Europe

Ceremonies mark full membership of Bulgaria and Romania in Europe’s Schengen travel zone

Bulgaria and Romania are holding ceremonies to mark their full membership in Europe’s Schengen area, the culmination of years of negotiations by the Eastern European countries to join the ID check-free travel zone.

Instead of partying, thousands turn New Year celebration into anti-government protest in Serbia

Russian missile and drone attack on Ukraine hits multiple targets, including Kyiv

Berlin police say they have detained a man who attacked 2 people with a knife

The world begins welcoming 2025 with light shows, embraces and ice plunges

Scholz calls on Germans to unite in solidarity in a new year despite many crises

Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called on Germany’s 84 million residents to stick together despite the many global crises and wars, the country’s ailing economy and a deadly Christmas market attack.

France’s Macron acknowledges that dissolving parliament in 2024 backfired but celebrates Olympics

French President Emmanuel Macron has acknowledged in a New Year’s address to the nation that his decision to dissolve parliament backfired.

Germany, France and Poland condemn violence in Georgia, stress support for pro-democracy movement

The foreign ministers of Germany, France and Poland have expressed concern about “the political crisis” in Georgia, two days after former soccer player Mikheil Kavelashvili was formally inaugurated as president of the South Caucasus nation, cementing the ruling party’s grip in what the opposition ca

Moldovans fear looming energy shortage as Russia halts gas supplies

Moldovans are bracing for a difficult winter ahead as a looming energy shortage could leave them without enough energy.

Thief swipes $13 million in jewels, handbags and cash from a London mansion

Police in London are searching for a burglar who broke into an occupied mansion and stole more than 10.5 million pounds — about $13.2 million — worth of jewelry, designer handbags and cash.

Montenegro extradites cryptocurrency mogul to the United States

Montenegro has extradited a South Korean mogul known as “the cryptocurrency king” to the United States.

Swiss flight attendant dies a week after plane’s emergency landing due to smoke on board

A flight attendant aboard a Swiss passenger plane that made an emergency landing in Austria due to smoke in the cabin has died.

French prime minister unveils recovery plan for devastated Mayotte after Cyclone Chido

French Prime Minister François Bayrou arrived Monday in the Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte to unveil a recovery plan three weeks after Cyclone Chido brought devastation.

Hundreds of soldiers freed in the latest prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine

Russia and Ukraine have exchanged prisoners of war in the latest such swap that released hundreds of captives and was brokered with the help of the United Arab Emirates.

Catholic priest in Belarus sentenced to 11 years as crackdown on dissent continues

A Catholic priest in Belarus has been convicted on charges of high treason for criticizing the government and handed an 11-year sentence, in the first case of politically-driven charges against Catholic clergy since Belarus became independent in the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.

Hotel fire near monastic sanctuary in Greece leaves 1 dead, 11 hospitalized

Officials say a hotel fire near a monastic sanctuary in central Greece, has left its owner dead and 11 hospitalized.

Serbian court convicts the parents of a teenage boy who shot dead 10 people in a school in Belgrade

A court in Serbia has convicted and sentenced to prison terms the parents of a teenage boy who shot dead nine pupils and a school guard last year and wounded six more people in primary school in central Belgrade.

Iran confirms arresting Italian journalist Cecilia Sala

Iran’s state media say an Italian journalist has been arrested on charges of violating the Islamic Republic’s laws.

German government seeks to downplay Musk’s backing of far-right party ahead of general election

The German government has sought to downplay efforts by tech entrepreneur Elon Musk to get involved in the country’s general election campaign by repeatedly endorsing the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, party.

Finnish investigators find an anchor drag mark on the Baltic seabed after suspicious cable damage

Finnish investigators probing the damage to a Baltic Sea power cable and several data cables say they have found an anchor drag mark on the seabed, apparently from a Russia-linked vessel that has already been seized.

Serbia’s prosecutor charges 13 in a deadly canopy fall that fueled mass protests

Serbia’s public prosecutor has indicted 13 people including a former minister over the collapse of a concrete canopy that killed 15 last month and triggered weeks of massive anti-government protests.

Gisèle Pelicot’s ex-husband won’t appeal his 20-year prison sentence for orchestrating mass rapes

A lawyer for the ex-husband of Gisèle Pelicot says he won’t appeal his 20-year sentence for drugging and raping her and allowing dozens of other men to rape her while she was unconscious.

Musk causes uproar for backing Germany’s far-right party ahead of key elections

Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk has caused uproar after backing Germany’s far-right party in a major newspaper ahead of key parliamentary elections in the Western European country, leading to the resignation of the paper’s opinion editor in protest.

3 die off northern France coast in a Channel crossing attempt

At least three migrants have died while attempting to cross the English Channel to Britain from northern France, authorities said.

Kavelashvili is inaugurated as Georgia’s president, complicating its path toward EU

Former soccer player Mikheil Kavelashvili has been inaugurated as president of Georgia in what the opposition calls a blow to the country’s EU aspirations and a victory for former imperial ruler Russia.

Belgium will ban sales of disposable e-cigarettes in a first for the EU

Belgium will ban the sale of disposable electronic cigarettes as of Jan. 1 on health and environmental grounds in a groundbreaking move for European Union nations.

Belarus’ strongman leader pardons 20 more prisoners, but rights groups say repression continues

A statement on his website says Belarus’ authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko has pardoned 20 more people that rights activists describe as political prisoners.

Russia’s Gazprom says it will halt gas supplies to Moldova starting Jan. 1

Russia’s state-owned energy giant Gazprom says it will halt gas supplies to Moldova starting on Jan. 1, citing alleged unpaid debt by the east European country.

Italy’s far-right government wins final approval for its 30-billion-euro budget

Italy’s parliament has approved the government’s 2025 budget, worth a total of 30 billion euros — more than half of that in tax cuts and social security benefits for low-income citizens.

Thick fog disrupts some flights on one of the UK’s busiest weekends for travel

Travelers flying to or from the U.K. are facing further disruptions as thick fog and low visibility restrict air traffic on one of the year’s busiest weekends.

Travelers face disruptions as foggy weather affects UK airports

Travelers to and from the U.K. are facing disruption and delays with foggy weather affecting some of the country’s airports. Nats, the U.K.

Montenegro approves the extradition of cryptocurrency mogul Do Kwon to the United States

Montenegro has approved the extradition of a South Korean mogul known as “the cryptocurrency king” to the United States.

NATO will step up Baltic Sea patrols as Finland probes the possible sabotage of undersea cables

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte says the military alliance will step up patrols in the Baltic Sea area as Finnish investigators work to establish whether a ship linked to Russia sabotaged undersea cables there this week.

Italian journalist Cecilia Sala detained by police while reporting in Iran

Italy’s foreign ministry says an Italian journalist who was reporting in Tehran has been detained by the Iranian police.

Belarus convicts well-known activist and sentences him to 6 years in prison

The leading human rights organization in Belarus says a well-known opposition activist has been convicted of public order offenses and sentenced to six years in prison.

Student marches, traffic blockades in Serbia as protests persist over concrete canopy fall

Serbian university students have left piles of old school books outside the education ministry building as part of daily street protests demanding accountability over the collapse nearly two months ago of a concrete canopy that killed 15 people in the country’s north.

Two climbers found dead on Italy’s Gran Sasso massif five days after falling into ravine

The bodies of two Italian climbers have been found on the Gran Sasso massif five days after the men disappeared during an excursion, rescuers said.

Azerbaijani and U.S. officials suggest plane that crashed may have been hit by weapons fire

U.S. and Azerbaijani officials have said weapons fire may have brought down an Azerbaijani airliner that crashed on Wednesday, killing 38 people.

Another jackpot surpasses $1 billion. Is this the new normal?

Remember this moment because it probably won’t last: A U.S. lottery jackpot has soared above $1 billion, and that’s still a big deal.

Croatia’s outspoken president is seeking reelection. He faces several contenders in Sunday’s vote

Croatia’s left-leaning president, who has been critical of Western military support for Ukraine in the war with Russia, is running for reelection this weekend.