Europe

    Firefighters assess the wreckage of a van that burst into flames following a crash on the A16 in northern France, killing the driver. A van driver has died near Calais after refugees blockaded a motorway with tree trunks, causing a crash in which the vehicle caught fire. The vehicle, reportedly registered in Poland, ignited early on Tuesday morning after ploughing into a lorry that had been forced to stop because of the obstruction. French authorities said it was the first time such a makeshift roadblock had caused the death of a driver since the arrival of large numbers of refugees in the area in 2014. Related: Refugees start to gather in Calais again, months after camp was closed The accident happened at about 3.45am on the A16 motorway near Guemps, a farming community f...

    A huge forest fire in central Portugal killed at least 25 people and injured 20 others, most of them burning to death in their cars, the government said Sunday. Several hundred firefighters and 160 vehicles were dispatched late Saturday to tackle the blaze, which broke out in the afternoon in the municipality of Pedrogao Grande before spreading fast across several fronts. ‘Unfortunately this seems to be the greatest tragedy we have seen in recent years in terms of forest fires,’ the visibly moved Prime Minister Antonio Costa said. ‘The number of fatalities could still rise,’ he said at the Civil Protection headquarters near Lisbon. ‘The priority now is to save those people who could still be in danger.’ Portugal was sweltering under a severe heatwave Saturday, with tempera...

    Facing a wave of popular unrest not seen in Russia in years, President Vladi¬mir Putin took to the nation’s airwaves Thursday for his annual call-in show that gives Russians the chance to take up their problems directly with the Kremlin leader. Direct Line with the President is airing just three days after tens of thousands of people turned out in more than 180 cities across Russia to express their dissatisfaction with the Russian government, the most widespread protest in the country since Putin returned to the presidency in 2012. But barring an unforeseen but not unprecedented glitch, don’t expect anyone to truly put Putin on the spot. The event is highly choreographed to show the Russian leader as a man who understands the lives of his citizens, especially their mistrus...

    Theresa May is battling to survive in power at home and abroad: at home trying to build a Commons majority and in Europe starting Brexit negotiations. Before joining French President Emmanuel Macron to watch England get beaten 3-2 by France in Paris, she insisted she will not need extra time to negotiate Brexit. Speaking alongside the President at the Elysee Palace, she said: "I confirmed to President Macron that the timetable for the Brexit negotiation remains on course and will begin next week." But Mr Macron appeared to suggest the UK could change its mind about Brexit, saying: "Of course the door remains open, always open, until the Brexit negotiations come to an end." The PM's predecessor David Cameron, meanwhile, claimed in Poland that there would be "pressure for a ...

    The UK risks a cliff edge no deal withdrawal from the EU if it wastes more time before beginning its Brexit negotiations, the European Union's chief Brexit negotiator has warned. Michel Barnier, whose department within the European Commission has spent months preparing for Brexit, said: I can't negotiate with myself. My preoccupation is that time is passing, it is passing quicker than anyone believes because the subjects we have to deal with are extraordinarily complex, he said in an interview with a select group of European newspapers including Britain's Financial Times. The interview is Mr Barnier's first since being appointed the European Union's point man on Brexit. Theresa May's disastrous election result has thrown the Brexit negotiations into question with no clear ...

    It's thought the measure of a passport's power is the number of countries it allows its holder to travel to without applying for a visa. Based on this, German passports - held by millions - have the most clout, allowing their citizens to go to a total of 176 countries out of 218, visa-free. While millions don't hold a passport for the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, it is precisely their rarity which makes them so special. Only three are issued at any one time. These go to the three highest officers in the Catholic order: the grand master, deputy grand master, and chancellor. So what is the medieval order? Its full name reads the 'Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta.' It originated as the Crusader Knights Hospitaller in...

    Four people have been killed after a man barricaded himself in his house and opened fire on passers-by near Moscow. Reports from Russian media suggest that the man hit at least five people in the shooting, before turning on police officers after he managed to escape from the property. According to one source, the suspect fired at security forces and threw two grenades. An Interior Ministry spokeswoman told RIA Novosti: "Police have currently pinned down the suspect's location. The police and National Guard are all taking measure to disarm him. Police said of the four people killed, two were found dead in the suspect's home, although it is not clear how they died. At least one officer is suffering from a shrapnel wound after storming the house. One victim, a woman, died in ...

    Russia has invited Pakistan to invest in the Sukhohi Super Fighter Jet project being developed by Russia which is the fifth generation fighter jet project developed by Moscow. Russian minister for industry and trade Denis Valentinovich Manturov offered Pakistani counter part on the sidelines of St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) held from June 1-3. Pakistani Minister Jatoi urged Russia to take benefit from Pakistan’s investment friendly policies and the progress made in large-scale industries. The meeting aimed at enhancing bilateral cooperation in industrial sector between both the countries. The minister also invited Denis Manturov to visit Pakistan. Manturov proposed the minister to invest in Sukhoi Superjet Project. He also apprised the minister on fina...

    Police in Germany have evacuated the Rock Am Ring music festival after receiving a terror threat. The major event was cleared out on Friday evening after police in the nearby city of Koblenz said they had received information about a "concrete threat". "Due to a terrorist threat the police have advised us to interrupt the festival,” organisers said on the festival website. Around 90,000 music fans were expected to attend the annual three-day event by the end of the weekend. The German band Rammstein was the Friday night headliner, but hadn't yet started playing. Festival organisers say they hope to be able to go ahead with the programme Saturday. Festival-goers were told to move to the camping area after being told of the evacuation. Authorities took the precautionary meas...

    Leo Varadkar is the new leader of Fine Gael and on course to become Ireland’s first gay Taoiseach. The Social Protection Minister got the support of 51 TDs, senators and MEP to get over the line despite losing the popular vote. Simon Coveney has won 65pc of the membership of the Fine Gael party in a major blow to Mr Varadkar. Massive cheers greeted Mr Varadkar as he arrived at the count centre in the Mansion House shortly before the result was declared. Irish Independent Counting underway at the National count centre for the Fine Gael leadeship election Pic:Mark Condren In total 10,842 of the party’s 21,000 member voted, with 7,051 siding with the Cork candidate. Some 3,772 voted for Mr Varadkar. There were 19 spoiled votes. Mr Varadkar won the votes of 123 councillors, ag...