Author: staff
In an interview with Euronews, French Armed Forces Minister Catherine Vautrin questioned whether Russia really wants a peace deal with Ukraine, considering the continued attacks being waged by the Kremlin against the country. Last week, Vautrin visited Ukraine for the first time since taking on her role last October. She spoke of the many alerts she heard, warning of impending attacks, and the strikes which occurred during her visit. “On the night I travelled between Poland and Kyiv, there were alerts in the west, there were attacks to bring down energy resources once again, and on the train back to…
Updated: 12/02/2026 – 12:00 GMT+1 Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond this February 12th, 2026 – latest news, breaking news, World, Business, Entertainment, Politics, Culture, Travel. … More
After spending most of his political career in relative anonymity, the 65-year-old Retailleau burst onto the scene two years ago after being named interior minister by former Prime Minister Michel Barnier. Retailleau’s political savvy and hard-line, unapologetic stance on hot-button issues such as immigration electrified supporters of his seemingly moribund political party, Les Républicains, and prompted speculation that he could parlay his high-profile ministerial role into a presidential campaign. But Retailleau’s role in bringing down Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu’s first government after just 14 hours — the then-minister argued it included too many people close to Macron — has cost him…
Published on 12/02/2026 – 17:45 GMT+1 Belgian federal police raided several European Commission premises on Thursday as part of a probe into the 2024 sale of real estate assets to the Belgian government’s investment arm, the Federal Participation and Investment Company. At the centre of the investigation is the purchase of 23 Commission buildings, reportedly worth around €900 million. The sale happened during the previous mandate, when Johannes Hahn was the European Commissioner for budget and administration. Euronews reached the European Public Prosecutor’s Office for comment, but did not receive a reply before publication. A European Commission spokesperson commented on…
Published on 12/02/2026 – 15:19 GMT+1•Updated 15:20 Two Israelis have been charged with using classified military information to place bets on how future events will unfold, authorities said on Thursday, accusing the individuals of “serious security offences.” A joint statement by the Israeli Ministry of Defence, domestic security service Shin Bet and police said that a civilian and a reservist are suspected of placing bets on the US-based prediction market Polymarket on future military operations based on information the reservist had access to. Israel’s Attorney General’s Office decided to prosecute the two individuals following a joint investigation by police, military…
By Toby Gregory Published on 12/02/2026 – 18:36 GMT+1 Asked what distinguishes his company from other electric vehicle manufacturers, Gu said its origin lies as much in technology as in automotive engineering. “Because actually, you know, the DNA of our company is quite different from the other Chinese EV brands,” he said. “We actually started as a tech brand.” He said that focus has driven a full-stack approach to intelligence, combining software, hardware and data to move beyond electrification alone. “What we saw in the last 12 to 18 months is the emergence of the AI power in the mobility space,”…
That means a “NATO 3.0,” he said, where Europeans pay more for their own defense and slim NATO’s activities down to its core task of defending alliance territory. The term won immediate praise from some allies. NATO 3.0 is “a good way to explain his point, which we totally agree on,” Norwegian Defense Minister Tore Sandvik told POLITICO. “We know the Americans, they need to be more present in the Pacific — and that is changing NATO as well,” he said. “We in Europe haven’t done enough.” More broadly, Colby’s remarks prompted relief from European allies, some of whom had…
Published on 12/02/2026 – 18:00 GMT+1 Hungary’s opposition leader Péter Magyar has admitted he was lured into a “honey trap” by his former girlfriend, and has rejected allegations of drug use. Magyar says Viktor Orbán’s government orchestrated the operation using secret service methods. Magyar’s Tisza Party is the main challenger to Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz in Hungary’s April elections, and is currently leading in the polls. The election campaign has lately intensified with personal attacks on activists and candidates, as well as the use of deepfake videos. On Tuesday, photos of a room with a bed began circulating online, with suggestions…
Residents in Beijing gathered at Luxin Forest Park in Tongzhou to watch a molten iron fireworks show ahead of the Lunar New Year of the Horse. The display forms part of New Year celebrations across the capital. The Year of the Horse is the seventh sign in the 12 year Chinese zodiac cycle. It is linked to energy, intelligence and independence. Organisers say the molten iron tradition dates back centuries in northern China. the event blended folk craft with the festive mood of modern Beijing.
Published on 12/02/2026 – 16:58 GMT+1 Switzerland will hold a referendum this summer to decide on whether to cap the country’s population at 10 million, the government said. Proponents of the initiative, led by the national-conservative Swiss People’s Party (SVP), which holds the most seats in parliament, tallied enough petition signatures to put the issue to the country-wide vote on 14 June, the government said. The federal statistics office says Switzerland had a population of 9.1 million people by the end of the third quarter of 2025. People born abroad have made up about 30% of that in recent years.…