Latest News
- Summerland residents return home as around 1,200 properties cleared for re-entry
- Justice Department seeks reinstatement of criminal charges against Kilmar Abrego Garcia
- Builders uncover £7.6 million in gold hidden within walls of Belgian property
- Hiker rescued from Rocca Capra area of Mount Etna in Italy
- Maritime diaper banks report increased demand amid rising costs for families
- Trump administration files 31 lawsuits for state voter data access, status updates provided
- Five teenagers named following fatal wrong-way crash on M9 in Co Kildare
- Helicopter crash in Sifnos, Greece, kills three, including British couple
EU
The EU is revising the Tobacco Taxation Directive, proposing a 139 per cent increase in minimum excise duties on cigarettes. This overhaul also aims to establish EU-wide minimum taxes on vapes, heated tobacco products, and nicotine pouches, marking the most significant change in tobacco taxes in over a decade.
Wildfires are raging across Belgium, Germany, France, Croatia, Spain, and Greece amid extreme heat and dry conditions. In Belgium, a major blaze has consumed 3,000 hectares in the High Fens reserve, prompting the deployment of over 250 firefighters and international aid through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.
Two Spanish F-18 fighter jets intercepted and destroyed an unidentified drone in Romanian airspace early on Sunday, 24 kilometres north of Galati. Defence Minister Miruta confirmed the incident, highlighting Romania’s role in the European Union’s defence and the importance of vigilance amid ongoing tensions with Russia and Ukraine.
Cliff Notes – EU’s top diplomat makes visit to Israel amid tensions Kaja Kallas delivered…
The EU’s new defence strategy underscores the necessity for enhanced military capabilities, driven primarily by Russian aggression and the complex global security landscape, with an aim to bolster defence readiness by 2030.
Cliff Notes – Is the EU preparing for war The French government plans to distribute…
A bizarre Tank Accident in Switzerland injures three recruits. The military tank of the M113…
Germany’s Bundestag is poised to vote on a significant fiscal package that proposes amendments to longstanding debt policies, aiming to facilitate increased defence spending and establish a €500 billion infrastructure and climate fund.
The vote is seen as a response to Russia’s advances in Ukraine as the United States makes clear Europe can no longer rely on US protection from Russia.
Supporters of lifting the debt restrictions to boost defence spending say it’s essential for European security but there is also opposition. The decision could influence broader European defence initiatives, like the EU’s proposed €800 billion ReArm Europe fund.
A fire at the Pulse nightclub in Kocani, North Macedonia, resulted in at least 51 fatalities, with the blaze reportedly ignited by fireworks during a performance.
© 2026 WTX News.