Europe

Russia launches 948 drones at Ukraine in largest attack over 24-hour period

Russia has carried out its largest aerial assault on Ukraine since the start of the war, launching a record 948 drones over a 24-hour period, according to Ukrainian officials. More…

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Italy Sees First Government Resignations After Referendum Setback

The first political consequences of the referendum defeat are unfolding inside the Italian government, with a wave of resignations and mounting pressure on several senior officials. The crisis follows a…

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Malta Achieves Europe’s Largest Improvement in Air Pollution

Pakistan was ranked the world's smoggiest country in 2025, with concentrations of hazardous small particles known as PM2.5 up to 13 times higher than the recommended World Health Organization level,…

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Denmark heads to polls amid divisions over wealth tax and Arctic policy

Denmark holds an election on Tuesday, with opinion polls showing a narrow lead for Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen's centre-left bloc, boosted by her defiant stand against U.S. President Donald Trump's…

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Five takeaways from local French elections

France held the runoff of mayoral elections on Sunday, and although the results of local contests do not always offer a reliable preview of national elections, the vote provided a…

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Slovenia set for coalition talks after tight election

Slovenia's political parties looked set for urgent coalition talks on Monday after no clear winner emerged from an election that could ‌sway the Alpine country's domestic and foreign agenda. Prime…

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Belgium to Deploy Soldiers in Streets for Security Patrols

Belgium will begin deploying soldiers on its streets from Monday, Defence Minister Theo Francken announced Thursday during a plenary session of the Chamber of Representatives. Up to 200 soldiers will…

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EU membership back on agenda in Norway amid opposition pressure

Norway should reapply to become a member of the European Union in light of their shared security challenges — namely Russia — the leader of the country’s conservative opposition party…

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Ukraine deploys units to intercept targets in Middle East

Ukraine has deployed military units to protect critical and civilian infrastructure against drones in five Middle Eastern ‌countries, Ukraine's security council secretary Rustem Umerov said after a visit to the…

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Umberto Bossi, firebrand founder of Italy’s Northern League party, dies at 84

Umberto Bossi, a gravel-voiced populist leader who pushed for independence for northern Italy and shook up national politics, died on Thursday at a hospital in Varese, in the north of…

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Netherlands Supports European Rules to Safely Reuse Returned Medication

The Netherlands has signalled support for forthcoming European legislation that would allow patients to return unused medication to pharmacies for safe redistribution, in a move aimed at reducing waste, lowering…

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Italy Says Iranian Missiles Unlikely to Reach Sicily, Bases Safe

Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said there is no immediate threat of Iranian attacks on U.S. military bases in Italy, offering reassurance amid heightened regional tensions. “I see no danger…

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Cyprus records fall in asylum applications according to Eurostat

Eurostat data published this week showed a decrease in asylum applications in Cyprus, with 130 first-time claims and 95 repeat applications in December 2025. This represents a decline from November…

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Greece will ‘support Cyprus’ choices’ over Nato accession

Greece will back whatever decision Cyprus makes on joining NATO, Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis said on Tuesday. Speaking alongside Germany’s Johann Wadephul, he said NATO expansion strengthens resilience and solidarity.…

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Pope Leo asks media to show suffering of war, not amplify ‘propaganda’

Pope Leo urged journalists on Monday to highlight the suffering caused by war, cautioning against news reports that risk sliding into propaganda by ‌glorifying conflicts or serving as "a megaphone"…

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Greece wants durable solution to ensure free shipping in Hormuz Strait

Greece does not back any separate deals that would allow ships to enter and exit the Strait ‌of Hormuz but wants a durable solution to safeguard peace in the region,…

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Mette Frederiksen, Denmark’s Trump-defying prime minister, seeks third term

Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has staked her leadership on defying U.S. President Donald Trump over Greenland. Convincing voters at home to give her a third term is proving harder.…

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Russia’s Air Defenses Strained as Ukraine Retakes Territory

Russia is expending air defense missiles faster than it can produce them, forcing the Kremlin to prioritize which strategic targets to defend, according to Gert Kaju, head of the Defense…

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Tusk warns of real risk of Poland leaving the EU

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned that a potential Polish exit from the European Union is now a “real threat,” accusing nationalist President Karol Nawrocki and right-wing opposition parties of…

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Italy weighs options as damaged Russian LNG tanker drifts in the Mediterranean

Italian authorities are weighing how to deal with a Russian liquefied natural gas tanker left adrift in the Mediterranean ‌after what Moscow described as a Ukrainian drone attack, sources said…

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ICC opens probe into alleged crimes against humanity by Belarus

Prosecutors at the International Criminal Court said on Thursday they had opened an ‌investigation into whether the government of Belarus committed crimes that led to deportations of its opponents. Belarus…

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Romania Scrambles Jets After Suspicious Drone Activity

Romania scrambled fighter jets on Friday to monitor ‌drones possibly breaching its national airspace, the defence ministry said, adding that it was possible ⁠that drone fragments fell on Romanian territory…

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Turkey’s Erdogan says Iran war must stop before whole region dragged in

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has warned that the war involving Iran risks setting the entire Middle East “on fire” if it is not halted, urging that diplomacy be given…

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Hungarian Opposition Claims Kremlin-Backed Smear Campaign Ahead of Election

Hungarian opposition leader Péter Magyar has accused the Kremlin of backing Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s election campaign with a series of disinformation videos expected to surface on Thursday. Orbán, the…

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Three Norwegian brothers arrested over US embassy blast in Oslo

Three Norwegian brothers have been arrested in connection with a suspected “terrorist bombing” outside the US embassy in Oslo over the weekend. The blast caused minor damage but no injuries.…

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UK ends centuries-old hereditary seats in House of Lords

Hereditary peers are set to lose their automatic right to sit and vote in the House of Lords, a major reform expected to take effect before the next King’s Speech.…

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Spain permanently withdraws ambassador as rift with Israel deepens

Spain has permanently withdrawn its ambassador to Israel, deepening a diplomatic standoff between the two countries over Madrid’s opposition to US-Israeli strikes on Iran. The ambassador had already been recalled…

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Italy will not enter a war, Meloni tells Senate

Italy will not enter a war, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told the Senate on Wednesday, as tensions around Iran continue to escalate. Speaking amid growing international concern over unilateral military…

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British Airways cancels Abu Dhabi service ‘until later this year’

British Airways said it had cancelled all flights to and from Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai and Tel Aviv “until later this month”, while services to and from Abu Dhabi have…

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Six killed in Swiss bus blaze, police probe reports of passenger starting fire

At least six people were killed and three others injured after a bus caught fire in western Switzerland in what police believe may have been a deliberate act. Reports suggest…

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European and NATO forces reinforce Mediterranean and Gulf as Iran war escalates

European powers and NATO allies are expanding their military deployments across the Mediterranean, the Gulf and parts of the eastern flank as the conflict involving the United States, Israel and…

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UK Parliament rejects proposal to ban social media use for under-16s

Lawmakers in the United Kingdom have rejected a proposal to ban children under the age of 16 from using social media platforms, following a vote in the House of Commons…

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SIPRI: Europe now world’s biggest arms importer

Europe became the world's biggest arms importer over the last five years as governments reacted to Russia's threat and waning confidence in U.S. security commitments, data from the Stockholm International…

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Synagogue in Belgian city of Liege damaged in explosion

A synagogue in the Belgian city of Liege ‌was damaged by an explosion early on Monday, Belgian broadcasters VRT and RTBF reported, citing local police. No injuries were reported. ⁠The…

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Hungary’s opposition leader Péter Magyar calls on Russia to refrain from election interference

Hungarian opposition leader Péter Magyar has urged Russia to refrain from interfering in Hungary’s parliamentary elections after reports alleged that the Kremlin had deployed a covert team in Budapest to…

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Far-right eyes breakthrough in French municipal elections

France’s far-right National Rally is under pressure to secure a strong showing in municipal elections starting Sunday, widely seen as a key test of the party’s prospects ahead of next…

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12 members of money laundering scheme exploiting Ukrainian women arrested in Spain

An international operation in Spain targeting a money laundering scheme resulted in the arrest of 12 suspects. The disrupted criminal network systematically exploited vulnerable Ukrainian women to open bank accounts,…

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Kosovo president dissolves parliament, calls snap election after failed presidential vote

Kosovo's President Vjosa Osmani on Friday dissolved parliament and called snap elections after lawmakers failed to elect a new head of state within a constitutional deadline. The parliament ‌had until…

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Rome boosts air defence to maximum amid Iran crisis as Meloni rules out any current US request for base use

Italy has raised its air-defence protection to the highest level as tensions escalate across the Middle East, while Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Rome has so far received no request…

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International crackdown dismantles sprawling drug network spanning Europe, Asia and Australia

An international law-enforcement operation has dismantled key parts of a sprawling drug trafficking and money-laundering network operating across Europe, Asia and Australia, after investigators unlocked crucial data from two mobile…

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Macron asks Netanyahu to ‘refrain from a ground offensive’ in Lebanon

Emmanuel Macron said he asked Benjamin Netanyahu to refrain from launching a ground offensive in Lebanon during a phone call between the two leaders. Macron said he also held talks…

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Iranian drones strike airport terminal in Azerbaijan

At least two people were injured after three Iranian drones targeted the passenger terminal at Nakhchivan International Airport on Thursday, according to Azerbaijan authorities. Officials said one drone struck the…

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Swedish fighter jets patrol Iceland in show of force over Arctic

For the first time, Swedish fighter jets are patrolling Iceland’s airspace as part of NATO’s “Arctic Sentry” mission, signalling the alliance’s commitment to protecting the Arctic amid rising tensions with…

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Putin Says Ukrainian ‘Terrorist Attack’ Caused Tanker to Sink Off Malta

Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of carrying out what he described as a “terrorist attack” after a Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier sank in the Mediterranean Sea near…

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Turkey says NATO defences destroyed Iran missile, risking war expansion

Turkey said NATO air defence systems intercepted an Iranian ballistic missile headed towards its airspace on Wednesday, marking the first time the country has been directly drawn into the widening…

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EU Rallies Around Spain After Trump Threatens Trade Embargo

European leaders have moved quickly to support Spain after US President Donald Trump threatened to impose a trade embargo on the country, escalating tensions between Washington and the European Union.…

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Al Fayed abuse should be investigated as human trafficking, says former senior Met officer

A former senior Metropolitan Police officer has urged investigators to widen their probe into allegations of rape and sexual abuse by former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed to include human…

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Spanish PM insists he won’t bow to U.S. commercial pressure

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats would not cow Madrid into supporting the American-Israeli war in Iran. “We are not going to take a position…

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Britain to bar study visas for four nations, halt Afghan work visas

Britain said on Tuesday it would block study visas ‌for nationals from four countries and halt work visas for Afghans, using what it called an "emergency brake" to curb rising…

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Ukraine to complete preparation in days to start EU accession talks, Zelenskiy says

Ukraine will complete the technical work needed to open negotiations on all topics for its European Union ‌accession process within days, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said. Zelenskiy reiterated his call on…

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Drones intercepted off Cyprus, EasyJet cancels all UK-Cyprus flights

Two unmanned drones which had been fired in the direction of the United Kingdom’s Akrotiri air force base in Cyprus were “dealt with in a timely manner”, government spokesman Konstantinos…

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France is ready to help Gulf countries targeted by Iran

France is ready to help Gulf countries targeted by Iranian retaliatory strikes, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Monday, adding that the Israeli and U.S. initial strikes against Iran should…

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Cyprus on alert after drone strike on UK’s Akrotiri base; Israeli air strikes in Lebanon

A suspected drone strike on the United Kingdom’s RAF Akrotiri has underscored Cyprus’ growing exposure to the escalating Middle East conflict, as military activity intensifies across the region. British authorities…

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Rían, Lily most popular baby names in Ireland last year

Rían was the most popular name in Ireland for boys, while Lily was the most popular girls' name last year, according to statistics from the Irish CSO. The top five…

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Embarrassing defeat for UK’s Starmer as Greens seize Labour stronghold

Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour suffered an embarrassing election defeat to the left-wing Green Party on Friday in an area of Manchester it had dominated for almost a century, a…

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Denmark to go to polls on 24 March

Denmark will hold a parliamentary election on March 24, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced on Thursday, seeking to capitalise on a surge in support for her defiant stance against U.S.…

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More than 1,700 Africans fighting for Russia, Ukraine says

More than 1,700 Africans are fighting for Russia in its war in Ukraine, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said, adding that Moscow was using deception to trick them into fighting.…

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