Europe

Sweden will increase its voluntary return incentive for refugees from €900 to €32,000 starting January 2026, Rudaw reported citing Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. The policy mirrors Denmark’s approach and aims to reduce refugee numbers by encouraging returns to home countries.…

Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), has officially classified the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party as a “proven extremist group,” Anadolu Agency reported. The announcement on May 2 follows a comprehensive…

A powerful exhibition titled, “Rojda – In Light of Memory,” is currently on display in Berlin, documenting the 2014 ISIS attack on the Yazidi heartland of Shingal (Sinjar), Rudaw reported. Running through May 5, it features photos, personal belongings, and…

The United States and Ukraine have signed a landmark investment agreement to develop Ukraine’s mineral sector, marking a significant step in economic recovery and strategic partnership, Khaama Press reported. Announced on April 30 by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, the…

In 2024, approximately 93.3 million people in the European Union—21% of the population—were at risk of poverty or social exclusion, Anadolu Agency reported citing Eurostat. This figure includes individuals living in households facing income poverty, severe material and social deprivation,…

During bench installation at a park in Thessaloniki, Greece, workers uncovered 33 skeletons in unmarked burial pits near the Yedi Kule fortress, a site known as a prison where Communist sympathizers were tortured and executed during the 1946–49 Greek Civil…

The European Court of Justice has ruled Malta’s citizenship-by-investment scheme, commonly known as the “golden passport” programme, violates EU law. The court found the scheme, which granted Maltese — and thereby EU — citizenship to individuals in exchange for significant…

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has refused to hear a Tunisian migrant’s claim against Italy for arbitrary detention, ruling that the applicant did not exhaust all available domestic remedies, Jurist News reported. Mansouri, a Tunisian national, was detained…

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…