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Iran Sends Response via Pakistan as Qatari Tanker Transits Hormuz
Trump told Sharyl Attkisson Space Force has Iran's nuclear site "very well surveilled" and would "blow up" intruders, claiming 70% of targets hit; Iran replied via Pakistani mediators and the Al Kharaitiyat became the first Qatari LNG ship through Hormuz since the war. In London, Catherine West readied 81 MP signatures to force a Labour contest after a 1,500-seat rout; Kyiv said Putin's claim Ukraine refused a 1,000-for-1,000 POW swap "does not correspond to reality." Russia hit Zaporizhzhia 780 times during the May truce; Asian economies queued for fuel as the Hormuz shock spread.
Trump Can't End Iran War, So He Changes Subject
This was the week the Iran war stopped being a foreign-policy story for Americans and became a domestic one: inflation hit a three-year high of 4.2%, petrol is up 39% since the fighting began, and a hundred days in the average household is $750 poorer. The economy is somehow still adding jobs. But unable to end the war that is driving the prices, the president spent the week fighting on every other front instead — his own last election, naturalised citizens, China, and the spy law that briefs him each morning.
Weekly briefBritain Runs Out of Money for Defence and Order
John Healey's resignation as defence secretary was not an ordinary reshuffle: he walked out accusing Keir Starmer and the Treasury of refusing to pay for Britain's defence at the most dangerous moment since the Cold War, the week the entire fleet of attack submarines sat in dock. And as the state struggled to fund the things that keep a country safe abroad, it was visibly losing its grip on order at home — the Henry Nowak murder, riots in Belfast, a stabbing in a Manchester school. A government is meant to be able to do both. This one, this week, could do neither.
Weekly briefLyhanna Murder Puts French State on Trial
The killing of 11-year-old Lyhanna did what no ordinary political crisis had managed: it put the French state itself in the dock. Her suspected killer had been accused of raping a 10-year-old the previous August and was never questioned. More than 60,000 people marched; the justice minister apologised and ordered a review of 70,000 abuse cases while refusing to resign; the far right demanded his head. Abroad, France was helping lead the diplomacy to end the war in Ukraine. At home, it could not protect a child it had been warned about.
Weekly briefMerz Bets Germany's Future on Autonomy as US Pulls 5,000 Troops
Friedrich Merz has made his choice: a Germany less dependent on an America it no longer trusts. This week he absorbed the loss of 5,000 US troops pulled out over his criticism of the Iran war, killed the €100bn FCAS fighter jet with France, and offered Ukraine a seat inside the EU. It is a coherent bet on strategic autonomy. The catch is that the costs are arriving at home — a suspected extremist arson that blacked out 40,000 homes, and a record 85,837 politically motivated crimes — before the autonomy does.
Weekly briefUkraine Offers to Freeze War by Escalating Strikes
Ukraine spent the week doing two things that only look contradictory: offering to freeze the war and fighting it harder than ever. Zelenskyy signalled he would accept halting the conflict along the current front line, and Europe lined up behind him. At the same time his long-range drones set Russia's fuel system alight, spreading petrol shortages to 25 regions. The escalation is not at odds with the peace offer — it is what gives the offer its weight. Whether Moscow ever picks it up depends less on the talks than on how dry Russia's pumps run.
Weekly briefErdoğan Declares Turkey a 'Playmaker' at Security Conference
Erdoğan spent the week looking indispensable to the world — mediating between Washington and Tehran, branding Turkey a regional 'playmaker', and savaging Netanyahu over Gaza. It is real influence, and it has a domestic use. The more the West needs Ankara, the freer his hand at home, where he has jailed his strongest rival and hundreds of opposition officials and will host NATO's leaders next month behind 40,000 security personnel. The same assertiveness that makes Turkey useful to Washington also had its jets harassing European defence ministers off Cyprus.
Weekly briefAll Events
Every other event tracked today, with a one-line preview. Click Show summary to read more.
us98Trump says Iran nuclear materials site is under Space Force surveillance, threatens to 'blow up' intruders
Donald Trump told journalist Sharyl Attkisson the United States has Iran's nuclear materials site "very well surveilled" via Space Force and would "blow up" anyone who approached it, in an interview released on Sunday. The president said US forces had hit "probably 70 percent" of targets they intended to strike in the war that began on 28 February and could resume operations "for two more weeks" to finish the list. The remarks landed the same day Iran routed its formal reply to the latest US ceasefire proposal through Pakistani mediators, with talks aimed at securing safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
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Trump says Iran nuclear materials site is under Space Force surveillance, threatens to 'blow up' intruders
Donald Trump told journalist Sharyl Attkisson the United States has Iran's nuclear materials site "very well surveilled" via Space Force and would "blow up" anyone who approached it, in an interview released on Sunday. The president said US forces had hit "probably 70 percent" of targets they intended to strike in the war that began on 28 February and could resume operations "for two more weeks" to finish the list. The remarks landed the same day Iran routed its formal reply to the latest US ceasefire proposal through Pakistani mediators, with talks aimed at securing safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
Donald Trump told journalist Sharyl Attkisson the United States has Iran's nuclear materials site "very well surveilled" via Space Force and would "blow up" anyone who approached it, in an interview released on Sunday. The president said US forces had hit "probably 70 percent" of targets they intended to strike in the war that began on 28 February and could resume operations "for two more weeks" to finish the list. The remarks landed the same day Iran routed its formal reply to the latest US ceasefire proposal through Pakistani mediators, with talks aimed at securing safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
us95Iran submits response to US peace proposal; first Qatari LNG tanker transits Strait of Hormuz
Iran on Sunday sent its response to a US proposal to end the war via mediator Pakistan, state news agency IRNA reported, saying the initial phase of negotiations would focus on ending hostilities. The same day, the QatarEnergy-operated LNG carrier Al Kharaitiyat became the first Qatari vessel to transit the Strait of Hormuz since the war began on Feb. 28, heading for Pakistan's Port Qasim. The passage was approved by Iran to build confidence with Qatar and Pakistan, both mediators in the conflict.
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Iran submits response to US peace proposal; first Qatari LNG tanker transits Strait of Hormuz
Iran on Sunday sent its response to a US proposal to end the war via mediator Pakistan, state news agency IRNA reported, saying the initial phase of negotiations would focus on ending hostilities. The same day, the QatarEnergy-operated LNG carrier Al Kharaitiyat became the first Qatari vessel to transit the Strait of Hormuz since the war began on Feb. 28, heading for Pakistan's Port Qasim. The passage was approved by Iran to build confidence with Qatar and Pakistan, both mediators in the conflict.
Iran on Sunday sent its response to a US proposal to end the war via mediator Pakistan, state news agency IRNA reported, saying the initial phase of negotiations would focus on ending hostilities. The same day, the QatarEnergy-operated LNG carrier Al Kharaitiyat became the first Qatari vessel to transit the Strait of Hormuz since the war began on Feb. 28, heading for Pakistan's Port Qasim. The passage was approved by Iran to build confidence with Qatar and Pakistan, both mediators in the conflict.
ua95Kyiv rejects Putin's claim Ukraine walked away from 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner swap
The Office of the President of Ukraine told Suspilne that Vladimir Putin's claim Kyiv had refused a large-scale prisoner exchange "does not correspond to reality," insisting work on the deal is actively moving forward and rests on Washington acting as guarantor. Putin had told state media after the May 9 Victory Day parade that Russia tabled 500 Ukrainian POWs for swap on May 5 and that Ukrainian negotiators "went off the radar." The proposed Trump-brokered "1,000-for-1,000" exchange — the largest since the 2022 invasion — was timed to a May 9-11 truce that Russian drones have already broken in Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk.
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Kyiv rejects Putin's claim Ukraine walked away from 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner swap
The Office of the President of Ukraine told Suspilne that Vladimir Putin's claim Kyiv had refused a large-scale prisoner exchange "does not correspond to reality," insisting work on the deal is actively moving forward and rests on Washington acting as guarantor. Putin had told state media after the May 9 Victory Day parade that Russia tabled 500 Ukrainian POWs for swap on May 5 and that Ukrainian negotiators "went off the radar." The proposed Trump-brokered "1,000-for-1,000" exchange — the largest since the 2022 invasion — was timed to a May 9-11 truce that Russian drones have already broken in Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk.
The Office of the President of Ukraine told Suspilne that Vladimir Putin's claim Kyiv had refused a large-scale prisoner exchange "does not correspond to reality," insisting work on the deal is actively moving forward and rests on Washington acting as guarantor. Putin had told state media after the May 9 Victory Day parade that Russia tabled 500 Ukrainian POWs for swap on May 5 and that Ukrainian negotiators "went off the radar." The proposed Trump-brokered "1,000-for-1,000" exchange — the largest since the 2022 invasion — was timed to a May 9-11 truce that Russian drones have already broken in Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk.
gb95Backbencher West sets Labour leadership threshold at 81 MPs as Rayner says blocking Burnham was a mistake
Labour backbencher Catherine West confirmed she will gather signatures to trigger a leadership contest unless Keir Starmer's relaunch speech on Monday convinces her otherwise; she needs 81 MPs — 20 percent of the parliamentary party — to force a ballot, and more than 30 Labour MPs have already publicly called for the prime minister to go. Former deputy PM Angela Rayner broke her silence to call the National Executive Committee's blocking of Andy Burnham "a mistake" and warn that this is Labour's "last chance" to be a working-people's party. Equity general secretary Paul Fleming and Unison's Andrea Egan added union pressure for an exit timetable, as rumoured contenders Wes Streeting and Rayner herself stayed publicly silent on whether they would stand.
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Backbencher West sets Labour leadership threshold at 81 MPs as Rayner says blocking Burnham was a mistake
Labour backbencher Catherine West confirmed she will gather signatures to trigger a leadership contest unless Keir Starmer's relaunch speech on Monday convinces her otherwise; she needs 81 MPs — 20 percent of the parliamentary party — to force a ballot, and more than 30 Labour MPs have already publicly called for the prime minister to go. Former deputy PM Angela Rayner broke her silence to call the National Executive Committee's blocking of Andy Burnham "a mistake" and warn that this is Labour's "last chance" to be a working-people's party. Equity general secretary Paul Fleming and Unison's Andrea Egan added union pressure for an exit timetable, as rumoured contenders Wes Streeting and Rayner herself stayed publicly silent on whether they would stand.
Labour backbencher Catherine West confirmed she will gather signatures to trigger a leadership contest unless Keir Starmer's relaunch speech on Monday convinces her otherwise; she needs 81 MPs — 20 percent of the parliamentary party — to force a ballot, and more than 30 Labour MPs have already publicly called for the prime minister to go. Former deputy PM Angela Rayner broke her silence to call the National Executive Committee's blocking of Andy Burnham "a mistake" and warn that this is Labour's "last chance" to be a working-people's party. Equity general secretary Paul Fleming and Unison's Andrea Egan added union pressure for an exit timetable, as rumoured contenders Wes Streeting and Rayner herself stayed publicly silent on whether they would stand.
us92Trump Administration Escalates Federal Intervention in State Elections, Seizes Ballots and Sues States
The Trump administration has intensified efforts to override state election authority, seizing ballots in Georgia, Arizona, and Michigan while suing some 30 states for refusing to provide voter rolls and other records. The Justice Department demanded voter registration data, ballots, driver's license records, and partial Social Security numbers from nearly every state and the District of Columbia in 2025. Courts and election officials have repeatedly found no evidence of widespread fraud, but the administration has replaced most election security officials with political activists, many of them election deniers.
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Trump Administration Escalates Federal Intervention in State Elections, Seizes Ballots and Sues States
The Trump administration has intensified efforts to override state election authority, seizing ballots in Georgia, Arizona, and Michigan while suing some 30 states for refusing to provide voter rolls and other records. The Justice Department demanded voter registration data, ballots, driver's license records, and partial Social Security numbers from nearly every state and the District of Columbia in 2025. Courts and election officials have repeatedly found no evidence of widespread fraud, but the administration has replaced most election security officials with political activists, many of them election deniers.
The Trump administration has intensified efforts to override state election authority, seizing ballots in Georgia, Arizona, and Michigan while suing some 30 states for refusing to provide voter rolls and other records. The Justice Department demanded voter registration data, ballots, driver's license records, and partial Social Security numbers from nearly every state and the District of Columbia in 2025. Courts and election officials have repeatedly found no evidence of widespread fraud, but the administration has replaced most election security officials with political activists, many of them election deniers.
ua92Russia's battlefield gains in Ukraine slow to worst since 2023 as drone saturation and communication failures hinder advances
Russia's military advance in Ukraine has slowed to its worst pace since 2023, with trackers recording net territorial losses in some months this year, The New York Times reports. At the current rate, Russia would need more than three decades to seize full control of the Donbas. The slowdown undercuts President Vladimir Putin's case to US President Donald Trump that Russian forces are heading toward inevitable victory.
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Russia's battlefield gains in Ukraine slow to worst since 2023 as drone saturation and communication failures hinder advances
Russia's military advance in Ukraine has slowed to its worst pace since 2023, with trackers recording net territorial losses in some months this year, The New York Times reports. At the current rate, Russia would need more than three decades to seize full control of the Donbas. The slowdown undercuts President Vladimir Putin's case to US President Donald Trump that Russian forces are heading toward inevitable victory.
Russia's military advance in Ukraine has slowed to its worst pace since 2023, with trackers recording net territorial losses in some months this year, The New York Times reports. At the current rate, Russia would need more than three decades to seize full control of the Donbas. The slowdown undercuts President Vladimir Putin's case to US President Donald Trump that Russian forces are heading toward inevitable victory.
tr92CHP set to lose 15th mayor to AKP as Afyonkarahisar's Burcu Köksal signals defection
Burcu Köksal, the Republican People's Party (CHP) mayor of Afyonkarahisar in western Turkey, is expected to become the 15th CHP mayor to defect to the ruling AKP since the 2024 local elections, with party officials saying she has refused calls and meeting requests. AKP spokesman Ömer Çelik told reporters on Saturday that journalists "may see who will join the party at the next parliamentary group meeting." The CHP is simultaneously fighting corruption trials of its mayors in Uşak, Antalya and Bolu, factional disputes from the 2023 chair race that brought Özgür Özel to the top, and the Silivri imprisonment of Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu — a combination former secretary-general Mehmet Sevigen says will trigger more resignations unless the party purges its corrupt mayors.
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CHP set to lose 15th mayor to AKP as Afyonkarahisar's Burcu Köksal signals defection
Burcu Köksal, the Republican People's Party (CHP) mayor of Afyonkarahisar in western Turkey, is expected to become the 15th CHP mayor to defect to the ruling AKP since the 2024 local elections, with party officials saying she has refused calls and meeting requests. AKP spokesman Ömer Çelik told reporters on Saturday that journalists "may see who will join the party at the next parliamentary group meeting." The CHP is simultaneously fighting corruption trials of its mayors in Uşak, Antalya and Bolu, factional disputes from the 2023 chair race that brought Özgür Özel to the top, and the Silivri imprisonment of Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu — a combination former secretary-general Mehmet Sevigen says will trigger more resignations unless the party purges its corrupt mayors.
Burcu Köksal, the Republican People's Party (CHP) mayor of Afyonkarahisar in western Turkey, is expected to become the 15th CHP mayor to defect to the ruling AKP since the 2024 local elections, with party officials saying she has refused calls and meeting requests. AKP spokesman Ömer Çelik told reporters on Saturday that journalists "may see who will join the party at the next parliamentary group meeting." The CHP is simultaneously fighting corruption trials of its mayors in Uşak, Antalya and Bolu, factional disputes from the 2023 chair race that brought Özgür Özel to the top, and the Silivri imprisonment of Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu — a combination former secretary-general Mehmet Sevigen says will trigger more resignations unless the party purges its corrupt mayors.
tr88Türkiye ranks third in IFC global portfolio with over $25 billion invested
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has invested more than $25 billion in Türkiye over the past decade, making the country the third-largest in the institution's global portfolio, IFC Director Lisa Kaestner said on May 10. Kaestner outlined priorities including job creation, productivity gains, and support for small and medium-sized enterprises amid tighter liquidity and rising volatility. The IFC, a World Bank Group arm, also highlighted investments in digital bonds and earthquake-zone recovery.
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Türkiye ranks third in IFC global portfolio with over $25 billion invested
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has invested more than $25 billion in Türkiye over the past decade, making the country the third-largest in the institution's global portfolio, IFC Director Lisa Kaestner said on May 10. Kaestner outlined priorities including job creation, productivity gains, and support for small and medium-sized enterprises amid tighter liquidity and rising volatility. The IFC, a World Bank Group arm, also highlighted investments in digital bonds and earthquake-zone recovery.
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has invested more than $25 billion in Türkiye over the past decade, making the country the third-largest in the institution's global portfolio, IFC Director Lisa Kaestner said on May 10. Kaestner outlined priorities including job creation, productivity gains, and support for small and medium-sized enterprises amid tighter liquidity and rising volatility. The IFC, a World Bank Group arm, also highlighted investments in digital bonds and earthquake-zone recovery.
fr85Niger junta suspends nine French media outlets including AFP, France 24 and RFI
Niger's military government on Friday suspended nine major French news organisations, including AFP, France 24, RFI, TV5 Monde, TF1 Info, Mediapart and Jeune Afrique, accusing them of broadcasting content "likely to gravely endanger public order, national unity, social cohesion and the stability of the institutions" without citing examples. Reporters Without Borders condemned the order as "abusive" and based on "fabricated charges," calling it part of a coordinated press-freedom crackdown across the Russia-aligned Alliance of Sahel States. The blanket ban followed an April Tuareg-Islamist offensive in neighbouring Mali that cost the junta there its defence minister and territory near the Niger border.
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Niger junta suspends nine French media outlets including AFP, France 24 and RFI
Niger's military government on Friday suspended nine major French news organisations, including AFP, France 24, RFI, TV5 Monde, TF1 Info, Mediapart and Jeune Afrique, accusing them of broadcasting content "likely to gravely endanger public order, national unity, social cohesion and the stability of the institutions" without citing examples. Reporters Without Borders condemned the order as "abusive" and based on "fabricated charges," calling it part of a coordinated press-freedom crackdown across the Russia-aligned Alliance of Sahel States. The blanket ban followed an April Tuareg-Islamist offensive in neighbouring Mali that cost the junta there its defence minister and territory near the Niger border.
Niger's military government on Friday suspended nine major French news organisations, including AFP, France 24, RFI, TV5 Monde, TF1 Info, Mediapart and Jeune Afrique, accusing them of broadcasting content "likely to gravely endanger public order, national unity, social cohesion and the stability of the institutions" without citing examples. Reporters Without Borders condemned the order as "abusive" and based on "fabricated charges," calling it part of a coordinated press-freedom crackdown across the Russia-aligned Alliance of Sahel States. The blanket ban followed an April Tuareg-Islamist offensive in neighbouring Mali that cost the junta there its defence minister and territory near the Niger border.
ua85Russian forces strike Zaporizhzhia Oblast 780 times during truce, killing one and injuring three
Russian forces carried out 780 strikes on 33 settlements in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Oblast over the past day of the so-called truce, killing one person and injuring three others, the Zaporizhzhia Oblast Military Administration reported. The attacks included 598 UAVs, mostly FPV drones, eight MLRS strikes, and 174 artillery strikes across multiple districts.
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Russian forces strike Zaporizhzhia Oblast 780 times during truce, killing one and injuring three
Russian forces carried out 780 strikes on 33 settlements in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Oblast over the past day of the so-called truce, killing one person and injuring three others, the Zaporizhzhia Oblast Military Administration reported. The attacks included 598 UAVs, mostly FPV drones, eight MLRS strikes, and 174 artillery strikes across multiple districts.
Russian forces carried out 780 strikes on 33 settlements in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Oblast over the past day of the so-called truce, killing one person and injuring three others, the Zaporizhzhia Oblast Military Administration reported. The attacks included 598 UAVs, mostly FPV drones, eight MLRS strikes, and 174 artillery strikes across multiple districts.