Author: staff
Updated: 19/12/2025 – 18:00 GMT+1 Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond this December 19th, 2025 – latest news, breaking news, World, Business, Entertainment, Politics, Culture, Travel. … More
However, Michael Forsyth, a long-serving Conservative peer currently standing for the position of House of Lords Speaker, announced the anticipated cost at a recent hustings. He told peers “the latest proposal would cost £15 billion” before adding: “I believe that’s secret, by the way.” Two people with knowledge of the proposals told POLITICO they believed the figure cited by Forsyth was accurate, but sat within a range of official estimates. One said the upper estimate was likely to be higher. Forsyth was referring to the plan known as “full decant”, under which MPs and peers would move out of parliament…
France’s President Emmanuel Macron discovered news of his own supposed overthrow, after he received a message of concern, along with a link to a Facebook video. “On Sunday [14 December] one of my African counterparts got in touch, writing ‘Dear President, what’s happening to you? I’m very worried’”, Macron told readers of French local newspaper La Provence on 16 December. Alongside the message, a compelling video showcasing a swirling helicopter, military personnel, crowds and — what appears to be — a news anchor delivering a piece to camera. “Unofficial reports suggest that there has been a coup in France, led…
Families and friends posed for photos and short videos along decorated streets, near illuminated trees, reindeer figures and tunnels of light. The scenes felt relaxed, even cheerful, despite ongoing worries about insecurity and rising living costs across the country. Christmas light displays have spread across the city. Eko Hotels & Suites and Maltina are hosting large festive attractions with illuminated installations, while smaller light displays have appeared in streets and shopping centres across Lagos. Whilst national insecurity lingers, events in Lagos have experienced no significant disruptions, bolstered by government illuminations and a strong police presence. Travellers ought to remain in…
The spread of Big Brother-style conspiracy theories, meanwhile, has forced policymakers to take extra precautions to reassure the public that authorities will not use the digital euro to snoop on people’s payment habits. “You cannot disregard” the concern of “many millions of citizens,” Fernando Navarrete, the center-right MEP shepherding the bill through the Parliament, told POLITICO in November. “In China, it’s explicit that they wanted to build [a digital yuan] in order to increase control over the people. I’m scared of this.” Navarrete, who hails from the European People’s Party, is highly skeptical of the initiative but is comfortable with…
By Alexei Doval & Euronews Published on 19/12/2025 – 16:08 GMT+1 Ukraine struck a Russian-linked oil tanker in the Mediterranean Sea on Friday, marking the first time it has targeted vessels from Russia’s shadow fleet outside the Black Sea, an official from Ukraine’s security service SBU said. The Oman-flagged tanker Qendil was hit by aerial drones more than 2,000 kilometres from Ukrainian territory in what an SBU source described as “an unprecedented special operation”. The vessel sustained critical damage and can no longer be used, the source said. The attack occurred in international waters in the eastern Mediterranean. Ship tracking data showed the…
The EU began the gradual rollout of its new Entry/Exit System (EES) in October this year, requiring third-party nationals to navigate new technology at borders where it is in place. Despite the current threshold for use set at 10 per cent of eligible travellers, the new requirements have already been causing significant delays for air passengers. A report from Airport Council International (ACI) Europe has highlighted the extent of this disruption and is calling for an urgent review of the system. In the coming months, more and more airports will be introducing the EES, which aims to be fully operational…
Putin dismissed those remarks Friday as aggressive and said that if the U.S. — NATO’s traditional backbone — does not see Russia as an “enemy or target” in its new controversial security strategy, Rutte should not point NATO toward war with Russia. Putin, for his part, launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, illegally annexed Crimea in 2014 and also attacked neighboring Georgia in 2008. But that didn’t stop him from needling the transatlantic military alliance over its conflict warnings, amid the Trump administration’s posture in its new document detailing global security priorities. “In the new strategy, Russia is…
A new EU-wide report shows that poor upfront choices are the main reason behind dropouts from education. Eurostat data shows that the vast majority (43%) occur when students realise the course is too difficult or does not meet their expectations, a figure that rises to 50% in post-secondary school studies. Overall, 14% of EU citizens aged 15 to 34 have quit school, university or training at least once in their lifetime. Dropout rates vary widely across the bloc. The Netherlands tops the ranking, with around one in three (32%) students who have left education early. Denmark follows at 27%, while…
Published on 19/12/2025 – 14:21 GMT+1 Just when you thought 2025 couldn’t get any weirder. Donald Trump has announced that an event is being planned at the White House to coincide with the US’ 250th anniversary celebrations next year. It’s a four-day athletic event for high school students called the “Patriot Games”. “In the fall, we will host the first ever Patriot Games, an unprecedented four-day athletic event featuring the greatest high school athletes,” said Trump. “One young man and one young woman from each state and territory.” The idea behind the initiative is to “renew the patriotism, pride, and…