The key PMI index contracted for a 20th consecutive month in February, the latest data shows Manufacturing activity across the 20 countries that use the euro has continued to decline, largely due to a slowdown in the area’s leading economy Germany, according to a study by S&P Global.

US President Joe Biden made a major verbal gaffe while announcing Washington’s plans to carry out a first military airdrop of vital supplies into Gaza on Friday – confusing the Palestinian enclave with Ukraine.

Berlin’s first reaction to Friday’s revelations that several German generals discussed helping Ukraine plot an attack on Russia was to launch an investigation into how the recording got out. RT Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan first published a transcript of the conversation between senior Luftwaffe officers discussing the matter, followed by a 38-minute audio recording.