The Élysée Palace said Ambassador Stephane Romatet would resume his duties in Algiers more than a year after he was recalled amid diplomatic tensions between Paris and its former colony.

French Deputy Armed Forces Minister Alice Rufo is scheduled to attend ceremonies on Friday marking the 1945 crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations in Algeria, accompanied by Romatet.The ceremonies commemorate the mass killings in Sétif, Guelma and Kherrata on May 8, 1945, when French colonial authorities violently suppressed nationalist protests demanding greater political rights.

The events remain a deeply sensitive issue in relations between France and Algeria and continue to shape historical and political discourse in both countries.The French presidency said the decision reflected Emmanuel Macron’s intention to restore diplomatic engagement with Algeria.

“The President of the Republic’s desire is to address relations between France and Algeria with honesty” and “to restore an effective dialogue,” the Élysée said in a statement.Relations between Paris and Algiers have faced repeated tensions in recent years over migration policy, visa restrictions, security cooperation and disputes surrounding France’s colonial legacy in North Africa.

Macron has sought a more conciliatory approach toward Algeria during his presidency, including acknowledging abuses committed during French colonial rule, though disagreements over historical memory and political rhetoric have periodically disrupted bilateral ties.

In a statement, the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation said Ukrainian forces continued attacks using drones and artillery despite the temporary truce announced by Russia.

“Despite the declaration of a ceasefire, Ukrainian armed groups continued to launch attacks using drones and artillery against the positions of our troops, as well as against civilian targets in the border areas of the Belgorod and Kursk regions,” the ministry said.

“Despite the declaration of a ceasefire, Ukrainian armed groups continued to launch attacks using drones and artillery against the positions of our troops, as well as against civilian targets in the border areas of the Belgorod and Kursk regions,” the ministry said.

The ministry said Russian forces responded “in kind” to the alleged violations, carrying out strikes against artillery systems, mortar positions, command centers and drone launch sites operated by Ukrainian forces.

The ceasefire had been announced by Moscow to coincide with ceremonies commemorating the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany, one of Russia’s most symbolically important national observances.The statement did not specify the scale of the reported attacks or provide casualty figures.

Border regions including Belgorod and Kursk have faced repeated drone strikes and shelling during the conflict, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Kyiv has previously questioned the sincerity of temporary Russian ceasefire announcements, accusing Moscow of continuing military operations during declared pauses in fighting.

Neither side’s battlefield claims could be independently verified.

The meetings in Rome come amid strains between the United States and several European allies following criticism by Donald Trump over Europe’s reluctance to support the U.S. military campaign against Iran and disagreements over tariffs and defense commitments.

Rubio was also scheduled to hold talks with Antonio Tajani as part of a broader diplomatic effort to ease trans-Atlantic friction.

Italy has publicly opposed the war with Iran, with Meloni describing the conflict as “illegal” and criticizing Trump’s remarks directed at Pope Leo XIV. Trump in turn accused Meloni of failing to support Washington adequately during the conflict.

The dispute has complicated what had previously been viewed as one of Trump’s strongest relationships with a European leader.

Washington has also increased pressure on European allies over military burden-sharing and support for operations in the Middle East. The United States recently announced plans to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany, while Trump has threatened additional reductions of American military deployments in Italy and Spain.

Italy hosts several strategically important U.S. and NATO facilities supporting operations across the Mediterranean, Middle East and North Africa. Italian officials have expressed concern that troop reductions could weaken NATO’s southern flank.

Defense cooperation between Rome and Washington came under strain in March when Italy declined to authorize the use of the Sigonella air base in Sicily for U.S. bombing missions linked to the Iran conflict without parliamentary approval.

Under Italy’s constitution and existing treaty arrangements, military bases used within a NATO framework generally require additional authorization for offensive combat operations.

Meloni and Tajani have repeatedly stated that Italy will not participate directly in the Iran war and have insisted any request involving offensive use of Italian bases must receive parliamentary consent, where opposition to the conflict remains strong.

The war has also raised economic concerns for Italy, which depends heavily on energy imports and exports. Meloni has warned that instability in the Strait of Hormuz risks increasing energy prices and harming household purchasing power, while uncertainty surrounding possible U.S. tariffs has unsettled Italy’s export-oriented industries.

Rubio’s visit began on Thursday with meetings at the Vatican, including talks with Pope Leo XIV and Cardinal Pietro Parolin.According to the U.S. Department of State⁠, discussions focused on efforts to secure a lasting peace in the Middle East and reaffirmed the longstanding relationship between Washington and the Holy See.

Anthony James Kazmierczak, 55, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of assaulting a United States officer in connection with the Jan. 27 incident, in which prosecutors said he sprayed Omar with apple cider vinegar from a syringe during a public event focused on immigration enforcement policies.

The Justice Department said Kazmierczak acknowledged during a hearing before U.S. District Judge Joan Ericksen that he had planned the assault in advance and acted because he disagreed with Omar’s positions on immigration and federal enforcement actions.

The attack occurred as Omar criticized the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency’s operations in Minnesota and discussed fatal shootings involving federal agents in Minneapolis. Authorities said the liquid sprayed on Omar’s clothing and skin was later confirmed through laboratory analysis to contain acetic acid.

Omar was not injured.Security personnel subdued Kazmierczak after he shouted and gestured toward Omar during the event, according to officials. He was later arrested, while the town hall resumed after a temporary disruption.Omar, a Somali-born Muslim lawmaker who arrived in the United States as a refugee child and became a U.S. citizen in 2000, has frequently been the target of political attacks and threats linked to her outspoken criticism of Republican immigration policies and U.S. foreign policy.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized Omar publicly and on social media, including remarks questioning her place in the United States and calling for punitive action against her. Civil rights advocates and political analysts have warned that increasingly hostile rhetoric directed at elected officials has contributed to a broader rise in political intimidation and violence across the country.

The Justice Department did not immediately disclose a sentencing date. Federal assault charges involving attacks on elected officials can carry prison terms and financial penalties depending on the severity of the offense and intent established by prosecutors.

The Copernicus Climate Change Service said sea surface temperatures in April were the second-highest ever recorded for the month, with warming accelerating across parts of the Pacific Ocean as neutral conditions transition toward El Niño.

Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, said daily ocean temperatures in recent days had moved close to surpassing the previous records set in 2024.

“It’s a matter of days before we are back in record-breaking ocean SSTs again,” Burgess told AFP, referring to sea surface temperatures.

Copernicus said marine heatwaves reached unprecedented levels in waters between the tropical Pacific and the United States during April, reflecting broader warming trends tied to both natural climate variability and long-term greenhouse gas emissions.

Last month, the World Meteorological Organization said El Niño conditions could emerge between May and July. The climate phenomenon, linked to warming Pacific Ocean waters and shifting trade winds, alters global weather systems and raises the likelihood of drought, heavy rainfall and severe heat events.

Scientists say El Niño is unfolding against a backdrop of persistent global warming, with oceans absorbing roughly 90 percent of excess heat generated by human-driven emissions from fossil fuels.

The previous El Niño contributed to 2023 and 2024 becoming the second- and hottest years on record respectively, according to climate agencies. Some forecasters believe the developing event could rival the strength of the “super” El Niño recorded in the late 1990s.

Zeke Hausfather, a climate scientist at Berkeley Earth, said last week that a strong El Niño could significantly increase the chances of 2027 becoming the hottest year ever observed globally.

Burgess cautioned that forecasting the intensity of El Niño during the Northern Hemisphere spring remains difficult because of seasonal uncertainties in climate models. She said, however, that the event was already likely to have substantial global consequences.

“We’re likely to see 2027 exceed 2024 for the warmest year on record,” Burgess said, noting that El Niño’s strongest influence on global temperatures often emerges in the year after it peaks.In its monthly climate bulletin, Copernicus said April temperatures globally were 1.43 degrees Celsius above the 1850-1900 pre-industrial average, making it the third-warmest April on record.

The agency also reported Arctic sea ice levels remained near historic lows during April, while Europe experienced contrasting weather conditions that could increase the risk of drought and wildfires during the coming summer.

Climate researchers say the persistence of marine heatwaves, shrinking ice cover and rising global temperatures underscores the intensifying impact of climate change, even before the full effects of El Niño materialize.

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said the Israeli charge d’affaires was called in to receive Madrid’s protest over what he described as the “unacceptable and intolerable” extension of the detention of Saif Abu Keshek, a Spanish citizen of Palestinian origin detained after Israeli forces intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters near Greece last week.

An Israeli court has extended the detention of Abu Keshek and Brazilian activist Thiago Avila until Sunday, despite calls from international rights groups and foreign governments for their release. Israeli authorities have not filed formal charges against either activist.

The flotilla was the second maritime initiative in the past year aimed at challenging Israel’s blockade on Gaza, where shortages of food, medicine, water and fuel have intensified during the war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Israeli forces intercepted the vessel and deported several activists to Europe while detaining Abu Keshek and Avila. Rights organizations have alleged the detainees were subjected to abuse while in custody, accusations Israeli authorities have denied.

The latest dispute underscores the widening rupture in relations between Spain and Israel since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict following Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has repeatedly criticized Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and previously described it as a “genocide,” a characterization Israel strongly rejects.

Diplomatic ties deteriorated further after Spain formally recognized a Palestinian state in 2024, prompting Israel to recall its ambassador from Madrid. Spain later dismissed its own ambassador to Tel Aviv in March.

The diplomatic clash coincided with Madrid’s decision to honor Francesca Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, with the Order of Civil Merit.

Sanchez’s office said Albanese was recognized for her work documenting alleged violations of international law in Gaza. Albanese has repeatedly accused Israel of committing genocide during the conflict, allegations Israel denies, accusing critics of antisemitism.

The United States has imposed sanctions on Albanese, accusing her of “biased and malicious” criticism of both Washington and Israel. Spain has urged the European Commission to prevent the U.S. sanctions from being enforced within the European Union.

France and Germany have also criticized Albanese and called for her resignation over remarks referring to a “common enemy of humanity,” although Albanese has denied that the statement was directed at Israel.

Rubio, a Catholic and the highest-ranking U.S. official to meet the first American pope since his election in May 2025, held a private audience with Leo at the Vatican before separate discussions with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

“The meeting underscored the strong relationship between the United States and the Holy See and their shared commitment to promoting peace and human dignity,” U.S. State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said after the talks.According to the State Department, discussions focused on the Middle East conflict, the Iran war and issues concerning Latin America, referred to by Washington as the Western Hemisphere.

A U.S. official also confirmed that the Catholic Church’s role in Cuba was raised during the meetings.The Holy See has historically maintained diplomatic engagement with Cuba, while Rubio, a Cuban-American, has been closely associated with U.S. efforts aimed at political change in the communist-run island nation.

Rubio also discussed religious freedom and broader geopolitical issues with Parolin, Pigott said.

The visit followed an unusually public rift between Trump and Pope Leo, who has repeatedly called for peace in the Middle East and criticized threats of military escalation against Iran.Trump recently accused the pope of being “weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy” and alleged this week that Leo’s positions risked “endangering a lot of Catholics and a lot of people.”

Leo rejected the criticism during remarks to reporters on Tuesday, saying the Catholic Church’s role was to “preach peace” and reiterating the Vatican’s longstanding opposition to nuclear weapons.“If anyone wishes to criticize me for proclaiming the Gospel, let them do so truthfully,” the pope said.

Cardinal Parolin earlier suggested the meeting would involve candid exchanges, noting that Washington had requested the talks. “The pope is being the pope,” Parolin said on Wednesday when asked about Trump’s criticism.Despite the tensions, Vatican protocol signaled a warm reception for Rubio. His convoy entered through the Arch of Bells, an honor generally reserved for heads of state, and he was formally welcomed by the Swiss Guard.

Rubio told reporters before departing for Rome that the trip had been arranged prior to the recent dispute and described the Vatican as an important diplomatic partner. “There’s a lot to talk about with the Vatican,” he said.

The Trump administration had initially welcomed Leo’s election as the first U.S.-born pope, but relations have since deteriorated over disagreements on immigration, Middle East policy and nuclear rhetoric involving Iran.

Gunmen stormed an unregistered orphanage in Kogi in late April, abducting 23 children and several adults. Most of the children were released shortly afterward, but seven children remained missing until the latest rescue operation.In a statement, the Nigerian army said troops “successfully rescued the remaining kidnapped victims” following what it described as sustained search-and-rescue efforts.

The rescued group included five boys, two girls and two adult women believed to be wives of the orphanage proprietor, the statement said.Authorities did not disclose details about the operation or whether any suspects were arrested.

Kogi state Information Commissioner Kingsley Fanwo previously said the orphanage had been operating illegally in a remote forested area without registration or oversight from state authorities and security agencies.Nigeria continues to face overlapping security crises, including insurgencies, armed banditry, communal violence and separatist unrest.

Kidnappings for ransom have become increasingly common, particularly in rural and underserved regions where security presence is limited.North-central Nigeria, including Kogi state, has witnessed repeated attacks on schools and communities in recent years.

Security officials have linked some incidents in neighboring regions to militants affiliated with Boko Haram.In November, hundreds of students were abducted from a school in neighboring Niger state in an attack that security sources attributed to Boko Haram fighters.

Latvia’s military said in a statement that multiple unmanned aerial vehicles crossed into the airspace of the European Union and NATO member state, which shares a border with Russia.“Several unmanned aerial vehicles entered Latvian airspace,” the armed forces said, adding that two of the drones crashed on Latvian territory.

National police said one drone fell at an oil depot in Rezekne, near Latvia’s eastern frontier, causing a fire that firefighters later extinguished. Authorities did not report casualties or major infrastructure damage.The Latvian army warned that similar incidents could recur while Russia’s war in Ukraine continues.

“As long as Russian aggression against Ukraine continues, it is possible that such incidents will be repeated, when a foreign unmanned aircraft enters Latvian airspace or approaches it,” the military said.The incident marks the latest security concern for the Baltic states since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Stray or downed drones linked to the conflict have periodically entered or crashed in the territories of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, all former Soviet republics that are now members of NATO and the European Union.The Baltic region has heightened air defense monitoring and border surveillance amid fears that the Ukraine conflict could spill into neighboring territories through military accidents or escalating regional tensions.

Russia has not publicly commented on the incident.

Ramaswamy, a billionaire biotech entrepreneur and newcomer to state politics, consolidated support early in the race with endorsements from former President Donald Trump and the Ohio Republican Party, helping him clinch the nomination in a competitive primary.

Trump’s backing underscored his continued influence in Ohio, a state that has supported him in three presidential elections. However, Ramaswamy’s campaign could face challenges in the general election amid concerns over Trump’s declining popularity tied to the ongoing war in Iran and rising living costs, factors that may shape voter sentiment.

Acton, a physician who gained prominence as Ohio’s COVID-era health director, ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. Her established public profile and strong fundraising network have buoyed Democratic hopes of reclaiming the governor’s office for the first time in two decades.

The gubernatorial race is expected to draw significant financial resources from both parties, reflecting its strategic importance in a politically competitive state.In Ohio’s other key contest, former Senator Sherrod Brown secured the Democratic nomination to challenge Republican Senator Jon Husted in November.

Brown, who retains a strong voter base from his previous tenure, is seen by Democrats as a viable contender to flip the seat.Republicans have signaled a robust defense, with the Senate Leadership Fund, a leading GOP-aligned super PAC, committing $79 million to support Husted’s campaign. Husted faced no opposition in his primary.

The twin races are expected to serve as indicators of broader political trends in a state that remains pivotal in national elections.