In Russia, the ban on Roblox has triggered a debate over censorship, child safety in relation to technology and even the effectiveness of censorship in a digitalised world where children can bypass many bans in a few clicks. Many Russians simply circumvent bans by using VPNs (Virtual Private Netwo
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko freed 123 prisoners on Saturday including Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski and leading opposition figure Maria Kalesnikava after two days of talks with an envoy for President Donald Trump, a US statement said. In return, the US agreed to lift sanct
European Union fisheries ministers struck a deal on Saturday on 2026 fishing quotas, avoiding an earlier proposal to tighten restrictions in the Mediterranean. Spain, which opposed a European Commission plan to cut trawler fishing days in the Mediterranean next year, welcomed the agreement. "We h
Ukrainian forces have retaken parts of the northeastern town of Kupiansk and several villages around it in an operation that encircled Russian troops, a Ukrainian military commander said on Friday. The Russian military said in November that it had taken full control of Kupiansk. Ukraine denied the
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov handed in his government's resignation on Thursday following weeks of street protests over its economic policies and its perceived failure to tackle corruption. Zhelyazkov announced his resignation in a televised statement minutes before parliament had bee
Hospitals in Britain are facing a "worst case scenario" from a wave of super flu, healthcare bosses warned on Thursday, as flu hospitalisations jumped 55 per cent in a week. Health leaders have told people who feel ill to wear face masks when using public transport, while some hospitals are requir
The Kremlin said on Thursday that Russia was interested in attracting additional foreign investment after the Wall Street Journal reported that the US plan for peace in Ukraine includes proposals to invest in Russian rare earths and energy. The Journal said the plans, detailed in appendices to pea
Train services ground to a halt across Portugal on Thursday, hundreds of flights were cancelled, and schools closed as unions launched a first general strike in more than a decade, in protest against proposed labour reforms. The minority centre-right government says the proposed changes - amending
The European Union has reached a legally binding climate agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2040 from 1990 levels, involving the purchase of foreign carbon credits to cover 5% of the cuts, the European Parliament said on Wednesday. The agreement will require EU industries to cu
Tower Hamlets Council has been flagged for persistent governance weaknesses, including delays in appointing a permanent chief finance officer, social housing management issues, and long-standing problems with contracts and internal investigations. An external audit by EY outlined 10 issues at the
At least 18 people died after a boat carrying migrants capsized off the southern coast of Crete, Greece's public broadcaster ERT reported on Saturday. The vessel sank about 26 nautical miles (48.2 km) south of Ierapetra, a town on the island's southern shoreline. According to the Hellenic Coast Gu
Russia's gold reserves exceeded 310 billion US dollars for the first time on Dec. 1, 2025, according to a report released Friday by the Central Bank of Russia. Marking the fourth consecutive monthly increase, the value of Russia's gold holdings reached a record 310.72 billion dollars, up 3.6 per c
The European Union is trying to lend Ukraine tens of billions of dollars, as support from Washington wanes, Russia ekes out gains on the battlefield and Kyiv edges closer to a funding crunch early next year. The 27-member bloc is discussing borrowing against Russian assets held in Europe frozen by
