Bulgaria: pro-Russian candidate likely to win legislative elections. Former Bulgarian president Roumen Radev “seems well on track to score a resounding victory in Sunday’s elections, but may still need to ally with at least one other party to form a governing majority,” according to Politico’s European edition. Based on television channel projections, the party of the former pro-Russian leader, Progressive Bulgaria, garnered “about 40% of the votes,” far ahead of the pro-European liberal reformists (PP-DB) and 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 release of the initial results. “Mr. Radev built his political reputation by positioning himself as an enemy of the country’s ‘mafia state’, but his opponents argue 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 Sánchez, during a campaign meeting in Andalusia, made one of the most significant foreign policy statements in recent weeks, as reported by Euronews. On Tuesday, at the Foreign Affairs Council, “the Spanish government will bring to Europe the proposal that the European Union [EU] put an end to its association with Israel,” he declared to 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, Mr. Sánchez believes. “It’s as simple as that,” he said. The Israeli government responded 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 during a “violent domestic incident” in Shreveport, Louisiana, on Sunday – the deadliest mass shooting in the United States since January 2024, according to USA Today. The city’s police reported that the presumed perpetrator shot a woman inside a first residence before going 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, who was shot by law enforcement after a chase, “had a family connection to some of the children,” the American newspaper specified.
Tennis: Frenchman Arthur Fils wins Barcelona tournament. A month before Roland-Garros, Frenchman Arthur Fils became the second Frenchman to win the ATP 500 tournament in Barcelona on Sunday, following Thierry Tulasne in 1985, according to Marca. Ranked 30th globally, Arthur Fils, “confirming his good tennis form,” defeated Russian Andrey Rublev 6-2, 7-6. The 21-year-old player, who most likely benefited from Carlos Alcaraz’s withdrawal during the tournament, secured his third clay court title after Lyon in 2023 and Hamburg in 2024. “This is why he generates so much hope in Paris,” where the Roland-Garros tournament, a clay court temple, will take place from May 18 to June 7, and has not been won by a Frenchman since Yannick Noah in 1984.
