Europe

Niger has suspended nine French media outlets, including France 24 and AFP, citing threats to public order and national unity. The immediate ban affects all broadcasting platforms and comes ahead of a significant France-Africa summit, with anti-French sentiment escalating amid ongoing military rule in the region.

Florent Montaclair, a professor of language science, faces criminal charges including forgery and fraud as a Montbéliard investigation scrutinises his alleged fabricated academic credentials. His fictitious organisation, claiming prestigious awards, has been exposed, leading to his expulsion from Marie & Louis Pasteur University.

Spain’s government released a report concluding that the massive blackout on 28 April that plunged parts of Spain and Portugal into darkness was due to a combination of technical miscalculations and planning failures, not a cyberattack. Voltage surges triggered a cascade of shutdowns across southern Spain.

During his first visit to Cyprus in over two decades, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides signed a declaration to significantly deepen defence, maritime, and cybersecurity collaboration.

The G7 dominated the early European news this week with the EU wanting more pressure put on Russia – something Trump is reluctant to do. The EU also signed a defence deal with Australia and unveiled a plan to phase out Russian gas contracts by 2027.


Ukraine is calling for more help after the heaviest day of airstrikes since Russia’s war in Ukraine began, whilst there has been backlash to plans to raise the GDP defence target to 5%, with Spain calling it unreasonable.

Much of Europe’s focus has been on the latest from Iran-Israel, with many European nations worried they could be dragged into the war after the United States signalled it could soon be joining Israel.

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