Germany and France have urged the European Union to give the European Commission the power to fully cut off access to the single market if a third country destabilizes trade. The proposal is set out in a joint letter from Chancellor Friedrich Merz and President Emmanuel Macron to European Commission...
Swedish churches cut ties with Russian Orthodox parish over security fears
Sweden’s Christian Council has frozen the Swedish branch of the Russian Orthodox Church under the Moscow Patriarchate out of its membership. The board approved the step on 17 September and published it on 1 October. In effect, the council is only putting on record a break that has already held...
BND chief calls confrontation with Moscow a shadow war
The head of Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service (BND), Martin Jäger, said Germany must become significantly more resilient to threats, above all from Russia. He made the remarks on Monday, 5 October, at a public hearing of the Bundestag’s Parliamentary Oversight Committee. “Russia is waging a shadow war against us,” Jäger...
MEPs push for inquiry into Left Alliance over French protests
A signature drive has begun in the European Parliament to force a vote on an investigation into the European Left Alliance (ELA), a European political party whose members include Spain’s Podemos, Denmark’s Enhedslisten, Italy’s Left and Portugal’s Bloco de Esquerda, as well as France’s La France Insoumise (LFI). The initiative...
Spain calls early parliamentary elections for 29 November
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has announced the dissolution of parliament and early general elections for 29 November 2026. He made the announcement on Monday in a statement from the Moncloa Palace, after the Congress of Deputies rejected two government decrees on housing. Sánchez said he had first informed King...
161 naval mines destroyed in the Black Sea since the start of the full-scale war
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, 161 naval mines have been neutralized in the exclusive economic zones of six Black Sea countries. Updated figures have been posted on the website of Romania’s Ministry of National Defence. The munitions were either drifting at sea or washed ashore. According...
French high school protests spread to more than 1,200 lycées
High school students in France are continuing protests over the state of school buildings, overcrowded classrooms and a shortage of teachers. The actions have spread to more than 1,200 lycées, and some parents and teachers have joined them. The movement began in the poorer suburbs of Paris and within a...
UN has recorded a sharp rise in civilian casualties from the war in Ukraine
In the first eight months of 2026, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights verified 15,280 civilians killed and injured in Ukraine. That is 55% more than in the same period of 2025, and an average of more than 400 people a week. UN High Commissioner for...
Europe prepares to build its own orbital station
The European Space Agency (ESA) is studying the possibility of building its own orbital station in low Earth orbit. The project is being considered as one option for Europe’s presence in space after the International Space Station ends operations. On 29 September 2026, the agency said it had awarded contracts...
Nearly half of Britons support rejoining the EU
Debate in Britain over the country’s future relationship with the European Union has intensified again after a new Messina Group poll. According to the survey, 49% of respondents would support the country rejoining the EU, while 28.5% were opposed. The poll was conducted by The Messina Group (TMG) from 12...