MOSCOW: Chinese President Xi Jinping has accepted Russia’s invitation to attend the commemorations of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, TASS state news agency reported on Monday.
“Chinese President Xi Jinping has accepted an invitation to take part in the celebrations on May 9 in Moscow on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War,” TASS cited Russian ambassador to China, Igor Morgulov, as telling Russian state television.
The Kremlin said in December that it had invited “many countries” to attend the 80th anniversary of the end of the war, which Russians call the “Great Patriotic War.”
The Soviet Union lost 27 million people in World War Two, including many millions in Ukraine, but eventually pushed Nazi forces back to Berlin, where Adolf Hitler committed suicide and the red Soviet Victory Banner was raised over the Reichstag in 1945.
Nazi Germany’s unconditional surrender came into force at 11:01 p.m. on May 8, 1945, marked as “Victory in Europe Day” by France, Britain and the United States. In Moscow it was already May 9, which became the Soviet Union’s “Victory Day” in what Russians call the Great Patriotic War of 1941-45.
Victory Day has become Russia’s most important secular holiday.
Morgulov said that Xi in return, invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to China for the country’s commemoration of the end of World War Two, which are planned for September.
China’s Xi accepts invitation to attend Moscow’s Victory Day in May, TASS reports
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China’s Xi accepts invitation to attend Moscow’s Victory Day in May, TASS reports
- Kremlin earlier said it had invited ‘many countries’ to attend the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two
- The Soviet Union lost 27 million people in World War Two, including many millions in Ukraine
British right-wing Reform party under scrutiny over online posts of candidates
- Hope Not Hate identified multiple Reform UK candidates who have promoted far-right conspiracy theories or made Islamophobic remarks
LONDON: The British right-wing Reform UK party has come under renewed scrutiny after an anti-racism campaign group claimed that several of the party’s local election candidates have posted hateful and extremist content online, it was revealed on Thursday.
The offensive content has been unearthed despite assurances from party leader Nigel Farage that a rigorous vetting system is in place for its candidates.
The group Hope Not Hate said it had identified multiple Reform UK candidates standing in England’s May 1 local elections who have promoted far-right conspiracy theories or made Islamophobic remarks on social media.
The party has selected more than 1,600 candidates for the upcoming vote.
In a BBC investigation published on Thursday, posts highlighted included calls to “nuke” Islam, claims that British towns with large Muslim populations were “s******s,” and support for the “Demographic Jihad” conspiracy theory that accuses Muslims of attempting to replace the UK’s native population.
Some of the posts were recent, while others date back several years, but were visible when candidates were selected.
One candidate, Steven Biggs, running in North Durham, previously posted that “Islam has no place on this earth” and linked to content from anti-Muslim group Britain First.
Another candidate in Doncaster shared content alleging Islamic colonization, while a third, in Lincolnshire, endorsed the idea that Muslim immigration was a strategy to overtake native populations.
At a campaign event in Dover on Thursday, Farage claimed Reform UK now had a vetting system “as good if not better than other parties,” adding that “hundreds” of applicants had been rejected for offensive or “outrageous” remarks.
Farage has long rejected claims that Reform UK harbors extremists, and the party has taken steps to distance itself from figures such as jailed anti-Islam activist Tommy Robinson.
The party is chaired by Zia Yusuf, himself a Muslim entrepreneur, and Farage has previously said he would “never want anything to do with” Robinson.
Hope Not Hate, which says it focuses on monitoring the far right, argues that the examples it uncovered call into question Reform UK’s vetting claims. Some of the posts cited have since been deleted or hidden.
Reform UK has yet to respond publicly to the latest findings.
Colombian President Petro denies allegation of drug use
- Former foreign minister Alvaro Leyva, 82, provided no evidence to support his claims
- 'Put simply, I’ve been slandered,' the Colombian President Gustavo Petro said
BOGOTA: Colombian President Gustavo Petro said that accusations by his former foreign minister that he is a drug addict are slander, after the ex-official published a letter recounting an incident he alleges took place in France.
Alvaro Leyva, who was foreign minister for nearly two years until May 2024, said in a lengthy public letter posted on X on Wednesday that Petro had “disappeared” for two days during an official visit to France in 2023. The letter also alleged that the president has “a drug addiction problem.”
Leyva provided no evidence to support his claims and did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Reuters has no independent information corroborating the accusations.
“Put simply, I’ve been slandered,” Petro said on X late on Wednesday, adding in a separate post that during the 2023 visit he had been spending time with his eldest daughter and her family, who live in France.
Petro’s daughter, Andrea, also posted on X, saying he had been with her family.
Petro’s office did not immediately respond to a message seeking further comment.
Leyva, an 82-year-old conservative, was appointed by leftist Petro when he took office in August 2022 and said in his letter that he felt the president’s ability to govern was being affected by several ongoing situations, including what he said was Petro’s use of his speeches to “incite a class war.”
Colombia’s former justice minister, Wilson Ruiz, said on Wednesday he had asked the investigative committee of the lower house to look into Petro’s mental and physical health because of the alleged drug use.
Contact information for Ruiz was not immediately available.
St. Peter’s Basilica stays open overnight for public viewing of Pope Francis due to strong turnout
- After three days of public viewing, a funeral Mass including heads of state will be held Saturday in St. Peter’s Square
- The pope will then be buried in a niche within the St. Mary Major Basilica, near his favorite Madonna icon
VATICAN CITY: So many mourners lined up to see Pope Francis lying in state in a simple wooden coffin inside St. Peter’s Basilica that the Vatican kept the doors open all night due to higher-than-expected turnout, closing the basilica for just an hour and a half Thursday morning for cleaning.
The basilica was bathed in a hushed silence as mourners from across the globe made a slow, shuffling procession up the main aisle to pay their last respects to Francis, who died Monday at age 88 after a stroke.
The hours spent on line up the stately via della Conciliazione through St. Peter’s Square and through the Holy Door into the basilica has allowed mourners to find community around the Argentine pontiff’s legacy of inclusion and humble persona.
Emiliano Fernandez, a Catholic from Mexico, was waiting in line around midnight, and after two hours still had not reached the basilica.
“I don’t even care how much time I wait here. It’s just the opportunity to (show) how I admired Francisco in his life,” said Fernandez, whose admiration for the pope grew during his 2016 visit to Mexico.
Robert Healy, a pilgrim from Ireland, flew on the spur of the moment from Dublin just to pay his respects.
“I think it’s just really important to be here, to show our respect to the Holy Father,” he said. “We flew from Dublin last night, we’re staying for one day, home tonight then. We just felt it was really important to be here.”
The last numbers released by the Vatican said more than 90,000 people had paid their respects by Thursday evening, a day and a half after opening. The basilica closed for just a short time Thursday morning, and will stay open Thursday night as long as there are mourners, the Vatican said.
Among the first-day mourners was a church group of 14-year-olds from near Milan who arrived for the now-suspended canonization of the first millennial saint, as well as a woman who prayed to the pope for a successful operation and an Italian family who brought their small children to see the pope’s body.
“We came because we didn’t bring them when he was alive, so we thought we would bring them for a final farewell,’’ said Rosa Scorpati, who was exiting the basilica Wednesday with her three children in strollers. “They were good, but I don’t think they really understood because they haven’t yet had to deal with death.”
Like many others, the Scorpati family from Calabria was in Rome on an Easter vacation, only to be met with the news of Francis’ death on Easter Monday.
Out of devotion to the pope and his message of inclusion, the grieving faithful joined the procession of mourners that wended from St. Peter’s Square through the basilica’s Holy Door, with the repentant among them winning an indulgence, a form of atonement granted during the Jubilee Holy Year. From there, the line extended down the basilica’s central aisle to the pope’s simple wooden casket.
After three days of public viewing, a funeral Mass including heads of state will be held Saturday in St. Peter’s Square. The pope will then be buried in a niche within the St. Mary Major Basilica, near his favorite Madonna icon.
Security
Italian authorities have tightened security around the Vatican, adding drones to foot and horse patrols to their controls along the Tiber River and Via della Conciliazione, which leads to St. Peter’s Square, to secure the area for mourners and foreign delegation expected for the funeral.
The Vatican said 130 delegations are confirmed, including 50 heads of state and 10 reigning sovereigns. Among those confirming their attendance are US President Donald Trump with the First Lady Melania Trump, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The prefect of Rome, Lamberto Giannini, told a news conference on Thursday that “I believe that the ‘security machine’ is ready,” but will remain flexible and ”ready to reshape and above all transmit a sense of serenity.”
Paying respects
The death of Franci s capped a 12-year pontificate characterized by his concern for the poor and his message of inclusion, but he was also criticized by some conservatives who felt alienated by his progressive outlook.
A procession of priests, bishops and cardinals accompanied Francis’ body Wednesday on its journey from a private viewing inside the Vatican to St. Peter’s Square. The pageantry contrasted with the human interactions of rank-and-file mourners at the public viewing.
Francis lay in state in an open casket, perched on a ramp facing mourners, with four Swiss Guards standing at attention. As the crowd reached the casket, many lifted their smartphones to snap a photo.
One nun accompanying an elderly woman with a cane walked away sobbing, “My pope is gone.’’
Such despair was rare. The mood was more one of gratitude for a pope who had, by example, taught many people to open their minds.
“I am very devoted to the pope,” said Ivenes Bianco, who was in Rome from Brindisi, Italy, for an operation. ”He was important to me because he brought many people together by encouraging coexistence.” She cited Francis’ acceptance of the gay community and his insistence on helping the poor.
Humbeline Coroy came to Rome from Perpignan, France, for the planned canonization Sunday of 15-year-old Carlo Acutis, which was suspended after the pope’s death. She stayed to pay respects to Francis, enjoying exchanges with Japanese mourners they met as they waited under the sun in St. Peter’s Square.
“For me, it is a lot of things. In my job, I work with disabled children, and I traveled to Madagascar to work with poor people. Being here, and close to the pope, is a way of integrating these experiences, and make them concrete,’’ she said.
Cardinals convene
Cardinals continued to arrive in Rome for Saturday’s funeral, and numbered 113 by Thursday. During a morning session “the cardinals started a conversation on the church and the world,” the details of which remain private.
No sooner than May 5, after nine days of official mourning, cardinals under 80 years of age will meet in a conclave to choose a new pope. That number is expected to be 134, after Spanish Cardinal Antonio Cañizares said he would not make it to Rome for health reasons. Bosnian Cardinal Vinko Puljic, meanwhile, confirmed his participation after getting cleared by doctors, the Sarajevo diocese said.
“We have not yet opened the Conclave, and one feels that,” said French Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco, arriving for the cardinals’ meeting. “For the moment I do not believe the cardinals are saying ‘who will be the next?’ For the moment we are here completely for Francis.”
Zelensky: Russian strike that hit residential building in Kyiv used North Korean missile
- “This will be further proof of the criminal nature of the alliance between Russia and Pyongyang,” Zelensky said
KYIV: Russia used a North Korean ballistic missile for the deadly overnight strike that hit a residential building in Kyiv, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday, citing preliminary information.
“If the information that this missile was made in North Korea is confirmed, this will be further proof of the criminal nature of the alliance between Russia and Pyongyang,” he said on X.
EU chief says talks with UK PM could ‘pave way’ for defense pact
- Both sides are seeking to improve ties amid the global turmoil ushered in by US President Donald Trump
- Von der Leyen said Thursday’s talks could lead to the UK joining a European defense program
LONDON: Talks with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday could “pave the way” for a defense and security pact, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said as the pair met in London.
With a landmark post-Brexit EU-UK due summit next month, both sides are seeking to improve ties amid the global turmoil ushered in by US President Donald Trump.
However Starmer faces a tricky balancing act, as he is also looking to reach out to the Trump administration and secure a favorable trade deal with the United States.
UK and EU officials have been hoping a defense and security pact will be the highlight of the May 19 meeting, as Trump’s return to the White House casts doubt on the United States’ commitment to NATO and European security.
European Commission President von der Leyen said Thursday’s talks could lead to the UK joining a European defense program.
“We will discuss work on a strategic security and defense partnership agreement, which might pave the way then to a joint procurement and UK participation in our SAFE program,” she said, referring to a 150 billion euro ($170 billion) joint EU fund allowing countries to buy missiles, artillery, drones, ammunition and other equipment.
Britain needs to sign a defense pact to be included in the fund, which could benefit UK companies including BAE Systems and Rolls Royce.
The London summit in May is also meant to turn the page on years of post-Brexit strife, as part of a “reset” in relations promised by Starmer.
Welcoming von der Leyen to Downing Street after the pair attended a global energy security summit in London, Starmer said: “In a world which seems increasingly unstable with an uncertain future, it is so good that we are working so closely together on so many issues.”
“I’m really pleased that we’ve committed to a reset of our relationship, a really important relationship, which I think will be of huge benefit to both of us,” he said.
The summit is set to be a key milestone in the Labour leader’s pursuit of closer relations with the bloc following Britain’s bitter 2020 departure under the previous Conservative government.
However Starmer has laid out strict red lines, while the EU has its own demands, raising questions about what exactly the talks can achieve.
The UK prime minister has vowed Britain will not return to the single market or customs union and has ruled out signing up to freedom of movement.
Some EU countries, led by France, have been pushing to link progress on defense agreements to successful negotiations in other areas, with fishing a major sticking point.
