World desk
Europe
The United Kingdom, the European Union and the wider continent.
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Flydubai co-pilot planned suicide attack in Tel Aviv airport inspired by 9/11
The Omani co-pilot was previously barred from flying in Oman over extremist views.
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Rare waterspouts slam western Sicily, wrecking homes and a school
A rare pair of waterspouts swept ashore in western Sicily on Friday, damaging homes, vehicles and a school. The two funnels formed off the coast near Marsala before moving inland towards Trapani, hitting the town of Petrosino along the way.
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Ukraine’s Operation Vivaldi foils Russia’s plan to encircle the Donbas, ISW analysis shows
Ukraine’s counter-offensive on the Lyman axis collapsed the northern arm of a Russian pincer movement aimed at surrounding Ukrainian-held Donetsk, liberating up to 176 square kilometres and forcing Russian units onto the defensive, the…
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Latest news bulletin | October 9th, 2026 – Evening
Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond this October 9th, 2026 - latest news, breaking news, World, Business, Entertainment, Politics, Culture, Travel.
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Macron and Steinmeier struggle to revive Franco-German ties
Presidents Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Emmanuel Macron are about to step down from their offices. Their meeting in France made it clear how urgently the Franco-German partnership needs new momentum.
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Iran's IRGC strikes tanker and threatens to target vessels beyond Hormuz
Iran's Revolutionary Guard warned that vessels “violating” its designated routes would be pursued and "punished" anywhere in the region, as maritime agencies reported two further strikes on commercial ships in the Persian Gulf.
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Tornadoes sweep across Sicily, leaving flipped cars and damaged buildings
A rare double waterspout formed off the coast of Marsala in western Sicily on 9 October, before moving inland and causing significant damage.
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Indonesia: Baby orangutan saved from Borneo wildfires as habitat destruction escalates
A young orangutan has been rescued from wildfires in Borneo. Named Novita, the three- to four-year-old female was found clinging to a tree in Central Kalimantan on 26 September, with burns to her hands and feet after crossing the flames.
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Poland: Lifeline for Ukrainian refugees confronts donor fatigue and online abuse as anti-Ukrainian sentiment grows
A Ukrainian woman who fled the war in her country built a lifeline for refugees in Poland. Now her organization faces donor fatigue, funding cuts and rising hostility as support for Ukrainians in Poland wanes.
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Seals and sea lions undergo hearing tests in Australian research
Australia's scientists have trained seals and sea lions to take hearing tests at Sydney's Taronga Zoo, hoping to better understand how human-made noise affects marine mammals.
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Spain: Madrid protesters mourn evicted pensioner Maricarmen Abascal
Tens of thousands marched in Madrid to mourn pensioner Maricarmen Abascal, whose eviction made her a housing crisis symbol and sparked fresh protests.
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Putin offers help to end Iran war while Russia continues its own in Ukraine
The Russian president met Pezeshkian in Turkmenistan and pledged to do “everything in our power” to end the ongoing war between the US and Iran, despite Russia not being among the official mediators.
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Residents of Ukraine's Kramatorsk forced to flee as drone strikes intensify
The city of Kramatorsk, in eastern Ukraine, is increasingly coming under Russian attack. For those who have stayed behind, the threat from drones and shelling has become a daily reality. Many have resisted leaving their homes, despite the…
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‘I still want to verify this’: Nobel Peace Prize winner Navi Pillay’s first reaction
Navanethem “Navi” Pillay, 85, said she initially thought the news was a joke when she learned she had won the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize. The former judge said she wanted to verify the announcement before believing it.
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Houthi missile strikes on Riyadh airport kill three, including airline captain
Two missile strikes on King Khalid International Airport forced diplomats to shelter in place and delayed dozens of flights, as Yemen’s government claimed progress in its Red Sea counter-offensive. Houthi forces said they were holding…
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Left-wing candidate Hitler Mussolini wins local vote in Peru
Hitler Mussolini Simeón Flores won by 25 votes in Queropalca, a district of just over 730 people in the Huánuco department, running for the centre-left Ahora Nación party. He is not Peru’s first elected Hitler.
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South Africa's Navi Pillay wins 2026 Nobel Peace Prize
Former UN human rights chief and International Court of Justice judge Navanethem "Navi" Pillay has won the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for her contributions to international law, the Nobel jury announced on Friday. The Nobel committee denied…
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Bosnia and Herzegovina will soon have a new Grand Mufti
The new leader of the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina will be elected on October 10. The reis-ul-ulema's role is not only important for Muslims in the country itself, but could inspire Muslims across Europe.
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Finland, the world's happiest nation, faces a glum winter
Finns have many reasons to feel content, but the country's pile of debt is not one of them. Russia's war in Ukraine has added to the fiscal burden. Can the Nordic nation absorb another shock?
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Cars burned and shops looted as anti-immigration protests rock South Africa
South Africa saw violent anti-immigration protests in Soweto and Durban on Thursday, 8 October, after a Constitutional Court ruling eased restrictions on asylum applications.
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Chile: Santiago flooding turns streets to rivers as Kast declares state of catastrophe
Torrential rain caused severe flooding in Santiago, Chile, leaving homes, clinics and university buildings under water.
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French student protests: Police impunity ‘below' the standards of a 'well-functioning democracy’
Erin Ogunkeye welcomes Dr. Antoine Marie, postdoctoral researcher, fellow and lecturer at Sciences Po / CEVIPOF, to explore the political psychology behind France’s student protests. Why do people witness the same events yet reach…
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Tens of thousands march in Madrid to mourn pensioner whose eviction sparked housing protests
Tens of thousands of protesters joined a march in Madrid Thursday to mark the death of 87-year-old retiree Maricarmen Abascal, whose eviction from her apartment in the Spanish capital in September sparked a wave of housing protests that…
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US sailors reunite with families as USS Abraham Lincoln returns home
Sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln reunite with their families in San Diego after a 265-day deployment supporting US military operations against Iran.
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'Modern-day Thomas Edison': Trump awards Elon Musk top US science medal
Despite the president's glowing words at the award ceremony, Trump and Musk have navigated a rather volatile relationship in recent years.
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US military will livestream the firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter, 'torture' for UN
Convicted military base shooter Nidal Hasan's execution will take place on 3 December at Fort Hood military base, where he committed the shooting. It will be the first US military execution carried out by a firing squad since World War II.
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Europe Today: French students 'retake Bastille', Trump 'unwilling' to help Ukraine
French students have “retaken the Bastille”, says Jean-Luc Mélenchon, after a mass rally in Paris. Volodymyr Zelenskyy accuses the US of “unwillingness” to help Ukraine. And former New Zealand PM Helen Clark joins us on critical minerals…
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New evidence gives family hope after death in Spain
Tobias White-Sansom, from Nottingham, was on a family holiday in Spain and died on a night out.
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Russia slashes cancer care as defence spending hits post-Soviet record
The federal cancer programme budget falls from 44.9 billion to 3.87 billion roubles in 2027 — a nearly 40-fold reduction against 2025 levels — as defence spending reaches 35% of all federal expenditure, the highest share since the Soviet…
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Latest news bulletin | October 9th, 2026 – Morning
Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond this October 9th, 2026 - latest news, breaking news, World, Business, Entertainment, Politics, Culture, Travel.
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Six injured as heavy rains batter Chile's capital, sweeping away cars and flooding homes
Authorities have placed 10 other Chilean districts on high alert as risks of potential mudslides and rain-related emergencies threaten to batter the region.
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Masked ICE officers shoot a man while making an arrest in New York, officials say
Eyewitnesses say they saw a few masked officers wearing Department of Homeland Security branded clothes surrounding a man on the ground who appeared injured. They say they heard three or four gunshots being fired.
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Kyiv open to 'constructive dialogue' after Seoul recalls its ambassador amid North Korean POW disclosure row
Kyiv says it is open to “constructive dialogue” with Seoul despite its decision to recall its ambassador. South Korea’s decision comes just days after its president threatened to take punitive action against Zelenskyy’s violation of the…
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Deadly floods sweep Albania and Montenegro as rivers burst banks
Homes surrounded by water, flooded roads and farmland submerged beneath swollen rivers. Albania and Montenegro were still battling severe flooding on Thursday, 8 January, after days of torrential rain and heavy snow.
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Hundreds of farmers rally in Paris against EU-Mercosur pact and import fears
Hundreds of French farmers drive tractors into Paris to protest the EU‑Mercosur deal, warning of unfair competition and demanding stronger protections.
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Trump envoys, European officials to discuss ‘new ideas’ for Ukraine peace in Miami
US President Donald Trump’s envoys will meet Ukrainian negotiators and European officials in Miami on Friday to discuss a new proposal to end Russia’s war in Ukraine. Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will present ideas developed during…
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Black Sea and black ops: How exposed is Europe to Ukraine war spillover?
The story is as underreported as it is consequential for the entire planet. Three Turkish-owned cargo ships out of Ukraine have been hit in EU waters by suspected Russian drones. One, the Togo-flagged Alfa Watan, sunk on Tuesday off…
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Spain mourns Maricarmen Abascal, whose eviction sparked housing protests
Protests and anger have grown across Spain after the death of an 87-year-old woman in the wake of her eviction from her home. Maricarmen Abascal was thrown out of her home of seven decades in what became the "cause celebre" of Spain's…
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US aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln returns to San Diego after record deployment
After more than 10 months at sea, the Lincoln made a stop in Thailand last month on its way back from the Middle East.
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Fire rages at Yandex data centre after Ukraine drone attack
A Yandex data centre in Russia’s Ryazan region caught fire and was taken offline after what the company said was a Ukrainian drone attack.
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Protesters blame 'vulture funds' for Spain's housing crisis
Hundreds have pitched their tents in central Madrid, while the Spanish prime minister has called a snap election.
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Two Latvian men arrested at UK base housing US and NATO intelligence hubs
British counter-terrorism police are investigating after two Latvian men were arrested Thursday near a Royal Air Force base in southeast England housing US and NATO intelligence operations, police said in a statement. The arrests come…
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Caretaker killed and two teachers injured in knife attack at Poland school
Police say they foiled another school attack on Thursday, and a day after a stabbing at another Polish school.
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Russian strike on buses kills at least 30, say officials, as deadly attacks on Ukraine surge
Ukraine accused Russia of targeting two crowded vehicles in the front line city of Kramatorsk to kill as many civilians as possible.
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South Korea recalls Ukraine envoy over prisoner-of-war row
It is the latest in a diplomatic spat after Kyiv disclosed that two North Korean prisoners were transferred to Seoul.
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US charges former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro with torture
The revised indictment includes several mentions of the involvement of Venezuela’s feared DGCIM military intelligence agency
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EU pulls sponsorship from Disinfo2026 event in Lithuania
The EU's diplomatic service, Canada and host nation Lithuania all pulled support from a disinformation event in Vilnius. Amid reports of US pressure, the EU said it was "uncomfortable with the framing" of some panels.
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Tiny turtles take their first steps towards the sea
On Mataking Island in Malaysia, conservationists raise and release green turtle hatchlings, part of long-running efforts that helped the species recover.
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French, US and Russian astronauts return to Earth after eight months in space
SpaceX brought France's Sophie Adenot and fellow astronauts Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway and Andrey Fedyaev back to Earth on Thursday after an eight-month mission on board the International Space Station that saw Adenot become the first…
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Latest news bulletin | October 8th, 2026 – Evening
Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond this October 8th, 2026 - latest news, breaking news, World, Business, Entertainment, Politics, Culture, Travel.
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Heavy autumn snow paralyses roads in Russia’s Far East
Heavy autumn snowfall has paralysed roads in Russia’s Magadan region, leaving trucks struggling through snow and disrupting intercity bus services.
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UK and Germany will face threats together, says Burnham in Berlin
Ahead of a UK-EU summit next month, Burnham said he was committed to "see if we can bring the UK closer to Europe".
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French students clash with police as school protests continue
Students clash with police outside French schools as blockades, tear gas and fires mark a new nationwide mobilisation ahead of the 2027 election.
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Experts in Baku urge action as missing persons surge worldwide and in Ukraine
Around 280,000 people are registered as missing in Ukraine alone, with 10,000 new cases added each month, part of a 70% global rise since 2019. Forensic experts meeting in Baku said the obstacle was not forensic capacity but governmental…
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Search warrants for former prince Andrew's homes were unlawful, UK court rules
Police who searched the properties of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor as part of investigations into his links to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have agreed the search warrants were unlawful, a London judge said Thursday. The…
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Iran strikes tankers outside Hormuz in signs of expanding campaign
Two commercial vessels were hit within 24 hours — one off Qatar, the first attack in that area in six months, and one off Fujairah in the Gulf of Oman — as IRGC-affiliated outlets suggested Tehran had extended operations beyond the…
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New Paris exhibition explores Ireland's housing crisis through contemporary art
Huge demonstrations have been held over the last few weeks in Spain over its housing crisis, but the issue is not restricted to Spain. Many other countries also have a huge problem with housing, including Ireland, with experts saying that…
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Italy approves elections overhaul as opposition accuse Meloni of 'scam'
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni says the move will deliver more stable government, but opposition parties say her aim is to stay in power.
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Ethiopian drones hit Eritrean forces accused of backing rebels in Tigray
Drone strikes hit Eritrean vehicles around the northern city of Adigrat overnight, with witnesses reporting destroyed lorries and retreating troops, days after Ethiopia expelled Eritrean diplomats and Eritrea severed ties.
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Manny Pacquiao hosts Polish president Karol Nawrocki for Manila boxing workout
Polish President Karol Nawrocki trains in Manila with boxing legend Manny Pacquiao, who now leads the Philippines’ National Anti-Poverty Commission.