European Union

Der FC Barcelona kehrt am 7. November für ein öffentliches Training ins Camp Nou zurück. Dies dient als Test für eine teilweise Wiedereröffnung des renovierten Stadions, die bis Ende 2025 geplant ist. Maximal 27'000 Besucher sind zugelassen.

The US has announced it is withdrawing some of its soldiers from Romania. In an attempt to allay fears, the Ministry of Defence in Bucharest said the decision had not come as a surprise and takes account of the fact that Nato has boosted its overall presence on the eastern flank. Press commentaries nonetheless reflect a sense of foreboding.

According to a report by the Politico news website, Hungary is planning to forge an anti-Ukrainian bloc in the European Union with the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The new Czech government has also said it wants to revitalise the cooperation between the four Visegrád states - although Poland has so far shown no interest in such plans. Could this be the birth of a pro-Russian lobby in the EU?

US President Donald Trump has announced plans to resume nuclear weapons testing. On his Truth Social platform he justified the move citing tests carried out by other countries. China has reminded the US of its commitment to a moratorium on nuclear testing and to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. The last US nuclear test was carried out in September 1992 under former president George H. W. Bush.

The parliament in Riga has voted to withdraw Latvia from the Istanbul Convention, which obliges countries to provide better protection for women and girls. Critics of the convention say the gender ideologies it contains pose a threat to the country's traditional family values. If the decision is implemented, Latvia would become the first EU country to withdraw from the Convention. More than 5,000 people protested against the decision outside the parliament on Wednesday.

The private organisation, run by members of Franco’s family, has long been a source of controversy