Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson called the proposal for the creation of joint military patrols in the Baltic Sea by the countries of the region "absolutely necessary". He expressed hope that Prime Minister Donald Tusk's idea will be implemented this year.more

Belgium is the first country in the European Union to ban the sale of disposable e-cigarettes as of January 1. Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke stressed that electronic cigarettes are "extremely harmful" to society and the environment.more

On 1 January 2025, land border controls with Bulgaria and Romania were abolished. Both countries had been seeking to join the full Schengen Area since joining the EU in 2007.more

Many thousands of invertebrate species have become extinct on the continent since the arrival of Europeans in Australia in the late 18th century, scientists write in Cambridge Prisms: Extinction.more

In 2024, Europe experienced flash floods and forest fires. There were massive protests by farmers. There was a rise in the influence of anti-system parties in many countries, as well as in the EP. The government in the UK changed, there was a political crisis in France, and in Germany the government coalition collapsed.more

Those who have not yet decided which foreign destination to choose as their travel destination in 2025 can be inspired by the list published by the magazine 'Condé Nast Traveller', with a list of 25 ideal destinations for the coming months. Among the recommended places are, among others, the Tunisian island of Djerba and the German wine region - the Ahr Valley.more

On New Year's Day, the global population will number 8.09 billion. In the past year, it has grown by another 71 million (0.9%), the U.S. federal Census Bureau estimated in its latest report.more

A federal appeals court yesterday upheld a jury's ruling that found Donald Trump guilty of sexually harassing and defaming journalist E. Jean Carroll. Last year, the court ordered the US president-elect to pay $5 million in damages.more

Presidential elections were held in 2024 in the USA, India and Venezuela, among others. Martial law was attempted in South Korea. In the Middle East, the conflict between Israel and Iran escalated. Israel began intensive hostilities in southern Lebanon. In Syria, the regime of Bashar al-Assad fell.more

In Sweden, 2024 was the calmest year in terms of the number of shootings and victims of gang hijinks since 2017, when such statistics began to be published, according to preliminary data from the Swedish police covering the past 12 months.more

Former US President Jimmy Carter died yesterday at the age of 100, reported Reuters and the ‘Washington Post’ newspaper website, citing the son of the deceased. Carter was the 39th president of the United States. He held the office from 1977 to 1981 and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.more

Data from the German Federal Employment Agency show that by the end of this year, more than 500 million euros in child benefit (Kindergeld) will be transferred abroad, wrote the daily "Bild". At the end of 2023, the benefit was paid to around 313,000 children abroad, including many in Poland.more

A plane crash at Muan International Airport in South Korea has killed 179 people. Two people - both flight crew members - have survived what could be the country's worst aviation accident.more

Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) said preliminary findings indicated that the crash of a passenger plane it owned that crashed in Kazakhstan on Wednesday was caused by "external physical and technical interference." Thirty-eight people died in the crash.more

On January 1, Milan will ban smoking in public spaces, including the street. The exception will be when a person smoking is within 10 meters of others. The ban does not apply to electronic cigarettes.more

Tariffs will be one of the main tools of both economic and foreign policy for Donald Trump. However, experts warn that they could lead to chaos and upset the system created by and for America's interests.more

From today, portable electronic equipment sold in the EU, such as mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, readers, headphones and even computer mice, among others, must be equipped with the same charging port, namely USB-C. From April 2026, these requirements will also apply to laptops.more

The Parker probe flew just 6.1 million kilometers (3.8 million miles) from the surface of the Sun on Tuesday, making it the closest it has ever been to our star, NASA said today. The mission is intended to study the star's atmosphere, including solar storms that could affect communications systems on Earth.more

Family and friends hold grave fears for an Australian man captured by Russian soldiers while fighting alongside Ukrainian forces in the Donbas region. Australian officials have urged Russian counterparts to adhere to humanitarian obligations in their treatment of 32-year-old Melburnian Oscar Jenkins.more

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier today dissolved the Bundestag and called early parliamentary elections for 23 February 2025. He thereby acceded to the request of Chancellor Olaf Scholz, whose minority government did not receive a vote of confidence on 16 December.more

Belgium has recorded its first case of the new, more contagious monkeypox virus, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the Belgian national health institute Sciensano reported.more

Russian air defences downed an Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed in Kazakhstan, killing 38 people, four sources with knowledge of the preliminary findings of Azerbaijan's investigation into the disaster told Reuters on Thursday. more

China has approved a project to build the world's largest hydroelectric dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) River on the Tibetan Plateau, Reuters reported. Concerns about the project's environmental impact have been raised by downstream countries like India and Bangladesh.more

Thursday is a day of national mourning in Azerbaijan following the crash of a passenger plane in Kazakhstan that killed 38 people. State flags were lowered to half mast and at midday, traffic was halted across the country and a moment of silence was observed to honour the victims.more

US President-elect Donald Trump plans to restore the former name of Mount McKinley to Alaska's Denali, the highest peak in North America, Fox News reported.more