Swiss authorities are investigating the cause of a devastating fire that ripped through a New Year’s celebration at an Alpine ski resort bar, killing about 40 people and injuring more than 115 in what may rank among the deadliest tragedies in the country’s recent history. Switzerland will hold five days of national mourning for the […]
Continue ReadingNigel Farage has signalled Reform UK will launch a £5 million (€5.7 million) spending blitz ahead of May’s UK local elections. He acknowledged questions will be asked about his position if the party’s poll lead is not transformed into results. The Reform leader said the allegations he has faced of racism during his schooldays at […]
Continue ReadingBulgaria entered the New Year on Thursday to become the 21st country to adopt the euro, a milestone met with both cheers and concerns, nearly 20 years after the Balkan nation joined the European Union. At midnight Bulgaria gave up the lev — meaning “lion,” a symbol present in Bulgaria for centuries — and Bulgarian […]
Continue ReadingOn The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Bulgarians have begun withdrawing euros for the first time after the former communist nation joined the euro currency union as its 21st member. Cash machines in the capital, Sofia, […]
Continue ReadingEuropean Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said Bulgaria joining the euro area on Thursday is a testament to Europe’s ability to collaborate and defy international headwinds. “The euro is a powerful symbol of what Europe can achieve when we work together, and of the shared values and collective strength that we can leverage to confront […]
Continue ReadingAntiquity Dr Dirk Brandherm was part of the research team that undertook the excavation A recently discovered large hilltop settlement could challenge the theory that the Vikings built the first towns in Ireland, a researcher has said. Dr Dirk Brandherm and his colleagues have identified more than 600 suspected houses in the Brusselstown Ring making […]
Continue ReadingThe Pope has opened 2026 with a plea for peace, singling out in particular countries “bloodied by conflict” and families wounded by violence. Leo celebrated a New Year’s Day Mass in St Peter’s Basilica and then delivered a special noon prayer from his studio overlooking the square, which was full of pilgrims and tourists on […]
Continue ReadingWatch: Huge fire rips through historic Amsterdam church during New Year celebrations Police in the Netherlands were pelted with fireworks and faced an “unprecedented amount of violence” on New Year’s Eve, officers have said. A 19th century church in Amsterdam was engulfed by fire in the early hours of New Year’s Day, although the cause […]
Continue ReadingSeveral dozen people are presumed dead and roughly 100 more injured after a fire ripped through a bar during New Year’s Eve celebrations in a luxury resort town in southern Switzerland, police said Thursday. The cause of the fire remains unknown, but Swiss authorities have said the incident is not being treated as an attack […]
Continue ReadingVideo shows Swiss ski resort bar on fire Several dozen people are presumed dead and around 100 injured after a fire ripped through a bar in a ski resort in southern Switzerland, officials have said. The fire broke out at around 01:30 (00:30 GMT) during new year celebrations in a bar called Le Constellation in […]
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