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Germany Looks to Strengthen Defense, Military Ties With India

09 October 2024, Saxony, Leipzig: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks during the 35th anniversary of the peaceful revolution in Leipzig, at the Geandhaus. Photo: Sebastian Kahnert/dpa-Pool/dpa
09 October 2024, Saxony, Leipzig: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks during the 35th anniversary of the peaceful revolution in Leipzig, at the Geandhaus. Photo: Sebastian Kahnert/dpa-Pool/dpa
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Germany Looks to Strengthen Defense, Military Ties With India

09 October 2024, Saxony, Leipzig: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks during the 35th anniversary of the peaceful revolution in Leipzig, at the Geandhaus. Photo: Sebastian Kahnert/dpa-Pool/dpa
09 October 2024, Saxony, Leipzig: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks during the 35th anniversary of the peaceful revolution in Leipzig, at the Geandhaus. Photo: Sebastian Kahnert/dpa-Pool/dpa

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Friday he wanted to deepen defense ties with New Delhi and bring the two countries' militaries closer, in comments following a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Germany, which has not traditionally had close defense ties with India, is now pitching to join the latter's effort to wean its arms base from decades of dependence on Russia, at a time when the West seeks to counter China's growing influence, Reuters said.
"Our overall message is clear, we need more co-operation, not less," Scholz said.
"At our inter-governmental consultations with India, we also want to deepen co-operation in defense and agree to bring our militaries together."
Scholz, accompanied by most of his cabinet, is leading a high-level delegation to New Delhi, betting that greater access to the vast Indian market can reduce Germany's reliance on China.
German Thyssenkrupp is one of two bidders that have partnered with Indian firms to build six conventional submarines in India, in a deal estimated to be worth $5 billion.
The Indian Navy is expected to pick between the German company or Spain's Navantia soon.
Scholz reiterated his economy minister's comments on pushing for swift progress on talks for a free-trade pact between India and the European Union.
Earlier, Trade Minister Piyush Goyal warned that India would be unable to strike such a deal if the bloc insisted on getting access to the Asian giant's dairy industry.
The two sides initially aimed to wrap up talks on the pact by the end of 2023, but progress has been slow, with India blaming the EU for what it called "irrational" standards as one reason.
A trade deal could be concluded swiftly if sensitivities were respected on both sides, Goyal told the Asia-Pacific conference of German business in the Indian capital, attended by German Economy Minister Robert Habeck.
On Thursday, Habeck had said agriculture was the "most problematic" area in the deal talks, suggesting it would be better if the two sides focused first on the industrial sector.

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World

Powerful Storm Hits Romania, One Person Killed

An uprooted tree following heavy gusts of wind during a strong storm in northern Bucharest, Romania, July 1, 2026. (Inquam Photos/Octav Ganea via Reuters)
An uprooted tree following heavy gusts of wind during a strong storm in northern Bucharest, Romania, July 1, 2026. (Inquam Photos/Octav Ganea via Reuters)
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Powerful Storm Hits Romania, One Person Killed

An uprooted tree following heavy gusts of wind during a strong storm in northern Bucharest, Romania, July 1, 2026. (Inquam Photos/Octav Ganea via Reuters)
An uprooted tree following heavy gusts of wind during a strong storm in northern Bucharest, Romania, July 1, 2026. (Inquam Photos/Octav Ganea via Reuters)

A powerful storm tore through the Romanian capital Bucharest and 20 counties on Wednesday, killing one person and damaging dozens of homes and vehicles, emergency services officials ‌said.

In Bucharest ‌alone, nearly ‌2,000 ⁠calls for help were reported, ⁠emergency services told broadcaster Digi24. Several metro stations were flooded.

Outside the capital, the storm wrought ⁠damage in 60 ‌towns and ‌villages.

One person was ‌killed when a ‌tree fell on their vehicle.

Police and firefighters were deployed across several counties, evacuating ‌flooded homes and clearing debris.

The storm ⁠was ⁠preceded by a heatwave, with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius in parts of the country on Monday and Tuesday, boosting power consumption and raising electricity prices.

World

Erdogan Seeks to Bolster Türkiye’s Clout at NATO Summit

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during the opening ceremony of Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, Türkiye, April 17, 2026. (Reuters)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during the opening ceremony of Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, Türkiye, April 17, 2026. (Reuters)
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Erdogan Seeks to Bolster Türkiye’s Clout at NATO Summit

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during the opening ceremony of Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, Türkiye, April 17, 2026. (Reuters)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during the opening ceremony of Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, Türkiye, April 17, 2026. (Reuters)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will seek to leverage the NATO summit to burnish his international credentials, analysts say, despite mounting scrutiny over a domestic crackdown on political opponents ahead of a presidential election.

Hosting the July 7-8 summit offers Ankara a chance to underscore Türkiye’s role as a pivotal regional power and an intermediary between the United States and Europe, as geopolitical tensions rise.

Analysts say Erdogan is seeking to capitalize on Türkiye’s elevated profile since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, as conflict in the Middle East and tensions within the transatlantic alliance reshape Western security priorities.

His goal is to position Türkiye as "an indispensable actor in security and geopolitical processes in Europe and beyond," foreign policy expert Serkan Demirtas told AFP.

NATO unity has been tested in recent months, particularly since the United States and Israel began attacking Iran on February 28, sparking war.

But European governments declined to participate in the military campaign, which Türkiye also opposed, angering US President Donald Trump, who has lashed out at the NATO alliance.

Despite the standoff, Trump will attend the summit in Ankara alongside more than 30 other world leaders.

A key member of the alliance, Türkiye occupies a strategic crossroads between Europe and the Middle East, and fields NATO's second-largest army.

"Holding the summit in Türkiye will serve as a reminder to the rest of the alliance of the important role Ankara has played since joining NATO in 1952 -- not only inside the alliance but also across the broader region," said Luke Coffey, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute.

- 'In the right direction' -

According to a Turkish security source, hosting the summit is a "diplomatic success" that reaffirms Türkiye as a balancing power while highlighting its growing importance to European defenses.

Demirtas said Türkiye provides substantial military capacity, pointing to its participation in major NATO exercises and its prominent role in missions, particularly in the Baltic region.

Still, the relationship is far from seamless.

"There have been challenges in the US- Türkiye bilateral relationship in recent years, and at times these tensions have spilt over into NATO's internal dynamics," Coffey said.

In 2022, Türkiye initially blocked Sweden and Finland's bids to join NATO following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, although both were eventually admitted.

Ankara also drew US ire by purchasing the Russian S-400 missile systems, prompting its removal from the F-35 fighter jet program, and NATO voicing compatibility concerns.

Even so, Trump's good rapport with Erdogan has helped preserve dialogue between the two sides.

"On balance, the relationship is trending in the right direction. It is in everyone's interest that next month's summit goes smoothly," Coffey said.

- Muted concerns -

Aaron Stein, head of the Foreign Policy Research Institute, said NATO membership remains " Türkiye’s ultimate deterrent", allowing Ankara to compartmentalize its complex ties with Russia.

It means Türkiye does not have to face Russia alone, giving it greater flexibility to engage Moscow, he said.

Analysts say keeping Türkiye aligned with NATO is critical, given its ability to engage in multiple theatres from Ukraine to the Middle East and across a range of regional crises.

Ankara has pursued a delicate balancing act since the start of the Ukraine war, hosting several rounds of talks between the warring sides in Istanbul and beyond.

"Türkiye has supported Kyiv, sometimes quietly, with key munitions and equipment, while also maintaining channels with both sides in an effort to pursue a diplomatic solution," Coffey said.

- Pragmatism -

The summit coincides with a wave of domestic turmoil after a court ruling ousted Türkiye’s main opposition leader -- in what critics say is the latest judicial maneuver by Erdogan to quash rivals ahead of a presidential race in 2028.

But European governments have kept their concerns muted, treading carefully to avoid damaging ties with Ankara, Demirtas said.

With Türkiye’s EU accession bid largely stalled, cooperation has shifted towards pragmatic areas such as defense, where Ankara has expanded its industrial capacity and secured deals with European partners.

The Turkish security source said Ankara expects allies to ease restrictions on its defense sector and deepen industrial cooperation.

For Erdogan, the summit also offers a domestic political boost -- a chance to reinforce his image as "the leader who defends Türkiye’s interests most forcefully on the international stage", Demirtas said.

As for Western tolerance of Ankara's increasingly authoritarian drift, Stein suggested it was largely compartmentalized.

"NATO isn't a club exclusively for democracies," he said.

World

‘I’m Going to Stay Calm’: 48 Hours Under the Rubble in Venezuela

Volunteers and rescuers help to find survivors in a collapsed building in Caraballeda, La Guaira state, Venezuela, on June 30, 2026, following the June 24 twin earthquakes. (Reuters)
Volunteers and rescuers help to find survivors in a collapsed building in Caraballeda, La Guaira state, Venezuela, on June 30, 2026, following the June 24 twin earthquakes. (Reuters)
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‘I’m Going to Stay Calm’: 48 Hours Under the Rubble in Venezuela

Volunteers and rescuers help to find survivors in a collapsed building in Caraballeda, La Guaira state, Venezuela, on June 30, 2026, following the June 24 twin earthquakes. (Reuters)
Volunteers and rescuers help to find survivors in a collapsed building in Caraballeda, La Guaira state, Venezuela, on June 30, 2026, following the June 24 twin earthquakes. (Reuters)

Andrea Canonico focused on her breathing to stay calm as she lay trapped under a building that had crumbled during the two powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela last week.

Just 23 years old, Canonico spent almost 48 hours in the same position before being pulled out -- alive.

"The most important thing about all of this was that I never lost hope," Canonico told AFP in the Los Corales neighborhood in the city of La Guaira, the hardest-hit by the disaster.

She is holding on to that hope for her 20-year-old brother and 91-year-old aunt who remain missing.

Wednesday's 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes have killed almost 2,000 people, with warnings that the figure could soar.

- 'I'm going to sleep' -

"I told myself, I'm going to sleep," Canonico recalled, up to her elbows in bandages following the ordeal.

"This is in the middle of a full-blown disaster," she had told herself. "It's surely going to keep shaking. I'm going to stay calm; I'm not going to get worked up about the breathing issue."

She says she was able to sit up despite being covered by around six meters of rubble.

"I had my phone, of course," which allowed her to keep track of time and enjoy a little light.

She was able to communicate with a man who was stuck a little higher up. Once he got out, he told his rescuers that she was also trapped.

"Above me there was an opening I was able to climb up through," Canonico said, explaining how she "managed to reach the other opening the rescuers were making."

"From there I kept climbing while they pulled me up, and that's how I was able to get out."

- 'The mole' -

"Is anyone alive in here?!" the voice of Moises Faramaya ricochets around the ruins of the same neighborhood.

The ex-miner is using his know-how to rescue others in the same situation as Canonico.

The 26-year-old says he has rescued 16 people alive and recovered 22 bodies in La Guaira, which authorities have declared a "disaster zone."

He told AFP about one of the rescued, who he heard "scratching at a wall."

"The person was pinned down but could move their hand. And I got them out alive," said Faramaya, who says he uses "nothing but a pickaxe and a shovel" to pick through the rubble.

Nicknamed "the mole," Faramaya says he got good at digging during a six-year stint in the mines of El Callao in the mineral-rich state of Bolivar.

Firefighters and experts ask for his help, and he hardly eats or sleeps, only smoking cigarettes to "stay active" during his brief breaks.

"The work you do in there isn't easy -- the dust, the smell of dead people who are already decomposing. But here we are, persevering," he said.

- Between hope and despair -

Authorities recently declared that everyone in Canonico's building had died.

Alexander Garcia, a 44-year-old waiter, said he heard firefighters declare "Code 14," which he later found out meant that there were no survivors.

But when US rescue workers and Spanish sniffer dogs found traces of life, his hopes for his two trapped brothers were rekindled.

"Everyone heard them, everyone," he told AFP after his mother was pulled from the detritus alive but later died.

Rescue efforts continue under torchlight as darkness falls.

Heavy rain on Tuesday morning paused operations and dampened spirits, however.

The critical 72-hour window during which survivors were still likely to be found closed on Saturday evening.

Hopes of finding survivors had faded substantially by Tuesday.