News from April 30, 2025 at 2 AM

On April 29, 2025, Mark Carney's Liberals won Canada's federal election, riding a wave of anti-Trump sentiment. The party, considered dead just months ago, achieved a stunning turnaround, though it's unclear if they will secure a majority. Trump's tariff threats and comments undermining Canada's sovereignty were pivotal issues, with Carney leveraging this against Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre. Carney, a former central banker turned political newcomer, successfully won a House of Commons seat and led the Liberals to victory. Despite gains, the Conservatives fell short, with Poilievre losing his parliamentary seat. The election highlighted divisions in Canada, with the Liberals underperforming in Alberta and Saskatchewan. The left-wing NDP suffered significant losses, leading Jagmeet Singh to resign as leader.

Power began to return to parts of the Iberian Peninsula late on April 28 following a massive outage that brought large areas of Spain and Portugal to a standstill, grounding flights, halting public transport, and forcing some hospitals to suspend routine operations. Spain's Interior Ministry declared a national emergency, and both countries' governments convened emergency Cabinet meetings to investigate the cause of the blackout, which began around 10.33am GMT. Portugal's Prime Minister Luis Montenegro stated there was no indication of a cyberattack. Power resumed in Spain's Basque country, Barcelona, and parts of Madrid on April 28, while various municipalities in Portugal, including Lisbon city center, also saw gradual power restoration. Hospitals, oil refineries, and retail businesses in both countries were affected, with traffic lights and metro systems failing, leaving many people stranded.

On April 29, a US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet crashed into the sea from the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier following an attack by Yemen's Houthi rebel movement. According to CNN, a US official stated that the carrier made a hard turn to evade Houthi fire, contributing to the jet's fall. One sailor sustained a minor injury. Another official confirmed the lost aircraft was a US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet, valued at over $60 million. The Houthis had earlier claimed responsibility for the attack on the USS Harry S. Truman in response to US strikes on Yemen.

A child has damaged a painting worth millions of pounds by American artist Mark Rothko at the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam. The museum spokesperson described the damage as 'superficial' with small scratches visible on the unvarnished paint layer. The painting, valued at up to €50m, is undergoing assessment for treatment, with expectations it will be shown again in the future. Experts note modern unvarnished paintings like Rothko's are particularly susceptible to damage, posing challenges for restoration. The incident raises concerns for UK institutions considering similar open-archive displays.

The European Court of Justice ruled on Tuesday that Malta must end its golden passport program, which allows wealthy foreigners to purchase citizenship, stating it infringes EU law. In 2022, the EU Commission took Malta to court over the scheme, which grants passports and the right to live and work in any EU country in exchange for an investment of around 1 million euros ($1.14 million). The court said that while member states can determine nationality grants, Malta's program undermined mutual trust among member states. The court emphasized that granting nationality for predetermined payments commercializes the process, hindering the necessary bond of solidarity. Malta has insisted its interpretation of EU treaties was correct, suspending the program for Russian and Belarusian nationals due to the Ukraine war but continuing for others. The case was referred to the EU Court after years of disputes, with the EU Commission initiating an infringement procedure in October 2020, which resulted in no significant changes.

According to a source, the date for electing the next pope was set during a closed meeting of cardinals held following the funeral of Pope Francis. The Vatican conclave is scheduled to gather on May 7 to conduct the election. This information was reported by Reuters, citing a source.

US President Donald Trump has removed Doug Emhoff, husband of former Vice President Kamala Harris, from the Holocaust Memorial Council board, sparking an outcry. Emhoff, who campaigned against anti-Semitism under the Biden administration and was appointed to the board by Biden, confirmed his dismissal on April 29, emphasizing that Holocaust remembrance and education should never be politicized. Since taking office, Trump has imposed his brand of right-wing populism on cultural and educational institutions and targeted political adversaries. Other former officials removed from the board include Biden's White House chief of staff Ron Klain, domestic policy advisor Susan Rice, and an aide to former first lady Jill Biden, as reported by The New York Times. The White House Presidential Personnel Office notified council members of the termination via email on April 29. The council, established by Congress in 1980 to commemorate the Holocaust, launched the Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1993. Emhoff stated his commitment to Holocaust remembrance and combating hate remains undiminished.

Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD) will announce on Wednesday whether its members support a coalition agreement with the CDU/CSU conservatives, a crucial step for forming a new government in Europe's largest economy. After both major parties suffered significant losses in the February federal election, the coalition is the only path to a majority government. If SPD members approve the agreement, conservative leader Friedrich Merz is expected to become chancellor on May 6. The deal includes heavy investments in infrastructure, raising the minimum wage to 15 euros per hour, and securing key cabinet posts for the SPD, including the finance ministry. However, concessions on migration and unemployment benefits have drawn criticism from the SPD's youth wing. A rejection would plunge German politics into disarray, potentially leading to renegotiation, a minority government, or new elections.

On April 9, 2025, Amazon successfully launched the first batch of 27 Kuiper internet satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, U.S., using a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, following an earlier scrubbed attempt due to bad weather. ULA systems engineer Caleb Weiss commented on the smooth countdown and liftoff. The satellites are set to separate about 280 miles above Earth. Amazon aims to deploy 1,618 satellites by July 2026 to meet FCC requirements, having booked over 80 launches with partners including SpaceX, Arianespace, and Blue Origin. The company is investing up to $10 billion in the Kuiper network, expecting to start commercial services later this year.