Europe

West Asia crisis to intensify soaring European corporate distress

Even before the US and Israel began their attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, financial strain among the continent's businesses was at a four-year high

EU patrol boat capsizes near Greek island; Estonian ambassador rescued

A European Union border agency patrol boat carrying five people, including the Estonian ambassador to Greece, has sunk off Greece's easternmost island, the Greek coast guard said Monday. Four injured people were airlifted to a hospital on the island of Rhodes. The Frontex patrol boat sank off the tiny Greek island of Kastellorizo after capsizing, the coast guard said. It did not give a reason for the sinking. Four Estonians, including the ambassador, and one Greek Frontex liaison officer were on board at the time. The five were rescued by a Greek coast guard boat and a passing sailboat and transported to Kastellorizo, from where four injured people were airlifted to Rhodes. The coast guard did not specify whether the ambassador was among the four. Last July, a Frontex patrol boat operated by the Portuguese Maritime Police sank off the eastern Aegean island of Lesbos during a search and rescue operation involving a boat carrying migrants. There were no injuries reported from that ...

'This is not our war': Europe, UK push back against Trump's demands

While some European countries said they were discussing ways to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, several rejected President Trump's calls to send warships

EU considers redirecting Red Sea naval mission to protect Strait of Hormuz

The EU operation in question is Aspides, which was launched in 2024 after the Houthis attacked shipping vessels in the Red Sea

China's JD.com takes on Amazon with new ecommerce platform in Europe

Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com has launched its Joybuy platform in six European countries, offering over 100,000 products with same-day delivery as it seeks to compete with Amazon in the region

Ships loaded with Reliance diesel, jet fuel turn to Asia instead of Europe

Asian buyers are rushing to secure fuel supplies to offset production losses from expected refinery run cuts as the near-halt in traffic in the Strait of Hormuz constrains oil supply to the region

Air India cancels 28 flights to Europe, US, Canada for March 1

Air India has cancelled 28 flights connecting various cities in Europe, the US and Canada for March 1 due to the evolving situation in the Middle East. With multiple airspaces closed, airlines are finding it difficult to find alternate routes, especially for flights to the West. "As part of our continuing assessment of the evolving situation in the Middle East, in the interest of the safety and security of our guests and staff, Air India has cancelled the following flights scheduled on 01 March 2026," the airline said in a post on X on Saturday. The airline has cancelled flights from Delhi and Mumbai to London Heathrow, from Amritsar to London Gatwick and from Delhi and Mumbai to New York. Mumbai-Newark, Delhi-Chicago, Delhi-Toronto , Delhi-Frankfurt, Mumbai-Frankfurt and Delhi-Paris services have been cancelled. The flights from these destinations to the respective Indian cities have been cancelled for March 1. "We will continue to closely monitor the situation and share further

Mandelson, Summers, Brende: Big names who quit over Epstein connections

While not all individuals named faced consequences, a cluster of senior figures stepped down or lost positions after fresh scrutiny

Report flags need for hypersonic response against Russia's missile defences

The A-235 anti-ballistic missile system and S-500 air defence systems around the capital have advanced to the point where they could keep UK and French nuclear warheads from getting through

For Europe Inc, US tariff relief brings unexpected trade uncertainty

Many firms cautioned that Trump could pursue other avenues to impose similar tariffs, reducing the benefit of lower levies, while tariff refunds are likely to be difficult to obtain

Unreasonable priorities: US wants Europe to help turn back the clock

From the perspective of their administration, it is not modern liberal political values that Europe and America share

Jaishankar meets leaders of Germany, Canada, France, Czech at Munich

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday held bilateral meetings with leaders of Germany, Canada, France and Czech Republic on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. Jaishankar, who is attending the Munich Security Conference from February 13 to 15, said in a social media post he held a "productive" bilateral meeting with his German counterpart Johann Wadephul and the two leaders assessed the progress of cooperation in various domains. "Also spoke about regional hotspots," he added. The external affairs minister also met Czech Republic's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Petr Macinka and discussed strengthening economic and defence cooperation. "Hope to welcome him soon to India," he added. Jaishankar also met with his Canadian counterpart Anita Anand. "India-Canada ties continue their steady progress," he said. The external affairs minister also met his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot and Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlic-Radman. Earlier, ..

Europe rethinks nuclear weapons after Trump delivers reality check

Europe has been fighting to keep hostile US in Nato while countries race to rearm and now for first time since Cold War, European capitals are discussing how to develop their own nuclear deterrent

EU unveils plan to restructure economy amid US, Russia, China pressure

European Union leaders have broadly agreed on a plan to restructure the 27-nation bloc's economy to make it more competitive as they face antagonism from US President Donald Trump, strong-arm tactics from China and hybrid threats blamed on Russia. Meeting in a Belgian castle on Thursday, the EU leaders agreed an "action plan" with a strict timeline for the economic restructuring, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. "The pressure and the sense of urgency is enormous, and that can move mountains," she said. The plan, to be presented formally in March, would include measures to coordinate upgrading energy grids, deepen financial integration and loosen merger regulations to allow European firms to grow to better compete globally, she said. "We need European champions," von der Leyen said. European Council President Antonio Costa described the meeting as a "real game changer" as leaders threw their weight behind plans to further integrate and simplify the bloc's ...

EU leaders meet to counter pressure from Russia, China, and Trump

Leaders from across the European Union are meeting Thursday in a Belgian castle as the 27-nation bloc faces antagonism from US President Donald Trump, strong-arm economic tactics from China and hybrid threats from Russia - challenges that have prompted a rethink of Europe's approach to diplomacy and trade. "We all know we must change course, and we all know the direction," Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever told a meeting with some European leaders on Wednesday. "Yet it sometimes feels like we're standing on the bridge of the ship staring at the horizon without being able to touch the helm." But there are competing visions of how the EU must change. Thursday's meeting is to shape proposals for another summit in late March. As leaders are set to walk across a drawbridge to the 16th-century Alden Biesen castle, the fault lines in the battle for Europe's future are becoming clear. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni lead a wing of the bloc call

Macron calls on EU to seize 'Greenland moment' to strengthen bloc's power

Macron said the Trump administration was being 'openly anti-European' and seeking the EU's 'dismemberment'

Europe's most powerful rocket Ariane 64 scheduled to make maiden launch

In a tightly controlled manufacturing hangar west of Paris, workers put the finishing touches on an enormous silver-colored engine. In just a few days, a similar machine will help propel the most powerful version of Europe's Ariane 6 rocket yet, flying for the first time with four boosters. On Thursday, the Ariane 64 rocket - named after its four boosters - is scheduled to make its maiden launch from the European spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, aiming to deploy 32 satellites for Amazon Leo's broadband constellation. The flagship of Europe's rocket industry is racing in a highly competitive environment against heavy weight players across the world, including the global market leader, Elon Musk's SpaceX. At ArianeGroup's plant in Vernon, engineers design, integrate and test engines for the European heavy-lift launcher. At another site west of Paris, in Les Mureaux, the rocket's main stage components are being carefully built and assembled. Associated Press journalists were provid

EU, India begin talks on Horizon Europe association to boost research ties

Move could allow Indian researchers direct access to EU grants and leadership roles in global science projects under the €95.5 billion Horizon Europe programme

Reliance sends 1st fuel to Europe since ban on Russian oil-derived products

The EU's ban on importing products produced from Russian crude is aimed at curbing oil revenues Moscow uses to fund the Ukraine war

Spain considers social media ban for under-16s, joining others in Europe

Spain plans to ban social media access for children under 16, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Tuesday, in a move designed to shield young people from the harms of online content. The progressive Spanish leader spoke at a summit in the United Arab Emirates, where he chided the world's biggest tech companies for allowing illegal content such as child sex abuse and nonconsensual sexualised deepfake images and videos on their platforms, saying that governments also needed to "stop turning a blind eye." "Today, our children are exposed to a space they were never meant to navigate alone," Sanchez said. "We will no longer accept that." In doing so, Spain joins a growing number of countries, including Australia and France, which have taken or are considering measures to restrict minors' access to social media. In January, French lawmakers approved a bill banning social media for children under 15, paving the way for the measure to take effect at the start of the next school year