![\"People](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/6446.jpg\")
People lay flowers in front of a house heavily damaged after a Russian strike on residential neighbourhood in Kyiv, Ukraine. Photograph: Efrem Lukatsky\/AP<\/p>\nKyiv, Lviv declare day of mourning after 24 killed in Russian strikes on capital<\/p>\n
Responding to the new death toll from Russian attacks, Kyiv officials declared Friday a day of mourning, with national flags at half-mast across the city of 3 million, Reuters reported. All entertainments were cancelled or postponed.<\/p>\n
Residents brought flowers, stuffed animals and sweets to a makeshift memorial at the destroyed housing block, Reuters said.<\/p>\n
People lay flowers in front of a house heavily damaged after a Russian strike on residential neighbourhood in Kyiv, Ukraine. Photograph: Efrem Lukatsky\/AP<\/p>\n
Earlier, Lviv mayor Andriy Sadovyi said<\/a> the western Ukrainian city also lowered its flag as a sign of respect.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Key events<\/p>\n Show key events only<\/p>\n Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature<\/p>\n On Hantavirus, Ghebreyesus begins by stating that in a written letter he praised the people of Tenerife for \u201cthe solidarity\u201d they showed to the passenger and crew of the MV Hondius cruise ship hit by the outbreak and said it would \u201cnot be forgotten\u201d.<\/p>\n In the latest update, he said:<\/p>\n The World Health Organization worked with approximately 30 governments, the crew, passengers, captain of the cruise ship, cruise operators and people in Tenerife to manage the crisis.<\/p>\n The operation to transfer the ship\u2019s passengers from Tenerife was successfully completed \u2013 more than 120 people are being cared for in their home countries or quarantined in host countries en route to their final destination.<\/p>\n The captain Jan Dobrogowski and his crew remain on board, are not showing signs of symptoms and are expected to dock in the Netherlands in the coming days.<\/p>\n There have been 10 cases in total, with eight confirmed to have the Andes variant and two probable, but the virus poses low risk to the global community \u2013 with no further deaths reported since 2 May.<\/p>\n More deaths may be reported because of the six week incubation period but this isn\u2019t an indication of an expanding pandemic.<\/p>\n WHO is working with more than 20 countries to understand the origins of the disease and coordinate studies.<\/p>\n Tedros Ghebreyesus at the Moncloa Palace in Madrid, Spain. Photograph: Francesco Militello Mirto\/NurPhoto\/ShutterstockShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.57 EDT<\/p>\n World Health Organization director general briefing media<\/p>\n Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus from the WHO is addressing media on the response to hantavirus, a recent outbreak of ebola and other global health issues.<\/p>\n More updates to come.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Latvian leaders begin talks on forming new government after Sili\u0146a\u2019s resignation<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the Latvian president, Edgars Rink\u0113vi\u010ds, has begun political consultations aimed at finding a parliamentary majority capable of forming a new government after the collapse of prime minister Evika Sili\u0146a\u2019s administration.<\/p>\n Rink\u0113vi\u010ds\u2019s office posted a short video<\/a> from the meeting on its social media.<\/p>\n Edvards Smilt\u0113ns, an MP for the centre-right United List, told reporters<\/a> that the talks will continue over the weekend, but cautioned that a minority government could be one of the options on the table if everything else fails.<\/p>\n Latvia is set to hold parliamentary elections in October.<\/p>\n Latvian president Edgars Rink\u0113vi\u010ds ahead of the summit of Bucharest Nine (B9) and Nordic Countries Summit in Bucharest, Romania earlier this week. Photograph: Anadolu\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a>European countries agree new declaration ‘clarifying’ rules on human rights in push to tackle irregular migration In other news, 46 member states of the Coujncil of Europe signed a political declaration<\/a> aimed at clarifying key aspects of the European convention on human rights today, which critics fear will weaken protections for migrants.<\/p>\n Moldovan president Maia Sandu attends the 135th Session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe at the Palace of the Republic in Chi\u0219in\u0103u, Moldova. Photograph: Vladislav Culiomza\/Reuters<\/p>\n The ECHR system has become a political battleground, with both the Conservatives<\/a> and Reform UK<\/a> in the UK pledging to leave the convention if they are elected to government.<\/p>\n The Chi\u0219in\u0103u declaration, agreed in the Moldovan capital, is not legally binding but it does put the courts under significant pressure to apply the law more restrictively in asylum and immigration cases.<\/p>\n What does it all mean in practice, though?<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Merz discusses Iran, Ukraine, Nato with Trump<\/p>\n German chancellor Friedrich Merz said he just spoke with the US president, Donald Trump, as he\u2019s on his way back to Washington from China.<\/p>\n In a post on X, he said<\/a>:<\/p>\n \u201cI had a good phone call with @POTUS Donald Trump on his way back from China. <\/p>\n We agree: Iran must come to the negotiating table now. It must open the strait of Hormuz. Tehran must not be allowed to have nuclear weapons. <\/p>\n We also discussed a peaceful solution for Ukraine and coordinated our positions ahead of the Nato summit in Ankara. The US and Germany are strong partners in a strong Nato.\u201d<\/p>\n But earlier today, Merz told a meeting of German Catholic that he \u201cwould not recommend to my children today that they to go the US to get an education and to work,\u201d AFP reported.<\/p>\n \u201cI am a great admirer of America\u2019s, but right now my admiration is not increasing,\u201d he said, to laughter from the audience.<\/p>\n Wonder if he repeated any of that in his chat with Trump.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Poland, Lithuania monitoring US discussions on military presence in Europe<\/p>\n Elsewhere, Poland and Lithuania keep asking questions about US plans on military presence in Europe, including the consequences of widely reported<\/a> plans to cancel the temporary deployment of 4,000 US-based troops to Poland.<\/p>\n US army soldiers drive a tank trough the Vistula River during the DRAGON-24 Nato military defence drills in Korzeniewo, Poland. Photograph: Anadolu\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Poland\u2019s prime minister Donald Tusk said in the last half hour that he \u201creceived assurances \u2026 that these decisions are logistical in nature and they will not directly affect the deterrence capabilities and our security.\u201d<\/p>\n He said the US decision to shift its policy on overseas deployments had been coming \u201cfor years,\u201d putting more onus on Europe<\/a> \u201cto take greater responsibility for its security.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPoland is absolutely the leading country here, nothing will change here,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Several senior Polish politicians, including president Karol Nawrocki and defence minister W\u0142adys\u0142aw Kosiniak-Kamysz, recently said they were in fact engaging with the US on potentially increasing their military presence in the country (Europe Live, Wednesday<\/a>).<\/p>\n Similar signals are coming from Lithuania, which also closely monitors the US announcements.<\/p>\n Lithuania\u2019s defence minister Robertas Kaunas said last night<\/a> that Lithuania was looking into whether it could convince the US to deploy more troops to the country, potentially including some of those recently withdrawn from Germany.<\/a><\/p>\n President Gitanas Naus\u0117da also said last week that Lithuania was keen to see US troops withdrawn from Germany to stay in Europe, with his country open to hosting a larger group than currently.<\/p>\n But a recent survey, quoted by the Lithuanian media,<\/a> showed that Poland is the only EU country where the general public is actually keen to see a permanent US military base in their country (51% in favour, 23% against), while the Lithuanian voters are much more sceptical (29% in favour, 43% against).<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a007.54 EDT<\/p>\n Kyiv, Lviv declare day of mourning after 24 killed in Russian strikes on capital<\/p>\n Responding to the new death toll from Russian attacks, Kyiv officials declared Friday a day of mourning, with national flags at half-mast across the city of 3 million, Reuters reported. All entertainments were cancelled or postponed.<\/p>\n Residents brought flowers, stuffed animals and sweets to a makeshift memorial at the destroyed housing block, Reuters said.<\/p>\n People lay flowers in front of a house heavily damaged after a Russian strike on residential neighbourhood in Kyiv, Ukraine. Photograph: Efrem Lukatsky\/AP<\/p>\n Earlier, Lviv mayor Andriy Sadovyi said<\/a> the western Ukrainian city also lowered its flag as a sign of respect.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Ukraine attacks Russia with drones after suffering three days of massive strikes Senior international reporter<\/p>\n Ukraine has launched a large-scale long-range drone attack targeting several regions in Russia including the huge Ryazan oil refinery, after three days of massive strikes<\/a> by Moscow against Ukraine.<\/p>\n Fire and a thick plume of smoke rise in the vicinity of the Ryazan oil refinery, amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict in Ryazan, Russia. Photograph: Social Media\/Reuters<\/p>\n Kyiv\u2019s attack on Friday followed a series of drone and missile attacks on Ukraine<\/a>, including on the capital, Kyiv, where a cruise missile hit an apartment block on Thursday, killing 24 people including three children.<\/p>\n The final death toll in Kyiv emerged as emergency teams finished digging through the rubble of a nine-storey block which was hit in what the Ukrainian air force said was Russia\u2019s biggest barrage of the country since it launched its all-out invasion in February 2022.<\/p>\n Russia, which began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, launched more than 1,500 drones and dozens of missiles in attacks across Ukraine this week over three consecutive days, Ukrainian officials said.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>36 countries and EU back special tribunal to investigate Russia’s aggression against Ukraine<\/p>\n Back to Ukraine<\/a>, 36 countries and the European Union have backed plans for the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine.<\/p>\n It looks like the tribunal<\/a>, long in the making<\/a>, is now getting closer to being actually established.<\/p>\n During a Council of Europe<\/a> meeting in the Moldovan capital of Chi\u015fin\u0103u, ministers \u201cexpressed their intention to join a new Enlarged Partial Agreement,\u201d which is diplospeak for \u201cwant to join the thing.\u201d<\/p>\n Alain Berset, the secretary general of the Council of Europe, said that the tribunal \u201crepresents justice and hope\u201d and \u201cthe time for Russia<\/a> to be help to account for its aggression is fast approaching.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe path ahead of us is one of justice \u2013 and justice must prevail\u201d, he said.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Australia through to Eurovision’s final after second semi-final night<\/p>\n In other news, let\u2019s catch up with the last night\u2019s second semi-final of the Eurovision song contest, which saw Australia (checks notes; looks sceptically at the map of Europe<\/a>) through to the grand final on Saturday.<\/p>\n Australian singer Delta Goodrem, representing Australia with the song \u2018Eclipse\u2019, performs during a dress rehearsal for the second semi-final of the Eurovision song contest 2026 (ESC) in Vienna, Austria. Photograph: Radek Mi\u010da\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n The Guardian\u2019s Eilish Gilligan said that heading into the competition as an early favourite<\/a> behind Eurovision heavy-hitters Denmark and Finland, Australia\u2019s 2026 Eurovision hopeful Delta Goodrem delivered a note-perfect rendition of her power-ballad entry, Eclipse.<\/p>\n Albania, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Malta, Romania, Ukraine<\/a> and Norway also qualified for the big night on Saturday, with the UK, Italy, Germany and France guaranteed a spot as the \u201cBig Four,\u201d alongside the host, Austria.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a007.24 EDT<\/p>\n Finland and Latvia see overnight alerts over potential incursions by stray drones<\/p>\n Finland and Latvia were both forced to step up their air defences last night after early alerts about potential drone incursions into their territory, but no incursions were eventually reported.<\/p>\n The Latvian army issued an alert after midnight local time<\/a>, with Nato Baltic air policing mission fighters scrambled to respond to the incident \u2013 just hours after the country\u2019s government effectively collapsed over the previous incursion.<\/p>\n It later said<\/a> that the risk \u201cpassed\u201d without incidents, adding that the problem of stray incursions will continue for as long as Russia persists with its aggression on Ukraine.<\/p>\n Over in Finland, no incursion was eventually reported after an alert was issued for Helsinki and Porvoom, prompting a brief closure of the Helsinki airport.<\/p>\n But the country\u2019s prime minister, Petteri Orpo, stressed<\/a> at this morning\u2019s press conference that even the mere prospect of a stray Ukrainian drone crossing into Finland was unacceptable and this was relayed to the authorities in Kyiv.<\/p>\n The country\u2019s president, Alexander Stubb, later stressed that \u201cthere is no direct military threat against Finland.\u201d \u201cI thank the Finnish authorities for their swift reaction to the drone alert this morning. Our authorities demonstrated their readiness and capacity to react,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Air force commander Timo Herranen said<\/a> the army was ready to shot the drone down if needed.<\/p>\n![\"Diane](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Diane_Taylor.png\")
Diane Taylor<\/p>\n![\"Peter](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Peter_Beaumont,_L.png\")
Peter Beaumont<\/p>\n
![\"Jakub](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1778853731_339_Jakub_Krupa.png\")
Jakub Krupa<\/p>\n