U.S. Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected the new pope and leader of the Roman Catholic Church on Thursday, taking the name Pope Leo XIV, a senior cardinal announced on May 8 to crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square, according to Vatican News.
According to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), this marks the first time Ukrainian authorities have exposed a Hungarian military intelligence network conducting activities harmful to Ukraine.
George Simion, leader of Romania's far-right AUR party, who won the first round of the presidential election with nearly 40% of the vote, reiterated that if elected, he would oppose any further assistance to Ukraine and shift Romania’s focus inward.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping hailed their countries' relationship on May 8, vowing to increase cooperation in all areas, including military ties.
"There is Turkey, which maintains channels of communication. And then, above all, there is the People's Republic of China, which, more than anyone else, has the means to make (Russian President Vladimir) Putin come to the negotiating table and soften his demands," Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said on May 8.
The United States will be ready to "walk away" from the negotiating table if it does not see Russia making progress in negotiation to end the war, U.S. Vice President JD Vance told Fox News on May 8.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico arrived in Moscow on May 9 to celebrate Victory Day, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.
US President Donald Trump on May 8 called for a "30-day unconditional ceasefire" between Ukraine and Russia. Writing on Truth Social, Trump expressed his hope for "an acceptable ceasefire," with both countries "held accountable for respecting the sanctity of... direct negotiations."
President Volodymyr Zelensky had a "constructive" phone call with United States President Donald Trump on May 8, discussing the war, continued pressure on Russia, and a potential ceasefire.
The survey, conducted between April 24 and May 4, shows that 56.9% of respondents would not be willing to compromise on either territorial integrity or Ukraine’s pro-Western direction in any potential talks with Moscow.
Despite the Kremlin’s announcement of a May 8–11 truce, heavy fighting continued in multiple regions throughout the day.
UNESCO added Örnek, the traditional ornament of Ukraine’s Crimean Tatar minority and its lore to the List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, on Dec. 16.
“This is a clear victory for Ukraine. After all, it clearly shows that the culture of Crimea is extraordinary and needs to be protected,” said Ukraine’s Minister of Culture and Information Policy Oleksandr Tkachenko.
He thanked his predecessor Yevhen Nyshchuk for kickstarting this advocacy initiative and the ministry’s current team for getting it done.
Örnek is a collection of ornamental patterns of the Crimean Tatars, a Ukrainian ethnic minority native to Crimea. The ornament has been used to decorate various household objects, including clothes, fabrics, jewelry, furniture, architectural objects and tombstones. It is currently used in embroidery, pottery, engraving, jewelry, weaving, wood carving, wall painting and more.
The ornament is an important element of self-identification for the Crimean Tatar nation and an integral part of the life of every Crimean Tatar family, according to the ministry. Örnek is also a means of transmitting cultural and historical knowledge from generation to generation.
Common symbols narrated through Örnek are plants and trees, which symbolize people of different genders and generations, UNESCO says.
Each symbol is rich in meaning.
A rose, for example, symbolizes a married woman. A tulip stands for a young man, while a carnation portrays an older person, as well as wisdom and life experience.
Örnek is the fourth Ukrainian item on UNESCO’s intangible heritage list, along with Cossack songs, Petrykivka decorative painting and Kosiv painted ceramics.
Back in 2008, Ukraine ratified the Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, which UNESCO adopted in 2003.
The Convention asserts that “intangible cultural heritage, transmitted from generation to generation, is constantly recreated by communities… and provides them with a sense of identity and continuity, thus promoting respect for cultural diversity and human creativity”.
It also requires each state party to take all the necessary measures to safeguard such heritage on its territory.
