Germany investigating leak in Russia of audio purportedly showing discussion of Ukraine aid – POLITICO

The debate over Ukraine aid has been heating up in Berlin as Ukraine has faced setbacks on the battlefield and the latest package of U.S. military aid to Ukraine has been mired in political debate in Congress. In the controversial audio recording, released by Russia Today editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan, officials from Germany’s armed forces, the Bundeswehr, discuss … Read more

The night Orbán sacrificed Hungary’s president and his EU top gun to protect his party – POLITICO

Almost all Hungarians see Novák, despite her head-of-state status, as a mere puppet under the longtime prime minister. Orbán, after all, is the one calling the shots as far as politics in this Central European state is concerned. The other person hit by the turmoil is Judit Varga, a Hungarian lawmaker who was to lead … Read more

In Northern Ireland, ‘a Protestant state’ finally has a Catholic leader – POLITICO

Demands and priorities Britain is providing the executive an extra £3.3 billion to start patching holes in services and pay long-delayed wage hikes that just triggered the biggest public sector strike in Northern Ireland’s history. The trouble is, the head of Northern Ireland’s civil service, Jayne Brady, has already told the new leaders that these eye-watering sums are still … Read more

Chinese MEGA bridges in Eastern Cape finally making progress

Two Chinese mega bridges in Eastern Cape are finally making progress towards completion. As we reported back in 2023, in the face of engineering complexity, public unrest and other unforeseen delays, the South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) could only set to work in earnest on the Mtentu and Msikaba Chinese mega bridges in … Read more

China’s Xi vows to build ‘bridges’ with Europe despite political strains – POLITICO

BEIJING — Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed to build “bridges” with Europe during a meeting with Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo in Beijing, just as China’s defense ministry warned it would “crush” independence movements in Taiwan. “Facing the turbulent international situation, more ‘bridges’ need to be built between China and Europe. The two sides … Read more

Five things you need to know about William Lai – POLITICO

TAIPEI — Forget Xi Jinping or Joe Biden for a second. Meet Taiwan’s next President William Lai, upon whom the fate of U.S.-China relations — and global security over the coming few years — is now thrust. The 64-year-old, currently Taiwan’s vice president, has led the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to a historic third term … Read more