A Russian drone hit a residential building in Zaporizhzhia, killing two people and wounding two children, local officials say.The attack came on the eve of new negotiations between Ukrainian and American delegations in the United States.The talks, which had been paused after the recent escalation in the Middle East, are expected to cover Ukraine’s response to Washington’s temporary easing of...

Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides has called for a frank review of the UK’s two sovereign military bases on the island, saying their presence is a legacy of colonial rule and needs to be discussed once tensions in the Middle East ease.The bases at Akrotiri and Dhekelia were established under the 1960 treaty that granted Cyprus independence, with Britain retaining sovereignty over roughly...

France heads to second-round municipal votes on Sunday in contests seen as an early barometer for the 2027 presidential campaign.Attention is focused on major cities where control could shift political momentum — notably Paris and Nice.In the capital, Socialists are scrambling to hang on after a quarter-century of centre-left leadership. Rachida Dati, the right-wing challenger, has closed the...

The UK has expanded permission for US forces to operate from British bases to strike Iranian missile sites linked to attacks around the Strait of Hormuz.Ministers said the change is intended to protect merchant shipping in the vital waterway and is being carried out under the principle of collective self-defence.Downing Street stressed Britain will not take a direct combat role in any US...

A bitter dispute over repairs to the Druzhba oil pipeline has blocked a vital €90bn EU loan to Kyiv.The row pits Hungary and Slovakia against Ukraine after a Russian strike damaged the Brody pumping station on 27 January and stopped all flows.Satellite images and local reporting show a giant storage tank at Brody — one of Ukraine’s largest — burned for days after the attack. Engineers...

A final report by the European grid body says a chain of technical problems — not a single fault — triggered the massive power outage that paralysed Spain and Portugal in April 2025.On 28 April, shortly after midday, large parts of the Iberian peninsula lost electricity.The disruption knocked out phone and internet services, halted public transport and closed schools and businesses; some...

Two people were detained on Thursday evening after they tried to gain access to the Faslane naval base, home to the UK’s nuclear-armed submarine fleet.Police Scotland said a 34-year-old man and a 31-year-old woman were arrested at HM Naval Base Clyde at around 5pm near Helensburgh in Argyll and Bute.Authorities confirmed inquiries are ongoing as officers investigate the circumstances...

A ski gondola came loose and tumbled down Mt Titlis at the Engelberg resort in central Switzerland on Wednesday, killing a 61-year-old local woman.Police in the canton of Nidwalden say the cabin detached from its cable around 11:00 (10:00 GMT) as it climbed the middle section after leaving Trübsee station.Dramatic footage from the scene shows the gondola flipping several times before coming to...

A small French town has found itself in the social media glare after an unusual name clash in its local election.Incumbent mayor Charles Hittler is contesting a runoff against Antoine Renault-Zielinski, a coincidence that has sent the internet into a frenzy.Arcis-sur-Aube, a community of about 2,785 people roughly 160km southeast of Paris, heads to the polls in a municipal run-off this...

Hungary's decision to block a €90bn EU loan for Ukraine has provoked sharp criticism from fellow European leaders and exposed deep divisions ahead of next month's Hungarian elections.After a tense summit in Brussels, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán refused to lift his veto, posting on X: "No oil = no money." He linked his move to a dispute over a damaged section of the Druzhba pipeline that...