Europe

• 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…
• Spain: Sánchez calls snap election to tackle housing crisis, after huge demonstrations 8 October 2026
  Prime minister Pedro Sánchez has called an early general election for 29 November after the Spanish parliament rejected two government decrees intended to address the country’s housing crisis. His Socialist Party governs with the Sumar alliance but lacks a parliamentary majority, leaving it dependent on support from smaller parties. Housing…
• Switzerland: glaciers hit catastrophically by summer heatwaves 8 October 2026
  In one of the most severe annual declines ever recorded, Swiss glaciers have lost an estimated 5.5% of their remaining ice during 2026. A monitoring service has said that a mild winter left less protective snow than usual, while intense heatwaves in May and June rapidly exposed darker glacier ice,…
• France: high school students’ protests causing government huge problems 8 October 2026
  Students across France have been protesting since September over conditions in secondary education, with demonstrations and blockades disrupting hundreds of high schools. They are complaining about shortages of teachers and other staff, deteriorating buildings, overcrowding, lengthy school days, and pressure surrounding the Parcoursup university admissions system. The protests have sometimes…