Europe

A widespread power outage struck Spain, Portugal, and Andorra on Monday midday, plunging millions into darkness and crippling transportation and businesses, Anadolu Agency reported. Authorities are investigating the cause, with Spain’s National Institute for Cybersecurity probing potential cyberattack involvement. Transport…

Finland, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have announced plans to withdraw from the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty, citing heightened threats from Russia, The Guardian reported. Latvia’s parliament became the first to formally approve the move in April 2025, prompting alarm…

The European Union has allocated €250,000 in emergency funding to the International Federation of Red Cross to support Afghan migrants forcibly returned from Pakistan, Khaama Press reported. The aid will provide critical shelter, healthcare, clean water, and food supplies to…

The European Union will implement a comprehensive ban on products made with forced labor starting December 2027 under its newly enacted Forced Labor Regulation, HRW reported. Announced through a joint statement by Human Rights Watch and Cornell University’s Global Labor…

Germany’s Green Party has called for the repeal of Berlin’s 2005 Neutrality Act, arguing it discriminates against Muslim women by banning religious symbols, including the hijab, for civil servants, Shafaq news reported. The law, which mandates ideological and religious neutrality…

The German government has launched a voluntary repatriation program offering Syrian refugees up to €4,000 ($4,555) per family to encourage their return to Syria, Anadolu Agency reported. According to official figures released Thursday, 464 Syrians have already taken advantage of…

Germany has paused Afghan refugee transfers from Pakistan for two weeks until its new coalition government takes office, affecting thousands awaiting relocation, Khaama Press reported. The decision, announced on Wednesday, follows public protests over migration policies after violent attacks linked…

Academics at the University of Oxford drank from a chalice made from a human skull until 2015, The Guardian reported based on the forthcoming book Every Monument Will Fall. In his book tracing the violent colonial history of looted human…

Berlin has recorded a sharp rise in attacks on asylum seekers and refugee shelters, reflecting broader concerns over escalating far-right violence and stricter migration policies in Germany, the Guardian reported. Official figures requested by Green Party lawmakers show 77 assaults…

Sweden has committed USD 12.7 million in humanitarian aid to support over one million Rohingya refugees and vulnerable host communities in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, Scand Asia reported. The funding will be distributed through eight humanitarian organizations, including UNHCR, WFP, Norwegian…