Latest news

Xi Jinping's China
Xi cleans up ranks ahead of summit - fires 20s

Just days before China's National People's Congress, which begins this week, President Xi Jinping has fired more than 20 representatives from the advisory body CPPCC. It is unusual for someone to be fired during the five-year period, writes the BBC.

The council consists of almost 3,000 people. At the end of last week, 19 representatives were fired and now three more former top generals are being fired.

No official explanation has been given, but Xi Jinping often refers to suspected corruption. However, analysts point out that the corruption allegations may actually be a way to weed out dissenting critics, writes NBC.

Russian invasion  Sanctions
Russia sues EU over frozen Russian assets

The Central Bank of Russia has sued the EU in Luxembourg after the decision to freeze Russian state assets linked to the invasion of Ukraine. Bloomberg reports.

The bank is challenging a regulation from December 2025 that extends the freeze of around 210 billion euros and claims violations of property protection and state immunity.

The funds are mainly held by Euroclear. The bank has also sued the company in Moscow and is threatening to make demands on European lenders.

Political situation in New Zealand
Jacinda Ardern's move from the country is part of a troubling trend

Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is taking her family with her and moving to Australia. The announcement came at the end of last week, several media outlets report.

The move is expected to anger New Zealanders, who are struggling with a weak job market, sluggish economy and high living costs at home, writes The Guardian. In the past year alone, over one percent of the population moved from the country, and by far the majority ended up in Australia, according to the New York Times.

The BBC writes that Jacinda Ardern's move sheds light on the "brain drain" that is taking place from New Zealand. A record number of people have moved from the country in recent years, and among the emigrants are often the "best and brightest".

Elections in Denmark
Frederiksen drives the iron on Tiktok despite the cuts

The election campaign in Denmark is in full swing ahead of election day on March 23. Over the past year, the Social Democratic Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has painted the tech giants as the big enemy, but when the election campaign got underway last Tuesday, it only took a little over an hour before the account @mette_insider_official appeared on Tiktok. This is reported by Berlingske.

“The ‘monster’ that Mette Frederiksen wanted to tame has become part of her election machinery,” the newspaper writes.

Communications consultant Benjamin Elberth believes that politicians have a “funny tendency” to use the same social media that they are fighting.

“They know very well that they cannot get votes if they do not use the same platforms. In love and war, all tricks apply,” he says.

The party does not think it is hypocrisy, but responds that one must be where the voters are.

Middle East Crisis  Gas Prices
Analyst: If it continues, the situation is really difficult

Gas prices in Europe surged by as much as 50 percent on Monday after unrest in the Middle East and Qatar's decision to close the world's largest gas export facility. Ole Hvalbye, a commodities analyst at SEB, notes in a comment to the Norwegian DN that the situation is being worsened by the fact that levels in Europe's gas stocks were already low.

He warns that prices in Europe could surge to 100 euros per megawatt hour, which corresponds to more than an approximate doubling of the current level.

- If this continues, we are in a really difficult situation, says Hvalbye.

During the 2022 energy crisis after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the TTF futures peaked at over 300 euros.ill be able to say that he has weakened the regime, that the ayatollah is dead and a number of other military leaders are dead. But he will hardly be able to say that the regime has fallen.