Bulgaria: Pro-Russian candidate set to win legislative elections. Former Bulgarian president Roumen Radev “seems well-positioned to secure a resounding victory in Sunday’s elections, but may still need to ally with at least one other party to form a governing majority,” observes the European edition of Politico. According to TV channel projections, the party of the former pro-Russian leader, Progressive Bulgaria, received “about 40% of the votes,” far ahead of the pro-European liberal reformists (PP-DB) and the conservatives (Gerb) of former Prime Minister Boïko Borissov (between 12% and 15% each). Mr. Radev, a 62-year-old former air force general, does not seem to rule out an alliance with PP-DB if necessary: “I am ready to consider different options so that Bulgaria can have a functional and stable government,” he stated after the publication of the initial results. “Mr. Radev has built his political reputation by positioning himself as an enemy of the country’s oligarchic ‘mafia state,’ but his opponents argue that his policies often align with those of the Kremlin, especially regarding the war in Ukraine,” notes the site.
Spain urges EU to end association agreement with Israel. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez “seized a campaign rally in Andalusia on Sunday to launch ‘one of the most striking foreign policy messages in recent weeks,'” reports Euronews. This Tuesday, at the foreign affairs council, “the Spanish government will propose in Europe that the European Union [EU] put an end to its association with Israel,” he told his supporters. While Spain remains a friend of the Israeli people, “it does not share the actions of its government,” which “violates international law,” particularly in Gaza and Lebanon, and therefore cannot be a partner of the EU, according to Mr. Sánchez. “It’s as simple as that,” he says. The Israeli state responded by denouncing the “hypocrisy” of the Spanish Prime Minister and accusing him of “anti-Semitism.”
United States: Eight children killed in domestic violence incident. An armed man shot eight children on Sunday during a “violent domestic incident” in Shreveport, Louisiana – the deadliest mass shooting in the United States since January 2024, reports USA Today. According to the city’s police, the suspected perpetrator shot a woman inside a first residence before heading to another nearby house where the children were. Eight minors aged 1 to 14 were found shot dead, and two women were critically injured. The suspected shooter, shot by law enforcement after a chase, “had a relation with some of the children,” specifies the American newspaper.
Tennis: Frenchman Arthur Fils wins Barcelona tournament. Ahead of Roland-Garros, Frenchman Arthur Fils became Sunday “the second Frenchman to win” the ATP 500 tournament in Barcelona, following Thierry Tulasne in 1985, writes Marca. Ranked 30th in the world, Arthur Fils, “confirming his good tennis form,” defeated Russian Andrey Rublev 6-2, 7-6. The 21-year-old player, who likely benefited from Carlos Alcaraz’s withdrawal during the tournament, clinched his third title on clay, after Lyon in 2023 and Hamburg in 2024. “This is why he arouses so much hope in Paris,” where the Roland-Garros tournament will take place from May 18 to June 7, the temple of clay courts, which has not been won by a Frenchman since Yannick Noah in 1984.
