With independent, daily reporting from around Europe, The Local is a window on life in other cultures.

We capture the essence of nations by finding the stories that tell us who we are (and who those other people over there are), breaking down barriers and bringing us closer together. We are the largest English-language news network in Europe with more than 4.5 million readers every month, plus many more on our partner sites. Our entertaining blend of daily news, business and features has made the site essential reading for foreign professionals in Europe.

Latest news from: The Local in Italy » Pope visits Blue Mosque on Istanbul visit Pope Francis stood alongside a top Islamic cleric in a moment of silent contemplation at Istanbul's Blue Mosque on Saturday, as he visited the former capital of the Christian Byzantine world for the first time. READ »		Latest news from: The Local in Spain » Fan dies after Atletico-Deportivo brawl A football fan died of cardiac arrest following clashes near Atletico Madrid's Vicente Calderon stadium before the Spanish champions' 2-0 win over Deportivo la Coruna on Sunday, a hospital spokeswoman said. READ »

Latest news from: The Local in France » Five dead as French flood disaster continues The worst flooding in years in southern France has claimed five lives and forced more than 3,000 people to evacuate their homes, officials said Sunday. READ »		Latest news from: The Local in Germany » Fresh Lufthansa pilots' strike planned: union A leading German pilots' union has called a fresh walkout at Lufthansa starting Monday in an ongoing dispute with the airline over retirement benefits. READ »

Latest news from: The Local in Sweden » North enjoys record sun as capital goes grey Parts of northern Sweden basked in record amounts of sun throughout November but in Stockholm there was just five sunshine hours all month. READ »		Latest news from: The Local in Norway » Norway's Johaug wins 10km cross-country Norway's 'golden girl' of the ski slopes took the gold in the 10km cross-country event at the FIS Cross-Country World Cup in Ruka, Finland on Sunday. READ »

Latest news from: The Local in Switzerland » Cannabis cakes send four men to hospital Three men in the canton of Saint Gallen discovered to their cost the price paid for consuming cookies containing too much cannabis over the weekend. READ »		Latest news from: The Local in Austria » Hijack alert sees Turkish plane's jet escort A Turkish Airlines pilot's mistaken activation of a hijack alarm triggered a high-octane security deployment at Vienna airport on Friday, Austrian police said. READ »

Latest news from: The Local in Denmark » Lego continues to build success in digital age Lego has come along way since its origins in a small Billund workshop in 1932, but despite the rising popularity of digital platforms the company's CEO says the small iconic plastic bricks "will stay with us for centuries". READ »

Latest chat from: Toytown Germany » 03:46 Learning German - Speech vs reading comprehension 00:08 Quick question for the ESL teachers 23:41 TT noisy Christmas Party 2014 - Munich 23:30 Where to get Bachelor's degree recognized? 23:24 Meeting English-speaking people in Wurzburg		Latest chat from: English Forum Switzerland » 03:24 Finally in Zug 03:23 Departure date conundrum 02:36 Migros vs COOP Price Battle - Who's telling the truth? 01:53 Which button to press to make a Swiss tumble dryer tumble? 01:32 UK targets East Europe immigrants