U.S. News and National Top Stories : NPR

• German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius visited Kyiv to strengthen the strategic military partnership between Germany and Ukraine. • The visit focuses on leveraging the combat experience of Ukrainian forces to enhance joint defense capabilities and tactical knowledge.

• The European People’s Party (EPP) is considering disciplinary sanctions against MEP Branko Grims for attending an event with far-right lawmakers. • Grims defended his actions to Euronews, stating that collaborating with these groups is "the most normal thing" given their shared goals.

• PolitPro has launched as a leading European platform dedicated to aggregating election trends, public opinion research, and scientific political datasets. • The service provides users with essential tools, including current opinion polls, historical data, and coalition calculators to analyze potential government formations.

• A recent analysis highlights a widespread lack of public approval for prominent European leaders, including Keir Starmer, Friedrich Merz, and Emmanuel Macron. • The report notes that even relatively more popular figures, such as Italy's Giorgia Meloni and Spain's Pedro Sánchez, face approval ratings barely higher than Donald Trump's in the US.

• Viktor Orbán lost his position as Prime Minister in the April 2026 Hungarian parliamentary elections, ending a 16-year tenure in power. • The election saw significant international involvement, with US President Donald Trump endorsing Orbán and Vice President JD Vance visiting Hungary to criticize EU interference.

• The European Union is preparing a targeted trade clampdown against China to protect flagging domestic industries from what officials describe as a "Chinese steamroller." • Brussels is developing a standalone package of measures that can be deployed on a case-by-case basis, rather than implementing broad "Buy European" criteria.

• NPR has expanded its journalistic coverage focusing on U.S. and international politics to provide deeper insights into global affairs. • The reporting specifically targets critical updates from the White House, legislative developments within Congress, and ongoing election cycles.

• The Representation of the People Bill 2024-26 proposes lowering the voting age to 16 for all elections and introducing automated electoral registration. • To increase voter turnout, the bill aims to move the postal vote application deadline in Great Britain three days earlier, providing more time for ballots to be returned.

• Europe is initiating a strategic rearmament process to enhance its own defense capabilities amid spreading global conflicts. • This shift is driven by a decline in trust toward Washington and the growing necessity for the EU to protect its interests independently.

• Foreign ministers from the Council of Europe have adopted a political declaration concerning the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and migration. • The consensus text integrates diverse national perspectives with established Strasbourg case-law to address the complexities of migration within the legal framework.

• Maldivian authorities are investigating multiple possible factors behind the deaths of five Italian divers in a deepwater cave last week, a government spokesperson told Reuters. • Officials are examining whether the group descended far deeper than expected as part of the ongoing inquiry into the tragedy.