The pipeline has been at the centre of a standoff between Hungary, which still imports Russian oil via the pipeline, Ukraine, and the European Union.

Hungary’s outgoing nationalist leader Viktor Orban had held up a much needed 90-million-euro loan for Ukraine as leverage to pressure Kyiv to resume deliveries.

“Ukraine has completed repair work on the section of the Druzhba oil pipeline that was damaged by a Russian strike,” Zelensky wrote in a statement published on social media.

“The pipeline can resume operation,” he added.

READ MORE: Zelensky slams US oil sanctions relief for Russia

Ukraine says the Druzhba pipeline that crosses its territory to deliver Russian oil to Slovakia and Hungary was damaged late January by Russian strikes.

Zelensky warned on Tuesday that Moscow’s forces could attack the infrastructure again.

Hungary and Slovakia – among the most Kremlin-sympathetic EU member states – had accused Kyiv of dragging its feet over the repairs.

Zelensky’s announcement comes against the backdrop of broader Ukrainian efforts to dent Russia’s energy revenues that fund its invasion launched more than four years ago.

Zelensky urges more Russia sanctions

Kyiv in the meantime has stepped up its aerial attacks on Russian energy sites in recent months with the aim of bleeding Russian exports – an effort Kyiv refers to as its own “long-range sanctions.”

READ MORE: Russia hits port, power facility in Ukraine overnight

Kyiv needs the EU funds to plug looming holes in its budget, but has managed to secure enough money from other backers in the meantime while Budapest has stalled the loan.

EU countries are seeking to give the final greenlight to release the blocked loan for Ukraine on Wednesday, an official said, raising hopes Hungary would lift its veto.

The bloc’s 27 members need to unanimously approve an amendment to its budget to get the loan going. The Wednesday meeting would ascertain consensus before a written procedure is launched for final adoption.

EU chief Antonio Costa welcomed Zelensky’s announcement.

“Thank you President (Zelensky) for delivering, as agreed: repairing the Druzhba pipeline and restoring its operation,” he said on social media.

Despite announcing the reopening of the pipeline, Zelensky called on Ukraine’s allies to step up sanctions on Moscow and to source new energy resources.

“We must continue systematic sanctions pressure on Russia over this war and work on further diversifying energy supplies to Europe,” Zelensky said in the statement.

“Europe must be independent from those who seek to destroy or weaken it,” he added.

Tzitzikostas said there were no shortages “as of today” but the consequences of a continued blockade of the narrow Strait of Hormuz would be “catastrophic” for Europe and the world.

One-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas sailed through Hormuz before the U.S.-Israel began bombing Iran on Feb. 28. The EU imports about 30-40% of its jet fuel needs, of which half originate from the Middle East.

The Commission is due to present a broader package of energy and transport measures on Wednesday. Tzitzikostas said a “new fuel observatory” would be set up to monitor supplies, starting with jet fuel.

“If real supply issues arise, our emergency stocks must be put to best use. Any national release of fuel must be done in full transparency to avoid market distortions,” he told reporters after a meeting of the EU’s transport ministers.

US energy chief says gas prices could stay above $3 per gallon until next year

He added that there were no signs there would be of “widespread cancellations” in the coming weeks or months.

As part of the measures, the Commission will emphasize the bloc must quickly ramp-up its production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and synthetic fuels to reduce its dependence on Middle East imports, he said in a news conference in Brussels, confirming a Reuters report on Friday.

The EU’s “anti-tankering” measure is designed to prevent planes from loading extra fuel in cheap locations. The legislation already includes exemptions in the case of shortages but the Commission will clarify the rules on Wednesday.

The Commission is also examining options to import alternatives such as U.S. jet fuel grade Jet A, which has a higher freezing point than the European standard.

“There is no need at this point to intervene in how people live, work or travel…Europe is ready to welcome all the tourists and guests during the summer period,” Tzitzikostas said, adding that high prices would not allow airlines to be exempt from flight delay or cancellation compensation.

The UN’s International Organization for Migration said people were being forced into dangerous, irregular journeys when safe pathways were out of reach, and urged countries to find the political will to save more lives on migration routes.

The deaths or disappearance of around “7,900 people were documented on global migration routes worldwide in 2025”, the IOM said.

The IOM’s Missing Migrants Project “has documented more than 80,000 deaths and disappearances during migration since 2014,” the agency said.

“While these figures represent only the lowest boundary of the true number of affected people, they nonetheless underscore the need for urgent action to end migrant deaths and address the complex needs of families left behind,” said the IOM.

READ MORE: Nearly 8,000 died or vanished on migrant routes in 2025, UN says

The 7,904 deaths and disappearances documented in 2025 was lower than the 9,200 figure given for 2024 – the highest annual total on record.

Nonetheless, the IOM said the deaths and disappearances “mark a continuation and escalation of a global failure to end these preventable deaths”.

“2025 was marked by an unprecedented level of aid cuts and restriction of information on dangerous irregular routes, rendering more and more missing migrants invisible,” it said.

US border changes

In the Americas, northbound movements along the Central American route fell sharply compared to 2024.

The primary reason is “the great change in migration policies by the US administration and the closure of the southern border”, said Maria Moita, the IOM’s humanitarian response and recovery director.

READ MORE: Trump can end deportation protections for 60,000 immigrants, appeals court says

The number of deaths on the route plunged, but the agency cited a dearth of data from the United States and Mexico, and the IOM’s lack of capacity in the region due to funding cuts.

In Europe, overall arrivals declined, but the profile of movements changed, with Bangladeshi nationals becoming the largest group arriving while Syrian arrivals fell following political and policy shifts, the IOM said.

Some 3,400 deaths and disappearances were recorded on sea routes to Europe, of which 1,330 were on the central Mediterranean Sea route, with more than 1,200 on the Western Africa/Atlantic route to Spain’s Canary Islands.

The IOM said nearly 900 deaths and disappearances were recorded during sea crossings in the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea in 2025 – a route used almost exclusively by Rohingya refugees – “making it the deadliest year on record for this route”.

Risks ‘very real’

“Routes are shifting in response to conflict, climate pressures and policy changes, but the risks are still very real,” said IOM chief Amy Pope.

“Behind these numbers are people taking dangerous journeys and families left waiting for news that may never come,” she said in a statement.

“Data is critical to understanding these routes and designing interventions that can reduce risks, save lives and promote safer migration pathways.”

The migration agency highlighted that at least around 340,000 family members are estimated to have been directly affected by the missing migrant crisis since 2014.

They are left with dire psychological, social, legal and economic impacts of having a relative whose disappearance remains unresolved, it said.

“Sustained political will is needed to save lives on migration routes worldwide and make visible the families most impacted by these preventable losses,” the agency said.

The US has maintained its blockade of Iranian ports, while Iran has lifted and then re-imposed its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly ​a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passed ​before war broke out in the Middle East.

Amid ceasefire talks, Tehran, ⁠which controls the chokepoint, has proposed tolls on vessels to safely transit.

MARISKS on ​Monday issued an alert warning shipowners that unknown actors, claiming to represent Iranian ​authorities, had sent some shipping companies a message demanding transit fees in cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin or Tether, for “clearance”.

“These specific messages are a scam,” the firm said, adding the message was ​not sent by Iranian authorities.

There was no immediate comment from Tehran.

Hundreds of ​ships and about 20,000 seafarers remain stranded in the Gulf.

On April 18, when Iran ‌briefly opened ⁠the strait subject to checks, ships tried to pass but at least two of them, including a tanker, reported that Iranian boats had fired shots at them, forcing the vessels to turn around.

MARISKS said that it believed that ​at least one ​of the vessels, ⁠which tried to exit the strait on Saturday and was hit by gunfire, was a victim of the fraud.

Reuters ​was not able to verify the information or track companies ​that ⁠had received the message.

Seized Iranian ship likely carrying equipment deemed dual-use by US, sources say

“After providing the documents and assessing your eligibility by the Iranian Security Services, we will be able to determine the fee to be ⁠paid in ​cryptocurrency (BTC or USDT). Only then will your ​vessel be able to transit the strait unimpeded at the pre-agreed time,” said the message cited ​by MARISKS.

The small container ship, which is part of the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) group that has been hit with US sanctions, was boarded on Sunday off the coast of Iran’s Chabahar port in the Gulf of Oman and last reported its position at 1308 GMT, according to ship-tracking ​data on the Marine Traffic platform.

The US Central Command said Touska’s crew failed to comply,with repeated warnings over a six-hour period, and that ​the vessel was in violation of a US blockade.

The security sources, who declined to be identified, said their initial assessments were ⁠the vessel was likely to be carrying dual-use items after a voyage from Asia.

The vessel had previously transported items deemed as dual-use, one of the sources ​said.

The sources did not go into details on the items. US Central Command has listed metals, pipes and electronic components among other goods that could have a ​military as well as an industrial use and could be captured.

Iran’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday US forces attacked an Iranian commercial vessel, the Touska, near its coast, condemning the incident as “unlawful and a violation” of international law, Iranian media said.

US positive on Iran deal but talks still uncertain as ceasefire end nears

Iran demanded the immediate release of the vessel, its sailors and their families, the ministry said, adding that the incident breached a ​ceasefire agreed this month and warning that Washington would be responsible for any further escalation.

Iran’s military said the ship had been travelling from China and accused ​the US of “armed piracy”, according to state media on Monday. They said they were ready to confront US forces over the “blatant aggression”, but were constrained by the presence of crew ‌members’ families ⁠on board.

Washington imposed sanctions, on IRISL in late 2019, describing it as “the preferred shipping line for Iranian proliferators and procurement agents”, which included transporting items intended for Iran’s ballistic missile programme.

The Touska’s crew includes an Iranian captain and Iranian crew members, although it was not clear if the entire crew were Iranian nationals, one of the sources said.

IRISL ships are under the control of the Revolutionary Guards and their crew are typically made up mainly of Iranians and sometimes also use Pakistani ​seafarers, two other sources added.

The vessel was ​detected alongside at China’s Taicang port, ⁠which is north of Shanghai, on March 25 and arrived at China’s southern Gaolan port on March 29-30, according to satellite analysis from data analytics specialists SynMax.

The vessel loaded containers onboard in Gaolan and then made a stop around the ​Port Klang anchorage in Malaysia on April 11-12 where it loaded further containers, according to SynMax analysis.

Iran foreign ministry says US not serious about pursuing diplomacy

The vessel was ​laden with containers onboard ⁠when it reached the Gulf of Oman on Sunday.

China has expressed concern over the “forced interception” by the US of the Iranian-flagged cargo ship, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday, urging relevant parties to abide by the ceasefire agreement in a responsible manner.

US President Donald Trump said in a post on the Truth Social platform on ⁠Sunday that ​the Touska was under US sanctions due to its “prior history of illegal activity”, adding that US ​forces were “seeing what’s on board”.

Trump says US officials will be in Pakistan tomorrow for negotiations

The US military widened its shipping blockade on Iran to include cargoes deemed contraband and any vessels suspected of trying to reach Iranian territory will be “subject to belligerent right to ​visit and search”, the US navy said in an advisory on Thursday.

Contraband included weapons and ammunition.

MSCI’s Europe Aerospace and Defence Index dropped 9.2 percent in March, its biggest monthly fall in five years, as a previously stellar trade began to unwind.

Defence stocks typically rally at the outbreak of war - such as after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 - or when US President Donald Trump pressures NATO allies to raise military spending.

But that has not been the case since the Iran conflict erupted on February 28, despite Trump repeatedly berating NATO for not assisting with US military action.

“There has been quite a lot of de-grossing (trimming positions) as financial institutions and retail investors have looked to reduce exposure amid increased uncertainty,” said Martin Frandsen, portfolio manager at Principal Asset Management.

Shares in Czech arms maker CSG have dropped almost a third since the conflict began, while Germany’s Rheinmetall and Renk are down about 10% and Sweden’s Saab is about 12 percent lower.

European defence stocks have been among the market’s strongest performers since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, rising more than 450 percent, compared with a roughly 40 percent gain for the MSCI Europe index. The rally was fuelled by pledges from European governments to boost defence spending and Germany loosening fiscal rules last year to turbo-charge its rearmament drive. But order intake has been slower than some investors expected, with contracts delayed or phased due to fiscal pressures in countries such as France and Britain, according to Morgan Stanley analysts. Rheinmetall, which manufactures tanks, ammunition and air-defence systems, said it was “inevitable” that countries would spend more on air defence as the Iran war continues, but that has failed to halt the sector’s retreat.

While investors remain broadly positive, enthusiasm has cooled and crowded bullish positions have been trimmed, according to a recent note from Citigroup. Crowded positioning can amplify price moves when sentiment turns.

“The start of the Iran war, the consequent sharp rise in energy prices and supply chain dislocations, seem to have shaken off all sorts of crowded trades,” said Louis-Vincent Gave, CEO at Gavekal Research.

“So just as gold, silver, copper and other metals pulled back aggressively, so did defence stocks.”

Valuations were also a factor. At the outbreak of the war, Europe’s aerospace and defence index was trading at about 29 times earnings forecasts, close to a record hit late last year.

“A rise in defence budgets over the coming years was already priced into global defence stock prices,” said Hargreaves Lansdown equity analyst Aarin Chiekrie.

“As a result, the recent pullback is partly due to growth expectations in the sector getting ahead of themselves.”

The Iran conflict has underscored both the cost and intensity of modern warfare, with Gulf states firing hundreds of US-made Patriot anti-missile interceptors priced at about USD4 million each. At the same time, the war has renewed focus on cheaper military solutions that have also gained prominence in the Ukraine war, such as attack drones and drone interceptors like the Ukrainian-designed interceptor from Japan’s Terra Drone.

Tehran effectively closed the strait after US-Israeli strikes on Iran began on February 28, cutting off roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies. More than a dozen tankers sailed through Hormuz after Iran briefly declared it open on Friday, but the ceasefire agreement was thrown into jeopardy after the United States seized an Iranian cargo ship as it maintained its own military blockade of Iranian ports.

“There was a political agreement among ambassadors that we indeed would change the criteria in Iran’s sanctions regime so that we could also list persons and entities that are responsible for the obstruction of the freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,” one of the diplomats said.

A second diplomatic source said the European External Action Service would need a few weeks to prepare any new listings. The EEAS is in charge of placing people and companies under sanctions while the European Commission handles sector-wide restrictions. In January, the EU designated Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation and in March it listed Iranian officials for human rights violations.

Ajith Kumar Mupparapu, 45, is accused of repeatedly targeting Sirisha Muttavarapu and her family in 2023, shortly after she filed for divorce.

Indian prosecutors allege Mupparapu arranged for arsenic-laced chilli powder and salt to be sent to Muttavarapu’s family in Hyderabad, southern India, which her relatives consumed as they gathered to celebrate her brother’s wedding in June 2023. Her mother Uma Maheshwari died the following month.

Mupparapu is also said to have tried to murder Muttavarapu’s father Hanumantha Rao, by organising a staged road accident, attempting to hire contract killers and conspiring to have him injected with a fatal dose of a muscle relaxant.

His lawyers, however, say there is insufficient evidence to establish that Mupparapu was responsible for any arsenic in Muttavarapu’s family’s home or was involved in any conspiracy to kill her father.

They also say Mupparapu would likely be tortured by the Indian authorities if extradited, citing a ruling last February preventing a businessman being sent for trial in India.

Mupparapu appeared at London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday, sitting in the dock in a grey prison-issue sweatshirt as the case against him was set out.

James Lewis, a lawyer representing Indian prosecutors, said the arsenic which was found when those who had eaten food at Muttavarapu’s family home were tested was allegedly obtained by Mupparapu’s sister.

The arsenic levels found in their blood and urine were more than 20 times the normal value, he added.

The hearing to determine whether Mupparapu can be sent to India to stand trial is expected to conclude this week, with a ruling at a later date.

“Every dollar paid for Russian oil is money for the war” and the billions of dollars involved are used for devastating strikes on Ukraine, Zelensky said in a post on X.

He did not mention the United States, but President Donald Trump’s administration on Friday issued a month-long sanctions waiver allowing the sale of Russian oil and petroleum products that are at sea.

READ MORE: US extends sanctions waiver on purchases of Russian oil

The action was intended to bring down soaring energy prices. But the US Treasury Department extension came two days after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that Washington would not renew the waiver.

Zelensky said there were more than 110 tankers carrying Russian oil in breach of international sanctions currently at sea, carrying more than 12 million tonnes of crude “which, due to the easing of sanctions, can once again be sold without consequences.

“That is $10 billion — a resource that is directly converted into new strikes against Ukraine,” Zelensky said.

The Ukraine leader said that in the past week alone, Russia had launched more than 2,360 attack drones, more than 1,320 guided aerial bombs “and nearly 60 missiles of various types at our cities and communities”.

A 16-year-old boy was killed and four people wounded in one overnight attack on the northern city of Chernihiv, the head of the local administration said Sunday.

Zelensky said: “It is important that Russian tankers are stopped, not allowed to deliver oil to ports. The aggressor’s oil exports must decrease, and Ukraine’s long-range sanctions continue to work toward that goal.”

Zelensky has a delicate relationship with Trump, who had a memorable blow-up with him in the Oval Office last year.

Ukraine needs US backing to fight off Russia, but has faced pressure from the Trump administration to sign off on a deal to end the more than four-year-old war triggered by Moscow’s invasion.

The US sanctions waiver allows for the purchase of Russian oil and petroleum products that have been loaded onto any vessel as of Friday, through 12:01 am (0401 GMT) on May 16.

It extends an earlier easing of sanctions that expired on April 11.

Trump is keen to contain surging petrol prices ahead of key midterm elections this year. Several top Democrats slammed the new sanctions relief however.

“This decision is shameful and a 180-degree reversal from Secretary Bessent, just two days after he pledged not to extend sanctions relief for Russia,” said Senators Jeanne Shaheen, Chuck Schumer and Elizabeth Warren in a statement.

“Make no mistake, Putin has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of President Trump’s war against Iran, as Russia saw oil revenues nearly double in March.”

Starmer, already widely unpopular amongst the British public and many Labour MPs, is struggling to put a lid on the controversy, which has dogged his premiership for months.

It flared again on Thursday when it was revealed that Mandelson was named as Britain’s ambassador to the United States in late 2024 despite failing to pass security checks, sparking fresh calls for Starmer to quit.

The beleagured leader insisted Friday that he and other ministers were not told Mandelson had failed the vetting process, calling the omission “unforgivable”.

He is to give further details in a statement to the House of Commons on Monday, before being quizzed by MPs.

Starmer has blamed foreign office officials for allowing the appointment against the advice of security officials. He sacked the department’s top civil servant Olly Robins on Thursday.

Ex-civil servants have accused Starmer of scapegoating Robbins, who is to give his own account to a parliamentary committee on Tuesday, in what could be a crunch week for Starmer’s almost two-year-old premiership.

Opposition leaders have called for Starmer to step down, with accusations ranging from incompetence to wilful misleading of parliamentarians and the public.

Starmer told parliament in February that “full due process” was followed when Mandelson was vetted and cleared for the key role.

Downing Street insists that remains true because government rules meant the foreign office had the power to overrule vetting concerns, unbeknownst to Starmer and his top team.

On Friday, Starmer’s office took the unusual step of releasing a memo which insisted that he only found out about the vetting failure on Tuesday last week.

Ministers have rallied around him over the weekend, with Technology Secretary Liz Kendall and deputy prime minister David Lammy insisting Starmer would not have appointed Mandelson had he known that he had not received the appropriate clearance.

“I think he is an honest man and a man of integrity who says it was a mistake to appoint him (Mandelson),” Kendall told Sky News.

Kendall said Starmer should remain in his job because he had “made the right call” on big issues, such as building closer relations with the European Union and limiting Britain’s involvement in the Iran war.

Polls suggest Starmer is one of Britain’s most unpopular prime ministers ever, in part because of several policy mis-steps.

He has endured repeated questions about his judgement for selecting Mandelson whose friendship with Epstein was well known, and faced down calls from Labour’s leader in Scotland to resign over the issue earlier this year. Starmer sacked Mandelson in September 2025 after new details emerged about the depth of the ex-envoy’s ties to Epstein, who died in prison in 2019 while facing sex-trafficking charges. UK police are investigating allegations of misconduct in office by Mandelson when he was a Labour minister more than 15 years ago. He was arrested and released in February.

Mandelson, 72, has not been charged and denies criminal wrongdoing.

Starmer and his Labour party are bracing for a chastening set of local elections next month, including in the devolved Scottish and Welsh parliaments. The results are likely to renew questions about Starmer’s future, although there appears to be little appetite within Labour to a launch leadership challenge right now, with no obvious successor available and war raging in the Middle East.

Spain has criticised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government over the Gaza conflict and Israel’s attacks on neighbouring Lebanon. Netanyahu has accused Spain of “hypocrisy and hostility”.

“On Tuesday, Spain’s government will present a proposal to the EU that the European Union break off its association agreement with Israel”, Sanchez told a political rally in Andalusia.

He alleged that Israel “violates international law” and therefore “cannot be a partner of the European Union… it’s as simple as that”.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar responded with a social media post in Spanish saying his country would “not accept hypocritical lectures from someone who keeps ties with totalitarian regimes”, citing Turkey and Venezuela under former leader Nicolas Maduro.

The June 2000 association agreement — a treaty that sets a framework for cooperation — includes a clause requiring respect for human rights. Spain and Ireland first called for a review in 2024 over Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.

The seven individuals, one man and six women, were detained in Salford in northwest England on suspicion of conspiracy to steal, Greater Manchester Police said.

Police said the group were believed to have been training for non-direct action as part of a mass shoplifting campaign, intending to steal from high-value retail stores and supermarkets to redistribute the stolen items.

“We are taking robust action to disrupt this type of organised criminality, and it will not be tolerated,” Assistant Chief Constable Steph Parker said in a statement.

Take Back Power, which describes itself as a civil resistance group demanding a tax on extreme wealth, said its supporters had been arrested.

“The police are arresting people at generic training sessions that simply teach the history and principles of staying non-violent,” a spokesperson said in a statement.

London police said in March that they had arrested 15 people from Take Back Power over alleged plans for mass shoplifting. Nine members of that group were charged on Sunday with offences involving stunts at the Ritz Hotel in Central London last December, when manure was poured on the floor, and after another incident that month at the Tower of London.

The HiPP brand’s German base announced the recall at SPAR supermarkets in Austria late Friday over the possibility that “a hazardous substance” was introduced into its “carrot with potato” puree through tampering.

As part of ongoing investigations in Germany, police have seized jars in Austria, as well as the Czech Republic and Slovakia, police in Austria’s eastern Burgenland province said in a statement late Saturday.

“A sample of the seized product was examined on Saturday afternoon and tested positive for rat poison,” they said.

HiPP said on Sunday that its “production, quality, and control processes are fully intact” and the incident “is in no way related to product quality or production”.

“According to the current state of knowledge, as officially confirmed by the authorities, the case concerns only clearly defined sales channels,” a HiPP spokesman told AFP.

“Products and distribution channels in Germany or other European countries that are not part of the investigation are not affected,” he added.

Consumer warning

Austria’s agency for food protection said on Saturday that rat poison may have been introduced as part of an extortion scheme.

Customers were asked not to consume the product, which can be identified by a white label with a red circle on the bottom of the jar, and instead return it to the store of purchase.

Czech police on Sunday on X also warned consumers.

The scare is the latest to hit the baby food market.

Since December, several manufacturers — including European giants such as Nestle, Danone and Lactalis — have issued recalls of infant formula in more than 60 countries that could be contaminated with the toxin cereulide.

Several infants who consumed powdered milk containing cereulide — which can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea — have died, according to French authorities.

French prosecutors said in March the death of one baby in January “does not appear to be linked” to the infant’s consumption of contaminated formula.

“We are ready for a deal, but it needs to be prepared in a way that reflects ​the interests of both the United States ​and Belarus,” Lukashenko said in an interview with ⁠Russian TV network RT, excerpts of which were ​published on Sunday.

Lukashenko is a close ally of ​Russian President Vladimir Putin and has supported Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, although without sending Belarusian troops to fight there.

Putin says Moscow has deal with Belarus to station nuclear weapons there

In March, Trump’s ​envoy John Coale said that the Belarusian president may ​soon visit the United States, a trip that would signal ‌a ⁠breakthrough for the veteran authoritarian leader after years of being treated as a pariah because of human rights abuses and his backing for Putin in ​the war.

Lukashenko ​said in ⁠the RT interview that Minsk had adapted to Western sanctions and that any ​potential deal with Washington should go beyond ​sanction ⁠relief.

“We have far more issues to resolve, and that’s the subject of a big deal,” he said ⁠without ​specifying these issues. “Once we finalise ​this at a lower level, we’re ready to meet with Donald ​and sign the agreement.”

Ukraine’s Security Service said the shooting was being investigated as a terrorist act, but offered no motive.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, speaking in his nightly video address, said the shooting happened in ​the leafy Holosiivskyi district, injuring 14 people.

“He took hostages and unfortunately, one of them was killed,” Zelenskiy said. “Four ​people died simply on the street. One woman died in hospital after being seriously wounded.”

One of ⁠the wounded was a 12-year-old boy whose parents were also killed, Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko said.

Reuters video footage showed ​emergency crews loading bodies into vehicles.

Shootings of this nature are extremely rare in Ukraine, whose cities face regular Russian airstrikes.

“I was ​shocked when I saw photographs of the people who had been killed,” Lesia Rybzha, 45, said.

Russian missiles hit Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, 13 dead

“I still can’t understand why, on top of (Russians) killing us with airstrikes, people are being killed on the streets as well.”

A woman who identified herself as Hanna said ​the suspect was a neighbour who steered clear of other residents.

“He didn’t want to communicate with anyone,” she said. “When I ​sat outside on the street - he knew me by my face - he would greet me briefly and hurry off to run his ‌errands. He ⁠wasn’t close with his neighbours or anyone else.”

Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said police stormed the supermarket after unsuccessfully trying to negotiate with the suspect for 40 minutes.

He said the man, who owned a registered weapon and secured a medical certificate to use it, moved down the street and fired at people without warning before entering the supermarket.

“He was simply shooting people ​at close range. He approached ​and shot them,” Klymenko ⁠said. “So people had very little chance of survival.”

Ships crossing Hormuz need IRGC OK, unfreezing of assets part of deal, Iran official says

Kravchenko said the shooter had been identified as a native of Moscow, born in 1958, and was brandishing an automatic weapon.

He posted a photo ​showing a blurred prone figure covered in blood inside a store, with a weapon ​lying nearby.

Zelenskiy said ⁠the suspect had a criminal record and had set fire to the apartment where he was registered before going into the street with the gun.

Russia hits port, power facility in Ukraine overnight

The president said he had lived for some time in the eastern Donetsk region, one of the focal ⁠points of ​the four-year war with Russia.

“Everything that can be known about him and why ​he did this is being clarified. Every detail needs to be checked,” Zelenskiy said. “The investigators have several versions. All his electronic devices, phone, all contacts ​will be checked.”

Radev, a eurosceptic former fighter pilot who opposes military support for Ukraine’s war effort against Moscow, stepped down from the presidency in January to run in the election, which comes after mass protests forced out the previous government in December.

A ​slick social media campaign, deep coffers, and a pledge of stability have boosted Radev’s support in the Balkan country of about ​6.5 million, where voters are weary of repeated snap polls and a small group of veteran politicians widely ⁠seen as corrupt.

The cost of living is also an issue since the country adopted the euro in January. The previous government fell amid ​protests against a new budget proposing tax rises and higher social security contributions.

That appears to be more important to voters than Radev’s calls to ​improve relations with Moscow or resume Russian oil and gas flows to Europe.

“I will put my trust in the new general in politics,” said Georgi Bozhkov, a 37-year-old civil servant worried about rising bills. “When there is something new, we should try the new thing.”

Radev has strong lead in polls

Opinion polls on Friday showed ​Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria on about 35%, up from a month ago. If confirmed, that would mark one of the strongest results by a ​single party in years, though still short of a parliamentary majority.

Voter interest is up. A poll by Sofia-based Alpha Research forecasts turnout of around 60%, nearly ‌double the ⁠34% recorded in June 2024.

Millions vote as India begins series of state elections

The figures highlight mounting frustration with the long dominance of the GERB party led by former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, which trails in second place on about 18%, and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, whose leader Delyan Peevski is under U.S. and UK sanctions for corruption.

One possible coalition partner is the pro-European We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria (PP-DB) coalition, which also says reform is needed.

Critics say ​Radev bears some responsibility for controversial ​decisions taken by interim governments ⁠he appointed during his presidency from 2016. These include a 2023 gas deal between Turkish state gas company Botas and Bulgaria’s Bulgargaz that led to losses and an investigation.

“Any coalition that is formed is likely to ​suffer from government instability and face significant scrutiny from civil society and the opposition. Another snap election ​in 2026 is ⁠less likely now, but remains a significant possibility,” said Mario Bikarski, an analyst at risk consultancy Verisk Maplecroft.

Break from the past?

Bulgaria has developed rapidly since the fall of communism in 1989 and joined the European Union in 2007. Life expectancy has risen sharply, unemployment is the lowest in the EU, ⁠and the ​economy has greater safeguards since joining the euro zone.

But graft remains endemic, including ​in elections, where vote-buying is rife. Bulgaria ranks 84th in Transparency International’s 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index, the lowest score in the EU alongside Hungary.

“We really, really hope that something ​will change, and that these corrupt rulers of ours will be replaced,” said 82-year-old pensioner Temenuzhka Vaseva.

Drones damaged agricultural warehouses, depots and administrative buildings, Oleh Kiper, the Odesa regional governor, said on the Telegram app. There were no casualties, he added.

Russian strike kills three, wounds 16 in Ukraine’s Odesa

Russian forces also targeted an energy facility in the Chernihiv region in Ukraine’s north, the regional power distribution operator said on Telegram.

According to Ukraine’s air force, Russia launched 219 long-range drones overnight.

“Decisions made regarding Hormuz now will determine how other aggressive actors perceive the possibility of creating problems in other straits and on other fronts,” Zelenskiy said in remarks to a video conference attended by 50 countries and chaired by France and Britain.

“We need to be as specific and clear as possible so that in six months we don’t find ourselves in the same situation as in Gaza, where much still needs to be done.”

“In Hormuz, there are security challenges that cannot be addressed by political decisions alone,” he added, without elaborating.

Also read: Ships crossing Hormuz need IRGC OK, unfreezing of assets part of deal, Iran official says

Zelenskiy, whose remarks appeared on the Telegram messaging app, said that in the course of four years of war with Russia, Ukraine had “already carried out a very similar mission in the Black Sea”.

“Russia also attempted to blockade our sea and we have experience in escorting merchant vessels, demining, defending against air attacks and the overall coordination of such operations,” he said.

Ukraine, he said, had sent specialists throughout the Middle East to help countries benefit from its experience in defending against Russian drones, many designed in Iran.

“We can also contribute to maritime security,” he said.

Ukraine has clinched security cooperation agreements with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates and says it is In talks with Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain.

“We welcome this decision and hope that, within the timeframe set out, it will be possible to reach agreements that will prevent a recurrence of armed clashes,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

Trump says Israel and Lebanon agree on ceasefire

Israel and Lebanon agreed to begin a 10-day ceasefire at 5 p.m. EST (2100 GMT) on Thursday following talks this week brokered by Washington, as U.S. President Donald Trump expressed confidence that an agreement could soon be reached to end the Iran war.

The government on Thursday confirmed Mandelson - who was subsequently fired after Starmer said he had lied ​about the strength of his relationship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein - had ​failed his security vetting before taking up the role.

The government said ⁠Starmer was unaware officials in the foreign office had overruled the vetting ​recommendation and a source said the most senior official at the foreign ministry, Olly ​Robbins, would leave his role after losing Starmer’s confidence.

“I don’t think the prime minister can get out of his responsibility by sacking Olly Robbins. I think the buck has to ​stop with Mr. Starmer,” Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey told BBC Radio.

“I think ​the evidence suggests that he misled the Commons (parliament) and misled the public. That’s against all ‌the ⁠rules, and that’s why we’ve called for him to go.”

Starmer has previously apologised for the appointment but defended his own actions, accusing Mandelson of creating a “litany of deceit” about his Epstein ties and promising to release documents on how he ​was appointed.

Senior minister ​Darren Jones told ⁠LBC Starmer was “furious” at not being told Mandelson had failed the security vetting and would update parliament on Monday. He ​said Starmer had not misled parliament and that the process ​around it ⁠was followed, but was flawed.

“I don’t think it brings the Prime Minister’s future into question,” Jones said.

Mandelson is under police investigation for allegedly leaking government documents to ⁠the sex ​offender Jeffrey Epstein. He has not commented publicly ​on allegations he leaked documents, and a lawyer for Mandelson did not provide a comment on ​Thursday about the vetting process.

Iran has largely closed the strait to ships other than its own since the start of US-Israeli air strikes on February 28.

On ​Monday, Washington imposed a blockade on ships entering or leaving Iranian ports.

US President Donald Trump has called on ​other countries to help enforce the blockade and has criticised NATO allies for not doing so.

Britain, ⁠France and others say joining the blockade would amount to entering the war, but they have said they would ​be willing to help keep the strait open once there is a lasting ceasefire or the conflict ends.

The initiative being discussed ​does not for now include the United States or Iran, though European diplomats said any realistic mission would ultimately need to be coordinated with both. Washington will be briefed on the outcome of the talks.

Safety of stranded seafarers

According to a note sent to invited nations, the ​aim of the meeting is to reaffirm full diplomatic support for unfettered freedom of navigation through the Strait of ​Hormuz and the need to respect international law.

The meeting will also address economic challenges facing the shipping industry and the safety of more ‌than ⁠20,000 stranded seafarers and trapped commercial vessels.

It will also outline preparations for the deployment - when conditions are met - of a strictly defensive multinational military mission to ensure freedom of navigation.

A chair’s statement is expected at the end of the meeting to give a more tangible sense of what such a mission could entail, although it is not expected to spell out ​what specific countries might contribute.

Resources ​will depend on situation, ⁠official says

President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will attend the meeting in Paris, while officials from across Europe, ​Asia and the Middle East will join by video conference.

China has been invited, although it ​was not clear ⁠whether it will take part.

Several diplomats said the mission might never materialise if the situation in Hormuz returned to normal.

Others said shipping companies and insurers could seek such a deployment during a transitional phase to provide reassurance.

“It can involve intelligence sharing, mine-clearance ⁠capabilities, military ​escorts, information procedures with neighbouring countries and more,” a senior French official ​briefing reporters said.

“The objective is clear, and the resources deployed will naturally depend on the situation.”

Britain said Friday’s talks would feed directly into a multinational ​military planning meeting next week.

In Kyiv, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said four people, including the child, had died.

Seven people were killed in Odesa and in the southeastern city of Dnipro, where Russian attacks set residential buildings ablaze, the regional governor said two people were killed. Klitschko said 45 city residents were injured.

The city came under another attack early on Thursday, he said, adding that a drone, flying very low, slammed into an 18-storey building.

Ukraine’s emergency services put the death toll in Kyiv at five.

Photos posted online showed fires burning out of control and smoke billowing skyward.

Klitschko said rescue teams had rescued a mother and child from a building in a central district where the ground floor was badly damaged.

He also said missile debris had hit the sixth floor of an apartment building in the central Podil district.

Klitschko said a large fire had broken out in a building in a district in the north of the capital and four emergency medical workers were injured, while debris had fallen in several locations.  

Dnipro, Odesa under attack

Seven people were killed and 11 injured in missile and drone attacks in southern city of Odesa, the head of the local military administration said.

“Last night, the city came under several waves of missile and drone attacks,” Serhiy Lysak wrote on Telegram, reporting damage to infrastructure facilities and a residential building.

Ukrainian attack on Russian fertiliser plant kills seven

In Dnipro, Regional Governor Oleksandr Ganzha said that two people were killed. He listed 27 people as injured and posted pictures showing residential buildings ablaze.

In Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city in the northeast, officials said two people had been injured in drone strikes.

The ministry said it believes governments in a number of EU countries have decided to increase the production and supply of drones to Ukraine, a move Moscow views as a step that is escalating the conflict.

It published a list of factories and enterprises in several European countries it alleges manufacture drones or drone components, and gave their addresses, including sites in Britain, Germany, Spain, Italy, Israel and Poland, among others.

Also read: UK and Ukraine look to sell drones as Starmer shows support for Zelenskiy

“The European public should not only have a clear understanding of the true causes of the threats to their security, but also be aware of the addresses and locations of Ukrainian and joint enterprises producing UAVs and components for Ukraine within their own countries,” it said.

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy chair of Russia’s Security Council, said in a subsequent post on X that the list published by the military amounted to a list of potential targets for Russia’s armed forces.

“When strikes become a reality depends on what comes next. Sleep well, European partners!” he said.

Russian officials, including Medvedev, have repeatedly made public statements that have been perceived as threats to European countries over their support for Ukraine. However, these have generally taken the form of warnings and veiled hints rather than outright announcements of imminent strikes.

His comments came at the start of a meeting in Berlin of defence ministers from Ukraine’s key supporters, including Germany and Britain, with the conflict against Russia now in its fifth year.

“We have to ensure that we are capable of delivering uninterrupted support for Ukraine,” Rutte said. “We cannot lose sight of Ukraine.”

With the world’s attention focused on the US-Israeli war against Iran in recent weeks, fears are growing that support for Kyiv is waning.

US-led talks to end Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II have stalled since the Iran war began, and the United States under President Donald Trump has been scaling back its support for Kyiv.

READ MORE: Zelensky due in Rome as he presses European allies on air defence

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky complained on Tuesday that US peace negotiators “have no time for Ukraine” because of the Middle East conflict.

Rutte emphasised Wednesday that “supporting Ukraine’s fight is as important as ever,” and said that “too few countries share too much of the burden”.

“All allies must invest more to achieve the target of $60 billion of security and defence support to Ukraine this year,” he said.

Boosting Ukraine’s air defences as well as supplies of drones, missiles and long-range artillery ammunition were priorities, he said.

Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said that Ukraine had just endured “one of the most difficult” winters in its history.

Russia had launched hundreds of ballistic and cruise missiles and thousands of drones at Ukraine in a bid to “break our energy system and leave our people in darkness,” he said.

“But Ukraine endured,” he added, saying that greatly strengthened air defences had helped defend against the attacks.

Eight students and one teacher died in the attack in the province of Kahramanmaras, Turkiye’s Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci told reporters, adding that six of the wounded were in critical condition.

“This was solely a personal attack carried out by one of our students, it is not a terror incident,” Ciftci said.

Earlier, Kahramanmaras Governor Mukerrem Unluer had said the shooter had shot and killed himself in the commotion.

“An eighth-grade student came with 5 weapons and 7 magazines - which we believe belong to his former police officer father - in his bag, entered two classrooms with fifth grade students, causing deaths and injuries indiscriminately,” Unluer said.

Fifth-grade students are usually aged 10 and 11 in Turkiye.

School shootings are very rare in Turkiye. Asked by reporters if authorities would take any measures after the shootings this week, Ciftci said: “We will take necessary precautions”, without elaborating.

Broadcaster NTV said the shooter’s father had been detained.

Gun laws are generally strict in Turkiye, with only individuals aged over 21 and in possession of a license allowed to own weapons. However, guns are widespread in Turkiye, with many security officers allowed to carry and own arms.

Unverified footage showed several students jumping from a second-storey window at the school as gunshots echoed around the grounds. Unverified CCTV footage from the school showed the attacker shooting two students walking down a hallway.

Turkish media footage from the school grounds on Wednesday showed ambulances arriving at the school where police and crowds had gathered by the gate.

On Tuesday, a former student opened fire at a school in the southeastern province of Sanliurfa, wounding at least 16 people, including students and teachers, before killing himself.

But Trump, who has repeatedly slammed the policies of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, said strains in the relationship with the US’s NATO ally would “not at all” negatively affect King Charles III’s state visit to the US later this month.

“We gave them a good trade deal, better than I had to, which can always be changed,” the US president was quoted as saying by Sky News on Wednesday.

The comments came in a phone interview with Sky News US reporter Mark Stone.

London and Washington concluded a trade agreement last year capping US tariffs at 10 percent on most British manufactured goods.

READ MORE: UK pledges £20bn to help firms amid US tariff turmoil

In return, the UK agreed to open its markets further to American ethanol and beef, sparking concerns in the country.

At the time, it was an advantageous agreement for London, which benefited from the lowest tariffs granted by the US.

This advantage has, however, been weakened since the Supreme Court struck down some of the US tariffs and Washington retaliated by imposing a temporary 10 percent tariff on almost all of its imports pending a new tariff regime by July.

While Trump praised his good relationship with Starmer at the time of the agreement, transatlantic ties have since deteriorated, particularly over the war in the Middle East.

Starmer angered Trump by refusing to allow British bases to be used for the US’s initial strikes on Iran last month.

He later agreed to a US request to use two British military bases for a “specific and limited defensive purpose”.

“It’s a relationship where when we asked them for help, they were not there,” Trump told Sky News.

“When we needed them, they were not there. When we didn’t need them, they were not there. They still aren’t there,” he insisted.

Starmer’s Labour government, which has sought to build bridges with Trump since his return to the White House in January 2025, has recently hardened its rhetoric toward its historic ally.

Finance Minister Rachel Reeves on Tuesday hit out at the “folly” of Trump launching a war with Iran “without a clear exit plan”.

Starmer told parliament on Monday that Donald Trump was wrong to threaten to destroy Iranian civilisation, while on Sunday Health Minister Wes Streeting criticised his language as “incendiary, provocative, outrageous”.

Against this backdrop, Reeves was scheduled to meet with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Wednesday as part of an International Monetary Fund meeting set to detail the economic impact of the conflict.

Zelensky will meet far-right Prime Minister Georgia Meloni – a strong supporter of Kyiv – a day after visiting Germany, where he and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz agreed to strengthen defence cooperation, especially in drone warfare.

“The top diplomatic priority for Ukraine right now is cooperation for the sake of air defence,” Zelensky wrote on X ahead of the meeting with Meloni.

“We need air defence missiles every single day – every day the Russians continue their strikes on our cities,” he said, the day after regional authorities said Russian strikes across Ukraine killed seven people, including a child.

Zelensky also visited Norway on Tuesday. Zelensky and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store also agreed to boost defence and security cooperation.

The Ukrainian president told German television that deliveries of arms from the United States – which has scaled back support under President Donald Trump – has become “a big problem”.

Zelensky is pressing European countries to join the PURL programme, which was launched last year and allows Ukraine to receive US equipment financed by European countries.

READ MORE: Ukraine, Russia accuse each other of Easter truce violations

Italy has sent weapons – including the French-Italian SAMP/T air defence system – but has not signed up to PURL.

US-initiated talks between Russia and Ukraine have stalled, with Kyiv baulking at the idea it could cede territory to Russia.

Zelensky said Tuesday that US negotiators “have no time for Ukraine” because of the war in Iran.

Meloni has been one of Washington’s closest allies in Europe, and has pressed Kyiv’s case with Trump.

But her relationship with the US leader has soured over the Iran war, with Trump issuing a stinging rebuke of Meloni on Tuesday.

“I’m shocked at her. I thought she had courage, but I was wrong,” told Italian daily Corriere della Sera.

Italy has denied authorisation for some US aircraft involved in combat missions to land at Sigonella.

Meloni on Monday dismissed calls by the head of Italian energy company ENI, Claudio Descalzi, for the European Union to suspend a plan to ban all imports of Russian gas by the end of 2027.

Turkiye, a neighbour of Iran, has been in close touch with the U.S., Iran, and mediator Pakistan. It has repeatedly called for an end to the war that it says is unjustified.

Speaking to lawmakers in parliament, Erdogan said Israel’s attacks in Lebanon were harming hopes for peace, and added the window of opportunity created by the ceasefire must be seized.

“Statements by the sides show that, while the negotiation table has not been toppled, they have reached a road bump on the nuclear issue,” he said, adding tensions were also flaring again over the Strait of Hormuz.

“We are conveying the necessary suggestions and carrying out initiatives to ease tensions, extend the ceasefire, and maintain talks. There can be no negotiating with clenched fists,” Erdogan added.

U.S. President Donald Trump said talks with Iran could soon resume and end in a deal, after weekend negotiations in Pakistan ended with no breakthrough, while telling the world to watch out for an “amazing two days”.

A Turkish diplomatic source has said foreign ministers from Turkiye, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt will meet on the margins of a diplomacy forum in the southern Turkish province of Antalya at the weekend. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is also due to attend.

“There may be difficulties and complicated issues that will take a long time to solve, but when the focus is on the benefits of peace, and action is taken with a long-term perspective, the majority of these can be resolved,” Erdogan said.

He added that the itinerary of the visit was currently being agreed upon.

Meloni had been a vociferous supporter of Trump, but she has criticised his decision to go to war with Iran, and on Monday, denounced his weekend criticism of Pope Leo as “unacceptable”.

Trump responded in an interview with Corriere della Sera, saying Meloni was “very different from what I thought” and denouncing her for refusing to help re-open the Strait of Hormuz, which has been blocked by Iran.

“I’m shocked by her. I thought she had courage. I was wrong,” he is quoted as saying in the Italian-language article posted online.

The White House declined to comment on the reported quotes. Meloni’s office also declined to comment.

The criticism marks a dramatic change in tone toward Meloni, who was the only European leader to attend the president’s inauguration in 2025.

Only last month he told Corriere della Sera that Meloni was “a ​great leader”, but on Tuesday he accused her of failing to back U.S. efforts over energy security and Iran, and said Italy wanted America “to do the job for her.”

Asked about her condemnation of his comments on Pope Leo, he said: “She is the one who is unacceptable, because she does not care whether Iran has a nuclear weapon and would blow Italy up in two minutes if it had the chance.”

Meloni had hoped that her close relationship with the U.S. president would strengthen her standing at home and abroad, but instead it risks becoming a political liability.

Some 66% of Italians now hold a negative view of the U.S. leader and pollsters say Meloni’s ties to the White House may have contributed to her defeat last month in a referendum on judicial reform.

The war in Iran has pushed up energy prices in Italy, which is heavily dependent on oil and gas imports.

“They (Italy) pay the highest energy costs in the world and are not even ready to fight for the Strait of Hormuz… They depend on Donald Trump to keep it open,” Trump said.