World news on politics, society, conflicts, economy and human rights from an international perspective.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has described a potential agreement with Iran as 'pretty solid' and said a deal could be reached as early as Monday. The oil price dropped amid growing confidence in a diplomatic resolution.
The first Sudeten German Day in Czechia has sparked a nationwide debate. According to Tagesschau, there were both protests and encounters between expellees and locals in Brno.
Israeli airstrikes hit southern and eastern Lebanon on Sunday despite a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war, as reported by The Guardian. The attacks come amid reports of a possible rapprochement between the US and Iran.
US Donald Trump says a framework agreement with Iran to end the war is largely negotiated, with final details being discussed. The deal aims to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
US Donald Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that a peace agreement between the US, Iran, and several regional powers is "largely negotiated." The announcement follows an intense Saturday of diplomacy, as reported by the Kyivpost.
A new analysis of the 2026 UN Secretary-General selection process shows that despite reforms, decision-making power remains with the Security Council, particularly its five permanent members. Public dialogues with candidates obscure the lack of real access to power.
A US federal judge has dismissed the criminal case against Salvadoran migrant Kilmar Ábrego García, calling the prosecution an 'abuse of prosecutorial power,' according to the Tagesspiegel.
The Trump administration has drastically raised the bar for obtaining a green card. From now on, applications for permanent residency must generally be filed from the applicant's home country, the immigration authority USCIS announced.
Jacinta Allan has announced 2,000 state-funded apprenticeships at the revived State Electricity Commission (SEC) at Labor's final state conference before the election, the Guardian reports.
Anthony Albanese passionately defended his Labor government's proposed tax changes, visibly emotional. The reforms affect negative gearing, capital gains tax, and family trusts.
Pakistani mediators have arrived in Tehran for talks, while US President Donald Trump is reportedly preparing new strikes on Iran. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks of progress, but differences remain deep, according to Spiegel.
The leaders of Germany, France, Italy and the UK have called on Israel to halt settlement construction in the West Bank and curb settler violence. According to Politico Europe, they warn in a joint statement that Israeli policy undermines stability and the prospects for a two-state solution.
Troels Lund Poulsen, the right-wing liberal leader, has also failed to form a government in Denmark. According to Die Zeit, he plans to inform King Frederik X of the failure this evening.
The Slovenian parliament has elected right-wing conservative politician Janez Janša as prime minister. He replaces the liberal-left government of Robert Golob and plans to lead a minority government backed by right-wing parties.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has described the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara as one of the most significant in the alliance's history. According to Guardian, leaders must address Donald Trump's disappointment with NATO's response to US operations in the Middle East.
Democratic Party has published a 192-page analysis of its 2024 election defeat. Progressive lawmakers criticize the report for omitting the Gaza war and Joe Biden's age.
The US government's 'America First Global Health Strategy' prioritizes American interests over global solidarity. As Zeit reports, initial bilateral deals, such as one with Kenya for an HIV prevention drug, have already been signed.
David Lammy, Britain's first black Lord Chancellor, has chaired the inaugural meeting of the new Judicial and Legal Diversity Board alongside Lady Chief Justice Sue Carr. The body aims to accelerate the recruitment of solicitors from ethnic minorities and working-class backgrounds into the judiciary.
According to a confidential dossier seen by Euractiv, European governments fear that some Iranian military attachés in EU capitals are actually covert officers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
US Donald Trump has announced the deployment of 5,000 additional US soldiers to Poland, contradicting recent Pentagon statements, as reported by Deutsche Welle.
Portuguese police have arrested the mother and stepfather of two French toddlers who were found crying on a country road. The couple was discovered on the terrace of a café in Fátima, according to the Tagesspiegel, citing broadcaster RTP.
Several EU member states are demanding sanctions against Israel's Minister for National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, after he released a video taunting detained flotilla activists. According to Politico Europe, even Berlin is reconsidering its previous opposition to punitive measures against Israeli officials.
Democratic Party has released its long-awaited analysis of the 2024 presidential election loss. DNC chair Ken Martin apologized for the delay, while Republicans in the Senate criticized the timing and lack of detail on security provisions.
US Donald Trump has ordered the aircraft carrier Nimitz and other naval units towards Cuba. According to Welt, experts reject the assumption that the US is incapable of a military action due to the ongoing Iran war.
Rachel Reeves calmly rebuked a foul-mouthed Reform UK supporter at a petrol station in Leeds, telling him that good manners are part of British culture.
Czech Petr Pavel, a former NATO general, has warned that peace in Europe can no longer be taken for granted. According to Guardian, Pavel urged European states to strengthen their defense capabilities.
Just days after US Donald Trump, Chinese leader Xi Jinping received Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing. Both stressed their close partnership, but no breakthrough was reached on a planned gas pipeline, according to Tagesschau.
The NATO is monitoring a Russian military project called 'Skythen' with concern, according to investigations by WDR and NDR. The project involves stationing nuclear missiles on the seabed.
Politico Europe’s Brussels Playbook Podcast looks at how drone alerts, shelters and fighter jets over the Baltics are changing Europe’s sense of security.
Two young brothers from France were found crying on a dusty road near Lisbon. Police believe their parents deliberately abandoned them.
Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong has condemned a video posted by Israel's National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir showing bound activists from a Gaza aid flotilla. Wong called the footage 'shocking and unacceptable'.
Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, is backing Shabana Mahmood's controversial migration changes, allies confirmed, dealing a blow to internal party calls for a softening of the plans.
Donald Trump has declared that all of his endorsed candidates won in the Republican primaries on May 19, according to Guardian. The former president cited victories in Alabama, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Idaho, Oregon, and Kentucky, while longtime Representative Thomas Massie lost in Kentucky.
On the morning of May 20, an air raid alert was triggered in eastern Lithuania after a drone was spotted near the border with Belarus, prompting the evacuation of top officials and the suspension of flights and public transport in Vilnius.
The director of the German Orient Institute, Reinicke, has described Israel's settlement policy in the West Bank as a 'de facto annexation' and is calling for stronger countermeasures from the international community. As reported by Deutschlandfunk, Reinicke is particularly critical of the new settlement project 'E1'.
Lithuania has lifted an air alert after suspected drones approaching from Belarus were diverted. The incident occurred a day after NATO shot down a suspected stray Ukrainian drone over Estonia.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards have threatened a war that would extend far beyond the Middle East if the United States resumes attacks on Tehran. The warning came after US Donald Trump again threatened military strikes unless Iran accepts a deal to end the conflict.
The cruise ship MV Hondius, which reported a hantavirus outbreak resulting in one death, docked at the port of Rotterdam on May 18. According to Ukrainska Pravda, citing NOS, four Ukrainian citizens are among the crew members.
US Donald Trump has issued an ultimatum to Iran: without a swift peace deal, the country faces destruction. Meanwhile, a drone strike hit the Barakah nuclear plant in the United Arab Emirates, the Guardian reports.
The European Commission is set to adopt a tougher approach towards China amid rising concerns over cheap imports and dependence on critical raw materials.