Europe

Europeans have already been struggling with the heat this summer, but meteorologists warn that it’s going to get even hotter over the next few days. Widespread alerts warning of medium or high heat has been issued across many countries in Western, Central and even northeastern Europe. Weather forecasters in the …

Boris Johnson, Britain’s most high-profile Brexiteer, has won the leadership of the Tories to become the country’s next prime minister, replacing outgoing Theresa May. Johnson won 92,153 votes by members of the Conservative Party On Tuesday, Reuters reported. His main rival, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, won 46,656. He is to …

More than 1,000 firefighters battled wildfires in central Portugal on Monday, forcing the evacuation of several villages as the authorities hoped to limit the number of residents at risk. So far 33 people have been injured, including one who is in a serious condition. Portugal’s Civil Protection said some houses …

Europe’s highest volcano, Mount Etna in southern Italy, bursts into life with explosions and lava flows from one of the craters on the deserted area at the top of the Sicilian volcano.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has seized the British oil tanker Stena Impero in the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian media reported. UK authorities said the tanker had ‘veered off course’ before capture. The Stena Impero was headed to Saudi Arabia but left the international sea lanes and headed north towards …

Kosovo’s prime minister has resigned after a war crimes court in The Hague summoned him for questioning as a suspect. Ramush Haradinaj, 51, served as a rebel commander in the 1998-1999 Kosovo conflict, which eventually led to Kosovo declaring independence. He said he stepped down so he could attend court …

A strong earthquake has shaken the Greek capital of Athens, knocking out phone networks and power in parts of the city. The 5.1 magnitude earthquake had an epicentre about 22km (14 miles) north-west of Athens. Athenians ran out into the streets and evacuated tall buildings as the tremor shook the …

British lawmakers on Thursday backed proposals to make it harder for the next prime minister to force through a no-deal Brexit by suspending parliament, showing again their determination to stop a divorce from the European Union without agreement. Boris Johnson, the clear frontrunner to succeed Prime Minister Theresa May next …

The United States has confirmed that it is removing Turkey from the F-35 fighter jet program, a move that had been long threatened and expected after Ankara began accepting the delivery of an advanced Russian missile defense system last week. The first parts of the S-400 air defense system were …

Parents in Germany who fail to vaccinate their children could face hefty fines after the German government-backed a bill requiring all children to receive a measles jab before entering school or kindergarten. If the German parliament approves the bill, parents will be required to provide evidence that their child has …

Cypriot authorities have arrested a group of 12 Israelis on suspicion of gang-raping a 19-year-old female tourist in the country’s Mediterranean resort town of Ayia Napa. The English-language daily newspaper Cyprus Mail reported on Wednesday that the Israeli citizens raped the woman in the hotel, where she has been staying …

European leaders including German Chancellor Angela Merkel joined French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday for the traditional Bastille Day military parade in Paris, which this year honored European military cooperation. After riding down the iconic Champs Elysees boulevard in a military vehicle escorted by motorcycles and a cavalry procession, Macron …

Turkey says a fresh shipment of Russian S-400 missile defense systems has arrived in the country, a day after it received the first batch of the systems. “Delivery of S-400 Long Range Air and Missile Defense Systems resumed today,” the Turkish Defense Ministry tweeted on Saturday. It said that a …

More than 1,600 visitors and 350 staff were evacuated after a fire broke out at Europe’s largest aquarium in Valencia, Spain. A column of dense black smoke rose from the building. The blaze was reported at about 11.00 Am local time, as visitors reportedly noticed smoke near a shark enclosure. …

Ali Bashar, 22, had admitted in court in Wiesbaden that he strangled Susanna Feldman on 23 May 2018, but claimed he did not know how it happened.   Her body was found two weeks later after he had returned to northern Iraq. The killing prompted outrage in Germany and led …

Sir Kim Darroch has resigned as UK ambassador to the US, amid a row over leaked emails critical of Trump’s administration. The ambassador was branded “a very stupid guy” by the US president after emails emerged calling his administration “clumsy and inept”. The Foreign Office praised Sir Kim’s “professionalism and …

Germany on Monday rejected demands by the United States to deploy ground troops in Syria, a stance likely to anger President Donald Trump who wants Chancellor Angela Merkel to commit to a bigger military role in the Middle East. “When I say the government envisages sticking to the current measures …

A Norwegian ex-cabinet minister has been given five years in jail for sexually abusing three asylum seekers. Svein Ludvigsen, 72, was found guilty of abusing his position as a regional governor and exploiting the vulnerable situation of the three young men. They said they believed their response to Ludvigsen’s demands …

Four tigers have mauled their trainer to death during a rehearsal at a circus in southern Italy. One tiger set upon Ettore Weber, 61, on Thursday evening in Triggiano, near Bari, before the other three joined in. They then played with his body in their cage until paramedics and circus …

A Russian Sukhoi Su-27 fighter jet has intercepted a US spy plane that was approaching Russia’s border over the Black Sea. “A Su-27 fighter jet, as part of the Southern Military District’s air defenses, was scrambled to intercept the target,” the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday, adding, “The crew …