Politics
Revelations in newly released Jeffrey Epstein files prompted investigations and resignation demands across several countries, triggering a French probe into diplomat Fabrice Aidan and scrutiny of U.S. officials.
Ukrainian and Western officials said President Zelensky planned to announce presidential elections and a referendum on a peace deal on Feb. 24, but Kyiv said any announcement depended on security.
The European Central Bank urged EU leaders ahead of Thursday's summit to create eurobonds and a Europe-wide "safe asset" to relaunch growth, a proposal widely contested.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met President Donald Trump at the White House on Wednesday to urge a tougher U.S. stance toward Iran, pressing limits on missiles and militia support.
President Donald Trump said he raised U.S. tariffs on Swiss imports to 39% after a phone exchange with Swiss Federal Councilor Karin Keller-Sutter, whom he called "very aggressive."
The Council of Europe lifted the immunity of a former Norwegian prime minister over allegations revealed in the Jeffrey Epstein files, prompting calls for publication of additional names and scrutiny.
Iran marked the 47th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution on Wednesday amid mass protests and a violent crackdown, while President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran did not seek nuclear weapons.
NATO estimated about 1.3 million Russian soldiers had been killed or wounded in the war in Ukraine and said Ukrainian forces remained in a difficult position.
House lawmakers rejected Speaker Mike Johnson’s effort to block votes, clearing the way for the House to consider resolutions to end President Trump’s national emergency basis for Canada tariffs.
Israel announced measures to expand control over the West Bank, including a bill to oversee archaeological sites, prompting international condemnation, which Germany called a "de facto annexation."
NATO on Wednesday launched Arctic Sentry, a surveillance and presence mission around Greenland and the Arctic that it said would boost allied deterrence against Russia and China.
Keir Starmer survived a leadership challenge over his appointment of Peter Mandelson, linked to Jeffrey Epstein, but critics said the episode left his authority weakened.
A D.C. grand jury declined to indict six Democratic lawmakers who had urged service members to refuse allegedly illegal orders in a video, ending a federal prosecutors’ investigation.
Sergei Lavrov told parliament that Russia would limit its deployed nuclear forces under New START only if the United States did the same after the treaty expired Feb. 5.
US Democrats released six previously hidden names from Jeffrey Epstein's files, including a Nicola Caputo whom Italy's former MEP said was a namesake and denied any contact.
The European Parliament approved a €90 billion loan to Ukraine to fund weapons purchases against Russia, while far-right MEP Jordan Bardella opposed it, citing excessive procurement exemptions and repayment assumptions.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz rejected French President Emmanuel Macron's proposal for joint EU borrowing to fund strategic investments in EU policymaking, deepening a public Franco‑German rift.
Italy's government sent a draft migration bill to the Cabinet that would impose a naval blockade, create detention-like camps, allow expulsions and curb family reunification and phone use.
European leaders moved to bolster defence autonomy as public distrust of the United States grew, and NATO roles shifted toward Europeans, reinvigorating debate over an EU army.
Airlines suspended flights to Cuba after a U.S. oil embargo on Venezuelan shipments cut fuel supplies, leaving the island's tourism-dependent economy facing collapse.
A Russian drone strike killed a 34-year-old man and three small children in Bohodukhiv in Kharkiv region, authorities said, while two other civilians were wounded.
Russian actors spread fake news to discredit Ukrainian athletes at the Winter Olympics, NewsGuard said, as Russia’s exclusion continued to politicize the Games.
European leaders reconsidered reliance on U.S. LNG after President Donald Trump’s unpredictable foreign-policy moves, a shift complicated by rising public skepticism about Germany’s energy transition.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer survived resignation calls in Downing Street after a party crisis left doubts about his leadership, though critics in Scotland and the party still demanded his exit.
Antonio Rodríguez Osuna, Mérida's PSOE mayor, said he would negotiate with PP leader María Guardiola in Extremadura to enable governance if her March 3 investiture failed, not merely abstain.
A rapporteur's draft opinion at Spain's Constitutional Court endorsed Hacienda's reference values for property taxation as constitutionally justified, likely upholding them against a challenge from Andalucía's high court.
The European Union approved tougher asylum rules enabling outsourcing asylum to third countries and a list of "safe" countries, backed by centre-right and right groups while socialists and liberals split.
A Paris appeals court heard closing arguments in Marine Le Pen’s embezzlement appeal, a verdict that will determine whether the far-right leader can stand in France’s 2027 presidential race.
European leaders and industry chiefs met in Antwerp today to seek measures to halt industrial decline as Chinese competition gained ground, with France urging protection while Germany hesitated.
Former French president François Hollande and European analysts said Donald Trump's confrontational, non‑cooperative stance had deepened Europe's dilemma, increasing receptiveness to anti‑EU messages and right‑wing gains.
On 11 February's Equal Pay Day, studies and advocates said women still faced significant pay gaps across Europe, with Austria about 12% and Madrid women earning €8,000 less.
Péter Magyar, Hungary’s main opposition challenger, said Viktor Orbán planned to release an intimate video to intimidate him ahead of the April 12 parliamentary election.
The Council of Europe’s ministerial committee lifted former secretary-general Thorbjørn Jagland’s diplomatic immunity in Strasbourg on Wednesday after a request from Norway’s Økokrim prosecutors.
The White House deleted a social-media post by Vice President JD Vance referring to the Armenian genocide during his visit to Armenia, which his office called a staff error.
The Council of Europe lifted legal immunity for former secretary-general Thorbjørn Jagland, allowing Norwegian prosecutors to pursue Epstein-related inquiries, and his lawyer said he would cooperate.
Bangladeshis voted in the first free parliamentary election since the summer 2024 uprising, prompting fears that gains by Islamist parties could threaten women's freedoms.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan appointed Istanbul chief prosecutor Akın Gürlek as justice minister, a move critics said entrenched a crackdown on the opposition, prompting widespread anger.
Pam Bondi testified before the House Judiciary Committee and was questioned by Democrats about the Justice Department’s handling of Epstein files, Minneapolis shootings and prosecutions of six Democrats.
The Swiss federal government said it would pay solidarity contributions to victims and relatives of the Crans‑Montana fire and urged Parliament to fast‑track a March law for immediate aid.
Maria Lúcia Amaral resigned as Portugal's ombudsman after facing widespread criticism for poor planning and leadership in the state's response to recent severe weather.
Swiss authorities scheduled a national vote on a proposal to cap permanent residents at 10 million, which experts warned could limit companies' access to foreign talent.
Greens’ lead candidate Cem Özdemir reported plans to marry partner Flavia Zaka during the Baden-Württemberg campaign ahead of the early March vote, with a political friend set to officiate.
Marine Le Pen's defense sought acquittal in her Paris appeal trial over alleged misappropriation of EU funds, and judges prepared to set a decision date affecting her 2027 eligibility.
AfD's federal leadership intervened in Sachsen-Anhalt after allegations that local party politicians placed relatives in taxpayer-funded jobs, fearing harm to the party's prospects in the autumn election.
Hundreds of farmers drove tractors in Madrid to protest proposed cuts to the EU’s future Common Agricultural Policy and the EU–Mercosur trade deal, organizers said.
Municipal and state elections in Germany, France and Switzerland showed shifting political balances, with centre-left gains in some areas and contested rises for both far-right and leftist parties.
Russian authorities slowed nationwide access to Telegram, saying they sought to protect citizens, while soldiers, pro-war bloggers and other critics warned the move risked disrupting military and public communications.
President Emmanuel Macron announced the French government would send letters to all 29-year-olds urging them to have children to counter the country’s falling birthrate.
Álvaro Gallego, Carmen Pano’s driver, testified at the Audiencia Nacional that in October 2020 he drove her near PSOE headquarters with €45,000 cash but did not see its delivery.
Thousands of protesters in Tirana clashed with police on Tuesday, throwing Molotov cocktails and fireworks at a government building as police deployed water cannon.
Russian strikes damaged Ukraine's power and heating infrastructure, leaving residents in Kyiv and front-line areas freezing while repair crews raced to restore electricity amid scarce food and supplies.
Portugal’s Interior Minister Maria Lúcia Amaral resigned amid criticism for a slow, inadequate response to deadly storm Kristin that devastated parts of the country.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro said he narrowly escaped an assassination attempt while traveling by helicopter with his daughters, claiming fears of gunfire forced a prolonged flight over the sea.
