☕ The emergency European leader talks

Welcome to another week.

Over the weekend, Saturday Night Live marked its 50th year on the air with a star-studded affair hosted by Jimmy Fallon. From a debut appearance by Meryl Streep to a performance from Paul McCartney, it delivered some brilliant TV. Fun fact: the show was originally called ‘NBC’s Saturday Night’ when it debuted in 1975.

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Some headlines from this morning:

Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel yesterday, as negotiations continue to extend a fragile ceasefire deal. After the meeting, both confirmed that President Trump’s plan to take over Gaza and move Palestinians to neighboring countries is being considered. Rubio praised the plan saying it ‘took courage and vision in order to outline’ and Netanyahu hailed it as the ‘only viable plan’, but did stress Palestinians should leave voluntarily. The two also discussed containing Iranian aggression and recent developments in Syria.

Mushin Hendricks, the first openly gay Imam, was shot dead in Cape Town, South Africa during an ambush by masked men on Saturday. The 57-year-old came out as gay in 1996 and has been an advocate for the LGBTQI+ community since, running a mosque in Cape Town hailed as a safe haven for marginalized Muslims. Whilst authorities confirmed that Hendricks had been killed in a targeted attack, the chairperson for the Al-Ghurbaah foundation, which Hendrink’s established, appealed for patience whilst awaiting further details seeking to protect the family from speculation.

Five children have been identified among the 18 dead after a stampede on Saturday at the main railway station in New Delhi, India. The stampede was caused by crowds rushing to trains destined for Prayagraj city, where the Maha Kumbh festival is being held. Maha Kumbh draws millions of devotees who bathe in sacred rivers and seek spiritual purification. Such religious festivals have seen similar stampedes in India over the years, the most recent in late January which killed dozens.

South Korea has banned new downloads of DeepSeek AI, a Chinese artificial intelligence chatbot that captured the world’s attention earlier this month. According to the South Korean Personal Information Protection Commission, DeepSeek would be made unavailable because it did not comply with the country’s personal data protection laws, but left the door open for the app to re-enter the market should “improvements and remedies” be made. Koreans with the app already downloaded will be able to continue using it.

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Over the weekend, world No. 1 male tennis player Jannik Sinner accepted a three-month ban after he failed a doping test nearly 12 months ago.

The suspension means Sinner will still be free to play in the next grand slam, the French Open, at the end of May.

The suspension has caused controversy in the tennis world, with many current and former players saying the ban does not demonstrate fairness in tennis.

Some context

In August 2024, the International Tennis Integrity Association (ITIA) announced Sinner had recorded two positive tests for a banned substance at the Indian Wells tournament last March.

It said an independent tribunal had since ruled Sinner was not at fault.

Sinner tested positive for clostebol, a steroid derivative of testosterone. It’s banned due to its anabolic qualities, which can improve muscle growth.

In a statement on Sinner’s Instagram in August, his team claimed the prohibited substance unknowingly entered his body after his physiotherapist cut his finger, used a spray containing the substance, and then gave Sinner a massage.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), who are responsible for deciding the penalty in such cases, accepted this explanation. It originally sought a one-year ban, but reached this separate agreement with Sinner before any further proceedings happened.

The ban

On Saturday, WADA confirmed Sinner had accepted a three-month ban. It maintained that Sinner “did not intend to cheat, and that his exposure to clostebol did not provide any performance-enhancing benefit”. Despite this, it said “an athlete bears responsibility for the entourage’s negligence”.

Sinner also issued a statement, stating: “I have always accepted that I am responsible for my team... On that basis I have accepted WADA’s offer to resolve these proceedings on the basis of a 3-month sanction.”

Reactions

Australian tennis player Nick Krygios expressed his disappointment with the timing of the ban, writing on Instagram: “To the future generation tennis players - after today, you can dope, just ‘without knowing’.... Test positive, play through all the investigation, then settle on a convenient 3 month ban, not get stripped of any money or titles and carry on.”

Former grand slam champion Stan Wawrinka also posted on social media, saying: “I don’t believe in a clean sport any more.” Former World No. 1 men’s player Andy Roddick said the penalty was the same as a student “getting suspended during Spring Break”.

The Professional Tennis Players Association criticised the “case-by-case discretion”, saying “it’s not just the different results for different players. It’s the lack of transparency. The lack of process. The lack of consistency.”

The Association, founded by Novak Djokovic in 2019, represents the top 500 male and female singles players. It said the penalty handed to Sinner “is unacceptable for all athletes and shows a deep disrespect for every sport and its fans. It’s time for change. And we will change it.”

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The leaders of major European countries will hold an emergency summit to discuss the Russia/Ukraine war. It comes after the continent was told by Vice-President Vance they need to adjust because their old relationship with America was over and as President Trump prepares for peace talks with Russia, to which Europe is not invited. Here’s what we know so far.

Some background

Putin has repeatedly asserted Ukraine is a part of Russia. In 2014, Russia illegally annexed the Ukrainian territory of Crimea, a peninsula on the Black Sea.

In February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, inciting war.

Russia currently controls about a fifth of Ukrainian territory.

Following the 2022 invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has consistently sought to expel Russian forces from all parts of Ukraine, including Crimea.

Trump’s new approach

President Trump’s administration has made clear its priorities are not in Europe and signaled reduced support for European defense efforts.

They are also less supportive of Ukraine than Biden’s administration. A peace deal brokered by Trump likely won’t demand pre-war borders or Ukraine’s NATO membership, per comments made by President Trump and his cabinet last week.

A peace summit between Russia, the US and…

Heralded by a call between Putin and President Trump last week, Secretary of State Mark Rubio and Russian officials will meet to discuss a peace deal this week.

It remains unclear if Ukraine is invited. The Trump administration says Zelensky is welcome, but he denies receiving an official invitation.

The US has made it clear that European leaders will not attend, denying Europeans the opportunity to advocate for security concerns arising from the possibility of a new Russia/Ukraine border.

By way of explanation, the US Special Envoy to Ukraine pointed to the widely criticized 2015 Minsk resolution, established after Russia took Crimea, and said it failed due to too many negotiators.

Zelensky hits back in Munich

President Zelensky met with US officials last week at the Munich Security Conference, which reportedly grew tense when he rejected VP Vance’s proposal for 50% of Ukraine’s minerals in exchange for defense support. In a speech, Zelensky said an “army of Europe” was needed to combat the threat to the continent posed by Russia.

Regarding peace talks, Zelensky declared, “Ukraine will never accept deals made behind our backs,” demanding a seat at the table. He also warned Trump against being manipulated into visiting Russia.

Peace talks in France

The leaders of the major European countries are expected to meet today in France to discuss these developments, as well as the changing role of the US in the region and potential increase to military spending.

The leaders of Germany, Britain, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands and Denmark are expected to attend. Overnight, UK PM Keir Starmer said he is “ready” to put UK peacekeeping troops into Ukraine.