A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck Liuzhou in China’s Guangxi region in the early hours of Monday 18 May 2026, killing two, injuring four, collapsing 13 buildings and forcing evacuation of more than 7,000 residents.
The Patrick Bruel #MeToo affair entered a new phase on Monday 18 May 2026 with the singer breaking his silence on Instagram, denying allegations from over 30 women whose complaints have now been regrouped at the Nanterre prosecutor’s office.
European equity markets traded firmer on Monday 18 May 2026 as the CAC 40 reclaimed lost ground and the FTSE 100 reasserted technical control, whilst oil prices kept swinging on Strait of Hormuz tension. The ECB countdown to the 4-5 June decision is now fully on.
Anglo American announced on Monday 18 May 2026 the sale of its Australian steelmaking coal portfolio to UK-registered Dhilmar Ltd for up to US$3.875 billion in cash, completing its exit from coking coal ahead of its merger with Teck Resources.
Israeli naval commandos intercepted at least 31 vessels of the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters off Cyprus on Monday 18 May 2026, halting an aid mission comprising more than 50 boats that had departed from Marmaris, Turkey, on 14 May. Turkey condemned the operation as piracy.
The European Parliament opened its May 2026 plenary session in Strasbourg on Monday afternoon. Roberta Metsola met Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at 16:15, opened the session at 17:00, and inaugurated the EU Defence Exhibition at 17:30. The week’s agenda covers Iran, Ukraine, steel and AI in trade.
Romania’s political parties met President Nicusor Dan in Cotroceni on Monday 18 May 2026 for consultations on a new prime minister after the Bolojan government fell on 5 May. PSD rejected another Bolojan-led cabinet; PNL ruled out any coalition with PSD; AUR said it was ready to govern.
Sir Keir Starmer’s premiership reached its sixth day of acute leadership crisis on Monday 18 May 2026, with Wes Streeting in open contest and Andy Burnham cleared to contest a parliamentary by-election in Makerfield within weeks.
The European Union joined on 15 May the Enlarged Partial Agreement of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, a foundational step in what may prove one of the most ambitious accountability mechanisms of the post-1945 era.
The EU-Mercosur agreement enters provisional application on 1 May, but its real significance is strategic, not commercial: it is the EU’s most explicit answer to the Trump administration’s protectionist turn, and a test of whether democracies can still write the rules of global trade.
