Washington looks to Central Asia as it rebuilds global critical minerals supply
Agreements signed by the United States, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in Washington on 5 February show that the United States is changing how it secures a...
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu survived two no-confidence votes in parliament on Thursday, winning crucial backing from the Socialist Party.
The two no-confidence motions, presented by the hard-left France Unbowed and the far-right National Rally (RN), secured only 271 and 144 votes respectively — well short of the 289 votes needed to topple Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu’s days-old government.
Lecornu’s pledge to delay the controversial pension reform until after the 2027 presidential election helped win crucial backing from the Socialist Party, providing the government with a lifeline in the deeply fragmented National Assembly.
Despite surviving the votes, the motions highlighted the fragility of President Emmanuel Macron’s administration midway through his final term.
RN party president Jordan Bardella criticised the outcome on X, writing: “A majority cobbled together through horse-trading managed today to save their positions, at the expense of the national interest.”
The French bond market remained steady following the back-to-back votes, with the government’s victory widely expected by investors.
Looking ahead, Lecornu faces challenging negotiations over a slimmed-down 2026 budget in a legislature divided among three ideological blocs.
The government remains vulnerable, with the risk of further no-confidence motions or setbacks in budget approval.
In November, Lecornu intends to propose an amendment to suspend the pension reform. However, some left-wing lawmakers have warned that the move could act as a legislative trap, potentially forcing the Socialists to accept measures they oppose.
Winter weather has brought air travel in the German capital to a complete halt, stranding thousands of passengers as severe icing conditions make runways and aircraft unsafe for operation and force authorities to shut down one of Europe’s key transport hubs.
Storm Leonardo hit Spain and Portugal on Tuesday, forcing more than 11,000 people from their homes, as a man in Portugal died after his car was swept away by floodwaters and a second body was found in Malaga.
An attacker opened fire at the gates of a Shiite Muslim mosque in Islamabad on Friday before detonating a suicide bomb that killed at least 31 people in the deadliest assault of its kind in the capital in more than a decade.
Ukraine and Russia carried out a rare exchange of 314 prisoners on Thursday as U.S.-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi closed with a pledge to resume negotiations soon, offering one of the clearest signs of diplomatic movement in months.
The United States and Iran are set to hold nuclear talks in Oman on Friday after Tehran requested a change of venue and a strictly bilateral, nuclear-focused format, a move that is fuelling questions about Iran’s negotiating strategy.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 7th of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators have discussed an ambitious goal of reaching a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine by March, though the timeline is widely viewed as unrealistic due to deep disagreements over territory, according to multiple sources familiar with the talks.
At least 31 people have been killed and scores wounded in a suicide bombing at a mosque in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, during Friday prayers, prompting widespread international condemnation.
Lebanese Army Commander Gen. Rodolphe Haykal met with senior U.S. officials in Washington, D.C., this week to discuss strengthening military and security cooperation, regional developments and the challenges facing Lebanon, the Lebanese army said on Friday.
Escalating clashes in South Kivu’s highlands are sending a rising flow of wounded to Fizi’s small general hospital, where staff warn they are running out of space and supplies as the conflict expands across remote areas.
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