Europe

Russian missile attack forces Ukraine to shut down power grid

Ukrainian officials say Russia has launched a major ballistic and cruise missile attack on regions across Ukraine.

Polish leader vows to use EU presidency to speed up Ukraine’s membership quest

Poland’s leader accuses Russia of planning acts of sabotage against ‘airlines around the world’

Ancient DNA suggests women were at the heart of social networks in Celtic society in Britain

Kosovo’s authorities close parallel institutions run by the country’s ethnic Serb minority

Biden issues directive allowing Cyprus to buy American arms from the US government

President Joe Biden has issued a directive that for the first time allows Cyprusto buy arms from the U.S. government and get surplus American military equipment in a move welcomed as promoting stability in the eastern Mediterranean.

Turkish Airlines will resume flights to Damascus, officials say after visit by Syria’s new rulers

Officials say that Turkish Airlines will resume its flights to Damascus, Syria, next week after a halt of more than a decade.

Germany’s economy shrank for the second consecutive year in 2024

The German economy shrank for the second straight year in 2024 as worried consumers held back on spending and Chinese competition ate into the country’s traditional exports of cars and industrial machinery.

A far-right party uses a mock plane ticket to campaign for deportations in Germany

German police are investigating an election campaign flyer by a far-right party that looks like a plane ticket and calls for the deportation of “illegal immigrants.”

UK says a deal on the Chagos Islands won’t be finalized until Trump is consulted

Britain’s government has confirmed that it will not finalize a deal to hand over sovereignty of the contested Chagos Islands to Mauritius until President-elect Donald Trump’s administration is consulted.

Bulgaria’s center-right party tasked with forming a new government

Bulgaria’s president has mandated the main center-right party with forming a government, almost three months after elections produced a deeply fragmented parliament.

Parliament speaker, advocate for return of sculptures from Britain, tapped to be Greece’s president

Greece’s conservative government has nominated Parliament Speaker Constantine Tassoulas, a leading advocate for the return of disputed Parthenon sculptures from the British Museum, to become the country’s next president.

UK inflation unexpectedly drops in December, easing pressure in bond markets

Inflation in the U.K. unexpectedly fell in December, a move that will likely fuel pressure on the Bank of England to cut interest rates again next month.

Ireland moves closer to forming a new government after a deal is reached

Ireland has moved a step closer to forming a new government. Irish media says a deal was reached Tuesday between Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and the Regional Independent Group to form a government a month and a half after the election gave no party a majority of seats needed to control parliament.

Jack Daniel’s parent Brown-Forman is cutting its workforce and closing its barrel-making plant

Spirits giant Brown-Forman Corp. says it’s reducing its global workforce by about 12% and closing its barrel-making plant in Louisville.

UK minister quits while facing questions over links to ousted Bangladeshi leader Sheikh Hasina

Britain’s anti-corruption minister has resigned amid a controversy over links to her aunt Sheikh Hasina who is the ousted Bangladeshi prime minister.

Irregular migration into the European Union fell sharply last year, border agency says

The European Union’s border agency Frontex says that irregular migration into the European Union fell sharply in 2024.

The Czech Republic ends its energy dependence on Russian oil imports

The Czech government says the country has boosted its energy security by completing a project to finish its dependence on oil delivery from Russia.

Biden takes big step for the future of AI with ambitious executive order

President Joe Biden has signed an ambitious executive order on artificial intelligence that seeks to ensure the infrastructure needed for advanced AI operations like data centers can be built quickly and at scale in the United States.

Why is Spain considering a 100% tax on homes bought by non-EU buyers?

Spain is planning a raft of measures to address its brewing housing crisis, including an up to 100% tax on properties bought by people who are neither citizens nor residents of the European Union.

Vietnam and Russia sign an agreement to expand cooperation on nuclear energy

Vietnam and Russia inked an agreement to boost cooperation on nuclear energy during Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin’s two-day visit to Hanoi.

NATO announces a new mission to protect undersea cables in the Baltic Sea region

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte says the alliance is launching a new mission to protect undersea cables in the Baltic Sea region.

Zelenskyy, Macron discuss Western troop deployment in Ukraine before German defense chief visits

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he has held further discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron about the possibility of Western troops deploying in Ukraine to safeguard any peace deal ending the nearly three-year war with Russia.

France’s new prime minister says he’ll renegotiate a contested plan to raise the retirement age

France’s new prime minister, François Bayrou, has announced the renegotiation of a contested plan raising the retirement age from 62 to 64.

153 winners of Nobel and World Food prizes seek new ways to grow food to meet surging global need

More than 150 recipients of the Nobel and World Food prizes have released an open letter calling for a dramatic increase in research and a commitment to new food distribution efforts.

Dutch delve into family pasts as the names of accused Nazi collaborators released

On Jan. 1 in the Netherlands, many were cleaning up the mess from New Year’s Eve fireworks. But hundreds of thousands of others looked for their relatives in a new database containing the names of some 425,000 people investigated for collaboration with the Nazis during World War II.

Pope Francis is introspective and self-critical in his autobiography, at least about his youth

Pope Francis’ autobiography is being released Tuesday. In it, an introspective pope divulges some of the behind-the-scenes dynamics of the secret 2013 conclave that elected him pope and the resistance he has encountered ever since.

Queen Elizabeth II wasn’t told about Soviet spy in her palace, declassified MI5 files show

Newly declassified British documents show that Queen Elizabeth II wasn’t told details of her long-time art adviser’s double life as a Soviet spy because palace officials didn’t want to add to her worries.

Europe must combat antisemitism as thousands of Jews abandon the continent, top Jewish leader says

The leader of a prominent European Jewish organization says authorities across Europe need to immediately take action against a precipitous rise in antisemitism.

Ryanair calls for alcoholic drink limit at EU airports amid legal action against unruly passenger

Ryanair is calling on European authorities to limit the sale of alcoholic beverages at airports across the continent, as the Irish airline continues legal action against a passenger who it says caused a costly flight diversion last year.

European defense heavyweights say meeting Trump’s military spending target won’t be easy

The defense ministers of Europe’s five top military spenders say they intend to continue increasing their investments in defense but described President-elect Donald Trump’s challenge for them to raise spending to 5% of their overall economic output as extremely difficult.

The January transfer window is teasing some big moves involving Man United, Man City PSG

The January transfer window is open and big names could be on the move, from Marcus Rashford to Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

Turkey’s Erdogan launches ‘Year of the Family’ with an attack on the LGBTQ+ community

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan marked the launch of Turkey’s “Year of the Family” with an attack on the LGBTQ+ community and the announcement of measures to boost birth rates.

EU’s executive branch denies cover up over the health of its president, Ursula von der Leyen

The European Commission is denying that it tried to cover up the state of health of its president, Ursula von der Leyen, who was hospitalized with severe pneumonia.

Greece sees an outcry after police release a drunk driver later involved in a deadly crash

Greece’s minister in charge of police says “all necessary sanctions” will be brought against officers on the island of Crete who failed to detain a driver found driving drunk and without a license who later was involved in a crash that killed a 22-year-old.

‘Big Brother is watching you': Collector’s coin marks George Orwell’s death 75 years ago

A commemorative coin featuring the image of an eye and the inscription “Big Brother is watching you” is being released to pay tribute to “Nineteen Eighty-four” author George Orwell and mark his death 75 years ago.

Biden’s administration proposes new rules on exporting AI chips, provoking an industry pushback

The Biden administration is proposing a new framework for the exporting of the advanced computer chips used to develop artificial intelligence, an attempt to balance national security concerns about the technology with the economic interests of producers and other countries.

Austrian far right and conservatives reach budget accord in a step toward new government

Austrian far-right leader Herbert Kickl and his prospective coalition partners say they have reached an agreement to bring down the budget deficit.

China’s electric car sales grew in 2024 as sales of gasoline cars plunged

Sales of all types of electric vehicles rose more than 40% in China last year while those of gasoline-powered automobiles plunged.

Mayor of opposition Istanbul stronghold arrested over bid-rigging claims

Prosecutors in Istanbul say the mayor of one of Turkey’s opposition strongholds has been arrested as part of a bid-rigging investigation.