Author: Admin

Water service has been disrupted across multiple cities in the Russian-occupied Donetsk region of Ukraine following a Ukrainian military strike on Friday, according to reports from the Interfax news agency citing local utility officials.

The attack targeted energy infrastructure, causing power outages at a water treatment facility and leaving residents in Donetsk, Yasynuvata, and portions of Makiivka without running water.

The affected Donetsk region represents one of four Ukrainian territories that Russia annexed in 2022 during its ongoing military campaign in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that Russian military forces now occupy more than 85% of the region.

Water access issues in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories have emerged as an ongoing logistical problem for Moscow’s administration.

Emergency crews responded to a fire at New Zealand’s Wellington Airport on Friday, prompting evacuations and forcing incoming aircraft to be rerouted to other locations.

According to a spokesperson from Fire and Emergency New Zealand, firefighting teams worked alongside the airport’s internal fire department to combat the flames.

The spokesperson reported that five fire trucks, two ladder vehicles, and a command unit were deployed to handle the emergency, though officials declined to specify what materials were burning.

Airport officials confirmed in a public statement that both the main terminal facility and the southwest pier were cleared of people as a safety precaution, with no injuries documented from the incident.

“Flights into Wellington have been temporarily diverted and passengers are advised to check with their airlines for information on specific flights,” the airport stated.

A woman from Iran was aboard a deportation flight that arrived Friday in the Central African Republic, carrying approximately two dozen migrants removed from the United States, according to legal advocates familiar with the case.

The flight represents another instance of controversial arrangements between the U.S. and various African and Latin American countries to accept deportees who are not citizens of those nations, lawyers say.

The Central African Republic joins at least nine other African countries that have entered into agreements to receive third-country nationals being removed by American immigration authorities.

These arrangements, many of which remain confidential, are components of broader immigration enforcement efforts that have resulted in thousands of deportations to nearly two dozen nations where the deportees are not from, according to advocacy groups.

Immigration attorneys describe these third-country deportations as a strategy to circumvent legal protections and pressure asylum seekers to return to their countries of origin.

The exact number of migrants on the flight that departed Louisiana late Thursday bound for Bangui, the Central African Republic’s capital, remained uncertain.

Ali Rahnama, who leads the Iranian American Legal Defense Fund and has maintained contact with some of the migrants, reported that Thursday’s deportees included individuals from Iran, Jordan, Armenia, Turkey, Georgia and Afghanistan.

Immigration attorney Sahar Jalili Pawelski revealed that three Iranian women were initially scheduled for deportation to the Central African Republic. However, two received emergency judicial orders temporarily halting their removal while courts examine the legality of the government’s actions.

According to both Jalili Pawelski and Rahnama, all three women had previously received court protection against deportation to Iran after judges determined they faced legitimate threats of persecution based on political or religious grounds.

An elderly man from Syria was also slated for deportation to the Central African Republic but obtained an emergency temporary order preventing his removal, according to his attorney Margaret Stock.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security declined to discuss the specific case Thursday, stating it does not confirm upcoming removal operations for security purposes. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not provide immediate responses to comment requests.

The Central African Republic has endured years of violence between government-aligned forces and rebel groups and ranks among the world’s most impoverished nations. Despite significant gold deposits, one-third of the population survives on less than $2 daily.

The country also served as an early location for Wagner, a Russian mercenary organization active across Africa. This group has provided security for President Faustin-Archange Touadéra and engaged rebel forces in combat.

The nation maintains one of Russia’s strongest alliances in Africa, though recent friction has emerged between Touadéra and Russia following Moscow’s demands to replace Wagner with the government-operated Africa Corps.

Rahnama from the Iranian American Legal Defense Fund voiced alarm about sending an Iranian asylum seeker to the Central African Republic, citing Russia’s significant influence there and Moscow’s close security relationship with Iran.

DAKAR, June 12 – A terrorist organization linked to al Qaeda operating in Mali has announced substantial financial rewards for details about the location of the nation’s president and senior military leadership, calling the current government illegitimate.

The militant group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) made the announcement Thursday, responding to similar bounty offers previously made by Mali’s government targeting JNIM’s leadership, including leader Iyad Ag Ghaly and other extremist commanders.

The SITE Intelligence Group, an organization that monitors jihadist communications globally, distributed the insurgents’ statement.

Recent al Qaeda-affiliated attacks in April resulted in the death of Mali’s defense minister, sparking widespread violence throughout the nation’s expansive northern desert regions and potentially allowing militant organizations to expand their territorial control.

The terrorist organization is offering €2 million for intelligence that leads to Assimi Goita, who heads the government from the capital city Bamako and assumed control through military takeovers in 2020 and 2021.

Additionally, the bounty announcement includes €1 million rewards each for details about Colonel Lassina Diallo and General Malik Dicko.

According to the statement, payments would be made to individuals providing location information or anyone taking direct steps to “neutralise” these officials.

Ukrainian officials are preparing to request $20 billion in additional military assistance from allied nations during a scheduled meeting next week, according to a Ukrainian defense source speaking from Kyiv on June 12.

The funding appeal will take place next Thursday during a gathering of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, a coalition of more than 50 nations also referred to as the Ramstein group, which coordinates financial and military support for Kyiv.

“We have a six- to nine-month window of opportunity on the battlefield that requires an urgent acceleration of funding,” the source said.

Russian military progress on the battlefield has decelerated significantly this year, coming to an effective standstill last month, as Ukrainian mid-range drone attacks have disrupted Russian supply lines and logistics operations supporting front-line forces. Additionally, Ukraine’s long-range drone operations are causing significant damage to Russia’s energy infrastructure.

Putin stated last week that Russian military units continue making daily advances on the battlefield and that Russia’s economy faces no threat, although he admitted that Ukrainian attacks are causing damage.

Individual allied nations will be requested to provide contributions ranging from $2 billion to $6 billion toward achieving the $20 billion goal, which could be structured as either direct aid or loans, according to the source. Politico initially reported this funding request.

Chinese officials have officially acknowledged the detention of an American citizen on Friday, confirming that U Min Zin faces allegations of espionage and posing threats to the nation’s security.

A ministry spokesperson, Lin Jian, revealed during a routine press briefing that Chinese authorities have informed the U.S. consulate general located in Guangzhou about the detention. This confirmation came in response to inquiries regarding a New York Times report indicating that Min Zin had vanished in Kunming, located in southwestern China, during the previous week.

Officials in the Philippines announced Friday that extensive emergency preparedness training helped minimize casualties when a massive earthquake – among the most powerful in five decades – devastated the southern region, resulting in 55 fatalities and 31 people still unaccounted for.

The offshore earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale occurred Monday near Sarangani province, causing injuries to approximately 1,120 individuals and forcing more than 45,000 residents from their homes. About half of those displaced remain in temporary emergency housing after the tremor destroyed over 12,600 residential structures throughout agricultural communities and urban areas.

Authorities reported that numerous residents remain reluctant to return to their homes due to ongoing aftershocks and psychological trauma from the event.

In the aftermath of the seismic event, additional footage has emerged on social media platforms capturing the terrifying moments as people watched smaller structures crumble and witnessed morning flag ceremonies at schools descend into chaos when the earth began trembling on students’ first day back from summer vacation.

The recordings show pupils crying out in fear while remaining in their positions outside educational facilities, with some shielding their heads as educators urged them to stay calm.

A particularly striking video that has gained widespread attention on Facebook, accumulating millions of views, captured dozens of elementary students wailing and weeping as they remained seated on school grounds surrounded by trees, with the earth visibly moving them back and forth. When a nearby metal-roofed structure crashed down with a thunderous sound, many children attempted to flee but were instructed by their teachers to return to their designated spots.

The elementary school located in the coastal community of Malita in Davao Occidental province sustained no injuries during the earthquake.

“This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of earthquake preparedness and the value of regular disaster response drills,” the Mahayahay elementary school said in a statement.

According to Teresito Bacolcol, director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, extensive disaster readiness training enabled residents to prepare for and respond to catastrophic events like Monday’s earthquake, ranking among the most severe to impact the island nation in fifty years.

Bacolcol noted the fortunate timing of the earthquake, which occurred at 7:37 a.m., just moments before employees and students would have been inside buildings for work and classes.

“It’s good that our efforts to educate people on what to do when earthquakes hit somehow paid off,” Bacolcol told The Associated Press.

However, he voiced concerns about certain building collapses, stating these structures should have survived the intense shaking if proper construction standards outlined in national building regulations had been implemented.

Ednar Dayanghirang, director of the Office of Civil Defense in the affected region housing approximately 5 million residents, explained that consistent emergency preparedness exercises helped minimize casualties through various means, including preventing fatal crowd rushes.

“We required all school principals to take one-day courses on incident management, then they appointed disaster-response teams among teachers to deal with earthquakes, tsunamis,” Dayanghirang said. “They listened and they learned.”

The Philippines ranks among the globe’s most disaster-vulnerable nations, frequently experiencing seismic activity and volcanic activity due to its position along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a curved zone of geological fault lines surrounding the ocean.

Authorities in Hungary report that eight people died in a series of connected highway accidents that occurred Friday morning on a major roadway west of the capital.

The deadly sequence began when a truck collided with a construction vehicle on the M1 highway near Gyor, located approximately 122 kilometers west of Budapest. This initial crash resulted in one fatality and created a traffic backup.

Shortly afterward, a minibus with nine occupants slammed into a truck that had stopped due to the traffic congestion from the first accident. Seven people in the minibus were killed and two others sustained injuries, according to police reports.

Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar confirmed through a Facebook statement that those who died were foreign nationals. “I express my sincere condolences to the families,” he said.

The prime minister did not identify the specific countries the victims were from, and law enforcement officials have not yet responded to media inquiries seeking additional details.

Police informed the news outlet 24.hu that all fatalities were male and that both the minibus and the truck from the initial crash displayed Moldovan license plates.

BRUSSELS, June 12 – The North Atlantic Treaty Organization announced Friday it plans to scale back its peacekeeping force in Kosovo during the coming year, citing improved security conditions in the region where troops have been stationed since 1999.

“NATO and KFOR are fully committed to safety and security in Kosovo,” said U.S. Air Force General Alexus G. Grynkewich, Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) in a statement.

“It is this commitment that has led to increased stability as the security organisations in Kosovo have become more capable. The current conditions provide an opportunity to optimise KFOR’s size and posture further,” he added.

The alliance indicated that measured force reductions will align with regular troop rotation schedules between now and next year.

Officials emphasized the modifications will happen incrementally based on local circumstances and can be undone if security conditions deteriorate.

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney, who gained international recognition as a voice against powerful nations bullying smaller ones, is anticipated to dial back his criticism of President Donald Trump during the forthcoming European summit.

Following his January address at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Carney gained global political prominence when he proclaimed the end of the international rules-based system and criticized major powers for intimidating smaller nations. His comments earned him widespread acclaim and overshadowed Trump at the event.

However, the Group of Seven meeting of developed democratic nations starting Monday in France precedes the July 1 evaluation of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, the current version of the North American trade deal that has linked the economies of the United States, Mexico and Canada since the early 1990s. This represents a pivotal point in trade negotiations, with Trump indicating this week he might choose not to extend the agreement.

Given that over 70% of Canada’s exports are destined for the U.S., maintaining this agreement is vital for Canada’s economic interests.

Canadian historian Robert Bothwell noted that Trump poses a greater challenge for Carney “than anybody else because we are more exposed to the United States than anybody else.”

Trump departs for the G7 immediately following his hosting of UFC matches at the White House on Sunday for his 80th birthday celebration.

The gathering occurs amid escalating friction between Trump and Canada. One of the globe’s most enduring and friendly partnerships — forged through geography, shared history and centuries of mutual interests — has deteriorated, evidenced by multiple recent instances of leadership discord.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who leads Canada’s largest province, saw his scheduled reception with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington abruptly cancelled Monday. Vic Fedeli, one of Ford’s ministers, commented that if Trump compelled the chamber to cancel, “Ford should be wearing that as a badge of honor.”

Trump reiterated this week that the U.S. has no need for Canadian products. Carney has established an objective for Canada to increase its non-U.S. exports by 100% over the coming decade, stating that Trump’s trade conflict is creating investment uncertainty.

Additionally, the launch of a significant Canadian bridge spanning the Detroit River that Trump had previously threatened to obstruct was postponed Thursday due to outstanding concerns.

Trump’s behavior, including initiating a trade conflict and proposing Canada join as the 51st U.S. state, has angered Canadians and established the political conditions for Carney to secure the prime minister position after pledging to challenge Trump.

Trump administration representatives continue emphasizing that only two nations, China and Canada, struck back against America during the trade dispute. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer identifies Canada’s counter-measures as a significant concern in negotiations.

Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal, observed that Carney appears to have tempered his approach toward the Trump administration to prevent further deterioration in relations.

“There is a clear tension between what Prime Minister Carney said in his Davos speech about middle powers standing up to hegemons and his attempt to nudge the U.S. administration ‘in the right direction’ with regard to the USMCA review and trade policy more generally,” Béland said.

Carney has minimized the significance of Trump’s latest statements regarding Canada becoming the 51st state.

Both Canada and Mexico seek USMCA renewal for an additional 16 years. Trump has considered withdrawing from the pact. More probably, it will face yearly evaluations over the next decade.

Carney is scheduled to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday in Paris before the summit in Évian-les-Bains, France.

The prime minister will also visit Ireland this weekend for discussions with the Irish prime minister as part of efforts to expand trade beyond the U.S.

This marks Carney’s ninth European visit in the 15 months since assuming the prime minister role in March 2025.

The U.S. “will clearly remain Canada’s largest trading partner for the predictable future,” Béland stated, describing it as an unavoidable reality that Carney “must keep front of mind even as he seeks to make Canada somewhat less dependent on trade with the U.S.”

Following a four-day conference in New Delhi, Bangladesh and India announced plans to strengthen border security cooperation through enhanced intelligence sharing and joint patrol operations, according to a joint statement issued Friday. The agreement addresses mounting tensions over disputed migration activities along their shared frontier.

Bangladeshi officials have alleged that Indian authorities are attempting to push migrants across the border without proper procedures, creating complications in diplomatic relations following Sheikh Hasina’s removal from power in 2024 and India’s broader campaign to identify and remove undocumented migrants.

The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and India’s Border Security Force (BSF) characterized their discussions as “cordial, positive and forward-looking” in the statement issued after their New Delhi meetings.

The routine discussions also addressed “illegal, inadvertent and forcible crossing at border areas,” which has become an increasingly disputed matter in recent months.

The two nations maintain a frontier stretching more than 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles), ranking among the world’s most extensive borders. India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, which controls important border states such as Tripura, West Bengal and Assam, has prioritized addressing alleged undocumented migration and has worked to relocate Bengali-speaking Muslims labeled “illegal infiltrators” to Bangladesh since last year.

Bangladeshi officials report sending more than a dozen correspondence to New Delhi requesting cessation of these practices.

The BGB has documented preventing multiple alleged attempts in recent weeks and has increased personnel deployments, intelligence activities and drone monitoring in frontier regions.

This week, Bangladesh’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam declared that any forced relocations without proper procedures were “absolutely unacceptable,” cautioning they could damage efforts to strengthen bilateral relationships.

Bangladesh reported increasing patrol activities and initiating public awareness programs along sections of the border to address the alleged forced crossings, while India announced in May it had requested Dhaka to confirm the citizenship of over 2,860 suspected Bangladeshi individuals residing in India without proper documentation.

The joint declaration stated both nations also examined human trafficking, border fatalities, smuggling activities, infrastructure development and execution of the Coordinated Border Management Plan.

“Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining peace, tranquility and stability along the India-Bangladesh border,” the statement declared, noting they would enhance coordinated patrol operations, increase surveillance, improve immediate information exchange and strengthen collaborative efforts against cross-border criminal organizations.

The senior border officials plan to reconvene in Dhaka in November, according to the statement.

Vietnamese law enforcement officials successfully disrupted a criminal organization that was working to create a major online fraud operation within the country’s borders, according to authorities who announced the bust on Friday.

The Ministry of Public Security reported that officers in Phu Tho province identified and stopped an international group with ties to online scam networks based in Cambodia before they could establish what officials called a significant fraud center in Vietnam.

Authorities took four individuals into custody, including one Chinese citizen and three Vietnamese nationals, the ministry’s statement revealed.

According to investigators, the organization had secured rental agreements for numerous resorts, farmstays and villas across Hanoi, Lao Cai and Phu Tho provinces to accommodate dozens of workers as they prepared their operation. Officials noted that many of these individuals had prior experience working at scam facilities in Cambodia.

Law enforcement officers confiscated dozens of computers, hundreds of mobile phones and internet equipment that authorities believe was intended for online fraud activities. Officials indicated the operation was nearly ready to begin functioning.

The successful operation “prevented the formation of a large-scale transnational high-tech fraud centre within Vietnam,” while also helping protect national security and citizens’ financial assets, according to the ministry’s announcement.

During a virtual press conference on Wednesday, FBI Co-Deputy Director Andrew Bailey characterized scam compounds as being among “the most significant threats facing the world today,” cautioning that their influence throughout Southeast Asia was “growing at an exponential rate.”

Bailey explained that these operations are managed by complex international networks that transport people, funds and technology across national boundaries, taking advantage of governance weaknesses and new technologies to expand their reach worldwide.

A report released Monday by Amnesty International indicated that dozens of suspected international scam facilities in Cambodia continue operating despite ongoing enforcement efforts by local authorities lasting several months.

VINNYTSIA, Ukraine — Two strong men sit facing forward, their hands joined together on a potter’s wheel, fingers pressed deep into the wet clay. They communicate only through touch, sensing each other’s movements.

One man is a combat veteran who became blind during battle and now instructs other veterans who have lost their sight. Gradually, a shape that looks like a cup begins to emerge.

The teacher, Ivan Shostak, 37, explained he has created over 1,000 pottery pieces yet has never laid eyes on any of them. This artistic skill entered his world only after losing his vision during one of Ukraine’s most devastating and prolonged military engagements.

Creating dishes, cups, mugs, candlesticks and various items helped him discover fresh purpose in a life turned upside down by injury. What started as therapy has transformed into both a commercial venture and a way to guide other veterans and people in similar situations.

“I have two kids I have to help through life and show by my own example that you have to fight for your life,” Shostak said.

Shostak returned to military service during the initial phase of Russia’s comprehensive invasion, though he delayed joining immediately because he wanted to be present for his second child’s birth. He had previously served in eastern Ukraine when fighting erupted in 2014.

His second deployment lasted several months. During combat in the battle of Bakhmut in March 2023, an explosive grenade detonated directly overhead. The explosion destroyed his vision.

Along with losing his sight, he suffered a head injury, brain trauma and neck vertebrae damage.

He explained the true struggle started once he returned home. His spouse at that time couldn’t cope with the situation. She abandoned him to face his new difficulties alone.

“There was a family, and after the injury there was no family,” Shostak said. However, his parents remained by his side, providing support.

He remained confined to bed for six months, using medication to manage his physical pain. The emotional anguish proved more difficult to handle. No medicine could address that suffering.

A military comrade visiting during leave offered assistance, bringing him to a local rehabilitation facility for people who had become blind. Within four weeks, the staff taught him to operate a phone and walking stick and manage everyday tasks.

“It turned out you could live even in total darkness,” Shostak said.

During one visit, he and other center participants were invited to tour a ceramics studio, where he crafted his initial plate. “And after that came the thrill that I could still do something,” he recalled.

He started participating in sessions consistently and eventually began selling his creations. He became a teacher following the initial “Pottery in the Dark” initiative, funded by Sweden and the U.N. Development Program, in Vinnytsia in central Ukraine. The program assists veterans who became blind, including during the current conflict.

Subsequently, he established his own enterprise.

Shostak works with three team members who assist in marketing his ceramics, primarily through his Instagram account. He maintains a flexible schedule, creating pieces based on his emotional state in a studio that his elder brother, also a military member, established in his home.

“Clay is that kind of material, and pottery is that kind of work, where if you feel bad, there’s nothing to do here. It won’t come out at all. Everything breaks, comes out crooked,” he said. “Only when you feel good, you sit down, you work, and it all turns out great.”

The finishing processes occur at a different studio, where he receives assistance with heating and glazing. However, he selects each color personally, relying on his creative vision.

Every item displays the symbol of the air assault unit he served with — a dome, wings and a sword — along with the phrase “Nobody but us” and his signature on the side.

Roman Shtohryn, director of the Podillia rehabilitation center in Vinnytsia, reported that six of the 11 program participants who finished the ceramics training now generate income from their work. All except one are military veterans.

“We planned all this so it would turn into a business,” Shtohryn said.

Ceramics work serves several purposes, he explained. Initially, it provides psychological benefits: A person focuses on the task, stops dwelling on difficulties and enters a state of concentration, staying present. Additionally, working with clay produces tangible results quickly.

At the rehabilitation facility, Shostak instructs fellow veteran Viacheslav Sadovskyi, 47.

“All good? Hands working?” Shostak asked, laughing, before reaching for Sadovskyi’s hands. He positioned them toward the spinning wheel.

“There, I can feel it,” said Sadovskyi, who had been in military service since Russia’s invasion began. In 2024, an explosive drone detonated nearby, injuring the left portion of his face and requiring five surgical procedures.

Shostak provided guidance, instructing him on clay pressure techniques and positioning, keeping his hands in contact with Sadovskyi’s throughout.

“It matters that a veteran teaches a veteran,” the director Shtohryn said. “We’re equals. We understand and support each other.”

BRUSSELS (AP) — Starting Friday, the European Union begins rolling out comprehensive new regulations that will reshape how its 27 member nations handle irregular migration and people seeking asylum.

The European Migration and Asylum Pact represents the end result of lengthy and difficult negotiations that completely restructured the previous framework, which had been widely viewed as ineffective and provided far-right political movements with a powerful campaign tool.

Every EU member nation was expected to be ready for Friday’s launch by updating their laws, preparing personnel and strengthening border infrastructure. However, even the European Commission acknowledges that no member country is fully prepared.

Human rights organizations caution that the pact may increase challenges for asylum seekers attempting to secure safety within the EU.

The updated regulations require foreigners to undergo screening at EU borders for as long as seven days before gaining entry.

People seeking asylum from nations classified as “safe” by the EU or who present a “security threat” will undergo expedited asylum procedures lasting three months rather than six. Certain applicants may remain at the border during case processing. They will receive only one opportunity to challenge a denied application.

The European Commission notes that some member states must still establish a new biometric database called Eurodac that will record and maintain information on adults and children starting at age 6.

Numerous additional countries must establish border facilities for handling screening, asylum processing and detentions. Additional work is required to guarantee independent rights monitoring at borders, the commission stated.

A key component of the new pact involves accelerating voluntary and forced deportations of rejected asylum seekers through automatic return orders when applications are denied. This represents a clear political goal of center and far-right politicians who gained power across the EU in 2024, with deportees scheduled for countries considered safe like Syria and Bangladesh.

The European Agency for Asylum reported approximately 802,000 pending first-time asylum applications in March.

Member states are also collaborating with EU lawmakers to enable the establishment of “return hubs” in third countries where they can send migrants who cannot be repatriated. Questions regarding deportation centers are being discretely negotiated between a group of five nations and potential international partners.

One of the most divisive issues separating EU countries involved sharing responsibility for asylum seekers, particularly during crisis periods. Since migrants must seek asylum in their first EU entry country, frontline Mediterranean nations like Greece and Italy have consistently argued they shoulder the burden of irregular arrivals.

Claiming their systems cannot handle the pressure, these countries permitted many migrants to travel to northern and western Europe without authorization. This transferred some burden to northern countries like Germany and Sweden that experienced record asylum applications, pushing their migration systems near collapse.

The new pact establishes a solidarity mechanism ensuring border countries receive support. Other EU members will either accept a portion of asylum seekers or provide financial compensation. Countries can also reduce their share if they receive migrants through secondary movements, meaning when a migrant arrives in one country and relocates to another.

However, not every member state supported this approach. Poland, for instance, suspended asylum rights since early 2025 citing the weaponization of migration on its border with Belarus. Initially a temporary measure, it has continued extending the suspension.

Hungary’s new prime minister Péter Magyar continues many hardline immigration policies of his predecessor, Viktor Orbán, including refusing to accept migrants. But Magyar has indicated he would realign Hungary’s asylum procedures to avoid being fined 1 million euros daily for Orban’s policy that violated the bloc’s asylum rules.

The commission has acknowledged that implementation work will continue beyond June 12 since no country is completely ready.

“It won’t be a like a light switch turning on on June 12,” said Susan Fratzke, a senior policy analyst with the Migration Policy Institute. “Some of these things will take time.”

The absence of clarity and consistency is concerning, said Susanna Zanfrini, director of the International Rescue Committee’s Italy office.

That ambiguity “creates uncertainty for both people seeking protection and the organizations supporting them at the very moment they most need clear information about their rights, options, and access to support to survive, recover and rebuild their lives,” she said.

Human rights advocates have condemned the new regulations, claiming they compromise the right to seek asylum by hastening assessments.

They argue accelerated procedures introduce racial profiling while refusing international protection to applicants with valid claims, while also predicting an anticipated increase in extended detentions at EU borders.

Judith Sunderland, senior refugee and migrant rights adviser at Human Rights Watch, said the new pact “slams the door in the face of people who deserve to be treated with dignity and to have a fair hearing of their claims for protection.”

Lukas Gehrke, the Brussels chief for the International Organization For Migration, said regardless of how many people are removed from the EU, many migrants will remain while losing integration funding under the new budget for the pact.

“If we under focus on this, the failure of integration becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy,” he said.

When Yoomi Lee arrived at her polling location to vote in South Korea’s local elections, she expected a quick visit. Instead, she found herself waiting for hours after the station ran out of ballot papers, leading to heated disputes with election workers.

“They should have prepared the right amount,” Lee said. “They know the number of the voters (expected).”

The ballot paper crisis at over 90 voting locations last week has sparked South Korea’s largest political demonstrations since the country’s martial law emergency in 2024.

The situation escalated with voters clashing with law enforcement, widespread conspiracy theories about election manipulation, and the eventual resignation of the election authority’s leader. President Lee Jae Myung Lee has launched an investigation and promised to reform voting procedures.

Interviews conducted by Reuters with six affected voters and more than a dozen demonstrators reveal how what should have been a clear victory for Lee’s ruling party instead turned into a damaging controversy.

The crisis also highlights how decisions made by the independent National Election Commission resulted in printing fewer ballots compared to previous election cycles.

THREAT TO DEMOCRATIC TRUST

Just two days after the voting problems, massive crowds sometimes reaching 40,000 people started assembling daily near a Seoul stadium, calling for new elections.

A rerun could jeopardize important victories for both Lee’s left-leaning Democratic Party (DP) and the conservative People Power Party (PPP), despite calls for investigation.

“If the response is perceived as inadequate or defensive, it could become a source of criticism and weaken public confidence,” said Joan Cho, a professor at Wesleyan University who studies the Korean democracy movement.

However, if the Lee administration responds transparently and provides a clear account of what happened, it could reinforce public confidence, she added.

The controversy appears to have helped the opposition, with the first Realmeter poll following the election showing the gap in support narrowed to under 1% compared to the DP’s nearly 25% advantage in late March.

Realmeter attributed this shift partly to perceptions of “administrative responsibility for the ballot shortage.”

Opposition leader Jang Dong-hyeok of the PPP noted that ballot shortages were particularly acute in conservative-leaning areas.

FIRST-TIME PROTESTERS EMERGE

Many demonstrators said this marked their initial involvement in political protests, as the election commission’s explanations failed to satisfy them and they viewed the situation as an attack on their basic voting rights.

“At first it was concern about the ballot shortage,” said one newcomer to protesting, 41-year-old office worker Cha Ye-rin.

“But after coming here and talking to people, I am more certain about how democracy is under threat by the people in power.”

The demonstrations have continued throughout the week, with participation typically increasing during evening hours and attracting far-right YouTube personalities along with PPP officials.

South Koreans have fought hard for their democratic freedoms, making them particularly sensitive to any perceived threats, including the 2024 martial law attempt.

Democracy Day on June 10 commemorates the citizen-led nationwide demonstrations of 1987 that successfully ended decades of military control and forced the government to conduct direct presidential elections.

RESIGNATION DOESN’T CALM PROTESTERS

Even the Thursday resignation of Rho Tae-ak, a former Supreme Court justice who had led the NEC since April 2022 before Lee assumed power last year, did not satisfy the protesters.

Tensions escalated on election day in Seoul’s southeastern Songpa district, where ballot shortages extended voting by four hours until 10 p.m., according to voters at a polling station located in a senior citizens’ center. Even with the extension, few people could cast their votes.

Cho Eun-kyung, 67, said she joined the protests before a confrontation with polling station workers as more people arrived to prevent officials from removing ballot boxes for counting.

Police dispersed human chains around the polling station on Friday, she said, while videos from other residents showed officers removing several dozen protesters who were blocking entrances.

Seoul police declined to provide additional comment regarding the confrontations with protesters at the voting location.

People traveled from across the capital to join crowds outside the stadium where ballot boxes were collected for counting, as social media and students from prestigious universities warned of democratic threats.

Young families with infants in strollers, gig economy workers, and university students were among those carrying handwritten signs demanding “Election Rerun,” a phrase they chanted while raising their fists.

Some expressed growing frustration as vote counting began at 6 p.m. on election day while others remained unable to cast ballots.

The possibility of election manipulation features in conspiracy theories circulating on social media, with even the conservative mayor of the port city of Incheon questioning some results.

REDUCED BALLOT PRINTING

When asked about the number of people unable to vote, an NEC official said the commission lacked that information, as it was uncertain whether complete records were maintained of those who departed without voting due to shortages.

The official requested anonymity, citing that allegations of election fraud and related issues represented sensitive topics.

For Wednesday’s election, the NEC established a minimum ballot printing guideline of 50% of eligible voters, the official explained.

This differs from the traditional minimum of 70% printed for presidential elections and 60% for local elections, which typically see lower participation, the official noted.

The 50% guideline received support from a task force created last year to enhance procedures, following a similar 2022 study that examined ballot quantities.

Increased early voting and accusations of “concealing evidence of election fraud” stemming from large numbers of unused ballots in previous years also played a role, the official added.

“These various factors combined and led to the result we have today.”

GROWING RERUN DEMANDS

Lee’s Democratic Party won most positions in the elections for mayors, provincial governors, county officials, and local assembly members, but lost the important Seoul mayoral position to the opposition incumbent.

The only solution would be “to hold a nationwide re-election,” the PPP’s Jang stated, though some party members oppose this approach, including Seoul’s re-elected mayor, Oh Se-hoon.

The NEC official said the relevant legislation, the Public Official Election Act, did not list ballot shortages among conditions warranting an election rerun, making it challenging for the commission to initiate one independently.

“At the very least, our basic rights must be protected,” said Gu Young-gwang, 33, a protester outside the stadium who said he was participating in a political demonstration for the first time.

“The goal is not revenge,” said another protester, Lee Hee-won, 25, calling for a fair and transparent rerun. “The goal is to restore trust in democracy.”

America is preparing to substantially decrease the military aircraft and naval vessels it provides for NATO missions across Europe, according to a Friday report from the New York Times that cited two high-ranking European officials.

These reductions would hamper NATO’s capacity to execute long-distance strikes and carry out surveillance operations, according to the reporting.

The American proposal involves decreasing F-16 and F-15E fighter aircraft numbers from approximately 150 down to 100, while also cutting maritime reconnaissance planes from 26 to 15 and eliminating all eight aerial refueling tanker aircraft previously allocated to Europe, the report indicated.

The plan also seeks to reassign a submarine capable of launching missiles and an aircraft carrier, together with multiple warships and numerous jets that participate in the carrier’s operations, the New York Times reported, noting that one of two bomber groups formerly designated for European defense might also be relocated.

Reuters was unable to immediately confirm the reporting. Both NATO and the U.S. Department of Defense did not provide immediate responses to comment requests.

The U.S. Eastern Command released a statement last week indicating it would “rightsize” its NATO Force Model contributions, though no additional specifics were provided.

Reuters had previously reported in May that America intended to reduce the military resources it would offer to alliance partners during significant crises.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has consistently criticized European nations for insufficient military investment and excessive dependence on American defense, while pushing both European and Asian partners to increase defense expenditures to 3.5% of GDP.

The period from June 5-11, 2026 marked significant events across Latin America and the Caribbean.

Tournament co-host Mexico launched the biggest World Cup tournament ever held with an enthusiastic 2-0 victory against South Africa in the competition’s first game. The match drew 80,824 spectators to the legendary Azteca Stadium.

In Peru, the margin between the two remaining presidential hopefuls became smaller as 96% of votes were tallied following the runoff election. Whoever emerges victorious will become the ninth president for the South American nation within a decade.

São Paulo’s famous Paulista Avenue was packed with hundreds of thousands of participants celebrating the city’s annual LGBTQ+ Pride Parade.

Buenos Aires-based photojournalist Natacha Pisarenko assembled this photo collection.

The bond between President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron began with an extended handshake almost ten years ago, but their connection has evolved into a series of public disputes that may take center stage at next week’s G7 gathering in France.

Their initial meeting in 2017 revealed early tension signs that could become prominent during the upcoming summit. Trump, then a bold businessman newly elected to the nation’s highest office, met Macron, an emerging politician who had secured a decisive electoral victory. During a NATO meeting in Brussels, their handshake lasted unusually long, with neither leader willing to release their grip first, creating such pressure that their knuckles turned white.

Despite this, a partnership developed. Initially, Macron appeared uniquely skilled at handling his unpredictable counterpart, who was three decades his senior.

The French leader extended an invitation to the Republican president for Bastille Day festivities in July 2017, featuring an Eiffel Tower dinner with their spouses. Trump returned the gesture by hosting Macron as the honored guest at his inaugural White House state dinner the next year, representing America’s most prestigious diplomatic recognition for an ally.

However, by Trump’s first term’s conclusion, their close relationship had deteriorated. During his second term, the leaders now exchange public criticisms, clashing over tariffs, Ukraine policy, and the Iran conflict. This tension will face examination next week when Trump joins leaders from Britain, Canada, Germany, Italy, and Japan alongside Macron at the French lakeside location of Evian-les-Bains for the G7 summit.

Uncomfortable exchanges between Trump and Macron may occur, along with friction between Trump and other G7 leaders he has criticized for refusing to support him regarding Iran.

“But I also think European leaders are quite professionals when it comes to politics, and in some ways diplomacy at this point, and will maybe see it as an opportunity as well,” Max Bergmann, director of the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said in an interview.

Kurt Volker, a former U.S. ambassador to NATO, explained that the Trump-Macron dynamic has become more complex due to the Iran conflict and Trump’s grievances “that Europeans weren’t helping, when they hadn’t been consulted, and their interests are very much affected by this.”

“I think that was a negative for Macron,” Volker said.

Trump entered a conflict alongside Israel against Iran concerning its nuclear activities in February without seeking input from other U.S. partners. He subsequently criticized European nations publicly when they rejected his appeals for assistance.

Declining American support for Ukraine’s conflict with Russia under the Trump administration “has really irritated the French,” Volker noted. “They feel this is important and we’re not paying attention to it.” Macron has invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to participate in Tuesday’s leadership discussions.

During Trump’s initial presidency, Macron seemed assured he could sway and guide the American leader, but their association has increasingly become characterized by their conflicts.

Macron now describes himself as “careful” regarding Trump’s declarations, indicating he no longer accepts them without question. Their connection remains polite as both refer to each other as “my friend.” However, their relationship has experienced various fluctuations.

As president-elect, Trump accepted Macron’s invitation to attend Notre Dame Cathedral’s reopening ceremony in Paris during late 2024. Following Trump’s second-term inauguration in 2025, Macron became an early White House visitor. The president posted on social media expressing his pleasure at welcoming Macron back and described the French relationship as “very special.”

During their meeting, however, the French president publicly corrected Trump after he incorrectly implied that Europe would recover funds it had contributed for Ukraine support. Smiling while touching Trump’s arm, Macron responded, “We provided real money.”

Macron also criticized as “brutal and unfounded” additional tariffs Trump imposed on steel, aluminum, and various European products in early 2025.

Yet some lighthearted instances have occurred amid the strain.

French television broadcast a documentary last year showing Macron informing Trump during a phone conversation that Zelenskyy had accepted a U.S.-supported ceasefire agreement. Trump responded, “You’re the greatest.”

Macron frequently claims he can contact Trump directly when necessary — demonstrating this during last year’s U.N. General Assembly in New York. When police prevented the French leader from crossing a street due to traffic being stopped for Trump’s motorcade, Macron retrieved his phone and called the American president.

“How are you?” Macron said. “Guess what? I’m waiting in the street because everything is frozen for you!”

Macron has contended that Trump’s “America first” approach strengthened his argument for enhanced European defense capabilities that would reduce dependence on the United States.

This April, as Trump sent conflicting messages about Washington’s NATO dedication following the Iran war’s beginning, Macron delivered some of his harshest criticism of the American president.

“There is too much talk, and it’s going in all directions,” Macron said. “We all need stability, calm and a return to peace. This is not a show.”

“You have to be serious, and when you want to be serious, you don’t say the opposite every day of what you said the day before,” he said.

Trump has recently begun imitating a French accent while recreating a discussion he claims occurred with Macron about drug prices and tariffs. Trump also targeted Macron by telling a private April luncheon that his wife, Brigitte Macron, treats her husband poorly. These remarks appeared in a White House YouTube video before access was restricted.

Macron found no amusement in Trump’s statements. “The remarks I heard were neither elegant nor appropriate,” he said. “They do not deserve a response.”

Still, Macron has attempted to work around Trump’s schedule to guarantee his summit attendance in Evian-les-Bains, understanding his tendency to depart such events prematurely.

Macron initially scheduled Sunday, Trump’s 80th birthday, as the summit’s opening day, but delayed the start by one day because Trump is marking the milestone with a UFC event held on White House grounds.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is anticipating what could be a pivotal weekend for his administration.

The World Cup begins in the United States on Friday, marking the tournament’s return after 32 years, following Trump’s successful effort to secure co-hosting rights during his initial presidency. His 80th birthday celebration is planned for Sunday during a UFC event expected to bring thousands to the White House lawn. Following the fights, he’s set to travel to the G7 gathering in the French Alps for discussions with multiple world leaders amid ongoing disputes over conflicts and trade policies.

However, Trump elevated expectations further when he declared Thursday that America and Iran might reach an accord this weekend establishing a framework to conclude the three-month conflict that has proven widely unpopular domestically and disrupted international oil markets. He indicated plans to send Vice President JD Vance to witness the agreement’s signing.

In recent weeks, Trump has repeatedly suggested an imminent breakthrough without results materializing. Following Trump’s statements, an Iranian Foreign Ministry representative told state media that while mediators remain engaged, no final resolution has been reached to stop the fighting.

Nevertheless, Trump maintains this occasion could prove different.

This development follows his warnings to intensify the conflict through heavier bombing campaigns against Iran and seizing Iran’s petroleum infrastructure, including taking control of Iran’s crucial Kharg Island oil terminal. These presidential threats came after reciprocal attacks this week that essentially nullified a temporary ceasefire established in early April.

“They’ve taken a pounding like very few people could take,” Trump stated during an Oval Office media session while explaining his confidence that an agreement would materialize this time. “And they want to make the deal a lot more than I do.”

Trump provided limited information about the emerging settlement but informed reporters he believes Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who reportedly sustained injuries on the conflict’s opening day and hasn’t appeared publicly since, is prepared to approve the agreement.

Trump describes the deal as “very strong,” although he acknowledges it remains “a little conceptual,” and claims it would prevent Iran from ever acquiring nuclear weapons.

As the conflict has escalated recently, Trump’s warnings about increased U.S. military involvement appeared partially designed to show his political base’s hawkish elements that he would take a tough stance with Iran if they didn’t agree soon, according to Ali Vaez, Iran director at the International Crisis Group.

In March, Trump had threatened to strike Iranian infrastructure and deploy American forces to Kharg Island before eventually retreating, leading both nations to accept the temporary ceasefire.

Shortly after raising the concept again on social media Thursday, Trump seemed to step back. During a Fox News Channel morning program call-in, he questioned whether Americans possessed the “stomach” for an approach requiring U.S. military personnel in dangerous situations.

Later that day, Trump announced he had canceled orders for “very hard” attacks on Iran and stated a deal was imminent.

Vaez noted that even while Trump posted about escalating strikes Thursday, negotiators from Pakistan, Turkey and Qatar had been advancing in their Iranian discussions.

Simultaneously, Iran may have altered Trump’s calculations through its weekend decision to directly strike Israel for the first time since the ceasefire, following Israeli military operations against Iranian-supported Hezbollah forces in Lebanon.

Through this action, Iran demonstrated that Israel could no longer attack Lebanon without facing significant retaliation, while also increasing costs for U.S. commitments to protect Israel.

“It really does appear to me that Trump wants to bring this to an end, but his real challenge is that he’s looking for a victory lap and an exit ramp and those two things are not necessarily compatible,” Vaez said.

Since the conflict’s early stages, Trump has claimed victory — noting that much of the Islamic Republic’s leadership has died in bombings and Iran’s naval and air capabilities have suffered severe damage.

Yet Iran continues successfully blocking the Strait of Hormuz, restricting a passage that previously carried approximately 20% of global oil supplies before the war, and hasn’t agreed to resume nuclear program discussions with the U.S., the primary justification Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu provided for initiating the conflict.

However, Trump complained Thursday that the main issue was essentially about public perception.

“They could wave the white flag of surrender. They could say: ‘We surrender, we surrender, we’re finished, we’ve had it. The United States is the greatest power, praise be to Allah,’” Trump said on Fox News. “They could say it loud and clear. And the fake news would say it was a great victory for Iran.”

Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, a former chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said Trump has grown impatient with Iran and the renewed strikes and threats on Kharg Island and Iran’s energy sector were intended to get the negotiations back to the “right place.”

Polling indicates the conflict remains largely unpopular among Americans. McCaul suggested Iranians want to “try to drag this out as long as they can,” approaching November’s midterm elections, viewing prolonged conflict as advantageous.

Regardless of agreement outcomes, the war will feature prominently during next week’s Group of Seven summit discussions in scenic Évian-les-Bains, France.

Trump has repeatedly criticized several group leaders — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz — for refusing his requests to support the U.S. and Israeli military campaign.

These four leaders have also frustrated Trump by condemning his war execution methods and his failure to consult allies before entering a conflict that has damaged the global economy through rising oil costs.

Despite these tensions, Trump expressed optimism about reaching an agreement before his French leadership meetings.

“The strait will officially open as soon as we sign, which could be soon, very soon — maybe over the weekend in Europe,” Trump said.

Civil society organizations from Israel and Palestine convened in France on Friday to encourage the international community to maintain support for a two-state solution, as Paris works to keep the diplomatic option viable during the ongoing Middle East conflict.

The conference brought together foreign ministers and top officials from numerous nations, commemorating the first anniversary of the U.N.-supported New York Declaration. That declaration outlined a pathway to Palestinian statehood and led approximately twelve nations, including France, Britain and Canada, to formally recognize a Palestinian state.

A spokesperson for France’s Foreign Ministry addressed reporters on Thursday, stating: “Given the current situation in the region, marked by seemingly endless conflicts, too many civilian casualties and a cycle of violence, and in light of the stalled implementation of the Gaza ceasefire … we believe this conference is now more essential and urgent than ever.”

Participants will conclude the conference by presenting an eight-point “Call for Action” that advocates for a lasting ceasefire, ending settlement construction, rebuilding Gaza, implementing governance changes, and increasing international support for civil society organizations.

The action plan will be presented to G7 leaders during their upcoming meeting in the French Alps starting Monday.

According to the action plan obtained by Reuters: “The region continues to fracture. Gaza is devastated, Israel remains under threat. Settler terrorism, settlement expansion, and de facto annexation and threats to the Palestinian Authority continue to undermine the viability of a future Palestinian state.”

The document continues: “Israelis and Palestinians alike remain trapped in fear, insecurity, and trauma. We return because, as the G7 convenes in Évian, this conflict risks once again being set aside. The window for a solution remains open; but it is narrowing.”

The conference takes place as Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank intensifies, highlighting growing frustration among Western nations with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration, which has increased settlement activity.

According to diplomatic sources, this expansion strategy aims to weaken the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state.

Officials are particularly worried about Israel’s proposed settlement construction east of Jerusalem, called the E1 project, which would divide the West Bank and separate it from East Jerusalem, breaking up territory that Palestinians want for their future nation.

On Tuesday, Britain, Canada, France and Norway implemented new coordinated sanctions targeting Israeli networks that finance, support and execute violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Both Israel and the United States chose not to participate in the conference.

The Israeli embassy released a statement saying: “The ambassador was invited but will not attend the conference, as it has nothing to do with promoting peace. France cannot act as a mediator between Israel and the Palestinians. Regarding the two-state solution, the ambassador recalls that the Palestinians have rejected proposals to establish a Palestinian state on five occasions.”

Chinese officials issued urgent warnings Friday for communities across northwestern regions to brace for severe flooding this summer, as record-breaking temperatures and accelerated glacier melting create dangerous conditions in typically arid areas.

The nation’s largest desert region in Xinjiang experienced unprecedented flooding in early June, marking the earliest such event on record, according to state media reports that showed water cascading through normally dry sand dunes.

These desert flooding events have been documented since 2021, but they traditionally don’t occur until August during peak summer heat. This year’s dramatically different timeline reflects how temperatures have soared far earlier than normal.

Temperature readings on June 12 showed the region running 7.3 degrees above typical levels for this period, climbing to 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit), based on climate monitoring data.

Rainfall patterns have also shifted dramatically across western and southern portions of Xinjiang. Some locations recorded precipitation levels reaching two to three times the historical averages for early June, state television reported.

The dangerous combination of extreme heat and increased rainfall has accelerated melting across vast glacier fields and snow accumulations in the Tianshan and Kunlun mountain ranges. This runoff has overwhelmed the Tarim River, the nation’s longest inland waterway, causing it to overflow into low-elevation desert areas.

While these seasonal floods can briefly transform desert landscapes into temporary green spaces, climate experts note these changes won’t persist due to the region’s inland location, surrounding mountain barriers, minimal humidity levels, and rapid evaporation rates.

Although the water provides essential irrigation for regional forests, authorities emphasized serious threats to critical infrastructure systems.

“Extreme floods can destroy roads, railways, and oil and gas facilities, posing a significant disaster risk,” Sun Qianqian, an analyst at the China Meteorological Administration, told state media.

“During the flood season, residents and travellers in these regions should monitor official warnings closely, adjust their travel plans, and prioritise safety,” Sun added.

SEOUL, South Korea — A court in South Korea handed down 30-year prison sentences Friday to the nation’s former president Yoon Suk Yeol and his ex-defense minister for allegedly directing unmanned aircraft missions over North Korea’s capital during 2024 to escalate regional conflicts and create grounds for implementing emergency military rule domestically.

The complete text of the Seoul Central District Court’s decision was not readily accessible. This same judicial body had previously issued a life imprisonment sentence to Yoon for insurrection charges related to his brief implementation of emergency military control in December 2024.

Pyongyang claimed that Seoul conducted three separate drone operations over its territory in October 2024, dropping political materials. Kim Yong Hyun, who served as South Korea’s defense minister during that period, provided an ambiguous response to the accusations before the Defense Ministry stated it was unable to either verify or refute the claims. Regional hostilities escalated significantly but resulted in no armed confrontations.

Legal representatives for Yoon condemned the recent court decision, contending that the aerial missions were conducted in retaliation for North Korea’s earlier deployment of thousands of debris-laden balloons into South Korean territory in 2024. The defense team maintained that convicting their client would compromise South Korea’s national security objectives, though they have not yet announced plans for an appeal.

Prosecutors under the leadership of special prosecutor Cho Eun-suk had requested the 30-year sentence for Yoon, claiming he attempted to establish a conflict scenario between the two Korean nations while orchestrating an authoritarian campaign to eliminate political rivals and consolidate control. They had requested a 25-year term for Kim Yong Hyun, described as a close ally of Yoon who assisted in organizing and deploying forces during the martial law implementation.

Yoon moved forward with his emergency declaration during the late evening hours of December 3, 2024, broadcasting a televised statement where he characterized opposition legislators as North Korea-supporting forces working against the state. He referenced multiple complaints, focusing particularly on the opposition party’s impeachment efforts against senior government figures and reductions to his administration’s proposed budget.

The emergency military rule remained in effect for approximately six hours before legislators managed to bypass military and police barriers at the National Assembly building and voted to reverse the declaration, compelling Yoon’s administration to withdraw the measure.

Yoon faced immediate suspension from his position, underwent impeachment proceedings, and was officially dismissed by the Constitutional Court. His arrest occurred in July 2025, with multiple criminal proceedings currently underway.

The decision in the most severe case involving rebellion charges has been challenged by both Yoon’s team and prosecutors, who had originally requested capital punishment.

SEOUL – Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol received a 30-year prison sentence Friday after a court convicted him on charges related to military drone flights over North Korea that allegedly helped lay the groundwork for his unsuccessful martial law declaration in December 2024, according to Yonhap news agency.

The Seoul Central District Court convicted Yoon on charges of abuse of power and aiding the enemy, determining he was involved in planning the October 2024 drone operation from the beginning, the news agency reported.

Yoon maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings. His legal team argued he neither commanded nor gave subsequent approval for the drone mission, claiming it was unconnected to martial law efforts and was actually a reaction to ongoing North Korean balloon launches carrying debris across the border.

Back in April, prosecutors had requested the 30-year sentence that the court ultimately imposed.

This latest conviction represents another legal blow for the disgraced former conservative leader, who previously served as South Korea’s chief prosecutor before his presidency led one of Asia’s major economies into severe political chaos.

Earlier this year in February, another South Korean court handed Yoon a life sentence after convicting him of orchestrating an insurrection connected to his martial law effort.

The Constitutional Court removed him from the presidency last year by confirming his impeachment, which led to an emergency election won by liberal President Lee Jae Myung.

Currently behind bars, Yoon has the option to challenge Friday’s lower court decision through an appeal.

Cross-border violence between Russia and Ukraine escalated Thursday night, with attacks on both sides leaving multiple casualties, according to regional authorities.

Acting Regional Governor Yegor Kovalchuk reported via Telegram that Ukrainian forces struck Russia’s Bryansk border region, resulting in two fatalities and ten people wounded. The casualties occurred across multiple locations, with two deaths and two injuries from bombardment in the Suzemka area near the border. Seven additional people were hurt during strikes on fuel stations in Starodub, located approximately 110 kilometers (68 miles) from the border. A young child, age five, also sustained injuries in a separate drone strike, Kovalchuk stated.

Ukrainian territory also came under attack, with regional governor Oleh Hryhorov confirming on Telegram early Friday that Russian drone strikes in northern Sumy region killed a 44-year-old woman and left a 33-year-old woman with serious injuries.

Additional casualties were reported in Ukraine’s southern Mykolaiv city, where local officials said three people were wounded in another drone assault.

The reported incidents could not be verified independently by Reuters.

Coordinated Ukrainian attacks on fuel infrastructure have created the most severe gasoline shortage in Russian-occupied Crimea since Moscow’s 2014 takeover of the peninsula. The strategic strikes target refineries, storage facilities, pipelines, and transport routes supplying the Black Sea region.

The fuel shortage represents a significant setback to Moscow’s claims of success in the nearly four-year conflict with Ukraine. Ukrainian forces have systematically attacked supply lines to Crimea, creating widespread disruptions that Russian authorities have struggled to address effectively.

These ongoing assaults demonstrate Ukraine’s increasing capability and precision in drone warfare, catching Russian forces unprepared and without adequate countermeasures.

The timing coincides with Russia Day celebrations on Friday, traditionally marking the beginning of summer tourist season. The gasoline crisis threatens to severely impact the peninsula’s tourism-dependent economy, which relies heavily on its coastal attractions and resort destinations.

In an unusual public statement, the Kremlin has admitted the severity of the situation and pledged swift action to resolve the fuel shortage.

Ukraine’s tactical successes underscore its capacity to deliver significant strategic damage to Russian operations and alter the trajectory of the war, even as Moscow’s recent territorial gains have largely stalled. Thursday marked the 1,569th day of Russia’s comprehensive invasion of Ukraine, now exceeding the length of World War I.

The peninsula has held strategic importance for Russia since its conquest from Turkic-speaking Tatars during the 18th century following Moscow’s victory over the Ottoman Empire.

In 1954, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev relocated Crimea from Russian to Ukrainian administrative control while both regions remained within the USSR. Following the Soviet collapse in 1991, the diamond-shaped territory became part of independent Ukraine.

Moscow maintained naval facilities in Sevastopol, and after a popular revolution removed a pro-Russian Ukrainian leader in February 2014, Russian President Vladimir Putin deployed military forces to occupy Crimea. Moscow subsequently annexed the peninsula through a referendum widely rejected by the international community.

This annexation sparked a Moscow-supported separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine that continued with fluctuating intensity until the February 2022 full-scale invasion. Russian forces based in Crimea rapidly captured extensive areas of southern Ukraine early in the war, establishing overland access to the peninsula.

Throughout the conflict, Ukraine has employed missiles and drones attempting to break Russian control of the territory. Ukrainian forces have destroyed multiple Russian naval vessels in the Black Sea and at Crimean ports, severely damaging Moscow’s maritime capabilities and forcing fleet relocation to Novorossiysk.

Ukraine has systematically attacked ammunition storage sites, military airfields, and Putin’s signature project, the Kerch Bridge connecting Crimea to Russia. A truck bombing in October 2022 killed five people, destroyed two bridge sections, and required extensive reconstruction. Additional bridge attacks occurred in 2023 and 2025.

Following the Kerch Bridge incidents, Russia redirected most fuel and supply shipments through highway and rail routes via occupied territories along the Sea of Azov coastline. These deliveries faced disruption last month when Ukrainian drones struck fuel transport vehicles on roads Moscow considered secure, leaving numerous burning trucks.

Additional persistent Ukrainian attacks have targeted refineries, petroleum storage facilities, and pipelines throughout Russia, damaging oil export capabilities and creating domestic fuel shortages.

The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War highlighted the coordination between long-distance strikes and attacks disrupting supplies to Crimea and other occupied areas.

“The long-range strike campaign is therefore reducing Russia’s production capacity, while the midrange strike campaign is hurting Russia’s ability to transport the gasoline Russia is still able to produce,” it said in an analysis.

Compounding the situation, Ukrainian drones repeatedly targeted the Chonhar Bridge this week, which connects mainland Ukraine and Crimea across a narrow waterway. Officials have installed temporary pontoon crossings.

The Ukrainian military said it struck the bridge to disrupt movement of troops, ammunition and fuel from Crimea.

While the immediate impact on Russian military operations remains unclear, civilians in Crimea and other occupied regions are experiencing significant hardship.

The current crisis surpasses all previous fuel shortages caused by Ukrainian strikes since the 2014 annexation.

By late May, officials implemented rationing limiting gasoline purchases to 20 liters per vehicle owner weekly through prepaid vouchers. These vouchers sold out immediately upon release through official messaging channels, forcing motorists to wait hours in refueling lines.

Social media platforms overflow with fuel location requests and tips, while authorities established a helpline for stranded tourists.

Although fuel transport across the Kerch Bridge ceased for security reasons following Ukrainian attacks, ferry deliveries continue and are expected to expand.

Some drivers transport personal fuel supplies across the bridge from mainland Russia, though regulations limit individual vehicles to 100 liters. Black market dealers sell gasoline at twice the standard price.

Crimea hosted nearly 7 million visitors last year and projected higher numbers for this season. The business publication Kommersant reported nearly 80% of hotel reservations were cancelled in late May and early June.

Several hotels began offering complimentary gasoline with new bookings, promotions that were immediately claimed.

Tourist concerns increased following a Ukrainian drone attack earlier this week on a passenger train traveling from Moscow to Crimea, wounding the operator and killing his assistant. Service was temporarily halted while passengers were transported by bus.

A previous attack on a regional train in Crimea resulted in one death and three injuries, prompting authorities to modify schedules and restrict daytime operations.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov acknowledged the Crimean fuel shortages earlier this week and promised that “measures were being taken” to deal with them.

The Russian Defense Ministry has remained silent regarding Ukrainian attacks on the overland corridor, while some military commentators have sharply criticized the armed forces for inadequate preparation and delayed responses.

Some proposed military protection for fuel convoys while others advocated increased strikes on Ukrainian bridges, fuel storage locations, and infrastructure.

During the fuel crisis and blame allocation, Ukraine delivered another symbolic strike against Russia, hitting a historic Sevastopol structure housing a massive panoramic artwork depicting the city’s defense during the 19th century Crimean War. The painting was effectively destroyed by fire during the attack, according to Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Kremlin-appointed head of Crimea’s largest city.

Considering Putin’s emphasis on Crimea, military blogger Valery Shiryayev suggested the attack would particularly infuriate the Russian leader.

“It’s hard to find another work of art, another part of national heritage, whose destruction would be as painful for Putin,” he said.

Thailand’s Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol, an attorney and the oldest child of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, passed away at age 47, the Bureau of the Royal Household announced.

The princess died Thursday night at a Bangkok medical facility where she had received treatment since losing consciousness from an illness three years earlier, Friday’s official statement revealed.

The royal was deeply involved in judicial reform initiatives and gained recognition primarily through her “Inspire” or Kamlangjai program, which focused on preparing imprisoned Thai women for successful reintegration into society.

Medical staff admitted the princess in December 2022 after she collapsed during a canine training session for a military demonstration. Palace officials reported she suffered from a mycoplasma infection, a bacterial condition typically linked to pneumonia.

The king’s 2023 New Year greeting featured King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida dressed in dark mourning attire, which many Thai citizens interpreted as evidence of her serious medical state. Sparse updates released over the following years suggested her health was declining.

Born December 7, 1978, she was the daughter of Vajiralongkorn, then serving as crown prince, and his former spouse Princess Soamsawali. The king fathered seven children with three of his four consecutive marriages. The princess also carried the formal royal title Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati for official ceremonies.

Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti, the king’s youngest child, stands as the expected successor since male heirs receive priority under Thailand’s succession laws. However, the princess’s extensive public service background sparked discussion that she might assume a significant position in future transitions, potentially serving as regent for a young ruler.

She completed legal studies at Thammasat University before attending Cornell University in New York, earning her master’s in law during 2002. Cornell awarded her a doctoral degree in 2005 following her dissertation on protecting defendants’ rights. The university later created Cornell Law School scholarships and a Thailand-Cornell legal scholar exchange program bearing her name.

Following a short tenure at Thailand’s United Nations mission in New York, she returned home to serve as a prosecutor. She resumed international service as Thailand’s representative to Austria between 2012 and 2014, then came back to focus on criminal justice reform. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime named her a goodwill ambassador in 2017.

Beyond her work rehabilitating female inmates, she championed various causes including improving prison conditions for women and combating gender-based violence as an honorary UN goodwill ambassador for women. Her advocacy resulted in the UN General Assembly passing the “Bangkok Rules” governing treatment and conditions for female prisoners.

“Society cannot grow if there is instability and injustice,” the princess stated during a 2013 Associated Press interview.

“Without the rule of law, without a good justice system, it’s always chaos,” she continued. “I think the rule of law is a very important pillar to development, to economic growth, and of course to human rights.”

She leaves behind her parents and siblings.

Officials in the Philippines condemned China’s decision Friday to impose sanctions on Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., calling Beijing’s actions “an unfriendly act” that threatens to worsen diplomatic ties between the nations, while Teodoro pledged to keep protecting Manila’s interests against Chinese aggression.

Beijing’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs revealed Thursday that Teodoro and his relatives are now prohibited from traveling to China, Hong Kong, and Macao due to what officials characterized as “irresponsible remarks” that damaged China’s interests.

China’s government additionally barred any Chinese individuals or organizations from conducting business with Teodoro and his family members “to uphold China’s sovereignty, security and development interests.”

Since Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. named him defense chief in June 2023, Teodoro has emerged as a prominent opponent of China’s conduct in the contested South China Sea region and toward Taiwan.

Manila’s Department of Foreign Affairs acknowledged that while China has the right to impose such penalties, the Philippines considers the move “as an unfriendly act that further complicates the bilateral relations.”

“Such measures do not contribute to building mutual trust, managing differences responsibly or creating the conditions necessary for constructive engagement between our two countries,” the foreign affairs department said.

Teodoro pledged to maintain his responsibilities to the Philippines and stated that China’s penalties highlighted “what they do to those who speak the truth against their deception.”

Beijing has previously targeted a former Philippine senator with sanctions, along with American and European leaders, for activities China considered contrary to its objectives, including human rights issues.

The former Philippine senator, Francis Tolentino, authored legislation that confirmed the Philippines’ maritime boundaries and resource rights, including areas in the South China Sea. China asserts control over nearly the entire disputed region.

Marcos ultimately enacted Tolentino’s legislation.

In previous statements, Teodoro described China’s broad South China Sea claims as “the biggest fiction and lie” and specifically criticized Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Chinese Communist Party allies for Beijing’s hostile and unlawful strategies.

“It’s caused by Xi Jinping and his abusive ways … that would possibly destroy his leadership of his party in China and the goodwill that was nurtured by his predecessors,” Teodoro told reporters.

Teodoro has spearheaded initiatives to strengthen Manila’s military and security partnerships with the United States, the Philippines’ long-standing treaty partner, including expanding yearly military training exercises with U.S. forces that now feature joint maritime patrols and operations in the South China Sea.

He has also worked to establish military cooperation agreements with allied nations such as Japan, France, Canada and New Zealand, which he believes will help counter China’s aggressive behavior.

Thailand’s royal family is mourning the loss of Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati, who passed away Thursday evening at the age of 47 after spending nearly four years in a coma, according to an announcement from the royal palace on Friday.

The princess, who was the eldest daughter of Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn, had been hospitalized since December 2022 when she suddenly lost consciousness due to a heart condition during a visit to the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima. Medical teams transported her by helicopter to Bangkok for emergency care.

According to the palace statement, her death Thursday evening came after her medical situation deteriorated due to complications including an intra-abdominal infection, colitis, low blood pressure, arrhythmias, and blood clotting disorders.

Born December 7, 1978, to the then Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn and his first wife, Princess Soamsawali, the princess was widely known by the nickname Princess Pa among the Thai people.

Throughout her life, she made significant contributions to Thai society through her public service work, particularly her advocacy for improving conditions for female prisoners and her distinguished diplomatic service.

Her educational background included advanced legal studies at Cornell University, where she earned both a Master’s degree and a Doctorate. She put this education to use working as an attorney in the Thai Office of the Attorney-General from 2006 to 2011.

Her diplomatic career included serving as Thailand’s ambassador to Austria, Slovenia and Slovakia from 2012 to 2014, after which she returned to work at the attorney-general’s office in Bangkok.

The princess established a charitable organization focused on advocating for the rights of female inmates, with special attention to pregnant women in jail.

In 2017, the United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice recognized her work by naming her as the goodwill ambassador for the rule of law in Southeast Asia.

More recently, she transitioned to military service in 2021, receiving the rank of general and taking on duties as chief of staff in the Royal Security Command.

As one of King Vajiralongkorn’s three children holding formal titles, the princess was constitutionally eligible for succession to the throne.

This loss comes less than a year after Thailand’s Queen Mother died at age 93 in October.

Officials expect the palace to conduct royal funeral ceremonies, while the government is anticipated to announce a period of national mourning.

Israeli officials announced Thursday evening that US President Donald Trump contacted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about a developing agreement with Iran prior to formal talks, as Iran’s Fars news agency indicated strong chances of accepting the proposed deal.

According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, while Israel is not participating in the memorandum of understanding negotiations, Netanyahu praised assurances given by President Trump about the objectives of any final accord.

“Although Israel is not a party to the memorandum of understanding, the Prime Minister expressed his appreciation for President Trump’s commitment that the final agreement at the conclusion of negotiations will include the removal of enriched material, the dismantling of enrichment infrastructure, restrictions on missile production, and an end to Iran’s support for its terror proxies in the region.”

Earlier that evening, a high-ranking Israeli official informed Channel 12 News that Israel had not been given prior notice of a completed US-Iran deal. The official stated, “To the best of our knowledge, Mojtaba Khamenei has not yet approved the agreement, and we are not aware of any finalized framework document.”

Channel 12 News reported that Netanyahu’s security briefing was cut short due to a “diplomatic call.”

Later Thursday, Iran’s Fars news agency announced there was “a high probability that the regime will approve that proposal.” Fars indicated a preliminary memorandum of understanding was awaiting final authorization in Tehran and Washington.

The news outlet reported that President Trump had previously requested modifications to the draft following frustration over delays from Mojtaba Khamenei in providing final consent.

Iran has demanded the conflict cease “on all fronts,” especially in Lebanon, while the suggested framework would also reopen the Strait of Hormuz and allow for gradual lifting of the US blockade on Iranian ports plus certain sanctions relief.

The memorandum would not settle disagreements regarding Iran’s nuclear program. Rather, it would initiate separate negotiations on future limitations. Earlier reports suggested those discussions would span 60 days.

These developments came after President Trump posted on Truth Social declaring that scheduled US military action against Iran had been called off and that talks toward an agreement were progressing.

“Based on the fact that discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran have been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved, I have, as President of the United States of America, cancelled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran this evening,” President Trump wrote.

He further declared that “Discussions and final points have been, in both concept and great detail, approved by all parties involved, including the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt, and others.”

President Trump continued: “The Naval Blockade will remain in full force and effect until this Transaction is finalized—Time and place of the signing to be announced shortly.”

The announcement halted what would have been a third straight night of military strikes against Iran. The United States conducted two days of retaliatory attacks on Iranian military and radar installations after Tehran shot down an American Apache helicopter. Iran subsequently launched ballistic missiles and drones at US facilities in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan.

MANILA, June 12 – The defense secretary of the Philippines responded with defiance on Friday after Beijing targeted him with sanctions, stating that China punishes “those who speak the truth against their deception.”

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro declared he would persist in carrying out his responsibilities and “uphold our nation in the face of the wickedness” occurring in Philippine territory and surrounding waters.

Beijing’s foreign ministry revealed the sanctions against Teodoro and his family members on Thursday, claiming the defense official had “repeatedly made erroneous remarks concerning China” that damaged China’s “legitimate interests” and relations between the two countries.