BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany may increase the size of its armed forces to 230,000, up from the current target of 203,000, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Wednesday, as the NATO alliance looks to boost its strength after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Germany’s armed forces, or Bundeswehr, currently has some 180,000 personnel …
Germany may expand military to 230,000 troops in NATO push Read More »
By Makini Brice and Juliette Jabkhiro PARIS (Reuters) -The Cour de Cassation, France’s highest court, upheld on Wednesday former President Nicolas Sarkozy’s conviction for corruption and influence peddling. Sarkozy had appealed against the 2021 conviction for corruption and influence peddling, in which he had been handed a three-year prison sentence. Two of the years were …
France’s highest court upholds Sarkozy’s corruption conviction Read More »
ATHENS (Reuters) – Greece will back Albania in its decade-long bid to join the European Union on condition it respects the rights of its ethnic Greek minority, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Wednesday. Ties between Athens and Tirana soured after Albania arrested ethnic Greek politician Fredis Beleris during a mayoral election campaign in his …
Greece says its support for Albania’s EU accession bid is conditional Read More »
MADRID (Reuters) – The wife of Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Begona Gomez, on Wednesday denied allegations of corruption and influence-peddling linked to her teaching business in her first testimony in court since an investigation began in April. The probe, along with another corruption case allegedly implicating a former minister, has led the opposition to …
Spanish PM’s wife tells court she is innocent in corruption case Read More »
By John Irish PARIS (Reuters) – European nations are discussing sending troops to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire or peace deal, as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has made clear he will not put American boots on the ground to guarantee security, officials and diplomats say. The talks, driven by French President Emmanuel Macron, …
Europeans grapple over security force for post-war Ukraine Read More »
By Thomas Escritt BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany’s conservatives and Social Democrats formed a minority government in the eastern state of Saxony on Wednesday after the success of the far-right in September’s regional election made it all but impossible to find a stable parliamentary majority. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) took first or second place …
German conservatives, left join ranks to exclude far-right in Saxony Read More »
SARAJEVO (Reuters) – Bosnia and Herzegovina initialled an agreement with the European Union’s border agency Frontex on Wednesday providing for technical assistance and deployment of EU guards on its borders to control and prevent illegal migration and cross-border crime. Officials said they expected the final agreement to be signed soon after the central government and …
Bosnia initials deal allowing EU border guards to operate in country Read More »
By Anne Kauranen HELSINKI (Reuters) – Finland is considering pulling out of an international agreement banning anti-personnel landmines because of Russia’s use of such weapons in Ukraine, Defence Minister Antti Hakkanen said. Leaving the 1997 Ottawa Treaty prohibiting the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of anti-personnel landmines would require majority backing by Finland’s parliament. Quitting …
Finland considering exiting anti-personnel landmine treaty, minister says Read More »
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia said on Wednesday that Ukraine had repeatedly dropped white phosphorus munitions from drones in September, but Kyiv denied it had used such weapons and said it was Moscow which had used prohibited chemical substances on the battlefield. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said law enforcement agencies had evidence of the …
Russian foreign ministry says Ukraine repeatedly dropped white phosphorus from drones Read More »
ROME (Reuters) – Emergency services in Italy have rescued a cave explorer after she was injured and trapped underground for more than three days following a fall, bringing relief to Italians who have been following her fate. Ottavia Piana was carried out of the cave on a stretcher just before 3 a.m. (0200 GMT) on …
Italian woman rescued from cave after three-day ordeal Read More »
