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Two men suspected of plotting a terrorist attack on the Swedish parliament building in Stockholm were arrested by German police on Tuesday.
One of the men, identified as Ibrahim M.G., is said to have joined the Islamic State offshoot Khorasan Province, a group based origins in Afghanistan and eastern parts of Iran. The other man has been named as Ramin N.
German investigators say the group commissioned Ibrahim to carry out an attack in the summer of 2023 in response to protests in Sweden where demonstrators burned copies of the Quran.
The two men are said to have made plans for an assault on Stockholm in which they would have killed "police officers and other people".
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The duo had made specific preparations for the attack, and attempted to obtain weapons but ultimately failed.
The two defendants are to appear before the investigating judge at the Federal Court of Justice in the city of Karlsruhe.
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Ireland's Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, has announced he is leaving office, sending a shockwave through Irish politics with just months to go before European elections.
Irish media first reported that a "political earthquake" was on the way just an hour before a noon press conference, following an early morning cabinet meeting.
Backed by members of his cabinet, Varadkar described his career in public service as the most fulfilling time of his life.
"I'm proud that we've made the country a more equal and modern place," he said, also celebrating measures to combat a cost of living crisis while increasing Ireland's clout in the international community.
He acknowledged that there were areas in which the government had fallen short or gone backwards, but said he would leave it to others to point them out. He also stopped short of offering specific reasons for his resignation, but said his reasons are both personal and political.
"Leadership is knowing when the time has come to pass on the baton to somebody else, and then having the courage to do it," he said. "That time is now."
He is resigning as both Taoiseach and leader of his party, but will remain the member of parliament for his Dublin West constituency. He insisted he has "nothing else lined up" to take his career in a different direction.
"I know that others will, how shall I put it, cope with the news just fine. That is the great thing about living in a democracy.
"There is never a right time to resign high office, however, this is as good a time as any."
The governing coalition that includes Varadkar's Fine Gael party is widely expected to suffer heavy losses to nationalist party Sinn Fein the next time the country goes to the polls.
Varadkar's resignation comes less than two weeks after the shock "no" vote in a twin referendum that had been expected to abolish outdated constitutional provisions relating to the definition of the family and women's role in society.
The surprise vote against the proposed changes was widely blamed on a flaccid government campaign resulting in apathy and low turnout.
Varadkar has served two spells as Taoiseach, first taking on the role in 2017 and returning in 2022.
His tenure has seen him forced to respond to numerous crises, including Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic and a far-right riot in Dublin.
A doctor by background, Varadkar is Ireland's first Taoiseach of mixed ethnic heritage, and its first out gay premier.
"Politicians are human beings, and we have our limitations," he said. "We give it everything until we can't any more, and then we have to move on."
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US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin has vowed the US will continue to support Ukraine's war effort against Russia, even funding for Kyiv stalls in Congress.
“The United States will not let Ukraine fail,” said Austin. “This coalition will not let Ukraine fail. And the free world will not let Ukraine fail.”
He made the comments during an address to more than 50 defence leaders from Europe and the world at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany.
Leaders from other nations promised new aid for Ukraine at the event.
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius told reporters Germany will provide ammunition, plus armoured and transport vehicles worth around €500 million.
“We are helping Ukraine with what it needs most in its defence against Russian aggression,” Pistorius said.
Asked whether he still sees Washington as a reliable ally amid the ongoing delay in funding approval by Congress, Pistorius said: “I have no doubt about the reliability of the Americans.”
The $300 million (€277 million) US aid package was the first tranche of weapons sent by the Biden administration since December, as battlefield conditions in Ukraine grow increasingly dire.
US officials maintain bipartisan support exists for the package, but several Republicans oppose it.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has refused to bring the bill to the House floor for a vote.
Tuesday marks the 20th meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, a key organisation coordinating the delivery of weapons and other aid to Ukraine.
In his opening remarks, Austin said Russia has paid a “staggering cost” for the war, repeating estimates that at least 315,000 Russian troops have been killed or wounded in the war, which has cost Moscow up to €194 billion.
“Ukraine’s troops face harsh conditions and hard fighting. And Ukraine’s civilians endure a constant barrage of Russian missiles and Iranian drones,” said Austin. “But Ukraine won’t back down. And neither will the United States.”