Croatia's outspoken president is seeking reelection. He faces several contenders in Sunday's vote

Britain will ban Russian elites with ties to Putin's regime, citing them as a threat to national security and tools for Russian aggression. The crackdown will target those who support Putin or benefit from the Russian state, with the goal of increasing pressure on Putin amid the war in Ukraine. The ban is part of a broader strategy including sanctions and military aid to tighten the screws on Russia and protect Britain's national security. Full...

The defence ministry has formed a high-level committee to streamline indigenous light combat aircraft (LCA) production and increase private sector involvement to strengthen the Air Force's combat squadrons. Chaired by defence secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, the panel aims to address production constraints and boost private sector participation in manufacturing fighter jets, focusing on improving delivery timelines and exploring new production lines managed by private entities. Full Article

New research suggests that one in three Australians would consider taking on a 40-year mortgage to reduce their monthly repayments, despite experts warning that this could lead to hundreds of thousands more in interest costs. While only four lenders in Australia offer 40-year loans, these options are primarily targeted towards first-home buyers. Although extending the loan term may lower monthly repayments, it could significantly increase the overall cost of the mortgage, with Finder's head of...

The Toronto Zoo has determined that "human error" played a role in the death of a deer pig. The incident was captured on video, but the footage failed to load. The zoo is currently investigating the incident and implementing measures to prevent similar incidents in the future. Full Article

Germany's conservatives, led by Friedrich Merz, celebrate their election win but fall short of the expected 30% vote-share, while the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) enjoys a record second-place result of 20.8%. Merz aims to form a coalition quickly but may face challenges due to the AfD's significant support in the east, while other mainstream parties like the Social Democrats have suffered losses, leading to uncertainty in the formation of a coalition government. Full Article

With the rise of the modern venture capital industry, the notion of needing institutional funding to start a technology startup has been challenged by many founders. Bootstrapping, or using one's own resources to build a business, has been a longstanding practice, with successful companies like Spanx, Craigslist, and GoPro starting this way. Today, there is a renewed interest in bootstrapping among founders, with the emergence of "seed-strapping" as a new concept in the startup world....