Hungary's decision to block a €90bn EU loan for Ukraine has provoked sharp criticism from fellow European leaders and exposed deep divisions ahead of next month's Hungarian elections.After a tense summit in Brussels, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán refused to lift his veto, posting on X: "No oil = no money." He linked his move to a dispute over a damaged section of the Druzhba pipeline that...

Crown Princess Mette-Marit has spoken publicly for the first time since revelations about her ties to Jeffrey Epstein, saying she feels she was misled and expressing regret over the association.In a 20-minute interview with national broadcaster NRK, the 52-year-old royal said she wishes she had never met Epstein and apologised for not checking his background more carefully.She became emotional...

Crown Princess Mette-Marit has agreed to speak publicly about her contacts with the late Jeffrey Epstein in an interview due to air on NRK on Friday.The conversation, filmed at the couple’s Skaugum residence alongside Crown Prince Haakon, comes as her son’s high-profile trial reaches its conclusion.Marius Borg Høiby’s seven-week trial in Oslo District Court began in February and has drawn...

A crippled Russian tanker loaded with liquefied natural gas and heavy fuel is drifting without a crew in the central Mediterranean, raising urgent alarm over the risk of a major ecological incident.Italian authorities, who joined eight other EU governments in urging the European Commission to act, say the vessel presents a severe and immediate danger after sustaining serious damage near Maltese...

Former pop star Gary Glitter, real name Paul Gadd, is reported to be gravely ill while serving time at HMP Channings Wood in Devon.Sources say the 81-year-old is largely immobile and hard of hearing, often using a wheelchair and spending most of his day confined to his cell.Insiders told the press he is held on a Vulnerable Prisoners Unit for his own protection, reportedly spending up to 23 hours...

A Warsaw judge has ruled that Russian archaeologist Alexander Butyagin may be handed over to Ukraine to face criminal charges, a decision his team says it will challenge in appeal.Judge Dariusz Łubowski's finding does not end the case — Poland's justice minister must make the final call on extradition if the ruling stands.Butyagin, a senior researcher at the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg,...

Prime Minister Keir Starmer declined to confirm whether he personally discussed Lord Peter Mandelson's ties to Jeffrey Epstein before naming him UK ambassador to the United States.During Prime Minister's Questions, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch pressed Mr Starmer repeatedly on whether he had phoned or met Lord Mandelson to raise concerns about the convicted sex offender prior to the...

A striking triangular formation spotted in a vast Martian canyon has reignited questions about whether the Red Planet might once have hosted built structures.Filmmaker Brian Dodds recently circulated images of the feature in Candor Chasma, part of the enormous Valles Marineris system, and suggested it rivals the size of Egypt’s Great Pyramid.He cautions that the photos are not proof of past...

A leaked recording that reportedly shows US special envoy Steve Witkoff advising a Russian official on how to appeal to President Trump has stirred controversy in Washington.President Trump told reporters he had not listened to the audio but defended Witkoff, saying the envoy was doing what a dealmaker does to promote a peace plan.Bloomberg published a transcript of a call dated 14 October in...

President Emmanuel Macron will this week set out plans for a revamped national service intended to swell the ranks of France’s armed forces.The outline remains limited, but French media report the scheme would be voluntary, last about ten months and include pay of roughly €900–€1,000 per month for participants.Macron has been careful to stress that the program is not about sending young...