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Pope Leo Closes Holy Year, Calls for Compassion Toward Foreigners

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Pope Leo on Tuesday formally closed the Catholic Church’s Holy Year by sealing the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica, urging Christians around the world to show greater kindness to those in need, especially foreigners and migrants. Speaking at a Vatican ceremony, he reflected on the record 33.5 million pilgrims who visited Rome during the jubilee, calling on them to recognise humanity in strangers rather than viewing people as commodities.

Highlighting themes that have defined the early months of his papacy, Leo criticised what he described as a distorted global economy that seeks to profit from everything, including human movement and aspiration. Dressed in gold-trimmed vestments, the pope shut the bronze Holy Door at 9:41 a.m., officially ending the jubilee year, which traditionally symbolises peace, forgiveness and renewal for Catholics.

The 2025 Holy Year was notable as a rare historical event, having been opened by Pope Francis and closed by his successor, following Francis’ death in April after 12 years as pontiff. Vatican officials said pilgrims arrived from 185 countries, led by Italy, the United States, Spain, Brazil and Poland. The next jubilee is not expected before 2033, when the Church may mark 2,000 years since the death of Jesus.

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Swiss Ski Bar Fire Exposes Safety Lapses After Years Without Inspection

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Authorities in Switzerland have revealed that Le Constellation bar in the ski resort of Crans-Montana, where a devastating fire killed 40 people and injured 116 on New Year’s Day, had not undergone a safety inspection for five years. Mayor Nicolas Feraud said the council could not explain the lapse but expressed deep regret, acknowledging responsibility and apologising to the victims’ families.

The mayor announced that sparklers, believed to have ignited the blaze after being held too close to the ceiling, would be banned from all local venues. An external contractor will be appointed to inspect and audit all 128 establishments in the area. Feraud admitted that a small inspection team was responsible for overseeing more than 10,000 buildings, but said he had no explanation for why the bar had not been checked since 2019.

Swiss prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation, placing the two managers of the bar under scrutiny for suspected manslaughter and arson by negligence. While Feraud said it would be up to judges to determine whether local officials would also face investigation, the tragedy has raised wider questions about Switzerland’s decentralised safety enforcement system and whether warning signs were overlooked.

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Greek Airspace Blackout Raises Alarm Over Ageing Aviation Systems

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Greece’s air traffic control system suffered a major communications outage on Sunday, cutting contact between controllers and aircraft across much of the country and forcing authorities to suspend flights into and over Greek airspace. Controllers described radios falling silent mid-operation, replaced by a high-pitched noise, while internet systems also failed, disrupting coordination nationwide. The outage, which lasted several hours, stranded thousands of passengers before systems inexplicably came back online.

Officials have ruled out a cyberattack but admitted they do not yet know what caused the blackout or how it resolved itself. Controllers managed to find a limited number of functioning radio frequencies, but not enough to ensure safe operations, prompting the unprecedented shutdown. Neighbouring countries assisted using telephone communication, with aviation experts describing the episode as a “black hole” in Greek airspace that could have caused chaos during peak tourist season.

The incident has renewed scrutiny of Greece’s ageing and underfunded air traffic infrastructure, much of which dates back to the 1990s. Unions and experts warn that outdated equipment and staffing shortages pose ongoing safety risks, despite government assurances that modernisation plans meeting EU standards are underway and scheduled for completion by 2028. Critics argue that human expertise can no longer compensate for systemic weaknesses, warning of further disruptions if upgrades are delayed.

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EU, UK Slam X Over Grok’s Sexualised AI Images

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The European Commission has strongly condemned the spread of sexualised images of women and children on Elon Musk-owned social media platform X, calling the content illegal and unacceptable. The criticism follows reports that X’s AI chatbot Grok was generating non-consensual images of undressed women and minors through a feature previously referred to as “spicy mode.” EU officials said such content has no place in Europe and violates existing laws.

In Britain, media regulator Ofcom has demanded answers from X and its parent company xAI on how the AI system was able to create sexualised images, including of children, and whether the platform failed in its legal duty to protect users. Ofcom said it had contacted the company urgently to assess compliance with UK laws, under which the creation or sharing of non-consensual intimate images and child sexual abuse material — including AI-generated content — is illegal. X has not formally responded, while Musk has publicly mocked criticism online.

Pressure on X is also mounting from other countries. French ministers have reported the platform to prosecutors and regulators, calling the content “manifestly illegal,” while Indian authorities have sought explanations over what they termed obscene material. Despite growing concern across Europe and Asia, US regulators have so far remained silent on the issue, with federal agencies declining or failing to comment.

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Louvre Reopens After Strike Delay, Some Sections Remain Closed

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Paris’ Louvre Museum reopened on Monday after a three-hour delay, though several sections remained closed as staff partially resumed a strike over pay and working conditions, according to Reuters. Employees had held a meeting earlier in the day to decide whether to continue rolling industrial action, which began last month and was paused during the Christmas period.

The labour dispute has added to the challenges facing the world’s most visited museum, which is still reeling from a major jewel heist in October. In that incident, four burglars stole jewels worth about $102 million in broad daylight, and the stolen items have yet to be recovered.

The Louvre has also been grappling with infrastructure issues, including a recent water leak that damaged ancient books and raised concerns about the deteriorating condition of the historic building. Together, the strike, security lapse, and maintenance problems have put renewed pressure on museum management and French authorities.

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Swiss Authorities Identify All 40 Victims of Crans-Montana Bar Fire

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Swiss authorities have identified all 40 victims of the New Year’s Eve fire at Le Constellation bar in the ski resort of Crans-Montana. The victims, aged 14 to 39, included teenagers and young adults from multiple nationalities, including Swiss, French, Italian, Romanian, Turkish, Portuguese, Belgian, UK, and Israeli. A national day of mourning has been declared in Switzerland for 9 January. In addition to the fatalities, 119 people were injured, many with severe burns.

Preliminary investigations suggest the fire started when sparklers on bottles came too close to the ceiling, potentially igniting acoustic foam. Prosecutors are investigating the French owners of the bar, suspected of manslaughter and negligence. Le Constellation was known as a popular venue for younger visitors, with the legal drinking age in the region at 16. Authorities have withheld further victim details out of respect for their families.

Several victims’ families have publicly mourned their loss, including Arthur Brodard and Charlotte Niddam. Emanuele Galeppini, a 16-year-old junior golfer from Italy, was also confirmed among the dead. The tragedy has shocked the international community, with tributes pouring in and authorities promising a thorough criminal investigation into the causes and safety violations linked to the fire.

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Ten Convicted for Cyber-Bullying Brigitte Macron

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A Paris court has found ten individuals guilty of cyber-bullying Brigitte Macron, the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron, for spreading false claims about her gender and sexuality and making derogatory remarks about the couple’s 24-year age difference. Most defendants received suspended prison sentences of up to eight months, while one was jailed immediately, and several had their social media accounts suspended.

The court noted that the eight men and two women acted with a clear intent to harm, issuing degrading and insulting online comments. Two of the defendants had previously been found guilty of slander in 2024 for bizarre claims regarding the first lady but were later cleared on appeal. The Macrons plan to take that case to the high court of appeal. Brigitte Macron’s lawyer emphasized the importance of preventive courses and account suspensions to curb future attacks.

The ruling highlights the personal impact of online harassment, with Brigitte Macron’s daughter testifying that the cyber-bullying affected her mother’s health and lifestyle and also disrupted her grandchildren’s lives. The verdict precedes a larger US defamation lawsuit the Macrons have filed against right-wing influencer Candace Owens, who has perpetuated similar conspiracy theories about the first lady’s gender.

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France Tightens Food Import Controls Amid Farmer Protests Over Mercosur Deal

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France has announced stricter checks on a range of food imports in response to protests by farmers who argue they face unfair competition from countries with weaker agricultural regulations. The move comes as opposition grows in France to a proposed European Union trade agreement with the South American Mercosur bloc, as well as concerns over livestock disease controls.

Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard said the new measures aim to ensure imported food meets EU standards, particularly regarding the use of banned pesticides and fungicides. France will soon issue a decree suspending imports of products found to contain prohibited substances, including mancozeb, glufosinate, thiophanate-methyl and carbendazim. Fruits and vegetables such as melons, apples, cherries, strawberries, grapes and potatoes will only be sold if they show no traces of these chemicals.

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said any imported product failing to meet these standards would be barred from entering France. While Germany and Spain support the Mercosur deal, critics in France fear it would lead to cheaper imports, especially beef, that do not comply with EU environmental and food safety rules. The government said protecting farmers, public health and fair competition is non-negotiable and urged the European Commission to extend similar rules across the EU.

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Denmark and Greenland Push Back Against Trump’s Greenland Takeover Remarks

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Denmark and Greenland have urged US President Donald Trump to stop making statements about taking over Greenland after he reiterated his interest in the Arctic island in a recent media interview. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said such remarks were unacceptable, stressing that the United States has no right to annex Greenland or any part of the Danish kingdom.

Trump said the US “needs Greenland” for defence purposes, comments that came shortly after he claimed Washington would run Venezuela following the capture of its president. The remarks sparked concern in Denmark that Greenland, a self-governing Danish territory, could face similar rhetoric or pressure. Frederiksen said the threats were inappropriate toward a close ally and ignored the clear stance of Greenland’s people that the territory is not for sale.

Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen also criticised Trump’s comments as disrespectful, particularly references linking Greenland to military intervention. Greenland’s strategic location and mineral resources have long drawn US interest, and Trump recently appointed a special envoy to the island. While Greenland has the right to seek independence, it remains economically reliant on Denmark, which has been working to strengthen ties with the island while increasing Arctic defence cooperation with the US.

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Tesla Sales Slide Across Europe but Surge to Record in Norway

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Tesla’s vehicle registrations fell sharply in several major European markets in December, underscoring a difficult year for the U.S. electric carmaker across much of the region. Sales dropped 66% in France and 71% in Sweden during the month, while declines were also recorded in Portugal and Spain. The weak performance reflects intensifying competition, an aging model lineup and reputational headwinds linked to Elon Musk’s political statements.

Despite the rollout of cheaper versions of the Model Y and Model 3, Tesla’s European business has yet to recover. For 2025 as a whole, registrations fell 37% in France, 70% in Sweden, 22% in Portugal and 4% in Spain. By November, Tesla’s market share across Europe, Britain and the European Free Trade Association slipped to 1.7% from 2.4% a year earlier, even as overall electric vehicle adoption continued to rise.

In contrast, Tesla enjoyed a standout performance in Norway, where registrations jumped 89% in December to 5,679 vehicles, helping the brand set a new annual sales record in 2025. Tesla captured more than 19% of the market in the country, where nearly all new car sales are electric. The company is due to report its global fourth-quarter delivery figures later on Friday.

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