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Asylum Applications in Sweden Fall to 40-Year Low, Government Plans Further Tightening

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Asylum applications in Sweden fell by 30% in 2025, dropping to their lowest level since 1985, the government said on Friday. The right-of-centre minority government, which is supported by the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats, said it intends to further tighten migration and asylum rules this year ahead of a closely contested general election in September.

Since taking office in 2022, the coalition has made reducing asylum numbers a central policy goal, arguing that decades of lenient asylum laws and weak integration under previous governments contributed to rising gang-related crime. Immigration Minister Johan Forssell said the shift was not only about fewer migrants overall, but also about a significant change in the composition of immigration, with asylum-related arrivals now at a record low.

Official data showed total immigration, excluding Ukrainian refugees, declined to 79,684 last year from 82,857 in 2024, with asylum seekers and their families accounting for just 6% of arrivals, down sharply from 31% in 2018. The number of voluntary and forced returns also increased. Forssell said the government plans new legislation to boost returns and tighten citizenship requirements as voters prepare to head to the polls later this year.

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Swiss Prosecutors Question Bar Owners After New Year’s Blaze Kills 40

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Swiss prosecutors on Friday summoned the owners of a ski resort bar where a devastating fire during New Year’s celebrations claimed 40 lives, amid mounting public criticism over their continued freedom. Authorities are investigating the French owners, Jacques and Jessica Moretti, on suspicion of offences including homicide by negligence following the blaze at the “Le Constellation” bar in Crans-Montana.

The couple arrived for questioning at the prosecutor’s office in Sion on a day declared a national day of mourning in Switzerland, but declined to comment to the media. More than half of those killed were teenagers, and at least 116 people were injured, many seriously. In an earlier statement, the Morettis said they were devastated by the tragedy and pledged full cooperation with investigators.

Prosecutors said the legal grounds for detaining the couple have not yet been met. Investigators believe the fire may have started when sparkling candles ignited foam soundproofing on the bar’s basement ceiling. Scrutiny has also intensified over safety oversight, with the local mayor acknowledging missed inspections. Victims included nationals from Switzerland, France and Italy, and leaders from France and Italy were expected to attend a memorial ceremony to honour the dead.

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Euro Zone Ends 2025 on Steadier Footing as Retail Sales and German Industry Improve

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The euro zone economy showed fresh signs of resilience at the end of 2025, with retail sales outperforming expectations and German industrial activity picking up, according to data released on Friday. Retail sales across the bloc rose 0.2% in November, slightly above forecasts, while annual growth of 2.3% was driven by strong upward revisions to earlier data. Spain continued to outperform peers, while France also posted above-trend growth, even as Germany lagged behind the regional average.

Despite lingering global trade disruptions, the euro zone grew faster in 2025 than many economists had anticipated, suggesting households and businesses are adapting to economic shocks. Analysts noted that inflation hovering around 2% has created a favourable environment, aligning with the European Central Bank’s policy goals. While the ECB has already delivered multiple rate cuts to support growth, economists expect further easing to be limited as the recovery remains modest rather than robust.

Germany’s industrial sector offered cautious optimism, with output rising 0.8% month-on-month and industrial orders surging 5.6%, boosted by large contracts. Government plans to ramp up spending on defence, infrastructure and housing are expected to further lift confidence and growth into 2026. However, exports remain a weak spot, particularly shipments to the United States, which fell sharply after new tariffs were imposed, dragging German exports down by 2.5% in November and reducing the country’s trade surplus.

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Five Spanish Citizens Freed in Venezuelan Prisoner Release

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Spain confirmed that Venezuela has freed five Spanish citizens, including Venezuelan-Spanish human rights activist Rocío San Miguel, in a move amid Caracas’s ongoing political upheaval. Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said the group — also comprising Andrés Martínez, José María Basoa, Ernesto Gorbe and Miguel Moreno — is set to return to Spain with embassy support, a decision Madrid called a “positive step.” San Miguel, a lawyer and prominent critic of the Venezuelan government, had been detained since February 2024, drawing international condemnation.

The releases came after Venezuela’s National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez announced that a “significant number” of foreign and Venezuelan prisoners would be freed, framing the gesture as part of efforts to seek peace following recent turmoil. Yet rights groups and families of detainees reported that many Venezuelan political prisoners remain behind bars despite the announcement, with continued uncertainty outside detention centers.

The broader context involves heightened tensions after U.S. forces captured former President Nicolás Maduro in a military operation, prompting political shifts in Caracas. Opposition figures have long demanded the release of political detainees, while human rights organizations estimate hundreds remain imprisoned for their activism or dissent.

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Spain’s Catholic Church Signs Deal to Compensate Abuse Victims

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Spain’s Roman Catholic Church has reached an agreement with the government to compensate victims of sexual abuse by clergy members. The new accord allows the government to manage compensation for cases where legal action is no longer possible due to the statute of limitations or the death of the accused, expanding access for victims. Justice Minister Félix Bolaños described the move as addressing a “historic, moral debt” to survivors.

Under the agreement, victims can submit their cases to a new agency within the justice ministry, which will coordinate with the ombudsman’s office to propose reparations. The Church must approve these proposals, which can be symbolic, psychological, or financial, with the institution responsible for execution. The arrangement ensures greater oversight and transparency compared to the Church’s previous internal reparation scheme, which faced criticism from victims and advocacy groups.

The move follows widespread complaints and research suggesting that hundreds of thousands of Spaniards have suffered abuse by Church figures, with cases documented as far back as the 1940s. Similar redress programs in European countries offer financial compensation ranging from €6,000 to €63,000 per victim, providing a reference for potential payouts under Spain’s new system.

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Pope Leo Urges Cardinals to Foster a More Inclusive Church

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Pope Leo XIV convened a two-day summit with 170 of the world’s 245 Catholic cardinals on Thursday, calling on senior clerics to avoid divisions and focus on attracting new believers to the 1.4-billion-member Church. He emphasized that the Church’s growth depends on spreading a message of God’s love for all and warned that division scatters while unity attracts.

The pope signaled continuity with the reforms of his predecessor, Pope Francis, who faced resistance from conservative cardinals while seeking to make Catholicism more inclusive, including welcoming LGBTQ Catholics and exploring women’s ordination. Leo encouraged the cardinals to work collectively to respond to the needs and desires of the Catholic faithful worldwide.

Opening his first full year as Church leader, Leo asked the cardinals for advice on priorities for the next two years, while urging them to keep discussions private for candid dialogue. British Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe highlighted the importance of unity, stressing that internal quarrels render the cardinals ineffective in supporting the Pope’s mission.

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French Farmers Block Paris Over Mercosur Trade Deal

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French farmers staged a pre-dawn blockade of roads and landmarks in Paris to protest the European Union’s proposed trade agreement with South American Mercosur nations. Members of the Coordination Rurale union, joined later by FNSEA and young farmers’ groups, drove tractors along the Champs Élysées and around the Arc de Triomphe, causing traffic jams stretching up to 150 km, while police maintained a calm presence.

Protesters voiced concerns that the Mercosur deal would flood Europe with cheap food imports, undermining domestic agriculture, and criticized the government’s handling of the lumpy skin disease outbreak, advocating vaccination instead of culling. Senior union member Stephane Pelletier described farmers as feeling abandoned and betrayed by the trade accord.

The demonstration adds pressure on President Emmanuel Macron ahead of an EU member vote expected Friday. While Paris secured some concessions, the deal remains politically sensitive, with municipal elections approaching and strong opposition from the far right. France has vowed to continue opposing the agreement in the European Parliament if it is approved.

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Meloni Condemns Political Violence After Attack on Party Activists

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Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called for an end to political violence after four activists from her party’s youth wing, Gioventù Nazionale, were attacked in Rome on the 48th anniversary of the 1978 killings of three neofascist militants in Via Acca Larentia. Witnesses said the activists were assaulted while putting up commemorative posters, and their car windscreen was smashed, though none were seriously hurt.

Meloni described the 1978 deaths as “a painful page in the history of our nation,” referring to a period of terrorism and political hatred in which much innocent blood was shed. She emphasized that political violence, in all its forms, is never justifiable and must never be repeated, urging Italians to choose respect, dialogue, and civil coexistence.

The Via Acca Larentia commemoration has historically drawn far-right participants performing Roman salutes, a practice linked to Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party roots in the neofascist Italian Social Movement (MSI). While her party denies ties to fascism, Meloni has repeatedly condemned those idolizing Italy’s fascist past and stressed that such actions threaten democracy.

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Berlin Blackout Sparks Fresh Fears Over Germany’s Vulnerability to Sabotage

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Power is being restored to the last homes affected by a five-day blackout in Berlin, believed to have been caused by an arson attack during sub-zero temperatures. The outage, reportedly the longest in the capital’s post-war history, left an estimated 100,000 people without electricity in south-west districts including Steglitz-Zehlendorf. Schools, hospitals and care homes were among the facilities impacted, with hospitals forced to rely on emergency generators and some schools closing temporarily.

Residents described struggling through the freezing conditions, cooking on camping stoves and relying on battery-powered radios for information. Emergency services patrolled neighbourhoods to update residents as electricity was restored gradually. The incident followed the discovery of burning cables near a gas-fired power plant, after which a far-left militant group known as Vulkangruppe appeared to claim responsibility, saying it targeted the fossil fuel industry. A later online statement, however, distanced the group’s founders from the attack.

The blackout has reignited debate over Germany’s vulnerability to sabotage, whether by domestic or foreign actors. Federal prosecutors are investigating the incident as a possible terrorism offence, including charges related to sabotage and disruption of public services. The episode has added urgency to proposed legislation aimed at strengthening protections for critical infrastructure, with a long-delayed “Kritis” bill currently under parliamentary consideration.

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Trump Administration Drops Daily Alcohol Limits in New U.S. Dietary Guidelines

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The Trump administration has removed long-standing limits on daily alcohol consumption from the new 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, no longer advising men to limit intake to two drinks a day and women to one. Instead, the updated guidance broadly encourages Americans to drink less to improve health. The change is part of a wider overhaul of federal nutrition advice that influences healthcare guidance, school meal standards and public policy.

Senior administration officials said the previous limits were not backed by strong scientific evidence. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said there was never reliable data to support specific daily drink thresholds and argued that, at best, alcohol should be consumed sparingly and socially. The updated guidelines also emphasize higher protein intake, reduced sugar consumption and avoiding ultra-processed foods, aligning with the administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda.

The move has drawn criticism from public health and advocacy groups, who warn that removing clear benchmarks could encourage heavier drinking. Organizations including the U.S. Alcohol Policy Alliance argue the change could harm public health, while bodies such as the World Health Organization maintain that even low levels of alcohol raise health risks, including cancer. The debate follows years of conflicting research on moderate drinking and comes amid evidence that Americans are already drinking less than in previous decades.

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