Russia rejects Ukraine’s ceasefire. Russia fired dozens of drone strikes at Ukraine overnight despite Kyiv announcing a ceasefire that was set to begin at midnight, Ukrainian officials said. Both countries announced ceasefires for different dates this week, with neither accepting the dates proposed by the other.
Romanian government collapse. The country’s pro-European government collapsed yesterday after losing a no-confidence vote. The leftist Social Democrats split from the governing coalition over the government’s austerity measures, joining the far right to approve the no-confidence motion. Centrist President Nicușor Dan, who nominates the country’s prime minister, said he anticipated another pro-European government would form. Romania is due to hold a general election in 2028 and has never staged an early vote.
Japan-South Africa energy cooperation. Tokyo will accelerate plans for a loan to Pretoria denominated in yen, unnamed Japanese officials told Bloomberg. The funding will be used for energy investments. Japan plans to help South Africa use ammonia—which can be made from green hydrogen—to reduce emissions at coal-fired power plants.
EU-U.S. trade deal timeline. The top European Union (EU) trade official urged his U.S. counterpart yesterday to adopt a 2025 trade deal by July, a European Commission spokesperson said. That deal included a 15 percent base tariff rate for European goods, lower than the 25 percent Trump threatened on European cars and trucks last week. Europe has not yet ratified the agreement, but Brussels has said it aims to approve it next month ahead of its one-year anniversary.
Saudi Arabia’s defense spending. Riyadh spent 26 percent more on defense in the first quarter of 2026 than during the same period last year, according to figures published yesterday. Its deficit rose to the highest level since 2018. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund said last month the Iran war might cause it to adjust some of its priorities.
Philippines-Japan security talks. The two countries agreed yesterday to launch negotiations on a deal for Japan to supply used warships to the Philippines. In a joint statement made at a meeting in Manila, their defense chiefs voiced concern over China’s “coercive activities” in disputed waters.
North Korea drops unification goal. North Korea changed its constitution to remove a goal of legal reunification with South Korea, a researcher announced at a South Korean government press conference today. The revised constitution acknowledges South Korea as a neighboring country and does not include details about the countries’ disputed maritime border. Pyongyang did not immediately comment on the constitutional change.
Norway’s oil and gas expansion. The country's state-owned energy company announced yesterday it has resumed production at a gas field that it had previously written off as being commercially unviable. It moved to activate the field during the energy shock caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In the wake of the Iran war, Norway’s government is offering up seventy new oil and gas exploration permits.
