Friedrich Merz has a good chance of becoming Germany’s next chancellor. As the leader of the center-right Christian Democratic Union party (CDU) and the conservative parliamentary group that includes Bavaria’s Christian Social Union (CSU), he will be the bloc’s top candidate, taking on the Social Democrats (SPD) in the February 23 general election. Though Merz … Read more
After a far-right pro-Russia candidate secured a surprise lead in Romania’s presidential election Monday, the eastern European NATO member is bracing for a high-stakes parliamentary vote on Sunday, amid fears it could bring about a strategic shift in the country. FRANCE 24’s Mark Owen speaks to Oana Popescu, director of GlobalFocus Center. She says voters … Read more
German industrial giant ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe on Monday announced a plan to shrink its workforce from the current 27,000 to 16,000 within six years. The Duisburg-based company blamed an increase in cheap imports, especially from Asia, for putting an increased and “significant strain on competitiveness.” Thyssenkrupp to reduce production capacity “Urgent measures are required to … Read more
Angela Merkel’s book will be launched with fanfare in the West but also in China. Tickets for Tuesday evening’s initial presentation of the former German chancellor’s 736-page opus at the Deutsches Theater in Berlin sold out online within minutes of going on sale a few weeks ago. Merkel’s “Freedom: Memoirs 1954-2021” looks back on her … Read more
An unprecedented mass rape trial in France has moved into a new phase with prosecutors beginning to lay out the verdicts and punishments they want for dozens of men accused of raping Gisèle Pelicot while she was drugged and rendered unconscious by her husband. As public prosecutors begin the sentencing phase, focusing on Dominique Pelicot, … Read more
A cargo plane flying on behalf of German logistics company DHL crashed near Vilnius International Airport in Lithuania early on Monday, killing at least one person, according to Lithuanian officials. The person deceased was confirmed by Lithuanian police to be a Spanish national and member of the flight crew, although not one of the pilots. … Read more
Since April 2023, war has pitted Sudan’s armed forces against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), killing tens of thousands of people and uprooting more than 11 million. The NRC warns humanitarian aid is only “delaying deaths”. As war-torn Sudan is on a “countdown to famine” ignored by world leaders, FRANCE 24’s Gavin Lee is … Read more
A pro-Russia far-right candidate took a surprise lead Monday in Romania’s presidential election, as the EU-leaning premier was knocked out of the race that will be decided in a December run off. The result is a political earthquake in the country of 19 million, a NATO member which has so far resisted nationalist appeals, setting … Read more
A hard-right critic of NATO who has praised Russia is set to face a center-right opposition leader in a presidential election run-off in Romania that could undermine its pro-Western stance after a shock outcome in the first-round vote. The outcome was a huge shock as pre-election opinion polls had made Social Democrat Prime Minister Marcel … Read more
Ukraine has recovered what it says are fragments of the experimental ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead that Russia fired at the Ukrainian city of Dnipro earlier this month. Members of Ukraine’s SBU security service said investigators are examining the fragments in an effort to learn more about the missile. Source link