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...

The NFL looks set to expand further into Europe, and the New Orleans Saints are positioning themselves at the centre of a push to bring a regular-season game to Paris.Stade de France is in the running to host a fixture in 2026 or 2027, and the Saints have indicated they would like to be the visiting team if the French capital wins the bid.New Orleans has been the league’s on-the-ground team in...

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...

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...

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...

Dan Driscoll, the 39-year-old army secretary often nicknamed President Trump’s “drone guy,” has emerged unexpectedly as a key player in recent U.S.efforts to shape a peace process for the Russia-Ukraine war.A relative newcomer to diplomacy, Driscoll is the youngest person to hold the army secretary post. He has built a reputation inside the administration for pushing new battlefield...

Air traffic around Eindhoven was suspended on Saturday after unidentified drones were reported near the airport, disrupting flights for several hours.Authorities first noticed the devices late Friday over Volkel air base, where attempts were made to shoot them down but the drones escaped capture.Following further sightings the next day, officials closed the airspace until about 23:00 local time...

When 23-year-old Aishat Baimuradova left Chechnya earlier this year she hoped to build a life away from strict family controls and public scrutiny. Friends say she adopted a more modern appearance — shortening her hair, abandoning the headscarf and even altering an eyebrow — and began sharing candid photos online, telling people she finally felt able to breathe. In October, Armenian police...

Albania's prime minister has accused the UK Home Secretary of ethnic stereotyping after she highlighted Albanian families while unveiling major changes to Britain's asylum system. Shabana Mahmood told MPs that roughly 700 Albanian families were living in taxpayer-funded accommodation despite having had their asylum claims refused, and argued the government must remove people who have no right...

Air traffic over the southern Dutch city of Eindhoven was suspended after unidentified drones were seen in the vicinity of the main airport and a nearby military base. The first sightings occurred late on Friday above Volkel Air Base, where personnel even fired on the devices in an attempt to bring them down, but the drones were not recovered. Additional activity close to Eindhoven Airport on...