Author: Admin

KYIV, Ukraine — Overnight bombardments by Russian forces struck the Ukrainian city of Dnipro, leaving three dead and injuring 21 others, regional officials reported Saturday.

Rescue teams discovered the three victims in the debris of a residential home that was leveled during the nighttime assault, according to Dnipropetrovsk regional leader Oleksandr Ganzha, who warned that additional people could remain buried beneath the wreckage.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed Saturday that “11 people in hospitals in Dnipro after the Russian attack on the city.”

“The Russians have been hitting Dnipro and other cities and communities practically all night,” Ganzha posted on Telegram, describing the bombardment that sparked blazes throughout Dnipro and left multiple apartment complexes, commercial structures and a residence in partial ruins.

In the Odesa region to the southwest, drone assaults during the night injured two additional civilians.

The southern portion of that region saw damage to homes, port facilities and vehicles, regional administrator Oleh Kiper announced Saturday.

Meanwhile in Russia, a drone attack in the border area of Belgorod resulted in one woman’s death and left a man with severe injuries, according to local authorities.

These latest attacks came one day after Russia and Ukraine completed a prisoner exchange on Friday, trading 193 military personnel.

Such prisoner swaps represent among the limited positive developments from otherwise unsuccessful months of U.S.-mediated discussions between Moscow and Kyiv. The diplomatic efforts have failed to achieve breakthroughs on major obstacles to ending Russia’s military campaign against Ukraine, which has now entered its fifth year.

Afghanistan’s foreign ministry is encouraging Afghan nationals who supported American military operations and remain stranded in Qatar while hoping to reach the United States to come back to their homeland safely.

The Saturday announcement from foreign ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi follows news reports indicating the Trump administration is considering relocating approximately 1,100 Afghans who aided U.S. forces during the Afghanistan conflict, along with family members of American military personnel, to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

A support organization known as #AfghanEvac, which advocates for Afghan resettlement initiatives, reported Wednesday that American officials had notified them of ongoing conversations between the U.S. and Congo regarding accepting the Afghan refugees who have remained in uncertain circumstances at Camp As-Sayliyah, an American military facility in Doha, throughout the past year.

The State Department confirmed it is exploring ways to “voluntarily” relocate these refugees to a third nation but declined to specify which countries are under consideration.

According to #AfghanEvac, refugees were presented with the option of returning to Afghanistan, where they worry about retaliation or execution by the Taliban, who have controlled the nation since taking control following the turbulent departure of U.S.-led military forces in 2021, due to their collaboration with American forces during the twenty-year conflict.

Afghanistan’s foreign ministry “reiterates that Afghanistan constitutes the shared homeland of all Afghans and it invites all those concerned, as well as others sharing a similar situation, (to) return to their homeland, whose doors remain open to them, to do so with full confidence & peace of mind,” Balkhi wrote in his statement.

He continued that “those intending to travel to another country may do so at an appropriate juncture through legal & dignified channels.” Afghanistan’s foreign ministry “stands ready to engage with all countries,” Balkhi stated, emphasizing that the foreign ministry “underscores to all sides that there exist no security threats in Afghanistan, & none is compelled to leave the country on account of security considerations.”

In a collective statement released by the #AfghanEvac organization representing those at Camp As-Sayliyah, the Afghans expressed they had not been informed by U.S. officials about discussions to potentially move them and learned about it through media reports. They described how their prolonged uncertain status is severely affecting their wellbeing.

“Many of us are not well. The uncertainty has been more than some of us can carry. There is deep depression,” the group stated, noting that some individuals are experiencing mental health challenges due to their circumstances.

“We will say this plainly. We do not want to go to the Democratic Republic of Congo,” the group declared, explaining that “it is a country in its own war. We have been in enough war. We cannot take our children into another one.”

The African nation has endured prolonged conflict between government troops and Rwanda-supported insurgents in its eastern territories for decades.

The Afghans at the Doha facility emphasized that returning to Afghanistan was not viable. “The Taliban will kill many of us for what we did for the United States,” the group stated. “This is not a fear. This is a fact. The United States knows this, because the United States is the reason we cannot go home.”

These relocation talks, first reported by The New York Times, emerge more than a year after President Donald Trump suspended his predecessor’s Afghan resettlement initiative as part of multiple executive actions targeting immigration.

This policy stranded thousands of refugees who escaped conflict and persecution and had completed an extensive, sometimes multi-year screening process to begin new lives in America at various locations globally, including the Qatar base.

In a Milan suburb each afternoon, Diego Di Franco collects his kids from school, coordinates their extracurricular activities, and cooks dinner — duties typically handled by Italian mothers. While this daily routine might seem ordinary, Di Franco stands out because he’s a father who documents his caregiving role on social media.

Although Italy’s legislature turned down a February proposal for equal maternity and paternity leave, Di Franco represents a growing movement of “dad influencers” who are transforming perceptions of fatherhood in a nation grappling with work-life balance and gender equality challenges.

Despite being the eurozone’s third-biggest economy under its first female prime minister, Giorgia Meloni — who has a 9-year-old daughter — Italy continues to see women handling most caregiving responsibilities while facing one of Europe’s largest gender employment disparities, hampering long-term economic growth as the population ages.

Economic experts and advocacy groups point to a significant policy disparity that worsens the problem: mothers receive five months of leave compared to fathers’ mere 10 days of paternity leave.

Opposition lawmakers proposed equal, non-transferable, and fully compensated parental leave for both parents, similar to reforms implemented in Spain and other nations. However, the center-right majority defeated the measure 137-117, claiming budgetary limitations.

Olympic swimming champion Federica Pellegrini, mother of two, expressed her frustration on Instagram after the bill’s defeat: “If a woman wants a career in Italy, she is better off not becoming a mother.” Her statement reflects what many Italians view as an impossible choice between professional advancement and family life.

This legislative setback stands in sharp contrast to developments on social platforms, where Italian fathers increasingly share content about daily childcare responsibilities, making paternal involvement more visible and mainstream.

Sociologist and Children’s Health Centre consultant Annina Lubbock observed: “The number of dad-influencing bloggers is increasing and it’s very varied. They’ve made a huge contribution in putting forward a different narrative about fatherhood, which is more inclusive, more equal, also fun.”

She added: “This is a reflection of a change that’s been ongoing in Italy already for some time, but these influencers are also driving this change.”

Di Franco exemplifies this trend as a 45-year-old father with over 50,000 Instagram followers who serves as the primary caregiver while his wife Raffaella maintains a full-time senior management position — an unusual arrangement in Italy.

“Around 85% of my followers are women, many asking how to encourage their partners to be more present at home,” Di Franco explained.

Raffaella credits Diego’s involvement as crucial to her professional success: “It gave me the confidence to face challenges and seize opportunities.”

However, the Di Franco family’s situation remains exceptional. Italy’s female employment rate reached only 53% in 2024, representing the European Union’s largest gender employment gap, according to Eurostat data. The EU average for female employment stands at 70.8%.

Women comprise approximately 70% of voluntary job departures in Italy, frequently occurring after childbirth, while involuntary part-time employment remains common.

Statistician Linda Laura Sabbadini characterized this pattern as “a clear sign of the child penalty women pay for having children.”

Economic analysts connect the challenges of balancing careers with child-rearing to Italy’s declining birth rates, emphasizing that increased female workforce participation is crucial for sustaining economic growth and public finances. They argue that additional support for working mothers would encourage childbearing.

Opposition Democratic Party leader Elly Schlein told parliament: “This law would have been a cultural revolution.”

Representatives from Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party claimed they harbored no ideological opposition to expanding paternity leave but maintained it was economically unfeasible.

Walter Rizzetto, who chairs the Chamber’s Labour Committee, told reporters: “Furthermore, a mandatory five-month leave for fathers would require deeper analysis due to possible impacts on public administration and small businesses.”

International examples demonstrate that policy structure is critical. After Spain expanded paid paternity leave to 16 weeks and made it mandatory and non-transferable in 2021, father participation increased dramatically and the gender wage gap decreased, according to academic research.

Italian research by the Tortuga think tank reveals that when private employers provide extended paternity leave, utilization rates climb to 71%, surpassing the 64% national average, with younger fathers showing greater likelihood to use the benefit.

Di Franco remains hopeful based on his personal observations: “With my first child I was the only dad at kindergarten. Six years later, there were three or four. And I thought: things are changing.”

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — The fragile peace established in the Middle East following the October 7th attacks hangs by a thread, held together only by temporary ceasefires and ongoing threats between opposing forces.

While Iran has taken significant hits, the damage hasn’t been substantial enough to alter its stance in negotiations. The country’s regional partners, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, remain weakened yet operational as Israeli forces continue conducting regular strikes against both organizations. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces increasing pressure to convert battlefield successes into concrete political gains before this year’s elections.

President Donald Trump, who frequently highlights his diplomatic capabilities, continues pursuing a nuclear agreement with Iran alongside broader Middle Eastern peace initiatives. However, negotiations have yielded no concrete outcomes, and both nations remain locked in an intensifying confrontation over the Strait of Hormuz.

While large-scale military campaigns have ceased, the fundamental issues that existed long before Hamas launched its October 7, 2023 assault remain unresolved. Millions continue living in displacement, with widespread concerns that hostilities could resume without warning.

According to Michael Ratney, former U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia, ceasefires “don’t fix anything — they just stop things from getting worse.” He explained, “It’s part of an answer to an immediate political problem, which is (Trump) needs to get out of war and can’t figure out how do that.”

Trump has spent recent weeks alternating between threatening devastating strikes on Iranian infrastructure — at one point warning he could destroy “a whole civilization” — and pursuing diplomatic solutions for Iran’s nuclear program and other longstanding disputes.

Earlier this week, the president extended an existing ceasefire while maintaining America’s naval blockade of Iranian ports. On Wednesday, he promised to target Iranian fast boats operating in the Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran has effectively sealed since fighting began, creating a global energy crisis.

Iran has shown no public willingness to compromise on its nuclear activities, ballistic missile development, or backing of regional allies. Iranian officials state the strait will remain blocked until America ends its blockade and Israel stops attacking Iran-supported groups including Hezbollah.

Both nations appear reluctant to engage in full-scale warfare, with new ceasefire discussions scheduled for Saturday in Pakistan.

Iranian leadership, based on their social media communications, appears convinced they can endure the blockade longer than Trump can tolerate rising fuel costs and an unpopular conflict, particularly with U.S. midterm elections approaching.

Jon Alterman, who chairs Global Security and Geostrategy at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, noted Trump’s history suggests he favors generating media attention and declaring rapid victories.

“The most visible part of the fighting has stopped, but the less visible efforts are roaring ahead,” Alterman observed. “Ceasefires can seem comfortable but lock in unsustainable patterns, with one side feeling it has lost the urgency to resolve the underlying conflict.”

A Lebanese ceasefire established last week has generally held except in border regions where combat continues. Israel has signaled intentions to maintain control over portions of southern Lebanon indefinitely. Iran-backed Hezbollah, which isn’t formally bound by the ceasefire agreement, insists Israel must withdraw.

Following White House meetings between Israeli and Lebanese representatives, Trump announced a three-week ceasefire extension on Thursday.

American and Israeli officials have insisted Lebanon’s government must take responsibility for dismantling Hezbollah. Beirut attempted implementing portions of such a plan before the current fighting erupted. However, Lebanese leadership acknowledged their limited capabilities, and their efforts produced minimal results as Hezbollah maintained its capacity to launch thousands of missiles and drones toward northern Israel over recent months.

Given Beirut’s reluctance to risk civil conflict by directly confronting the militants — particularly while Israeli forces occupy Lebanese territory — the ceasefire provides temporary relief.

Similar to Gaza, Israeli forces have established a “yellow line” in southern Lebanon, destroying homes they claim Hezbollah used, preventing resident returns, and announcing strikes against individuals they identify as militants attempting to cross. Many Lebanese fear a repeat of Israel’s 1982-2000 southern occupation, which concluded after years of deadly Hezbollah attacks on Israeli soldiers.

Wednesday, one day before Washington talks, Israeli strikes killed a prominent Lebanese journalist reporting from southern Lebanon and injured another reporter. Health officials reported Israeli forces fired on ambulance crews attempting to rescue journalist Amal Khalil, forcing them to retreat. Israel denied targeting journalists or rescue personnel.

A U.S.-mediated ceasefire reached in October resulted in the release of remaining Hamas-held hostages and ended major military operations. However, Israel continues conducting regular strikes against what it identifies as militant targets. Gaza health officials, considered generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts, report over 790 Palestinian deaths since last year’s ceasefire, including approximately 225 children. Israeli forces have also faced occasional attacks.

Israel links its withdrawal from Gaza territories under its control, the return of hundreds of thousands of displaced residents, establishing new political authority, and urgently needed reconstruction to Hamas disarmament — something the militant organization shows no indication of accepting.

Hamas claims it has presented proposals to surrender weapons while seeking additional Israeli concessions and accusing Israel of ceasefire violations.

This situation leaves the vast majority of Gaza’s more than 2 million residents trapped in extensive tent settlements or their destroyed homes, with no visible end to their hardship.

Israel maintains its right to respond to ceasefire breaches or movement across another “yellow line” established there. Health officials report dozens of civilians have died in these strikes.

A committee of Palestinian technocrats has been formed to temporarily govern Gaza, but Israel has prevented their entry from Egypt, while Hamas continues controlling half the territory.

TUNIS, Tunisia — The Tunisian government has imposed a month-long closure on the Tunisian League for Human Rights, marking another escalation in what critics describe as an expanding assault on civil liberties organizations throughout the North African nation.

The targeted organization represents one of Africa and the Arab world’s most established human rights advocacy groups and was a member of the National Dialogue Quartet that received the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize.

In a Friday evening statement, the league acknowledged the government action and condemned it as “a serious and arbitrary violation of freedom of association” and “a direct assault” on fundamental democratic principles that Tunisia has achieved.

Under President Kais Saied’s leadership, foreign financial support for advocacy organizations has become a frequent target of criticism. The president regularly characterizes such funding as dangerous to Tunisia’s sovereignty and uses this narrative to brand political adversaries and social justice advocates as foreign operatives working to create domestic instability.

The organization emphasized that the suspension represents part of a larger pattern. “This measure cannot be seen in isolation from a broader context in the country marked by increasing systematic pressure on civil society and independent voices,” the group stated, announcing plans to contest the ruling through legal channels while maintaining their commitment to protecting human rights victims regardless of background.

This latest action continues a series of government moves against advocacy organizations across Tunisia, where judicial authorities previously forced several prominent non-governmental organizations to cease operations for month-long periods, including groups dedicated to protecting migrants and advancing women’s rights.

The suspension coincides with the 48-hour detention of journalist Zied El-Heni related to content he posted on Facebook, reflecting a wider campaign of arrests and legal actions targeting government critics.

During a Friday demonstration in Tunis, Mohamed Yassine Jlassi, who previously led the Tunisian journalists union SNJT, spoke with The Associated Press about the deteriorating situation. He reported that hundreds of individuals currently face detention on speech-related accusations, including charges stemming from social media activity.

“Repression has come to affect everyone. Journalism has become a crime, civil society work has become a crime, political opposition has been criminalized,” Jlassi explained.

“People now increasingly find themselves facing arbitrary prosecutions without the bare minimum guarantees of a fair trial.”

The investigative publication Inkyfada also faces legal challenges, with a May 11 court date scheduled as authorities seek to dissolve Al Khatt, the organization responsible for publishing the outlet.

According to the group’s statement, they reject the government’s legal justification for the case and maintain that the allegations have not undergone proper examination by Tunisian courts since 2024.

These recent actions have intensified worries among human rights advocates regarding restrictions on independent journalism, civil society organizations, and dissenting perspectives under Saied’s rule. The president has concentrated authority since 2021 and continues to target groups he consistently claims accept foreign money to create unrest and undermine Tunisia’s national security.

Turkey’s top diplomat indicated his nation would be open to participating in mine removal efforts in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz if Iran and the United States successfully negotiate a peace deal.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan made the comments while speaking with journalists in London on Friday evening, explaining that an international technical team would likely handle the explosive ordnance removal following any potential agreement between the two nations.

Fidan described Turkey’s perspective on such humanitarian operations as fundamentally supportive, calling them a moral obligation.

The foreign minister outlined several key points regarding Turkey’s potential involvement:

• An international technical team comprising multiple nations would handle the mine-clearing operations following a hypothetical Iran-United States peace accord

• Turkey would be willing to join such mine-removal efforts under these circumstances, stating the country would have “no problem” with participation

• However, Fidan warned that Turkey would reconsider its involvement if the international technical coalition eventually became entangled in renewed hostilities

• The minister also expressed optimism that disputes surrounding Iran’s nuclear program could find resolution during upcoming discussions scheduled to take place in Pakistan

An extensive overnight Russian bombardment across Ukraine resulted in four fatalities and more than 30 injuries, as Moscow deployed over 660 drones and missiles targeting multiple regions, with the southeastern city of Dnipro bearing the brunt of the assault.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy took to social media to describe the intensity of the attack, stating “Practically all night, the Russians bombed Dnipro and our other cities and communities.” He noted that urban infrastructure was the primary target of the strikes.

Regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha confirmed that rescue teams pulled two bodies from a structure damaged in the Dnipro attack, while five additional individuals may remain buried beneath the debris. The governor also reported that 21 residents of the city sustained injuries.

The northern Chernihiv region also suffered casualties, with local officials reporting two deaths and seven injuries from missile and drone strikes in that area.

Calling for international support, Zelenskiy emphasized the urgency of the situation, saying “Every strike like this must remind our partners that the situation needs immediate and firm action, rapid strengthening of our air defences.”

Ukrainian air defense forces reported intercepting a significant portion of the assault, shooting down 580 of the 619 drones and 30 of the 47 missiles that Russia launched, according to a statement posted on Telegram.

This large-scale bombardment represents an escalation from Russia’s typical pattern of conducting nightly attacks with smaller numbers of drones, occasionally punctuated by major offensives involving hundreds of drones and multiple missiles.

Iranian officials announced Saturday they had executed a man accused of collaborating with Israeli intelligence services during this year’s widespread demonstrations across the country, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

The executed individual, identified as Erfan Kiani, was described by authorities as a “hired thug of Mossad” who participated in destroying and burning both government and private buildings in Isfahan, a major city in central Iran. Officials also accused him of using a machete to intimidate residents and create widespread panic in the area.

According to Tasnim’s report, the execution took place in the early morning hours after Iran’s Supreme Court upheld the death sentence and all required legal processes were completed.

DAKAR, April 25 – Witnesses reported hearing two powerful explosions and gunfire early Saturday morning close to Mali’s primary military installation at Kati, located outside the capital city of Bamako, according to Reuters.

Military personnel responded to the incident by deploying troops and establishing roadblocks throughout the surrounding area, effectively cutting off access to the region where the disturbances occurred.

The sounds of combat were detected in the early morning hours near the West African nation’s most significant military facility.

American diplomatic officials are preparing to travel to Pakistan this Saturday, though Iranian representatives have announced they will not participate in direct discussions with the United States regarding efforts to resolve the ongoing conflict that has claimed thousands of lives and disrupted worldwide markets.

The White House confirmed that President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner will depart Saturday morning for potential discussions with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth addressed reporters, stating that Iran has an opportunity to reach a “good deal” with the United States.

“Iran knows that they still have an open window to choose wisely,” he said. “All they have to do is abandon a nuclear weapon in meaningful and verifiable ways.”

Foreign Minister Araqchi reached Pakistan’s capital city of Islamabad on Friday. However, a spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry announced on social media platform X that Iranian representatives would not conduct meetings with U.S. officials, and that Tehran would communicate its position through Pakistan as an intermediary.

The White House has not yet provided a response to requests for comment regarding Iran’s announcement.

The standoff between Washington and Tehran continues to carry significant economic consequences, as Iran has effectively blocked most traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that typically handles one-fifth of the world’s oil shipments, while the United States maintains restrictions on Iranian oil exports. This nine-week conflict has driven energy costs to their highest levels in years, contributing to inflation and threatening global economic growth.

In a Friday interview with Reuters, Trump revealed that Iran was preparing to present a proposal designed to address American requirements, though he stated he was unaware of the proposal’s specific details. When asked about negotiating partners, he declined to identify them but noted, “we’re dealing with the people that are in charge now”.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt indicated that the U.S. had observed some positive developments from Iran recently and expressed optimism for additional progress during the weekend, while noting that Vice President JD Vance was also prepared to make the trip to Pakistan if needed.

Previous negotiations in Islamabad two weeks earlier included Vance, Witkoff, Kushner, Araqchi, and Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, the speaker of Iran’s parliament, but those discussions ended without resolution.

Araqchi, who announced on social media that his diplomatic tour would include Pakistan, Oman and Russia, conducted meetings with Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday at the Serena Hotel, the same venue where earlier negotiations took place. Pakistani sources confirmed that an American logistics and security team had already arrived in Islamabad.

President Trump made the decision Tuesday to extend a two-week ceasefire for additional time to allow negotiators to reconvene.

Energy markets experienced significant volatility this week, with Brent crude futures climbing 16% amid concerns about the peace negotiations’ future and renewed violence in the region.

Maritime tracking information from Friday revealed that only five vessels had passed through the Strait of Hormuz during the previous day, a dramatic decrease from the approximately 130 ships that typically crossed daily before the conflict began on February 28 when the U.S. and Israel launched military action. The vessels included one Iranian oil-products tanker, but none of the large crude-carrying supertankers that normally supply global energy markets.

On Thursday, Israeli and Lebanese officials agreed to extend their ceasefire for an additional three weeks during White House negotiations facilitated by Trump, though fighting in southern Lebanon shows little sign of ending.

Israel launched its invasion of Lebanon last month with the goal of eliminating Iran’s Hezbollah allies after the militant organization conducted cross-border attacks. Tehran maintains that a ceasefire in that conflict is necessary before broader negotiations can proceed.

Lebanese officials reported six fatalities from an Israeli airstrike, while Hezbollah forces shot down an Israeli drone. Israel’s military confirmed it had eliminated six armed Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon.

Iran’s top diplomatic official Abbas Araghchi touched down in Pakistan’s capital city on Friday, setting the stage for high-level peace negotiations with American representatives.

The White House has confirmed that Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are scheduled to fly to Islamabad on Saturday for the diplomatic meetings. Officials stated the American delegation aims to “move the ball forward towards a deal” during the discussions.

The timing of these talks comes as tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate, making diplomatic efforts increasingly crucial for regional stability.

The White House announced Friday that President Donald Trump is deploying envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Pakistan for a second round of ceasefire discussions with Iran.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has already reached Pakistan’s capital city of Islamabad, where he held overnight discussions with Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and the country’s Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, according to officials.

Pakistani authorities are making preparations to host Witkoff and Kushner for the continuation of diplomatic talks, though no specific arrival date has been announced for the American representatives. The White House confirmed that Vice President JD Vance will not be participating in these discussions.

Simultaneously, the Trump administration revealed new economic penalties targeting a significant Chinese oil refinery along with approximately 40 shipping firms and vessels that transport Iranian petroleum. This action appears connected to the administration’s strategy of implementing secondary sanctions against organizations conducting business with Iran to eliminate the country’s oil export revenues.

Araghchi has additional meetings scheduled for Saturday with Pakistani leadership. Early Saturday photographs from Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry depicted the Iranian minister in discussions with Dar, Munir, and Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.

According to Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, the Iranian diplomatic team will engage in conversations with high-ranking Pakistani officials regarding current regional developments and initiatives to advance peace and stability in the area.

This diplomatic mission coincides with Pakistan’s preparations to welcome the American envoys, though the exact timing of Witkoff and Kushner’s arrival in Islamabad remains unspecified.

Late Friday evening, the foreign ministers of Egypt and Pakistan conducted a phone conversation about launching fresh negotiations between the United States and Iran. Egypt’s Badr Abdelatty spoke with his Pakistani colleague Mohammad Ishaq Dar.

Egypt’s foreign ministry reported that both diplomats emphasized their belief that diplomatic negotiations represent the most effective approach to ending the current conflict.

ISTANBUL (AP) — Representatives from Australia, New Zealand, and Turkey came together Saturday morning in northwestern Turkey to mark 111 years since the deadly World War I Battle of Gallipoli took place.

The ceremonial event started at 5:30 a.m. local time close to the shoreline where forces from the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, known as Anzacs, first came ashore at dawn on April 25, 1915.

The one-hour memorial featured somber musical pieces, religious observances, and wreath presentations by attendees, including delegates from numerous nations worldwide.

The Gallipoli military operation was part of a British-led strategy to overcome the Ottoman Empire but ended in failure, causing tens of thousands of casualties for all sides throughout the eight-month campaign. The mission sought to establish a maritime passage from the Mediterranean Sea through the Dardanelles to Istanbul and remove the Ottomans from the conflict.

This historic confrontation played a crucial role in shaping the national character of both Australia and New Zealand while also establishing lasting bonds with Turkey, their one-time opponent.

“From great suffering, understanding can grow. From former enemies, friendships can blossom. The relationship between Turkey, Australia and New Zealand is built on remembrance, respect and recognition of our shared humanity,” New Zealand’s Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro stated in her opening remarks.

Turkish Colonel Fatih Cansiz recited words from a 1934 memorial tribute by Turkey’s founding leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk honoring those who perished: “Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives … you are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side in this country of ours.”

Ataturk initially gained recognition leading Turkish troops at Gallipoli before later commanding Turkey’s independence movement and establishing the modern Turkish Republic.

GALATI, Romania – Pieces of Russian drone wreckage caused property damage in southeastern Romania following a nighttime assault on Ukraine, according to the country’s defense ministry.

The debris struck an electrical pole and a residential outbuilding in Galati, marking the first instance of actual property damage from such incidents. No injuries occurred during the event.

Romania maintains a 400-mile border with Ukraine and belongs to both NATO and the European Union. The nation has repeatedly experienced Russian drones entering its airspace as Moscow continues targeting Ukrainian ports across the Danube River.

Though drone debris has frequently landed on Romanian soil, this weekend’s incident represents the initial case of structural damage.

“The defence ministry firmly condemns the irresponsible actions of the Russian Federation and emphasizes that these represent a new challenge to regional security and stability in the Black Sea area,” officials stated.

“Such incidents demonstrate the Russian Federation’s lack of respect for the norms of international law and endanger not only the safety of Romanian citizens, but also the collective security of NATO.”

British Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft conducting air patrol duties in Romania were deployed to observe the attack, following standard protocol. Authorities also issued shelter warnings to residents in nearby Tulcea county.

Recent months have seen increasing tensions across Europe’s eastern border as suspected Russian drones have violated the airspace of multiple NATO member countries.

Romanian legislation permits shooting down drones during peacetime when lives or property face danger, though the country has not yet exercised this authority.

Defense Minister Radu Miruta announced Friday that an American-made, artificial intelligence-enhanced anti-drone defense system will join the national air defense network within days following final testing.

The Merops technology, created by Project Eagle – a U.S. firm supported by former Google chief executive Eric Schmidt – will provide drone defense capabilities along the Danube River, Miruta explained.

Poland has already deployed this system along NATO’s eastern border.

Malaysian officials have selected a former judge to oversee the nation’s anti-corruption commission following a series of misconduct allegations that have plagued the current leadership.

Abdul Halim Aman will assume control of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) beginning May 13, according to government chief secretary Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar’s announcement on Saturday.

“The government is confident that with his vast experience and high integrity, he would be able to bolster efforts to strengthen governance, improve public confidence and intensify the anti-corruption agenda in the interest of the country,” Shamsul Azri said.

The current commission leader, Azam Baki, has faced repeated accusations of improper conduct related to his stock investments, beginning with initial claims in 2022. Despite these controversies, his contract that started in 2020 has received multiple extensions.

Additional pressure for his resignation mounted this year following February media coverage that alleged both Azam and other senior MACC officials violated public servant regulations and engaged in misconduct.

Both Azam and the commission have rejected these claims as unfounded.

These controversies have created divisions within Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government, with some important supporters questioning his dedication to fighting corruption.

While authorities have examined some accusations against Azam, they have not released their conclusions publicly, citing ongoing investigations by police and other agencies.

The country’s monarch, Sultan Ibrahim, made Abdul Halim’s appointment after stating this week that he would personally select the agency’s new leader to avoid political interference.

Saturday’s announcement indicated that the king’s choice followed a recommendation from Anwar.

Malaysia’s constitutional framework allows the monarch to name leaders of important government agencies based on prime ministerial advice. While the monarchy typically serves in a ceremonial capacity and stays removed from political matters, it has gained greater influence recently due to extended political turmoil that has required the king to exercise seldom-used discretionary authority.

TOKYO – Emergency crews in northern Japan entered their fourth consecutive day Saturday fighting two devastating wildfires that have displaced more than 3,200 residents and consumed nearly 1,800 acres across Iwate Prefecture.

More than 1,000 firefighting personnel are now deployed to combat the blazes, which are advancing dangerously close to homes in Otsuchi, where approximately one-third of all residents have been ordered to leave their properties.

The crisis began Wednesday afternoon when the first wildfire ignited in Iwate Prefecture’s mountainous terrain. A second blaze started just two hours later, located roughly 6.2 miles away and positioned near Otsuchi’s neighborhoods.

Emergency response teams include 1,225 firefighters working both on the ground and from aircraft, with many crews brought in from neighboring prefectures to assist local departments. Military helicopters from Japan’s Self-Defense Forces are joining civilian aircraft in conducting water-dropping operations over the burning areas.

As of Saturday morning, the wildfires had destroyed 730 hectares of land and prompted mandatory evacuation orders affecting 1,541 households containing 3,233 people. Eight structures have been lost to the flames, including one home, though authorities report no injuries or deaths have occurred.

Weather conditions remain challenging for firefighting efforts, with Japan’s Meteorological Agency forecasting no rainfall for the upcoming week.

The combined destruction makes these fires the third-most devastating wildfire event in Japanese history, according to media reports. Only the 2025 Ofunato fire that burned approximately 3,370 hectares and the 1992 Kushiro fire that consumed 1,030 hectares have caused more widespread damage.

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — Palestinians in war-torn Gaza are participating in their first opportunity to vote in local elections in twenty years, marking a significant political moment on Saturday.

Meanwhile, residents of the Israeli-occupied West Bank are heading to polling stations for their first electoral experience since the Israel-Hamas conflict began. Voter participation could signal the degree of public confidence in the broader political structure overseen by veteran West Bank leadership, as Gaza anticipates a possible shift away from Hamas governance.

West Bank balloting will decide the composition of local councils responsible for managing water systems, roadway maintenance, and electrical services. In contrast, the single Gaza city participating represents more of a symbolic gesture, with authorities describing it as an experimental “pilot” program.

Despite not conducting presidential or parliamentary elections since 2006, the Palestinian Authority has championed these local contests following reform measures implemented last year in response to pressure from international supporters.

Operating under the motto “We Stay,” the Ramallah-headquartered Central Election Commission has worked to boost involvement among approximately 70,000 eligible voters in Gaza’s Deir al-Balah and one million throughout the West Bank.

According to spokesperson Fareed Taamallah, casting ballots “reflects the will if the Palestinian people to stay on their land and develop their country.”

Given that extensive portions of Gaza have been destroyed during more than two years of warfare, the commission selected Deir al-Balah for its inaugural vote because while the area sustained airstrike damage, it remained among the few locations that avoided Israeli ground operations. Officials had to adapt their approach since standard voter registration procedures proved impossible.

“The main idea is to link the West Bank and Gaza politically as one system,” Taamallah explained. Palestinians view combining both territories under unified governance as essential for any future path toward statehood.

The commission avoided direct coordination with either Israel or Hamas before the Deir al-Balah election and could not transport essential supplies including ballot papers, voting boxes, or ink into Gaza, he noted. COGAT, the Israeli military organization managing humanitarian matters in Gaza, did not respond to inquiries about permitting election materials entry.

While Palestinian voter participation has slowly declined, it has remained comparatively strong in previous local elections by regional measures, commission data shows, typically ranging from 50% to 60%. For context, recent local election turnout in Lebanon and Tunisia fell below 40% and 12%, respectively.

Ninety-year-old President Mahmoud Abbas approved legislation last year restructuring the electoral framework to address some Western donor requirements. The changes permit voting for individual candidates instead of party lists, reduced the minimum age for candidacy, and increased quotas for female candidates.

In January, another Abbas order mandated that candidates endorse the Palestine Liberation Organization’s platform, the organization leading the Palestinian Authority. This platform demands recognizing Israel and abandoning armed resistance, effectively excluding Hamas and other militant groups.

Candidate lists in major cities are primarily controlled by Fatah, the Palestinian Authority’s leading faction, and independents, some connected to other political groups. However, this marks the first instance across six local elections where no other faction has formally presented its own candidate list — an omission that experts say demonstrates political disappointment with Abbas and the authority’s elderly leadership.

Throughout the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the authority maintains limited self-governance, with local councils managing services from waste collection to construction permits. Elections will occur in villages within “Area C” under Israeli military administration and in municipalities that have been occupied by Israel’s military since launching a ground offensive in the northern West Bank last year.

Campaign advertisements have been displayed throughout cities, although many locations — including Ramallah and Nablus — will skip elections due to insufficient candidate or slate registration.

The Palestinian Authority’s influence has diminished during years without peace talks with Israel and continued growth of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. However, it views local elections as a low-risk method to showcase reform progress, according to Aref Jaffal, director of the al-Marsad Arab World Democracy and Electoral Monitor.

“The PA wants to show it is on the right track on political, financial and administrative reforms, and is using local elections as a symbol of that,” he stated. “With the weak legitimacy of the national government, it is seeking to bolster legitimacy through local elections.”

With the authority having limited options to address hundreds of new military checkpoints and settler outposts restricting West Bank movement, he explained that many councils have gained greater significance, managing local healthcare facilities, educational institutions, and public services that residents previously accessed elsewhere.

Hamas secured parliamentary victories in 2006 and forcibly took Gaza control from the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority the following year. While not fielding candidates for Saturday’s elections, surveys from the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research indicate it continues as the most favored Palestinian faction in both Gaza and the West Bank.

Ramiz Alakbarov, the U.N. deputy special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, described the elections as “an important opportunity for Palestinians to exercise their democratic rights during an exceptionally challenging period.”

However, other international participants have remained mostly quiet regarding the Gaza vote, with recent memories of previous elections sparking conflict and alternative governance options remaining uncertain.

Hamas maintains control over the Gaza section that Israeli forces evacuated last year, including Deir al-Balah, but the coastal territory is preparing to shift toward new governance arrangements under U.S. President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan.

The plan created a Board of Peace consisting of international representatives and a committee of unelected Palestinian specialists designed to function beneath it. Movement toward additional phases, including Hamas disarmament, reconstruction, and power transfer, remains stalled.

Although elections in Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem regularly create tension between Israel and Palestinian officials, the 1995 Oslo Accords contained no stipulations regarding the authority conducting local elections there.

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Escalating fuel shortages and surging energy costs stemming from ongoing conflict with Iran have prompted European Union officials to explore funding alternative energy transportation corridors throughout the Middle East that would avoid unstable regions such as the Strait of Hormuz.

During an informal gathering of EU leadership in Cyprus’s capital, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced Friday that the bloc stands prepared to collaborate with Persian Gulf nations on developing new energy delivery systems to global markets that would remain immune to warfare and regional tensions.

“The events of the past month have taught us a hard lesson,” von der Leyen stated during a press briefing following the leadership meeting. “Our security is not just related, it is intrinsically linked. A threat to a merchant vessel in the Strait of Hormuz is a threat to a factory, for example, in Belgium.”

While the EU leadership emphasized strengthening defense partnerships and highlighted the bloc’s Red Sea maritime security operations as a potential naval protection model for the Persian Gulf, von der Leyen concentrated her public statements on European assistance for rebuilding and constructing Middle Eastern energy facilities.

“We are also ready to team up with the Gulf countries to diversify export infrastructure away from solely the bottleneck of the Hormuz Strait,” she declared, additionally proposing EU support for repairing Gulf energy systems damaged during the conflict.

Approximately one-fifth of global oil and gas shipments typically transit through the Strait of Hormuz, though the ongoing war has effectively shut down this crucial waterway, causing fuel costs to surge dramatically.

During Friday morning trading, Brent crude climbed 98 cents to reach $100.33 per barrel, while U.S. benchmark crude increased 81 cents to $96.66 per barrel.

Von der Leyen reiterated that due to these oil and gas price increases, the 27-member bloc’s energy expenses have jumped by 25 billion euros ($29.3 billion) over the past 43 days.

Both von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa declined to provide specific information about which initiatives are under consideration or their anticipated timelines. However, von der Leyen mentioned the India-Middle-East-Europe Economic Corridor connecting the EU with the world’s most populous democracy.

Von der Leyen indicated that an upcoming summit between the EU and Gulf Cooperation Council later this year would provide both parties an opportunity to examine such initiatives.

Cyprus currently holds the rotating EU presidency, positioning this island nation near Lebanon, Syria, Israel and Turkey as a key regional player. Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides has worked to strengthen ties between the bloc and Middle Eastern countries to support their economies and enhance regional security.

This regional emphasis was highlighted by the distinguished attendees at the informal EU summit: Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El Sissi, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Jordan’s Crown Prince Hussein and GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi.

“We know that Europe needs Syria as much as Syria needs Europe,” Al-Sharaa remarked, while Aoun requested EU assistance for reconstructing his conflict-torn nation.

Costa commended Aoun for prohibiting Hezbollah’s military operations, which he described as “an existential threat” to Lebanon, promising to help the country eliminate the militant organization.

Costa emphasized that “the European Union is not part of the conflict, but we will be part of this solution.”

Human rights organizations criticized EU leadership for failing to increase pressure on Israel regarding its Middle Eastern military operations.

EU officials including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated they would maintain sanctions on Iran until numerous concerns are addressed, including terminating its missile development and regional proxy support.

“It’s too early to talk about relief of any kind of sanctions,” Costa explained.

Cyprus experienced direct attack early in the conflict when a Shahed drone launched from Lebanon on March 2 struck an aircraft hangar at a British military installation on the island’s southern shoreline. Greece, France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands deployed warships equipped with anti-drone technology to protect the island.

This incident has renewed focus on a mutual assistance provision within the EU’s founding treaties for situations when member states face attack.

Christodoulides reported that EU leaders agreed to begin developing a formal response mechanism, concluding that “ad hoc arrangements” prove unreliable.

ISLAMABAD (AP) — President Trump is dispatching diplomatic representatives to Pakistan this Saturday in a fresh attempt to restart ceasefire negotiations with Iran, though Tehran has rejected face-to-face discussions as its foreign minister landed in Islamabad.

This renewed diplomatic push occurs while an open-ended ceasefire has halted most combat operations, yet economic consequences continue to escalate due to disrupted global energy shipments caused by the blocked Strait of Hormuz.

Pakistani officials have been working to bring American and Iranian representatives back to negotiations after Trump announced this week an open-ended extension of the Iran ceasefire, responding to Islamabad’s appeal for additional time to pursue diplomatic solutions.

The White House announced Friday that President Trump would dispatch Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to meet with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. However, immediately following Araghchi’s arrival in Islamabad, his ministry declared that any discussions would be conducted indirectly, with Pakistani officials serving as intermediaries between the parties.

Araghchi and the two Trump representatives participated in extensive indirect discussions in Geneva on February 27 regarding Tehran’s nuclear program, but departed without reaching an agreement. The following day, Israel and the United States initiated military action against Iran.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt informed Fox News that the president had chosen to send Witkoff and Kushner to Pakistan “to hear the Iranians out.”

“We’ve certainly seen some progress from the Iranian side in the last couple of days,” Leavitt stated. She provided no specifics about what American officials were learning.

In a separate development Friday, the White House announced Trump had issued a 90-day extension to the Jones Act waiver, facilitating foreign vessels’ transport of oil and natural gas.

He initially announced a 60-day waiver in March designed to stabilize energy costs and improve oil and gas deliveries to the United States following the effective shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway that handles one-fifth of global oil shipments during peacetime.

Iran continues to maintain its grip on strait traffic, launching attacks on three vessels this week, while the United States maintains a blockade of Iranian ports and Trump has authorized the military to “shoot and kill” small boats potentially deploying mines.

Brent crude oil prices, the global benchmark, declined on this news, fluctuating between $103 and over $107 per barrel — still approximately 50% above February 28 levels when hostilities commenced.

The restricted shipments through the strait have affected global maritime commerce, including traffic through the Panama Canal on the opposite side of the world.

Since hostilities began, at least 3,375 people have died in Iran, and over 2,490 in Lebanon, where renewed conflict between Israel and the Iran-supported militant organization Hezbollah erupted two days after the war’s start, according to official sources.

Furthermore, 23 people have perished in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab nations. Fifteen Israeli soldiers in Lebanon and 13 American service members across the region have been killed.

The United Nations peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon has also suffered losses. UNIFIL reported Friday that an Indonesian peacekeeper died from injuries received during a March 29 attack on his base, bringing to six — four Indonesians and two French — the total force members killed since the conflict began.

Conditions in Lebanon remained unstable after Trump announced Thursday that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to extend a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah by three weeks. Hezbollah has not taken part in the Washington-mediated diplomacy.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a video message issued by his office Friday, praised “a process to achieve a historic peace between Israel and Lebanon.”

Previously, the Israeli military instructed residents of the southern Lebanese village of Deir Aames to evacuate, claiming Hezbollah was using the location to conduct attacks against Israel.

Israel’s military reported shooting down a drone over Lebanon after Hezbollah launched a small surface-to-air missile. The militant organization, meanwhile, claimed it destroyed an Israeli drone with a surface-to-air missile near the southern port city of Tyre.

King Charles III faces the ongoing challenge of matching his late mother’s diplomatic legacy as he begins a significant state visit to America this week.

Queen Elizabeth II delivered a memorable address to Congress in 1991 that honored the shared democratic values between Britain and America, referencing Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Ralph Waldo Emerson while emphasizing the strong ties connecting both countries.

Charles will focus on similar themes during his visit as he marks America’s 250th anniversary and works to ease diplomatic friction over Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s decision not to back President Donald Trump’s military campaign against Iran, according to Douglas Brinkley, a presidential historian at Rice University in Texas.

“We’ve got to always make the distinction that there’s a difference between the government of the U.K. and the kings and queens of Great Britain, who are really always coming to try to put (on) a good face,” Brinkley told The Associated Press. “Politics come and go, prime ministers, presidents, come and go, but there’s something deeper about the special relationship between the United States and the U.K.”

Behind the ceremonial aspects of Charles’ four-day journey through Washington, New York and Virginia lies a strategically planned diplomatic mission organized, like all royal visits, upon the British government’s request. Starmer rejected calls to postpone the trip despite Trump’s criticism of British military contributions in Afghanistan and personal attacks on the Prime Minister for not supporting American actions in Iran.

Nevertheless, Trump continues to express positive feelings toward Charles personally.

“History has shown that President Trump really tries to be impressive whenever he’s dealing with British royalty,” Brinkley said. “And I’m sure it’ll be the same this time around.”

Since 1939, when King George VI made history as the first British royal to visit America, these visits have generated unique enthusiasm among Americans.

That inaugural visit occurred as World War II threatened Europe. The royals toured the eastern United States and joined Roosevelt for an informal gathering at his Hyde Park, New York residence. “King tries hot dog and asks for more,” reported the New York Times.

The most significant moment came when the royals visited Mount Vernon to honor George Washington at his tomb, demonstrating respect during America’s isolationist period.

“People could see the handwriting on the wall and know that it was going to be important for the United States and Britain to stay strong for fighting against Hitler,” said Barbara Perry, a presidential scholar at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center.

However, sharing casual meals created broader connections, helping the royals establish relationships with ordinary Americans beyond political leaders. When war began in September 1939, Queen Elizabeth, George VI’s wife and future Elizabeth II’s mother, corresponded with first lady Eleanor Roosevelt about touching letters from Americans who donated money for British forces.

“Sometimes, during the last terrible months, we have felt rather lonely in our fight against evil things, but I can honestly say that our hearts have been lightened by the knowledge that friends in America understand what we are fighting for,” she wrote.

Queen Elizabeth II expanded these relationships through four state visits during her seven-decade reign. She joined President Gerald R. Ford for America’s bicentennial celebration in 1976 and met President George W. Bush in 2007 while British and American troops served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

These visits consistently aimed to calm diplomatic tensions and highlight shared values between the nations.

Charles’ trip will follow this tradition, featuring a September 11th memorial event, a ceremony for fallen soldiers, and Queen Camilla will attend a celebration marking the centennial of A.A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh stories.

Controversial topics will be deliberately avoided.

The royals will not meet Jeffrey Epstein’s victims, despite requests for the king to address his brother’s connections to the convicted criminal. Charles also has no scheduled meetings with his son Prince Harry, who has criticized the monarchy since relocating to California and abandoning royal responsibilities.

These matters aren’t the focus, explained Robert Hardman, author of “Elizabeth II: In Private. In Public. The Inside Story.”

“He’s going because 250 years ago the Founding Fathers of the USA kicked out his great-times-five grandfather, and he’s going to say, ‘No hard feelings, it’s been a great divorce, we’ve had a lovely 250 years and let’s reflect on the high points,’” Hardman said. “I mean, there are going to be some very, very large elephants in the room during that visit … but, you know, there are plenty of other things for the king to focus on.”

Charles’ congressional address provides an opportunity to emphasize that lasting friendship outweighs temporary disagreements.

He will likely include humor, as his mother did when addressing lawmakers in 1991.

Dressed in soft peach among the gray-suited legislators, the petite queen opened with a joke about the previous day’s White House mishap, when her podium was too high for the audience to see her.

“I do hope you can see me today from where you are,” she said with perfect timing.

The room burst into laughter and applause before she delivered her remarks about democratic principles, legal foundations and the Atlantic partnership.

Charles must present his own interpretation of these concepts, Brinkley noted.

“The theme of the speech is going to be American exceptionalism, American history, the importance of U.S.-British alliance, and some memories from the past,” he said. “But also about the love affair the two countries share with each other, even though it goes over rocky rapids from time to time.”

Palestinians participated in local elections Saturday that included Gaza voters for the first time in nearly two decades, as political tensions remain high amid ongoing conflict with Israel.

The Palestinian Authority, based in the West Bank, hopes that including the Gaza city of Deir al-Balah in the voting will strengthen its claim to govern the war-damaged territory, where Hamas has maintained control since forcing out the Authority in 2007.

Residents of Gaza, still dealing with basic survival needs in the devastated region, expressed enthusiasm about the chance to participate in the democratic process.

“I’ve been hearing about elections since I was born,” said Adham Al-Bardini, speaking from beside cooking equipment outside his family’s tent shelter in the city. “We are eager to take part … so we can change the reality imposed on us.”

The elections come as a U.S.-negotiated ceasefire between Hamas and Israel that began in October has led to sporadic diplomatic discussions, though little meaningful progress toward a comprehensive peace agreement involving international oversight of Gaza.

International leaders from Europe and Arab nations generally favor eventually returning Palestinian Authority leadership to Gaza and creating an independent Palestinian nation that would include Gaza, East Jerusalem and the West Bank, where the Authority currently has limited governing power under Israeli military occupation.

Foreign diplomatic officials believe these local elections might create a pathway for the first nationwide Palestinian elections in almost 20 years and could help push forward reforms aimed at improving government transparency and accountability that Palestinian Authority leaders say are already in progress.

These represent the first Palestinian elections conducted since the Gaza conflict began over two years ago with Hamas’s cross-border attack on Israeli communities in the south. The most recent municipal voting in the West Bank occurred four years ago.

The Palestinian Authority faces financial difficulties paying employee salaries as Israel continues holding tax money it normally collects for the Palestinians, creating concerns about potential economic breakdown. Israeli officials defend withholding these funds as opposition to welfare payments made to prisoners and families of those killed by Israeli forces, claiming such payments encourage violent attacks.

Israel’s government has also implemented measures to assist settlers in obtaining West Bank property, and ultranationalist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has stated, “We will continue to kill the idea of a Palestinian state.”

In Deir al-Balah, which has experienced less destruction from Israel’s military campaign since 2023 compared to other Gaza cities, campaign banners displaying candidate names are displayed on buildings. Some ballot casting will occur in temporary tent structures, and voting hours will be shortened due to limited electrical power.

Palestinian election officials pointed to extensive damage as one reason voting could not occur throughout the remainder of Gaza, where Israel controls more than half the territory while Hamas governs the rest.

Several Palestinian political groups are refusing to participate in the elections to protest the Palestinian Authority’s requirement that candidates support its diplomatic agreements, including acknowledging Israel’s right to exist as a state.

Hamas, which has governed Gaza for nearly 20 years, did not officially put forward any candidates, though one candidate slate in the Deir al-Balah race is widely considered by local residents and political observers to support the militant organization.

Political analysts suggest the electoral performance of candidates connected to the militant group could indicate its current level of public support. Most candidates, both in Gaza and the West Bank, are campaigning under the Fatah movement, which leads the Palestinian Authority, or as independent candidates.

Hamas leadership has indicated it will accept the election outcomes, and Palestinian officials informed Reuters before the voting that the group’s civilian police officers would be stationed at Gaza polling locations to provide security.

The Palestinian Central Elections Committee reported that over one million Palestinians, including 70,000 in Gaza, were qualified to vote, with final results anticipated late Saturday or Sunday.

A dual-citizen American journalist who spent nearly two months in Kuwaiti detention has been freed and has departed the Middle Eastern nation, according to U.S. State Department officials.

Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, 41, was cleared of all charges by a Kuwaiti court and has safely left Kuwait, a State Department representative confirmed Friday.

The journalist had been held since early March after Kuwaiti officials arrested him during a broader government crackdown on individuals sharing content about the recent Iran conflict on social media platforms.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, a New York-based media advocacy organization, Shihab-Eldin was last seen publicly on March 2nd. He was taken into custody the following day while visiting relatives in Kuwait.

Kuwaiti authorities charged him with disseminating false information, threatening national security, and improperly using his cellular device, the CPJ reported.

The media watchdog organization announced Thursday that a Kuwaiti court had dismissed all accusations against Shihab-Eldin, based on information from attorneys representing his sisters. The CPJ expressed approval of the court’s decision to acquit him.

Throughout his detention, various press freedom organizations and human rights groups had urged Kuwait to drop the charges and release the journalist.

“We can confirm that American journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin has safely departed Kuwait. While in detention, the State Department was in contact with Mr. Shihab-Eldin and provided consular assistance,” the State Department official said.

The official declined to provide additional details, citing privacy concerns and other factors. Kuwait’s Washington embassy did not respond immediately to requests for comment.

On March 15th, Kuwait implemented new legislation that includes penalties of up to a decade in prison for circulating false information about military organizations with the goal of damaging public confidence in them.

Prior to his arrest, Shihab-Eldin had shared videos and photographs on social media platforms concerning the regional conflict, including material depicting a U.S. military aircraft crash within Kuwait.

Shihab-Eldin identifies himself as an independent journalist with experience at major international news organizations including the New York Times, HBO, Vice, PBS, BBC and Al Jazeera.

The conflict began when the U.S. and Israel launched strikes against Iran on February 28th. Iran retaliated with its own attacks on Israel and Gulf nations hosting American military installations. The ongoing U.S.-Israeli operations against Iran and Israeli military actions in Lebanon have resulted in thousands of casualties and displaced millions of people.

A tentative ceasefire in the Iran conflict took effect more than two weeks ago.

Kuwait’s Interior Ministry issued a public warning on February 28th advising citizens against recording missile defense activities, posting such material on social media, or filming security forces during operations, encouraging people to depend on official information sources instead.

PRIPYAT, Ukraine — Two devastating blasts have shaken the Chernobyl nuclear facility nearly four decades apart, both occurring in the early morning darkness.

The initial catastrophe struck at 1:23 a.m. on April 26, 1986, releasing a lethal radioactive plume that terrorized Europe and contributed to the Soviet Union’s eventual downfall.

The recent explosion occurred at 1:59 a.m. on February 14, 2025, when Ukrainian authorities say a Russian drone carrying explosives struck the site. Though less devastating than the original disaster, the attack has intensified concerns about Moscow’s war against Ukraine, targeting a location that represents immense tragedy for the nation.

“What once seemed unthinkable — strikes on nuclear facilities and other hazardous sites — has now become reality,” said Oleh Solonenko, head of a radiation safety shift at Chernobyl, which Ukrainians transliterate as Chornobyl.

The drone struck the exterior of the New Safe Confinement structure, a massive $2.1 billion arch-shaped barrier completed in 2019 to surround the original concrete “sarcophagus” built hastily after the disaster to contain the destroyed Reactor No. 4 and prevent radiation leaks. Russia has denied deliberately attacking the facility, claiming Ukraine orchestrated the incident.

The impact ignited a blaze on the enormous structure — large enough to encompass the Statue of Liberty — but failed to breach it completely, affecting a section with minimal contamination. Radiation monitoring equipment showed no increase in levels beyond the protective barrier, and no injuries occurred.

However, the International Atomic Energy Agency cautioned that the damage could dramatically reduce the structure’s intended 100-year operational period, compromising its essential safety role.

For Klavdiia Omelchenko, who works alongside more than 2,200 engineers, scientists and other personnel at the shuttered facility, the attack brought back painful memories from four decades ago.

In 1986, Omelchenko was a 19-year-old working at a textile plant, sleeping in her Pripyat home where most Chernobyl employees resided. She never heard the explosion during what was supposed to be a routine reactor test.

She awakened to whispers about an accident, but only grasped its magnitude weeks afterward — following her evacuation with just a small bag containing identification papers and makeup. Her previous residence now sits within Chernobyl’s “exclusion zone,” a 2,600-square-kilometer area that remains uninhabited.

Soviet officials initially concealed the extent of what became the planet’s most severe nuclear accident, which released radiation clouds over present-day Ukraine and Belarus, creating panic throughout Europe. While dozens perished immediately, the long-term fatality count from radiation exposure remains undetermined.

Omelchenko never established another permanent residence and returned in 1993 to work in the plant’s dining facility. That homecoming “wasn’t as scary as now. Back then, at least, there was no bombing,” she added.

To her, the comprehensive 2022 invasion and last year’s drone assault are more frightening than radiation exposure.

She experienced headaches following the 1986 incident and later underwent surgery for a precancerous condition, but at 59 years old, she dismisses contamination risks.

“We grew up in it,” she said. “We don’t pay attention to it anymore.”

Bright yellow daffodils flourish next to military defensive positions at the Chernobyl facility as employees in regular clothing, carrying identification badges and special authorization, move through the restricted area.

The plant ceased generating power in 2000 when its final reactor was decommissioned. An international initiative constructed the protective NSC — a groundbreaking project intended to secure the location and allow for dismantling the deteriorating Soviet-era covering over the reactor.

However, Russia’s military offensive has suspended that initiative.

Liudmyla Kozak, an engineer with over twenty years at Chernobyl, was working when Russian forces captured the plant in February 2022. Staff maintained operations under armed supervision for nearly three weeks, exposing workers to radiation levels far exceeding their standard shift limits.

“We had no hope we would make it out alive — it was really that scary,” she said.

Kozak described how employees slept on floors and desks while Russian soldiers controlled critical areas. Equipment suffered damage and theft, she noted. The troops also operated heavy machinery through contaminated zones and excavated trenches, disturbing radioactive particles.

“With the drone strike as well, it will be much more complicated,” Kozak said.

The IAEA determined the damage has compromised the arch’s ability to perform its primary duties of containing radioactive materials and enabling safe reactor dismantlement. Without repairs, the structure would progressively deteriorate, heightening radiation exposure dangers for Ukraine and neighboring nations.

Serhii Bokov, who manages NSC operations, was on duty during the early hours of February 14, 2025, when the muffled explosion from the drone reverberated through the structure.

He and his team rushed outside, detecting smoke but initially seeing nothing. A nearby military post confirmed the attack, and firefighters arrived approximately 40 minutes later.

Ascending into the structure, they discovered flames burning through the outer covering. Fire hoses were extended across the arch as crews fought blazes that repeatedly reignited. The fire required more than two weeks to completely extinguish.

“There was no feeling of fear, none at all. It was just a fire — something we practice in drills — only this time it was real,” he said. “I didn’t think, honestly, that we could lose the entire arch.”

The damage has been temporarily repaired and concealed internally, while a sealed rupture remains visible externally.

Each evening, Bokov walks more than a kilometer through the structure via what employees call the “golden corridor” — a pathway bordered by yellow panels protecting them from radiation. It passes abandoned control centers, including Reactor No. 4’s.

When the NSC was finished in 2019, he felt pride in participating in something remarkable, observing its construction and development, and serving on the team maintaining its operation.

Currently, though, the structure no longer maintains complete containment. While no immediate radiation danger exists, dismantling work on the sarcophagus has stopped — delayed, Bokov estimates, by at least ten years.

“Everything depends on how quickly we can restore this and return to normal operations — and to preparing for dismantling,” he said.

Bokov believes the arch can continue operating in its present condition temporarily. However, the real worry involves the stability of the underlying sarcophagus — and why resuming its dismantlement is critical.

Oleh Solonenko, head of a radiation safety shift at the facility, confirmed the drone damaged the NSC’s outer layer without fully penetrating it. The damage affected a low-contamination area, with no radiation increase detected outside the arch.

Nevertheless, the incident demonstrated how the conflict has disrupted nuclear safety assumptions, he said.

Without immediate repairs, the sarcophagus collapse risk increases substantially, Greenpeace Ukraine warned in a report by engineer Eric Schmieman, who worked at Chernobyl for years and helped design the NSC.

“It is difficult to comprehend the scale of the deadly, hazardous conditions inside the sarcophagus,” he said. “There are tons of highly radioactive nuclear fuel, dust and debris. Now it is critical to find a way to restore the key functions of this facility.”

Officials in Tunisia have issued a directive halting operations of the nation’s Human Rights League for one month, the organization announced Friday. The group, known locally as LTDH, was part of a coalition of civil society organizations that received the Nobel Peace Prize nearly a decade ago.

Government representatives have not responded to requests for comment regarding the suspension order.

According to the league’s statement, this action represents part of a “wider pattern of increasingly systematic curbs on civil society and on free and independent voices.”

This latest move follows similar government actions from last October, when authorities also halted operations of other notable organizations including Democratic Women and the Economic and Social Rights Forum. Human rights advocates have denounced what they characterize as an unprecedented campaign against non-governmental organizations, political opposition, and media outlets since President Kais Saied consolidated additional authority in 2021.

The Human Rights League has been a vocal opponent of Saied’s administration, consistently raising alarms that the nation has been moving toward autocratic governance since the president dissolved parliament in 2021 and subsequently began governing through executive orders.

President Saied has rejected accusations of dictatorial behavior, stating that civil liberties remain protected in Tunisia while emphasizing that legal accountability applies universally, regardless of individual status or reputation.

During recent months, the organization has been prohibited from conducting prison inspections to monitor detention conditions across multiple cities throughout the country.

Established in 1976, the Human Rights League holds significant standing as a fundamental pillar of civil rights advocacy in Tunisia and ranks among the most established such organizations across the Arab world and African continent.

The group joined three other Tunisian civil society organizations in receiving the Nobel Peace Prize as members of the National Dialogue Quartet in 2015, recognized for their contributions to facilitating the country’s transition to democracy.

Tunisia, previously celebrated as the sole democratic achievement emerging from the Arab Spring movement fifteen years ago, now faces mounting international criticism from human rights organizations over restrictions imposed on political opponents, news media, and civil society groups.

In a related development Friday, prominent Tunisian journalist Zied Heni was taken into custody following publication of an article critical of the judicial system, his legal representative confirmed.

Washington D.C. officials made an embarrassing mistake while preparing for King Charles’ upcoming state visit, accidentally displaying Australian flags instead of British ones near the White House, according to a spokesperson from the D.C. Department of Transportation who spoke Friday.

While Charles does serve as Australia’s head of state, that position is primarily symbolic in nature.

The mix-up involved 15 Australian banners that were temporarily hung among more than 230 flags being arranged to greet the British monarch upon his arrival Monday in the nation’s capital. Transportation officials said the incorrect flags were swapped out for proper British flags once the error was discovered.

This state visit represents what many consider the most significant journey of Charles’ time as king, scheduled to commemorate the 250th anniversary of America’s Declaration of Independence from Britain.

The diplomatic trip is designed to strengthen the “special relationship” between the two nations, which has reportedly reached its weakest point in seven decades due to tensions related to the Iran conflict.

The State Department has issued a worldwide diplomatic alert accusing Chinese artificial intelligence companies of stealing intellectual property from American AI laboratories, according to a confidential cable obtained by Reuters.

The diplomatic message specifically names Chinese AI startup DeepSeek, along with companies Moonshot AI and MiniMax, as part of what officials describe as systematic theft efforts targeting U.S. technology.

According to the cable, the communication aims to “warn of the risks of utilizing AI models distilled from U.S. proprietary AI models, and lay the groundwork for potential follow-up and outreach by the U.S. government.”

The document explains that distillation involves training smaller AI systems using data from larger, more costly models to reduce development expenses for new AI technology.

DeepSeek gained international attention last year when it released a low-cost AI model that surprised the tech world. On Friday, the company unveiled a preview of its newest model designed to work with Huawei chip technology, demonstrating China’s increasing independence in the AI sector.

Neither the State Department, DeepSeek, nor the Chinese Embassy in Washington provided immediate responses to requests for comment. Moonshot AI and MiniMax also did not respond to inquiries.

Earlier this week, the White House made similar accusations against Chinese companies. The Chinese Embassy dismissed these claims as “baseless allegations,” stating that Beijing “attaches great importance to the protection of intellectual property rights.”

The Friday cable, distributed to U.S. diplomatic and consular offices worldwide, directs diplomatic personnel to discuss with foreign officials their “concerns over adversaries’ extraction and distillation of U.S. A.I. models.”

“A separate demarche request and message has been sent to Beijing for raising with China,” the document notes.

This previously unreported cable demonstrates the Trump administration’s serious approach to growing concerns about Chinese copying of American AI technology.

The communication argues that “AI models developed from surreptitious, unauthorized distillation campaigns enable foreign actors to release products that appear to perform comparably on select benchmarks at a fraction of the cost but do not replicate the full performance of the original system.” It further claims these campaigns “deliberately strip security protocols from the resulting models and undo mechanisms that ensure those AI models are ideologically neutral and truth‑seeking.”

In February, OpenAI informed U.S. lawmakers that DeepSeek was targeting the ChatGPT creator and other leading American AI companies to copy their models for its own development purposes, Reuters previously reported.

This diplomatic action, coming just weeks before President Donald Trump’s scheduled visit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, threatens to escalate tensions in the ongoing technology competition between the two superpowers, which had been reduced through a diplomatic agreement reached last October.

The presidents of Colombia and Venezuela reached agreements on Friday to enhance intelligence cooperation and strengthen economic ties during a diplomatic meeting at the presidential palace in Caracas.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro and Venezuelan leader Delcy Rodriguez committed to new information-sharing protocols designed to address criminal activity along their mutual border, while also discussing expanded trade relationships and electrical grid improvements for Venezuela’s western regions, which experience regular power outages.

Both presidents face significant pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump – Rodriguez to welcome foreign investment into Venezuela’s economy and Petro to intensify anti-drug trafficking efforts.

This marked Rodriguez’s second meeting with another head of state since taking office, following a brief visit to Grenada earlier this month.

“It makes no sense for Colombia or Venezuela to look toward other latitudes, another hemisphere, for what we can get in our own territories,” Rodriguez stated during joint remarks alongside Petro. She emphasized plans to boost bilateral commerce and energy cooperation, adding, “Electrical interconnection is already a step forward, and so is gas interconnection, through which we can not only supply gas to Colombia but also jointly export gas to other countries.”

The two nations share profound historical and cultural connections, particularly along their extensive 2,200-kilometer (1,370-mile) border where numerous families hold dual citizenship. Approximately 3 million Venezuelan refugees have relocated to Colombia in recent years, escaping their homeland’s economic crisis.

While the border area generates over $1 billion in yearly commerce, it also serves as a corridor for drug trafficking, contraband smuggling, and other criminal enterprises operated by armed organizations including criminal networks and Colombian rebel groups.

Human rights organizations and former Colombian administrations have accused these armed factions of operating with Venezuelan military assistance or tolerance, claims that Caracas has consistently rejected.

Petro and Rodriguez’s predecessor, Nicolas Maduro, who was ousted in a U.S. operation in January, had previously expanded military presence along the border to counter drug trafficking.

The nations are adopting “a very serious, very comprehensive approach” to addressing border criminality, Rodriguez explained, and will promptly implement “mechanisms for sharing information and developing intelligence” to combat narcotics and fuel smuggling, along with other illegal activities.

Petro declared that the border must serve the citizens of both nations, not criminal organizations.

Rodriguez, who previously served as vice president, has been working to attract oil and mining investors while operating under close Trump administration oversight. Trump has publicly commended her efforts, and she has hosted U.S. officials and prospective investors in Caracas.

She has actively called for the U.S. to remove sanctions against Venezuela, arguing that special permits and exemptions provide insufficient security for investors or economic recovery.

Petro has experienced multiple disagreements with Trump, who has consistently demanded greater Colombian cooperation in anti-drug operations, while Petro points to record drug seizures during his presidency.

Despite personal sanctions Washington imposed on Petro, both leaders expressed optimism following a direct meeting earlier this year. In March, they held a cordial phone conversation about border economic issues, according to Petro’s office.

The chief executive of artificial intelligence company OpenAI has issued a public apology following revelations that his firm failed to notify authorities about troubling online activity from an account connected to a deadly school shooting in British Columbia, Canada.

Sam Altman released the apology letter on Friday, expressing remorse over the company’s decision not to contact law enforcement about suspicious behavior from an account they had previously suspended.

“I am deeply sorry that we did not alert law enforcement to the account that was banned in June,” Altman stated. “While I know words can never be enough, I believe an apology is necessary to recognize the harm and irreversible loss your community has suffered.”

The tragic incident unfolded on February 10 when authorities say 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar first killed her mother, 39-year-old Jennifer Jacobs, and 11-year-old stepbrother, Emmett Jacobs, at their family residence in northern British Columbia. Van Rootselaar then proceeded to Tumbler Ridge Secondary School where she fatally shot five students and one educator before taking her own life. The rampage left 25 additional victims wounded.

Following the massacre, OpenAI disclosed that their automated systems had flagged Van Rootselaar’s account the previous June for content related to “furtherance of violent activities.” The San Francisco-based technology firm acknowledged they debated whether to report the concerning activity to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police but ultimately decided the content did not reach their threshold for law enforcement notification. Instead, they terminated the account for policy violations.

British Columbia Premier David Eby had previously criticized the company’s inaction, suggesting OpenAI “looks like” they could have prevented the mass casualty event.

Altman’s letter, dated Thursday and shared through Premier Eby’s social media accounts and local news outlet Tumbler RidgeLines, detailed conversations with Tumbler Ridge Mayor Darryl Krakowka and Eby about the community’s response.

“I want to express my deepest condolences to the entire community,” Altman wrote. “No one should ever have to endure a tragedy like this. I cannot imagine anything worse in this world than losing a child. My heart remains with the victims.”

The OpenAI leader pledged to work with government officials at all levels to prevent similar tragedies in the future, stating his company would continue focusing on collaborative prevention efforts.

Despite the apology, Premier Eby characterized Altman’s statement as “necessary, and yet grossly insufficient for the devastation done to the families of Tumbler Ridge” in his own social media response.

For the first time in two decades, residents of Gaza will participate in municipal elections this Saturday, with voting taking place in the central Gaza city of Deir al-Balah. The elections will run concurrently with the West Bank’s fifth round of municipal voting since 2005.

Officials describe the synchronized elections as a demonstration of Palestinian solidarity and a representation of future statehood aspirations.

The last Gaza elections occurred in 2006, when Hamas won a majority. Following a short-lived conflict between Hamas and Fatah in 2007, Hamas gained authority over the Gaza Strip and began directly selecting local government officials.

According to the Central Elections Commission, 70,449 eligible voters can participate at 12 voting locations throughout Deir al-Balah. These sites include nine temporary tent structures and three community organization buildings, with eight voting booths available at each location.

Election officials have deployed approximately 675 personnel to manage the voting process. Additionally, 292 monitors from 10 local oversight organizations and 45 credentialed media representatives will observe the proceedings.

Jamil al-Khalidi, who serves as the commission’s Gaza regional director, explained to Asharq al-Awsat that voters will participate through a closed-list format. “Voters will select one list and cast votes for five candidates within it,” al-Khalidi stated. The election will establish a 15-member city council comprised of the top vote recipients, with a minimum of four positions designated for women candidates.

Four competing candidate lists are participating in the race, with one list reportedly containing several candidates who support Hamas positions. Election officials characterize all participating groups as independent and family-oriented, with competition primarily influenced by neighborhood ties and kinship connections.

All candidates had to sign an agreement supporting the Palestine Liberation Organization’s platform and acknowledging its authority as the official Palestinian representative. This requirement could create tension with Hamas ideology, since it suggests acceptance of policies that include Israeli recognition. The Palestinian Authority is implementing this pledge requirement as part of its support for a two-state resolution.

Initial election outcomes are anticipated Sunday morning.

American military leaders are developing contingency plans for targeted strikes against Iranian naval forces in the strategically crucial Strait of Hormuz as diplomatic efforts continue to stagnate, according to a CNN report.

The military strategy focuses on what officials call “dynamic targeting” of Iranian capabilities throughout the Strait of Hormuz, the southern Arabian Gulf, and Gulf of Oman regions.

Intelligence sources outlined potential operations against Iran’s fleet of rapid attack craft, mine-laying ships, and other unconventional naval assets that Tehran has deployed to control shipping lanes and exert pressure on Washington.

This critical maritime corridor handles approximately 20% of the world’s oil and natural gas shipments, while tensions between the two nations escalate amid stalled diplomatic discussions.

Previous American military actions targeted locations away from the Strait itself, allowing for operations deeper within Iranian territory. These new strategic plans emphasize a concentrated strike campaign focused specifically on the crucial shipping channels.

In a related development, US forces announced Thursday they had boarded a sanctioned tanker transporting Iranian oil in the Indian Ocean. Pentagon officials described conducting a “maritime interdiction” operation on the vessel M/T Majestic X, defining the action as intercepting or examining a ship suspected of legal violations.

American forces have stopped numerous ships since establishing a naval blockade of maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports on April 13.

President Donald Trump has authorized US military personnel to “shoot and kill” any vessel attempting to place mines within the Strait.

These escalating developments come after Wednesday’s incident where Iranian Revolutionary Guard patrol boats opened fire on three commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, capturing two ships while inflicting damage on a third.