Vietnam and the European Union have elevated diplomatic relations as both sides seek secure footing amid global trade and security shocks. The announcement of a "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership" between Brussels and Hanoi last week places the EU side by side with China, the United States and Russia as one of Vietnam's top-tier diplomatic relationships.
The trade deal agreed by India and the EU in January was described by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as "the mother of all trade deals" — buoyant language to hail an economic partnership between the world's largest trading bloc and its most populous nation.
When the German Ice Hockey Association (DEB) named Harold Kreis as the men's national team head coach three years ago, many observers saw his appointment as something of a no-brainer. By then, he'd simply seen and done it all in German hockey.
Anyone who has had the displeasure of finding a parking spot in a major city knows it can take a very long time to strike gold.
Skip next section 'Transatlantic relations have changed' Merz says with regret February 2, 2026 'Transatlantic relations have changed' Merz says with regret German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Europe needed to become more technologically independent amid changes in the nature of its relationship with the US.
Tens of thousands of Czechs rallied on Sunday to support President Petr Pavel in his dispute with the country's foreign minister. In an escalating rift with the government, Pavel last week accused Foreign Minister Petr Macinka of attempted blackmail over a cabinet post.
Denmark became European men's handball champions for the first time in over a decade on Sunday night, beating Germany 34-27 in the final on home soil in Herning.
It is a bitterly cold winter's day in the central Anatolian Turkish city of Tokat. The thermometer says it's -3 degrees Celsius (27 degrees Fahrenheit). Sunduz Akkan, a mother of three, bundles up and heads to the Sik Makas factory where she worked until October. The plant's roughly 1,700 employees stopped getting their paychecks in mid-2025.
The second round of US-backed trilateral peace talks involving Ukraine and Russia will take place next week in Abu Dhabi, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Sunday. Zelenskyy said the new round would take place on February 4 and 5, and that his country is ready for a "substantive discussion."
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz paid tribute to Rita Süssmuth as a "great politician" and a "guiding light for our democratic society." Süssmuth died on Sunday, less than two weeks before she would have turned 89.
Skip next section German union calls for nationwide transport strikes on Monday February 1, 2026 German union calls for nationwide transport strikes on Monday German commuters are set to face heavy disruptions on Monday, as a leading Cerdi trade union has called for strikes across most of the country's public transportation network.
The Taliban are sending more officials to staff its consulates in Germany, leaving many Afghans who fled the Taliban regime with a dilemma when trying to get passports and other documents. This is according to a statement released by the Association of Afghan Organizations in Germany (VAFO) in January.