A CHF 50m foundation to help international Geneva is being set up by the canton and the Wilsdorf Foundation (LINK) 22 May 2025

— There is still a chance it could be forced to a referendum. The Swiss People's party objected to an initial CHF 10m package in February.

Geneva Graduate Institute: As multilateral diplomacy falters under leaders like Trump and Putin, Geneva — a key hub of global diplomacy — must step up. What could a "new diplomacy" look like? (LINK) 22 May 2025

— In the new issue of the Global Challenges, professors and researchers from the Institute and a guest author offer contrasting analyses of the opportunities and challenges of a "new" diplomacy for International Geneva, trade, inclusiveness, UN mediation, new media, and AI.

Romania's top court rejects far-right candidate's attempt to annul election (LINK) 22 May 2025

— George Simion, a pro-Trump ultranationalist, had alleged foreign interference in rerun vote won by Nicusor Dan.

UK court temporarily blocks deal to hand Chagos Islands to Mauritius (LINK) 22 May 2025

— The last-minute injunction came hours before the agreement was expected to be signed at a virtual ceremony with representatives from the Mauritian government. Two British nationals who were born at the Diego Garcia military base on Chagos claimed that the islands should remain under British control.

House passes Trump's sweeping domestic policy bill after GOP leaders win over key holdouts (LINK) 22 May 2025

Robert Reich: hidden provision in the Big Ugly Bill makes Trump king: courts cannot use funds to enforce contempt citations (LINK) 22 May 2025

Without waiting for Trump, E.U. and Britain impose new sanctions on Russia over Ukraine less than 24 hours after President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin exchanged a friendly, if fruitless, phone call about ending the war in Ukraine (LINK) 21 May 2025

— The measures will crack down on Moscow's so-called "shadow fleet" — around 200 vessels used to transport Russian oil exports globally — the 27-nation bloc and London said in separate statements. They are the 17th set of European sanctions imposed on Russia since it invaded its neighbour in 2022, the E.U. said.

Fox News: Trump distances himself from Russia–Ukraine conflict: 'Not our people, not our soldiers' (LINK) 21 May 2025

Netanyahu says war will continue until all parts of Gaza under Israeli control (LINK) 21 May 2025

In first delivery since March, UN dispatches 90 aid trucks to Gaza (LINK) 21 May 2025

Jewish Chronicle: UN corrects claim 14,000 Gazan children could die in 48 hours after it was debunked: The figure came from an independent report into instances of starvation in the Strip, but was projected over a whole year rather than two days (LINK) 21 May 2025

— The same day, buried in a story about how aid in Gaza has yet to reach the population, BBC News issued a correction to UNOCHA head's claim. However, by then, the claim had already been widely reported across the UK and global media and cited as true by nine Members of Parliament in the Commons during a debate.

Two Israeli Embassy staff members killed outside Jewish museum in Washington, DC (LINK) — ground.news: 93 media reports (LINK) 21 May 2025

— The suspect, identified as Elias Rodriguez, 30, of Chicago, was observed pacing outside the museum before the shooting, walked into the museum after the shooting and was detained by event security.

Swiss government pledges CHF11 million to UNRWA but not for Gaza: a further CHF9 million is being allocated to support four other humanitarian organisations (LINK) 21 May 2025

Trump shows video claiming 'white genocide' to South African President in Oval Office meeting (LINK) — ground.news: 211 media reports (LINK) 21 May 2025

Trump administration defends deportation flight of eight migrants to South Sudan, criticizes judge (LINK) 21 May 2025

Moderna withdraws application for US approval of combined flu-Covid shot, plans to resubmit vaccine application later this year (LINK) 21 May 2025

— The decision comes a day after the US FDA said it would require new clinical trials for approval of annual Covid-19 boosters for healthy people under 65 years old. Shares of the company have been battered by declining Covid revenue as well as investor concerns spurred by the appointment of the vaccine skeptic Robert F Kennedy Jr as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.

WHO members agree to 20% rise in mandatory contributions (LINK) 21 May 2025

— World Health Organization member states have agreed in committee talks to raise their mandatory contributions by 20% from 2026. If the resolution is backed in the plenary session, the organisation's budget for 2026-2027 will rise to $5.1bn.

Three dead in swept-away cars and two missing after floods ravage Var region of French Riviera (LINK) 21 May 2025

— Coastal town Le Lavandou severely hit. The town will "have to rebuild everything that was destroyed: roads, bridges, banks, wastewater treatment plant, coastline," warned its mayor, Gil Bernardi.

M&S expects cyber-attack to last into July and cost £300m in lost profits: pre-tax profits rose by a better-than-expected 22% to £876m in the year to 30 March, shortly before the attack (LINK) 21 May 2025

Guardian: UnitedHealth secretly paid nursing homes to reduce hospital transfers (LINK) 21 May 2025

UnitedHealth statement: There is nothing secret about our programs with Skilled Nursing Facilities (LINK) 21 May 2025

UN says no aid distributed so far in Gaza, as UK suspends Israel trade talks. The EU orders a review of its free trade agreement with Israel (LINK) 20 May 2025

— A branch of the Israeli military says 93 aid trucks have entered Gaza.

WHO: World Health Assembly adopts historic Pandemic Agreement to make the world more equitable and safer from future pandemics (LINK) 20 May 2025

— Agreement's adoption follows three years of intensive negotiation launched due to gaps and inequities identified in national and global COVID-19 response.

SWISS not flying to Tel Aviv until June 8 (LINK) 20 May 2025

Nestlé water scandal: French state accused of cover-up for illegal treatment of mineral water (LINK) 20 May 2025

Lawyers accuse Trump administration of deporting Vietnamese and Burmese migrants to South Sudan in violation of court order (LINK) 20 May 2025

Disney "places Venezuelan employees on unpaid leave" as Temporary Protected Status is lifted after a Supreme Court ruling favored the Trump administration's stance (LINK) 20 May 2025

Trump says Russia and Ukraine to 'immediately' begin ceasefire talks after two-hour call with Putin (LINK) — ground.news: 15 media reports (LINK) 19 May 2025

First aid trucks enter Gaza after almost three-month Israeli blockade, UN says (LINK) — ground.news: 34 media reports (LINK) 19 May 2025

— Just after the aid announcement, Emmanuel Macron, Keir Starmer and Mark Carney — the leaders of France, the UK and Canada — issued a joint statement threatening "concrete actions" if Israel continues its renewed military push in Gaza.

The UK and the EU announce new deals and renew ties, 5 years after Brexit (LINK) — ground.news: 280 media reports (LINK) 19 May 2025

— The deal includes a new Security and Defence Partnership, a 12-year extension of EU fishing rights in UK waters, eased customs checks on food imports and exports, and a limited youth mobility scheme.

Report of the Director-General to Member States at the 78th World Health Assembly (LINK) 19 May 2025

— Member States have given us, US$ 4.2 billion for two years Member States have given us, US$ 4.2 billion for two years — or 2.1 billion a year — is not ambitious, it's extremely modest. I hope you will agree with me, and I will tell you why: US$ 2.1 billion is the equivalent of global military expenditure every eight hours; US$ 2.1 billion is the price of one stealth bomber — to kill people; US$ 2.1 billion is one-quarter of what the tobacco industry spends on advertising and promotion every single year. And again, a product that kills people.

Indonesia raises alert to highest level for Lewotobi Laki-laki volcano situated in East Nusa Tenggara province, which erupted multiple times beginning May 18 (LINK) — ground.news: 42 media reports (LINK)19 May 2025

— The volcano spewed ash between 3 km and 5.5 km high eight times over the weekend.

US cuts another $60m in grants to Harvard University (LINK) 19 May 2025

— "Due to Harvard University's continued failure to address anti-Semitic harassment and race discrimination, HHS is terminating multiple multi-year grant awards — totalling approximately $60 million over their full duration," the department said on X on Monday.

Lawyer for Venezuelans deported to El Salvador prison arrested: Ruth López, a President Bukele critic, held without access to lawyers at secret location accused of 'embezzlement' a decade ago (LINK) 20 May 2025

Landslide threat: authorities order almost complete evacuation of the 300 inhabitants of Swiss mountain village of Blatten in Lötschental: a major rockfall is "imminent", which in a worst-case scenario could hit the village (LINK) 19 May 2025

— Experts expected the rock to slide at the latest by Tuesday morning. And around two million cubic metres of water could come down from the glacier above the village.

Education Department rescinds Biden's record $37.7 million fine against Grand Canyon University, rejecting claim that the Christian institution lied to doctoral students about costs (LINK) 19 May 2025

US supreme court allows Trump to revoke protected status for Venezuelans: Justices grant Homeland Security request to end temporary protected status while appeal proceeds in lower court (LINK) 19 May 2025

First flight leaves U.S. under Trump's $1,000 "self-deport" deal: takes 65 people from Honduras and Colombia to their home countries (LINK) 19 May 2025

Demonstrator Ashli Babbitt's family to receive $5 million in settlement with Trump administration over her shooting by police on 6 January (LINK) — ground.news: 7 media reports (LINK)19 May 2025

— Babbitt was shot by a police officer as she tried to enter the Speaker's Lobby through a shattered window, an area protected by several armed officers and without any members of Congress present.

Trump signs "Take it Down Act," revenge porn bill backed by Melania Trump (LINK) 19 May 2025

— The law requires platforms to remove images and videos, including deepfakes generated by artificial intelligence, within 48 hours after a victim's request.

Republicans are rejoicing as they gut a Bill that benefits Red states: Nearly three-quarters of investments spurred on by Biden's Inflation Reduction Act flowed to states that voted for Trump (LINK) 19 May 2025

Biden prostate cancer diagnosis analyzed by Lawrence K. Altman, a physician, and former New York Times reporter who has covered presidential health for decades. (LINK) 19 May 2025

17 mountain towns now facing record melts and floods, including Zermatt and Chamonix (LINK) 19 May 2025

Royal Caribbean sheds junk-debt status after Moody's upgrade (LINK limited) 19 May 2025