- European finance ministers approve €74 billion defence plans from eight states
- Man identified and pictured after fatal stabbing in Croydon retail park | UK News
- European Commission sends representative to Trump’s Board of Peace meeting in Washington this Thursday
- Abandoned Baby Monkey Finds Solace in Cuddly Toy – Heartwarming News UK
- Gang used SMS blasters on the Tube to con Londoners with fraudulent texts
- Ursula von der Leyen Advocates EU Military Cooperation at Munich Conference
- European Commissioner Dubravka Šuica to Attend US Board of Peace Meeting This Week
- Today’s Football Fixtures| PL| Seria A| La Liga & more
EU
Finance ministers from eight European member states approved national defence investment plans worth €74 billion on February 17, 2026. A spokesperson for the Cypriot presidency stated this decision facilitates affordable loans under the EU’s Security Action for Europe scheme, which aims to enhance defence procurement.
The European Commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Šuica, will attend Trump’s Board of Peace meeting focusing on Gaza, but the European Commission remains cautious about membership due to concerns over governance, amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.
NATO chief Mark Rutte stated Europe must rely on the US for defence, prompting European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to advocate for an independent Europe at the Munich Security Conference, referencing Article 42.7’s obligations for EU member assistance.
After last week’s bursting of the Nova Kakhovka dam, flood waters in Kherson region are receding and revealing the extent of the damage, like in the Dnipro river island of Afanasiivka where homes and the garlic crop have been washed away. FRANCE 24’s correspondent Gwendoline Dobono reports from Kherson.
MEPs also voted on a report on spyware.
The annual study released by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) warned that the use of illegal substances is a concern to the health of people on the continent, as well as its security.
Nine Egyptians have been arrested on suspicion of being people smugglers after the migrant boat disaster off Greece that claimed at least 78 lives, a port source told AFP Thursday.
More than a hundred migrants were rescued from an overcrowded fishing vessel that capsized southwest of the Greek port of Pyrgos on Wednesday. At least 78 people have been confirmed dead, making it Greece’s deadliest migrant shipwreck since 2016. However that figure could rise, with estimates of the number on board ranging from 400 to 750.
The amount falls short of the EUR10.1bn asked for by the United Nations in a humanitarian appeal.
From our sponsors
Subscribe to News
Get the latest news from WTX News Summarised in your inbox; News for busy people.
Advertisement
Subscribe to Updates
Get the latest creative news from FooBar about art, design and business.

