Slovakia opposes EU's plan to end Russian energy imports: PM

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Sunday that his government cannot support the European Union's (EU) proposal to completely halt nuclear fuel imports from Russia.

Addressing a press conference, Fico said the plan would threaten the operation of nuclear power plants in Slovakia.

The European Commission last month unveiled a new roadmap to end EU's reliance on Russian energy. The REPowerEU Roadmap sets out a phased and coordinated plan to halt imports of Russian natural gas, oil, and nuclear materials across the 27-member bloc, according to the Commission.

"We've repeatedly declared this idea of the European Commission to be harmful, ideological and damaging to the competitiveness of the European Union," said Fico, adding that Slovakia will intervene in the EU to fight for its national interests in the preparation of legislative changes concerning oil, gas and nuclear fuel.

Nawrocki holds narrow lead over Trzaskowski in Polish presidential runoff: late poll

Karol Nawrocki is now narrowly leading Rafal Trzaskowski in Poland's presidential runoff on Sunday, according to a late poll conducted by Ipsos. Earlier exit poll results had shown Trzaskowski ahead.

Nawrocki, a historian and head of Poland's Institute of National Remembrance, received 50.7 percent of the vote in the presidential runoff, ahead of Trzaskowski, the ruling Civic Coalition (KO) candidate and mayor of Warsaw, who garnered 49.3 percent, according to the late poll released by Ipsos at about 11 p.m. local time (2100 GMT).

According to the Polish Press Agency, the late poll is based on official results from 50 percent of randomly selected polling stations where Ipsos conducted its survey. The statistical margin of error is estimated at 1 percentage point.

Ipsos's earlier exit poll showed that Trzaskowski received 50.3 percent of the vote, while Nawrocki, an independent candidate backed by the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, received 49.7 percent. Voter turnout was estimated at 72.8 percent.

Final results are likely to be announced on Monday morning or early afternoon, according to the Polish National Electoral Commission (PKW).

Iran's atomic chief says uranium enrichment Tehran's red line

President of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Mohammad Eslami said on Sunday that uranium enrichment is the foundation of the nuclear industry and a red line for Tehran.

He made the remarks in an interview with state-run IRIB TV while reacting to the U.S. calls on Iran to cease its uranium enrichment and a "comprehensive" report compiled by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) about Tehran's nuclear activities, which was made public by the media on Saturday.

Eslami said nobody could claim that Iran did not have the right to enrich uranium, stressing that in the absence of uranium enrichment, there would be no nuclear fuel cycle, which would impact Iran's research and applied activities across various sectors.

He emphasized that there was no replacement for uranium enrichment, adding enrichment was among Iran's rights and a fundamental necessity for nuclear technology development.

Hamas expresses readiness to begin new round of Gaza peace talks

Hamas said on Sunday that it affirms its readiness to begin indirect negotiations over the Gaza ceasefire immediately.

In a press statement, Hamas expressed its appreciation for the continued efforts by Qatar and Egypt to broker a ceasefire agreement.

The movement said that it is ready to "immediately begin a round of indirect negotiations" to address the outstanding issues with "the other party."

Hamas said the objective of the talks would be to end the "humanitarian catastrophe" in Gaza, ensure the delivery of relief aid to the Palestinian people, and achieve a permanent ceasefire accompanied by the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip.

There has been no immediate comment from the Israeli side regarding the Hamas announcement.

However, Israeli army chief Eyal Zamir has ordered the expansion of the ground operation into additional areas in both the southern and northern parts of the Gaza Strip, according to a statement issued by the Israel Defense Forces.

He stated that the expansion of activity will continue until conditions are created for the return of the Israeli hostages and the decisive defeat of Hamas.

China expands visa-free access to 5 Latin American countries

China on Sunday began implementing a trial policy that unilaterally grants visa-free entry to citizens of Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru and Uruguay. It is the first time that China has extended such access to nations in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Under the policy, which will remain in effect through May 31, 2026, holders of ordinary passports from these five countries can enter China without a visa for up to 30 days for purposes including business, tourism, family visits, cultural exchange, and transit.

The move is part of China's broader efforts to expand visa-free access in line with its commitment to high-level opening-up. With this expansion, China now offers unilateral visa-free entry to 43 countries.

Once made difficult by distance and complex visa procedures, travel between Latin America and China is increasingly accessible thanks to improved air connectivity and relaxed entry policies. In 2024, a direct flight was launched between Mexico City and south China's Shenzhen, spanning a distance of over 14,000 kilometers to become China's longest direct international passenger route.