Europe
Germany: WW2 bombs defused after mass evacuation
Authorities in Cologne have safely defused three large American World War 2 bombs after evacuating over 20,000 people in what officials described as the city’s largest operation since the war. Discovered in a…
Ukraine: increasing use of a deadly new weapon
In Rodynske, Ukraine, devastation and fear hang in the air after a Russian glide bomb destroyed the town’s administrative centre and residential blocks. Russian attacks have surged, with Rodynske now facing direct strikes…
France: surgeon jailed for abusing 299 patients
Joel Le Scouarnec, once a respected surgeon, has been sentenced to twenty years in prison after admitting to sexually abusing 299 patients, mostly children, between 1989 and 2014. The judge said he took…
EU / USA: Trump backs away from extra tariffs – for now
Donald Trump has paused a proposed 50% tariff on EU goods, extending the negotiation deadline to 9 July after a phone call with EC president Ursula von der Leyen. She requested more time…
Armenia looks to other countries rather than Russia for weapons
Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov has acknowledged delays in weapons deliveries to Armenia due to the strain of the war in Ukraine. Armenia, a long-time Russian ally, has historically depended on Russian arms…
Romania: pro-European wins presidential election
Nicusor Dan, the liberal and pro-European mayor of Bucharest, has defeated far-right nationalist George Simion in Romania’s presidential run-off, securing 54% of the vote. His victory followed months of political upheaval, including a…
Ukraine / Russia: delegations arrive in Istanbul, but not Putin
Peace efforts between Russia and Ukraine took a cautious step forward as Russian delegates arrived in Istanbul on 15 May for proposed negotiations. Volodymyr Zelensky had invited Vladimir Putin to meet in person,…
EU: court rules against EC refusal to release text messages to Pfizer
The EU General Court has ruled that the European Commission failed to justify its refusal to release text messages between Ursula von der Leyen and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla regarding Covid-19 vaccine contracts.…
Vatican: a new pope is elected
On 8 May Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago in 1955, was elected as the new head of the Catholic Church, becoming the first North American, American, and Peruvian pope.…
Ukraine: Putin announces three-day ceasefire
Vladimir Putin has announced a new three-day unilateral ceasefire, to run from 8 to 10 May, coinciding with Russia’s World War II commemorations. It follows a previous thirty-hour Easter ceasefire, which critics say…
