On the sidelines of Pope Francis's funeral, US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky met in St. Peter's Basilica on Saturday to discuss the war in Ukraine. While the White House described the meeting as "very productive", Zelensky said it had the potential to become historic. Commentators debate whether their talk could be a turning point.
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) has calculated that global military expenditure increased by 9.4 percent in 2024, with that figure rising to 17 percent in Europe - including Russia - as a result of the war in Ukraine. Europe's 693 billion dollars of military spending includes salaries and weapons procurement as well as investments in research and development.
Pope Francis was laid to rest in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore outside the Vatican after a funeral service in St Peter's Basilica on Saturday. The ceremony was attended by leading political figures from across the globe as well as an estimated 400,000 people. Commentators share emotions and observations - also with regard to Francis's successor.
A snap election is taking place in Canada today. The campaigning has centred around responses to attacks by US President Donald Trump. The ruling Liberals under Prime Minister Mark Carney, who has been in office since 14 March, have benefited from the political climate. Carney's Conservative opponent Pierre Poilievre is fighting for a change of power after almost a decade of Liberal government.
Istanbul was shaken by a series of earthquakes last week which caused damage to some 1,025 buildings, and there are fears that the Turkish metropolis with its population of around 16 million could be hit by a stronger earthquake any time now. The city's mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and many of those in key positions of responsibility are currently behind bars. The national press assesses the situation.