Watch: 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 ReadingGeorge Clooney is a prominent and longtime fundraiser for the Democratic Party. In July 2024, he published a much-noticed op-ed in the New York Times, urging then U.S. President Joe Biden to step back as the Democratic nominee after Biden’s disastrous performance in a TV debate with Trump. Less than two weeks after, Biden withdrew from […]
Continue ReadingImports of steel, aluminum, cement and other heavy goods to the European Union will start paying for the CO2 emissions they produce from 1 January, as the bloc seeks to protect EU manufacturers facing more stringent obligations compared to foreign peers. While the measure is meant to ensure fair competition for European industries, the EU’s […]
Continue ReadingSpeaking in a New Year address to the nation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that his country wanted the nearly four-year war with Russia to end – but not at any cost. “My signature will be placed on a strong agreement,” he said, adding that signatures “placed on weak agreements only fuel the war”. Follow our liveblog […]
Continue ReadingOsmond Chia,Business reporterand Yan Chen,BBC News Chinese Getty Images Chinese people will pay a 13% sales tax on contraceptives from 1 January, while childcare services will be exempt, as the world’s second-largest economy tries to boost birth rates. An overhaul of the tax system announced late last year removes many exemptions that were in place […]
Continue ReadingBulgaria – the poorest country in the European Union – has become the 21st member of the eurozone – leapfrogging more obvious and prosperous candidates like Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary. For mostly urban, young and entrepreneurial Bulgarians, it’s an optimistic and potentially lucrative leap – the final move in a game which has […]
Continue ReadingHours later a Finnish patrol vessel caught the Fitburg with its anchor in the water in Finland’s exclusive economic zone, the country’s coast guard reported. “At the moment we suspect aggravated disruption of telecommunications and also aggravated sabotage and attempted aggravated sabotage,” Helsinki police chief Jari Liukku told media. “Finland is prepared for security challenges […]
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 Russian President Vladimir Putin has vowed victory in Ukraine in a defiant speech despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to end the war. Putin used his annual televised New […]
Continue ReadingRussia’s defence ministry released video footage on Wednesday of what it said was a downed drone at a briefing intended to show Ukraine tried this week to attack a presidential residence and challenge Kyiv’s denials that such an attack took place. Kyiv says Moscow has produced no evidence to support its allegations and that Russia […]
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