New negotiations on a ceasefire in the war against Ukraine have begun in Saudi Arabia, which are being conducted in a form of shuttle diplomacy: negotiators from Ukraine and the US met first, with a meeting of Russian and US representatives planned next. The talks were constructive and informative, explained Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov.
London's Heathrow Airport - the busiest in Europe - was brought to a standstill for the whole of Friday due to a power outage caused by a fire at a nearby electricity substation. Around 1,300 flights and 200,000 passengers were affected by the shutdown. British commentators draw different conclusions after the blackout.
Despite a ban on public gatherings, thousands protested in Istanbul on Thursday against the arrest of the city's mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and the revocation of his university degree. They see these moves as an attempt by President Erdoğan to eliminate his most dangerous rival. The opposition CHP has said that it will nonetheless designate İmamoğlu as its 2028 presidential candidate - for which a university degree is a prerequisite - on Sunday.
For the first time in years, UN Secretary-General António Guterres has indicated progress in talks on the Cyprus question. In a conference this week both sides agreed on joint initiatives. In addition to opening further checkpoints in the UN Buffer Zone, mines are to be cleared, a youth committee established and joint environmental projects planned and implemented. Further negotiations are planned for July.
Romanian interim president Ilie Bolojan has revealed details of his predecessor Klaus Iohannis's travel expenses which had long been kept under wraps. During his ten years in office, Iohannis made 193 foreign visits which cost Romania's taxpayers almost 23 million euros, and for which he liked to charter luxury jets. Opposition politicians and commentators condemn the exorbitant spending.