- 3d ago
Police seize 207 kg of raw cannabis declared as clothing at Athens airport
The shipment reportedly flew from Thailand, was declared as clothing and was found in an Athens airport customs warehouse in August 2026. Authorities estimated the expected profit from distributing it at close to 1 million euros.
- Oct 30
Lagarde to leave ECB on 7 February 2027, opening race for successor and two board seats
Christine Lagarde will leave the European Central Bank on 7 February 2027, about nine months before her term ends. EU capitals now compete over the presidency and two other board seats, with Klaas Knot and Pablo Hernández de Cos as the frontrunners.
- Oct 28
Second appraisal values jewels seized from Zapatero at 1,023,320 euros
Jewelers Yanes valued the jewels at 1,023,320 euros in a 138-page report to Judge Calama, below Ansorena's preliminary 1.3 million. The experts also point to Asian origin and manufacture after June 2007, which cuts against the account Zapatero gave the court.
- Oct 26
Flash floods hit all three districts of Phuket as Thailand's toll reaches at least 83
Flash floods on Monday, 26 October, covered several areas of the Thai holiday island after overnight rain, with the Patong resort district among the worst hit. Officials reported no casualties from the Phuket flooding, while flooding across Thailand has killed at least 83 people since mid-September.
- Oct 15
IMF sees Greek public debt falling to 136% of GDP in 2026 and 128.7% in 2027
At the IMF and World Bank annual meetings in Bangkok, Greek finance minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis said only five EU states run budget surpluses, while the fund projects Greek debt falling further through 2031.
- Oct 14
Bailey urges social media firms to tackle fraud as IMF warns on cyber risk in Bangkok
Speaking at the IMF and World Bank meetings in Bangkok, Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey said social media platforms face too little liability for criminal content. IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva warned that cyber fraud is eroding trust in finance.
- Oct 14
IEA sees diesel market staying tight through 2027 as oil demand drops
The International Energy Agency expects diesel supply to stay constrained into 2027 and sees global oil demand falling 2.6 million barrels per day in 2026. Renewed attacks in the Gulf add risk to the recovery in Middle East oil exports.
- Oct 13
IMF cuts Greek growth outlook and sees inflation rising to 4.2% in 2026
The IMF projects 1.8% growth for Greece in both 2026 and 2027, below the government's draft budget. It expects inflation to rise to 4.2% this year from 2.9% in 2025, with energy costs feeding into prices.
- Oct 13
IMF raises Portugal's 2026 growth forecast to 2.1%, still below government's 2.3%
The IMF now expects Portugal's economy to grow 2.1% in 2026 and 1.9% in 2027, both upgrades from its June estimates. The PCP confirmed it will vote against the 2027 State Budget, citing a public investment cut of more than 30%.
- Oct 9
Netflix prepares Daniel Sancho miniseries as Isabel Fuentes documentary arrives 6 November
Netflix will release the documentary Desprotexida: El crimen de Pazos on 6 November, a week before the fiction series El crimen de Pazos on 13 November. A separate miniseries on the Daniel Sancho case, starring Martiño Rivas, is set to be filmed in Thailand and Spain.
- Oct 9
Thai Queen Suthida flies Gripen fighter jet solo, becoming Thailand's first female Gripen pilot
Queen Suthida, 48, flew a single-seat Saab JAS 39C Gripen for 41 minutes from an air base in Surat Thani province on Thursday, 8 October, with King Maha Vajiralongkorn watching. The Royal Household released footage of the flight on Friday.
- Oct 8
USS Abraham Lincoln returns to San Diego after 322 days at sea and a record Iran war deployment
The carrier docked in San Diego on Thursday, 8 October, with families waiting on the pier. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had visited the flight deck the day before and praised the crew, while the Navy had acknowledged eight suicide attempts on board.
- Oct 7
Donald Trump makes late Nobel Peace Prize pitch claiming resolution of eight wars
US President Donald Trump stated in Washington that he resolved eight wars and stopped nuclear proliferation, repeating his candidacy for the Nobel Peace Prize two days before the announcement in Oslo.
- Oct 7
Weston family holding company agrees to acquire pharmacy chain Boots for $8.9 billion
Canada's Wittington Investments has agreed to purchase UK health retailer Boots from Sycamore Partners and Stefano Pessina in an 8.9 billion dollar deal scheduled to complete in early 2027.
- Oct 7
Satellite images reveal Chinese K-8 combat aircraft at new Ban Keun military facility in Laos
Satellite photographs show eight K-8 light attack aircraft at the Ban Keun airfield in Laos following the opening of a joint military training facility with China.
- Oct 6
UK financial watchdog reviews whistleblower handling after death of Simon Andriesz
Britain's Financial Conduct Authority opened an internal review into its treatment of Simon Andriesz, a former brokerage executive who died by suicide in Thailand after revealing ties between US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Jeffrey Epstein.
- Oct 5
Thailand transfers Ban Sang district chief over flood response as 60,000 families face inundation
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul ordered the immediate reassignment of Ban Sang district chief Setthawut Wonglerwut on 8 October 2026 following alleged evacuation failures in flood-hit Prachin Buri province.
- Oct 5
Nippon Paint agrees to buy AkzoNobel Southeast Asian decorative paints business for $1.35 billion
The Japanese company will take over architectural coatings operations across seven countries including Vietnam and Australia by mid-2027 while retaining the Dulux brand.
- Oct 3
Tom Kim wins Asian Games gold with 18-under total to secure military exemption
South Korean golfer Tom Kim shot a final-round six-under 64 at Kasugai Country Club on Saturday to capture Asian Games individual gold, securing an exemption from his country's mandatory 18-to-21-month military service.
- Oct 2
Plankton bloom turns waters off Thai island Ko Lan bright green, raising hypoxia concerns
Heavy monsoon rains and flood runoff across Thailand triggered a massive Noctiluca plankton bloom off Ko Lan, disrupting local beach tourism and threatening to expand marine dead zones in the Gulf.
