Europe

Ireland Hosts First Ever Saint Charbel Conference

This summer, from July 11 to 13, Meigh in County Armagh will host a landmark gathering for Catholics across Ireland and the United Kingdom: the first-ever Saint Charbel Conference.  Organized by the Family of Saint Charbel Ireland, the event invites participants into a rich journey of Maronite mysticism, ancient liturgy and devotion to ...

Spain Wildfires Claim Two Lives Amid Record Heatwave

Firefighters in northeastern Spain discovered two bodies following wildfires that broke out during a severe heatwave sweeping across Europe. The extreme temperatures shattered records, led to school closures and significantly increased the risk of fires. In Catalonia’s Lerida province, authorities confined nearly 14,000 residents to their ...

European Security Tops Denmark's EU Presidency Priorities

Pushing countries to keep vows to boost defense spending and bolstering Europe's "dangerous" security will top Denmark's agenda as it takes over the European Union's rotating presidency on Tuesday, according to Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. Denmark is among European nations put on edge by Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine and who have already ...

EU Strikes New Trade Deal with Ukraine Covering Farm Imports

The European Union said Monday it had agreed to a new long-term trade deal with Ukraine, covering imports of food products from the war-torn country that have angered EU farmers. "With this modernized agreement, we are securing trade flows from Ukraine to Europe and global markets," European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen ...

Historic Heatwave in Europe: Extreme Temperatures and Maximum Vigilance

A punishing heat wave gripped southern Europe on Monday, prompting authorities to issue health and wildfire warnings as temperatures are expected to soar again. France, Italy, Portugal, and Spain have been sweltering for several days as the mercury climbed to 44 degrees Celsius (111 Fahrenheit) in some places. "This is unprecedented," Agner ...

Top Chinese Diplomat in Europe to Promote Closer Ties

China's top diplomat heads to Europe on Monday for a visit that Beijing said will highlight ties as an "anchor of stability" in a world in turmoil. Wang Yi's tour will take him to the European Union's headquarters in Brussels as well as France and Germany as China seeks to improve relations with the bloc as a counterweight to superpower rival the ...

After NATO Deal, How Far Will EU Go for Trade Peace with Trump?

After satisfying Donald Trump's calls for Europe to ramp up defense spending in NATO, EU leaders in Brussels turned Thursday to the next big challenge ahead: how to seal a trade deal with the US leader. Time is running out. The European Union has until July 9 to reach a deal or see swingeing tariffs kick in on a majority of goods, unleashing ...

Eastern Christians: The Last Keepers of a Legacy

A suicide bombing, this time inside a Damascus church during Sunday Mass. Twenty-five dead. The blast silenced prayer, shattered lives and shook a community already on the brink. Eastern Christianity is dying, not in the chaos of an open warfare, but through a long, silent agony, met with the world’s indifference. In a secularized Europe where ...

Trump Rattles NATO Allies as He Descends on Summit

US President Donald Trump swept into NATO's Hague summit Tuesday, with allies hoping a pledge to ramp up defence spending will keep the mercurial leader of the military superpower committed to protecting them. Trump joined leaders from NATO's 31 other members to kick off the two-day gathering with a dinner hosted by Dutch King Willem-Alexander in ...

As War Recedes, Oil Prices Plunge and Markets Rally

From Cold Sweats to Cooling Oil: Why Crude Prices Are Plunging After the Iran-Israel De-Escalation A bomb can send oil prices soaring – unless it doesn’t hit as hard as expected. That’s exactly what played out in the markets following Iran’s limited strike on a United States base in Qatar, followed by a surprise ceasefire between Tehran ...