Europe

• Lithuania: huge illegal synthetic drugs operation uncovered by police 23 October 2026
  Lithuanian police have uncovered one of the largest synthetic drug laboratories in the Baltic region, seizing substantial quantities of illegal substances and chemicals near Vilnius. Investigators recovered more than 500 kg of methamphetamine, 300 kg of amphetamine, 4.5 kg of synthetic cathinone, and over 3,000 litres of materials used to…
• Vatican: Pope Leo's successful cancer treatment 23 October 2026
  Pope Leo XIV will not require further cancer treatment following surgery to remove a malignant growth from his right lung, according to doctors at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital. Tests confirmed that the 71-year-old pontiff had a localised lung adenocarcinoma, which was successfully removed during a ninety-minute operation on 13 October. Surgeons…
• Russia / Ukraine: Putin's 'willingness' to resume peace talks as war continues 23 October 2026
  Vladimir Putin has indicated that Moscow is willing to resume trilateral peace negotiations with Ukraine and the USA after 10 November. His comments followed three hours of talks in St Petersburg with American envoy Steve Witkoff, who previously met Volodymyr Zelensky in Norway. Both sides have reportedly accepted the principle…
• Bulgaria: PM summons Russian ambassador after drone attacks on ships 15 October 2026
  Rumen Radev, Bulgaria’s prime minister, has summoned Russia’s ambassador following drone attacks on two merchant ships near its Black Sea coast. The Guinea-Bissau-flagged HS Dignity sank approximately 31 kilometres offshore, with six crew members rescued and ten missing. All fifteen crew members aboard the Ukrainian-owned Chelsea-3 were rescued, although five…
• France: hackers attack supermarkets, causing huge loss of frozen food 15 October 2026
  More than five hundred French supermarkets have suffered cyberattacks targeting internet-connected refrigeration systems, causing extensive food spoilage and millions of euros in losses. Hackers reportedly accessed equipment remotely, raising refrigerator and freezer temperatures to 50°C overnight, sometimes damaging machinery or causing fires. Investigators believe the attacks exploited vulnerabilities in older…