Europe
Ukraine: Orban visits, calls for ceasefire
In his first visit to Ukraine for ten years, Viktor Orban has called for a ceasefire. A longstanding critic of Western military aid to Ukraine, he suggested that a swift ceasefire could expedite…
France: Macron’s gamble looks like backfiring
France's political future is uncertain as Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN) leads opinion polls ahead of parliamentary elections on 30 June. Emmanuel Macron faces potential ‘cohabitation’ with an opposing prime minister,…
Russia: 20+ killed in terrorist attacks
At least twenty people have been killed in a series of shootings in Dagestan on 24 June. The attacks targeted a synagogue, an Orthodox church, and a traffic police post. Among the victims…
Cyprus / Israel / Lebanon: Hezbollah leader threatens wider conflict
Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has warned that no place in Israel would be safe if a full-scale war erupts between the two foes, also threatening Cyprus and other Mediterranean regions. Hezbollah has…
Netherlands: prime minister to become new NATO head
Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte is set to become the next NATO secretary-general after Hungary lifted its veto, following a letter from Rutte to Viktor Orbán. The letter promised Orbán that, as NATO…
Europe: big swing to far-right in EU elections
Following the European Parliament election, the European People's Party (EPP) has secured 184 seats, a quarter of the 720-member chamber. Far-right groups also made significant gains. The centre-left Socialists and Democrats remained stable,…
France: Macron says he will win snap election after European defeat
Emmanuel Macron has said he intends to win the snap legislative election he called after his allies' significant defeat to Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally (RN) in the European Parliament elections. He…
Switzerland: parliament rejects human rights decision
Swiss women, known as ‘climate seniors’, who won a historic ruling on climate change from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), feel shocked and betrayed by their own parliament's decision not to…
Ukraine: Biden, China not to attend peace summit
Joe Biden will not be at the Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland on 15 and 16 June; instead, vice-president Kamala Harris and national security advisor Jake Sullivan will attend. The decision comes despite…
Fake news ahead of EU elections
Ahead of the EU and UK elections, false claims about immigration are spreading, particularly on social media. One Facebook post says that nearly 97% of Spain’s minimum basic income recipients are immigrants. In…
