Everything you need to know about visiting Rome and the Vatican following the death of Pope Francis

Travellers to Rome should expect closures, visitor restrictions and crowds at some of the city’s main attractions.

Tourists who have booked to visit Rome in the ...

Swiss pharma giant Roche pledges to invest €47 billion in the US

The investment plans include new R&D sites in four US states and creating more than 12,000 jobs, according to the Swiss pharmaceutical company.

Swiss pharmaceuti...

These tracking holidays offer ‘total immersion’ into the world of Europe’s wolves

Organisers say these wildlife experiences benefit wolf conservation by teaching about peaceful coexistence and habitat preservation.

The Central Apennine ridge, ...

Greece announces €1 billion in financial benefits after posting budget surplus

Greece’s prime minister on Tuesday announced €1 billion in financial benefits for lower-income households and the public investment program, after the country bec...

Croatia remembers tens of thousands of victims of WWII-era concentration camp

Official Croatian data show that more than 83,000 people were killed in the Jasenovac camp while Serbs say the numbers were much higher, possibly in the hundreds ...

Eurozone consumer confidence falls to 18-month lows as tariffs bite

Eurozone consumer confidence hits 18-month low as US tariffs bite. IMF cuts global growth forecasts while Lagarde urges policy flexibility

European households ar...

Why fossil fuels are like renting a home - and solar panel imports soon pay for themselves

Ahead of the IEA’s summit on energy security this week, analysts are emphasising the benefits of solar and wind.

If the world were divided into net fossil fuel i...

Spain to meet NATO 2% defence target by 2025

The Spanish Prime Minister confirmed an additional €10.4 billion investment in defence and security to bring the country's spending from 1.28% of GDP in 2024 to t...

EU Decoded: Is the EU losing the geopolitical race for critical raw minerals?

The EU wants to cut reliance on powers like China for mineral supplies by the end of the decade. As geopolitical tensions boil, EU Decoded asks whether the bloc c...

Gold price hits record high: What’s behind the precious metal’s rally?

Gold prices have surged almost 31% so far this year already, driven by rising safe haven demand and an increasingly volatile global economy.

Gold prices soared b...

The art of Pope Francis: What was the Catholic spiritual leader’s cultural legacy?

From Biennale visits to calls for restitution, the late Pope Francis left an indelible mark on contemporary art and cultural ethics.

When Pope Francis died on E...

Preparations begin for funeral of Pope Francis at St. Mary Major Basilica

In November 2024, Francis reformed the rites to be used for his funeral, simplifying them to emphasise his role as a mere bishop and allowing for burial outside t...

President Zelenskyy honours late Pope Francis as a leading global religious figure

The Ukrainian President confirmed that his country would be officially represented at the late pontiff’s funeral on Saturday.

President Volodymyr Zelensky declar...

Death of Pope Francis: The pontiff and Emmanuel Macron, a complex relationship

Although he had visited France three times, Pope Francis had never granted an official state visit to Paris.

On Tuesday, just a day after the death of Pope Franc...

At least 20 tourists killed as gunmen open fire in India-controlled Kashmir, police say

Kashmir has seen a spate of targeted killings of Hindus, including immigrant workers from Indian states, after New Delhi ended the region’s semi-autonomous status...

Vance and Modi hail positive US-India trade talks amid Trump tariff threat

The US is India's main trading partner, and their bilateral trade stood at €113bn in 2024, with a €39.9bn surplus in favour of New Delhi.

US Vice President JD Va...

Detained Columbia University student misses son's birth after temporary release plea rejected

Mahmoud Khalil, 30, has been held in detention since early March over his involvement in last year's pro-Palestinian campus protests.

Detained Columbia Universit...

Christian Palestinians mourn Pope Francis, an outspoken voice for peace in Gaza

In the last 18 months of his life, Pope Francis frequently called with the only Catholic church in Gaza to see how people huddled inside were coping with the deva...

Mourners await the Pope's funeral and future of the Catholic Church

Cardinals gathered at the Vatican have announced Saturday at 10am as the day and time for Pope Francis' funeral.

Throughout Monday evening and into Tuesday, peop...

Israeli strikes on Gaza kill at least 14 and destroy bulldozers need to clear rubble

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the strikes. The military says it only targets militants and blames civilian deaths on Hamas because t...

Australians begin to cast ballots in early voting ahead of 3 May general elections

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and opposition leader Peter Dutton cancelled campaign events out of respect for Pope Francis who died on Monday.

Australians have...