Author Oliver Eagleton says British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is fighting for his job because he tried to turn the Labour Party into the ‘new Conservative Party’ and ‘occupy that centre ground’. Dozens of lawmakers are calling for Starmer’s resignation after devastating local elections.
Published On 13 May 202613 May 2026
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FLIGHT cancellations have dominated the news recently with Ryanair in particular axing millions of seats.
As a result of rising air tax, budget-friendly Ryanair has cut a huge amount of routes over the last year – here’s every destination that’s been impacted as a result.
Follow The Sun’s award-winning travel team on Instagram and Tiktok for top holiday tips and inspiration @thesuntravel.
In its most recent update, Ryanair announced it would be closing its base at Thessaloniki in Greece.
At the same time, the airline announced it would be scrapping off-season flights to Chania and Heraklion in Crete and will reduce its Athens services too.
All of this will result in 700,000 fewer seats on sale this winter which works out as a 45 per cent reduction, and resulting in 12 routes being scrapped in total.
Ryanair said that the rising cost of airport charges is the reason behind the reduction in flights.
Last summer, Spain was hit hard with cancellations as Ryanair announced it would be cutting two million seats across the country.
The destinations where the airline has closed operations and ceased flights to were Asturias, Vigo, Valladolid, Jerez and Tenerife (North).
At other holiday spots in Spain, Ryanair significantly reduced its flights – this includes Santiago de Compostela, Girona, Vitoria, Zaragoza and Santander.
This is in response to Aena – the state-controlled airport operator in the country – increasing its fees for airlines.
The operator has proposed an increase in passenger fees, meaning airlines would be paying 21 per cent more from 2027 to 2031.
In March, Ryanair scrapped all of its flights to the Azores, a destination often compared to Hawaii.
From Mary 29, Ryanair stopped all services to and from the Azores meaning that six different routes have been scrapped.
This has impacted around 400,000 passengers who visit the islands every year.
Ryanair’s CCO Jason McGuinness said: “As a direct result of rising costs, we have been left with no alternative other than to cancel all Azores flights from 29 March 2026 onwards.”
While no routes have been completely axed, Ryanair has dropped 24 services to and from Germany from its schedule.
These destinations include Hamburg, Memmingen, Baden-Württemberg, Cologne, Frankfurt-Hahn, Dortmund, Dresden and Leipzig.
Ryanair also revealed plans to close its Berlin hub and slash its 2026 winter timetable to the capital by half.
The airline confirmed it would move seven aircraft to alternative locations.
Passenger figures will as a result drop from 4.5million to 2.2million annually.
Ryanair DAC CEO Eddie Wilson said: “We regret to announce this planned closure of our 7 aircraft Berlin base from October 24, 2026, but we have no alternative following the Airport’s latest 10 per cent fee increase to its already high airport fees.
“This comes on top of the 50 per cent increase in Berlin’s airport fees since 2019.”
Ryanair cut many services to France in 2025 – with the loss of 25 routes and some 750,000 seats last winter.
The airline decided to drop services completely to both Strasbourg and Brive.
It had previously axed flights to Bergerac in the Dordogne region, but restarted them in alignment with the summer schedule.
In Brussels, Ryanair has axed 20 routes and cut one million seats across Brussels-Zaventem and Brussels South Charleroi airports.
These one million seats will be scrapped to and from Brussels from the 2026/27 winter schedule, a reduction of 22 per cent.
This affects 20 flights routes with five aircraft based at the airport removed.
The airline said the cuts were due to the rise in air passenger tax being introduced in Belgium.
From 2027, the tax on all passenger flights will increase to €10 (£8.70).
Who: Manchester City vs Crystal Palace
What: English Premier League
Where: Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England, United Kingdom
When: Wednesday, May 13, at 8pm (19:00 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the buildup on Al Jazeera Sport from 16:00 GMT in advance of our live text commentary stream.
Second-placed Manchester City kept themselves alive in the Premier League title race with their solid home win over Brentford on Saturday, but league-leading Arsenal’s controversial win at West Ham United the following day again pegged City behind in the two-team fight for the trophy.
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Al Jazeera Sport previews City’s delayed Matchday 31 contest against Crystal Palace on Wednesday and breaks down the Sky Blues’ championship hopes as the season draws to a close.
If City beat Palace on Wednesday, they will reduce the gap on league leaders Arsenal to two points. Both teams will then have two games remaining.
A victory against Palace would keep City alive in the title hunt, but they would need to beat Bournemouth in their penultimate match to continue the title fight to the final round of matches on May 24.
If City draw, they will end up four points behind Arsenal, and in the event of a defeat, the gap would remain at five points. Dropping any points against Palace would mean City all but bowing out of the title race, even if they still have a mathematical chance to contend heading into the penultimate round.
In such a scenario, Arsenal can be crowned Premier League champions as early as Monday, May 18. A win over already-relegated Burnley in Matchday 37 would mean Arsenal would be at least seven points clear, with City only having a maximum of six points available in their last two fixtures.
If the Gunners are crowned champions of England, it would mark the end of the North London club’s 22-year wait for the honour.
After hosting Palace on Wednesday, City face sixth-placed Bournemouth on May 19 before facing fifth-placed Aston Villa in their final game of the season on May 24. Both fixtures will be challenging as City’s opponents will be fighting to secure European football qualification next season.
Arsenal, on the other hand, have a much easier run-in to the end of the season. They host already-relegated Burnley on May 18 and play away to Palace on the final day of the season. Palace will likely name a weaker side for that fixture, with their eyes certainly on their first European final: The Conference League final vs Rayo Vallecano on May 27.
Yes.
Arsenal’s dramatic win on Sunday against their London rivals, West Ham, means they already have one hand on the trophy. Should they win their final two matches of the campaign, they will be crowned champions, regardless of Man City’s results.
But any slip-up would allow their title rivals back in.
Opta’s supercomputer has given the Gunners an 87.2% chance of winning the title from hereon.
Yes, it is possible.
If City win all three remaining matches, and Arsenal draw one of their two games, both teams will end the season level on points.
What happens in this case? Rule C.17 of the Premier League Handbook says the final table placings would be determined by the following criteria, in this order:
Currently, the goal difference between Arsenal and City is very close. Arsenal have a +42 goal difference, and City’s is +40. It could come down to goals scored across the season: City’s current tally is 72, Arsenal’s is 68.
If the clubs finish level on points, goal difference, and goals scored, City would claim the title on the next criterion – points won in head-to-head matches – because they have won four points against Arsenal this season, thanks to a win and a draw.
The odds of such a scenario are very low, given City are lagging in the title race, but if this were to happen, it would go down as the closest title race ever. The previous closest race was in 2011-12 when City edged their rivals, Manchester United, on goal difference following Sergio Aguero’s stoppage-time winner against Queens Park Rangers on the final day.
While City’s odds of winning the league title are very slim, they remain on course to complete a domestic double. City, who won the League Cup in March, face Chelsea in the FA Cup final on Saturday. They are bidding for their eighth FA Cup, having last lifted the trophy in 2023.
Manager Pep Guardiola has backed striker Omar Marmoush, who scored off the bench in the last game, to have a key role in the closing stages of the English season.
“We’ve talked many times,” said Guardiola. “I know it’s not easy for them [fringe players], but I’m pretty sure in the next games they’re going to play.
“I want to rotate the team because otherwise we cannot arrive in the final or Bournemouth a little bit (fresh).
“Especially Omar. It’s not easy because normally you just want one striker. He’s a proper striker but Erling (Haaland) is there.
“Erling is so important for us, but the contribution of Omar – the amount of goals for the minutes played – is so high.”
Guardiola said he is “loving” the Premier League run-in, despite his side no longer controlling their own fate in the title race.
“It’s not in our hands now,” Guardiola said. “They have to drop points. The only thing we can do is win again and see what happens.”
Guardiola said win or lose, the thrilling race to the finish has been thoroughly enjoyable.
He pointed to his team’s consistency, as their unbeaten run in the league stretches back to mid-January. With another major final still to come, City have had plenty to celebrate this season, regardless of how the Premier League finishes.
“I love it. I love to be here again, we’ll finish second again in this season, minimum,” Guardiola said. “Last season, we were fighting to qualify for the Champions League, was so difficult.
“I love too Carabao (League Cup) in our pocket. We play an FA Cup final in Wembley, it is the most beautiful game of the season.”
In their reverse fixture at Selhurst Park in December, City won 2-0, thanks to two goals from Haaland, including a penalty, and another by Phil Foden.
Palace and City have faced each other in 75 games in all competitions since 1921.
City have won 40 of those encounters, while Palace won 18. A total of 17 matches ended in a draw.
Defenders Josko Gvardiol and Abdukodir Khusanov, along with defensive midfielder Rodri, are out injured.
Gianluigi Donnarumma (goalkeeper); Matheus Nunes, Marc Guehi, Nathan Ake, Nico O’Reilly; Bernardo Silva, Tijjani Reijnders; Antoine Semenyo, Rayan Cherki, Jeremy Doku; Erling Haaland
Edward Nketiah, Cheick Oumar Doucoure, Evann Guessand and Borna Sosa are sidelined with injuries.
Dean Henderson (goalkeeper); Chris Richards, Maxence Lacroix, Jaydee Canvot; Daniel Munoz, Adam Wharton, Daichi Kamada, Tyrick Mitchell; Brennan Johnson, Ismaila Sarr; Jorgen Strand Larsen
Also known as Sky City, Acoma is a Native community of earthen homes perched atop a 357-foot-high mesa. It has been occupied for roughly 1,000 years by the Acoma Pueblo tribe, which is independent of the nearby Navajo, Zuni and Laguna, with its own language and about 5,000 enrolled members.
Thanks to revenues from their Sky City Casino and hotel along Interstate 40, the Acoma also have a large, handsome Haa’ku Museum and Sky City Cultural Center next to the historic mesa. There, outsiders can gather for escorted tours of 60 to 90 minutes, mostly walking. It’s $30 per adult. Photography, binoculars and note-taking are closely restricted, and outsiders are generally forbidden from the mesa except on tours.
My group of 18 travelers was led by guide Gail Toribio, 27. After a quick bus ride up a steep road built in the 1950s, we found ourselves on top of the mesa, facing one massive church, about 500 homes and several pottery stalls that materialize during tours. The views were spectacular, the pottery was full of painstaking detail, and it was fascinating to see the ancient and modern elements together in the hilltop homes. But the biggest thing and most astonishing story on the mesa is the San Estévan del Rey Mission.
When Spanish troops and missionaries showed up in the 16th century, they forced labor and Christianity upon Native groups, often slaughtering and maiming those who resisted, including many Acoma. By the 1640s, forced labor had produced the church on the mesa, its 40-foot-long ponderosa pine beams dragged from Mt. Taylor, more than 30 miles away. Somehow, when the area’s tribes rose up in the Pueblo Indian revolt of 1680 and killed most of the Catholic priests in New Mexico, the church endured. And over time, Toribio told us, most Acoma families settled into a sort of dual faith, combining their traditional beliefs with Catholic rituals, including Christmas.
After the church, we walked among two-story homes that were here long before the first Europeans showed up. (Only a handful of the homes are still occupied full time.)
“I was actually raised up there,” potter Gwen Patricio, 52, told me back at the visitor center. “No electricity, no running water. They asked the elders if they wanted electricity, but they said no.”
One killed and four others wounded in attacks on Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, local administration chief says.
Published On 12 May 202612 May 2026
Russia and Ukraine have resumed air attacks after a United States-brokered three-day truce expired, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying more than 200 drones were used to attack Ukraine overnight.
Russian aerial attacks across Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region on Tuesday morning killed at least one person and injured four others, according to regional administration chief Oleksandr Ganzha.
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Russian drones also hit energy infrastructure in Ukraine’s Mykolaiv region, causing outages, and struck residential buildings and a kindergarten in the Kyiv region, according to local authorities. Russia also carried out attacks on the regions of Kharkiv, Zhytomyr, Sumy and Chernihiv, according to authorities.
More than 200 long-range drones were used in the wave of attacks, Zelenskyy said. “Russia itself chose to end the partial silence that had lasted for several days,” he said in a post on X.
Russia’s military, meanwhile, said its defences downed 27 Ukrainian drones over the regions of Belgorod, Voronezh and Rostov.
The exchange of aerial attacks came after the expiry of a 72-hour truce announced by US President Donald Trump on Friday, which he said he hoped would mark “the beginning of the end” of Russia’s four-year war on Ukraine.
The May 9-11 truce overlapped with Russia’s Victory Day, which celebrates the defeat of Nazi Germany in the second world war.
But even before it expired, both sides accused each other of violating the truce by attacking civilians.
Zelenskyy said Russia was neither observing the truce nor “even particularly trying to”, adding there had been no calm in front-line areas despite a lull in large-scale attacks.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Ministry of Defence accused Ukraine of committing more than 1,000 ceasefire violations. It said Ukrainian forces attacked civilian targets in several Russian regions and carried out strikes against Russian military positions on the front line.
Russia’s military had “responded in kind” to the ceasefire violations, according to the Defence Ministry.
US-backed negotiations on ending the Russia-Ukraine war have made little headway and have been largely sidelined by the crisis in the Middle East amid the US-Israel war on Iran. Trump’s ceasefire announcement had raised some hope that US-led talks to end Russia’s invasion could be resumed.
On Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested for the first time that the Ukraine war may be “coming to an end” and expressed a willingness to meet Zelenskyy in Moscow or a neutral country once an agreement to end the war is finalised. He also accused the “arrogant” West of risking a global conflict, warning that Russia’s “strategic forces” are combat-ready.
Russian institutions and officials accused of systemic deportation and indoctrination of children during the war on Ukraine.
Published On 11 May 202611 May 2026
The European Union and United Kingdom have imposed sanctions on Russian institutions and officials accused of systematically deporting and indoctrinating Ukrainian children.
The EU announced measures against 23 state institutions and people on Monday. The UK simultaneously unveiled a broader package targeting 85 people and entities, roughly a third of them linked to what was described as Russia’s campaign to forcibly deport and militarise Ukrainian children.
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Russia has deported and forcibly transferred nearly 20,500 Ukrainian children since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, an EU statement noted. It branded the actions as grave breaches of international law.
The EU said its designations target institutions and individuals involved in programmes subjecting children to pro-Russian indoctrination, including patriotic events, ideological education and military-oriented activities.
The sanctions, which include asset freezes and travel bans, were approved by the EU’s 27 nations in coordination with Canada and the UK, which announced similar measures.
“Stealing children is not incidental. It is a deliberate Russian policy, a calculated attack on Ukraine’s future,” the EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, told a news conference.
The UK sanctions announcement named the Centre for Military and Patriotic Training and Education of Youth, known as the warrior centre, a Russian state institution at which Ukrainian children are reportedly subjected to military training and pro-Kremlin ideology.
Also targeted was Yulia Sergeevna Velichko, the Moscow-installed minister for youth policy in the so-called Luhansk People’s Republic, for her role in implementing state-led initiatives.
UK Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Yvette Cooper said the UK would continue working alongside allies to support every effort to identify and trace children who had been taken.
Russia does not deny taking the children but has said it has done so for their protection, moving them away from front-line areas, and claims it is willing to return them when relatives come forward and can be verified.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2023 for the war crime of illegal deportation of children from Ukraine.
Responding to the announced sanctions, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said: “These are the ones who ‘rewire’ the identity of Ukrainian children, help make them hate their homeland, and one day take up arms to fight against Ukraine.”
The UK’s broader sanctions package also took aim at Russian information warfare operations, with the remaining measures targeting individuals and entities linked to alleged Kremlin propaganda campaigns.
Among them were 49 people working for the Social Design Agency, a state-funded Russian organisation accused of running disinformation and interference operations, including attempts to establish pro-Russia organisations in Armenia and influence the outcome of upcoming elections.
Traditionally a strong Russian ally, the Caucasian country has recently been moving away from Moscow’s orbit.
Last week, the Armenian ambassador was summoned to protest what the Kremlin described as “terrorist threats against Russia” made by Zelenskyy in a speech delivered in Yerevan.
Barcelona, Spain — Draped in club flags and with their faces painted blue and maroon, Barcelona fan Max Dour and his father Nico joined thousands of others celebrating their team’s crowning as La Liga champions under the glow of flares lighting up the night sky at the famous Plaza Catalunya in the Catalan capital.
Playing at home, the football giants sealed their second consecutive Spanish league title with a 2-0 win over bitter rivals Real Madrid in a highly-anticipated El Clasico on Sunday.
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The league triumph was made all the sweeter by a lacklustre performance from Madrid and the tens of thousands of cules – as Barcelona supporters are known – packed inside the Camp Nou stadium.
The iconic venue carried an air of anticipation for what fans believed was an inevitable victory. They chanted “Campeones, campeones (champions, champions)” throughout the match and well past the referee’s full-time whistle.
Come Monday afternoon, Barca fans will once again pack the city streets when the players join their celebrations with an open bus parade through the streets.
“I promised my son if we won La Liga, then we would go to the Canaletas [fountain] to celebrate, so here we are,” said Dour, a businessman who is a Barca season ticket holder, like his 14-year-old son. “How better could you end the season and win La Liga?”
The Canaletas fountain at one end of Las Ramblas, Barcelona’s famous thoroughfare, is where fans traditionally gather to celebrate victories, but it was closed off for works on Sunday.
It is part of Barcelona folklore.
During the 1930s, the main sporting Barcelona newspaper, Las Ramblas, would record the team’s results here on a blackboard if they were playing away. The blackboard has long gone, as has the newspaper, but the tradition of celebrating victories there remains.
Dour, 50, praised the team’s consistency throughout the season and credited that quality for their title win.
“Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid only seemed to play for certain games,” he said.
Such was the pull of the derby – and the chance to see Barca crowned champions – that fans travelled from across the world.
Vance Sterling flew in from Missouri in the United States just for this match, after saving up for the $2,000 match tickets.
With the azulgrana (blue and maroon) colours painted on his cheeks, Sterling, 33, said: “It has been worth the journey. This has been a marvellous experience. Winning La Liga by beating Real Madrid in this stadium – how could you beat it?”
For other fans, however, their joy at winning La Liga was slightly muted.
“It is great that we have won the title of course, but strangely it has not been so emotional or exciting as it was last year when it was coach Hansi Flick’s first season,” Adrian Fabregat, another Barcelona season ticket holder, said
“I think we may have been a little obsessed with the UEFA Champions League. That is what Hansi said he was determined to win.”
Fabregat, 45, a computer worker who has been a fan since 2004, said that Real Madrid’s poor form helped Barca win the title.
“They dropped points to clubs they never should have drawn with or even lost to, which has helped. We have been more dependable. It is always great to win the title when Real Madrid do not win anything else.”
Flick has now won a third major title, including the Copa del Rey in 2025, in his two years in charge of Barcelona. During the same period, Madrid have finished a second successive season with no major silverware.
Madrid will now limp to the finish of a disappointing season in which Xabi Alonso was fired and – barring a drastic change of events – Alvaro Arbeloa is also expected to be ousted in a summer shake-up.
Spanish football expert Graham Hunter believes the title win does not make for a “good season” for the Catalan club.
“In objective terms, Barcelona have gone backwards this season,” he told Al Jazeera.
“They have conceded in every UEFA Champions League game and were knocked out in the quarterfinals of the competition by local opponents Atletico Madrid, rather than the semifinal like last season. They were also knocked out in the semifinals of the King’s Cup.
“Irrespective of whether their winning margin and the date of their league victory is better than last season, they have not played better football, in fact, they have often played less well.”
However, Hunter said two players shone for Flick.
“Lamine Yamal has been outstanding.”
“He has often carried the team. He is, without any doubt in football terms, a genius. Joan García in goal has played blindingly well,” he added.
Hunter agreed that Barca’s triumph had a lot to do with Real’s poor form.
“It is undeniable that Real Madrid have been chaotic and have often gifted points to minor teams.
Sacking a manager in mid-season and watching his replacement have an even lower win rate was not a good look. The two-horse race was always going to be won by the thoroughbred against the Shetland pony,” he added.
Alberto Martínez, a football journalist for Barcelona-based newspaper La Vanguardia, said Flick and his players pounced on the opportunity presented by the crisis at Madrid.
“Barcelona’s continuity, with the manager and players, were key to their victory” he said.
The European Council says the move ‘sends a clear political signal of the EU’s commitment to re-engage with Syria and support its economic recovery’.
Published On 11 May 202611 May 2026
The European Council has terminated the partial suspension of a cooperation agreement with Syria, thereby restoring fuller trade ties with the country as it seeks to emerge from nearly 14 years of war.
The council said on Monday the move marked an important step towards strengthening relations between the European Union and Syria.
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The decision “sends a clear political signal of the EU’s commitment to re-engage with Syria and support its economic recovery”, the European Council added in a statement.
At the same time, the EU’s foreign ministers met in Brussels with top Syrian diplomat Asaad al-Shaibani, kicking off a high-level political dialogue 18 months after the removal of Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad.
The 27-nation bloc has launched a new chapter with Syria after al-Assad was swept from power in December 2024.
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen promised after meeting interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus in January that Europe would “do everything it can” to support Syria’s recovery.
The commission proposed that EU states fully reactivate the bloc’s cooperation agreement with Syria last month.
The deal, which abolished duties on imports of most industrial products from Syria, was partially suspended in 2011 when al-Assad’s regime cracked down on antigovernment protests at the start of a civil war.
Syria-EU trade had peaked in 2010 at more than 7 billion euros ($9.1bn at the 2010 exchange rate).
By 2023, EU imports from the country had dwindled to 103 million euros ($120m) while European exports to Syria stood at 265 million euros ($310m).
On the sensitive matter of Syrian refugee returns, Germany, home to the EU’s largest Syrian community at more than a million people, is on the front line.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz has embraced tougher migration policies as he seeks to counter the far right, and he triggered a backlash by declaring during a visit by Syria’s president last month that he hoped 80 percent of Syrian refugees would return home within three years.
He later clarified this was a figure put forward by al-Sharaa himself.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested that former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder could coordinate talks with the European Union to secure a peace deal in Ukraine – a proposal met with scepticism by EU officials.
European Council President Antonio Costa said recently he believed there was “potential” for the EU to negotiate with Russia and to discuss the future of Europe’s security architecture.
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Asked on Saturday whom he would like to see restarting talks with Europe, Putin said he would “personally” prefer Schroeder, who led Germany from 1998 to 2005 and has remained close to the Kremlin leader since leaving office.
A day later, the Russian leader said the four-year-old war may be “coming to an end”, adding that he was ready to hold direct talks with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in Moscow or a neutral country.
Speaking after Saturday’s celebrations for Victory Day, which marks Russia’s victory over Nazi Germany in 1945 at the end of World War II, Putin added he would be willing to meet Zelenskyy only once the terms of a peace agreement had already been settled.
Russia had announced a unilateral two-day ceasefire on May 8-9 to mark Victory Day, while Zelenskyy countered it with his own proposed pause in fighting starting earlier, on the night of May 5-6.
As part of a broader Washington-led push for peace, United States President Donald Trump on Friday announced a three-day pause in the conflict, but both sides have since accused the other of breaking it.
As US-backed peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow stall, here is a look at who Schroeder is and whether he could be a trustworthy mediator.
The 82-year-old leader of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) served as Germany’s chancellor from 1998 to 2005, focusing his political goals on European integration, reducing unemployment, liberalising German citizenship laws, curbing nuclear power and rebuilding the economy.
Disagreements over the Iraq war caused a serious rift in German-US relations in 2003, when Germany sided with France and Russia in opposing military intervention in the country over claims that the then-Iraqi president, Saddam Hussein, was producing weapons of mass destruction.
After leaving office in 2005, Schroeder almost immediately took a job as chairman of a controversial German-Russian consortium building a gas pipeline under the Baltic Sea. He held key roles in Russian energy projects, including work on the Nord Stream gas pipelines and a seat on the board of Russian oil firm Rosneft, which he gave up in 2022.
While he quit that role, the former chancellor has remained close to Putin, standing apart from most Western leaders since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 and facing heavy criticism in Germany.
His failure to publicly condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has cost him several privileges normally granted to former chancellors, including receiving a state-funded office, making him a controversial figure at home.
Schroeder referred to Putin as “a flawless democrat” in 2004, declaring himself “thoroughly convinced that the Russian president wants to transform Russia into a democracy and that he is doing so out of a deeply held conviction”.
The then-German chancellor had little to say about Russian attempts to influence the elections in Ukraine during those years or about the Kremlin’s attacks on press freedom. On the contrary, under his leadership, Germany deepened its economic ties with Russia, grew trade and increased its dependency on Russian oil and natural gas.
In his book Klare Woerter (Straight Talk), Schroeder spoke about his relationship with the Russian leader, who worked as a KGB spy in the then-East Germany in the 1980s and is fluent in German.
“The most important thing for a friendship is a common language,” Schroeder, who has two adopted children from Russia – Viktoria and Gregor – said. “It makes everything easier.”
Their friendship reportedly continued to blossom over the years. Schroeder criticised moves to impose sanctions and eject Russia from the Group of Eight and even backed a Kremlin argument comparing the annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea region with NATO’s intervention in Serbia’s Kosovo province in 1999, which he himself helped lead as the German chancellor.
The US-backed talks have faltered over the latest Russian offensive to seize the remaining parts of Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, which Moscow has demanded Kyiv cede before it considers ending its war. Meanwhile, the two sides continue to carry out strikes against each other, with Ukraine making significant inroads in destroying Russian energy infrastructure in recent weeks.
On Sunday, Ukrainian officials said Russian attacks had killed at least three people, and that close to 150 combat engagements had occurred on the front lines in the previous 24 hours, despite the three-day pause in fighting.
“In other words, the Russian army is not observing any silence on the front and is not even particularly trying to,” Zelenskyy said in his evening address, adding that Ukrainian troops were responding and defending their positions.
On Sunday, Russia’s Ministry of Defence accused Ukraine of violating the pause, saying it had downed 57 Ukrainian drones over the past day and “responded in kind” on the battlefield.
Control of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe’s largest, has also been a point of contention.
While Putin suggested the war was “coming to an end” on Saturday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said peace in Ukraine was a “very long way” away.
On Sunday, Russia’s Interfax news agency quoted Kremlin adviser Yury Ushakov saying that US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would visit Moscow “soon enough” to continue talks with Russia.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas reacted with scepticism to Putin’s proposal. “If we give the right to Russia to appoint a negotiator on our behalf, you know, that would not be very wise,” she told reporters on Monday in advance of foreign ministers’ talks in Brussels.
“Gerhard Schroeder has been a high-level lobbyist for Russian state-owned companies. So it’s clear why Putin wants him to be the person so that actually, you know, he would be sitting on both sides of the table,” she added.
Germany dismissed Putin’s suggestion on Sunday. The Reuters news agency quoted a German official as saying the offer was not credible because Russia had not changed any of its conditions, stressing that any talks with the EU would need to be closely coordinated with member states and Ukraine.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Putin had made a series of bogus offers aimed at dividing the Western alliance.
Barcelona fans filled the streets in wild celebration after a convincing 2-0 El Clasico win over Real Madrid at Camp Nou sealed their 29th LaLiga title. Fireworks, flags and flares lit up the city as supporters marked back-to-back league triumphs under Barca’s manager Hansi Flick.
Published On 11 May 202611 May 2026
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The annual ritual that is the Victory Day Parade in Moscow serves a dual purpose. It reminds Russia’s citizenry and the Kremlin’s audience across the former Soviet Union of the glorious past. The muscle flexing on May 9 each year benchmarks Russia’s geopolitical fortunes.
Last year on the 80th anniversary of the Soviet triumph over Nazi Germany, Russian President Vladimir Putin was flanked by foreign dignitaries from far and wide: Chinese President Xi Jinping, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, Serbia’s Aleksandar Vucic, Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt and Mahmoud Abbas, the head of the Palestinian Authority.
This year, the lineup was much less impressive. Leaders from Belarus, Kazakhstan, Laos, Malaysia and Uzbekistan attended – with Republika Srpska, Abkhazia and South Ossetia for some added flavour – but no heavy hitters like India or China.
The talk of Russia as a linchpin of a new multipolar world order rings a tad hollow today, not least because no heavy equipment was marched through during the parade out of fear of Ukrainian drone strikes. On top of it, United States President Donald Trump claimed credit for a three-day ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv.
The relatively dull affair that was this year’s parade speaks volumes about Russia’s current state. On paper, everything is going just fine. Trump has not wholly abandoned the idea of a deal to freeze the war in Ukraine, even at the cost of major concessions by Kyiv. The current US National Security Strategy calls for “strategic stability” with Russia while blasting Europe’s “woke” policies.
The inconclusive war against Iran, meanwhile, has exposed the limits of US military might. Oil prices have jumped, filling Russia’s coffers and improving its fiscal balance. On top of it, Trump has removed sanctions on some Russian oil to increase the global supply. Meanwhile, the Europeans are signalling they want to talk to Moscow.
In reality, the mood is gloomy. The Russian war effort in Ukraine continues to be stalled no matter how much money, materiel and human lives the Kremlin throws into the meat grinder that is the so-called special military operation (SVO). Ukrainian drones have hit deep inside the Russian homeland with even Red Square apparently not being immune to aerial attack.
Trump has lost interest in wooing Putin. With Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban gone, the European Union has consolidated ranks. In Russia itself, economic growth has plummeted from 4 percent in 2024 to a projection of just over 1 percent this year.
The prospects for long-term development, productivity growth and technological innovation are lacklustre. There are modest signs of discontent within the Russian elite. Even Putin’s sky-high popularity ratings are slightly down, according to pollsters.
The stifling of the mobile internet in Moscow and other big cities has been met with dismay. Russians could be excused for puzzling over how the SVO, sold as a glorious repeat of the 1941-1945 Great Patriotic War, has gone on longer than the latter with no end in sight. It is no wonder Putin felt compelled to say on Saturday that “the matter” is coming to an end.
While its resources are focused on Ukraine, Russia is on the back foot in what it still calls its “near abroad” too. The past week showed that Europe is gaining momentum there.
On Monday, Armenia hosted the annual summit of the European Political Community (EPC), where European leaders gathered. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was in attendance too. Once Moscow’s loyal client and member of the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation and Eurasian Economic Union, Yerevan is now strengthening ties with the West.
Even if the EPC is dismissed as a pan-European talking shop – or maybe a transatlantic one, given that Mark Carney, the Canadian prime minister, came as well – observers cannot ignore the fact that it was followed by the first EU-Armenia summit. The high-profile meeting signalled in no ambiguous terms that Yerevan sees its future in the EU. Strategically, it is looking at joining the trio of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia.
The EU is reciprocating: The summit discussed up to 2.5 billion euros ($2.95bn) in investment in Armenia; cooperation on energy, transport and digital infrastructure; and visa liberalisation.
In parallel, both Armenia and Azerbaijan are courting the Trump administration. The two countries have welcomed the US as a peacebroker as they move closer to normalising ties. In August at the White House, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a joint declaration pledging to seek peace.
In February, JD Vance became the first sitting US vice president to visit Yerevan and then hopped over to Baku. Armenians and Azeris are negotiating the opening of the Zangezur corridor running between Azerbaijan proper and its exclave Nakhchivan (from where the Aliyev family hails). The project has a name – Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity.
In short, the US has scored a couple of points in Russia’s back yard with the help of Pashinyan and Aliyev. Moscow is watching from the sidelines as a former satellite drifts away from its embrace. And the EU but also Turkiye are to benefit because Armenia’s opening and interconnection with its neighbours favours their pro-integration agenda.
Of course, this does not mean that Armenia could simply jump ship from Russia to the West. Moscow retains stakes in the Armenian economy and, therefore, political leverage.
This will be put on display in the June general election, which will pit Pashinyan’s Civil Contract against the Armenia Alliance of former President Robert Kocharyan and Strong Armenia associated with the Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan. Both Kocharyan and Karapetyan have strong connections to Moscow.
Public opinion is in favour of diversifying relations but not a complete break-up. That is a pragmatic position shared by Pashinyan too despite his focus on deepening ties with the West.
Russia failed to – or was reluctant to – support Armenia against Azerbaijan and prevent the loss of the Nagorno-Karabakh region, and Armenians are right to look for alliances elsewhere. But without a peace treaty with Azerbaijan and without full normalisation with Turkiye, one has to tread carefully and not burn bridges.
The Armenian leadership has to also factor in neighbouring Iran, with whom it enjoys positive ties. An escalation of the US-Israel war on Iran could threaten cross-border energy trade.
Putin would have loved to see Armenia and Azerbaijan attending Saturday’s parade. Ditto for Moldova, where pro-EU forces prevailed in the 2025 parliamentary elections. Or Georgia, which still has no diplomatic relations with Russia despite the rule of the authoritarian-minded Georgian Dream, a party viewed positively in the Kremlin.
The chances of those countries turning up next year are slim too. Even Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan will probably not confirm until the last minute, as they have been doing for years.
These days, Russia’s near abroad is much more abroad than near.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.
The fall may not have been deep, but the landing has been hard.
A second trophy-less season for Real Madrid, the most successful La Liga and Champions League club, was confirmed in the worst way possible: a defeat at Barcelona, who, with their win, defended the Spanish title.
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Los Blancos kept the title race alive by their fingernails as they crawled their way to Catalonia, knowing that doing so could result in the cruellest of heartbreaks for their fans. And so it came to pass.
Down by two at half-time at Camp Nou – and it could have been a lot more – hanging in there to limit the damage and humiliation was key, but the 2-0 defeat will have cut deeply for a club that has lifted 36 league and 15 Champions League titles.
The defeat means Real will finish second this season, not an unusual circumstance in what has regularly been a two-horse race in La Liga. The manner, however, of their failure this season – including their quarterfinal exit from Europe’s top table – has left far more questions than answers in the Spanish capital after another season of discontent.
The signing of Kylian Mbappe from Paris Saint-Germain two seasons ago was seen as a return to the days of collecting the world’s finest talents and collectively calling them “galacticos”.
Real had just completed the league and European double under the illustrious Carlo Ancelotti, the most successful manager in European history and no stranger to managing the top names, having led a list of galacticos in his previous spell as Los Blancos manager.
Last season did not go to plan, though.
Mbappe’s arrival broke up the 4-3-3 formation that had served Real so well for so long, with English midfielder Jude Bellingham playing a key, advanced role, while Vinicius Junior thrived in front of and around him.
Both were forced to shift position to accommodate Mbappe, who prefers to drop deep from his central position to link up play or run with the ball.
It trod on the toes of the two key performers. Even Ancelotti was not immune to the famed Real chop as rumours circulated all season that his failure to gel the team would bring to an end the Italian’s Spanish love affair.
Enter Xabi Alonso.
Heralded as the answer to Madrid’s problems after sweeping through German football with Bayer Leverkusen, Alonso is also hailed as a midfield maestro as a player for both Madrid and the Spanish national team.
Rumours were rife from the off that the players did not buy into Alonso’s system, and friction was often apparent with Mbappe, despite the forward’s refound scoring ability. His 24 goals have him two clear at the top of this season’s Spanish scoring chart.
Alonso’s time was clearly up long before the end came, just after the clock ticked in the new calendar year. Alvaro Arbeloa was given the task of guiding the seemingly rudderless ship to the end of the season as interim head coach.
Mbappe’s troubles were only just beginning, though. By the end of the season, a “Mbappe out” petition raised more than 33 million signatures, and the Frenchman was the latest focal point of the Madridistas’ displeasure.
Reconnecting Mbappe with the fans and connecting him with his teammates’ style of play will be the number one focus for the new season.
Prior to the campaign waged against Mbappe, Vinicius fell foul of the home support, with boos for the forward ringing around a series of performances either side of the Champions League exit at the hands of Bayern Munich.
The Brazilian went on a 19-game run without a goal for club and country between October 10 and January 11.
Ironically, he broke his unwanted streak in the 3-2 Spanish Super Cup final defeat by Barcelona, Alonso’s last game in charge.
The ruptures were apparent, however, and rumours abounded that the 25-year-old’s stay at the only club he has ever known could be coming to an end.
Manchester United were the first to be linked with a move for the versatile forward, but all of Europe’s elite will be on red alert should there be any indication that Real may consider Vinicius as the way to reshape the team around their most bankable asset on and off the field: Mbappe.
As the day of destiny at Barcelona approached, the last thing Real needed were more unwanted headlines, let alone from two of the brighter spots in an otherwise dark campaign.
Uruguay’s Federico Valverde and France’s Aurelien Tchouameni were involved in a training-ground bust-up on Thursday, which left the former needing a trip to hospital for a head injury, ruling the midfielder out of the coming weeks.
Real swiftly fined both players on Friday, but Tchouameni was still named in the starting lineup at Barcelona.
Should Real decide that one or both were required to leave to avoid a potential toxic fallout in the dressing room, then, much like in the case of Vinicius, the phone lines of Europe’s top clubs will be working overtime to seal one or the other.
Cometh the hour, cometh the man?
Given the extent of the discontent across the club, the job of replacing Alonso on a full-time basis will require something not far short of a miracle.
Mourinho was not a popular choice in his time in the Real dugout, given his pragmatic tactics, seen as defensive by some, which were out of keeping with Real’s free-flowing philosophy.
Given the chasm between Los Blancos and Barca – not to mention the German and French top teams and the financial power of the English Premier League – Real fans may find themselves being a little more forgiving of Mourinho’s style.
The return of Ancelotti – a man born out of an Italian Serie A that only knew a defence-first mindset – proved successful and popular, and Real are known for their desire for managers with lengthy and proven track records.
Mourinho, who says there has been no contact to date with Real, would ruffle feathers, as his stint at Manchester United proved. But he regarded his second-placed finish behind cross-city rivals City with the Old Trafford club as one of his greatest achievements.
Lifting Real one place from their successive runner-up spots in La Liga may not be beyond the 63-year-old, who won La Liga, the Copa Del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup with Real in his 2010-2013 stint. The spell also resulted in three Champions League semifinal appearances.
The Portuguese also provided an early-season wake-up call for Real in this campaign, when his Benfica side claimed a 4-2 league-phase win that pushed Los Blancos into the Champions League playoffs, which they did eventually progress from with a win against Benfica in a rerun over two legs.
The rally-rousing Jurgen Klopp would certainly help with the reconnection Real so desperately need with their fans. He is renowned in his title-winning spells, both domestic and European, with Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool, for uniting the players and fans in a shared, focused mindset. It could be the antidote for the current malaise, a cathartic approach that contrasts with the momentum building behind Mourinho’s latest comeback.
Another widely respected German is Julian Nagelsmann, who is currently in charge of his country’s national side, but may call time on the role after the 2026 World Cup.
At 38 years old, it may be seen as a risk – not dissimilar to the 44-year-old Alonso – but a three-year stay with Bayern Munich, prior to taking on the German job in 2023, may count in his favour.
It is thought that Didier Deschamps may also be coming to the end of his time in charge of the France team, and his former French international teammate Zinedine Zidane is also linked with a second spell at Real. Despite his 57 years, Deschamps has limited experience as a club manager, a contrast with another of the perceived frontrunners, Massimiliano Allegri, who led Juventus to five consecutive league titles in his native Italy.
The task of leading one of the most successful clubs in football is becoming unenviable. But the rebuild begins now, and the rise will start out of the ashes of the crash and burn that culminated in Sunday’s defeat, deep in enemy territory, at Camp Nou.
Barcelona clinched their 29th La Liga title with a 2-0 El Clasico victory over bitter rivals Real Madrid, opening an unassailable 14-point lead at the top of the table with three games remaining.
Marcus Rashford and Ferran Torres struck in the first half on Sunday to help Hansi Flick’s side clinch La Liga in consecutive years, while consigning Madrid to a trophy-less season.
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This was only the second time the outcome of La Liga has been decided directly by the result of a Clasico, with record 36-time champions Real Madrid winning their first title in 1932 after a draw with Barca.
Flick’s team were disappointed to be knocked out in the Champions League quarterfinals by Atletico Madrid in April, but still determined to celebrate in style.
“This title is more special for winning it at home against Madrid. Now we have to enjoy it with the fans,” Barca midfielder Frenkie de Jong told Movistar.
“We have been the best team in Spain. Of course, we [also] want to win the Champions League – that’s the objective.
“Next year, we will have another opportunity.”
Madrid arrived at the match embroiled in chaos after midfielder Fede Valverde was ruled out with a head injury following a training ground scuffle with teammate Aurelien Tchouameni, who started.
Barca coach Flick also received bad news before the game, with his father passing away, but he still took his place on the touchline to oversee his side’s comfortable triumph.
The German opted for the energetic Rashford, on loan from Manchester United, on the right wing in place of the injured teenage star Lamine Yamal.
The Catalans, who only needed to avoid defeat, came out with their eyes firmly locked on the prize, racing into a two-goal lead inside 18 minutes.
Rashford opened the scoring with a superb free kick, whipping the ball into the top left corner from 20 yards out, right of centre.
Torres doubled the hosts’ advantage at a jubilant Camp Nou, the 62,000-strong crowd enjoying the first Clasico back there since the stadium was reopened.
Dani Olmo produced a clever backheel to allow Torres to burst into the box and ram past Thibaut Courtois.
Gonzalo Garcia, playing in place of injured Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe, prodded narrowly wide after racing in behind Barca’s high defensive line.
Urged on by coach Alvaro Arbeloa on the touchline, unlikely to be at the helm next season, Madrid battled to stem the bleeding.
Rashford could have added a third before the break but fired wide, with Fermin Lopez unmarked and well placed to finish.
Torres should have struck early in the second half but Courtois saved from the Spain international as he ran through.
Jude Bellingham put the ball in Barcelona’s net but the goal was ruled out for offside, while Joan Garcia thwarted Vinicius Junior as Madrid threatened.
Barca fans batted inflatable beach balls around to taunt the Brazilian over his unfulfilled Ballon d’Or ambitions, and lapped up the party atmosphere.
Courtois saved from substitutes Raphinha, back after injury, and Robert Lewandowski as Madrid saw out the remainder of the match without taking further damage.
Flick’s side remain on course to match the record of 100 points in a league season and can win all their home matches if they defeat Real Betis in the one remaining.
Barcelona’s boss told La Liga TV that he “will never forget this day” following the match.
“It was a tough day for me to start – my father passed away. But my team is fantastic. It is like a family,” Flick said.
“They gave everything today. I am proud of the fans. It is amazing [to win] in this stadium and in an El Clasico against Real Madrid to win La Liga.
“It was not easy. Everyone thought we could win this, but Real is a fantastic team. We played really good and made the goals in the right moment.”
Meanwhile Madrid finish a second consecutive season without a major trophy, staring down the barrel of a summer reshuffle, including former coach Jose Mourinho being linked with a potential return.
Arbeloa congratulated Barcelona and said his side would “learn from what happened this season and work even harder” in comments to the media after the game.
“I feel a greater responsibility now, knowing that our season ended today. The one thing we can’t do is give up, absolutely not,” he said.
“There are three matches left that we must go out and win. Here, we’re defending something much bigger than all of us and much bigger than our personal pride; it’s the Real Madrid crest and millions of fans.”
Winger Leandro Trossard scores the only goal of the match as Arsenal survives VAR controversy to win at West Ham.
Published On 10 May 202610 May 2026
Arsenal cleared arguably the most dangerous remaining obstacle in their path to the Premier League title by the skin of their teeth as Leandro Trossard’s late goal secured a dramatic 1-0 win at West Ham United to restore their five-point lead on Sunday.
The visitors were living dangerously at the London Stadium, but Trossard guided home a low shot from Martin Odegaard’s pass in the 83rd minute to spark delirium amongst the Arsenal fans and despair in the home ranks.
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Arsenal rode their luck and survived a huge scare deep in stoppage time as West Ham substitute Callum Wilson had an equaliser ruled out for a foul after a long video assistant referee (VAR) review.
Victory put Arsenal a step closer to a first Premier League title since 2004, and they will be crowned football champions if they win their last two games at home to Burnley and away to Crystal Palace on the final day.
Arsenal have 79 points from 36 games with Manchester City, who have a game in hand, on 74.
For West Ham, it was a bitter pill to swallow as defeat left them staring at relegation, and they could find themselves four points from the safety zone with two games left if Tottenham Hotspur beat Leeds United on Monday.
If Arsenal do go on to lift the title, the incident in stoppage time described by Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville as the “biggest VAR call in the history of the Premier League” will be just a detail in a season-long slog with Manchester City.
But it could have serious implications for West Ham, who would have deserved a point for a gritty display.
With time almost up and even West Ham keeper Mads Hermansen up for a corner, the ball broke for Wilson, who slammed a shot through a forest of legs and over the line.
West Ham fans went wild, and Manchester City’s probably did, too. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta looked aghast, but when the VAR instructed referee Chris Kavanagh to look at a possible foul by West Ham substitute Pablo on Arsenal keeper David Raya in the build-up, the stadium fell silent.
He returned to announce that the goal was disallowed and Arsenal could breathe a huge sigh of relief.
Follow the build-up, analysis and live text commentary of a crucial Clasico as Barcelona need a point to win La Liga.
Published On 10 May 202610 May 2026
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As Russia held its most scaled-back Victory Day parade in years with Vladimir Putin suggesting the war on Ukraine is ‘coming to an end’, Theresa Fallon argues Volodymyr Zelenskyy has played a bad hand of cards very well in order to gain momentum against Moscow.
Published On 10 May 202610 May 2026
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Central banks hold rates steady as energy shock tests inflation fight.
Caught between rising inflation and slowing growth, the United States Federal Reserve, the European Central Bank and the Bank of England are keeping interest rates and borrowing costs steady.
That’s despite rising energy bills, fuel and food costs squeezing businesses and households worldwide.
The International Monetary Fund is warning of a global slowdown, and no one knows how long the energy shock set off by the US-Israel war on Iran will last.
The impact will be felt hardest in emerging markets and developing nations. Central banks face a tough choice: fight rising prices or support a weakening economy.
Published On 10 May 202610 May 2026
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SITTING between two eastern European countries is a place nicknamed the ‘Galapagos of Europe’.
Despite being thousands of miles from the Galapagos Islands, Lake Ohrid is often compared to the region famous for its wildlife.
Follow The Sun’s award-winning travel team on Instagram and Tiktok for top holiday tips and inspiration @thesuntravel.
It has incredible deep blue waters and can be accessed from both parts of both North Macedonia and Albania.
The lake is considered one of the oldest in Europe with historians tracing its roots back to as far as five million years ago.
As for what you’ll find lurking in its waters, the lake is considered the ‘Galapagos of Europe’ due to the high number of species – some of which are unique to the lake.
Lake Ohrid has even been described by scientists as “a museum of living fossils.”
One of the rare creatures that you’ll only find in the lake is the Ohrid trout, otherwise known as ‘koran’.
Fishermen are often up early to catch the trout which is a delicacy in the surrounding cities, towns and villages.
Other rare animals living in and around the lake include the Balkan whip snake.
There are also eels, various endemic snails, and birds like Dalmatian pelicans.
Despite the wildlife, Lake Ohrid is safe for swimming and is very popular during the summer months.
The water can be chilly though, ranging from between 14C to 24C depending on the season.
There’s plenty of room to explore as the lake is around 19 miles long and nine miles wide, with a shoreline that stretches on for around 54 miles.
It’s also one of the deepest lakes on the continent with a maximum depth of nearly 300 metres.
Visitors can explore the lake by hiking or biking along the shoreline, or get on the water on a boat cruise.
On Tripadvisor, one visitor described Lake Ohrid as a “piece of paradise”.
Another added: “This is a beautiful part of the world that once seen, is never forgotten.”
Back on shore, Lake Ohrid is surrounded by three main towns – Ohrid and Struga in North Macedonia, and Pogradec in Albania.
Other must-visit spots around the lake include some of the pretty villages.
In North Macedonia, Trpejca is considered one of the most charming and traditional villages.
It’s even been referred to as the ‘Saint-Tropez‘ of the lake thanks to its white shingle shoreline and beautiful waterfront houses.
Other top spots include the Albanian fishing village of Lin which has stone houses, narrow cobbled streets, and incredible views across the lake.
One convenient route for Brits to explore the lake is by flying into Tirana which can be done in under 30-minutes and as little as £13 with Wizz Air.
From there, Lake Ohrid is a 90-minute drive away.
Published On 10 May 202610 May 2026
The cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak has arrived near the Port of Granadilla in Tenerife in the Canary Islands.
The Dutch-flagged MV Hondius arrived at the Spanish port early on Sunday, escorted by a Civil Guard vessel, according to data from the maritime tracking service VesselFinder.
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The ship had left for Tenerife on Wednesday from the coast of Cape Verde after the World Health Organization (WHO) and European Union asked Spain to manage the evacuation of its passengers after the hantavirus outbreak was detected.
The WHO said on Friday that at least eight people on the ship had fallen ill, including three who died – a Dutch couple and a German national. Six of these people are confirmed to have contracted the virus with another two suspected cases, the WHO said.
All passengers on the luxury cruise ship are being considered high-risk contacts as a precautionary measure, Europe’s public health agency said late on Saturday as part of its rapid scientific advice.
In Tenerife, the passengers will be tested by Spanish health authorities to ensure they remain asymptomatic and will then be transported to land in small boats, according to Spanish officials.
Sealed-off buses will take the passengers to the Spanish island’s main airport about 10 minutes away, where they will board planes heading to their respective countries.
The evacuation is expected to begin between 7:30am and 8:30am (06:30 and 07:00 GMT), according to Spanish authorities.
Spanish nationals are set to disembark first with other nationalities to follow in groups, government officials said. Thirty crew members will remain on board and will sail to the Netherlands, where the ship will be disinfected.
Hantavirus is usually spread by rodents but can in rare cases be transmitted person to person.
WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus arrived on Saturday evening in Tenerife with Spain’s interior and health ministers and its minister for territorial policy to coordinate the arrival of the ship.
He gave people in Tenerife assurances and thanked them for their solidarity.
“I need you to hear me clearly,” Tedros wrote in an open letter to the people of Tenerife on Saturday: “This is not another Covid.”
WHO’s epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention director, Maria Van Kerkhove, said that while everybody on board will be classified as “a high-risk contact”, the risk to the general public and the people of the Canaries remained low.
In the city of Granadilla de Abona early on Sunday, life appeared largely normal. Some people were swimming, others shopping at the market or sitting at cafe terraces.
“There are worries there could be a danger, but honestly, I don’t see people being very concerned,” David Parada, a lottery vendor, told the AFP news agency.
The MV Hondius left Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1 for a cruise across the Atlantic Ocean to Cape Verde.
Argentinian provincial health official Juan Petrina said there was an “almost zero chance” the Dutch man linked to the outbreak contracted the disease in Ushuaia based on the virus’s incubation period, among other factors.
Health authorities in several countries have been tracking passengers who had already disembarked and anyone who may have come into contact with them.
A flight attendant on the Dutch airline KLM, who came into contact with an infected passenger from the cruise ship and later showed mild symptoms, tested negative for the hantavirus, the WHO said on Friday.
The passenger, the wife of the first person to die in the outbreak, had briefly been on a plane bound from Johannesburg to the Netherlands on April 25 but was removed before takeoff. She died the following day in a Johannesburg hospital.
Spanish authorities said a woman on that flight was also being tested for the hantavirus after having developed symptoms at home in eastern Spain. She is in isolation in hospital, Secretary of State for Health Javier Padilla said.
Two Singapore residents who had been on the ship tested negative for the disease but will remain in quarantine, the city-state’s authorities said on Friday.
British health authorities also said on Friday that there was a suspected case on Tristan da Cunha in the South Atlantic, one of the world’s most isolated settlements with about 220 residents. The MV Hondius had stopped there on April15.
Paris seeks to repair economic and security ties while countering rising anti-French sentiment across Africa.
French President Emmanuel Macron has started a tour of East Africa as Paris seeks to rebuild its influence on the continent after a series of setbacks, especially in its former West African colonies.
Macron began the three-country tour in Egypt on Saturday, which will also take him to Kenya and Ethiopia.
He will cohost a summit in English-speaking Kenya on Monday and Tuesday as France seeks to redefine its role in Africa, moving away from its postcolonial role towards closer cooperation.
The summit will bring together African leaders and business executives, with several agreements between French and Kenyan companies set to be signed during the visit to boost economic and commercial cooperation.
The “Africa Forward” summit will be the first in an Anglophone country attended by Macron since he took office in 2017.
The French president will wrap up his tour in Addis Ababa on Wednesday, where he will hold meetings with Ethiopian officials and take part in talks at the African Union headquarters on peace and security in Africa.
The tour is widely seen as a bid by Paris to repair economic and security ties and counter rising anti-French sentiment across parts of Africa.
France colonised large parts of West and Central Africa, and maintained excessive political and economic influence long after independence.
France, once widely accused of supporting unpopular leaders for strategic gain, is no longer the dominant foreign power it once was in Francophone Africa.
Across the continent, there is a growing push for more equal, win-win partnerships, tighter control over natural resources and broader alliances beyond traditional Western partners.
Anti-French sentiment has generally grown alongside political instability, military coups and rising competition from other international powers.
The sharpest rupture has come in the Sahel region, where Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have seen coups followed by rapidly deteriorating relations with France.
French forces were subsequently expelled after years of military operations against armed groups that many local governments and segments of the public viewed as ineffective.
In the vacuum, the region’s military rulers have turned to new security partners, particularly Russia, highlighting France’s declining influence in the region.
Russian influence, including through the Wagner Group and its successor networks, expanded in part by exploiting anti-French sentiment.
Macron is seeking to reshape France’s Africa policy, replacing traditional influence with what he calls partnerships.
He is also pushing for deeper cultural and educational cooperation focused on entrepreneurship, climate and youth engagement.
Such efforts are seen as France’s attempt to reinvent its postcolonial relationship with African states and compete with powers like China and Russia.
Paris is, in fact, trying to shift its Africa policy; questions over its influence on the continent, however, persist.
Daniel Dubois recovered from two knockdowns to win a second world heavyweight title with a stoppage of Fabio Wardley.
Published On 10 May 202610 May 2026
Daniel Dubois came back from two knockdowns to deal Fabio Wardley a brutal and bloody first defeat as a professional and take the WBO heavyweight title in a thunderous all-British clash in Manchester, United Kingdom.
Referee Howard Foster finally stepped in at the start of the 11th round to signal the end of the fight at the Co-Op Live Arena on Saturday. Wardley was bleeding heavily from the bridge of the nose, with his right eye almost closed .
Dubois rose twice from the canvas, including being dropped by a right hook in the first 10 seconds of the fight, to pulverise Wardley and become a world heavyweight champion for the second time in his career.
“It was a war. We came through the sticky moments. Thank you Fabio for that,” said Dubois, who was previously IBF champion after the belt was vacated by Oleksandr Usyk in 2024, with the Ukrainian winning it back in July 2025.
“What a great fight. What a great battle, man”.
The win was Dubois’s 23rd as a professional in 26 fights while Wardley now has a 20-1-1 record.
Veteran promoter Frank Warren, who manages both men, said it was the best heavyweight fight he had ever put on and confirmed there was a rematch clause in the contract.
For some viewers, however, it was also an uncomfortable watch that could have been stopped earlier.
The 31-year-old Wardley, who was promoted to WBO champion last November after Usyk vacated the title, was making his first defence and showed immense heart as he took a tremendous beating yet refused to capitulate.
He had his opponent on the floor, a blow Dubois, 28, later dismissed as a ‘flash knockdown’, almost with the opening bell still sounding.
Dubois was back on one knee in round three but came close to a stoppage in the sixth with the reigning champion bleeding heavily and on the ropes.
The Londoner continued to land blow after blow on Wardley, who wobbled but refused to give up.
His corner inspected the facial wounds after the eighth and doctors and the referee took a look in rounds nine and 10 but still the fight continued, with Wardley increasingly struggling to stay on his feet and fighting on instinct.
“You witnessed something special tonight,” Warren told the BBC. “Two men baring their hearts and souls in the ring, gave everything, didn’t leave one bit outside the ring.
“They were getting hit with bombs that would take people out and they stood it.”
Published On 10 May 202610 May 2026
Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested that his country’s war on Ukraine may be “coming to an end” and expressed a willingness to meet his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a third country if a peace deal is finalised.
Putin made the comments to reporters on Saturday, hours after promising victory in Ukraine at Russia’s most scaled-back Victory Day parade in years.
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The remarks came as Russia and Ukraine began a three-day ceasefire and agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners, in developments that raised cautious hopes of renewed diplomatic progress.
At the parade, Putin praised Russian troops fighting in Ukraine, framing their mission as a “just cause” against “an aggressive force armed and supported by the entire NATO bloc”.
“Victory has always been and will be ours,” he added, as columns of troops lined up on Moscow’s Red Square.
Speaking to reporters afterwards, Putin blamed Western “globalist elites” for the war, saying they had promised NATO would not expand eastward after the 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall, but then tried to draw Ukraine into the European Union’s orbit.
He then declared, “I think the matter is coming to an end.”
Russia’s annual Victory Day holiday marks the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II and honours the 27 million Soviet citizens who died in the conflict.
This year’s parade was more subdued than usual, with videos of military hardware shown on giant screens rather than tanks and missile systems rolling through Red Square.
For the first time, Saturday’s parade featured troops from North Korea, a tribute to Pyongyang that sent its soldiers to fight alongside Moscow’s forces to repel a Ukrainian incursion into Russia’s Kursk region.
Russia had declared a unilateral ceasefire for the holiday on Friday and Saturday, while Zelenskyy announced a truce that was supposed to begin on May 6, but neither held, and the parties traded blame for the continuing attacks.
Fears for the festivities eased on Friday, when US President Donald Trump announced that Russia and Ukraine had bowed to his request for a ceasefire running Saturday through Monday and an exchange of prisoners.
“This Ceasefire will include a suspension of all kinetic activity, and also a prison swap of 1,000 prisoners from each Country,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social Post on Friday.
“Talks are continuing” on ending the war, Trump said, adding that “we are getting closer and closer every day”.
“Hopefully, it is the beginning of the end of a very long, deadly, and hard fought War,” he said.
Zelenskyy followed up on Trump’s statement with a decree mockingly permitting Russia to hold its Victory Day celebrations, declaring Red Square temporarily off-limits for Ukrainian strikes.
The Kremlin shrugged off the comments as a “silly joke”.
Zelenskyy has previously proposed to meet with Putin to negotiate a peace deal, but has dismissed the Russian leader’s suggestion that he come to Moscow. On Saturday, Putin told reporters he could meet with Zelenskyy in another country, but only to endorse a comprehensive accord.
“A meeting in a third country is also possible, but only after a peace treaty aimed at a long-term historic perspective is finalised,” Putin said. “This should be a final deal, not the negotiations.”
Putin, who has governed Russia as president or prime minister since the last day of 1999, faces a wave of anxiety in Moscow about the war in Ukraine, which has killed hundreds of thousands of people, left swaths of Ukraine in ruins, and drained Russia’s $3 trillion economy.
Russian troops have been fighting in Ukraine for more than four years. That is longer than Soviet forces fought in World War II, known in Russia as the Great Patriotic War of 1941-45.
But Russian forces have so far been unable to take the whole of the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, where Kyiv’s forces have been pushed back to a line of fortress cities. Russian advances have slowed this year, though Moscow controls just under one-fifth of Ukrainian territory.
European Council President Antonio Costa said last week that there was potential for talks between Europe and Russia on the continent’s future security architecture.
Asked on Saturday if he was willing to engage in talks with the Europeans, Putin said the preferable figure for him was Germany’s former Chancellor Gerhard Schroder.
“For me personally, the former chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Mr Schroder, is preferable,” Putin said.
