Europe

Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Angola underscores the nation’s struggle with historical exploitation and contemporary corruption. Addressing President João Lourenço, he highlighted the need to combat corruption while advocating for a culture of justice, during his first address to Angola’s governing authorities amid the Pope’s African tour.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez hosted a progressive conference in Barcelona, bringing together global leaders to oppose MAGA politics. Brazilian President Lula condemned warlords and tech billionaires, stating, “They’re destroying democracy, workers and nature,” highlighting the urgent need for collective action against these threats.

In this week’s Focus, we turn to the tense frontier between Russia and Finland. The rapport between these neighbouring nations has soured significantly in the wake of Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine. Historically, their mutual border has been a theatre of confrontation and conflict. Currently, Finland is taking drastic measures by erecting a formidable barbed wire fence along this boundary. According to authorities in Helsinki, the intention behind this undertaking is twofold: ensuring the nation’s protection and enhancing scrutiny over entries from Russia.

NATO launches its largest-ever aerial drill in Europe on Monday, coordinated by Germany, in a show of unity from the military alliance against potential threats – notably from Russia. Ukraine said on Sunday it had made territorial advances on three villages in its southeast, marking the first liberated settlements since its military launched a counteroffensive this past week. Follow our live blog for the latest updates on the war in Ukraine. All times are Paris time (GMT+2).

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) last month announced it would lay off nearly 10 percent of its global staff and roll back dozens of its operations across the world. Although the ICRC’s crisis can partly be blamed on the war in Ukraine and resulting inflation, it also reflects a much more worrying problem plaguing the world’s humanitarian aid groups: with the world more in need of humanitarian action than ever before, donations are failing to keep up with demand.

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