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Relatives Of Kazakhs Incarcerated In Xinjiang Blocked From Approaching Chinese Consulate
ALMATY, Kazakhstan -- Police in Kazakhstan’s largest city, Almaty, have blocked five Kazakh men and women from approaching the Chinese Consulate, where they planned to demand the release of their relatives imprisoned in so-called reeducation camps in China's northwestern region of Xinjiang.
The protesters, who planned to picket the Chinese Consulate on December 4, told RFE/RL that it was the 1,000th day of their rallies "against China's genocidal politics against ethnic Kazakhs, Uyghurs, and Kyrgyz," as well as other indigenous peoples of the region.
According to the protesters, their relatives in Xinjiang were incarcerated either for being practicing Muslims or for posts on the Internet.
China has been accused of human rights violations against Kazakhs, Uyghurs and other mostly Turkic-speaking indigenous ethnic groups over the existence of mass detention camps in Xinjiang.
Beijing denies that the facilities are internment camps, saying its actions are aimed at combating terrorism. People who have fled the province, however, say people from the ethnic groups are undergoing "political indoctrination" at a network of facilities officially referred to as reeducation camps.
Amid ongoing rallies and pickets in front of China's diplomatic missions in Kazakhstan, the Chinese Embassy said in March 2021 that all ethnic Kazakhs incarcerated in Xinjiang are Chinee citizens and are being held there for breaking Chinse laws.
Several relatives of the protesters were released and allowed to travel to Kazakhstan in recent years.
Kazakh authorities refrain from openly criticizing the policies of China, one of their main creditors.
The U.S. State Department has said that as many as 2 million Uyghurs, Kazakhs, and members of Xinjiang's other indigenous, mostly Muslim ethnic groups have been taken to detention centers.
Kazakhs are the second-largest Turkic-speaking indigenous community in Xinjiang after Uyghurs. The region is also home to ethnic Kyrgyz, Tajiks, and Hui, also known as Dungans. Han, China's largest ethnicity, is the second-largest community in Xinjiang.
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- By RFE/RL
Russian Journalist Secretly Flees To France After Being Charged For War Criticism
A Russian journalist who was charged for her criticism of Moscow's war on Ukraine and ordered to remain under house arrest pending trial secretly fled the country for France.
Yekaterina Barabash, a film critic who had written critical messages to Facebook about the Russian invasion, appeared on May 5 at a Paris news conference organized by Reporters Without Borders, an advocacy group known by its French acronym, RSF.
"Her escape was one of the most perilous operations RSF been involved in since Russia's draconian laws of March 2022," the group's director, Thibaut Bruttin, said during the conference with Barabash.
Barabash, a film critic who has worked for Radio France Internationale and been an occasional guest on RFE/RL's Russian Service programs, was arrested on February 25 after returning home from a film festival in Berlin.
She was charged with spreading fake news about the Russian military -- a draconian measure put into law after Moscow launched its all-out invasion in February 2022.
Russian officials issued an arrest warrant after police checked on Barabash at her Moscow apartment on April 13 and found her missing.
Barabash told the Paris news conference that she crossed multiple borders using secret channels arranged by activists and spent two weeks in hiding before reappearing in Paris.
She said she left behind her 96-year-old mother, whom she could not contact when she fled.
"I just understood that I'd never see her again," Barabash said.
She told the news conference there was no such thing as a "Russian journalist" inside the country anymore.
"There are no Russian journalists," she said. "Journalism cannot exist under totalitarianism."
With reporting by the AP and AFP
- By RFE/RL
Czechs Say Initiative Delivered 500,000 Artillery Shells To Ukraine This Year
Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said around 500,000 artillery shells have been delivered to Ukraine this year under a Czech-led global effort to support Kyiv in its fight against Russia.
Speaking at a joint news conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on May 5, Fiala also pledged to increase the instruction of Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 fighter jets and L-39s, a Czech-built trainer plane.
Fiala made no mention of whether the Czech government was considering offering soldiers to serve in Ukraine as part of the Coalition of the Willing effort spearheaded by France and Germany.
That effort aims to organize a multinational group of troops who would be deployed to Ukraine as peacekeepers, once there is a halt to Russia’s all-out invasion, now in its fourth year.
Zelenskyy is on a two-day visit to one of Kyiv's strongest European allies.
The trip comes as Kyiv and Moscow, as well as most European capitals, gear up for celebrations on the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany during World War II.
Ukraine, which has suffered massive destruction and loss of life since Russia began its full-scale invasion in February 2022, shifted its remembrance of Victory Day to May 8, aligned with the date when Western allies mark the occasion.
As it did under the Soviet Union, Moscow observes the day on May 9, since the Nazi surrender in 1945 occurred overnight in Moscow.
Russian leader Vladimir Putin has called for a three-day cease-fire in its Ukraine invasion beginning on May 8.
In response, Zelenskyy called instead for a longer, 30-day cease-fire.
During earlier meetings with President Petr Pavel, Zelenskyy said Putin could end the war "with a single decision" but "has not shown any willingness" to do so.
Renewed Western efforts to resolve the conflict, pushed in large part by US President Donald Trump, have begun to falter, as Russia continues to press its advantage on the battlefield in Ukraine.
Despite an earlier tentative agreement to limit attacks on energy infrastructure, Ukraine and Russia have also continued to target oil pipelines, power plants, electricity transmission lines, and other crucial sites.
The Czech government has headed a global effort to source and send artillery shells to Ukraine. In February, Pavel said more than 1.6 million shells had been delivered to date as part of that program.
Ukraine faces a critical shortage of ammunition in its battle to repel Russian forces that launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Russia is said to have a 3:1 advantage in ammunition supplies and has pledged to increase its output this year as part of a 25 percent increase in military spending for 2025.
- By RFE/RL
Iran Tests Missile It Claims Can Reach Israel, Get Past US Defenses
Iran says it has "successfully" tested a new ballistic missile that it claims can reach Israel and penetrate some of the most advanced missile-defense systems in the world.
Amid growing concerns in the West over Tehran's advancing nuclear and missile programs, Iran's state TV on May 4 aired footage of the Qassem Basir missile being tested and apparently hitting its target.
Iranian Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh said the solid-fueled missile has a range of 1,200 kilometers and can penetrate Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), an advanced anti-missile system that the United States deployed to Israel last year.
Nasirzadeh said the new missile was developed by addressing weaknesses revealed during operations True Promise 1 and 2 -- Iran's missile and drone attacks on Israel in April and October last year.
The minister asserted that the missile had been upgraded in both guidance and maneuverability to help it get through layers of air defense and claimed it was resistant to electronic jamming.
Tasnim news agency, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), said Qassem Basir is an upgraded version of the Martyr Hajj Qassem missile, which was named after slain IRGC Quds Force Commander Qassem Soleimani and unveiled in 2020.
The missile was unveiled on the same day that Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen launched a missile attack near Israel's Ben Gurion Airport, injuring several people and briefly disrupting air traffic.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed the attack on Iranian support for the Houthis and pledged retaliation against both the Yemeni group and Tehran.
The missile notably evaded sophisticated air defense systems. Israel is said to have had two THAAD batteries and at least one Arrow 3 interceptor system in operation at the time of the attack.
Experts say the Qassem Basir missile marks the first usage by Tehran of optical seekers on a medium-range ballistic missile.
Russian-based weapons expert Yuri Lyamin noted that the new medium-range ballistic missile was now Iran's "most long-ranged" missile equipped with electro optical seekers, replacing the short-range ballistic missile Zolfaghar Basir.
Nasirzadeh warned that any military aggression from the United States or Israel would prompt a global response targeting their assets and bases.
He stressed that while Iran does not seek confrontation, it will respond "firmly" if challenged.
- By RFE/RL
Trump Seeks Iran Nuclear Dismantling, Hints At Flexibility
US President Donald Trump says the goal of negotiations with Iran is to ensure the "total dismantlement" of Tehran's nuclear program but would consider allowing Iran to maintain a civilian nuclear energy program.
In an interview with NBC on May 4, Trump said tearing down Iran's nuclear program would be "all I'd accept."
The comment marks the first time Trump has explicitly said what he hopes to do with Iran's nuclear program, which Tehran maintains is peaceful.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested last week that Washington would be open to letting Iran operate a peaceful civil nuclear program, saying, "There's a way to do it."
"You build the reactors and you import enriched uranium to fuel those reactors. That's how dozens of countries around the world do it," he told Fox News on May 1.
Trump appeared to echo Rubio's remarks, telling NBC that he would be "open to hearing it."
"Civilian energy, it's called. But you know, civilian energy often leads to military wars. And we don't want to have them have a nuclear weapon. It's a very simple deal," he added.
Trump said a civilian nuclear program would be used to generate electricity, but given Iran is an energy-rich country it would not really need it.
"My inclination is to say, 'What do you need that for? You have a lot of oil,'" he said.
Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran, said Trump's comments had made it clear the administration was not looking for a revamped version of the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran.
"This interview calls that fantasy into question," he wrote on X.
Meanwhile, others insist Trump's comment suggests he is still undecided.
"Maybe one could argue that Trump's team still does not exactly know what it wants from Iran, but he himself desires a deal different from the JCPOA," wrote Iran-based foreign policy analyst Rahman Qahremanpour, referring to the 2015 nuclear deal.
Iran has rejected calls to dismantle its nuclear program and give up its ability to enrich uranium.
Responding to Trump's comment, an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman on May 5 said Iran has "a right to peaceful nuclear energy" and dismissed Trump's oil remark.
"Iran's peaceful nuclear program goes back to the 1970s, when Iran had more fossil fuel and less consumption," Esmail Baqaei said during a weekly press conference.
"Therefore, some fallacious comments about Iran having access to expansive fossil fuel reserves and not needing nuclear energy have no basis in science or reality."
Iran and the United States have held three rounds of nuclear discussions since last month. Mediated by Oman, a fourth round was slated for May 2 in Rome but was postponed due to what Muscat called "logistical reasons."
- By RFE/RL
British Police Detain 7 Iranians In Two Separate Counterterrorism Operations
British police have arrested eight men -- including seven Iranian nationals -- in two apparently unrelated counterterrorism operations, officers said on May 4, and authorities are attempting to determine if there are “any further risks” to the public.
"These were two major operations that reflect some of the biggest counter-state threat and counterterrorism operations that we have seen in recent years," Interior Secretary Yvette Cooper told reporters on May 4.
Specific details remained scarce regarding to two actions.
London's Metropolitan Police said five men, including four Iranians, were arrested on May 3 over a suspected plot to target a specific, undisclosed site. Authorities said they were still attempting to determine the nationality of the fifth suspect.
Separately, three Iranian nationals aged between 39 and 55 were arrested in London in a second operation that was not related to the first matter, the Metropolitan Police said.
The Iranian Embassy in London did not immediately comment on the arrests.
In the first incident, the men, aged 29 to 40, were detained in West London and in Swindon, Stockport, Rochdale, and Manchester, police said.
"The investigation relates to a suspected plot to target a specific premises. Officers have been in contact with the affected site to make them aware and provide relevant advice and support, but for operational reasons, we are not able to provide further information at this time," a police statement said.
Commander Dominic Murphy, chief of London police's Counter Terrorism Command, said, "We are exploring various lines of enquiry to...identify whether there may be any further risk to the public linked to this matter."
Authorities said the suspects are undergoing questioning and have not yet been formally charged.
In the second case, the three Iranian nationals were detained under the National Security Act, authorities said, without disclosing further details.
Searches were ongoing at their addresses, the police statement read.
The arrests come at a time of intensified tensions over suspected Tehran-supported activities in Britain.
Last year, Ken McCallum, the head of Britain's domestic spy service, said that since 2022, authorities had responded to 20 Iran-linked plots that potentially posed lethal threats to the public.
At the time, McCallum said hostile states, radicalized individuals, and the revitalized Islamic State (IS) terror group have combined to create “the most complex and interconnected threat environment we’ve ever seen.”
In March 2024, Pouria Zeraati, a presenter at a Persian-language media organization in London critical of the Iranian government, was stabbed in the leg outside his home in London.
Two men were later arrested in Romania and charged over the attack on Zeraati, a TV host for the Iran International news network.
With reporting by Reuters and AP
Ultranationalist Simion To Face Moderate Dan In Romania's Presidential Election Runoff
BUCHAREST -- Ultranationalist politician George Simion easily won the first round of a rerun of Romania's presidential election, setting up a runoff with pro-Western reformist Nicusor Dan in a vote that could impact the country's political direction and its support for Ukraine.
Far-right leaders from around the globe sent their congratulations to Simion, 38, after results showed he took 41 percent of the vote in the May 4 election, nearly double that of Dan, the current mayor of Bucharest, who garnered 21 percent. A second round of voting will take place May 18.
Simion, an outspoken supporter of US President Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni who leads the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR), has promoted reunifying Romania and neighboring Moldova, along with halting military aid to Ukraine.
He was banned in 2024 from entering Ukraine for three years for what Kyiv called "systematic anti-Ukrainian activities" while Moldova has called him a national security threat and barred him from entering the country as well.
Simion, who benefitted from a wave of anger coursing through the electorate, has also pledged to break EU laws he disagrees with, though he also says Romania should remain in the bloc.
"This is not just an electoral victory, it is a victory of Romanian dignity. It is the victory of those who have not lost hope, of those who still believe in Romania, a free, respected, sovereign country," Simion said.
Reactions on the ground reflected a degree of cynicism about the election in Bucharest.
Student George Bistriceanu, one of 9.5 million Romanians who voted, said the election results "are somewhat to be expected. I honestly didn't find it surprising, but in the end that was everyone's vote."
Another student, Alicia Danculescu, called Simion's win "honestly, pretty outrageous. I wasn't expecting those percentages."
Bucharest resident Iulian Tudorache suggested the result could be seen as a protest vote, saying, "This is not all right, but they've stopped putting up with the system."
While Simion had lead in most opinion polls before the election, his result and the margin of victory -- though it fell short of the majority needed to avoid a runoff -- was praised by far-right leaders across Europe.
Antonio Giordano, secretary-general of the European Conservatives and Reformists Party, said Simion's success "confirms how vision, courage, and passion can pave the way for change."
Former Polish prime minister from the Law and Justice Party (PiS) Mateusz Morawiecki and French far-right politician Marion Marechal, the granddaughter of Jean-Marie Le Pen, the founder of France's National Front (FN), congratulated Simion as well.
The 55-year-old Dan -- considered a political moderate -- is a mathematician and former anti-corruption activist who founded the Save Romania Union party (USR) in 2016.
"This was a democratic process that Romania needed…. This won't be a debate between individuals, it will be a debate between a pro-Western direction for Romania and an anti-Western one," Dan said after the vote.
"I call on all Romanians to be part of this battle, and I am optimistic that we will win."
Last November, Calin Georgescu, a pro-Russian nationalist seen as a fringe candidate, pulled off a surprise win in the first round of voting.
However, authorities annulled the results amid accusations of a Russian influence campaign to boost his candidacy. Georgescu was banned from running in the new elections, and a raft of new rules were introduced for the May 4 rerun.
Romania's Controversial Canceled Election
The canceled vote drew criticism outside of Romania, most prominently from US Vice President JD Vance, who weighed in during a speech at the Munich Security Conference in February, accusing officials of acting on "flimsy suspicious and enormous pressure from its continental neighbors."
Simion has publicly embraced some of the rhetoric of US President Donald Trump and his Make America Great Again movement.
In the two months since Vance's comments, tensions in Romania have been rising. The country has a 650-kilometer border with Ukraine and the political establishment in Bucharest has been further jolted by Washington's sharp policy shift on Ukraine and Russia.
In November, he posted a photograph of himself wearing Trump's signature red baseball cap with the logo "Trump Save America," and he recently said he's "perfectly aligned ideologically with the MAGA movement."
On April 24, electoral authorities announced an investigation into Simion's political party over allegations it had violated campaign-financing rules.
The investigation has centered on allegations that Simion organized a $1.5 million payment to a US lobbying firm to set up meetings in Washington with prominent media figures allied with Trump. Simion has denied the allegations.
The election campaign drew outside observers to monitor the vote. In a pre-election report, monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) criticized some of Romania's registration and vote tallying procedures.
The Trump administration also sent its own election observer independent of the OSCE: a top official from the Federal Election Commission, which oversees US elections.
Under Romania's constitution, the president appoints the country's prime minister. The appointment needs to be approved by parliament, where Simion's AUR is the largest opposition party.
The president also represents Romania at NATO and EU summits and can use Romania's veto of EU decisions.
Sanctions, War Tribunal On Agenda As EU Ministers Prepare For Warsaw And Lviv Meetings
European Union foreign ministers will gather in Warsaw this week for an informal council meeting and then head to Lviv in a show of solidarity with Ukraine in the face of a major Victory Day celebrations in Russia.
Few concrete decisions are expected be made in either Poland on May 7-8, nor a day later in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, as these aren't official EU councils.
"In line with the meeting's informal nature and taking benefit from the more intimate (ministers-only) setting, we encourage everyone's contribution to a truly frank and nonscripted discussion," read a welcoming note for the Warsaw meeting that was seen by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
"In this spirit, we recommend that our working sessions take place without interpretation or electronic devices. We also kindly invite you to opt for semi-formal attire throughout the meeting.”
But the informality doesn't mean the meetings will lack high-level officials and come at a time when Russian President Vladimir Putin is looking to capture the world's attention with a massive military parade in front of dozens of dignitaries from around the world.
During the first day of the Warsaw meeting, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy will join to discuss European security, while the second day is dedicated to EU-US relations and the situation in Ukraine.
On the latter, the welcome note, signed by the EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and the host, Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski, proposes an "in-depth discussion" on the EU's role in bolstering Ukraine's negotiation position toward a "just and lasting peace."
Officials will look to do this, the note says, by "building on our unique collective leverage: broad support to Ukraine, in particular financial and military, pressure to constrain Russia's war chest, Ukraine's EU accession path, and the ongoing work on enhancing European defense capabilities."
While no decisions are to be rubber-stamped, there are three developments pertaining to Ukraine that analysts say will be closely watched.
The EU is aiming to announce more cash for Ukraine's defense industry, though a figure has yet to be agreed.
The bloc is also expected to accelerate sanctions on Russia in the wake of numerous missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities in recent weeks.
According to EU diplomats, it is likely to be a smaller package consisting mainly of the further blacklisting of Russian officers and politicians along with adding ships belonging to the Russian shadow fleet that will be banned from getting services in European ports.
Major new economic sanctions against Russia aren't expected to avoid dissent from some EU capitals and instead get a quick green light as a sign of solidarity in ratcheting up pressure on Moscow.
The Lviv meeting is set to take place as the ministers attend the establishment of a special tribunal aimed at prosecuting senior Russian and Belarusian leaders for the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The tribunal is meant as a complement to the ongoing International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation into war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide that was launched three years ago.
It will fill in the gaps as the ICC isn't looking into is what are legally known as "crimes of aggression" such as military occupation, annexation, and bombardments.
A so-called core group of countries, including all EU member states except Hungary and Slovakia, as well as the G7 minus the United States, has drawn up three documents on an agreement with Ukraine to establish the tribunal.
The actual tribunal won't be formally set up until the Council of Europe's committee of ministers votes on it on May 14.
The EU and Kyiv have been gathering evidence on crimes of aggression since 2023.
- By RFE/RL
During Prague Visit, Zelenskyy Says 'Eager' Putin Should Focus On Peace, Not Parades
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, to focus on reaching a peace deal to end the war between Russia and Ukraine instead of being "eager" to show off military hardware at next week's Victory Day parade
Speaking during a visit to Prague to meet with top Czech officials on May 4, Zelenskyy told a joint news conference with Czech President Petr Pavel that Putin "is very eager to show off his tanks at the parade, but he should think about ending his war."
In Moscow, which is preparing major celebrations on the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany, Putin said Russia has the "strength and means" to bring the Ukraine war "to its logical conclusion," and that he hoped there would be no need to resort to nuclear weapons.
As Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine grinds on, now in its fourth year, both Kyiv and Moscow are preparing celebrations marking Victory Day, the World War II anniversary of the Nazi defeat.
Ukraine, which has suffered massive destruction and loss of life, shifted its remembrance of Victory Day to May 8, aligned with the date when Western allies mark the occasion.
As it did under the Soviet Union, Moscow observes the day on May 9, since the Nazi surrender in 1945 occurred overnight in Moscow.
Putin has called for a three-day cease-fire in its Ukraine invasion beginning on May 8 to coincide with Victory Day celebrations. In response, Zelenskyy called instead for a longer, 30-day cease-fire.
Pavel said Putin can end the war "with a single decision," but despite recent cease-fire claims, "has not shown any willingness" to do so.
Renewed Western efforts to resolve the conflict, pushed in large part by US President Donald Trump, have begun to falter, as Russia continues to press its advantage on the battlefield in Ukraine.
Despite an earlier tentative agreement to limit attacks on energy infrastructure, Ukraine and Russia have also continued to target oil pipelines, power plants, electricity transmission lines, and other crucial sites.
When asked by NBC News on May 4 as to whether Trump "misread" Putin's intentions to negotiate the end to the three-year-old war, the US leader responded: "I have no idea."
"I’ll tell you about in a month from now, or two weeks from now," Trump replied.
The White House's lead envoy for Russia traveled to Moscow to meet with Putin last month and discuss a multipoint proposal to resolve the conflict, which included several points that Kyiv has publicly rejected.
In the NBC interview, Trump said the US is "closer" with one of the conflicting parties, and "not as close" with the other, but he refused to specify which country was which.
He also reiterated that the US might give up its role as mediator in the conflict, but expressed hope that an agreement would still be reached.
"Well, there will be a time when I will say, 'Okay, keep going. Keep being stupid and keep fighting,'" Trump said.
Russia Hits Kyiv With Drone Barrage
Hours before Zelenskyy visited Prague, Russia launched more than 160 drones, the Ukrainian military said, claiming 69 were downed or intercepted by Ukrainian defenses.
"The Russians are calling for a cease-fire... while hitting Ukraine every day," Zelenskyy said in a post on Telegram.
In Kyiv, drones, and debris from downed drones, sparked fires in several buildings, according to emergency services.
Nearly two dozen drones were also launched at the central city of Cherkasy. Emergency services said one person was wounded and several residential buildings were damaged, in part by debris from falling drones.
Early on May 5, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said air defense units in the Russian capital had destroyed four Ukrainian drones flying toward the city. No injuries were immediately reported.
Ukraine Seeks Artillery Shells
The Czech government has been one of Ukraine’s staunchest supporters, spearheading a global effort to source and supply Ukraine with artillery shells. The Prague-led effort has already sent more 1.6 million shells in 2024.
After the meeting, Zelesnkyy told journalists that Ukraine hopes to receive up to 1.8 million more shells in 2025.
"The Czech artillery initiative has proven effective, and we will continue this effort," Zelenskyy said on X.
In a preview released May 4 of an upcoming interview on state television, Putin said Russia has the strength and the means to bring the conflict in Ukraine to a "logical conclusion."
"There has been no need to use those (nuclear) weapons," Putin said, "and I hope they will not be required."
"We have enough strength and means to bring what was started in 2022 to a logical conclusion with the outcome Russia requires," he said.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service and the AP
Romanian Ultranationalist Simion Set To Win First Round Of Presidential Vote -- Race Tight For Second Place
BUCHAREST -- Romanian ultranationalist George Simion appeared to wrap up a solid victory, though not the majority needed to avoid a runoff, in a presidential election nearly six months after an initial vote was abruptly canceled amid allegations of a Russian influence campaign.
But, as final votes were being tallied early on May 5, it remained uncertain who his next-round opponent will be, as Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan and Crin Antonescu, a member of the country's ruling coalition, remained neck-and-neck, with diaspora votes likely to determine the outcome.
With 97 percent of ballots counted, Simion, the 38-year-old leader of the AUR party, led with about 40 percent, or 3,407,645 votes, according to Romania’s Central Election Bureau.
Dan had 20.65 percent, while Antonescu had 20.64 percent, giving the Bucharest mayor a lead of about 1,000 votes.
Election officials estimate some 800,000 diaspora votes will be counted. Overall, they appear to favor Simion, followed by Dan, and final totals could be enough to send the Bucharest mayor into the May 18 runoff.
Results from exit polls from leading firms indicated similar results, although they gave Simion a smaller lead and included a higher total for Dan.
The vote is being closely watched outside of Romania, in part because Simion has made controversial statements claiming parts of Ukrainian and Moldovan territories as well as questioning Romanian military aid to Ukraine.
He has also criticized Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Last November, Calin Georgescu, a pro-Russian nationalist seen as a fringe candidate, pulled off a surprise win in the first round of voting.
However, authorities annulled the results amid accusations of a Russian influence campaign to boost his candidacy. Georgescu was banned from running in the new elections, and a raft of new rules were introduced for the May 4 rerun.
The canceled vote drew criticism outside of Romania, most prominently from US Vice President JD Vance, who weighed in during a speech at the Munich Security Conference in February, accusing officials of acting on "flimsy suspicious and enormous pressure from its continental neighbors."
Simion has publicly embraced some of the rhetoric of US President Donald Trump and his Make America Great Again movement.
In November, he posted a photograph of himself wearing Trump’s signature red baseball cap with the logo "Trump Save America," and he recently said he's "perfectly aligned ideologically with the MAGA movement."
On April 24, electoral authorities announced an investigation into Simion's political party over allegations it had violated campaign-financing rules.
The investigation has centered on allegations that Simion organized a $1.5 million payment to a US lobbying firm to set up meetings in Washington with prominent media figures allied with Trump. Simion has denied the allegations.
The election campaign drew outside observers to monitor the vote. In a pre-election report, monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) criticized some of Romania's registration and vote tallying procedures.
The Trump administration also sent its own election observer independent of the OSCE: a top official from the Federal Election Commission, which oversees US elections.
If the results are confirmed, Simion will fall short of the 50 percent-plus of the vote required for an outright victory. In that case, a second round of voting between the top two candidates will be held on May 18.
Most observers believe Simion would find it challenging to win a second round, particularly if Dan or Antonescu garner enough votes.
- By RFE/RL
Russian Air Strikes Target Kyiv As Zelenskyy Calls For 30-Day Cease-Fire
Moscow launched air strikes against Kyiv hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested a three-day cease-fire surrounding its May 9 Victory Day remembrances -- a proposal dismissed by Kyiv as "theater."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy countered late on May 3 by calling for a more substantial pause in military action, saying Kyiv was seeking a 30-day "complete silencing" of arms and was ready to act immediately if Moscow reciprocated.
"We are ready to move to a cease-fire as soon as possible, even from today, if Russia is ready for mirror steps -- for complete silencing, for a long silence for at least 30 days," Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address.
"This is an honest deadline when the next steps can be prepared. Russia must stop the war and stop assaults, stop shelling," he added.
The comments come as Russia maintains its relentless assault of Ukrainian military and civilian sites.
Shortly after midnight and through the morning of May 4, Ukraine military and government officials said a Russian drone attack damaged several residential buildings and ignited fires in the capital.
Timur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv's military administration, said on Telegram that falling debris from destroyed Russian drones ignited fires in homes in Kyiv's Obolonskiy and Sviatoshynskiy districts.
He said at least two children -- aged 14 and 17 -- were injured in the Obolonskiy attacks.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko sent out an appeal for doctors to aid in assisting victims in the Sviatoshynskiy district.
The scale of the attack was not immediately clear. Reuters said witnesses reported hearing explosions and what appeared to be air defense systems operating.
Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier in the week suggested a three-day truce to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe, running from May 8 to May 10.
Zelenskyy has long stated that Ukraine is ready for a 30-day truce as proposed by Washington.
Speaking to reporters on May 2, Zelenskyy said Putin's offer was aimed at making international guests feel safe at the annual Red Square parade on May 9.
Among those slated to attend are Chinese President Xi Jinping.
"We do not recommend visiting Moscow on May 9. Don't ask us for assurances. It's your choice to go there," Zelenskyy said.
In his address on May 3, Zelenskyy said, "Right now, no one sees any such readiness from Russia; on the contrary, all of their internal rhetoric is increasingly mobilizing, and Russian propagandists continue to threaten not only Ukraine but also other neighbors -- Lithuania, the other Baltic states."
"This is exactly what we have been saying for a long time: Without pressure on Moscow, Russia will continue to wage war."
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow wanted a clear answer to its three-day cease-fire suggestion.
"We will, of course, await not ambiguous but definitive statements and, most importantly, actions aimed at deescalating the conflict over the public holidays," Peskov said.
Despite the talk of cease-fire, Russia maintained the intensity of its attacks on Ukraine.
The Ukrainian General Staff said 216 combat clashes had taken place at the front on May 2 and that more than a third of the fighting was recorded in the direction of Pokrovsk, with Ukrainian authorities saying they had repelled 83 attacks.
The area around the strategic town of Pokrovsk remains one of the heavily contested areas at the front with the largest number of combat clashes being recorded there over the past year.
Vadym Filashkin, head of Ukraine's Donetsk Regional Military Administration, said that in the town of Myrnohrad late on May 3, "the Russians killed a 56-year-old man and damaged six private houses. The second fatality was a 69-year-old resident of Komar."
Also, a correspondent for the Radio Liberty Donbas Realities project reported that a Russian attack on Druzhkivka in the Donetsk region led to fires breaking out in several private homes. Local authorities have not yet commented on the attack.
Ihor Taburets, governor of the Ukrainian region of Cherkasy, late on May 3 said that "since nightfall, our region has been under enemy targeting. Most of the Russian attack drones were directed at the regional center."
He said initial reports indicated that an infrastructure facility was damaged but that there were no immediate reports of casualties.
With reporting by Reuters
Pakistan Carries Out Ballistic Missile Test Amid India Tensions
The Pakistani military reported that it had test fired a ballistic missile on May 3, as the country squares off with India following a deadly militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir.
Video released by the army showed the missile streaking into the sky as soldiers looked on, before shouting joyful slogans.
The military said they had tested an Abdali surface-to-surface missile system, which has a range of 450 kilometers.
"The launch was aimed at ensuring the operational readiness of troops and validating key technical parameters, including the missile's advanced navigation system and enhanced maneuverability features," the Pakistani military said.
The two countries have been locked in a standoff since militants killed 26 people in the Himalayan mountain town of Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22.
The attack has sparked widespread outrage across India and brought nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan to the brink of conflict.
India has accused Pakistan of involvement in the attack and the two countries’ militaries have exchanged fire across the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border in Kashmir, which both sides claim sovereignty over.
On April 30, Pakistan said an Indian attack was “imminent” within the next 24-36 hours, but no attack materialized.
In recent days, Pakistan has asked Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to help ease tensions with India. But the ballistic missile launch may rekindle them.
Prior to the test, India had warned that it would be a “reckless” act and a “provocation.” There was no immediate response to the test taking place on May 3.
Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif “congratulated the scientists and engineers” involved in the test, according to the Pakistani statement.
Islamabad-based security analyst Syed Muhammad Ali told the Associated Press that the Abdali missile was named after a prominent Muslim conqueror of India, also known as Ahmad Shah Durrani, underlining its symbolic significance.
“The timing of this launch is critical in the current geopolitical context,” he said, adding it was intended as a strategic signal to India after it had threatened to suspend a crucial water-sharing treaty.
Pakistan previously conducted a test launch in August 2024. This was a Shaheen II surface-to-surface ballistic missile, with a range of 2,000 kilometers, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).
In October 2023, Pakistan also successfully conducted a test flight of the Ababbeel weapon system. At the time, the military said the missile system was “aimed at strengthening deterrence and enhancing strategic stability in the region.”
Moscow Seeks 'Definitive' Truce Response After Zelenskyy Dismisses Putin's Plan
The Kremlin has said it wants Kyiv to give a clear answer to its call for a cease-fire lasting from May 8 to May 10 even as its forces continued to pound civilian targets in Ukraine.
“We will, of course, await not ambiguous but definitive statements and, most importantly, actions aimed at deescalating the conflict over the public holidays," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
His comments came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed the truce proposal as “theater.”
And they preceded a Russian attack near the strategic city of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region, reportedly killing two civilians.
Earlier, a major overnight Russian assault on Ukraine between May 2 and 3 targeted multiple regions with missiles and drones, according to local authorities.
The Ukrainian military reported that two Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 183 strike and decoy drones had been launched at the Kharkiv, Sumy, Donetsk, and Mykolayiv regions.
The northeastern city of Kharkiv, located near the Russian border, bore the brunt of the drone offensive. The city sustained hits at 12 locations across four districts on the evening of May 2, resulting in dozens of casualties.
One local woman whose apartment was damaged told RFE/RL that the overnight assault had given her "a nervous breakdown."
"Everything is broken, everything is destroyed," she said. "Many people are cut up."
The woman, who gave her name as Natalya, said her home was rocked by an explosion as she was about to go to bed.
"The only thing that saved me was perhaps the corner that I was behind and the blanket that I had over me -- or simple luck," she said.
"We are alive and well, that's important."
Local authorities said at least 51 people had been injured and that eight had been hospitalized. The victims included two girls, aged 11 and 16.
Moscow has denied allegations of deliberately striking civilian targets in Ukraine throughout the war, even though repeated attacks on hospitals, schools, energy facilities, and residential buildings have been documented.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian General Staff said 216 combat clashes had taken place at the front on May 2 and that more than a third of the fighting was recorded in the direction of Pokrovsk, with Ukrainian authorities saying they had repelled 83 attacks.
The area around the strategic town of Pokrovsk remains one of the heavily contested areas at the front with the largest number of combat clashes being recorded there over the past year.
Vadym Filashkin, head of Ukraine's Donetsk Regional Military Administration, said that in the town of Myrnohrad late on May 3, "the Russians killed a 56-year-old man and damaged six private houses. The second fatality was a 69-year-old resident of Komar."
Also, the correspondent of the Radio Liberty Donbas Realities project reported that a Russian attack on Druzhkivka in the Donetsk region led to fires breaking out in several private homes. Local authorities have not yet commented on the attack.
In Russia, the governor of the Krasnodar region said a Ukrainian drone attack had hit a residential building in Novorossiisk, on the Black Sea.
He said two adults and two children were injured.
Russia's Defense Ministry claimed to have shot down 170 Ukrainian drones in various regions. The number included 96 in Russian-occupied Crimea. They also claimed to have destroyed eight Storm Shadow cruise missiles over the Black Sea.
Battlefield reports cannot be independently verified.
Russian pro-war blogs also reported the Ukrainian drone attacks. Two of them reported that a Russian Su-30 fighter was shot down over the Black Sea.
The Ukrainian intelligence service claimed it was the first time ever that an unmanned naval drone had shot down an enemy warplane. At least one Russian blogger also reported that this had happened.
WATCH: Footage shared on social media purportedly showing a drone downing an Su-30 warplane:
The fighting again underlined how US-led efforts to broker a cease-fire have stalled.
In the latest move, Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested a three-day truce to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe, running from May 8 to May 10.
Zelenskyy has said Ukraine is ready for a 30-day truce as proposed by Washington.
Speaking to reporters on May 2, Zelenskyy said Putin's offer was aimed at making international guests feel safe at the annual Red Square parade on May 9.
Among those slated to attend are Chinese President Xi Jinping.
"We do not recommend visiting Moscow on May 9. Don't ask us for assurances. It's your choice to go there," Zelenskyy said.
With reporting by Current Time
- By RFE/RL
Ukrainian Forces To Join UK Military Procession In London Marking VE Day
Ukrainian soldiers will join a British military procession next week in London marking the 80th anniversary of end of World War II in Europe, the UK government announced on May 3.
Ukrainian personnel will join around 1,000 UK armed forces members on May 5 as UK kicks off commemorations of Victory in Europe (VE) Day.
The participation of the Ukrainians will symbolize "the global support for their continued fight for freedom" against Russia, the government said in a statement.
"In the midst of the first full-scale war in Europe since the Second World War, it is fitting that the Ukrainian Armed Forces currently fighting on the frontline of freedom are represented in Monday's event," Defense Minister John Healey said in the statement.
The procession, including soldiers on horseback and military bands, will begin in Parliament Square when Big Ben strikes midday and will conclude with a flyover featuring an aerobatic team and historic military aircraft.
Britain has various events planned for the anniversary. Next week's events in London will culminate on May 8 with a service of thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey attended by the royal family.
May 8 is observed in Britain, France, the United States, and other countries as the date when the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany took effect in 1945. Russia, which fought the Nazis as part of the Soviet Union, marks the occasion on May 9.
Britain will observe a two-minute countrywide silence on May 8 at noon UK time to remember and thank those who fought for our freedom, the government said in a statement.
Britain has staunchly supported Kyiv since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. It has provided billions of pounds in military aid and placed wide-ranging sanctions on Russian entities and individuals to punish Moscow for the conflict.
The Ukraine representatives in the VE Day march on May 5 will be soldiers deployed on Operation Interflex, the UK's training program for Ukrainian recruits with 12 partner nations.
The UK and partner nations have trained more than 54,000 Ukrainians in frontline combat skills.
Armed forces from Australia, Canada, and New Zealand will carry their nations' flags during the procession, which will feature the flags of every Commonwealth nation, the British statement added.
"People from all over the world joined forces 80 years ago to defend freedom -- we must remember all of their sacrifices," World War II veteran Jack Mortimer, 101, said in a statement issued by the government. Mortimer is expected to be one of the veterans observing the military procession on May 5.
With reporting by Reuters and AFP
- By RFE/RL
US Approves F-16 Maintenance Deal For Jets Already Transferred To Ukraine
The US State Department on May 2 approved a deal to provide training and equipment for F-16 fighter jets already in Ukraine.
The State Department said it notified Congress that it has given the nod for a $310.5 million sale to Ukraine that will include services to maintain the aircraft in addition to training and equipment.
"The proposed sale will improve Ukraine's capability to meet current and future threats by ensuring its pilots are effectively trained and by increasing its interoperability with the United States," the State Department said in a statement.
Ukraine has previously received F-16 jets from US allies under a transfer authorized by former President Joe Biden's administration. Ukraine received its first deliveries of F-16s in mid-2024 after two years of pushing Biden to approve their transfer.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier this year announced the delivery of a fresh batch of jets but did not say how many were delivered.
The deal announced on May 2 -- which Ukraine will pay for -- comes after US President Donald Trump criticized the billions of dollars in military and economic support provided to Kyiv under the Biden administration.
Zelenskyy said F-16s were discussed on May 2 during a meeting on the development Ukraine’s fleet of military aircraft.
“All the key issues were discussed: the F-16s that are already in Ukraine, the F-16s we expect in the near future, and the systemic solutions that will help us prepare and use our military aviation more effectively,” he said on X. “I thank everyone who is strengthening our actions in the skies.”
The weapons and equipment pledged to Ukraine under Biden were mostly approved under the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), which allows the president to approve rapid transfers to foreign countries from US military stockpiles.
These weapons and others purchased with US funds on behalf of Ukraine continue to flow.
The sale approved by the State Department on May 2 is separate and represents an actual weapons deal whose principal contractors include US defense contractors Lockheed Martin Aeronautics and BAE Systems, the Pentagon said in a statement.
The sale could include aircraft modifications and upgrades, flight training, maintenance, and sustainment support; spare parts, repair, ground handling equipment, classified software, classified publications and support, the statement said.
With reporting by Reuters and AFP
- By RFE/RL
US Appeals Court Allows Trump Administration To Temporarily Halt Funding To Radio Free Europe, Other Broadcasters
A US appeals court paused lower court rulings requiring President Donald Trump's administration to transfer congressionally authorized money to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and other federally funded news organizations.
The May 1 ruling by a three-judge panel in Washington, D.C., plus a related decision by the same panel on May 3, means RFE/RL's budget remains in limbo, as well as its ability to continue publishing and broadcasting.
RFE/RL has been locked in a legal fight with the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM) since March 14, when Trump signed an executive order calling for the reduction of USAGM to "the maximum extent consistent with applicable law."
The executive order not only affected USAGM but also Voice of America, RFE/RL, and other news organizations that receive congressional funding such as Radio Free Asia (RFA), the Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN), and others.
Unlike Voice of America, which is a federal entity, RFE/RL, RFA, and MBN are private nonprofit organizations.
RFE/RL has sued USAGM to release frozen budget funds. On April 29, US District Judge Royce Lamberth granted RFE/RL a temporary restraining order, ruling it was Congress that "ordained that the monies at issue should be allocated to RFE/RL" and that Trump signed into law the budget resolution appropriating those funds.
The ruling ordered payment of some of the outstanding funds RFE/RL said it is due.
On May 1, however, the three-judge panel from the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit voted 2-1 to issue an "administrative stay," which paused Lambeth's decision.
The panel said it wanted to give "sufficient opportunity" to hear emergency motions from US Justice Department lawyers, which are representing USAGM in court.
The halt "should not be construed in any way as a ruling on the merits of those motions," said the panel, which included two judges appointed by Trump and a third who was appointed by former President Barack Obama.
If it is appealed, then the decision on whether the administrative stay should remain in place will be heard by a fuller panel of the D.C. appeals court.
VOA and other federally funded broadcasters have been drastically affected by the Trump administration executive order and have filed parallel lawsuits challenging the order.
VOA has been forced to put nearly all its staff on paid leave and ended publications and broadcasts for the first time since it was launched in 1942.
RFA said nearly all of its staff, including those who have been furloughed, would be laid off as May 9. This means that by the end of May, half of RFA's language services will no longer produce or publish new content, it said.
RFE/RL has continued to broadcast and publish. However, it furloughed dozens of staffers, canceled many freelance contracts, and taken other measures to stretch dwindling budget funds.
The situation surrounding VOA is even more confusing. Lambeth, the same judge overseeing RFE/RL's case, on April 22 ordered the Trump administration to "take all necessary steps" to restore VOA employees.
On May 2, USAGM reportedly sent an e-mail to hundreds of employees instructing them to prepare to return to work in the coming days.
A day later, however, on May 3, a three-judge appeals panel -- the same panel that heard RFE/RL's case -- paused Lambeth's ruling, suggesting he did not have jurisdiction to order the VOA employees to return to work.
While the May 3 ruling did not directly affect RFE/RL, it could have legal implications for the broadcaster as its lawsuit proceeds.
Kari Lake, the Trump appointee who has overseen the efforts to shutter USAGM, hailed the appeals court ruling in a post to X: "Turns out the District Court judge will not be able to manage the agency as he seemed to want to."
RFE/RL continues to seek an injunction for the rest of the money it says it is due from congressional appropriations for the remainder of the 2025 budget year.
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