Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has described the European flag as symbolising Europe’s 'Judeo-Christian roots', triggering controversy.

Rome

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani described the European Union flag as symbolising Europe’s 'Judeo-Christian roots', referencing the blue background as the cloak of the Madonna and the 12 stars as the tribes of Israel. However, historians and official EU sources dispute this interpretation, stating that the flag was designed in the 1950s by Arsene Heitz for the Council of Europe, with the blue representing the sky and the 12 stars symbolising perfection and harmony, not religious themes.

The European Union itself describes the flag as a symbol of unity, democracy, and peace, representing the shared identity of Europeans. While the designer, a Catholic, later mentioned inspiration from religious imagery, official records and historians emphasize that religious symbolism was deliberately avoided in the flag's adoption.

Fact-checking Italian Foreign Minister's interpretation of the EU flag

Fact-checking Tajani's claims about the European flag Italy's foreign minister Antonio Tajani has sparked controversy with this post on X He describes the European flag, the symbol of the European Union, as blue like the cloak of the Madonna With the 12 stars of the tribes of Israel arranged in a circle, a symbol of our Judeo-Christian roots We spoke to a historian who firmly rejected Tajani's religious depiction of the flag saying it's incorrect We need to go back to the 1950s to trace the flag's origins when the Strasbourg-based Council of Europe, not an EU institution Began receiving proposals for a European flag. These have been preserved until today Among them was the circle of 12 yellow stars on a blue background proposed by a staff member named Arsene Heitz It was adopted by the Council of Europe in 1955. Three decades later, in 1985, it was adopted by the European Communities, which later became the EU But the EU itself describes the flag as standing for the values and shared identity of millions of Europeans United in their diversity and a symbol of unity, democracy and peace There is no indication that it carries a religious symbolism One historian told us that when adopted by the Council of Europe, the flag's blue color was described as representing the sky and the number of stars, 12, was said to represent perfection and harmony In fact, some proposals for the flag were rejected because of their religious analogies Despite this, the flag's designer, Arsene Heitz, a Catholic, did later say that a biblical verse, as well as this statue of the Virgin Mary in the Cathedral of Strasbourg, did provide inspiration for his design

The European Union said it would extend its suspension of countermeasures to U.S. tariffs until early August and continue to press for a negotiated settlement, after U.S. President Donald Trump ratcheted up his trade war on the bloc.

Brussels

Global Tariffs

EU holds off on U.S. tariff countermeasures for now to pursue talks

Israel says a missile malfunction caused it to strike a water station in Gaza over the weekend, killing six children. But the United Nations is voicing concern about how many Palestinians have died near aid distribution sites.

Jerusalem

Middle East Conflict

Strike kills children at Gaza water station, Israel blames malfunction

One year ago, Thomas Crooks, a recent community college graduate, opened fire on then-candidate Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. A year later, there's still no answers to why Crooks did it. Scott MacFarlane reports.

Butler

Motive still a mystery a year after Trump assassination attempt

Several European leaders and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum have expressed disappointment at the 30% tariffs US President Donald Trump has announced, but maintained openness to reach a negotiated solution.

Washington

Leaders of EU and Mexico slam Trump's 30% tariffs

A preliminary report depicted confusion in the cockpit shortly before an Air India jetliner crashed and killed 260 people last month, after the plane's engine fuel cutoff switches flipped almost simultaneously and starved the engines of fuel.

Ahmedabad

Air India crash report shows pilot confusion over fuel cutoff

Iran’s foreign minister says his country is ready to resume nuclear talks with the United States but will need assurances that there will be no more attacks against it. Abbas Araghchi made the comments on Saturday, during a meeting with foreign diplomats in Tehran.

Tehran

Iran willing to resume nuclear talks with U.S. if given assurances

Australia will not commit troops in advance to any conflict, Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said on Sunday (July 13), responding to a report that the Pentagon has pressed its ally to clarify what role it would play if the U.S. and China went to war over Taiwan.

Council of the City of Sydney

Australia to 'support status quo' on Taiwan amid U.S. defense push

The Pentagon is urging Japan and Australia to clarify what role they would play if the U.S. and China went to war over Taiwan, the Financial Times is reporting. According to the newspaper, the reported request caught Japan and Australia 'off-guard'.

Taipei

Australia caught 'off guard' by U.S demands over Taiwan

A federal judge in California temporarily halted the Trump administration from making indiscriminate arrests based on race and denying detainees access to lawyers.

Los Angeles

Judge orders Trump to stop Californian immigration raids

President Trump issued new threats in his global trade war, aiming at two more of America's biggest trading partners. The E.U. and Mexico responded by calling the tariffs unfair and disruptive.

Trump announces tariffs on European Union, Mexico

The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem asked the Israeli government for details following the death of an American citizen in the West Bank. It comes as Israel's defense minister created controversy this week when he announced plans to build a new so-called safe humanitarian city for Gazans.

Tel Aviv-Yafo

Palestinian-American dies in West Bank

Palestinians and human rights activists expressed alarm after Israel's defence minister said he plans to move all Palestinians in Gaza into a camp at the southern tip of the war-battered enclave, according to Israeli media.

Rafah

Israel's plan for 'humanitarian city' in Rafah sparks outrage

President Donald Trump on Saturday threatened to impose a 30% tariff on imports from Mexico and the European Union starting on August 1, after weeks of negotiations with the major U.S. trading partners failed to reach a comprehensive trade deal.

Mexico City

Trump intensifies trade war, threatens 30% tariffs on EU, Mexico

On June 12, the London-bound Boeing 787 crashed in Ahmedabad. All 230 passengers on board, except for one, were killed.

Engine fuel cut off before Air India plane crash, report reveals

A preliminary report depicted confusion in the cockpit shortly before an Air India jetliner crashed, killing 260 people last month, after the plane's engine fuel cutoff switches almost simultaneously flipped, starving the engines of fuel.

Air India crash report shows confusion over engine switch movement

An Israeli airstrike hit Palestinians near a medical center in Gaza on Thursday, killing 10 children and six adults, local health authorities said, as ceasefire talks dragged on with no immediate deal expected. This report contains graphic and disturbing images.

Israeli strike kills children near medical clinic in Gaza

Russian strikes against Ukraine persisted overnight and reportedly injured at least nine people and caused damage to a maternity hospital, according to officials. This comes as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets with European allies in Rome.

Kyiv

Ukraine Invasion

Russia launches more strikes, damages Ukraine maternity hospital

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is returning to Israel without a ceasefire deal with Hamas despite optimism from the Trump administration. CBS News' Elizabeth Palmer reports.

Netanyahu returns to Israel without Gaza ceasefire deal

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in California turned violent after protesters clashed with agents from the Trump administration carrying out an operation at a Camarillo farm.

Camarillo

Protesters clash with ICE agents over immigration operation

CNN’s Isa Soares explains how a crippling 50% tariff on goods from Brazil may not be all about the economy.

Trump targets Brazil with 50% tariff

Volunteers in Texas are searching for flood victims and combing through debris along a 30 mile stretch of the Guadalupe River. CNN’s Ed Lavandera spoke with Texans who are coming together to bring closure to their community.

Center Point

Urgent search operations for flood victims stretch miles in Texas

U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States would impose a 35% tariff on imports from Canada next month and planned to impose blanket tariffs of 15% or 20% on most other trade partners.

Trump puts 35% tariff on Canada, eyes 15%-20% levies for others

Volunteers in Comfort, Texas, are digging through debris with heavy equipment and cadaver dogs, searching for flood victims. U.S. President Donald Trump is set to visit Friday, raising questions about his plan to scale back federal disaster relief.

Texas

Volunteers dig through Texas flood wreckage ahead of Trump visit

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio have held rare face-to-face talks on the sidelines of an ASEAN meeting in Malaysia, discussing the war in Ukraine, as well as developments in Iran and Syria.

Kuala Lumpur

Top U.S., Russia diplomats discuss Ukraine on ASEAN sidelines

Russia has intensified its aerial attacks on Ukraine, using upgraded drones designed to cause more damage and evade air defences. In Kyiv, a young woman captured video of the drones overhead — just before explosions echoed through the city.

Russia’s upgraded drone tactics bring intensified attacks across Ukraine

The Ventura County Fire Department said they responded to calls of people having breathing problems at a farm in Ventura County, California, after federal agents appeared to deploy tear gas canisters into the crowd.

Ventura County

Intense standoff in California between protesters, federal agents

A federal judge has green-lit a class action lawsuit challenging President Trump's executive order to end birthright citizenship and issued a preliminary injunction blocking the order.

Judge blocks Trump's birthright citizenship order

A partial tunnel collapse in Los Angeles temporarily buried 31 workers in Los Angeles, California. CBS News' Carter Evans reports on the rescue operation.

31 trapped workers rescued after tunnel collapse

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed “disappointment and frustration” over continued Russian attacks on Ukraine and said new sanctions on Russia are a “real option.” Kylie Atwood has more details from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Breakdown