A large-scale Ukrainian drone attack on Russia's second-largest city Saint Petersburg killed at least one person and hospitalised another five on Sunday. The attack – which also sparked fires at an oil refinery and depot – comes as Kyiv accused Russia of violating Washington's "energy ceasefire" dozens of times.   

President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday slammed the "unbridled" violence that erupted in cost-of-living protests across France, as police battled protesters and looters in new clashes in Paris. Nearly 2,400 people were arrested and at least 1,000 police and gendarmes injured, the interior ministry said. Read our blog to see how the day's events unfolded.

Pope Leo XIV was released from the hospital on Saturday after lung cancer surgery. Doctors removed part of the 71-year-old's right lung last week to extract a cancerous tumour. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that he feared his US counterpart Donald Trump "will continue" lifitng sanctions on Russia. Zelensky's relationship with Trump deteriorated after the Washington eased sanctions on Moscow as part of a diesel-supply deal, despite Russia increasing strikes on Ukraine. 

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama on Friday blamed the involvement of “foreign hands” for escalating protests, which he said are aimed at hindering Albania's bid to join the European Union. Thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets of Albania's capital since Tuesday, demanding Rama’s resignation and denouncing university conditions and high tuition fees.

Pope Leo XIV celebrated a mass at Rome's Gemelli hospital Friday after undergoing surgery to remove a cancerous tumour from his right lung, photos released by the Vatican showed. Doctors said his recovery was progressing normally but that further tests would show whether the cancer had spread.

Critically acclaimed Irish novelist Sally Rooney's announcement that her books could no longer be sold in the UK due to her support for proscribed group Palestine Action has left British booksellers rushing to stock up on her works before distributors run out. The British government's ban on the group, which practiced non-violent direct action and sabotage against UK military assets believed to be working with the Israeli government, makes support for Palestine Action punishable by up to 14 years in prison.

French President Emmanuel Macron said the EU will “not abandon Ukraine and the Ukrainian people” and that Kyiv’s request for extra funds will be examined, while addressing the media at a summit in Brussels Friday. Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked EU leaders to provide Kyiv with an extra €70 billion next year to help with the country's ongoing fight against Russia. Read about the day’s events as they unfolded on our liveblog. 

Nineteen people were injured Thursday when a minibus carrying truck drivers crashed into a vehicle shuttle train at the French entrance to the Channel Tunnel near Calais, forcing a 90-minute suspension of shuttle services. Two people were hospitalised with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, French authorities said.

Paris and Berlin on Friday confirmed their deal aimed at protecting Europe's struggling automotive sector, having reached agreements on the flashpoint issues of EU car emissions and "made in Europe" components. A draft deal reviewed Thursday showed the two countries backing looser EU emissions rules for carmakers.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sought European backing Thursday after vowing to resume strikes on Russian oil refineries despite US President Donald Trump’s demands to stop. Tensions between Kyiv and Washington have escalated in recent days over sanctions, energy infrastructure attacks and restrictions on satellite communications.

NATO will put drone strikes in the Black Sea on its agenda at a meeting next week, officials said Thursday, following two new attacks and the disappearance of seven people. Incidents involving civilian vessels in the Black Sea have been on the rise off the coasts of Bulgaria and Romania in a suspected spillover from Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Clashes broke out between demonstrators and police for the third consecutive day on Thursday in Albania, with Prime Minister Edi Rama condemning the “chaos” that caused damage to government buildings. Thousands of protesters are calling for Rama's resignation and better studying conditions for Albanian students.

Sergei Sokolov, the editor-in-chief of Russia's independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, was detained and taken for questioning on Thursday after authorities searched his home, the newspaper said.

Far-right leader and presidential candidate Marine Le Pen said on Wednesday that France could no longer afford to fund Ukraine, citing the country's high deficit and weak economic growth.

French President Emmanuel Macron urged EU leaders on Thursday to reach a deal on the bloc’s nearly €2 trillion budget by Christmas, warning that elections in France and other European countries in 2027 could leave little room for compromise as divisions deepen over spending priorities and funding.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Brussels Thursday to rally support at a meeting with NATO chief Mark Rutte the same day, and a summit with EU leaders to follow Friday. Earlier, Zelensky asked the United States not to stand with Moscow and called for "honesty" after Kyiv said it had been betrayed by Washington's intelligence-sharing gaps. Follow our liveblog to see how the day's events unfolded.

Anti-government protests in Albania’s capital Tirana turned violent for a second consecutive night on Wednesday, leaving several government buildings damaged and at least one ablaze. As thousands demanded improved university conditions and the government's resignation, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said he would not step down.

Elon Musk’s ⁠SpaceX restricted “military-grade” ​Starlink services overnight into Wednesday, hampering Ukrainian drone strike missions and air defences, Ukraine reported. In response, Musk said that the US government was behind any slowdown in Ukraine's Starshield system. 

The Nord Stream gas pipelines were a political and economic “weapon” for Russia, the lawyer for former Ukrainian officer Sergei Kuznetsov said Wednesday. The first to appear in the high-profile case, Kuznetsov is accused by German prosecutors of having led the plan to sabotage the infrastructure in 2022.