Europe

Moscow and Minsk rehearse launch of nuclear weapons deployed in Belarus

Russia and Belarus are rehearsing the launch of Russian tactical nuclear weapons as part of joint war games, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko said on Tuesday. State media quoted the Belarusian…

Read More Here

Ex-partner in crime says Brueckner knows truth of Madeleine McCann’s disappearance

A former associate of Christian Brueckner, the German man prosecutors say is the prime suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, said he is “100% sure” Brueckner was involved in…

Read More Here

Labour in Turmoil, Conservatives in Decline as Reform Rises

Britain’s Labour government is reeling from a string of resignations and scandals that have weakened Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s authority, just as the opposition Conservative Party faces an unprecedented defection…

Read More Here

US, Britain to announce more than $10 billion in deals during Trump visit, US officials say

The United States and Britain plan to announce more than $10 billion in economic deals this week as part of U.S. President Donald Trump's state visit, senior U.S. officials said…

Read More Here

Italy unprepared for attack by Russia or anyone else – Defence minister Crosetto

Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said Monday that Italy would not be ready if Russia or anyone else decided to attack it. "We are not ready for either a Russian…

Read More Here

Russia warns Europe: we will go after any state which takes our assets

Russia on Monday warned it would go after any European state that sought to take its assets after reports that the European Union is looking for new ways to leverage…

Read More Here

Europe’s summer of extreme weather caused €43bn of short-term losses

The violent weather that battered Europe this summer caused short-term economic losses of at least €43bn, according to an EU-wide estimate, with costs expected to rise to €126bn by 2029.…

Read More Here

Pope Leo writing first document on needs of poor

Pope Leo is preparing to publish the first high-level document of his four-month papacy, which is expected to signal continuity with his predecessor Pope Francis and focus on the needs…

Read More Here

Romania condemns ‘irresponsible’ Moscow after Russian drone breaches its airspace

Romania has condemned Moscow’s “irresponsible actions” after alleging that a Russian drone breached Romanian airspace during an attack on neighboring Ukraine, prompting Bucharest to scramble fighter jets. The Russian drone…

Read More Here

Germany’s army needs to more than double in size, commander says

Germany's army needs to add 100,000 active troops to its existing 62,000 to meet new NATO targets intended to boost preparedness for the growing threat of Russian aggression, its commander…

Read More Here

Pope Leo tells Catholic bishops not to hide abuse allegations

Pope Leo has instructed the Catholic Church's newest bishops to confront sexual abuse by priests and not to hide allegations of misconduct, in a text released by the Vatican on…

Read More Here

France to send warplanes to protect Polish airspace

France will send three warplanes to protect Poland's airspace, President Emmanuel Macron announced Thursday evening. "Following the Russian drone incursions into Poland, I have decided to deploy three Rafale fighter…

Read More Here

Russian drones in Poland’s airspace stir worries for Europe’s civil aviation

The incursion of Russian drones in Poland has reignited safety concerns over the vulnerability of civil air transport in Europe, aviation and insurance experts said, the latest upheaval facing airlines…

Read More Here

Belarus releases 52 prisoners, US embassy in Lithuania says

Belarus has freed 52 prisoners of various nationalities and they are now on their way to Lithuania with the U.S. delegation that negotiated their release, a spokesperson for the U.S.…

Read More Here

Britain sacks Mandelson as US ambassador over Epstein links

Peter Mandelson, Britain's smooth-talking ambassador to the U.S., was sacked on Thursday after his long-term association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein became a further distraction for under pressure Prime…

Read More Here

Local chikungunya cases soar in France

France has recorded nearly 400 locally-acquired cases of chikungunya this summer, a sharp increase from last year, French health authorities announced. As of Sept. 8, there have been 382 cases…

Read More Here

Spain’s parliament kills shorter work week bill

Spain's lower house has shelved a bill that would have shortened the work week by 2-1/2 hours, dealing yet another blow to the fragile Socialist-led minority government which is struggling…

Read More Here

European operation identifies alleged Belarusian spy ring

A joint operation between several central European countries has identified an alleged Belarusian spy ring that reportedly included a former deputy head of Moldovan intelligence. A statement from Eurojust, the…

Read More Here

‘Block Everything’ protests sweep across France, scores arrested

Protesters across France obstructed highways, burned barricades and clashed sporadically with police on Wednesday in a show of anger against President Emmanuel Macron, the political elite and planned spending cuts.…

Read More Here

NATO chief Rutte sends warning to Russia after drone swarm alarms Poland

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Wednesday condemned Moscow after several of its drones were shot down in Polish airspace, warning Russian leader Vladimir Putin that the transatlantic alliance was "ready"…

Read More Here

Poland vs. Russian Drones — How NATO Articles 4 and 5 Work

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Wednesday he had asked NATO to open consultations under Article 4. It comes after Polish forces shot down 19 drones over its airspace,…

Read More Here

Montenegro hopes to join EU and euro zone in 2028

Montenegro hopes to join the European Union and the euro zone in 2028, Prime Minister Milojko Spajic said on Tuesday, in what would mark some progress in the EU's stalled…

Read More Here

Western leaders condemn Russia over drones entering Polish airspace

Poland shot down drones that entered its airspace on Wednesday, the first time a member of NATO is known to have fired shots during Russia's war in Ukraine. Here are…

Read More Here

Serbia to raise minimum wage by 10% starting January

Serbia’s government said it will increase the country’s minimum monthly net wage by 10.1% to 64,554 dinars ($647/551 euros) starting Jan. 1, after failing to reach an agreement with employers…

Read More Here

Lithuania Heightens Security as Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace and Zapad Drills Begin

Lithuanian authorities placed the country’s air raid alert system on standby and reinforced border security this week amid mounting regional tensions caused by Russian drone incursions into NATO territory and…

Read More Here

Spain plans smoking ban at bar terraces, beaches, stadiums

Spain's minority leftist government introduced a bill on Tuesday to ban smoking at outdoor venues including beaches, bar and restaurant terraces, bus stops and stadiums. The ban would also apply…

Read More Here

Poland is at its closest to open conflict since World War Two, Tusk Requests NATO Consultations

Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Wednesday the country is closer to open conflict than at any point since World War Two after shooting down Russian drones over its territory.…

Read More Here

Sweden to lower age of criminal responsibility

Sweden will lower the age of criminal responsibility from the current 15, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said, following an increase in cases of crime gangs recruiting children via social media…

Read More Here

Ukraine says NATO, EU anchor its future, calls membership debate necessary

Ukraine’s foreign ministry said Kyiv’s security rests with NATO and its future with the EU, arguing membership talks are strategically necessary after Poland’s president called them premature. In a statement…

Read More Here

President Sandu Urges EU Path for Moldova Amid Russian Threats

Moldova must join the European Union to survive Russia’s aggression, President Maia Sandu warned. The Eastern European country of 2.4 million people, which shares a 1,200 kilometer border with Ukraine,…

Read More Here

Macron names ally Sébastien Lecornu as new French PM

President Emmanuel Macron has named close ally Sébastien Lecornu as the new French prime minister, 24 hours after a vote of confidence ousted François Bayrou as head of government. Lecornu,…

Read More Here

UPDATED: Poland shoots down drones in its airspace

Poland said it scrambled its own and NATO air defences to shoot down drones on Wednesday after a Russian air attack on western Ukraine, the first time in the Ukraine…

Read More Here

Britain could cut visas from countries that don’t accept migrant returns

Britain said it could cut the number of visas granted to countries that do not accept the return of migrants with no right to remain, after talks with allies including…

Read More Here

London’s Tube network shuts as workers begin week of strikes

London's underground rail network came to a standstill on Monday as staff began a week of strikes over pay and working conditions, disrupting travel for commuters and tourists. Almost no…

Read More Here

Strong earthquake strikes Evia island, felt in Athens

An earthquake rattled Athens on Tuesday morning with no reports of any damage or fatalities. The Athens Geodynamic Institute said the quake, of magnitude 5.2, was off Evia island about…

Read More Here

Vilnius Airport temporarily suspends flights after ‘unidentified object’ detected

Flights at Vilnius Airport were briefly suspended Tuesday morning after air traffic controllers reported detecting a flying object, Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Centre said. The suspension was introduced as a…

Read More Here

French parliament ousts prime minister, deepening political crisis

France's parliament brought down the government on Monday over its plans to tame the ballooning national debt, deepening a political crisis that is weakening the euro zone's second-largest economy. Lawmakers…

Read More Here

Norway ruling Labour Party wins reelection

Norway's minority Labour Party government won a second term in power on Monday while the populist right achieved its best-ever election result, official results showed, in a ballot dominated by…

Read More Here

Italian teen, Carlo Acutis, to become first millennial Catholic saint on Sunday

A British-born Italian boy who died of leukaemia in 2006 will become the first Catholic saint of the millennial generation on Sunday, in a ceremony led by Pope Leo in…

Read More Here

What you need to know about Norway’s upcoming election

Norway's general election on September 7-8 is expected to be a close race between a centre-left bloc led by the incumbent Labour Party, and a centre-right bloc dominated by the…

Read More Here

Italy rules out sending troops to Ukraine under peace plan

Italy will not send troops to Ukraine as part of any future peace deal with Russia, Premier Giorgia Meloni told a meeting of the “coalition of the willing” Thursday, her…

Read More Here

UK deputy PM Rayner quits over tax error

British Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner resigned on Friday after she admitted underpaying property tax on a new home, in a new blow for her boss, Prime Minister Keir Starmer,…

Read More Here

Putin says any Western troops in Ukraine would be fair targets

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that any Western troops deployed to Ukraine would be legitimate targets for Moscow to attack, in a warning to Kyiv's allies as they…

Read More Here

Legendary Italian designer Giorgio Armani dies aged 91

The Italian fashion designer and billionaire brand owner Giorgio Armani has died at the age of 91. He was the archetype of Italian style and elegance, reimagining men's and women's…

Read More Here

Poland says two drones enter airspace

Two incursions of Polish airspace by drones occurred overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, but they were not shot down as they posed no danger, the army said on Thursday. Poland…

Read More Here

UPDATED: Lisbon mourns 17 victims of cable car crash as investigation begins

Flags flew at half-mast in Lisbon on Thursday after at least 17 people were killed and 21 injured in a crash of a hillside funicular railway popular with tourists, while…

Read More Here

Dubrovnik Moves to Limit Tourist Numbers

Dubrovnik is the latest city to crack down on overtourism after a surge in visitor numbers, due in part to its use as a filming location for Game of Thrones.…

Read More Here

Russia says potential military troops deployment in Ukraine unacceptable

Russia has no plans to discuss any potential foreign military deployment in Ukraine in any format, calling it "unacceptable", foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters on Thursday. She was…

Read More Here

UK Deputy PM fights to save her career after admitting underpaying tax

British Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner is fighting for her political future after acknowledging she had underpaid property tax owed when she bought an apartment in a southern English seaside…

Read More Here

Putin and Kim join Xi in show of strength as China unveils new weapons at huge military parade

China's President Xi Jinping unveiled advanced laser weapons, nuclear ballistic missiles and giant underwater drones at a massive military parade commemorating 80 years since victory over Japan in WWII. The…

Read More Here

NATO to strike back against Russian jamming after von der Leyen’s plane loses GPS in Bulgaria

NATO is intensifying efforts to counter Russian interference with civilian aviation after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's aircraft lost GPS navigation over Bulgaria on Sunday. Bulgarian authorities suspect…

Read More Here

Man shot dead by French police after stabbings at Marseille hotel

A man was shot dead by police in Marseille after stabbing five people on Tuesday afternoon. Prosecutor Nicolas Bessone said the attacker, a Tunisian national legally residing in France, had…

Read More Here

French PM Bayrou’s marathon talks unlikely to avert no-confidence vote

French Prime Minister François Bayrou is holding intensive talks with political leaders in a last-ditch attempt to prevent a no-confidence vote scheduled for 8 September, which threatens to topple his…

Read More Here

Spain’s far right gains as leading parties fight over fires

Spain has endured its worst wildfire season in 30 years, with nearly 400,000 hectares burned, sparking both environmental and political crises. The blazes have exposed tensions between Prime Minister Pedro…

Read More Here

Belgium to recognise Palestine at the UN General Assembly

Belgium will recognise a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly session opening on 9 September, Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot announced. This move places Belgium alongside Australia, France, Canada and…

Read More Here

African swine fever outbreak confirmed in Latvia, cull required

An outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) has been confirmed at SIA Baltic Pork in Laubere parish, Ogre region, affecting 20,000 pigs, the Food and Veterinary Service (PVD) said on…

Read More Here

German Chancellor Merz ‘mentally preparing’ for war in Ukraine to ‘drag on’

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he is “mentally preparing” for Russia’s war in Ukraine to drag on, warning that Moscow has no real interest in ending the conflict. Speaking to…

Read More Here