Nerves are once again fraying as investors wait on news of a U.S.-Iran deal that they have now been promised for some time. They may be waiting a little longer, with President Trump's attention now turned to Beijing, with a bevy of billionaires in tow. Meetings with President Xi are expected to cover trade, AI and Taiwan to name a few.
Five nations including Spain, the Netherlands and seven-time winners Ireland have boycotted the event in protest at Israel's participation. The first semi-final on Tuesday saw chants of free Palestine echoing around the Wiener Stadthalle venue. The song contest's slogan, United by music, feels increasingly ironic. Hardly ideal preparation for the annual pop party's 70th anniversary. Still, the cheesy Euro-pop show must go on and Saturday night's grand final is primed to be as compelling as ever.
The European Central Bank (ECB) is expected to hike its lending rates by 0.25 of a percentage point next month. The average rate was 3.52pc for a new mortgage in this country in March, up from 3.51pc the previous month and from 3.50pc in January, according to the Central Bank. The higher rates come after two small, non-bank lenders increased their new fixed rates, with markets expecting a rate rise next month from the ECB.
They bought gold in London, where the world's main gold market is based, in the form of 27-pound bars about the size of a large brick. The London bars weren't the right shape or purity for American exchanges, so the banks flew them to Switzerland, where four specialized refineries melted them down, refined the metal further, and recast it into the smaller, purer bars American exchanges accept.
The Ursa Major went down in the Mediterranean on December 23 last year after a series of blasts on its starboard side, roughly 60 miles from Spanish waters, according to a CNN investigation citing Spanish officials and sources familiar with the probe.
Authorities in Greece have intensified investigations into how an explosive-packed drone ended up in waters off the west of the country. An inquiry, involving specialised military teams, broadened at the weekend after bomb disposal experts detonated the unmanned device at sea. The Greek defence minister, Nikos Dendias, said the drone, suspected to be of Ukrainian origin, almost certainly came from a foreign state although he stopped short of identifying the country.
New AutoMotive's data tracker, reported by Reuters on Sunday, marks the threshold and puts the question to industrial policy: how much of the headline number will end up producing cells at scale, given that roughly 600 GWh of announced European battery capacity has already been delayed or cancelled. Europe has now invested cumulatively €200bn into its electric-vehicle supply chain, according to New AutoMotive data reported by Reuters.
Australia has been part of the annual contest since 2015. Their debut was initially meant to be a one-off. In Australia, the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) airs Eurovision, and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) gave them special approval to participate. The SBS has broadcast Eurovision since 1983, and it's popular in Australia. Between 2010 and 2014, Australia voters could have their say, however their votes did not count towards the overrall result.
Adam Yates has been pulled out of the Giro d'Italia after sustaining a concussion as a result of a crash on stage two. The 33-year-old sustained abrasions and a laceration to his left ear during an incident involving almost 30 riders on Saturday's rain-soaked 221km route from Burgas to Veliko Tarnovo in Bulgaria. Yates, who hit a barrier at high speed, eventually finished almost 14 minutes behind the leading pack after he battled on in a blood-stained kit.
The Department of Health said the two Irish citizens will be transferred directly to Ireland from Tenerife and will be quarantined in a HSE facility. In a statement issued Saturday night, the department confirmed that the ship is currently expected to dock in Tenerife early on Sunday. "We understand that the two Irish passengers are currently well. Public health protocols will be followed once the ship has docked with regard to certification and assessment of the health of passengers. This will be overseen by the ECDC and the Spanish authorities."
“You saw a drone belonging to a foreign country that was retrieved outside Greek territorial waters a few days ago... we know what it is, and we more or less know what it contains,” Defense Minister Nikos Dendias told a conference of the ruling New Democracy party in Thessaloniki.
Pope Leo XIV and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met on Thursday during the latter's trip to Rome, with hopes of improving relations between the Vatican and Washington at a time when United States President Donald Trump has repeatedly attacked the pontiff. On Friday, Leo marks his first year leading the 1.4 billion-member Catholic Church.
Embassies representing over 20 European Union countries are participating in the annual EU Open House event on Saturday, May 9, offering Washingtonians the chance to watch a Spanish flamenco dance or sample Austria's apfelstrudel without leaving town.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has met United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Rome, as tensions grow between Italy and Washington over the US-Israel war on Iran. Rubio arrived in Italy on Friday for a two-day visit to ease tensions after Italy refused to back the US-Israeli war and amid backlash over US President Donald Trump's attacks on Pope Leo.
Apostolos Tzitzikostas, EU transport commissioner, said, 'Jet fuel prices or shortages do not meet the criteria that protect EU airlines from passenger claims. They will have to reimburse the people if they cancel flights without extraordinary circumstances.'
Shell's chief executive, Wael Sawan, said the company's profits were gained through its relentless focus on operational performance in a quarter marked by unprecedented disruption in global energy markets. The disruption to oil and gas flows through the strait of Hormuz caused the international crude price to climb from about $61 a barrel in January to highs of $119 at the end of March.
Some 1,200 kilometres north of Egypt's Suez Canal lies the Port of Piraeus on the coast of Greece. The country possesses more shipping capacity than any other, and the port, majority-owned by Cosco, a Chinese state-owned firm, is one of Europe's busiest, with more than four million containers moving through it every year.
While 41% of European aviation fuel goes through the strait of Hormuz, market analysts showed global shipments of jet fuel and kerosene fell below 2.3 million tonnes last week, the lowest level on record. The world uses about 100 million barrels of oil a day, most of it from oilfields, with about 15 million barrels a day typically passing through Hormuz.
"UK airlines buy jet fuel in advance, and airports maintain stocks to support their resilience. If your flight is cancelled, you have clear legal rights, including the right to a full refund or re-routing."
The five-member jury had previously announced in a statement that they would not consider any countries whose leaders are currently being charged by the International Criminal Court (ICC), a decision that would have directly impacted the inclusion of Russia and Israel.
