Closing summary
… and on that note, it’s a wrap from me, Jakub Krupa, for today.
Unidentified gunmen have shot and killed a former Ukrainian politician, Andriy Portnov, outside a school in an upmarket suburb of Madrid. Widely seen as a pro-Russia political figure, Portnov, 52, had been involved in drafting legislation targeting participants of the 2014 revolution in Ukraine before the pro-Russian president he worked for, Viktor Yanukovych, was ousted by a popular uprising.
European leaders – who have promised to impose “massive” new sanctions on Russia after Vladimir Putin’s rejection of a ceasefire in Ukraine – face the prospect of having to introduce their planned expansion of economic restrictions on the Russian war economy without the United States.
German police have staged early morning raids against an alleged far-right “terrorist” cell on suspicion of attacks against asylum seekers and political enemies, arresting five teenage suspects, federal prosecutors have said.
Portuguese prosecutors have opened a probe into remarks made by far-right leader Andre Ventura against the Roma community, three days after an election in which his Chega party surged and was tied for second place in parliament, Reuters reported.
The EU unveiled plans to cut red tape for medium-sized companies and abolish barriers for businesses to sell goods across the bloc’s single market as part of its efforts to catch up with China and the United States.
President Emmanuel Macron ordered the government to draw up proposals to tackle the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood movement and the spread of political Islamism in France, the Élysée Palace said. The document is expected to be published by the end of the week.
Poland’s prime minister Donald Tusk said the Polish military was forced to intervene on the Baltic Sea after a Russian ship from the sanctioned “shadow fleet” performed what he described as “suspicious manoeuvres” near the power cable connecting Poland with Sweden.
And that’s all from me, Jakub Krupa, for today.
If you have any tips, comments or suggestions, email me at [email protected].
I am also on Bluesky at @jakubkrupa.bsky.social and on X at @jakubkrupa.
Macron urges action on Muslim Brotherhood, 'political Islamism' in France
President Emmanuel Macron ordered the government to draw up proposals to tackle the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood movement and the spread of political Islamism in France, the Élysée Palace said.
AFP noted that the French presidency made the announcement after Macron chaired a security meeting to examine a report sounding the alarm about the Muslim Brotherhood and saying the movement poses “a threat to national cohesion” in France.
“Given the importance of the subject and the seriousness of the facts established, he has asked the government to draw up new proposals that will be examined at a forthcoming Defence Council meeting in early June,” the Élysée said.
The report “clearly establishes the anti-republican and subversive nature of the Muslim Brotherhood” and “proposes ways to address this threat”, the presidency said ahead of the meeting, AFP reported.
The publication sparked “heated reactions” across the political spectrum, the agency noted.
In a rare move, Macron has also decided to make the report public by the end of the week, so expect more on this in the coming days.
