Jeffrey Sachs: South Caucasus can become key connector in a multipolar world
Jeffrey D. Sachs, an economist, public policy analyst, Columbia University professor, and UN advisor, said Azerbaijan and the wider South Caucasus ...
Germany, and the UK hailed a major treaty to deepen ties in many areas ranging from defence to immigration. It's the latest push from Britain to reset relations with the European Union after Brexit in 2020. It comes after a recent treaty between France and the UK was signed last week.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz signed the Kensington treaty on Thursday (17 July) - the first formal UK-Germany agreement since WWII. The treaty outlines cooperation on migration, defence technology, trade, and education, including school exchanges as well as a rail link for a London–Berlin line .
Though Merz “deeply deplores” Brexit, he emphasized the importance of including the UK in European security efforts during growing threats from Russia and uncertainty over the U.S.’s NATO role.
Merz also said that the recent agreement between the UK and France should be extended to include Germany, creating a more unified approach to tackling irregular migration and urges for a trilateral agreement.
Merz's day trip follows a three-day state visit to Britain by French President Emmanuel Macron, signalling greater cooperation between Europe's top three powers at a time of threats to the continent and uncertainty about their U.S. ally.
"The cooperation between the United Kingdom and France … has to be complemented by an agreement that we aim to achieve between the three of us: UK, Germany, France,” Merz stated.
Starmer supported this, describing the pact as “a statement of our ambition to work ever more closely together.”
"We see the scale of the challenges our continent faces today, and we intend to meet them head on," Starmer said.
This aligns the UK more closely with Europe’s largest powers on critical security and migration challenges intensified by the Ukraine war.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran has “no trust” in the United States and will only consider negotiations if Washington shows seriousness. His remarks came as talks on Iran’s nuclear programme continued, with Trump and Xi also opposing Iran acquiring nuclear weapons.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington could destroy Iran’s infrastructure “in two days,” while Tehran warned the U.S. would face growing economic costs from the conflict. The remarks came as Hezbollah reported new attacks on Israeli forces despite an extended Lebanon ceasefire.
The second semi-final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest 2026 takes place tonight in a rain-soaked Vienna, with the final 10 places in Saturday’s grand final still up for grabs.
Russia and Ukraine exchanged prisoners of war as well as the bodies of fallen soldiers, on Friday (15 May). The swap came as Ukranian officials said Moscow had carried out its largest aerial attack over 48 hours since the conflict started.
A high-powered lawyer representing Elon Musk attacked the personal and professional credibility of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on Thursday, as a landmark federal trial in California nears its conclusion.
China has launched the world’s first experiment to study how artificial human embryos develop in space, marking a major step in understanding whether humans could one day reproduce beyond Earth.
Every day, an elderly woman in China’s Shandong province looks forward to a video call from her son. He asks about her health, tells her he has been busy with work, and promises he will come home once he has saved enough money. She tells him she misses him. He tells her to take care of herself.
Tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of central London on Saturday (16 May) as two large-scale protests unfolded simultaneously - one focused on immigration and national identity, the other held in support of Palestinians and to mark Nakba Day.
At least eight people have died and 32 others were injured after a freight train collided with a public bus at a railway crossing in Bangkok on Saturday (16 May), triggering a fire that quickly spread through the vehicle.
President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping sought to project stability and renewed dialogue during a closely watched summit in Beijing this week, even as major disagreements over Taiwan, trade and global security remained unresolved.
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