World

Exactly five years after the fire that destroyed the roof and badly damaged the rest of Paris's Notre-Dame Cathedral, one of those who worked on the project has spoken of the camaraderie of the team reconstructing the edifice and the skill of their achievement. Valentin Pontarollo is a carpenter who finished working on the roof just a few weeks ago. The carpentry of the structure is now complete. In Perspective, he told us of his joy at what the team has achieved, five years after tons of 13th-century oak either caught fire or was sent crashing down into the nave below.

After a year of war, Sudan is dealing with one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. As more local and international actors get involved, the outlook remains grim.

World leaders called for calm and an "utmost degree of restraint" in the aftermath of Iran's large-scale air attacks on Israel. Iran's attack, which involved the launch of more than 300 drones and missiles against military targets in Israel, has ratcheted up fears of a spillover conflict in a region already grappling with the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

While visiting Shanghai, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has argued that the European market must be open to Chinese cars. However, he said that competition must be fair.

Crude oil prices subside as traders bet that the worst is over in tensions between Iran and Israel, although fears remain. Meanwhile, investors charge into safe-haven assets like gold, and Chinese market regulators roll out new investor protections.

The liberalization of abortion rights was a major election promise made by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. But the issue is controversial within his coalition, and there are major hurdles to a new law.

Jury selection will soon begin in the first criminal trial of any ex-US president. The trial involving payments to an adult actress could keep Trump from campaigning for weeks as he seeks reelection to the White House.

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron on Monday urged Israel not to retaliate after Iran's drone and missile attack, saying it should "think with head as well as heart" because Tehran's strike had been a near total failure.

Lori and George Schappell, the world's oldest conjoined twins, have died at age 62, as confirmed by Guinness World Records. The pair passed away at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital on April 7. Born on Sept. 18, 1961, the twins had partially fused skulls, shared vital blood vessels, and 30% of their brains.

Talking Europe hosts the head of the largest political group in the European Parliament, the centre-right European People's Party. Manfred Weber, a prominent German CSU politician, is hoping that the June 9 EU elections will re-confirm the EPP's pre-eminent position, but he is cautious on the possibility of alliances with the hard-right ECR group. We also touch on the "Russiagate" and "Piepergate" controversies, the EPP's contentious plan to reform the EU's asylum system, as well as French President Emmanuel Macron's "unwise" – according to Weber – remarks about potentially sending French troops to Ukraine.

The allies of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol have suffered a resounding defeat and lost their majority in parliament. Yoon might yet get a chance to recover, however, as his rivals battle legal issues.

A man went on a rampage with a knife in a Sydney shopping mall, killing six people as he did so. Police continue to interview witnesses and are calling on the public to share video footage with them.