Berlin's new airport? Planned for 5 years, finished in 14. Stuttgart's central station? Still under construction after 16 years. Hamburg's concert hall, the Elbphilharmonie? Nine years instead of three. And the costs? Sometimes 10 times higher than promised. Or take Cologne's opera house.
Heads of state and government from the EU gathered at an "informal retreat" at the Alden Biesen Castle in eastern Belgium on Thursday, in lieu of a full monthly leaders' summit in Brussels. The talks will focus on reviving and streamlining Europe's economy, with the leaders also set to discuss ways to counter threats from China, Russia and the US.
Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych was disqualified from the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics on Thursday for refusing to wear a different helmet than the one that honors athletes killed in the war with Russia. Heraskevych has since taken his case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which was hearing his case on Friday morning.
Government supporters chant slogans as they gather in mourning after state TV officially announced the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, March 1, 2026.
In this 2017 photo, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, sits in a session to deliver his message for the Iranian New Year. A portrait of the late revolutionary founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, is next to him.
Argentine President Javier Milei gained a crucial political victory on Friday as lawmakers approved a sweeping and divisive reform to the country's labor laws. The Senate passed the government-backed initiative into law, with 42 out of 72 senators voting in favor. "Historic! We have a labor modernization," Milei said after the bill was approved.
Following Israel's strike on Iran, it remains to be seen in what way Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi militia will react. In the past days, they were outspoken in their support for Tehran.
Skip next section Son of late shah says 'final victory' close February 28, 2026 Son of late shah says 'final victory' close Pahlavi appeared at protests in Germany against the Iranian regime in mid-FebruaryImage: Michaela Stache/AFP/Getty Images Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran's last shah, has said he is confident that the Iranian regime will
We're moving our coverage of this unfolding situation to our live blog here. Israel has launched a "preemptive" strike against Iran, the country's Defense Minister Israel Katz announced on Saturday. He described the attack as being done "to remove threats." He did not immediately elaborate. An explosion rang out Saturday in Iran’s capital, Tehran, witnesses said.
The figure 1.35 should set off alarm bells for policymakers: on average, each woman in Germany now has just 1.35 children — a record low, and far below the 2.1 needed to keep the population stable. These latest calculations from the Federal Statistical Office underscore the scale of the demographic challenge.
Skip next section EU foreign policy chief calls for Pakistan, Afghanistan to de-escalate after strikes February 28, 2026 EU foreign policy chief calls for Pakistan, Afghanistan to de-escalate after strikes Kaja Kallas called for de-escalation amid high tensions between Pakistan and AfghanistanImage: Kuba Stezycki/REUTERS The European Union's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, on Saturday called for
The Swedish military said on Friday that a Russian drone had flown unauthorized off the coast of southern Sweden while a French aircraft carrier was docked in the port of Malmo. French nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle is in Malmo this week to take part in regular NATO exercise activities.