More mayors and a shake-up of local government will not be enough to rebalance the economy and heal the north-south divideTwo years after Boris Johnson made “levelling up” the lodestar of his new administration, the public still struggles to understand…
Spain says it is first in Europe to officially count all femicides
Statistics on gender-based violence broadened beyond cases involving partners or exesOfficial statistics on gender-based violence in Spain will be broadened to include killings of women and children by men regardless of whether there was a prior relati…
‘She understood her power’: the death of mafia boss Pupetta Maresca
Naples authorities refuse a public send-off for the convicted murderer known as Lady CamorraNo crowds attended the cortege for Assunta Maresca, better known as Pupetta Maresca, who died at home this week in Castellammare di Stabia aged 86. Maresca, a c…
24C in Spain, 15C in the Alps: oddly warm end to 2021 in parts of Europe
Records broken in Bilbao and Segovia, and avalanche warnings in Alps where it is too warm even for fake snowSpain registered record-breaking temperatures this week and areas of the Italian Alps are forecast to reach up to 15C above the seasonal average…
Biden to speak with Putin amid Russia’s increased presence near Ukraine
Two leaders will discuss a range of topics, including ‘upcoming diplomatic engagements in Russia’Joe Biden will speak on Thursday with Vladimir Putin regarding the Russian leader’s increased security demands in eastern Europe.The two leaders will discu…
Books and films censored under Franco still circulating in Spain
Dictator who died in 1975 stamped out mention of Spanish civil war, sexuality and anti-Catholic viewsA Spanish association has called for an investigation into the enduring legacy of censorship during the Franco regime after it emerged that censored ve…
What the UK and hauliers can expect from long-delayed Brexit controls
From 1 January checks and paperwork will finally begin and EU exporters face a rude awakening• ‘It won’t be easy’: the European exporters battling Brexit bureaucracyEU exporters of cheese, car parts and other goods are facing a mountain of red tape to …
Covid news live: almost 1,000 people sent wrong test information in Sydney; Omicron grounds nearly 1,200 more US flights
Another 995 people sent wrong Covid test information by Sydney’s St Vincent hospital; NSW records 6,234 new Covid cases and Victoria 1,999 as Australia braces for post-Christmas rise; Omicron surge grounds more US flights over Christmas weekend; China’…
At least 13 dead after third migrant boat in three days sinks in Greek waters
People still missing despite major rescue effort as smugglers switch to more perilous route from TurkeyAt least 13 people have died after a migrant boat capsized in the Aegean Sea late Friday, bringing to at least 27 the combined death toll from three …
French zoo closes after pack of nine wolves escapes
Four wolves were shot dead by park workers and five anaesthetised by officials at sceneAuthorities in the south of France have temporarily shut down a zoo after a pack of nine wolves escaped from an enclosure during visiting hours, officials have said….