France edges towards budget deal with Socialists welcoming PM’s concessions

January 19, 2026 9:34 PM

France edges towards budget deal with Socialists welcoming PM’s concessions

France was moving closer to a 2026 budget deal on Monday after the government presented a last-ditch proposal that made concessions to most political parties, senior Socialist lawmaker Boris Vallaud said, ahead of a cabinet meeting on Monday afternoon. President Emmanuel Macron's government lacks a majority in parliament and 2026 budget negotiations in the fragmented legislature have dragged on for months, forcing a rollover budget in the meantime to keep the country afloat. Needing to win sup...

Nicolas Maduro runs for a third presidential term in Venezuela

July 25, 2024 7:04 PM

Nicolas Maduro runs for a third presidential term in Venezuela

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, in power since 2013 and running for a third term on July 28, is confident he is still the right man to lead the OPEC country that has been governed by the socialists for a quarter of a century. "Come rain, shine or lightning ... we're going to win by a landslide," he said in a recent broadcast on state television, shortly after reading out mock election results in which he notched "an irreversible victory". The mustachioed Maduro, 61, a former foreign minis...