Three face German court on Russia spying charges
Three men went on trial in Germany today, accused of tailing a former soldier for Ukraine on behalf of a Russian intelligence service for a possible assassination plot.
Top brands suspected in Italy sweatshop probe
Gucci, Prada, Versace and Yves Saint Laurent are among 13 luxury brands suspected of using subcontractors who exploited Chinese workers in Italy, according to documents issued…
Merz demands EU scrap ban on sale of combustion engine cars
Germany will urge the European Union to scrap a planned 2035 ban on the sale of combustion engine cars, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Friday, as Berlin battles to boost its…
Russia sentences eight to life for 2022 Crimean bridge blast
A Russian court on Thursday sentenced eight people to life in prison over huge 2022 explosions that partially destroyed the Crimean bridge, an attack both Kyiv and Moscow…
Saudi residents report booze ban eased for select foreigners
Diplomats and premium visa-holders in Saudi Arabia told AFP that the conservative kingdom has quietly eased restrictions on purchasing alcohol for select foreign residents.
Spain’s top prosecutor guilty of media leak against opposition
Spain's Supreme Court on Thursday said it had convicted the top prosecutor of leaking confidential legal information against the conservative opposition in a fresh blow to…
EU proposes to loosen AI and data privacy rules, cut cookie banners
The European Union executive proposed rolling back key artificial intelligence (AI) and data privacy rules as part of a push to slash red tape and help Europe's high-tech…
Greenpeace says French uranium being sent to Russia
The Greenpeace environment group said Sunday that France was sending reprocessed uranium to Russia for treatment so it can be reused, despite the Kremlin's war in Ukraine.
Hungary to sue EU over ban on Russian gas imports
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said today that his government would take the European Union to court over its decision last month to phase out Russian gas imports.
X fined 5 million euros in Spain over cryptocurrency ads
Spain's securities regulator said today it has fined social media platform X five million euros for failing to comply with rules governing the advertising of financial products,…
Ukraine justice minister suspended over corruption case
Ukraine's Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said today that justice minister German Galushchenko had been suspended amid a corruption scandal in the country's energy sector.
Ukraine anti-graft agency raids energy sector as standoff escalates
Ukraine's anti-corruption agency said today it was conducting large-scale raids targeting the country's energy sector -- an operation that comes after months of infighting…
German exports to US rebound after tariff-driven declines
German exports to the United States rebounded in September after months of decline following the introduction of US tariffs, helping drive a bigger-than-expected rise in overall…
Ukraine detains ex-powergrid chief on fraud suspicion
A former Ukrainian state energy operator chief suspected of embezzlement was ordered to be kept in detention by a Kyiv court today, stoking fears of political interference…
Spain’s regional leader resigns, year after deadly floods
The heavily criticised leader of Spain's Valencia region said today he was stepping down, a year after the area was hit by floods in the country's deadliest natural disaster…
French court convicts TotalEnergies over misleading climate claims
A French court ruled oil and gas giant TotalEnergies had engaged in "misleading commercial practices" by overstating its climate pledges, in what activists said was the first…
One man injured after shooting outside Serbian parliament
One man was wounded and an alleged elderly attacker arrested after a shooting and fire at a pro-government camp outside Serbia's parliament on Wednesday, with the country's…
France’s ex-leader Sarkozy jailed, proclaiming his innocence
France's ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy became the first former head of an EU state to be jailed today, proclaiming his innocence as he entered a Paris prison.
Slovak court gives 21-year jail term to man who shot PM Fico
A Slovak court on Tuesday sentenced a gunman who shot Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico last year to 21 years in prison.
French police hunt Louvre jewel thieves
The hunt was on Monday for the band of thieves who stole eight priceless royal pieces of jewellery from the Louvre Museum in the heart of Paris in broad daylight.
Outrage as bomb destroys Italian investigative journalist’s car
A prominent Italian journalist threatened by the mafia had his parked car blown up by a bomb overnight, causing no injuries but sparking widespread outrage today from politicians…
France charges four over plot against Russia dissident
France has charged four people over a suspected plot against a Russian dissident, prosecutors said Friday, after a refugee who helped reveal abuses in Russian prisons said…
Nestle says to cut 16,000 jobs worldwide over next two years
Nestle, the Swiss food giant whose brands include Nespresso coffee and Perrier water, will eliminate 16,000 jobs worldwide over the next two years, its new chief executive…
French ex-president Sarkozy to go to prison on October 21
Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy will serve jail time at a Paris prison from October 21, informed sources told AFP after a court last month sentenced him to five years…
Tears, joy in Israel as Hamas hands over first hostages
Hundreds of people gathered on Tel Aviv's Hostages Square erupted in joy, tears and song as news broke that Hamas had handed over the first hostages to be released on Monday…
EU chief to raise spying allegations with top Hungarian official
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen will raise allegations that Budapest sought to spy on the bloc's decision-making with Hungarian commissioner Oliver Varhelyi, who has been linked…
Trump suggests Spain be expelled from NATO over low defense spending
President Donald Trump suggested on October 9 that Spain be expelled from NATO over its failure to match the higher defense spending requirement he has engineered.
Macron under increasing pressure to name new PM
French President Emmanuel Macron was racing to find a new prime minister within a two-day deadline after the resignation of outgoing premier Sébastien Lecornu tipped the…
What we know about the new Gaza deal
US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a ceasefire in Gaza, after days of indirect talks in Egypt.
Babiš vows loyalty to Europe as Czech government talks begin
Czech billionaire ex-premier Andrej Babiš, whose party topped a national vote this weekend, vowed a pro-western course as he started talks on the next government expected…