🇪🇺 Europe Today

BREAKING: Keir Starmer says he won’t remove the exemption which allows Sikhs to carry large ceremonial knives on them. Meanwhile, English women are being prosecuted for carrying regular pepper spray on them when out on the streets at night Europe Today

🇪🇸 21-year-old Moroccan migrant shot dead in gang clash in Madrid A 21-year-old Moroccan man was shot in the chest and killed during a violent fight between rival migrant youth criminal gangs in a park near the San Ignacio de Loyola school in Madrid. The groups had arranged to meet at the location to settle a drug-related dispute. During the brawl, one of the participants pulled out a firearm and opened fire, striking the victim directly in the chest. Europe Today

🇵🇹 Portugal is preparing for a complete shutdown On June 3, 2026, the country will be largely paralyzed by a major 24-hour nationwide general strike. The General Confederation of Portuguese Workers (CGTP) called the strike in protest against the government's "Work XXI" labor reforms, which unions say significantly weaken workers' rights and job security. The 24-hour strike is expected to bring the country to a near standstill, with around 500 flights cancelled, public transport in Lisbon and Porto fully suspended, hospitals limited to emergency services, garbage collection halted, public offices, schools, and administrative services closed. Europe Today

🇧🇪 A Chaldean Catholic church in Belgium’s Antwerp was vandalized during Holy Week with a satanic symbol sprayed on its front door. The church serves many Assyrian and Chaldean Christians who fled persecution in the Middle East seeking safety in Europe. 56.5% of residents in Antwerp are of foreign origin. This was already the fourth reported attack or vandalism case targeting Chaldean churches in 2026. Antwerp has also seen multiple antisemitic incidents since 2025, including an antisemitic arson attack in the city’s Jewish quarter and threats against synagogues and Jewish schools. Source: Reuters, AP, Chaldean Press Europe Today

🇬🇧 British Conservative MP Helen Whately: “Polygamy is illegal in the UK. But if you’ve married 4 wives overseas and moved here, you could claim up to £78,000 in benefits. Paid for by British taxpayers. We will stop that.” Europe Today

🇩🇪 Germany recorded its first drop in asylum applications in 14 years After years of consistently high or rising numbers, Germany has recorded a historic downward trend in asylum applications. In May 2026, Germany recorded only 5,556 initial asylum applications — the lowest figure since 2012 (excluding the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic). This is one-third fewer than in May 2025 and 75% fewer than in May 2023. The majority of applicants came from Afghanistan, Syria, Turkey, and Somalia. Europe Today

🇳🇴🇪🇺 Norway to reconsider joining the European Union Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide has stated that the “favorable world” of the past 30 years no longer exists and has been replaced by a “crazy world.” He noted that challenges such as China’s assertiveness, US trade tariffs, and the war in Ukraine are forcing the EU to play a much more active role in trade and security policy. Although Norway has been part of the European Economic Area (EEA) since 1994 and adopts most EU rules, it has no voting rights in their development. Eide emphasized that policy areas Norway previously avoided are now becoming critically important. Meanwhile, neighboring Iceland plans to hold a referendum on resuming EU accession talks by 2027. If Iceland joins, Norway could find itself isolated among Nordic countries outside the Union. Europe Today

🇬🇧 Two men were stabbed by three teenagers during a large gathering in Smethwick, England, leaving a 21-year-old in serious condition. In Smethwick, only 24.4% of residents are White British. The rest are migrants. Europe Today

Paris in the 80s 🇫🇷 Europe Today

🇵🇱 Poland has signed billion-dollar contracts under the EU rearmament program The Polish government has concluded major contracts totaling 120 billion zloty (over $33 billion) with domestic defense companies. Of the 120 billion zloty, approximately half will go to the Polish defense company Huta Stalowa Wola. These contracts include, among other things, the supply of 146 Borsuk infantry fighting vehicles, 96 Krab howitzers, and 64 Rak self-propelled mortars built on Rosomak transporter chassis. 13.5 billion zloty will be spent on producing hundreds of thousands of 155mm artillery shells entirely in Poland. A condition of SAFE financing is, among other things, the delivery of contracted equipment by 2030. Recall that Poland will create a modern anti-drone system, “San,” within two years, which will be an integral part of the country’s air defense. Also, in May, Poland received the first batch of the latest F-35 fighters. Europe Today

🇩🇪 Syrian ISIS migrant sentenced to life in prison for knife terror attack in Germany to "kill as many infidels as possible." On May 18, 2025, 36-year-old Mahmoud M. carried out a knife attack near a bar in Bielefeld where football fans of Arminia Bielefeld were celebrating their promotion. Five people were injured, four of them critically. The attacker, acting on orders from ISIS, tried to “kill as many infidels as possible.” The court established that Mahmoud M. joined ISIS in Syria in 2015, participated in hostilities, and later entered Germany in 2023. In custody, he confessed to the crime and admitted to killing two people in Syria, including his half-brother, on the orders of the terrorist group. Europe Today

🇫🇷 France seizes another Russian “shadow fleet” tanker French President Macron announced that French forces, with support from the UK and other allies, intercepted the tanker Tagor in international waters of the Atlantic. The vessel was transporting Russian oil as part of the so-called “shadow fleet.” This marks France’s fourth operation against Russian shadow fleet tankers. In March, authorities had already stopped the tanker Deyna in the Mediterranean, which was released only after paying a fine in April. Europe Today