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For the first time in decades, visitors walking along the pedestrian street at the foot of Athens’ historic Acropolis Hill can now enjoy a clear, unobstructed view of the Parthenon temple. The scaffolding that had covered the 5th century B.C. monument’s western façade for conservation work some 20 years ago has finally been taken down, revealing an unencumbered view of the UNESCO World Heritage site. As the western side offers the best street-level perspective of the Parthenon, the removal—completed in late September—has made a striking difference for visitors. Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said this marks the first time in about two centuries that the monument’s exterior stands completely free of scaffolding. “For visitors, it feels like they are seeing an entirely different monument,” Mendoni told Skai radio on Friday. However, the reprieve will be brief, as restoration work will continue. New scaffolding will be installed on the Parthenon’s western side in about a month, but it will be “lighter and aesthetically more in harmony with the monument,” Mendoni added. The ongoing conservation phase is expected to continue until early summer 2026, after which the Parthenon will once again stand completely free of scaffolding. The Acropolis remains Greece’s most visited tourist attraction, drawing 4.5 million visitors in 2024, according to the national statistical authority. The marble Parthenon was constructed in the mid-5th century B.C. to honor the city’s patron goddess, Athena.

Power was restored to over 800,000 residents in Kyiv on Saturday, a day after Russia launched major attacks on Ukraine’s energy grid, causing widespread blackouts, while European leaders moved forward on plans to use hundreds of billions of frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine’s war effort. Ukraine’s largest private energy company, DTEK, said the “main work to restore the power supply” was complete, though some localized outages continued in the capital following Friday’s “massive” Russian strikes. The attacks, carried out with drones and missiles, wounded at least 20 people, damaged residential buildings, and triggered blackouts across large parts of Ukraine. Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko described the assault as “one of the largest concentrated strikes” on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed the strikes targeted energy facilities supplying Ukraine’s military, using Kinzhal hypersonic missiles and strike drones, without providing details of the facilities hit. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion more than three years ago, Ukraine’s energy sector has been a repeated target, particularly ahead of winter, with attacks intended to undermine public morale. Winter temperatures in Ukraine typically run from late October to March, with January and February being the coldest months. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in his nightly address, accused Russia of taking advantage of the world’s focus on the Middle East and called for stronger air defense systems and tighter sanctions on Russia. “Russian assets must be fully used to strengthen our defense and ensure recovery,” he said in a video posted on X. Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz issued a joint statement pledging to move toward using frozen Russian sovereign assets in a coordinated way to support Ukraine’s armed forces, in close cooperation with the United States. Ukraine’s estimated budget and military needs for 2026–27 are around €130 billion ($153 billion). The EU has already contributed €174 billion ($202 billion) since the war began. Frozen Russian assets are estimated at €194 billion ($225 billion) in Belgium, $50 billion in Japan, and smaller amounts in the U.S., U.K., and Canada.Ukraine’s air force reported intercepting or jamming 54 of 78 Russian drones overnight, while Russia claimed to have shot down 42 Ukrainian drones over its territory.

NATO will begin its annual nuclear exercise, Steadfast Noon, next week, with a key emphasis on safeguarding nuclear weapons before any potential use, Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Friday. The long-scheduled two-week drill, starting Monday, comes amid heightened security across Europe following several unexplained drone incidents, some linked to Russia. Led by the Netherlands, the exercise will involve 71 aircraft from 14 NATO member states, including bomber and fighter jets capable of carrying nuclear warheads — though no live weapons will be used. Most of the operations will take place over the North Sea, far from Russian or Ukrainian territory, with participation from bases in Belgium, Britain, Denmark, and the Netherlands. Rutte said the exercise ensures NATO’s nuclear deterrence remains “credible, safe, secure, and effective,” while sending a clear signal that the alliance can defend all its members. The U.S. and Britain, both nuclear powers, play central roles in NATO’s deterrence strategy, while France — though nuclear-armed — stays outside NATO’s nuclear planning group. Officials declined to share details of the exercise scenarios but said the event is not targeted at any nation nor linked to current geopolitical tensions. According to NATO’s Col. Daniel Bunch, Chief of Nuclear Operations, a major component of the drill will be securing nuclear assets on the ground. “These are highly protected assets that demand the highest level of safety and security,” he said. Responding to questions about drones, Bunch noted that while such threats are not new, recent incursions are being closely monitored. “We’re going to stay one step ahead of any adversary,” he added. The U.S. will contribute F-35 fighter jets, refueling aircraft, and support planes, while Finland and Poland are deploying fighters. Electronic warfare and intelligence systems will also be used. NATO maintains that its nuclear capabilities exist solely to “preserve peace, prevent coercion, and deter aggression.” Officials reiterated that despite Moscow’s nuclear rhetoric, there has been no observable shift in Russia’s nuclear posture. James Stokes, head of NATO’s Nuclear Policy Directorate, said the alliance continues to monitor Russian activities — including its use of dual-capable missiles in Ukraine — though the exercise is “not focused on Russia.”

The tomb of former French justice minister Robert Badinter — who will be inducted into France’s Panthéon national monument on Thursday — has been vandalized in a cemetery near Paris, officials said. Badinter, who died last year at 95, was celebrated for leading the abolition of the death penalty in France, as well as championing human rights, fighting antisemitism, and decriminalizing homosexuality. Marie-Hélène Amiable, mayor of Bagneux — the Paris suburb where Badinter was buried — said she was informed Thursday that his tomb had been defaced with graffiti.“The inscriptions discovered by the police denounce his commitments against the death penalty and in favor of the decriminalization of homosexuality,” Amiable said. “They are unworthy of this former minister and senator, who achieved historic progress by abolishing the death penalty in 1981 and decriminalizing homosexuality in 1982.” French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the desecration on X, writing, “Shame on those who sought to tarnish his memory.”“This evening, he will enter the Panthéon, the eternal home of conscience and justice,” Macron added. “The Republic is always stronger than hatred.” A prominent lawyer and philosopher, Badinter became France’s leading voice against capital punishment after witnessing one of his clients executed by guillotine in the 1970s. As justice minister under President François Mitterrand, he successfully persuaded parliament to abolish the death penalty in 1981 despite public resistance. Born in Paris in 1928 to a Jewish family, Badinter experienced Nazi persecution during World War II and lost his father at the Sobibor death camp. Later, he built his reputation defending human rights and prosecuting Holocaust denial. He went on to head France’s Constitutional Court and served as a senator for 16 years, earning a reputation as a moral guide for the nation. Badinter will rest among France’s most revered figures at the Panthéon — alongside Voltaire, Marie Curie, Victor Hugo, and Resistance hero Jean Moulin.

The newly elected mayor of a town in western Germany was found with life-threatening wounds on Tuesday, and Chancellor Friedrich Merz said she was the victim of “an abhorrent act.” Iris Stalzer was elected as mayor of Herdecke on Sept. 28. She is a member of the center-left Social Democrats, the junior party in Germany’s conservative-led national government. Stalzer was found at her home with life-threatening wounds shortly before 1 p.m. Tuesday, police and prosecutors said in a statement. She was taken to a hospital by helicopter. They didn’t comment on the nature of the wounds, but the leader of the Social Democrats’ parliamentary group in Berlin, Matthias Miersch, told reporters that “we heard a few minutes ago that newly elected Mayor Iris Stalzer was stabbed in Herdecke.” Merz wrote on social media that “we fear for the life of Mayor-elect Iris Stalzer and hope for her full recovery.” The statement from investigators said that they are “investigating in all directions” and that “a family background also cannot be ruled out at present.” Stalzer, who beat a candidate from Merz's center-right Christian Democrats in a runoff vote to win election, is due to take office on Nov. 1. Herdecke is a town of about 23,000 people in western Germany's Ruhr region, between the cities of Hagen and Dortmund. Stalzer's website says she is 57 and married with two teenage children. It says she has spent almost her whole life in Herdecke and has worked as a lawyer specializing in labor law.

France has plunged into another political crisis after Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu resigned on Monday, only 26 days after taking office. Lecornu’s resignation, coming just a day after he announced his cabinet, makes him the third French prime minister to step down since December. He was appointed last month after the fall of François Bayrou’s government, which collapsed when parliament rejected his budget proposal. Following his resignation, President Emmanuel Macron asked Lecornu to present a plan for “stability for the country” by Wednesday evening. The unexpected move followed a day of turmoil that saw French stocks tumble amid concerns over political uncertainty. Lecornu’s newly announced cabinet faced immediate criticism from nearly all parties in the National Assembly, which threatened to reject it. The appointment of former finance minister Bruno Le Maire as defense minister particularly fueled tensions. Le Maire later withdrew his name in an attempt to ease the crisis. In a brief statement outside the prime minister’s residence, Lecornu blamed “partisan appetites” and political divisions for his decision, saying parties were unwilling to compromise. “I was ready for dialogue, but all sides acted as if they had absolute majorities,” he said. President Macron now faces tough choices — either appointing another prime minister, dissolving the National Assembly to call for new elections, or, though least likely, stepping down himself. France’s politics have remained unstable since July 2024, when Macron’s party lost its majority in snap elections, leading to a fragmented parliament and repeated government collapses. Lecornu, a former armed forces minister, was France’s fifth prime minister in less than two years.   Source: BBC

France’s new prime minister Sébastien Lecornu resigned Monday, just a day after naming his government and after only two weeks in office. The French presidency said in a statement that President Emmanuel Macron has accepted his resignation. Source: AP

The UK government announced Sunday that police will receive stronger powers to limit repeated protests, following nearly 500 arrests at a pro-Palestinian demonstration linked to a banned organization. The Home Office said authorities will now be able to consider the “cumulative impact of frequent protests” on local communities when setting conditions for marches and rallies. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood emphasized that while the right to protest is fundamental, it must be balanced against residents’ safety. “Large, repeated protests can leave sections of our country, particularly religious communities, feeling unsafe, intimidated and scared to leave their homes,” she said. Pro-Palestinian protests have been frequent since Israel’s military offensive in Gaza, which has claimed more than 67,000 Palestinian lives, according to the Gaza Health Ministry under Hamas. While mostly peaceful, some protests have been criticized for spreading antisemitism. Certain chants, including “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” have alarmed members of the Jewish community. A few protesters have been arrested for supporting Hamas, which is banned in the UK. Authorities had urged the public to avoid gatherings following Thursday’s attack on a synagogue in Manchester that killed two Jewish men. Despite this, about 1,000 people gathered Saturday in Trafalgar Square to protest the government’s ban on Palestine Action, a direct-action group labeled a terrorist organization. Police said 488 people were arrested for supporting the outlawed group, with additional arrests for other offenses. Since July, more than 2,000 people have been detained at protests linked to Palestine Action, and over 130 face terrorism-related charges. The conflict in Gaza stems from Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel, which killed over 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. On Saturday, Hamas indicated it was willing to return remaining hostages and the bodies of the dead under a US-brokered peace plan proposed by President Donald Trump.

Up to 25 small hot-air balloons, some confirmed to be carrying smuggled cigarettes, entered Lithuanian airspace late Saturday, forcing authorities to close Vilnius Airport for several hours, officials said Sunday. The incident disrupted around 30 flights and affected some 6,000 passengers before operations resumed at 4:50 a.m. local time, according to Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Center. Border police later recovered 11 of the balloons and seized nearly 18,000 packs of smuggled cigarettes in various locations across Vilnius County, said Darius Buta, a spokesperson for the border service. Two of the balloons reportedly flew directly over the capital’s airport, while others reached areas surrounding the city between 8:45 p.m. Saturday and 4:30 a.m. Sunday. Authorities said the balloons originated from Belarus and were used by smugglers to ferry cigarettes into the European Union — a growing trend as such balloons are cheaper than drones. The intrusion came amid heightened security concerns in the Baltics, following recent airspace violations that some NATO officials suspect were tests by Moscow to gauge the alliance’s response. Lithuania, which borders Russian ally Belarus, has already faced several drone incursions this year, including one carrying an explosive device that crashed at a military training ground in July. In response, the Lithuanian parliament authorized the armed forces to shoot down any unmanned aircraft violating its airspace. “Both smuggling balloons and drones are criminal activities, but not provocations or acts of sabotage,” Buta said, noting that similar incidents were also reported in August. Last year, Lithuanian authorities intercepted 966 smuggling balloons from Belarus, compared to 544 so far this year.

At least one person was killed and over 30 injured as Russian drones struck a railway station in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Shostka on Saturday, intensifying attacks on the country’s transport and energy infrastructure ahead of winter. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the strike “savage,” saying drones targeted two passenger trains in quick succession — a local commuter service and one bound for Kyiv — during an evacuation. Authorities later found the body of a 71-year-old man in a damaged carriage. Ukraine’s deputy prime minister Oleksiy Kuleba said the second strike hit as rescuers were helping passengers, describing it as a “double-tap” attack — a tactic often used to target emergency responders. The assault knocked out power in Shostka and nearby areas, while further Russian drones and missiles overnight hit Ukraine’s energy network, damaging gas facilities near Chernihiv and affecting tens of thousands of homes. Ukraine’s military said it intercepted 73 out of 109 drones launched overnight. Meanwhile, Ukrainian drones struck Russia’s Kirishi oil refinery near St. Petersburg, causing explosions and a fire — the latest in a series of attacks on one of Russia’s largest refineries. Separately, French photojournalist Antoni Lallican, 37, was killed in a Russian drone strike near Druzhkivka in eastern Ukraine, becoming the 14th reporter to die since the invasion began in 2022.