Politics
In Egypt, indirect talks between Israeli and Hamas delegations continued as Israel marked the October 7 anniversary, with U.S. envoys joining and Hamas demanding Trump-backed guarantees.
About 200 Texas National Guard soldiers arrived in Illinois near Chicago to protect federal agents and property, despite lawsuits by state and city officials seeking to block the deployment.
Israel's military intercepted at least three boats of the Global Sumud flotilla off Gaza on Wednesday, taking activists into custody, the flotilla coalition said.
The White House said furloughed federal workers would not be guaranteed back pay during the U.S. government shutdown, reversing longstanding practice and prompting legal and union challenges.
Sébastien Lecornu held last-ditch talks to form a government and was due to report back to Macron by Wednesday evening as the president faced mounting calls to resign.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi faced a heated Senate hearing in Washington as Democrats accused her of turning the Justice Department into a political weapon for President Trump, she denied.
Rising premiums and a dispute over Affordable Care Act subsidies bolstered Democrats' leverage in the U.S. government shutdown fight, even as President Trump and Republicans signaled willingness to negotiate.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of using a "shadow fleet" of tankers to launch drones for reconnaissance and sabotage against European targets.
Major U.S. airports struggled with widespread flight delays and air-traffic staffing shortages as the government shutdown entered its second week, exacerbating travel disruptions nationwide.
Families of Hamas hostages in Israel demanded their immediate release and faulted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for misstating the number of captives after Hamas said it would negotiate for releases.
The European Parliament in Strasbourg scheduled a Wednesday vote on a proposal to ban plant-based products from using meat-related names such as "wurst" or "steak," drawing industry criticism.
President Donald Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner landed in Egypt to join talks on a Gaza ceasefire and potential peace agreement, sources reported.
Republican senators denounced special counsel Jack Smith for FBI collection of their phone records around Jan. 6, accusing him of politicized scrutiny at a hearing with Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Bari Weiss was named editor in chief of CBS News, prompting staffers to report eye-rolls during an editorial call and critics to warn she could shift the network right.
Policymakers and housing experts across Europe urged a renewed housing-construction push to ease shortages, proposing state-backed guarantees, replacement building that adds units and national policy measures.
At the White House on Tuesday, President Donald Trump met with PM Mark Carney and said he was optimistic about a new trade deal but offered no tariff concessions.
The European Commission proposed doubling steel import tariffs to 50% and halving tariff‑free quotas to shield the bloc's steel industry from cheap Chinese imports and align with U.S. tariffs.
Chancellor Merz said he would press at EU level to oppose the 2035 ban on new combustion cars, triggering a public rift with SPD ministers who backed the phase-out.
Indigenous protesters attacked Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa's convoy in southern Ecuador, pelting his vehicle with stones and reportedly firing shots; he was unharmed, the government said.
Former Chancellor Angela Merkel said Poland and the Baltic states partly blocked a 2021 EU–Russia rapprochement, prompting criticism from politicians in those countries.
The International Criminal Court in The Hague convicted the first person for Darfur atrocities — a former Janjaweed militia commander — of war crimes committed more than 20 years ago.
President Donald Trump told reporters at a White House press conference that Greta Thunberg should "see a doctor," and Thunberg replied on Instagram saying he appeared to have anger problems.
A complaint was filed at the International Criminal Court accusing Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of complicity in genocide for her government's support of Israel amid mass protests over Gaza.
Gen Z-led protests in Morocco filled streets for weeks demanding education, healthcare and anti-corruption reforms, sparked by deaths at Agadir’s Hassan-II hospital that critics said exposed systemic failures.
Élisabeth Borne, former education minister, said Tuesday she was open to suspending the 2023 pension reform she helped pass; Raphaël Glucksmann called that possible after Sébastien Lecornu met representatives.
The IAEA said Moscow informed it that a Ukrainian drone struck a tower at the Novovoronezh nuclear plant in central Russia overnight, causing no safety consequences, Director Rafael Grossi said.
Pedro Sánchez reassigned close aides of José Luis Ábalos and Santos Cerdán to high‑paid public posts as the PSOE admitted >€30,000 in cash payments to Cerdán and skipped expense controls.
Germany's cabinet debated a draft Bundespolizeigesetz to expand federal police powers—authorizing drone-defence measures, phone‑location and passenger‑data access and wider stop‑and‑search rules.
Spain's Congress of Deputies rejected consideration of a citizen bill to strip bullfighting of cultural protection after the PSOE abstained on Tuesday, preserving the 2013 law.
Denmark's government announced plans to ban social media for under-15s, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said, allowing parental opt-in from age 13 and citing youth mental-health harms.
Iris Stalzer, elected SPD mayor of Herdecke, was stabbed and critically wounded, police said, and her adoptive son, 15, was detained amid a suspected familial motive.
Opposition parties aligned with Magdalena Andersson promised a power shift but lacked a common economic plan, exposing deep divisions ahead of next year's Swedish election.
North Korea staged an international propaganda push, exhibiting idyllic images and pro‑Russian messaging in a large Moscow show and in exhibitions opened in Germany.
Syrian government forces and Kurdish fighters clashed in northern Syria, including Aleppo, before commanders in Damascus and the Kurdish-led SDF approved an immediate ceasefire.
Bavaria's government approved a law empowering police to detect, pursue and, if necessary, shoot down unauthorized drones and to establish a drone‑defence centre near Erding.
President Frank‑Walter Steinmeier appointed three judges to Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court, concluding a political row triggered by the Frauke Brosius‑Gersdorf appointment controversy.
Bad Bunny performed at the Super Bowl, prompting angry reactions from Donald Trump’s supporters, and Trump said he “didn’t know who he is” while criticizing the NFL.
Spain’s government approved a plan to grant up to €100 per year for glasses and contact lenses to all children under 16, available until Dec. 31, 2026, via authorized opticians.
Donald Trump said he would "speak" with the Justice Department about clemency for Ghislaine Maxwell, while Sean "Diddy" Combs formally sought a presidential pardon after his October 3 sentencing.
El Tribunal Supremo abrió una causa contra Luis "Alvise" Pérez, líder de Se Acabó la Fiesta y eurodiputado, por presunta revelación de secretos y acoso a dos eurodiputados.
Germany risked an EU deficit procedure after the finance ministry projected high budget deficits and its debt ratio rose to 80 percent.
Argentine President Javier Milei performed a rock concert in Buenos Aires on Monday to launch his new book, seeking to shore up support amid economic crisis, protests and corruption scandals.
The U.S. Supreme Court appeared poised to overturn Colorado's ban on conversion therapy for minors, repeatedly questioning whether the law unlawfully restricted therapists' free speech.
