Britain Offers Sweden, Finland Military Support
Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson signed security declarations with Sweden and Finland after Russia warned the Nordic nations not to join the NATO military alliance.
EU
U.S. Warns Ukraine War Will Last Long
United States intelligence officials warned Wednesday that Russia was preparing for a long war in Ukraine and that a victory in the eastern Donbas region may not mean the battle is over.
China surrounds Taiwan for massive invasion ‘rehearsal’ drills
The Chinese military deployed forces all around the island of Taiwan over the weekend in a set of large-scale military drills that one Chinese military analyst called a “rehearsal of possible real action.”
WHO Pushes Global Pandemic Treaty (Worthy News In-Depth)
The World Health Organization (WHO) is preparing a global pact that critics fear will give it absolute power over global biosecurity.
UN nuclear agency ‘extremely concerned’ by Iranian silence on undeclared sites
The UN atomic energy watchdog chief said Tuesday that he was “extremely concerned” about Iran’s lack of cooperation as the EU seeks to unblock talks to revive the 2015 nuclear deal.
Energean makes commercial gas discovery off Israeli coast
Greek oil and gas firm Energean announced on Monday a commercial gas discovery at its Athena exploration well in Israel’s Exclusive Economic Zone.
Hungary Refuses To Join Oil Embargo; EU Chief Returns Empty-Handed
The European Union’s chief executive left Budapest empty-handed Monday after failing to convince Hungary to agree on an EU oil embargo against Russia.
Super Blood moon on May 15
The US, South America, and parts of Europe and Africa are set to see a total lunar eclipse that is not only a Flower moon and a Super moon, but also a Blood moon, Michigan Live reports.
Violence Overshadows Philippines Election
There were reports of violence during Monday’s presidential election in the Philippines that the son of ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos was expected to win.
Hungary Opposes EU Sanctions Against Patriarch Kirill
Hungary said Sunday it would not support European Union plans to freeze the assets of Patriarch Kiril, head of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Scores Dead As Russia Hits School In War-Torn Ukraine
More than 60 people are now feared dead after a Russian bomb reportedly hit a school in eastern Ukraine on Saturday. The attack came as diplomatic efforts were underway to evacuate wounded soldiers from a steel plant in Ukraine’s devastated city of Mariupol.
UN Seeks More Evacuations From Wartorn Mariupol
The United Nations tried Friday to secure the evacuation of at least hundreds of civilians trapped at the Azovstal steelworks in Ukraine’s bombed-out city Mariupol.
Senior Russian lawmaker accuses U.S. of being directly involved in Ukraine war
The speaker of Russia’s State Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, on Saturday accused the U.S. of being directly involved in military operations against Russia in Ukraine.
North Korea preparing for imminent nuclear test, US says
The US warned Friday that North Korea could be ramping up its nuclear activities.
Syria’s Bashar Assad pays rare visit to ally Iran
Syrian President Bashar Assad paid a short visit to Tehran on Sunday, meeting with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Ebrahim Raisi during his brief sojourn, according to Iranian and Syrian media.
Biden announces additional $150 million in Ukrainian military aid
President Joe Biden on Friday announced another round of military aid to Ukraine to help the Eastern European nation combat an ongoing invasion by Russia.
EU Debates Oil Embargo As Ukraine War Escalates
Frustrated over the escalating Russian invasion of Ukraine, the European Union’s leadership announced a new plan to penalize Russia financially. It wants a total ban on oil imports from Russia by the end of the year, but several EU member states objected.
EU Proposes Toughest Sanctions Yet As Russia Steps Up Offensive In Eastern Ukraine
The European Union on May 4 unveiled a proposal to ban Russian oil imports by the end of the year as Russian forces intensified their assault in on a steel plant in the southeastern port city of Mariupol that Ukrainian forces continue to defend.
Robust imports push U.S. trade deficit to record high in March
The U.S. trade deficit surged to a record high in March, confirming that trade weighed on the economy in the first quarter and could remain a drag for a while as businesses replenish inventories with imported goods.
Pope Francis Seeks Talks With Russia’s Putin On Ukraine War
Pope Francis said Tuesday he wants to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin to help end Europe’s worst conflict since World War Two. “I am not going to [Ukraine’s capital] Kyiv for now. I feel that I must not go,” the leader of the Catholic Church told Italy’s daily newspaper Corriere della Sera.