Gavin Blackburn

North Korea

North Korea's Kim hails 'heroic' troops fighting alongside Russia

Kim sent the troops to Russia under the mutual defence treaty both countries signed in 2024, the Central Military Commission of the ruling Workers' Party said in a statement.

1 January 2026

China

Hong Kong greets 2026 without fireworks after deadliest blaze in years

The pyrotechnic displays against Hong Kong’s world-famous skyline of skyscrapers typically draw hundreds of thousands of people including many tourists to both sides of the promenade.

31 December 2025

United Kingdom

Channel Tunnel power malfunction resolved but train delays continue

The tunnel operator, Eurotunnel, said the 50-kilometre undersea link was back to “full capacity" after a power fault inside it was fixed overnight on Tuesday.

31 December 2025

Vatican

Pope Leo XIV asks that Rome welcome foreigners as 2025 draws to an end

The Vatican this week released statistics showing 3.2 million people had participated in Vatican liturgies, audiences, Angelus prayers and Jubilee audiences this year.

31 December 2025

Iran

Iran appoints new central bank governor after currency hits record low

The US dollar traded at 1.38 million rials on Wednesday, compared with 430,000 rials when the previous governor took office in 2022.

31 December 2025

Belgium

DAZN to continue Belgian league broadcasts after arbitration ruling

DAZN announced last month it had no choice but to let its contract expire under Belgian law because it was impossible to fulfil the distribution condition of the deal.

31 December 2025

Finland

Authorities investigating damage to undersea cables in Gulf of Finland

Helsinki police have opened an investigation into potential aggravated criminal damage and aggravated interference with telecommunications.

31 December 2025

Germany

Thieves drill into German bank vault and steal millions of euros

A fire alarm summoned police officers and firefighters to the bank branch shortly before 4 am on Monday.

30 December 2025

Gaza

Israel says it will halt operations of some aid groups in Gaza in 2026

Earlier this year, Israel changed its registration process for aid groups, which included a requirement to submit a list of staff, including Palestinians in Gaza.

30 December 2025

Travel News

Channel Tunnel partially reopens but Eurostar advises delayed travel

The suspension in services impacted thousands of travellers on both sides of the Channel who were aiming to reach end-of-the-year holiday destinations as 2025 draws to a close.

30 December 2025

USA

Trump says 'there'll be hell to pay' if Hamas does not disarm

Trump said he expected the reconstruction of Gaza to begin "pretty soon" but gave no further details about a timeline or who would be responsible for the construction.

29 December 2025

North Korea

North Korea says it fired long-range cruise missiles in Sunday test

The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Kim expressed "great satisfaction" over Sunday's launches, which occurred off the country's west coast.

29 December 2025

Taiwan

China stages drills near Taiwan in warning to 'separatist forces'

Taiwan's Defence Ministry said in a post on X that rapid response exercises were under way, with forces on high alert to defend the island in case of escalation.

29 December 2025

Syria

Lifting of US sanctions on Syria could spur refugee returns, UN says

The UN refugee agency reports that altogether more than 1 million refugees and nearly 2 million internally displaced Syrians have returned to their homes since Bashar al-Assad's fall.

18 December 2025

Poland

Top EU court rules Polish Constitutional Tribunal is not independent

The Constitutional Tribunal is the highest judicial body in Poland, responsible for checking the compatibility of laws and international agreements with the country's constitution.

18 December 2025

Myanmar

Trafficked, exploited: Rohingya children's lives crushed by aid cuts

Though the US spent just 1% of its budget on foreign aid, Trump dubbed USAID wasteful and shut it down, a move that has proven catastrophic for the world's most vulnerable.

18 December 2025

Germany

Germany charges teen members of extremist group with attempted murder

Most of the youths were arrested in May, when they were accused of involvement with a group calling itself "Last Defence Wave."

18 December 2025

Estonia

Russian border guards briefly cross into Estonia, Tallinn says

A meeting between the border representatives of Estonia and Russia was planned for Thursday, at which Estonia was expected to make a statement on the incursion.

18 December 2025

Greece

Greece receives navy frigate from France as military upgrade continues

Athens has the option for a fourth frigate, which was approved by parliament in summer and formally agreed with Paris in November.

18 December 2025

Europe News

Von der Leyen slams antisemitism as 'old evil' at Hanukkah event

The European Commission president's comments come days after 15 people were killed at a Hannukah event on Sydney's Bondi Beach, one of Australia's worst mass shootings in years.

17 December 2025