By Olivia Le Poidevin, Johnny Cotton and Cecile Mantovani GENEVA, Dec 5 (Reuters) – The Eurovision Song Contest was facing a potential budget squeeze after Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland and Slovenia said they would withdraw from next year’s competition in protest at Israel’s participation. The planned boycott brought to a head a row that has …
Eurovision faces budget squeeze after walkouts over Israel Read More »
By Humeyra Pamuk, Juliette Jabkhiro and Elizabeth Pineau WASHINGTON/PARIS, Dec 5 (Reuters) – Charles Kushner, the U.S. ambassador to France, requested permission to visit former French President Nicolas Sarkozy in jail during his recent brief imprisonment, according to the U.S. State Department and the Paris appeals court, which granted him permission to do so. The …
Exclusive-US envoy Kushner asked to meet France’s Sarkozy in jail Read More »
By Sarah Marsh and Andreas Rinke BERLIN, Dec 5 (Reuters) – German Chancellor Friedrich Merz narrowly averted a government crisis after securing an absolute majority for a pensions bill in parliament on Friday, despite an earlier revolt within his own conservatives that had highlighted his weak authority. The bill, which raises pension spending by around …
Germany’s Merz secures pensions bill, but row highlights leadership weakness Read More »
MOSCOW, Dec 6 (Reuters) – Ukrainian drones targeted Russia’s Ryazan and Voronezh regions overnight, causing damage but no casualties, local governors said on Saturday. The attack sparked a fire on the roof of a multi-storey residential building, and debris from drones fell into the grounds of “an industrial facility,” Ryazan governor Pavel Malkov said. Malkov …
Ukraine drones hit Russia’s Ryazan, Voronezh regions, governors say Read More »
MOSCOW, Dec 5 (Reuters) – Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said on Friday that a Ukrainian drone had struck and damaged a high-rise building in Grozny, capital of Russia’s southern Chechnya region, and vowed to retaliate within a week. Kadyrov, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said the drone had caused no casualties. He said the …
Chechen leader Kadyrov vows response after Ukrainian drone hits Grozny, no casualties Read More »
Dec 5 (Reuters) – Bulgaria’s maritime authorities, border police and navy, are carrying out a rescue of a vessel that entered the country’s territorial waters on Friday but the operation has been put on hold due to bad weather, the transport ministry said in a statement. The vessel is identified as sanctioned tanker Kairos, which …
Bulgaria rescuing sanctioned tanker that was hit by Ukrainian drone Read More »
By Idrees Ali, Matt Spetalnick and James Mackenzie WASHINGTON, Dec 5 (Reuters) – The United States will reassert its dominance in the Western Hemisphere, build military strength in the Indo-Pacific, and possibly reassess its relationship with Europe, President Donald Trump said on Friday in a sweeping strategy document that seeks to reframe the country’s role …
Trump strategy document revives Monroe Doctrine, slams Europe Read More »
Dec 5 (Reuters) – The Kremlin’s top foreign policy adviser said on Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff have achieved a level of understanding that made their discussions “truly friendly”. Yuri Ushakov also said that the inclusion in Tuesday’s Kremlin talks of U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, had …
Kremlin adviser says Putin and US envoy Witkoff understand each other Read More »
By Simon Lewis and Gram Slattery WASHINGTON, Dec 3 (Reuters) – The confusion still swirling in Washington over President Donald Trump’s latest peace plan for Ukraine has made at least one thing clear: The U.S. president’s unconventional, all-in approach to diplomacy carries big risks – both domestic and geopolitical – as well as potential rewards. …
Analysis-Trump’s Ukraine peace effort tests his unconventional diplomacy Read More »
PARIS, Dec 5 (Reuters) – A request for approval has been sent to the European Commission for a state aid package to cover costs of six nuclear reactors planned by French utility EDF, a spokesperson for the French energy ministry said on Friday. France is planning to build six nuclear reactors under a new design …
France asks Brussels for state-aid approval for nuclear projects Read More »
