Category: World News

Israel’s security cabinet chose not to proceed with a vote on a ceasefire proposal Thursday following public opposition from Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informing ministers that “at the moment there is no agreement.”

The framework, which emerged from Israel-Lebanon discussions in Washington, calls for creating security zones in Lebanon free of Hezbollah presence and mandates the organization’s withdrawal from territories south of the Litani River.

Meeting participants reported that Netanyahu informed ministers Israel remained waiting for Hezbollah’s formal acceptance of the framework before presenting it to the government for consideration.

“At the moment there is no agreement,” Netanyahu stated, according to those present at the meeting. “Hezbollah opposes it, and therefore I am not bringing it for a decision. If it agrees, I will bring it for your approval.”

Cabinet members decided against voting on the framework after becoming aware of Qassem’s dismissal.

The Hezbollah leader had condemned both the plan and the negotiation process that created it earlier Thursday.

“The result of the direct, humiliating and disgraceful negotiations is rejected by broad parts of the Lebanese people,” Qassem stated.

He additionally criticized the framework, declaring, “The Washington declaration conditions the basic principles that America and Israel want, toward the subjugation of Lebanon to the Greater Israel project.”

The cabinet session occurred while fighting continued in southern Lebanon. Ministers learned during their meeting about the death of Capt. Eitan Shmuel Lamberg, an Armored Corps officer killed in southern Lebanon.

Reports from Ynet indicated that news of Lamberg’s death strengthened some ministers’ resistance to the ceasefire framework during their discussions.

Meanwhile, Ynet reported that Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich contended that securing a ceasefire under present conditions would constitute a major achievement.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir participated in just the beginning of the cabinet session and offered limited comments, according to officials with knowledge of the proceedings who spoke to Ynet.

Israeli military officials confirmed Friday that they eliminated Abed Harb, the leader of Hezbollah’s engineering operations, during a military strike in Lebanon.

Israeli forces stated that Harb supervised the engineering division and participated in operations directed against Israel Defense Forces personnel deployed in southern Lebanon.

Military officials explained that Harb led the engineering division responsible for creating and positioning explosive devices designed to injure Israeli soldiers operating in southern Lebanon.

Israeli forces also disclosed that their air force targeted a rocket launcher that Hezbollah had used to attack troops in southern Lebanon. Military officials released video documentation of the mission and confirmed the attack took place during nighttime hours.

These military actions followed a Thursday meeting of Israel’s security cabinet to review a framework developed during diplomatic discussions between Israel and Lebanon in Washington. The proposed agreement would create security areas in Lebanon free of Hezbollah presence and mandate the organization’s retreat from regions south of the Litani River.

Cabinet members did not proceed with a vote on the framework following its rejection by Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem.

Meeting attendees reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed ministers the framework would not advance for approval without Hezbollah’s formal acceptance.

Netanyahu stated, according to meeting participants: “At the moment there is no agreement. Hezbollah opposes it, and therefore I am not bringing it for a decision. If it agrees, I will bring it for your approval.”

Earlier Thursday, Qassem criticized both the framework and the diplomatic process that created it.

Qassem declared: “The result of the direct, humiliating and disgraceful negotiations is rejected by broad parts of the Lebanese people.”

During the cabinet session, ministers received notification of the death of Capt. Eitan Shmuel Lamberg, an Armored Corps officer killed in southern Lebanon.

According to Ynet, news of Lamberg’s death increased resistance among certain ministers to the ceasefire framework being considered.

The session ended without any vote, as Israeli military actions in Lebanon persisted.

A Palestinian infant just seven months old died Friday evening after being struck by gunfire from Israeli forces in the Tel Rumeida section near Hebron in the West Bank, according to Palestinian health officials.

Health ministry officials named the child as Sam Fahd Abu Haikal, stating he died at the location of the incident. Both of his parents sustained injuries in the same shooting and are reported to be in moderate condition.

According to the child’s grandmother, the family’s vehicle had come to a stop after spotting Israeli military personnel and equipment ahead near Checkpoint 17. She described how gunfire was directed at their car, which the family first thought might be warning shots.

“One bullet struck my grandson, traversed his face and crossed his head, striking his mother’s cheek where it lodged,” she said, adding that the bullet had also grazed the father’s finger, and that the mother was in hospital.

Israeli military officials stated that during operations in the Hebron region on Friday, troops believed a vehicle was speeding in their direction, prompting one soldier to discharge individual rounds at the car. Military sources confirmed three Palestinians sustained wounds and received medical care.

A preliminary military investigation determined those hurt were “uninvolved civilians”, according to military statements, which noted the matter remains under examination with results to be forwarded to appropriate officials.

The Tel Rumeida neighborhood of Hebron, where Israeli settlers reside under significant military security alongside Palestinian families, has historically been a site of recurring tensions in the Israeli-controlled West Bank.

According to a European Union assessment from 2024, more than 700,000 settlers reside in East Jerusalem and the West Bank among a Palestinian population exceeding 3 million.

The office of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer issued sharp criticism Friday against U.S. Vice President JD Vance following his remarks connecting immigration to the stabbing death of a British university student who was placed in handcuffs while dying from his wounds.

Eighteen-year-old Henry Nowak lost his life after Vickrum Digwa stabbed him in Southampton, England last December. Digwa, a Sikh man, gave false statements to authorities claiming Nowak, who was white, had launched a racist attack against him. Responding officers initially viewed the injured victim as a perpetrator before discovering his wounds and attempting life-saving measures.

The 23-year-old Digwa received a murder conviction for fatally stabbing Nowak with an 8-inch Sikh dagger and was given a life sentence this week requiring at least 21 years behind bars.

Anti-immigration groups and political figures have used the incident for their causes, though both Nowak and Digwa held British citizenship. Violence erupted Tuesday in Southampton when demonstrators, including far-right participants, threw chairs, cans, stones and flares at police officers during a protest regarding Nowak’s killing.

In a Friday post on social media platform X, Vance declared there should be “righteous anger” about the murder, attributing it partially to “the mass invasion of migrants, many of whom despise the West and the people who love it.”

Starmer’s office responded by condemning those “trying to interfere in our democracy and seeking to stir up division on our streets.”

“The Nowak family are grieving after Henry’s horrific murder. They have said they do not want his death to be used to create further division, hatred or tension. We should be respecting their wishes,” the Downing Street statement read. “Our politics should bring people together even in the most terrible of circumstances. That is who we are as a country.”

Ed Davey, who leads the centrist opposition Liberal Democrats, stated “we all need to resist attempts like this to politicize Henry Nowak’s death and divide our country — whether they come from MAGA politicians like Vance or their cronies here in the U.K..”

Various politicians, including Nigel Farage who heads the hard-right Reform UK party, have argued the police handling demonstrates “two-tier” law enforcement that discriminates against white individuals within Britain’s justice system.

The U.S. State Department repeated the “two-tier” policing accusation in a Thursday X post, offering sympathy to Nowak’s family while stating that “Ideological conditioning and two-tiered policing are glaring symptoms of civilizational decline.”

British officials dismissed the “two-tier” claims, which lack support from statistical data.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct, responsible for investigating police misconduct allegations, is examining how officers responded to Nowak’s stabbing incident.

Mark Nowak, the victim’s father, has emphasized the case involves neither racism nor religion, expressing his desire for his son’s death to promote street safety rather than generate “further division, hatred or tension.”

MEXICO CITY — Various activist organizations across Mexico are strategically timing their demonstrations to coincide with upcoming FIFA World Cup festivities, aiming to amplify pressure on government officials while the world’s attention turns to the country.

Members of the nation’s educators’ union, CNTE, have shut down major roadways throughout Mexico City this week, paralyzing downtown areas as they push for improved workplace conditions. The demonstrators toppled statues depicting World Cup football stars, forced entry into a government facility, and organized an impromptu soccer game on a blocked roadway Friday. Meanwhile, international tourists have started arriving in large numbers ahead of the competition beginning June 11.

“The proximity of the World Cup places a lot more pressure on the government,” explained Abel Escalante, a 52-year-old special education psychologist who journeyed from the southern state of Chiapas to demonstrate. He was among those blocking traffic near the city’s famous Angel de la Independencia monument Friday.

These demonstrations are occurring mere days before Mexico City welcomes the tournament’s opening ceremony for the competition jointly hosted by Mexico, the United States and Canada. Beyond launching the event, the Mexican capital will share hosting duties with Guadalajara and Monterrey for multiple matches.

Additional social advocacy groups have seized upon the World Cup timing to intensify demands on Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration during a period when officials want to project a welcoming image internationally.

“This isn’t an event for the Mexican people. Tons of people are going to come, but they’re going to be people with all this disposable income. It’s for the elites. The few average people who do go will have to scrape together all the money they have to live off of,” Escalante continued.

Sheinbaum addressed the escalating demonstrations Friday morning, stating that “the door is open” for educators to enter negotiations regarding their requests for enhanced retirement benefits.

However, she noted that protester factions who had forcibly entered a government structure Thursday were attempting to provoke an aggressive response from officials, which she pledged would not occur. She guaranteed that Mexico’s central plaza, the Zocalo, which teachers attempted to occupy for a demonstration at May’s end, would stay accessible for World Cup activities.

Advocacy organizations have criticized Sheinbaum’s administration for emphasizing World Cup festivities over urgent social issues, including rising living expenses partly driven by international tourism and the nation’s crisis of forced disappearances.

Additional groups have scheduled demonstrations in upcoming weeks as celebrations prepare to begin. This builds upon Mexico City’s strong tradition of public protest, where labor unions and advocacy organizations frequently occupy public areas for demonstrations.

Demonstrations by families seeking their vanished relatives and rural educators demanding improved working conditions have intensified as local authorities have launched efforts to enhance the city’s appearance.

Municipal workers have painted bridges in vivid purple, planted orange Mexican marigolds throughout the city, and covered streets with cartoon images of axolotls, an endangered animal that has become Mexico City’s unofficial symbol.

During the previous weekend, families searching for missing loved ones posted photographs of disappeared individuals across the city and spray-painted messages beside one of the newly painted purple bridges.

“Mexico, champion of disappearance,” the graffiti stated.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Carlos Alberto Solari, the celebrated Argentine musician nicknamed ‘the Indio’ who fronted Patricio Rey y sus Redonditos de Ricota, one of Argentina’s most beloved and impactful rock bands, passed away Friday at the age of 77.

Officials report that Solari, who had been battling Parkinson’s disease for more than ten years, was discovered deceased beside an indoor swimming pool at his residence in Ituzaingó, a provincial community located approximately 30 kilometers (18 miles) west of Buenos Aires. Authorities have not released details regarding the cause of death.

The musician’s family announced his passing through social media channels, stating they plan to organize a public memorial service so admirers can pay their final respects to the rock icon. Following news of his death, supporters started congregating outside his residence, with many bringing floral tributes and donning shirts displaying his famous moniker.

‘We will grieve appropriately, play his music and, most importantly, look after each other, just as he showed us how to do,’ the family’s public statement declared.

Leading Patricio Rey y sus Redonditos de Ricota — commonly called ‘Los Redondos’ — Solari emerged as a countercultural figure for alienated young Argentines during their nation’s shift from a violent military regime to a democratic system marked by new liberties but also economic turmoil and extreme inflation throughout the 1980s.

Throughout Argentina’s materialistic surge in the 1990s, driven by the market-oriented policies of then-President Carlos Saul Menem, Solari’s powerful rock songs, energetic dance numbers and mysterious lyrics expressed a rebellious attitude toward capitalist excess and foreign influence. Los Redondos produced 10 studio recordings while avoiding major record companies to preserve their creative freedom.

Following the group’s dissolution in 2001, Solari maintained his popularity as a solo performer, creating five additional albums under his own identity that blended traditional rock with electronic elements and attracting massive audiences to venues and arenas throughout Argentina.

During a huge performance in 2016, he revealed his Parkinson’s diagnosis to the audience. ‘Mr. Parkinson is nipping at my heels. But here I am,’ he declared. The audience erupted in cheers. He subsequently stepped away from live performances, openly discussing the devastating impact of his condition in media interviews.

Honors flooded in from government officials, entertainers and football personalities nationwide.

The Argentine Soccer Association stated that Solari’s music ‘became a popular rallying cry’ and ‘echoed in the stands’ throughout the football-obsessed nation.

The Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo, a notable advocacy organization that worked to locate family members killed or ‘disappeared’ during the 1976-83 military rule, described the performer as someone who ‘inspired society as a whole to doubt, to question and to think critically.’

Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, Argentina’s former president currently serving a corruption sentence under house arrest, shared one of his well-known lyrics on social media, widely recognized as an encouragement to live boldly: ‘Just living costs you your life.’

Solari leaves behind his spouse, Virginia Mones Ruiz, and their 25-year-old son Bruno.

CONAKRY, June 5 (Reuters) – The coalition supporting Guinea’s President Mamady Doumbouya has secured a commanding majority in the West African nation’s parliament, according to election officials who announced results Friday. The victory strengthens the former coup leader’s control over the mineral-rich country.

While final seat allocations for Guinea’s 147-member legislature remain under review, preliminary data shows the Generation for Modernity and Development (GMD) coalition and its supporters captured no fewer than 100 seats, decisively defeating competing parties.

The electoral success is expected to reinforce Doumbouya’s authority as the nation’s leader. The former special forces officer took control through military action in 2021 before securing a seven-year presidential mandate in December, though his electoral victory faced challenges from political rivals.

Election participation reached 52.87% for the parliamentary races and 58.51% for municipal contests, which occurred concurrently on Sunday for local governing positions.

The nation’s chief electoral officer, Aminata Toure, announced Thursday that political organizations have an eight-day window to contest specific outcomes, with appropriate court systems handling any disagreements.

Official final tallies will be released once all challenges are addressed.

Key opposition movements were prohibited from Sunday’s voting process. Organizations linked to former President Alpha Conde and opposition figures Cellou Dalein Diallo and Sidya Toure faced dissolution.

Diallo, currently living abroad, issued a March appeal for “direct resistance” against Doumbouya following the administration’s decision to disband his party along with 37 additional political groups.

Government officials justified the dissolutions by citing the organizations’ failure to fulfill required legal duties, including submitting mandatory financial documentation.

KYIV, June 5 – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s public correspondence proposing direct peace negotiations to end the conflict was formally directed at Russian President Vladimir Putin, but strategically crafted to resonate with attendees at this week’s St Petersburg investment forum and international audiences.

The Ukrainian leader made his letter public Thursday night while Putin was conducting briefings with international news editors at Russia’s leading business conference. One day earlier, Ukrainian drone attacks had struck an oil facility in St Petersburg, creating massive smoke plumes visible near the forum location.

According to a Ukrainian official with knowledge of the correspondence, Ukraine’s leadership believes segments of Russia’s power structure – including “officials, businessmen, and Russia’s partners” – desire an conclusion to the conflict that has caused Russia’s $3 trillion economy to remain stagnant.

The high-profile business event has showcased competing perspectives within Russia regarding the four-year conflict. Some attendees have advocated continuing military operations and preparing for extended confrontation with Western nations, while others have stressed the economic benefits of concluding a war that grows closer each week.

For several months, Zelenskiy has consistently renewed his appeals for a ceasefire and proposed meetings with Putin, which Putin has repeatedly rejected, including again on Friday.

The Ukrainian official, who requested anonymity, maintained that Zelenskiy genuinely seeks to restart diplomatic discussions.

However, Dmytro Iarovyi, associate professor at the Kyiv School of Economics who specializes in political psychology, characterized the drone attack and “performative” correspondence as a coordinated effort to influence the conference’s messaging.

Iarovyi explained the letter was designed to communicate to Russian citizens and Western administrations – especially U.S. President Donald Trump – that recent territorial advances and damaging long-distance attacks on Russia have positioned Kyiv much more favorably for any future negotiations.

“Trump always says ‘Ukraine doesn’t have any cards’,” stated Kurt Volker, a former U.S. ambassador to NATO and Ukraine envoy during Trump’s first presidency. “Well, Ukraine is now showing that it’s in a stronger position.”

Multiple rounds of U.S.-supported peace negotiations have reached an impasse, with both nations maintaining their established positions.

Putin informed the international editors that discussions with Trump in Anchorage, Alaska, last August had already outlined the requirements for ending the conflict – seemingly referencing his demands that Ukraine surrender the remainder of Donbas, its eastern industrial region and military stronghold.

However, Zelenskiy currently appears more resistant than previously to U.S. pressure for territorial concessions. His correspondence stated he welcomed American participation but emphasized that Ukrainian matters would “not be decided in Anchorage” but rather by Ukraine and Russia, noting Russia could no longer anticipate capturing all of Donbas.

A French citizen convicted of participating in an alleged conspiracy to undermine Mali’s military leadership has received a 20-year prison sentence, according to a source familiar with the proceedings on Friday. The case has further damaged diplomatic relations between the West African nation and France.

Yann Vezilier will serve his sentence in Mali after being convicted late Thursday, according to the source who requested anonymity due to lack of authorization to speak with media.

Mali’s leadership announced Vezilier’s detention last August alongside two Malian generals, claiming he worked for French intelligence to rally political leaders, civil society members and military personnel against Assimi Goita’s administration.

France’s foreign ministry rejected these claims at the time, calling them “unfounded” and stating that Vezilier’s detention violated the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

The West African nation has faced more than ten years of turmoil driven by Islamist insurgencies in its northern desert regions and political upheaval that resulted in military takeovers in 2020 and 2021, which brought Goita to leadership.

Government and justice ministry representatives in Mali did not respond immediately to requests for comment Friday. France’s foreign ministry also declined to provide comment.

Diplomatic ties between Mali and France, which previously ruled the territory as a colony, have significantly worsened in recent years. This deterioration reflects a wider regional pattern that has also seen Burkina Faso and Niger create distance from Paris.

A 52-year-old father of six received a 21-year prison sentence on Friday for a sexual assault that took place more than two decades ago, while an innocent man spent 17 years wrongfully imprisoned for the same crime in what authorities are calling one of Britain’s most severe wrongful conviction cases in recent memory.

Paul Quinn, now 52, was convicted in April after a six-week trial at Manchester Crown Court on charges including two counts of rape, choking with intent, and grievous bodily harm. His sentence includes 21 years behind bars plus an additional three-year extended license period with release conditions upon his eventual freedom. Quinn becomes eligible for parole after serving 14 years.

During Friday’s sentencing, Justice Robert Bright addressed Quinn directly, stating: “You sat back and enjoyed your liberty at the expense of an innocent man.”

Quinn was 29 when he committed the assault and had a history of sexual offenses dating back to age 12.

The wrongfully convicted man, Andrew Malkinson, now 60, had his conviction overturned by the Court of Appeal in July 2023 when DNA evidence connected Quinn to the brutal 2003 attack on a 33-year-old woman in Greater Manchester. The victim had identified Malkinson from a police lineup.

Malkinson, who worked as a shopping center security guard when the attack occurred, was convicted in 2004 and received a life sentence with a seven-year minimum term. Because he consistently proclaimed his innocence, he remained incarcerated for ten additional years beyond the minimum sentence. Prison officials released him in 2020, though his name continued to appear on Britain’s sex offender registry.

Malkinson expressed anger that Quinn did not receive a life sentence, saying in a statement through Appeal, a British organization fighting wrongful convictions: “I hope that this man does not get parole and that he serves longer than me. Anything less is not justice.”

Improvements in genetic testing technology enabled Malkinson’s legal team and Appeal to discover Quinn’s DNA on pieces of the victim’s clothing.

Malkinson is pursuing compensation from British officials for his wrongful imprisonment and has questioned whether police improperly influenced the victim during the identification process.

Toby Wilton, representing Malkinson through law firm Hickman & Rose, stated: “While Andy is relieved this chapter of his ordeal is now closed, it is not the end of this matter as far as he is concerned.”

The case’s repercussions continue with an ongoing public investigation launched after a 2024 review revealed institutional failures that could have cleared Malkinson ten years before his actual release.

Six Greater Manchester Police officers, including five former and one current member, face investigation while two senior officials from the agency responsible for reviewing potential wrongful convictions have stepped down.

The police department has issued an apology to Malkinson.

Detective Chief Superintendent Rebecca McKendrick, who leads the current investigation, commented: “We know this outcome has come two decades too late for those impacted by this case. However, we will not allow time to be a barrier to justice for anyone who has further information about Paul Quinn and any further potential sexual offending.”

ANGURUWATOTA, Sri Lanka (AP) — A devastating blaze at a care facility for individuals with mental health needs in western Sri Lanka has resulted in the deaths of more than a dozen people, with those who survived the tragedy being transferred to a nearby facility.

The relocated survivors are now receiving care at an alternative location following the fatal incident.

This report features a collection of photographs selected by AP photo editors documenting the aftermath and relocation efforts.

Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed the possibility of meeting with Ukraine’s leader on Friday, after receiving an open letter suggesting direct negotiations to end the conflict that has now entered its fifth year.

The Ukrainian president’s letter, distributed to multiple nations including the United States, claimed that most Russians have become weary of ongoing missile and drone strikes, rising inflation, and fuel shortages, making them ready for peace.

The letter also warned that prolonging the conflict might jeopardize Putin’s leadership, noting that historical patterns show change typically follows when Russia becomes exhausted.

During remarks at an annual economic conference where wealthy Russian business leaders voiced concerns about elevated interest rates and economic decline caused by the war, Putin questioned the sincerity of the peace overture.

“This letter contains some rather rude remarks. Was it a way to create the conditions for a face-to-face meeting or a way not to set up a face-to-face meeting? I think it was the latter,” said Putin.

When asked about the possibility of meeting with the Ukrainian leader, whom the 73-year-old Russian president deliberately avoided naming and referred to only as “the letter’s author,” Putin responded directly:

“I don’t see the point in meeting; the only point is for the Ukrainian side to halt the advance of our armed forces. But we need agreements – not for six months, not for three months, but for the long term.

“Let the experts get to work and come up with some solutions. After that, we can meet…,” the Russian leader said.

Russian military commentators have also criticized the Ukrainian letter as a calculated publicity campaign intended to fuel internal Russian dissent rather than genuinely pursue peace.

During a Thursday session with international journalists, Putin maintained his uncompromising position regarding the conflict and stated that Russian forces continue making daily battlefield gains. However, he acknowledged that U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace initiatives might halt the fighting if Kyiv demonstrates willingness to make concessions. Each side blames the other for refusing to negotiate.

The war has evolved into a prolonged battle of attrition across eastern Ukraine, resulting in substantial casualties for both armies. Despite Russia’s significant military and territorial advantages over Ukraine, Moscow controls approximately one-fifth of Ukrainian land more than four years after Putin’s decision to deploy tens of thousands of soldiers.

International sanctions combined with Ukrainian aerial attacks on Russia’s energy facilities and strategic installations have increasingly strained the country’s economic situation, bolstering arguments from business and political leaders who favor negotiating a peace settlement.

Ukraine maintains it will not retreat from its remaining positions in the eastern Donbas area and refuses to acknowledge Russian control over seized Ukrainian territories.

Russian forces launched another massive assault this week, firing hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles at Ukrainian population centers, including Kyiv, resulting in dozens of civilian deaths. Ukraine has intensified its own attacks within Russian borders, targeting oil refineries among other facilities.

Federal officials announced Friday they have sanctioned an international network accused of secretly transporting Iranian liquid petroleum gas to Asian markets while falsely labeling it as originating from Oman.

The Treasury Department’s action comes as the administration continues applying economic pressure on Iran amid ongoing diplomatic talks between the nations.

According to information released by the department, the sanctions affect 12 organizations spread across several countries – five located in the Marshall Islands, four operating from the UAE, and one based in China. Additionally, six liquid petroleum gas tankers face restrictions, with four of those vessels flying Panama’s flag.

Treasury officials stated the operation utilized shell companies in both the UAE and China, along with overseas banking arrangements, to transport millions of barrels of Iranian LPG while hiding its true source to circumvent existing U.S. restrictions.

“Treasury will continue to sever Iran’s shadow fleet, shadow banking networks, and access to global trade,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in the statement.

The sanctions package also includes measures against the Iranian currency exchange firm Mehrdad Geramian Nik and Partners Co and its executives, who officials claim facilitated hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign currency transactions for Iranian banks already under sanctions.

Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s proposal for direct peace negotiations during remarks made Friday at Russia’s annual economic forum in St. Petersburg.

Putin characterized Zelenskiy’s open letter, which suggested face-to-face discussions to end the ongoing conflict, as containing inappropriate language and lacking genuine diplomatic intent.

“This letter contains some rather rude remarks. Was it a way to create the conditions for a face-to-face meeting or a way not to set up a face-to-face meeting? I think it was the second,” Putin stated.

When directly asked whether he would be willing to meet with the Ukrainian leader, Putin responded: “I don’t see any point for now.”

During a separate media session the previous day, Putin maintained his uncompromising position regarding the conflict while claiming Russian forces continue making daily territorial gains. However, he suggested that U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace initiatives might bring an end to hostilities if Ukraine showed willingness to make concessions. Each side continues to blame the other for refusing to negotiate in good faith.

Russian nationalist figures also criticized Zelenskiy’s diplomatic overture on Friday, characterizing it as a calculated publicity campaign aimed at creating internal Russian discord rather than pursuing genuine conflict resolution.

British actor Anthony Head, whose smooth voice and sophisticated demeanor made him a beloved figure in television, has passed away at the age of 72, according to his family’s announcement on Friday.

His daughters, both actresses Emily and Daisy Head, confirmed through the Press Association news agency that their father died from complications related to pneumonia.

Head first captured British television viewers’ attention during the 1980s when he starred in a memorable series of Nescafe instant coffee commercials, playing one part of a romantic duo whose relationship kept audiences guessing.

American audiences came to know Head through his portrayal of librarian Rupert Giles, the wise mentor figure in the beloved supernatural television series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” which aired from 1997 through 2003.

In his latest role, Head portrayed Rupert Mannion, the antagonistic former spouse of Rebecca, the character played by Hannah Waddingham, in the popular series “Ted Lasso.”

“Our grief is far greater than the hole he has left behind, but we know his legacy will live on, in the shows he was a part of, and in the audiences that love them,” his daughters said. “How lucky we are to know we are able to watch him doing what he loved, even when he is no longer with us.”

French anti-terrorism prosecutors announced Friday they have launched a preliminary investigation into allegations of torture and war crimes involving the treatment of French citizens by Israeli authorities during the interception of a Gaza-bound activist flotilla.

The flotilla participants said they were attempting to deliver humanitarian assistance to Gaza and protest Israel’s naval blockade of the Palestinian territory when Israeli forces intercepted their vessels.

According to the PNAT anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office, the investigation was initiated following a May 28 referral from the French foreign ministry under Article 40 of France’s criminal procedure code, which mandates that public officials report suspected criminal activity.

The inquiry focuses on allegations of torture and war crimes, with France’s central office for combating crimes against humanity and hate crimes, known as OCLCH, taking charge of the investigation.

Flotilla organizers claim activists faced mistreatment, with multiple individuals requiring hospitalization for injuries and at least 15 people reporting sexual assaults, including rape. All activists have since been freed from custody.

Israeli authorities have rejected these abuse allegations, and Reuters could not independently confirm the claims.

Several other Western nations, including Canada, Germany and Italy, have also criticized Israel’s handling of the activists.

Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun delivered sharp condemnation of Iran on Friday, claiming Tehran is exploiting his nation as a negotiating tool in diplomatic talks with the United States. His remarks represent some of his harshest public criticism of Iran and its Lebanese partner Hezbollah amid the ongoing conflict with Israel.

During his CNN interview, Aoun declared that “the people of Lebanon are paying the price … for the sake” of Iran’s interests, adding that citizens were “fed up” with the Israel-Hezbollah conflict. His statements highlight the deep sectarian and political rifts within Lebanese society.

“They are using Lebanon as a bargaining chip in their negotiation with the United States,” Aoun stated regarding Iran, based on interview excerpts posted on CNN’s website. “It’s unacceptable.”

The Shi’ite Muslim organization Hezbollah, established by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in 1982, sparked the current hostilities over three months ago by launching attacks in support of Tehran during a U.S.-Israeli offensive against Iran.

Aoun, a former military commander who now serves as head of state, belongs to the Maronite Christian community as mandated by Lebanon’s sectarian governance system.

Since parliament elected him to the presidency last year, he has advocated for Hezbollah’s peaceful disarmament. Early in the conflict, his call for direct negotiations with Israel further strained relations with the organization.

Iran has established a Lebanon ceasefire as a prerequisite for any broader peace agreement with Washington regarding the regional conflict that started with the U.S.-Israeli assault on Tehran on February 28.

On Thursday, Hezbollah turned down a ceasefire proposal that Lebanese and Israeli officials had endorsed during U.S.-facilitated discussions in Washington. The proposed agreement required Hezbollah to halt attacks and pull its forces back from southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah’s leader Naim Qassem declared in a Thursday written statement that the Washington proposal was opposed by “broad segments of the Lebanese people.”

Responding directly to Qassem, Aoun countered: “The Lebanese people are not your people.”

Lebanese officials report that Israeli military operations have resulted in thousands of deaths in Lebanon since March and forced approximately 1.2 million residents from their homes. Israeli forces currently control portions of southern Lebanon.

Nigerian officials announced Friday that 1,094 of their citizens have requested voluntary repatriation from South Africa in the wake of xenophobic violence, marking a significant increase from the 130 people who previously sought to return home.

According to Nigerian foreign ministry spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa, a joint screening operation involving foreign ministry representatives from both nations, along with South African immigration and police officials, is currently underway to assess eligibility for return.

“The screening by foreign ministry officials from both countries and South African immigration and police will conclude on Saturday, with only those cleared to be repatriated and final numbers and flights set thereafter,” Ebienfa told Reuters.

South African officials have agreed to waive penalties for immigration violations including visa overstays, though people facing criminal charges will not be permitted to leave, according to Ebienfa.

While Nigeria submitted its repatriation list before Ghana, Ghana received priority for the return process, Ebienfa explained. Ethiopia is scheduled next in line after Nigeria, with transportation arrangements to be finalized once the screening concludes.

Nigerian leadership has strongly criticized the violence targeting its citizens in South Africa, particularly condemning the deaths of two Nigerian nationals who were allegedly attacked by security personnel.

Russian officials announced Friday their intention to deploy a satellite internet constellation similar to Elon Musk’s Starlink system, with testing scheduled to begin within weeks and commercial service launching in 2027.

Alexei Shelobkov, CEO of Iks Holding, the firm behind the project, revealed the timeline during the St. Petersburg Economic Forum. “The good news is that it is already being created. Satellites are already being launched. In the coming weeks, we will begin testing, and as promised, it will start operating commercially in 2027,” Shelobkov stated during a panel discussion.

Military analysts have noted that recent Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil facilities and industrial targets have been aided by advanced AI-equipped drones capable of accessing SpaceX’s Starlink network, which offers better resistance to electronic interference.

Ukraine reported in January that Russian forces were utilizing Starlink terminals for drone navigation into Ukrainian airspace and stated they were collaborating with SpaceX to prevent such usage.

Bureau 1440, a subsidiary of Iks Holding, announced in March the deployment of its initial 16 low-orbit Rassvet satellites, with plans to expand the constellation to 900 satellites over multiple years. In comparison, SpaceX operates more than 10,000 satellites currently in orbit. Starlink services are prohibited in Russia, with penalties imposed for using the equipment.

The French president’s office announced that Emmanuel Macron will join British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Sunday in London.

According to the Elysee’s statement, the gathering aims to maintain close cooperation on their joint commitment to backing Ukraine while applying greater pressure on Russia’s military campaign. The statement declared that “Russia is facing military, economic, and strategic failure — and persists, unsuccessfully, on the front lines in a deadly war.”

The Ukrainian president is seeking increased European leadership in efforts to end the ongoing conflict, particularly as concerns grow that U.S. President Donald Trump may be focused on Iranian issues instead.

Earlier this week, Zelenskiy published an open letter on Thursday calling on Russian President Vladimir Putin to engage in direct talks to conclude what has now been more than four years of warfare. The Kremlin confirmed Putin received the correspondence.

Speaking on Friday, Macron expressed support for direct dialogue, stating: “We have always advocated for direct negotiations between Ukraine and the Kremlin… I think that it is Ukraine and Russia who can build both a ceasefire and a peace plan. It is the Europeans who can help with this.”

During his visit to Montenegro, Merz echoed the sentiment for diplomatic engagement, saying “we are open to dialogue, what is missing is Putin’s willingness.”

ROME, June 5 (Reuters) — Italian officials made an urgent plea Friday for the freedom of two of their citizens being held in eastern Libya, who along with eight other pro-Palestinian advocates have been refusing both food and water for four consecutive days.

In May, Israeli military forces detained 430 individuals aboard 50 vessels in international waters, stopping a “Global Sumud Flotilla” mission attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.

The individuals currently detained in Libya represent a different faction of Flotilla advocates who attempted to reach the Palestinian territory through overland routes.

Officials in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi could not be reached for immediate response.

Italian Consul Filippo Colombo has made formal requests to local authorities seeking the freedom of the two Italian citizens and has asked for authorization to meet with them, according to the foreign ministry.

The ten prisoners have now entered their fifth day of refusing sustenance in opposition to their confinement and alleged abuse, Global Sumud Flotilla announced in a Thursday statement, noting that their physical condition is rapidly declining.

“A dry hunger strike (refusing to drink as well as eat) is rapidly fatal; without immediate intervention, this humanitarian crisis will turn into a tragedy,” the Flotilla said.

The organization reported that the volunteers are being confined in remote, non-civilian detention facilities run by the Libyan Interior Ministry, and are receiving conflicting information and empty assurances of freedom.

Global Sumud Flotilla called for immediate access by independent medical observers and foreign diplomatic personnel, along with the prompt, unconditional freedom of all volunteers.

The group has remained in custody since May 24, when the delegation came to the city of Sirte seeking to arrange safe transit for a humanitarian convoy destined for Gaza with Libyan officials.

However, all ten individuals were taken into custody on immigration violation charges.

Chinese military officials announced Friday they sent naval vessels and aircraft to observe and track a Dutch warship as it sailed through the Taiwan Strait, saying they managed the situation “effectively.”

The Dutch frigate HNLMS De Ruyter had previously drawn criticism from Beijing last week when Chinese authorities claimed the vessel unlawfully entered the Paracel Islands region in the contested South China Sea. Dutch officials responded at that time by stating their warship was navigating through South China Sea waters for diplomatic, security and economic purposes while following international maritime law.

According to the People’s Liberation Army Eastern Theater Command (ETC), the Dutch naval ship’s journey through the Taiwan Strait occurred following its operations near the Paracel Islands beginning May 27.

“Forces of the PLA ETC will stay on high alert at all times and resolutely safeguard China’s sovereignty and security, as well as regional peace and stability,” Xu Chenghua, spokesperson of the PLA Eastern Theater Command, said in a Friday statement.

Dutch naval officials were not immediately available to provide a response.

Beijing considers the strategically important and narrow strait to be Chinese territorial waters, in addition to asserting control over democratically governed Taiwan.

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia — The Russian president delivered remarks Friday at the annual St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, claiming that emerging nations have taken on a more significant position in worldwide commerce while Western nations’ economic influence has diminished.

During his address, he criticized Western countries for harming international economic stability through one-sided sanctions policies.

He argued that Western nations damaged confidence in their own monetary systems by freezing Russian financial assets overseas.

“The sanctions and blocking of Russia’s sovereign reserves have irreversibly impacted the standing of international currencies, the dollar and the euro,” he stated. “Just like Russia, any other country could lose access to their legitimate assets in dollars or euros, as well as Western financial and payment systems.”

The leader also claimed that excessive government debt has contributed to declining worldwide confidence in Western financial institutions.

“The roots of the current global turbulence lie in the transition from a vertical, hierarchical model, which served the interests of a small number of states, to a more complex, distributed and multipolar one,” he remarked. “Russia views global changes not only as a threat but also as immense opportunities. And to capitalize on them, we aim to act swiftly and pragmatically.”

The gathering occurs while Russia faces economic challenges related to the ongoing Ukrainian conflict. Government officials have implemented tax increases and expanded domestic borrowing to manage budget shortfalls.

During a Thursday media session, the Russian leader disputed claims that his nation’s economy was in serious trouble. He explained that his administration had deliberately implemented cooling measures to control rising prices.

The St. Petersburg event, often compared to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, traditionally serves as a platform for showcasing the country’s economic progress and attracting international investment. Since military operations began in Ukraine in 2022, Western officials and business representatives have avoided attendance, prompting Russia to invite participants from other regions to support its vision of a “multipolar world.”

This year’s attendees include a substantial delegation from Saudi Arabia, along with the presidents of Uzbekistan and Tanzania and China’s vice president. Notably, a U.S. official, Rodney Mims Cook Jr., head of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, is participating for the first time in several years.

On Thursday, he also discussed Ukrainian drone strikes within Russian territory and promised to strengthen defensive capabilities.

“To our regret, some of them break through,” he told reporters regarding the aerial attacks. “Russia has an air defense system, we need to improve it, strengthen it, and we will do that.”

Just before the forum began Wednesday, a Ukrainian drone strike ignited an oil facility in the city and struck a nearby military installation.

The Russian leader indicated openness to Ukrainian compromise based on agreements from last year’s meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Anchorage, Alaska, stating that Ukraine must accept these terms to resolve the conflict, now in its fifth year.

Thursday brought a public letter from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposing direct negotiations. Zelenskyy recognized changing U.S. priorities, noting it would be unwise to wait for America to refocus on Ukraine while dealing with the Iran conflict.

From Washington, Trump expressed support for potential talks between the two leaders, calling such a meeting “great.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reported that the Russian president had not yet reviewed the letter and reiterated previous statements that Zelenskyy could visit Moscow for discussions, a proposal Zelenskyy has firmly declined. Last month, the Russian leader suggested the possibility of meeting in a neutral location, but only when there is an agreement ready for signing.

Speaking Thursday, he again dismissed Zelenskyy’s calls for an immediate ceasefire, emphasizing Moscow’s preference for a complete resolution rather than temporary peace.

“Naturally, the Ukrainian side would like us to suspend the advances made by Russian troops,” he explained. “But it would be better to end the war by agreeing to the compromises that were discussed in Anchorage.”

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — A Dutch court on Friday handed down identical 47-month prison terms to three men who orchestrated the brazen theft of ancient Romanian gold artifacts from a museum.

The Northern Netherlands District Court declined to identify the convicted thieves due to privacy regulations, but stated they deserved imprisonment given “the nature and gravity” of their criminal actions.

The stolen items — the Cotofenesti helmet along with three golden bracelets representing treasured artifacts from Romania’s ancient Dacia civilization — were taken from the Drents Museum during January 2025 while part of a traveling exhibition.

Cornel Constantin Ilie, who serves as interim director of Bucharest’s National History Museum, characterized the artifacts as “relics of our historical memory, as the legacy of a civilization that continues to define us.”

Authorities recovered the helmet and two bracelets after reaching an agreement with two defendants who assisted in their return in exchange for prosecutors seeking lighter sentences. One bracelet remains unaccounted for.

“The art treasures are part of Romania’s past and are of great importance to current and future generations,” the court’s written decision stated.

Officials valued the stolen collection at 5.7 million euros ($6.6 million) for insurance purposes, though the court noted “that is just a number, whereas the importance and value of objects like these cannot be expressed in money. They are, in a literal sense, priceless.” Romania has reclaimed the recovered pieces.

The perpetrators employed an improvised explosive device and sledgehammer to force entry into the museum. Police surveillance footage released following the break-in showed three individuals prying open a museum entrance with a crowbar before an explosion occurred.

Despite only two suspects cooperating with authorities to retrieve the artifacts, the judges reduced sentences for all three defendants, determining they should all “profit from the return of the treasures.”

Norway’s top diplomat is firing back at American accusations that the Scandinavian nation hasn’t adequately addressed forced labor issues, calling the claims baseless and arguing they shouldn’t be grounds for new trade penalties.

The dispute emerged after the Trump administration this week unveiled plans for tariffs reaching 12.5% on goods from 60 nations, including Norway, citing their alleged failure to combat products made through forced labor – a characterization numerous American trade allies have disputed.

“We strongly disagree with the U.S. authorities’ assessment that Norway is not doing enough to prevent forced labour,” Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide said in a statement to Reuters late on Thursday.

The foreign minister highlighted his country’s early adoption of anti-forced labor measures, stating: “Norway was among the first countries to introduce legislation to prevent forced labour in supply chains, through the Transparency Act. We have communicated this clearly to U.S. authorities.”

According to experts, business organizations, and certain human rights advocates, President Trump’s proposed tariff strategy against trading partners is unlikely to effectively combat modern slavery and might actually worsen the situation.

Twenty years of government investment have positioned Turkey as a significant supplier of military drones and defense equipment worldwide, with the NATO alliance member seeking to capitalize on this growth as Western nations boost military spending and security partnerships evolve.

The country, which previously depended heavily on international arms manufacturers, now provides military equipment to approximately 40 nations, primarily throughout the Gulf region, Africa, Asia, and portions of Europe. Customers view Turkish weapons as more affordable, quicker to obtain, and easier to modify compared to other options.

Following Russia’s military action in Ukraine, European nations are reevaluating their security dependencies and questioning the reliability of U.S. security commitments. This has led many NATO partners to view Turkey not just as a strategic military position on the alliance’s southeastern border, but also as a valuable industrial collaborator.

The Turkish government anticipates that hosting U.S. President Donald Trump and fellow NATO leaders at next month’s summit will boost arms sales and collaborative manufacturing in Western markets, especially within the European Union. Turkish companies currently encounter significant obstacles there, including defense programs limited to EU members and political opposition stemming from various diplomatic disagreements.

Trade data examined by Reuters reveals that Turkish defense sales, which include the prominent armed drones utilized by Ukrainian military forces, have increased more than threefold since 2021, reaching $10 billion in the previous year. This represents approximately 3.7% of the major emerging economy’s total export revenue.

Sales to Europe and the United States nearly quadrupled during this timeframe, totaling $5.6 billion.

This expansion demonstrates the maturation of Turkey’s domestic defense sector, which encompasses drone manufacturer Baykar, Turkish Aerospace Industries, and smaller companies like Arca Defense and Kale.

Industry experts indicate that consistent government support, adaptable supply networks, and willingness to tailor systems for customers have enabled these companies to rapidly enter markets where Western manufacturers face production limitations or extended purchasing processes.

CONFLICT CREATES CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

Turkey’s defense agency reports the country seeks to double defense exports within two years, potentially creating essential income as it works to reduce debt and finance additional development.

Located between two significant conflicts — Ukraine to the north and Iran to the southeast — Turkey’s security interests are also involved, considering its defensive gaps in air protection and aircraft and tank engines that could be resolved through commercial and technology agreements.

Can Kasapoglu, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, stated Turkey’s defense industry had achieved a “major leap” through exporting sophisticated systems, particularly aerial drones.

He explained that the Ukrainian conflict demonstrated modern combat relies not only on advanced equipment but also on manufacturing capacity and sustainability — areas where Turkey has established credibility.

NATO GATHERING HIGHLIGHTS CAPABILITIES

Turkey provides roughly 65% of armed drones utilized globally and serves as a significant ammunition exporter. The country also manufactures, or intends to manufacture, naval vessels, an aircraft carrier, air defense systems, and armored vehicles. Indonesia announced last year it would purchase 48 Turkish fighter aircraft currently in development.

Turkey’s goals also present political and image-related challenges. Recently, the country revealed a prototype domestic intercontinental ballistic missile at an Istanbul defense exhibition, drawing criticism from some specialists regarding practicality and messaging after a promotional video showed a theoretical launch that seemed to target North America.

Turkish representatives indicate the defense industry will be emphasized at the NATO conference in Ankara on July 7–8. Alliance leader Mark Rutte has described a scheduled defense industry forum there as NATO’s most extensive to date.

EUROPEAN OBSTACLES

U.S. demands for NATO partners to increase their defense responsibilities, including plans to remove thousands of soldiers from Germany, present both possibilities and uncertainty for Turkey, which maintains the alliance’s second-largest armed forces.

Defense Minister Yasar Guler stated in April that European allies should eliminate security arrangements excluding non-EU NATO members like Turkey, contending such policies might “harm Europe’s security and resilience more than the U.S. reduction of forces in Europe”.

Turkey remains mostly excluded from the EU’s Security Action for Europe (SAFE) programme, while certain governments have maintained distance from Ankara due to regional policy disagreements and concerns regarding democratic decline, including an extensive legal campaign against the primary opposition party.

Despite this, Turkish companies have obtained defense contracts with Poland, Spain, Portugal, and Romania, while Baykar has purchased Italy’s Piaggio Aerospace and formed partnerships with Leonardo for production.

WORLDWIDE MILITARY INVESTMENT SURGE

International military expenditure increased 24% to almost $2.9 trillion over five years through 2025, including a 75% rise in Europe, based on Stockholm International Peace Research Institute data.

During the same timeframe, Turkey’s defense agency expanded the number of supported research and development projects to over 1,400, doubling the previous amount.

Defense analyst Arda Mevlutoglu indicated conditions exist for enhanced cooperation with Europe if political barriers can be addressed.

“Europe needs solutions that can be implemented rapidly … but high-level political will is needed for this cooperation to move healthily,” he stated. “Turkey is in a process of realignment and recalibration toward both Europe and … NATO.”

PARIS (AP) — French officials faced intense criticism Friday following the suspected murder of an 11-year-old girl, with authorities under fire for failing to properly handle prior sexual assault allegations against the man now in custody.

The search for Lyhanna, the young girl identified by law enforcement, has captured nationwide attention since she vanished following school on May 29 in southwest France.

Authorities described her last-seen outfit as a striped black-and-white shirt, dark shorts, and yellow socks featuring imagery from the Japanese anime “One Piece.”

Following nearly a week of intensive searching by law enforcement and community volunteers, officials revealed Thursday that a child’s remains wearing “similar clothes” had been discovered at a remote farm location in the Gers region of southwestern France. Medical examiners have been called to conduct an autopsy.

President Emmanuel Macron expressed his outrage over the case during a diplomatic trip to Montenegro Friday, breaking from his typical practice of avoiding domestic commentary while abroad. The president described feeling “shocked” and said the incident exposed serious flaws in France’s systems.

“Things didn’t happen as they should have done. That is clear. And so it is unacceptable,” Macron said. “We cannot look her family in the face and say everything went well.”

News outlets report that a 41-year-old suspect was observed outside Lyhanna’s school in Fleurance and later captured on security footage driving with the child. According to media accounts, the man claimed to investigators he left her near the town’s public pool.

Regional prosecutor Clémence Meyer revealed this week that the suspect had been the subject of numerous prior complaints from young victims and their families, including rape accusations.

One allegation involving the sexual assault of a child at the suspect’s residence in 2020 underwent investigation, including medical examinations and police questioning, but officials dismissed the case this year citing insufficient evidence, according to the prosecutor.

The man was already under active police investigation for separate rape allegations when Lyhanna disappeared. In that ongoing case, a child claims the suspect repeatedly assaulted her at his home during 2024 and 2025, with the case moving between different legal jurisdictions, the prosecutor explained.

Meyer noted that yet another minor came forward with rape allegations against the man just this week.

Government officials have initiated a formal review of the handling of these cases. Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin announced investigators will examine delays in transferring cases between jurisdictions, reliance on paper rather than digital communication, apparent police failures to follow directives, and “why we didn’t intervene despite many months of complaints against the man.”

“It’s completely unacceptable,” Darmanin stated Thursday. “We are all terrified by this malfunction.”

The minister said the case highlights “our poor organization and without doubt, the fact that at the Justice Ministry and elsewhere, we don’t take the words of children seriously.”

LIMA, June 5 – Peru’s upcoming presidential election this Sunday may be determined by the voting power of small-scale gold miners who have thrived under relaxed regulatory oversight through a government program established in 2016 and initially scheduled to conclude in 2020.

The REINFO initiative permits these miners to function without complete environmental clearances or full operational licenses, and has seen multiple extensions as worldwide gold values climbed and the unofficial mining industry grew in scope, worth, and political clout.

Currently, approximately 500,000 unofficial miners across Peru generate roughly $11 billion in gold shipments for 2025, representing nearly half of the nation’s total output. This mining workforce creates a massive economic and voting constituency based primarily in countryside areas that may determine the outcome of Sunday’s final election round between conservative candidate Keiko Fujimori and leftist contender Roberto Sanchez.

Despite representing opposing political philosophies, both Fujimori and Sanchez are actively seeking support from small mining operations. Current polling indicates a close contest with Fujimori holding a narrow advantage. In 2021, she was defeated by Pedro Castillo by approximately 45,000 votes, representing just 0.25% of the total, while Sanchez draws backing from the same rural territories where Castillo prevailed.

The REINFO program faces expiration on December 31, though neither presidential hopeful seems prepared or capable of eliminating the initiative, which has evolved into a significant force in Peruvian governance.

Advocates describe REINFO as an essential economic support system for millions living in poverty-stricken rural communities. Opponents argue it has established protection for unlawful mining operations and criminal organizations while causing extensive environmental destruction.

A Reuters examination of REINFO registration information and voting records reveals that small miners enrolled in the program have diversified their political investments, while government officials have struggled to remove problematic participants.

The Sanchez campaign gains momentum from rural inland regions where unofficial mining operations are common. Lima and nearby metropolitan areas generally favor Fujimori, who has appealed to major mining corporations that resist the REINFO program, pledging to eliminate illegal mining while updating the unofficial sector and increasing government financing access.

As a lawmaker, Sanchez supported REINFO extension and suggested reallocating unused mining rights to small-scale operators. Mining territories helped advance him to the final round despite trailing in initial polling.

Mining represents almost 12% of Peru’s GDP, making the country a significant worldwide source of copper, gold and silver. However, numerous mining areas still lack fundamental infrastructure and government funding, an issue Sanchez has promised to tackle.

“Thirty years of mining and the mining towns are still the poorest in our country,” Sanchez told Reuters.

Magna Ismael Palomino, coordinator of CONFEMIN, Peru’s largest artisanal mining organization, stated that small-scale miners and related industry workers are supporting Sanchez. Palomino expressed desire for unused mining rights held by major corporations to be transferred to artisanal miners and wants REINFO extended for a minimum of three years.

“We’ve realized that the economic power of big mining has set the governing agenda,” Palomino said. “They dictate how small, artisanal mining should be and want it to disappear.”

By the end of 2025, almost 20 million hectares were designated for mining concessions in Peru, with more than half controlled by medium and large corporations. Only approximately 10% of this territory was actively being explored or mined, based on government and NGO information.

CONFEMIN and artisanal miners have organized demonstrations throughout mining regions supporting Sanchez. Records indicate millions of soles flowing from around 450 REINFO-connected individuals to political organizations, though contributions cross party lines and often relate to regional campaigns or self-funded efforts.

“We reject that. We have never been accustomed to financing any congressman,” Palomino said. “We self-finance our mobilizations… but we have never had that bad habit of giving money in exchange for a project becoming viable.”

Iván Arenas, a mining consultant, noted that much political backing goes unreported officially.

“There’s indirect financing through logistics, mobilization, resources,” Arenas said, referencing demonstrations organized by mining federations supporting Sanchez.

Major mining corporations claim the expanding influence of unofficial mining is distorting both the political framework and the industry.

Peru has approximately $63 billion in mining developments planned. Disputes with unofficial miners have postponed some projects, particularly the $2.6 billion Los Chancas development.

Raúl Jacob, finance vice president at Southern Copper, stated that the magnitude of unofficial mining revenues can “create or enable illegal avenues to obtain permits or certain legislation.”

Julia Torreblanca, head of Peru’s mining chamber, emphasized that political funding should be more open.

“Today, illegal mining is a more powerful economy than drug trafficking,” she said. “We need transparency on candidates and officials financed by this illegal economy.”

A Reuters analysis of more than 24,000 active REINFO permits revealed that a 2025 cleanup removing over 50,000 permit-holders charged with violations left most of the framework unchanged.

A total of 1,005 individuals whose individual permits were canceled now function as legal representatives in companies holding REINFO permits. Additionally, 1,255 companies experienced at least one permit cancellation but maintained operations with remaining permits.

The framework recovers rapidly. Approximately 2,600 legal representative appointments in current REINFO companies occurred in 2025 or 2026. Some individuals possess up to 20 permits spanning multiple companies and personal registrations. International citizens and large corporations also control multiple permits in a framework originally intended for small-scale local miners.

Compañía Minera Agregados Calcáreos holds the most permits with 35 permits despite losing 13 permits in 2025. According to Peru’s SUNAT tax agency, it is controlled by Holcim Peru, a subsidiary of Swiss cement giant Holcim, which did not respond to a request for comment.

ST PETERSBURG, Russia, June 5 – An entertainment venue in St. Petersburg, Russia has given one of its attractions the same name as a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile that Moscow has launched three times against Ukraine – the “Oreshnik.”

The rocket-shaped ride sends guests soaring upward before sending them plummeting in sudden drops that leave stomachs churning.

The naming choice has drawn criticism from some park guests.

“I don’t think it fits. The best name for it would be ‘Rocket’… I don’t understand what it’s got to do with the Oreshnik – who came up with that name?” one woman said.

Another visitor at the park on Friday shared his concerns with Reuters: “A children’s attraction should have a children’s name, that’s my personal opinion.”

The Oreshnik missile – which Russia initially launched against Ukraine in 2024, with the most recent firing occurring last month – can travel distances exceeding 5,000 km (3,100 miles). President Vladimir Putin has claimed the weapon cannot be intercepted, though Western experts have challenged this claim.

During a Thursday press conference, Putin revealed to reporters that Russia has not deployed the Oreshnik against Ukraine under actual combat circumstances, but has only conducted tests to study the outcomes. He indicated these test results would guide Moscow’s future decisions regarding full-scale deployment of the weapon, potentially targeting urban areas.

A devastating vehicle breakdown in Niger’s Sahara Desert has claimed the lives of 49 people who died from dehydration after being stranded in the harsh wilderness, local officials confirmed.

The tragedy unfolded when a transport vehicle carrying Nigerien citizens home from a religious celebration in Mali experienced mechanical failure over 80 kilometers west of Assamaka, close to the Mali and Algeria borders, according to Niger’s Agadez region governorate in a statement released Thursday evening.

Two survivors managed to escape the deadly situation by walking over 50 kilometers to find water, then continued their journey to Assamaka where they notified local authorities about the stranded group.

An investigative team dispatched by Agadez Region Governor Gen. Ibra Boulama Issa discovered the vehicle had been traveling for multiple days from Talhandek, a Malian community located approximately 300 kilometers from Niger’s border.

Officials have not yet determined what caused the mechanical failure or the duration of time passengers remained stranded in the desert.

“On the spot, the findings were particularly disturbing. Dozens of lifeless bodies were found under the immobile truck and in its surroundings,” the Agadez governorate said.

Images released by regional authorities depicted the tragic scene with bodies scattered across the desert landscape alongside personal items and clothing.

“Deprived of water and unable to repair the vehicle despite the efforts of the driver, his apprentice and passengers, travelers found themselves trapped in the heart of a hostile environment where extreme temperatures and lack of supply points make survival extremely difficult,” the governorate said.

All 49 deceased individuals were laid to rest in collective burial sites at the location where they perished, which authorities described as a “particularly delicate and emotionally exhausting task” for those who survived.

Human rights attorneys have filed a lawsuit against Equatorial Guinea with Africa’s premier human rights commission on Friday, alleging the West African country illegally forced deportees from America back to their home nations in breach of their protections.

The legal filing requests the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which serves as the African Union’s primary human rights authority, to command Equatorial Guinea to stop all future deportations, transfers or removals while enhancing detention standards. The petition also seeks financial compensation for individuals already sent back to their origin countries.

Multiple advocacy organizations, including the Global Strategic Litigation Council coalition, are pursuing the lawsuit on behalf of 14 African migrants expelled from America to Equatorial Guinea from November 2025 through April 2026.

While the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights has authority to issue rulings and emergency measures, plus refer matters to the Africa Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, these directives lack binding power. However, advocates believe this groundbreaking case could pressure African governments accepting US deportees.

This represents the region’s first legal challenge involving individuals with legal removal protections who were nonetheless transported to countries where persecution awaits them, according to Beatrice Njeri, the Global Strategic Litigation Council’s regional litigator for Africa.

In March, the commission had previously approved a lawsuit questioning the illegal and extended detention of third-country deportees in the African kingdom of Eswatini.

One month following that decision, Eswatini’s Supreme Court determined that four men sent there could finally access legal representation after being refused in-person attorney meetings for nine months while confined at a maximum-security facility.

Through multiple frequently-classified agreements, the Trump administration expelled thousands of individuals to almost two dozen nations other than their own, according to advocates, as part of America’s extensive immigration enforcement efforts. Immigration attorneys stated the Trump administration utilized third-country deportations as a legal workaround to indirectly return asylum seekers to their origin nations.

Equatorial Guinea represents one of no fewer than eight additional African countries with which America has negotiated third-country deportation arrangements.

Last week, Equatorial Guinea officials transported six deportees to their eastern African country of origin, which attorneys characterize as “chain refoulement,” the indirect transportation of people to locations where persecution threatens them, despite legal safeguards from American courts.

The attorneys stated the migrants encounter political, religious and ethnic persecution in their origin countries, plus violence targeting sexual orientation. Some had previously faced arrest or detention by police or military forces there, with many experiencing torture and sexual violence. All had received protection from US immigration judges against being returned to their home nations under federal immigration statutes.

Following arrival in their home country, two deportees later escaped to another nation and entered hiding. Another has remained unreachable since his forced removal last week, with lawyers expressing serious concerns about his safety.

Three others were sent back to Equatorial Guinea after their origin country declined admission due to lacking proper travel documentation and receiving no advance notification of their arrival.

The migrants were subsequently returned to Equatorial Guinea, where they continue facing legal uncertainty.

“They have effectively been rendered stateless,” said Bella Mosselmans, director of the Global Strategic Litigation Council, characterizing the process as “a cycle of hell.”

Under a secretive $7.5 million agreement with Washington, no fewer than 32 individuals were expelled from America to Equatorial Guinea, which the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Jeanne Shaheen, has described as “one of the most corrupt governments in the world.”

The Associated Press documented the circumstances of deportees forced back to their home nations. It also obtained exclusive entry to a hotel converted into a detention facility for asylum seekers deported from the United States by Equatorial Guinea’s all-powerful president, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.

Equatorial Guinea ranks among Africa’s wealthiest nations due to its petroleum reserves. It also suffers widespread corruption and human rights violations, according to US officials.

Virtually no dissenting voices exist in Equatorial Guinea, where the government faces accusations from rights organizations and the US State Department of detaining, torturing and even executing those who dare challenge authority.

The nation’s primary foreign investors are American companies, while its military receives funding for training from the US government.

A sea-based drone connected to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine detonated Friday morning at Romania’s Constanta port along the Black Sea, though no injuries occurred, according to the country’s Defense Ministry.

The ministry reported that the device exploded on its own around 10:30 a.m., with the location already secured and cordoned off by Romania’s Intelligence Service, coast guard personnel, and defense officials.

Officials confirmed the drone did not belong to Romania’s military forces and was unrelated to recent training operations conducted by Romanian forces in the Black Sea region. Emergency responders evacuated the surrounding area as a precaution.

This maritime explosion follows another drone incident from the previous week, when a Russian aerial drone targeting Ukraine veered off course and hit an apartment complex in Romania’s Galati, a Danube port city, wounding two residents in the NATO member nation.

The head of the Department for Emergency Situations, Raed Arafat, announced during a press briefing that helicopter crews were dispatched to scan for additional drones while officials sent emergency text alerts to local residents.

“There is a possibility that there may be other drones,” he said. “We are not panicking. These are preventive measures. If there are other drones, we want to make sure there is not another explosion in an area where people are not evacuated.”

Emergency officials evacuated more than 1,300 individuals from multiple Black Sea coastal areas and shut down access roads leading to those locations.

Romanian President Nicusor Dan praised law enforcement and security agencies for acting “quickly and preventively” ahead of the blast, emphasizing that protecting lives and securing port facilities remained the top priority.

“With a military conflict on the border, it is obvious that the security environment we are in is a sensitive one, which is why we will maintain a high level of vigilance,” he said, adding that the incident is a “direct consequence of the war of aggression unleashed by Russia against Ukraine.”

These two events represent additional examples in an ongoing pattern of drone intrusions from both Russian and Ukrainian forces affecting NATO territory since Moscow began its comprehensive assault on Ukraine in February 2022.

Romanian military forces eliminated another maritime drone in Black Sea waters on Wednesday. Since the conflict began in the neighboring country, the Defense Ministry reported that Romanian naval units have destroyed nine out of 156 sea mines discovered in Black Sea waters.

French President Emmanuel Macron offered Romania assistance Friday following the explosion, stating, “We will do whatever your authorities consider as a necessity in order to protect the sovereignty of the land and the air.”

“You can count on us,” he said.

The European Union expressed “full solidarity and support to Romania,” according to European Council President António Costa on Friday.

“The EU condemns the repeated violations of airspace of Member States and reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the security of all Member States,” he said in a post Friday online. “This is the third significant security incident in Romania in recent weeks. These incidents are a direct consequence of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.”

KATHMANDU, Nepal — A mountaineering guide who endured seven days on Mount Everest’s dangerous terrain was receiving medical care at a Nepal hospital on Friday, as his relatives pursued legal remedies over what they called delayed rescue operations.

The 57-year-old Dawa Sherpa was discovered Thursday moving through snow near the Khumbu Icefall area, located just beyond Everest’s base camp, seven days following his disappearance. He was transported by aircraft to Kathmandu where he rejoined his relatives. Medical staff at HAMS Hospital reported he was receiving care for frostbite, dehydration and leg injuries, though his condition remained stable during recovery.

Relatives expressed frustration over the delayed start to search operations and initiated legal proceedings against Dawa’s employer, Himalayan Traverse company based in Kathmandu, while also lodging a formal complaint with the Department of Tourism, the agency overseeing Nepal’s mountaineering activities.

“Action needs to be taken by the mountaineering department. It was negligence of the company that resulted in so much delay in starting rescue,” stated Karma Gelje Sherpa, Dawa’s nephew. “If he had been a foreign climber, rescue would definitely have been organized much faster and prompt, but he happened to be an old Nepali.”

Representatives from Himalayan Traverse were unavailable for immediate response on Friday.

Dawa was last observed around May 29 making his way down the peak, though he failed to return to base camp despite two international climbers who accompanied him successfully completing their descent. These climbers were among the final group on the mountain as the seasonal climbing period concluded and equipment was being removed.

His final known position was at Yellow Band, situated above Camp 3 at an elevation of 7,200 meters (23,622 feet). Base camp sits at 5,300 meters (17,388 feet).

Dawa had been climbing alongside British mountaineer Chris Thrall and a Polish climber whom local news outlets identified as Mariusz Chmielewski. In a social media post, Thrall explained he needed to assist the Polish climber during descent due to his deteriorating condition and frostbite injuries.

“He (Dawa) had been in death zone for 19 hours and at that point, a decision was made that we needed to descent through the Icefall,” Thrall wrote earlier this week, describing his reasoning for not ascending to search for Dawa.

Helicopter search missions dispatched to locate him proved unsuccessful.

Officials have not explained why the climbing party remained on the mountain after authorities had already removed route ladders on May 29.

Dawa’s relatives had abandoned hope for his survival and were conducting their second day of funeral ceremonies, which traditionally continue for multiple days.

The group that located him belonged to the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee, an organization responsible for installing ladders and ropes at the beginning of each climbing season before removing equipment and conducting cleanup operations after climbers depart.

MADRID, June 5 – Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Friday rejected allegations that he was aware of a suspected conspiracy to obstruct corruption investigations targeting his Socialist Party, expressing his disappointment and anger regarding the matter.

A High Court judge recently commanded the seizure of multiple documents and digital files from party offices during an investigation focusing on Santos Cerdan, Sanchez’s former political ally who previously served as the Socialists’ organization secretary, as well as additional party members, attorneys, a business owner and a law enforcement official.

The individuals face allegations of trying to sway administrative choices and sabotage judicial processes or law enforcement activities that could impact the Socialist Party or the administration. Cerdan has rejected any wrongdoing.

“I never endorsed it, nor did I ever have any information or knowledge of something I would never have tolerated,” Sanchez stated to media members upon arriving at a European Union summit in Montenegro.

The Prime Minister described his administration as “clean” and noted that the party’s legal representatives were reviewing all court filings connected to the matter.

“My party has integrity and the corruption only involves a few people,” Sanchez declared.

The leader, who assumed office eight years ago after removing a scandal-ridden center-right administration while promising to reform politics, faces criticism even from supporters due to multiple corruption cases proceeding through Spain’s judicial system.

Sanchez has not been identified in any of the investigations and has characterized them as part of an effort to remove him from office.

A prominent Chinese Communist Party leader has been selected to lead the organization’s prestigious training academy, state television reported Friday.

Cai Qi, age 70, was named to head the central party school according to broadcasts on CCTV. The official currently serves as the de facto chief of staff for President Xi Jinping and directs the Communist Party Central Committee’s general office. His position on the seven-member Politburo Standing Committee places him among China’s most influential leaders.

The appointment means Cai will take over from Chen Xi, 72, who previously stepped down from leading the Organization Department in 2023.

Beijing houses the central party school, which serves as China’s top facility for educating high-ranking officials and developing party doctrine. Both Xi Jinping and Hu Jintao, the nation’s two most recent leaders, previously held the position of school director before rising to China’s highest office.

Pentagon officials announced Friday that American military personnel seized control of a sanctioned ship without national registration in the Indian Ocean during an overnight mission.

The Indo-Pacific Command identified the vessel as M/T DAVINA and explained the boarding operation in a social media statement.

“We will continue global maritime enforcement to disrupt illicit networks and interdict vessels providing material support to Iran, wherever they operate,” the command stated in its Friday post.

The seizure represents the latest action in escalating maritime tensions, as the United States has established a naval blockade targeting Iran’s ocean commerce. Meanwhile, Iranian forces have attacked vessels to block passage through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping lane leading into the Middle East Gulf.

American naval forces have stopped numerous merchant ships and petroleum tankers in the Indian Ocean over recent months as part of these enforcement operations.

A Swedish court has determined that authorities acted within the law when they confiscated a cargo vessel in the Baltic Sea and has approved transferring the ship to Ukraine for investigation into alleged war crimes.

The vessel, known as the Caffa, was detained by Swedish police and coast guard forces near southern Sweden in March. Authorities alleged the ship was operating under fraudulent documentation and had breached maritime safety regulations due to being unseaworthy.

Legal representatives for the vessel’s owner, Caffa Shipping Limited, had contested the confiscation and requested the ship’s return, according to the court’s June 4 decision.

Ukrainian officials want custody of the vessel as part of their probe into suspected war crimes related to stealing and transporting property from territories under Russian occupation, the court stated.

“The court has confirmed that the seizure of the CAFFA, etc., was legally founded and that the vessel may be surrendered to Ukraine,” public prosecutor Hakan Larsson said in an emailed statement to Reuters.

The district court determined that the suspected activities could qualify as war crimes under Swedish legal statutes, opening the door for transferring the ship and associated evidence to Ukrainian investigators.

Larsson noted that the decision must become final before any handover occurs, explaining that the owners have a three-week window to file an appeal.

Legal counsel for Caffa Shipping did not provide immediate comment when contacted.

According to police reports from the time of seizure, most of the Caffa’s 11 crew members held Russian nationality. Ship-tracking service MarineTraffic identifies the vessel as a 96-metre general cargo ship.

Israeli military aircraft bombed multiple locations across southern Lebanon on Friday following evacuation orders issued for nine communities, including one area that had largely avoided damage and was housing thousands of war refugees.

According to Lebanon’s state news agency, the bombardment resulted in six deaths. The evacuation directives prompted hundreds of families to abandon the village of Anqoun and the Aarnaya region, located near the edge of the mainly Christian community of Maghdoucheh, close to the southern coastal city of Sidon.

These military operations occurred one day after the Hezbollah militant organization turned down the most recent ceasefire proposal between Israeli and Lebanese officials, insisting on full Israeli military withdrawal from Lebanese territory.

The Lebanese conflict, where Israeli military units have captured significant portions of the south since March 2, jeopardizes attempts to conclude the Iran war and restore access to the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian officials have insisted that any permanent peace deal must include Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, facing upcoming elections this year, seeks to continue Israel’s military campaign until Hezbollah no longer represents a security threat.

Approximately three hours following the evacuation notices delivered by the Israeli military’s Arabic spokesperson, Israeli fighter jets bombed the communities, including Anqoun. The Lebanese news agency NNA reported that roughly 2,500 displaced individuals were taking refuge in Anqoun.

On Friday, U.N. peacekeeping forces and Lebanese military personnel were observed at a Dibbine village entrance, close to Marjayoun town, after Israeli forces retreated following heavy fighting with Hezbollah combatants.

The ceasefire proposal requires Lebanon’s military to assume security control over Lebanese zones where militants would be prohibited.

This marked the initial Israeli troop withdrawal from any southern Lebanon location since the current Israel-Hezbollah conflict started three months ago. At the village entrance, numerous destroyed homes were visible from the battles and air attacks. A peacekeeping force bulldozer was clearing the primary road into Dibbine.

Israeli forces have captured approximately one-fifth of Lebanon, advancing deeper into the country’s southern region than at any point since Israel’s 1982-2000 occupation ended. The recent ceasefire proposal emerged from U.S.-mediated negotiations between Israeli and Lebanese government officials, with Lebanon’s government accusing Hezbollah of involving the nation in warfare and attempting to disarm the group before current hostilities.

On Thursday evening, an airstrike in the southern city of Tyre resulted in three deaths and seven injuries, including three children and two women, according to the Health Ministry.

Over 3,500 individuals have died in Lebanon since the war started. The conflict has resulted in at least 29 Israeli military deaths and three civilian casualties.

GALPATHA, Sri Lanka (AP) — A devastating blaze at an unlicensed care facility for individuals with mental health conditions in western Sri Lanka has claimed its 13th victim, officials confirmed Friday, as another injured person died from burns sustained in the fire.

The charred remains of the facility in Anguruwatota, located approximately 55 kilometers (34 miles) southeast of Colombo, now stand empty with scattered eyeglass cases, medications, and reclining chairs among the debris. Survivors from the facility have been relocated to another care home in the area.

Law enforcement reports indicate 71 individuals with mental health conditions were housed at the facility when the fire broke out. Emergency responders, local residents, and firefighters managed to save 50 people, while seven required hospital treatment.

A police official from the Anguruwatota station, who requested anonymity due to lack of authorization to speak with media, confirmed Friday’s additional fatality from burn injuries.

Authorities have detained the facility’s director on charges related to causing deaths through negligent conduct. The individual appeared in court Thursday and received a week-long detention order while investigators continue their work.

Dhanuja Chathuranga, a 32-year-old staff member at the facility, told the Associated Press that investigators believe an electrical malfunction in wiring connected to a water pump sparked the blaze.

“The flames first ignited a stack of mattresses and pillows before rapidly engulfing the entire building,” he explained, noting that while staff rescued most residents, 10 individuals perished in the fire and three additional victims later died at the hospital.

Video footage from the Associated Press revealed the completely destroyed structure with burned furniture and equipment visible throughout. Television broadcasts showed emergency personnel, law enforcement, and community members battling the intense flames, while police and military officials transported survivors via bus to secure locations.

Chathura Mihudum, who heads the National Secretariat for Elders, confirmed the facility operated without proper registration as a nursing home despite receiving previous warnings about compliance with regulations.

The facility was severely overcrowded, housing 71 individuals in a space designed with sleeping arrangements for only 15 people, he noted.

Government inspectors had previously conducted visits to the institution and directed management to comply with legal requirements, though he did not provide additional specifics.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called on the European Union to demonstrate its capacity and commitment to welcoming new member states during a Friday gathering with Western Balkan officials in Montenegro’s coastal city of Tivat.

The drive for EU expansion has gained renewed urgency following Russia’s military action in Ukraine, as Kyiv seeks membership to solidify its place in Europe’s political center, while EU leadership views expansion as a way to limit foreign influence in neighboring regions.

However, the membership process typically involves lengthy and complicated procedures, requiring extensive negotiations and legal changes, with unanimous approval from all 27 existing EU nations needed at each stage.

“The European Union has to show that it is capable of enlarging and willing to enlarge and we want to discuss that here,” Merz stated to journalists at the Montenegro summit.

“There are, of course, a whole range of questions that we must answer, that we must answer together, but above all else, it must be clear that this part of Europe belongs within the European Union’s future,” Merz continued.

“The fact that we have not admitted any new members for 13 years now shows that there have also been shortcomings on the part of the European Union.”

Six nations from the Western Balkans are seeking EU membership – Albania, Bosnia, Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Kosovo – though each country stands at varying points in the admission process.

Montenegro, home to only 630,000 residents, is generally viewed as leading the pack and would be relatively straightforward to integrate into the EU, which encompasses 450 million people.

However, Montenegro still confronts challenges, particularly concerning judicial reform and anti-corruption efforts, with many experts considering its 2028 membership target overly optimistic.

Before the summit began, Germany and France put forward a proposal to provide prospective EU members with increased access to EU programs and the single market prior to full membership.

Last month, Merz also floated the idea of granting Ukraine “associate member” status, which would permit Ukrainian representatives to participate in EU summits and ministerial gatherings – without voting privileges – as a transitional step toward complete membership.

Thailand announced Friday it will participate in a United Nations arbitration process that Cambodia has initiated to resolve an ongoing maritime boundary disagreement, while simultaneously suspending other bilateral negotiations between the two nations.

Cambodia this week launched a mandatory conciliation procedure under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), following Thailand’s decision last month to unilaterally terminate a 2001 framework agreement for discussions regarding a disputed maritime area.

The two countries have been locked in a dispute for over 25 years regarding approximately 26,000 square kilometers (10,000 square miles) of ocean territory in the Gulf of Thailand. The contested area is believed to contain nearly 12 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and substantial oil reserves, with an estimated total worth of $300 billion.

Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow announced Friday that Thailand will dispatch two representatives to the UN-supported negotiations, though he expressed disappointment with Cambodia’s decision to also address resource-sharing issues during the proceedings.

“I told my Cambodian colleagues, ‘Why don’t we give talks a chance? Six months or something,’” he said during an interview with Reuters.

“‘If we cannot make progress, then we can agree on the next step, which of course includes compulsory conciliation, but it also includes voluntary conciliation.’”

Sihasak noted that Cambodia announced its decision to pursue the mandatory conciliation process publicly on Tuesday before formally informing Thailand.

“And since June 2, we’ve not had any discussion informally, formally with the Cambodian side.”

When contacted by Reuters, Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn stated that bilateral attempts to resolve the disagreement had been depleted, leading to Cambodia’s decision.

“Cambodia hopes that the Thai government will engage with this process in good faith,” he stated.

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul declared that despite participating in the mediation, Thailand will not engage in any other bilateral discussions, including those aimed at managing and resolving land border disputes.

“We will use UNCLOS, which means from now on there will be no more talks … or other forms of cooperation,” he stated. “We will not discuss the restoration of relations yet.”

He added that all border crossings between Thailand and Cambodia would remain closed.

Relations between the nations have been strained following two periods of severe border conflicts last year that resulted in nearly 150 deaths and displaced at least 300,000 people on both sides, though a December ceasefire remains in effect.

Sihasak, who also serves as Thai deputy prime minister, said Cambodia’s selection of mandatory conciliation, which involves a five-member panel providing non-binding recommendations, will not enhance overall relations between the countries.

“We simply don’t agree with how they approached this,” he said.

To date, only East Timor, also called Timor Leste, has successfully utilized the UN-supported process to resolve a lengthy maritime dispute with Australia, completing the process in just under two years.

“If we do this through bilateral talk in a friendly way, it may take a shorter time to reach an amicable solution,” Sihasak said. “Now, we don’t know how long this will take.”

YAWOTA, Nigeria, June 5 (Reuters) — During a typical morning, Aduke Balogun spotted a masked individual dressed in military clothing approaching her children’s school. Moments afterward, shots rang out, additional armed men emerged, and locals ran for safety.

During the mayhem, her younger daughter Feranmi, age six, managed to get away, but her older child, eight-year-old Kausarat, was among more than 30 pupils and one educator who were captured and taken into the wilderness near Yawota, located in Oyo state in Nigeria’s southwest region.

Online footage showing abducted children has been shared widely, though Balogun finds herself unable to view them, and it remains uncertain whether the videos feature students from the Baptist Nursery and Primary School her daughters attended.

“Every day, I pray and hope for their safe return,” she shared with Reuters while working at her roadside stand selling beverages, bread and snacks positioned across from the educational facility.

The attack on May 15 — along with coordinated strikes on two additional schools in the area — has shocked a territory previously viewed as comparatively secure when measured against more volatile northern regions, raising concerns that ransom-seeking criminal groups are extending their reach well beyond their usual operating zones.

Extensive abduction activities and the growing influence of armed organizations throughout Nigeria — the continent’s most populated nation — are expected to become central concerns leading up to the country’s upcoming national voting in January.

“The Oyo abductions mark a dangerous escalation from a crisis once largely confined to Nigeria’s north and Middle Belt into the southwest,” said Cheta Nwanze, partner at security consultancy SBM Intelligence. “As the 2027 elections approach, Nigerians will judge politicians primarily on whether they can keep classrooms and communities safe.”

EDUCATOR KILLED DURING ESCAPE ATTEMPT

The Nigerian administration has faced ongoing difficulties addressing security concerns for years, dealing with everything from conflicts between herders and farmers in central areas to various bandits, religious extremists and local defense groups operating throughout northern territories.

During this violence, criminal organizations regularly abduct drivers, religious leaders and school students, detaining them until ransom money is provided. SBM Intelligence reported that kidnappers received no less than 2.57 billion naira ($1.89 million) in ransom payments throughout Nigeria during the year ending in June 2025.

Two weeks following the Yawota abductions, school supplies, textbooks, lunch containers, water bottles and children’s shoes remained spread across classroom floors at the Baptist Nursery and Primary School. A police patrol vehicle sat outside, with armed personnel maintaining surveillance beneath a fig tree.

At LA Primary School, located 5 km (3 miles) from where Balogun’s daughter was taken, one educator was fatally shot while attempting to flee through a classroom window during a separate assault, according to Lamidi Waheed, an instructor at the facility.

During the third incident, six additional teachers and seven students were abducted from the Community High School in Ahoro-Esinele, Waheed reported.

Subsequently, online video appeared to show gunmen executing a teacher captured in this assault.

Reuters could not confirm the authenticity of the footage.

Due to security fears and absence of cellular networks for emergency calls, many residents of agricultural communities in Oyo’s Oriire district, approximately 300 km northeast of Lagos, Nigeria’s business center, have evacuated, local chief Tajudeen Abioye informed Reuters.

‘WE WANT OUR CHILDREN BACK’

Upon assuming office three years ago, the president pledged — similar to previous leaders — to address security issues by hiring additional military personnel and police officers, while ensuring better equipment and compensation.

Nevertheless, the Oyo incident, combined with last month’s abduction of 42 school students in the conflict-affected northeastern Borno state, has heightened examination of the administration’s security performance before the 2027 elections.

The current president will pursue reelection and is expected to begin the campaign as the frontrunner since the opposition, headed by rivals Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, continues to be fragmented.

Still, deteriorating security conditions may impact his electoral prospects.

No organization has taken credit for the Oyo incidents, though military officials have attributed them to Boko Haram religious militants, who typically conduct operations in the northeast.

Several security personnel sustained injuries during an initial rescue effort for the children and educators from the Community High School, chief Abioye stated.

Following that incident, officials have established communication with the abductors and eight individuals have been arrested and are assisting authorities, police spokesperson Olayinka Ayanlade reported, declining to provide additional information.

Officials have encouraged families to remain patient and avoid sharing rumors or unconfirmed videos.

Grace Ojo, whose seven-year-old grandchild was taken from the Baptist school, has a simple plea. “We don’t need money, foodstuffs or anything. We just want our children back,” she stated.

($1 = 1,359.5900 naira)

Britain’s highest-ranking military officer issued an urgent warning Friday that the nation is running short on time to strengthen its defenses against escalating Russian threats, as a critical defense spending plan remains stalled after months of delays.

Chief of the Defence Staff Richard Knighton expressed alarm about Russia’s increasingly aggressive posture during an interview with BBC Radio. “Russia is definitely raising the stakes and risks crossing a line,” Knighton stated. “We need to spend more on defence and do it faster.”

The delayed Defence Investment Plan is designed to outline funding for military hardware and services needed to bring Britain’s armed forces to “warfighting readiness.” However, news reports indicate the plan has been stuck in limbo since last year due to disagreements over spending within the government.

During a Friday visit to a drone manufacturing facility, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the plan would be released prior to the July 7 NATO summit, following intensive collaboration between government officials and military leadership.

“It is no exaggeration to say that we’re living in more dangerous and volatile times than at any time in my life,” Starmer declared.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who has consistently urged Starmer and other European allies to increase defense expenditures and reduce dependence on Washington for continental security, is expected to participate in the upcoming summit.

According to Knighton, the security risks and threats facing Britain have reached levels not seen since the Cold War era, requiring corresponding increases in defense investment.

“The challenge for ministers is to make those difficult trade-off decisions,” he explained.

News outlets report that military leadership has informed Starmer of a £28 billion funding gap over the coming four years, which sources say is responsible for the investment plan’s postponement.

While Starmer has committed to the most significant sustained defense spending increase since the Cold War, targeting 3% of national output during the next parliament, critics argue he has failed to deliver on these commitments.

George Robertson, who held positions as Britain’s defense secretary in the 1990s and later as NATO’s chief, criticized Starmer in April, stating there was a disconnect between his words and actions and that he was “not willing to make the necessary investment” in defense.

Knighton described how Russia has intensified its threatening behavior through increased violations of British airspace and constant “probing, challenging, testing” of defense systems, while also conducting cyberattacks, sabotage operations, and technology theft attempts.

“We do need to step up and enhance our capability as the threats from potential adversaries grow,” he emphasized.

LONDON (AP) — Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor generated income by subletting three cottages located on an estate where he resided without paying rent for twenty years, a British government spending oversight report revealed Friday.

The National Audit Office document also revealed that his daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, reside in palace properties with controlled rents that are covered by their uncle, King Charles III.

According to the audit office findings, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor earned money from leasing the cottages situated on the Royal Lodge property, where he lived near Windsor Castle for more than two decades. Documentation from a 2003 lease agreement indicates he paid only a token amount called a “peppercorn rent” for the estate, which contained a mansion with 30 rooms and eight cottages, with permission to sublet three of them.

The report did not specify the rental income amount, an exclusion that Margaret Hodge, a Labour member of the House of Lords and former head of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee, found troubling.

“It’s shocking that the National Audit Office was not able to establish how much money Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor secured from the properties he let,” she said.

Lawmakers requested the audit office investigation after Mountbatten-Windsor lost his royal titles and was removed from Royal Lodge by his brother, the king, due to revelations regarding his association with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Mountbatten-Windsor relocated this year to the king’s Sandringham Estate in eastern England.

In February, the 66-year-old former prince was detained and questioned by authorities regarding allegations of misconduct in public office. Mountbatten-Windsor has consistently denied any wrongdoing and faces no charges.

The audit office findings indicate that 11 working royals receive complimentary housing in palaces as compensation for their official responsibilities. This group includes the king and Queen Camilla, Prince William and his wife Catherine, and the king’s youngest brother, Prince Edward, and his wife Sophie.

William and Kate maintain a separate family residence near Windsor, paying annual rent of 307,200 pounds (approximately $413,000).

Eugenie’s cottage rent at Kensington Palace and Beatrice’s apartment rent at St. James’s Palace are calculated as a percentage of market value, ranging between 50% and 68% in recent years. The Privy Purse, the monarch’s personal funds, covers both rental payments.

Neither daughter is classified as a “working” royal with public responsibilities, and both maintain employment outside the royal family.

Buckingham Palace stated the audit office report “is in line with the royal household’s commitment to transparency. We hope that the findings will help correct, clarify or contextualize a number of points regarding royal properties.”

Monarchy critics pointed to these discoveries as proof the royal family fails to cover its expenses.

“It shows an absolute total contempt for the taxpayer, not only that Andrew was able to have a peppercorn rent for a gigantic property, but then to make potentially millions on the side from subletting properties,” said former Liberal Democrat lawmaker Norman Baker, a longtime critic of royal finances.

Mountbatten-Windsor appears in millions of pages of Epstein-related documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice in January, demonstrating how the wealthy financier leveraged an international network of influential contacts to gain power and sexually exploit young women and girls.

British authorities are investigating allegations that Mountbatten-Windsor shared confidential trade information with the disgraced financier during his tenure as U.K. trade envoy from 2001 to 2011. Investigators indicate they may expand their probe to include sexual misconduct allegations and have requested witnesses to step forward.

Mountbatten-Windsor has seldom appeared publicly since relocating to the Sandringham Estate, located about 100 miles (160 kilometers) north of London. He was photographed Thursday in a vehicle displaying a large facial bruise.

The Times of London reported, without naming sources, that the bruise resulted from a “nonserious medical condition.”

Hungary’s parliament will receive new anti-corruption legislation next week that officials say is essential for accessing billions in suspended European Union funding, according to Transport and Investment Minister David Vitezy’s announcement Friday.

The legislative package comes after Prime Minister Peter Magyar defeated longtime nationalist leader Viktor Orban in April elections and subsequently obtained 16.4 billion euros ($19.1 billion) in May based on commitments to eliminate Orban-era policies the EU considered harmful to democratic institutions.

Financial markets have responded positively to Magyar’s European Union-friendly approach and his commitment to prepare Hungary for euro adoption before 2030, with the forint currency and government bonds showing significant gains.

“This will be a comprehensive anti-corruption bill that also improves the transparency of Hungarian public life,” Vitezy explained to reporters. “This represents the rule-of-law criteria that will allow us to bring the EU funds home.”

The minister indicated the new laws would unlock access to 10 billion euros from the EU’s pandemic recovery program for transportation and clean energy initiatives, plus additional support for small enterprises and affordable housing development.

Under the proposed changes, Hungary’s Integrity Authority anti-corruption agency would receive expanded authority, while public officials would face stricter asset disclosure requirements with potential prison sentences of up to two years for violations, Vitezy detailed.

The government plans to allocate approximately 3.5 billion euros in EU recovery funding to the state development bank MFB for project financing while ensuring no funding is lost before the late August deadline, he added.

According to Vitezy, Hungary will also receive credit for 2.6 billion euros in previously self-funded investments through EU reimbursement, providing the government additional budget flexibility following deficit increases from substantial pre-election expenditures during Orban’s tenure.

Railway and transportation infrastructure improvements will receive 4.2 billion euros from EU cohesion funds, while higher education will benefit from an additional 2.2 billion euros that had been suspended due to concerns about academic freedom restrictions, Vitezy concluded.

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry announced Friday that five citizens of the country died and three more were wounded during attacks on two cargo ships in the Sea of Azov.

The ministry, responding to inquiries about the vessels struck in Taganrog Bay, confirmed that a total of 25 Azerbaijani nationals were working aboard the ships as crew members, though the vessels themselves are not owned by Azerbaijan.

Ukraine claimed responsibility for the attacks earlier Friday, stating that its unmanned aircraft had targeted five ships operating in the ports of Mariupol and Berdyansk, along with vessels in coastal waters under Russian control.

Robert Brovdi, the commander of Ukrainian drone forces, issued a statement saying his aircraft struck dry cargo vessels and a tanker that were participating in “stealing” Ukrainian grain and moving military cargo and fuel, with the ships’ names covered over and their radar systems disabled.

Aviation safety officials in Germany have initiated a formal investigation following the failure of front landing gear on a Boeing 787 aircraft that occurred Thursday while the plane was stationed at Frankfurt airport, a spokesperson for the German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation confirmed.

The investigation team expects to release a preliminary report within approximately eight weeks, with a comprehensive final report anticipated in roughly one year, the spokesperson stated.

Lufthansa, the airline operating the aircraft, confirmed that multiple crew members and ground personnel sustained minor injuries and required hospitalization following the incident. Two Lufthansa workers who received brief hospital treatment on Thursday were discharged the same day.

The airline indicated that the affected Boeing 787-9 aircraft will undergo repairs once the investigation concludes.

No passengers had boarded the plane when the incident took place.

The nose gear collapse happened at 12:45 p.m. (1045 GMT) on Thursday, affecting a flight scheduled to travel to Los Angeles operating as flight LH450.

The Boeing 787-9 represents a recent fleet addition for the Lufthansa Group, which has announced plans to systematically retire older, less fuel-efficient aircraft while streamlining its overall fleet composition.

The small Himalayan nation of Bhutan has launched a financial incentive program aimed at reversing its declining birth rates by offering monthly payments to families who have more children.

Located between China and India in the eastern Himalayas, the kingdom with a population under 800,000 will provide families with monthly payments of 10,000 ngultrums (approximately $105) for each third child and any additional children born on or after June 4, 2026, continuing until the child reaches age three, according to a government announcement made Thursday.

The program will also extend benefits to eligible third and subsequent children who were born prior to that date but have not yet reached three years of age when the policy takes effect.

Cabinet Secretary Kesang Deki explained that the financial support would apply to families regardless of how many children they have beyond the second child. “They can have three, four, five, six or seven children,” she stated to Reuters on Friday.

Government data reveals that annual births in Bhutan have dropped from 11,001 in 2015 to 8,153 in 2024, representing approximately a 26% decrease, while the total fertility rate has fallen to nearly the replacement level of 2.1 children per woman during this timeframe.

According to the government statement, the combination of a shrinking and aging population along with emigration poses significant challenges for Bhutan’s workforce, communities, and economic growth over the long term.

Many young people from Bhutan are looking for opportunities in other countries, particularly Australia, as economic dissatisfaction grows within the landlocked Buddhist nation.

The government described the new initiative as demonstrating its “commitment to the welfare of mothers, children, and families, and to the long-term sustainability of Bhutan’s population.”

In a similar move, the neighboring Indian state of Sikkim introduced incentives in 2023 including year-long maternity leave for women, month-long paternity leave for men, and financial assistance for those pursuing in-vitro fertilization.

Bhutan has gained recognition for creating the Gross National Happiness index, an innovative economic measurement that incorporates elements typically overlooked by traditional gross domestic product calculations, including recreation and emotional well-being.

New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced Friday that his government plans to directly address what he called China’s “entirely inappropriate” decision to ban four legislators from Chinese territory following their visit to Taiwan.

Four New Zealand parliament members – Laura McClure, David Wilson, and Maureen Pugh from the centre-right coalition, plus Duncan Webb from the Labour party – spent five days in Taipei last month.

Following their trip, the Chinese embassy notified the legislators through an email from the Office of the Clerk that they were prohibited from entering China, Hong Kong and Macau for one year, according to parliamentary administration officials.

Speaking to reporters during his trip to Australia where he plans to meet with his counterpart Anthony Albanese, Luxon defended the lawmakers’ right to travel independently.

“We think it’s entirely inappropriate, the reaction that we’ve seen from the Chinese. We will raise that with them ourselves,” Luxon stated, emphasizing that the backbenchers were not acting as official government representatives in Taiwan and should be “free to see who they want to see.”

The diplomatic tension comes despite generally stable relations between New Zealand and China in recent years, with China serving as New Zealand’s top trading partner. However, Wellington has become increasingly vocal about Beijing’s growing presence in the Pacific region.

High-level officials from both nations have conducted numerous visits over the past three years, including Luxon’s own trip to China in 2025.

The dispute centers around Taiwan’s contested status, as China considers Taiwan part of its territory and has not dismissed using military force to gain control of the island. Taiwan’s leadership disputes Beijing’s territorial claims.

A New Zealand parliament official confirmed Thursday that a meeting occurred with Chinese embassy representatives but declined to share specifics. Foreign Minister Winston Peters directed New Zealand diplomatic staff in both Beijing and Wellington to address the issue with Chinese officials.

Australia has indicated it will also express concerns through the Chinese embassy in Canberra and Beijing.

While Luxon appreciated Australia’s backing, he characterized the dispute as a “nation-to-nation” matter between New Zealand and China.

He indicated he would emphasize New Zealand’s “one China policy” stance, which recognizes Beijing as the legitimate government and acknowledges its Taiwan claims without formally endorsing them.

A contentious telephone conversation between the U.S. president and Israeli prime minister has brought their behind-the-scenes disagreements into the public spotlight, creating political complications for the Israeli leader as he faces a challenging election cycle.

The heated exchange, which was initially reported by media outlets and later acknowledged by Trump, featured the president calling the prime minister “fucking crazy” during discussions about Israeli military operations in Lebanon.

Israeli government sources, who requested anonymity, described the conversation as one of the most confrontational exchanges between the two leaders. One source indicated that the public disclosure of the call has politically harmed Netanyahu as the country prepares for national elections.

The news website Axios first revealed details of the conversation on Monday, reporting that Trump angrily challenged Netanyahu regarding Israeli threats to resume bombing campaigns in Beirut’s southern neighborhoods. “Everybody hates you now. Everybody hates Israel because of this,” Trump was quoted as saying.

The American president instructed Netanyahu to avoid targeting Beirut after Iran indicated that Israeli military actions in Lebanon were hampering diplomatic efforts to conclude the conflict, which started with combined U.S.-Israeli operations and has become unpopular with American voters.

A high-ranking Israeli official explained to Reuters that Netanyahu had emphasized to Trump that any suspension of Israeli military plans against Beirut would only be viable if Hezbollah ceased its attacks on northern Israel. The official noted that Trump was open to this perspective.

After their conversation, Trump announced that Israel and Hezbollah had reached an agreement to halt hostilities, leading to criticism from Netanyahu’s political adversaries and some members of his own administration who accused him of surrendering Israeli independence to American pressure.

“A total protectorate,” said opposition leader Yair Lapid, suggesting Netanyahu had put Israel in the position of an American client state.

While Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, has frequently disagreed with both Republican and Democratic U.S. administrations, Israel has maintained its position as Washington’s primary Middle Eastern partner.

Nimrod Goren, the president of Mitvim, an Israeli think tank, said “the differences are now very public”, unlike in the past when they were usually quietly managed behind closed doors.

Speaking to the New York Post on Wednesday, Trump acknowledged he was “a little bit perturbed” by Netanyahu’s continued attacks on Lebanon, while adding: “We’ve worked very well together.”

Trump’s choice to participate with Israel in military strikes against Iran on two separate occasions within a year seemed to represent a significant achievement for Netanyahu, who had spent years encouraging Washington to employ military force to stop Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.

However, Trump has also implemented several policies that many Israelis view as contrary to their country’s interests, including terminating U.S. military operations against Yemen’s Iran-supported Houthis, removing sanctions from Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa, and directing a cessation of Israel’s 12-day conflict with Iran in June 2025.

While the United States and Israel jointly initiated the military campaign against Iran in February, Israel has not participated directly in U.S.-Iran negotiations to end the conflict. These discussions have been facilitated through Pakistan, an unusual mediator that maintains no official diplomatic relations with Israel.

The conflicts with Iran and Hezbollah have received broad support in Israel, including from supporters of Netanyahu’s political opponents, with much of the population favoring continued military action.

This contrasts sharply with American sentiment, where many voters—including members of Trump’s conservative constituency—oppose the war.

Trump has consistently stated that the U.S. is approaching an agreement with Iran to end the hostilities. Tehran maintains that any settlement must include Israel stopping attacks on its partner Hezbollah in Lebanon.

“We are basically being forced to stop,” said Israeli pollster Mitchell Barak. “We don’t have a say in this anymore.”

At the beginning of this year’s conflict with Iran, Netanyahu declared that the Iranian government would be overthrown and its nuclear and missile capabilities eliminated. He has also stated that Hezbollah, which launched attacks against Israel in March supporting Iran, must be disarmed in southern Lebanon. None of these objectives have been accomplished.

Current domestic polling consistently indicates that Netanyahu’s coalition government, described as the most right-wing in the nation’s history, would be unable to secure a majority in the next election.

According to Goren, Netanyahu is attempting to satisfy Trump’s requirements because the Israeli leader will require the president’s backing as elections approach, including a potential visit by the American leader to Israel. Prior to the Iranian conflict, Trump was widely anticipated in Israel to visit in April to receive the country’s highest civilian award. His most recent visit occurred in October.

Some Israelis expressed discomfort with the degree to which Trump appears capable of influencing Israeli military choices, Goren noted. Conversely, in the U.S., some Trump critics argue that Netanyahu wields excessive influence over American foreign policy.

Itamar Ben-Gvir, Netanyahu’s national security minister said on Thursday that there are times when an Israeli leader must know how to say “no” even to the U.S. president.

Nadav Shtrauchler, a former Netanyahu adviser, said the Israeli premier was counting on Trump’s support in the election.

“The way the war (with Iran and Hezbollah) will end will affect, more than anything, the result of the election.”

Trump has frequently offered public praise for Netanyahu and has openly urged Israel’s president to grant clemency to the prime minister, who faces corruption-related charges in Israeli courts.

Yet Trump has also publicly stressed how much Israel depends on Washington, according to his view, and has used profanity previously when discussing Israel, including publicly stating last year that Israel and Iran “don’t know what the ​fuck they are doing.”

Netanyahu, for his part, characterizes Trump as “the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House”, providing the type of public recognition that appeals to the Republican president, who is recognized for valuing personal devotion and approval.

Since the U.S. and Israel began their war with Iran, Netanyahu has occasionally mentioned that he communicates with Trump nearly every day, often describing their relationship to the Israeli public as a partnership between equals who collaborate on decisions.

When questioned about the call during a CNBC interview on Wednesday, Netanyahu compared the situation to the “best of families” where there have occasionally been “tactical disagreements” with the U.S. president.

A U.S. official informed Reuters that the phone conversation was among several in which the president has been very straightforward with Netanyahu, but emphasized that the two remain friends and close partners.

“Their conversations are pretty direct,” the official said.

Both the official and another Israeli source familiar with the U.S.-Israel relationship rejected any indication of a substantial shift in the relationship between Netanyahu and Trump.

Nevertheless, the Israeli source admitted that the disclosure of the call—and Trump’s later confirmation of it—was unhelpful to Netanyahu before an election he is projected to lose.

Shtrauchler, the former adviser to Netanyahu, argued that the perception of a disagreement with Trump was exaggerated and that the two leaders still seem to agree on most significant matters.

However, a sudden conclusion to the conflicts with Iran and Hezbollah would create a “huge problem” for Netanyahu, he noted, as many Israelis would view it as Trump having pressured him into submission.

“No one wants here to feel like we are another star on the (U.S.) flag. We want to feel independence,” Shtrauchler said.

The ongoing Middle East conflict is driving millions of people toward severe hunger as escalating fuel and transportation expenses cause food costs to soar, according to the U.N. World Food Programme’s Friday announcement. The crisis is further complicated by funding shortages that are forcing humanitarian organizations to reduce their operations.

Regional warfare erupted following joint U.S.-Israeli military actions against Iran in February, creating widespread disruption from the Gulf region extending into Lebanon. Critical maritime passages, including the Strait of Hormuz, have been affected, compelling ships to find alternate routes and severely limiting worldwide energy distribution and supply networks.

The WFP projected in March that up to 45 million individuals could experience acute food insecurity should oil prices stay near $100 per barrel through June. This prediction is becoming reality, the organization reported, as benchmark crude oil has remained above that threshold since early March began.

Communities in Afghanistan, Somalia and Sri Lanka are experiencing the most severe impacts, confronting increased challenges from elevated fuel expenses, food cost increases, reduced incomes and interrupted commerce.

Somalia is projected to have 6.5 million residents – approximately one-third of its total population – experiencing severe hunger by 2026, while Afghanistan may see 17.4 million people impacted, according to WFP data. The crisis is expected to intensify, with another 2.5 million Somalis and 2.3 million Afghans potentially facing food insecurity if current disruptions continue. Both nations depend heavily on energy and food imports.

This Middle East emergency occurs during a significant funding crisis for humanitarian organizations. The WFP anticipates serving 1.5 million fewer individuals worldwide in 2026, with an additional 9 million people losing assistance if conditions persist for six months.

Afghanistan has seen fuel price increases drive aid transportation expenses up by as much as five times normal costs, while delivery timeframes have extended from 10 days to as long as 75 days as vehicles must utilize alternative routes, the WFP reported.

Somalia faces rising jet fuel costs that are increasing operational expenses for the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service – the sole safe method for reaching remote locations, according to the WFP.

BUCHAREST, June 5 – A naval drone similar to those deployed in the ongoing Ukraine conflict exploded Friday at Romania’s Constanta port on the Black Sea, causing no injuries but prompting immediate safety measures, according to the country’s defense ministry.

Authorities ordered the evacuation of the port facility and issued warnings for residents along Romania’s Black Sea coastline to seek shelter. Two helicopters conducted aerial surveillance of the surrounding area to search for any additional drones, deputy Interior Minister Raed Arafat reported.

“We now know there is the risk of self-detonation, we have … evacuated in case there are more drones,” Arafat stated.

“We are not panicking, the measures are purely preventative.”

This detonation occurred one week following an incident where a Russian drone struck an apartment complex in Galati, a southeastern Romanian city located near Ukraine’s border, wounding two individuals. That event marked the first instance during the Russia-Ukraine conflict where a drone impacted a heavily populated area within a NATO member nation.

As both a NATO and European Union member nation, Romania maintains a 650-kilometer (400-mile) boundary with Ukraine. The defense ministry reports that 28 violations of Romanian airspace by Russian drones have occurred since Moscow initiated attacks on Ukrainian Danube River ports.

Debris from Ukrainian drones has also fallen within Romanian borders.

The United Nations announced Friday it will double its financial assistance request for Lebanon as humanitarian crises worsen during the ongoing regional conflict now in its fourth month.

The conflict expanded to include Lebanon in early March after the Tehran-backed Hezbollah militia launched rocket attacks against Israel in support of Iran, which was facing U.S.-Israeli strikes. This action triggered a significant Israeli military response involving both air strikes and ground operations.

Lebanese officials report that Israeli attacks have resulted in more than 3,500 deaths since March 2, though their figures do not separate military personnel from civilian casualties.

Israeli authorities state that Hezbollah attacks have claimed the lives of 26 soldiers and four civilians on their side since the March escalation began.

The U.N. will work with Lebanon’s government Friday to launch an updated aid request seeking an extra $331.5 million to assist 1.4 million affected individuals, raising the complete appeal to $639.9 million.

As of May 31, the organization had collected $185.9 million toward its goals.

“In the past three months, communities across Lebanon have faced an appalling situation due to the escalation of hostilities,” stated U.N. Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Imran Riza, highlighting significant casualties, mass population displacement and severe infrastructure destruction.

“The toll on civilians is alarming and worsening by the day,” Riza added.

MELBOURNE, Australia — A defense attorney told an Australian court Friday that her client charged with enslaving a Yazidi teenager in Syria would accept electronic ankle monitoring and religious counseling as conditions of bail.

Zeinab Ahmad, 31, pursued her bail request in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on charges of slavery. The proceedings took place Thursday and Friday, with continuation scheduled for June 15 when defense lawyer Grace Morgan plans to call a police witness.

The mother of three would reside with her daughter at her uncle Abraham Abbas’s Melbourne residence. The mechanic expressed his contempt for the Islamic State group during court testimony.

“They’re evil and they don’t represent anything to do with Islam at all,” Abbas said.

Ahmad and her 53-year-old mother Kawsar Ahmad, also identified as Kawsar Abbas, have remained in custody on slavery charges since arriving back in Australia last month from a Syrian refugee camp alongside other Australian women and children connected to IS.

A Yazidi woman claims she was held in slavery at the Ahmad family residence during 2017 and 2018 in Raqqa, Syria, which was then an IS stronghold. The alleged victim also claims she suffered rape and beatings from the defendants’ husband and father Mohammed Ahmad, who remains imprisoned in Iraq.

Morgan informed the court her client would accept religious counseling if released through a police-administered program involving a council of imams designed to combat violent extremism.

Ahmad would also submit to what’s known as a control order featuring requirements such as electronic ankle monitoring and phone surveillance.

Courts typically impose these orders on convicted terrorists nearing the completion of prison sentences who still present an unacceptable public threat. The orders limit an individual’s behavior, travel and communications for a designated timeframe.

Two police officers testified Friday that such orders cannot legally substitute for or supplement bail conditions.

Detective Senior Constable Marc Clendenning, who leads the investigation, stated that electronic monitoring of Ahmad’s location and communications would not reduce the risk to acceptable levels.

“There’s a lot of unknown information about the accused’s ideology,” Clendenning said.

“The fact of being under Islamic State for over a decade, no conditions of that nature would ameliorate the risk,” he added.

Three generations of Ahmad family members relocated from Melbourne to Syria through Turkey between 2013 and 2014.

Morgan contended that since Victoria state has never previously prosecuted such slavery charges, the trial would require more time than typical criminal cases.

Detective Sgt. Matt Archer, who supervises the Joint Counter Terrorism Team, disagreed that it would necessarily extend beyond other prosecutions but acknowledged that first-time offenses create certain legal complications.

Australian authorities located the woman who claims she was enslaved in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq in 2019. Officials were unable to electronically record her interview regarding her accusations against the Ahmad family, but she submitted a written statement, according to prosecution materials.

Morgan questioned how defense attorneys could obtain all necessary evidence and documentation through the Kurdistan Regional Government, which governs Iraq’s semi-autonomous region.

Ahmad faces two crimes against humanity charges: enslavement and use of a slave. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of 25 years imprisonment.

The Norwegian royal family announced Friday that Crown Princess Mette-Marit has been added to the nation’s lung transplant waiting list due to worsening health conditions.

The 52-year-old royal, married to Crown Prince Haakon who is next in line for Norway’s throne, received a diagnosis of pulmonary fibrosis six years ago in 2018. This chronic condition creates scar tissue in the lungs, which reduces the body’s ability to absorb oxygen effectively.

Medical officials at Oslo University Hospital indicated in December that the timing for a transplant procedure was drawing near, though at that point the crown princess had not yet been added to Norway’s recipient waiting list.

Massive crowds filled the streets of Albania’s capital city Thursday evening in the week’s largest demonstration against a proposed $1.6 billion luxury development connected to Jared Kushner’s investment company near an ecologically important section of the Adriatic coastline.

Kushner’s investment firm Affinity Partners is spearheading the massive project, which would span an Albanian island and an undeveloped coastal area adjacent to the Vjosa-Narta protected region. This southern wetland serves as crucial habitat for flamingos, seals and nesting sea turtles.

Environmental advocates are fighting the development, arguing it would impact several hundred hectares of unspoiled beaches and disrupt thousands of flamingos that breed and migrate through the region annually.

Construction preparation and heavy equipment arriving at the Vjosa-Narta location sparked local demonstrations last week, which escalated into major street rallies in the capital city.

Demonstrators assembled once more outside Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama’s office Thursday evening, carrying pink inflatable flamingos while shouting “revolution” and “stop the project.” One sign demanded: “Edi Rama, resign.”

“Albania is not for sale. Albania belongs to the Albanian people and we decide what we want to do here. It’s not that some corrupt politicians who run Albania can decide what they can do with our property, with the Albanian heritage, the natural heritage, a cultural heritage,” said Lindita Komani, a writer who joined the protests.

Prime Minister Rama has supported the development. Project developers have stated their commitment to “responsible stewardship and environmental enhancement.”

Albania’s Economy and Innovation Minister Delina Ibrahimaj announced Thursday that environmental impact studies are currently being prepared for the proposed development, which must fully meet environmental regulations and protect local ecosystems.

She noted that European environmental standards and Albanian legislation offer legal protections against developments that could damage the protected lagoon and surrounding wildlife areas, according to Albania’s state news agency ATA.

Kushner revealed plans for the resort development in 2024 as part of a broader investment portfolio that also involved a former military facility in Belgrade, Serbia’s capital. He abandoned the Serbian project last year after facing public demonstrations.

A Chinese state media company plans to spend more than $162 million developing an artificial intelligence system designed to promote President Xi Jinping’s political ideology, according to stock exchange documents filed this week.

Xinhuanet, which operates under China’s official Xinhua news agency, described the initiative as an ‘authoritative’ AI platform called ‘Xinhua Yudian,’ or Xinhua lexicon. The system will function as ‘an intelligent agent for learning, researching, and disseminating Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era,’ company officials stated.

The AI platform will be guided by mainstream values and focused on ‘spreading the positive voice,’ while delivering current events and political news to users struggling with information overload and ‘a dilemma of trust in distinguishing truth from falsehood,’ according to the filing.

This technology initiative aligns with China’s comprehensive ‘AI+’ strategy introduced in March, which aims to integrate artificial intelligence throughout the nation’s economy. The project also builds on earlier digital campaigns to expand official state ideology’s influence among tech-savvy young people.

Chinese authorities previously launched a successful propaganda application called ‘Xuexi Qiangguo’ in 2019, which translates to ‘Study to make China strong.’ The app became so popular after its debut that it temporarily surpassed WeChat and the Chinese version of TikTok as the top download on Apple’s China app store.

The planned AI system will present key elements of Xi’s speeches to users, functioning as a politically sensitive reference tool to ensure that citations of Xi’s statements ‘in official document writing and policy interpretation are accurate and error-free.’

Built using the state news agency’s ‘pure and clean’ information database, the artificial intelligence platform will help broadcast the party’s message across all areas of Chinese society, providing additional support for ‘consolidating the ideological and public opinion foundation,’ company representatives explained.

PARIS, June 5 – France’s Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu called an urgent meeting Friday with the interior minister, justice minister and other officials following intense public criticism over a missing child case that has exposed serious flaws in the judicial system, according to government officials.

An 11-year-old girl named Lyhanna disappeared from the small southern French community of Fleurance on May 29 after leaving her middle school that afternoon.

The man arrested in connection with her disappearance – who is the father of one of Lyhanna’s classmates – had previously been the target of multiple sexual assault complaints involving children.

Politicians across the political spectrum, from far-right leader Jordan Bardella to Green party leader Marine Tondelier, have pointed to this case as evidence of serious problems in France’s justice system and its failure to shield women and children from sexual violence.

“We have a family who is mourning. We cannot forget that,” said Gregory Bobbato, the mayor of Fleurance, during a television interview with BFM. “It’s a real dysfunction of the state, of France.”

Community members organized massive search efforts involving hundreds of volunteers after Lyhanna’s disappearance. On Thursday, officials announced they had discovered a body that is currently being identified.

“As a minister, I am terrified, and as a father, even more so, by this despicable tragedy that is unfolding,” French justice minister Gerald Darmanin told reporters Thursday evening.

Darmanin announced that both the justice ministry and interior ministry will launch a combined investigation into the system failures that allowed the complaints against the suspect to go unaddressed, including a local prosecutor’s request for an investigation that was never carried out.

The minister promised that investigation results will be released publicly and appropriate measures will be implemented.

Citizens of Peru will head to polling stations Sunday to select their nation’s ninth leader in a single decade, choosing between a conservative candidate whose father previously held the presidency and a nationalist lawmaker.

In April’s initial voting round, Keiko Fujimori and Roberto Sánchez emerged victorious over 33 competing candidates by pledging to address escalating criminal activity, which has become the primary concern for citizens witnessing murder rates climb twofold and extortion incidents skyrocket throughout this decade. However, neither candidate secured even 20% of voter support.

Sunday’s final results are anticipated to show a close race, with the ultimate winner potentially remaining unknown for several days. Election officials required over a month to formally announce that Fujimori — whose late father Alberto Fujimori was a former president later convicted of crimes — and Sánchez — who supports imprisoned former President Pedro Castillo — had won the April 12 primary.

Peruvian law requires citizens between 18 and 70 years old to participate in elections. Registration records show more than 27 million eligible voters, with approximately 1.2 million expected to submit ballots from overseas locations, primarily from the United States and Argentina.

A significant portion of these voters has indicated uncertainty about their choice.

“There is a large group of undecided voters … I think that’s where the emotionally driven anti-votes will play out the final battle,” political analyst Iván García said.

The primary worry among Peruvians centers on increasing criminal activity, especially extortion schemes, which have sparked numerous public demonstrations. Research conducted in 2025 by the state’s National Institute of Statistics and Informatics revealed that 84% of urban respondents expressed fear of becoming crime victims within the next year.

Specialists link the growing influence of criminal organizations in Peru to revenue generated by long-established gangs involved in unauthorized gold extraction operations in the Andes and Amazon regions. During 2025, Peru shipped 100 tons of illegally extracted gold, nearly matching the volume of legitimately mined gold exports.

Over the past five years, extortion reports nationwide have increased five times, totaling 28,948 incidents last year, while murders have doubled to reach 2,226 in 2025, based on government statistics.

The Ministry of Economy calculated in July that criminal activity costs Peruvians approximately $5 billion each year. This amount encompasses government investment in law enforcement operations as well as private expenditures on security cameras and protection services.

Despite crime issues and political turmoil caused by frequent presidential changes — with three leaders since October alone — Peru’s economy has remained resilient. Benefiting from its position as the globe’s second-largest copper producer, the nation achieved over 3% economic expansion in both 2024 and 2025.

At age 51, Fujimori is making her fourth bid for the presidency.

During her campaign, she has vowed to address crime with strict enforcement measures. Her platform includes deploying technology to monitor extortion activities, militarizing national borders, and expanding police and military presence in dangerous zones. She has also stated that incarcerated individuals will be mandated to work and “repay society.”

During the sole pre-runoff debate, Fujimori supported her father’s administration and vowed to eliminate crime similar to his victory over the Shining Path terrorist organization.

She told voters that should she win, they will see “cheaper chicken, affordable gas cylinders, reasonably priced fertilizers for your crops” and will “return home safe and sound.”

Recently, Fujimori has also worked to moderate her hard-line crime stance through friendly outreach to past political opponents, including former President Pedro Kuczynski, who beat her in 2016.

Kuczynski stepped down in 2018 following removal demands led by Fujimori’s political party, to whom she later offered an apology for creating instability.

“I know that throughout my political life I have made mistakes, and I have learned from them,” Fujimori said during the debate.

Sánchez, a former government minister, has worked to calm investor worries about his candidacy by stating he will not seize assets belonging to international companies extracting minerals or gas from Peru.

He has also committed to fighting police corruption and advancing reforms allowing military involvement in security operations.

During the debate, Sánchez, who enjoys strong support among rural communities, indicated openness to “all options to generate jobs and progress” while highlighting his backing of Chinese investment.

He told The Associated Press that he will seek to renegotiate mining contracts, including the one for Las Bambas, one of the world’s largest copper mines, controlled by the Chinese state-owned company Minmetals.

The 57-year-old candidate, who wears a wide-brimmed peasant hat given to him by Castillo, has also separated himself from ultranationalist ally Antauro Humala — a former military officer and brother of the imprisoned former President Ollanta Humala — who proposes applying the death penalty in corruption cases.

Registration numbers for China’s demanding national university entrance examination have plummeted this year, with 450,000 fewer students signing up compared to last year, bringing the total to 12.9 million test-takers.

The Ministry of Education released these statistics on Wednesday, showing the second straight year of declining participation in the exam scheduled to start Sunday. This follows a decrease of 70,000 registrations in the previous year from 2024.

The drop reflects both a shrinking population of college-aged youth and deteriorating employment conditions, with joblessness among 16 to 24-year-olds surpassing 16%. Economic experts anticipate unemployment rates will climb further when a record 12.7 million college graduates flood the job market this summer.

Education officials did not address the falling registration numbers but stated they would “resolutely crack down on illegal and irregular activities such as false publicity, high fees, organising fraud or cheating.”

The trend shows growing student preference for vocational training programs that typically lead directly to employment. Local news outlets reported hundreds of parents lined up at a Beijing trade school in May competing for only 30 openings. Shanghai’s vocational institutions have experienced a 15% jump in enrollment over the past three years.

The challenging job climate became evident when over 700 people applied for just two shepherd positions in remote grasslands south of Mongolia. Chinese farm owner Zuo Xiaoyong’s online job posting attracted 59 million views on Weibo, China’s version of X, within hours and drew applications from urban professionals in major cities like Shanghai and Chongqing, factory employees nationwide, and college graduates.

This massive response underscores the mounting pressure in the nation’s employment sector.

For students taking this year’s examination, education authorities have implemented enhanced security protocols, including “intelligent screening systems to prevent high-tech cheating involving devices such as mobile phones and smart glasses.”

TIVAT, Montenegro (AP) — Top officials from the European Union and Balkan nations convened Friday in Montenegro to explore expanding the EU to encompass regional countries, viewed as crucial territory for addressing security and economic challenges from Russia and China.

The EU-Western Balkans conference, taking place in the coastal Adriatic town of Tivat, brings together European officials including France’s President Emmanuel Macron, Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Italy’s Premier Giorgia Meloni, alongside leaders from other Balkan EU hopefuls and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Central to discussions will be Montenegro’s EU membership bid. This small, mountainous former Yugoslav republic celebrated the 20th anniversary last month of declaring independence from its union with neighboring Serbia.

Following its 2017 NATO membership, the nation of 623,000 residents has set an ambitious goal of becoming the EU’s 28th member state by 2028. The slogan “28 by 28” appears on aircraft belonging to Montenegro’s national carrier.

Brussels has established a working group to prepare Montenegro’s membership agreement — indicating that joining the bloc is achievable. The country leads other regional candidates including Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo and North Macedonia.

These nations are progressing through various phases of the membership process, with the EU recently pushing for reforms among candidate countries due to concerns over expanding Russian and Chinese influence.

Prospective members must align their legislation across 35 policy sectors or “chapters,” covering everything from judicial standards to agricultural and fisheries regulations. All 27 current EU nations must approve opening each chapter and closing it afterward.

Ukraine and Moldova also rank among roughly ten nations seeking to join the organization. Iceland plans an August referendum on whether to submit an application.

European Council President Antonio Costa will lead the summit. During his Western Balkans tour this week, he has stressed the bloc’s commitment to expansion.

With conflicts ongoing in Ukraine, Iran and the Middle East, and questions surrounding Europe’s security as the United States appears less dedicated to NATO partnerships, EU nations have prioritized strengthening military capacity and defending against an increasingly hostile Russia.

Following his Thursday meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Costa stated that amid “global geopolitical uncertainty and economic instability,” EU expansion is “not just an opportunity. It is a geostrategic necessity for Europe.”

Faruk Bašić, who researches at the Brussels Institute for Geopolitics, predicted the summit will accelerate Montenegro’s 2028 membership timeline while establishing new measures to prevent member states from violating EU principles.

This marks the first EU leaders’ gathering since Viktor Orbán’s surprising April defeat. Hungary’s former Russia-aligned prime minister spent 16 years undermining EU democratic and rule-of-law standards while building relationships with other authoritarian leaders.

Learning from Orbán’s democratic deterioration and his frequent use of European Council vetoes, the EU is developing alternative approaches using financial sanctions or limited single market access to pressure new members toward reform and compliance with bloc standards, Bašić explained.

“The EU is trying to find a way how to admit a country that isn’t fully ready to be admitted without losing the ability to hold it accountable after the fact,” he said, referencing Ukraine’s membership application as well as Western Balkan nations like Serbia and Kosovo.

Australian environmental officials announced Friday they had confiscated more than 100,000 prohibited live cockroaches from a commercial breeder in what authorities describe as the nation’s biggest seizure of exotic invertebrates ever recorded.

The massive collection of Madagascar hissing cockroaches and dubia cockroaches, valued at 200,000 Australian dollars ($142,000), was taken from a breeder operating in Bathurst, New South Wales state, during a May operation, the Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water reported.

Madagascar hissing cockroaches rank among the planet’s largest cockroach species, growing to lengths of 2 to 3 inches. Department photographs revealed glossy, brown creatures exceeding the size of human fingers.

These exotic insects dwarf Australia’s native cockroach species, which typically measure just 0.9 to 1.4 inches long. The continent’s subtropical climate conditions support cockroach populations, with hundreds of different species calling Australia home.

Local snake catcher Stefanie Lesser explained to the Australian Broadcasting Corp. that these oversized exotic varieties were probably marketed as economical food for reptiles since their substantial size reduced the quantity needed per feeding. Department officials recommended pet owners choose crickets or wood roaches as alternative food sources for their lizards.

Australian law prohibits importing both Madagascar hissing and dubia cockroaches. The insects cannot be legally possessed, bred, or sold regardless of how someone acquired them, according to departmental statements.

The country maintains rigorous border security measures designed to safeguard its farming industries and indigenous wildlife from invasive pest problems. Individuals caught smuggling undeclared or prohibited animals, insects, or plant materials face substantial monetary penalties.

These foreign cockroach species “have not been subject to an environmental risk assessment” and could potentially transmit diseases or threaten local wildlife populations, officials explained. Authorities warned they would pursue legal action against anyone found possessing these invertebrates.

A department spokesperson confirmed no criminal charges were filed against the Bathurst breeder. Officials stated the confiscated cockroaches would be destroyed.

A top Japanese technology official issued a stark warning Friday that the nation faces the risk of becoming an “AI colony” unless it accelerates its artificial intelligence development efforts.

Digital Minister Hisashi Matsumoto delivered the cautionary message while supporting proposed legislation that would modify Japan’s data privacy regulations. The changes would permit artificial intelligence companies to use personal information, including medical and criminal records, for training their systems without obtaining consent from individuals.

“I hope many Japanese people understand that we need to press ahead with AI development, or we’ll end up becoming an ‘AI colony’,” Matsumoto stated.

The minister emphasized the urgency behind the proposed legal changes during a news conference. “The point of this change is that, with AI development moving so fast, Japan can’t afford to fall behind,” he explained to reporters.

Opposition political groups have raised objections to the government-sponsored legislation, expressing worries about potential data security breaches. The measure successfully cleared the lower chamber of parliament last week and is currently under consideration in the upper house.

Japanese leadership has intensified initiatives to bolster domestic artificial intelligence capabilities through various means including financial subsidies, strategic purchasing programs, and regulatory adjustments. These efforts come as the nation navigates an increasingly competitive global technology landscape dominated by the United States and China.

The country has pursued partnerships with American technology firms including Microsoft and OpenAI while simultaneously supporting domestic companies such as SoftBank, Sakura Internet, and semiconductor manufacturers to expand locally-developed AI systems and computing infrastructure.

Japan’s determination to maintain competitiveness in artificial intelligence development mirrors similar concerns among governments globally, as nations worry about technological dependence on foreign entities. This week, the European Union announced a comprehensive technology independence initiative aimed at strengthening domestic cloud computing, AI, and semiconductor sectors while reducing reliance on American technology companies.

May 29 – June 5, 2026

A new photo gallery captures a week of significant events across Latin America and the Caribbean, showcasing demonstrations and political developments throughout the region.

In Buenos Aires, Argentina, thousands of people took to the streets in demonstrations against femicide. Meanwhile, elderly citizens gathered in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, demanding improved healthcare and retirement benefits. In Mexico City, educators held rallies seeking increased wages, and Chilean students engaged in confrontations with law enforcement while opposing proposed reductions to education funding.

Political activity was also prominent during this period. Citizens in Colombia participated in the initial round of presidential voting, while Peru made preparations for an upcoming runoff election. Mexico continued its preparations to serve as host nation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The photo collection was assembled by photojournalist Marco Ugarte, who is based in Mexico City.

China’s top leader will make a state visit to North Korea early next week, marking his first journey to the neighboring nation in almost seven years, officials from both countries confirmed Friday.

The diplomatic trip comes just one day after North Korea revealed a new nuclear facility designed to produce bomb-making materials. Analysts believe the timing of the facility’s disclosure suggests North Korea’s leader is working to strengthen his nation’s nuclear credentials before the Chinese leader’s arrival.

State media from both nations reported the visit will span Monday through Tuesday. The Chinese leader’s previous trip to North Korea occurred in June 2019.

This visit follows recent separate meetings the Chinese leader held with U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing just weeks ago.

North Korea’s leader has recently focused on strengthening ties with Russia, providing military personnel and weapons to assist in Russia’s conflict with Ukraine. However, he has also been working to improve relations with China, which serves as North Korea’s primary trading partner and source of aid.

The two leaders met in Beijing during September, where they committed to mutual support and increased cooperation. The North Korean leader was visiting China’s capital to participate in a military parade alongside other international figures, including Putin.

Military officials in South Korea have identified the newly revealed nuclear facility as a uranium enrichment plant. During his tour of the facility, the North Korean leader announced intentions to strengthen his country’s nuclear capabilities “at an exponential rate.”

According to experts, the North Korean leader seeks global acknowledgment of his country’s nuclear status to pressure for the removal of U.N. economic sanctions. Analysts suggest he ultimately aims to engage in arms reduction negotiations with the U.S. to secure benefits in exchange for partially reducing his nuclear arsenal.

Trump has consistently indicated interest in restarting diplomatic talks with the North Korean leader, but North Korea has responded that the U.S. must first abandon its requirement for North Korea to eliminate its nuclear weapons before negotiations can begin.

Both Russia and China, which hold veto power on the U.N. Security Council, have previously blocked efforts by the U.S. and other nations to strengthen international sanctions against North Korea, despite its prohibited weapons testing.

During their Beijing meeting last month, Putin and the Chinese leader voiced their opposition to “foreign policy isolation, economic sanctions, military pressure and other methods of creating threats to the security” of North Korea, according to a Kremlin statement.

Adopting concepts of a “new Cold War” and a multipolar world order, the North Korean leader has pursued a more aggressive foreign policy approach by strengthening relationships with nations that are in conflict with the United States.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s governing alliance confronts a critical examination of public confidence following announcements this week that two states will hold unexpected elections, raising questions about potential early national voting.

Coalition partners of Anwar control the state governments in Negeri Sembilan and Johor, where legislative bodies were disbanded on Friday and Monday respectively, triggering elections that must occur within two months.

Although these regional contests won’t directly affect Anwar’s parliamentary majority at the national level, substantial defeats could damage his coalition’s standing before the next general election scheduled for early 2028. Last month, Anwar indicated he might call an early national vote if disagreements within his government continue expanding.

Officials from Anwar’s office had not responded to requests for comment by Friday.

Anwar’s governing partnership, comprising his Pakatan Harapan group, former opponent Barisan Nasional, and several smaller parties, has experienced disagreements over approaches to ethnic and religious matters in the diverse, predominantly Muslim nation. Progressive coalition members have expressed dissatisfaction with the gradual implementation of reform measures.

The prime minister has also faced demands from the previously powerful United Malays National Organisation, a Barisan component, regarding its campaign for royal clemency for former prime minister and UMNO chief Najib Razak, who received a prison sentence in 2022 for his involvement in the massive 1MDB financial scandal.

Pakatan currently controls Negeri Sembilan state, where voting wasn’t scheduled until late 2028, while Barisan oversees Johor, where elections weren’t expected until next year.

Highlighting coalition strains, Barisan announced it will compete in Johor’s state elections alone, without Pakatan backing. In Negeri Sembilan, Pakatan plans to field candidates for all 36 available positions, having secured 17 seats in the previous state contest.

Two additional states, Malacca and Sarawak, must also conduct elections in upcoming months. The Election Commission, responsible for scheduling state voting, has noted that an early general election would enable simultaneous state contests, reducing expenses.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will travel to North Korea from June 8 to 9, according to state news agency Xinhua’s announcement Friday, marking his first visit in nearly seven years as China works to strengthen relationships with Pyongyang.

The trip comes after Xi recently hosted separate summits in Beijing with U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin last month. Trump, who held three meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his first term, has previously indicated willingness to meet with the North Korean leader again.

Kim attended a large-scale military parade in Beijing last September, making the journey to China’s capital aboard his distinctive green armored train.

China has been working to bring Pyongyang — its sole formal treaty ally — back into closer alignment after COVID-19 restrictions halted diplomatic exchanges and the North Korean leader strengthened ties with Moscow through military support, including troops and weapons for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

VIENNA (AP) — International nuclear monitors have been blocked from accessing Iranian nuclear sites impacted by ongoing warfare since June, according to a classified document from the U.N. nuclear oversight body that was distributed to member nations and obtained Thursday by The Associated Press.

The International Atomic Energy Agency stated it “cannot provide any information on the current size, composition or whereabouts of the stockpile of enriched uranium in Iran or whether Iran has suspended all enrichment-related activities.”

The IAEA cautioned that it was “unable to discharge its safeguards responsibilities” required under the Safeguards Agreement of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, emphasizing that Tehran’s compliance with Treaty obligations is “indispensable and urgent.”

Since February’s previous report, IAEA inspectors have only been able to examine one Iranian nuclear site — the Bushehr nuclear power plant, which they visited June 1-3. The facility’s operational reactor utilizes Russian-supplied uranium enriched to 4.5%, the minimal concentration required for electricity production at such installations.

This classified assessment emerges amid escalating Middle East tensions.

Iranian drones severely struck a passenger terminal at Kuwait’s primary airport Wednesday, resulting in one death and injuring dozens while temporarily shuttering the facility — marking another episode in the ongoing exchange of strikes between Iran and the U.S. that challenges a tenuous ceasefire.

The IAEA reports Iran possesses 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60% purity — requiring only minor technical advancement to reach weapons-grade concentrations of 90%.

This stockpile could enable Iran to construct up to 10 nuclear weapons if it chose to militarize its program, IAEA director general Rafael Grossi cautioned in a recent AP interview. He emphasized this doesn’t indicate Iran currently possesses such weapons.

Nuclear material enriched to such high levels typically requires monthly verification under IAEA protocols.

The assessment noted Grossi’s continued “full support to the negotiations underway aimed at finding a mutually acceptable solution to issues related to Iran’s nuclear programme, and his readiness … to support an eventual agreement.”

Diplomatic discussions have continued for weeks as intermediaries pursue a more lasting ceasefire in the conflict, now entering its fourth month. These efforts face increasing pressure from Israel’s expanding confrontation with Iran-supported Hezbollah forces in Lebanon.

Iran continues controlling the Strait of Hormuz — a vital passage for global oil and natural gas shipments plus related commodities like fertilizer — while the U.S. maintains its embargo of Iranian ports. International energy costs stay elevated, with conflict impacts extending far beyond the immediate region.

Armed attackers stormed a student residence in Nigeria’s northwest region and abducted seven students, according to local police authorities.

The raid took place in the early morning hours on Wednesday in Kaura Namoda, located in Zamfara state, which has been plagued by ongoing conflict, police spokesman Yazid Abubakar reported in an official statement. One student managed to flee during the attack and is now being held in protective custody.

According to the police spokesman, authorities are uncertain about the location where the abducted students were transported, though rescue operations are currently in progress to locate the six remaining victims.

The region of Zamfara has become a center of activity for criminal organizations that conduct kidnapping operations to collect ransom payments, with student abductions becoming more frequent throughout Nigeria in recent years.

Research conducted by local news organization Premium Times revealed that no fewer than 1,900 students have been taken from 20 educational institutions since the large-scale 2014 kidnapping of more than 200 female students from Chibok in Borno state.

GUIZHOU, China — A colossal suspension bridge in China’s southwestern mountains has transformed into more than just a spectacular photo opportunity for visitors. While tourists flock to capture social media moments at the impressive structure, local communities are experiencing something much more significant: dramatically reduced travel times and unprecedented connectivity through high-speed internet infrastructure investments.

Standing 625 meters (2,050 feet) above the valley floor, the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge in Guizhou province holds the distinction of being the planet’s tallest bridge. The massive structure spans 2,890 meters (9,482 feet) across the canyon, featuring a central span measuring 1,420 meters (4,660 feet).

Following its September 2025 opening, the bridge has attracted thousands of visitors to the previously isolated region, where telecommunications companies are simultaneously developing advanced 5G network capabilities. This tourism boom has sparked the creation of numerous local enterprises, including retail shops, dining establishments, and guest accommodations designed for travelers.

The Associated Press participated in a recent media expedition to explore the area’s transformation.

China’s expansion of transportation networks and digital infrastructure into isolated regions has delivered significant benefits to surrounding communities through enhanced internet connectivity. Tianlong Tunpu, a historic settlement with over six centuries of history situated more than 100 kilometers (60 miles) from the bridge, exemplifies these improvements.

Founded as a military garrison during the Ming Dynasty era, this ancient community is renowned for its distinctive Dixi opera performances. These theatrical productions feature military narratives, elaborate wooden masks, and unique performance techniques that distinguish them from other Chinese opera traditions.

Local inhabitants report increasing visitor numbers, attributing part of this growth to social media platforms that enable them to showcase their community to broader audiences.

A leading figure from Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany party has conducted meetings with high-ranking Russian officials, including sanctioned energy executives and advisors to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Markus Frohnmaier, who serves as the AfD’s parliamentary foreign policy spokesperson, participated in Putin’s signature economic summit in St Petersburg despite explicit warnings from Germany’s foreign ministry, which stated it “explicitly advised the AfD against these trips”.

Through posts on social media platform X, Frohnmaier revealed he had conducted meetings with Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller and Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s special envoy for investment and economic cooperation, during Wednesday’s events.

All three individuals – Dmitriev, Miller and Gazprom – face Western sanctions related to Russia’s military conflict in Ukraine.

Frohnmaier, who has consistently advocated for Germany to restore diplomatic ties with Russia for energy supply purposes, indicated the discussion with Miller centered on pipeline infrastructure and complete restoration of Russian gas shipments to Germany.

“Germany is caught in a severe economic downward spiral, and a key driver of this is the high cost of energy,” Frohnmaier stated.

“That is why all options must be put back on the table, including the recommissioning of Nord Stream and the resumption of trade relations with Russia.”

Gazprom officials also verified the meeting occurred with Frohnmaier.

“Looking forward to building a great FUTURE together with AfD, Germany’s most popular party,” Dmitriev posted on his X account.

Germany’s economic foundation relied heavily on affordable Russian energy resources for many years. Before Moscow’s military action in Ukraine began, Russia provided more than one-third of crude oil imports and over half of natural gas supplies.

The nation has faced significant challenges recovering from the disruption caused by the Nord Stream pipeline shutdown, which suffered damage from explosions in September 2022, forcing Berlin to seek alternative energy sources urgently.

The blasts damaged both pipelines in Nord Stream 1. Nord Stream 2, which was completed in 2021, maintains one undamaged pipeline, but Germany suspended the project and operations never commenced.

Russian officials have blamed Ukraine for the pipeline attack, though Kyiv has consistently rejected any responsibility.

Current polling data indicates the AfD, presently the main opposition party in parliament, is gaining ground against Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservatives, who maintain a coalition with the centre-left Social Democrats.

With two significant state elections approaching in eastern Germany this September, the AfD aims to secure governmental control for the first time in Saxony-Anhalt, while polling suggests the party could capture the most votes in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

The party, which has also achieved notable success in recent western German elections, has criticized Merz’s robust Ukraine support and indicates it would seek to rebuild diplomatic ties with Moscow.

“At a time when many seem more comfortable with confrontation than conversation, genuine dialogue matters more than ever,” Frohnmaier posted on X following his meeting with Dmitriev.

A recent survey by Ipsos reveals that Peru’s presidential runoff election has become a dead heat between the two remaining candidates ahead of Sunday’s decisive vote.

The leftist contender Roberto Sanchez, who has connections to the previously removed and imprisoned former President Pedro Castillo, has narrowed the gap considerably and now holds 43.8% support according to the polling data released Thursday. His opponent, conservative candidate Keiko Fujimori, whose father previously served as president, captured 43.2% of voter intentions in the same survey.

The numbers show a dramatic shift from Ipsos polling conducted on May 31, which had Fujimori leading with 38% compared to Sanchez’s 35%, while 27% of respondents remained undecided at that time.

Key details from the latest polling:

• The survey was completed on June 3 with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.1%, according to sources familiar with Ipsos methodology.

• Approximately 13% of those polled indicated they would submit blank or invalid ballots.

• Fujimori, making her fourth presidential bid and known for her pro-market positions, secured victory in the initial round of voting on April 12 with 17.18% of the vote.

• Sanchez finished as the runner-up in that first round, earning 12.03% of votes cast.

Sanchez has recently adjusted his campaign approach, softening his rhetoric as the runoff approaches.

Peruvian election law prohibits the publication of polling results during the final week before a presidential election, though surveys may still be conducted as long as domestic news outlets do not report the findings.

The International Monetary Fund has chosen Alvaro Piris Chavarri to serve as its new mission chief for Venezuela, Bloomberg News reported Thursday, according to sources with knowledge of the decision.

When contacted by Reuters, the IMF declined to provide comment on personnel matters.

Piris currently holds the position of assistant director within the IMF’s African Department and serves as mission chief for Ethiopia, the IMF confirmed. His background includes heading IMF missions in Mozambique, Lebanon and China.

This selection follows Venezuela’s announcement last month that it would begin restructuring efforts after defaulting on its external debt in 2017. Analysts believe the total amount owed, which includes unpaid bonds, arbitration awards and accumulated interest, surpasses $150 billion.

Venezuela is working to rejoin the global financial community after reestablishing connections with the IMF and World Bank, relationships that were halted in 2019 due to disagreements over government recognition.

The IMF confirmed it is exploring a pathway toward conducting an “Article IV” consultation with Venezuela, indicating that engagement with Caracas is progressing toward standard economic oversight.

The discussion surrounding Israel’s ultra-Orthodox population has evolved beyond religious and political considerations into a pressing economic challenge, according to experts who spoke at a prominent policy conference this week.

As military expenditures climb toward 8% of the nation’s gross domestic product and approximately 25% of the government budget, while the ultra-Orthodox are expected to represent an increasing portion of military-age Jewish citizens, the issue has taken on new urgency.

Military service forms part of Israel’s social framework, defense costs consume an expanding portion of national resources, and the armed forces represent a shared experience for most Jewish citizens. Under these mounting pressures, ultra-Orthodox integration has transformed from a dispute about exemptions into a budgetary, military, and economic concern.

The implications are clear. As the ultra-Orthodox become a larger segment of Israel’s population, the mix of military exemptions, restricted core education, reduced male workforce participation, and political influence could burden the military, tax system, and skilled economy that Israel increasingly relies upon.

This theme permeated the Eli Hurvitz Conference on Economy and Society, hosted by the Israel Democracy Institute in Jerusalem. While the conference addressed defense spending, artificial intelligence, technology, living costs, reconstruction, healthcare, and the national budget, the ultra-Orthodox issue emerged repeatedly through discussions of human capital, labor participation, education, and public priorities.

The ultra-Orthodox community refers to Israel’s rapidly expanding religious population whose traditional male institutions focus on full-time religious study. Many ultra-Orthodox boys don’t receive the standard curriculum in mathematics, English, and science that other Israelis do; many men don’t serve in the military and enter employment late or remain outside the workforce for long periods. Ultra-Orthodox women work at higher rates, often supporting large families, but household earnings remain relatively modest.

Gilad Cohen Kovacs, a researcher at the Israel Democracy Institute who led a session on “The Economy as a Driver of Change in Haredi Autonomy,” contended that the matter also involves how a separate institutional framework affects growth, employment, and social services.

Cohen Kovacs stated that subsidies supporting the current ultra-Orthodox model total approximately 35 to 37 billion shekels annually, roughly 5.5% of the national budget. Without modifications, he cautioned, that amount could increase to more than 60 billion shekels yearly in coming decades. These numbers were part of his conference presentation analyzing ultra-Orthodox autonomy and government support.

He emphasized that the issue shouldn’t be viewed as simply transferring “money to Haredim.” In his assessment, some funding encourages behaviors that keep ultra-Orthodox men out of the workforce, while other portions strengthen what he called a parallel system of authority, educational networks, community institutions, and political influence.

A welfare system, Cohen Kovacs explained, aims to assist those unable to work, protect those who have been harmed, and enable advancement. In the ultra-Orthodox situation, he maintained, part of the subsidy supports the reverse pattern: reduced use of earning potential, partial employment, large families, and a religious study-centered lifestyle.

“These are not the conditions for which the welfare state was built,” he said.

This perspective redirects attention from individual poverty toward policy incentives that, according to Cohen Kovacs, maintain dependence and separation. His overall finding was that the present model creates a substantial cross-community transfer from non-ultra-Orthodox Jewish households to ultra-Orthodox households through tax differences, public services, subsidies, and exemptions from shared responsibilities.

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett also referenced research on this balance. According to Bennett, what he termed a “Zionist household”—a non-ultra-Orthodox Jewish household participating in military service and the job market—contributes about 6,000 shekels more monthly to the state than it uses or receives, while an ultra-Orthodox household receives about 4,000 shekels more monthly than it contributes. He characterized this as approximately a 10,000 shekel monthly difference between the two household categories.

The comparison brought the budget discussion from national figures to family income levels. It wasn’t presented as claiming one specific family directly supports another, but as an overall measurement of taxes, government services, subsidies, benefits, and participation in public duties.

Dr. Gilad Malach, a researcher at the Israel Democracy Institute who presented separate research on defense burdens, told The Media Line that his work examined one particular aspect of the broader subsidy discussion: security. He noted Israel typically views defense spending as a national budget matter, without examining how this burden distributes across different community sectors.

Malach said it would be “too simplistic” to attribute the disparity solely to the ultra-Orthodox community being poorer and therefore paying less tax. “You might say, ‘OK, this is a poor society, so they pay less than their share in the population,’” he said. “But we see that the gaps between them and others—it’s much more than that.”

According to Malach, the apparent security budget totals about 120 billion shekels annually, but the actual cost approaches 150 billion once hidden burdens are included: conscripts paid below their market value, delayed workforce entry, and costs to employers when reservists leave jobs for extended service.

If the ultra-Orthodox represent about 14% of Israel’s population, he said, they should bear roughly 21 billion shekels of that burden. In reality, he estimated, they contribute about 6 billion.

“So, the gap is 15 billion,” he said.

This figure carries political weight because it positions the draft discussion within a broader fiscal framework: who funds security, who serves, and who bears the indirect costs of a society structured around extended military service.

Malach was cautious not to claim the gap could close rapidly. He said the policy measures he presented could reduce it, but not eliminate it. At best, he estimated, the immediate impact could be several billion shekels, not the complete 15 billion.

“Just to make the situation less unequal, more equal than today, but not a real equality between the population,” he said.

The demographic projection was more alarming. Some forecasts, Malach noted, project the ultra-Orthodox population at around 30% of Israel’s total population within roughly four decades. The more significant figure, he added, isn’t the overall population percentage, but the proportion among draft-eligible Jews.

Among Jewish 18-year-olds, he said, the ultra-Orthodox percentage could surpass half. In his assessment, if this forecast materialized, “We won’t have manpower for an army if the situation would be that they are not serving in the army. And we can’t have a prosperous economy if so many people won’t have the ability to work in a modern labor market.”

Reem Aminoach, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies who previously served as financial adviser to the Israel Defense Forces chief of staff, told The Media Line that the problem is often portrayed as more complex than necessary.

“All you need is to cancel the deferral,” he stated, referring to the legal process that has permitted many ultra-Orthodox men to avoid conscription while remaining in religious study.

In his opinion, eliminating the deferral would create a clearer choice: service, employment, or another publicly accountable framework, rather than a system where avoiding the army also discourages work. Aminoach said the army’s requirement is practical and urgent.

“The army lacks fighters, not clerks,” he said.

Shaul Meridor, a former senior Finance Ministry official, brought the discussion from national totals to individual Israeli family level. He described a middle- or lower-middle-class family in places such as Migdal HaEmek or Dimona, with five children, one serving in Lebanon, and struggling financially. Based on figures he cited from a recent study, such a family subsidizes a comparable low-income ultra-Orthodox family by nearly 1,000 shekels monthly.

“Many times we talk about high-tech and the rich and all kinds of other people who subsidize,” Meridor said. “I am talking about socioeconomic cluster four. Whoever knows what that means understands that this is not high-tech, and these are not people sitting in Tel Aviv or Ramat Hasharon. These are people who do not finish the month.”

He said the moral question after October 7 was no longer theoretical.

“Why should a family that does not finish the month have to allocate, from money it does not have, 1,000 shekels net a month to subsidize a Haredi family that chose a different life?”

Meridor also maintained that Israel’s current policies damage ultra-Orthodox children themselves by directing them toward poverty.

“As leadership, we must not condemn Haredi children to poverty,” he said. “And that is what we are doing today.”

His suggested principle was straightforward: those who serve should receive benefits, those who don’t serve should not. Combat service, he said, should receive the most; other service should receive less; avoidance should receive nothing. But he warned that dismantling ultra-Orthodox autonomy wouldn’t happen through one major law. It would require changes in thousands of government decisions, benefits, tax rules, and allocations that currently favor institutions over individuals.

Political speakers addressed the same matter from various angles. Bennett concentrated on education and subsidies, using his remarks to criticize daycare payments for families where the father doesn’t work and doesn’t serve. He also suggested broad education reform based on a shared state curriculum, while maintaining limited community autonomy.

Avigdor Liberman, chairman of Yisrael Beitenu and a former defense and finance minister, approached the issue through coalition politics. In a discussion with Yohanan Plesner, president of the Israel Democracy Institute, Liberman contended that Israel cannot maintain higher defense spending while preserving sectoral budgets and avoiding structural reform. He said meaningful change would require a government not reliant on the ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism.

Former Defense Minister Benny Gantz provided a more measured criticism. He said parts of the ultra-Orthodox leadership were making a serious error by continuing a situation where the community takes precedence over the state. Simultaneously, he stressed that there are ultra-Orthodox who work, study, serve, and contribute to the economy, and they deserve recognition.

Meirav Cohen, a Yesh Atid lawmaker and former minister for social equality, used Jerusalem as a cautionary example. Speaking as a Jerusalem resident, she said the capital already demonstrates what occurs when integration in the army, employment, and education doesn’t advance quickly enough. Jerusalem, she said, has dropped in fewer than three decades from socioeconomic cluster five to cluster two. Every second household receives a municipal property tax discount, she said, meaning the other half must bear some of Israel’s highest municipal tax burdens.

“There is no economic model for this,” Cohen said. “You don’t need prophecies or warnings. Look at what happened to us in Jerusalem.”

The ultra-Orthodox discussion occurred during a conference focused on rising security costs and shrinking civilian spending space. Former Bank of Israel Governor Karnit Flug said in the opening budget session that Israel’s economy had demonstrated resilience, but the Israel-Hamas war had imposed a significant cost. Defense spending, she said, now reaches nearly 8% of GDP, compared with slightly more than 4% before October 7, 2023. Its budget share has increased to about one-quarter, compared with 16% before the war.

This broader fiscal context helps explain why ultra-Orthodox integration is no longer viewed solely as a dispute over religious exemptions. Israel is attempting to fund a larger defense establishment, increased rehabilitation needs, more reservist support, reconstruction in the north and south, health-system gaps, transportation infrastructure, and a technology sector facing global competition. Speakers also warned that insufficient investment in Arab society carries its own cost in lost output, making the broader point that Israel cannot afford to underinvest in any large population group while defense and rehabilitation needs are increasing.

Artificial intelligence and technology added another dimension. The Israel Innovation Authority’s 2026 report, presented at the conference, showed that technology remains Israel’s primary growth engine. In 2025, the sector contributed roughly half of the economy’s growth, reached 18.3% of GDP, accounted for 58% of exports, and employed more than 400,000 people. But the same report also warned of employment share stagnation, declining research and development jobs in Israel, activity expansion abroad, and growing pressure from currency appreciation.

This is why ultra-Orthodox integration now intersects with the artificial intelligence discussion. Israel wants to compete in a global economy based on advanced skills, data science, engineering, defense technology, and artificial intelligence. But a growing portion of its future workforce is educated in systems that often don’t provide the tools required for that economy. The point wasn’t that every Israeli must work in technology, but that the next economy will demand basic quantitative and digital skills across far more jobs.

Eli Hurvitz, CEO of the Eddie and Jules Trump Family Foundation, told the conference that children currently choosing what to study in high school will be the workforce of 2040. In an artificial intelligence-driven world, he said, mathematics, data, teamwork, and independent learning will become basic requirements for opportunity.

The challenge of ultra-Orthodox integration doesn’t fit easily into familiar categories of minority rights or welfare policy. In Israel, it connects to compulsory service, repeated wars, high defense costs, a knowledge-based economy, and a parliamentary system where sectoral parties can hold the balance of power. The ultra-Orthodox community is a growing part of Israel’s electorate, budget, labor market, and future security burden. This is why the discussion has become one of the country’s central governance tests.

The conference produced no single, comprehensive solution. Some speakers emphasized immediate enforcement of the existing draft framework. Others focused on incentives, core education, tax benefits, or direct ties between the state and ultra-Orthodox individuals rather than through community institutions. Some warned against coercion that could backfire, while others argued that decades of gradualism have failed. But there was notable agreement around one point: the status quo is no longer to be treated as a manageable inconvenience.

The discussion, as reflected in the conference sessions and interviews cited here, was dominated by economists, former senior officials, and political figures warning about the long-term costs of the current model. Representatives of the major ultra-Orthodox parties were not quoted in those sessions or interviews.

Malach expressed the warning in the most direct terms. Israel has survived enormous shocks, he said, and remains a wealthy country with a strong economy. But if current patterns continue as the ultra-Orthodox population grows, the problem will not remain a matter of resentment or budgetary imbalance. It will become a question of manpower, productivity, and national resilience.

“Right now, it’s very hard, but we are handling,” he said. “The point is that if you call today’s situation very bad, things would be worse than that.”

What emerged in Jerusalem was more than an argument over the draft. It was a broader economic assessment of who serves, who pays, who studies the skills needed for the next economy, and whether the state can continue financing separate rules for a growing part of its population. Israel’s next election may decide the coalition arithmetic. The harder question, raised throughout the conference, is whether any government will be willing to change the arithmetic of the country itself.

Authorities are requesting prolonged custody for 62 individuals taken into custody during a destructive demonstration at the residence of High Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, where protesters opposing military conscription requirements for ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students damaged property and fought with law enforcement.

The individuals in custody are set to appear at the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court Thursday morning, where authorities will ask that they continue to be held while the investigation proceeds.

Law enforcement officials report that 65 individuals were taken into custody after the disturbances occurred. Walla news outlet indicated that 62 continued to be held and would face a judge.

The violent demonstration took place Wednesday evening as large groups of protesters gathered at Sohlberg’s residence in the West Bank settlement of Alon Shvut. Throughout the disturbance, demonstrators broke windows at the justice’s residence and car, while also destroying flower containers at the property’s entrance.

According to Ynet reporting, authorities seized drones and GoPro cameras that were in the possession of several suspects.

The demonstration stemmed from resistance among certain ultra-Orthodox activists to Supreme Court rulings regarding military service requirements. Sohlberg had recently overseen decisions mandating that the government enhance enforcement actions against those avoiding the draft, which made him a focus for protesters opposing the military service of yeshiva students.

Following the dispersal of the crowd, Magen David Adom medical personnel responded to the residence after Sohlberg reportedly became ill.

Meira Sohlberg, his wife, voiced her dismay at the destruction that occurred during the disturbance.

“How is it possible that Jews are hurting each other?” she said. “Look at this destruction, a pogrom, what is this, Kristallnacht?” according to Ynet.

Police Commissioner Danny Levy denounced the violence and directed officers to pursue those involved “to the fullest extent of the law.” Authorities stated that Levy received a briefing from Jerusalem District Deputy Commander Yishai Shalem and emphasized that lawful demonstration cannot involve violence, property destruction or assaults on government officials.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu subsequently contacted Sohlberg and denounced the incident.

United Torah Judaism chairman MK Yitzhak Goldknopf and Shas MK Yinon Azoulai similarly criticized the violence.

Subsequently, numerous ultra-Orthodox demonstrators obstructed Jerusalem’s Kikar Shabbat junction in protest of the arrests.

Michael Rabello, who has served as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s personal attorney for many years, won election as Israel’s state comptroller Wednesday in a disputed Knesset vote marked by allegations of voting irregularities.

The attorney claimed victory in a runoff election after both candidates failed to reach the necessary vote count in the first round of balloting.

During the initial vote, former Supreme Court justice Yosef Elron garnered 60 votes compared to Rabello’s 57. Parliamentary regulations require 61 votes for a first-round victory.

The decisive second round saw Rabello prevail over Elron with a 61-57 vote margin.

Controversy erupted over claims that the voting process violated ballot secrecy requirements. News reports indicated that Likud party members faced pressure to take photos or videos of their ballots as proof they supported Rabello, despite laws mandating secret voting.

These claims drew harsh condemnation from opposition lawmakers, who characterized the ruling Likud party’s behavior as resembling a “crime organization.”

Media reports also suggested that cabinet members believed to favor Elron were called to Netanyahu’s office while voting was underway.

Due to the mounting concerns, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana mandated a complete restart of the second voting round. Ohana declared that any directive telling legislators to document their ballots was “illegal and invalid.”

Vote totals shifted between the rounds, suggesting some parliament members altered their choices.

Opposition groups plan to challenge the election results in the High Court of Justice, citing alleged procedural violations.

Rabello’s legal work has encompassed representing Netanyahu across multiple court cases and has also included representation of Netanyahu’s spouse, Sara Netanyahu. His professional duties have extended to participating in political negotiations tied to the prime minister.

The state comptroller position functions as an independent watchdog agency answerable directly to the Knesset. This office conducts audits of government departments, oversees municipal government operations, examines political party finances, and safeguards public interests.

European Union officials on Thursday expressed broad support for restricting temporary protection access for Ukrainian men eligible for military service, according to Sweden’s migration minister.

The bloc implemented its Temporary Protection Directive following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 to handle the massive influx of displaced individuals fleeing the conflict.

This protection program, which has received three extensions and is scheduled to end in March 2027, provides recipients with residence permits along with work authorization and social benefits access.

Sweden’s Migration Minister Johan Forssell indicated his nation backs the proposal that was deliberated during a Justice and Home Affairs session in Luxembourg. He emphasized that any new limitations would only affect future applicants for temporary protection status, while current beneficiaries would remain unaffected.

“It is essential for us to provide Ukrainians with protection, but at the same time the war needs to be fought and won. For that to happen, it is essential that more men stay in Ukraine and fight,” Forssell stated before the meeting commenced.

Any extension or changes to the current framework would require a proposal from the European Commission, followed by approval from member nations.

Current Eurostat figures show that over 4.33 million Ukrainian refugees are receiving benefits under this directive.

According to the same data, Germany accommodates the highest number of Ukrainians under this program, representing approximately 29% of the EU’s total, with Poland and Czechia following in the rankings.

WASHINGTON — The Treasury Department announced Thursday it has placed financial sanctions on Cuba’s President Miguel Díaz-Canel and four additional officials, according to documents posted on the department’s website.

Among those targeted by the sanctions is Alejandro Castro Espín, whose father is former President Raúl Castro.

The financial penalties follow President Donald Trump’s signing of an executive order that broadened sanctions against the Caribbean nation.

These latest sanctions increase economic pressure on Cuban leadership, though this marks just another instance in a long history of the United States targeting foreign leaders and their family members with similar measures.

Previous sanctions have targeted leaders including former Sudanese President Omar Bashir and former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe in the early 2000s, as well as more recent penalties against former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his spouse.

Officials appointed by Russia at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear facility in Ukraine claimed Thursday that Ukrainian forces conducted drone strikes against a thermal power station essential for maintaining electricity to the nuclear site.

The facility’s Russian-installed administrators reported that Ukrainian military forces carried out what they described as a “multiple attack using heavy unmanned aerial vehicles” in the vicinity of the nuclear plant.

“More than 20 drone strikes have been recorded,” the management stated.

According to the officials, the strikes targeted the thermal power facility, which they described as “site of critically important energy infrastructure that ensures the operation of the… Ferrosplavnaya-1 power transmission line.”

The administrators warned that “such attacks pose a direct threat to the reliability of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant power supply and once again demonstrate disregard for the principles of nuclear safety.”

Ukrainian officials have not responded to these accusations.

Russian military forces captured the nuclear facility, which contains six reactors and ranks as Europe’s largest, during the initial weeks after Russia’s February 2022 invasion. Since that time, both nations have consistently blamed each other for military actions that endanger nuclear security.

While the facility currently produces no power, it requires external electricity to prevent nuclear fuel stored at the location from overheating.

Two power lines provide grid connections, though one has remained offline since late March. The International Atomic Energy Agency has been working to establish a ceasefire that would allow repairs to the damaged line.

The IAEA reported Thursday that Russian plant management had notified them of the incident, and agency monitors stationed permanently at the site observed light smoke rising from the thermal plant area.

Rafael Grossi, IAEA director general, called for an immediate halt to attacks to avoid an extended loss of external power.

A French billionaire made his first appearance before lawmakers Thursday to outline his mission of advancing conservative and free-market principles in French politics, with the country’s presidential election approaching next year.

Pierre-Edouard Sterin, an entrepreneur who moved to Belgium to avoid French taxes, testified before senators as part of an investigation into political financing practices and whether his organizations comply with applicable rules.

“Our aim is to spread free-market, conservative ideas as widely as possible,” Sterin explained to the senators, characterizing his activities as “meta-political.”

“We hope it will, in the coming months and years, bring free-market, conservative right‑wing ideas to power in France,” he added.

The 52-year-old businessman, who had previously refused to respond to parliamentary requests to appear, rejected any suggestion of improper conduct. “There is no ongoing legal procedure, no investigation, no breach of the law,” he stated during his testimony.

Operating through an organization called Pericles, Sterin has remained largely unknown to the French public until recent years while funding various projects aligned with his political vision. Documents that appeared in the French publication L’Humanite in 2024 and later verified by Sterin revealed his objectives include combating “socialism, wokism, Islamism, immigration.”

The political influence of his network has grown, with Pericles co-founder Francois Durvye now serving as a special adviser to far-right leader Jordan Bardella, who current polling suggests leads the field for next year’s presidential race.

During his Senate testimony, Sterin, a practicing Catholic and father of five who resides in Belgium, stood by controversial immigration positions that have drawn criticism.

“I am in favour of the re-migration of foreign criminals, undocumented migrants or those unemployed for more than 12 months,” he declared, noting these views put him “to the right of the (French) far right.”

The businessman built his wealth through Smartbox, a company specializing in gift vouchers, and describes himself as a “tax exile of the François Hollande generation.”

His reference pointed to France’s Socialist leader who served as president from 2012 to 2017 and proposed implementing a 75% tax rate on millionaires. Sterin relocated to Belgium in 2012, and despite the constitutional council quickly rejecting the tax proposal, he chose not to return to France.

“Hollande doesn’t like the rich, and I don’t like the social‑communists,” Sterin remarked.

He told senators that his residence outside France has enabled him to reduce his tax burden by €100,000 to €200,000 annually, allowing him to direct larger amounts toward charitable projects within France.

LONDON, June 4 – Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham indicated Thursday that he would participate in a leadership challenge against Prime Minister Keir Starmer, contingent on winning a local election scheduled for later this month.

During a BBC debate with other candidates competing for a parliamentary seat in northern England, the Labour mayor stated that the governing Labour Party requires fundamental change as it continues to lag behind in public opinion surveys.

Prime Minister Starmer, who currently holds some of the poorest approval ratings of any British leader, has pledged to defend his position. However, potential challengers are positioning themselves, including Burnham and former health minister Wes Streeting, who stepped down from his role last month in opposition to the prime minister’s performance.

When questioned about his political aspirations, Burnham, who previously made two unsuccessful bids for Labour leadership, expressed that he didn’t want to get “ahead of himself.” He emphasized that he must first secure victory in the Makerfield election on June 18 before he can mount any challenge to Starmer.

“I can’t do anything unless I’m lucky enough to get the support of people here (in Makerfield). But if I get your support, I would seek to represent you at the highest possible level,” Burnham stated during the debate.

Burnham suggested that Streeting appeared to have already “launched a leadership contest,” though the former health minister has not yet made any formal announcement.

“So if that is running, I would seek to join it. But I’d have to persuade members of the parliamentary Labour Party to do the same. So that’s the only question,” Burnham explained.

KYIV, Ukraine — In an unprecedented move, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has issued a public letter directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, requesting face-to-face talks to resolve the ongoing conflict.

This marks the first direct written communication Zelenskyy has made public to Putin since Russia began its full-scale invasion in 2022. The letter contained a broad condemnation of Putin’s 26-year tenure in office.

Recognizing changing U.S. priorities, Zelenskyy noted it would be incorrect to merely wait for the Trump administration to refocus on resolving the Ukraine conflict while it remains concentrated on the Iran war.

“I am proposing a meeting,” Zelenskyy stated in his letter.

U.S. President Donald Trump responded positively to the proposal, saying it “would be great” if the two leaders met. “They should get it done,” Trump commented.

When questioned about what concessions he had recommended Putin make to conclude the war, Trump refused to elaborate but indicated both parties would need to make sacrifices.

“They’re going to both make compromises,” he stated. “I suggested those compromises.”

Zelenskyy seems to be capitalizing on what he views as a crucial turning point in the conflict, as Ukraine has started to recover some military advantage primarily through enhanced long-range strike capabilities that have hindered Russian progress. Meanwhile, Moscow has escalated its lethal air offensive throughout Ukraine, attempting to capitalize on Kyiv’s resource shortages and ongoing susceptibility to ballistic missile strikes.

The Ukrainian president suggested the discussions could take place in an impartial third nation, excluding both Moscow and Kyiv as potential locations. He recommended Switzerland, Turkey, or Arab nations as possible hosts for the negotiations.

“It is leaders who resolve the key issues. That has always been the case, and it always will be,” he stated. “I propose to set a clear date for such a meeting.”

According to Zelenskyy, Ukrainian intelligence suggests Russia is contemplating extending the war through 2027 and 2028, while depending more heavily on ballistic missile attacks to achieve objectives that its ground operations have failed to secure.

Zelenskyy also charged Moscow with attempting to involve Belarus more deeply in the conflict and trying to create instability around Transnistria, the Russian-supported breakaway region of Moldova.

The Ukrainian president contended that Russia is increasingly experiencing the war’s consequences, citing drone strikes far within Russian borders, economic pressure, fuel shortages, inflation, and the need for additional military conscription.

Zelenskyy reported that Russia lost more than 30,000 soldiers killed or seriously wounded in May alone, claiming Ukraine possessed “video confirmation” of these battlefield casualties and that such loss rates have continued consistently each month.

He acknowledged that Ukraine also continues to experience significant losses despite what he characterized as a favorable casualty ratio.

Zelenskyy indicated Ukraine was ready to establish a complete ceasefire throughout the negotiation period and suggested a comprehensive prisoner exchange as an initial step toward resolving the conflict.

The Ukrainian leader also demanded the return of civilians and children removed from Ukraine during the war.

“The world has not grown tired of Ukraine, as you long hoped it would. But there is growing fatigue with Russia,” Zelenskyy declared.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a public letter to President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, calling for face-to-face discussions between the two leaders to bring their conflict to a close after more than four years of fighting. Zelenskyy cautioned that his country remains prepared to continue its defense if no agreement can be reached.

The Ukrainian president’s office confirmed the correspondence was distributed to multiple nations, including the United States. In his message, Zelenskyy argued that most Russian citizens have become weary of Ukrainian aerial strikes, rising prices, and fuel supply problems, making them receptive to ending hostilities.

Noting America’s current focus on the Iranian situation, Zelenskyy stated “it would be wrong to simply wait until the war in Europe returns to the center of its attention.”

The Ukrainian leader emphasized that any peace process must begin where the fighting occurs, describing it as “the line from which diplomacy must begin.” He advocated for “a full ceasefire for the duration of the negotiations,” calling this “standard practice.”

Zelenskyy suggested establishing a specific meeting date and noted that multiple nations have “traditionally hosted leaders to resolve issues of war and peace,” mentioning Switzerland, Turkey and Arab world countries as potential venues.

“Do not be afraid to take the path out of this war. That is the main thing that is required of you now,” Zelenskyy addressed Putin directly.

“Ukraine proposes ending this war through direct engagement between us — and you. I am proposing a meeting… If you do not personally come to the conclusion that it is time to end this war, Ukraine will continue fighting for its existence.”

Zelenskyy also hinted that prolonged warfare might jeopardize Putin’s leadership position, writing: “It is a fact of Russian history that you know well: when Russia grows tired, change comes.”

Russian officials in Moscow confirmed they received Zelenskyy’s correspondence and indicated Putin would be informed about its contents.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced Thursday his nation will maintain a strict schedule for European Union membership negotiations and fulfill its commitments to the 27-member organization.

The president’s remarks came one day after Cyprus, which currently holds the EU’s rotating presidency, announced it had begun preparations to launch negotiations on the initial set of discussion topics with Ukraine and Moldova. The opening chapter focuses on democratic standards and rule-of-law requirements.

“We will have a very clear schedule for moving forward in these talks, especially after changes in Hungary,” Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address.

“We have kept to the schedule and now in June we very much expect the opening of (negotiating) clusters for which Ukraine has prepared. We have done our part of the work. The next step is up to the European Union.”

The decision to advance with negotiations followed Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar’s announcement that his nation had resolved disagreements with Kiev regarding the rights of Ukraine’s 100,000-strong ethnic Hungarian community.

Magyar had earlier stated that resolving the longstanding disagreement was necessary for Budapest to support Ukraine’s EU admission. His predecessor, nationalist Viktor Orban, had blocked Ukrainian EU membership efforts.

Zelenskiy has consistently advocated for Ukraine’s EU membership as a way to establish Western principles in his country during more than four years of conflict with Russia.

The president noted that Ukrainian representatives maintain daily communication with EU officials regarding membership plans, calling this contact “important for our motivation.”

Zelenskiy also mentioned that Ukraine was meeting with European officials to explore strengthening his nation’s air defense systems, coordinating Russian sanctions, and collaborative weapons manufacturing.

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia, June 4 – Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed topics including the ongoing Ukraine conflict, potential peace negotiations with U.S. President Donald Trump, and his possible tenure in office through 2036 during a Thursday meeting with international news agency editors.

The Russian leader met with senior editorial staff from multiple news organizations, including Reuters, in the Russian city of St. Petersburg.

Below are Putin’s statements as provided through Reuters translation.

REGARDING UKRAINE, DONBAS TERRITORY AND PEACE NEGOTIATIONS:

“One does not exclude the other. Controlling the entire Donbas region and making a deal do not contradict each other. Why do you assume that this is in contradiction?”

“Russian troops are advancing along the entire front.” Putin claimed Russian forces now hold more than 85% of the Donetsk region and maintain control over 80% of the Zaporizhzhia region.

“We are certainly ready and willing to reach an agreement with Ukraine by peaceful means. And specifically on the basis that we discussed at the meeting with President Trump in Anchorage. At that time questions were put before Russia so that we could make certain compromises. And Russia agrees to the compromises that we discussed in Anchorage. The Ukrainian side must also agree to these compromises. And the conflict will quickly come to its natural conclusion.”

CONCERNING TRUMP’S PEACE INITIATIVES

“The proposals that were made by President Trump, as I have already said, may well be the basis for peace agreements. Therefore, answering your question, whether the administration acted in the right direction or not, yes, this is a proposal that requires compromise, and compromise for both sides. For Russia, too. And we generally agreed with these compromises. We need to convince the Ukrainian side of this and that’s it. In general, I believe that they can well form the basis of an agreement between Russia and Ukraine and can put an end to this conflict.”

REGARDING REMAINING IN OFFICE UNTIL 2036

When Reuters asked whether he possessed sufficient stamina and health to serve that duration, Putin responded: “Only God knows if we have enough health – for me, for you, and for everyone gathered here, in order to live until tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, and even more so to solve some of the tasks we face, to achieve the goals that we set for ourselves.”

Putin, who has held power as either president or prime minister since 1999, noted that constitutional provisions would permit him to seek reelection in 2030 and potentially serve another term concluding in 2036 if victorious.

“Indeed, the Constitution allows me to run in 2030, but I think it’s too early to talk about it. To be honest, it’s very early. I’m not even thinking about it right now. I’m being completely honest. I don’t even think about it,” Putin said.

“The country faces a lot of large-scale and pressing issues. They need to be solved without thinking about it, but thinking about the future of Russia.”

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia, June 4 — During a Thursday gathering with top news agency editors in St. Petersburg, Russian President Vladimir Putin avoided giving a direct response when asked about his intentions to remain in office through 2036, stating the topic was premature and noting that only divine providence could determine his health and longevity.

When Reuters posed the question about whether he would continue serving until 2036 and if he possessed the physical capacity for such extended leadership, Putin responded:

“Only God knows if we have enough health — for me, for you, and for everyone gathered here, in order to live until tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, and even more so to solve some of the tasks we face, to achieve the goals that we set for ourselves.”

The Russian leader, who has held power in various capacities since 1999 as either president or prime minister, acknowledged that constitutional provisions would permit him to seek reelection in 2030 and potentially serve another full term extending to 2036.

“Indeed, the Constitution allows me to run in 2030, but I think it’s too early to talk about it. To be honest, it’s very early. I’m not even thinking about it right now. I’m being completely honest. I don’t even think about it,” Putin stated.

“The country faces a lot of large-scale and pressing issues. They need to be solved without thinking about it, but thinking about the future of Russia.”

BUCHAREST, Romania — In an effort to resolve a mounting political crisis, Romania’s President Nicusor Dan selected one of his advisors Thursday to lead the country’s next government after the ruling coalition fell apart last month.

Dan tapped 44-year-old Eugen Tomac, who serves as a member of the European Parliament, to attempt forming a new administration following weeks of political uncertainty and governmental paralysis in the EU nation. Parliamentary lawmakers must give their approval to the selection.

The president explained his decision by saying Tomac possesses “independence, experience and values” that qualify him for the position.

During remarks at the presidential Cotroceni Palace in Bucharest, Dan stated: “I chose a person independent of the parties in Parliament, who has the political experience to discuss with each of the parties, because consensus from many parties is needed on many issues. It is an act of responsibility on my part, and I expect the same responsibility from the political parties.”

In his own statement at the palace, Tomac acknowledged Romania’s current difficulties on both political and economic fronts, pledging to bring before Parliament “a team of specialists, a technical government, not a political one.”

“I understand the political stakes,” he remarked. “They are legitimate and natural in a democratic state, but I know that Romania now needs national projects carried through to the end and clear objectives.”

The nomination follows by one month the no-confidence vote that brought down Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, triggered by a motion filed by the Social Democratic Party, or PSD, which had been part of the governing coalition, alongside the nationalist opposition Alliance for the Unity of Romanians party.

As an MEP, Tomac belongs to Renew Europe, a pro-EU liberal faction. He previously held a seat in Romania’s parliament from 2012 to 2019 and received his appointment as presidential adviser from Dan in the past year.

Tomac described his goals for Romania as matching Dan’s perspective “of belonging to the European family, of strengthening the strategic partnership with the United States, of our transatlantic relationship as a whole, our relevance in NATO being a priority.”

He continued: “Economic competitiveness is very important, because only a strong economy can support the well-being that the citizens of Romania deserve.”

The country currently faces one of the EU’s largest budget shortfalls, alongside widespread inflation and a technical recession. The previous coalition took office in June 2025 with budget deficit reduction as a key goal. Bolojan had been installed to address what was considered one of Romania’s most severe political upheavals since the end of communist rule.

Within the European Parliament, Tomac serves on the culture and education committee and has participated in delegations backing Moldova’s EU membership bid. He leads the People’s Movement Party, a minor pro-European, center-right Romanian political organization that identifies as Christian democratic and classically liberal.

Political consultant Cristian Andrei, based in Bucharest, believes Dan’s choice suggests the incoming cabinet will probably feature “neutral ministers, experts from the state apparatus and from big business, but with a negotiated support from the political parties.”

“The extent to which the large political parties will be involved at lower levels of the cabinet will determine how long this experiment will last,” Andrei noted. “The president will enter the stage as a direct facilitator of a cabinet and will negotiate every political deal through a low-profile prime minister.”

The former coalition included the PSD, the National Liberal Party, the reformist Save Romania Union party, and the small ethnic Hungarian UDMR party, along with support from national minorities.

LONDON (AP) — The death of Alex Younger, former director of Britain’s MI6 intelligence service, at age 62 has prompted tributes from Prince William and Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Younger directed the United Kingdom’s foreign intelligence operations, formally called the Secret Intelligence Service, between 2014 and 2020. He was among the earliest people in this position – designated by the code name C – to have their identity made public. Officials confirmed he had received a cancer diagnosis and passed away on Tuesday.

Nick Robinson, a BBC journalist who knew the former intelligence director personally, revealed that following his medical diagnosis, Younger had given his tumor the nickname “Putin,” referencing the Russian leader.

In 2019, Prince William completed work placements at Britain’s intelligence and security organizations to gain insight into their operations as preparation for his future role as monarch. On Thursday, the prince stated that Younger “embodied the very best of what the Secret Intelligence Service stands for – integrity, courage, and an unwavering commitment to protecting this country and its people.”

The Prime Minister described how Younger “will be remembered by the many ministers, colleagues, friends, and family for his utmost dedication to British public life and protecting our nation.”

The present MI6 director, Blaise Metreweli, praised Younger for embodying “my service’s values of integrity, courage, creativity and respect.”

“He made a lasting and distinctive contribution to our country and indeed to global security,” she stated.

A graduate of St. Andrews University in Scotland, Younger completed military service with the British army prior to beginning his MI6 career in 1991. His three-decade tenure with the intelligence service included assignments in the Western Balkans during the 1990s, which he described as work that “involved many nights drinking obscure homemade alcohol, piecing together the intentions of the parties to that conflict.”

During a 2018 address at his former university, he reflected: “I had the satisfaction of knowing that my work, along with that of many others, helped to pave the way for the eventual arrest and prosecution of war criminals implicated in the murder or displacement of hundreds of thousands of people.”

His service also took him to Afghanistan following the September 11 attacks, and he later directed counterterrorism efforts, including security preparations for the 2012 London Olympics.

In a BBC interview last year, he described the dual nature of intelligence work. He admitted there was “a kick” to being “in this play that no one knows is even going on.”

“But at the same time, it is incredibly isolating,” he explained.

He recognized that the fictional character James Bond had created both opportunities and challenges for MI6’s public image.

“He has created a powerful brand for MI6,” Younger remarked in a 2016 address. “As C, the real-life version of M, there are few people who will not come to lunch if I invite them. Many of our counterparts envy the sheer global recognition of our acronym.”

However, he added: “were Bond to apply to join MI6 now, he would have to change his ways.”

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia — Slovenia’s legislative body endorsed a new conservative administration Thursday, installing Prime Minister Janez Jansa in what represents a political shift toward the right for the small European Union nation.

Members of parliament supported the new administration by a margin of 49-30 in the 90-seat legislative chamber.

Thursday’s decision followed March parliamentary elections that failed to produce a decisive outcome. Though former liberal Prime Minister Robert Golob’s Freedom Movement secured the most ballots, he could not secure enough legislative support to form a majority.

The 67-year-old Jansa, who received his appointment as prime minister last month, joined forces with his populist Slovenian Democratic Party and other conservative parliamentary factions to create a coalition administration. The new government also receives support from the nonestablishment Truth party, which originally formed as an anti-vaccination movement during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This represents Jansa’s fourth stint in the top office. The seasoned politician has expressed admiration for U.S. President Donald Trump and maintained close ties with former populist Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who suffered a decisive electoral defeat in April.

Similar to Orban, Jansa took a firm anti-immigration stance during Europe’s major migration crisis in 2015, and has faced criticism for restricting democratic institutions and media freedoms during his previous 2020-2022 tenure. These actions sparked public demonstrations and drew European Union oversight.

Jansa committed that his new administration would serve “for all of Slovenia and for all generations.” During Thursday’s proceedings, he described his 15-member Cabinet as having “rich experience.”

Jansa promised to reduce taxation levels and criticized Slovenia for having “an incredibly overblown bureaucracy” when compared to other European nations. He expressed intentions to invite opposition parties to collaborate on important future matters.

The new Cabinet features Tone Kajzer, Slovenia’s former ambassador to the U.S., who received appointment as foreign minister, while Franci Matoz — Jansa’s previous attorney — was named interior minister, generating some public backlash.

Jansa, who supports Israel, has strongly criticized the Golob administration’s 2024 decision to recognize a Palestinian state. The incoming government is anticipated to repair Slovenia’s currently strained relationship with Israel.

The March 22 electoral contest faced claims of outside interference and corruption. The approximately 2 million residents of the Alpine country remain sharply split between liberal and conservative viewpoints.

FRANKFURT, Germany — A German airline confirmed Thursday that multiple workers sustained injuries when a Boeing aircraft’s front landing gear suddenly collapsed while the plane was stationed at an airport gate.

The malfunction occurred as the 787-9 Dreamliner sat parked with only crew and ground personnel aboard, prior to passenger boarding for a scheduled departure from Frankfurt to Los Angeles. Officials described the gear retraction as happening without warning, sending the aircraft’s nose plummeting several meters to the tarmac and damaging the gear compartment doors. The Los Angeles flight was subsequently scrapped.

“Several employees were injured and are currently receiving medical attention,” Lufthansa said, adding that it and relevant authorities were investigating the circumstances of the incident.

According to aviation tracking data from Flightradar24, the affected 787-9 aircraft is approximately one year old.

In a Thursday email response, Boeing acknowledged being “aware of the incident” and stated the company is “supporting our customer.”

Footage captured at the location showed the wide-body aircraft’s front wheels sliding forward as the nose section dropped multiple meters, with a nearby ground worker quickly moving to safety.

The gear bay doors separated from the aircraft when the nose made contact with the ground.

A similar occurrence happened in 2021 at London’s Heathrow Airport involving a Boeing 787’s nose landing system. The UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch determined that during maintenance operations on a 787-8, the nose gear retracted while testing was underway, causing the aircraft’s front section to contact the ground. Investigators concluded that a safety pin meant to prevent retraction had been placed incorrectly, enabling the gear to fold despite protective mechanisms intended to maintain extension.

TORONTO (AP) — Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney issued a stark warning Thursday about the potential dangers foreign artificial intelligence systems pose to his nation’s security and sovereignty.

During the rollout of his administration’s new AI strategy, Carney emphasized that this transformative technology has arrived and that Canada relies too heavily on overseas providers. He expressed concern that the nation’s dependence could leave it vulnerable to exploitation.

The prime minister had previously cautioned at this year’s World Economic Forum in Davos that powerful nations like the United States have leveraged economic ties to intimidate smaller countries. On Thursday, he highlighted how the majority of AI-related data flows beyond Canadian borders.

Similar to other forms of economic interdependence such as supply networks, Carney explained that artificial intelligence systems could become tools of coercion against Canada.

“That creates real risks that foreign entities could access Canadian data, deploy AI products that shape Canadian lives without reflecting our values,” Carney said. “And tilt the playing field against Canadian firms — while Canada lacks the leverage to push back or the ability to control.”

The administration’s strategy document observes that “AI is a game of scale that is dominated by hegemons and hyperscalers” and states this “poses a significant security and economic challenge as countries around the globe risk becoming subordinate or reliant on them.”

The plan outlines Canada’s role in guiding other mid-sized nations or allied countries through this technological transition.

“A coalition of aligned democracies, who pool research, talent, compute and procurement power, would offer a credible alternative to the dominant market actors that increasingly define the global AI landscape,” the document says.

Carney announced his administration plans to introduce new laws for enhanced data and privacy protection. He also revealed plans to construct a world-class public AI supercomputer.

“Canadian researchers train models on foreign cloud platforms. Canadian companies store sensitive data in foreign jurisdictions. Government operations rely on infrastructure Canada does not own,” the strategy says.

The document states the federal government will tackle these vulnerabilities by “building its key sovereign capabilities domestically whenever possible, while partnering with trusted allies or buying existing market solutions when appropriate.”

The strategy identified that Canada faces “a major adoption gap.” The prime minister said his administration will provide artificial intelligence education to citizens in educational institutions and community facilities through a literacy program. He explained that complimentary AI educational materials, including coursework, “will help Canadians to identify bias and misinformation — and give them the AI tools to learn and help with their careers.”

Carney noted that internationally, his nation ranks among the lowest countries in AI education, understanding and confidence. He revealed that only 12% of Canadian companies currently utilize AI technology, with even lower usage rates among smaller enterprises.

Despite stalled peace negotiations regarding Ukraine, Russia and the United States are maintaining dialogue on economic and energy matters, according to President Vladimir Putin’s special representative Kirill Dmitriev, who spoke with Reuters on Thursday.

Speaking at Russia’s largest economic forum in St. Petersburg on June 4, Dmitriev confirmed he had recent contact with American officials, stating the communication channels remain active even as Ukraine-related peace efforts have hit a roadblock.

The Kremlin announced on May 18 that Russia-Ukraine peace discussions were temporarily suspended, though Moscow anticipated they would eventually restart, with various levels of contact between Moscow and Washington continuing.

“We talked to Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner yesterday. So the dialogue continues, and there is constant communication,” Dmitriev explained during the conference, naming the American negotiators involved.

The last conversation between U.S. President Donald Trump and Putin occurred on April 29, when they discussed implementing a brief Ukraine ceasefire to commemorate the World War Two anniversary. Dmitriev’s most recent face-to-face meeting with Kushner and Witkoff took place in April.

Following that temporary ceasefire, fighting has intensified significantly. Russian forces have launched drone and missile attacks against Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, while Ukrainian forces have targeted refineries, ports, and industrial facilities located deep within Russian territory.

The American-brokered peace initiative, which began with Russia-U.S. discussions in Riyadh in February of last year, has reached an impasse over disputed territory in the Donbas region that remains under Ukrainian control but which Moscow demands be transferred before any settlement agreement.

According to Dmitriev, not every Russia-U.S. discussion centers on Ukraine, and both nations plan to maintain conversations about energy matters, economic issues, and worldwide stability. He indicated that three-way discussions including Ukraine could happen in the future.

“And then when the time is right, I think there will be an opportunity also for trilateral discussions, but this is more on a diplomatic track,” Dmitriev stated.

On May 18, the United States approved a third extension of a 30-day sanctions exemption that permits Russian seaborne oil purchases to assist “energy-vulnerable” nations impacted by the Iran war.

Dmitriev, who participated in discussions with the Trump administration regarding previous extensions, explained that American officials recognize how these waivers help stabilize markets during the Middle East crisis.

“Extending waivers before was good for the markets. I think the U.S. administration understands that without Russian oil, without Russian gas, it’s impossible to have stability in the energy markets,” Dmitriev commented, though he declined to predict whether another extension would occur this month.

Romania’s centrist president has selected his adviser Eugen Tomac to serve as the country’s new prime minister on Thursday, attempting to resolve a political crisis that has halted government operations, threatened European Union funding access, and caused the national currency to hit historic lows.

The previous broad pro-European coalition administration fell apart last month after the leftist Social Democrats, its largest member party, pulled their backing from Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan and aligned with far-right opposition forces in a vote of no confidence.

The government’s downfall, occurring less than twelve months after taking office, jeopardized ongoing efforts to reduce the European Union’s highest budget deficit and placed the nation’s investment-grade sovereign credit rating in danger.

The 44-year-old Tomac, who serves as a European Parliament member and heads a party without representation in Romania’s legislature, has been given a 10-day window to assemble a government and secure a parliamentary confidence vote.

His administration will be composed of technocrats, given that political parties have been unable to create a new coalition capable of achieving a parliamentary majority.

“Because parties did not get along, the only possible solution is a prime minister who is independent of the parliamentary parties,” the president told reporters.

The president outlined that a new government’s main objectives should include maintaining a pro-Western position, ensuring financial stability, implementing reforms to secure EU funding, and establishing clear budget plans for 2027.

If approved, the incoming government must rapidly execute reforms to access approximately 8.6 billion euros in EU recovery and resilience funding before Brussels’ August deadline and guarantee continued deficit reduction past 2026.

However, Tomac’s administration will likely face difficulties obtaining backing from a divided parliament for controversial reforms, including legislation establishing standards for public sector compensation.

“(The nomination) is a first attempt, we have no guarantees it will pass through parliament or that a majority has been negotiated,” stated Sergiu Miscoiu, a political science professor at Babes-Bolyai University.

“Even if it is confirmed, it will probably not be a long-lived government.”

Romania’s upcoming parliamentary election isn’t scheduled until 2028. The country has never conducted an early election, and analysts suggest the probability of one occurring now is minimal since the opposition hard-right Alliance for Uniting Romanians (AUR) currently leads in public opinion surveys.

Switzerland announced Thursday it will position approximately 4,000 military personnel within its borders to strengthen security measures while France hosts the G7 summit of world leaders next month.

The gathering, scheduled for June 15 through 17 in the French community of Evian-les-Bains situated across Lake Geneva, will draw leaders from major global economies, including U.S. President Donald Trump, along with additional high-ranking delegations.

Officials from the unit responsible for planning and managing the Swiss Armed Forces stated that the magnitude of the event and its closeness to Switzerland’s border necessitates careful coordination between civilian and military officials. Demonstrations are expected during the summit.

“The proximity to the border presents a major challenge for security authorities in the cantons of Vaud, Geneva and Valais. As a result, the Federal Council and Parliament have decided on a subsidiary security deployment of the army,” the Swiss army’s Defence Group said in a statement.

According to the announcement, military forces will be responsible for safeguarding vital infrastructure, such as Geneva Airport, strengthening border monitoring, and overseeing important transportation corridors and Lake Geneva.

The Swiss air force will also increase aerial patrol activities, implementing airspace limitations from June 10 through June 19, while deploying anti-drone technology and defenses against nuclear, biological and chemical dangers, officials added.

Ukraine has announced a significant military aircraft acquisition that will add 36 Swedish-manufactured Gripen fighter jets to its air force fleet as the nation continues defending against Russian forces.

According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s announcement in May, the arrangement involves purchasing 20 of the advanced Gripen E models from manufacturer Saab, while Sweden will donate an additional 16 jets from an earlier generation to support Ukraine’s defense efforts.

The two nations established the framework for this transaction through a letter of intent signed last year, which opens the door for Sweden to potentially sell as many as 150 aircraft to Ukraine. Funding for the initial 20 jets comes from a €2.5 billion allocation taken from a larger €90 billion European Union loan package.

The Gripen represents a fourth-generation lightweight supersonic fighter with a single engine design. Military experts classify it as a multi-role combat aircraft capable of handling air-to-air engagements, bombing operations, and surveillance missions. Defense analysts view it as an economical alternative to more costly fifth-generation fighters like the F-35.

The aircraft takes its name from the Griffin, a creature from Swedish mythology, and has served in active duty since 1996 with multiple upgrades over the years. Sweden’s Air Force received its first Gripen E model this past October, and production has exceeded 280 units total.

Ukraine’s selection of the Gripen stems from its specific design advantages for confronting Russian forces and operating in challenging battlefield conditions. Unlike aircraft such as the F-35 that require established airbases or aircraft carriers, Gripens possess the flexibility to use any straight roadway for takeoffs and landings. This dispersal capability makes the aircraft more difficult to target while grounded.

Ukrainian officials emphasize that Gripen maintenance simplicity translates to increased mission frequency. A six-person team consisting of one trained technician and five conscripts can complete refueling, rearming, and pre-flight preparations in less than 10 minutes.

The fighter’s compatibility with weapons systems from various NATO member countries, including American JDAM and AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles, British Storm Shadow munitions, and French SCALP weapons, eliminates dependence on a single supplier nation.

Combat deployment of Gripens occurred for the first time this year when Thailand utilized the fighters during confrontations with Cambodia, according to Swedish media reports. Previously, the aircraft primarily served air policing functions, including deployment to Poland in 2025 for a NATO airspace patrol mission and enforcement of the NATO-imposed no-fly zone over Libya in 2014.

Sweden maintained neutrality until joining the European Union in 1995 and remained militarily unaligned until NATO membership in 2024, relying on Saab for air force equipment since World War Two. The decision to develop the Gripen dates back to the 1980s.

In the international fighter aircraft market, the Gripen competes against Lockheed Martin’s F-35 and F-16 models, Dassault Aviation’s Rafale, and the Eurofighter. Current operators include South Africa, Thailand, Brazil, the Czech Republic, and Hungary, with Colombia also committing to purchase the aircraft.

Technical specifications for the Gripen E include a length slightly exceeding 15 meters, a weight of 16.5 tonnes, and the capability to complete turnaround operations within 10 minutes of landing. The aircraft maintains lower operational costs per flight hour compared to competitors such as Lockheed’s F-35.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is experiencing a sharp decline in political support from voters in northern Israel, where Hezbollah attacks have been most intense, according to a recent survey that could influence his approach to the Lebanon conflict ahead of upcoming elections.

A ceasefire deal reached Wednesday between Israel and Lebanon may not satisfy what northern residents are seeking from their leadership.

The survey conducted in May by Agam Labs at Israel’s Hebrew University, exclusively provided to Reuters, revealed that northern residents are turning away from Netanyahu’s Likud party at a faster rate than voters in other regions and are more critical of his war strategy in Lebanon.

As Iran calls for Israel to halt its military operations as part of any peace agreement it would support with the United States, the polling data demonstrates Netanyahu’s difficult position between domestic political pressures and diplomatic initiatives from Washington allies.

NORTHERN RESIDENTS SEEK HEZBOLLAH’S ELIMINATION

The upcoming general election scheduled by October could potentially remove Netanyahu’s ruling coalition from power, threatening his reputation as Israel’s most enduring political figure.

Although his administration is widely considered Israel’s most right-wing government ever, many northern voters are calling for more aggressive military action, free from U.S. pressure to conclude Middle Eastern conflicts.

In the northern city of Kiryat Shmona, where approximately half the electorate supported Likud in the previous election, eliminating Hezbollah’s threat and its almost daily rocket and drone strikes represents the primary concern.

When warning sirens sound, residents have mere moments to find safety, and local voters interviewed by Reuters expressed their desire for the Hezbollah conflict to continue until the organization is completely destroyed.

“All night there are loud explosions,” said Kiryat Shmona resident Moshe Yifrah, 45, explaining his lack of faith that a ceasefire with Hezbollah would keep his family safe. “Who would we make it with? Murderers who want to kill us?” he said.

Hezbollah initiated attacks on Israel following the Hamas assault of October 7, 2023, leading Israel to conduct an intensive military operation in Lebanon that eliminated most of the organization’s leadership and compelled it to agree to a ceasefire.

Nevertheless, Hezbollah resumed firing after Israel and the United States began a military campaign against Iran on February 28, causing Israel to restart its offensive and capture large portions of southern Lebanon.

Since October 2023, Hezbollah attacks have resulted in more than 50 civilian deaths in northern Israel, based on data from Tel Aviv University’s Institute for National Security Studies.

In Lebanon, Israeli military operations have killed over 7,500 people since October 2023, according to Lebanese official statements that do not separate civilian and combatant casualties.

Many northern voters, including Yifrah, want Israel to escalate its military efforts, which persisted despite an April ceasefire, but believe Netanyahu is yielding to pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to reach a truce agreement.

“I’m not ashamed to say that I voted for this government, but it turns out that the one managing it is President Trump,” said Yifrah.

Trump, seeking an agreement with Iran, announced Monday that Israel and Hezbollah had agreed to reduce tensions just hours after Netanyahu authorized new attacks on Beirut’s southern areas.

Netanyahu’s political opponents immediately criticized him for compromising national security, increasing his political challenges months before the scheduled election.

“Everywhere Hezbollah is deployed it must be struck and the hands of the IDF should not be tied,” said former military chief of staff Gadi Eizenkot, a potential prime ministerial candidate, during a Monday speech.

On Wednesday evening, a new ceasefire agreement was established requiring Hezbollah to withdraw from southern Lebanon.

Netanyahu announced shortly afterward that military operations would persist despite the ceasefire.

POLITICAL OPPONENTS TARGET NORTHERN REGION

The Agam Labs survey found only 23% of northern voters indicating they would support Likud in the next election, declining from the 35% the party received in the 2022 election. Support for the broader right-wing coalition that forms Netanyahu’s government has decreased even more significantly in the north, the poll indicated.

The decline in Likud support is approximately three times greater in the north, which represents about one-fifth of the voting population, compared to other Israeli regions, and roughly 70% of northern survey participants expressed disapproval of Lebanon war management – higher than in other parts of Israel.

“We see a dramatic shift,” said Nimrod Nir of Agam Labs.

“It’s almost a mirror image of what we saw regarding the past elections, with two thirds intending to vote for the anti-Netanyahu bloc,” he added.

The leader of Kiryat Shmona’s Likud branch declined to comment on the party’s decreased polling numbers or participate in an interview.

Surrounded by verdant mountains, Kiryat Shmona had been a thriving hub for tourism and agriculture, but residents now characterize it as abandoned, with many people having departed.

Businesses were closed and a playground stood empty during a Reuters visit this week.

Netanyahu’s primary challengers are promoting aggressive messaging in the north, with Eizenkot making over 15 visits in recent weeks. Netanyahu has avoided the area.

“He should come visit,” said Yisrael Cohen, 40, who previously supported Likud but will not in the upcoming election. “The government needs to see us.”

Three British Royal Navy personnel were killed when their helicopter crashed during a training mission in southwestern England early Wednesday morning, according to military officials.

The aircraft went down in a field located in Devon County around 4 a.m. local time.

In a statement, the navy’s head General Gwyn Jenkins expressed his sorrow, saying he was “deeply saddened to share the news that three crewmembers onboard a Royal Navy Merlin Mk4 helicopter have died after it crashed in the early hours of this morning near Sourton, Devon.”

Jenkins confirmed that an investigation has been launched into the incident, with additional details expected to be released at a later time. The cause of the crash remains unknown at this point.

The Merlin Mk4 aircraft typically operates with a four-person crew and has the capacity to transport up to 24 troops. According to the Royal Navy’s official website, these helicopters serve multiple functions including anti-submarine operations, search and rescue missions, cargo transport, and maritime surveillance.

The Ministry of Defence confirmed that the families of the deceased service members have been notified of the tragedy.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the fatalities as “utterly tragic.”

NICOSIA, June 4 – Cyprus lawmakers chose Annita Demetriou for another term as parliamentary speaker during Thursday’s voting, with the results offering early signals about political alliances taking shape before the 2028 presidential race.

While Cyprus operates under a presidential government structure, parliamentary coalition patterns often reflect broader voting tendencies across the nation.

Demetriou, who leads the right-wing Democratic Rally party, secured her position through support from her own party along with backing from the Democratic Party, a centrist organization that supports current President Nikos Christodoulides, and Direct Democracy, a grassroots movement established by a social media personality.

Following the May 24 parliamentary elections, two political parties that had been backing Christodoulides’s government – the socialist EDEK and centrist Dipa – lost their legislative representation. This leaves the Democratic Party as the sole group in parliament currently aligned with Christodoulides.

Military officials in Paris announced Thursday that NATO fighter jets were deployed 11 times during the past week to intercept Russian aircraft over the Baltic region, representing an unusually elevated level of aerial confrontations.

The interceptions occurred as part of NATO’s ongoing Baltic Air Policing Mission, which safeguards the airspace above Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania using rotating deployments of alliance fighter aircraft to supplement these nations’ defense capabilities. Jets are launched to respond to unidentified aircraft or those not following proper protocols.

A spokesperson for France’s armed forces, Guillaume Vernet, suggested during a weekly press conference that the spike in aerial encounters might indicate Moscow’s attempt to demonstrate military strength during the same period it held its yearly St Petersburg International Economic Forum.

“The French detachment deployed on the Baltic Air Policing mission carried out multiple interceptions of Russian military aircraft flying without flight plans or radio contact,” Vernet said, adding that the intercepted aircraft included armed fighter jets, intelligence and transport planes.

These latest incidents add to a growing pattern of military drone intrusions into the airspace of Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, raising concerns about potential spillover effects from the ongoing conflict in Ukraine into NATO’s northern territories that border Russia.

A fragile truce between Israel and Lebanon has been extended through a new U.S.-mediated agreement announced Wednesday, though the arrangement faces significant opposition from the militant group at its center.

The accord between Israel and Lebanon comes following Israel’s most extensive military push into Lebanese territory in over 25 years, and establishes a framework for broader peace discussions scheduled for later this month.

However, the agreement contains several disputed elements, notably the establishment of experimental security areas within Lebanon where the Iranian-supported Hezbollah organization would be prohibited from operating, along with provisions calling for the group’s ultimate dissolution.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun described the arrangement Thursday as the “last chance to enter a final and comprehensive ceasefire.” A previous U.S.-mediated accord from November 2024 aimed at stopping hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel, which began due to the conflict in Gaza, ultimately collapsed.

The announcement follows recent events where a major escalation was barely avoided through a separate Monday agreement that prevented Israel’s planned attacks on Beirut’s southern neighborhoods while Hezbollah agreed to stop striking northern Israel. However, questions persist about the current deal’s viability.

The present arrangement expands upon an initial truce established April 17 between Israel and Lebanon’s government.

Notably, while much of the agreement depends on Hezbollah’s actions, the militant organization did not participate directly in negotiations. Hezbollah’s leader, Sheikh Naim Kassem, has instead depended on Iran’s influence in discussions with Washington. Tehran has maintained that any resolution to the Iran conflict must encompass Lebanon.

Kassem harshly criticized the agreement Thursday, describing it as “Satan’s dream in heaven.” He demanded a total ceasefire and Israeli military withdrawal, arguing the deal would destabilize Lebanon and create internal divisions.

“The agreement allows Israel to take in politics what it couldn’t in war,” Kassem stated. “As long as the occupation is still present, then the resistance will continue.”

Israel maintains it is fighting Hezbollah, which it has long viewed as a significant threat, rather than Lebanon directly. Nevertheless, Israeli forces have targeted areas well beyond Hezbollah’s sphere of influence, including central areas of Lebanon’s capital city.

The Shiite Muslim armed organization formed in 1982 as a response to Israel’s occupation of southern Lebanon at that time, and has developed into one of Lebanon’s most powerful entities.

Emphasizing its perception of the group as an existential danger, Israel stated in Wednesday’s joint announcement that its security and territorial integrity “can only be achieved through the disarmament of Hezbollah and the dismantlement of its infrastructure throughout Lebanon.”

Lebanon’s endorsement of a statement characterizing Hezbollah as a threat highlights the widening rift within the country regarding the organization, and Beirut’s attempts to separate itself from Iran while strengthening relationships with Gulf nations and Washington. This approach also risks alienating Hezbollah and its supporters, primarily from the Shiite population.

The joint announcement states the ceasefire “is contingent on a complete cessation of Hezbollah fire and the evacuation of all Hezbollah operatives” from areas south of the Litani River. This river, situated approximately 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of Israel’s border, marks the boundary of a U.N.-established buffer zone from 2006 where Hezbollah is prohibited. Israeli forces have currently advanced well beyond the Litani River into southern Lebanon, displacing hundreds of thousands of Lebanese civilians.

The statement indicates Lebanon and Israel committed to “swiftly advance the creation of pilot zones in which the Lebanese Armed Forces will take exclusive control of the territory to the exclusion of all non-state actors.”

This places additional burden on Lebanon’s financially struggling military to establish authority in regions where Hezbollah maintains significant presence. Lebanon worries that an aggressive approach to disarming Hezbollah could trigger nationwide conflict, while Israel criticizes Beirut for insufficient action.

Israeli forces currently occupy substantial portions of southern Lebanon and have destroyed residential buildings and historical landmarks.

The statement also mentioned that negotiators explored a security structure that would encompass “the dismantlement of non-state armed groups, and the prevention of their reemergence.”

The specific methods for establishing these pilot zones and dismantling Hezbollah remain highly uncertain. Aoun suggested that a series of villages just north of the Litani could serve as the pilot zone.

Lebanon has emerged as a significant obstacle in efforts to expand the separate ceasefire in the Iran conflict. The joint statement declared that “all parties condemned Iran’s attacks on countries in the region, and ongoing activities that undermine stability throughout the Middle East, whether through support for proxies and all other acts of aggression.”

The document also contained explicit language aimed at separating the two conflicts.

“All countries reaffirmed that the future of the relationship between Israel and Lebanon must be decided by the two sovereign governments. They rejected any attempt, by any state or non-state actor, to hold Lebanon’s future hostage,” the statement read.

It continued that “any agreement to cease hostilities must be reached directly between the two governments, brokered by the United States, and not through any separate track.”

This language appears designed to stop Tehran from using Hezbollah and the Lebanese conflict as leverage in its own ceasefire talks.

Despite the initial truce agreement in mid-April, combat has persisted, with Hezbollah resuming attacks following Israeli strikes in Lebanon that Israel described as defensive measures.

The fighting shows little indication of decreasing. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced Thursday that Israeli forces would maintain their presence in what he termed a security zone in Lebanon, while continuing operations against Hezbollah facilities.

The military “will, at this stage, continue its fire and activity on the ground,” he stated. Katz said the arrangements reflect “the reality we have created in Lebanon so far” and could eventually result in a peace agreement with Lebanon and “real and lasting security” for northern Israel’s residents.

Thursday saw the Israeli military warn southern Lebanon residents that it was continuing to strike Hezbollah “infrastructure located in and near the area south of the Zahrani River.” The warning stated that “anyone who moves south of the river is putting their life at risk.” The Zahrani is positioned approximately 30 kilometers (18 miles) north of the Litani River.