World News: European foreign ministers urge Russia to agree on Ukraine ceasefire

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Foreign ministers from six European countries convened in Madrid, where they urged Russia to agree to an immediate, unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine.

The foreign ministers of Germany, France, Italy, Poland, Spain, and the United Kingdom, along with the European Union's High Representative, met in Madrid on Monday local time to address the war in Ukraine.

In a joint statement, they collectively urged Russia to abandon its "delaying tactics" and respond to Ukraine's commitment to peace by agreeing to an unconditional full ceasefire.

The statement highlighted the importance of making progress within a specific timeframe, and they also considered possible new sanctions to increase pressure on Russia.

The possibility of using frozen Russian sovereign assets to aid Ukraine was also discussed.

The ministers said they will ensure Russia's full accountability for its war crimes.

In France, leader of the right-wing National Rally party and presidential hopeful Marine Le Pen has been convicted of embezzlement and barred from running in the 2027 presidential election. Le Pen has denounced the court's decision as politically motivated and says she will appeal the ruling.

"What she is doing here is she's saying 'I am going to make you ineligible straight away and I'm doing it precisely to stop you from being able to be elected president'. If that's not a political decision, I don't know what it is."

On Monday local time, a French court found Le Pen guilty of embezzling European Union funds.

The court sentenced her to four years in prison, with two years suspended, imposed a 108,000 U.S. dollar fine, and prohibited her from holding public office for five years. This ruling effectively disqualifies her from the 2027 presidential race.

Finally, in Japan, Tokyo's cherry blossom season has arrived earlier than usual this year, with full bloom observed over the weekend.

The early arrival drew large crowds to popular "hanami" or "flower viewing" spots across the city on Monday.

Parks and gardens throughout Tokyo are experiencing peak bloom, attracting locals and tourists to the seasonal festivities.

While cherry blossoms usually reach their peak in late March to early April, the early blooming this year is attributed to warmer temperatures.

The country's favorite flower reaching the peak usually signals the start of the new school and business year.

Choi Chi-hee, Arirang News.