Southern Europe

Spain calls emergency meeting as Storm Gloria death toll hits 13

A calamitous storm has killed at least 13 people in Spain and left five others missing, as well as causing rivers to overflow their banks and contaminating vast agricultural areas in eastern Spain with salty seawater.

Seven dead in Spain as winter storms lash coast

Gale-force winds and huge waves have smashed into seafront towns damaging many shops and restaurants, wrecking beach facilities and flooding some streets in the east of the country since Sunday.

Greece gets first female president amid male-dominated cabinet

Greece has a historically low number of women in senior positions in politics. In the current Greek Cabinet, all but one of the 18 senior positions are held by men.

New Club World Cup threatens football ecosystem - La Liga chief

La Liga also urged European football bodies to work together to redistribute their vast riches for the greater good of the sport, warning of the danger of a small group of elite clubs growing ever richer.

Is Greece asking Libya's Haftar to do its bidding at the Berlin summit?

Warlord Khalifa Haftar's meeting with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Friday has raised eyebrows in Ankara, with many experts arguing that Mitsotakis wants Haftar to make any peace deal conditional to his own demands.

Greece tells Haftar to take constructive stance at Berlin conference

Warlord Khalifa Haftar's visit comes as world powers step up efforts for a lasting ceasefire, nine months after Haftar's militia launched an assault on the Libyan capital Tripoli.

Albania becomes a frontline in the proxy battle between Iran and the US

By hosting the People’s Mujahedin of Iran (MEK) on behalf of the US, despite the group being labelled a terrorist organisation by Iran, Albania has drawn the ire of Supreme leader Ali Khamenei.

How Montenegro’s religious property law is a regional power struggle

The controversial law could backfire badly.

New Barca coach Setien must bring style as well as silverware

While his predecessor Ernesto Valverde won two La Liga titles in two years, and has the team top once again at the halfway point this season, Setien, apart from some success in Spain’s third tier in 2011, has no coaching honours to his name.

Malta gets new PM after reporter murder outcry

Robert Abela who was elected leader of the Labour Party after Prime Minister Joseph Muscat's downfall automatically takes the role of prime minister.

Sanchez wins cliff-hanger Spain vote to form new govt

Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez bags 167 votes in 350-seat assembly compared to 165 against, with a decisive 18 abstentions by Catalan and Basque separatist lawmakers.

British teen in rape trial gets suspended jail term in Cyprus

The 19-year-old was sentenced to four months in jail, suspended for three years. She maintains she was coerced into withdrawing her complaint that she was gang-raped in Ayia Napa, a resort in Greek-administered Cyprus.