Author: staff

From wildlife-filled national parks and UNESCO World Heritage Sites to dreamy beaches and walking trails, Sri Lanka has plenty to offer tourists whether you’re someone who likes to fly-and-flop or jam-pack your itinerary. Your next trip to the pearl of the Indian Ocean is about to get cheaper, too, as Sri Lanka has just waived visa fees for tourists from 40 countries. In Europe, citizens from Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the UK will be able to obtain a visa free of charge. The visa will…

Published on 26/05/2026 – 11:13 GMT+2 South Korean band BTS has become the first Asian act to receive American Music Awards’ Artist of the Year twice, after first winning in 2021. The AMA ceremony, held last night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, marked BTS’s first appearance at a major awards show in four years after the band took a hiatus in 2022 while its seven members completed South Korea’s mandatory military service. BTS returned this year with their new album, ‘Arirang’. BTS won all three categories in which they were nominated, taking home Best Male K-pop…

Featuring giant floral installations and various musical performances, Russia’s exhibit was one of the most politically explosive in years, drawing politicians, artists, dissidents and European institutions into an increasingly bitter clash over culture, propaganda and freedom of expression. Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini personally visited the pavilion during the pre-opening days. “Art has no borders, no censorship, no gag,” he said. “Culture and sport should remain neutral spaces and places of encounter.” But for critics of Russia’s participation, Russia’s display was less about artistic freedom than an attempt to regain international legitimacy after the country’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine…

Published on 26/05/2026 – 9:00 GMT+2 Travelling at Mach 10, or ten times the speed of sound, its range puts virtually the entire European continent within reach. Whether launched from Russia or fired from Belarus, the Oreshnik flying roughly three kilometres per second, can physically strike Warsaw, Berlin, Paris, or London in minutes. Now, Moscow claims this weapon is impossible to stop. And because of its extreme speed, it is indeed incredibly difficult for current air defences to shoot it down. But military experts point out a key detail: it still flies in a predictable straight line, rather than changing…

Clowns wearing painted faces, oversized shoes and bright costumes marched past the Government Palace as tourists stopped to film the event in the capital of nearly 10 million people. Organisers said the celebration honours José Álvarez Vélez, better known as Tony Perejil, a beloved entertainer who dedicated his career to bringing laughter to poor communities before his death in 1987. The event is not officially recognised by the Peruvian government, despite the country formally celebrating many traditional foods and drinks. Still, performers from across Peru travelled to Lima with their families to take part in the gathering organised by the…

Published on 26/05/2026 – 11:05 GMT+2 The Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM), Italy’s antitrust authority, announced on Tuesday that it opened a formal probe into easyJet Airline Company Limited over alleged unfair commercial practices. The case centres on how the carrier structures and presents baggage fees on its website and mobile app, with the regulator alleging that passengers were routinely given a distorted picture of what they were actually paying. According to the AGCM, easyJet’s platform set bundled checked baggage and sports equipment for round trips as the automatic default, presenting only an overall average price for…

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that the United States and Iran may require “a few more days” to reach an agreement to end the war between the two countries, dampening hopes for a quick resolution to the military conflict that began three months ago. “The president’s expressed his desire to make [a deal] — he’s either going to make a good deal or no deal,” Rubio told journalists as he concluded a four-day visit to India, during which he discussed the war’s impact on global energy prices with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.  “But that may take a little while, I mean,…

Published on 26/05/2026 – 10:33 GMT+2 No one can influence Belarusian President Aliaksandr Lukashenka, except Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said. “He will fulfil all the orders of Putin, but he’s doing this against the will of the Belarusian people,” Tsikhanouskaya told Euronews’ Europe Today morning show on Tuesday. French President Emmanuel Macron reportedly warned Lukashenka on Sunday not to escalate his country’s involvement in Russia’s all-out war against Ukraine. The rare phone call took place over Minsk’s potential military threats to northern Ukraine, a Russia-Belarus nuclear exercise and the consequent tensions with European NATO members, sparked…

In markets in Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis on 25 May, residents gathered around sheep and goats that few could afford to buy. Abdelrahman al-Farra, displaced from Khan Younis, said a 40-kilogram sheep now costs up to $8,000, far beyond the reach of most families living in tents after nearly two years of conflict between Israel and Hamas. The crisis has also transformed daily life across Gaza. Near Khan Younis, sheep and goats were seen feeding on rubbish as animal feed became scarce and expensive. Displaced resident Nabil Bassiouny said a sheep that once cost about $100 before the war…

With two hugely consequential months ahead in British politics, Sam and Anne look beneath the headlines and Westminster drama to ask what really comes next. As US President Donald Trump escalates tensions in the Middle East once again, the duo examine the pressure on Whitehall. Would any prime minister, whoever occupies Number 10, make a difference or face the same issues? Anne reports back from the Prague Security Conference where former Downing Street chief of staff – Morgan McSweeney – makes a stark warning on AI, political disruption and the future of campaigning. Plus, is Britain simply ungovernable?