Germany: Chancellor Merz has never been more unpopular

The first two state elections of the year have come and gone in Germany, and things are starting to pick up again within the federal government. For weeks, the coalition of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU)/Christian Social Union (CSU) and the center-left Social Democrats (SPD) had put governing on the back burner — for

Fact check: Donald Trump speaks on Iran, oil and economy

A month after the start of the war in Iran, President Donald Trump addressed the nation on April 1. Speaking from the White House, he said the US would hit Iran "extremely hard over the next two to three weeks" and "bring them back to the Stone Ages, where they belong." He also said the American "core strategic objectives

‘Drill baby drill’: Trump opens wilderness to big energy

From the majestic valleys of the Grand Canyon to the granite peaks of the Yosemite National Park and ancient trees of Alaska's Tongass National Forest, US President Donald Trump has pledged to make America's federal nature reserves "beautiful again." National parks make up one part of over 600 million acres (243 million hectares) of US

India news: Thousands affected as Oracle cuts jobs — reports

Skip next section What you need to know What you need to know Indian tech workers took to social media to say they had been laid off by Oracle and were seeking new opportunities CNBC reported on Tuesday that the US-based technology firm was cutting thousands of jobs globally Top Russian officials visits India to talk security

Lufthansa marks centenary amid testing times

Skip next section Germany joins UK-led talks on Hormuz shipping April 2, 2026 Germany joins UK-led talks on Hormuz shipping Germany is taking part in UK-led talks on securing the Strait of Hormuz after the US signaled others should handle the issue. British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said she would chair a virtual meeting on

Wealth tax: Why are countries afraid to tax the ultrarich?

Not many people enjoy paying taxes. But many voters don't see a problem taxing the superrich and making them pay their "fair share." One way is to increase income taxes. There's also the option for an annual or one-off wealth tax on everything someone has above a certain mark. A few governments want to tax extreme wealth

Iran war: Oil prices jump, stocks fall after Trump speech

Skip next section Germany joins UK-led talks on Hormuz shipping April 2, 2026 Germany joins UK-led talks on Hormuz shipping Germany is taking part in UK-led talks on securing the Strait of Hormuz after the US signaled others should handle the issue. British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said she would chair a virtual meeting on

Hungary’s Watergate: Secret service spied on opposition

The Hungarian election campaign has been in a frenzy for weeks, but this latest scandal has shocked even the most cool-headed observers. Many have described it as a "return to dictatorship and Communist times." Last week, it emerged that Hungary's Constitution Protection Office (Alkotmanyvedelmi Hivatal), one of the country's five intelligence services, is believed to

UNESCO World Heritage sites facing the heat

While wars and revolutions have long threatened national cultural heritage sites — most recently in Iran and Ukraine — a new danger has emerged in the form of climate change. UNESCO World Heritage sites from the 4,000 year-old pyramid temples in Iraq to the ancient statues of Easter Island are facing extreme erosion and deterioration as temperatures rise and storms and droughts intensify.

US lifts sanctions on Venezuela’s acting president

The United States has lifted sanctions against Venezuela's interim President Delcy Rodriguez, a post on the US Treasury Department's website said Wednesday. Rodriguez assumed the office after Washington deposed her predecessor Nicolas Maduro — with US forces conducting a raid on Venezuela's capital, Caracas, and seizing him on January 3. What does the lifting of US
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