European Parliament to award inaugural Order of Merit

The European Parliament is to award its European Order of Merit for the first time on Tuesday. Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and former Polish President Lech Walesa  are among the first laureates, though Zelenskyy will not be attending the presentation ceremony in Strasbourg in person. The EU says the award

Russia Holds Nuclear Drills as Drone Strikes Escalate

Russian and Ukrainian forces launched cross-border drone attacks overnight Tuesday as Moscow began three days of nationwide nuclear weapons drills amid escalating tensions in the long-running war. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia launched more than 500 drones and over 20 ballistic and cruise missiles overnight, targeting multiple regions across the country. Zelenskyy said the

China’s Rise as Russia’s Economic Lifeline

Russia may celebrate its "no-limits" partnership with China — a phrase coined when President Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping met just before the Ukraine war — yet those relations are increasingly one-sided. Although bilateral trade softened last year as a result of lower oil prices, Russia’s goods exports to China have nearly doubled since February 2022, when Moscow's full-scale

Did Ending USAID Abruptly Increase Violence?

Refugees carry food at a distribution center run by the World Food Programme at Kakuma Refugee Camp in Turkana, Kenya. After U.S. aid that paid for the food was curtailed, protests broke out. Andrew Kasuku/AP hide caption toggle caption Andrew Kasuku/AP Does foreign aid have an impact on violence — on wars, on street fights

Activists Say Israel Seeks to Expel Silwan Residents

Fakhri Abu Diab, a community leader, walks by the remains of his family home after it was demolished by Israeli forces, in the Silwan neighborhood of East Jerusalem. Ammar Awad/Reuters hide caption toggle caption Ammar Awad/Reuters EAST JERUSALEM — Fakhri Abu Diab, 62, has lived on the same property in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of

Artificial eggs: a step toward reviving extinct birds

A Colossal Biosciences worker performs a wellness check on an artificial egg. Colossal Biosciences hide caption toggle caption Colossal Biosciences Trevor Snyder pulls open an incubator and gently lifts out a device that looks like a high-tech coffee pod. It's black, with a honeycomb bottom. A clear flat top reveals what's inside. "This is a

San Diego Mosque Attack; Judge Dismisses Trump IRS Suit

Good morning. You're reading the Up First newsletter.  Subscribe  here to get it delivered to your inbox, and  listen  to the Up First podcast for all the news you need to start your day. Today's top stories San Diego police are investigating a shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego in Clairemont, Calif., as

How extra chromosomes help plants survive cataclysms

Many plants, including many species of bananas, have more than two sets of chromosomes. This can make the species more resilient to major environmental catastrophe, researchers find. Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket/Getty Images Most people are diploid. That is, we have two sets of chromosomes — one set from each parent.

The missing economically stable men in America’s marriage market

Rubberball/Mike Kemp/Getty Images/Brand X It's a bit weird to think of dating or marriage as a market — but this is a newsletter that tries to make sense of the world through economics. And, like any market, shifts in supply and demand can reshape romantic outcomes in pretty profound ways. First, a dating story that

House Holds Off on Prediction Market Ban Amid Concerns

FILE - The prediction market app Kalshi is displayed on a mobile phone, April 16, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley, File) Erin Hooley/AP/AP hide caption toggle caption Erin Hooley/AP/AP Unlike Senate members and staff, House lawmakers and staff can still bet on prediction markets — where billions are bet each week on sports, culture
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