Politics
The Justice Department’s release of the Epstein files prompted US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to acknowledge visiting Epstein’s private island and face Senate scrutiny and calls to resign.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy planned spring presidential elections and a referendum on a peace deal amid US pressure, the Financial Times reported, with an announcement expected Feb. 24.
Italy, Germany and Belgium drafted a joint document proposing rapid deregulation, industrial support and technology‑neutral measures to accelerate EU competitiveness ahead of an informal summit in Alden‑Biesen.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met President Trump at the White House on Wednesday to press the U.S. for a tougher stance on Iran’s missile program and regional proxies.
Norwegian biathlete Sturla Holm Lægreid publicly confessed on live television to having had an affair after winning Olympic bronze, then apologized as critics condemned the timing.
Pedro Sánchez defendió en España que el ferrocarril era 'uno de los mejores', y Alberto Núñez Feijóo lo acusó de 'jugar a la ruleta rusa' con la seguridad.
ICE acting director Todd Lyons defended aggressive deportation raids at a congressional hearing, saying they were "just the beginning," while Democrats called the tactics "Gestapo"-like after two deadly raids.
Democratic lawmakers unveiled six previously hidden names in Jeffrey Epstein's files, naming Les Wexner, a former Victoria's Secret CEO and an Emirati sultan, prompting denials.
France called for stronger EU industrial protection and a joint investment plan to counter China and US tariffs, while Germany hesitated, exposing divisions ahead of the EU competition summit.
A Russian drone strike killed four people, including three small children, in Bohodukhiv near Kharkiv and wounded a pregnant woman and an elderly woman, Ukrainian authorities said.
White House officials said ICE deportations would lower future U.S. job numbers and urged investors not to panic as hiring data softened.
President Pezeshkian apologized for the violent suppression of protests as Iran marked the 47th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
U.S. sanctions, including an oil blockade, sharply reduced Cuba’s fuel supplies, which crippled tourism and daily life and pushed the island’s economy toward collapse.
Emmanuel Macron nominated Amélie de Montchalin to the Cour des comptes in France, and Marine Le Pen and other opponents demanded he abandon the pick amid conflict‑of‑interest and public‑accounts criticism.
Peter Mandelson was plunged into disgrace in Britain after newly released files showed a close friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, raising fresh scrutiny of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Britain announced it would double its troop presence in Norway to about 2,000 troops to deter what Defence Secretary John Healey described as Russia’s growing Arctic threat.
President Trump threatened to block opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge between Detroit and Windsor, demanding "full compensation," while Mark Carney said a phone call had clarified the issue.
Emmanuel Macron urged Europe to reopen talks with Russia to reclaim a seat at the negotiating table; French ministers denied Paris was isolated, and diplomats warned talks must be useful.
European Parliament approved tougher asylum rules to ease deportations by creating an EU-wide list of "safe" third countries and advanced plans for deportation centres abroad.
Vice President JD Vance deleted a social-media post acknowledging the Armenian genocide during a visit to Armenia, and his office said the message had been posted in error.
The United States transferred command of two NATO bases to European allies, as NATO prepared to boost Arctic security and shift more conventional defense responsibilities to Europe.
Kyiv began burying sections of Ukraine’s electrical grid to protect power infrastructure from Russian attacks, a costly, slow resilience measure officials said amid winter outages.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz rejected French President Emmanuel Macron’s eurobond proposal for joint EU investment, saying it would distract from the bloc’s productivity problems.
Sumar, Izquierda Unida, Comuns and Más Madrid announced plans to relaunch a permanent left‑wing coalition at Madrid’s Círculo de Bellas Artes on Saturday, while IU said Yolanda Díaz was "amortizada".
SP and Greens' Klimafonds-Initiative proposed a massive subsidy fund ahead of the March 8 referendum, critics warned it threatened federal finances and might still miss climate targets.
Senior PSOE figures in Extremadura opened the door to negotiating with the PP to allow María Guardiola's investiture, while party leaders denied any abstention and Vox vowed to oppose her.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan appointed Istanbul chief prosecutor Akın Gürlek as justice minister, and the move drew sharp criticism for his role in leading prosecutions against the opposition.
Farmers drove hundreds of tractors through central Madrid on Wednesday to protest the EU-Mercosur trade deal and proposed cuts to the Common Agricultural Policy.
The Council of Europe’s ministerial committee revoked former secretary-general Thorbjørn Jagland’s legal immunity in Strasbourg on Wednesday after Norway’s Økokrim requested it, and his lawyer said he would cooperate.
Portuguese Interior Minister Maria Lúcia Amaral resigned after criticism of her handling of deadly storms that devastated parts of the country, with Prime Minister Luís Montenegro assuming the post provisionally.
Liberal politician Jan Jönsson warned that right-wing aktivklubbar were recruiting young people across Sweden and urged politicians to act to avoid repeating past passivity toward gangs.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan appointed a controversial former prosecutor as Turkey’s justice minister and reshuffled the interior ministry, prompting opposition outrage hours before his meeting with Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro said he narrowly escaped an assassination attempt while his helicopter was unable to land near Córdoba because his security team feared it would be shot at.
Several Swedish political parties proposed expanding the use of forensic psychiatric care for criminals, prompting experts to warn it could undermine treatment effectiveness.
At the Munich security conference, European leaders warned that growing pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump threatened EU cohesion, and Mario Draghi offered alternative plans to preserve integration.
Thousands of protesters clashed with police in central Tirana, using Molotov cocktails while officers deployed water cannons, as demonstrators demanded resignations over alleged government corruption.
White House press secretary Leavitt contradicted President Trump, saying he had floated renaming New York’s Penn Station after himself, a proposal Trump then denied.
Unsealed documents showed the FBI relied on widely debunked claims to obtain a warrant for Fulton County, Georgia, 2020 ballot records following a referral by Trump-appointed election adviser Kurt Olsen.
Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Pablo Guanipa was placed under house arrest after being detained following his release, his family said, prompting protesters to decry exclusion from an amnesty law.
