Europe

Human trafficker who tortured migrants in Libya jailed for 20 years in Netherlands

An Eritrean people trafficker who tortured African refugees and migrants in camps in Libya was jailed for 20 years on by a Dutch court, with a judge saying he had…

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Sweden aims to lower age of criminal responsibility to 13

Sweden is moving forward with plans to lower the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 13 in serious cases as it grapples with a growing number of children recruited…

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Dutch parties agree on rare minority government

Leaders of political parties in the Netherlands have agreed to form a rare minority government. The centrist pro-EU D66 party, which won the election last October, will team up with…

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Zelenskyy eyes 2027 for Ukraine’s accession to European Union

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he wanted to target 2027 for Ukraine’s accession to the European Union. In a brief update after his phone call with Austrian chancellor Christian…

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Planned U.S. ICE Security Presence at Winter Olympics Draws Scrutiny in Italy

A political controversy is emerging in Italy ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina following reports that agents from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) may be…

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Azerbaijan arrests three men for planning embassy attack at behest of Islamic State offshoot

Authorities in Azerbaijan said on Tuesday they had arrested three individuals planning an attack on a foreign embassy in the capital Baku at the instructions of Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS-K),…

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France’s lawmakers vote to ban social media for under-15s

Lawmakers in France's National Assembly on Monday passed a bill that would ban children under 15 years old from usingsocial media. They voted 116 to ⁠23 in favor the bill.…

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Hundreds feared missing or dead trying to cross the Mediterranean

Hundreds of people are feared dead or missing after attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea, with reports of multiple shipwrecks in the last ten days following bad weather, the U.N.…

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Italy declares state of emergency after storms in southern regions

Italy's government on Monday declared a state of emergency for southern regions battered by a violent storm last week, pledging swift financial aid to rebuild roads and businesses hit by…

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Suella Braverman joins Nigel Farage’s populist Reform UK

British lawmaker Suella Braverman, an ex-interior minister, became the latest prominent Conservative to join Nigel Farage's populist Reform UK on Monday, using her unveiling at a rally to accuse her…

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France probes link between two baby deaths and milk formula

French investigators are examining the deaths of two infants who had consumed baby formula products that were subject to a precautionary recall earlier this month, the French health ministry said.…

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Anti-Government Protests in Tirana Escalate into Violence

On Saturday evening, the Albanian capital of Tirana became the scene of violent clashes between police forces and anti-government demonstrators. The protest, which was organised and led by opposition leader…

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Labour NEC Blocks Burnham’s By-Election Candidacy

Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has been prevented from standing in the upcoming Gorton and Denton by-election after the Labour Party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) voted 8-1 against allowing him to…

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Pope Leo XIV Calls for Peace in Ukraine and Beyond

On Sunday, Pope Leo XIV addressed the faithful, urging them to pray for peace in regions afflicted by conflict. He specifically highlighted Ukraine, the Middle East, and other areas where…

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Risk of foreign drones crossing into Finnish airspace is increasing, officials say

The risk of drones drifting into Finland as a result of the ongoing war in Ukraine is rising, the head of the country's military intelligence service told the AFP news…

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Heathrow’s new scanners end dreaded rummage for liquids and laptops

Passengers will no longer be forced to dig around in their hand luggage to extract shampoos, water bottles and laptops when travelling through security at Heathrow, Europe's busiest airport, thanks…

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Polish army reports increased small drone activity near Belarus border

Poland said it had detected heightened activity of small drones near its border with Belarus on Wednesday evening, in a further sign of tensions after an airspace violation involving suspected…

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Unprecedented 16.66-Metre Wave Recorded in Sicily Channel During Cyclone Harry

Cyclone Harry has marked a clear turning point in the history of meteorology and oceanography, not only for Italy but also at an international level. On the afternoon of Tuesday,…

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Zelenskiy tells Europe: have courage to finally ‘act now’

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy criticised Europe on Thursday as a "fragmented kaleidoscope of small and middle powers" lacking courage to act decisively and facing a dark future unless it stood up…

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France seizes suspected Russian ‘shadow fleet’ tanker

France says it has seized an oil tanker in the Mediterranean suspected of being part of Russia's sanction-busting "shadow fleet". French President Emmanuel Macron said the tanker, named the Grinch,…

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Putin says who owns Greenland is of no concern to Russia

President Vladimir Putin said that Greenland's ownership was not Russia's concern and that the United States and Denmark - whose historical treatment of the island he criticised - should sort…

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New trade map takes shape in Davos as world adjusts to Trump tariffs

President Donald Trump's use of tariffs as a foreign policy tool added fresh impetus in Davos this week to efforts to boost global trade beyond the U.S., with frustration palpable…

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Germany’s Merz: Europe must not rush to write off transatlantic ties

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz welcomed on Thursday U.S. President Donald Trump's shift in rhetoric on Greenland and urged Europeans not to be too quick to write off the transatlantic partnership.…

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Trump launches Board of Peace that some fear rivals UN

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday launched his Board of Peace, initially focused on cementing Gaza's ceasefire but which he said could take a wider role that may worry other…

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Two dead as rainstorm pound Greece

Two people died on Wednesday in Greece after torrential rain flooded homes and businesses in Athens and other parts of the country, authorities said. A woman died after being hit…

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Trump backs down on Greenland tariffs, says deal framework reached

U.S. President Donald Trump abruptly stepped back on Wednesday from threats to impose tariffs as leverage to seize Greenland, ruled out the use of force and suggested a deal was…

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Greenland turmoil is eclipsing Ukraine at Davos

As a real war rages on Europe’s eastern edge, the continent’s leaders are distracted by a phony one on its western flank. With European leaders scrambling here at Davos to…

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Europol breaks up Europe-wide drugs network based in Poland running 20 illegal labs

European investigators uncovered an international synthetic drugs network run from Poland and have seized more than 9.3 tonnes of narcotics and arrested over 100 suspects, Polish prosecutors said on Wednesday.…

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Italy Delays New Security Law as Disputes Focus on Knives and Youth Crime

Italy’s government is taking more time to finalise a new national security decree, as internal disagreements persist over how tough the measures should be, particularly on knife crime and offences…

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Severe Storms Continue to Batter Southern Italy, With Sicily Under Sustained Pressure

Southern Italy is continuing to be battered by a powerful winter storm system, with Sicily facing the most severe and prolonged impact. The island remains under a red weather alert,…

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Greenland not ‘natural part’ of Denmark, Russia says

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov claimed that Greenland was not “a natural part” of Denmark in comments that could further fuel the increasingly contentious debate about the territory’s future. At…

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UPDATED: Trump says ‘no going back’ on Greenland

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday vowed there was "no going back" on his goal to control Greenland, refusing to rule out taking the Arctic island by force and rounding…

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UK mulls Australia-style ban on social media for children

Britain is considering a range of measures to better protect children online, including an Australian-style ban on social media for those below a certain age and tougher guidance for use…

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Bulgarian President Radev resigns

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev said on Monday he will resign, fuelling speculation that he will form his own political party to run in upcoming parliamentary elections after the previous government…

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UPDATED: Hundreds Evacuated, Schools Closed Across Sicily as Civil Protection Activates Crisis Measures

Sicily’s regional Civil Protection authority has urged mayors to issue evacuation orders across several high-risk areas, leading to the displacement of around 190 people as severe weather conditions intensify. In…

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Europe Pushes for Diplomacy as Greenland Dispute Threatens Trade Fallout

European leaders moved to cool tensions on Monday as a dispute involving Greenland and U.S. tariff threats risked escalating into a broader transatlantic trade conflict, with multiple EU institutions stressing…

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UK Starmer calls for ‘calm discussion’ to avert trade war with US over Greenland

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called on Monday for calm discussion to avert a possible trade war with the United States over Greenland, appealing to President Donald Trump to respect…

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UPDATED: Storm Harry to Bring Heavy Rain and High Winds Across Mediterranean

A deep low-pressure system moving through the Mediterranean is expected to bring severe weather to large parts of southern Europe early this week, while eastern regions of the continent brace…

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Socialist, far-right candidate head for Portugal’s presidential runoff

Moderate Socialist Antonio Jose Seguro came out on top in the first round of Portugal's presidential election on Sunday, followed by the far-right leader Andre Ventura, and the two will…

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UPDATED: Fatal high-speed train crash in Spain

A high-speed train derailed and smashed into another oncoming train in southern Spain on Sunday, pushing the second train off the tracks and down an embankment in a collision that…

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Populists eye Presidency in Portugal according to exit polls

According to the first exit polls, André Ventura, leader of the populist Chega party, could be in second place with 20-24% of the vote. He trails behind the centre-left candidate…

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Portugal presidential race wide open with far-right just ahead, rare runoff vote is likely

Portugal's presidential election on Sunday is all but guaranteed to require a runoff vote for the first time in 40 years amid growing political fragmentation, and the race for a…

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Putin talks to Netanyahu and Iran’s Pezeshkian, says Russia is willing to mediate

Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the situation in Iran in separate calls on Friday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and said that Moscow was…

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Britain’s surging Reform party draws big-name defector Jenrick

Britain's former Conservative Party leadership candidate Robert Jenrick became the biggest-name defector to Nigel Farage's right-wing Reform UK on Thursday, saying the nation was broken and its two mainstream political…

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European military heads to Greenland as Trump’s ambitions for island remain undeterred

Military personnel from France and Germany headed to Greenland on Thursday as Denmark and its allies prepared for exercises to try to assure U.S. President Donald Trump over its security…

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Turkey to deploy jets to Estonia, Romania under NATO air policing missions

Turkey plans to deploy fighter jets to Estonia and Romania as part of NATO's enhanced air policing missions, the defence ministry said on Thursday. Turkey plans to conduct a four-month…

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Rome Slows Traffic in Historic Centre as 30 km/h Limit Takes Effect

Rome is easing off the accelerator. From now on, vehicles travelling through the historic centre will not be allowed to exceed 30 kilometres per hour. The Mayor of the capital,…

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‘Fundamental disagreement’ with US over Greenland remains

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that Greenland was "very important" for national security, following a meeting with Greenlandic and Danish diplomats hosted by Vice President JD Vance in Washington. …

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Deaths outnumber births in France for first time since World War Two

France recorded more deaths than births in 2025 for the first time since the end of World War Two, a development that erodes its long-held demographic advantage over other European…

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Orban’s grip on power faces test at Hungary election on April 12

Nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban will face a strong challenger for the first time in 16 years at Hungary's parliamentary vote on April 12, with the outcome having profound implications…

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Former Cypriot president George Vassiliou dies aged 94

George Vassiliou, a former president of the Republic of Cyprus and a central figure in the island’s modern political and economic development, died overnight at the age of 94, his…

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Last year was Ukraine’s deadliest for civilians since 2022, UN says

2025 was the deadliest year for civilians in Ukraine since 2022, according to the United Nations (UN). Conflict-related violence killed at least 2,514 civilians last year, the UN's Human Rights…

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Moldova’s Sandu Signals Support for Romania Unification as Means to Secure State’s Survival

Moldovan President Maia Sandu has said she would vote in favour of unification with neighbouring European Union and NATO member Romania if a referendum were to take place to help…

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Ibiza holiday rentals plunge as Spain cracks down on overtourism

The number of short-term tourist lets on Ibiza almost halved in 2025 from a year earlier as Spain's crackdown on holiday homes and overtourism started ‌to bite. The supply of…

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Italy to hold referendum on judicial reform on March 22-23

Italy will hold a referendum on March 22-23 over a contentious reform of the justice system, sources close to the matter said, setting the date for a key test of…

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Airports close and flights disrupted across Europe due to icy weather

Airports have been forced to close and flights have been disrupted in parts of Europe due to icy weather. Airports in Budapest in Hungary, Bratislava in Slovakia and Vienna in…

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Hungarian president sets April 12 as date for parliamentary election

Hungary's President Tamas Sulyok set April 12 as the date for the country's parliamentary election, the president's office said in statement on Tuesday. For the first time since taking power…

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