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.
The police carried out searches at Ukrainian Railway's premises in Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast over a suspected criminal scheme by a group of the company's officials, the police and Ukrainian Railways said on Dec. 11.
The railway employees are suspected of earning illicit gains by manipulating tickets offered for international travel.
"The actions of the defendants led to significant losses and the creation of an artificial shortage of tickets for the most popular routes on the market," the police’s statement read.
"Searches and seizures of material evidence, hearings, and detentions are being conducted," Ukrainian Railways said in a statement. The search was conducted in offices, employees’ homes, and trains.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, trains became one of the primary and perhaps the easiest means of travel both within Ukraine and abroad, as airports remained shut, ratcheting up demand for Ukrainian Railways’ services. Over 600 railway employees have been killed since Feb. 24, 2022.
The state-owned Ukrainian Railways has also been embroiled in a number of corruption scandals over the years. In April, anti-corruption agencies began investigating a former presidential advisor, two company top officials, a Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) officer, and three other people over Ukrainian Railways' purchase of transformers at inflated prices.
Daria Shulzhenko
