USA - If you hear this tiny flying bug drone buzzing around your head, an Army Special Forces team might not be far behind. The 18-gram PD-100 Black Hornet from Norway’s Prox Dynamics can bear regular and thermal cameras about a kilometer and stay aloft more than 25 minutes.
USA - The consequences of the ‘Ferguson effect’ are already appearing. The main victims of growing violence will be the inner-city poor. The nation’s two-decades-long crime decline may be over. Gun violence in particular is spiraling upward in cities across America. In Baltimore, the most pressing question every morning is how many people were shot the previous night. Gun violence is up more than 60% compared with this time last year, according to Baltimore police, with 32 shootings over Memorial Day weekend. May has been the most violent month the city has seen in 15 years. In Milwaukee, homicides were up 180% by May 17 over the same period the previous year.
EUROPE - British Prime Minister David Cameron is galloping around the EU, trying to persuade its leaders to reform an institution suffering from sclerosis, democratic deficit and bureaucratic authoritarianism among many other serious diseases.
EUROPE - There was a lot of talk of shuttle diplomacy this week and of David Cameron's "whistle-stop tour of Europe", but in the end the British prime minister actually only popped in to four European capitals between Thursday morning and Friday afternoon. So did the trip merit the fanfare? Was it a success?
GERMANY - Germany Chancellor meets with the Prime Minister to discuss EU reform but Polish counterpart says he 'won't get far'. Angela Merkel has handed David Cameron’s bid to reform the EU a major boost, saying that treaty change is not “impossible” and that the rules on migrants’ access to benefits can be reformed.
GREECE - Christine Lagarde admits "it's very unlikely that we'll reach a comprehensive solution in the next days", as talks take Athens to the edge of default. The International Monetary Fund has hinted Greece could be forced out of the eurozone, as the country edges closer to judgment day with its foreign creditors.
VATICAN - In the third year of his pontificate, criticism is growing of Pope Francis. Members of the Vatican establishment are turning against him and he even shocks his own staff with his free thinking. Where does this enigmatic pope want to steer the Catholic Church?
USA - A quick look at the list of top political donors for 2014 reveals a striking fact: At least a third of the most generous 50 mega-givers were Jewish. In fact, contributions from Jewish billionaires and multi-millionaires dominated the top 10 spots on the list. Striking, yet unsurprising. Political activists have known for years that members of the Jewish community are over-represented in the field of political contributions. And now, with the 2016 election cycle beginning to warm up, these Jewish donors are on the minds of all prospective candidates.
FRANCE - France’s far-right National Front party has called for an in/out referendum on the EU at the same time as the UK holds its vote. Florian Philippot, an MEP and the party’s deputy head, wrote on Thursday (28 May) that president Francois Hollande should “follow the British example” and “follow the calendar outlined by our neighbours across The Channel”.
UK - I find it extremely perplexing that I have been the only one to report of the secret meeting in London. Kenneth Rogoff of Harvard University, and Willem Butler, the Chief Economist at Citigroup, will address the central banks to advocate the elimination of all cash to bring to fruition the day when you cannot buy or sell anything without government approval.
USA - The US has called for an "immediate and lasting halt" to land reclamation in disputed areas of the South China Sea. US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter told the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore that China's actions in the area were "out of step" with international rules. China claims almost the whole of the South China Sea, resulting in overlapping claims with its neighbours. Chinese officials have described US remarks on the South China Sea as "groundless and not constructive". Other countries have accused China of illegally taking land to create artificial islands with facilities that could potentially be for military use.
SYRIA - Militants for the terrorist group this week seized huge phosphate mines depriving the Syrian regime of a desperately-needed revenue source. She said the latest development does put Syria - and the rule of brutal dictator Bashar Al-Assad - on the verge of disintegration.
UK - Scores of witches, fairies, goths and druids to say farewell to a former builder called Ian Wilson, who died of cancer aged 63. With his shaggy beard, long flowing cloak and even the obligatory staff, Eron the Wizard certainly looked the part.
USA - Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew says policymakers need to "double-down" and reach a deal that will secure Greece's future in eurozone. A Greek default and exit from the eurozone will open a Pandora's box in the single currency area that could spark a fresh crisis, the US Treasury Secretary has warned.
EUROPE - European creditors dashed hopes that Greece was finally nearing the end-stage of its bail-out negotiations, insisting both sides remained far apart on securing the embattled country’s future in the eurozone. Greek stock markets jumped after comments from prime minister Alexis Tsipras that the country was "close" to a deal, following reports the two sides had begun the process of drafting an agreement.