Russian President Vladimir Putin said on May 9 he believed the war in Ukraine was "coming to an end" after presiding over a markedly scaled-down Victory Day parade in Moscow. The Red Square event — stripped of tanks and heavy hardware for the first time in nearly two decades and shortened amid heightened security — coincided with a U.S.-brokered three-day ceasefire from May 9-11 that President Donald Trump helped publicise. Moscow and Kyiv traded accusations of violations during the pause, though both sides confirmed an agreed swap of 1,000 prisoners each. Putin said he would be willing to sign a final peace deal with Ukraine only after terms were settled and suggested he could negotiate new European security arrangements — naming former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder as a preferred interlocutor. The parade featured foreign contingents from close allies, including North Korean troops; mobile internet restrictions and other security measures were imposed across Moscow. Analysts and Western officials have voiced scepticism about how durable any pause or Putin's overtures might be given ongoing strikes, frontline clashes and strained diplomacy.

Between May 8-11, Tehran formally sent a response to a U.S. memorandum aimed at ending more than two months of fighting, delivering it to mediators in Pakistan, while Washington said the offer was “totally unacceptable.” Iran’s reply, reported by state and semi-official outlets, called for an immediate end to hostilities, lifting of sanctions and guarantees over control of the Strait of Hormuz; U.S. officials say their proposal would first restore free transit and curb Iran’s nuclear enrichment. The exchange came amid renewed clashes in and around the strait, drone incidents over Gulf states and a U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports. A Qatari LNG tanker, Al Kharaitiyat, made a rare transit through the strait on May 9 under arrangements involving Qatar, Pakistan and Iran, offering limited relief to Pakistan’s gas shortage. Markets reacted: Brent crude jumped above $104 a barrel and U.S. crude near $98 on signs diplomacy was faltering. U.S. sanctions were also widened this week, and Britain and France are preparing a possible maritime security effort to protect shipping once hostilities ease.

Philippine lawmakers on May 11 voted overwhelmingly to impeach Vice‑President Sara Duterte, sending charges to the Senate and setting up a trial that could end her bid for the 2028 presidency. The House backed the complaint by 257 members, surpassing the one‑third threshold required to transmit the case. The impeachment complaints allege misuse of public funds, accumulation of unexplained wealth, bribery and public threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, his wife and a former House speaker — accusations Duterte denies. If the Senate convicts her by the required two‑thirds majority of its 24 members, she would be removed from office and barred from holding public office. The process follows a 2025 impeachment that was voided by the Supreme Court on a technicality; protesters gathered outside Congress on Monday. The move comes amid a bitter political rift between Duterte and Marcos, and after a shift in Senate leadership that installed Alan Peter Cayetano — a known Duterte ally — as Senate president, who would preside if the trial proceeds. The proceedings add to scrutiny of the influential Duterte political dynasty while her father remains at the International Criminal Court.

C. Joseph Vijay was sworn in as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on May 10, 2026, at Chennai’s Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, marking the first time a party outside the DMK-AIADMK duopoly has led the state since 1967. His Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) emerged as the single-largest party with 108 seats and secured a working majority through support from the Congress, CPI, CPI(M), VCK and IUML. Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oath; nine ministers were appointed including N Anand, Aadhav Arjuna and KA Sengottaiyan. Vijay immediately approved 200 units of free electricity for domestic consumers and set up task forces on women’s safety and drugs, and pledged to publish a white paper on the state’s finances amid his claim of heavy debts. The swearing-in drew political leaders and film personalities, with large public celebrations; assembly oath-taking of MLAs followed on May 11. The new government faces an early floor test and scrutiny over coalition durability and fiscal plans.

President Donald Trump on May 10-11 dismissed Iran’s response to a U.S. peace proposal as “totally unacceptable,” deepening a diplomatic deadlock that has kept the Strait of Hormuz largely closed and pushed global oil prices sharply higher. Tehran sent its reply via Pakistani mediators, demanding an immediate end to fighting on all fronts, lifting of U.S. sanctions and the naval blockade, compensation for war damage, recognition of Iranian control over the strait and release of frozen assets. Within hours Trump posted his rejection on social media. The stalemate and continued disruptions to shipping pushed Brent above $104-$105 a barrel and U.S. crude near $99-$100, with traders citing a rising geopolitical risk premium and tankers transiting with trackers switched off. The 10-week conflict, which began Feb. 28, has already paralyzed much traffic through Hormuz — a chokepoint that normally handles about one-fifth of the world’s oil and LNG — and has prompted limited allied moves such as a planned UK security deployment. Trump is due to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping this week, with hopes he will press Beijing to influence Tehran.

Actress Trisha Krishnan attended the swearing-in of film star-turned-politician C. Joseph Vijay as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on May 10, 2026, at Chennai’s Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium. Video footage from the ceremony showing Trisha appearing tearful during Vijay’s inaugural address circulated widely on social media. Shortly after the event she posted a set of photos on Instagram with the caption, “The love is always louder,” a line that quickly fuelled speculation online about a personal relationship between the two long-time co-stars. The ceremony, which followed Vijay’s party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam’s election victory, featured a speech in which he framed his government as a new beginning focused on secularism and social justice. Celebrity reactions and fan commentary amplified the moment; some public figures joked about a possible wedding while others focused on the merging of cinema and politics. Neither Vijay nor Trisha has publicly addressed rumours about their personal relationship.

Police in New South Wales say a body believed to be that of alleged triple killer Julian Ingram was discovered on May 11 beside an abandoned Ford Ranger ute at Round Hill (Roundhill) Nature Reserve, roughly 50–100 kilometres north‑west of Lake Cargelligo. The 37‑year‑old had been the subject of a sprawling manhunt since Jan. 22, when three people — Sophie Quinn, 25 and seven months pregnant, John Harris, 32, and Nerida Quinn, 50 — were shot dead in the central west town and a fourth, 19‑year‑old Kaleb Macqueen, was seriously injured. Officers found a firearm and what they say was Ingram’s driver licence in the vehicle; clothing on the decomposed body matched descriptions of what he was wearing the day of the shootings. Formal identification and a coroner’s inquiry are pending; investigators will also examine whether anyone assisted Ingram while he was at large and continue scrutiny of police decisions around his earlier bail. A $250,000 reward had been offered during the four‑month search that involved hundreds of officers, aerial searches and community appeals for information.

Thailand’s former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was released on parole on May 11, 2026, after serving about eight months of a one‑year sentence at Bangkok’s Klong Prem Central Prison. The 76‑year‑old telecommunications billionaire, who dominated Thai politics for more than two decades, returned to a cheering crowd of family and supporters wearing his party’s red colours. Thaksin was originally sentenced to eight years for corruption and abuse of power after returning from 15 years in self‑exile in 2023; the king later commuted that term to one year. The Supreme Court ruled in September 2025 that Thaksin and his doctors improperly prolonged a hospital stay and ordered him to serve the sentence in prison. A justice ministry/parole committee approved his early release last month on grounds including age and time remaining. He must wear an electronic ankle monitor and remain on probation until the sentence ends in September. His Pheu Thai party suffered its worst election result in February 2026 and is now a junior partner in the coalition led by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.

U.S. President Donald Trump will visit Beijing from May 13-15 for a two-day summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping — the first visit by a U.S. president to China since 2017 and one postponed earlier because of the Iran war. U.S. officials say Trump will press Beijing to use its influence over Tehran, including curbing purchases of Iranian oil and dual-use goods, while the two sides weigh extending a truce on rare earth exports. Talks are expected to cover Taiwan, nuclear arms, artificial intelligence and trade; planned outcomes include forums to facilitate investment, possible purchases of Boeing planes and U.S. agricultural and energy goods, and proposals for a Board of Trade and Board of Investment. Officials caution any institutional agreements may require follow-up work, and many sources predict limited breakthroughs given tensions, recent sanctions on China-linked firms and U.S. domestic political timing.

Iran has offered to dilute some of its highly enriched uranium and transfer the remainder to a third country as part of a response to a recent US proposal aimed at ending more than ten weeks of conflict, multiple reports said on May 10-11, 2026. Tehran insisted it will not dismantle its nuclear facilities and sought guarantees that any material sent abroad would be returned if talks fail. The offer came amid a US plan linking reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to an easing of Washington’s blockade of Iranian ports. Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency denied some reporting on nuclear handling but emphasised demands for an immediate ceasefire, lifting oil sanctions and Iranian management of the strait. Skirmishes have continued despite a ceasefire on April 8, including a recent drone strike that briefly set a cargo vessel ablaze off Qatar and Gulf states intercepting hostile drones. The disruptions have driven oil and LNG prices higher, with Saudi Aramco warning market normalisation could take months and potentially extend into 2027. Mediation by Pakistan and limited transits of Qatari LNG through Hormuz have been reported as negotiations proceed.

A U.S.-brokered three-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, announced by U.S. President Donald Trump and running from May 9-11, provided a temporary pause in large-scale strikes but quickly showed signs of strain. The deal included a planned swap of 1,000 prisoners from each side and coincided with Russia’s Victory Day observances in Moscow. Kyiv and Moscow accused each other of violations: Ukrainian officials reported drone and artillery strikes that killed at least three people and wounded dozens across Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Kherson and Dnipropetrovsk regions, while Ukraine’s General Staff logged around 147 front-line clashes and some outlets cited nearly 210. Russia said it had shot down dozens of Ukrainian drones and accused Kyiv of more than 1,000 ceasefire breaches. Moscow held a scaled-down Red Square parade under tight security; President Vladimir Putin said the conflict was “coming to an end” but Kremlin spokesmen warned that a lasting settlement remained complex. U.S. envoys are expected to press talks in Moscow, but timing of any prisoner exchange and prospects for extension of the truce remain uncertain.

Iran on May 11, 2026 hanged 29-year-old Erfan Shakourzadeh, a postgraduate aerospace student, after convicting him of espionage for the US Central Intelligence Agency and Israel’s Mossad, state judiciary outlets said. Shakourzadeh, a top-ranked master’s student at Iran University of Science and Technology who earlier studied electrical engineering at the University of Tabriz, was said by authorities to have worked at a scientific organisation involved in satellite technology. Norway-based rights groups Iran Human Rights and Hengaw say he was arrested in February 2025, held in solitary confinement, subjected to torture and coerced into a false confession; a note published by NGOs from prison denied the charges. State media said the judiciary will broadcast his confessions; no public details of the evidence or full legal proceedings have been released. Rights groups say this is the fifth execution on espionage charges since a conflict involving Iran, the US and Israel began in late February; Iran Human Rights recorded at least 1,639 executions in 2025 and at least 190 so far in 2026. The execution followed a sudden transfer to Ghezel Hesar prison from Evin, activists reported.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer faced an acute leadership crisis between May 9-11, 2026 after his Labour Party suffered its worst local election losses for a governing party in decades. Labour lost nearly 1,500 council seats across England, was ousted in Wales and performed poorly in Scotland, while Nigel Farage’s Reform UK and the Greens made major gains. More than 30 Labour MPs publicly called for Starmer to quit and backbencher Catherine West said she would seek to trigger a leadership contest unless ministers moved to replace him; party rules require 81 MPs to nominate a challenger. Starmer sought to shore up support by naming former PM Gordon Brown and Harriet Harman as advisers and delivering a high-stakes speech on May 11 promising bolder action: a decade-long government project, legislation to nationalise British Steel, restoring deeper ties with Europe and a youth mobility scheme, and pledges to block far-right demonstrations. The PM vowed not to walk away despite scandals surrounding appointments and policy missteps, while prominent figures including Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting remain potential contenders.

Iran on May 10 sent a formal response to a U.S. proposal to end the war, delivering it to Pakistani mediators and urging an immediate cessation of hostilities, Iranian state media reported. Tehran’s reply demands an end to fighting on all fronts, lifting U.S. sanctions on oil sales (including a 30‑day exemption cited by Iranian outlets), removal of the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports and guarantees over shipping in the Strait of Hormuz; it also floated Iranian management of the strait if Washington makes unspecified commitments. Washington said it was still awaiting Tehran’s reply to a reported 14‑point U.S. memorandum that would end the war before talks on nuclear and other issues; President Donald Trump called Iran’s answer “totally unacceptable.” Diplomacy has been shadowed by security incidents: a QatarEnergy LNG tanker safely transited the Hormuz en route to Pakistan in a confidence‑building step, while drone strikes and vessel attacks were reported in Gulf waters and the UAE and Kuwait detected hostile drones. U.S. forces have struck Iran‑linked vessels and imposed sanctions; a U.S. intelligence assessment suggested Iran could withstand a blockade for months, complicating pressure tactics.

An 18-year-old Irish student, Arya Satheesh of Letterkenny, Co Donegal, was named the European regional winner of the 2026 Earth Prize on 11 May for Eco Purge, a plant-based biodegradable plastic designed to both replace conventional plastics and help remove existing microplastics. Satheesh’s prototype embeds enzymes within the material so that, as the plastic degrades, catalysts are released that continue to break down microplastics in soil, fresh water and seawater. She has collaborated with researchers at University College Dublin, Atlantic Technological University (Letterkenny) and the BiOrbic Bioeconomy Research Centre. The Earth Prize provides regional winners with $12,500, mentoring and resources; the competition’s global winner — who receives larger funding and publicity from the Geneva-based Earth Foundation — will be chosen by public vote later in May. Satheesh plans to use prize funds to scale up production and to test enzyme production methods that rely on genetically modified bacteria to manufacture the breakdown catalysts, acknowledging technical and cost challenges in making biodegradable plastics suitably durable for everyday use.

Greece has confirmed it will fast-track British holidaymakers through the EU’s new Entry-Exit System (EES) this summer, suspending biometric registration for UK nationals at many arrival points to avoid long queues. Tourism minister Olga Kefalogianni told the BBC and other outlets that the government does not want visitors “burdened” by extra procedures and aims to keep border checks to “less than a couple of minutes.” The EES, fully launched across the EU in April, requires non‑EU short‑stay visitors to register biometrics on entry and exit; rollout problems have led to hours‑long delays and some missed flights at other European airports. Greece says its approach is allowed under rules permitting temporary suspensions at congested crossings and insists it is not issuing a blanket exemption, though the European Commission has said it is in contact to clarify the situation. The move comes as Greece expects a large summer season — with more than 42 million airline seats scheduled — and as British bookings to the country have reportedly risen after the decision.

S Keerthana, 29, was sworn in on May 10, 2026, as the youngest and currently the only woman minister in Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) cabinet. Elected from Sivakasi in the 2026 state poll by about 11,670 votes, she is the first woman MLA from the industrial constituency in decades. Keerthana studied in a Tamil-medium school, earned a BSc in mathematics from a college affiliated to Madurai Kamaraj University and an MSc in statistics from Puducherry University (2019). Before entering electoral politics she worked as a political consultant and digital campaign strategist with Showtime Consulting and IPAC, and has been associated with campaigns for DMK, TMC and TDP leaders. Multilingual (Tamil, English, Hindi, Telugu), she has argued using Hindi helps broaden outreach in a state where the language is politically sensitive. During her campaign she highlighted safety and healthcare gaps in Sivakasi — a high-risk fireworks hub with a single fire station — and pledged worker welfare, insurance and better medical access. Keerthana has praised Vijay’s merit-based selection and projected long-term stability for the new TVK-led government that took office with support from Congress and allied parties.

BRUSSELS, May 11 (Reuters) - European Union foreign ministers reached a political agreement to impose fresh sanctions targeting violent Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank and sanctions on leading Hamas figures, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said. The package — described by officials as targeting a small number of individuals and settler organisations (reports cite three settlers and four organisations, identities not yet public) — had been blocked for months by Hungary’s previous Viktor Orbán government. The change in Budapest after Orbán’s April election defeat opened the way for unanimous approval. Ministers stopped short of endorsing broader economic measures such as an EU-wide ban or suspension of trade agreements covering settlement goods, with some states saying more study was needed. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar criticised the move as arbitrary and morally equivalent to Hamas. EU ministers cited a sharp rise in settler violence in the West Bank since 2023 and early 2026, with UN and rights groups reporting increased killings, arson and displacement. The bloc said the measures are meant to signal consequences for extremism while larger trade measures remain on the table for future debate.

A motorcycle ended up suspended from an overhead traffic signal after a collision in Delta, British Columbia, on the afternoon of May 9, 2026. Delta police said officers responded just before 3 p.m. PT to the 7100-block of Scott Road near 72nd Avenue for a crash between a motorcycle and a sedan. The motorcyclist was taken to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries; the car driver was not hurt. Police investigators said speed is believed to have been a contributing factor. Photos and videos of the unusual aftermath — the blue motorcycle perched vertically with the signal’s crossbar wedged between the front tire and the bike’s body — circulated widely on social media; one clip reportedly drew millions of views on X. Delta Firefighters assisted with patient care, scene safety and later removed the motorcycle from the traffic light. Scott Road was closed between 70th and 72nd avenues while crews cleared debris and recovered the vehicles.

Diageo on Monday officially opened the first phase of a new brewery at Littleconnell, near Newbridge in County Kildare, following a near-€300 million investment. The facility, powered entirely by renewable electricity, will produce ales and lagers including Hop House 13, Harp, Smithwick’s, Rockshore and licensed brands such as Carlsberg, with capacity of about two million hectolitres — making it the second largest Diageo brewing operation in Ireland after St James’s Gate. The company says around 650 people worked on construction and the site will support some 50 permanent roles. Diageo has secured planning permission and announced plans to invest a further €400 million to build a second brewery on the 40-acre site dedicated to Guinness and Guinness 0.0 for export markets. The additional spending takes the company’s committed investment in Ireland to nearly €1 billion between 2020 and 2029, including upgrades at St James’s Gate and a Belfast packaging site designed to boost capacity and decarbonisation. Irish government and Enterprise Ireland officials attended the opening, which Diageo said strengthens Ireland’s role in its global brewing network.