Ukraine to get its first F-16 jets in June-July, says Kyiv military source

Kyiv expects to receive its first F-16 fighter jets from its Western allies in June-July, a high-ranking Ukrainian military source said on Friday, Reuters reports.

The Chora Orthodox Church in Istanbul was reopened and turned into a mosque

The Greek Foreign Ministry condemned the official reopening as a mosque on Sunday of the Chora Museum, a former Greek Orthodox religious site in Istanbul – a move that echoed the controversial reopening of the landmark Hagia Sophia as a mosque four years ago.

Passenger bus plunges into St. Petersburg River, killing 4

At least four people have died and six others were injured when a passenger bus plunged into a river in central St. Petersburg, Russia’s state-run news agency TASS reported Friday, citing emergency services.

Protesters in Armenia demand PM resign over border villages dispute

A big crowd of protesters gathered in the Armenian capital Yerevan on Thursday to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan over his decision to cede several border villages to neighbour and longtime rival Azerbaijan, Reuters reports.

Spain, Ireland to recognise Palestinian state on May 21 - EU's Borrell

Spain, Ireland and other European Union member countries plan to recognise a Palestinian state on May 21, the EU's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said late on Thursday ahead of an expected U.N. vote on Friday on a Palestinian bid to become a full member, Reuters reports.

Ukraine's popular former army chief Zaluzhnyi appointed ambassador to UK

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday appointed Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the country’s former commander-in-chief, as Kyiv’s ambassador to the UK, Reuters reports.

Ukraine could recruit up to 20,000 convicts into army

Ukraine could fill its ranks with as many as 20,000 convicts in a move that would also help ease overcrowding in Ukrainian prisons, Justice Minister Denys Maliuska told BBC Ukraine in an interview published on May 10, Kyiv Independent reports.

Italy's falling birth rate is a crisis that's only getting worse

Italy has long had one of the lowest birth rates in the EU, and the country is ageing at a much faster rate than other member states, and it appears to be getting worse, Euronews reports.

Israel strikes eastern Rafah as ceasefire talks end with no deal

Israeli forces bombarded areas of Rafah on Thursday (9 May), Palestinian residents said, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed US President Joe Biden’s threat to withhold weapons from Israel if it assaults the southern Gaza city, Reuters reports..

Putin reappoints Mishustin as Russia’s prime minister

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday reappointed Mikhail Mishustin as the country’s prime minister after the previous stint on the job during which the low-key technocrat has shown a distinct lack of political ambitions, AP reports.

Man shoots two officers in Paris police station

Two police officers were shot Thursday evening in a Paris police station, according to police sources, Xinhua agency reports.

Parade in Moscow // Putin threatened the West with strategic nuclear forces

In recent days Russia has accused Western nations, including the UK and France, of threatening Russia. President Emmanuel Macron has not ruled out sending ground troops to Ukraine, BBC reports.