Europe Today: Trump's State of the Union; EU leaders weigh options on Ukraine

Tune in to Euronews' new flagship morning programme at 8 am Brussels time. In just 20 minutes, we bring you up to speed on the biggest news of the day.

South Korea and the US to conduct Freedom Shield military drills in March

SEOUL, Feb 25 - South Korea and the United States will conduct major joint military drills known as Freedom Shield from March 9 to 19, military officials from the countries said on Wednesday.

India's Modi visits Israel as US-Iran tensions mount

By Alexander Cornwell JERUSALEM, Feb 25 (Reuters) - India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Israel on Wednesday for a two-day visit that both countries have cast as a chance to deepen relations, as regional concerns mount over the risk of military conflict between the

New computation method for climate extremes: Researchers at the University of Graz reveal tenfold increase of heat over Europe

How much will heat, flooding, drought and storms increase as a result of human-induced climate change? In a groundbreaking study, climate researcher Gottfried Kirchengast and his team at the University of Graz have developed a new method for computing the hazards from extreme

Five takeaways from President Trump’s State of the Union address

President Trump delivered the first official State of the Union address of his second term on Tuesday. The speech came with the president beset by low approval ratings, especially on the economy, but seeking to rally his party ahead of November’s midterms. Trump also gave his

Japan PM Takaichi under pressure over gifts to MPs

More than 300 lawmakers were given the option to choose an item from a gift catalogue "as an expression of appreciation for their success at this very tough election", said Sanae Takaichi on X, adding that no taxpayer money was used.

Germany wants deeper, fairer economic cooperation with China, Chancellor Merz tells Chinese premier Li

BEIJING, Feb 25 - China and Germany want to deepen cooperation, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Chinese Premier Li Qiang said in Beijing on Wednesday, as Merz began a visit aimed at resetting ties against the backdrop of a widening trade imbalance.

From felt to flesh: Why young Kazakhs are turning traditional ornaments into tattoos

What was once woven into carpets and carved into wood is now being etched onto skins of a new generation. For many young people, it is a way to reclaim identity, to reconnect with cultural roots and to transform inherited symbols into something deeply personal.

Malaysia blocks same-sex dating sites Grindr and Blued, mulls legal measures to curb LGBTQ+ dating apps

Communications minister Fahmi Fadzil said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission has not received requests to remove the mobile application versions of Grindr and Blued from app stores, noting challenges due to such apps being foreign-owned.

Bug beats: Caterpillars use complex rhythms to communicate with ants

Research from the University of Warwick has revealed that butterfly caterpillars use sophisticated rhythmic signals to communicate with ants, helping them gain protection, food, and access to ant nests. The work appears in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.

‘Project Hail Mary’ First Reactions: Ryan Gosling Is a ‘Shining Star’ in Christopher Miller and Phil Lord’s ‘Must-See Space Odyssey’

“Project Hail Mary” has been unveiled to members of the film press ahead of its March 20 release, and first reactions are calling Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s sci-fi comedy a “must-see space odyssey” that may prove to be a “major awards player” come Oscar time next year.

Bangladesh First: BNP’s path to a winning foreign policy

The new government in Bangladesh begins its tenure with an unusually crowded foreign policy inbox. The swearing-in of Tarique Rahman as prime minister on February 17, 2026, marks the end of a turbulent transition. Following a commanding mandate in the February 12 general

Australian police arrest two over alleged kidnapping, murder of grandfather

Videos and photos obtained by local media have reportedly shown Mr Baghsarian with serious injuries.

Are ‘microwave safe’ labels misleading? New report exposes health and environmental harms

Microwave meals are convenient – but a new report reveals just how much they could be harming our health and the planet.

How to read your phone’s air quality index: Health risks and safety tips

What does an air quality index of 7 mean? How does this affect health, and what measures can be taken?

Is social media addictive by design and can you beat the algorithm?

Social media features such as infinite scroll and personalised feeds can drive compulsive use. Experts argue that Big Tech should change its business models for meaningful change.

Latest news bulletin | February 25th, 2026 – Morning

Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond this February 25th, 2026 - latest news, breaking news, World, Business, Entertainment, Politics, Culture, Travel.

Must-see sights on La Voie Bleue – Europe’s top cycling route for 2026

The 700km-long journey from Luxembourg to Lyon ‘showcases France at its finest’, passing through villages, vineyards and heritage sites.

Group expands legal claim over South West Water sewage pollution

Thousands more people across Devon and Cornwall could join case against water firm A group legal claim against South West Water alleging sewage pollution into coastal waters is harming businesses and individuals has been expanded across Devon and Cornwall. Thousands more

Keeping a beat wins caterpillars friends in low places

Finding a caterpillar with rhythm was “mind-blowing,” suggesting it might be a more widespread part of animal communication than thought.

Four years after start of bitter war, EU 'reaffirms' its support for Ukraine

NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, will participate in a ceremony at NATO HQ in Brussels this week to commemorate the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The visit by the former Dutch PM marks a week of similar events in Brussels and elsewhere which all aim to

BBC sees damage in Puerto Vallarta after Mexican cartel violence

BBC's Will Grant visits Puerto Vallarta, a popular coastal resort town, to see the damage.

Analysis: Trump issues patriotic rallying cry with eye on crucial elections

The BBC's Anthony Zurcher says the US president appealed to his base and taunted his opponents in a marathon speech.

Australian police to return posters seized from bar over banned symbols

Police said the posters did not meet some “aspects” of the legislation.

Senegal PM proposes tougher anti-LGBT law, doubling prison terms

The bill seeks prison terms of five to ten years for what it describes as "acts against nature".

Former Malaysia PM’s wife Rosmah Mansor fails in bid to recuse apex court judges

The hearing for her case was also pushed to March 3 because of her absence from court on Feb 25.

Photos: President Trump's State of the Union address

'Buoyant' Hong Kong economy spurs fiscal deficit turnaround, budget shows

The city is also redoubling its focus on the technology and artificial intelligence sector to bolster integration with mainland China's five-year plan.

5 stand-out moments from Trump’s State of the Union address

President Trump pitched his vision of a “golden age of America” in record-length remarks to Congress on Tuesday, touting his administration's wins and attacking rival Democrats as he weathers poor approval numbers and frustrations over the economy. The president declared the

Spanberger rips Trump over affordability, immigration in Democratic response to SOTU

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) ripped President Trump over issues around affordability and immigration as she delivered the Democratic response to the president’s State of the Union address on Tuesday night. Spanberger, a former CIA officer and House lawmaker elected

Trump defends immigration crackdowns and tariffs in longest-ever State of the Union address

Addressing a joint session of Congress, US President Donald Trump met repeated standing ovations from Republicans, while Democrats remained seated in protest and sometimes heckled.

‘Wisecrack,’ Pablo Torre Win Top Ambies Awards for Audio Entertainment

“Wisecrack,” an innovative true-crime podcast revolving around comedian Edd Hedges, won the top prize of podcast of the year Tuesday night in Brooklyn at the sixth annual The Ambies awards ceremony honoring excellence in audio content. The iHeartPodcasts series, hosted by

Chinese dance group's tour triggers bomb threat against Australian PM

The group was told to cancel its performances or explosives would be set off at Anthony Albanese's house.

Johnson: Democrats 'brought shame upon their party' with State of the Union heckling

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Tuesday said Democrats who heckled and shouted at President Trump during the State of the Union "brought shame upon their party and upon themselves." Trump's address was marked by clashes with Democrats over race, crime, immigration and other

Australia police make arrests over alleged murder of grandfather mistakenly kidnapped

Police have said 85-year-old Chris Baghsarian was not the intended target of the alleged crime.

Another California wine giant shuts site and axes staff as chaos rips across Napa Valley

Another giant in the world famous wine growing region is shutting down and slashing staff.

India PM Modi heads to Israel to ‘strengthen cooperation’

New Delhi has steadily expanded cooperation with Israel across the several sectors.

Albanese tells Australia to 'turn the heat down' after bomb threat

The threat was reportedly linked to a Chinese dance troupe banned in China that is due to perform in Australia.

Humans – not Mimmo the dolphin – need managing in Venice lagoon, say scientists

Researchers say solitary bottlenose has adapted well to city waters, but tighter controls on boat traffic and human behaviour are needed Italian scientists monitoring the movements of a dolphin in the Venice lagoon have said humans are the ones who need managing, rather than

Celebrity dolphin of Venice doesn't need special protection—except from humans

Bottlenose dolphins usually live in small to medium-sized groups in coastal and open-sea waters, but every once in a while, a dolphin might leave its pod behind, flock to coastal areas and approach human settlements. While this is a relatively rare occurrence, cases of dolphins

Scotland’s new emissions strategy ‘too reliant on science fiction’, critics say

UK Climate Change Committee voices concern over Scotland’s progress on decarbonising buildings and reliance on unproved technologies Scotland has finally produced realistic short-term plans on cutting its climate emissions, but there is “real concern” about the credibility of

Trump awarded these medals during his State of the Union address

President Trump issued several awards during his State of the Union address before Congress on Tuesday evening. The honorees included two military pilots, an Olympic athlete, a Coast Guard petty officer and two National Guard members. The president also noted his continued

South Korea's birthrate, the world's lowest, rises again amid signs of easing demographic crisis

South Korea's total fertility rate, the average number of babies a woman is expected to have during her reproductive life, stood at 0.80 in 2025, up from 0.75 in 2024, according to preliminary data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics.

Clashes with Democrats dominate Trump's State of the Union

President Trump stormed into the Capitol on Tuesday night to extol the first-year performance of his return to power, bash the Democrats as feckless rivals, and make the case for keeping Republicans in control of Congress in November’s midterm elections. The marathon State of

Padilla's SOTU response attacks Trump for 'out-of-control' immigration enforcement

Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) bashed President Trump's immigration policies and accused the administration of seeking to interfere in the next election in the Democrat's Spanish-language rebuttal to the State of the Union address. The speech from California’s first Latino

Trump claims Iran working on missiles that could hit US

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday claimed Iran is seeking to develop missiles that can strike the United States and accused Tehran of working to rebuild a nuclear program that was targeted by American strikes last year. The United States and Iran are engaged in high-stakes

S.S. Rajamouli Unveils Motion Capture Facility at Nagarjuna’s Annapurna Studios; Key ‘Varanasi’ Sequences Shot at Lab (EXCLUSIVE)

“RRR” director S.S. Rajamouli has unveiled what is being billed as India’s most advanced motion capture facility, unveiling the A&M MoCap Lab at Hyderabad’s Annapurna Studios. The facility is a joint venture between Akkineni Nagarjuna’s Annapurna Studios and “Baahubali”