EPA Pedro Sánchez, who promised to clean up Spanish politics, is now caught up in multiple corruption scandals Seven years after taking office by ousting corruption-ridden conservatives from government, Pedro Sánchez is fighting for his political life amid investigations into alleged graft in his Socialist party (PSOE). On June 12, an ashen-faced prime minister apologised to … Read moreEmbattled Sánchez resists clamour for resignation
Getty Images Three people are accused of exploiting dozens of seasonal workers Conditions for grape-pickers in France’s champagne business lie at the heart of a human trafficking trial that has opened in the eastern city of Reims. Three people – a woman from Kyrgyzstan, a man from Georgia and a Frenchman – are accused of … Read moreFrench trial exposes human trafficking among champagne workers
US President Donald Trump will decide whether or not the US gets directly involved in the Iran-Israel conflict within the next two weeks, the White House has said. In a White House press briefing, Press secretary Karoline Leavitt delivered a message directly from Trump: “Based on the fact that there’s a substantial chance of negotiations … Read moreTrump to decide on US action in Israel-Iran conflict within two weeks
Spain has reportedly asked to opt out of NATO’s proposed defence spending target of 5 percent of GDP, risking disruption to a key agreement expected at next week’s alliance summit. In a letter addressed to NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Thursday, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez urged the alliance to adopt a more flexible framework, according … Read moreSpain rejects NATO’s 5% defence spending hike as ‘counterproductive’
OSCAR DEL POZO/AFP A downbeat Pedro Sánchez asked for the forgiveness of the Spanish people Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has apologised to the Spanish people after an escalating corruption scandal brought down a senior Socialist party colleague. Sánchez, who has led Spain since 2018, said there was no such thing as “zero corruption” and he … Read moreSpanish PM sorry for corruption scandal as opposition demands resignation
An Air India plane travelling from India to London crashed within moments of take-off on Thursday, killing 241 passengers and crew, and more people on the ground. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which took off from the city of Ahmedabad, in western India, ploughed into a residential area, hitting a hospital complex and medical student hostel. … Read moreAir India plane crash claims at least 241 lives as one passenger survives
Riots have erupted for a third consecutive night in Northern Ireland, with police condemning the violence as “racist thuggery” that erupted following an alleged sexual assault. A few dozen masked rioters in the primary flashpoint of Ballymena attacked police, but the unrest was on a smaller scale in the town on Wednesday night compared with … Read moreN Ireland hit by third night of ‘racist’ violence, main flashpoint calmer
Australia’s Defence Minister Richard Marles said he is “very confident” that the AUKUS security pact between Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom will continue to move forward despite news that the Pentagon is reviewing the 2021 deal between the three nations. News of the review was first reported on Thursday as US defence … Read moreAustralia confident AUKUS security pact will proceed despite US review
Getty Images Mark Rutte wants to avoid US criticism of European allies for not spending enough on defence Mark Rutte is determined to give Donald Trump a win at the forthcoming Nato summit. The alliance’s secretary general wants to avoid the scenes of 2016 when, while in his first term, the US president berated European … Read moreNato chief is determined to give Trump a win with 5% defence spending plan
What happens when the richest person and the most powerful politician have a knock-down, drag-out fight? The world is finding out – and it’s not a pretty picture. Donald Trump and Elon Musk have two of the biggest megaphones, and they have now turned them on each other, as a disagreement has ballooned into a … Read moreTrump and Musk enter bitter feud – and Washington buckles up