Europe

Europe cracks down on badly behaved tourists

While cost-hiking measures serve a dual purpose of cutting visitor numbers and raising funds, other new rules are aimed more squarely at curbing undesirable tourist behaviour. San Sebastián is the…

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NATO’s Rutte says Europe must prepare for ‘scale of war our grandparents’ endured

NATO Chief Mark Rutte urged member countries to do more to prepare for the possibility of large-scale war, warning that Russia may be ready to attack the alliance within five…

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UK hospitals facing ‘worst case scenario’ from super flu, doctors warn

Hospitals in Britain are facing a "worst case scenario" from a wave of super flu, healthcare bosses warned on Thursday, as flu hospitalisations jumped 55% in a week. Health leaders…

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Bulgaria faces turmoil after protests topple government on eve of euro entry

The resignation of Bulgaria's government on Thursday puts an end to an increasingly unpopular coalition but is likely to usher in a period of prolonged political instability on the eve…

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Estonia plans to extend military service to 12 months

Estonia plans to extend compulsory military service to 12 months for all conscripts starting in 2027, under reforms proposed by the government. A draft bill submitted by Defense Minister Hanno…

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Russia says there are no misunderstandings with the U.S. over Ukraine any more

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday that all "misunderstandings" with the United States over Ukraine had been resolved following a meeting earlier this month between President Vladimir Putin…

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British and Danish PM urge European leaders to reform human rights laws to tackle illegal migration

Sir Keir Starmer has urged European leaders to reform human rights laws to make it easier to deport illegal migrants ahead of crucial talks on a potential shake-up of the…

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Poland could give Ukraine MiG jets in swap for drone tech

Poland is in talks to transfer MiG-29 jets to Ukraine in exchange for access to Ukrainian drone technology, Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said on public radio on Wednesday. "In some…

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Lithuania weighs suspending passenger routes to Russia and Belarus

As Latvia moves to suspend regular passenger services to Russia and Belarus, Lithuania’s interior minister said that adopting a similar measure is worth considering in response to growing security threats…

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Danish Fertility Clinic Under Scrutiny After Cancer-Linked Donor Sperm Used in Dozens of Pregnancies

A sperm donor who unknowingly harboured a genetic mutation that dramatically raises the risk of cancer has fathered at least 197 children across Europe, a major investigation has revealed. Some…

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Zelenskiy says he is open to elections if US ensures security

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he was prepared to hold elections within three months if the U.S. and Kyiv's other allies could ensure the security of the vote. Wartime elections…

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Suspected drones seen over French military intelligence base

Suspected drones were seen flying above a French military intelligence base on three separate nights last month, the French Air and Space Force said on Tuesday, in the latest possible…

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Pope Urges Continued Dialogue in Meeting With Zelensky

Pope Leo XIV underscored the need to press ahead with dialogue aimed at ending the war in Ukraine during talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday at the papal…

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Shield protecting Chernobyl nuclear power plant no longer blocks radiation, IAEA says

The protective shield that covers the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine has "lost safety function" following a drone strike in February, the UN nuclear watchdog has said. The shield,…

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Veteran Italian Journalist Giletti Struck While Probing Sensitive Lead in Orlandi Disappearance

Veteran TV journalist and presenter Massimo Giletti was reportedly assaulted on the streets of Rome last Thursday while preparing a segment for the programme Lo Stato delle Cose on Rai…

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Growing Inequality and Digital Dependence Reshape Italian Life

A newly released national survey this week by Censis paints a stark picture of contemporary Italy: a middle class under pressure, a generation growing older, and a collective “dream” increasingly…

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France investigates reports of drones over nuclear sub base

French prosecutors are investigating after drones were suspected to have flown over a nuclear submarine base on the Atlantic coast late on Thursday, a prosecutor in charge of military affairs…

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Sweden wants to strip organised crime leaders of citizenship

The Swedish government on Friday proposed changes to the constitution that would allow revoking the citizenship of some criminal gang leaders, as part of its work to combat widespread organised…

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The 10 happiest places to live in the UK

Skipton, a market town in North Yorkshire has been crowned the happiest place to live in 2025, according to an annual study by Rightmove. Home to a medieval castle, a…

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Sweden to cut development aid to five countries, divert money to Ukraine

Sweden will phase out development aid to five countries in coming years and use the money to increase support for Ukraine, the government said on Friday. The Nordic country plans…

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Germany votes to bring back voluntary military service programme for 18-year-olds

Germany's parliament, the Bundestag, has voted to introduce voluntary military service, in a move aimed at boosting national defences after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It marks a significant shift…

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Edinburgh Airport flights resume after ‘IT issue’ halted air traffic

Flights have resumed after all flights were halted at Edinburgh Airport due to an IT issue affecting its air traffic control provider. Edinburgh Airport is the sixth busiest in the…

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Berlin deploys fighter jets to Poland after Russian drone incursions

Germany has deployed five Eurofighter jets and some 150 military personnel to the Polish town of Malbork to help secure the country's airspace, the German air force said on Thursday,…

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Main findings from UK Novichok report that blames Russia

A British inquiry delivered its report into the death of a woman who died in 2018 after being poisoned by the nerve agent Novichok, months after a murder attempt on…

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Ukraine says it wants ‘real peace, not appeasement’ with Russia

Ukraine wants "real peace, not appeasement" with Russia, its foreign minister said on Thursday at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the security and rights body seeking a…

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3.3-magnitude quake ‘shakes homes and wakes people up’ in North West England

A 3.3-magnitude earthquake has struck Lancashire - with dozens of people saying it shook their homes or woke them up. The British Geological Survey (BGS) said it was "felt across…

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Brussels implements mandatory ID checks for all e-scooter users

From now on, anyone using a shared e-scooter in the Brussels-Capital Region will first have to complete a mandatory identity verification check, mobility operators Bolt and Dott announced. The ID…

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Russia’s Medvedev says EU seizure of frozen assets could be tantamount to justification for war

Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, said on Thursday that if the European Union takes frozen Russian assets, then it may be considered by Moscow as tantamount…

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Turkish clerk flees to UK after stealing millions in gold and silver from courthouse

A court employee has fled to the United Kingdom with a significant haul of gold and silver stolen from an Istanbul courthouse, Turkish authorities reported on Wednesday. Erdal T., who…

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NATO Ministers warn that it is ‘pretty obvious’ Putin does not want peace

European Nato foreign ministers expressed growing frustration with Russia on Wednesday, warning that President Vladimir Putin shows no signs of pursuing peace in Ukraine. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna told…

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Reform and Tories deny plans of pre-election pact

Reports suggesting that Reform UK and the Conservatives might merge or form a pre-election pact have been firmly rejected by both parties. The Financial Times cited unnamed sources claiming Nigel…

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Putin warns Europe: if you want war, then Russia will defeat you

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that Moscow is ready for a war with Europe “right now” if European states initiate one, issuing the statement shortly before meeting U.S. Special Envoy…

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Tusk’s insistence on reparations from Germany mars overshadows summit

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz clashed on Monday over war reparations and restitution for the destruction inflicted by Nazi Germany, overshadowing talks in Berlin that…

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UK PM: Brexit ‘significantly’ hurt British economy

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged the public to acknowledge the compromises required for a closer relationship with the European Union, emphasizing the economic costs of Brexit. Speaking in central…

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Zelenskyy meets Macron as US-led peace talks advance

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Monday, continuing a series of high-level diplomatic engagements focused on shaping the terms of a possible ceasefire in…

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France wants to end free health care for foreign pensioners

Foreign pensioners who dream of spending their retirement under the sun in the French Riviera might have to reconsider their plans if their free health care gets axed. France wants…

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Rubio called US-Ukraine talks productive but says more work needed

The Ukrainian delegation met with US officials in Miami on Sunday ahead of scheduled talks between the US and Russian officials, including Vladimir Putin, later this week. After four hours,…

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Lithuania capital airport closes again over balloons

Lithuania's Vilnius airport said on Sunday it had temporarily halted operations due to suspected balloons in its airspace, the latest in a series of flight disruptions in the Baltic nation.…

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Mediterranean, Black Sea fish stocks show recovery but threats persist, UN says

Fishing pressure in the Mediterranean and Black Sea has fallen sharply over the past decade, but just over half of assessed fish populations remain overfished and climate threats are mounting,…

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After 26 years in prison, PKK leader Ocalan has key role in Turkey peace process

After 26 years in a Turkish prison, Abdullah Ocalan is carving out a key role for himself as Ankara tries to end his outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party's four-decade insurgency. In…

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Germany’s Christmas markets grapple with soaring security costs

Germany's Christmas markets, a major tourist draw for local economies, are grappling with unprecedented security costs following a series of attacks. A nationwide survey by the Federal Association of City…

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Italian court rules against Sicily bridge, government wants to press on

An Italian court has ruled that plans for the world's largest suspension bridge between mainland Italy and the island of Sicily would break EU environmental and tender rules, but the…

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Romanian defence minister resigns after admitting lying in his resume

Romanian Defence Minister Ionut Mosteanu resigned on Friday after admitting he had lied about his studies in his resume, saying he did not want his personal "mistakes" to distract from…

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Britain Weighs Selling of Overseas Diplomatic Assets

tain’s global diplomatic footprint could be significantly scaled back as it tries to work out which embassies and buildings to sell off from a sprawling £2.5 billion overseas estate. U.K. budget…

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Cyprus Introduces €85 Penalty for Blocking Public EV Charging Points

Parliament in Cyprus has endorsed new measures aimed at curbing the misuse of electric-vehicle charging bays, approving a bill that introduces an €85 fine for parking violations at publicly accessible…

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Italy Weighs Return to Voluntary Military Service Amid Shifting Security Climate

Italy’s defence chief has signalled a potential return to voluntary military service, two decades after the country phased out conscription. Speaking on Thursday, Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said he intends…

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Louvre to hike ticket prices for most non-EU tourists by 45%

Ticket prices for the Louvre museum in Paris will rise by 45% for most non-European Union visitors, the museum's board decided on Thursday. From early next year, tourists from countries…

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Putin says it’s senseless to sign documents with ‘illegitimate’ Ukrainian leadership

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday called the Ukrainian leadership illegitimate and said it was senseless to sign any documents with them. He said the Kyiv leadership lost legitimacy after…

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Pope Leo warns of conflicts endangering humanity on first overseas trip

Pope Leo lamented during his first trip outside Italy as Catholic leader on Thursday that the world was seeing an unusual number of bloody conflicts, and warned that a third…

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France’s Macron unveils voluntary military service

President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday announced the creation of a new voluntary youth military service to begin by mid-2026, which would help France respond to "accelerating threats" on the global…

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Berlin Draws Up Secret War Plan as Russia Fears Mount

Germany is developing and implementing a secret plan in case of war with Russia, which involves sending up to 800,000 NATO troops to the front line, according to The Wall…

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Interpol elects France’s Lucas Philippe as new president

Global police agency Interpol elected French police official Lucas Philippe as its president on Thursday. Philippe was elected for a four-year term during Interpol's general assembly in Marrakech. The assembly…

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Vatican reports first budget surplus after years of deficits

The Vatican closed 2024 with a budget surplus of 1.6 million euros ($1.85 million), it said, signalling a turnaround after years of deficits that had frustrated Church leaders, including the…

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Ireland tightens immigration rules in bid to slow population growth

Ireland introduced measures to tighten its immigration rules that the justice minister said were aimed at slowing a "worryingly" high rate of population growth amid numbers seeking asylum that were…

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Moldova complains of unacceptable intrusion of Russian drone

Moldova summoned Russia's ambassador to complain about the latest intrusion of drones into its airspace and urged Moscow to take measures to prevent further instances. Russia's ambassador expressed doubt that…

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Pope Leo to take peace message to Turkey, Lebanon on first overseas trip

Pope Leo will embark on his first trip outside Italy as the leader of the Catholic Church on Thursday, travelling to Turkey and Lebanon, where he is expected to make…

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Italy’s Senate delays rape bill, exposing government rifts

Italy's Senate has postponed debate on a landmark bill that would stipulate for the first time that sex without consent constitutes rape, exposing tensions within Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's coalition.…

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