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Hard-right nationalist George Simion emerged as the clear frontrunner in Sunday’s first round of Romania’s presidential election redo, according to nearly complete official results. The vote, held months after a previous election was annulled, followed a period of deep political turmoil in the EU and NATO member state. Simion, 38, who leads the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR), secured a commanding 40.5% of the vote, with 99% of ballots counted, putting him well ahead of his rivals. Far behind in second place was Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan with 20.89%, and in third place the governing coalition’s joint candidate, Crin Antonescu, with 20.34%. He conceded defeat after midnight, saying he believes it’s an “irreversible result.” Eleven candidates vied for the presidency and a runoff will be held on May 18 between the top two candidates. By the time polls closed, about 9.57 million people — or 53.2% of eligible voters — had cast their ballots, according to the Central Election Bureau, with 973,000 votes cast at polling stations set up in other countries. Election redo held after vote annulled The rerun was held after Romania’s political landscape was shaken last year when a top court voided the previous election in which the far-right outsider Calin Georgescu topped the first round, following allegations of electoral violations and Russian interference, which Moscow has denied. In a prerecorded speech aired after polls closed, Simion said that despite many obstacles, Romanians “have risen up” and “we are approaching an exceptional result.” “I am here to restore constitutional order,” said Simion, who came fourth in last year’s race and later backed Georgescu. “I want democracy, I want normalcy, and I have a single objective: to give back to the Romanian people what was taken from them and to place at the center of decision-making the ordinary, honest, dignified people.” As in many EU countries, antiestablishment sentiment is running high in Romania, fueled by high inflation and cost of living, a large budget deficit and a sluggish economy. Observers say the malaise has bolstered support for nationalist and far-right figures like Georgescu, who is under investigation and barred from the rerun. Georgescu, who appeared alongside Simion at a polling station on Sunday in the capital, Bucharest, called the vote rerun “a fraud orchestrated by those who have made deceit the only state policy,” but said he was there to “acknowledge the power of democracy, the power of the vote that frightens the system, that terrifies the system.” The presidential role carries a five-year term and significant decision-making powers in national security and foreign policy. Widespread distrust in the authorities Dan, a 55-year-old mathematician and former anti-corruption activist who founded the Save Romania Union party (USR) in 2016, ran on a pro-EU “Honest Romania” ticket. “It is about the trust of Romanians and our partners in democracy ... and in my opinion, it is a new beginning that we all have a responsibility to do correctly,” Dan said after the polls closed. Antonescu, 65, a veteran centrist who campaigned on retaining Romania’s pro-Western orientation, said Sunday that he voted for “a united Romania, for a strong Romania, for a dignified Romania.” Humanitarian situation in Gaza ‘beyond imagination’: UN agency “Democracy means a battle, sometimes taken to the maximum, but it is a battle of ideas,” he said after voting had closed. “Let’s not forget that we are fellow citizens, sons of the same country, and we must move forward together.” Victor Ponta, who was prime minister from 2012-2015, also pushed a MAGA-style “Romania First” campaign and boasted of having close ties to the Trump administration, stands in fourth place with 14.3% of the vote. Elena Lasconi, who came second in last year’s first round ballot and participated in the rerun, only obtained about 2.6% of the vote. She positioned herself as a staunchly pro-Western, anti-system candidate, railing against what she described as a corrupt political class. Cristian Andrei, a Bucharest-based political consultant, said Simion’s clear victory indicates a complete “reshape” of the political spectrum, and that if Dan reaches the runoff, “it will be a clear signal that the political class and the political establishment have lost.”   Crossroads moment for Romania Distrust in the authorities remains widespread, especially for those who voted for Georgescu, a sizable electorate that Simion has sought to tap into. “The antiestablishment sentiment is not like an anarchic movement, but is against the people who destroyed this country,” Simion told The Associated Press days before the rerun. “We are not a democratic state anymore.”        

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday declared a unilateral 72-hour ceasefire next week in Ukraine to mark Victory Day in World War II as the U.S. presses for a deal to end the 3-year-old war. Kyiv insisted on a longer and immediate truce. The Kremlin said the truce, ordered on “humanitarian grounds,” will run from the start of May 8 and last through the end of May 10 to mark Moscow's defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945 — Russia's biggest secular holiday. That timing means the truce would start at 2100 GMT, or 5 p.m. EDT, on May 7, lasting until 2100 GMT, or 5 p.m. EDT on May 10. Ukraine, which has previously agreed to U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal of a full 30-day ceasefire, dismissed Putin's move as window dressing. “If Russia truly wants peace, it must cease fire immediately,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said, according to the ministry. He emphasized that Kyiv is ready for a “lasting, reliable, and complete ceasefire” for at least 30 full days. “Why wait for May 8? If we can cease fire now from any date and for 30 days — so that it is real, and not just for a parade,” he said without specifying whether Ukraine would be ready to accept the Moscow-proposed truce. The Kremlin had urged Ukraine to follow suit. “Russia believes that the Ukrainian side should follow this example,” it said, warning that “in case of violations of the ceasefire by the Ukrainian side, the Russian armed forces will give an adequate and efficient response." Putin previously announced a unilateral 30-hour Easter ceasefire and Ukraine voiced readiness to reciprocate any genuine truce at the time, but it said Russian attacks continued. Moscow, in turn, accused Ukraine of failing to halt its attacks. Russia and Ukraine had also earlier pledged to observe a 30-day halt on strikes on energy infrastructure that was brokered by the Trump administration, but they repeatedly accused each other of massive violations until the measure expired. The truce attempts underlined the massive challenges for monitoring any possible halt to hostilities along the more than 1,000-kilometer (over 600-mile) line of contact. Up until now, Putin had refused to accept a complete unconditional ceasefire, linking it to a halt in Western arms supplies to Ukraine and Ukraine’s mobilization effort. The Kremlin reaffirmed that “the Russian side again declares its readiness for peace talks without preconditions aimed at removing the root causes of the Ukrainian crisis and constructive cooperation with international partners.” North Korea confirms it sent troops to Russia to support its war against Ukraine Ukrainians in Kyiv scoffed at Putin's move. “There is no trust in any of Putin’s proposals," said Nazar Lutsenko, a lawyer. He added that “we absolutely want the war to end on terms that are favorable to us, on fair terms.” A soldier with the 156th Brigade, who identified himself only by his first name, Kostiantyn, in keeping with military rules, dismissed the truce as “ridiculous,” adding that perhaps “there will not be such harsh shelling as there is every evening here, but fighting will be conducted in one way or another." Student Oleksandra Serpilova viewed the declaration as “another attempt to keep America engaged, to give Trump hope that some kind of negotiations are possible.” Just before the ceasefire announcement, Ukraine and Russia targeted each other with long-range strikes. Russia's drone attack early Monday damaged an infrastructure facility in Cherkasy, central Ukraine, disrupting gas supplies to households in the city, Mayor Anatolii Bondarenko said. The Russian Defense Ministry said its forces downed 119 Ukrainian drones overnight, most of them over Russia’s Bryansk border region. In Ukraine, air raid sirens rang out across the country Monday morning. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. Rubio says this week is ‘very critical’ The outcome of a push by Trump’s administration to swiftly end the fighting, which has cost tens of thousands of lives, remains unclear, clouded by conflicting claims and doubts about how far each side might be willing to compromise amid deep hostility and mistrust. The clock is ticking on Washington’s engagement in efforts to resolve Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday that this week would be “very critical.” The U.S. needs to “make a determination about whether this is an endeavor that we want to continue to be involved in,” he said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” American military aid has been crucial for Ukraine’s war effort, and further help could be at risk if the Trump administration walks away from attempts to end the war. Trump's doubts about Putin's intentions Trump said over the weekend he harbors doubts about Putin’s sincerity in pursuing a deal, as Russian forces have continued to strike civilian areas of Ukraine with cruise and ballistic missiles while the talks have proceeded. But on Friday, Trump described a brokered settlement on the war as “close.” Russia launches nearly 150 drones against Ukraine Western European officials have accused the Kremlin of dragging its feet on peace talks so that Russia's larger forces, which have battlefield momentum, can seize more Ukrainian land. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov discussed the war in a phone call Sunday with Rubio, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. They focused on “consolidating the emerging prerequisites for starting negotiations,” the statement said, without elaborating. Russia has effectively rejected a U.S. proposal for an immediate and full 30-day halt in the fighting by imposing far-reaching conditions. Ukraine has accepted it, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says. A French diplomatic official said over the weekend that Trump, Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed “to pursue in the coming days the work of convergence” to obtain “a solid ceasefire.” The diplomat said a truce is a “prior condition for a peace negotiation that respects the interest of Ukraine and the Europeans.” The official was not authorized to be publicly identified in accordance with French presidential policy. Ukraine unwilling to give up land Ukraine, meanwhile, has balked at surrendering land to Russia in return for peace, which Washington has indicated could be necessary. A key point of leverage for Ukraine could be a deal with Washington that grants access to Ukraine’s critical mineral wealth. Ukraine and the U.S. have made progress on a mineral agreement, with both sides agreeing that American aid provided so far to Kyiv will not be taken into account under the terms of the deal, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Sunday. “We have good progress,” he said after talks with U.S. Treasury Under Secretary Scott Bessent in Washington. “The main thing is that we clearly defined our red lines: The agreement must comply with Ukraine’s Constitution, legislation, and European commitments, and must be ratified by Parliament,” Shmyhal said. Russia's full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022 has developed a significant international dimension, further complicating negotiations. Putin on Monday thanked North Korea for sending what the U.S. estimates are thousands of troops to help defeat Ukraine, as well as allegedly supplying artillery ammunition. Trump says Zelenskyy is prolonging war in Ukraine by resisting calls to cede Crimea to Russia Iran has also helped Russia in the war, with Shahed drones, and China has sold Russia machinery and microelectronics that Moscow can use to make weapons, Western officials say. The U.S. and Europe have been Kyiv's biggest backers.

North Korea acknowledged for the first time on Monday that it had deployed troops to Russia in support of its war effort against Ukraine. According to Pyongyang, the move was intended to assist Russia in reclaiming its Kursk region, which was captured by Ukrainian forces during a surprise offensive last year. While U.S., South Korean, and Ukrainian intelligence agencies had previously reported that North Korea sent between 10,000 and 12,000 soldiers to Russia last fall—marking its first involvement in a major conflict since the Korean War ended in 1953—North Korea had remained silent on the matter until now. Russia launches nearly 150 drones against Ukraine The North Korean announcement came two days after Russia said its troops have fully reclaimed the Kursk region. Ukrainian officials denied the claim. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un decided to send combat troops to Russia under a mutual defense treaty signed by him and Russian President Vladimir Putin in June 2024, the North’s Central Military Commission said in a statement carried by state media. The treaty — considered the two countries’ biggest defense agreement since the end of the Cold War — requires both nations to use all available means to provide immediate military assistance if either is attacked. The statement cited Kim as saying the deployment was meant to “annihilate and wipe out the Ukrainian neo-Nazi occupiers and liberate the Kursk area in cooperation with the Russian armed forces.” “They who fought for justice are all heroes and representatives of the honor of the motherland,” Kim said.Kim said that a monument will soon be erected in Pyongyang to mark North Korea’s battle feats and that flowers will be laid before the tombstones of the fallen soldiers. Kim said the government must take steps to preferentially treat and take care of the families of the soldiers who took part in the war. The North Korean statement didn’t say how many troops North Korea eventually sent and how many of them had died. But in March, South Korea’s military said that around 4,000 North Korean soldiers had been killed or wounded in the Russia-Ukraine war fronts. the South Korean military also assessed at the time that North Korea sent about 3,000 additional troops to Russia earlier this year. North Korean soldiers are highly disciplined and well trained, but observers say they’ve become easy targets for drone and artillery attacks on Russian-Ukraine battlefields due to their lack of combat experience and unfamiliarity with the terrain. Still, Ukrainian military and intelligence officials have assessed that the North Koreans gained crucial battlefield experience and have been key to Russia’s strategy of overwhelming Ukraine by throwing large numbers of soldiers into the battle for Kursk. South Korea’s Unification Ministry on Monday urged North Korea to withdraw its troops from Russia immediately, saying the North’s support of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine poses a grave provocation to international security. Spokesperson Koo Byoungsam also called the North’s troops’ deployment “an act against humanity” that has sacrificed young North Korean soldiers for their government. In a Kremlin meeting Saturday, Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff for Russia’s armed forces, informed Putin of Russia’s regaining of the Kursk region. Gerasimov also confirmed that North Korean soldiers fought alongside Russia to repel Ukrainian troops from the Kursk region and “demonstrated high professionalism, showed fortitude, courage and heroism in battle.” Ukraine’s General Staff countered that its defensive operation in certain areas in Kursk was continuing.      

President Donald Trump on Wednesday sharply criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, accusing him of prolonging the violence by refusing to consider territorial concessions, particularly Crimea, in ongoing peace discussions with Russia. Zelenskyy, speaking a day earlier, firmly rejected the idea of giving up any Ukrainian land as part of a deal. “There is nothing to negotiate — this is our land, the land of the Ukrainian people,” he stated ahead of planned talks in London involving U.S., European, and Ukrainian representatives. In previous negotiations held in Paris last week, U.S. officials reportedly floated a peace proposal that would allow Russia to retain control of some occupied Ukrainian territories, according to a European source with knowledge of the discussions. The source, who spoke anonymously due to not being authorized to speak publicly, shared the controversial detail.   Trump called Zelenkyy’s pushback “very harmful” to talks. “Nobody is asking Zelenskyy to recognize Crimea as Russian Territory but, if he wants Crimea, why didn’t they fight for it eleven years ago when it was handed over to Russia without a shot being fired?” he wrote on social media. Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 after sending troops to overrun it. Weeks later, Moscow-backed separatists launched an uprising in eastern Ukraine, battling Kyiv’s forces. Trump also asserted they were close to a deal and that Ukraine’s leader can have peace or “he can fight for another three years before losing the whole Country,” adding that Zelenskyy’s statement “will do nothing but prolong the ‘killing field,’ and nobody wants that!” ‘A very fair proposal’ Wednesday’s meeting was pared back at the last minute, while Vice President JD Vance said negotiations are reaching a moment of truth. “We’ve issued a very explicit proposal to both the Russians and the Ukrainians, and it’s time for them to either say ‘yes’ or for the United States to walk away from this process,” Vance told reporters during a visit to India. He said it was “a very fair proposal” that would “freeze the territorial lines at some level close to where they are today,” with both sides having to give up some territory they currently hold. He did not provide details. Trump, who is set to travel to Rome for Pope Francis’s funeral on Saturday, told reporters later on Wednesday that he did not know if he would meet with Zelenskyy or other European leaders to discuss the war while in Italy. He also said that has found dealing with Zelenskyy harder than dealing with the Russians. Trump who is set to travel to the Middle East next month said it was “possible” that he could meet with Putin while in Saudi Arabia, but that it is more likely he will meet with the Russian leader soon after that trip. A senior European official familiar with the ongoing talks involving the American team said a proposal the United States calls “final” was initially presented last week in Paris, where it was described as “just ideas” — and that they could be changed. When those “ideas” surfaced in media reports, Ukrainian officials were surprised to find that Washington portrayed them as final, according to the official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. Zelenskyy said Wednesday that Ukraine is ready for any format of negotiations that might bring a ceasefire and open the door to full peace negotiations, as he mourned nine civilians killed when a Russian drone struck a bus earlier in the day. “We insist on an immediate, complete and unconditional ceasefire,” Zelenskyy wrote on social media, in accordance with a proposal he said the U.S. tabled six weeks ago. Ukraine and some Western European governments have accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of dragging his feet on that proposal as his army tries to capture more Ukrainian land. Western analysts say Moscow is in no rush to conclude peace talks because it has battlefield momentum. Doubts over negotiations U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the talks in London to find an end to the more than three-year war would involve only lower-ranking officials, after the U.S. State Department said Tuesday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio was unable to attend because of a scheduling issue. Rubio’s abrupt cancellation raised doubts about the direction of negotiations. He had indicated that Wednesday’s meeting could be decisive in determining whether the Trump administration remains engaged.        

Spain will meet NATO's defence spending target this year, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Tuesday, as pressure grows on the eurozone's fourth-largest economy to boost its military expenditure. Sánchez said the government will raise defence spending by 10.5 billion euros ($12 billion) to reach NATO's target of 2% of GDP, AP reports. The spending will go toward telecommunications, cybersecurity and buying military equipment, he said, as well as raising salaries and adding troops. Spain spent the least of all NATO members last year on defence as a share of GDP. It previously committed to reaching the 2% target by 2029. But it has come under pressure for not spending enough amid a widening chasm in the transatlantic alliance as the Trump administration says its security priorities lie elsewhere. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly taken European allies to task for not spending enough on their own defence and has pushed NATO allies to raise defence spending to as much as 5% of GDP. Trump’s tariffs and uncertainty dampen US, global economic prospects: IMF Facing what he called a “changing era," Sánchez said it was time for Spain to “take control of our own destiny” and contribute to Europe's rearmament. “If you asked me years ago about my government's investment priorities in security and defence, it's obvious my response would have been different,” Sánchez said. “That's not because our values have changed ... it's because the world has.” The Socialist leader heads a minority government with hard-left coalition partners that oppose defence and military increases. Sánchez said his plan to boost defence spending would not go through Parliament.

As candles flickered in the church where he first felt the call to priesthood, and crowds gathered at the cathedral he once led, Argentines across the country mourned the passing of Pope Francis — a native son whose life and legacy sparked both deep admiration and controversy. Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who became the first Latin American pope in 2013, died Monday at the age of 88. In his homeland, the news prompted an outpouring of grief, especially in the poorer neighborhoods of Buenos Aires where he had earned the affectionate nickname “the slum bishop.” Vance and Modi meet in New Delhi to discuss trade deal and avoid US tariffs While beloved by many for his commitment to the marginalized and his calls for social justice, Francis also drew sharp criticism from conservative voices who saw his close ties with Argentina’s populist left as politically divisive. His warm relationship with former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, a figure widely blamed for the country’s economic woes, stood in stark contrast to his brief and frosty 2016 meeting with her center-right successor, Mauricio Macri. “He was rebellious like most Argentines,” said Catalina Favaro, 23, who came to pay her respects at the Buenos Aires cathedral. “Yes, he was contradictory, but that made him human.” On Monday, Kirchner praised their connection, calling Francis “the face of a more humane church,” while Macri remembered him as “a stern politician” but ultimately “a good pastor.” A Champion of the Poor At a morning Mass in the capital, Archbishop Jorge Ignacio García Cuerva honored Francis’ devotion to those living on society’s margins. “The pope of the poor, of the excluded, of those forgotten, has passed away,” he said. “He was the pope we didn't always understand, but whom we loved.” Dialogue calls for stronger research, policy integration to build greener, resilient South Asia Despite traveling extensively throughout the world — including visits to neighboring Latin American nations — Francis never returned to Argentina after becoming pope. Many believed his absence was a conscious choice to avoid the deep political divides at home, a theory reinforced by his fraught relationship with current libertarian President Javier Milei, who once publicly derided him as “the representative of evil.” Although the two appeared to reconcile during a Vatican meeting in 2024, tensions flared again when Francis criticized Milei’s harsh austerity measures. “Instead of paying for social justice, they paid for pepper spray,” he said, after police clashed with elderly pension protesters. Still, Milei offered condolences following the pope’s death, noting, “Despite differences that seem minor today, knowing him in his kindness and wisdom was a true honor.” Tributes and Turmoil As Masses were held throughout the country, emotions ran high — especially during a large open-air service near the church where Francis first heard his calling. The scene turned chaotic when Vice President Victoria Villarruel, a polarizing figure with ties to Argentina’s former dictatorship, attempted to pass through the crowd and was met with jeers, shoving, and chants of “Get her away from here!” Despite the unrest, heartfelt tributes poured in from those in neighborhoods where Francis left a lasting mark. In Villa 21-24, one of Buenos Aires’ most impoverished districts, residents recalled his regular visits — sharing maté with recovering addicts and leading barefoot processions through the streets. His influence helped transform their modest church into a thriving community hub. “He was the most humble person in all of Buenos Aires,” said Sara Benitez Fernandez, a longtime parishioner. “He never used a car. He took the subway. He walked like the rest of us. We’ll never see another pope like him.” Legacy of Compassion In the Flores district, just blocks from his childhood home, mourners gathered at the Basilica of San Jose de Flores — the very place where a 16-year-old Bergoglio felt his divine calling. “He was a father to us,” said Gabriela Lucero, 66. “His greatest teaching was that the church doors stay open to everyone.” For the priests continuing Francis’ mission in Argentina’s poorest neighborhoods, his death was both a profound loss and a renewed call to serve. “It’s a day of pain,” said Rev. Lorenzo de Vedia, better known as Padre Toto. “But we’re not stopping. We’ll keep his spirit alive. His mission is now ours.” With national flags flying at half-staff and a week of mourning declared, Argentina bids farewell to a complex and deeply influential figure — a pope who never returned home, yet never left his people behind.  

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of staging a false impression of an Easter ceasefire, despite continued military aggression across the front line. Speaking on Sunday, Zelenskyy said Russian forces were still launching attacks even after President Vladimir Putin had publicly announced a unilateral truce for the holiday. "On Easter morning, it's clear the Russian army is trying to project an image of a ceasefire," Zelenskyy posted on X. "But in reality, they continue attempts to advance and inflict losses." Ukrainian forces recorded at least 59 shelling incidents and five assaults by Russian units, along with dozens of drone strikes, all taking place after Putin’s ceasefire declaration. Zelenskyy added that, although Ukraine reciprocated the ceasefire gesture, Russia has ramped up the use of heavy weaponry. He did, however, note that Easter morning passed without air raid sirens—an unusual and welcome pause. In one particularly deadly incident, several Ukrainian troops were killed in an ambush in the Donetsk region. Zelenskyy vowed that the Russian soldiers responsible would be “eliminated.” Russia's Defense Ministry, meanwhile, claimed Ukrainian forces launched overnight attacks in the Donetsk area and flew 48 drones into Russian territory, causing civilian casualties. The ministry insisted Russian troops were fully observing the ceasefire. In Kherson, a Russian-occupied region in southern Ukraine, Moscow-installed officials also accused Ukraine of continuing attacks. Zelenskyy says Putin's vow on Ukraine's energy infrastructure unrealistic Zelenskyy called for Russia to honor the ceasefire in full and reiterated Ukraine’s offer to extend the truce for an additional 30 days beyond its scheduled end at midnight Sunday. According to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, there has been no response from Moscow. “Either Putin lacks control over his army, or Russia simply doesn’t intend to end the war,” Zelenskyy said. “This is just a PR stunt.” Just hours after announcing the ceasefire, President Putin attended an Easter service in Moscow at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, led by Patriarch Kirill—a vocal supporter of the war. Putin gave no specifics on how the ceasefire would be enforced, nor whether it included airstrikes or ground operations. His announcement came shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump commented that peace talks between Ukraine and Russia are “coming to a head,” and said both sides were taking negotiations seriously. The U.S. State Department on Sunday reaffirmed its support for “a full and comprehensive ceasefire.” Officials highlighted recent peace discussions in Paris and confirmed that Secretary of State Marco Rubio shared encouraging developments in a call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.  

British lawmakers returned to Parliament on Saturday during their Easter recess to approve an emergency intervention aimed at saving the nation’s last factory that still produces steel from raw materials. Prime Minister Keir Starmer convened the rare Saturday session to discuss a bill designed to prevent British Steel’s Chinese owners, Jingye Group, from shutting down the blast furnaces at its Scunthorpe site in northern England. If, as expected, the legislation is approved, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds will be authorised to oversee the company’s board and workforce, ensure staff are paid, and secure the raw materials needed to keep the two giant blast furnaces operational. On Friday, Starmer stated that the plant’s future was “hanging in the balance,” prompting the urgent legislation and the extraordinary recall of Parliament. While he did not explicitly mention “nationalisation,” Starmer said all options remain under consideration for the steelworks, which directly employs around 2,700 people. The move to introduce emergency legislation became more pressing after Jingye recently halted orders for iron pellets required for the blast furnaces. Without those pellets and other essential raw materials, the furnaces could be forced to shut down permanently within days. It remains unclear what involvement Jingye, which has owned British Steel since 2020, will retain in the plant’s daily operations once the bill becomes law. Jingye has argued that the Scunthorpe plant is no longer financially viable due to “challenging market conditions” and rising environmental costs. The company had been seeking government support for months, but negotiations have so far failed to yield a deal. The situation was further complicated by last month’s decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to impose a 25% tariff on imported steel. Although Starmer expressed disappointment over the tariff decision, he has not taken retaliatory measures and is instead pursuing negotiations to have the tariffs lifted. Trade unions have welcomed the government’s intervention and expressed hope that it might eventually lead to public ownership of the plant. “It is in the national interest to find a solution that secures the future of British Steel as a critical strategic industry,” said Roy Rickhuss, general secretary of the Community union. “We must not allow the UK to become the only G7 country without primary steelmaking capacity.” British steel production was once a global powerhouse, employing over 300,000 workers during the post-war era, before lower-cost imports from China and elsewhere eroded its dominance. The sector now employs roughly 40,000 people and contributes only 0.1% to the UK economy. The remaining steel producers in the UK are under increasing pressure to cut carbon emissions. Most have adopted electric arc furnaces using recycled materials, leaving Scunthorpe as the sole plant with blast furnaces capable of producing virgin steel from iron ore. “The steel industry is part of our national story,” Starmer said. The last time Parliament was recalled during a recess for a Saturday session was in 1982, following Argentina’s invasion of the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic.

Italian authorities on Friday transferred 40 migrants with no permission to remain in the country to Italian-run migration detention centres in Albania. It was the first time a European Union country sent rejected migrants to a nation outside the EU that is neither their own nor a country they had transited on their journey, migration experts said, AP reports. A military ship with the migrants departed the Italian port of Brindisi and arrived hours later in the Albanian port of Shengjin, about 65 kilometres (40 miles) northeast of the capital, Tirana. The migrants were seen being transferred in buses and minivans under heavy security to an Italian-run centre in Shengjin, where they will be processed before being transferred to a second centre in Gjader, also run by Italian authorities. The Italian government has not released their nationalities or further details. China, ASEAN media and think tanks urged to embrace AI, address its challenges Both facilities in Shengjin and in Gjader were originally built to process asylum requests of people intercepted in the Mediterranean Sea by Italy. But since their inauguration in October, Italian courts have stopped authorities from using them and small groups of migrants sent there have returned to Italy. Italy’s far-right-led government of Premier Giorgia Meloni approved a decree last month that expanded the use of the Albanian fast-track asylum processing centers to include the detention of rejected asylum-seekers with deportation orders. It is not clear how long the migrants may be held in Albania. In Italy they can be detained for up to 18 months pending deportation. Meloni's novel approach to expel the migrants echoes US President Donald Trump’s recent deportations of migrants of various nationalities to Panama. It's also in line with a recent EU Commission proposal that, if passed, would allow EU members to set up so-called “return hubs” abroad.

European allies of Ukraine have announced a fresh military aid package worth €21 billion (£18bn; $24bn), underlining their commitment to supporting Kyiv during what they termed “a critical year” in the ongoing war. The pledges were made during a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG) at NATO headquarters in Brussels, where ministers from 50 nations gathered to coordinate further assistance. The summit marked the group’s 27th session and focused heavily on strengthening Ukraine’s air defences, artillery capacity and drone warfare capabilities, BBC reports. Germany is contributing over half the total with a €11bn commitment spread across four years. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said Berlin would deliver a substantial package, including 100,000 artillery shells, 25 infantry fighting vehicles, 15 battle tanks, 100 ground surveillance radars and 120 man-portable air defence systems. Additionally, four IRIS-T air defence systems and 300 associated missiles will be dispatched to Ukraine. “Ukraine requires robust military capabilities. Only then can negotiations lead to a just and lasting peace,” Pistorius said. The United Kingdom and Norway also pledged a joint £450 million package to fund radar systems, anti-tank mines, vehicle repairs and an estimated hundreds of thousands of drones. This forms part of the UK's wider £4.5bn military commitment announced earlier this year. Spanish PM in China to boost ties amid Trump tariffs UK Defence Secretary John Healey emphasised that drones have transformed the battlefield. “In our assessment, 70 to 80 percent of combat casualties are now caused by drones,” he said, adding that Russia had dropped 10,000 glide bombs and launched up to 100 attack drones daily during the first quarter of 2025. European leaders framed the new aid as vital to countering any reduction in US involvement amid shifting priorities under Donald Trump. While US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth joined the meeting remotely, Pistorius clarified that this was due to scheduling conflicts, not diminished interest. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also joined virtually, while Defence Minister Rustem Umerov was present in Brussels. Umerov expressed gratitude to Europe for “assuming leadership on security assistance”.