Unemployment in France rose to 8.1 per cent in the first quarter of this year, reaching its highest level since 2021, the national statistics office INSEE reported yesterday. Compared with the previous quarter, the number of unemployed people rose by 68,000 to 2.6 million.more

The Duchess of Wales, Kate Middleton, arrived yesterday in the Italian city of Reggio Emilia on her first official overseas visit since recovering from cancer. The wife of the heir to the British throne came to learn about the educational model developed there after the Second World War by the educationalist Loris Malaguzzi.more

An unnamed White House official confirmed that the US is conducting top-secret negotiations with Denmark regarding the opening of three new US military bases in southern Greenland, the BBC reported on Tuesday. The British media outlet added that the sources declined to provide details of the talks.more

Native to North America, crayfish are rapidly invading waters in the Netherlands and Belgium. The invasive species destroys vegetation, eats amphibian and fish eggs, undermines banks, and degrades water quality. Local authorities warn that without mass harvesting, ecosystems could collapse.more

Offers to buy seemingly cheap houses in Belarus have appeared on the Polish-language internet, accompanied by a campaign to improve the image of the country ruled by Alexander Lukashenko's regime. "Taking advantage of such an offer is effectively putting yourself in the hands of the Belarusian secret services," warns Dr. Michał Marek from NASK.more

"The last few weeks have been extremely difficult, but my mission does not end with arrival in the Canary Islands," said Jan Dobrogowski, Polish captain of the cruise ship MV Hondius, where an outbreak of hantavirus was detected.more

New rules for selling Colosseum tickets came into effect in Rome on Monday as part of a tougher crackdown on ticket sales. These measures are aimed, among other things, at travel agencies that buy tickets en masse, resulting in shortages at ticket offices and online.more

Foreign workers are making an increasingly significant contribution to the Danish economy, according to a report by the business organization Dansk Erhverv, published on Monday. Poles dominate the Danish market's international workforce, with Ukrainians accounting for the third largest share.more

A Turkish Airlines jet has caught fire while landing at Nepal’s main airport, causing no injuries but forcing the airport to shut down. The flight from Istanbul landed at Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport with fire and smoke apparent on the right landing gear.more

False information about hantavirus is circulating online, claiming it is a side effect of the coronavirus vaccine, for example. NASK has noted that conspiracy theories about the virus, linked to past statements by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, are also circulating online.more

The United States is becoming an increasingly unpopular country in the world, and pessimism is rampant among Europeans, according to the global Democracy Perceptions Index (DPI).more

Russian leader Vladimir Putin announced yesterday that he believes the conflict with Ukraine is nearing an end. When asked if he was ready to engage in negotiations with Europe, he replied that his preferred mediator in such talks would be former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.more

Singer Bonnie Tyler has been placed into an induced coma to aid her recovery after emergency intestinal surgery, a spokesman for the star has said. It was revealed the 74-year-old from Skewen, Wales, had been rushed to a hospital near her home in Faro, Portugal, on Wednesday for the procedure and was recuperating.more

The captain of the MV Hondius cruise ship, on which hantavirus cases have been detected, is a Pole, Jan Dobrogowski, according to footage posted on the BBC. In the video, the captain informs passengers about the death of one of them.more

Europe could become militarily independent from the US in most areas by the mid-2030s, at a cost of around €500 billion, according to an expert analysis published by the Cologne Institute for the World Economy (IfW). Key strategic programs could be coordinated by Poland, among others.more

The European Parliament has overwhelmingly adopted the first EU regulations protecting dogs and cats from abuse. These regulations include mandatory microchipping and registration of animals and prohibiting animal mutilation, including tail and ear docking.more

A New York court judge has released Jeffrey Epstein's alleged suicide note. The American sex offender and financier committed suicide in a New York jail in August 2019. He allegedly wrote the note during a previous suicide attempt and it was kept by a cellmate.more

Scandinavian airline SAS will cancel 1,172 flights in May, the Norwegian daily Dagbladet reported. The cuts are said to be due to high jet fuel prices. This represents another reduction in its route network. For the same reason, SAS canceled approximately 1,000 flights in April.more

Experts warn rising jet fuel costs may push airlines to increase baggage fees and gate charges.more

The first city bike scheme originated from an initiative by anarchists in Amsterdam in 1965. Berlin, including its suburbs, has Europe’s longest network of cycle paths, stretching over 2,300 km. The first half-hour of cycling on a city bike in London costs the equivalent of 8 PLN, whilst in Brussels it is free of charge.more

Russian leader Vladimir Putin has strengthened his personal security for fear of a coup, conspiracy and leak of confidential information, the independent Russian website Vaznye Istorii reported on Monday, citing an intelligence report from an EU country made available to it.more

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a "regime of silence" in the war with Russia on Monday, effective at midnight Tuesday night. The Ukrainian leader noted that no one has yet officially approached the authorities in Kyiv with a proposal to cease hostilities.more

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has reported that since the start of the war waged by Israel and the US against Iran, there has been an increase in the number of attacks on healthcare facilities and their staff worldwide, and particularly in the Middle East.more

The Portuguese Navy Command has signed a preliminary agreement to strengthen cooperation on naval exercises with the British Royal Navy, the Portuguese Navy said in a statement on Thursday.more

UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned on Thursday that an escalation of the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz could plunge tens of millions of people into poverty. It also threatens to cause a sharp rise in global hunger and could push the global economy to the brink of recession.more