what’s causing Europe’s unusual spring weather?

2025’s rainy spring has brought a swift end to the droughts plaguing several Spanish regions, restoring ecosystems to parched fields, reviving withered trees and shrubs, and bringing back a lush, green landscape not seen for a long time. It has also placed the country’s reservoir levels much higher the averages of the last decade. At […]

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Announcement of a Visa Restriction Policy Targeting Foreign Nationals Who Censor Americans

Free speech is among the most cherished rights we enjoy as Americans. This right, legally enshrined in our constitution, has set us apart as a beacon of freedom around the world.  Even as we take action to reject censorship at home, we see troubling instances of foreign governments and foreign officials picking up the slack. […]

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Snam Raises $2 Billion in Landmark Sustainability-Linked Bond Tied to Net Zero Targets Across All Emissions Scopes

MILAN – Snam has successfully completed a $2 billion multi-tranche Sustainability-Linked Bond (SLB), becoming the first global issuer to link such a bond to Net Zero targets across all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions scopes—Scope 1, 2, and 3. This trailblazing issuance is not only the largest of its kind by a European investment-grade regulated company […]

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Former Illinois Police Officer Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison for Assaulting Handcuffed Suspect

ST. LOUIS, MO — A former police officer from Illinois has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for using excessive force against a handcuffed individual, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri announced on Thursday. U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk handed down the sentence to Justin Gaither, 34, who […]

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U.S. Targets Foreign Nationals Censoring Americans “Free Speech” with New Visa Restrictions

On May 28, 2025, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a new policy imposing visa bans on foreign nationals deemed responsible for censoring Americans’ free speech. This measure is part of a broader initiative by the Trump administration to counteract international efforts perceived as undermining U.S. citizens’ rights to express themselves online.(The Times, Politico) […]

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Germany Announced €5 Billion in Military Aid to Ukraine, Plans Joint Weapons Production

Germany has announced a €5 billion military aid package for Ukraine and plans to collaborate on the production of long-range missile systems. The announcement was made during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Berlin on May 28, 2025. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz emphasized the new level of military-industrial cooperation between the two nations, highlighting the […]

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Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Bomb Threat on Alaska Airlines Flight to Seattle

Spokane, Washington — A Washington man has been sentenced to nearly two years in federal prison for making a bomb threat aboard an Alaska Airlines flight traveling from Atlanta to Seattle. On Monday, Acting U.S. Attorney Richard R. Barker announced that Brandon L. Scott, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas O. Rice to […]

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Continental Brief – Africa This Week

SUDAN | RSF Accused of Atrocities in Zamzam IDP CampThe Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have taken full control of the Zamzam IDP camp in North Darfur, perpetrating widespread abuses, including rape, abductions, and killings, according to the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA). SIHA reports a communications blackout and movement restrictions […]

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African Development Bank Presidential Race Enters Final Stage with No Clear Frontrunner

Abidjan, May 28, 2025 – The race to lead the African Development Bank (AfDB) has entered its final 48 hours with no definitive frontrunner among the five candidates vying for the presidency. The election, scheduled for Thursday, is expected to go into multiple voting rounds as member states weigh their options. The five candidates in […]

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At Least 42 Killed in Suspected Fulani Herdersmen Attacks in Nigeria’s Benue State, Say Local Authorities

Benue State, Nigeria – May 28, 2025 – At least 42 people were killed over the weekend in a series of coordinated attacks by suspected armed herders across multiple villages in Gwer West Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State, according to local officials. Victor Omnin, chairman of the Gwer West LGA, confirmed the death […]

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