English

Gavin Blackburn

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.

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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.

USA

New York Times sues Pentagon over Pete Hegseth's new media rules

The Pentagon has argued that the policy imposes “common sense” rules that protect the military from release of information that could put them in danger.

Spain

Spain police arrest 11 over alleged smuggling of 300 foreign workers

In a statement, police said most of those smuggled had entered on tourist visas, including for other countries within the European Union's Schengen area.

China

Emmanuel Macron urges China to support peace plan for Ukraine

China has provided strong diplomatic support to Russia since its 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine and has also extended an economic lifeline through increased trade.

United Kingdom

Putin 'morally responsible' for UK Novichok death, inquiry finds

Dawn Sturgess died after coming into contact with the Novichok nerve agent which was stored in a perfume bottle in an assassination attempt on double agent Sergei Skripal in Salisbury.

Moldova

Moldovan police investigate drone resident thought was 'a toy'

Europe is on high alert after drone flyovers into NATO airspace reached an unprecedented scale in September, prompting leaders to agree to develop a "drone wall" to better intercept drones violating Europe's airspace.

United Kingdom

China slams UK for delaying decision again on massive London embassy

The proposed structure at Royal Mint Court, near the Tower of London, would be the largest embassy in Europe, covering 20,000 square metres.

Myanmar

Myanmar opium cultivation hits highest level in a decade, UN says

There were signs that heroin from Myanmar is reaching markets in Europe previously supplied by Afghanistan, with several seizures over the past year that involved passengers travelling from Southeast Asia to Europe.

Syria

EU updates asylum guidance for Syrians a year after al-Assad's fall

The number of Syrians requesting asylum dropped significantly from 16,000 in October 2024, before the fall of al-Assad in December, to 3,500 in September 2025.

Germany

Germany activates Arrow 3 missile defence system bought from Israel

Israel has long relied on a multilayered missile defence system, including the Arrow, to protect communities around the country from rocket barrages from militants in Gaza and Lebanon.

Greece

Greek farmers block borders in dispute over delayed EU subsidies

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the government is open to dialogue with the farmers but cautioned against disruptive protest action.

Netherlands

Indonesia to repatriate two convicted Dutch drug traffickers

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime says Indonesia is a major drug smuggling hub despite having some of the strictest drug laws in the world.

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