Europe

The French government has suspended a road travel prohibition for UK nationals, allowing Britons to drive through France to reach their residential homes in EU member states. The decision came on Friday, after the UK government criticized the French move to ban UK nationals from transiting across France and asked for …

Russia has reportedly test-fired around 10 new Zircon hypersonic cruise missiles from a frigate and two more from a submarine as tensions between Moscow and the West escalate over Ukraine. Russia’s Interfax news agency reported the development on Friday, citing sources from the country’s northern fleet. “Admiral Gorshkov successfully conducted …

The Russian foreign minister says Moscow may be forced to “eliminate unacceptable threats” to national security, as US President Joe Biden reiterated threats against Russia during a 50-minute phone conversation with his counterpart, Vladimir Putin. Sergei Lavrov warned on Friday that the West’s aggressive approach and threat of sanctions could force …

France has culled 600,000 to 650,000 chickens, ducks and other poultry over the past month, officials said Friday, in a race to contain a bird flu virus threatening to become the fourth major outbreak in the country since 2015. The Agriculture Ministry reported virus clusters at 26 factory farms, mainly …

In diplomatic meetings next year, Russian officials will urge Washington to halt the bloc’s expansion At upcoming talks with Washington, Moscow will not only obstruct but will put a complete stop to any eastwards expansion of the US-led NATO military bloc, the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister said on Tuesday. Speaking …

Russian diplomats and military officials will take part in talks with the United States next month on a list of security guarantees that Moscow wants from Washington, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday. Lavrov made the comments in an interview live-streamed on his ministry’s website. He said the …

If Moscow encroaches on Ukraine’s sovereignty, the US will impose sanctions against Russia as no one has ever seen before, Vice President Kamala Harris warned on Sunday. In an interview with CBS, on Sunday, American Vice President Kamala Harris said that Washington is coordinating its position with allies and is …

Poland’s President Andrzej Duda said he has vetoed a controversial media bill that had raised concerns about freedom of speech and Warsaw’s relationship with key ally the United States. Unexpectedly rushed through parliament this month, the legislation would have tightened rules around foreign ownership of media, specifically affecting the ability …

Russian President Vladimir Putin says the country has successfully test-fired a simultaneous salvo of the Zircon hypersonic missiles, describing the move as “a big event” for his nation. “The tests were conducted successfully, immaculately,” Putin said Friday in televised remarks at a government meeting, adding that the salvo launch of the …

As many as 10,000 Western military instructors have been sent to Ukraine to train the Eastern European nation’s soldiers and support its fighting in the Donbass, Moscow has claimed, insisting that 4,000 are Americans. Speaking during a briefing on Friday, Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for Moscow’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, suggested …

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Russia had conducted a test launch of a hypersonic missile Tsirkon on Thursday night, Interfax news agency reported. Putin has lauded the missile as part of a new generation of unrivaled arms systems.

At least four migrants have died after their boat was wrecked on an islet north of the island of Antikythera on Thursday, the Greek coastguard said, adding that rescue crews had mounted an operation to rescue about 90 other people. Greece is one of the main routes into the European …

Germany and France called on both the Ukrainian government forces and Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine to respect the restoration of a full ceasefire, their foreign ministries said in a joint statement on Thursday. “We urge the sides to respect the ceasefire and to continue discussions on further steps in …

French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi called Thursday on the EU to reform its fiscal rules in order to allow greater investment spending while acknowledging the necessity to reduce debts. “Just as the rules could not be allowed to stand in the way of our response …

Belgium will shut all seven of its nuclear reactors by 2025 but will not close the door on new-generation nuclear technology, according to a deal reached by the coalition government yesterday. A government source said the all-night negotiations included an agreement of “investments of around 100 million euros (US$113 million) …

One of Ukraine’s top politicians has alleged that signals coming from Russia indicate that Moscow could be plotting a full-blown nuclear attack against its Eastern European neighbor in a new sensational intervention. Speaking at a conference on Wednesday, the chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, Ruslan Stefanchuk, remarked that “as of …

Migrants who cross into Lithuania from Belarus can be detained for up to a year, the Lithuanian parliament decided on Thursday, increasing an initial six-month detention limit. Eighty-one lawmakers backed the lengthening of the six-month detention period, which was introduced in July as part of plans to hold large numbers …

Ukrainian military forces have conducted combat drills with U.S.-made Javelin anti-tank missiles in a conflict area with separatists in eastern Ukraine as tensions run high with Russia, the Ukrainian Dom television channel said on Wednesday. Ukraine, which seeks to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), has since 2018 received …

President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Russia had no room to retreat in a standoff with the United States over Ukraine and would be forced into a tough response unless the West dropped its “aggressive line”. Putin addressed the remarks to military officials as Russia pressed for an urgent …

Belarus and Poland are pushing refugees back and forth across their border and leaving them with little if any food, clean water, or shelter, the U.N. Human Rights office said on Tuesday, urging both countries to address “this appalling situation”. Refugees and migrants interviewed by a U.N. human rights team …