TOP NEWS

China's growth
Chinese kindergartens in crisis as child numbers fall

The number of children in Chinese kindergartens has fallen by 25 percent in four years, the Financial Times reports. This has led to the closure of tens of thousands of kindergartens in the country.

The number of children enrolled in the country's kindergartens has fallen by 12 million children between 2020 and 2024, according to the country's Ministry of Education.

The decline in China's kindergarten system only scratches the surface of the challenges facing businesses and policymakers as China's shrinking young population, which is expected to be one of the fastest in the world.

Germany's growth
Sources: Germany may approve record budget

The German government is expected to approve a budget proposal for 2026 on Wednesday that includes record investments of 126.7 billion euros, as part of a comprehensive fiscal "bazooka" package for infrastructure and defense.

This is reported by Reuters, citing sources in the finance ministry.

The budget proposal is presented together with a multi-annual framework until 2029, and the entire package is expected to be approved by the government on the same day. The sharp increase in public spending is aimed at reviving the German economy – the only one in the G7 that has not grown in the past two years, and which, according to the government's forecast, is also expected to stagnate this year.

European security policy
Europe's roads are not equipped for a Russian invasion

Europe's road network is not equipped for an invasion by Russia, reports the Financial Times.

The continent's roads, tunnels, bridges and railways are not up to the task of transporting military vehicles. And that would be a big problem if Russia had invaded and NATO had to quickly send military resources to the East.

EU transport chief Apostolos Tzitzikostas warns that tanks could not get through tunnels, caused bridges to collapse and “got stuck in border controls”. Now Brussels wants to spend 17 billion euros from 2028 to 2034 to upgrade infrastructure in Europe.

“The reality today is that if we want to move military resources from the western side of Europe to the eastern side, it would take weeks and in some cases months,” Tzitzikostas told the Financial Times.

He now warns that it would be impossible to defend the continent if armies cannot move effectively.

The Kashmir conflict
Indian military has killed “masterminds behind massacres”

The three main perpetrators of the attacks in Kashmir in April have been killed by the Indian military, according to Indian Home Minister Amit Shah.

This comes after India said it had found evidence of its involvement in the attack that killed 26 tourists in Pahalgam, in the Indian part of Kashmir in the Himalayas. The attack led to several military clashes between Pakistan and India.

– If Pakistan tries to carry out any evil act again, we are fully prepared to act even more forcefully and decisively, says Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, according to Bloomberg. 

Middle East crisis Protests
Demonstration against cruise in Greece

A cruise ship carrying Israeli tourists was met by pro-Palestinian protesters when it disembarked on the island of Crete on Tuesday, reports the AP. The protesters unfurled a huge Palestinian flag in the port of Agios Nikolaos and shouted “Free, free Palestine”.

Police used pepper spray at one point to hold back the crowd, local media reports.

It is the third protest against ships on Greek islands in the past week. The cruise ship was met with demonstrations on the islands of Rhodes and Syros.

Israel-Palestine conflict
Trump appears to give Starmer a free pass on the Palestine issue

Donald Trump and the US do not appear to plan to stand in the way if Britain wants to recognize Palestine as a state, reports The Independent.

– I am not going to take a position, I have no objection to him [Starmer] taking a position, Trump said after meeting Starmer during his visit to Scotland.

Thus, a heavy obstacle has been removed for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, according to the newspaper. The pressure on him has increased since President Emmanuel Macron announced that France will recognize Palestine.

Starmer has previously said that he is in favor of a two-state solution, but said that the time is not right. He has emphasized that Hamas can have no role in any future government.

The Independent writes that Britain does not formally need the green light from the US in foreign affairs, but the two countries have a history of coordinating policy.