All domestic rail services in the Netherlands were suspended early on Tuesday after an IT outage compounded disruption across the country’s rail network

International News via Reuters:

Freezing weather gripped swathes of Europe on Tuesday, with snow and icy conditions forcing the cancellation of hundreds of flights in the Netherlands and leading to the deaths of five people on French roads.

All domestic rail services in the Netherlands were suspended early on Tuesday after an IT outage compounded disruption across the country’s rail network. Trains began running in parts of the country after 0900 GMT, but problems persisted in the region around Amsterdam, a popular tourist destination.

High-speed Eurostar services to Paris from Amsterdam were either cancelled or running late. At the city’s Schiphol airport, over 400 flights were cancelled, most of them by the Dutch unit of Air France-KLM, as the winter weather crippled traffic at one of Europe’s main transit hubs for a fifth day.

Spanish national Javier Sepulveda was stuck at Schiphol trying to get back to his home in Norway for the third day. He said he started queuing at the KLM help desk at 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday and that six hours later he was still not close to reaching the front of the line.

“I can only describe the situation … as chaotic, insane,” the 39-year-old said.

SNOW FALLS OVER LARGE PARTS OF GERMANY AND FRANCE

In Germany, temperatures fell well below minus 10 degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit) in the south and east early on Tuesday.

Large parts of the country were covered in snow, including regions close to the North Sea, where thick layers of snow have become increasingly uncommon. Meteorologists forecast a storm to hit the country on Friday, with heavy snowfall expected in the north and east.

In France, a prolonged cold snap saw freezing temperatures overnight after snow across the Paris region and large parts of the country on Monday. Six small airports were shut in the west and north of France but no cancellations were anticipated at Paris’ two main airports.

Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot urged people to travel as little as possible on the roads and to work from home, warning that thawed snow which subsequently re-froze overnight made for dangerous road conditions.

Five people have been killed in road accidents linked to the freezing conditions since Monday, BFMTV and other French media reported. In Paris, bus services were chaotic as services resumed following their suspension on Monday.

SNOW-LADEN TREE CRUSHES WOMAN IN SARAJEVO

Meanwhile, in the UK, the Meteorological Office on Monday said winter weather hazards could continue throughout the week for most of the country. It issued an amber warning, its second-most severe after red, for snow in central Scotland.

Heavy snow and rain have also caused havoc across the Western Balkans this week, closing roads, cutting power and causing rivers to flood. A woman died in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo on Monday after a tree overburdened with wet snow fell on her.

Reporting by Bart Meijer in Amsterdam, Louise Rasmussen in Paris, Thomas Seythal in Berlin and Daria Sito-Sucic in Sarajevo; Editing by Michael Perry, Richard Lough, Alexandra Hudson

Trump has in recent weeks repeated that he wants to gain control of Greenland arguing that it is vital for the U.S. military, and that Denmark has not done enough to protect it

International News via Reuters:

Leaders from major European powers rallied behind Greenland on Tuesday, saying in a joint statement that the Arctic island belongs to its people, following renewed interest by U.S. President Donald Trump in taking over the Danish territory.

Trump has in recent weeks repeated that he wants to gain control of Greenland, an idea first voiced in 2019 during his first presidency, arguing that it is vital for the U.S. military, and that Denmark has not done enough to protect it.

A U.S. military operation over the weekend in Venezuela that seized its leader has further rekindled concerns that Greenland might face a similar scenario. Greenland has repeatedly said it does not want to be part of the United States.

“Greenland belongs to its people. It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland,” said the statement by leaders of France, Britain, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and Denmark.

The leaders said security in the Arctic must be achieved collectively with NATO allies, including the United States.

“NATO has made clear that the Arctic region is a priority and European Allies are stepping up,” the statement said. “We and many other Allies have increased our presence, activities, and investments, to keep the Arctic safe and to deter adversaries.”

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Tuesday that Denmark could count on the solidarity of all of Europe on the issue of Greenland.

“No member should attack or threaten another member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. Otherwise, NATO would lose its meaning if conflict or mutual conflicts occurred within the alliance,” Tusk told reporters in Warsaw.

The Netherlands also fully supports the joint statement, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said on X.

To fend off U.S. criticism over Greenland’s defence capabilities, Denmark last year pledged 42 billion Danish crowns ($6.58 billion) to boost its military presence in the Arctic.

TRUMP AIDE SAYS WORLD ‘GOVERNED BY FORCE’

However, in comments likely to alarm Washington’s European allies, White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller brushed aside concerns about Danish sovereignty and international law.

“You can talk all you want about international niceties and everything else. But we live in a world, in the real world, that is governed by strength, that is governed by force, that is governed by power,” Miller told CNN on Monday.

“There is no need to think or even talk about this in the context of a military operation. Nobody is going to fight the U.S. militarily over the future of Greenland,” Miller added.

Just hours after Saturday’s Venezuela operation, Miller’s wife, Katie Miller, posted a map of Greenland painted in Stars & Stripes on X, accompanied by the text “SOON”.

Greenland, the world’s largest island with a population of just 57,000 people, is not an independent member of NATO but is covered by Denmark’s membership of the Western military alliance.

The island’s strategic location between Europe and North America makes it a critical site for the U.S. ballistic missile defence system. Its mineral wealth also aligns with Washington’s ambition to reduce reliance on Chinese exports.

Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said on Monday that his government was seeking to strengthen ties with the United States and that citizens should not fear an imminent U.S. takeover.

($1 = 6.3831 Danish crowns)

Reporting by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen, additional reporting by Soren Sirich Jeppesen and Bart MeijerEditing by Terje Solsvik and Gareth Jones

Swiss authorities have been searching for explanations for the blaze, which tore through the “Le Constellation” bar in the early hours of January 1

International News via Reuters:

The Swiss bar where 40 people were killed in a fire at the New Year had not been subjected to any annual safety inspections since 2019, the mayor of the ski resort of Crans-Montana said on Tuesday.

Swiss authorities have been searching for explanations for the blaze, which tore through the “Le Constellation” bar in the early hours of January 1. Most of the victims were teenagers.

“We are profoundly sorry. We did not have an indication that the checks had not been done,” Crans-Montana Mayor Nicolas Feraud told reporters, adding that bars in the town are meant to have such inspections each year.

Prosecutors have said the fire was likely caused by sparkling candles igniting the ceiling of the bar’s basement, which was covered in a foam material used for soundproofing.

SPARKLER CANDLES BANNED

Feraud said the “Le Constellation” had passed its last inspection in 2019. The soundproof foam on its ceiling was considered acceptable at the time, and a fire alarm was not required due to the bar’s size.

“There were never any checks on this soundproofing foam. Our security agents did not consider it necessary,” Feraud said.

He said the law does not oblige authorities to verify such materials, but “the courts will have to determine whether this should have been done regardless”.

Authorities are investigating the two people who ran the bar on suspicion of crimes including homicide by negligence. On Sunday, police said circumstances did not currently merit them being put under arrest, and they did not see a flight risk.

Feraud said authorities had closed another venue run by the pair and that sparkler candles that likely triggered the blaze have now been banned inside the town’s venues.

TWO EXITS

In addition to the 40 dead, at least 116 people were injured. The large number of victims has led to questions about whether the bar was overcrowded.

Feraud said its maximum capacity was 200 people, with emergency exits designed to cater for 100 people on each of its two levels. He said he did not know if the downstairs exit was working that night and that investigators would determine this.

Inspections were also conducted at the bar in 2016 and 2018, authorities said. Before then, the building that houses it sat in a different municipality, Feraud said, pointing to Crans-Montana’s creation in 2017 from a merger of four municipalities.

Reporting by Emma Farge in Geneva and Umit Bektas in Crans-Montana, Writing by Miranda Murray, Editing by Friederike Heine, Dave Graham, Peter Graff

Italy and France last month dashed hopes for a December deal, saying they were not ready to support it until farmer fears of an influx of cheap commodities from Mercosur, such as beef and sugar, were resolved

International News via Reuters:

The European Union has convened EU agriculture ministers for last-minute talks on Wednesday to convince Italy and other wavering member countries to sign up to a contentious free trade deal with South American bloc Mercosur.

Italy and France last month dashed hopes for a December deal, saying they were not ready to support it until farmer fears of an influx of cheap commodities from Mercosur, such as beef and sugar, were resolved.

All 27 EU agriculture ministers have been invited to the meeting at the Commission, the EU presidency holder Cyprus said on Tuesday, although it was not clear yet how many would attend.

European commissioners for agriculture, trade and health are expected to give reassurances over future funding for farmers under the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy including a 6.3 billion euro ($7.4 billion) crisis fund in the next EU budget.

The Commission’s move to merge regional cohesion funds and CAP money in the next seven-year budget alarmed farming nations.

They will also review import controls, including permissible maximum levels of pesticide residues, two EU diplomats said.

“It is a critical moment to discuss demands from farmers,” one of the diplomats said, adding that the Commission was expected to send a letter to members setting out income support for farmers.

WOOING EU MEMBERS FOR SUPPORT

The EU executive, supported by EU-Mercosur proponents such as Germany and Spain, is seeking to garner the broad majority of 15 EU members representing 65% of the EU population required to authorise the EU signature, possibly as early as January 12.

They say the accord, which has been 25 years in the making and would be the EU’s largest in terms of tariff reductions, is vital to boosting exports hit by U.S. import taxes and to reduce reliance on China by securing access to critical minerals.

With Poland and Hungary opposed to the deal and France critical, the position of Italy will be a key determinant of whether the deal can be signed. A vote is expected on Friday.

The Commission had held discussions with member states over the past two weeks and the bloc was on track to sign the agreement soon, a spokesperson for the executive said.

Italy is not opposed to the deal, two Italian sources told Reuters on Tuesday, but wanted assurances – notably on reciprocity – so that imported farm products meet EU health and environmental standards. These were due to be discussed on Wednesday.

A second EU diplomat said Italy was not yet fully on board.

($1 = 0.8538 euros)

Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop, Julia Payne in Brussels, Giselda Vagnoni in Rome; editing by Mark Heinrich