Russian sources say President Vladimir Putin has increasingly been spending nights inside the Kremlin amid heightened concerns for his personal security.The claims come from the Telegram channel VChK-OGPU and the Rucriminal website, both of which cover security-service developments in Russia.Those outlets report that mobile internet access has been restricted across Moscow amid fears that...

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen warned that Moscow does not appear ready to pursue genuine negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, describing the conflict as unpredictable and hazardous.She made the remarks in Strasbourg as EU lawmakers met to discuss the crisis.Von der Leyen argued that any meaningful settlement will require strong security arrangements to deter future...

Seven people have gone on trial in Dresden accused of belonging to Antifa Ost, a militant left-wing group sometimes referred to as the "hammer gang." German prosecutors say the defendants are charged with a string of violent attacks against people they identified as part of the right-wing scene.The accused — named only by initials under German privacy rules as Henry A, Tobias E, Johann G,...

The European Court of Justice has ruled that EU countries must recognise same-sex marriages legally performed in another member state — a decision with direct implications for a Polish couple who married in Germany.The case concerned two Polish citizens married in Berlin in 2018.When they returned to Poland, local authorities refused to register their marriage because national law does not...

Survivors who fled northern Mali say Russian-linked mercenaries carried out summary killings, brutal interrogations and other abuses as part of counter-insurgency operations, forcing thousands to escape across the border.One man, who is now in a refugee camp in Mauritania, described being seized in the town of Nampala last August and subjected to repeated water torture and threats after fighters...

Four more people from the Paris region have been taken into custody as investigators widen their probe into the October theft of high-value jewellery at the Louvre.Authorities said the detainees — two men aged 38 and 39 and two women aged 31 and 40 — were arrested on Tuesday.Investigators believe one of them may be the remaining member of the four-person team that carried out the daylight...

The European Union's highest court has ordered Poland to accept same‑sex marriages that were legally concluded in other EU countries.The judgment stems from the case of a Polish couple who married in Berlin in 2018 and found their union rejected by Polish authorities when they returned home.The European Court of Justice said member states must respect the rights of EU citizens who marry abroad,...

Rachel Reeves has appealed for cohesion within Labour as she gets ready to present a Budget she says is crucial to the party's electoral chances.Speaking to Labour's Parliamentary Party on Monday evening, the chancellor urged MPs to back the package in full if they want to take power at the next election.The Budget, due on Wednesday after weeks of speculation, is expected to include measures to...

Serbia's president has firmly denied claims that he took part in so-called "sniper tourism" during the siege of Sarajevo, calling the accusations false and defamatory.Aleksandar Vučić addressed the matter at a UK–Western Balkans business conference in Belgrade, saying he never harmed anyone and has never used a sniper rifle.He added that a photograph cited by critics actually shows him...

A freshly revised peace framework unveiled after intense talks in Geneva may be acceptable to Kyiv — but key issues still stand in the way of a deal.Washington had pushed for a rapid agreement ahead of Thanksgiving, but Kyiv balked when the initial proposal appeared heavily tilted toward Moscow’s demands.That prompted high-level delegations from Ukraine, the US, Germany, France and the UK to...