Europe

Broadly speaking, Norfolk is perfect for sailing

Hunter’s Yard in Ludham, Norfolk looks after a fleet of 1930s cabin yachts and day boats, some now with electric motors. Beautifully maintained and easy to sail, they provide a restful, beautiful holiday. I used to go on organised cruises in spring and summer as a teenager, then skippered boats for young people on the same cruises. Away from the obvious and popular spots, the Norfolk Broads remain wild and full of birds and animals. Go to your bunk early, with the sound of water, ducks and rigging. Get up early and sail past the sleeping gin palaces. Moor up early near a pub for your evening drinks. Hunters Yard staff are friendly and happy to advise; I’ll never forget the smell of wood and varnish in their workshops.
Rupert

Inspired to poetry by the Cheshire Ring

It was while cruising the Cheshire Ring on a narrowboat that I started to write poetry. Why? I had never seen such glorious, contrasting scenery in England from this angle before – from old mills and factories casting their shadows on the water, to gliding through verdant countryside watching wildlife, to hearing the hustle and bustle of street-life above the canal in Manchester city centre. The circular route is 97 miles long, incorporates six different canals and takes up to two weeks to complete. And, who knows, by the end you too may be writing poetry.
Graham Lilley

On the Elbe from Dresden to Saxon Switzerland

Catch the paddle steamer from Dresden, nicknamed Florence on the Elbe, to Bad Schandau (about €30 for adults) in Saxon Switzerland with its rock formations, views and its walking. The passing steamers welcome each other with a blast from their funnels, startling the somnambulant day trippers. As we wound our way through the river’s bends during the six-hour voyage we passed beautiful villages and regal palaces and sometimes were accompanied by birds in flight such as herons. The waiters ensured a steady flow of refreshment including pilsners and wurst.
Dave Henry

An idyllic escape on the River Wye, Herefordshire

Canoeing down the River Wye makes for an idyllic escape. Many companies offer trips ranging from half a day to four days, suitable for all levels of enthusiasm and ability. We chose the scenic stretch from Hoarwithy to Symonds Yat, camping overnight at picturesque Ross-on-Wye. The river is ideal for novice canoeists – it’s calm throughout, surrounded by constant, stunning scenery. Drift along, stop for a picnic and immerse yourself in nature. A perfect summer adventure – just remember, canoes don’t offer much shelter from the elements.
Harry Crane

No locks but plenty of joy on the Lancaster canal

My two boys and I had a four-day break on the Lancaster canal, where you don’t encounter locks for the entire 41 miles. It was an absolute joy; the boys enjoyed it and didn’t look at their phones once. Even in the rain it was great fun. We hired our boat from Bluebell Narrowboat.
Tony

Sun rays and vineyards in Portugal

My 12-hour, €70 river cruise along the Douro River last autumn was a beautiful way to embrace the benefits of slow travel and enjoy the subtle, soulful vibe of the colours and atmosphere of Portugal. We chugged out of Porto and were soon sliding past rolling green vineyards, tinged with yellow and gold as the September sun cast its rays and magical shadows on deck. Sitting there watching the sun set over the hills and valleys as we glided along felt surreal. The village of Pinhão was a delight, with the grape harvest drawing a lively crowd for festivities.
Yasmin

Seabirds on the cliffs of East Yorkshire

Forget the blue lagoons and glass-bottom boats beloved of Mediterranean tourist resorts and step on board the Yorkshire Belle (adults from £25) at Bridlington. This historic boat will take you out around the craggy bulk of Flamborough Head to the vertiginous cliffs at Bempton for a puffin’s eye view of one of the largest sea bird colonies in the UK. The sounds and the smell will hit you first before the boat takes you within touching distance of the cliffs where during the nesting season you will see thousands of gannets, guillemots, kittiwakes and of course puffins, wheeling and diving above and below the water. Back on terra firma a short distance north of the town you can see the birds from a viewing area on the grassland above the cliffs where you may spot the burrows housing the puffin chicks.
John

Birders’ delight in the Scottish Highlands

I recently enjoyed a superb cruise on Loch Shiel near Fort William, the fourth longest in Scotland and one without a road running along it. The cruise offers beautiful scenery but for birders it’s extraordinary, with a good chance of seeing white-tailed eagles, golden eagles, black throated divers and more. A variety of cruises by Highland Cruises on the MV Sileas are offered, from about 90 minutes long to a full day, and cost from about £25, but consult the timetable to find one that suits you.
Pete Dale

From Italy to Switzerland across Lake Lugano

Last year, while travelling around northern Italy, I took the advice of a waiter in Milan and headed out to the pretty lakeside village of Porto Ceresio and waited for the public boat to Lugano in Switzerland. From the open-air deck of the gleaming white boat we could see pine-clad hills and snow-topped Alpine peaks soaring up in the distance. The journey took just over an hour. There was enough time to explore the town and have a swim in the clean energising lakeside waters before returning. This was also brilliant in the early evening light.
Nick

Winning tip: kingfishers and vines in western France

We hired a cottage in the Marais Poitevin (known as the Green Venice), which is partly in the Vendée between La Rochelle and Niort, which came with its own large canoe. Rather than exploring the wider area as planned, we spent almost the entire week paddling up and down the marsh’s canal network with its lush, green backwaters full of kingfishers and, in places, with vines laden with grapes hanging down to the boat.
Jo Baker

Bruce Springsteen accused the Trump administration of persecuting dissenters during a concert in the UK, an apparent reference to the recent arrests of pro-Palestinian activists. The musician also condemned the US government for “abandoning allies and siding with dictators.”

Barcelona win back the La Liga title from rivals Real Madrid with a 2-0 win at neighbours Espanyol.

Barcelona clinched its 28th Spanish league title after Lamine Yamal starred in its 2-0 win at crosstown rival Espanyol.

Yamal scored in the 53rd minute of a tight match on Thursday, when the teenage phenom slid past two defenders along the edge of the area before he whipped one of his now-trademark left-footed curlers into the corner of the net.

Fermin Lopez scored in stoppage time to seal the win, but it was Yamal’s strike that stole the headlines and was a fitting culmination to the youngster’s season.

The 17-year-old excelled throughout for Barcelona with his goals, dribbling and playmaking as he confirmed his status as the next big star of global football.

The strike was his eighth league goal of the season, while he also has 12 assists to his name.

“Lamine’s goal is a move he practises a lot, he had scored twice today in the warmup, the same way. We have to look after him and let him enjoy it, he is fantastic,” his teammate Pedri told Movistar Plus after the game.

Barcelona edge nervy Catalan derby

The first half had been a much tighter affair with only one shot registered by each side, indeed, it was the home team that had the best of the early chances, offering Real Madrid some hope that their title defence may continue beyond this game. It was not to be for the Madrid club and, shortly after Yamal’s latest wonder goal, Espanyol were reduced to 10 men when Leandro Cabrera swung his left arm into the chest of Barca’s starlet.

Barcelona won the title with two rounds remaining. It completed a domestic double with the Copa del Rey title and reached the Champions League semifinals in a fantastic first season for coach Hansi Flick.

Flick’s team virtually ended Madrid’s title defence when they beat their top rival 4-3 on Sunday, making it four of four Clasico victories across all competitions this season.

Madrid’s victory over Mallorca on Wednesday prevented Barcelona from winning the title without playing. But the Catalan club needed just two points from its final three games of the season.

2️⃣8️⃣ for @FCBarcelona 🏆

💙 CONGRATULATIONS, CHAMPIONS! ❤️#LALIGAEASPORTS #DesenlaceLALIGA pic.twitter.com/EGgxpCb98v

— LALIGA English (@LaLigaEN) May 15, 2025

Fans injured in incident outside stadium

Several Espanyol supporters were injured after being hit by a car near the stadium minutes before the start of the Catalan derby.

At least 14 individuals sustained injuries of varying severity when a female driver, encircled by Espanyol fans in front of their home ground, lost control of her car, causing panic and chaos.

The woman was subsequently arrested and subjected to a breathalyser test by the Mossos d’Esquadra, Catalonia’s police force, which is also known as also known as the Policia de la Generalitat de Catalunya.

The Emergency Medical Service responded promptly, deploying 10 ambulances to the scene.

Of the 14 injured fans, four are reported to be in a less serious condition, while the others suffered minor injuries. The most severe injury reported was a broken leg.

According to authorities, the incident occurred as Espanyol fans gathered to welcome the team’s coach. The driver’s car was wedged between two containers, prompting several supporters to throw objects at the vehicle, which resulted in damage.

In response, the driver accelerated and struck approximately 20 fans.

“It was an accident, some people were injured, but not seriously. There are no major incidents to report,” Salvador Illa, the president of the Generalitat, who was present at the match, told Spanish TV channel Movistar Plus.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE? You’re having a laugh.

We’ve all heard it. The derisory chant from opposition fans when one of the so-called ‘big guns’ is having an off day.

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For example, Southampton supporters had every right to aim it at the multi-billionaires of Manchester City last weekend, when they couldn’t find a way past the worst team in the Premier League.

Only now what was once a mildly amusing terrace jibe sums up perfectly what the leading club competition in the world has become. A joke.

Next season there will be a record SIX English teams in the Champions League.

Almost one third of the entire Premier League will be waved straight into the bizarre league phase by Uefa’s welcoming doormen at an empty small town disco on a wet Tuesday night.

Anyone can come in. From Liverpool who finished top, right down to hapless Tottenham or abject Manchester United hovering above the relegation zone.

It is time to officially ban the phrase ‘elite competition’ whenever the Champions League is mentioned on TV and radio or written in print.

There was a time when you had to win your domestic league to progress into the highest level of European football the following season.

Simple as that.

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We are now at a point where English Premier League teams have to work harder to stay out of the modern Champions League than to get in.

Spurs and Man United, regular participants in the past, have done spectacularly well trying to cock up their seasons. Yet

by virtue of winning the Europa League one of them will be alongside Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich, the already declared winners of their respective leagues.

Erratic Chelsea, under the guidance of boss Enzo Maresca, have lost to Ipswich, Fulham and Brighton.

From winning five Premier League games in a row, they went winless in the next five and couldn’t string a pass together.

They lag 20 POINTS behind the bona fide champions of England from Anfield and are fifth.

Don’t bet against them being in next season’s Champions League.

The constant tinkering and chiselling away at a once simple game has led to Uefa getting its knickers in a right old twist.

Fifth in this year’s Premier League grants a free pass into the treasure trove of the Champions League thanks to the coefficients which measure success where once it was about winning.

A whole page is devoted to thrill-a-minute ‘coefficients’ on the governing body’s website to explain how a system that would baffle Stephen Hawking’s much cleverer cousin actually works: “Uefa calculates the coefficient of each club each season based on the clubs’ results in the  Uefa Champions League, Uefa Europa League and Uefa Conference League.

“The season coefficients from the five most recent seasons are used to rank the clubs for seeding purposes (sporting club coefficient).

“In addition, the season coefficients from the ten most recent seasons are used to calculate revenue club coefficients for revenue distribution purposes only.”

And that’s just the overview.

There’s a gag in there somewhere about how many coefficients does it take to ruin a game of football? Only I can’t see a funny punch line.

There was a time back when the world was black and white in the 1950s when two imaginative French journalists took inspiration from South America and came up with the idea of the best clubs from each country competing for a trophy on our continent.

Ironically, it wasn’t called the Champions League back then. It was the plain old European Cup. A cup fought over by teams in Europe. Simple eh?

Liverpool’s first steps into the European Cup came in 1964, our sole representatives having won the league the previous season under Bill Shankly.

Next season they share the honour with five other English teams and some of them are pretty ordinary.

If Spurs win the Europa League and follow it up by winning the Champions League next year, the champions of Europe will come from a team currently 17th in England’s top division.

You can argue it won’t happen. Yet somehow a side which has lost more league games than it has won this season is in a European final next week.

That’s cup football for you and it’s a wonderful lottery. Qualification for the Champions League is not. It’s a boring carve up.

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PM’s plans compared to Conservatives’ controversial Rwanda deportation policy, which he had dismissed as a ‘gimmick’.

The United Kingdom is talking to third countries about setting up “return hubs” to host asylum seekers refused the right to stay in the country as part of a renewed crackdown on immigration, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said.

The UK leader is under increasing pressure to cut the number of migrants arriving on UK shores amid the rising popularity of the far-right Reform UK Party.

He said on Thursday that he was talking to “a number of countries” about hosting the “return hubs”, which would receive failed asylum seekers who have exhausted all avenues of appeal for processing prior to deportation.

Speaking during a visit to Albania, Starmer did not specify which countries he was speaking to about the scheme, which has drawn comparisons with a plan developed by the previous Conservative government to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda, which Starmer had dismissed as a gimmick and scrapped immediately after entering office in July.

The subject was apparently not on the agenda for Starmer’s meetings in Tirana, with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama specifying in a joint news conference that a similar returns model, which his country had agreed to with Italy last year, was a “one off” that “takes its time to be tested”.

That scheme, which could see Italian-run facilities in Albania holding up to 36,000 asylum seekers annually while their applications are fast-tracked, is currently bogged down in the courts.

Starmer admitted that establishing the facilities would not be a “silver bullet” for halting the perilous crossings of the English Channel in small boats, which have seen 12,000 people arriving so far this year, putting 2025 on course to potentially see a record high number of arrivals.

However, combined with other measures to tackle smuggling gangs, he said the plan would “allow us to bear down on this vile trade”.

Starmer claimed his new Labour government had been left a “mess” by the previous Conservative leadership, which he said had failed to process asylum claims.

The prime minister’s official spokesperson said, “This will basically apply to people who have exhausted all legal routes to remain in the UK but are attempting to stall, using various tactics – whether it’s losing their paperwork or using other tactics to frustrate their removal.”

The announcement was the latest in a host of tough new immigration policies, including plans to double the length of time before migrants can qualify for settlement in the country, which are widely seen as an attempt to fend off rising support for far-right firebrand Nigel Farage’s Reform UK Party.

The United States and China have surprisingly agreed to a dramatic de-escalation in their trade war.

Under the agreement, the world’s two largest economies have paused their respective tariffs for 90 days.

That breaks an impasse which has brought much of the commerce between the two nations to a halt.

Critics say the talks in Geneva did not appear to yield any meaningful concessions. The two sides aim to reach a broader deal, but this takes too long to negotiate.

Also in this episode, we examine whether the US-UK trade pact will deliver real benefits, or is it symbolism over substance?

Also, Senegal is capitalising on its energy wealth to change its fortunes.

Putin’s absence casts doubt on peace talks in Turkiye, raising concerns about potential intensified sanctions.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he is sending a team headed by his defence minister to Istanbul for the first direct talks with a Russian delegation since the early weeks of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

Zelenskyy announced the move on Thursday after the Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin had no intention to meet with him in Turkiye, sending instead a junior delegation – a move that Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said was “like a slap in the face”.

The Ukrainian president said in a news conference in the Turkish capital, Ankara, that the Russian delegation doesn’t include “anyone who actually makes decisions”, accusing Moscow of not making efforts to end the war.

The Ukrainian delegation will be headed by Defence Minister Rustem Umerov with the aim “to attempt at least the first steps toward de-escalation, the first steps toward ending the war – namely, a ceasefire”, he said.

It was not immediately clear when the delegations would meet.

Al Jazeera’s Sinem Koseoglu, reporting in front of the Ukrainian embassy in Ankara, said Zelenskyy chose a delegation “in equilibrium” with the Russian one.

“He said they didn’t mind taking the first step towards an immediate ceasefire that is necessary for direct peace talks,” she said.

Still, “there won’t be any negotiations, and Zelenskyy underlined that even his delegation has no mandate to decide anything. So tomorrow, it is probably going to be technical talks between the two delegations,” she added.

US President Trump, who had pressed for Putin and Zelenskyy to meet face-to-face in Istanbul, brushed off Putin’s absence from the talks.

“Nothing’s going to happen until Russian President Vladimir Putin and I get together, OK?” Trump said on board Air Force One just before landing in Dubai on the third stop of his Middle East trip. “I didn’t think it was possible for Putin to go if I’m not there.”

Putin’s absence punctured hopes of a breakthrough in ceasefire efforts that were given a push in recent months by the Trump administration and Western European leaders amid the intense manoeuvring. It also raised the prospect of intensified international sanctions on Russia that have been threatened by the West.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier welcomed Zelenskyy with an honour guard at the presidential palace in Ankara before the two held talks.

“Now, after three years of immense suffering, there is finally a window of opportunity,” Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said at a NATO meeting taking place separately in Turkiye. “The talks … hopefully may open a new chapter.”

Brussels is drawing up plans to use trade tariffs and capital controls to maintain financial pressure on Russia, even if Hungary decides to use its veto to block an extension of the European Union’s sanctions regime, which lapses in July of this year.

The European Commission has told ministers that a large part of the EU’s sanctions, which included freezing 200 billion euros ($224bn) of Russian assets, could be adapted to a new legal framework to bypass Budapest’s veto, according to the United Kingdom’s Financial Times newspaper.

Viktor Orban, Hungary’s prime minister, has repeatedly held up EU boycotts on Moscow as the central European country gets 85 percent of its natural gas from Russia. Orban’s nationalist government is also one of the most friendly to Moscow in all of Europe.

In any event, the EU’s recent proposals have emerged as Moscow and Kyiv hold their first direct peace talks since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Ukrainian and Russian representatives are convening today in Istanbul, Turkiye. However, Vladimir Putin will not travel to Istanbul for face-to-face talks with Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Last weekend, European leaders held talks in Ukraine to put pressure on Russia to agree to a 30-day ceasefire in the run-up to the Istanbul talks. Ukraine agreed to it. Russia did not.

What sanctions does the EU currently have in place against Russia?

The EU adopted its 17th sanctions package against Moscow, designed to stifle Russia’s economy and force President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine, on Wednesday. This package has been signed off by Budapest and will be formally ratified by the European Commission next week.

Brussels has progressively expanded sanctions against Moscow since 2022, introducing import bans on Russian oil, a price cap on Russian fuel and the freezing of Russian central bank assets held in European financial institutions.

Vast swaths of Russia’s economy – from media organisations to aviation and telecommunications – are now under EU restrictions, in addition to trade bans and measures targeting oligarchs and politicians.

Under the 17th package, some 200 “shadow fleet” tankers have been sanctioned. These are ships with opaque ownership and no Western ties in terms of finance or insurance, allowing them to bypass financial sanctions.

The latest sanctions will also target Chinese and Turkish entities that the EU says are helping Russia to evade embargoes. New restrictions will be imposed on 30 companies involved in the trade of dual-use goods – products with potential military applications.

“Russia has found ways to circumvent the blockage imposed by Europe and the United States, so closing the tap would grab Russia by the throat,” France’s foreign minister, Jean-Noel Barrot, told BFM TV.

How effective are sanctions?

Alongside military support for Kyiv, sanctions have been the EU’s main response to Russia’s war on Ukraine. But sanctions have so far failed to stop the war. What’s more, due to high oil prices and elevated military spending, Russia’s economy has outperformed expectations since the start of 2022.

Barrot acknowledged on Wednesday that the impact of sanctions has been insufficient. “We will need to go further because the sanctions so far have not dissuaded Vladimir Putin from continuing his war of aggression … we must prepare to expand devastating sanctions that could suffocate, once and for all, Russia’s economy,” said Barrot.

What new measures are being proposed?

While the 17th round of sanctions was only agreed on Wednesday, EU ministers are already considering what more might be done to undermine Putin’s political clout if the war in Ukraine persists.

Capital controls, which would be aimed at restricting money flowing in and out of Russia, and trade measures such as tariffs, are two options that have been mentioned by the European Commission in recent weeks. Capital controls can take a variety of forms, including restrictions on foreign investment, limiting currency exchange or imposing taxes on the movement of capital.

The commission also aims to share proposals next month that would allow Brussels to implement a ban on new Russian gas spot market contracts – deals for immediate delivery and payment – with European companies in 2025, and a total phase-out by 2027.

Despite oil export restrictions, Russia still earns billions of euros from natural gas sales into the EU through liquefied natural gas (LNG) and TurkStream (a pipeline connecting Russia to southeastern Europe via the Black Sea). Banning spot market contracts would lower Moscow’s revenue from these sources.

Brussels may also propose tariffs on enriched uranium as part of its effort to cut EU reliance on Russian fuels.

According to The Financial Times, the EU insists that these measures would not amount to sanctions and therefore would not need the unanimous backing of all 27 EU countries, which is normally required to extend sanctions.

“I think the EU cooked up these potential punishments to try and get Russia to agree to the 30-day ceasefire … it was the stick they were brandishing,” said an analyst familiar with the matter who asked not to be named.

Will the US impose more sanctions?

It may. On May 1, Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, said he had the commitment of 72 colleagues for a bill that would enact “bone-crushing” sanctions on Russia.

Graham, a close ally of President Donald Trump, is spearheading a draft bill that seeks to impose a 500 percent tariff on imports from countries that buy Russian oil and fossil fuels.

Trump himself, who seemingly welcomes the possibility of a rapprochement with Russia, said in March that he was “considering” imposing sanctions and tariffs on Russia until a peace agreement is reached with Ukraine.

Could such measures force Putin to the negotiating table?

“Most Russian people want life to return to normal and business owners are getting tired of war-related costs,” the anonymous analyst told Al Jazeera. “There is a growing sense of unease.”

She said she doubted whether the EU’s touted measures would bring Putin any closer to signing a peace agreement, however. “Only because sanctions haven’t been able to do that,” she said, “and there’s already a maze of them.”

According to Castellum.AI, a global risk platform, Russia has been slapped with 21,692 sanctions since the start of the war – the majority of them against individuals.

“On past performance, it’s hard to see how even more sanctions and additional punishments will stop the fighting,” the analyst said.

She estimated a 60 percent chance that Russia and Ukraine would still be at war by the end of this year.

The Spanish capital is a vibrant city with plenty to see and do, and it’s also one of the ‘most budget-friendly’ city break destinations in Europe, according to travel insurance experts

Madrid, Spain’s capital and a hive of activity, has been crowned as one of the “best budget city break” locations for those looking to escape during the summer. Characterized by its energetic streets, Madrid is also celebrated by Spain’s tourist board for its “welcoming and diverse” atmosphere, affirming it as an ideal spot for every type of traveller.

Research by travel insurance gurus at Quotezone pinpoints Madrid as offering one of the most wallet-friendly getaways on the continent, standing out as the sole Spanish metropolis in the line-up and trumping other European hotspots like Athens, Vienna, Rome and Paris when it comes to saving those pennies.

READ MORE: ‘Gorgeous’ £9 body spray perfume ‘just as good if not better than Sol de Janeiro’

The selection was made by weighing up elements critical to frugal globetrotters – think tourist levies, snooze spots prices, cost for nosh and a pint, public transit fares, and how far you’ll need to trek from the tarmac.

As visitor taxes hike up elsewhere, Madrid’s lack of this surcharge is a notable highlight. The city also scores points for its reasonable food scene.

Despite having its share of swanky eateries, the capital doesn’t disappoint when it comes to more modestly priced meal choices, reports the Express.

You won’t have to splash out much in Madrid, with an average spend of about €14 (circa £12) for dining delights, the study reveals.

And, for those desiring a bevvy to sip in the sun, the typical price tag for a brew sits at around €3.50, which equates to near £3, albeit a tad steeper than the likes of Zagreb, where a local ale will set you back just about £2.50.

However, in contrast to the average pint price of £5.90 found in London, Madrid’s beer comes across as a significant money-saver.

As noted by Quotezone, a single public transport ticket in Madrid costs just €1.50 (around £1.30), representing a budget-friendly way to traverse the bustling cityscape.

Madrid offers a wealth of activities regardless of your holiday preferences; from its vibrant streets lined with a myriad of shops and global cuisine restaurants to bars and a pulsating nightlife.

History buffs will revel in the numerous museums and the plethora of historic buildings that can be found throughout the city.

“Madrid’s authenticity is hard to beat,” remarked the Spanish tourism board. “It is welcoming and diverse. Madrid is, without a doubt, one of Europe’s most interesting cities.”

Palestinian photojournalist Fatma Hassouna was killed the day after she learned a film about her life in Gaza would be shown at the Cannes Film Festival. Al Jazeera’s Hind Toussiate spoke with the director of the film, Sepideh Farsi.

Interim report into sinking of superyacht that killed 7 off coast of Sicily said the vessel was ‘vulnerable’ to strong winds.

Investigators in the United Kingdom say a sudden blast of powerful wind was likely behind the capsizing of a superyacht owned by British tech billionaire Mike Lynch, which sank off Sicily last year, killing seven people.

Lynch, 59, and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah were among those who died when the 56-metre Bayesian overturned in the early hours of August 19. The voyage was meant to be a celebratory outing following Lynch’s acquittal in a major fraud case in the United States just two months earlier.

In a preliminary report released on Thursday, the UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) found that the vessel was “vulnerable” to strong winds – potentially even less severe than those recorded at the time of the incident. The report noted that this vulnerability was unknown to the yacht’s owner and crew, as it had not been documented in the stability guidance available on board.

The agency launched its probe because the Bayesian was registered in the UK. However, it acknowledged that access to key evidence remains limited due to an ongoing criminal inquiry by Italian authorities.

According to the UK report, the Bayesian had been moved the day before the accident to what was believed to be a safer location in anticipation of thunderstorms. But at about 4:06am local time, with the vessel in a motoring state, sails stowed and the centreboard raised, it was hit by winds exceeding 70 knots (81 mph), which caused it to capsize within seconds.

“You have the wind pushing the vessel over and then you have the stability of the vessel trying to push the vessel back upright again,” said MAIB investigator Simon Graves. “What our studies found was that the Bayesian may have been vulnerable to high winds, and these winds were likely present at the time of the accident.”

Among the other victims were Jonathan and Judy Bloomer – both British nationals – Chris and Neda Morvillo from the US, and Canadian Antiguan chef Recaldo Thomas. Fifteen people survived, including Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares.

Efforts to recover the yacht have stalled since May 9, when a diver was killed during the operation. Salvage work resumed on Thursday. Graves said the final report will cover additional factors such as possible escape routes and what took place on board.

“There’s still more to uncover,” he said. “Once we gain access to the yacht itself, we’ll be able to paint a fuller picture of the timeline and decisions made.”

Russia and Ukraine are poised for talks in Turkiye on Thursday, even though the prospects of President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy meeting directly for the first time in three years were dashed by the Kremlin late on Wednesday.

United States President Donald Trump, who had earlier indicated that he might join the negotiations, will also not attend, according to American officials.

Here’s what we know about the talks, what prompted them, who’s expected to attend, and why the negotiations matter:

Why are the talks being held?

On Sunday, Putin proposed the idea of direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Turkiye, instead of the rounds of indirect talks that the US and others have tried to mediate between the neighbours at war. Putin referenced direct talks that took place in 2022 while pitching for their resumption.

“It was not Russia that broke off negotiations in 2022. It was Kyiv. Nevertheless, we are proposing that Kyiv resume direct negotiations without any preconditions,” Putin said on Sunday.

In February 2022, Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Shortly after, Russia and Ukraine held talks in the Turkish capital, Istanbul.

According to Zelenskyy, the talks fell apart because Russia demanded that Ukraine concede the Donbas region, which spans Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk regions – parts of which Russia occupied during its invasion. Zelenskyy added that Russia wanted Ukraine to surrender long-range weaponry, make constitutional amendments to declare neutrality and significantly reduce its armed forces. “There were never any negotiations; it was an ultimatum from a murderer,” Zelenskyy said at the time.

While Zelenskyy had earlier held that any peace agreement would require Russia to give up Ukrainian territory it had occupied, in December last year, Zelenskyy said the “hot phase” of the war could end if NATO offered security guarantees for the part of Ukraine currently under Kyiv’s control.

He added that the return of land that Russia has occupied could be diplomatically negotiated later.

“The pressure that the US has exerted to attempt to bring an end to the fighting in Ukraine has evolved over time,” Keir Giles, a senior consulting fellow at the London-based Chatham House think tank, told Al Jazeera. “It appears that the most recent elements in that evolution, particularly in terms of European solidarity with Ukraine, have led Russia to engage in direct talks.”

Putin’s recent push for talks came a day after Ukraine’s four major European allies gave Putin an ultimatum to accept an unconditional 30-day ceasefire or face renewed sanctions. This ultimatum came after leaders of the European countries, France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Poland, visited Kyiv.

They gave Putin a deadline until May 12. On Sunday, May 11, Putin – without committing to a ceasefire – said: “We are committed to serious negotiations with Ukraine. Their purpose is to eliminate the root causes of the conflict, to establish a long-term, lasting peace for the historical perspective.”

Where are they being held?

The talks are being held in the Turkish city of Istanbul, which straddles the boundary between Asia and Europe.

What role did Trump play in this?

The four European leaders – Britain’s Keir Starmer, France’s Emmanuel Macron, Germany’s Friedrich Merz and Poland’s Donald Tusk – said that they had briefed Trump about their ultimatum to Russia over a phone call and suggested that he was on board.

But after Putin called for direct talks between Kyiv and Moscow, Trump issued a statement on his Truth Social platform asking Ukraine to meet with Russia “immediately”.

Trump ran his campaign for the 2024 election on the promise to bring a swift end to the Ukraine war. The Trump administration held multiple meetings, starting February, with Russian and Ukrainian representatives separately in Saudi Arabia in attempts to broker a deal.

Also in April, the Trump administration indicated that it was taking a step back from providing security guarantees to Ukraine. The Trump administration said it wanted Europe to take the lead in supporting Ukraine’s defence instead, noting that the US had other priorities, including border security.

In recent weeks, however, Trump and his team, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have expressed growing frustration at the lack of meaningful progress in negotiations and have threatened to walk out of efforts to mediate peace.

Explaining his insistence that Ukraine join the May 15 Istanbul talks, Trump argued: “At least they will be able to determine whether or not a deal is possible, and if it is not, European leaders, and the US, will know where everything stands, and can proceed accordingly!”

Who will be there?

“I supported President Trump with the idea of direct talks with Putin. I have openly expressed my readiness to meet. I will be in Turkiye. I hope that the Russians will not evade the meeting,” Zelenskyy wrote in an X post on Monday.

On Tuesday, Zelenskyy announced he will be in Ankara on Thursday, where he will meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The talks with Russia, however, are supposed to be held in Istanbul subsequently.

Trump has said he will send Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia Keith Kellogg to attend the talks in Istanbul.

Russia on Wednesday night announced its team for the meeting. Vladimir Medinsky, a close Putin aide and former culture minister who also led previous rounds of unsuccessful talks with Ukraine in 2022, will lead Moscow’s team. With him will be Deputy Defence Minister Alexander Fomin and the director of the Main Intelligence Directorate, Igor Kostyukov.

Trump’s earlier offer to attend the talks himself had been welcomed by Kyiv. “All of us in Ukraine would appreciate it if President Trump could be there with us at this meeting in Turkiye. This is the right idea. We can change a lot,” Zelenskyy had said.

However, late on Wednesday, US officials clarified that Trump would not be attending.

The US president is currently in the Middle East, where he spent Wednesday in Qatar, after visiting Saudi Arabia a day earlier. On Thursday, Trump will be in the United Arab Emirates before returning to Washington.

What does Putin’s absence mean?

Zelenskyy had earlier said he would be present at the talks only if Putin also attended. “Putin is the one who determines everything in Russia, so he is the one who has to resolve the war. This is his war. Therefore, the negotiations should be with him,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X on Tuesday.

With Putin now no longer poised to attend, it is unclear if Zelenskyy will personally participate in the talks or whether he will leave it to his team to join the negotiations.

Yet, in many ways, Zelenskyy scored over Putin by throwing down the gauntlet and asking him to attend.

“Zelenskyy has presented a challenge to Russia to show that it has genuine interest; it is up to Russia whether it meets this challenge or not,” said Giles.

Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva had also pledged to urge Putin to attend the talks.

What’s on the table?

It is difficult to predict what might specifically be discussed in the Turkiye talks.

“It would be rash to predict whether there will be any meaningful discussion at all, since the acceptable outcomes for both are still far apart,” Giles said. “Russia wants to neutralise Ukraine as an independent sovereign state, while Ukraine wants to survive.”

At the moment, Ukraine has proposed an unconditional 30-day ceasefire, while Russia has insisted that a series of its demands be accepted before it joins such a truce. Moscow said that it wants assurances over the monitoring mechanism for a ceasefire, and that a truce won’t be used by Ukraine to rearm and mobilise more soldiers. Instead, Putin has announced brief, unilateral ceasefires in recent days that Ukraine says Moscow never actually adhered to.

“We do not rule out that, during these negotiations, it will be possible to agree on some new truces, a new ceasefire and a real truce, which would be observed not only by Russia, but also by the Ukrainian side. [It] would be the first step, I repeat, to a long-term sustainable peace, and not a prologue to the continuation of the armed conflict,” Putin said on Sunday.

How significant are these talks?

Giles said that if the talks happen, “they will be a significant step forward”.

He added: “Anything that has been referred to as peace talks [ so far] has not been anything of the sort,” describing the two parallel discussions that the US has had with Russia and Ukraine.

On March 19, the US, Ukraine and Russia announced a 30-day ceasefire on attacks on Russian and Ukrainian energy infrastructure, and on March 25, they agreed on a Black Sea deal, halting the military use of commercial vessels and the use of force in the Black Sea. Both sides, however, traded blame for violating the terms of those agreements, which have now expired.

Defending champions Real Madrid come from behind to beat Mallorca and keep La Liga title defence alive.

Jacobo Ramon scored deep into stoppage time as Real Madrid rallied to beat Mallorca 2-1 and delay Barcelona’s title celebration.

Madrid needed the victory on Wednesday to keep Barcelona from clinching its 28th league title without winning another match. The Catalan club remains four points ahead and can still lift the trophy with a win at city rival Espanyol on Thursday.

Mallorca took the lead with a goal by Martin Valjent in the 11th minute and stayed ahead until Kylian Mbappe beat a couple of defenders to equalise in the 68th.

Ramon netted the go-ahead goal from inside the area five minutes into injury time, preventing Barcelona from winning the title, for now.

Mbappe is still in the race to be the league’s leading scorer, arriving for Wednesday’s match with 27 goals, two more than Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski. Mbappe had a hat-trick in the loss to Barcelona on Sunday.

Barcelona virtually secured the title by coming from behind to beat Madrid 4-3 in Barcelona in the last “Clasico” of the season on Sunday. Madrid lost all four matches against Barcelona this season, being outscored 16-7. It was the first time Barcelona won every “Clasico” in a season that had at least three matches between the rivals.

Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti received a mostly indifferent reaction from the fans at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Wednesday after taking over the Brazil job.

The Italian was announced as Brazil’s new coach on Monday, and some Madrid fans criticised the coach for negotiating with the five-time champions with the La Liga season still under way.

There were no significant jeers or cheers when Ancelotti’s name was announced by the loudspeakers at the Bernabeu before the match, with most fans applauding and saying his name along with the announcer, following the tradition at the stadium.

Recently elected Pope Leo XIV is the first pontiff from the United States, just as the country’s president is shaking up the global order. With both the US and the Catholic Church deeply divided, what does Pope Leo’s selection mean for Catholics in the US and worldwide?

Police say the trio espoused hatred for Muslims and immigrants and discussed attacking mosques or synagogues.

Police in the United Kingdom say three men have been convicted of planning to carry out an attack on mosques or synagogues in anticipation of a coming race war.

Brogan Stewart and Marco Pitzettu, both aged 25, and Christopher Ringrose, 34, all pleaded not guilty but were convicted of all charges by jurors at Sheffield Crown Court on Wednesday. Sentencing is scheduled for July 17.

“Stewart, Pitzettu, and Ringrose have today been rightfully convicted of multiple terrorism offences,” Detective Chief Superintendent James Dunkerley, head of Counter Terrorism Policing North East, said in a statement.

“They were a group that espoused vile racist views and advocated for violence, all to support their extreme right-wing mindset.”

The convictions come amid a debate in the UK over immigration rights as the left-of-centre Labour Party adopts increasingly harsh rhetoric on migration amid increasing public support for the far right. Critics said a recent speech by Prime Minister Keir Starmer in which he said immigration threatened to turn the UK into an “island of strangers” helps legitimise a view perpetuated by the far right that immigration is a destructive and dangerous force.

The convicted far-right group was part of a Telegram channel named Einsatz 14, in which they talked about executing former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and torturing imams.

“It was their belief that there must soon come a time when there would be a race war between the white and other races,” prosecutor Jonathan Sandiford told jurors.

Conspiracy theories that Muslims and immigrants are carrying out a “great replacement” of white people in Western nations have become increasingly widespread on the right in recent years.

That conspiracy often involves an anti-Semitic angle, portraying Jews as supporters of pro-immigration policies meant to weaken Western nations from the inside.

All three men were convicted of planning an act of terrorism and multiple firearms offences. They were found guilty of two counts of collecting information that could be useful to someone preparing a terrorist act, and Ringrose was additionally charged with manufacturing a component for a 3D-printed FGC9 firearm.

Prosecutors said the group was preparing for an act of terrorism when they were arrested in February 2024. Their trial began in March.

“Some of their defence in court was that it was all fantasy or just part of harmless chat, however all three took real world steps to plan and prepare for carrying out an attack on innocent citizens,” Dunkerley said.

MCDONALD’S has opened its biggest site in Europe in a major Brit holiday hotspot – and it’s come just in time for the summer holidays.

The fast-food giant has launched a huge location in the airport of sun-drenched Majorca – and it measures up at over 10,000 square feet.

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The big Maccies includes eight digital kiosks, eight production lines as well as table service and McCafé products.

The launch of the massive site marks the company’s largest on the entire continent.

Around 750,000 Brits travel to Majorca every summer, so the chain will be sure to endure its fair share of hungry Brit holidaymakers.

The enormous branch is located at Level P30, Module A Airside of Palma de Mallorca Airport in the Spanish island.

It measures up at a whopping 10,765 square feet.

The terminal has also recently undergone refurbishment work to improve passenger comfort and security, and retail space.

The new site is part of this extraordinary renovation in Module A.

And it is seemingly very exclusive to Brits – as the McDonald’s will only be available to non-Schengen countries, according to What’s The Jam.

This means most European countries won’t be able to access it – paving the way for Brits and other international visitors to raid the kiosks.

The incredible new branch has reportedly created 200 new jobs, on top of the 1,000 workers already employed in the Balearic Islands.

Chief Restaurant Officer of McDonald’s Spain Ángel Castillo said: “This opening represents a new milestone and another example of our commitment to the Balearic Islands.”

He called the region “an area of strategic interest for the company where we already have over 20 restaurants“.

The spokesperson continued: “We are thereby contributing to the Spanish economy and the creation of quality employment, fulfilling our mission of supporting the communities where we operate.”

There are already 43,500 McDonald’s locations in over 100 countries worldwide.

And the biggest McDonald’s on the entire planet is located in Orlando, Florida.

Known as the Epic McD, this behemoth fast-food chain measures in at a whopping 19,000 square feet.

Meanwhile, the UK’s biggest McDonald’s is a “Disneyland for fast food fans” with nearly 300 seats and unique features.

The giant restaurant, in Formby on Merseyside, showcases “the latest innovations from McDonald’s”.

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Brazil, China call for direct talks as the “only way to end the conflict” between Russia and Ukraine.

Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has pledged to press his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to attend negotiations with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Turkiye, adding to calls on Moscow to enter talks and end its three-year war.

Lula is expected to stop in the Russian capital on the way back from attending a regional forum in China.

“I’ll try to talk to Putin,” Lula said at a news conference in Beijing on Wednesday before his departure.

“It costs me nothing to say, ‘hey, comrade Putin, go to Istanbul and negotiate, dammit,’” he said.

The negotiations, expected to take place on Thursday in Turkiye’s commercial hub, Istanbul, would be the first direct talks between Kyiv and Moscow since 2022, shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbour.

Lula’s comments come after the Ukrainian foreign minister urged Brazil to use its influence with Russia to secure a face-to-face meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy.

Brazil and China issued a joint statement on Tuesday calling for direct negotiations as the “only way to end the conflict”.

Zelenskyy earlier dared Putin to meet him in Turkiye, saying if he does not show up, it would show that Moscow is not interested in peace.

He also urged United States President Donald Trump, currently on a tour of Middle Eastern countries, to also visit Turkiye and participate in the talks.

Trump had announced that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio would participate in the talks in Istanbul.

A State Department official said Rubio was expected to be in Istanbul on Friday.

The Kremlin has not yet specified whether Putin will attend in person, stating only that the “Russian delegation will be present”.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying Moscow was ready for serious talks on Ukraine, but doubted Kyiv’s capacity for negotiations.

These are the key events on day 1,175 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Here is where things stand on Wednesday, May 14:

Fighting

• At least three people were killed in a Russian bombardment of Ukraine’s Kharkiv, an official from the region said.

• At least 16 people were wounded in Ukrainian drone attacks on the region of Belgorod, the governor of the southwestern Russian region said.

• Among the wounded were a doctor and a paramedic, Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on the Telegram messaging app. Eight people were admitted to hospital, he added.

• Russia’s air defence units destroyed 12 Ukrainian drones overnight, according to Russian news agencies.

Ceasefire talks

• President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would travel to Turkiye this week for negotiations with Russia on the war in Ukraine and urged President Vladimir Putin to meet him for face-to-face talks.
• Zelenskyy called on US counterpart Donald Trump to help secure a meeting with Vladimir Putin in Turkiye on Thursday, while accusing the Russian leader of not seriously wanting to end the war.
• Zelenskyy also said he hopes to attend Pope Leo XIV’s inaugural Mass on Sunday, depending on developments in talks with Russia this week.
• Trump said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio would participate in talks on the Ukraine war in Turkiye, saying he expects “some pretty good results”. A State Department official said Rubio was expected on Friday in Istanbul.
• Brazil’s president said he will press Vladimir Putin to attend negotiations with Zelenskyy in Turkiye.

• French President Emmanuel Macron has declared that he was in favour of imposing new sanctions on Russia in the coming days if Moscow failed to agree to a ceasefire, mentioning financial services and oil and gas as possible targets.

• German Chancellor Friedrich Merz earlier said European allies would roll out “a significant tightening of sanctions” if there was no progress on ending the Ukraine war this week.

• Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying Moscow was ready for serious talks on Ukraine but had doubts about Kyiv’s capacity for negotiations.

Economy

• The EU is preparing to apply much higher tariffs on imports from Ukraine within weeks, hitting Kyiv’s economy at a crucial time in its fight against Russian aggression, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday, quoting diplomats.

Reality TV star and business mogul Kim Kardashian has testified before a French courtroom about her experience getting robbed at gunpoint in a Paris hotel.

Taking the witness stand on Tuesday, Kardashian confronted the suspects accused of tying her up and taping her mouth shut on October 3, 2016, while they stole more than $6m in jewellery.

The case concerns a group of about a dozen suspects known in French media as “les papys braqueurs”: the grandpa robbers. The group, many in their 60s and 70s, are part of a crime ring, according to prosecutors. One has died since the robbery took place, while the charges against another have been dismissed due to health concerns.

But Kardashian recounted the terror she felt as members of the group burst into her hotel room after a night at the Paris Fashion Week.

“We were leaving the next morning, so I was just packing up,” Kardashian said. “It was around three in the morning. I heard stomping up the stairs when I was in bed.”

She explained that she figured it was her older sister, Kourtney Kardashian, returning to the hotel room. But instead, it was a group of armed men, dressed as police officers and wearing balaclavas.

Waving a gun at her, one of the men asked her to surrender her $4m engagement ring, a gift from her then-husband Kanye West, a rapper now known as Ye.

“Then I heard one of the gentlemen forcefully say ‘Ring! Ring!’ in English, with an accent, pointing,” she said.

At one point, she said the robbers threw her onto the hotel bed. She was wearing a bathrobe at the time.

“I was certain that was the moment that he was going to rape me,” Kardashian explained. “I absolutely did think I was going to die.”

Her mind flashed to the idea of her sister coming home to find her body, she added. “I thought about my sister, thought she would walk in and see me shot dead and have that memory in her forever.”

But the robbers proceeded to restrain her with zip ties and duct tape. They told her she would be safe so long as she remained quiet.

“I have babies,” Kardashian, a mother of four, remembered thinking. “I have to make it home. They can take everything. I just have to make it home.”

Eventually, she was locked in the hotel room’s marble bathroom while the robbers made their escape. During her testimony, she explained that the suspects did not beat her during the attack.

“I was grabbed and dragged into the other room and thrown onto the floor, but wasn’t hit, no,” she said.

Eventually, Kardashian said she was able to use the bathroom sink to loosen the restraints on her hands. She hobbled downstairs, where she met with her stylist Simone Harouche, who had locked herself in a bathroom one floor below to call for help during the attack.

“She was beside herself. I’ve never seen her like that before,” Harouche said of Kardashian. “She just was screaming and kept saying, ‘We need to get out of here. We need help. What are we going to do if they come back?’”

The attack prompted the entertainment industry to adopt new procedures around security and social media posts, including through the delayed publication of certain images that might help robbers identify targets and locations.

Some critics, however, blamed Kardashian herself for her luxurious lifestyle and lack of on-hand security. The controversial fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, for instance, was quoted by the Reuters news agency as questioning Kardashian’s habit of posting photos of herself on social media.

“You cannot display your wealth and then be surprised that some people want to share it with you,” the late designer said.

That kind of commentary has sparked its own backlash, with some denouncing it as victim-blaming. Still, Judge David De Pas in Paris asked those involved if they had not made themselves targets.

“Just because a woman wears jewellery, that doesn’t make her a target,” Harouche said. “That’s like saying that because a woman wears a short skirt that she deserves to be raped.”

Kardashian added that she had a bodyguard in a separate hotel. “We assumed that, if we were in a hotel, it was safe, it was secure,” she said.

She added that she now keeps five or six guards around her. She also blamed the Paris attack for prompting a copycat robbery at her Los Angeles house.

“I started to get this phobia of going out,” Kardashian said. “This experience really changed everything for us.”

Tuesday’s appearance is expected to be the only time Kardashian testifies in the criminal case, which includes 10 defendants: nine men and one woman.

Five of the men face armed robbery and kidnapping charges that could result in life imprisonment. Others face lesser charges of being accomplices or possessing unauthorised firearms.

Prosecutors say the ringleader in the group was a 69-year-old man named Aomar Ait Khedache, nicknamed “Omar the Old”. He wrote a letter of apology that was read aloud in the court.

“I do appreciate the letter, for sure. I forgive you,” Kardashian replied, looking at Khedache. “But it doesn’t change the feelings and the trauma and the fact that my life was forever changed, but I do appreciate the letter, thank you.”