The Arctic, once a region of peaceful cooperation, is fast becoming a battleground for resources and territory. At the heart of it is Norway – bordering Russia and hosting the secret military headquarters inside a mountain where any potential war against Russia would be co-ordinated with Nato allies. Watch the …

Hugh Schofield BBC News in Paris Getty Images President Macron asked for new proposals to be submitted to a security cabinet early next month Islamists are infiltrating France’s republican institutions and are a threat to national cohesion, according to a report presented to President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday. The report, …

A herd of 52 cows had to be evacuated from a village in southern Switzerland amid fears of landslide. BBC News

A former leading Ukrainian official has been shot dead outside an American school in the Spanish capital Madrid, reports say. The 51-year-old man, named by Ukrainian and Spanish sources as Andriy Portnov, had just dropped his children off at the school in the Pozuelo de Alarcón area of the city, …

A Russian missile strike on a training exercise in Ukraine’s Sumy border region has killed six servicemen and wounded more than 10 others, says Ukraine’s National Guard. Russia’s defence ministry had earlier released a video purporting to show an Iskander missile attack on a training camp, and state news agency …

Heavy rainfall and storms have been battering southern France since Monday. The rains have caused widespread damage across the region, flooding streets and causing power and water outages. At least three people have died in the flooding with several hundred emergency rescuers being deployed to the region. BBC News

Sarah Rainsford BBC Rome correspondent Ukrainian presidency handout Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky met Pope Leo at the Vatican earlier this week Italy has backed President Donald Trump’s suggestion the Vatican might mediate talks on negotiating a ceasefire in Ukraine, while he appears keen to step back from the process himself. Prime …

At least three people have died in floods caused by heavy rainfall and storms which have battered southern France since Monday. The bodies of an elderly couple were found in the seaside resort town of Le Lavandou, while another person died after becoming trapped in a car in Vidauban, local …

Alamy Many of you have been submitting questions to Your Voice, Your BBC News about the deal signed this week between the UK and European Union. Your questions have touched on a range of issues, including jobs, food and travel. Our experts have been digging into the detail to figure …

Hugh Schofield Paris correspondent FRENCH PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE The contraband phones are the size of a cigarette lighter French authorities have launched a nationwide hunt for thousands of tiny Chinese-made telephones used by convicts to continue criminal activities from inside prison. The telephones, no bigger than a cigarette-lighter, are almost entirely …

“We’re turning a page,” EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday after the bloc’s first summit with the UK since Brexit. “We’re opening a new chapter.” It is not the first page that has been turned in the post-Brexit period, but it is potentially the most significant. The …

Sarah Rainsford, Paul Kirby & Olimpia Zagnat In Bucharest and London Andrei Pungovschi/Getty Images Nicusor Dan had to wait until late into the night before he could be certain of victory The liberal, pro-EU mayor of Bucharest, Nicusor Dan, has fought off a strong challenge from a Romanian right-wing nationalist …

Portugal’s governing right-of-centre Democratic Alliance has won snap parliamentary elections – the third in as many years – again falling short of a majority. Its leader Luís Montenegro promised supporters to “stimulate investment” and to “guarantee prosperity and social justice”. Socialist leader Pedro Nuno Santos announced his resignation after his …

Adam Easton BBC Warsaw correspondent Reuters Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski was narrowly ahead of his conservative rival according to a poll released when voting ended Warsaw’s liberal mayor Rafal Trzaskowski won a narrow victory in Poland’s presidential election, according to an exit poll, but a second-round run-off with conservative historian …

Austrian singer JJ won the Eurovision Song Contest in Basel, Switzerland, with Israel taking second place. In a typically colourful contest, Sweden sung about saunas, while Estonia shared a love of coffee. The UK’s entry from Remember Monday failed to pick up any votes from viewers despite fairing pretty well …

Euan O’Byrne Mulligan BBC News Reuters The crash site is close to the Eura Airfield in Eura, Finland Several people have died after two helicopters collided mid-air in Finland, local police said. The civilian helicopters crashed near Eura Airport at around 12:00 local time (10:00 GMT), having taken off together …

Nine people have been killed in a Russian drone attack on a civilian bus in north-eastern Ukraine, local officials say. The Sumy regional military administration said four other people were injured in the town of Bilopillia on Saturday morning as the bus travelled to the regional capital Sumy, close to …

Adam Easton BBC Warsaw correspondent WOJTEK RADWANSKI/AFP There are two front-runners among the 13 candidates: Rafal Trzaskowski (R) and Karol Nawrocki When Poles vote for a new president on Sunday, they are expected to set up a second round run-off between Warsaw’s liberal mayor Rafal Trzaskowski and national-conservative historian Karol …

EPA-EFE/Shutterstock UK entry Remember Monday perform during a Eurovision dress rehearsal The Eurovision Song Contest is back – this time in Basel, Switzerland. The UK’s entry this year is Remember Monday – a country-pop trio who will perform their song What The Hell Just Happened. What is the Eurovision Song …

Thirteen people were injured when a car crashed into fans outside the derby match between Espanyol and Barcelona on Thursday. The match, in which Barcelona won the La Liga title thanks to a 2-0 victory, was delayed for several minutes in the early stages while the referee was briefed by …