Cinema Film of the Week: 'Thunderbolts*' - Florence Pugh to the MCU's rescue The 36th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a step up from recent MCU offerings. But is it enough to renew faith in an ongoing saga that’s been on a downward trajectory? (And yes, that confounding asterisk in the title is explained.) 02/05/2025
Europe News Press freedom in Europe deteriorating, Reporters Without Borders says Reporters Without Borders (RSF) published its annual report on global press freedom on Friday. Europe remains the safest region for journalists, but the situation is deteriorating. 02/05/2025
Europe News Reform UK wins by-election by just six votes to gain fifth MP Nigel Farage's right-wing populist party campaigned on an anti-immigration platform in Runcorn and Helsby, a constituency in northwest England. 02/05/2025
Syria Israel conducts airstrike near Syrian presidential palace The strike came amid escalating clashes between pro-government forces and Druze fighters near Damascus, which have left dozens dead. 02/05/2025
Tech News US robot makers fear Trump tariffs may impact humanoid race with China Elon Musk warned investors last week that China's countermeasures restricting shipments of rare earth magnets will delay Tesla's development of its Optimus humanoid robots. 02/05/2025
Tech News TikTok fined €530 million for unsecure data transfers to China The Irish watchdog launched the probe in 2021: TikTok was already fined €345 million in 2023 for failing to protect children's privacy. 02/05/2025
Top News Stories Today Latest news bulletin | May 2nd – Midday Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond - latest news, breaking news, World, Business, Entertainment, Politics, Culture, Travel. 02/05/2025
France Is Emmanuel Macron playing pope-maker ahead of next week's conclave? The French president held a series of meetings with cardinals and other Church officials while in the Italian capital last weekend, leading the press in Italy to speculate whether he is attempting to push the conclave into picking a French candidate to be the next pontiff. 02/05/2025
Economy Eurozone inflation tops expectations: ECB rate cuts in jeopardy? Eurozone inflation surged more than expected in April, as the impact of trade tariffs began to reverberate through the consumer basket, posing a fresh challenge for the ECB. 02/05/2025
Europe News Germany designates AfD as right-wing extremist organisation Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution has designated AfD as a right-wing extremist organisation, citing xenophobic stances as the reason. 02/05/2025
Europe News Fine Gael defends refusal to back Hamas hostage release resolution Resolution calling for release of hostages snatched during Hamas' October 2023 attacks on Israel was among several emergency motions passed at Valencia congress, but Irish Fine Gael delegates declined to support it. 02/05/2025
No Comment Ukrainian trio Ziferblat to share message of hope at Eurovision 2025 Ukrainian band Ziferblat have left Kyiv for Basel to represent their country at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025. 02/05/2025
Art Nigerian autistic teen sets world painting record A young autistic boy in Nigeria has broken the record for the world's largest art canvas - officially recognised by Guinness World Records. His canvas aims to highlight the challenges that people like him face amid stigma and grim depictions of autism. 02/05/2025
Europe News Italy plays Fantapapa, fantasy football-like game to pick the new pope Like a football team, users must choose 11 cardinals whom they believe have the best chance of becoming the next pontiff, as well as a "captain" — or their top favourite. 02/05/2025
Business Shell launches multi-billion share buyback after beating expectations Shell announced a $3.5bn (€3.1bn) share repurchase for the next three months, marking the fourteenth quarter in a row that the company has bought back shares worth a minimum of $3bn (€2.7bn). 02/05/2025
No Comment Serbia marks six months since deadly collapse at Novi Sad station Six months have passed since the collapse of a concrete awning at the Novi Sad railway station in Serbia, which left 16 people dead and one seriously injured. 02/05/2025
Culture news Jill Sobule, known for LGBTQ+ anthem 'I Kissed a Girl,' dies in fire Jill Sobule, the singer-songwriter whose witty writing first attracted widespread attention with the gay-themed song 'I Kissed a Girl', has died in a house fire. Her 1995 hit is widely regarded as the first song with an openly gay-theme to break into the Billboard top 20 charts. 02/05/2025
Radio Schuman Romania votes again, but where is TikTok 'sensation' Călin Georgescu? Romanians head to the polls again on Sunday to elect a new president. What's at stake? And what happened to TikTok 'star' Călin Georgescu, who won last year's annulled election? 02/05/2025
EuroVerify No, Africans were not denied access to visit Pope Francis' body The video allegedly showing a man being escorted away from the late pontiff's body appeared online before the lying in state even began. 02/05/2025
Top News Stories Today Latest news bulletin | May 2nd – Morning Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond - latest news, breaking news, World, Business, Entertainment, Politics, Culture, Travel. 02/05/2025
Economy China evaluating US offers for trade talks but tariff obstacle remains China’s Commerce Ministry said on Friday that Beijing is evaluating multiple approaches by the Trump administration for trade talks. 02/05/2025
Business Amazon posts robust sales and profit beat but outlook clouded Amazon posted higher first-quarter profit and sales that beat analysts' projections, underscoring the online behemoth's hold on shoppers looking for low prices and a wide selection in an uncertain economy. 02/05/2025
Markets Apple shares drop as China sales slide following Trump tariff fallout Apple’s shares slumped in after-hours trading despite stronger-than-expected earnings. Tariff uncertainties and regulatory challenges overshadowed robust quarterly results, with CEO Tim Cook calling the outlook for tariffs “very difficult” to predict. 02/05/2025
Europe News Zelenskyy: Minerals deal with the US a 'truly equal agreement' Kyiv residents reacted to the agreement with mixed emotions, with some hoping that it would prove beneficial to Ukraine, while others viewed it as a form of imperialism, where Washington was capitalising on Ukraine’s dire need for continued US support. 02/05/2025
Europe News Tens of thousands of people took part in May Day rallies across Europe Rallies and demonstrations were organised across multiple major European cities on Thursday to commemorate Labour Day, calling for higher pay, greater equality and the protection of workers' rights. 02/05/2025