Populist leads in fractious Romanian election rerun
George Simion, the leader of the radical right Alliance for Uniting Romanians party (AUR), took a leading share of between 30 and 33 per cent of votes, according to exit polls, and will now face the second-placed candidate in a run-off for the presidency on May 18.
Exit polls indicated that the centrist Crin Antonescu of the ruling Social Democratic Party and the Bucharest mayor Nicusor Dan, running as a centrist independent candidate, were in a close battle for the runner-up spot, each on about 21 to 23 per cent.
The election was closely
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Metro
an hour ago
- Metro
Germany's 6ft 6in Chancellor towers over Keir Starmer - here's a world ranking
During a visit to the UK today, Sir Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz had a lot on their plate to discuss. The pair have inked Kensington Treaty – which will free up school exchange visits, allow UK passengers to use passport e-gates in Germany and create a direct train service between the two countries. But one question has been on everyone's lips during this meeting – Just how tall is that guy? Well, here's your answer: Merz is 6ft 6in tall. So expect surprised googling of his height every time he meets another world leader for the rest of his term. But does he compare to other top world leaders, though? Craig Munro breaks down Westminster chaos into easy to follow insight, walking you through what the latest policies mean to you. Sent every Wednesday. Sign up here. In the absence of a nice picture showing the leaders of all countries lined up in height order (and we will continue to lobby the UN to make that happen), Metro has done the legwork to help you out. When Starmer met his long-serving Albanian counterpart Edi Rama earlier this year, there was plenty of substance to discuss. Tackling illegal migration was on the agenda, as was the big European Political Community summit taking place in the capital Tirana. But Rama, who has been Albania's PM since 2013, also stands high at a whopping 6 foot 7 inches. There's no doubt, he's an exceptionally tall man. First things first – world leaders tend to have more important things to do than be measured. A lot of the heights in this article will be estimates. With that in mind, Russian President Vladimir Putin is reportedly 5ft 7in. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky is believed to be around 5ft 7in as well, making him the same height as Putin. We could have compared if the latter had bothered to turn up to peace talks in Istanbul. Some questions were asked about Zelensky's true height when he met Tom Cruise in 2019 – and the famously diminutive actor seemed to be taller. The US President's most recent health check earlier this year listed his height as 75 inches – or 6ft 3in. But when he met Prince William last December, there was a fair amount of chin-stroking going on. The Prince of Wales is believed to also be 6ft 3in, but there seemed to be a clear height difference between the two. It's a bonus round! Let's take a look at the heights of some of the British Prime Ministers over the past quarter-century. Only one, David Cameron, crosses the 6ft barrier at 6ft 1in. Tony Blair is 6ft tall, while his Chancellor Gordon Brown is 5ft 11in. Boris Johnson is 5ft 9in, one inch taller than Starmer at 5ft 8in. Rishi Sunak was shorter still at 5ft 7in, then comes Theresa May at 5ft 6in, but Liz Truss is the shortest of the lot at 5ft 5in. Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is one of the taller European leaders, at a reported 6ft 2.5in. And if you're curious, he does appear to be a little taller than Donald Trump in their pictures together. According to Italian media reports, the country's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is 5ft 3in. Last year, a journalist was fined €5,000 (£4,210) for making fun of Meloni's height on social media, in tweets that a judge ruled were defamatory. It might be a relief to Emmanuel Macron that he'll never be the main French leader who is known for his height – after all, it's not called a 'Napoleon complex' for nothing. He's around 5ft 8in, roughly equivalent to Keir Starmer, and they appear to be a similar height in pictures were they appear beside each other. Xi Jinping has been described as the tallest Chinese leader since Chairman Mao. More Trending A deep dive into his height by BBC News a decade ago concluded he is around 5ft 11in. Entertainingly, ice hockey site has a page on Mark Carney due to his time in the Oxford University team. It lists him as 5ft 9in, but pictures of Carney meeting Keir Starmer in March show them roughly the same size, so he may be an inch shorter. This story was originally published on May 15, 2025. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: New Look launch stunning Chanel-inspired pumps for just £30 – with a saving of £877 MORE: Two mid-air emergencies within seconds of one another spark chaos at Gatwick Airport MORE: Pretty Little Baby singer Connie Francis dies aged 87 after illness
Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
‘WW3 has ALREADY begun – and Putin should strike the West', madcap ex-Russian president says in explosive Kremlin threat
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) VLADIMIR Putin should bomb the west as WW3 has already begun, Dmitry Medvedev has threatened. The ex-Russian president has issued the explosive warning just days after Donald Trump imposed a 50-day peace deadline on his boss. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 7 Putin has bombed Ukraine with ballistic missiles - with his top ally now saying the West should be bombed Credit: Reuters 7 Putin's rockets are bombing Ukraine nightly in a horror air campaign Credit: Alamy 7 Dmitry Medvedev pictured with Vladimir Putin Credit: East2West Putin's lieutenant raged that Nato and the West was effectively already at war with Russia as he pushed the Kremlin's world view that they are the victims. That's despite it being Russia who has invaded another country and is continuing to wage a bloody war. Medvedev accused the US and Europe of an attempt to 'destroy' Russia which is 'hated by the West', he claimed. Diplomats say his remarks give an indication of thinking among some within the Moscow political elite. Read more on world news QUAKE SHOCK Tsunami warning issued after huge 7.3 magnitude earthquake strikes off US coast He said: "What is happening today is a proxy war, but in essence it is a full-scale war (launches of Western missiles, satellite intelligence, etc), sanctions packages, loud statements about the militarisation of Europe. "It's another attempt to destroy the 'historical anomaly' hated by the West - Russia, our country." Medvedev's madcap raging comes after Trump agreed to sell missile defence systems to Ukraine and to slap brutal 100 per cent tariffs on Russia if Moscow did not reach a peace agreement with Ukraine within 50 days. Medvedev even said Russia should think about bombing the West. He said: "We need to act accordingly. To respond in full. And if necessary, launch preemptive strikes." Despite saying Russia may need to bomb the West first, he said that any suggestion Russia would invade Nato was "complete nonsense". Putin blitzes Ukrainian shopping centre with half-ton glide bomb killing two He said: "I would add that this nonsense is being deliberately thrown into the information space in order to destabilise an already difficult situation. "This is another flank of the West's open war against us." In his lunatic ravings, Medvedev also pushed the idea that Ukraine is governed by Nazis - despite Volodymyr Zelensky being Jewish. The fabrication is a key justification in the Kremlin's ambition to demilitarise Ukraine and keep it weak. 7 Ukrainian military recruits train in Kyiv Credit: AP 7 A Ukrainian mobile air defence unit fires in a field Credit: Reuters Medvedev's rant came as a leading Russian propagandist Col. Igor Korotchenko said Moscow must use the 50-day period before sanctions are imposed by Trump to win the war by destroying Ukraine. He asked on Kremlin-funded state TV: 'What can we do during these 50 days to persuade Ukraine to conclude a peace agreement on terms that meet the goals, principles and objectives of [Putin's war]?' A military analyst and editor-in-chief of National Defence magazine, he said: 'We can launch massive strikes against Ukraine's critical infrastructure. 'I would like to emphasise once again that this primarily means power generation facilities. 'Any Russian frontline fighter jet, using new-generation low-profile Kh-69 cruise missiles, is capable of striking and accurately destroying any thermal power plant, oil refinery, or fuel depot in a first strike without attracting the attention of enemy intelligence.' He made clear the aim was to make Ukraine so weak it is forced to sue for peace on Putin's terms. 7 Rare footage shared by the Russian Defence Ministry shows combat training of North Korean troops in Russia Credit: East2West 7 Medvedev is the deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia Credit: EPA 'Weakening the potential of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' rear support system will force Ukraine to accept Russia's terms,' he said. 'It is necessary to intensify Russian strikes….to the maximum extent possible…. 'Scaling up this approach, we can achieve success.' Trump encouraged Ukraine's President Zelensky during a phone call to strike deeper inside Russia in order to crank up the pressure on Putin, the FT reported. He apparently asked whether Ukraine could "hit Moscow" in order to "make Putin feel the pain of war", according to anonymous sources cited by the papers. Zelensky's answer was swift and direct: 'Absolutely. We can if you give us the weapons.' Putin's indifference to Trump's demand was evident just hours later when he unleashed a fresh devastating blitz. In Sumy Oblast, Russian drones injured six people, including a 19-year-old student and 14-year-old girl, when they struck a university.
Scottish Sun
5 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Putin's soldiers killed ‘in mass poisoning by laced bottles of WATER' in suspected Ukrainian sabotage operation
Distressing footage seen by The Sun showed the allegedly poisoned troops convulsing and moaning in agony SIP OF DEATH Putin's soldiers killed 'in mass poisoning by laced bottles of WATER' in suspected Ukrainian sabotage operation Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) VLADIMIR Putin's men were reportedly killed by poisoned water bottles in a suspected Ukrainian sabotage operation. At least four soldiers were said to have died in excruciating pain after drinking from bottles labelled "Our Water", allegedly supplied to the front line in a humanitarian consignment. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 8 At least four Russian soldiers were reportedly killed by poisoned water bottles Credit: East2West 8 Russian war channels suspect it was part of a Ukrainian sabotage operation Credit: East2West 8 Poisoned troops could be seen convulsing and moaning in agony in distressing footage Credit: East2West 8 The bottled water that allegedly poisoned the soldiers Credit: East2West Several others are said to be in critical condition in another major blow to Mad Vlad's invasion of Ukraine. The deadly incident, which unfolded in the Panteleimonivka area of Donetsk, has sparked horror and fury across pro-Kremlin military channels. Distressing footage seen by The Sun shows poisoned troops convulsing, moaning in agony, and slipping into unconsciousness as medics scramble to help. In one chilling clip, a soldier is heard asking a stricken comrade: 'Have you taken some water on the way?' — but the man is too far gone to respond. 'He is so unwell,' another voice says. The water reportedly came from Simferopol, the capital of Russian-annexed Crimea, and was distributed under the guise of aid. Now, it's feared to have been a Trojan horse of death. Investigators are combing through the supply chain, desperate to uncover who tampered with the water — and how it reached frontline troops. Pro-Kremlin outlet Tsargrad demanded answers: 'The situation requires a thorough investigation – who supplied the water, how it got to the front line, and who could have poisoned it?' Putin blitzes Ukrainian shopping centre with half-ton glide bomb killing two They warned: 'One thing is clear – soldiers should be extremely careful with any drinks.' The poison panic has spread fast, with Putin's mouthpiece channels flashing urgent warnings to not drink the water amid soaring summer temperatures. While some Russian-linked media are already blaming a 'Ukrainian sabotage operation', hard evidence is yet to emerge. A Ukrainian source hit back, suggesting: 'It's unclear whether this was actual poisoning or drug overdoses, with commanders possibly using the 'poisoned water' story to cover up drug-related incidents.' Putin's firestorm As poisoned soldiers writhed on one front, Putin launched a merciless aerial onslaught across Ukraine — striking shopping centres, apartment blocks, and industrial targets in a scorched-earth campaign that continues to defy global warnings. In the town of Dobropillia, a 500kg glide bomb dropped by Russian forces ripped through a busy shopping centre, killing two and wounding at least 25. Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the strike as 'horrendous, dumb Russian terror', accusing Moscow of trying to kill as many civilians as possible. At least 54 shops and 13 residential buildings were hit. 8 Russian drones attacked several residential settlements in Sumy region Credit: East2West 8 Putin's drones also attacked the city of Dnipro Credit: East2West Officials fear more victims remain buried under the rubble as rescue teams battle fires and dig through twisted metal. This isn't the first time Dobropillia has been attacked — a March missile and drone strike killed 11, including five children. And the terror continues: from kamikaze drone attacks in Dnipro that left the city choking in smoke, to deadly barrages on Nikopol, Kharkiv and Sumy. In Nikopol, Russian forces pulled a grotesque double hit — striking a cargo truck, then targeting emergency responders when they arrived. Even as Russia unleashes devastation, Ukraine is punching back. Overnight, drones reportedly struck key military-linked manufacturing targets deep inside Russian territory, including a chemicals plant in Tula and an aircraft repair facility in Smolensk. In Belgorod, three civilians were reported killed and 17 wounded, while in Voronezh, drones slammed into a tower block — injuring at least three children. 8 Russia has killed two people and left 22 wounded after a deadly bombing on a Ukrainian shopping centre Credit: Telegram/Vadym Filashkin 8 Officials have been desperately trying to extinguish fires and rescue those trapped Credit: AFP Trump's ultimatum The poisonings and bombings are unfolding as geopolitical tensions spike — with Donald Trump firing a 50-day peace ultimatum at Putin, threatening to hit Russia with 100 per cent tariffs unless it agrees to a ceasefire deal. The US President, who has sent special envoy Keith Kellogg to Ukraine this week, expressed fury over Russia's continued targeting of civilians. He promised to back Kyiv with 'everything' in America's arsenal — including JASSM cruise missiles — to force Putin back to the negotiating table. But the Kremlin is snarling back. Russian sources scoffed at Trump's ultimatum, reportedly saying it might make Moscow demand more territory, not less. And Putin appears unfazed. Touring a drone factory, he bizarrely praised Ukraine's 'incredible innovations', even as his forces flattened civilian centres.
