Author: Daily Sabah With DPA

Pope Francis has suffered a setback in hospital, the Vatican said. The 88-year-old “experienced an isolated episode of bronchospasm,” according to a medical bulletin published Friday evening. Bronchospasm occurs when the muscles that line the bronchi in the lungs tighten. This led to an episode of him inhaling vomit and “a sudden worsening of his respiratory condition,” the bulletin added. Pope Francis was given non-invasive mechanical ventilation. “He has remained alert and aware at all times, cooperating with therapeutic treatments,” the Vatican added. But the prognosis “remains guarded,” the bulletin concluded. Reports Friday evening indicated that it would take another…

The European Commission is looking to accelerate the return of irregular migrants, with plans to introduce a new law aimed at creating a more effective European repatriation system. In an interview with Sunday’s edition of Die Welt newspaper seen in advance by dpa, the European Union’s commissioner for migration, Magnus Brunner, said that he planned to propose legislation that would require returnees to cooperate with authorities, with harsh penalties for non-compliance. The result must be that a return decision is actually enforced, Brunner said. He said that currently, only about one in five individuals subject to a return decision actually…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said it is very important “that Ukraine is heard and that no one forgets about it,” after his clash with his US counterpart Donald Trump at the White House. Zelensky’s call for support from Kiev’s allies came after a fractious meeting with the US president in the Oval Office, which was broadcast on television. The Ukrainian leader was reportedly kicked out of the White House, while a planned minerals deal with the US in exchange for further military support was put on ice. A day before British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to host…

US President Donald Trump accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of “gambling with World War Three” in a heated face-to-face exchange at the White House on Friday. Trump said that Ukraine “was not in a very good position” in its defensive fight against Russia, and that Zelensky did not “have the cards” to tell Washington how to deal with Moscow to end the war. “You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people. You’re gambling with World War Three,” Trump said, pointing his finger at Zelensky as the Ukrainian leader tried to respond. “What you are doing is very disrespectful the…

US President Donald Trump on Thursday said he did not remember branding Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky a “dictator.” Asked about the remark he made in a post on his social media site Truth Social this month, Trump said: “Did I say that? I can’t believe I said that. Next question, please go ahead.” Trump said he was able to “get along with both” Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin. He added: “I have a very good relationship with President Putin. I think I have a very good relationship with President Zelensky.” Zelensky is due to visit Trump at the White…

Spain’s consumer price inflation accelerated further in February to the highest level in eight months amid an increase in electricity costs, the flash data published by the statistical office INE showed on Thursday. Consumer price inflation rose slightly to 3% in February, as expected, from 2.9% in January. Further, this was the highest inflation since June 2024, when prices had risen 3.4%. The EU harmonized inflation held steady at 2.9% in February versus an expected rate of 2.8%. The statistical office said the increase in annual inflation largely reflects the increase in electricity prices compared to the fall in February…

Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin is to meet Volodymyr Zelensky at Shannon Airport before the Ukrainian president travels to the US, it has been confirmed. The two leaders will hold a meeting at around lunchtime. It comes as Martin cancelled a visit to meet political leaders in Northern Ireland on Thursday. The Ukrainian president is briefly stopping in Shannon on his way to the US, where he plans to meet US President Donald Trump. Zelensky will visit the White House on Friday to finalize a deal on US access to Ukraine’s minerals. Martin had been due to travel to Belfast…

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Ukraine “can forget about” joining NATO. Trump was responding to a journalist’s question about Russia’s war of aggression and Ukraine’s accession to the Western military alliance at a cabinet meeting. The debate about joining NATO was “probably the reason the whole thing started,” Trump said, presumably referring to the war in Ukraine. Ukraine, which has been defending itself against Russia’s full-scale invasion for three years with Western support, has long sought to join the military alliance. Russia has repeatedly claimed that NATO threatens its security and justified its invasion of the neighbouring…

Ukraine will only sign a framework agreement on giving Washington access to Ukrainian raw materials, with an actual contract to follow at a later date, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday. “It’s too early to talk about money, because this is a framework agreement,” Zelensky was quoted as saying by the news agency Interfax-Ukraine in Kiev. Finalizing a contract would be “more difficult and serious, because the next contract will be about the fund,” Zelensky said. Later, on Ukrainian television, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said while a “de facto final version has been drawn up,” his country requires security guarantees…

Scientists are set to launch a spacecraft this week to map water on the Moon, which could help future efforts to colonise its surface. The Lunar Trailblazer spacecraft, which will launch from Nasa’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, carries a state-of-the-art camera designed by a team of University of Oxford scientists to measure lunar surface temperature and confirm locations where water supplies may be found for future extraction. Professor Neil Bowles, instrument scientist at the University of Oxford’s physics department, said the mission will be “useful scientifically to understand the lunar water cycle and it is also important as a…