Europe Watch

EU puts sanctions on Israeli settlers after Hungary drops Orban’s veto – The Washington Post– news.google.com

pgnewser May 12, 2026 0

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  1. EU puts sanctions on Israeli settlers after Hungary drops Orban’s veto  The Washington Post
  2. EU diplomats agree to sanction Hamas leaders and Israeli settlers  NPR
  3. EU agrees sanctions on Israeli West Bank settlers, Hamas leaders  Al Jazeera
  4. EU announces sanctions against violent Israel settlers  The Guardian
  5. EU agrees sanctions on Israeli settlers over West Bank violence  BBC

Germany’s Nuclear Confession Is a Crack in Net‑Zero Pretense – PJ Media– pjmedia.com

pgnewser May 12, 2026 0

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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has called the nuclear phaseout a “serious strategic mistake” that left Germany short of firm power that turned the Energiewende into the most expensive energy transition on the planet. This is an early marker for a developing worldwide retreat from policies that sidelined nuclear power and demonized coal, oil, and natural gas.

 

Ukraine, Russia trade accusations of violating US-backed ceasefire– www.channelnewsasia.com

pgnewser May 11, 2026 0

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One person each in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk and Kherson regions were killed in Russian drone attacks, regional governors and police said in separate reports on Sunday.

In the northeastern Kharkiv region, governor Oleh Syniehubov said eight people, including two children, were wounded in drone strikes on the regional capital and nearby settlements.

Seven people, including a child, were also wounded in the Kherson region in drone or artillery attacks since early Saturday, regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin said on Sunday.

The State Emergencies Service said Russian forces attacked one of its rescue vehicles in the Dnipropetrovsk region with a drone, wounding a 23-year-old driver.

Kyiv’s air force said Russia had launched 27 long-range drones at Ukraine overnight – a lower number than usual – but that air defences had downed all of them.

Ukraine’s General Staff said on Sunday afternoon that nearly 210 clashes had taken place along the sprawling, 1,200-km front line since early Saturday.

France’s Digital ID System Hacked, Sensitive Data of 19 Million Citizens Sold on Dark Web– slaynews.com

pgnewser May 11, 2026 0

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France’s push toward centralized digital identity systems has suffered a devastating blow after hackers breached a government-run ID platform containing highly sensitive personal information tied to millions of citizens.

The compromised system is operated by France Titres, formerly known as ANTS.

The system handles some of the most sensitive government services in France, including passports, national ID cards, residency permits, driver’s licenses, and vehicle registrations.

Now, critics say the breach has exposed exactly why handing governments vast centralized databases of citizen identity information creates a dangerous single point of failure.

Romanian government collapses after losing no-confidence vote – Europe live | World news– www.theguardian.com

pgnewser May 6, 2026 0

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Romania is now entering a potentially lengthy period of political negotiations after the no-confidence motion.

Ousted Romanian PM Ilie Bolojan delivers a speech before a vote of no confidence, in Bucharest, Romania. Photograph: Inquam Photos/Octav Ganea/Reuters

The process of forming a new government involves presidential consultations, the president nominating a prime minister and a parliamentary confidence vote. It could take weeks, or even longer if no stable majority can be assembled. The current government will fulfil caretaker responsibilities until those decisions are made.

President Nicuşor Dan, who returned from the European Political Community summit in Yerevan, will begin consultations with parties to appoint a new prime minister.

The path to a stable majority is far from clear. The Social Democrats, the far-right AUR, non-affiliated MPs and other smaller parties have not signalled any willingness to come together and form a coherent government, even though they voted for the motion together.

President Dan has been categorical that the far-right AUR will play no role in any future government and gave firm assurances that Romania will maintain its pro-western direction.

Ukraine and Russia Declare Separate Truces– www.themoscowtimes.com

pgnewser May 5, 2026 1

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Russia on Monday declared a unilateral ceasefire with Ukraine between May 8-9, when Moscow holds its annual World War II Victory Day commemorations, and threatened a “massive missile strike” on Kyiv if Ukraine violated it.

Ukraine responded by declaring a truce of its own between May 5-6, saying it was “not serious” to expect it to observe a ceasefire during a Russian military holiday.

The quarrelling between the two sides comes with a lull in U.S.-led diplomatic efforts to end the war, as Washington shifts its focus to conflict in the Middle East.

Russian strikes killed nine people across Ukraine on Monday, according to Ukrainian officials, while a Ukrainian drone crashed into a high-rise building in an upscale Moscow neighborhood overnight.

“In accordance with a decision of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces, Vladimir Putin, a ceasefire has been declared from May 8–9, 2026… We hope that the Ukrainian side will follow suit,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a post on state-backed messaging service MAX.

Russia Lost Ground in Ukraine in April, a First Since Mid-2023 – AFP Analysis– www.themoscowtimes.com

pgnewser May 5, 2026 0

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Russia lost more territory than it gained in Ukraine in April for the first time since a Ukrainian counteroffensive in the summer of 2023, an AFP analysis of data from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) showed.

Moscow ceded control of about 120 square kilometers (46 square miles) between March and April, the ISW data revealed.

Despite the fighting at the front reaching a near stalemate, intense and deadly drone-dominated attacks have continued unabated in recent months, while U.S.-led talks on the conflict have stalled as the Middle East war grinds on.

Putin issues ‘nuclear’ missile warning to Ukraine over Red Square parade | World | News– www.express.co.uk

pgnewser May 5, 2026 0

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Vladimir Putin has threatened Kyiv with his most massive strike of the war if Ukrainian drones disrupt his major military parade in Moscow on Saturday. His defence ministry warned that civilians and diplomats should leave the city promptly if Volodymyr Zelensky attacks the Red Square showpiece, citing a rapid and massive retaliatory missile strike.

The Russian warning implies a hit by the hypersonic Oreshnik missile, which Putin boasts has the power of a full nuclear explosion even in its conventional mode. Putin said previously that using several such systems at once would be comparable in strength to a nuclear strike. His favourite newspaper, Komsomolskaya Pravda, warned today that Oreshnik also has a nuclear configuration.

Vladimir Putin has threatened Kyiv with the most massive strike of the war if Ukrainian drones disrupt his major military parade in Moscow this Saturday. His defence ministry warned that civilians and diplomats should leave the city promptly if Volodymyr Zelensky attacks the Red Square showpiece, citing a rapid and massive retaliatory missile strike.

NATO chief says Europeans have ‘gotten message’ from Trump on defence– www.france24.com

pgnewser May 5, 2026 0

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NATO intercepts Russian military aircraft flying over the Baltic Sea– abcnews.com

pgnewser April 21, 2026 0

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ŠIAULIAI AIR BASE, Lithuania — NATO intercepted Russian strategic bombers and fighter jets that flew over the Baltic Sea on Monday, a muscular display of air power on the alliance’s eastern flank away from the spotlight on the Middle East.

French Rafale fighters were deployed from a Lithuanian air base where they are stationed as part of a decades-long NATO air-policing effort. The fighters armed with air-to-air missiles joined jets from Sweden, Finland, Poland, Denmark and Romania. They all took to the skies to inspect and keep watch on the Russian flight, the French detachment said.

The Russian mission included two supersonic Tu-22M3s, as well as about 10 fighters — both SU-30s and SU-35s — that took turns escorting the larger strategic bombers, according to the statement.

The Russian Defense Ministry said the long-range bombers’ flight was scheduled and occurred in airspace over the neutral waters of the Baltic Sea. The flight took more than four hours, the ministry said Monday on Telegram.

Sweden warns Russia could launch land grab to seize Baltic Sea island– www.mirror.co.uk

pgnewser April 20, 2026 0

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Sweden is bracing itself for a potential Russian operation to seize the island of Gotland, according to the country’s military chief.

Swedish Chief of Defence Michael Claesson warned that Moscow could execute a land grab “at any time” in order to put NATO’s determination to the test.

“It doesn’t have to be particularly extensive at all, but more to make a point and wait to see what might happen politically,” Claesson said.

NATO military exercises have traditionally centred on a potential Russian land assault along the alliance’s eastern flank, however focus is now turning towards the Baltic Sea.

War games have simulated possible Russian landings on strategically vital islands such as Gotland in Sweden, Bornholm in Denmark, and Hiiumaa and Saaremaa in Estonia.

Swedish military intelligence has cautioned that Russia is capable of broadening its conflict in the years ahead.

6 killed after gunman opens fire in Kyiv, Ukrainian officials say– www.cbsnews.com

pgnewser April 20, 2026 0

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A gunman who killed at least six people in Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, before taking hostages and barricading himself inside a supermarket on Saturday has been shot and killed by police, Ukrainian officials said.

Ukraine’s special tactical police units stormed the store after attempts to contact the gunman with a negotiator failed, the head of Ukraine’s Interior Ministry, Ihor Klymenko, said in a statement on social media. The attacker was killed while resisting arrest, he said.

Speaking to reporters at the scene, Klymenko said that the gunman had killed four bystanders while on the street, before entering the supermarket and killing a fifth person.

Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that a sixth victim, a young woman, died from her injuries in the hospital.

An Associated Press reporter on the scene saw the bodies of the victims in the street covered by emergency blankets before they were taken away.

Migrants rush to apply under Spain’s new mass legalization program– abcnews.com

pgnewser April 20, 2026 0

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MADRID — Migrants in Spain began applying to legalize their status Monday after the Southern European nation launched a mass legalization measure that could affect hundreds of thousands of foreigners living and working in the country without authorization.

Spain’s approach sharply differs from prevailing attitudes elsewhere in Europe, where many governments have been trying to curb arrivals and step up deportations. The Spanish government has defended the measure as an economic one that has the support of business owners and unions.

With an aging population, the government has said Spain needs more workers to maintain its growing economy, pay taxes and contribute to social security.

The amnesty program was announced in January and finalized this month. It offers immigrants without legal status a one-year, renewable residence permit if they have spent five months living in the country and have a clean criminal record. They have until the end of June to apply.

French military killed in attack on peacekeepers in Lebanon — Macron – World– tass.com

pgnewser April 20, 2026 0

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A French soldier serving with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeeping contingent was killed in a strike in southern Lebanon, French President Emmanuel Macron said.

“Staff Sergeant Florian Montorio of the 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment from Montauban was killed this morning in southern Lebanon during an attack on the UNIFIL peacekeeping mission,” he wrote on the X social network, expressing condolences to relatives of the deceased.

Three more soldiers were wounded and evacuated, Macron added. “Everything indicates that responsibility for the attack lies with [the Shiite organization] Hezbollah,” he said, therefore demanding that the Arab Republic’s authorities “arrest those responsible” and “assume responsibility” for maintaining order, along with UNIFIL.

Russian Oil Is Too Big to Ignore, Kremlin Says– www.themoscowtimes.com

pgnewser April 20, 2026 0

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The Kremlin said Monday that a new U.S. sanctions waiver on Russian oil exports proves that the commodity is too vital to the global economy to be sidelined.

“Russia remains a responsible and very important player in global energy markets,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. “The market is going through tough times and, of course, Russian volumes are difficult not to take into account and ignore.”

The U.S. Treasury Department issued the extension on Friday, allowing for the purchase of Russian oil and petroleum products loaded onto ships between April 17 and May 16. The move is part of an ongoing effort to stabilize global energy prices, which have surged following the outbreak of war in the Middle East.

Several Asian countries had lobbied Washington for an extension as they looked for alternatives to Middle Eastern supplies disrupted by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. On Thursday, Indonesia announced a new agreement to receive Russian crude, while Malaysia said its state energy firm, Petronas, is negotiating its own purchases.