The past weeks have not been reassuring for those who thought Europe could navigate its tricky relationship with United States President Donald Trump. Trump this week lashed out at German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over his criticism of the Iran war, calling him "totally ineffective", and threatened to cut the 36,400 US troops based in Germany. He has aimed at British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in strikingly personal terms, saying that he is "not Winston Churchill" and threatening to impose a "big tariff" on imports from the United Kingdom. More worrying for Europe, Trump's Defence Department has floated punishing NATO allies that it believes are not supporting US operations in the war with Iran, including suspending Spain as a member and reviewing US recognition of the Falkland Islands as a UK possession. "It's unnerving to say the least," said one European diplomat. "We are braced for anything, anytime." T...
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said on Friday that most parts of South Asia were likely to receive below-normal rainfall during the 2026 southwest monsoon season, while temperatures were expected to remain higher than average. El Niño is a climatic phase in the Pacific Ocean marked by unusually warm sea surface temperatures, while its counterpart, La Niña, brings cooler-than-average waters. Together, they form the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) system, a key driver of global weather patterns. The outlook was finalised at the 34th session of the South Asian Climate Outlook Forum (SASCOF-34), held in Malé, Maldives, with participation from experts representing national meteorological and hydrological services of nine countries, alongside international climate organisations. According to an official statement from the PMD, the forum noted that “below normal rainfall is most likely during the 2026 southwest monsoon season (Ju...