内容摘要：Voters in Burundi are heading to the polls amid a backdrop of surging inflation, fuel shortages and complaints of political repression.

Voters in Burundi are heading to the polls amid a backdrop of surging inflation, fuel shortages and complaints of political repression.

There's also speculation that Trump's team - which repeatedly has weighed in on Germany's domestic politics - could subject him to an Oval Office "ambush".It would not be the first time.

Both South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky found themselves in awkward, tense or even fiery exchanges as the world's cameras rolled, capturing every moment. Those moments have turned once cosy, diplomatic moments in the Oval Office into potentially fraught, tight-rope walks for visiting leaders.Ahead of the visit, Berlin expressed confidence that the German side is ready. "I think he's well prepared for this meeting," Friedrich Merz's spokesman told reporters this week.Merz - from the centre-right CDU party - is not just prepared, but on friendly terms with the US President, according to German media.

The pair are even said to have exchanged text messages and be on a first name basis, Germany's ARD news outlet has reported.It's always important to not talk for too long," Merz recently opined on German TV. "But to keep it short and also let him talk."

Merz's forthright, "shoot-from-the-hip" style of politics could add an interesting dimension to the meeting. His remarks can be surprising and make headlines - a stark contrast to those of his more cautious predecessors, Olaf Scholz and Angela Merkel.

Though a traditional supporter of transatlantic relations, Merz raised eyebrows in February by declaring the current US administration is "indifferent to the fate of Europe".Following the speech Reeves was asked if there would be funding for a new rail link between Manchester and Liverpool.

She replied that there would be "more to come next week" when she delivers her Spending Review.Reeves' £15.6bn regional transport announcements are part of a five-year funding allocation from 2027/28 to 2031/32, which a Treasury spokesman confirmed would double the current £1.14bn spending allocation for 2024-25 to £2.9bn by 2029-30.

to read top political analysis, gain insight from across the UK and stay up to speed with the big moments. It'll be delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.Disney says it is laying off several hundred more people around the world, with workers in its film, television and finance departments impacted.