CD eNews

French poll shows far-right leader Bardella winning presidential election

French pollster Odoxa predicted for the first time that 30-year-old far-right leader Jordan Bardella would win the next presidential election, scheduled in 2027, no matter who his opponents would be.…

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Macron set to present voluntary military service plan

French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to present a new voluntary military service on Thursday — and most political parties are likely to go along with the plan. The project, which stops…

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North, South Korea in ‘very dangerous’ standoff

North and South Korea are in a "very dangerous situation" where an accidental clash is possible any time and it was crucial for Seoul to engage Pyongyang in dialogue, South…

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US, Ukraine to continue work on ‘refined’ peace plan to end war with Russia

The United States and Ukraine were set to continue work on Monday on a plan to end the war with Russia after agreeing to modify an earlier proposal that was…

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Tourist tax expected to be introduced for London

The mayor of London has cautiously welcomed reports that he is to impose a tourist levy on visitors staying overnight in the capital. Chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to give…

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Draft of US-backed peace proposal for Ukraine

Here is the text of a draft version of the 28-point peace plan for Ukraine backed by the United States, according to a copy seen by Reuters 1. Ukraine's sovereignty…

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Serbian President Named in Investigation Over Alleged Sarajevo ‘Sniper-Tourism’

A Croatian investigative reporter has filed a complaint with Milan prosecutors in Italy against the Serbian president, Aleksandar Vučić, for his alleged involvement in the “Sarajevo safari” affair, in which…

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China Tightens Grip on Japan Links as Cruise Lines and Concerts Face Sudden Cancellations

Chinese cruise lines and cultural institutions are abruptly distancing themselves from Japan as diplomatic tensions between Beijing and Tokyo intensify, disrupting tourism flows, entertainment events and business plans across the…

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Kupiansk Status Unclear as Russia Reports Seizure and Ukraine Pushes Back

The chief of Russia's general staff told President Vladimir Putin that Russian forces had taken control of the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kupiansk, but Ukraine's military denied the city had…

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EU proposes ‘military Schengen’ to speed troop movements

EU member states will have just three days in peacetime and six hours in emergencies to allow other European military troops and equipment to cross their borders under a new…

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Trump says US will work to end war in Sudan at Saudi’s request

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he would work to help end the war in Sudan after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman asked him to get involved in…

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Ukraine expected to give up land, some arms under US peace plan

The U.S. has signalled to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that Ukraine must accept a U.S.-drafted framework to end the war with Russia that proposes Kyiv giving up territory and some weapons,…

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3I/ATLAS is a comet, not aliens, NASA says

NASA "very much wants to find signs of life in the universe," said associate administrator Amit Kshatriya, but the interstellar object called 3I/ATLAS was not it. The US space agency…

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Poland to close Russian consulate after railway sabotage, urges EU action

Poland said on Wednesday it would close the last Russian consulate in its territory and urged EU allies to restrict Russian diplomats in the bloc's Schengen free-travel area in response…

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UPDATED: Drone Breach in Romania, Airspace Alert in Poland as Russia Targets Ukraine

Romania and Poland both activated high-alert air defence measures on Wednesday as Russian strikes on Ukraine spilled close to NATO territory, prompting rapid military responses on both fronts. Romania scrambled…

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Congress approves bill to release Epstein files

Both chambers of Congress agreed to order the US justice department to release its files on sex offender financier Jeffrey Epstein. The House of Representatives overwhelming approved the measure in…

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Scotland Ends 28-Year Wait as Curaçao and Haiti Make Historic World Cup Breakthroughs

Scotland, Curaçao and Haiti each carved out a place in football history this week, delivering a qualification round that will be remembered for decades across three continents. In an era…

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New Lead Emerges in Orlandi Case as Parliamentary Inquiry Uncovers Handwritten Note

A newly identified lead in the long-running disappearance of Emanuela Orlandi has come to light through the ongoing work of the bicameral commission examining the cases of both Orlandi and…

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Websites world-wide hit by Cloudflare outage

A number websites around the world, including X and ChatGPT, are unavailable because of problems affecting the major internet infrastructure firm, Cloudflare. Thousands of users reported issues with X and…

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Google Chief: Don’t blindly trust what AI tells you

People should not "blindly trust" everything AI tools tell them, the boss of Google's parent company Alphabet has told the BBC. In an exclusive interview, chief executive Sundar Pichai said…

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Ukraine Readies New Peace Overture While Kremlin Bows Out of Istanbul Talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday he will travel to Turkey on Friday for meetings aimed at reviving stalled negotiations to end the war, signaling that Kyiv intends to put…

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Kremlin says it hopes for a new Putin-Trump summit

The Kremlin said on Monday that it hoped another summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump could take place as soon as the necessary preparation had…

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UN Security Council backs Trump’s peace plan in key vote

The U.N. Security Council adopted a U.S. resolution to authorize an international stabilization force for Gaza and back the Trump administration’s peace plan on Monday, a significant early step toward…

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“Unprecedented act of sabotage” on Polish railway line

A railway line linking Warsaw to southeastern Poland was damaged by a weekend explosion that Prime Minister Donald Tusk called an "unprecedented act of sabotage". Tusk, who visited the site…

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Bangladesh’s Sheikh Hasina: From political dominance to death sentence

Bangladesh’s Sheikh Hasina, sentenced to death in absentia on Monday for her deadly crackdown on student protesters last year, has been a dominant figure in the South Asian nation for…

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Finland’s Stubb Tempers Expectations For Ukraine Cease-Fire

The president of Finland, Alexander Stubb, said a ceasefire in Ukraine is unlikely before the end of the year, pointing to the spring as a more plausible time for progress…

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Systemic Abuse in Libya’s Fuel Sector Redirects Subsidised Stocks to Multiple Markets, Including Malta

A surge in state-sanctioned fuel smuggling between 2022 and 2024 cost the Libyan people about $20bn (£15bn) in lost revenue – an alarming sum that demands decisive international sanctions against…

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Hamas quietly reasserts control in Gaza

From regulating the price of chicken to levying fees on cigarettes, Hamas is seeking to widen control over Gaza as U.S. plans for its future slowly take shape, Gazans say,…

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EU ministers agree faster crackdown on China parcels that could hit Shein, Temu

European finance ministers agreed on Thursday to bring forward to next year customs duties on low-value parcels arriving in the bloc to crack down on cheap Chinese e-commerce imports, in…

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Germany to introduce voluntary military service

Germany's coalition partners announced a compromise on Thursday over new rules on military service, a key element in a wider drive to rebuild the country's shrunken armed forces. The model…

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EP votes to scale back dramatically sustainability reporting

The European Parliament has voted to dramatically scale back the scope of EU green reporting and due diligence rules, a move that, if adopted, would likely exempt nearly all Maltese…

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Epstein emails say Trump ‘knew about the girls’

House Democrats on Wednesday released emails that they said raised new questions about President Donald Trump's ties to Jeffrey Epstein and how much he knew about Epstein's abuse of underage…

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Trump signs deal to end longest US government shutdown in history

President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed legislation ending the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, hours after the House of Representatives voted to restart disrupted food assistance, pay hundreds of…

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Ukraine corruption scandal explained: The $100M plot rocking Zelenskyy

Ukraine was roiled this week by the most damaging corruption scandal of Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s presidency. Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies revealed Monday that some of Zelenskyy’s close associates were allegedly involved in…

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“War Safari” Scandal: Italy Reopens Dark Chapter from the Siege of Sarajevo

Prosecutors in Milan have launched an investigation into allegations that Italian citizens paid large sums of money to join Serbian militias as “weekend snipers” during the 1993–1995 Siege of Sarajevo,…

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Venezuela Crisis Deepens as US Carrier Enters Caribbean Waters

The Gerald Ford aircraft carrier strike group has moved into the Latin America region, U.S. officials said, dramatically escalating a military buildup that has deepened tensions with Venezuela. President Donald…

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Ukraine facing ‘huge problems’ finding soldiers as men flee abroad

Ukraine is facing a worsening shortage of soldiers as record numbers of men flee to Europe, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko warned in an interview. “We have huge problems with soldiers…

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Major Solar Storm Causes Radio Blackouts Across Europe and Africa

A powerful geomagnetic storm has been underway since the night of November 11–12, reaching G4 intensity—one step below the highest G5 level, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric…

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Five European countries call on imports ban from Israeli settlements in occupied Palestine

The Netherlands is drafting legislation to ban imports from Israeli settlements in occupied Palestine, despite pausing broader sanctions on Israel after last month’s Gaza ceasefire, Foreign Minister David van Weel…

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Outrage as Trump pardons 2020 election conspirators

President Donald Trump’s sweeping pardon for dozens of alleged co-conspirators in efforts to overturn the 2020 election has sparked outrage among his critics, who see it as a clear signal…

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Von der Leyen offers minor concessions on EU budget to win over centrist MEPs

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has introduced a series of modest adjustments to her proposed €2 trillion EU budget, aimed at easing tensions and preventing a parliamentary backlash.…

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Kremlin says it wants war to end but peace process is ‘stalled’

The Kremlin said on Monday that it wants the war in Ukraine to end as soon as possible, but that efforts to resolve the conflict have stalled. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry…

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Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy to be released from prison

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy is set to leave La Santé Prison in Paris on Monday after serving three weeks, following an appeals court’s approval of his request for release.…

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Biggest polluters skip COP30 for Europe to pick up climate bill

The leaders of the United States, China,and India, the world’s top three polluters — will not attend COP30 in Brazil, leaving the European Union to shoulder much of the global…

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UK deploys anti-drone specialists to Belgium after string of incursions

Britain has pledged to support Belgium in tackling a wave of drone incursions that have disrupted air traffic and raised security concerns. UK Chief of the Defence Staff Richard Knighton…

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EU Parliament to tackle sustainability rules again this week

The European Parliament’s centrist coalition faces a tense week as lawmakers prepare for a crucial vote on cutting EU red tape for businesses, a proposal that has exposed deep divisions…

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US Senate advances bill to end federal shutdown

The U.S. Senate took a significant step on Sunday towards ending the 40-day federal government shutdown, which has disrupted public services, delayed food assistance, and caused travel disruptions across the…

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Pope Leo’s critique of Trump emboldens top US Catholics to help immigrants

Pope Leo’s recent criticism of U.S. President Donald Trump’s immigration policies has energised Catholic organisations working to assist migrants affected by the administration’s strict enforcement measures, according to senior Church…

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Kremlin critic warns Europe to prepare for Cold War II

Exiled Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky has warned Europe to prepare for a decade-long standoff with Russia, regardless of the outcome of Moscow’s war on Ukraine. Speaking at a private event…

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Hezbollah rejects negotiations with Israel

Lebanon's Hezbollah said on Thursday that the militia group had "a legitimate right to resist (Israeli) occupation", adding that it would support the Lebanese army. Hezbollah also said that, while…

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US orders 10% flights cut at major US airports due to shutdown

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Wednesday that he would order a 10% cut in flights at 40 major U.S. airports, citing air traffic control safety concerns as a…

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EU set to further tighten visa rules for Russians

The EU is preparing to further tighten visa rules for Russian citizens, effectively ending the issuance of multi-entry Schengen permits in most cases, three European officials told POLITICO. The move,…

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Mexico arrests man for groping President Claudia Sheinbaum

Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum said Wednesday that she has filed a criminal complaint against a man who was filmed groping and trying to kiss her. The incident occurred on Tuesday…

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Democratic socialist Mamdani triumphs in New York as Democrats sweep first major elections of second Trump term

Democrats swept a trio of races on Tuesday in the first major elections since Donald Trump regained the presidency, elevating a new generation of leaders and giving the beleaguered party…

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Russian and Ukrainian troops battle in ruins of Pokrovsk

Russian and Ukrainian forces battled on Tuesday and Wednesday in the shattered eastern city of Pokrovsk, a transport and logistics hub that both sides view as strategically decisive in the…

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Brussels, Liege airports closed for hours due to drones

Belgium's Brussels and Liege airports were closed on Tuesday evening after drone sightings, diverting many incoming planes and preventing others from taking off. Kurt Verwilligen, a spokesperson for the Belgian…

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UPDATED: EU says it could admit new members by 2030, praises Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine

The European Commission said on Tuesday that the EU could welcome new members as early as 2030 as it praised Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine and Moldova for their progress on reforms…

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