What happened
A temporary ceasefire in Ukraine that enabled residents to escape the besieged Russian-held city of Oleshky expired last night after several days of civilian evacuations.

The agreement, which began on Tuesday last week and was subsequently extended across the Kherson region in the south of the country, provided a rare break in fighting along part of the front line. But elsewhere Russian attacks continued, including strikes on power facilities that left hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian households without electricity.

Who said what
Oleshky “clearly demonstrates that de-escalation steps are possible when Russia is the one put in a position where it has to take steps towards de-escalation”, said Volodymyr Zelenskyy. As the truce ended he appealed to Western allies for urgent deliveries of Patriot surface-to-air interceptor missiles.

This was the “longest truce of the Ukraine war”, according to Le Monde. The pause enabled a humanitarian mission to bring relief to the eastern Kherson region.

Oleshky was captured by the Russian military in 2022 and had been “caught in intense fighting between the two sides that left residents starving and unable to escape”, said France 24. Many of them were forced to “eat weeds to survive”, said Dan Johnson on the BBC. Some reportedly also resorted to eating dogs.

What next?
The ceasefire ended at 9pm GMT yesterday. Evacuees have begun reuniting with relatives after enduring arduous journeys through Russian-controlled territory. The oldest of them was 94; the youngest just one.

What happened
A fresh wave of demonstrations swept across Europe over the weekend, resulting in violent confrontations between young protesters and police in Germany and France as discontent over living costs, education funding and government policies spilled onto the streets.

In Germany tens of thousands marched on Saturday in 34 cities  including Frankfurt, Munich and Berlin. Organisers said as many as 36,000 people participated, while police put the figure at 18,000.

France saw its third consecutive weekend of unrest, with the interior ministry estimating that 320,000 people took part in demonstrations nationwide. Police used tear gas and baton charges after crowds threw firebombs and paving stones.

Who said what
German campaign group “Gen Z regelt” (Gen Z sorts it) called for better education funding, lower living costs and an end to compulsory military service. Spokesperson Lina Friedrich said the protesters wanted to defend “peace and freedom”.

What next?
Sociologist Sebastian Koos said there were key differences between the unrest among young people in Germany and France. “Unlike in France, these protests are not driven by the same level of anger,” he told DW.com. “They have been planned, officially registered and carefully organised.”

Police in Barcelona and northern Italy are also preparing to deal with further demonstrations.

The idea was irresistible: sell up, move on to a luxury cruise ship and spend the rest of your life seeing the world.

But for some of the passengers aboard the Villa Vie Odyssey, the dream of a permanent escape has hit a very earthly obstacle: an “extraordinary” rise in the cost of fuel, according to Euronews. It means an epic voyage has now been brought to an abrupt halt in Cambodia.

The ship set sail from Belfast in October 2024. US-based operator Villa Vie Residences offered a “never-ending cruise around the world with stops at more than 400 ports of call and a global circumnavigation every three-and-a-half years”, said Business Insider. “Permanent residences” were available from $120,000 (£90,000), while some cabins could be rented from $3,500 (£2,600) a month.
 
Then came the fuel crisis. With the oil “chokepoint” of the Strait of Hormuz cut off by the Iran war, energy prices were sent “soaring around the world”. While the company had budgeted for monthly fuel expenses of $1,800 (£1,345) per cabin, this skyrocketed to between $6,000 (£4,480) and $8,000 (£5,975).

Villa Vie announced this week that the Odyssey, which is docked at the port of Sihanoukville in Cambodia, was suspending operations. The company said it was working with passengers to organise disembarkation plans and “temporary living arrangements”. Villa Vie will focus on “restructuring and recapitalisation over the next 60 days”, said The New York Times. “No outcome is assured,” it said, and the ship could “eventually be sold” to settle outstanding costs.

One passenger, Holly Hennessey, told the BBC that she was prepared to wait. “Until they say we are done – done done – I am not giving up. I could never duplicate this lifestyle. The idea of going home? It would be so trite.”