Bulgaria: pro-Russian candidate expected to win legislative elections. Former Bulgarian President Roumen Radev “seems well placed to win a resounding victory in Sunday’s elections, but may still have to ally with at least one other party to form a government majority,” observes the European edition of Politico. According to TV channels’ projections, the party of the former pro-Russian leader, Bulgaria progressive, received “about 40% of the votes,” far ahead of the pro-European liberal reformists (PP-DB) and conservatives (Gerb) of former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov (each between 12% and 15%). Mr. Radev, a 62-year-old former Air Force general, does not seem to rule out an alliance with the PP-DB if necessary: “I am ready to consider different options so that Bulgaria can have a functional and stable government,” he said after the publication of the first results. “Mr. Radev built his political reputation by positioning himself as an enemy of the country’s ‘mafia state’ oligarchy, but his opponents claim that his policies often align with those of the Kremlin, especially regarding the war in Ukraine,” the site notes.
Spain urges EU to end association agreement with Israel. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez “took advantage of 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 to Europe that the European Union [EU] end 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,” especially in Gaza and Lebanon, and therefore cannot be a partner of the EU, according to Mr. Sanchez. “It’s as simple as that,” he said. The Israeli state replied by denouncing the “hypocrisy” of the Spanish Prime Minister and accusing him of “antisemitism.”
United States: eight children killed in a domestic violence incident. An armed man shot eight children on Sunday in a “violent domestic incident” in Shreveport, Louisiana – the deadliest mass shooting in the US since January 2024, reports USA Today. According to the city police, the presumed perpetrator shot a woman inside a first residence before moving to another nearby house where the children were. Eight minors aged 1 to 14 were found shot dead, and two women were seriously injured. The presumed shooter, shot by law enforcement after a chase, “had a family link to some of the children,” the American newspaper specifies.
Tennis: Frenchman Arthur Fils wins the Barcelona tournament. A month before Roland-Garros, Frenchman Arthur Fils became the second Frenchman to win the ATP 500 Barcelona tournament on Sunday, after 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, thus wins his third title on clay, after Lyon in 2023 and Hamburg in 2024. “That’s why he generates so much hope in Paris,” where the Roland-Garros tournament, a temple of clay courts, will take place from May 18 to June 7, which has not been won by a Frenchman since Yannick Noah in 1984.
