The German government has officially confirmed its negative stance on resuming direct diplomatic contacts with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the context of resolving the war in Ukraine. This was reported by Euronews, citing a representative of the German Federal Foreign Office. In a comment to the publication, a representative...
The United States will create a strategic reserve of critical minerals
US President Donald Trump has announced the creation of the country's first-ever strategic reserve of critical minerals, called Project Vault. The initiative, aimed at reducing dependence on China for supplies of rare earth elements and other key materials, will be funded to the tune of approximately $12 billion. ‘Today, we...
Hungary has filed a lawsuit with the EU Court against the ban on Russian gas imports
Hungary has officially appealed to the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg to annul the REPowerEU regulation, which provides for a complete phased withdrawal of EU countries from Russian energy imports. This was announced by Péter Szijjártó, Hungary's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade. According to him, the lawsuit was...
Five suspects arrested in Germany for organising illegal exports of goods to the Russian defence industry
On 2 February 2026, German law enforcement agencies conducted a large-scale operation, during which five people were arrested on suspicion of creating a network to circumvent European sanctions and supply goods to Russian defence industry enterprises. According to the German Federal Prosecutor's Office (Generalbundesanwalt), those detained are German citizens as...
Lord Mandelson passed confidential British economic plans to Epstein
New documents from the so-called ‘Epstein files’ published by the US Department of Justice have caused a huge stir in Britain. According to the documents, Lord Peter Mandelson, former Business Secretary in Gordon Brown's government and former British Ambassador to the US, passed confidential information about sensitive economic discussions within...
Beijing has officially announced its intention to make the yuan a global reserve currency
Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for the Chinese yuan to become one of the world's leading reserve currencies, according to the Financial Times, citing a publication in the Chinese Communist Party's theoretical journal Qiushi. An article based on Xi Jinping's 2024 speech to provincial and ministerial officials emphasises the...
Starmer initiates a reset of UK-EU defence relations
The UK is considering joining the EU's new defence funding program, Security Action for Europe (SAFE), in its potential second iteration. Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that the government is ready to explore the option of participating in an updated version of this multi-billion-pound mechanism. He made this announcement on...
The EU has officially added Russia to its list of countries with a high risk of money laundering and terrorist financing
On January 29, 2026, the European Commission's decision to add the Russian Federation to its list of countries with a high risk of money laundering and terrorist financing (AML/CFT) came into effect. Russia became the 30th jurisdiction on this EU "blacklist," which already includes North Korea, Iran, Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen,...
A major strike paralyzed public transportation in Germany
On Monday, municipal public transportation came to a near-complete halt across Germany. The ver.di union organized a nationwide warning strike involving approximately 100,000 employees of approximately 150 municipal transport companies and bus companies. Buses, trams, and U-Bahn (subway) services are suspended in most regions of the country. Transportation is completely...
Lord Peter Mandelson has left the Labour Party amid new revelations in the Epstein case
Lord Peter Mandelson, a former British government minister, ex-ambassador to the United States and one of the most influential figures in the history of the Labour Party, has announced his resignation from the party. The decision comes amid a new wave of publications related to his long-standing contacts with the...