Author: staff
“We will not agree to either an unaffordable or an unreformed multi-annual financial framework,” the official also said, speaking on condition of anonymity to frankly discuss divisions within the EU. Merz’s government has long advocated substantial cuts to the EU budget across all policy areas, though it has stopped short of specifying concrete targets. Berlin has called for a clear prioritization of spending on defense and competitiveness, while seeking savings in areas such as agriculture and cohesion funding. Merz reinforced that position in a speech to lawmakers in Berlin on Thursday, arguing that the EU would struggle to justify higher…
Pope Leo XIV left the Canary Islands for Rome on Friday in a Falcon plane offered by Spanish King Felipe VI after his original aircraft suffered a technical glitch, according to reporters at the scene. The flight took off just after 6:00 pm and is expected to arrive in Rome at around 11:00 pm. The pope wrapped up a week-long visit to Spain on Friday. The pontiff’s departure from Tenerife was delayed earlier on Friday by a technical problem with the plane which led him to disembark, according to an AFP reporter at the scene. Spain’s King Felipe VI, who…
Published on 12/06/2026 – 20:12 GMT+2 A US federal judge rejected a bid by the board of the Kennedy Center and the Justice Department on Friday to halt the removal of President Donald Trump’s name from the performing arts venue. US District Judge Christopher Cooper, in a ruling last month, ordered Trump’s name taken off the iconic building in the nation’s capital by Friday. The board of trustees, which consists of Trump allies, and the Justice Department filed an appeal on Thursday asking Cooper to stay his ruling. The judge turned down the request, saying the public interest “is rarely…
During the call, Zhang “called for prioritizing development, improving global governance and promoting inclusive growth of the world economy,” according to a Chinese readout of the video conference that made no explicit mention of tackling macroeconomic imbalances that Western governments blame for declining industrial output and employment. A non-government official briefed on preparations for the G7 summit saw the French presidency’s outreach as an “olive branch” to China, but acknowledged that the G7 was not the best format to put pressure on China to change its trade policy. In delegating Zhang to join the call, Beijing also played the protocol…
Published on 12/06/2026 – 19:15 GMT+2•Updated 19:29 The 27 countries of the European Union have reached an agreement to open the first cluster of accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova, building on the momentum created after Hungary lifted its two-year veto last week. The breakthrough was achieved on Friday evening by ambassadors in Brussels, who endorsed a common position to go ahead with the next phase of negotiations. The position comes with a rule-of-law roadmap and an action plan on minority rights, the main bone of contention between Budapest and Kyiv. The action plan was amended to reflect the outcome…
Iran’s foreign minister insisted on Friday that a deal with the United States to end the war in the Middle East had never been closer, after US President Donald Trump furiously accused Tehran of negotiating in bad faith. The angry reaction came after Iranian media published a breakdown of what was purportedly on the table, stressing that Iran would insist on its right to enrich uranium and to control shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. That clashed, however, with the characterisation offered by a senior White House official, who said that Iran had agreed to dismantle its nuclear programme, destroy…
Brown — a former U.K. prime minister and chancellor who was hired by Keir Starmer last month to assist on global finance initiatives — has spoken to Carney and provided “a number of questions, which were entirely appropriate,” the diplomat added. Blair, who is also a former defense minister in the Canadian government, said: “We’ve been working hard to make sure that we provide both Mr. Brown and the people at Treasury with answers to the questions that they have, and it’s just part of an ongoing dialog and negotiation between us.” Two defense insiders told POLITICO Brown has also…
For the first time, Poles were able to see the most advanced fighter jets, which in the coming years will become one of the pillars of the country’s military aviation. Three fifth-generation F-35 aircraft, nicknamed “Husarz,” performed a ceremonial flypast over Poland’s largest cities as part of the “Welcome to Poland” operation. The event preceded the official ceremony to induct the jets into the Polish Armed Forces at the 32nd Tactical Air Base in Łask. ‘Welcome to Poland’ The fighters took off in the morning from the base in Łask and began their demonstration flight, intended to give residents a…
Updated: 12/06/2026 – 18:00 GMT+2 Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond this June 12th, 2026 – latest news, breaking news, World, Business, Entertainment, Politics, Culture, Travel. … More
Published on 12/06/2026 – 17:57 GMT+2•Updated 18:31 The moment that Wall Street had anticipated all year arrived on Friday as SpaceX, the AI and aerospace company controlled by Elon Musk, began trading publicly on the Nasdaq in the largest initial public offering (IPO) in the history of financial markets. In a speech before the New York session opened for trading, Musk stated that SpaceX’s goal is to “take the fiction out of science fiction.” SPCX opened at $150, over 10% above its $135 IPO price, and it was already at more than $160 after the first few minutes of live…