Germany Issues Tougher Travel Warning for All of Russia

The German Foreign Office has tightened its travel warning for Russia after Ukraine expanded its drone strikes. Travelers must expect arbitrary arrests by Russian authorities.
World news on politics, society, conflicts, economy and human rights from an international perspective.

The German Foreign Office has tightened its travel warning for Russia after Ukraine expanded its drone strikes. Travelers must expect arbitrary arrests by Russian authorities.

The US Supreme Court has ruled that children born in the United States automatically receive US citizenship, regardless of their parents' immigration status. The decision is a defeat for Donald Trump, who sought to restrict birthright citizenship by executive order.

A former Russian frontline soldier named Aleksandr Lunin has demanded a live audience with Vladimir Putin in a video, threatening that the army will otherwise turn its weapons on the Kremlin. Lunin was subsequently taken into custody for eleven days.

The US government has restricted access to a new AI model from OpenAI. The company announced that the government demanded only a small, vetted group of partners receive access to the preview version of models in the GPT-5.6 series.

Israel and Lebanon have signed a framework agreement to end hostilities. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called it a first step on a difficult but necessary path.

A Turkish court has issued arrest warrants for more than 100 activists less than two weeks before the NATO summit in Ankara. Police accuse them of supporting terrorism, according to reports.

After a bloody attack on a swimmer, more shark sightings have been reported off Sydney's beaches, leading to repeated closures. The seriously injured mother is no longer in life-threatening condition.

After the severe earthquakes in Venezuela, the German government is providing water filters, camp beds, and tents. The Foreign Office and the Defense Ministry announced this after a meeting of the crisis task force.

The French navy has stopped an oil tanker originating from Russia off the coast of Sicily. Emmanuel Macron released a video of the operation.

US Donald Trump has canceled a planned ceremony for a housing bill and clashed with several senators after the Senate passed a rare resolution calling on him to end the war with Iran.

France has experienced its hottest day since records began in 1947, according to the national weather service Météo-France. The record was set on Tuesday and broken again on Wednesday.

Power cuts in France have left thousands of people without electricity during an extreme heatwave, according to Reuters. Those affected are suffering from the scorching heat without cooling options.

The influential US talk show host Tucker Carlson has explained his break with the Republican Party, accusing it of betraying Donald Trump's voters by waging war against Iran.

Spain is tightening rules for e-scooters: from October, a nationwide helmet requirement and a minimum age of 15 will apply, as the government decided on Tuesday.

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna has warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to draw Europe into talks on the war in Ukraine, calling it a dangerous trap.

A UN report cited by the BBC says Myanmar's military killed more than 700 civilians between August 2025 and January 2026, including 224 women and 153 children. Airstrikes were the main cause of death.

After the knife attacks in Edinburgh that left five people injured, Scotland's First Minister John Swinney described the victims as deeply traumatized. The attacks apparently had an anti-Muslim motive.

France, Spain and other countries in western and central Europe have issued the highest heat warnings, with temperatures expected to exceed 40 degrees Celsius. The heatwave conditions are set to intensify in the coming days.

Estonia has taken delivery of the first of three German medium-range Iris-T air defense systems it ordered. The Estonian Air Force accepted a unit of the system from manufacturer Diehl Defence at Ämari air base.

The United States has temporarily allowed Iran to trade oil following talks in Switzerland. The exemption is valid until August 2026.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced his resignation. As the Süddeutsche Zeitung comments, the move reveals a deep rift between politics and society.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced his resignation as head of government and Labour Party leader. The search for a successor has begun, the BBC reports.

Representatives of the United States and Iran completed the first round of negotiations on a final peace agreement in Switzerland on Monday, June 22, reporting 'encouraging progress' and reaching several agreements.

British voucher company Wowcher has apologized for an email whose subject line appeared to reference a crocodile attack on a three-year-old boy at a zoo.

A new poll shows that an overwhelming majority of Israelis believe Iran emerged as the victor in the recent war, while confidence in Benjamin Netanyahu is crumbling.

US Donald Trump issued harsh threats during the first US-Iran talks in Switzerland, prompting Iranian negotiators to walk out of the meeting prematurely.

Romanian President Nicușor Dan has nominated a new prime minister without consulting the governing parties, drawing accusations of breaking democratic rules.

Abiy Ahmed's Prosperity Party (PP) has secured a landslide victory in Ethiopia's parliamentary election, winning 438 of 501 seats, according to the national election board.

Unknown attackers sent a fake highest-level disaster warning to numerous cell phones in Brazil. The government is calling it a cyberattack.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) reported that 55 commercial vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz on June 20, contradicting Iran's claim that the waterway had been closed. US Donald Trump threatened to impose tolls on ships if no agreement with Tehran is reached.

Israel has launched airstrikes in southern Lebanon after four of its soldiers were killed. At least 16 people died in the attacks, according to Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA).

Cuba has passed the most comprehensive economic reform in decades. The 176-point plan to open up the economy was approved by the National Assembly.

British archaeologists have discovered a simpler, older version of the stone circle about five kilometers from the famous Stonehenge. According to the BBC, they found the remains of a wooden structure made of two posts aligned with the summer and winter solstices.

Slovakia's constitutional court has ordered Robert Fico's government to hold a confidence vote after the country's debt exceeded a constitutional limit.

The number of delivery robots on sidewalks worldwide is rising, but initial fascination is increasingly turning into frustration. According to the BBC, bans and protests against the autonomous vehicles are multiplying.

A massive drone attack on the Moscow region on June 18 paralyzed air traffic in the Russian capital. Russia's aviation authority Rosaviatsiya temporarily suspended takeoffs and landings at Vnukovo, Domodedovo, and Sheremetyevo airports.

A court on Long Island, New York, sentenced 62-year-old Rex Heuermann to life in prison without parole. Heuermann confessed to murdering eight women between 1993 and 2010.

US Donald Trump constantly tries to project strength, but more and more people see through him. His agreement with Iran is not a success; his presidency is a historic disaster.

The United States has immediately implemented its plans to reduce military contributions to European defense. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte urged European allies to fill the gaps ahead of a defense ministers' meeting in Brussels.

US Donald Trump and Iranian Masoud Pezeshkian have signed an initial agreement to end the war. According to the BBC, it is a 14-point memorandum.