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US Pushes for Ukraine-Russia Peace by June Amid Ongoing Attacks

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that the US aims to end the war with Russia by June, inviting both sides to hold talks in the United States next week, likely in Miami. Zelensky confirmed Ukraine’s participation but noted that difficult issues, including territorial concessions, remain unresolved. For the first time, leaders may be involved in trilateral discussions, though preparatory steps are required before this can happen.

Meanwhile, Russia continues to target Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, causing widespread blackouts amid freezing temperatures. More than 400 drones and 40 missiles struck power plants, substations, and transmission lines, affecting regions such as Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Rivne. Thousands of Ukrainians remain without electricity, forcing many to take shelter in metro stations. Ukraine has also retaliated with strikes on Russian military and industrial facilities in Tver and Saratov regions.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion nearly four years ago, more than 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed, with nearly 160,000 Russian military casualties confirmed. Zelensky emphasized that Moscow should not be allowed to leverage the harsh winter to pressure Ukraine. Despite ongoing diplomacy, the conflict continues to inflict severe humanitarian and infrastructural damage.

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Europe and NW Africa Hit by Floods and Freezing Cold

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Weeks of persistent wet and cold weather have caused widespread disruption across Europe and north-west Africa. Storm Leonardo forced the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people in Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, with emergency services and the military assisting residents. In Portugal, the government extended a state of emergency as heavy rain continues, while Storm Marta is expected to bring additional rain, strong winds, and mountain snow to the region.

Southern Europe has experienced record rainfall, with areas like Grazalema in Spain receiving 672mm in just 36 hours, nearly equal to London’s annual rainfall. Flooding has closed over 100 roads and disrupted high-speed rail services, while north-west Africa has seen severe rain and evacuations, especially in Morocco, where more than 140,000 people have been displaced due to overflowing rivers and full dams. Authorities continue to warn residents in flood-prone regions to leave immediately.

Meanwhile, Scandinavia and the Baltic have been gripped by extreme cold due to a persistent high-pressure system over the region. Lithuania recorded -34.3°C, while northern Sweden experienced its second coldest January on record. This high-pressure area has blocked milder Atlantic weather, leading to ongoing floods in southern Europe and freezing temperatures in the north. The pattern is expected to continue, with the possibility of cold air spreading further west, bringing frost, ice, and snow to other parts of Europe.

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Suspected Chinese Spies Arrested in French Village

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Two Chinese nationals, aged 27 and 29, have been arrested in the quiet south-western French village of Camblanes-et-Meynac, near Bordeaux, on suspicion of espionage. Locals became wary after the men, who had rented a house via Airbnb, installed a large parabolic satellite dish in their garden, coinciding with disruptions to nearby internet services. French authorities seized a significant amount of computer equipment during a raid by the General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI).

The suspects, who arrived last month on work visas claiming to be engineers in wireless communications, are accused of attempting to capture satellite data from Starlink and sensitive information from military and critical installations in the region. Two other Chinese-origin men living in France were also charged with assisting the operation. They are currently in custody facing charges of “delivering information to a foreign power.”

South-western France, home to major aerospace, defense, and telecommunication hubs, has been a recurring target for Chinese espionage. Experts highlight previous incidents, including satellite dish installations near Toulouse and breaches at the University of Bordeaux. Authorities are increasingly publicizing such cases to emphasize the espionage threat, though locals remain bemused by spies setting up in their typically peaceful villages.

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Berlin Airport Gradually Reopens After Black Ice Disrupts Flights

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Berlin Brandenburg Airport has begun resuming flight operations after severe black ice forced the grounding of flights in the German capital earlier on Friday. Airport authorities warned that operations remain disrupted, with significant delays and cancellations expected as airlines assess conditions and aircraft availability.

The disruption was caused by snow and freezing rain during a prolonged cold spell across Germany, which affected not only air travel but also road and rail services. Airlines had already delayed or cancelled several flights on Thursday after freezing rain made it impossible to safely de-ice aircraft, leaving many planes grounded.

In a statement posted on social media, the airport said airlines would decide independently whether flights would operate or be cancelled and advised passengers to regularly check their flight status. While operations are slowly stabilising, authorities cautioned that knock-on effects could continue throughout the day.

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Norway’s Crown Princess Issues Apology Over Past Friendship With Jeffrey Epstein

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Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit has issued a “profound apology” after revelations emerged about her past friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In a statement released by the palace, she apologised to the Norwegian public and to the Royal House, saying the messages she exchanged with Epstein over several years did not reflect the person she wished to be. The apology followed days of public and media pressure after hundreds of emails between the two from 2011 to 2014 were made public by the US justice department.

The correspondence revealed a warm tone and included discussions about meeting in person, as well as a four-day stay by the crown princess at Epstein’s Palm Beach residence while he was absent. The palace said Mette-Marit was deeply saddened that she had failed to recognise earlier what kind of person Epstein was, despite being aware he had served a prison sentence in 2008. While an earlier statement acknowledged “poor judgement”, the latest apology sought to address growing calls for greater clarity and accountability.

The controversy comes at a difficult time for Norway’s royal family, already under strain due to a high-profile criminal trial involving the crown princess’s eldest son, Marius Borg Høiby, who faces multiple charges he denies. Crown Prince Haakon said the family’s priority was caring for one another amid intense scrutiny. The palace added that Mette-Marit, who is seriously ill with pulmonary fibrosis and awaiting a possible lung transplant, needs time to recover and gather herself before making further comments.

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Global Tech Stocks Slide as AI Disruption Fears Clash With Massive Spending Plans

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Global software, data and technology stocks fell again on Friday as investors remained uneasy about the disruptive impact of powerful new AI models and the enormous sums Big Tech plans to spend rolling them out. Markets were rattled this week after the launch of a new plug-in from Anthropic’s Claude, amplifying concerns that AI could undermine traditional software and data businesses just as hyperscalers signal capital expenditure of more than $600 billion this year.

Shares of major tech firms and data providers came under renewed pressure. Amazon slid 8% in pre-market trading after revealing hefty investment plans, while European firms such as RELX, Sage, Experian, Capgemini and Wolters Kluwer all posted sharp declines. London Stock Exchange Group also extended losses and was on track for a second consecutive week of steep falls, as the selloff in AI-exposed stocks weighed on broader markets.

The downturn has spilled across global equities, with world shares headed for their worst week since November and the S&P 500 down around 2% for the week. U.S. software and data services companies have lost about $1 trillion in market value since late January, while Indian IT stocks were hit particularly hard, shedding nearly 7% this week. Analysts say investors are increasingly wary of an emerging AI bubble, as strong business performance at tech giants fails to offset fears over ballooning capital investment.

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Bereaved Families Challenge Swiss Probe Over Autopsies After Deadly Bar Fire

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Grieving families of victims killed in a deadly bar fire at the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana are protesting what they see as serious failings in the handling of autopsies by local prosecutors. Parents of 17-year-old Trystan Pidoux said they repeatedly requested an autopsy before burying their son, but received no response until medics arrived unexpectedly to take his body on the eve of the funeral, forcing the family to cancel the burial. Only a small number of victims underwent autopsies, and in most cases only after bodies were released, according to sources close to the investigation.

Relatives of several of the 41 victims say the lack of comprehensive autopsies has shaken their confidence in the criminal inquiry into one of Switzerland’s worst modern tragedies. Prosecutors in the Valais canton, who are investigating suspected crimes including negligent homicide, have defended their conduct, saying they are expanding their team and securing evidence. Swiss authorities have urged patience, stressing the independence of the judiciary, even as international scrutiny grows.

Lawyers representing victims’ families say some are now considering requesting exhumations to determine how their loved ones died. Italy, which criticised the Swiss investigation, carried out its own post-mortem examinations on six Italian victims after repatriation. The fire, triggered by sparklers carried inside the bar, spread rapidly and led to deadly crowding at exits, with investigators still examining whether delays in evidence collection may have compromised the case.

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Louvre Says Empress Eugénie’s Crown Can Be Restored After Heist Damage

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The Louvre Museum has said the crown of French Empress Eugénie was left badly crushed but largely intact after it was dropped by thieves during a high-profile jewellery raid last October. Although raiders stole jewels worth an estimated €88 million, they abandoned the diamond-studded crown on their escape route. The museum has now released the first images of the damaged crown, confirming it can be fully restored.

According to the Louvre, the 19th-century gold crown was deformed when thieves attempted to pull it through a narrow hole cut into its glass display case. While one of the eight golden eagles adorning the crown is missing, it still holds all 56 emeralds and all but 10 of its 1,354 diamonds. Museum officials said restoration can be carried out without reconstructing the piece, under the supervision of an expert committee led by Louvre president Laurence des Cars.

The raid took place on 19 October, when thieves used a stolen vehicle-mounted lift to access the Galerie d’Apollon from a balcony near the River Seine. After cutting through a window and threatening guards, the gang broke into two jewellery cases and escaped within four minutes on scooters. Four suspects have been arrested, though authorities say the mastermind remains at large and several other stolen royal jewels have yet to be recovered.

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Italy Grants Police New Preventive Arrest Powers After Turin Riot

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Italy’s government has approved a new law-and-order decree allowing police to temporarily detain suspected troublemakers ahead of street protests, following violent clashes at a rally in Turin. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing administration said the move aims to prevent unrest after more than 100 police officers were injured and nearly 30 protesters arrested during demonstrations over the weekend.

The decree was adopted as Italy prepares for heightened security surrounding the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, which open on February 6. Under the new rules, police will be able to hold individuals deemed a risk to public order for up to 12 hours to keep them away from rallies. Meloni said the measures strengthen tools to prevent and combat widespread crime.

The legislation also targets pickpocketing and youth gangs, bans knife sales to minors, and expands self-defence protections for police and civilians. Opposition lawmakers criticised the decree as repressive, warning that preventive detentions undermine the constitutional right to protest. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi defended the measures, saying similar powers exist in other European countries.

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Storm Leonardo Triggers Deadly Flooding Across Spain and Portugal

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Storm Leonardo battered Spain and Portugal with torrential rain on Thursday, triggering widespread flooding, fresh evacuation orders and multiple casualties. A man was killed in southern Portugal after his car was swept away by floodwaters, while Spanish rescue teams continued searching for a woman who was dragged into a river as she tried to save her dog, authorities said.

The storm is the latest in a series of severe winter systems to hit the Iberian Peninsula since the start of 2026, causing deaths, property damage and major disruptions. Scientists say flooding across Europe is becoming more frequent as climate change warms the atmosphere, allowing it to hold more moisture. In Spain’s Andalusia region, the mountain village of Grazalema recorded as much rainfall in just 16 hours as Madrid typically sees in an entire year.

Authorities evacuated Grazalema’s roughly 1,500 residents as water flooded homes and surged through steep streets, while two nearby reservoirs were close to overflowing. In Portugal’s Alcacer do Sal, residents waded through waist-deep water after the Sado River burst its banks, submerging shops and restaurants. With another storm expected over the weekend, officials warned that conditions could worsen across the region.

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