
If you’re looking for a truly exceptional hotel stay, a five-star rating isn’t enough. You need to look to the big guns: The Michelin Guide. The tyre company is well known for its reviews of restaurants and associated Michelin stars, but in 2024, it began awarding “keys” to properties around the globe. One Key means a “very special” stay, while Two Keys means it will be “exceptional”. But Three Keys? A Three Key hotel offers something next level. According to Michelin: “It is one of the world’s most remarkable and extraordinary stays and a destination for the trip of a…
A rally for revolution is the inspiration behind MUZEU, the new contemporary art museum in the Portuguese city of Braga. Its motto “Be realistic, demand the impossible“ is taken directly from the famous photograph shot by Gérard-Aimé during the civil unrest of May 1968 in Paris, capturing graffiti on the Pont de Neuilly bearing the phrase “Soyez réalistes, demandez l’impossible”. “May of 1968 was a time of liberation within a country that sought a freedom of movement, not really political, but a freedom to break the social and moral walls of the time that existed“ – founder of MUZEU, José…
Around 3,000 listings, including Usmanov’s, are at risk of expiring Tuesday after Paris withheld its support for the renewal. Three diplomats, all of whom were granted anonymity to describe the private discussions, said capitals remained deeply divided, despite France’s pledge to establish guardrails to assuage concerns that the move could undermine the sanctions regime more broadly. Two other diplomats said EU capitals were likely to agree to extend the sanctions — for a period as long as 36 months — as part of a compromise with countries seeking delisting. Envoys are due to meet again Monday afternoon after consulting their…
Thirteen member states are calling on Brussels to systematically design new EU legislation as pro-innovation and assess whether the current laws are still fit for purpose, as part of a broader push to cut red tape and make the bloc more business-friendly. Austria, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia and Slovakia signed a non-paper calling for “an exercise in legislative deep-cleaning” to determine, sector by sector, whether existing rules are still needed, need updating, or impose burdens without added value. “EU legislation cannot be an end in itself. Therefore, regulatory restraint to avoid over-regulation and…
Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the youngest brother of UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has died at the age of 76, the Dubai Media Office announced on Monday. The Ruler’s Court declared 10 days of official mourning across the emirate, with flags to be flown at half-mast from Monday. Sheikh Mohammed paid tribute to his brother in a post on X. “You are absent from our eyes but not from our prayers and hearts,” he wrote. Crown Prince of Dubai and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence…
Europe’s central banks now have a working bridge into tokenised markets. Launched on Monday, Pontes lets wholesale transactions in tokenised assets, meaning stocks, bonds and other instruments recorded as digital tokens on distributed ledgers, to settle in the safest form of money available — reserves held at the central bank itself. It matters because the absence of a risk-free settlement asset has been one of the main barriers holding blockchain technology back. Without it, tokenised trades have typically settled in commercial bank money or stablecoins, carrying credit risk that large institutions are reluctant to accept. “The Eurosystem is working to…