French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday said France would be increasing the number of nuclear warheads in its arsenal. The French leader was speaking from L'Ile Longue military base that houses the country's nuclear submarines. France is the only nuclear power within the EU.
It is a trip that had been planned for a long time, but under very different circumstances: This Monday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will depart for Washington. On Tuesday, he will meet with US President Donald Trump amid an escalating conflict in Iran and the Middle East.
Components from German manufacturers have been found in Russian drones attacking Ukrainian cities. German media reported on this in January, citing the latest Geran-5 attack drone in particular. The television broadcaster ntv and later other German media reported that transistors made by the German company Infineon Technologies were found in a Geran-5, along with other foreign-made components.
Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken announced that his country's navy boarded and diverted a vessel believed to be part of Russia's illicit shadow fleet of oil tankers on Sunday. Francken said the ship was being taken to the Belgian port of Zeebrugge, where it would be officially seized by Belgian authorities.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has barred Ukraine's skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych from wearing a helmet that honors Ukrainian athletes killed in the war with Russia. "The IOC fully understands the desire of athletes to remember friends who lost their lives in that conflict," IOC spokesman Mark Adams told a news conference on Tuesday.
In early February, German media outlets reported on the strains affecting Germany's gas reserves. The news magazine Focus warned that the "cold snap devours our gas reserves."
When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, it sealed the fate of East Germany. People wasted no time and started hacking away at the monstrosity with hammers and chisels. Those people chipping away at the former border barricade were known as "Mauerspechte," or wall woodpeckers.
Michael Schoellhorn, the CEO of Airbus Defence and Space, says the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), the long-planned Franco-German fighter jet and air defense project, will survive but that "there will have to be some restructuring in certain parts."
The center-left Social Democrats (SPD), Germany's first political party, are struggling to muster their optimism in a year when five of Germany's 16 federal states are set to elect new parliaments. According to the latest opinion polls, the SPD could be voted out of power in two states that is has governed for decades.
Never before have so many people traveled worldwide. According to the UN World Tourism Organization's World Tourism Barometer, an estimated 1.52 billion international tourists were recorded globally in 2025 — nearly 60 million more than in 2024. Europe remained the world's most popular destination region, welcoming about 793 million international visitors.
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has granted 10 athletes from Russia and Belarus wildcard spots for the upcoming Winter Games in Italy from March 6-15. The IPC on Tuesday told news agencies AFP and SID that the limited number of athletes would be allowed to compete under their own flags.
Home advantage smaller than ever before, but still a factor Italian women playing a huge role in host's success Familiarity with facilities the main reason for Italy's strong display History shows negative spillover possible From Francesca Lollobrigida setting an Olympic record in the women's 3,000-meter speed skating for Italy's first gold to alpine skier Federica Brignone