Europe

Belarus frees two Catholic priests serving long jail terms after visit by Pope Leo’s envoy

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has freed two Roman Catholic priests convicted of "serious crimes against the state" following diplomatic contacts with the Vatican, state news agency Belta reported on Thursday.…

Read More Here

Latvia Encourages Citizens to Strengthen National Reserve

Latvia’s National Armed Forces are encouraging citizens to apply for next year’s reservist basic military training. The course will run from August 8 to 29, 2026, and applications are open…

Read More Here

Hungary Urges Suspension of EU Funding to Ukraine Amid Corruption Allegations

Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto on Thursday said the European Union should stop sending money to the Ukrainian government after corruption reports. "There's a war mafia, a corrupt system working…

Read More Here

Danish Social Democrats lose ground in local polls on cost-of-living, welfare concerns

Denmark's ruling Social Democratic Party suffered big losses in municipal elections, official results showed on Wednesday, less than a year before a national vote, amid public discontent with the cost…

Read More Here

Ukraine expected to give up land, some arms under US peace plan

The U.S. has signalled to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that Ukraine must accept a U.S.-drafted framework to end the war with Russia that proposes Kyiv giving up territory and some weapons,…

Read More Here

Poland to close Russian consulate after railway sabotage, urges EU action

Poland said on Wednesday it would close the last Russian consulate in its territory and urged EU allies to restrict Russian diplomats in the bloc's Schengen free-travel area in response…

Read More Here

UK says ‘military options ready’ as Russian ship uses lasers against RAF pilots

British defence minister John Healey said on Wednesday that "military options" are ready should the Russian spy ship Yantar become a threat, after the vessel directed lasers at British pilots…

Read More Here

UPDATED: Drone Breach in Romania, Airspace Alert in Poland as Russia Targets Ukraine

Romania and Poland both activated high-alert air defence measures on Wednesday as Russian strikes on Ukraine spilled close to NATO territory, prompting rapid military responses on both fronts. Romania scrambled…

Read More Here

‘We are under attack’: Italian defense minister accuses Russia of waging hybrid war

Italy’s defense minister is calling for the West to fight back against increasing numbers of potentially “catastrophic” Russian hybrid attacks. In a 125-page paper published on Tuesday afternoon, Guido Crosetto…

Read More Here

New Lead Emerges in Orlandi Case as Parliamentary Inquiry Uncovers Handwritten Note

A newly identified lead in the long-running disappearance of Emanuela Orlandi has come to light through the ongoing work of the bicameral commission examining the cases of both Orlandi and…

Read More Here

Italian lawmakers revive Italy’s claim on central bank’s $300 billion gold pile

Italian lawmakers have revived attempts to establish that the central bank's $300 billion in gold reserves belong to the state by presenting a proposal to parliament. The lawmakers who signed…

Read More Here

Number of Britons leaving the UK significantly higher than previously thought

The number of Britons who left the UK last year is significantly higher than previously thought, revised figures show. The number of British nationals who left the UK in the…

Read More Here

Ukraine Readies New Peace Overture While Kremlin Bows Out of Istanbul Talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday he will travel to Turkey on Friday for meetings aimed at reviving stalled negotiations to end the war, signaling that Kyiv intends to put…

Read More Here

Britain toughens asylum policy in major overhaul as anti-immigration sentiment rises

Britain on Monday said it would make refugee status temporary and speed up the deportation of those who arrive illegally, in a major overhaul aimed at stemming the rise of…

Read More Here

France seals ‘historic’ warplane deal with Kyiv

French President Emmanuel Macron has said he firmly believes that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy can successfully bring corruption in his country under control. Speaking at a joint press conference with…

Read More Here

Kremlin says it hopes for a new Putin-Trump summit

The Kremlin said on Monday that it hoped another summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump could take place as soon as the necessary preparation had…

Read More Here

“Unprecedented act of sabotage” on Polish railway line

A railway line linking Warsaw to southeastern Poland was damaged by a weekend explosion that Prime Minister Donald Tusk called an "unprecedented act of sabotage". Tusk, who visited the site…

Read More Here

Finland’s Stubb Tempers Expectations For Ukraine Cease-Fire

The president of Finland, Alexander Stubb, said a ceasefire in Ukraine is unlikely before the end of the year, pointing to the spring as a more plausible time for progress…

Read More Here

Fast-track deportations to be announced as part of asylum reforms

Plans to fast-track the deportation of illegal migrants as part of sweeping reforms of the UK's asylum policy are to be announced by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood. In a statement…

Read More Here

Migrant arrivals in Spain’s Balearics surge as smugglers switch routes

Nineteen boats carrying around 360 people reached Spain's Balearic Islands in the past two days, the latest surge in arrivals defying attempts by authorities to curb the fastest-growing migratory route…

Read More Here

Amsterdam Targets Foreign Drivers in Crackdown on Unpaid Parking Fees

Amsterdam will begin immobilizing vehicles from countries where parking fines cannot be recovered by mail starting next July, city officials announced Thursday, positioning the move as a corrective measure to…

Read More Here

Belgium to Reshape Global Diplomatic Network Amid Geopolitical Shifts

Belgium plans to overhaul its network of diplomatic posts in response to shifting global pressures, Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot said, outlining a restructuring that will both streamline and reinforce the…

Read More Here

Russia says it thwarted a Ukrainian plot to kill a top government official

Russia's FSB security service said on Friday that it had thwarted a Ukrainian plot to assassinate an unnamed top Russian government official and accused Kyiv of planning similar attacks in…

Read More Here

BBC apologizes to Trump over documentary edit

The BBC has apologized to US President Donald Trump for a misleading edit of a "Panorama" documentary, the British public broadcaster said, but denied the issue is grounds for a…

Read More Here

Germany to introduce voluntary military service

Germany's coalition partners announced a compromise on Thursday over new rules on military service, a key element in a wider drive to rebuild the country's shrunken armed forces. The model…

Read More Here

Dover pushed back EES launch to avoid Christmas travel chaos

The roll-out of the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) for tourists at Dover has been delayed until 2026, according to port officials. The digital border system was due to come…

Read More Here

Wild form of polio found in German sewage sample

The wild form of the virus behind polio has been detected in wastewater sampling in Germany, the nation's main public health body told Reuters, in a setback for efforts to…

Read More Here

Sarkozy appeal against conspiracy conviction to begin in March

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy's appeal against a conviction for criminal conspiracy related to illegal Libyan financing for his successful 2007 presidential bid will be heard from March 16 to…

Read More Here

Holy See Refutes Alleged Vision of Jesus in France

Jesus may answer prayers but he has not made special appearances in a small town in the north of France, the Vatican declared.. In a new instruction approved by Pope…

Read More Here

Italy seeks faster introduction of EU levy on low-value parcels

The European Union needs to adopt "strong and fast" rules against the invasion of cheap and unregulated products, Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti said. He also said the EU should bring…

Read More Here

Ukraine corruption scandal explained: The $100M plot rocking Zelenskyy

Ukraine was roiled this week by the most damaging corruption scandal of Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s presidency. Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies revealed Monday that some of Zelenskyy’s close associates were allegedly involved in…

Read More Here

Strong earthquake rocks Cyprus

A moderate earthquake, registering 4.7 on the Richter scale as per the Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Centre, was experienced on the island at approximately 11.30 am on Wednesday. According to Paphos district…

Read More Here

Cyprus Tables Bill to Cut Traffic Congestion and Promote Sustainable Mobility

Cyprus has unveiled a new bill introducing five key measures to tackle chronic traffic congestion and promote sustainable mobility. The proposed Road Network Decongestion and Sustainable Mobility Law seeks to…

Read More Here

“War Safari” Scandal: Italy Reopens Dark Chapter from the Siege of Sarajevo

Prosecutors in Milan have launched an investigation into allegations that Italian citizens paid large sums of money to join Serbian militias as “weekend snipers” during the 1993–1995 Siege of Sarajevo,…

Read More Here

Fog helps Russian forces push deeper into key Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk

Thick fog has enabled Russian troops to move further into the key strategic city of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine. Ukraine's 7th Airborne Assault Corps says weather conditions, particularly dense fog,…

Read More Here

Ukraine facing ‘huge problems’ finding soldiers as men flee abroad

Ukraine is facing a worsening shortage of soldiers as record numbers of men flee to Europe, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko warned in an interview. “We have huge problems with soldiers…

Read More Here

Major Solar Storm Causes Radio Blackouts Across Europe and Africa

A powerful geomagnetic storm has been underway since the night of November 11–12, reaching G4 intensity—one step below the highest G5 level, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric…

Read More Here

German man arrested for offering assassination bounty on Merkel and Scholz

German police have arrested a 49-year-old man, identified as Martin S., accused of running a darknet “assassination platform” that targeted former Chancellors Olaf Scholz and Angela Merkel. Prosecutors said the…

Read More Here

Kremlin says it wants war to end but peace process is ‘stalled’

The Kremlin said on Monday that it wants the war in Ukraine to end as soon as possible, but that efforts to resolve the conflict have stalled. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry…

Read More Here

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy to be released from prison

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy is set to leave La Santé Prison in Paris on Monday after serving three weeks, following an appeals court’s approval of his request for release.…

Read More Here

Three dead and 15 injured in Tenerife tidal surge

Three people have died and 15 others were injured after huge waves struck the popular Spanish holiday island of Tenerife. Emergency services said a woman died after being swept into…

Read More Here

UK deploys anti-drone specialists to Belgium after string of incursions

Britain has pledged to support Belgium in tackling a wave of drone incursions that have disrupted air traffic and raised security concerns. UK Chief of the Defence Staff Richard Knighton…

Read More Here

“We Know Our Responsibilities”: Rama Rejects Outside Guidance on Corruption Fight

Albania is committed to joining the European Union by 2030, Prime Minister Edi Rama told Euronews, labelling his country as “the most Euro-optimistic nation in Europe”. “2030 is not a…

Read More Here

Belgium to strengthen airspace security following multiple drones incursions

Belgium is set to strengthen its airspace security measures following a series of unauthorised drone incursions near major airports, including Brussels International Airport in Zaventem. Authorities confirmed that several recent…

Read More Here

Pope Leo’s critique of Trump emboldens top US Catholics to help immigrants

Pope Leo’s recent criticism of U.S. President Donald Trump’s immigration policies has energised Catholic organisations working to assist migrants affected by the administration’s strict enforcement measures, according to senior Church…

Read More Here

Kremlin critic warns Europe to prepare for Cold War II

Exiled Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky has warned Europe to prepare for a decade-long standoff with Russia, regardless of the outcome of Moscow’s war on Ukraine. Speaking at a private event…

Read More Here

Abbas Meets Pope as Holy See Marks 10 Years Since Recognition of Palestine

Pope Leo XIV reaffirmed the Vatican’s long-standing support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict during a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the Apostolic Palace on Thursday,…

Read More Here

Europe-Wide Operation Targets Labour Exploitation, 54 Arrests

Authorities across Europe have carried out a coordinated operation to tackle labour exploitation, resulting in 54 arrests and the identification of 404 potential victims of human trafficking. The action, led…

Read More Here

Mysterious lights baffle Poland

Polish authorities were working Wednesday to clarify reports of unusual lights seen in the sky over several regions, after a late-evening search found no evidence of a crashed aircraft or…

Read More Here

Germany arrests 18 in international crackdown on online fraud

An internationally coordinated action against alleged online fraud and money laundering networks that included German payment service providers resulted in 18 arrests, German authorities said on Wednesday. Germany's Federal Criminal…

Read More Here

Russian and Ukrainian troops battle in ruins of Pokrovsk

Russian and Ukrainian forces battled on Tuesday and Wednesday in the shattered eastern city of Pokrovsk, a transport and logistics hub that both sides view as strategically decisive in the…

Read More Here

Brussels, Liege airports closed for hours due to drones

Belgium's Brussels and Liege airports were closed on Tuesday evening after drone sightings, diverting many incoming planes and preventing others from taking off. Kurt Verwilligen, a spokesperson for the Belgian…

Read More Here

Tusk Vows to Down All Hostile Drones as Poland Bolsters Defence Posture

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has declared that any hostile drone violating Poland’s airspace will be shot down, as Warsaw intensifies investment in its military capabilities amid rising tensions on…

Read More Here

Chancellor Merz Says Syrians No Longer Qualify for Asylum

Syrians no longer have grounds for asylum in Germany now the civil war in their country is over, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said, as his conservatives seek to fend off…

Read More Here

Jesus, not Virgin Mary, saved the world, Vatican says

Jesus may have heard words of wisdom from his mother Mary, but she did not help him save the world from damnation, the Vatican said on Tuesday. In a new…

Read More Here

Majorca, Ibiza and Menorca Visitors Could Face Steep Tourist Tax Increase Under New Union Proposal

One of Spain’s largest trade unions is calling for a sharp increase in the taxes paid by visitors to the Balearic Islands, arguing that current measures have failed to ease…

Read More Here

Medieval tower in Rome being restored using EU cash collapses

A medieval tower in the center of Rome undergoing EU-funded restoration work partially collapsed on Monday, injuring a worker and leaving another dead. A Romanian worker trapped for hours under…

Read More Here