Romania has the EU's second-lowest vaccination rate with just 39.6% of its population fully vaccinated, compared to more than 67% for the rest of the bloc.

The hostage-taker is a 56-year-old man known to police for having harassed a local doctor at her surgery, according to a police source.

Euronews looks back on a year when the scale of devastation fuelled by global warming brought the issue of climate change to the main stage and into people's homes

A look back at some of the most striking images, events and news from across the Middle East in 2021.

Public support for capital punishment in Japan remains strong despite criticism from abroad, particularly from human rights organisations.

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

"An event cancelled is better than a life cancelled," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday, highlighting data suggesting Omicron spreads "significantly faster" than the Delta variant.

Citizen Lab could not say who ordered the hacks and NSO does not identify its clients, beyond saying it works only with legitimate government agencies.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday announced a series of measures to encourage lira-denominated savings, easing the pressure on the beleaguered Turkish currency.

The trial of Ghislaine Maxwell ended on Monday with a prosecutor labelling her a dangerous predator while a defence attorney maintained the socialite was innocent.

Queen Elizabeth II has decided not to spend Christmas at the royal Sandringham estate in eastern England.

Nearly 4,000 people in Scotland were accused of witchcraft between 1563 and 1736, many of whom were tortured and executed.

On Wednesday, prosecutors will tell judges what punishments they want for the four suspects, with the maximum sentence being life imprisonment.

The return of the Taliban to power has had disastrous consequences, with almost 98% of Afghans affected by the huge shortage of food plaguing the country.

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

The European Parliament adopted a critical resolution on the backsliding of EU values in Slovenia, without the votes of the powerful EPP centre-right group.

France first rolled out its COVID pass in late July. It is necessary to visit restaurants, bars, cultural venues, large events and long-distance public transport.

The social media accounts promoted illegal immigration by advertising the sale of counterfeit ID documents and visas or illegal transportation services.

Icelandic festive traditions centre around the mischievous Yule Lads and their truly terrifying troll witch mother.

French and British rescue services are accused of ignoring calls for help, failing to prevent the biggest loss of life during attempted illegal crossings of the Channel.

"The state has not been able to keep its promise of protection, security, and freedom," said Germany's president as the country commemorated the fifth anniversary of the 2016 Christmas market attack in Berlin.

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

Results from clinical trials released in June showed 90.4% efficacy against the disease, and 100% efficacy against severe to moderate cases.

Education workers are 26% more likely to contract COVID-19 than the general population, according to a union.

It was a year of turmoil for Afghanistan and its people. From the Western withdrawal and evacuation to the Taliban's seizure of power - a look back at the tumultuous events of 2021.

Review 2021: a year of highs and lows in the battle against COVID-19 - the pandemic that changed the world

In this review, we look back at the big events that shaped US politics in 2021, both domestically and abroad.

The protests were called after the parliament on Friday unexpectedly passed a bill that would force Discovery Inc. to sell its controlling share of TVN, Poland’s largest television network.

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

Turnout was just over 30%. It was over 50% in 2012 and 2016.

A popular tourist destination on the edge of the Polar circle welcomes guests as Christmas festivities approach. The owners, however, fear that the spread of Omicron might prove to be costly.

The Hungarian snow volleyball championship is a great way to keep professional volleyball players in shape between seasons, but the competition aims to help the sport become an official Olympic event soon.

The weekend saw protesters in several countries on the continent take to the streets to voice their anger after governments introduce new measures as the fight against COVID-19 continues.

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

At 35, Boric will become Chile’s youngest modern president when he takes office in March.

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

David Frost quit his post as Brexit minister while PM Boris Johnson and his Conservative Party faces a major crisis in confidence from both lawmakers and voters alike.

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

Mining giant Rio Tinto wants to extract the metal, which is a vital component in electric cars, laptops, and phone batteries.

The announcement was made after the 7pm meeting of the government, headed by PM Mark Rutte.

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

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has deepened his defence ties with African countries ahead of the gathering of the continent's leaders in Istanbul.

According to WHO, the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus has spread to 89 countries to date, continuing to spread at a rapid pace.

Authorities are looking for a man suspected of starting a fire in the port city of Osaka which ended up killing 24 people in a hospital.

In the Spanish town of Sancti Petri, research teams from the University of Seville and the Andalusian Institute of Historical Heritage say they have finally solved an archeological mystery.

Protesters see the recent court decision to demand more Spanish taught in Catalan schools as a threat to their own language, with the pushback expected to strengthen the region's separatist movement.

Moscow wants NATO to pledge that former Soviet states will never join the bloc and that its forces will pull back from Russia's borders.

UK defence secretary Ben Wallace stated that sending in troops in case of a Russian invasion is unlikely, but that sanctions could be imposed instead.

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

Migrants are not part of the vaccination plans in many countries despite the jab's availability and existence, migration and health organisations warn.