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Icelanders headed to the polls on Saturday to elect a new parliament, following political disagreements that led Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson to dissolve his coalition government and call for an early election. Disputes over immigration, energy policy, and the economy contributed to the collapse of the government, which had struggled to remain united. Despite severe weather conditions that blocked roads across the island, all polling stations opened as scheduled. The ballot-counting process began after polls closed at 10 p.m. local time (2200 GMT), with results expected on Sunday morning. This election marks Iceland’s sixth general election since the 2008 financial crisis, which left the country’s economy in tatters and initiated a period of political fragmentation. Opinion polls suggested that the three governing parties would face significant challenges, with support for the current coalition — which includes Benediktsson’s Independence Party, the centrist Progressive Party, and the Left-Green Movement — declining sharply. Read: Iceland holds election amid debates on immigration, energy, economy Voters in Iceland, a country of around 400,000 people, will choose 63 members of the Althingi, Iceland's parliament, through a combination of regional constituencies and proportional representation. A minimum of 5% of the vote is required for parties to secure seats. Historically, voter turnout in Iceland has been high, with 80% of registered voters casting ballots in the 2021 election. The political landscape in Iceland has been deeply affected by the financial crisis, leading to a splintering of political parties. Since 2008, distrust in traditional political powers has given rise to new parties, including the environmentalist Left-Green Alliance and the Pirate Party, which advocates direct democracy. Key issues in the election include rising inflation, which peaked at 10.2% in February 2023, as well as pressures from immigration. Iceland has seen an influx of asylum-seekers, with more than 4,000 arriving annually in recent years, compared to fewer than 1,000 previously. In addition, ongoing volcanic eruptions in southwestern Iceland have displaced thousands and strained the government’s resources. The eruptions, which have caused significant housing shortages and disrupted local communities, have added to existing concerns over Iceland's housing market, exacerbated by the growth of the tourism industry. Benediktsson expressed hope that his Independence Party would emerge victorious, despite the challenges his coalition faced. However, analysts suggest that political fragmentation in Iceland is unlikely to subside anytime soon, as the economic and political landscape continues to evolve in the wake of the 2008 crisis. Source: With inputs from agencies

Thousands of workers, including teachers, healthcare professionals, and sanitation staff, staged an eight-hour general strike across Italy on Friday, protesting against stagnant wages, rising living costs, and declining public services.  The strike, organized by Italy’s largest trade unions, targeted Premier Giorgia Meloni’s budget policies, which unions claim underfund crucial sectors such as education and healthcare. Protesters also called for a fairer distribution of private sector profits to workers.  “These demonstrations are not just a message for the government,” said Maurizio Landini, leader of the CGIL trade union, during a rally in Bologna. “They are directed at business leaders and managers who have enjoyed unprecedented profits in recent years.”  The industrial action disrupted various services, including education, healthcare, and transportation. ITA Airways canceled several domestic and international flights, while schools and hospitals faced significant slowdowns. Although unions planned an eight-hour strike, Transport Minister Matteo Salvini restricted it to four hours in the transportation sector.  This marks Italy’s first general strike since November last year. However, unions risk penalties for involving sectors like healthcare and justice, which have already faced strikes. Italy’s railway sector, which has seen recent labor actions, was exempted from Friday’s strike.  Italy’s healthcare system, particularly in the under-resourced southern regions, has been grappling with severe staffing shortages. Many healthcare workers have sought jobs abroad due to inadequate salaries, leaving existing staff to manage increased workloads. “Low wages are driving people away. We often have to work double shifts just to maintain basic care levels,” said Anna Salsa, a member of the UIL healthcare union, during a protest in Rome.  Amazon India workers strike on Black Friday for better pay Rising grocery prices have further strained households, with consumer group Codacons reporting an additional annual cost of €238 ($251) for a family of four in 2024.  Despite starting salaries comparable to other European nations, Italy’s wage growth lags, resulting in a median annual salary of €35,000 ($37,000), one of the lowest among G7 countries, noted labor expert Maurizio Del Conte.   

Ireland is holding a closely contested parliamentary election on Friday, a pivotal vote that will determine the country’s next government and reveal whether Ireland will follow the global trend of ousting incumbents amid voter dissatisfaction driven by years of pandemic challenges, international instability, and cost-of-living crises. Polling stations opened at 7 a.m. (0700 GMT), and Ireland’s 3.8 million eligible voters are selecting 174 lawmakers for the Dáil, the lower house of parliament, reports AP The Parties and Candidates The outgoing government comprises Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, two centrist-right parties that have dominated Irish politics for a century. Despite their rivalry—rooted in opposing sides of Ireland’s 1920s civil war—the parties joined forces after the 2020 election ended in a deadlock. They formed a coalition, sharing Cabinet positions and rotating the role of Taoiseach, or prime minister. Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin served as Taoiseach for the first half of the term before handing over to Fine Gael’s Leo Varadkar in December 2022. Varadkar later stepped aside in March, making way for Simon Harris to assume the role, it said. Meanwhile, Sinn Féin, an opposition party, made historic gains in the 2020 election by winning the popular vote but was excluded from government as Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil refused to collaborate with it. The refusal stemmed from Sinn Féin’s leftist policies and historic association with the Irish Republican Army during the Northern Ireland conflict. Under Ireland’s proportional representation voting system, each of the 43 constituencies elects multiple representatives, allowing smaller parties and independent candidates with strong local followings to secure seats. This year’s election features an unusually large number of independent candidates, ranging from local activists to far-right figures and even reputed crime boss Gerry “The Monk” Hutch, the report said. Key Campaign Issues The soaring cost of living, especially housing, has dominated the election campaign. Ireland faces a severe housing shortage, a consequence of underbuilding during the 2008 financial crisis and prioritisation of commercial developments during the subsequent economic recovery. “There was no building during the crisis, and when the crisis receded, offices and hotels were built first,” said John-Mark McCafferty, CEO of the housing charity Threshold. The result is skyrocketing house prices, rising rents, and increasing homelessness. McCafferty noted that Ireland has financial resources, including €13 billion ($13.6 billion) in back taxes owed by Apple following a European Union ruling, but must address “big historic infrastructural deficits.” Immigration has also emerged as a contentious issue. Ireland, long characterised by emigration, has recently seen an influx of asylum seekers, including more than 100,000 Ukrainians and thousands fleeing poverty and conflict from the Middle East and Africa. The country’s 5.4 million population has struggled to accommodate these arrivals, leading to makeshift camps and protests. Although Ireland lacks a major far-right party, anti-immigration sentiment is growing, with some independent candidates campaigning on the issue. This shift has reportedly dented support for Sinn Féin, as some working-class voters express discontent with its pro-immigration stance, the also said. Election Outlook Opinion polls indicate voter support is divided across five main groups: Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin, smaller parties, and independents. Fine Gael has faced campaign missteps, while Fianna Fáil has held steady, and Sinn Féin claims to have momentum. However, Sinn Féin’s path to power remains unlikely unless other parties reverse their opposition to collaborating with it. Analysts predict another coalition government led by Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, potentially joined by a smaller party or independent lawmakers. “It’s just a question of which minor group is going to support the government this time,” said Eoin O’Malley, a political scientist at Dublin City University. “Coalition-forming is about putting a hue on what is essentially the same middle-of-the-road government every time.” Results Timeline Polling stations close at 10 p.m. (2200 GMT), with an exit poll expected shortly afterward. Official ballot counting begins Saturday morning, but final results may take several days. Forming a government could take weeks. Harris, casting his vote in Delgany, south of Dublin, remarked on the complex electoral process, saying: “We’ve got a long few days ahead of us. The beauty and complexity of our system mean tonight’s exit poll won’t even tell us the full story.”

French President Emmanuel Macron, for the first time, formally acknowledged the killing of West African soldiers by French forces in 1944 as a massacre, in a letter addressed to Senegalese authorities on Thursday. The recognition comes on the eve of the 80th anniversary of the Thiaroye massacre, a dark chapter in World War II history that occurred in a fishing village near Senegal’s capital, Dakar. The acknowledgment coincides with a period of waning French influence in West Africa, where Paris has faced growing challenges in maintaining its ties with former colonies. The massacre occurred on Dec. 1, 1944, when French soldiers killed between 35 and 400 West African troops—members of the Tirailleurs Sénégalais, a colonial infantry unit that had fought for France in the Battle of France in 1940. The killings followed a dispute over unpaid wages. French forces reportedly rounded up the mostly unarmed West African soldiers, accusing them of mutiny, and opened fire. Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye confirmed receiving Macron’s letter, which was reviewed by The Associated Press. Speaking to reporters, Faye expressed hope that this acknowledgment would lead to uncovering the full truth about the massacre. “We have long sought closure on this story, and we believe that, this time, France’s commitment will be full, frank, and collaborative,” Faye said. In his letter, Macron stressed the need for transparency about the events. “France must recognize that on that day, the confrontation between soldiers and riflemen who demanded their full legitimate wages triggered a chain of events that resulted in a massacre,” Macron wrote. He also highlighted efforts by a Senegalese government-appointed committee, led by historian Professor Mamadou Diouf, to establish the causes and facts of the tragedy. Read: US charges Hamas leader, other militants in connection with Oct. 7 massacre in Israel Macron’s acknowledgment comes against a backdrop of shifting dynamics in Senegal and the region. Senegal’s ruling party, PASTEF, recently secured a decisive legislative victory, granting President Faye a strong mandate to pursue economic reforms aimed at reducing dependency on foreign companies, including French enterprises. Regarding the continued presence of French troops in Senegal, Faye hinted at potential reevaluation, citing historical grievances. “France enslaved, colonized, and stayed here,” Faye remarked. “I think it’s hard to imagine another country having a military base in France.” Macron’s gesture, while significant, reflects broader efforts to repair strained relations in West Africa, where calls for sovereignty and reduced foreign influence are growing louder. Source: With inputs from agencies

The European Union’s top diplomat said Tuesday there were “no excuses” for Israel to refuse to accept a ceasefire with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, saying all its security concerns had been addressed in the U.S.-French-brokered deal. Josep Borrell, the outgoing EU foreign policy chief, called for increased pressure on Israel to blunt extremists in the government who are refusing to accept the deal. Speaking on the sidelines of a Group of Seven meeting in Italy, Borrell warned that if a ceasefire is not implemented, “Lebanon will fall apart." Israeli officials said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security Cabinet was set to convene Tuesday to discuss a proposed ceasefire. Among the issues that remain is an Israeli demand to reserve the right to act should Hezbollah violate its obligations under the emerging deal. Borrell said under the proposed agreement, the U.S. would chair a ceasefire implementation committee, with France participating at the request of Lebanon. “On the proposal agreement brokered by the U.S. and France, Israel has all security concerns (addressed),” Borrell told reporters in Fiuggi, Italy. “There is not an excuse for not implementing a ceasefire. Otherwise, Lebanon will fall apart.” Following the October 2023 Hamas attacks in Israel, months of back-and-forth fighting between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah have erupted into a full-blown war in recent months, with Israel killing Hezbollah’s main leaders and sending ground forces into southern Lebanon. Israeli bombardment has killed more than 3,500 people in Lebanon and wounded more than 15,000, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. On the Israeli side, about 90 soldiers and nearly 50 civilians have been killed by rockets, drones and missiles in northern Israel and in the fighting on the ground in Lebanon. The G7 meeting of foreign ministers from the world's leading industrialized nations, the last of the Biden administration, was dominated on Monday by the Mideast wars in Gaza and Lebanon. The G7 ministers were joined by the foreign ministers of the “Arab Quintet”: Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Borrell, whose term ends Dec. 1, said he proposed to the G7 and Arab ministers that the U.N. Security Council take up a resolution specifically demanding humanitarian assistance reach Palestinians in Gaza, saying deliveries there have been completely impeded. “The two-state solution will come later. Everything will come later. But we are talking about weeks or days,” for desperate Palestinians, he said. “Hunger has been used as an arm against people who are completely abandoned.” It was a reference to the main accusation leveled by the International Criminal Court in its arrest warrants against Netanyahu and his former defense minister. Israel has angrily denied the charges, calling them antisemitic and a victory for terrorism and said the charges failed to recognize the country’s right to defend itself. Borrell said the signatories to ICC, including six of the seven G7 members, are obliged under international law to respect and implement the court’s decisions. The U.S. is not a party to the court and has called the arrest warrants “outrageous.” Host Italy put the ICC warrants on the G7 agenda at the last minute, but there was no consensus on the wording of how the G7 would respond given the position of the U.S., Israel’s closest ally. Italy, too, has said it respects the court but expressed concern that the warrants were politically motivated and ill-advised given Netanyahu is necessary for any deal to end the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon. “Like it or not, the International Criminal Court is a court as powerful as any national court,” Borrell said. “And if the Europeans don’t support International Criminal Court then there would not be any hope for justice.” By Tuesday, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani acknowledged Italy's obligations. Italy was one of the first signatories of the ICC and hosted the 1998 Rome conference that gave birth to it. “We are friends of Israel but I think we need to respect international law,” he said as he waited to greet U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Blinken heads to last G7 meeting of Biden presidency with Ukraine and Mideast topping the agenda While the G7 meeting was dominated Monday by the Mideast conflicts, the attention turned Tuesday to Ukraine. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha was on hand and briefed the ministers on Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, Tajani said. “We want to repeat, visibly, our solidarity from Italy and the G7,” Tajani told the ministers at the start of Tuesday’s session. “Support to Kyiv is a priority.” The G7 has been at the forefront of providing military and economic support for Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, and G7 members are particularly concerned about how a Trump administration will change the U.S. approach. Trump has criticized the billions of dollars that the Biden administration has poured into Ukraine and has said he could end the war in 24 hours, comments that appear to suggest he would press Ukraine to surrender territory that Russia now occupies. Tensions have only heightened since Russia attacked Ukraine last week with an experimental, hypersonic ballistic missile that escalated the nearly 33-month-old war. Russian President Vladimir Putin said the strike was retaliation for Kyiv’s use of U.S. and British longer-range missiles capable of striking deeper into Russian territory. Hezbollah cease-fire deal could come 'within days': Israeli ambassador to US Blinken, at his final G7 before the Biden administration leaves office, thanked Tajani for the collaboration over the years and said Washington was still standing with its allies. “Our countries are standing together, along with other partners, to deal with the ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine," Blinken said. "We’re standing together to deal with some of the challenges posed by China. We’re standing together in looking to bring a sustainable, lasting peace in the Middle East.”  

This past week has seen the most significant escalation in hostilities that Ukraine has witnessed since Russia's full-scale invasion and marks a new chapter in the nearly three-year war — one tinged with uncertainty and fear. It began with U.S. President Joe Biden reversing a longstanding policy by granting Kyiv permission to deploy American longer-range missiles inside Russian territory and ended with Moscow striking Ukraine with a new experimental ballistic weapon that has alarmed the international community and heightened fears of further escalation. Here is a look at the events in Ukraine in the span of a week that has fundamentally altered the stakes of the war: SUNDAY: U.S. approves strikes using longer-range American weapons Washington eased limits on what Ukraine can strike with its American-made Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMS, after months of ruling out such a move over fears of escalating the conflict and bringing about a direct confrontation between Russia and NATO. The change came after the U.S., South Korea and NATO said North Korean troops were inside Russia and being deployed to help Moscow drive Ukrainian troops from Russia’s Kursk region. But the scope of the new firing guidelines wasn’t clear. MONDAY: Russia warns of escalation if Western weapons are used inside its territories The Kremlin warned that Biden’s decision would escalate international tensions even higher. “It is obvious that the outgoing administration in Washington intends to take steps, and they have been talking about this, to continue adding fuel to the fire and provoking further escalation of tensions around this conflict,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. TUESDAY: Ukraine fires American longer-range missiles into Russia for first time; Putin lowers threshold for nuclear attack Ukraine fired several ATACMS, striking an ammunition warehouse in Russia’s Bryansk region, the first time Kyiv had used the weapons inside enemy territory, according to widespread reports. Ukrainian officials have not officially confirmed the strikes which occurred on the 1,000th day since the invasion. Also Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin formally lowered the threshold for using nuclear weapons, opening the door to a potential nuclear response by Moscow to even a conventional attack by any nation supported by a nuclear power. That could include Ukrainian attacks backed by the U.S. WEDNESDAY: U.S. approves giving Ukraine anti-personnel mines In the second major shift in U.S. policy, the Biden administration announced it will give Ukraine antipersonnel mines to help slow Russia’s battlefield advances. Biden had previously put off signing off on this because of international objections to the use of such mines due to the risks they pose to civilians. Russia deploys them freely. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the shift in Washington’s policy was needed to counter changing Russian tactics. Ukraine also struck targets inside Russia using the British Storm Shadow missile, an equivalent of the ATACMS system, further vexing Moscow. The U.S. and some other Western embassies in Kyiv temporarily closed in response to the threat of a potentially major Russian aerial attack on the Ukrainian capital. THURSDAY: Russia uses new, experimental ballistic missile for the first time The Kremlin fired a new intermediate-range ballistic missile at Ukraine in response to Kyiv’s use of American and British missiles, Putin said. In a televised address to the country, the Russian president warned that U.S. air defense systems would be powerless to stop the new missile, which he said flies at 10 times the speed of sound and which he called the Oreshnik — Russian for hazelnut tree — based on Russia’s RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile, which can carry nuclear warheads. Putin also said it could be used to attack any Ukrainian ally whose missiles are used to attack Russia. Moscow gave Washington a 30-minute warning of the attack, which struck a weapons factory in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro. FRIDAY: NATO calls emergency meeting as Ukraine's parliament closes NATO and Ukraine scheduled emergency talks slated for Tuesday, the alliance said. The meeting will be held at the request of Ukraine and will convene at the level of ambassadors. Ukraine’s parliament also canceled a session as security was tightened in the city. Lawmakers said there was a credible threat of an attack on government buildings. Ukraine's partners weighed in on the dangerous new phase of the conflict. Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the conflict is “entering a decisive phase" and “taking on very dramatic dimensions.” SATURDAY: Zelenskyy says he believes war could be ended next year Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday he was confident the war could be ended in 2025. “There are appropriate steps for this, they are included in our peace formula," he told journalists attending the Grain from Ukraine international conference on food security in Kyiv. "We realize that Russia will not take all these steps. But there is a U.N. charter and we hope that all our steps based on the U.N. charter will be supported by our partners.” “We are open, I will say it again, and by the way, to the leaders of African countries, Asia, and the Arab states ... we are ready to see their proposals," he said. "I also want to see the proposals of the new president of the United States of America. I think we will see these proposals in January. And I think we will have a plan to end this war.”

The Kremlin fired a new intermediate-range ballistic missile at Ukraine on Thursday in response to Kyiv's use this week of American and British missiles capable of striking deeper into Russia, President Vladimir Putin said. In a televised address to the country, the Russian president warned that U.S. air defense systems would be powerless to stop the new missile, which he said flies at ten times the speed of sound and which he called the Oreshnik — Russian for hazelnut tree. He also said it could be used to attack any Ukrainian ally whose missiles are used to attack Russia. “We believe that we have the right to use our weapons against military facilities of the countries that allow to use their weapons against our facilities,” Putin said in his first comments since President Joe Biden gave Ukraine the green light this month to use U.S. ATACMS missiles to strike at limited targets inside Russia. Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh confirmed that Russia’s missile was a new, experimental type of intermediate range missile based on it’s RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile. “This was new type of lethal capability that was deployed on the battlefield, so that was certainly of concern," Singh said, noting that the missile could carry either conventional or nuclear warheads. The U.S. was notified ahead of the launch through nuclear risk reduction channels, she said. The attack on the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro came in response to Kyiv's use of longer-range U.S. and British missiles in strikes Tuesday and Wednesday on southern Russia, Putin said. Those strikes caused a fire at an ammunition depot in Russia's Bryansk region and killed and wounded some security services personnel in the Kursk region, he said. “In the event of an escalation of aggressive actions, we will respond decisively and in kind,” the Russian president said, adding that Western leaders who are hatching plans to use their forces against Moscow should “seriously think about this.” Putin said the Oreshnik fired Thursday struck a well-known missile factory in Dnipro. He also said Russia would issue advance warnings if it launches more strikes with the Oreshnik against Ukraine to allow civilians to evacuate to safety — something Moscow hasn’t done before previous aerial attacks. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov initially said Russia hadn’t warned the U.S. about the coming launch of the new missile, noting that it wasn't obligated to do so. But he later changed tack and said Moscow did issue a warning 30 minutes before the launch. Putin's announcement came hours after Ukraine claimed that Russia had used an intercontinental ballistic missile in the Dnipro attack, which wounded two people and damaged an industrial facility and rehabilitation center for people with disabilities, according to local officials. But American officials said an initial U.S. assessment indicated the strike was carried out with an intermediate-range ballistic missile. Read: Russia fires intercontinental ballistic missile at Ukraine as first use Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a Telegram post that the use of the missile was an "obvious and serious escalation in the scale and brutality of this war, a cynical violation of the UN Charter.” He also said there had been “no strong global reaction” to the use of the missile, which he said could threaten other countries. “Putin is very sensitive to this. He is testing you, dear partners,” Zelenskyy wrote. “If there is no tough response to Russia’s actions, it means they see that such actions are possible.” The attack comes during a week of escalating tensions, as the U.S. eased restrictions on Ukraine's use of American-made longer-range missiles inside Russia and Putin lowered the threshold for launching nuclear weapons. The Ukrainian air force said in a statement that the Dnipro attack was launched from Russia’s Astrakhan region, on the Caspian Sea. “Today, our crazy neighbor once again showed what he really is,” Zelenskyy said hours before Putin's address. “And how afraid he is.” Russia was sending a message by attacking Ukraine with an intermediate-range ballistic missile capable of releasing multiple warheads at extremely high speeds, even if they are less accurate than cruise missiles or short-range ballistic missiles, said Matthew Savill, director of military sciences at the Royal United Services Institute, a London-based think tank. “Why might you use it therefore?” Savill said. "Signaling — signaling to the Ukrainians. We’ve got stuff that outrages you. But really signaling to the West ‘We’re happy to enter into a competition around intermediate range ballistic missiles. P.S.: These could be nuclear tipped. Do you really want to take that risk?’” Military experts say that modern ICBMs and IRBMs are extremely difficult to intercept, although Ukraine has previously claimed to have stopped some other weapons that Russia described as “unstoppable,” including the air-launched Kinzhal hypersonic missile. David Albright, of the Washington-based think tank the Institute for Science and International Security, said he was “skeptical” of Putin’s claim, adding that Russian technology sometimes “falls short.” He suggested Putin was “taunting the West to try to shoot it down ... like a braggart boasting, taunting his enemy.” Earlier this week, the Biden administration authorized Ukraine to use the U.S.-supplied, longer-range missiles to strike deeper inside Russia — a move that drew an angry response from Moscow. Days later, Ukraine fired several of the missiles into Russia, according to the Kremlin. The same day, Putin signed a new doctrine that allows for a potential nuclear response even to a conventional attack on Russia by any nation that is supported by a nuclear power. Read more: US will allow Ukraine to use antipersonnel land mines against Russian forces The doctrine is formulated broadly to avoid a firm commitment to use nuclear weapons. In response, Western countries, including the U.S., said Russia has used irresponsible nuclear rhetoric and behavior throughout the war to intimidate Ukraine and other nations. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday that Russia’s formal lowering of the threshold for nuclear weapons use did not prompt any changes in U.S. doctrine. She pushed back on concerns that the decision to allow Ukraine to use Western missiles to strike deeper inside Russia might escalate the war. ″They’re the ones who are escalating this,” she said of the Kremlin — in part because of a flood of North Korean troops sent to the region. More than 1,000 days into war, Russia has the upper hand, with its larger army advancing in Donetsk and Ukrainian civilians suffering from relentless drone and missile strikes. Analysts and observers say the loosening of restrictions on Ukraine's use of Western missiles is unlikely to change the the course of the war, but it puts the Russian army in a more vulnerable position and could complicate the logistics that are crucial in warfare. Putin has also warned that the move would mean that Russia and NATO are at war. “It is an important move and it pulls against, undermines the narrative that Putin had been trying to establish that it was fine for Russia to rain down Iranian drones and North Korean missiles on Ukraine but a reckless escalation for Ukraine to use Western-supplied weapons at legitimate targets in Russia,” said Peter Ricketts, a former U.K. national security adviser who now sits in the House of Lords.

Spain will legalize about 300,000 undocumented migrants a year, starting next May and through 2027, the country's migration minister said Wednesday. The policy aims to expand the aging country’s workforce and allow foreigners living in Spain without proper documentation to obtain work permits and residency. Spain has largely remained open to receiving migrants even as other European nations seek to tighten their borders to illegal crossings and asylum seekers. Spain needs around 250,000 registered foreign workers a year to maintain its welfare state, Migration Minister Elma Saiz said in an interview on Wednesday. She contended that the legalization policy is not aimed solely at “cultural wealth and respect for human rights, it’s also prosperity.” “Today, we can say Spain is a better country,” Saiz told national broadcaster Radiotelevisión Española. Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has often described his government's migration policies as a means to combat the country's low birthrate. In August, Sánchez visited three West African nations in an effort to tackle irregular migration to Spain’s Canary Islands. The archipelago off the coast of Africa is seen by many as a step toward continental Europe with young men from Mali, Senegal, Mauritania and elsewhere embarking on dangerous sea voyages there seeking better job opportunities abroad or fleeing violence and political instability at home. The new policy, approved Tuesday by Spain’s leftist minority coalition government, simplifies administrative procedures for short and long-term visas and provides migrants with additional labor protections. It extends a visa offered previously to job-seekers for three months to one year. By mid-November, some 54,000 undocumented migrants had reached Spain this year by sea or land, according to the country's Interior Ministry. The exact number of foreigners living in Spain without documentation is unclear. Many irregular migrants make a living in Spain's underground economy as fruit pickers, caretakers, delivery drivers, or other low-paid but essential jobs often passed over by Spaniards. Without legal protections, they can be vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. Saiz said the new policy would help prevent such abuse and "serve to combat mafias, fraud and the violation of rights." Spain's economy is among the fastest-growing in the European Union this year, boosted in part by immigration and a strong rebound in tourism after the pandemic. In 2023, Spain issued 1.3 million visas to foreigners, according to the government.  

President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday formally lowered the threshold for Russia’s use of its nuclear weapons, a move that follows U.S. President Joe Biden’s decision to let Ukraine strike targets inside Russian territory with American-supplied longer-range missiles. The new doctrine allows for a potential nuclear response by Moscow even to a conventional attack on Russia by any nation that is supported by a nuclear power. Russia’s Defense Ministry said Ukraine fired six U.S.-made ATACMS missiles early Tuesday at a military facility in Russia's Bryansk region that borders Ukraine, adding that air defenses shot down five of them and damaged one more. Ukraine's military claimed the strike hit a Russian ammunition depot. While the doctrine envisions a possible nuclear response by Russia to such a conventional strike, it is formulated broadly to avoid a firm commitment to use nuclear weapons and keep Putin's options open. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emphasized that the Ukrainian strike in Bryansk marked an escalation and urged the U.S. and other Western allies to study the modernized nuclear doctrine. “If the long-range missiles are used from the territory of Ukraine against the Russian territory, it will mean that they are controlled by American military experts and we will view that as a qualitatively new phase of the Western war against Russia and respond accordingly,” Lavrov said on the sidelines of the G20 meeting in Brazil without elaborating. The approval of the document demonstrates Putin’s readiness to tap his nuclear arsenal to force the West to back down as Moscow presses a slow-moving offensive in Ukraine as the war reached its 1,000th day. Asked Tuesday if a Ukrainian attack with longer-range U.S. missiles could potentially trigger a nuclear response, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov answered affirmatively, pointing to the doctrine’s provision that holds the door open for it after a conventional strike that raises critical threats for the "sovereignty and territorial integrity: of Russia and its ally, Belarus. Commenting on whether the updated doctrine was deliberately issued to follow Biden’s decision, Peskov said the document was published “in a timely manner” and that Putin instructed the government to update it earlier this year so that it is “in line with the current situation.” Putin first announced changes in the nuclear doctrine in September, when he chaired a meeting discussing the proposed revisions. He has previously warned the U.S. and other NATO allies that allowing Ukraine to use Western-supplied longer-range weapons to hit Russian territory would mean that Russia and NATO are at war. Washington has permitted Ukraine to use the longer-range weapons on targets inside Russia after declaring that thousands of North Korean troops were deployed in the Russian region of Kursk to fight an incursion by Kyiv's forces. White House officials were not surprised by Putin’s decision, and the U.S. has seen no change to Russia’s nuclear posture, according to a U.S. National Security Council official who was not authorized to comment publicly and requested anonymity. As a result, the Biden administration has “not seen any reason to adjust our own nuclear posture or doctrine in response to Russia’s statements today,” the official added. Still, the official says the White House views it as “irresponsible rhetoric.” But the official underscored that the arrival of thousands of North Korea soldiers to take part in combat operations against Ukraine was a major escalation by Moscow that demanded a response. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer denounced the revised nuclear doctrine as the “latest example of irresponsibility” from “the depraved Russian government,” according to spokesperson Camilla Marshall. “Russia’s the one that continues to escalate this war, and the use of North Korean troops is just one example of that,” Marshall said. “He could remove his troops, roll back his tanks and end the onslaught and needless bloodshed in both Ukraine and Russia. … We would urge him to do so.” German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said in Warsaw that her country would not be intimidated by Russia’s new policy, saying her country made the mistake of cowering in the face of Moscow's aggression in the past but would not do so again. The updated doctrine says an attack against Russia by a nonnuclear power with the “participation or support of a nuclear power” will be seen as their “joint attack on the Russian Federation.” It says any massive aerial attack on Russia could trigger a nuclear response but avoids any firm commitment and mentions the “uncertainty of scale, time and place of possible use of nuclear deterrent” among the key principles of the nuclear deterrence. The document also notes that aggression against Russia by a member of a military bloc or coalition is viewed as "an aggression by the entire bloc," a clear reference to NATO. At the same time, it spells out conditions for using nuclear weapons in greater detail compared with previous versions of the doctrine, noting they could be used in case of a massive air attack involving ballistic and cruise missiles, aircraft, drones and other flying vehicles. The formulation appears to significantly broaden the triggers for possible nuclear weapons use compared with the document's previous version, which stated Russia could tap its atomic arsenal if case of an attack with ballistic missiles. President Alexander Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus with an iron hand for more than 30 years and has relied on Russian subsidies and support, has allowed Russia to use his country’s territory to send troops into Ukraine and to deploy some of its tactical nuclear weapons. Since Putin sent troops into Ukraine, he and other Russian voices have frequently threatened the West with Russia’s nuclear arsenal to discourage it from ramping up support for Kyiv. Russian hawks called for toughening the doctrine for months, arguing the previous version failed to deter the West from increasing its aid to Ukraine and created the impression that Moscow would not resort to nuclear weapons.

 A Russian strike on a nine-story building in the city of Sumy in northern Ukraine killed eight people and wounded dozens, an official said Sunday, as Russia launched a massive drone and missile attack described by officials as the largest in recent months. Among the eight killed in Sumy, 40 kilometers (24 miles) from the border with Russia, were two children, said Ukraine’s Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko. More than 400 people were evacuated from the building. The rescuers were checking every apartment looking for people who might be still in the damaged building. “Every life destroyed by Russia is a big tragedy,” said Klymenko. The drone and missile attack, which targeted Ukraine's energy infrastructure, came as fears are mounting about Moscow’s intentions to devastate Ukraine's power generation capacity ahead of the winter. Also Sunday, President Joe Biden authorized for the first time the use of U.S.-supplied long-range missiles by Ukraine to strike inside Russia, after extensive lobbying by Ukrainian officials. The weapons are likely to be used in response to North Korea's decision to send thousands of troops to support Russia in the Kursk region where Ukraine mounted a military incursion over the summer. It is the second time the U.S. has permitted the use of Western weapons inside Russian territory within limits after permitting the use of HIMARS systems, a shorter-range weapon, to stem Russia's advance in Kharkiv region in May. The first reaction from Ukraine to the long-awaited decision from the U.S. was notably restrained. “Today, much is being said in the media about us receiving permission for the relevant actions. But strikes are not made with words. Such things are not announced. The missiles will speak for themselves,” said Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his nightly video address. Earlier, Zelenskyy said that Russia had launched a total of 120 missiles and 90 drones in a large-scale attack across Ukraine. Various types of drones were deployed, he said, including Iranian-made Shaheds, as well as cruise, ballistic and aircraft-launched ballistic missiles. Ukrainian defenses shot down 144 out of a total of 210 air targets, Ukraine's air force reported later on Sunday. “The enemy’s target was our energy infrastructure throughout Ukraine. Unfortunately, there is damage to objects from hits and falling debris. In Mykolaiv, as a result of a drone attack, two people were killed and six others were injured, including two children," Zelenskyy said. Two more people were killed in the Odesa region, where the attack damaged energy infrastructure and disrupted power and water supplies, said local Gov. Oleh Kiper. Both victims were employees of Ukraine's state-owned power grid operator, Ukrenergo, the company said hours later. The combined drone and missile attack was the most powerful in three months, according to the head of Kyiv’s City Military Administration, Serhii Popko. One person was injured after the roof of a five-story residential building caught fire in Kyiv’s historic center, according to Popko. A thermal power plant operated by private energy company DTEK was “seriously damaged,” the company said. Russian strikes have hammered Ukraine’s power infrastructure since Moscow’s all-out invasion of its neighbor in February 2022, prompting repeated emergency power shutdowns and nationwide rolling blackouts. Ukrainian officials have routinely urged Western allies to bolster the country’s air defenses to counter assaults and allow for repairs. Explosions were heard across Ukraine on Sunday, including in the capital, Kyiv, the key southern port of Odesa, as well as the country’s west and central regions, according to local reports. The operational command of Poland’s armed forces wrote on X that Polish and allied aircraft, including fighter jets, have been mobilized in Polish airspace because of the “massive” Russian attack on neighboring Ukraine. The steps were aimed to provide safety in Poland's border areas, it said. Russia’s Defense Ministry on Sunday acknowledged carrying out a “mass” missile and drone attack on “critical energy infrastructure” in Ukraine, but claimed all targeted facilities were tied to Kyiv’s military industry. Although Ukraine’s nuclear plants were not directly impacted, several electrical substations on which they depend suffered further damage, the U.N.’s nuclear energy watchdog said in a statement Sunday. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, only two of Ukraine’s nine operational reactors continue to generate power at full capacity. Ukrainian drones strike Russia A local journalist died Sunday as Ukrainian drones struck Russia's embattled Kursk region, its Gov. Aleksei Smirnov reported. Moscow’s forces have for months strained to dislodge Ukrainian troops from the southern province after a bold incursion in August that constituted the largest attack on Russia since World War II and saw battle-hardened Ukrainian units swiftly take hundreds of square miles (kilometers) of territory. In Russia’s Belgorod province, near Ukraine, a man died on the spot after a Ukrainian drone dropped explosives on his car, local Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov reported. Another Ukrainian drone on Sunday targeted a drone factory in Izhevsk, deep inside Russia, according to anti-Kremlin Russian news channels on the Telegram messaging app. The regional leader, Aleksandr Brechalov, reported that a drone exploded near a factory in the city, blowing out windows but causing no serious damage. A man was briefly hospitalized with a head injury, Brechalov said.