“A wave of strikes starting on Tuesday by London Underground drivers has been suspended by the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT). Drivers were due to walk out at 12:00 BST on Tuesday and resume on Thursday in a dispute over the voluntary introduction of a four-day week with condensed hours. On Monday, the RMT said ‘at the 11th hour the employer has shifted its position allowing us to further explore our members concerns around the imposition of new rosters, fatigue and safety issues.’ Transport for London (TfL) described the suspension as ‘good news for London.’ Industrial action planned for 16 and 18 June has been suspended but fresh strikes have been called for 2 and 4 June.” (05/18/26)
“Greek officials have unveiled the interior of a massive ancient tomb possibly linked to Alexander the Great as archaeologists continue excavation and restoration work. Greece’s Ministry of Culture announced the news in a statement on May 11. The excavation centers around the Kasta Tomb in Amphipolis, the ruins of an ancient Macedonian city in northern Greece, about 60 miles northeast of Thessaloniki. … Researchers believed Kasta Tomb was ‘built for someone very close to Alexander the Great,’ such as his mother, one of his wives or one of his friends, National Geographic reported in 2014.” (05/18/26)
“A Spanish court acquitted Shakira in a tax fraud case, ordering the government to return more than 55 million euros ($64 million) in wrongly imposed fines, a court document seen Monday by The Associated Press said. The decision follows years of tax troubles in Spain for the Colombian superstar. The ruling relates to a dispute over the 2011 tax year in which Spanish tax authorities did not prove that the singer was a resident of Spain, the Madrid-based court said in its decision.” (05/18/26)
“Italy’s Foreign Ministry said Monday rescuers have located the bodies of four Italian divers believed to be deep inside an underwater cave in a Maldive atoll. The searches had resumed on Monday after being suspended following the death of a local military diver during a perilous mission to try to reach them. … The body of one Italian — a diving instructor — was found earlier outside the cave.” (05/18/26)
“South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Monday called for both labor and management rights to be respected as an 18-day strike at Samsung Electronics looms. … A final round of talks between the union and Samsung’s management was scheduled for Monday. The union’s demands center on Samsung’s performance-based bonus system. It is seeking performance bonuses equivalent to 15% of Samsung’s operating profit, the removal of bonus payout caps, and a formalized bonus structure, among other measures. Samsung’s management has offered to allocate 10% of operating profit to bonuses and provide a one-time special compensation package, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap.” (05/18/26)
“Just a single dose of psilocybin can provide rapid relief from depression, a new small-scale clinical trial has shown. Within a week, people treated with one psilocybin dose had four times the decrease in their depression symptoms compared to a control group given the vitamin niacin, researchers reported May 15 in JAMA Network Open. And after six weeks, half (nearly 53%) of the psilocybin patients had no depression at all, compared with about 6% in the control group, the study found.” (05/18/26)
“A French football match descended into a terrifying riot, forcing players to flee for their lives. The Ligue 1 clash between FC Nantes and Toulouse FC was abruptly abandoned. A massive mob of hooded ultras breached stadium security, stormed the pitch and turned the arena into a war zone. The score was tied at 0-0 when the stadium erupted in violence. … Clad in black and concealing their faces, the rioters hurled dangerous flares and pyrotechnics directly onto the playing surface. … Riot police equipped with tactical gear were forced to march onto the field to quell the escalating unrest. After a tense standoff, police successfully pushed the invading supporters back into the stands. Refereeing officials and local authorities quickly determined that player safety could no longer be guaranteed, and the match was permanently called off.” (05/17/26)
“The administration of United States President Donald Trump has hosted a nine-hour prayer event on the National Mall in Washington, DC, as part of its efforts to commemorate the country’s 250th anniversary. Sunday’s event was called ‘Rededicate 250: A National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise and Thanksgiving,’ and it took place from 9am to 6pm Eastern US time (13:00 to 22:00 GMT). On the jubilee’s website, organisers explained that their aim was to mark ‘rededication of our country as One Nation to God.’ … Members of the Trump administration, including the president himself, also recorded video messages that were broadcast from the stage. Trump’s video showed him seated behind the Resolute Desk in the White House, reciting a speech from the Book of Chronicles that God gave to King Solomon, promising protection to his followers and destruction to those who forsake him.” (05/17/26)
“A pregnant woman shockingly delivered a baby boy in the middle of a packed Brooklyn courtroom while waiting to be arraigned on a drug possession charge. Samantha Randazzo, 33, went into labor surrounded by police officers, prosecutors and court personnel during her arraignment in Brooklyn criminal court on Friday night, according to a joint statement from the Legal Aid Society and several other public defender organizations. … The Legal Aid Society and Brooklyn Defender Services — which each had attorneys in the courtroom for other arraignments — claimed Randazzo was shackled and handcuffed during the delivery without ‘adequate medical care, privacy, or dignity.'” (05/17/26)
