Vixerunt

BBC News

Pope Leo XIV calls Church ‘a beacon to illuminate dark nights’ in first Mass

Chicago-born Robert Prevost, 69, is the first North American to be elected pontiff.

Putin leads Victory Day celebration in Moscow under tight security

Putin used his speech to tie Russia’s three-year war in Ukraine to the war against Nazi Germany 80 years ago.

Sweden’s national security adviser quits over Grindr images

Tobias Thyberg resigned from the job just hours after taking up the position on Thursday.

Trump proposes 80% China tariff ahead of trade talks

The meeting is the strongest sign yet that the world’s two biggest economies are ready to de-escalate their trade war.

How a park ranger alerted world to fate of famous UK tree

Gary Pickles recalls his dismay at finding the felled tree.

Xi shows he wants to be close to Putin – but not too close

The relationship between China and Russia is no longer one of equals.

US confirms plan for private firms to deliver Gaza aid despite UN alarm

UN agencies say they will not co-operate with the proposed system because it appears to “weaponise” aid.

The first drone war opens a new chapter in India-Pakistan conflict

Experts say the tit-for-tat attacks mark a dangerous new phase in the decades-old rivalry. What next?

Why these 2000s indie heroes are back and bigger than ever

After being dismissed as “indie landfill”, many guitar bands are back with a vengeance after 20 years.

Three things we learned from Putin’s Red Square parade

BC Monitoring’s Russia Editor Vitaly Shevchenko reflects on the Victory Day spectacle in Moscow.