By Pierre Lefevre
Paris-based political reporter. Bylines from Paris, Rome and Madrid. Closely follows elections and coalition politics.
Russian drones strike Ukraine-Moldova border crossing, Kyiv says
Russian drones hit the Tabaky border crossing with Moldova in Odesa, forcing traffic to be diverted. The attack came a day after a Romanian
Ghent suspends researcher who accused late Cambridge professor of plagiarism
Ghent University has suspended a postdoctoral researcher who spearheaded plagiarism accusations against the late Cambridge professor Jason A
Morning Briefing: August 21, 2026 – Key European Updates
From Paris to Berlin, here are the top stories shaping Europe this morning. Political shifts, market movements, and cultural highlights in o
Iceland's EU referendum closes with tight race expected
Icelanders have voted in a historic referendum on whether to resume EU accession talks. Polling stations closed at 22:00 local time, with ea
European leaders urge Israel to scrap E1 settlement plan
France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, the UK, Norway and Canada jointly condemned Israel's E1 settlement project. They called on Israel t
Finland charges mother with trafficking children to IS-held Syria
A Finnish-Russian woman faces two counts of aggravated human trafficking for bringing her children to IS-controlled Syria. The alleged crime
UN aid chief warns Russian drones are crippling humanitarian work in Ukraine
UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher warns that intensifying Russian drone strikes are endangering civilians and aid workers in Ukraine. He sa
Ceuta begins moving migrants from beach to temporary shelters
Spanish police began moving migrants from a beach in Ceuta to temporary shelters on Thursday. The government plans to house 1,800 people ini
Lagarde: EU must end market fragmentation or lose AI race
Christine Lagarde says Europe missed the first digital revolution and cannot afford to repeat that with AI. She urges completion of the sing
NATO scrambles jets as Russian drone crashes in Romania
A drone crossed into Romanian airspace early Thursday and crashed near Galați, prompting NATO to scramble Spanish F-18s. The incident occurr
Portugal bans face coverings in public spaces amid rights debate
Portugal's president has signed into law a ban on face coverings in public spaces, a measure critics say targets Muslim women. Violators fac
Russian missile barrage on Kyiv kills nine, wounds dozens
At least nine people died and 33 were injured in a Russian missile attack on Kyiv. The strikes hit residential areas, a medical facility, an