U.S., Russia plan truce to cement Putin’s Ukraine gains — Bloomberg
According to Bloomberg News, the United States and Russia are working toward an agreement aimed at halting the war in Ukraine by formalizing Russia’...
French President Macron admits his decision for early elections in June led to political instability, taking full responsibility for the consequences and calling for greater European independence.
French President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged that his decision to call early parliamentary elections in June had created more political instability in France.
The speech concluded a turbulent 2024 for Macron, who shocked the country by calling for early elections midway through the year. This move backfired when the elections resulted in a hung parliament, with a substantial increase in far-right lawmakers, which weakened Macron’s influence.
"Lucidity and humility force (me) to recognize that at this stage, this decision has produced more instability than peace, and I fully own up to that," Macron said in a televised address ahead of the New Year celebrations.
"The dissolution caused more divisions in the Assembly than solutions for the French people," he added, marking his most direct acknowledgment of the consequences of the elections.
Macron had justified the early elections by pointing to a poor result in the European elections, arguing that they were necessary to "clarify" the political landscape. However, this gamble resulted in the loss of his parliamentary majority, and it took him two months to appoint a minority government, which collapsed in December—the first such collapse in France since 1962.
This failure led to France not passing the 2025 budget by the year-end deadline, and Macron had to appoint his fourth prime minister of the year, centrist veteran Francois Bayrou, in December.
Macron also hinted at the possibility of holding referendums in the coming year, though he did not explicitly mention them. He stated he would ask the French people to decide on "decisive" issues, but did not specify which ones.
The French constitution allows the president to initiate referendums.
Macron also referenced "citizen conventions," gatherings of randomly chosen citizens that lack binding power, which he has previously used to address issues like the yellow vest protests.
Finally, Macron called for greater European independence, emphasizing that the European Union could no longer depend on other powers for its security and defense, and must reject external trade laws.
The world’s biggest dance music festival faces an unexpected setback as a fire destroys its main stage, prompting a last-minute response from organisers determined to keep the party alive in Boom, Belgium.
According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the Oaxaca region of Mexico on Saturday.
China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will send an upgraded ‘version 3.0’ free-trade agreement to their heads of government for approval in October, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday after regional talks in Kuala Lumpur.
A resumption of Iraq’s Kurdish oil exports is not expected in the near term, sources familiar with the matter said on Friday, despite an announcement by Iraq’s federal government a day earlier stating that shipments would resume immediately.
Chinese automaker Chery has denied an industry-ministry audit that disqualified more than $53 million in state incentives for thousands of its electric and hybrid vehicles, insisting it followed official guidance and committed no fraud.
According to Bloomberg News, the United States and Russia are working toward an agreement aimed at halting the war in Ukraine by formalizing Russia’s occupation of territories seized during its invasion.
A fire broke out at Cordoba’s historic mosque-cathedral on the night of 8 August but was swiftly extinguished, preventing damage to one of Spain’s most treasured architectural landmarks.
The Canadian government announced Friday it will join key allies in reducing the price cap on Russian seaborne crude oil in response to Moscow’s ongoing war in Ukraine.
Washington, D.C., will see its federal security funding reduced by $20 million this year under a Trump administration plan, despite the president’s repeated claims that crime in the capital is spiraling.
U.S. President Donald Trump personally welcomed Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev at the White House today, ahead of a historic peace signing ceremony. The meeting sets the stage for a U.S.-brokered framework aiming to stabilize relations in the South Caucasus.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment