The Actual News

Key Facts

• An event near Moscow re-enacted a 1945 battle, celebrating the Soviet victory in World War Two's end.
• The re-enactment was part of Russia's 80th-anniversary celebrations of its World War Two victory.
• The battle for Berlin led to the defeat of Nazi Germany, which Russia calls "The Great Victory."
• Katya, a spectator, shared her family's history of involvement in wars, including her grandfather in World War Two and her son in the current Ukraine conflict.
• Russia's government portrays its invasion of Ukraine as a continuation of the fight against Nazism and fascism.
• The official narrative positions Russia as a victim of aggression in its ongoing conflict with Ukraine.
• Russian television spreads messages about European countries' past and current threats to Russia.

Key Facts

• Five Venezuelan political figures were staying at the Argentinian Embassy in Caracas to avoid arrest by Venezuelan forces.
• The U.S. Secretary of State announced their safe arrival in the U.S. after a "successful rescue" mission.
• Venezuelan forces had been surrounding the embassy since last year as the politicians opposed President Nicolás Maduro.
• The Argentine government allowed the politicians to stay at the embassy.
• The U.S. and the Argentine foreign ministry both expressed gratitude for the successful operation.
• The five individuals are Magalli Meda, Pedro Urruchurtu, Omar Gonzalez, Humberto Villalobos, and Claudia Macero.
• The situation involved diplomatic tensions, with Venezuela's government accusing the opposition of planning harmful actions.
• The exact details of how the figures left the embassy and the U.S.'s specific involvement are unclear.

Key Facts

• 133 cardinals will vote to elect the new Pope.
• The election will begin with a mass at St. Peter’s Basilica.
• The cardinals will move to the Sistine Chapel for the voting process.
• Mobile signals will be turned off to prevent any contact with the outside world.
• The cardinals will take an oath of secrecy about the election details.
• The phrase "extra omnes" marks the start of their isolation for the conclave.
• Votes are counted in the Sistine Chapel with only a few staff present.
• A two-thirds majority is needed to elect the new Pope.

Key Facts

• Friedrich Merz became Germany's chancellor after initially failing to get enough votes.
• The initial failure led to uncertainty and debate among government officials.
• Germany is currently facing economic issues like a recession and debates on immigration and defense spending.
• Merz's allies believe they can recover from this rocky start and form a stable government.
• Speculation exists about why some members of parliament did not support Merz in the initial vote.
• The right-wing AfD party, now Germany's main opposition, criticized the coalition's stability.
• Former Chancellor Angela Merkel, who once rivaled Merz, watched the events unfold.
• Merz's first day in office faced challenges concerning his ability to lead effectively.

Key Facts

• A teenage girl drowned in Lake Turkana while trying to reach Kenya with smugglers.
• Lake Turkana is the world's largest permanent desert lake and is used by smugglers as a new route.
• The girl's mother, Senait Mebrehtu, is an Eritrean asylum seeker in Kenya.
• The girl's sister survived the crossing after their boat capsized due to strong winds.
• Smugglers receive around $1,500 for each person they help cross through Kenya.
• Smuggling often involves crossing from Eritrea to Ethiopia, then into Kenya.
• Increased road patrols in Kenya have led smugglers to use Lake Turkana.

Key Facts

• The Vatican's Santa Marta guesthouse has 128 rooms and will host cardinals for the conclave starting on May 7.
• One room remains sealed as a reminder of the last Pope's occupancy, until a new Pope is chosen.
• Pope Francis held the papal role for 12 years and appointed around 80% of the current select-cardinal group.
• Cardinals will gather in the Sistine Chapel for the conclave to vote for the new Pope; only those under 80 years of age, a total of 133, can vote.
• This conclave is the most diverse ever, with representation from countries such as South Sudan, Papua New Guinea, and Rwanda for the first time.
• The role of the Pope includes being a spiritual leader, a statesman, and the head of the Vatican City, the smallest country in the world.
• Different issues face the Church globally, with European concerns focusing on declining congregations, while African and Asian regions might focus on poverty and social issues.

Key Facts

• Mark Carney has recently been elected as the Prime Minister of Canada.
• During Carney's visit to the White House, President Trump suggested that Canada could become part of the U.S.
• Carney told Trump that Canada is not for sale and will never be.
• Trump has recently imposed 25% tariffs on some Canadian goods.
• This was the first meeting between the two leaders since Carney's election on April 28.
• Despite some disagreements, both leaders praised each other during the meeting.
• Trump accused Canada of not doing enough to stop the flow of the drug, fentanyl, into the U.S.
• Trump suggested that the U.S. does not need certain Canadian goods such as steel and aluminium.
• Carney hopes to negotiate with Trump about the imposed tariffs.

Key Facts

• Toby Jones hosts a program featuring "Dad's Army" moments.
• The program includes a scene of Mainwaring dancing and sparring with comedians Morecambe and Wise.
• There is a special tribute to Noel Coward in the show.
• The duration of the program is 59 minutes.
• It first aired at 7:30 PM on May 6, 2025.
• The program will be available on BBC for six months.

Key Facts

• An 81-year-old man in France was fined and given a four-month suspended jail sentence for killing a protected bear.
• The event took place during a boar hunt in the Pyrenees mountains in 2021.
• The hunter and his group were asked to pay more than €60,000 (£51,000) in damages to environmental associations who had filed a civil suit against them.
• The bear, named Caramelles, has been preserved and exhibited at the Toulouse Natural History Museum.
• The incident occurred in the Mont Valier nature reserve, a location where hunting was not permitted.
• The hunter's rifle was confiscated, and his hunting license was revoked as part of the penalty.
• The bear population in the Pyrenees had dropped to about 70 in 1954, but has since increased to about 96 bears, according to estimates in 2024.
• The increase in bear population is due to a reintroduction programme that began in the 1990s, which includes bringing bears from Slovenia.

Key Facts

• The European Commission has released a "roadmap" to stop depending on Russian energy by the end of 2027.
• The plan would ban imports of all Russian gas and liquefied natural gas to EU member states by 2027.
• EU member states will be asked to make "national plans" to cut out Russian gas, nuclear fuel, and oil imports.
• While reliance on Russian oil, gas, and nuclear fuels has decreased since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the EU still imports notable amounts of energy from Russia.
• EU gas imports from Russia dropped from 45% in 2021 to 19% in 2024, and Russian oil imports decreased from 27% at the start of 2022 to 3%.
• More than 14% of uranium in the EU is sourced from Russia as of 2024.
• The EU's dependence on Russian gas, oil, and nuclear fuel presents "risks to our economic security" and financially supports Russia's war economy.
• The EU's plan to stop using Russian energy will be gradual and phased to minimize impact on the EU.

Key Facts

• Large hail, thunderstorms, and minor flooding occurred in Paris.
• Some cars in Paris were damaged due to the weather conditions.
• Metro stations in Paris were temporarily closed because of the flooding.
• A significant power outage in Madrid was recently resolved.
• Friedrich Merz did not secure enough votes to become Germany's chancellor.
• Pope Francis, who recently passed away at 88, was laid to rest.
• Unlike previous Popes, Francis was buried in Rome's Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, not in the Vatican.
• People worldwide attended Pope Francis' funeral.

Key Facts

• The trade agreement between the UK and India will ease the export of UK goods to India and reduce taxes on specific Indian exports.
• Negotiations for this deal have been ongoing for three years.
• The UK government has stated that this trade deal does not change immigration policy, including for Indian students in the UK.
• According to UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, the agreement has the potential to stimulate growth and benefit British citizens and businesses.
• In 2020, the trade between the UK and India amounted to £41 billion, and this deal could increase it by an additional £25.5 billion a year by 2040.
• Once the agreement takes effect (which could take up to a year), UK consumers will likely pay less for goods imported from India due to a decrease in tariffs.
• Products that will see lower tariffs include clothing, foodstuffs, and jewelry from India and gin, whisky, and various other goods from the UK.
• The deal allows British firms to compete for more contracts in the services sector and procurement. This agreement also includes a 3-year waiver on social security payments by Indian employees working in the UK on short-term visas.

Key Facts

• Israeli forces have attacked the main airport in Sanaa, Yemen.
• The attack targeted three civilian planes, the departures area, the runway, and a military airbase.
• The airport is under the control of a group called the Houthis.
• Two days prior, the Houthis fired a missile near Israel's main airport.
• In response, Israel attacked the port city of Hudaydah in Yemen.
• The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) claim the Houthis were using the airport to move weapons and operators.
• The IDF also attacked power stations and a cement factory in Sanaa.
• The Houthis announced their intention to enforce an "aerial blockade" on Israel in response to their expanding military actions in Gaza.
• At least four people died, and 35 were injured in an attack by Israeli forces on Hudaydah.
• The American military did not participate in these attacks, according to a U.S. defense official.

Key Facts

Key Facts

• The Peruvian government has put in place a night curfew in Pataz province.
• 13 mine workers were kidnapped and killed in this area.
• Mining activities have been stopped for a month by order of the president.
• More police and soldiers will be sent to the area for security.
• The president plans to let the military control the mining area where the workers were kidnapped.
• The company the men worked for, La Poderosa, said that they were taken by "illegal miners colluding with criminals."
• This incident has put attention on the activities of criminal gangs in Pataz.
• A prosecutor said the area is seeing a "war for mining pits" between illegal and legal miners.

Key Facts

• Friedrich Merz is a leader of the Christian Democrat party in Germany.
• He didn't get the 316 votes he needed to become chancellor.
• Only 310 of the 630 parliament members voted for him.
• There's going to be another vote in the next 14 days.
• If no one gets the majority of votes, a candidate can still be elected.
• Merz's party made a deal with the center-left party to form a government together.
• The Alternative for Germany party, which is a far-right group, came second in the last election with 20.8% votes.
• Angela Merkel, a former German chancellor, was at the parliament during the vote.

Key Facts

• Hamas has refused to discuss a new truce deal after Israel announced plans to possibly seize control of Gaza.
• Israel's proposed operation largely involves displacing most of Gaza's 2.1 million population and controlling aid distribution.
• Israel says this operation aims to retrieve hostages held by Hamas and cause a "decisive defeat" to the group.
• The operation has received criticism with warnings of a potential rise in civilian casualties and increased destruction in Gaza.
• The UN states that Israel is obliged to ensure food and medical supplies for Gaza's population; in contrast, Israel maintains there's no aid shortage.
• A two-month long blockade by Israel has resulted in severe food shortages in Gaza.
• US President Donald Trump has pledged to help supply food to the people in Gaza.
• Since the Israeli offensive resumed, 52,567 people have been killed in Gaza, including 2,459 in the recent resumed operations, according to Hamas-run health ministry.

Key Facts

• Himanshi Narwal's husband was among the 26 people killed in an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir on 22 April.
• The couple had been married for only a week and were on their honeymoon when the attack happened.
• Narwal's photograph mourning her husband's death spread widely through social media.
• She later appealed for peace and asked people not to blame all Muslims or Kashmiris for the violence.
• Her appeal led to an internet backlash, with many harassing her online.
• Some accused her of dishonoring her husband's memory, others made unfounded claims about her personal life.
• The National Commission for Women in India denounced the online harassment as "extremely reprehensible and unfortunate."
• Narwal isn't the only survivor of the attack who received online abuse; Arathi R Menon also experienced harassment after she spoke about her experience and expressed gratitude to two Kashmiri men who helped her.

Key Facts

• Port Sudan has been under attack by drones for three consecutive days.
• These drone attacks have targeted the city's airport, army base, a fuel depot, and a major hotel.
• The city, which used to be a safe haven for people fleeing the civil war, is now under threat.
• The African Union describes these attacks as a serious escalation in the Sudanese civil war, posing a threat to civilians and the stability of the region.
• The paramilitary group believed to be responsible for these attacks has been using drones more frequently to regain its lost territories.
• These drone attacks marked a sharp turn for Port Sudan which was considered safe from bombardment.
• The ongoing conflict between the army and the paramilitary force have caused displacement and loss of life, resulting in a serious humanitarian crisis.
• Both the army and the paramilitary force have been accused of committing war crimes.

Key Facts

• The Indian government has threatened to take legal action against Sotheby's auction house in Hong Kong unless they cancel an auction of jewels connected with Buddha's remains.
• These jewels were discovered more than 100 years ago with the bone fragments of Buddha.
• According to Indian officials, selling these relics goes against both Indian and international laws, as well as United Nations conventions.
• The sale of these jewels has been criticized by several Buddhists and art scholars worldwide.
• William Claxton Peppé, the man who originally excavated the gems in 1898, had been allowed to keep some of the gems, which are now being sold by his great-grandson, Chris Peppé.
• The Indian ministry calls these jewels an important part of India's religious and cultural heritage.
• According to the Indian ministry, Chris Peppé and Sotheby's do not have the right to sell ("alienate or misappropriate") these jewels.
• The Indian officials have demanded a public apology from Sotheby's and Chris Peppé, and want them to disclose records proving ownership of these relics. Failure to meet these demands could lead to legal action in both India and Hong Kong.