German elections: Voters prepare to cast their ballots
Germans are set to head to the polls on Sunday after a campaign focused on the economy and immigration. Some citizens say they are anxious about their country's future as they head to the polls.
Germany's unexpectedly short election campaign, which began after Chancellor Olaf Scholz called a snap election last December, has been marked by a weak economic outlook and several attacks carried out by migrants, putting immigration and the economy in the spotlight.
The latest polls predict that the country's largest opposition party, the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), will come in first place with 29% of the vote, followed by the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) with 20%.
Olaf Scholz's center-left SPD is predicted to take 16% followed by the Greens with 13%.
Hungary emerges as Trump's main obstacle to the EU
Hungary has emerged as a major stumbling block for the European Union as member states try to close ranks and strengthen their unified position in response to Donald Trump's divisive push for negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.
Trump's initiative, launched without coordination with Western allies, has upended transatlantic relations and raised fears that Ukraine would be forced into a highly unfavorable deal that would severely weaken Europe's long-term security.
With events moving at a dizzying pace, EU countries are scrambling to catch up and come up with new proposals that could express their financial and military support for the war-torn nation while keeping pressure on the Kremlin.
But Hungary may be an insurmountable obstacle before the "finish line."
Conservative event in the US, speaker salutes Hitler
The president of France's far-right party has canceled his appearance at a right-wing conference in Washington after one of the most prominent speakers gave the crowd a Nazi salute.
National Rally (RN) leader Jordan Bardella was set to speak at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Friday.
However, he announced he would withdraw after former Trump adviser and far-right ideologue Steve Bannon ended his speech with the words "fight, fight, fight" and extended his right arm upward in what appeared to be a Hitler salute.
Protests in Slovakia, demands for the resignation of the Prime Minister
Thousands of people gathered in Bratislava and other cities in Slovakia to call for Prime Minister Robert Fico to resign. Protesters vowed to continue demonstrations against the prime minister's foreign policy, which critics say is bringing the country closer to Russia.
Protests in Slovakia have been held every two weeks since early January, after Fico met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in December. Fico's visit to Moscow was a rare visit by a member of the European Union since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine three years ago.
