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Decision paves way for release to a nursing home 15 years after conviction for rape and imprisonment of his daughterJosef Fritzl, the Austrian who raped and incarcerated his daughter in a purpose-built prison beneath his home for 24 years, will be transferred to a regular prison from a prison psychiatric unit, his lawyer has said – paving the way for his release to a...

Moscow says aircraft that went down in border region of Belgorod was carrying prisoners who were to be swappedRussia has accused Kyiv of downing a large military transport plane carrying Ukrainian prisoners of war to an exchange on Wednesday, after a crash in the Belgorod region that killed everyone onboard.Ukraine has neither confirmed nor denied that it hit the plane but said Moscow had...

Arrest at president’s residence of Mariusz Kamiński and Maciej Wąsik, of Law and Justice party, had sparked bitter political rowPoland’s president, Andrzej Duda, said he had pardoned two jailed politicians from the opposition populist Law and Justice (PiS) party, which lost its majority in October elections, and called for their immediate release.The former interior minister Mariusz Kamiński and his ex-deputy, Maciej Wąsik, were imprisoned...

Impetus for change was US supreme court overturning Roe v Wade, while Germany passes law banning harassment of women at abortion clinicsThe French parliament has begun debating moves for France to become the first country in the world to enshrine abortion as a constitutional right, guaranteeing women access to the means to end a pregnancy voluntarily.The justice minister, Éric Dupond-Moretti, told the lower house...

France, Poland and Austria among nine countries where radical rightwing parties predicted to finish firstPopulist “anti-European” parties are heading for big gains in June’s European elections that could shift the parliament’s balance sharply to the right and jeopardise key pillars of the EU’s agenda including climate action, polling suggests.Polling in all 27 EU member states, combined with modelling of how national parties performed in...

Rights of lone minors were not protected, with some deported and others left homeless for monthsSpain, Greece and Hungary have been rebuked by courts for failing to protect the rights of children.It adds to a string of recent rulings that have reprimanded countries across Europe over the treatment of lone minors who are seeking asylum. Continue reading...

At least 130 people also injured, says president, with Kharkiv apartment block and Kyiv sports club among buildings hitRussia-Ukraine war – latest news updatesRussia has carried out a wave of attacks on Ukraine, killing 18 people and injuring more than 130, Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said, with a sports club in central Kyiv one of several civilian buildings damaged.Making his nightly video address on Tuesday,...

Three people questioned on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter after collision in Pamiers, south of Toulouse A woman and her teenage daughter have died in southern France after a car hit a roadblock where they were standing. The blockade had been set up by farmers taking part in growing anti-government protests.The 35-year-old woman and her 14-year-old daughter were killed at 5.45am when a car went...

Vote leaves Hungary as only country still to ratify application made in response to Russian invasion of UkraineEurope live – latest updatesThe Turkish parliament has given its long-awaited approval to Sweden’s membership of Nato, bringing the Nordic country significantly closer to joining the western military alliance after months in limbo.Three months after Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the Turkish president, submitted a bill on approving membership...

Turkey’s parliament to debate Sweden’s Nato bid; US Senate works on compromise for Ukraine aid but Maga Republicans refuse supportThe Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán, said he had invited Sweden’s prime minister to visit and negotiate his country joining the Nato military alliance, a process that Hungary and Turkey have delayed.On X, Orban said:Today I sent an invitation letter to prime minister Ulf Kristersson...

Draft legislation allowing for confiscation of valuables has been backed by main political parties Russia-Ukraine war – latest news updatesA bill to confiscate property and valuables from Ukraine war critics convicted of, among other crimes, “discrediting the Russian army” or calling for foreign sanctions has been drawn up by the Kremlin.The draft legislation to the criminal code was registered in Russia’s State Duma on...

‘Looking for a solution in the Middle East doesn’t mean that we are not continuing supporting Ukraine,’ says Josep BorrellIn an update this morning, the general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces said that during the day yesterday, there were “68 combat engagements.”“The enemy launched a total of four missile strikes and 102 airstrikes, as well as 80 MLRS attacks at the positions of Ukrainian...

In today’s newsletter: Politicians from Germany’s rightwing AfD party have been exposed for plotting with extremists – but will they be banned, or could it see support rise?• Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning. The far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party now polls above 20% in Germany – and it is showing no signs of going away. Earlier this month,...

Former journalist had lived in public eye for almost 30 years as prime suspect in 1996 murder of Sophie Toscan du PlantierIan Bailey, an English former journalist who was the prime suspect in one of Ireland’s most notorious murders, has died near his home in Bantry, County Cork, at the age of 66. He suffered a heart attack on Sunday.Bailey had lived in the...

Cause of fire unknown but drones were reported in area; North Korea’s state media KCNA says Vladimir Putin wants to visit PyongyangSee all our Ukraine war coverageRussian forces have taken control of the village of Krokhmalne in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, Russia’s defence ministry said on Sunday, reports Reuters.No other information has been reported on this story by the news agency. We will update with...