Author: Euronews

Leaders from northern and southern Europe have said EU security requires increased investment if countries hope to see off the ongoing threat from Russia. ADVERTISEMENTThe North-South summit was staged in the town of Inari, which is widely known as the capital of Finnish Sámi culture.Addressing the media, EU High Representative Kaja Kallas said that defence needed to be bolstered. “To prevent war we really need to do more on defence. We have to invest in critical capabilities,” she said.”Russia poses a direct threat to European security, but security comprises different elements, and they are different in east, south, north and…

A ferry overloaded with people returning home for Christmas capsized on Busira river in the north-east, killing at least 38 people. ADVERTISEMENTOver 100 people are also reported missing, officials and eyewitnesses said on Saturday, whilst 20 people have been rescued so far. The sinking of the ferry late on Friday came less than four days after another boat capsized in the country’s north-east, killing 25 people.The ferry was travelling as part of a convoy of other vessels and the passengers were primarily merchants returning home for Christmas, said Joseph Joseph Kangolingoli, the mayor of Ingende, the last town on the…

A car ramming into a crowded Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, has reignited safety concerns and serves as a stark reminder of previous attacks on Christmas markets across Europe, including attacks in Berlin, Strasbourg, and other cities in recent years. ADVERTISEMENTA car drove into a crowded outdoor Christmas market in the eastern German city of Magdeburg on Friday, killing at least five people and injuring more than 200.Similar attacks have targeted Christmas markets in other cities, including the 2018 attack in Strasbourg, France, where five people were killed and several more were injured, as well as incidents in Nantes, France,…

Rising temperatures, drought, and soaring energy costs are putting favourite foods on the Christmas menu at risk.

Second-hand gifts might overtake traditional presents this Christmas, as most people in Europe’s largest economies plan to shop for “pre-loved” items this holiday season. Which nations and generations are leading this revolution and which ones are holding back?

As Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine is going into its third winter, Russian President Vladimir Putin held its annual end-of-year press-conference, two days after a Kyiv-orchestrated killing of a high-ranking general on the streets of Moscow.

The German armed forces have been having difficulties attracting enough recruits. ADVERTISEMENTGermany wants to increase the size of its armed forces up to 230,000 from the current target of 203,000. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius announced the ambitious plan as he answered questions in the Bundestag on Wednesday.By way of explanation, Pistorius referred to NATO requirements:”There is the Two Plus Four Agreement. It stipulates how many standing forces and how many may be in reserve. Nobody is planning any increase beyond this limit, but it is simply a matter of setting up the armed forces in such a way that…

The German city is providing vouchers worth €10 for women to use on night-time taxis, following the lead of several other municipalities in Germany.

Federal Reserve officials on Wednesday will likely signal a slower pace of interest rate cuts next year compared with the past few months, which would mean that Americans might enjoy only slight relief from still-high borrowing costs for mortgages, auto loans and credit cards. ADVERTISEMENTThe Fed is set to announce a quarter-point cut to its benchmark rate, from about 4.6% to roughly 4.3%. The latest move would follow a larger-than-usual half-point rate cut in September and a quarter-point reduction in November.Wednesday’s meeting, though, could mark a shift to a new phase in the Fed’s policies: Instead of a rate cut…

The sanctions proposed by Kaja Kallas targeted state officials of Georgia involved in the repression of pro-European demonstrations. ADVERTISEMENTHungary and Slovakia have vetoed a proposal to impose EU sanctions on Georgian officials in response to the continued crackdown on protesters, several diplomats and officials told Euronews.A separate plan to suspend visa liberalisation for Georgian holders of diplomatic passports can still move forward as it only requires a qualified majority, the same sources said. The plan needs to be developed by the European Commission.The sanctions were put forward by High Representative Kaja Kallas during a meeting of foreign affairs ministers in…