Xi Hosts Taiwan Opposition Leader In Rare Meeting: 'We Will Not Become A Chessboard For External Intervention'

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Vatican’s Custody of the Holy Land said in a joint statement on Monday that an agreement was reached with the Israeli police after the Latin Patriarch, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, was blocked from celebrating Palm Sunday Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in East Jerusalem. The joint […]

France's Debt Spiral: Tax Hikes Mask A Looming Crisis Submitted by Thomas Kolbe On both sides of the Franco-German border, the same problem persists: overburdened and reform-averse politicians struggle against a rapidly accelerating debt spiral. Their preferred tool: higher levies. Last week, France’s Finance Minister Roland Lescure reported a revision of the projected budget deficit for the current year. Initial estimates for 2026 had suggested a deficit well above five percent. Yet numerous fiscal measures brought last year’s deficit down to 5.1%. For 2026, the Finance Ministry expects it to stabilize at around...