Writing the summary…
Israeli forces arrest dozens of Palestinians in occupied West Bank raid
Source: Al Jazeera
Original reporting
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The Guardian
Germany’s Merz ‘grateful’ centre-left SPD wants to stay in coalition after CDU’s heavy losses – Europe live
CDU suffered heavy losses in two regional elections, including in home state of former leader Angela Merkel, where it polled just 4.9% Staying in Germany, tens of thousands of automotive workers at Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and other car brands are protesting on factory floors across the country today for government and management help to save their jobs. Volkswagen has announced plans to cut 100,000 jobs in the next three years and BMW and Mercedes are also slashing their workforce. The problem is a near-existential one: the rise of Chinese EV carmakers with their cheaper, and in some cases more advanced models, has thrown the German car industry into crisis. The Germans, who have been far slower to transition to electric vehicles, simply aren’t selling as many cars anymore and need to retool to keep up. The fears are reflective of wider concerns over Europe’s industrial base being
The Guardian
Putin consolidates grip on Russia as 49 Ukraine war veterans elected to parliament
United Russia party’s record victory in tightly controlled vote likely to be used as evidence of support for war against Ukraine Russia’s new parliament will include 49 deputies who have taken part in the war against Ukraine, officials have said after a landslide victory by the ruling United Russia party in widely criticised elections. The pro-Kremlin party won a record 355 seats in the country’s 450-seat Duma lower house of parliament, according to preliminary figures. The result further consolidates Vladimir Putin’s grip on power and gives United Russia a super-majority bigger than its previous 2016 record of 343 seats. Continue reading...
The Guardian
German chancellor clinging to power after another loss to far-right AfD
Merz seeks to shore up support after CDU loses two state elections and is ejected from Mecklenburg parliament Europe live – latest updates Germany’s beleaguered leader, Friedrich Merz, has sought to shore up support for his flagging chancellorship among senior members of his conservative party after its drubbing at the polls in two state elections. Merz, who has vowed his fractious coalition government will plough ahead with an unpopular reform agenda, held an early meeting in Berlin with the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leadership on Monday. He dismissed speculation over his position, saying it was vital for the country’s “democratic future” that he and his coalition government remained in place. Continue reading...
BBC News
Merz vows to keep coalition together for Germany's 'democratic future'
The chancellor has come under increasing pressure after resounding state election defeats, but says the results "go far beyond my own person"
Al Jazeera
What’s the US–China AI ‘hotline’ that Trump plans to pitch to Xi Jinping?
Washington and Beijing discuss AI hotline idea amid escalating competition and restrictions on advanced technologies.
BBC News
Merz's political crisis threatens Germany's obsession with stability
Political shifts in Germany are being watched closely in Europe and beyond, Katya Adler writes.