Author: Admin

May 15-21, 2026

Federal prosecutors have filed criminal charges against former Cuban President Raúl Castro in connection with civilian aircraft shot down in 1996 that were operated by Miami-based exiles, marking an escalation in the Trump administration’s pressure campaign against Cuba’s socialist government.

In Bolivia, demonstrations and roadblocks organized by mining workers and labor unions brought the country’s political capital to a standstill, intensifying pressure on President Rodrigo Paz merely six months after he took office.

Suspected members of Los Ardillos launched attacks on communities throughout Mexico’s Guerrero region using gunfire, fire-setting and explosive drones, compelling hundreds of residents to evacuate their homes.

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This gallery was assembled by photojournalist Eraldo Peres based in Brasilia, Brazil.

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AP photography: https://apnews.com/photography

AP News on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apnews

WASHINGTON — America’s top diplomat Marco Rubio is working to calm worried European partners about the Trump administration’s plans for NATO, attempting to present a more diplomatic approach amid confusion over U.S. military presence overseas.

On Friday, Rubio will participate in a NATO foreign ministers gathering in Sweden while Pentagon leadership simultaneously briefs the 32-member alliance on America’s military dedication to European security at NATO headquarters in Brussels.

This diplomatic meeting, which comes before a NATO leaders summit scheduled for Turkey in July, occurs during significant uncertainty about the Iran war’s trajectory and whether stalled American efforts to mediate the Russia-Ukraine conflict might restart. European frustration continues over President Donald Trump’s critiques of partner nations and his expressed desire to acquire Greenland, which belongs to NATO member Denmark.

Rubio frequently serves as a more moderate voice from the Trump administration during international gatherings. He has been sent on multiple diplomatic missions this year, including the Munich Security Conference in February and a recent trip to Italy, where he engaged with Italian leadership and Pope Leo XIV following Trump’s criticism of the pontiff regarding his positions on crime and the Iran conflict.

Before departing for the meeting in Helsingborg, Sweden, Rubio refused to address potential modifications to America’s military footprint in Europe, including possible reductions in troop numbers under the NATO Force Model, which serves as a backup plan for European security during serious threats.

The Trump administration had previously decided to halt the deployment of thousands of American troops to Poland and Germany, but the president then announced on social media Thursday that “the United States will be sending an additional 5,000 Troops to Poland.”

Uncertainty remains about whether this means the previously canceled brigade would resume its Poland deployment, if extra troops beyond the rotational assignment would be added, or if troop reductions would still occur in other European nations. Pentagon officials directed inquiries to the White House, which did not immediately provide clarification.

Previously, Rubio confirmed that Trump and other administration officials, including himself, are “very disappointed” with NATO, particularly regarding its Iran war response.

“I don’t think anyone is shocked to know that the United States, and the president in particular, is very disappointed at NATO right now,” he told reporters in Miami before boarding his plane.

While describing himself as a “strong supporter” of the transatlantic military partnership and calling it significant, Rubio echoed criticisms that certain NATO partners, particularly Spain, had blocked U.S. base access for Iran conflict operations. He noted others showed reluctance to join efforts to reopen and secure the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil shipping passage that Iran has largely shut down.

“I know why NATO is good for Europe, but why is NATO good for America?” Rubio asked rhetorically, answering his own question by referring to bases that allow the U.S. and others to project power globally. “So, when that is the key rationale for why you’re in NATO, and then you have countries like Spain denying us the use of these bases, well, then, why are you in NATO?”

Rubio observed that virtually all NATO members oppose Iran developing nuclear capabilities, yet few responded when Trump announced he would act to prevent such development.

“He’s not asking them to commit troops. He’s not asking them to send their fighter jets in. But they refuse to do anything, and so I think the president looks at that and says, ‘Hold on a second,’” Rubio said. “I think we were very upset about that. The president has made that very clear.”

NATO leadership has minimized the significance of American troop level adjustments in Europe, claiming these changes were planned well in advance and are not unexpected.

However, these announcements have caught some partners off guard and occurred despite American commitments to coordinate military decisions to prevent security vulnerabilities. Trump’s apparent reversal on Poland also came as another surprise.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte stated Wednesday that American allies have been aware for a year that the Trump administration would withdraw some European troops, and the alliance expects “rightly, for Europe and Canada to take a bigger responsibility for the conventional defense of NATO and particularly, of course, the European part of NATO.”

Rutte indicated the U.S. “will stay involved” but might eventually redirect resources to other global regions. U.S. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, who leads both American and NATO forces in Europe, assured this week that European security would remain intact but cautioned that allies should anticipate additional reductions in coming years.

The Trump administration has indicated that Europe must assume greater responsibility for its own security, including Ukraine’s protection, going forward.

President Donald Trump announced Wednesday his plans to hold a conversation with Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te, marking an extraordinary step for an American leader that could strain diplomatic ties with China and potentially trigger additional Chinese military exercises near the island.

This marks Trump’s second announcement in a week regarding his intention to contact Lai, eliminating earlier theories that his initial mention following last week’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping was an accidental comment.

Taiwan expressed willingness for Lai and Trump to engage in dialogue, although neither Washington nor Taipei has confirmed specific timing for such a conversation.

Addressing the potential Trump-Lai discussion, China’s foreign ministry stated Thursday that the United States must “handle the Taiwan issue with extreme caution and stop sending wrong signals to the separatist forces of Taiwan independence.”

The following explains why Beijing might strongly oppose such communication.

CHINA’S STANCE ON TAIWAN

Beijing considers Taiwan its most crucial and delicate matter, involving Chinese sovereignty and territorial integrity that outsiders should not question or meddle with.

China regards Taiwan as unfinished business from the Chinese civil war, during which the defeated Republic of China government escaped to the island in 1949 after losing to Mao Zedong’s communist forces, who established the People’s Republic.

Beijing declares Taiwan a Chinese province without legitimate claims to statehood and has not ruled out military action to achieve control, while stating preference for “peaceful reunification.”

China describes Taiwan as its “core of core interests” and an uncrossable red line, consistently condemning high-level interactions between foreign officials and Taipei as meddling in Chinese domestic matters.

Both Chinese and Taiwanese administrations do not officially acknowledge each other, and China declines to address Lai as “president.”

CHINA’S PREVIOUS RESPONSES TO U.S.-TAIWAN ENGAGEMENT

Beijing conducted significant military exercises around Taiwan in 2022 following then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Taipei visit, and has organized multiple other military drills responding to American engagement with Taiwan.

China’s most recent major military maneuvers near the island occurred in late December. Earlier that month, the Trump administration authorized an $11 billion weapons sales package to Taiwan, representing its largest ever.

TAIWAN’S PERSPECTIVE

Taiwan operates as a flourishing democracy whose leadership firmly dismisses Beijing’s sovereignty assertions. Taiwan maintains it is an independent nation named the Republic of China, the island’s official designation, with rights to international engagement and democratic self-determination.

Lai has consistently proposed discussions with China but faced rejection. Beijing labels him a “separatist.”

AMERICAN POSITION

America ended formal diplomatic relations with Taipei in 1979, choosing Beijing instead, but remains obligated under the Taiwan Relations Act to supply the island with defensive capabilities. America officially maintains neutrality on Taiwan’s sovereignty through Washington’s “One China” policy.

In 2022, the State Department incorporated language regarding the Six Assurances, referencing six Reagan-era security commitments to Taiwan that America declassified in 2020.

These assurances from 1982, previously kept confidential, include statements that America has not established a timeline for ending weapons sales to Taiwan, nor agreed to prior consultation with Beijing regarding such sales, or to modify the Taiwan Relations Act governing American policy toward the island.

China has consistently demanded America cease weapons sales to Taiwan.

TRUMP’S PREVIOUS TAIWAN CONTACT

In late 2016, President-elect Trump conducted a 10-minute conversation with then-President Tsai Ing-wen. China responded with measured criticism, filing a diplomatic protest and accusing Taiwan of pursuing a “petty action.”

A South Korean government minister announced his department will cease providing products from businesses that trivialize the nation’s democratic past, following widespread criticism of a Starbucks Korea promotional campaign that referenced a deadly 1980 military assault on democracy advocates.

The coffee company introduced its “Tank Day” promotion on the anniversary date of the May 18 Gwangju uprising, when military forces deployed troops and armored vehicles to crush mass demonstrations calling for democratic reforms.

“Conduct that makes light of that history or consumes it as commercial material is an issue that can never be taken lightly,” Yun Ho-jung wrote on X late on Thursday, expressing deep regret over what he called Starbucks Korea’s “anti-historical conduct” and saying the Ministry of the Interior and Safety would no longer offer products from companies that made light of the history and value of democracy or used it as commercial material.

This week, Shinsegae Group, which operates Starbucks locations in South Korea under license, terminated the coffee chain’s local chief executive due to the promotional campaign, stating it was unsuitable.

When contacted regarding the voucher decision, Shinsegae pointed to Tuesday’s public statement of remorse issued by Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin.

According to Yun, government departments including the Interior Ministry typically distribute gift certificates such as coffee vouchers to individuals participating in surveys, competitions and civic engagement activities.

He called on other institutions and citizens to adopt his ministry’s approach.

The Interior Ministry handles government operations along with emergency and safety oversight.

Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Kwon Oheul also criticized Starbucks in an X post late on Thursday, saying his ministry would strengthen monitoring to prevent the spread of false information related to the uprising.

Military forces under the dictatorship of Chun Doo-hwan are believed to have killed or caused the disappearance of hundreds during the Gwangju protest suppression. Numerous aspects of the incident remain unclear, including the identity of who authorized troops to fire on demonstrators.

In his statement this week, Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin recognized the suffering the promotional campaign had inflicted.

“I deeply bow in apology as the representative of the group,” Chung said. The marketing “deeply hurt the public, the bereaved families, and the victims of the May 18 demonstration.”

The controversy has sparked consumer boycott movements on social media and prompted police complaints against Chung, according to Seoul law enforcement.

Data from WISEAPP shows Starbucks holds the top position among food and beverage chains in South Korea based on estimated customer numbers during the six-month period ending in February.

A British mountaineer has established a new milestone for foreign climbers by successfully reaching the summit of Mount Everest for the 20th time, according to hiking officials in Nepal.

Kenton Cool, age 52, conquered the 8,849-metre (29,032-foot) summit in the early morning hours on Friday and was making his way down to lower camps, according to Ishwori Poudel from the expedition organizing company Himalayan Guides.

An expedition organizer who has climbed Everest four times described Cool as someone who is “quietly rewriting the record books.” Lukas Furtenbach of the Austria-based Furtenbach Adventures company praised the achievement.

“More Everest summits than any non-Sherpa ever… and still making it look like just another walk in the hills. Absolute legend,” Furtenbach told Reuters from the base camp. Cool climbed with one of Furtenbach’s teams.

Cool, whose initial Everest climb took place in 2004 and who has returned annually except during years when authorities shut down the mountain for various reasons, emphasized that reaching Everest’s peak is never routine.

“It never gets any easier or any less frightening. It’s the tallest mountain in the world and with it comes an incredible sense of majesty,” Cool said in a statement.

“I rely on every bit of experience I have to move safely in this environment. Standing on the summit for the twentieth time is incredibly special.”

A Nepali Sherpa, Kami Rita, holds the overall record for most Everest summits at 32.

More than 8,000 people have successfully climbed Everest, with many completing multiple ascents, since New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay first reached the top in 1953.

ANTIBES, France — Hollywood stars attending the film festival in the French Riviera traveled to a luxury charity event Thursday evening, where an exclusive auction generated substantial funds for AIDS research initiatives.

The elegant gathering took place at the Hotel Du Cap, Eden Roc, featuring dinner entertainment from notable performers including Robbie Williams, Zara Larsson and Lizzo. Actress Geena Davis served as the evening’s host, appearing prominently on this year’s festival promotional materials honoring the film “Thelma & Louise.”

Speaking to reporters before the event, Lizzo shared her enthusiasm for upcoming musical projects. “I’m just so excited. I’m trying to bring back good, clean fun. Like, I just want to have fun again, people need to dance, people need to laugh,” she said.

The guest list included prominent entertainment figures such as Rami Malek, who has a project competing at the current festival, along with Eva Longoria, Heidi Klum, Sofia Carson, Natasha Poly and Bar Refaeli.

The auction featured an impressive collection of valuable items and exclusive opportunities.

Actor William Abadie offered a cameo appearance in the television series “Emily in Paris” while revealing that the sixth season would conclude the show. Following competitive bidding, organizers provided two such opportunities, each selling for 375,000 euros ($435,545).

High-value artwork dominated the evening’s sales, with a complete collection of Andy Warhol screen prints featuring Marylin Monroe commanding 2.8 million euros ($3,252,228).

Luxury accessories also drew significant interest. Festival sponsor Chopard contributed diamond earrings that brought 600,000 euros ($696,906), while an extremely rare Audemars Piguet timepiece — limited to just five pieces worldwide — sold for an impressive 1,450,000 euros ($1,684,160).

Williams delivered a compilation of his popular songs, concluding with “Angels” as a tribute to his daughter. Premium concert tickets became an unexpected auction item, with two bidders each paying 220,000 euros ($255,5278) for separate ticket packages.

Larsson concluded the dinner portion with an energetic set that drew attendees to dance near the performance area. Following the formal program, guests continued celebrating at a poolside reception.

The organization has accumulated nearly 841 million euros ($950 million) for AIDS research and related programs since its founding in 1985, distributing more than 3,800 grants during that period.

A Chinese industrial empire that grew from a failing textile factory into one of the world’s largest petrochemical companies now finds itself caught in an international sanctions battle between Washington and Beijing.

The Hengli Group’s petrochemical division, which operates a massive 400,000 barrel-per-day oil refinery in Dalian, was sanctioned by the United States last month over allegations of purchasing Iranian crude oil. The company has denied these accusations.

The sanctions targeted Hengli along with approximately 40 shipping companies and vessels as the US seeks to pressure China into helping broker a resolution to Middle East conflicts that began when America and Israel launched attacks on Iran in February. This occurred as the presidents of both nations were preparing for diplomatic meetings.

Hengli represents the largest Chinese refining operation to face US sanctions to date.

China, which has consistently opposed such unilateral actions, quickly moved to protect the company by implementing for the first time a 2021 law designed to prevent businesses from complying with foreign sanctions.

In the past, Washington had primarily focused on smaller players, including independent Chinese refiners called “teapots” that were the primary buyers of Iranian crude since sanctions were reimposed in 2018.

“Hengli is no teapot refinery. It is a world-class, world-scale plant that is representative of the large integrated refining and petrochemical facilities in which Beijing increasingly wants to consolidate its refining capacity,” said Erica Downs, senior research scholar at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy.

“This is probably why Beijing felt compelled to use its anti-sanctions law for the first time,” she said.

The company’s billionaire co-founders, Chen Jianhua and his wife Fan Hongwei, have not responded to requests for comment.

SWIFT CONSEQUENCES

The financial penalties produced immediate results across Hengli’s international operations.

The company’s Singapore trading division, which had employed roughly 100 workers, is scheduled to close this month according to reports. Additionally, China’s Wanhua Chemical has halted a long-standing contract to purchase benzene from Hengli Petrochemical.

Industry experts suggest the sanctions could threaten a tentative 2024 agreement with Saudi Aramco for the oil giant to acquire a 10% ownership stake in Hengli Petrochemical. Aramco has declined to provide comment on the matter.

Despite these setbacks, Hengli’s primary focus on domestic markets and support from Beijing allows the company to maintain most operations. Management has stated they continue purchasing oil using Chinese yuan, avoiding the dollar-based settlement system.

A similar situation occurred last year when competitor Shandong Yulong Petrochemical faced British and European sanctions for Russian oil transactions, ultimately becoming even more dependent on Russian crude supplies.

Industry analysts expect Hengli will likewise increase its reliance on sanctioned oil sources while redirecting petrochemical sales to Chinese customers.

When asked during his Friday flight from Beijing about potentially removing sanctions on Chinese companies buying Iranian oil, the former president said he would consider the option.

“We talked about that and I’m going to make a decision over the next few days,” he said.

As of Thursday, no changes had been announced.

ANTICIPATING CHALLENGES

Nine days before the sanctions took effect, Fan, who leads Hengli’s publicly-traded Shanghai division, expressed caution in a letter to shareholders following Hengli Petrochemical’s 2025 earnings report showing profits of 7.07 billion yuan ($1.04 billion) on revenues of 201 billion yuan.

“Great-power competition continues to evolve and intertwine, and geopolitical turbulence has never ceased,” she wrote. “We are well aware that the road ahead may not be smooth.”

The company has overcome significant obstacles throughout its history.

Chen, now 55, grew up in Suzhou’s Wujiang district, an area where most families traditionally raised silkworms. He left school before age 14 and built his initial wealth through scrap silk trading.

During a speech to the National Young Entrepreneurs Conference last year, Chen Jianhua, whose name translates to “build China,” described purchasing a bankrupt textile facility with 27 workers when he was 23 years old.

This occurred in 1994 as China’s economic transformation was accelerating under Deng Xiaoping’s reforms.

To support China’s efforts to challenge foreign dominance in synthetic fiber manufacturing, Chen expanded Hengli’s operations upstream, eventually entering the state-controlled refining industry to create a fully integrated petrochemical operation.

Hengli established a model for a new generation of large, private petrochemical manufacturers producing materials for plastics and other products serving China’s rapidly expanding industrial sector.

In a bold move, Hengli constructed what became an $11 billion facility on the then-isolated Changxing island near Dalian, directly competing with state-owned China National Petroleum Corp’s nearby refinery.

“There was no electricity, no water, and no mobile signal – just a mountain, a stretch of sea and a small road. For a full four years, I lived and ate on the construction site,” Chen recalled.

CURRENT OPERATIONS

Hengli now holds the position as the world’s top producer of purified terephthalic acid (PTA), a key component in synthetic fiber manufacturing.

In 2022, responding to Beijing’s infrastructure investment initiatives aimed at stimulating the pandemic-affected economy, Hengli acquired an unused shipyard on Changxing island.

“At the start, all the shipowners didn’t trust us and wouldn’t place orders, so we placed our own orders,” building two 300,000-ton very large crude carriers and an 82,000-ton bulk carrier, he said.

Hengli Heavy Industry secured contracts for 115 ships valued at over 100 billion yuan last year, with customers including Greek, Norwegian and Japanese shipping companies.

In February 2025, Chen attended a private sector leadership meeting with Xi, who encouraged participants to support China’s technological independence and supply chain security objectives.

Chen remembered Xi’s message: “Show your talent, the time is now.”

($1 = 6.8012 Chinese yuan renminbi)

The State Department announced Thursday that it has given the green light for a potential $108.1 million equipment sale to Ukraine, according to officials.

The approved sale would provide Ukraine with equipment needed to maintain its Hawk Missile System operations, the department stated on May 21.

Russian air defense systems intercepted drone strikes targeting Moscow and the surrounding Yaroslavl region during the early morning hours on Friday, according to statements from local officials posted on the Telegram messaging platform.

Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported via Telegram that four drones approaching Moscow were successfully shot down, prompting the deployment of emergency response teams to the affected areas. The mayor did not elaborate on additional specifics regarding the incident.

Both Moscow and the Yaroslavl region, located northeast of Russia’s capital city, experienced similar drone strikes earlier in the week. The targeted areas contain significant energy infrastructure facilities.

Independent confirmation of the reported military incidents could not be obtained by Reuters.

A new group of Australian women and children connected to the ISIS terrorist organization have exited a detention facility in northeastern Syria and could be making their way back to Australia, according to Friday reports from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

The news outlet stated that a bus transporting the group departed the Al-Roj facility on Thursday afternoon, accompanied by Syrian government officials in a convoy. While the group is anticipated to arrive in Damascus, the timing of any potential journey to Australia remains uncertain, according to the report.

Australia’s home affairs ministry has not yet provided a response to requests for comment.

The Australian government has previously stated it would not offer direct help for bringing back Australian families connected to ISIS, though officials have recognized “very serious limits” in their ability to block citizens from returning to the country.

Earlier in May, four women and nine children with ISIS ties came back to Australia following seven years in detention facilities. When they arrived, Kawsar Ahmad, 54, and her daughter Zeinab Ahmad, 31, faced slavery-related charges, while 32-year-old Janai Safar was charged with terrorism-related offenses.

The women’s return sparked controversy, with critics claiming Australia’s centre-left government failed to stop their repatriation.

From 2012 to 2016, several Australian women traveled to Syria to reunite with husbands who were reportedly ISIS members. After the caliphate fell in 2019, many ended up detained in camps, though some managed to return home.

In January, the United States started relocating detained ISIS members from Syria following the breakdown of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, which had been overseeing multiple detention centers holding ISIS fighters and associated civilians, including foreign nationals.

Canada’s petroleum-wealthy Alberta province has announced plans for an October public vote regarding potential separation from Canada, though the province’s top official clarified Thursday that the ballot won’t directly address independence.

Danielle Smith explained that citizens would instead decide whether the time has come for a binding referendum on departing Canada.

“I want to be clear. I support Alberta remaining in Canada, and this is how I would vote on separation in a provincial referendum. It is also the position of my government,” Smith stated during broadcast comments.

The ballot measure will ask whether Alberta should continue as part of Canada or pursue constitutional legal measures toward conducting a binding independence referendum.

Even a “yes” result in such a binding vote would not automatically create independence. Federal government negotiations would be required. According to a 1998 Supreme Court decision, provinces lack authority to withdraw from Canada unilaterally.

Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal, observed that Smith has publicly rejected independence, leading some to draw parallels with Britain’s former Prime Minister David Cameron before the Brexit referendum, which he supported as a method to handle a vocal party faction despite opposing U.K. departure from the European Union.

“Politically Smith seems committed to do so to appease supporters of her own party who want a referendum. If she doesn’t follow suit, she might face a potentially perilous mutiny within her partisan ranks,” Béland stated.

Thursday morning saw three United Conservative Party of Alberta caucus members approve a committee motion requesting Smith and her cabinet schedule the referendum for Oct. 19.

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s federal Liberal government had not immediately responded to Smith’s declaration.

Carney has been collaborating with Smith on Pacific coast oil pipeline construction aimed at satisfying many Albertans.

“As part of his emphasis on economic development in the aftermath of the trade war between Canada and the U.S., Mark Carney is clearly more favorable to pipeline building and the energy industry than his predecessor Justin Trudeau,” Béland noted.

Béland predicted referendum failure.

“Support for Alberta independence is slightly below 30% and the percentage of people truly committed to the cause is below 20% according to polling data so the odds of a ‘yes’ vote appear to be very low right now but campaigns matter,” he explained.

Opposition Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre previously stated that he and all Conservative Parliament members would advocate for Alberta’s continued Canadian membership during any referendum campaign.

Four major nations are preparing to hold a high-level diplomatic summit in India’s capital next week, according to an announcement from Japan’s foreign ministry on Friday.

The foreign ministers from the United States, Japan, Australia and India are scheduled to gather in New Delhi on May 26 for what’s known as a ‘Quad’ meeting between the four countries.

Japan’s foreign ministry confirmed that the nation’s chief diplomat, Toshimitsu Motegi, will make a three-day trip to India beginning Monday to participate in the diplomatic session.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to arrive in India on Saturday, following his attendance at NATO foreign ministers’ discussions in Sweden, according to the U.S. State Department.

The United Nations issued sharp criticism Thursday regarding a recently enacted Afghan Taliban regulation concerning marital separation that contains allowances for child marriage, stating the measure deepens bias against women and girls.

Taliban officials dismissed these criticisms, asserting the regulation adheres to Islamic principles and maintaining that forced marriages of girls are already prohibited in the country.

Afghanistan’s justice ministry released Decree No. 18 “on judicial separation of spouses” last week, establishing guidelines for married couples seeking separation.

The regulation’s most disputed elements include language stating that when a girl who has reached puberty remains silent, this can be viewed as marriage approval. The decree also contains sections addressing separation for girls who have reached puberty and are wed, which “implies that child marriage is permitted,” according to a statement from the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

“This undermines the principle of free and full consent and failing to safeguard the best interests of the child,” it said.

The regulation specifies that marriages may be declared void “if a father or grandfather has given a minor girl or boy without any dowry, not enough dowry or obscene embezzlement.” Additionally, it states that a girl married off by her father or grandfather to a man who “has not treated her with kindness or is well-known for his bad choices…has the right to approach the court to cancel the marriage contract upon reaching puberty.”

Yet when a woman requests divorce from her spouse and he refuses, “then in this case, there are no witnesses with the girl, the husband’s word is valid,” according to the new regulation. Witnesses are unnecessary if she presents her request directly to a judge.

Afghan women and girls currently endure extensive discrimination, with regulations controlling their dress and conduct. Educational opportunities beyond elementary school are forbidden, along with most employment and nearly all recreational pursuits, including fitness centers, beauty establishments, and public recreational areas.

“Decree No. 18 is part of a broader and deeply concerning trajectory in which the rights of Afghan women and girls are being eroded,” said Georgette Gagnon, the U.N.’s Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and officer in charge of UNAMA.

Although the regulation permits women to leave their spouses, the process is significantly more difficult for women than men.

The measure “operates in a deeply unequal framework: while men retain the unilateral right to divorce, women must pursue complex and restrictive judicial avenues to separate from a spouse,” UNAMA said. “This situation reinforces structural discrimination and limits women’s autonomy in matters fundamental to their dignity, safety, and well-being.”

Following their takeover of Afghanistan after the disorderly departure of U.S.-supported forces in 2021, the Taliban declared certain limited women’s rights, releasing a decree that granted women inheritance rights and marriage refusal options. Nevertheless, “successive decrees have undermined these protections,” UNAMA stated.

The numerous limitations established by the government “have deprived millions of Afghan women and girls of their right to education, weakened economic participation, and deepened poverty, with long-term consequences for Afghanistan’s development,” it continued.

“The objections from those who contradict the religion of Islam are not new and we should not pay attention to them,” Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Afghan government, told the RTA state broadcaster in an interview.

Mujahid observed that Afghanistan’s supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has previously issued a decree prohibiting forced marriage of girls. Afghan judicial systems and the nation’s ministry of vice and virtue have examined thousands of such instances within the past year, he stated, “which shows the Islamic Emirate’s concern for women’s rights.”

WASHINGTON – The United States imposed financial sanctions Thursday on nine officials accused of blocking peace efforts in Lebanon and preventing the disarmament of the Iran-backed Hezbollah organization.

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control stated these officials operate throughout Lebanon’s legislative, military, and security agencies, working to maintain Hezbollah’s control over important Lebanese government institutions.

“Hezbollah is a terrorist organization and must be fully disarmed,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated. The group, established in 1982 by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, has been classified as a terrorist organization by the United States and Gulf Arab nations, including Saudi Arabia.

American officials blame the organization for suicide attacks in 1983 that resulted in 241 U.S. military deaths and demolished the U.S. Marine headquarters in Beirut, as well as a French military compound, killing 58 French paratroopers. The U.S. also attributes a 1983 suicide bombing at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut to Hezbollah.

AMERICA FOCUSES ON HEZBOLLAH’S FUNDING

Last week, Israel and Lebanon extended their ceasefire agreement by 45 days, continuing to reduce tensions from a conflict in southern Lebanon that escalated months ago following U.S. and Israeli military actions against Iran.

State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott announced the department will offer up to $10 million for intelligence that helps disrupt the militant organization’s financial operations.

“This is only the beginning. Anyone still shielding or collaborating with this terrorist organization, or otherwise undermining Lebanon’s sovereignty, should understand that they will be held accountable,” Pigott stated.

“A stable, secure, and independent Lebanon requires the full disarmament of Hezbollah and the restoration of the Lebanese government’s exclusive authority over security matters throughout the country.”

The Treasury Department identified the following individuals as targets of Thursday’s sanctions:

– Mohamed Abdel-Mottaleb Fanich, who directs Hezbollah’s executive council.

– Hassan Nizammeddine Fadlallah, a parliamentary member representing Hezbollah since 2005, who collaborated with Al Nour Radio and Al Manar TV, both previously sanctioned by the U.S.

– Ibrahim al-Moussawi, who directs Hezbollah’s media operations and serves as the group’s parliamentary representative.

– Hussein Al-Hajj Hassan, who has served as Hezbollah’s parliamentary representative since 1996.

– Mohammad Reza Sheibani, Iran’s ambassador designate to Lebanon, whom Lebanon’s Foreign Ministry declared persona non grata after withdrawing approval of his appointment and ordering his departure from Beirut.

– Ahmad Asaad Baalbaki and Ali Ahmad Safawi, both security leaders within the Amal Movement, a political partner and security collaborator of Hezbollah. Safawi commands the Lebanese Amal militia in southern Lebanon and directed its forces in combined Hizballah-Amal military operations against Israel.

– Brigadier General Khattar Nasser Eldin, director of the Lebanese General Directorate for General Security, for sharing intelligence with Hezbollah.

– Colonel Samir Hamadi, a high-ranking Lebanese intelligence officer.

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Moldova’s Deputy Prime Minister Mihai Popsoi on Thursday, expressing that Beijing values its relationship with the Eastern European nation and wants to strengthen their partnership, according to a Friday statement from China’s foreign ministry.

The diplomatic meeting took place shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin completed a ceremonial 24-hour state visit to Beijing, where he held talks with President Xi Jinping. During Putin’s visit, the two leaders agreed to enhance cooperation and provide greater mutual support.

According to the Chinese foreign ministry’s official summary of Thursday’s discussions, the representatives from both nations also discussed the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. This marks the first time a Moldovan foreign minister has visited China in nearly eight years.

China has refrained from criticizing Russia’s military actions in Ukraine and avoids using the term “invasion” when referring to the conflict. Instead, Beijing advocates for a diplomatic resolution to the crisis, a stance Wang repeated during his conversation with Popsoi, the statement indicated.

Moldova shares a border with Ukraine and has publicly denounced Russia’s military offensive. The country has experienced long-standing tensions with Moscow regarding the breakaway region of Transdniestria, which declared independence while Moldova was still part of the Soviet Union and maintains pro-Russian leadership.

Approximately 1,500 Russian military personnel remain stationed in the disputed territory, with Moscow characterizing their role as peacekeeping forces. The region continues to receive significant financial and political support from Russia.

Moldova’s current administration, which has set a goal of joining the European Union by 2030, views both the separatist region and the Russian military deployment as tools Moscow uses to influence the country’s domestic policies.

“Wang said China cherishes the traditional friendship between the two countries, and stands ready to work with Moldova to further cement mutual trust,” according to the ministry’s official statement.

Federal authorities have detained Adys Lastres Morera, whose brother serves as executive president of GAESA, a massive network of military-controlled enterprises in Cuba, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Thursday.

Morera had been living in the United States as a permanent resident since 2023, but is now being held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement while facing deportation proceedings, ICE officials confirmed in a separate announcement.

Officials stated that Morera’s continued presence creates a security risk for the United States and works against American foreign policy objectives.

Cuban officials seldom discuss GAESA publicly, an organization whose full name translates to ‘business administration group’ from its Spanish acronym Grupo de Administración Empresarial.

The island nation has maintained that such secrecy is essential to counter American trade and financial restrictions that significantly hinder Cuba’s international business operations.

Attempts to contact Morera’s representatives for a response were unsuccessful.

Brazil’s administration plans to announce Friday that it will broaden spending restrictions across government departments to comply with annual budget limits, according to Finance Minister Dario Durigan, who made the statement Thursday.

Current spending restrictions total 1.6 billion reais ($320 million). Officials have set the release of their twice-monthly revenue and spending report for 3 p.m. local time (1800 GMT) Friday.

During a CNN Brasil interview, Durigan explained that while spending limitations will grow, officials won’t need to implement a complete spending freeze — an action taken when economic officials believe the annual fiscal goal might be missed.

“We are moving toward an increase in the block, so the government is cutting into its own flesh,” the minister said.

Durigan noted that federal income has matched projections, but emphasized the administration should maintain steady progress toward fiscal stability, including measures to control growing expenditures.

Officials aim for a primary surplus of 0.25% of GDP this year, allowing for variation of 0.25% either way. In March, they projected a primary surplus of 3.5 billion reais, approximately 0% of GDP, for the current year.

($1 = 5.0055 reais)

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Major streaming platforms operating in Canada will now be required to dedicate 15% of their earnings from Canadian subscribers to support domestic content production, according to an announcement Thursday from the nation’s federal broadcast regulator.

The new mandate represents a threefold increase from the previous 5% requirement that the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission, CRTC, established in 2024. U.S.-based streaming giants including Apple, Amazon and Spotify are currently fighting that original mandate in court.

The CRTC’s ruling comes as part of implementing the Online Streaming Act, legislation that the United States has flagged as a trade concern in advance of upcoming trade discussions with Canada.

Meanwhile, traditional Canadian broadcasters will see their contribution obligations reduced from the current range of 30% to 45% down to 25%.

“The total contributions are expected to stabilize the funding at more than $2 billion in support of Canadian and Indigenous content, such as French-language content and news,” the regulator said in a press release.

The CRTC has also outlined specific guidelines governing how both streaming services and traditional broadcasters must allocate these funds, including mandatory contributions to production funds and direct investment in Canadian programming.

While streaming platforms can direct most of their required contributions toward content creation, the CRTC has established spending restrictions for the largest operators.

Streaming services earning more than $100 million Canadian ($73 million) annually from Canadian subscribers must allocate 30% of their spending toward collaborative projects with Canadian broadcasters and independent content creators.

These new contribution mandates will affect streaming platforms and broadcasters generating at least $25 million Canadian ($18 million) in yearly Canadian broadcasting income.

The CRTC is additionally creating a specialized fund to support particular television channels, including CPAC, the Canadian service that provides direct coverage of political events.

Iranian authorities are displaying propaganda materials throughout Tehran that emphasize national solidarity and triumph against international powers, coming just months after violently suppressing demonstrations and amid ongoing economic struggles affecting citizens.

The campaign features images of Revolutionary Guardsmen and the blocked Strait of Hormuz, while officials organize military-style group weddings and weapons training in religious buildings to showcase national defiance.

The current messaging differs from previous revolutionary religious content by focusing on nationalist elements designed to appeal beyond core supporters.

“The old ideology of the Islamic Republic no longer really had much traction within the society. And therefore there was a need to draw on other elements of Iranian identity that could mobilize masses,” said Ali Vaez, Iran project director at the International Crisis Group.

Whether this approach will succeed with a deeply disillusioned public remains uncertain, according to Vaez and other experts.

Despite Iran’s ability to resist U.S. and Israeli military strikes and force U.S. President Donald Trump into negotiations by blocking the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial international oil passage, the country confronts severe domestic challenges.

The nation’s economy, already struggling before current conflicts, faces potential collapse while increasing government crackdowns reveal officials’ concerns about possible renewed civil unrest.

Against this challenging environment, authorities continue using traditional Iranian propaganda themes of national resistance and Western antagonism while reducing emphasis on some historical revolutionary imagery.

Traditional Shi’ite Muslim martyrdom symbols, prominent for decades, have partially been replaced by Persian national and historical figures previously rejected by the Islamic Republic as representing monarchist history.

Additionally, state television broadcasts of government-organized demonstrations now include interviews with women not wearing headscarves, content previously forbidden in Iranian media.

“It’s an attempt to show that everything is normal in Iran, we’re all united and we don’t butcher our own people,” said Ali Ansari, professor of modern history at the University of St Andrews in Scotland.

“It’ll work to some extent with waverers in the middle but most Iranians don’t believe it really.”

Iran’s achievement in blocking the Strait of Hormuz has become central to both international propaganda efforts targeting Trump and domestic messaging campaigns.

One display shows Revolutionary Guardsmen with a fishing net capturing U.S. vessels and aircraft. Another depicts fabric stretched across Trump’s face in the strait’s distinctive outline.

These images continue Iran’s tradition of celebrating national heroism while condemning the United States, including a famous mural depicting the Statue of Liberty with a skull face.

However, departing from past practices, a large Tehran poster features Rais Ali Delvari, a guerrilla fighter against British occupation of Iran’s Gulf region one hundred years ago, standing with a Revolutionary Guards commander to block the strait with raised hands.

“These banners showing national heroes are for wartime purposes. After that they will come back against us and the repression will begin,” said Narges, 67, a retired government employee in Shiraz who asked not to give her family name.

Iranian political sources report that power has shifted dramatically during wartime from religious leaders to Revolutionary Guards commanders, completing a gradual transition occurring over years.

“The direction of travel when it gets to the narratives that the regime is putting out there is actually indicative of the transformation that the regime is undergoing. It is moving from a theocratic system into a military one,” said Vaez.

Pictures of the Iranian national football team saluting and new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei with an oversized Iranian flag reinforce the patriotic messaging.

Infrastructure attacks and Trump’s threats of “civilisational erasure” have enhanced the effectiveness of these strategies, Vaez explained.

“These have all helped the Iranian regime to portray this war, not as a war against the Islamic Republic, but a war against Iran as a state,” he said.

Officials have organized almost nightly demonstrations during the conflict to maintain street-level support, though both government supporters and critics question their effectiveness.

“It’s all a game, a performance meant to show the world that people are with the system. Instead of these displays they should fix the economic situation,” said Arshia, 23, a recent French-language graduate from Yazd.

For Mohammed, 26, a hardline student in Tabriz, the patriotic sentiment felt genuine, but he expressed anger about unveiled women participating alongside unrelated men in rallies. “This is not what the revolution was for,” he said.

A recent mass wedding featured couples displayed in Revolutionary Guards vehicles decorated with balloons and machine guns, positioned next to ballistic missile replicas painted bright flamingo pink.

State television broadcast weapons training in mosques, where military instructors taught men and women to disassemble and operate assault rifles.

Such imagery might serve the dual purpose of warning Iranian dissidents that authorities maintain heavily armed backing, Ansari suggested.

“It goes to the heart of the fact that the regime is not as secure as it’s pretending to be. They’re presenting to their own people that this is a regime that is tough,” he said.

A Brazilian father whose son died in the 2009 Flight 447 disaster says true justice has not been achieved, even after a Paris appeals court convicted Airbus and Air France of manslaughter on Thursday in France’s deadliest aviation accident.

Both Airbus and Air France announced they will challenge Thursday’s decision, which could extend the legal proceedings for several more years.

Nelson Faria Marinho, a Brazilian citizen who heads a victims’ association and lost his son when the aircraft went down, expressed dissatisfaction with the court’s decision despite the guilty verdicts.

The Paris appeals court determined both companies were guilty of manslaughter in connection with the disaster and imposed the highest possible penalty of 225,000 euros (roughly $260,000) on each firm, according to Daniele Lamy, who leads another victims’ group.

Lamy, whose son Eric perished in the crash, attended both the original proceedings and this appeal trial, and praised Thursday’s outcome.

However, Marinho expressed his desire to see individual executives from both companies face jail time, though the legal case has focused on corporate rather than individual culpability.

“I’ve lost my father, my mothers, brothers. It hurts a lot, but it is impossible to translate into words the pain of losing a child,” Marinho said, speaking from his home office surrounded by newspaper articles and photographs documenting his lengthy fight for accountability.

The A330-200 aircraft vanished from radar during a storm over the Atlantic Ocean on June 1, 2009, carrying 216 passengers and 12 crew members. Recovery teams needed two years to locate the aircraft and its flight data recorders on the ocean bottom, more than 13,000 feet (approximately 4,000 meters) below the surface.

A previous Associated Press investigation revealed that Airbus had been aware of issues with the specific type of pitot tubes installed on the crashed aircraft since at least 2002, yet did not replace them until after the accident occurred.

Prosecutors alleged that Air France failed to provide proper training for situations involving the freezing of external sensors known as pitot tubes, despite known dangers. Airbus faced accusations of inadequately alerting airlines and flight crews about pitot tube malfunctions and failing to ensure adequate training to reduce associated risks.

The tragedy prompted regulatory changes regarding airspeed sensors and modifications to pilot training protocols.

Official investigators determined that several elements contributed to the catastrophe, including crew errors and the freezing of pitot tubes.

A lower court cleared both Airbus and Air France of manslaughter charges in 2023, causing significant distress among families who lost relatives in the accident.

Air France expressed regret over Thursday’s conviction and acknowledged that pursuing an appeal would extend an already protracted legal process, especially for victims’ families and loved ones, while noting that the company’s criminal responsibility had been previously rejected.

Airbus announced plans to file an appeal with France’s supreme court to enable a review of the legal questions presented in this matter.

A French pilots’ union welcomed the decision. The National Union of Airline Pilots stated it would be “unacceptable to place responsibility for the outcome of this accident solely on the pilots, without taking into account all of the systemic failures that led to the disaster.”

Victims’ attorney Alain Jakubowicz became emotional while addressing reporters outside the courthouse.

The verdict demonstrates “there is no fight that it is unwinnable,” he told French television. “Even when we are simply passengers, we can make global giants bend.”

In Rio, Marinho’s spouse Maria Eva explained that the anguish of losing one of her five children continues to feel fresh, though her faith has provided comfort during her mourning.

“This trail of destruction left many hearts wounded,” she said from her living room, which displays a representation of the Eiffel Tower. “But as long as there is life there is hope.”

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The international official monitoring the Gaza ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States called on the UN Security Council Thursday to utilize all available resources to pressure Hamas into giving up its weapons, cautioning that continued acts of violence threaten to collapse the fragile truce.

Nickolay Mladenov, high representative of the Board of Peace, an international organization created by President Donald Trump, emphasized that Israel must also fulfill its ceasefire commitments, highlighting Palestinian deaths and limitations on humanitarian assistance.

Hamas and Israel face a choice between “a deteriorating status quo” or a fresh start for Palestinians currently enduring “desperate conditions,” he stated. “There is no third option. There never was, and the people of Gaza should not be made to wait while some pretend that there is.”

Mladenov elaborated on the Board of Peace’s initial assessment, which identified the primary barrier to complete ceasefire implementation as “Hamas’ refusal to accept verified decommissioning, relinquish coercive control, and permit a genuine civilian transition in Gaza.”

Hamas issued a statement condemning the assessment and argued it overlooked Israel’s failure to meet ceasefire requirements.

The Palestinian militant organization, responsible for the Oct. 7, 2023, assault on Israel that triggered the Gaza conflict, has attempted to connect any weapons removal to Israeli military withdrawals. Israel’s forces have increased their presence in Gaza following the truce and now occupy approximately 60% of the region.

Mladenov, an experienced Bulgarian diplomat, indicated that should Israel and Hamas reject the implementation plan for Trump’s peace proposal, the Board of Peace would explore methods to deliver humanitarian assistance and support territorial recovery.

Without action, he warned, Gaza would stay fragmented, with Hamas maintaining administrative and military authority over 2 million Palestinians confined to less than half the Gaza Strip, likely remaining surrounded by debris, dependent on aid, and without prospects for rebuilding or their children’s future.

“This is a version of the future that Israelis, Palestinians and the region should all fear and all mobilize to avoid,” Mladenov stated.

He explained that weapons removal “will be gradual, sequenced and time-bound against an agreed timetable” — noting that arms from Hamas and other Palestinian armed factions would go to Gaza’s transitional government rather than Israel.

The implementation plan merits the Security Council’s “clear, consistent and unequivocal support,” he declared.

“I ask the council to use every means at its disposal to urge Hamas to accept the roadmap without further delay, and Israel to uphold its obligations under the ceasefire,” Mladenov stated. “Diplomacy must continue, cannot be used as an excuse for delay while 2 million people wait in desperate conditions.”