
Germany leads fiscal hardliners against fresh spending as pressure mounts ahead of high-stakes elections, notably in France.
EU leaders clashed in Brussels over the bloc's long-term budget, with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz leading fiscal hardliners against fresh spending amid concerns over upcoming high-stakes elections, especially in France.
AI-generated summary
EU leaders kicked off talks in Brussels to negotiate the bloc's next long-term budget ahead of upcoming elections.
EU leaders locked horns on Thursday over the bloc’s next long-term budget as they kicked off talks in Brussels under pressure to seal a deal before several high-stakes elections next year, most crucially in France.
The 27-nation European Union wants an agreement by Christmas, worried that any future deal-making will be derailed by potential Eurosceptic wins across the bloc, including in France where the far-right’s Marine Le Pen is favoured in opinion polls.
“We are facing very, very difficult negotiations,” Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz told reporters as he arrived at the summit talks.
Leaders are “still very far apart”, he added, suggesting they “pack a few extra shirts” for a final summit meeting set for December.
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Final summit meeting set for December to finalize budget talks.
Likely · Within months

China has announced that it will invite 100,000 American youths to visit China for exchanges in the next five years, aiming to expand youth exchanges. However, this move has triggered controversies such as a serious imbalance in U.S.-China study abroad, political indoctrination, hostage risks, and United Front channels. Experts have different views on effectiveness and security.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Baku, Azerbaijan, on the 14th. He said that the upcoming meeting between Xi Jinping and Putin during the APEC summit is very important for the development of the Asia-Pacific. Lavrov confirmed that Putin will go to Shenzhen to attend the APEC summit.

Two chemical tankers caught fire in Romania's Black Sea territorial waters, leaving seven people missing. Search and rescue operations are ongoing. Before the incident, a Russian drone broke into the airspace, but officials have not yet confirmed that the cause of the fire was related to Russia. The safety risks of Black Sea shipping have increased sharply recently.

Christophe Leribeau, director of the Louvre Museum in France, warned that if the Louvre is not repaired, adjusted and transformed, its status will rapidly decline and it may eventually have to be closed to the public. The museum currently faces risks such as aging facilities and equipment, climate and network security, and a previous jewelry robbery exposed security vulnerabilities.

More than ten years after its completion, the new Yalu River Bridge connecting Dandong in China and Sinuiju in North Korea was officially opened to traffic. The opening of this long-idle bridge reflects the restoration of economic and trade cooperation between China and North Korea, the readjustment of bilateral relations, and the increasingly complex strategic interactions between China, North Korea and Russia.

US ambassador to India Sergio Gor announced in New Delhi that the upcoming C5+1 ministerial meeting in Uzbekistan will showcase American technology and ingenuity, with representatives from over 200 US companies attending.