English

Gavin Blackburn

United Kingdom

UK sanctions Russian entities suspected of spreading disinformation

Officials pointed to fake websites and political ads during Moldova's recent election and fake news sites carrying videos with false claims about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy designed to undermine support.

Netherlands

ICC gives Sudanese militia leader 20 years jail for Darfur war crimes

Abd-Al-Rahman's crimes were committed more than two decades ago, but violence continues to plague Darfur as Sudan is torn apart by civil war.

USA

UN reports rise in violence against women journalists and activists

The study by UN Women follows a similar report by the UN cultural and educational agency UNESCO in 2021 that highlighted the same issue.

Czech Republic

Right-wing billionaire Babiš sworn in as Czech prime minister

The new coalition is set to follow Hungary and Slovakia and shift the Czech Republic away from supporting Ukraine in Russia's nearly four-year war.

ADVERTISEMENT

USA

UN aid agency cuts appeal for 2026 to €28bn after support drops

This year, the UN system slashed thousands of jobs, notably at its migration and refugee agencies, and Secretary General António Guterres' office has launched a review of UN operations.

Turkey

Turkish police officer dies after being shot during drugs raid

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said in a social media post on Monday that 970 suspects had been detained in nationwide counter-narcotics operations over the previous week.

France

Louvre workers announce strike over work conditions after €88m heist

The robbers took less than eight minutes to force their way into the museum using a freight lift to reach one of the building’s windows and angle grinders to cut into jewellery display cases.

Greece

Protesting Greek farmers force their way onto Crete airport tarmac

The demonstrations on Monday are the latest escalation in protests over delays in the payment of EU-backed agricultural subsidies in the wake of a scandal which revealed fraudulent subsidy claims.

Japan

Magnitude 7.5 earthquake strikes off Japan's northern coast

Nuclear power plants in the region conducted safety checks, public broadcaster NHK said.

Ukraine

Chernobyl nuclear plant shield no longer blocks radiation, IAEA says

The Europe-built multilayered confinement building completed in 2019 was designed to contain the radiation coming from the melted-down nuclear fuel.

Norway

Norway police say suspect detained in shooting at shopping centre

In a statement, police determined that the Storo Storsenter centre was now safe after the perpetrator, who appeared to have acted alone, fired at least one shot inside.

USA

2026 World Cup groups announced by FIFA in ceremony in Washington

A record 48 teams will take part next year with Cape Verde, Jordan, Uzbekistan and Curaçao all appearing in football's premier event for the first time.

USA

Trump awarded new peace prize from FIFA during 2026 World Cup draw

Trump, who has openly campaigned for and long coveted the Nobel Peace Prize, had been heavily favoured to win the newly created FIFA prize.

Netherlands

Putin warrant won't disappear if Ukraine peace talks succeed, ICC says

The Kremlin has repeatedly said that it doesn't recognise the jurisdiction of the court and considers the warrant null and void.

Greece

Greek police fire tear gas at farmers threatening to blockade airport

Protesters have argued the delays amount to collective punishment, leaving honest farmers in debt and unable to plant their fields for next season.

Turkey

Football players and officials arrested in Turkish betting probe

The Turkish Football Federation said in October that it was investigating more than 150 referees in professional leagues for allegedly betting on soccer matches.

France

French woman allegedly drugged by official slams slow pace of justice

More than 240 women accuse Christian Nègre, a former senior official in the Culture Ministry, of secretly drugging them with diuretics during job interviews, then deliberately placing them in situations where they would be forced to urinate in public or on themselves.

Lithuania

Lithuanian court convicts leader of a governing party of antisemitism

The district court in Vilnius found that Remigijus Žemaitaitis incited hatred against Jews and grossly downplayed Nazi Germany's crimes.

Switzerland

Four countries boycott Eurovision after Israel allowed to take part

The contest, whose 70th edition is scheduled for Vienna in May, pits acts from dozens of nations against one another for the continent's musical crown.

United Kingdom

UK and Norway form naval alliance to hunt Russian submarines

NATO's senior expert on cyber and hybrid threats said last year that persistent attacks on undersea cables across Europe is "the most active threat" to Western infrastructure.

ADVERTISEMENT