Torrential rain battered eastern Spain on Monday, killing at least four people in recent days as floodwaters swept away cars, submerged roads and stranded residents. Emergency crews carried out more than 400 rescues in Valencia, where rainfall reached 700 litres per square metre in 24 hours in some areas.

Ukrainian ⁠Foreign Minister ​Andrii Sybiha said on ​Monday that a summit between Russia, China ​and the ‌US would ⁠encourage President Vladimir Putin ‌to prolong the war. The ​Wall Street Journal reported that Putin had proposed a ​summit next month ​with US ​President Donald Trump and Chinese President ​Xi Jinping to negotiate an end to the war on terms ⁠that would favour Moscow. FRANCE 24's Monte Francis reports.

Speed limits on a US military grade satellite system are hindering Ukrainian forces' ability to coordinate drone strikes against Russian forces, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday. Zelensky said frontline units had reported that the Starshield equipment "stops functioning at speeds of 130-160 kilometres (80-100 miles) per hour in various sectors of the front". Separately, a Ukrainian army brigade has announced the rescue of a wounded soldier from the front line using an aerial drone, describing the evacuation as the first of its kind. The brigade published a video showing the drone lowering itself to the ground, before a man in combat gear fastens himself to a winch onboard and is lifted upwards. FRANCE 24's Gulliver Cragg reports from Ukraine.

Ukraine has evacuated a wounded soldier from the front line using an aerial drone in what a Ukrainian army brigade has described as a world-first operation. The successful mission highlights the growing role of unmanned technology in battlefield evacuations as drones continue to shape the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

Europe's increasingly pragmatic engagement with Afghanistan's Taliban rulers is exposing a fundamental contradiction between diplomatic non-recognition and political necessity. In an investigation for The New York Times, Pakistan and Afghanistan bureau chief Elian Peltier reveals how European governments are quietly expanding negotiations with the Taliban over migrant deportations, diplomatic representation and economic assistance. “Even though on paper European governments do not recognise the Taliban administration, in practice they meet much more frequently than most of us know,” Peltier explains. 

Russia on Monday said it carried out a "massive strike" on targets in Kyiv and its region as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied that Washington had paused intelligence sharing with Ukraine and urged its President Volodymyr Zelensky to focus on ending the war.

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has asked regional authorities to impose "partial curfews" in some cities on Monday evening as France reels from two days of unrest that saw town halls burned down and hundreds of businesses looted. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez earlier admitted that police had "lost control" of the protests in several cities, while the Yellow Vest movement called for a new round of protests on Saturday. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on Sunday amid tensions after US President Donald Trump accused Kyiv of resisting peace with Russia. The talks came as both sides exchanged attacks on energy infrastructure, while Washington's easing of Russian sanctions raised concerns among European allies.