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Fresh Garda Search Launched for Missing Irish Women

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Irish police (Gardaí) have begun a new search operation in County Wicklow as part of ongoing investigations into the disappearances and suspected murders of Josephine “Jo Jo” Dullard and Deirdre Jacob, two young women who vanished in the 1990s. The search, on open ground near the Wicklow–Kildare border, will include excavation, technical and forensic examinations over the coming days, police said in a statement. Officials emphasised that the investigation remains active and that resources from state technical and forensic teams are supporting the operation.

Dullard, then 21, was last seen on 9 November 1995 in Moone, County Kildare, as she was trying to make her way home to Kilkenny after socialising in Dublin. Her case was upgraded from a missing person inquiry to a murder investigation in 2020. Jacob, who was 18 when she disappeared on 28 July 1998, was last seen near her family home in Newbridge, County Kildare, and her disappearance was reclassified as a murder inquiry in 2018.

An Garda Síochána said it continues to “keep an open mind” on both investigations and urged anyone with information, however small, to contact Garda stations or the confidential line. Families of Dullard and Jacob have been kept fully informed of developments, police added, while the Serious Crime Review Team and the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation lead the search with local support.

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Volkswagen Targets 20% Cost Reduction by 2028 Amid Market Pressures

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Volkswagen AG plans to cut costs by 20% across all its brands by the end of 2028, according to a report by Manager Magazin. The move comes as Europe’s largest carmaker grapples with rising production expenses, stiff competition in China, and the impact of U.S. tariffs. CEO Oliver Blume and CFO Arno Antlitz reportedly presented a sweeping savings strategy to top executives at a closed-door meeting in Berlin last month.

A company spokesperson said Volkswagen has already achieved double-digit billion-euro savings through a group-wide efficiency programme launched three years ago. However, details on where further cuts will be made remain unclear, with potential plant closures reportedly discussed. The company’s works council chief, Daniela Cavallo, pointed to a 2024 agreement that ruled out plant closures and operational layoffs, stressing that competitiveness measures would be implemented with socially responsible safeguards.

Volkswagen is also in the process of cutting 35,000 jobs in Germany by 2030, while its core brand aims to streamline management and consolidate production platforms to save around 1 billion euros. German carmakers, including Mercedes-Benz Group AG, face mounting pressure from price wars in China and the costly transition to electric vehicles, even as they pledge long-term commitments to efficiency and low-emission mobility.

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Ex-Ukraine Energy Minister Detained in $100 Million ‘Midas’ Kickback Scandal

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Ukraine’s anti-corruption authorities have detained former energy minister German Galushchenko on accusations of laundering millions of dollars in kickbacks linked to the so-called “Midas” case. Investigators allege the scheme involved around $100 million in bribes at state nuclear company Energoatom. Galushchenko, who served as energy minister from 2021 to 2025 and briefly as justice minister before resigning last year, was reportedly stopped while attempting to leave the country. He denies wrongdoing.

According to Ukraine’s anti-corruption agency National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and its prosecutorial partner SAPO, more than $7 million was transferred into foreign accounts naming Galushchenko’s wife and four children as beneficiaries. Prosecutors say some of the funds were used to pay for elite schooling in Switzerland, while other sums were placed in deposits generating additional income for the family. The broader probe has implicated senior officials and business figures, including associates of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

The scandal has shaken Kyiv’s wartime leadership and raised concerns among Western allies supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russia. The investigation previously led to high-level political fallout, including changes within the presidential administration. As Ukraine pushes for closer integration with the European Union, tackling entrenched corruption remains a central condition for advancing its reform agenda.

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UK and European Allies Blame Russia for Navalny’s Death, Cite Rare Dart Frog Toxin

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The UK and several European allies have accused Russia of killing opposition leader Alexei Navalny using epibatidine, a rare toxin derived from South American dart frogs. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said analysis of material samples found on Navalny’s body showed the presence of the toxin, arguing that only the Russian state had the means, motive and opportunity to deploy it during his imprisonment in a Siberian penal colony. A joint statement by the UK, France, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands held Moscow responsible.

Epibatidine is an extremely potent neurotoxin, estimated to be far stronger than morphine, and can cause paralysis, seizures, respiratory failure and death. It is naturally found in certain wild dart frogs in South America and is not known to occur in Russia. The UK has informed the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons of what it describes as a breach of the Chemical Weapons Convention. Russia, through state media and officials, has dismissed the claims as part of an “information campaign”.

Navalny, a prominent anti-corruption campaigner and critic of President Vladimir Putin, died on 16 February 2024 at the age of 47 while serving a prison sentence. He had previously survived a Novichok poisoning in 2020 before returning to Russia, where he was arrested. His widow, Yulia Navalnaya, welcomed the latest findings, saying they confirmed her long-held belief that her husband had been poisoned and murdered.

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EU Not Ready to Set Ukraine Membership Date, Says Kaja Kallas

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European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said EU governments are not prepared to give Ukraine a concrete date for joining the bloc, despite Kyiv’s push for one as part of future security guarantees. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Kallas said member states believe significant work remains before any timeline can be set, underlining that EU accession is a merit-based and lengthy process.

Ukraine, led by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has been pressing for a 2027 membership target, with diplomats saying the date was floated in discussions involving the European Union, the United States, and Ukraine as part of a broader peace framework. However, many EU capitals view any fixed date as unrealistic while Ukraine is still aligning its laws and institutions with EU standards amid an ongoing war with Russia.

Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics echoed Kallas’ remarks, saying there was little appetite among EU leaders to commit to a date and expressing scepticism about the prospects of an imminent peace deal. He added that any special arrangement for Ukraine would also need to consider long-standing candidates such as Western Balkans states and Moldova, while noting that opposition from Hungary continues to slow the launch of detailed accession talks.

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L’Oréal Seeks Earlier Access to Gucci Beauty Licence as Kering and Coty Hold Talks

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French cosmetics giant L’Oréal would welcome taking over the Gucci beauty licence before its current 2028 expiry, chief executive Nicolas Hieronimus said, confirming that discussions are under way between Gucci owner Kering and present licence holder Coty. Speaking at an analyst conference, Hieronimus said L’Oréal would be “happy to get the brand sooner,” but stressed that negotiations do not directly involve his company.

The Gucci beauty licence was a key element in a broader deal struck last year between Kering and L’Oréal, sources have said. While Gucci is one of the world’s most recognisable luxury brands, analysts view its beauty segment as underdeveloped. The licence currently remains with Coty until 2028, though Coty’s new chief executive has said the company is open to value-creating deals for shareholders. Both Kering and Coty declined to comment on the ongoing talks.

Kering sold its beauty division, centred on fragrance brand Creed, to L’Oréal for €4 billion last October, a transaction widely seen as paving the way for closer cooperation around Gucci. Industry sources have said L’Oréal’s main strategic interest lay in securing the Gucci beauty licence rather than Creed itself. Earlier attempts by Kering to buy out Coty’s licence were rebuffed, and the issue remains unresolved as all sides work towards a potential agreement.

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Two Britons Killed in French Alps Avalanche Near Val d’Isère

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Two British men and one French national have died after an avalanche swept through the Manchet valley near Val d’Isère in the French Alps. The Britons were part of a group of five skiing off-piste with an instructor when the avalanche struck on Friday morning, while the French victim was skiing alone, according to local prosecutors. Another British skier sustained minor injuries and was treated at the scene.

The UK Foreign Office said it was aware of the deaths and was in contact with French authorities to provide consular assistance. Albertville prosecutor Benoit Bachelet confirmed that a manslaughter investigation has been opened and will be handled by specialist mountain rescue police. The ski instructor involved was unharmed and tested negative for alcohol and drugs.

The avalanche followed heavy snowfall linked to Storm Nils, which dumped up to a metre of snow across parts of the Alps, leaving the snowpack highly unstable. Météo-France had issued a red alert for avalanche risk in the Savoie region a day earlier, warning of dangerous conditions. Authorities say several fatal avalanches have occurred this winter, underscoring the ongoing risks of off-piste skiing despite lifted alerts.

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Merz Warns Rules-Based World Order Has Collapsed at Munich Security Conference

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Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz has warned that the rules-based world order “no longer exists,” urging Europe to prepare for sacrifices in an era dominated by great-power politics. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Merz said Europe’s freedom was no longer guaranteed and acknowledged a “deep divide” between Europe and the United States, citing growing tensions over trade, values, and security.

His remarks came amid strains in transatlantic relations following actions and rhetoric by US President Donald Trump, including threats to annex Greenland and the imposition of tariffs on European goods. Merz rejected protectionism and criticised the ideological influence of the Maga movement, while still appealing for renewed cooperation with Washington. He also revealed confidential discussions with Emmanuel Macron on the possibility of a joint European nuclear deterrent.

The conference, attended by around 50 world leaders, is also focused on the war in Ukraine, relations with China, and questions over US commitment to NATO. Addressing delegates later, Macron urged Europe to accelerate rearmament and become a stronger geopolitical actor, calling Russia’s war against Ukraine an “existential challenge.” Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the moment as a “new era in geopolitics,” underlining the scale of global realignment now under way.

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Eighth Storm Claims Life in Spain as Extreme Weather Batters Iberian Peninsula

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A 46-year-old woman has died in Barcelona after being struck by debris from a warehouse roof torn off by powerful winds, as the eighth major storm of the year swept across Spain and Portugal, according to officials. The woman succumbed to her injuries in hospital early Friday. Repeated bouts of heavy rain, strong gales, snow, and thunderstorms have caused widespread damage, forcing mass evacuations and disrupting daily life across the Iberian Peninsula.

Spain’s Agriculture Minister Luis Planas described the succession of storms as “truly extraordinary,” warning that authorities must assess whether such events could become more frequent. Around 14,000 hectares of farmland—including berries, citrus fruits, and olives—have already been damaged. Data from AEMET shows Spain has received 38% more rainfall than average since October, heightening concerns over infrastructure resilience and agricultural losses.

In Portugal, authorities in the historic city of Coimbra warned of possible severe flooding along the Mondego River, with up to 9,000 residents at risk of evacuation as reservoirs neared capacity. Schools and universities were closed, and similar measures were taken in parts of southern Spain, including Andalusia, where thousands have already been displaced. Forecasts also warned of intense rainfall in areas such as Grazalema, underscoring the continued threat of flooding and landslides.

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Spain Detects New African Swine Fever Cases Outside Barcelona Zone

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Spain has confirmed two new cases of African swine fever in wild boar outside the initial outbreak area near Barcelona, marking the first spread beyond the original containment zone. Regional authorities in Catalonia said the infections were detected near the western towns of El Papiol and Molins de Rei in the Barcelona metropolitan area, prompting tighter restrictions on the movement of people and livestock.

The initial outbreak occurred in the Collserola hills north of Barcelona — Spain’s first such incident since 1994 — and has so far not affected any pork farms. Catalan agriculture chief Oscar Ordeig said the spread southward was anticipated, noting that wild boar movement made containment challenging. Authorities emphasized that African swine fever does not pose a risk to humans but spreads rapidly among pigs and wild boar.

New measures include intensified disinfection protocols, systematic collection of boar carcasses, drone surveillance, and assessments of wild boar population density in affected areas. Spain, the European Union’s top pork producer, accounts for roughly a quarter of the bloc’s output, with annual exports valued at about 3.5 billion euros. Officials said the latest cases will primarily impact the two affected towns as containment efforts continue.

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