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Romania's pro-EU coalition has collapsed after Social Democrats joined the right-wing to remove Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan in a no-confidence vote, deepening instability amid the country's severe fiscal crisis. 

Israel and the US are reportedly coordinating preparations for potential strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure, as Iran attacked the UAE for a second consecutive day.

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Top 5 Stories

1️⃣ 🇷🇴 Romania's pro-EU coalition collapses after no-confidence vote: Parliament removed Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan with 281 votes as Social Democrats joined the right-wing AUR party less than a year after the coalition formed following annulled presidential elections. The political turmoil has deepened instability as Romania faces the EU's largest deficit and rising borrowing costs.

2️⃣ 🇫🇷🇦🇲 Macron backs Armenia's Pashinyan ahead of election: French President Emmanuel Macron publicly endorsed Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan during a state visit, declaring Armenia's future lies with Europe and accusing Russia of abandoning the country after Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh offensives. Pashinyan faces a tough re-election challenge next month from three pro-Russia or nationalist parties accusing him of making excessive concessions to Azerbaijan.

3️⃣ 🇸🇩🇪🇹 Sudan recalls ambassador over alleged Ethiopian drone strike: Sudan withdrew its ambassador to Ethiopia after accusing Addis Ababa and the UAE of launching a drone attack on Khartoum airport. Foreign Minister Mohieddin Salem claimed there was conclusive evidence the strike originated from Ethiopian territory. The government holds both countries responsible and reserves the right to respond, though neither has commented on the allegations.

4️⃣ 🇯🇵🇵🇭 Japan and Philippines agree to weapons transfer talks: Defense ministers from both countries expressed alarm over China's intensifying coercive activities in disputed waters and agreed to begin negotiations on a pact allowing Tokyo to provide used destroyers to Manila's navy. The announcement came ahead of the annual Balikatan combat exercise featuring live-fire drills 40 kilometers off the coast facing the South China Sea.

5️⃣ 🌍 WHO says hantavirus may have spread between cruise passengers: The World Health Organization indicated rare human-to-human transmission of hantavirus may have occurred among close contacts aboard the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius, where three passengers have died and seven cases have been identified. Two crew members are set for medical evacuation to the Netherlands while 149 people from 23 countries remain aboard under strict precautionary measures near Cape Verde.

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Major Story

🇮🇷 Iran War Update

Military

1️⃣ 🇮🇱🇺🇸 Israel and US prepare potential strike campaign on Iran: According to a source cited by CNN, both countries are coordinating preparations for a short campaign targeting Iranian energy infrastructure and senior officials, aimed at pressing Tehran into further concessions. The source emphasised that any decision to resume hostilities would ultimately rest with President Trump.

2️⃣ 🇮🇷🇦🇪 Iran attacks UAE for second consecutive day: The UAE reported Iranian missile and drone strikes for a second straight day, though Iran's IRGC denied any involvement, dismissing the claims as entirely false.

3️⃣ 🇺🇸 Rubio declares Operation Epic Fury over: Marco Rubio said the US air campaign against Iran has concluded, with Washington now focused on Project Freedom - the naval effort to guide vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's parliament speaker argued both Project Freedom and the naval blockade constitute ceasefire violations, as tensions rose following Iran's firing on US warships.

4️⃣ 🇺🇸 Pentagon assures safe passage despite Hormuz mines: Despite warning that unsurveyed mines rendered the strait's standard shipping lanes extremely hazardous, the Pentagon said a secure passage exists south of those lanes in Omani territorial waters. 

Diplomatic

1️⃣ 🇺🇸🇮🇷 Trump pauses Project Freedom amid diplomacy: President Trump paused the naval escort operation through the Strait of Hormuz after only two ships transited successfully, citing diplomatic progress and requests from Pakistan and other countries.

2️⃣ 🇮🇷🇨🇳 Iranian FM arrives in Beijing for talks: Foreign Minister Araghchi arrived in Beijing to meet Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, with discussions expected to cover bilateral relations and regional developments, according to Iranian state media. U.S. officials are urging Beijing to leverage its influence with Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, with Marco Rubio calling on China to use Araghchi's visit to deliver that message directly.

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Other News

1️⃣ 🇹🇭🇰🇭 Thailand scraps 2001 maritime deal with Cambodia: Thailand's government terminated a Memorandum of Understanding designed to resolve overlapping maritime territorial claims, ending hopes of exploiting offshore oil and gas resources after five failed rounds of talks over two decades. The decision follows sharp deterioration in relations and armed combat last year over land border disputes that killed several dozen and displaced hundreds of thousands.

2️⃣ 🇺🇦 Ukraine strikes Russian facility 1,500km into territory: Ukraine hit a Russian military-industrial complex in Cheboksary using domestically-made Flamingo cruise missiles, targeting a state institute producing components for high-precision weapons used against Ukraine. The strike came days before Russia's Victory Day parade on 9 May, which will be significantly scaled back without military vehicles or cadets due to operational concerns and what the Kremlin described as a terrorist threat.

3️⃣ 🇬🇧 Starmer faces 'referendum' in UK local elections: Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour Party confronts local and devolved elections Thursday that analysts describe as a referendum on his leadership, with the party bracing for its worst results in decades two years after winning a landslide. Labour faces pressure from Reform UK and the Green Party, while confronting an unprecedented challenge from Plaid Cymru in Wales, a stronghold Labour has dominated since 1999.

4️⃣ 🇩🇪 Merz rules out snap elections despite sliding polls: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz rejected both snap elections and governing as a minority despite declining approval ratings, stating he will maintain the coalition between his Christian Democrats and Social Democrats until the end of the legislative term. A recent poll showed 71 percent of respondents dissatisfied with Merz's performance a year after he took office, with only 16 percent viewing the coalition government as successful.

5️⃣ 🇨🇩 Amnesty accuses ADF of war crimes in eastern DR Congo: Amnesty International accused Allied Democratic Forces militants of widespread war crimes and crimes against humanity, based on testimonies from 71 people. The report found the ADF attacks civilians to steal supplies and in retaliation for military operations, with joint Ugandan-Congolese military efforts since 2021 failing to halt the violence.

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