The United States on Friday authorized part of its embassy staff in Israel to leave "due to safety risks," amid escalating tensions in the Middle East. The US Embassy in Jerusalem said non-emergency staff and family members of embassy employees would be able to leave Israel following approval from the US State Department.
Since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, tensions have simmered with neighboring Pakistan. On Friday, those tensions again reached a boiling point, with both sides exchanging strikes in the worst escalation in fighting since the Taliban controlled much of southern Afghanistan in the 1990s.
During talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang this week, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz emphasized expanding economic ties with China in the face of erratic US trade policy, while at the same time addressing concerns over managing competition and heavy trade imbalances.
The US public for the first time expressed slightly greater sympathy for Palestinians than Israelis in their conflict, according to a Gallup poll released Friday. The findings reflected a significant shift in US public opinion after the Gaza war and highlighted deep political divisions over Middle East policy inside the United States.
Warning: this article contains graphic descriptions of violence More reports are surfacing across the continent of Africans fighting in Russia's war in Ukraine. This week, South Africa's foreign minister, Ronald Lamola, met with the families of 11 South African men recently repatriated after being lured into the conflict.
A win over Borussia Dortmund on Saturday would send Vincent Kompany’s Bayern Munich 11 points clear of their opponents and all but seal back-to-back Bundesliga titles for the Belgian coach. While the football is his focus, Kompany’s powerful, forthright and eloquent monologue on racism and victim-blaming last week struck a chord beyond the game.
"Is religion class actually being taught?" "Is another subject being taught instead of religion class?" "Are there insults against the president in classes?" These questions were reportedly asked by inspectors to students at a school in Turkey’s Izmir province.
Around 3,300 people gathered in the western German city of Dortmund on Sunday to protest against a visit by a fascist politician from the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party — and an even bigger protest is expected in Düsseldorf on Monday.
Worldwide, autocracies are on the rise, populists are gaining momentum, democratic societies are under pressure. Wars, inflation and fear of economic decline are causing great uncertainty.
Haxhimusa's house is located in the mountain village of Doganaj in the southeast of Kosovo. It is a two-story family home with a garden with old fruit trees in front and fields behind. The winter sun shines brightly onto the facade and windows. It is warm in the living room.
Skip next section Closing summary February 21, 2026 Closing summary After reelecting Chancellor Friedrich Merz as their party leader on Friday, CDU delegates voted on a slew of political proposals Saturday.
Müge Tuzcu Karakoc is certain that without an integration course, she would probably still not have properly settled in Germany by now. The Turkish journalist has been living in Germany for seven years.