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Swiss voters headed to the polls on Sunday to decide whether the country should impose a population cap of 10 million people by 2050, in a closely watched referendum that has sparked intense debate over immigration, economic growth and Switzerland’s future relationship with the European Union. The proposal, backed by the right-wing Swiss People's Party, is being promoted as a “sustainability initiative” aimed at easing pressure on housing, public services, transportation and the environment. Critics, however, view it as the latest attempt to curb immigration in the Alpine nation. Switzerland’s population has risen from about 7.3 million in 2002 to roughly 9.1 million today, with around 27 percent of residents born abroad. Under the proposal, authorities would be required to take action once the population reaches 9.5 million, ensuring it does not exceed 10 million before 2050. Potential measures could include limiting asylum approvals, restricting family reunification rights for foreign workers and, if necessary, terminating international agreements such as the EU’s free movement of people. The Swiss government, most political parties, trade unions and business groups oppose the initiative, arguing it could worsen labor shortages and damage relations with the European Union, Switzerland’s largest trading partner. Opponents have labeled the proposal a “chaos initiative,” warning that sectors such as healthcare, hospitality and elderly care rely heavily on foreign workers. They also fear the measure could isolate Switzerland at a time of growing global economic and geopolitical uncertainty. Recent opinion polls suggest a tight race. Surveys indicate that about 52 percent of voters oppose the proposal, while 45 percent support it, leaving a significant number of undecided voters likely to determine the outcome. Supporters argue that rapid population growth has contributed to housing shortages, overcrowded public transport, rising healthcare costs and strained public services. “We have lost control,” said Nils Fiechter, a young lawmaker from the Swiss People’s Party, arguing that immigration has placed excessive pressure on infrastructure and social services. Opponents reject that view, saying structural policy failures rather than immigration are behind many of the country’s challenges. “It is not migrants who determine rent levels or health insurance premiums,” said Helin Genis, a Social Democratic politician from Bern, arguing that blaming immigration risks deepening social divisions rather than solving problems. Business leaders have also raised concerns that the population cap could undermine Switzerland’s economy. Employers warn that the country’s aging population increasingly depends on foreign workers, particularly in hospitals, care homes and hotels. Economiesuisse, Switzerland’s leading business association, has cautioned that approving the proposal could complicate ties with Brussels and jeopardize access to the European labor market. The referendum comes as Switzerland faces broader economic and geopolitical challenges, including rising defense spending, higher energy costs linked to global conflicts, and concerns about international trade relations. Final results are expected later Sunday. Source: BBC

Romanian President Nicusor Dan on Sunday nominated former minister and local government leader Adrian Vestea as prime minister, seeking to end a prolonged political crisis after his previous nominee withdrew due to a lack of parliamentary backing. Vestea, 53, a senior member of the National Liberal Party and a veteran politician from Brasov County, is Dan’s second choice for the post this month. The nomination came after former nominee Eugen Tomac stepped down from the mandate after failing to secure sufficient support and present a cabinet to Parliament within the required 10-day period. Speaking at the presidential Cotroceni Palace in Bucharest, Dan said Vestea’s extensive experience in local and national administration made him well-suited for the role. He highlighted Vestea’s record as a mayor, county council president and development minister, as well as his success in attracting European Union funding. The president also described Vestea as a strong supporter of Romania’s pro-Western orientation and someone with significant experience in managing public budgets. The nomination must now be approved by Parliament before Vestea can formally take office. Addressing reporters after the announcement, Vestea said he intends to form a political government committed to meaningful reforms and maintaining Romania’s pro-Western course. He stressed the need to prioritize development, noting that Romania, the European Union’s sixth-largest country by population, must focus on long-term economic growth from the outset of the new administration. Romania has faced political uncertainty since a no-confidence vote removed Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan in May. Although the next general election is not due until 2028, the country continues to grapple with one of the European Union’s highest budget deficits, persistent inflation and a technical recession. The coalition government that took office in June 2025 had pledged to reduce the budget deficit and stabilize the economy, but Bolojan’s administration lasted less than a year amid mounting political and economic challenges.

Britain has launched an investigation into a sanctioned oil tanker suspected of being part of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” used to bypass international sanctions imposed over the war in Ukraine, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Sunday. British armed forces boarded and detained the vessel, identified as Smyrtos, in the English Channel in what the UK Defence Ministry described as the first operation of its kind led by Britain. According to the ministry, the tanker will remain under detention and monitoring off England’s southern coast while authorities conduct further investigations. The operation was carried out in close coordination with French authorities, who have previously intercepted several vessels believed to be linked to Russia’s shadow fleet. Western governments believe Russia has been relying on hundreds of ships operating outside conventional oversight to continue exporting oil and circumvent sanctions imposed following its invasion of Ukraine. Prime Minister Starmer said the operation was another setback for Moscow and a warning to those helping sustain Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war effort. UK authorities said actions against such vessels are aimed at disrupting the financial resources supporting Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine and reducing its ability to threaten security across Europe and beyond.

At least four people were killed when a small aircraft crashed in Croatia on Thursday, according to police. The crash occurred near the town of Medulin on the Istria Peninsula, police said in a statement. Croatia's state-run HINA news agency reported that the aircraft was a German-registered plane that had departed from Austria before the accident. Images from the scene showed the wreckage scattered across a field, while police officers and firefighters were deployed to the crash site. Local pilot Nijaz Delic told the Index news portal that the aircraft appeared to spiral in the air before plunging to the ground. Authorities have not yet confirmed how many people were on board the plane. The cause of the crash remains under investigation, and no further details were immediately available.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Russia will bolster its air defense capabilities in response to recent Ukrainian drone attacks that have penetrated deep into Russian territory. Speaking during a meeting with heads of international news agencies on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin acknowledged that some Ukrainian drones had managed to evade Russia's air defense systems. "To our regret, some of them break through," Putin said, referring to the attacks on his hometown of St. Petersburg. He added that Russia's air defense network would be strengthened to better counter such threats. The remarks came a day after a Ukrainian drone strike set fire to an oil terminal in St. Petersburg and also targeted a nearby naval facility. Putin also reiterated Moscow's readiness to seek a compromise on Ukraine based on understandings reached during his recent summit with US President Donald Trump in Anchorage, Alaska. He said Ukraine would need to accept those terms for any agreement to be reached. The Russian leader rejected suggestions that European Union countries could serve as mediators in peace negotiations, arguing that they could not be considered neutral parties. "Mediation assumes neutrality. Where is the neutrality here?" Putin said, adding that Russia could not place its trust in countries that had long advocated what he described as a strategic defeat of Russia. Commenting on Russia's use of the Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile, Putin said it had been launched against targets that allowed Russian forces to assess its capabilities and precision before any broader deployment. He also reaffirmed Moscow's objective of gaining full control over Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, noting that Kyiv still controls about 15 percent of the territory. According to Putin, Russian forces are continuing to advance along the entire front line, expressing confidence that what he described as the patriotism and determination of the Russian people would help achieve Russia's objectives in Ukraine.

Ukraine on Sunday denied Russian allegations that one of its drones struck the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, while confirming a series of overnight attacks on Russian energy infrastructure. Ukraine’s General Staff said its drones hit the Saratov oil refinery in southwestern Russia, triggering a major fire. The refinery, owned by Russian state oil company Rosneft, produces diesel and gasoline and is considered part of Russia’s military supply chain, according to Ukrainian officials. Russian authorities acknowledged damage to civilian infrastructure in the Saratov region, while local reports indicated that the refinery was ablaze. Ukraine also claimed responsibility for a strike on a fuel depot in Matveev Kurgan in Russia’s Rostov region, near the border with occupied eastern Ukraine. Regional officials reported a large fire and the evacuation of nearby residents. In addition, Ukrainian forces said they targeted the Lazarevo oil pumping station in Russia’s Kirov region, more than 1,200 kilometres from Ukrainian-controlled territory. The facility plays a role in transporting Siberian oil to Belarus. Meanwhile, Kyiv rejected Moscow’s accusation that a Ukrainian drone had struck the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe’s largest nuclear facility. Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom claimed a drone damaged the wall of a turbine hall at one of the plant’s power units, but reported no harm to critical equipment. Rosatom chief Alexei Likhachev described the incident as a deliberate Ukrainian attack. Ukraine’s military dismissed the allegation as propaganda, insisting it had not targeted the facility and emphasizing its adherence to international humanitarian law regarding nuclear sites. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, expressed serious concern following the reported incident. The Zaporizhzhia plant, seized by Russian forces in the early stages of the war, has repeatedly been at the centre of accusations and counter-accusations between Moscow and Kyiv, raising fears of a potential nuclear accident. Elsewhere, Ukraine’s air force said it intercepted 212 of 299 drones launched by Russia overnight. Fourteen drones reportedly reached their targets, while debris fell at five locations. Russian drone attacks also struck the city of Dnipro and an oil refinery in Ukraine’s Rivne region, causing fires. Regional officials said no casualties were reported at the refinery, and emergency crews were working at the site.

At least eight people, including a nine-month-old infant, were killed and 33 others injured after a passenger bus crashed and caught fire in western Turkey early Sunday, local media reported. The accident occurred at around 1:40 a.m. in Denizli province when a bus operated by Pamukkale Tourism collided with highway barriers while travelling from Izmir to the Mediterranean resort city of Antalya. The vehicle was carrying 38 passengers and three crew members at the time of the crash. Among those killed were the 50-year-old driver, the infant boy and the child’s father, according to reports. Images from the scene showed the bus severely damaged and burned along the roadside following the crash. Emergency responders rushed the injured to nearby hospitals for treatment. Authorities have not yet announced the cause of the accident. The crash occurred on the final day of Eid al-Adha, a period that traditionally sees heavy travel across Turkey as millions of people visit relatives or travel for holidays, often leading to an increase in road accidents.

The European Union (EU) economy is expected to grow at a slower pace with higher inflation, and the positive trend in labor markets is set to halt amid the energy shock triggered by the Middle East conflict, the European Commission's spring forecast said on Thursday. EU's gross domestic product (GDP) growth is projected to slow to 1.1 percent in 2026, a downward revision of 0.3 percentage points from the last year's autumn forecast, before edging up to 1.4 percent in 2027. In the eurozone, growth is forecast at 0.9 percent this year and 1.2 percent next year. Inflation in the EU is expected to reach 3.1 percent in 2026 -- a full percentage point higher than previously forecast -- before easing to 2.4 percent in 2027. Eurozone inflation is projected at 3.0 percent in 2026 and 2.3 percent in 2027. Although energy-driven inflation may ease in 2027, energy commodity prices are still forecast to stay about 20 percent above pre-war levels. The forecast pointed out that EU consumer confidence has dropped to a 40-month low amid mounting fears of surging inflation and job losses. For 2026, employment growth is forecast to slow to 0.3 percent, then rise to 0.4 percent in 2027, while the long-term decline in the unemployment rate is set to end, stabilizing at around 6 percent in 2027. Data released by S&P Global on the same day showed the eurozone composite PMI -- a key indicator of business activity -- fell to 47.5 in May, the lowest level in 31 months. The service sector, a key pillar of the economy, took a heavy hit, with its PMI plunging to 46.4, a 63-month low. Meanwhile, the manufacturing PMI stood at 51.4, suggesting the pace of its expansion slowed to its weakest since January. According to the Commission's forecast, high energy costs have evidently weighed on public finances across the bloc. The general government deficit in the EU is expected to increase from 3.1 percent of GDP in 2025 to 3.6 percent by 2027, reflecting subdued economic activity, higher interest expenditure, energy support measures, and increased defence spending.  

Russia has said it is prepared to assist efforts to resolve tensions between the United States and Iran if both sides request its support. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said Moscow is willing to help facilitate negotiations but has no intention of forcing its mediation role. “Russia is ready to provide all possible assistance in resolving this conflict, which is well known to its parties. At the same time, we have never imposed and do not intend to impose our services. But in the event of an appropriate request, we will extend a helping hand,” he said in an interview with Russia’s TASS state news agency. Ryabkov stressed that Russia has always remained “committed to finding solutions exclusively through political and diplomatic channels”. He said Moscow welcomes renewed efforts by Washington and Tehran to restart negotiations. Ryabkov also praised the “active role of the Pakistani side in stabilising the situation and creating conditions for moving towards a lasting peace”. #From Al Jazeera

At least three people were killed in what Russian authorities described as one of the largest Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow and surrounding areas in recent months. A woman died after a drone struck her house in Khimki, just northwest of the Russian capital, during what local governor Andrei Vorobyev termed a “massive” strike on the region. He added that another person remained trapped under the debris. Russia launches 800 drones across Ukraine despite talk of possible peace Two men were also killed in the village of Pogorelki, about 10 kilometres north of Moscow, after drone debris hit a construction site. Vorobyev said several high-rise buildings and unspecified infrastructure were also damaged. In Moscow city, at least 12 people were injured in overnight strikes, mostly near the entrance of an oil refinery, according to mayor Sergei Sobyanin, who said the refinery’s technology was not affected. Russian air defences shot down 81 drones targeting Moscow overnight,  media  reported, citing Sobyanin, marking the largest such attack in over a year. Meanwhile, Sheremetyevo International Airport reported drone debris falling on its premises without causing damage.