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, but Putin declined,…
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. The case, brought…
Vatican: a new pope is elected
08 May 2025
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. A member of…
Ukraine: Putin announces three-day ceasefire
01 May 2025
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 Moscow repeatedly violated.…
A widespread power cut on 28 April disrupted millions across Spain and Portugal, prompting investigations and huge public concern. Portugal’s national grid operator, REN, attributed the blackout to a rare atmospheric phenomenon which caused extreme temperature…
The recent 6.2 magnitude earthquake which struck Istanbul on 23 April is being seen as a serious warning rather than a release of seismic energy, according to Japanese earthquake expert Yoshinori Moriwaki. While the quake caused…