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Western Europe

A German court ruled on Thursday that Birkenstocks, the sandals known for their cork and latex design, do not qualify as works of art and are thus denied the copyright protections associated with that status, rejecting a claim by the shoemakers.

German Court Rules Birkenstock Sandals Are Not Works of Art

Report: General Medical Council Hides Trans Doctors' Discipline Records

UK: Apple Removes Advanced Data Protection

England Faces Record-Breaking Surge in Norovirus Cases

UK Doctors Advance Gene Therapy to Address Childhood Blindness

France

Britain and France are spearheading efforts to establish a European "reassurance force" of up to 30K troops to prevent future Russian attacks on Ukraine following any potential peace agreement, focusing primarily on air and maritime defense rather than ground forces.

Europe Plans 30K-Strong Force to Secure Post-War Ukraine

Trump to Host Starmer, Macron Amid Ukraine Peace Talks

French Senate Passes 2025 Budget

French Surgeon Faces Trial for Alleged Abuse of 299 Children

France: Bayrou Survives No-Confidence Votes, Budget Plan Passes

Germany

Authorities in Austria told a press conference on Sunday that the suspect in a fatal stabbing had sworn allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) after becoming radicalized online, and that a flag of the group had been found in his apartment.

Austria Links Fatal Stabbing to IS

Germany: Merz Rules Out AfD Coalition in Election Debate

German Parliament Rejects Conservative Migration Bill

Car Rams into Munich Crowd, Injures 28 in Suspected Attack

Germany: CDU Passes Migration Motion with AfD Support

Ireland

Storm Eowyn unleashed unprecedented winds across Ireland and the UK, with a record-breaking gust of 114mph (183 kmh) recorded at Mace Head, Ireland, surpassing the previous record set in 1945.

Record Winds Leave Over 1M in Ireland, UK Without Power

UK: Govt Rejects First-Ever Use of Brexit 'Stormont Brake' in Northern Ireland

UK Plans Reforms to COVID Vaccine Injury Compensation

Ireland Reaches Coalition Agreement, Publishes Government Plan

Israel to Close Embassy in Ireland Over Alleged Antisemitism

United Kingdom

The UK public sector recorded a £15.4B surplus in January 2025, marking the highest January surplus since records began in 1993, though falling below the Office for Budget Responsibility's (OBR) October forecast of £20.5B.

UK: Record January Surplus Falls Short of Treasury Targets

UK: Farage Cedes Reform UK Ownership

UK: Inflation Rises to 3.0%

UK: Business Secretary Faces Criticism for Legal Career Claims

UK: AI Safety Institute Becomes AI Security Institute

Netherlands

A district court in Amsterdam has sentenced four men to jail terms of up to six months and a fifth defendant to community service under the country's juvenile law for their role in hit-and-run attacks against Israeli soccer fans in early November.

Dutch Court Jails Four Over Amsterdam Soccer Violence

C-section Births Hit 42% in England

Rafael Nadal Retires From Tennis After Spain's Davis Cup Loss

Netherlands: At Least Five Killed in The Hague Apartment Blast

Dutch Government Averts Collapse Over Amsterdam Violence

Switzerland

Palestinian-American journalist Ali Abunimah, executive director of Electronic Intifada, was arrested by Swiss authorities in Zurich on Saturday, before a scheduled speaking event about Palestine.

Swiss Authorities Deport Palestinian-American Journalist Ali Abunimah

Study: Electrodes Implant in Brain Allows Paralyzed Patients to Walk

Report: Swiss Glaciers Melting at a Faster-Than-Average Rate in 2024

Russia Jails French Researcher for Three Years

UK Boy First to Receive Deep Brain Neurostimulator to Treat Epilepsy

Austria

Austria's right-wing Freedom Party (FPO), which won 29% of the vote in September's parliamentary election, failed to form the country's first right-wing populist government since World War II after coalition talks with the conservative People's Party (OVP) collapsed on Wednesday.

Austrian Right, Center-Right Coalition Talks Collapse

Austria Names Interim Chancellor Amid Coalition Talks

EU Court: Afghan Women's Gender Sufficient for Asylum

Russia's Gazprom Cuts Gas Deliveries to Austria

Austria's Freedom Party Wins General Election

Belgium

Belgium's Court of Appeals Monday found the state guilty of crimes against humanity in the Democratic Republic of Congo under its colonial rule, where the administration forcibly separated children from mothers and took them to orphanages.

Belgium Found Guilty of Crimes Against Humanity in Congo

Belgium: Over 100 Convicted in Drug Gang Crackdown

Belgian Prime Minister Resigns Following Election Defeat

Russia Makes Fresh Advances in Ukraine

Belgium: Top Court Overrules Conservative Conference Shutdown

Monaco

US Senate Report: Female Inmates Sexually Abused by Prison Workers

Second Oath Keeper Trial Begins

Following suit with decisions from the European Commission and the EU Council last week, the European Parliament on Tuesday banned TikTok from staff devices, underlining mounting unease over allegations that the social media app allows the Chinese government to harvest users' data.

European Parliament Bans TikTok from Staff Devices

US Open: Djokovic Withdraws Due to Vaccine

Luxembourg

Interpol issued a "Red Notice" for Lebanon’s central bank governor Riad Salameh on Wednesday, which the country’s interior ministry received the following day and forwarded to the judiciary. Salameh is accused of embezzling hundreds of millions of public funds, which he denies.

Lebanon Receives Interpol Notice for Central Bank Governor

Lebanon’s Central Bank Chief Appears Before Corruption Hearing

HRW: Lebanon Government Failing to Uphold ‘Right to Electricity’

Lebanon’s Currency Plunges to 100K Against US Dollar

Kenya: Judge Rules Meta Can be Sued by Ex-Moderator