Category: World News

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s leadership announced Tuesday its commitment to maintaining net-zero objectives while facing energy supply challenges from international conflicts, establishing a plan to slash the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions by 87% compared to 1990 levels over the coming 15 years.

Britain established a legally mandated objective in 2008 to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Legal requirements force the administration to create emission limits for upcoming five-year periods following a rigid schedule.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband announced the administration will follow recommendations from its independent Climate Change Committee regarding the 87% objective for the upcoming period spanning 2038 through 2042.

Officials contend that transitioning toward renewable energy sources will shield the nation from fuel cost volatility experienced during the Russia-Ukraine conflict and Middle Eastern tensions.

“As Britain faces the second fossil fuel shock of the decade, the only way to protect family and business finances is to drive for clean homegrown power that we control,” Miliband said.

Researchers indicated the objective positions Britain to achieve its 2050 net zero commitment, although Tuesday’s declaration lacks specific implementation details.

“I think this is very good news as a milestone to net zero at 2050. But, alongside the ambition, we need both a coherent joined-up plan to achieve it and a delivery board — independent of government, politics and the (Climate Change Committee) — tasked with making it happen,” said Martin Siegert, professor of geosciences at the University of Exeter.

Opposition Conservative and Reform UK parties contend the administration should reduce renewable energy objectives and increase North Sea oil and gas extraction to decrease Britain’s reliance on foreign energy sources.

Conservative Party energy spokeswoman Claire Coutinho said that the emissions target “will make us weaker, poorer and send everyone’s energy bills even higher.”

Defense exports from Israel soared to an unprecedented $19 billion in the past year, representing a 30% jump from the previous year, according to Tuesday’s announcement from Israel’s Defense Ministry.

The ministry reported that over half of last year’s transactions were large-scale agreements worth $100 million or higher, with total sales more than doubling over the past five years. This growth occurred amid international condemnation of Israel’s military operations in Gaza and conflicts with Hezbollah and Iran.

The ministry declined to reveal the identities of purchasing nations.

Industry officials indicate that nations publicly committed to avoiding Israeli defense contractors are still discreetly making purchases. Analysts explain that governments seek Israeli equipment because it has been proven in combat situations, allowing them to witness the effectiveness of weapons and systems in active use.

Defense Minister Israel Katz stated: “There is a clear and unmistakable thread connecting the (army’s) battlefield achievements across all fronts, the extraordinary capabilities of Israel’s defense industries, and the success of Israeli defense exports around the world.” He emphasized that these rising numbers strengthen Israel’s standing as a major defense technology leader while creating an obligation to continue advancing innovation.

The Defense Ministry highlighted anti-drone technology as a key area for future development, noting challenges faced during conflicts with Iran. These unmanned aircraft present detection difficulties for radar systems designed to track fast-moving missiles and can be confused with birds or aircraft.

The recent Defense Tech Expo held in Tel Aviv demonstrated increasing global demand for Israeli military equipment, with companies displaying weapons and gear influenced by recent military engagements. However, the event also exposed tensions between military technology promotion and political controversy over its application, as demonstrators criticized Gaza’s extensive damage as experimental testing for Israeli armaments.

Israel’s Defense Ministry maintains that its equipment serves to protect the nation and its citizens, rejecting claims that combat zones are used as testing facilities.

Missile, rocket, and air defense systems comprised over 25% of last year’s sales, matching the previous year’s pattern, according to ministry data. The ministry also noted significant growth in observation and optronics systems sales. Optronics involves electronics using optical, infrared, or ultraviolet radiation for applications including rifle targeting systems.

Research from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute published in March revealed that Israel has overtaken the United Kingdom in global arms export market share for the first time, establishing it as the world’s seventh-largest weapons supplier.

Nine students charged with orchestrating a fatal fire at a girls’ boarding school in central Kenya faced a judge Tuesday as authorities requested additional time to complete their investigation into the deadly incident.

The High Court in Naivasha, located 90 kilometers (55 miles) west of Nairobi, the capital, announced it would decide Wednesday whether to allow the detention of the accused students for an additional month while the probe continues.

The devastating blaze occurred on May 28 at Utumishi Girls School, sweeping through a dormitory that housed 202 students. According to investigators, the school matron was unable to unlock an emergency exit, forcing all students to flee through just one door.

The nine accused students have remained in police custody for five days. During questioning, authorities learned the fire began when someone used a matchstick and paraffin to ignite a mattress near the dormitory exit. Officials have not yet disclosed any motive for the attack.

DNA testing results to identify some victims whose bodies were severely burned are scheduled to be released Wednesday.

Security camera footage recovered from the destroyed dormitory captured six students igniting the fire just before other students awakened and rushed to escape the flames that ultimately injured 79 people.

Following this tragedy, five additional school fires have broken out across the nation, and the Kenya Red Cross has responded to 37 school fires since January began. None of these other incidents resulted in deaths or injuries.

School fires occur frequently in Kenya, where educational facilities often suffer from overcrowded classrooms and dormitories while lacking accessible firefighting equipment. The most devastating incident happened in 2001 when 67 students perished in Machakos County, while the latest fatal fire occurred in 2024, claiming 21 children’s lives in Nyeri County.

Previous cases have involved students deliberately setting fires at their schools due to disciplinary conflicts.

Cambodia’s leadership has submitted formal documentation to a United Nations maritime authority requesting mandatory mediation in a sea boundary conflict with Thailand, the country’s Prime Minister Hun Manet announced Tuesday.

The contested waters are thought to hold substantial reserves of natural gas and other valuable energy resources that both nations claim.

Cambodia’s move to involve the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, known as UNCLOS, follows Thailand’s decision last month to cancel a 25-year-old agreement between the two countries designed to address competing maritime boundary claims.

Thailand withdrew from the pact unilaterally in May as diplomatic relations deteriorated following significant military confrontations along their shared land boundary last year.

The armed conflicts from the previous year generated nationalist sentiment, creating political demands for Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to end the maritime agreement.

During a live television appearance on TVK state broadcasting, Hun Manet announced that his administration had provided official notification to both Thailand and the U.N. secretary-general to initiate mandatory mediation procedures under UNCLOS protocols.

“Cambodia has never violated the sovereignty of other states,” he said.

“At the same time, we are unwaveringly determined to defend Cambodia’s sovereignty. Today, we continue to honor that responsibility, not through force, but through international law; not through unilateral action, but through peaceful engagement.”

The timeline for when the dispute might be resolved remains uncertain.

Anutin addressed the development by informing media representatives that Cambodia’s initiative did not pose concerns for Thailand. He had earlier stated that Thailand would pursue maritime boundary solutions following UNCLOS frameworks, though he disagreed with Cambodia’s approach of forcing mediation.

UNCLOS decisions do not legally bind participating nations, despite both countries having signed the international treaty.

Thailand has historically opposed allowing external parties to resolve territorial matters rather than handling them through direct bilateral negotiations. The country has maintained that a 1962 International Court of Justice decision granting Cambodia control of the mountaintop Preah Vihear temple near their border was unjust, contributing to persistent tensions between the neighboring nations.

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — Multiple ceasefire agreements have been declared with considerable publicity across Gaza, Lebanon and Iran. Yet military operations persist throughout these regions.

Over recent weeks, Israeli military units have seized additional territory in Gaza while eliminating two senior Hamas leaders and more than a dozen other individuals. In Lebanon, Israeli forces took control of a Crusader fortress during the weekend in what represents their furthest advance in 26 years, while Hezbollah continued launching rockets toward northern Israel.

Combat in Lebanon displayed no signs of diminishing Tuesday, following U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement that both parties had committed once more to reducing tensions.

The United States and Iran have exchanged military strikes, including incidents on Monday, while attempting to negotiate a more permanent peace agreement. Iran continues controlling the Strait of Hormuz, sustaining a worldwide energy crisis, as the U.S. works to strengthen its maritime blockade of Iranian harbors.

While none of the combating factions have formally abandoned their ceasefire commitments, the concept is quickly becoming meaningless.

Trump promoted the October Gaza ceasefire as a significant diplomatic achievement that might lead to Middle Eastern stability. However, despite ending two years of comprehensive warfare and securing the freedom of all remaining captives from Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, assault, no additional advancement has occurred.

Hamas continues to maintain its weapons, while Israeli forces have moved forward instead of retreating. An international peacekeeping force remains absent, a replacement Palestinian government stays uncertain, and rebuilding the extensively destroyed region has not commenced.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians continue living in deplorable temporary shelters, enduring sewage odors and rodent problems, while fearing Israeli military strikes.

The U.S. and Israel hold Hamas responsible, claiming its unwillingness to surrender weapons has delayed progress. Hamas charges Israel with repeatedly breaking the ceasefire, including through consistent strikes that have resulted in at least 932 Palestinian deaths, including women and children, since implementation, according to local medical authorities.

Throughout Gaza and Lebanon, Israel maintains it reserves the authority to attack when facing perceived dangers or when suspected fighters attempt to cross sometimes unclear battle lines — boundaries that shift as forces capture additional ground.

Israel currently occupies approximately 60% of Gaza, up from roughly half when the ceasefire was established, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently announced plans to capture more territory.

A Lebanon ceasefire established in April has minimally affected combat between Israel and the Iran-supported Hezbollah, especially in southern Lebanon, where they continue exchanging fire as Israel expands its control of Lebanese land.

During the weekend, Israeli forces planted their flag atop Beaufort castle, representing their furthest penetration into southern Lebanon since concluding the 1982-2000 occupation. Hezbollah retaliated with extended rocket strikes into northern Israel.

Israel had maintained conducting attacks following an earlier 2024 ceasefire. Hezbollah had stopped firing until the U.S. and Israel struck Iran on Feb. 28, triggering the broader conflict. Hezbollah never formally endorsed the April ceasefire but promised compliance if Israel stopped its attacks and departed Lebanon.

Israel declares it will continue military operations until rocket and drone threats against its northern communities are eliminated, either through its own efforts or by the Lebanese government disarming Hezbollah. This appears increasingly unlikely as fighting has intensified, despite ongoing Israeli-Lebanese talks.

Iran has simultaneously requested a Lebanon ceasefire as part of any agreement with the United States.

A broader ceasefire established in early April involving the U.S., Iran and Israel aimed to conclude the regional conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route whose blockade caused petroleum prices to surge, creating economic hardship well beyond the area.

Iran initially declared the strait’s reopening after the ceasefire agreement, but decided to close it again following the U.S. naval blockade implementation. Trump demands Iran reopen the waterway and make substantial compromises regarding its controversial nuclear program, while Iran seeks a permanent war conclusion, blockade removal and sanctions relief.

Both parties seemed near an agreement last week but failed to finalize one. Trump has consistently threatened to restart warfare if Iran doesn’t abandon its highly enriched uranium reserves, while Iranian representatives state they won’t discuss nuclear matters until achieving a more stable truce.

The parties have continuously exchanged attacks in the strait, with the U.S. responding to what it describes as threats to commercial vessels or its own personnel, and Iran retaliating with missile and drone strikes on Gulf nations hosting American troops.

On Monday, the U.S. reported bombing radar and drone facilities in Iran after Tehran destroyed an American drone over the weekend. Iran subsequently claimed it attacked American personnel in Kuwait with missiles, which the U.S. says it intercepted.

In a statement published on X, U.S. Central Command declared it “will continue to protect our forces from Iranian aggression while supporting the ongoing ceasefire.”

Economic conditions in Iran have deteriorated to levels not witnessed since the 1940s, as the nation’s Central Bank released data Monday showing inflation has skyrocketed to historic proportions.

The bank’s report marks the first time officials have formally recognized what Iranian citizens already experience daily when shopping for groceries, paying taxi fares, or seeking medical care: their currency has been devastated by ongoing warfare and the uncertainty surrounding potential escalation.

According to the Central Bank data, consumer prices for a standard basket of goods and services climbed 77.2% in May compared to the previous year. The monthly increase from April alone was 8.5%. Essential items including medicine, transportation, tobacco, and communication services saw even steeper price jumps of 113.8% year-over-year.

The last time Iran experienced comparable economic hardship was in 1942, when British and Soviet forces occupied the country and seized control of its railway system, creating severe food shortages. Combined with poor agricultural yields, this led to widespread hunger and disease outbreaks that claimed many lives.

A domestic research organization, the Bamdad Institute of Economic Studies, characterized the current inflation figures as “an unprecedented rate since World War II.” The Central Bank itself did not comment on the historical significance of these numbers.

The economic deterioration stems from multiple factors, including military strikes that have damaged Iranian businesses and oil facilities this year. Additionally, a U.S. naval blockade continues to intercept Iranian oil shipments bound for international markets, cutting off a crucial revenue stream. Tax collections have also declined as businesses struggle even during periods when fighting has paused.

The Iranian rial has experienced catastrophic devaluation, falling from 32,000 per dollar in 2015 to more than 1.7 million per dollar currently.

“We will definitely have higher prices,” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian cautioned in May. “We are fighting and we must accept this hardship.”

Historical precedent suggests such economic pressure could trigger widespread civil unrest. Food price increases in 2017-2018 led to demonstrations that resulted in over 20 deaths and hundreds of arrests. Later protests over gasoline subsidies reportedly killed more than 300 people. Earlier this year, currency-related demonstrations became the most significant challenge to the Islamic Republic since the 1979 revolution.

Despite efforts by hardline groups to maintain morale through weapons training and public ceremonies, experts warn that new protests could emerge if families can no longer afford basic necessities.

“I have no doubt that if Trump leaves (Iran without a formal peace deal) … most probably, we will see something like January by the end of summer because of the economic and social situations,” analyst Mohsen Jalilvand said in a video published by Iran’s Fararu news website.

Tehran-based economist Saeed Leilaz, speaking to The Associated Press, warned that annual inflation in Iran could reach 80%.

“Iran’s society cannot tolerate above 25%” annual inflation, he said.

A dramatic increase in gang violence involving children has prompted Sweden to consider an unprecedented response: imprisoning 13-year-olds convicted of serious crimes.

The Scandinavian nation has witnessed a dramatic escalation in gang-related violence over the past ten years, with criminal organizations increasingly using minors to carry out shootings and bombings. This trend has distinguished Sweden from other European nations and created a challenging dilemma for officials dealing with violent juvenile offenders.

The current administration, which took office in 2022 and faces a competitive election this September with crime as a central concern, argues that previous lenient policies have proven ineffective. Their solution involves lowering the age of criminal accountability from 15 to 13 and placing convicted minors in specialized detention facilities instead of social services programs.

Criminal organizations in Sweden generate approximately 185 billion Swedish crowns ($20 billion) annually through drug trafficking, large-scale fraud, and theft operations. Law enforcement officials estimate these groups include 17,500 active members and 50,000 associates. These networks exploit social media platforms to recruit teenagers and sometimes children as young as 11 to execute violent crimes throughout the Nordic region.

The proposed legislation would establish Sweden’s criminal responsibility age below that of most European nations. Young offenders convicted of the most severe crimes would be housed in specialized facilities, including one designed specifically for female inmates.

“We have an emergency,” Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer declared in April.

“Last year, 52 children under the age of 15 were involved in legal trials suspected of murder or attempted murder. So we’re not talking about theft, not even assault or robbery. We’re talking about murder.”

Parliamentary representatives will decide on this legislation, which includes a five-year review provision, on June 15.

Reducing the accountability age represents just one strategy in combating gang violence, alongside extended prison terms and enhanced law enforcement authority.

The conservative administration claims its aggressive approach is producing positive outcomes. Fatal shootings decreased to 44 in 2025 from a high of 62 in 2022, while more gang members face incarceration.

However, preventing criminal recruitment of children presents a greater challenge. Officials believe imprisonment will serve as a deterrent while intensive rehabilitation programs will reduce repeat offenses.

Rosersberg prison, located north of Stockholm, is among three facilities being modified to house the most violent teenage criminals. Daily life will emphasize education, with recreational time allocated for television, video games, and gymnasium activities. Cell doors will be secured at 8 p.m. nightly.

Prison Governor Gabriel Wessman anticipates receiving the first young inmates following the summer months. The primary challenge compared to adult inmates will involve providing comfort and support to teenagers, some experiencing their first separation from parents.

“They will grow up in here,” he explained, noting the facility must guide them through adolescence. While phones are prohibited, chess instruction will help develop focus. However, emotional support remains essential.

“It’s not that uncommon in the outside world that boys at this age have soft toys,” Wessman observed. “Maybe we should see that we have one in every cell.”

Sweden’s current approach places its most serious juvenile offenders under social services supervision, but this system faces widespread criticism. According to a Swedish National Audit Office report, nine out of ten young gang members in youth facilities reoffend, with eight out of ten eventually serving adult prison sentences.

The majority government argues that imprisonment will safeguard the public, deliver justice for victims, and sever gang connections. Parliamentary voting on the legislation is scheduled for June 15.

Opposition voices express concern about the impact on these children.

“A 13-year-old is a child — one who is not even legally old enough to purchase energy drinks,” stated opposition Centre Party spokeswoman Wilma Roth. “Children under 15 who commit serious crimes should be taken into care and provided treatment, rather than being imprisoned.”

Sweden’s law enforcement and correctional officials have also expressed reservations about the proposal.

Britain and Northern Ireland, where criminal responsibility begins at age 10, are currently considering raising their threshold.

Denmark previously lowered its criminal responsibility age to 14 in 2010, but researchers determined this change had no impact on crime rates.

Stockholm University Criminology Professor Felipe Estrada Dorner acknowledged that incarcerating already disadvantaged youth could damage their future prospects, while recognizing society’s need for protection.

“We cannot have murderers walking our streets,” he stated.

British law enforcement officials are facing intense criticism following the death of an 18-year-old student who was restrained with handcuffs while dying from knife wounds after his attacker made false claims about a racist assault.

Henry Nowak lost his life following a stabbing incident in Southampton, a city in southern England, this past December. On Monday, his killer Vickrum Digwa, age 23 and of Sikh faith, received a life sentence after providing false information to authorities claiming Nowak had attacked him.

Body-worn camera recordings show Nowak on the ground stating “I’ve been stabbed” and “I can’t breathe” while a responding officer replies “I don’t think you have mate”.

Nigel Farage, leader of the anti-immigration Reform party that currently tops polling data, characterized the incident as evidence that ethnic minority rights are prioritized over those of white British citizens.

“The fear of being called racist was greater than dealing with Henry Nowak’s murder,” he stated.

“We should respond to this with pure cold rage.”

During Monday’s court proceedings, Judge William Mousley recognized that the case has generated racial tensions throughout Britain. A demonstration is planned for Tuesday evening in Southampton, with additional protests scheduled online for this week.

Cabinet Office minister Nick Thomas-Symonds described the body camera video as “harrowing” during a BBC Radio interview, stating: “The conduct of the police when you look at it at the scene is shocking”.

Digwa used a knife to attack Nowak, claiming he was allowed to carry the blade under religious exemptions that permit Sikhs to possess ceremonial daggers.

Upon police arrival, Digwa reported that his turban had been removed and that he sustained an eye injury.

The victim’s relatives described his treatment by officers as “inhumane and degrading,” though his father stated outside the courthouse that his son’s death should not be “used to create further division, hatred or tension.”

Farage drew comparisons to the 2020 death of George Floyd in the United States, which ignited the Black Lives Matter movement. Floyd had also said “I can’t breathe” while an officer pressed a knee against his neck for several minutes.

Nowak passed away shortly after being placed in handcuffs. Officers removed the restraints and began CPR once they recognized his injuries.

Hampshire Police, the responding agency that has issued an apology, is under investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

“The details of the police response raises serious concerns about police impartiality, fairness and judgement,” stated police commissioner Donna Jones, who added that investigation results would be released promptly.

BEIRUT (AP) — Eight people lost their lives in Israeli drone attacks across southern Lebanon on Tuesday, coming just one day after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Hezbollah had reached an agreement to reduce military operations.

On Monday, Israel had issued warnings about potential strikes on Beirut’s southern neighborhoods, sparking widespread fear in Lebanon’s capital city. Thousands of residents evacuated to more secure locations while Hezbollah launched rocket attacks toward northern Israel. Israeli military forces conducted their most significant advance into Lebanese territory in over two decades, though the capital had largely avoided attacks during the previous six weeks, except for two specific operations targeting southern Beirut neighborhoods in May.

Following discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and communications with the Lebanese militant organization through intermediaries, Trump later declared that “there will be no Troops going to Beirut.”

According to Lebanon’s State-run National News Agency, an Israeli drone attack struck a vehicle traveling on the route connecting the southern town of Marjayoun with Nabatiyeh city on Tuesday, resulting in the deaths of James Karam, a dentist from the neighboring Christian community of Qlayaa, and his daughter and son. Lebanese military officials reported that two soldiers sustained minor injuries when another drone attack targeted their position on a road outside the city.

The news agency documented that a drone attack on Jibchit village resulted in the deaths of two Syrian workers employed at a plant nursery, while a separate strike on the adjacent village of Toul claimed two additional lives. A fourth attack targeted a vehicle near Harouf village, killing one person.

The National News Agency also confirmed that an Israeli airstrike on Monday resulted in six fatalities in the southern village of Marwaniyeh.

Hezbollah announced Tuesday that its forces launched anti-tank missiles against Israeli troops advancing into the southern village of Hadatha, located approximately 7 kilometers (4 miles) from the Israeli border. Warning sirens activated across multiple areas in northern Israel, according to military officials, who stated that “a suspicious aerial target” was detected in the region where Israeli forces are conducting operations in southern Lebanon, with no casualties reported.

Even after a Washington-mediated ceasefire agreement established in April, both parties have maintained their exchange of attacks following Israeli operations in Lebanon, which Israel characterized as defensive measures.

These recent confrontations occurred as a second series of negotiations between Israel and Lebanon was set to begin Tuesday and Wednesday in Washington, where Lebanese representatives plan to pursue a comprehensive ceasefire agreement to prevent future hostilities. The Israel-Lebanon discussions that commenced in April marked the first such talks in over thirty years between the nations, which maintain no official diplomatic ties.

The ongoing conflict creates a significant challenge for the developing agreement to extend the ceasefire in the Iran war that began after the United States and Israel conducted strikes against the Islamic Kingdom on February 28. Tehran seeks any deal to incorporate a complete cessation of hostilities in Lebanon.

Hezbollah has declined direct negotiations, relying instead on Iranian influence.

The current cycle of violence between Israel and Hezbollah has resulted in 3,433 deaths in Lebanon and forced over 1 million people from their homes. Data from Netanyahu’s office indicates that at least 27 Israeli soldiers and one defense contractor have died in or around southern Lebanon. Two civilians in northern Israel have also been killed.

Israeli military officials reported late Monday that one soldier was killed in southern Lebanon, with seven additional soldiers wounded in the same incident, three critically.

Hezbollah’s deployment of difficult-to-detect fiber-optic drones has proven particularly lethal against Israeli forces, who continue to face challenges in developing effective countermeasures.

Four people were hospitalized Tuesday after a black bear went on a rampage at an industrial complex in northeastern Japan, marking the latest incident in what has become the country’s worst year for bear attacks on record.

According to Japan’s Environment Ministry, bear encounters have claimed 13 lives across more than 230 separate incidents in 2025, surpassing all previous annual totals for both deaths and attacks.

Emergency responders raced to the Sasakino district of Fukushima after the Fukushima Steel Works called for help, reporting that a bear had attacked two of their workers. Surveillance video captured the frightening encounter, showing the animal pursuing an employee in his 20s near the facility’s entrance before knocking him down. The footage then shows the bear entering the factory grounds and mauling a second worker, a man in his 60s.

The animal went on to attack a third victim — another man in his 60s employed at a different company nearby. An 80-year-old neighborhood resident also fell victim to the bear, according to the Fukushima City Fire Department.

Medical officials reported that while the three male victims suffered minor wounds, the elderly woman sustained more serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

As of Tuesday evening, the bear remained at large and was thought to be hiding somewhere within the second company’s premises. Armed police officers carrying long poles had surrounded the area.

Two local schools shut down operations, with Noda Elementary School switching to remote learning and posting an alert on its website warning families to “avoid non-essential outings and stay safe.”

The violent encounter has terrified local residents and brought back memories of last year’s widespread panic that prompted military deployment to Akita prefecture in northern Japan, where bears attacked more than 60 people and killed four.

Wildlife experts attribute the growing problem to Japan’s expanding bear population moving into areas where the human population is rapidly aging and shrinking, leaving fewer people with the skills to hunt the animals.

Government officials estimated Japan’s total bear population at approximately 57,800 in March. Authorities have implemented a management strategy that includes systematic culling efforts. The plan calls for tripling municipal bear control personnel to 2,500 workers over the next five years while doubling the number of bear traps deployed.

Recent bear sightings have been reported even in Tokyo’s western suburbs, particularly around the Okutama hiking region. Park authorities have responded by installing additional traps and issuing bear warnings through social media channels.

Officials have intensified public education efforts, encouraging hikers and mushroom foragers to monitor bear sighting reports and avoid outdoor activities during early morning and evening hours when the animals are most active.

Government safety guidelines recommend that anyone who encounters a bear should remain calm, move deliberately, and resist the urge to turn and run. If attacked, the manual advises victims to lie face down, curl into a ball, and protect their neck area.

“The point is to save yourself from a fatal wound,” the manual states.

BECOV NAD TEPLOU, Czech Republic – An extraordinary collection of vintage wine bottles from the late 1800s, concealed beneath a castle chapel during World War Two, is now available for public viewing after an extensive restoration process by the renowned French winery Château d’Yquem.

The remarkable find consists of 133 bottles, with most produced between 1892 and 1899. The wine collection was uncovered in 1985, hidden beneath the chapel floor at Becov castle near the German border, where it had been secretly stored by the castle’s owners at the war’s conclusion.

According to Toni El Khawand, Chateau d’Yquem Cellar Master, the underground hiding spot created ideal storage conditions for preserving the wine’s quality over decades.

Testing conducted in 2016 using a Coravin device – which extracts samples through the cork using a needle without causing damage – confirmed the wine’s remarkable preservation.

“It benefited from very good conditions of conservation, in this old chapel, I think very humid and very cold, with thick walls, and also underground so it preserved the moisture and temperature in a very constant way. Those were excellent conditions to store a wine,” El Khawand explained.

The French winery has carefully recorked multiple bottles during the restoration process, with El Khawand noting that every detail was preserved authentically, including the original dust coating on the bottles.

Becov castle previously served as the residence of the Beaufort-Spontin family before being seized by then-Czechoslovakia after the family was branded as Nazi sympathisers.

Before escaping to Austria, the Beaufort-Spontins concealed their wine collection alongside a reliquary of St. Maurus, believed to contain bones of St John the Baptist.

The discovery came about in 1984 when the family contacted American businessman Danny Douglas for assistance in recovering their hidden valuables. Douglas secretly petitioned authorities on the family’s behalf to retrieve an unspecified object from an undisclosed location.

Following negotiations with officials regarding permits, police eventually determined Douglas’s target location and the nature of the treasure he sought, ultimately leading to the collection’s recovery.

Russia’s Defense Ministry defended its large-scale overnight assault on Ukraine Tuesday, characterizing the attack as retaliation for what Moscow described as terrorist activities carried out by Ukrainian forces against Russian territory.

Officials in Ukraine reported that Russian missiles and drones bombarded the capital city and several other urban areas in the early morning hours Tuesday, resulting in no fewer than 11 fatalities and more than 100 injured civilians. The attack came after days of intelligence warnings about Russia preparing a significant offensive operation.

“Overnight, in response to terrorist acts of the Kyiv regime, the armed forces of the Russian Federation carried out a massive strike using high-precision long-range air-, land-, and sea-based weapons,” the Russian Defence Ministry said in a statement.

According to the ministry’s account, Russian forces deployed hypersonic missiles and unmanned aircraft to strike seven different Ukrainian regions, including the capital, Zaporizhzhia, and Kharkiv. The ministry claimed successful hits on infrastructure supporting Ukrainian military operations, including fuel storage sites, transportation networks, and military aviation facilities.

Moscow had issued threats the previous week, announcing plans to conduct systematic bombardments of targets in the Ukrainian capital as revenge for what Russia characterized as a catastrophic Ukrainian drone assault on a student residence facility in Russian-controlled Luhansk in eastern Ukraine, an attack that claimed 21 lives.

Ukrainian officials countered that their forces had aimed at a drone operations center in that location rather than civilian students. Speaking Monday evening, Putin accused Ukrainian leadership of beginning a fresh chapter in what he called a series of criminal acts, referencing both the dormitory incident and a subsequent attack on residential buildings in a Russian-occupied section of Ukraine’s Kherson region. Each side rejects accusations of intentionally striking civilian populations.

BRUSSELS — European Union leaders have approved sweeping changes to immigration policy that will accelerate deportation processes and permit controversial agreements to establish detention facilities in foreign countries, according to human rights organizations drawing parallels to hardline U.S. immigration enforcement.

“The new regulation will speed up the return process and increase returns of persons who have no legal right to stay in the EU,” said Nicholas Ioannides, deputy migration minister for Cyprus, which holds the rotating presidency of the 27-nation bloc.

The agreement was reached Monday evening through negotiations between the EU’s primary governing bodies — the European Commission, European Council and European Parliament — in what officials call a “trilogue” session.

Opponents have drawn comparisons between this policy and U.S. immigration strategies under the Trump administration, which established undisclosed agreements with various nations to remove thousands of individuals to countries other than their homelands. The United Kingdom had similar plans to send migrants to Rwanda, though legal challenges stalled the initiative and new leadership abandoned it upon taking office.

“The Regulation is going to create a draconian detention and deportation machine,” said Silvia Carter, spokesperson for the Brussels-based Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants.

“Across the Atlantic, we see the violence and fear created by ICE’s brutal immigration enforcement. Europe should be learning from the harms of that model, not building its own version of it.”

The tentative agreement will now advance to EU lawmakers and national leaders, where swift approval is anticipated.

Member countries will gain authority to negotiate bilateral agreements with non-EU nations to establish deportation facilities. At least five EU countries — Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Denmark and Greece — are currently discussing arrangements with third nations, primarily in Africa, to host “return hubs” similar to Italy’s detention agreement with Albania.

The EU has consistently strengthened migration restrictions following right-wing parties gaining control in several countries during 2024. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, representing the center-right European People’s Party coalition, has stated these new policies will avoid repeating the 2015 emergency triggered by Syria’s civil conflict, when approximately 1 million people sought asylum.

Driven by individuals escaping violence and economic hardship throughout Africa and the Middle East, the 2015 refugee emergency and subsequent years of unauthorized migration to Europe have sparked a conservative political shift in the region, mirroring anti-immigration attitudes that contributed to a “red wave” in the 2024 U.S. election.

Center-right political factions joined forces with far-right groups to defeat opposition from moderate and progressive parties, according to Mélissa Camara, a French lawmaker and Green Party member who described the agreement as “a historic setback” for human rights in the region.

“The legalization of return hubs outside the European Union, the green light for the detention of minors, home visits inspired by ICE practices: the legal arsenal serving a xenophobic ideology is now complete,” she said.

Advocacy organizations cautioned the legislation would significantly undermine protections established by the EU fundamental charter on human rights and create dangers for people beyond the bloc’s borders.

“This deal will give governments much broader powers to detain and deport people,” said Marta Welander, a spokesperson for the International Rescue Committee. “It looks set to normalize immigration raids, expand the use of detention in prison-like facilities outside EU territory that are essentially legal black holes, and increase the risk of people being deported to countries where they could face persecution, torture or worse.”

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenya’s leader has publicly backed a controversial American-funded Ebola treatment center, even as legal challenges and citizen demonstrations have temporarily halted the project.

President William Ruto spoke out Monday evening in support of the disputed quarantine center planned for Laikipia Air Base, describing it as part of America’s decades-long health collaboration with his nation. He explained the facility represents just one of 24 such centers being developed to prepare for potential Ebola cases within Kenya’s borders.

Public opposition has mounted since American officials announced last week that US Ebola patients would not be permitted to return home for treatment, but would instead receive care at the Kenyan facility. The collaboration involves a $13 million American investment in the partnership.

A high court judge on Tuesday extended emergency orders first issued Friday that suspend both facility construction and any incoming foreign patients. Legal advocates from the Law Society of Kenya and constitutional group Katiba Institute brought the case, arguing Kenya’s struggling healthcare infrastructure cannot adequately serve international patients.

Making his first public remarks about the controversy, Ruto explained his decision stemmed from longstanding diplomatic ties between the nations.

“When President Trump asked the government of Kenya to support them by having a center at Laikipia Air Base, I gave the OK because it was an agreement and a partnership with friends who have worked with Kenya for 30-40 years,” he said.

The president emphasized that facilities created through this partnership would also serve Kenyan citizens should an Ebola outbreak occur domestically.

“We are a responsible government. We know what we are doing. People should relax. Politicians should avoid reckless, unnecessary talk that doesn’t mean anything,” he said.

BEIJING, June 2 – Beijing has sharply rebuked the Philippines’ top defense official following his characterization of China as a major security concern, despite recent Chinese offers of assistance during supply shortages.

The Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro stated to Reuters on Saturday that China continues to represent a “severe threat” and has shown no indication of genuine long-term goodwill, even as Beijing has recently provided fertilizer and fuel during war-related supply issues.

Beijing’s foreign ministry responded by claiming Teodoro’s statements show he is “solely driven by personal interests” and has ignored what’s best for his country’s citizens.

“If such individuals are allowed to act as they please, how will China continue to provide aid and supplies to the Philippines?” ministry spokesperson Mao Ning asked during a Tuesday press conference.

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Denmark’s Social Democrat leader Mette Frederiksen will begin her third tenure as the nation’s prime minister, heading a center-left alliance of four political parties following two months of coalition talks.

The newly formed government consists of Frederiksen’s Social Democrats alongside three other parties: the centrist Moderates led by departing Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, the Green Left (SF), and the Danish Social Liberal Party, according to a Monday announcement from the Danish Royal House.

Speaking Monday evening, Frederiksen described the new administration as one that will serve “the people of Denmark, for the generations to come and for the animals.”

Frederiksen had triggered early elections in February, seemingly anticipating her party would gain support from her direct approach during tensions with U.S. President Donald Trump regarding Denmark’s semiautonomous Greenland territory.

The March parliamentary elections failed to deliver a clear majority for either progressive or conservative political blocs. Denmark’s proportional representation electoral system regularly results in multi-party coalition governments drawn from either the left or right side of the political spectrum.

This ruling coalition emerged after two unsuccessful government formation efforts — one led by Frederiksen herself and another by former Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen, who had attempted to establish a center-right administration.

The coalition’s policy agenda will be unveiled Tuesday, with cabinet appointments scheduled for announcement Wednesday.

The 48-year-old leader has governed the EU and NATO member nation since mid-2019. In the recent election, her party secured 38 seats in the 179-member unicameral legislature, representing a decline of 12 seats compared to the 2022 contest.

Frederiksen has gained recognition for her robust backing of Ukraine against Russia’s military aggression and for implementing strict immigration policies.

Responding to pressure from conservative opposition and citing concerns about potential migration increases due to the Iran conflict, Frederiksen proposed measures this year including a possible “emergency brake” on asylum applications and enhanced oversight of undocumented criminals. Her administration had previously announced plans allowing deportation of foreign nationals sentenced to one year or more for serious offenses.

During her second term, public approval declined amid rising living costs. However, she experienced renewed popularity while managing the diplomatic crisis over Trump’s interest in Greenland, which reached its peak in January with brief threats of European tariffs for nations opposing U.S. control of the Arctic territory.

The Greenland situation, which dominated government attention in recent months, played a minimal role in the campaign due to widespread consensus regarding its status within the kingdom.

In January, Frederiksen cautioned that American acquisition of Greenland would effectively destroy NATO. The crisis has since subsided.

Following Trump’s withdrawal of tariff threats against Denmark and other European nations opposing U.S. control of the Arctic island, the United States, Denmark, and Greenland initiated technical discussions for an Arctic security agreement.

Campaign discourse ultimately centered on living expenses, retirement benefits, and possible wealth taxation rather than foreign policy concerns.

A white South African political figure has sought refuge in the United States through a program established by President Donald Trump, driven by concerns about potential future persecution in his home country.

SJ Du Venage, a 56-year-old council member representing the Freedom Front Plus party in the Western Cape province, grew up with concerns about what might happen to white South Africans if political control shifted. Despite not experiencing direct mistreatment, these worries have remained with him throughout his life.

Du Venage previously served as a youth leader in the far-right Conservative Party, which had opposed ending apartheid. He is now among several Afrikaners seeking entry to the United States under Trump’s program designed to assist South Africa’s white minority, whom Trump alleges face racial persecution – claims the South African government dismisses as unfounded.

While Trump’s specific accusations about state-sponsored violence and widespread land confiscations have been debunked, Du Venage continues to feel threatened in his homeland.

“When Trump’s offer came, it was an opportunity from heaven,” Du Venage stated during an interview from his temporary residence in Saint Helena Bay, located north of Cape Town.

The life coach and former personal trainer underwent a seven-hour evaluation with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in Pretoria this past February. He has since disposed of his property and fulfilled medical and security screening requirements mandated by American officials while awaiting a decision on his application.

Du Venage explained that his refugee petition centers on apprehension of future harm rather than past incidents, both of which can serve as grounds for acceptance according to the U.S. embassy. He referenced a menacing communication he received from an unknown individual after he organized a commemoration for a white farmer whose 2020 death became a source of racial tension.

“I was asked in the questionnaire who do I think wants to kill me, and I don’t really know,” he explained, believing his involvement in farm murder advocacy has made him a potential target.

While killings of white farmers represent only a small portion of South Africa’s elevated murder statistics, which predominantly impact Black citizens, these incidents have become rallying points for right-wing movements both locally and globally.

According to State Department figures, the United States has accepted over 6,000 South Africans as refugees since the previous year and recently increased the yearly limit to 17,500 to accommodate more white South Africans, even while other refugee initiatives remain suspended.

South African authorities view this arrangement as preferential treatment for Afrikaners – white South Africans primarily of Dutch ancestry – and challenge assertions that they experience widespread persecution.

“There is a very well-organised lobby in South Africa that is emphasising white victimhood, and that is being hugely emboldened by Donald Trump,” commented Fanie Du Toit, executive director of the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation, a South African research organization.

Du Toit, who belongs to “Afrikaners for South Africa,” a coalition opposing this narrative, noted that available information does not substantiate claims that white South Africans face group-based oppression or danger.

Research conducted by the institute in 2022 revealed that approximately three-quarters of white participants reported rarely or never feeling unsafe in their neighborhoods, with a comparable percentage rating their living situations favorably. In contrast, only one-third of Black participants described their living circumstances positively.

Support for emigration remains minimal even among Afrikaner political groups. Freedom Front Plus leader Corne Mulder expressed to Reuters that while he values Trump’s interest, he would prefer American assistance for Afrikaners remaining in South Africa, since few actually wish to relocate.

Du Venage, who holds a position within the party’s internal organization rather than as an elected official, anticipates challenges in adapting to American life and hopes for placement in an area with climate conditions similar to Cape Town’s.

“The feedback that we get is there is a small percentage that’s very lucky, that land in a nice place with a lot of support, but a lot of our people are really struggling,” he observed.

MOSCOW — Russian military officials announced Tuesday that their extensive nighttime bombardment of Ukraine served as retaliation for what they characterized as “terrorist acts” by Ukrainian forces, claiming they successfully hit numerous Ukrainian military installations.

Officials in Ukraine reported that Russian aerial weapons and missiles hammered the capital city and additional locations during the early morning hours Tuesday, resulting in no fewer than 11 deaths and over 100 injuries after several days of alerts regarding Moscow’s preparations for a large-scale offensive.

“Overnight, in response to terrorist acts of the Kyiv regime, the armed forces of the Russian Federation carried out a massive strike using high-precision long-range air-, land-, and sea-based weapons,” the Russian Defence Ministry said in a statement.

According to Russian officials, the military deployed advanced hypersonic weapons and unmanned aircraft to strike seven regions across Ukraine, including Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Kharkiv, claiming successful hits on locations valuable to Ukrainian military operations including energy infrastructure, transportation hubs, and aviation facilities.

Moscow issued a warning the previous week that it would begin conducting “systematic strikes” against targets in Kyiv as payback for what it described as a catastrophic Ukrainian drone assault on student housing in Russian-controlled Luhansk in eastern Ukraine, resulting in 21 fatalities.

Ukrainian officials maintained they had aimed at a drone operations center in that area rather than students. Putin stated Monday night that Kyiv had “opened a new page in a series of crimes” through the dormitory attack and a subsequent strike on residential buildings in a Russian-controlled section of Ukraine’s Kherson region. Each side rejects accusations of intentionally attacking non-combatants.

NAIROBI, June 2 – Fatal violence broke out Monday in central Kenya as demonstrators rallied against a proposed United States Ebola quarantine facility planned for a military installation in the area, according to protest organizer Patrick Wahome and a security source who spoke with Reuters.

Details surrounding how the two fatalities occurred have not been disclosed. Attempts to reach Kenya’s national police spokesperson for comment were unsuccessful.

Kenya’s leader is standing firm on his decision to allow an American-supported Ebola isolation facility at a military installation in the country’s central region, describing it as part of broader national emergency planning and ongoing health cooperation with Washington.

The East African nation gave approval last week for an American proposal to build the facility at a central Kenya military airfield for U.S. citizens who might have encountered Ebola exposure.

Community members and area officials in Nanyuki, located close to the installation, organized demonstrations on Monday opposing the proposed facility. Protesters expressed concerns about potential community exposure to Ebola and challenged the decision to provide quarantine services for American nationals. The demonstration came amid increasing public opposition and court proceedings aimed at stopping the project.

In his first public comments regarding the facility, the president said such arrangements were routine and comparable to other installations already operating throughout Kenya.

“The facility that is at Laikipia Air Base is not a facility different from all the other facilities that we have across Kenya,” the president told media representatives in northern Kenya late Monday, encouraging citizens not to question the government’s emergency planning.

The Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda are currently fighting the uncommon Bundibugyo variant of the Ebola virus in an outbreak that has claimed 48 lives and been designated a public health emergency of international concern by the WHO. The outbreak is advancing faster than the international response, which began slowly.

The Kenyan leader said he authorized the facility following a request from U.S. President Donald Trump for Kenya’s support, referencing decades of collaboration with Washington on health initiatives including HIV/AIDS, Ebola and COVID-19.

The president explained that Kenya had established isolation, monitoring and treatment centers in 23 counties, noting the facility would assist Kenyans along with international partners, including Americans, when necessary.

He rejected opposition to the proposal, stating Kenya had an obligation to prepare for potential Ebola cases, including among Kenyans residing or working in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

A court temporarily halted the plan last week following a legal challenge that argued the location could threaten public health. The president did not reference the court’s decision.

A U.S. military C-130 cargo aircraft landed in Nanyuki as late as Friday afternoon, based on flight-tracking service Flightradar24 data.

Two Nanyuki locals also reported observing military planes heading toward the base during the weekend, although Reuters could not verify whether they were American aircraft.

Kenya has strengthened border screening procedures at land and air entry points and is examining approximately 3,000 individuals daily, the president reported, noting that no Ebola cases have been found in the nation.

“We are a responsible government. We know what we are doing,” he stated.

A former U.S. submarine commander is working to solve a critical challenge facing Ukraine’s military: preventing Russian drones from crossing the Black Sea undetected to strike the port city of Odesa.

Charles Maher, who established maritime intelligence and security firm BlueShadow, has partnered with Ukraine’s defense forces to create a system managing fleets of autonomous naval vessels that would establish a defensive perimeter along the Ukrainian coastline.

“When fully deployed, there’ll be four squadrons of 12 vessels … And these squadrons will operate 10 to 12 kilometres offshore,” Maher told Reuters. He noted that the initial squadron — equipped with missiles and interceptor drones — could become operational by early 2027.

The Danish company BlueShadow joined seven other startups in showcasing innovative systems and technologies to military personnel during a recent weekend demonstration. These companies represent part of a growing network of small businesses and investment organizations that have emerged to strengthen Ukraine’s defense capabilities.

All participating companies collaborated with Defence Builder, a private sector accelerator that offers funding, guidance, and resource access to help defense technology startups expand into larger enterprises.

Line Rindvig, CEO of Defence Builder, explained that the organization provides companies with initial funding of $10,000 and a four-month acceleration program. This includes guidance on establishing solid business foundations to attract investors and military connections for product support and feedback.

In exchange, the military receives potentially affordable weapons or systems to deploy against a much better-funded adversary, while the accelerator acquires a small ownership stake in the startup.

“Business is business, but we also all serve a bigger purpose,” Rindvig said. “And it is to make sure that the solutions that are needed to win this war are getting the financial backing they need.”

Defence Builder operates as part of the Ukrainian Council of Defense Industries Investor Club, which includes approximately 25 institutions working to stimulate investment in Ukraine’s defense sector and coordinate deals.

The organization reports that publicly disclosed defense investment in Ukraine surged from merely $1.1 million in 2023 to $105 million in the previous year.

To accelerate procurement processes, military brigades can purchase products directly from manufacturers through the Brave1 Market online platform and DOT-Chain — functioning like an Amazon marketplace for weapons featuring 800 products from 200 manufacturers.

Similar to typical consumers, military units can provide product reviews.

According to Rindvig, one key focus for Defence Builder involves remote-controlled vehicles capable of operating in the “Kill Zone” surrounding the front lines, where numerous drones create increasingly hazardous conditions for human personnel.

Estonian startup Telearmy has been installing remote-control systems in frontline trucks since 2023, enabling operators to drive them from hundreds of kilometers away, according to founder Enn Laansoo.

Positioned next to a modified BRDM-2M — a Soviet-era armoured vehicle — Laansoo explained that Telearmy could retrofit virtually any battlefield vehicle.

“You cannot send any more soldiers to the front line and our technology provides that layer so the soldier doesn’t have to be there,” said Laansoo, whose company seeks capital for expansion.

Recently, Ukraine’s military has deployed “mid strike” drones to attack Russia’s supply bases, air defense systems, and critical transportation routes to the front lines. Addressing a shortage of such drones, startup Wingtech created a reusable fixed-wing bomber called the Haba, which reportedly can travel 300km (190 miles) on missions and resists jamming attempts.

After operating on the battlefield for over a year, Wingtech sought working capital to boost production and meet military demand. Rindvig noted they secured funding when an established Ukrainian defense manufacturer provided financing.

Cambodia announced Tuesday that it has notified both the United Nations and Thailand of its decision to begin a mandatory conciliation procedure under international law to resolve an ongoing maritime boundary disagreement with Thailand.

This action comes after Thailand’s government chose last month to unilaterally end a 2001 accord with Cambodia that had established a negotiation framework for the contested region in the Gulf of Thailand where both nations’ maritime territories overlap.

“We have taken this step to protect Cambodia’s sovereignty and maritime rights in accordance with international law,” Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said.

Thailand’s foreign ministry has not yet responded to requests for comment.

Thailand’s decision to cancel the agreement was part of a campaign promise made by Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who secured re-election in February amid rising nationalist feelings, following two deadly military confrontations between the nations last year along their contested border.

$300 BILLION IN ENERGY RESOURCES

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, known as UNCLOS, permits a mandatory conciliation procedure where a group of independent specialists can review a disagreement and provide recommendations, though their conclusions are not legally enforceable for either nation.

Thailand has previously stated it would reference UNCLOS while pursuing direct talks with Cambodia regarding maritime boundary determination.

Both nations claim roughly 26,000 square kilometers of ocean in the Gulf of Thailand, called the Overlapping Claims Area (OCA), which experts believe contains nearly 12 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and substantial oil reserves, valued at approximately $300 billion.

The oil shock from the Iran conflict has heightened the need to resolve the disagreement and access the underwater energy reserves, Cambodia’s energy minister told Reuters last week.

PROCESS TO BE OVERSEEN BY UN CHIEF

Cambodia has designated Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn as its representative for the proceedings, along with Danish diplomat Peter Taksøe-Jensen and French academic Jean-Marc Thouvenin to serve as conciliators, according to a government statement.

“Thailand now has 21 days to appoint two of its own conciliators. The conciliators will then select a chair to finalize a conciliation commission, overseen by the UN Secretary-General,” the statement added.

Thailand has consistently refused Cambodian attempts to resolve disagreements through international bodies, including the International Court of Justice, maintaining that such matters should be addressed through direct bilateral discussions.

A truce has remained in effect between the two nations since late December after two periods of combat along portions of their 817-kilometer (508-mile) border last year, with the first ending following intervention by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Each side has blamed the other for starting the violence, which resulted in nearly 150 deaths and forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes.

A recent examination of European corporate earnings reports shows that major companies across the euro zone are finding it difficult to increase prices despite rising costs from the Iran conflict, signaling weakened economic conditions that are restraining their ability to charge more.

Financial analysts and European Central Bank officials have been monitoring whether the region might experience another significant wave of conflict-related inflation similar to what occurred after Russia’s Ukraine invasion.

Current evidence suggests this is unlikely to happen.

An examination of 175 euro zone earnings discussions, conducted with artificial intelligence assistance, revealed that just 56 companies had implemented or were planning price increases in the near future, indicating weak consumer demand throughout the 21-nation monetary union.

This represents a dramatic shift from the nearly two-thirds of companies that raised prices immediately following the Ukraine invasion, when energy disruptions combined with post-pandemic recovery and significant government spending drove inflation to double-digit levels.

“There is a clear difference between spring 2022 and spring 2026,” ECB policymaker Olli Rehn said while discussing the findings in an interview.

“This time around, the labour market is less tight, growth is clearly more subdued, and we don’t have such strong fiscal policy stimulus for the moment,” the Finnish central bank governor added.

Euro zone inflation stood at 5.9% when Russia began its Ukraine invasion in February 2022, compared to just 1.9% at the beginning of the Iran conflict four years later. Upcoming data is anticipated to show inflation climbing to 3.2% in May.

The more challenging economic environment should reduce pressure on the ECB to implement substantial interest rate increases beyond an anticipated initial hike next week, which economists believe is primarily designed to demonstrate commitment to preventing energy-related inflation from spreading to other sectors.

“For monetary policy, the implication is that the ECB can likely afford a bit more patience,” Allianz Global Investors’ chief economist Christian Schulz said of the results.

“The case for further tightening is less clear-cut and will require additional evidence on pass-through and underlying inflation dynamics.”

The analysis examined transcripts from 175 earnings discussions held between April 2 and May 15, using an artificial intelligence system called Claude Cowork with the Opus 4.7 model to identify whether companies mentioned increased energy expenses and plans to transfer these costs to customers.

Among the 175 companies studied, 105 addressed energy costs during their earnings presentations and 91 connected these issues to the Iran conflict.

After removing financial companies, which typically view energy disruptions as broader economic issues rather than pricing concerns, 136 companies remained for analysis. Of these, 55 indicated they had implemented or were planning price increases in coming months.

Most price adjustments were concentrated among businesses directly affected by the conflict’s impact on energy and raw materials, or in industrial sectors. These included German chemical group BASF and French cablemaker Nexans.

Companies serving consumers directly have shown greater reluctance to transfer higher costs to customers. Retailers such as Delhaize have pledged to maintain low prices, while automakers including Volkswagen are focusing on reducing expenses instead.

This differs significantly from spring 2022. Using the same AI-assisted approach for earnings calls from that time period, 108 of 132 non-financial companies passed along increased costs, including many consumer goods businesses, as accumulated demand and government support strengthened the economy.

The study indicated that businesses selling to other companies found it easier to implement price increases than those dealing directly with consumers.

Among 33 industrial companies, 11 reported passing on costs, three were planning to do so, and two were implementing partial increases.

In contrast, Italian tire manufacturer Pirelli was the only company among 26 consumer goods businesses to confirm cost pass-through, with just four others considering similar actions.

Karsten Junius, chief economist at Switzerland’s Bank J. Safra Sarasin, said this difference reflected growth patterns driven more by business investment than household spending.

“The AI development and adoption race may make some companies less price sensitive such that higher input costs can be passed on more easily,” he said.

Nevertheless, economists observed that price pressures continue building in certain economic sectors and should not be overlooked.

Price increases announced by transportation companies such as Lufthansa and Deutsche Post — often through fuel surcharges — will likely contribute to broader business costs over time.

“The jury is still out on how persistent the price effects will be, and it’s far too early to sound the all-clear,” Spyros Andreopoulos, founder of the Thin Ice Macroeconomics consultancy, said.

Research from the Bank of Finland indicates that price increases in specific sectors can take between two and 15 months to affect overall consumer inflation.

The analysis also indicates that companies have learned from the Ukraine crisis experience.

Risk management strategies — securing prices through long-term or derivative agreements — have become more common since 2022, reducing the immediate need for price increases.

Leadership at 74 companies in the study reported having hedging strategies in place, compared to 68 four years earlier.

A slightly higher percentage of companies were utilizing indexation provisions, which enable automatic price adjustments when input costs such as fuel increase.

Twenty-five percent of companies planning price increases were using such provisions, compared to 22% in 2022.

The companies examined are typically large, internationally active corporations listed on the Euro STOXX stock market index, meaning they may not represent the situation of smaller businesses.

However, the results align with a European Commission survey of companies’ selling price expectations, which declined in May after rising in April and remain well below levels reached in spring 2022.

BIRAO, Central African Republic — When labor pains struck Maude Ahmad Fadala just after dark, she faced an impossible situation.

Her child was ready to be born, but she was trapped in a refugee camp, weakened by typhoid fever. The camp offered no birthing facilities, and she lacked funds for transportation. Despite her condition, she rose and began walking toward help.

Every few steps, contractions forced her to pause in agony until she could move no further.

“I gave birth in the street,” she said. “There was no doctor, no midwife, and no one holding my hand.”

This tragic experience reflects a broader crisis across sub-Saharan Africa, which faces the world’s highest population growth alongside devastating maternal mortality rates. The region accounts for 70% of pregnancy-related deaths globally, claiming approximately 182,000 mothers annually.

According to the World Health Organization, nearly two-thirds of maternal deaths worldwide happen in nations experiencing conflict or instability. For women like Fadala, who escaped Sudan’s ongoing war to seek refuge in Central African Republic, crossing borders doesn’t end their peril.

Being displaced often means skipping prenatal care, undertaking dangerous travel, and relying on weakened healthcare systems in isolated areas.

The United Nations reports that women in Central African Republic face 40 times greater risk of dying during pregnancy or delivery compared to those in the United States. The nation loses 829 mothers for every 100,000 births, making it among the world’s deadliest places to give birth.

Decades of internal warfare have left Central African Republic and its medical infrastructure in shambles. Despite abundant gold reserves, healthcare remains virtually absent outside major urban centers. One-third of residents survive on under $2 daily.

Recognizing the maternal mortality emergency, the government unveiled a 2024 initiative to boost funding for trained birth attendants and related resources. Officials haven’t responded to inquiries about the program’s progress.

Recent dramatic reductions in humanitarian funding from major donors, including the United States, have further complicated women’s access to medical care.

In Birao, a remote border town near Sudan where Fadala now lives, four local midwives supported by the U.N. Population Fund lost their positions last year when the Trump administration terminated all U.S. funding agreements with the U.N. sexual and reproductive health agency.

Across from Fadala’s tent sits an abandoned “safe space” that previously provided transportation for expectant mothers to the district hospital. This facility was among four such centers in Birao that served nearly 50,000 women. All have shuttered due to lost U.S. funding, along with two American-supported health clinics.

“Some women run the risk of dying in pregnancy situations that are not medically managed,” said UNFPA program officer Marie Justine Mamba Ibingui.

UNFPA’s Central African Republic budget has been cut in half over two years to $6.5 million, according to country director Victor Rakoto. The organization was Birao’s sole provider of reproductive health supplies.

“The risk of maternal death is going to increase if there is no solution,” Rakoto said.

The U.N. reports that conflict-affected areas like Birao account for six of every 10 maternal deaths worldwide.

The district hospital Fadala attempted to reach sits several kilometers away over unpaved roads.

During a recent visit, birthing assistant Delphine Zanabe moved between patients as dozens of women waited, packed together on hard benches in oppressive heat. Some had walked for hours to arrive. Others had endangered their pregnancies by riding motorcycles across rough terrain.

From the border area, adjacent to Sudan territory controlled by paramilitary forces battling the Sudanese military, it’s a 65-kilometer journey to the refugee camp.

“They only come when they are about to give birth,” Zanabe said. “It’s a struggle and it’s either the baby or the mother who suffers.” WHO guidelines recommend at least eight prenatal visits during pregnancy.

For refugees living in survival mode in unfamiliar territory, poverty and lack of education create additional complications. Zanabe explained these factors frequently increase women’s risk for pregnancy and delivery problems.

The maternity ward contains eight beds crammed into such a small space they nearly touch. This serves approximately 70,000 local residents plus 22,000 Sudanese refugees.

Medical staff report that 12 employees have been laid off due to aid reductions, with most coming from the maternity department.

Amna Adam Hessen had arrived the previous day with malarial fever. Her unborn baby was discovered to be in breech position, detected late because she had missed prenatal appointments. Transported by motorcycle from the refugee camp, she hemorrhaged during delivery and lost her child.

The following day, her mother, Salet, fanned her in the stifling heat.

“Giving birth here is exhausting,” she said, describing the long and difficult night.

Amna twisted with fever on the bare foam mattress, crying out, “Mama, mama.”

Zanabe expresses concern about additional humanitarian aid reductions affecting expectant mothers.

The United Nations estimates that over 40% of births in Central African Republic already happen outside medical facilities — a traditional practice that risks otherwise preventable complications.

Clara Abessendé was among the four midwives who lost their positions.

She witnessed the daily number of women arriving at the hospital triple after Sudan’s war erupted in early 2023, while staff ran short of essential supplies like antibiotics and malaria medications.

“As a result, there were more cases of infant and maternal deaths,” she said. Abessendé described feeling burdened by guilt over having to abandon her work.

“The children born in my hands … I abandoned them like that,” she said.

Katidje Idrisse Tahire represents one of the women she can no longer assist.

Tahire moved slowly through the refugee camp collecting water, carrying one child while two others walked beside her. In her ninth month of pregnancy, she was preparing for another birth.

She explained that she fled Sudan four months earlier on foot. At the border, armed men stole everything she owned. Her husband hasn’t been seen since they escaped Darfur.

“My whole body aches,” she said. “I am very tired and unwell.”

Without money, she remains uncertain whether medical care will be available when her baby arrives.

KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian authorities report that an overnight Russian assault using missiles and drones has claimed the lives of at least 11 people while injuring dozens more and leaving others trapped in damaged structures.

The capital city of Kyiv bore significant casualties, with four fatalities and 58 wounded, including three children, according to Ukraine’s state emergency service statement released on Telegram. Eight districts throughout the capital sustained damage to residential buildings and civilian infrastructure.

The violence extended beyond Kyiv to other regions throughout the country. In the central Dnipropetrovsk region, Russian strikes on the city of Dnipro resulted in six deaths and 36 injuries, the emergency service reported. A subsequent strike targeting first responders who had arrived at the initial attack site claimed the life of one rescue worker.

The assault damaged a two-story home and portions of a four-story apartment complex, leaving residents buried under debris from the larger structure.

Explosive sounds reverberated throughout most of the nighttime hours and continued into dawn. The capital had been preparing for another large-scale offensive for several days, following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s warning that Russia was organizing a fresh assault and his appeal for citizens to stay alert and take cover during air raid warnings.

Within the Podilskyi district, the upper levels of a nine-story structure suffered partial destruction, leaving occupants buried beneath rubble. Emergency crews continued their rescue efforts during the early morning hours while air raid sirens remained active.

Two high-rise buildings in the Solomianskyi district — one with 20 floors and another with 24 floors — sustained damage during the bombardment.

Ukrainian leadership has been appealing to international partners for additional air defense missiles to defend against Russia’s ballistic missile strikes. Although Ukraine successfully intercepts most drone attacks, ballistic missiles continue to pose a significant challenge to the nation’s defensive capabilities.

ISTANBUL (AP) — Thousands of miles away from the Argentine and Uruguayan neighborhoods where tango first emerged in Buenos Aires and Montevideo, a dedicated group of dancers in Istanbul has created their own thriving and tight-knit community.

Nightly gatherings called milongas — traditional Argentine ballroom dance sessions — take place throughout this sprawling metropolis that spans two continents, bringing people together through rhythm, motion and the intimate connection of tango dancing.

The city’s dance scene remains vibrant thanks to Turkish residents, expatriates, visiting instructors from around the world and tourists, all supported by numerous dance academies and practice spaces.

Gonca Çetin, who began as a student and has become an instructor, characterizes Istanbul’s tango scene as both inclusive and varied.

“It’s possible for everyone to find a tango environment that suits them. There’s a constantly growing and developing community,” she says.

During Istanbul’s milongas, where switching partners throughout the evening is customary, both familiar faces and newcomers enthusiastically share the same dance space.

“I believe tango is a conversation without words,” Çetin added. “What draws me to it is the unique balance between connection and freedom. Through music and embrace, I am able to communicate, create, and express my emotions in a way that feels both deeply personal and profoundly shared.”

The influence of tango in the city reaches beyond just the dancing itself.

Master craftsman Ercan Umay creates custom tango footwear by hand in his small Istanbul atelier, serving the dancers who frequent the city’s milongas and maintaining another vital aspect of tango tradition.

ŌAMARU, New Zealand (AP) — A rural community in New Zealand has transformed into an unexpected global destination for steampunk enthusiasts and their elaborate Victorian-inspired fantasies.

Each year during a four-day celebration, thousands of costumed participants descend upon this South Island town of 14,000 residents, portraying characters ranging from airship pilots to imaginary nobles. Many attendees dedicate months or years perfecting their elaborate outfits and fictional identities.

The annual gathering unfolds along a historic Victorian boulevard in Ōamaru, which has welcomed its role as an international steampunk destination.

The steampunk movement, which emerged as a recognized term during the 1980s, blends Victorian-era design elements with fantastical science fiction concepts. Enthusiasts envision an alternate reality where steam-powered technology never gave way to modern innovations, continuing to drive scientific progress and exploration. The culture emphasizes repurposed materials and handcrafted items, encouraging followers to master skills like tailoring and various handicrafts to create unique and unusual costumes.

This creative movement provides freedom to reimagine Victorian-era social norms, creating an environment where creativity knows no bounds. Festival-goers showcase brass firearms concealing toy ray guns, leather belt pouches holding delicate porcelain tea sets, and towering decorative headwear.

Unique festival attractions feature teapot races, parasol combat demonstrations, and a procession of ornately dressed participants that draws hundreds of onlookers.

ŌAMARU, New Zealand — A woman wearing a bright pink coat introduced herself as steam billowed from an unusual brass device strapped to her back.

“I am Lady Sarsaparilla Ovabyte, of the Coventry Ovabytes,” she declared. “We are purveyors of fine cordials.”

Standing beside her, a man looked through eyewear crafted from welded forks.

“Captain Bob McSpoon, inventrepreneur,” he announced.

Along a historic Victorian street in rural Ōamaru, New Zealand, these costumed characters — known in everyday life as Juliet and Greg Thorn — blended seamlessly with hundreds of other goggle-wearing, steam-emitting festival-goers. They had traveled to this small community for the yearly steampunk celebration, a four-day tribute to creative eccentricity that attracts thousands of participants from across New Zealand and beyond.

The steampunk movement combines Victorian-era design and engineering with futuristic science fiction elements, creating an alternative reality where steam-powered technology evolved to modern times. This artistic genre thrives on boundless creativity, with more unusual concepts earning greater appreciation.

Festival participants take pride in their recycling abilities and hands-on craftsmanship, developing expertise in tailoring, metalwork, millinery and steam engineering while creating elaborate fictional identities complete with matching costumes. Throughout the year, these enthusiasts work as construction workers, engineers, artists and agricultural workers, with many describing their typical personalities as introverted or quiet. However, they traveled to this festival seeking the spotlight.

“The first time you dress up and go out in public is really scary and then people get such a buzz out of it,” Juliet Thorn explained. “It’s so cool that you take on a different personality.”

Now in its 17th year, the steampunk festival has spawned entire traditions and competitive activities, earning recognition as one of the world’s most prominent events of its kind.

Hundreds gathered in second-floor venues and vintage community centers for steampunk-themed competitions. Contestants rushed to dip biscuits in tea cups and stuff the soggy treats into their mouths faster than their rivals. A parasol-fighting tournament resembled competitive dance moves evaluated on quickness and flair.

Michele Cotten claimed victory in a fashion competition showcasing elaborate and repurposed garments that participants had perfected over months. Cotten merged steampunk elements with the Star Trek franchise to design a bell-shaped gown styled after a navy Starfleet uniform. She equipped it with holiday lights to suggest a cosmic theme, and Cotten, a spectator favorite, walked and posed to cheers from the audience.

The event also featured teapot racing, where participants guided remote-controlled machines topped with teapots through a challenging obstacle course while spectators gasped and groaned.

“If you go out of bounds, that’s a disqualification,” explained Ross McKay, one of the competition’s inventors, who developed it alongside his deceased wife and a friend. He has since brought teapot racing to additional steampunk gatherings around the globe.

“It’s lots of fun and the judges will take bribes,” he joked.

When McKay’s wife first shared photographs of steampunk enthusiasts with him, he remembered thinking, “What a bunch of weirdos,” but the self-described “history geek and science fiction nerd” discovered much to appreciate about the movement. The former banking professional soon registered for evening sewing courses.

Today he performs as Captain Roscoe Dangerfield, Inspector of Nuisances to Her Majesty Queen Victoria III, which blends the historical aspect of an authentic Victorian position with the fantasy of a ruler who never existed.

The steampunk community had become his chosen family, he noted.

Ōamaru serves as the peaceful residence for 14,000 residents and 3,000 threatened native penguins, with the birds inhabiting a colony at the town’s edge that produces such strong odors they can be detected from the overlooking hillside. This South Island community lacks the dramatic landscapes featured in the Lord of the Rings movies that draw tourists to neighboring areas, and for many years served primarily as a rest stop between the larger cities of Christchurch and Dunedin.

A unique architectural feature has established Ōamaru’s reputation as what residents call the global steampunk headquarters. The community boasts a completely intact Victorian street near the waterfront, remaining from the 1800s when Ōamaru functioned as a commercial and trading center, serving as a shipping hub for meat, wool and grain exports from New Zealand to Britain.

These pale stone structures now provide the setting for the festival’s steampunk activities. During other times of the year, the town hosts a Victorian celebration honoring a historically faithful version of that period, with both events coexisting harmoniously after steampunk and Victorian enthusiasts agreed the community could accommodate everyone.

Steampunk, a label created in the 1980s, offers participants a chance to reimagine Victorian social rules based on the principle that if you’re traveling on flying carpets or moving through time, conventional restrictions no longer apply.

“We’re an equal opportunity society,” stated Iain Clark, who helped establish the festival and is recognized throughout the community as Agent Darling. “Women, unlike in Victorian times, can be anything. We have female engineers, captains of industry, captains of airships, adventurers, explorers, scientists.”

Sometimes within the same week. Bringing multiple outfits for each festival day is typical, and changing areas at the event’s headquarters enable rapid costume switches, with nothing too bizarre to surprise anyone.

On the street, a Star Wars soldier walked by, trailed by a group of wolves. A French visitor nervously adjusting his knitted and leather gloves had only learned about steampunk three days prior and instantly embraced the movement.

“You can be creative and you can be somebody else and no one cares,” said John Syben, who was attending his fourth festival.

His partner, Chris Sinclair, explained that the couple had previously been “far too tame, so we’ve gotten more and more outrageous every year.”

“There’s always someone who’s more nuts than you,” she added.

Emergency crews and charitable organizations worked with heavy machinery Monday to retrieve victims following a devastating explosion of stored mining explosives in northeastern Myanmar that claimed dozens of lives.

The deadly blast happened at noon on Sunday in Kaungtup village, located in Namhkam township within Shan state close to the Chinese border.

According to a Monday evening statement from the Ta’ang National Liberation Army, the ethnic rebel organization governing the region, fatalities from the explosion have climbed to 43, with seven of those victims being children. Earlier casualty reports from emergency responders had varied between 38 and 45 deaths. Confirming precise numbers has proven challenging due to the explosive force that dismembered victims’ remains.

The organization reported that 112 individuals sustained injuries, including 25 children, with 37 people in critical condition, sparking fears the death count may rise further.

“Rescue operations and the compilation of casualty figures were still underway,” said the statement.

Numerous resource-abundant regions of Myanmar, where mining activities operate with minimal oversight, fall under the authority of various armed groups engaged in periodic conflicts with the central government while pursuing increased independence. Fatal incidents, including catastrophic landslides, occur with notable frequency.

The TNLA reported that Sunday’s explosion involved gelignite utilized for local mining and stone quarrying operations. While gelignite sees widespread use, it becomes extremely dangerous when stored incorrectly over extended periods.

Village inhabitants from the community of 200 households stated they received no notification that explosive materials were being housed in their area.

The TNLA announced that an investigation into the explosion’s specific cause is currently in progress.

This tragedy has drawn attention to Myanmar’s profitable yet minimally regulated mineral sector and Chinese financial involvement in the nation’s resource extraction operations.

Two area residents informed The Associated Press on Monday that mining facilities producing silicon metal raw materials — an essential industrial component for semiconductors, solar panels, and aluminum alloys — operate in mountainous terrain approximately 15 kilometers southwest of Namhkam town.

The residents, speaking anonymously for personal security reasons, stated these mining operations are jointly managed by the TNLA and Chinese business interests and remain off-limits to most local people. The AP could not independently confirm these claims.

Myanmar’s mining sector serves as a significant global source of rare earth materials, copper, tin, and valuable gemstones, particularly jade and rubies, functioning as China’s primary supplier for materials that undergo processing and refinement there.

China maintains a complicated relationship as Myanmar’s military-backed government’s leading ally while simultaneously building connections with ethnic minority organizations.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian in Beijing offered profound sympathies and confirmed that a Chinese citizen hurt in the explosion is receiving medical care. Beijing has offered support for managing the incident’s consequences.

The TNLA, which belongs to the Three Brotherhood Alliance, gained control of the Namhkam region in late 2023 during a significant campaign against the military government. This fighting represents part of the wider chaos following the February 2021 military takeover, which removed Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected administration and sparked extensive armed opposition.

Although the TNLA agreed to a China-brokered ceasefire with the military in late 2023, regional stability remains fragile, and mineral and gemstone extraction provides essential revenue for both the central government and the rebel organizations opposing it.

Petroleum markets retained most of their substantial gains from Monday during early Tuesday trading, driven by ongoing confusion about diplomatic discussions between Washington and Tehran and potential reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

Conflicting reports emerged Monday about the status of negotiations, with the president stating that discussions with Iran were continuing, while Tasnim news agency reported Tehran had paused indirect talks with Washington.

Brent crude futures climbed 6 cents, representing a 0.06% increase to $95.04 per barrel at 0001 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate dropped 17 cents, or 0.18%, to $91.99 per barrel.

Both petroleum benchmarks had surged over 5% during Monday’s session but reduced those increases after the president indicated he hadn’t received confirmation that Iran was halting discussions with Washington and that Israel had committed to withdrawing forces preparing for potential attacks on southern Lebanon.

During a Monday CNBC interview, the president expressed indifference about whether negotiations concluded.

Later, the president posted on social media that talks with Iran were ongoing and told ABC News Monday he anticipates an agreement to extend the ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz “over the next week,” according to the outlet’s X post.

“The market is currently focused on whether there’s any concrete progress or setbacks in U.S.-Iran negotiations, the tone and substance of statements from both sides (particularly Iran’s threats regarding the Strait of Hormuz), and actual physical tanker movements through the waterway,” said Tim Waterer, chief market analyst at KCM Trade.

Waterer noted that the diplomatic negotiations’ status will ultimately decide whether current risk premiums remain in oil pricing or begin to decrease.

Lebanon announced Monday a partial ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, representing a limited reduction in tensions that have intensified the broader conflict with Iran.

“With headlines continuing to fly out of the Middle East, oil prices are set to remain volatile until clearer evidence of progress towards a peace deal emerges,” said Tony Sycamore, market analyst at IG.

Iran has essentially stopped nearly all non-Iranian maritime traffic entering and leaving the Gulf since hostilities began, restricting approximately one-fifth of worldwide oil and liquefied natural gas shipments and pushing prices up by 50% or higher.

American crude exports reached a record 5.6 million barrels daily in May as the Middle East crisis increased demand for the nation’s petroleum from Asian and European refineries, ship tracking data revealed Monday.

A preliminary survey released Monday indicated U.S. crude reserves likely decreased by roughly 3.6 million barrels during the week ending May 29, continuing the previous week’s decline, while distillate and gasoline supplies also probably dropped.

Shipping industry leaders meeting in Athens Monday emphasized that any peace agreement between the U.S. and Iran must establish clear guidelines allowing vessels to resume standard operations through the Strait of Hormuz.

TORONTO (AP) — Prime Minister Mark Carney declared Monday that his nation is not protecting Jewish citizens, who face unprecedented levels of targeted hatred.

Speaking at Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto, Carney acknowledged that anti-Jewish sentiment has reached heights unseen since the end of World War II throughout Canada. He pointed to statistics showing that more than two-thirds of all hate crimes motivated by religion last year were aimed at Jewish Canadians, despite Jews representing just 1% of the nation’s population.

“The horror and shame are global. Our actions must be local. They start with clearly admitting that Canada’s civic compact is failing Jewish Canadians,” Carney stated during his address.

The prime minister detailed violent acts committed by antisemites across the country, including gunfire directed at Jewish schools, firebomb attacks on synagogues, assaults on community centers, targeting of Jewish-owned businesses, and forcing Jewish students away from shared campus areas at universities.

While acknowledging that antisemitism affects Europe, Australia and the United States, Carney emphasized that Canada’s antisemitism crisis is “specific, severe and demands a targeted response.”

Global antisemitic incidents have increased dramatically since the Israel-Hamas conflict started on Oct. 7, 2023.

Noah Shack, the CEO of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, stated before the speech that the Canadian government needs to strengthen efforts to protect community security and fight hatred.

Carney outlined his government’s recent legislative efforts to address antisemitism and other forms of hate over the past year. He announced $75 million (US $54 million) in funding to help faith-based institutions obtain security infrastructure and hire additional security staff.

“It pains me that we had to commit $75 million to this, any dollar to this,” Carney remarked.

The prime minister revealed plans for a new Ministerial Advisory Council on Rights, Equality and Inclusion that will study the causes, scope and factors behind antisemitism. According to his office, the council will assess the impact and guide future investments in education, prevention and community safety initiatives.

“I want to be clear about what these potential measures are, and what they are not. They are not curtailments of freedom of expression. They are not constraints on legitimate criticism of any government on any subject anywhere,” Carney explained.

“They are the basic standards we owe one another, in our shared public institutions, to ensure that no Canadian community is driven from those institutions by hatred.”

Ukraine’s capital city came under intense bombardment from Russian forces during the early hours of Tuesday, with witnesses reporting a massive column of smoke billowing from the city as officials instructed citizens to take cover immediately.

The city’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, reported that flames erupted in the Podil district at a non-residential site, while a nine-story residential building caught fire after what appeared to be debris impact on its rooftop.

“In the Obolon district, cars are burning after being struck by falling missile debris. There are also fires at two locations in open areas, including one near a kindergarten,” Klitschko said on Telegram.

On Monday evening, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had renewed his calls for caution regarding potential large-scale Russian bombardment and emphasized the importance of heeding air raid warnings.

“Intelligence warnings regarding Russian strikes remain in effect. A massive strike is possible, they have prepared one,” Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address.

“Our defenders are ready 24/7 to the fullest extent possible with the supplies currently available.”

Russian officials announced last week their plans to conduct “systematic strikes” against Ukrainian military installations and command centers in the capital, while advising foreign nationals to evacuate.

The threatened escalation was described as retaliation for a drone attack the previous week on housing facilities in Ukraine’s Russian-controlled Luhansk region that resulted in 21 deaths. Ukrainian officials have rejected responsibility for that incident.

A powerful earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale occurred in waters near southern Italy during the early morning hours on Tuesday, according to the German Research Centre for Geosciences.

The seismic event was recorded at a depth of 253 kilometers (157.21 miles) below the surface, the German Research Centre for Geosciences reported.

Traditional healers in Peru conducted a spiritual ceremony Monday to offer blessings for the two contenders in this weekend’s decisive presidential election, as the South American nation prepares to choose a new leader amid ongoing political turmoil and corruption issues.

The ceremonial blessing represents a customary practice performed at the beginning of each year and prior to major elections.

The spiritual leaders assembled at Herradura Beach in Lima’s Chorrillos district, displaying images of both presidential hopefuls during the seaside ceremony.

The final contest features Keiko Fujimori, a conservative politician and daughter of former disgraced President Alberto Fujimori, against Roberto Sánchez, a nationalist congressman and ex-minister. Current polling shows the race extremely close ahead of Sunday’s vote.

During April’s initial voting round, Fujimori secured slightly more than 17% of ballots cast, while Sánchez captured approximately 12% among a large group of contenders. The first round experienced significant operational difficulties that prevented thousands of citizens both domestically and internationally from voting. The country’s election officials required several weeks to confirm the final two candidates for the decisive round.

The ceremonial blessing incorporated flower petals, fresh fruit, coca leaves, and aromatic palo santo wood pieces, along with black tobacco, ceremonial swords, and ritual dolls. The shamans also ignited bright-colored flares and played traditional drums.

“The ritual we perform is primarily intended to ensure that the best candidate is the one who represents our Peru,” said shaman Andrés de los Santos, who had traveled to Lima from the north of the country.

While the spiritual leaders offered no predictions during this ceremony, they have made forecasts previously. At the conclusion of 2025, they predicted Venezuela’s then-President Nicolás Maduro, now facing drug trafficking charges in the United States, would no longer be in office by the end of 2026.

Sunday’s victor will become Peru’s ninth president within a 10-year span, taking over from José María Balcázar, who assumed the interim presidency in February. Balcázar succeeded another temporary leader, José Jerí, who was removed due to corruption accusations after serving only four months.

Peru’s incoming president will take the oath of office on July 28 for a five-year term.

Denmark’s Social Democratic leader Mette Frederiksen announced Monday that she has successfully negotiated a centre-left coalition government, allowing her to retain leadership during ongoing diplomatic tensions with U.S. President Donald Trump regarding Greenland’s status.

The agreement to establish a minority government provides Frederiksen with her third straight term leading the country, bringing closure to months of political uncertainty following March elections that saw 12 different parties gain representation in Denmark’s parliament.

“I have been to see His Majesty the King and announced that a government can be formed after long negotiations,” Frederiksen told reporters.

Frederiksen’s centrist alliance lost parliamentary control during the March 24 elections as Danish voters expressed frustration with rising living costs, though her Social Democratic Party maintained its position as the largest parliamentary faction with 38 seats out of 179 total, a decrease from their previous 50 seats.

Following over two months of political negotiations between the Social Democrats and the right-wing Liberals, both seeking to lead a new administration, the 48-year-old Frederiksen ultimately obtained sufficient parliamentary support to form her government.

The new administration faces pressing priorities including managing diplomatic discussions concerning Greenland, which Trump has suggested annexing, along with accelerating Denmark’s military expansion as European security concerns mount due to Russia’s ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Chile’s far-right leader Jose Antonio Kast delivered his inaugural national address to Congress on Monday, outlining an ambitious legislative plan focused on crime reduction, spending cuts, and economic expansion as he works to rebuild his political standing.

During his speech from Congress in the coastal city of Valparaiso, the president detailed proposals to bolster police forces, strengthen immigration enforcement, and eliminate social benefits for certain individuals with criminal records.

“Starting tomorrow we’re going to move forward with a very intense legislative and administrative agenda,” Kast said.

The address comes at a crucial time for the president, who is working to regain political momentum following declining public approval and internal government upheaval. Successfully implementing his security and economic campaign pledges is viewed as essential for maintaining support from his political coalition.

Outside the congressional building, demonstrators engaged in confrontations with law enforcement during Kast’s remarks.

“Our government’s main goal, and there is no other, is that when our mandate is over, Chileans live better, are safer and have more opportunities,” Kast said.

The president also revealed plans for legislation addressing electrical utility pricing, streamlining government processes, and updating small to medium-sized mining operations. These proposals complement existing congressional legislation aimed at spurring economic development and employment growth.

Kast secured a decisive victory in the 2025 presidential runoff election by campaigning on tough crime and immigration enforcement platforms.

However, since assuming office in March, public support has declined significantly from 57% to 38%, based on polling data from Cadem.

Early in his presidency, Kast encountered a major test when the Iran conflict forced his administration to implement substantial fuel price increases.

The president also dismissed his security minister and another senior cabinet official in May following increased public criticism.

Lebanon’s diplomatic mission in Washington announced Monday that Hezbollah has agreed to a United States-proposed ceasefire arrangement that would halt mutual attacks and potentially expand throughout Lebanon.

According to a statement released by Lebanon’s presidential office on X, the plan would initially prevent Israeli attacks on Beirut’s southern neighborhoods while the Iran-supported Hezbollah would cease its strikes against Israel. This comes after Israeli threats to target the capital’s suburban areas on Monday.

Speaking to Hezbollah’s Al-Manar television network, the group’s lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah indicated Hezbollah would back a comprehensive ceasefire throughout Lebanon as a step toward Israeli military withdrawal. Fadlallah noted the organization would monitor whether the hostilities cessation holds in upcoming days.

The European Union’s council and parliament have successfully negotiated an agreement on new regulations that will allow member nations to expedite the removal of individuals residing illegally within their territories, according to an announcement Monday from Cyprus, which currently holds the rotating EU Council presidency.

The new regulation is designed to streamline deportation procedures across EU member states, enabling faster processing of cases involving people without legal authorization to remain in the countries.

Airlines seeking to avoid conflict-disrupted airspace in the Middle East are increasingly flying through Syria, bringing the country a potential financial windfall after more than a decade of aviation isolation.

Data from Syria’s General Authority for Civil Aviation reveals that 11,801 aircraft crossed through Syrian airspace during May – a dramatic increase from the 4,267 flights recorded in February, which was the final complete month before the Iran war began affecting regional aviation routes. The May figures represent a 375% jump compared to the same period last year.

For 14 years during Syria’s civil war that concluded with President Bashar al-Assad’s removal in late 2024, the country’s airspace remained off-limits to commercial aviation.

This dramatic shift in flight patterns could prove financially beneficial for Syria, particularly after the country raised its airline fees earlier this year.

Using Syria’s newly implemented flat rate of $499 per aircraft, Reuters calculations suggest that May’s air traffic volume could have produced up to $5.9 million in overflight fees.

Officials from the General Authority for Civil Aviation refused to discuss potential revenue figures or provide details about the updated fee structure.

The routing changes began after U.S. and Israeli military actions initiated the Iran war on February 28, forcing the closure of Iraqi and Gulf airspace that carriers had previously depended upon during March.

While a ceasefire allowed airspace to reopen in April, flight-tracking services Flightradar24 and AirNav indicate that most European-bound flights from Dubai and Doha – two major global aviation centers – now travel across central Syria instead of Iraq.

Choosing Syrian routes reduces both travel time and fuel expenses, helping airlines offset rising international oil costs triggered by war-related disruptions.

According to Turkish Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu, Syria has enhanced its Damascus International Airport infrastructure after receiving sophisticated radar and navigation equipment from Turkey in late 2024.

Despite these improvements, OPSGroup, which monitors aviation risks, warns that Syrian airspace remains dangerous and currently operates under “procedural control only” – the most elementary form of air traffic management.

Aviation officials note that current traffic levels remain below half of pre-war volumes, with the increase primarily involving Gulf-based carriers. Europe’s aviation safety authority continues advising airlines to avoid the country and surrounding region due to ongoing Iran-related conflicts.

Carriers from Asia and North America are also largely steering clear of Middle Eastern airspace.

Syrian officials, however, express optimism about the trend.

“The increase in overflight traffic reflects the beginning of a real shift in how airlines view Syrian airspace, as a viable and dependable route once again within the regional air traffic network,” General Authority for Civil Aviation head Omar al-Hosari told Reuters.

Al-Hosari explained that GACA has modernized air routes, reevaluated traffic flows, and enhanced navigation, monitoring and air traffic management systems while implementing risk-focused safety evaluations that meet International Civil Aviation Organization standards.

As part of overhauling overflight payment procedures, GACA has contracted the fee collection process to Syrian ground handling companies, along with OPSGroup and International Flight Planning Solutions, a private Lebanese flight-planning business.

Syria’s uniform $499 flight fee – split between a $430 primary charge and a $69 communication cost – applies to all aircraft regardless of size, type or operational category, according to GACA documentation examined by Reuters and FAS Aero, a government-contracted handling agent. Ground handling companies frequently impose additional charges.

During Assad’s rule, Syria collected $75 from smaller aircraft for overflight privileges, or approximately $1 to $1.25 per metric ton for larger planes, according to OPSGroup and a Syrian aviation official who requested anonymity.

The GACA documentation also indicates a 50% fee reduction for domestic flights and Syrian-registered aircraft, plus complete exemptions for aircraft carrying heads of state, official government delegations, and search and rescue missions.

RIO DE JANEIRO — Political observers and analysts believe the United States’ recent classification of two Brazilian criminal organizations as terrorist groups represents a calculated political strategy designed to assist an ally of President Donald Trump, according to politicians and experts.

The criminal organizations now join eight additional Latin American organized crime syndicates that have received foreign terrorist organization status from the U.S. However, these Brazilian groups stand apart from the others because they don’t conduct operations on American soil.

The designation of First Capital Command, referred to as PCC, and Red Command, known as CV, came after presidential candidate Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro traveled to Washington last week. During his visit, he indicated he requested Trump administration officials to apply the terrorist designation to these groups.

Bolsonaro is seeking to defeat current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the upcoming October elections. The American decision strengthens the senator’s law-and-order platform while amplifying Bolsonaro’s attacks on Lula’s approach to public safety.

“The main driver of this decision was politics, to pressure Lula and help Flávio prior to the October election,” stated Latin America expert Brian Winter, who edits Americas Quarterly, a publication of the New York-based Council of Americas.

Carolina Grillo, a sociology professor at Fluminense Federal University in Rio de Janeiro and an expert on organized crime in Brazil, shared the view that the Trump administration’s action was designed to potentially influence the elections.

“The supply routes for cocaine entering the United States pass through Colombia, Mexico and Central American countries — not through Brazil,” Grillo explained, noting that over 90% of cocaine confiscated in Brazil is headed for European nations.

Lula has objected to the U.S. action, asserting that Brazil is handling its own problems, as demonstrated by recent arrests and an active investigation into PCC.

“I am very sad today, after the news that the secretary of state of the United States, a certain Marco Rubio, said that our criminals here are terrorists and that the Americans can intervene,” Lula stated on Friday. “We will not accept being treated like children. We will not accept being treated as if we were a banana republic.”

Lula’s approval ratings reached their highest point last year following Trump’s implementation of a 50% tariff increase on Brazilian goods.

However, Creomar de Souza, an analyst with political risk consultancy firm Dharma in Brasilia, suggested it won’t be as straightforward for Lula to connect this latest U.S. action with national sovereignty issues.

“First of all, there’s Flávio’s propaganda. He will be able to hit hard against Lula’s Achilles heel, public security,” de Souza explained. “And this also depends on how the administration explains this to the public. It is not as simple as antagonizing Trump on tariffs.”

Trump has publicly backed Latin American politicians who have expressed support for him, including José Antonio Kast in Chile, Javier Milei in Argentina and Daniel Noboa in Ecuador.

Flávio Bolsonaro, similar to his father, has promoted the idea of the U.S. under Trump displacing China as Brazil’s primary trading partner.

“The Trump administration dreamed of having a candidate here to give them leverage in the economy front,” explained Carlos Melo, a political science professor at the Insper university in Sao Paulo.

A senior Ukrainian official expressed optimism Monday about the possibility of securing a peace agreement with Russia before the winter months arrive.

Kyrylo Budanov, who serves as chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, described the timeline as a “realistic” possibility during remarks to the press.

The Ukrainian leader had previously stated in a weekend television interview his desire to advance diplomatic discussions with Russia, which have been dormant in recent months, ahead of winter’s arrival. Zelenskiy cited Ukraine’s enhanced strategic standing as a factor in the timing.

American-mediated discussions aimed at establishing a peace framework have stalled as Washington has turned its attention to the Iranian conflict.

Budanov indicated that a United States diplomatic team is expected to travel to both Moscow and Kyiv in the coming period, though he provided no additional specifics.

Speaking at a news briefing, he stated: “This is the president’s instruction: to try to end this war as soon as possible … preferably before winter. In my opinion, this is absolutely correct, timely, and realistic.”

Ukrainian leadership, including Zelenskiy, has reported that Russian military progress has decelerated while Ukraine has stepped up its long-distance strike operations within Russian territory, focusing primarily on petroleum facilities.

Last week, a high-ranking Ukrainian military leader indicated the country has a half-year period to gain battlefield momentum and improve its negotiating position for future peace discussions.

Massive demonstrations by ultra-Orthodox Jews brought Israel to a virtual standstill Monday as tens of thousands took to the streets opposing compulsory military service, shutting down major roadways and rail lines while setting vehicles ablaze.

Israeli police reported that demonstrators occupied key traffic intersections and assaulted a military member who got off a bus near the demonstration site. Authorities deployed water cannons and mounted officers in attempts to manage the unruly crowds.

The demonstrations effectively paralyzed Israel’s central region, forcing highway closures and suspending public transit services as massive crowds gathered in Jerusalem and throughout the Tel Aviv metropolitan region.

While military service remains mandatory for most Jewish citizens in Israel, ultra-Orthodox political factions have secured religious exemptions allowing their members to avoid military duty in favor of religious seminary education. However, these exemptions now face potential elimination.

Growing numbers of Israelis express frustration with the existing arrangement that permits ultra-Orthodox men to avoid military obligations while the armed forces face severe personnel shortages and many citizens complete multiple reserve deployments. This controversy threatens Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government, potentially accelerating fall elections after ultra-Orthodox parties removed their backing for Netanyahu.

Annual statistics show approximately 13,000 ultra-Orthodox men reach the draft age of 18, yet fewer than 10% actually enlist, parliamentary committee data reveals.

Confronting acute personnel deficits, military leadership considers extending mandatory service periods. Most Jewish men must complete nearly three years of active duty plus additional reserve obligations, while Jewish women serve two mandatory years.

“This public is determined, they see this as a war for their lives,” said Israel Tropper, a demonstrator in Jerusalem. “From their perspective, going into the Israeli army means giving up religion … we don’t want to give up our religion, so from our perspective it’s a war for our lives.” He added that there is no way to force tens of thousands of people vehemently opposed to the idea to serve in the military.

Protest signs displayed strong opposition to Israel, reading “We would rather die as Jews than live as Zionists” and “We refuse to serve an army for the sake of the Zionist religion.”

The ultra-Orthodox community, representing approximately 13% of Israeli population and its most rapidly expanding demographic, has historically obtained exemptions for full-time religious seminary students. These exemptions originated with Israel’s establishment in 1948, when limited numbers of students aimed to rebuild Jewish educational institutions devastated by the Holocaust.

These exemptions, along with government financial support for seminary students until age 26, have angered many Israelis. Israel currently maintains simultaneous military operations in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria while confronting Iran, severely straining its capable but overstretched armed forces.

Israel’s Supreme Court declared these exemptions unlawful in 2017, though repeated postponements and government stalling tactics have maintained their existence.

Within Israel’s Jewish population, mandatory military service functions as both a unifying experience and traditional milestone. Many within the isolated ultra-Orthodox community worry that military service would subject young people to secular cultural influences.

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — The president of the European Council, António Costa, declared Monday that this week’s summit between European Union officials and Western Balkan hopeful member states is designed to demonstrate that expansion opportunities are genuine.

During remarks in Bosnia as he began a regional tour ahead of the summit, Costa emphasized that given current worldwide geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty, “enlargement is a geostrategic interest for Europe.”

“It (enlargement) is an investment in the peace, stability and security of our continent,” Costa stated. “This tour is a clear sign that the commitment of the European Union to the Western Balkans is real. As real as the opportunity for enlargement.”

Costa will serve as co-chair for Friday’s summit taking place in Montenegro, bringing together EU leadership with senior officials from Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Serbia and Montenegro.

Each of the six countries finds itself at varying points in the membership application process, with Montenegro and Albania currently in the lead positions. The EU has recently intensified efforts to promote reforms among these hopeful nations due to concerns about expanding Russian and Chinese influence.

Ukraine and Moldova also number among roughly ten countries seeking to become part of the bloc.

Nations seeking membership must align their legislation across 35 policy areas, known as “chapters,” covering everything from judicial standards to agricultural and fishing regulations. All 27 existing EU members must reach consensus before any chapter can begin, and again before completion.

Friday’s gathering at the Adriatic Sea resort of Tivat will serve as “a clear demonstration of our determination to bring forward our cooperation and build on the momentum of the European Union’s enlargement,” Costa explained.

Bosnia has fallen behind other candidates, remaining significantly fractured along ethnic divisions decades after the 1992-95 conflict that claimed over 100,000 lives and forced millions from their homes. Bosnian Serb separatist leadership with pro-Russia leanings continues advocating for maximum autonomy — the same approach that originally triggered the ethnic warfare following the dissolution of the former Yugoslav federation.

Costa’s visit occurs as an international organization responsible for monitoring peace in Bosnia, created through a U.S.-mediated peace accord, prepares to select a new High Representative this week after German diplomat Christian Schmidt stepped down.

The High Representative possesses authority to modify legislation and remove officials who threaten post-conflict reconciliation efforts. Bosnian media outlets have indicated that Peace Implementation Council member nations remain split regarding the replacement choice.

“If the future of the country is in the European Union it’s important that the new high representative … embodies Bosnia and Herzegovina choice to pursue European Union accession,” Costa remarked.

He advised Bosnian leadership that “now is the time to focus on your goal and accelerate the pace of reforms.”

A commercial cargo ship experienced two separate blasts while navigating Gulf waters roughly 40 nautical miles from Iraq’s Umm Qasr port on Monday, with Iraqi authorities confirming at least one explosion resulted from a drone strike.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) initially reported that some type of projectile struck the vessel’s starboard side, resulting in a significant blast.

Iraqi officials later informed Reuters that a second explosion hit the same ship, which preliminary investigations indicate was caused by a drone attack.

Crew members successfully extinguished the fire that broke out on the vessel following the incidents, the officials confirmed.

Authorities have not identified who was behind the attack, and details about the targeted ship remain unavailable.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum accused far-right elements in the United States on Monday of working alongside domestic groups to target her administration, intensifying her criticism of Mexico’s primary trading partner.

Her comments came after a weekend gathering where Sheinbaum criticized what she described as meddling by U.S. government departments and business groups.

“I believe it is sectors of the far right in the United States who want a bad relationship with Mexico” due to “ideological” differences, Sheinbaum stated during a press briefing.

The leftist leader indicated she does not think these efforts are being directed by her U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump.

Diplomatic ties between the neighboring countries have deteriorated since Trump started his second presidency in January, with disagreements over trade tariffs and border policies creating friction.

The situation worsened in April when the U.S. Department of Justice brought charges against 10 Mexican officials, including Sinaloa Governor Ruben Rocha from the ruling Morena party, over suspected connections to narcotics smuggling.

Since the U.S. charges against Morena party members, Sheinbaum has strengthened her appeals to safeguard Mexico’s national independence.

“Who decides in Mexico, foreign agencies or the people?” Sheinbaum asked her supporters on Sunday during a gathering marking the second anniversary of her 2024 presidential victory. “We are going to defend Mexico’s sovereignty and independence.”

Mexico’s legislature recently passed a constitutional change last week that would permit canceling elections due to “foreign interference.” Critics from opposition parties have condemned the measure as an excuse to call new elections when results don’t favor the governing party.

Even with the diplomatic tensions, Sheinbaum maintains solid support at home. A survey from newspaper El Financiero revealed her approval rating at 69%, recovering from a minor drop that started in March.

The leader of the United Nations maritime organization says conditions in Gulf waters remain too dangerous to evacuate thousands of sailors trapped on ships, even with an ongoing ceasefire between the United States and Iran.

Arsenio Dominguez, secretary-general of the International Maritime Organization, spoke with Reuters on Sunday before the Posidonia shipping industry week began in Athens. He explained that rescue operations cannot begin until underlying issues are resolved.

“We will not be able to activate anything until the root causes are addressed and there is more of a final agreement, a ceasefire, or complete agreement, between the parties involved in the conflict,” Dominguez stated.

Approximately 20,000 seafarers remain trapped on ships in the Gulf as Iran continues limiting vessel movement through the Strait of Hormuz.

“In the meantime, it’s going to be too risky to take any actions in moving the seafarers because there are no guarantees on their safety,” Dominguez explained.

According to IMO statistics, eleven sailors have lost their lives in Gulf waters since the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran started on Feb. 28.

The maritime organization has been working to establish a secure shipping corridor that would allow trapped vessels to leave safely. Dominguez said recent discussions involving Iran took place in Oman.

“You get announcements that the Strait of Hormuz is open, and then a few hours later, the Strait of Hormuz is closed. We can’t take the risk until we have something more secure,” he noted.

The strait typically handles 20% of global daily crude oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, but traffic has dwindled to just a few tankers.

Shipping companies say their crews desperately need a negotiated safe passage after three months of being stranded.

Pankaj Khanna, CEO of Heidmar Maritime Holdings Corp, spoke to Reuters during a Capital Link shipping conference in Athens on Monday. He described the human cost of the crisis.

“The seafarers on board are missing out, not only on seeing their families but also on births, on deaths, on marriages,” Khanna said.

Khanna’s company has one vessel that has been trapped in Gulf waters for three months.

“What we need is obviously a framework, rules, regulation, whatever tells us exactly how we can go in and get out. So even if a peace deal was signed, that needs to be clarified,” he added.

Brazilian authorities are putting finishing touches on major law enforcement initiatives aimed at dismantling criminal networks operating within the online gambling and tobacco industries, according to a high-ranking government insider who spoke with Reuters on Monday.

The upcoming operations are part of a broader approach focused on cutting off funding sources for criminal enterprises, the official explained, noting that these plans will remain unchanged despite the United States’ recent decision to classify the nation’s two largest criminal organizations as terrorist groups.

Authorities believe criminal networks have established significant involvement in tobacco smuggling operations and unauthorized tobacco sales, while also penetrating unlicensed gambling websites that remain active despite new regulations governing Brazil’s betting industry.

According to the source, who requested anonymity due to the confidential nature of the discussions, both criminal sectors are reportedly utilizing smaller financial companies, including financial technology firms, to wash illicit proceeds.

“These operations could take place at any moment,” the official stated, explaining that precise timing remains uncertain because of the complex coordination required between law enforcement agencies, prosecution offices, and court systems.

Israeli military forces have reclaimed control of a historic medieval fortress in southern Lebanon that carries deep symbolic meaning from decades of regional conflict.

The ancient Beaufort Castle, constructed nine centuries ago, fell back into Israeli hands on Saturday as troops advanced into territory they had previously controlled during an 18-year military presence from 1982 to 2000. That earlier occupation ended after sustained attacks by Hezbollah forced their withdrawal.

The current military action against the Iran-supported Shi’ite organization has brought Israeli forces back to this Crusader-era stronghold, which holds UNESCO cultural protection status, amid fighting that has displaced hundreds of thousands of Lebanese civilians.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu celebrated the fortress’s recapture, addressing criticism of his military strategy in Lebanon and Iran.

“I remind you that, 44 years ago, this place was a symbol of a heroic battle by our fighters, but it was also a symbol of deep division among us,” he said.

“Today, we returned to Beaufort differently. We returned united, determined, and stronger than ever.”

Hezbollah representatives stated they maintained no military operations at the castle when Israeli forces arrived, though combat continues in nearby areas.

The fortress sits dramatically above the Litani River, offering commanding sightlines toward the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights six miles eastward and the Mediterranean Sea 25 miles westward, making it a crucial strategic position.

Originally constructed by a Crusader leader in the 12th century on top of existing fortifications, the castle later fell to the renowned Muslim commander Saladin before passing through the hands of the Knights Templar and Egypt’s Mamluk rulers.

Independent Middle East security expert Riad Kahwaji emphasized that modern warfare technology hasn’t diminished the location’s military importance.

“The site for the castle was chosen because of its significant strategic location. The significance has not declined with time. It’s still important, especially in ground operations,” he said.

During Lebanon’s civil conflict that began in 1975, Palestine Liberation Organisation militants used the deteriorating castle ruins as an operational base for attacks against Israel.

Israel’s 1982 invasion, which reached as far as Beirut, included seizing the fortress as a command center for operations in the predominantly Shi’ite Muslim southern region.

Battle damage from Israeli bombardments of PLO positions in the 1970s and subsequent Hezbollah assaults on Israeli troops in the 1980s and 1990s remains visible on the castle walls today.

For Lebanese residents, the fortress became an enduring reminder of foreign occupation, with Israeli flags prominently displayed atop one of the area’s highest peaks while soldiers maintained surveillance below.

“The fact that they’re back now in Beaufort I think is reminiscent of that era and that level of control over people’s lives,” said Mohanad Hage Ali, deputy director for research at the Carnegie Middle East Center.

“It’s an occupation that you can see.”

Following Israel’s 2000 withdrawal after years of costly fighting, Hezbollah’s yellow banner flying from the castle battlements became central to the group’s victory messaging.

This history creates conflicted emotions among Israelis regarding the fortress.

“It was a symbol for heroism,” said Danny Orbach, a military historian at Israel’s Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

“But it was also a symbol in the eyes of many of the futility of war; the narrative that Israel has nothing to do with Lebanon.”

However, following Israel’s intensive 2024 campaign against Hezbollah and territorial gains this year, those perceptions may be shifting.

“Israel occupying Beaufort is actually telling Hezbollah and the world: we overcame the trauma. We’re not afraid anymore,” Orbach said.

After a brief 2006 conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, the castle was largely demilitarized and carefully renovated as a tourist destination.

UNESCO, which does not include Israel as a member nation, recognizes the site as among the Middle East’s finest preserved medieval fortresses and recently placed it on a special protection list during the current conflict.

CAIRO (AP) — Egyptian researchers have discovered a remarkable collection of ancient treasures, including burial furnishings from the Pharaonic era, remnants of a Roman religious structure, and a carved marble representation of Aphrodite, the Greek deity associated with love and beauty.

These findings, revealed on Sunday, represent part of Egypt’s strategy to revitalize its tourism sector and generate revenue for its struggling economy. Central to this initiative was the November opening of the much-anticipated Grand Egyptian Museum, a massive development situated close to the renowned Giza Pyramids and the Sphinx.

The basilica remnants and Aphrodite sculpture were discovered at an ancient burial ground in Beni Suef province, located 130 kilometres (80 miles) south of Cairo, according to the Tourism and Antiquities Ministry.

The Ehnasiya burial site, also recognized by its historical Roman designation Heracleópolis Magna, ranked among ancient Egypt’s most important urban centers.

Mohammed Abdel-Badei, who leads the antiquities department at the Supreme Council of Antiquities, explained that researchers discovered massive stone blocks that supported columns, with some weighing as much as 45 tons and used in the basilica’s construction. He noted that three blocks continue to stand in their original locations.

The Aphrodite sculpture, measuring approximately 24 centimeters by 25 centimeters (9½ inches by nearly 10 inches), displays intricate details of the deity’s facial features and flowing hair, demonstrating the traditional artistic styles of Greek and Roman eras, according to his description.

Researchers discovered carved writings connected to Senusret III, whose reign spanned from 1837 B.C. to 1819 B.C. during the historic 12th Dynasty. These inscriptions feature his royal and birth designations of the Pharaoh, alternatively called Sesostris III, who stands as one of Egypt’s Middle Kingdom’s most notable leaders.

Additional discoveries included pieces of wall sculptures and clay molds, thought to have been utilized for creating coins during Roman rule. These artifacts demonstrate that Ehnasiya served as a bustling economic and trade center while Egypt remained under Roman control from 30 B.C. to A.D. 395, Abdel-Badei explained.

In Cairo, researchers uncovered an almost intact collection of burial furnishings in the Matariya district, which previously belonged to the historic city of Heliopolis, the ministry reported.

Abdel-Badei explained that excavators found a mud brick tomb containing golden remains within a coffin, thought to belong to a military official. They also discovered various beauty implements, including a bronze mirror and alabaster containers for eye makeup.

Researchers also found a set of yellow-toned metal earrings, featuring five pairs of different dimensions, suspected to be crafted from gold, he added.

The discoveries in Beni Suef and Cairo represent the most recent archaeological finds, which officials hope will strengthen the crucial tourism industry, partly sustained by visitors interested in ancient sites.

The tourism sector has faced challenges during periods of political unrest and conflict following the 2011 uprising. Recently, it has begun recovering from the coronavirus pandemic and economic impacts of the Russia-Ukraine conflict — both nations serve as significant sources of Egyptian tourists.

A historic total of approximately 19 million visitors traveled to Egypt last year, representing a 21% growth from 2024, based on government statistics. The initial four months of 2026 recorded 6.1 million tourists entering the country, compared to 5.7 million during the corresponding period in 2025, the prime minister’s office announced in May.

LONDON, June 1 (Reuters) — The British government on Monday made public extensive documentation connected to Peter Mandelson’s selection as U.S. ambassador, providing insight into Westminster’s sharp-tongued political environment and the complicated vetting process for his role.

The controversy surrounding Mandelson, which led to the exit of Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s top advisor, has emerged as a central point of attack against the prime minister, who is struggling to maintain his position amid a likely leadership contest.

Through a massive 1,504-page release, officials published communications spanning from background check emails to private WhatsApp conversations in what appears to be an effort to shift attention away from Starmer while demonstrating that Mandelson was not completely honest about his connections to Jeffrey Epstein, the deceased convicted sex offender.

MANDELSON: ‘YOU WILL NEVER REGRET’ THE APPOINTMENT

According to one document, officials contacted Mandelson on March 31 requesting access to information stored on his personal device as part of their review of his selection and duties — a request he refused to fulfill.

Personal communications from Mandelson — who was dismissed from cabinet positions twice during Tony Blair’s tenure as Labour’s most enduring prime minister — reveal his frequent conversations with Labour party figures, advocating for his candidacy and occasionally sharing harsh assessments of the administration.

In a note written by hand to then-foreign minister David Lammy on November 18, 2024, Mandelson stated: “I just wanted you to know that if you were minded to appoint me (as ambassador), I would make sure you never regret it.”

He additionally mentioned becoming “tonto” regarding the administration’s delay in approving a customized red ministerial box intended as a present for U.S. President Donald Trump, employing slang that means losing one’s temper.

He also criticized Starmer directly, informing senior minister Pat McFadden that he felt “Keir is not leading from the front”.

During that same conversation, McFadden informed Mandelson that the administration was “asking the wrong questions”, explaining that every discussion centered on “who can we tax in order to pay benefits to others”.

Officials hope that making these documents and communications public will end ongoing questions about Starmer’s decision-making in selecting someone whose relationship with Epstein was already known. However, this is unlikely to quiet demands for the prime minister to resign following Labour’s defeat in last month’s local elections.

Mandelson faces a police inquiry regarding allegations that he shared confidential government materials with the deceased Epstein. He is not accused of any sexual wrongdoing.

A preliminary set of documents was made available in March, revealing that Starmer had been cautioned about the dangers of the appointment, not only concerning Mandelson’s Epstein connections but also due to the Labour veteran’s advocacy for strengthened relations with China.

Starmer currently confronts a potential leadership battle later this year, should his primary opponent, Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, secure a parliamentary seat in the June 18 election.

Iran is pursuing a temporary agreement with the United States as a strategy to reduce economic pressures and stabilize conditions domestically, while steering clear of significant compromises regarding its nuclear activities, sources and analysts report.

This strategy represents a well-established pattern for the Islamic Republic: withstanding pressure, preventing permanent concessions, and maintaining diplomatic talks without altering fundamental stances, according to three Iranian sources with ties to decision-makers.

However, the current initiative stems from more pressing concerns. Government officials view a narrow agreement as an opportunity to gain time, secure financial assistance, and manage increasing domestic threats from a worsening economy without tackling the most divisive matters.

This diplomatic activity comes after weeks of intensification following U.S.-Israeli strikes in late February that escalated into wider regional hostilities. Iranian offensive actions throughout the Gulf region increased concerns about the safety of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical passage for approximately one-fifth of worldwide oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.

Three months later, despite a fragile ceasefire established in early April, the situation has solidified into deadlock. A U.S. blockade targeting Iranian ports and Tehran’s control over the Strait have maintained reciprocal pressure, increasing economic expenses while leaving the possibility of renewed combat unaddressed.

Given these circumstances, both nations have reduced expectations for a complete resolution. They are instead examining what officials characterize as a temporary memorandum — essentially an interim agreement — designed to prevent a return to open warfare while postponing fundamental disagreements about Iran’s nuclear operations.

For Tehran, this type of arrangement serves mainly as a method to transform military and economic pressure into financial resources, relief, and reduced tensions, without restricting sensitive nuclear activities.

Iran wants an end to hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon, access to billions of dollars in oil revenues, waivers on crude exports, removal of the U.S. port blockade, and maintained control over the strait — while delaying decisions on the most controversial matters.

The structure would focus on temporary relief and gradual access through the waterway, leaving unanswered questions about enrichment capabilities and Tehran’s inventory of highly enriched uranium, including material enriched to 60%.

Alex Vatanka, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute in Washington, said Tehran’s reasoning is influenced more by economic pressure and uncertainty than battlefield threats.

“Iranian leaders understand that time is not necessarily on their side… their calculation appears to be that dialogue, even limited dialogue, is preferable to entering an open-ended period of economic attrition and uncertainty that could gradually weaken its ability to govern at home and project influence abroad.”

The success of negotiations carries significant weight. President Donald Trump faces pressure to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and reduce U.S. fuel costs, while defending against criticism from Iran hawks within his own Republican party regarding any concessions to Tehran.

Iran’s leadership also confronts domestic challenges. Extended sanctions, economic mismanagement, and conflict have driven inflation, currency devaluation, and a steep drop in living standards.

Immediate financial assistance is therefore essential to Tehran’s interest in a preliminary agreement, sources indicated, as it could maintain economic operations, reduce urgent pressures, and prevent a return of civil unrest.

In January, Iran’s clerical establishment and the Revolutionary Guards killed thousands while suppressing nationwide protests sparked by economic grievances.

Hamidreza Azizi, a visiting fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) in Berlin, said a memorandum could also tackle growing concerns about the system’s long-term durability.

“By ending the conflict, reducing economic strain, removing U.S. military pressure around Iran, and creating space for reconstruction, an MoU could help prevent a gradual erosion of state capacity and governance,” Azizi said.

The Strait of Hormuz continues to be fundamental to Iran’s leverage. Within the clerical establishment, it is increasingly viewed less as a negotiating tool than as a lasting strategic advantage.

Any agreement that restores shipping while maintaining that leverage would preserve Tehran’s influence over the chokepoint, sources indicated, permitting traffic to resume while stability remains connected to political negotiation.

One source said a limited deal would effectively restore prewar conditions without forcing Iran to surrender to Washington’s demands, adding: “With the start of the war, Trump gave Iran the gift of control over the Strait.”

PLZEN, Czech Republic – A Czech court ruled Monday that German far-right activist Marla-Svenja Liebich, who has been convicted of several crimes, may be sent back to Germany. The case has generated significant discussion regarding which correctional facility should house her following her legal gender transition.

The activist maintains the option to challenge the extradition decision, according to a court spokesperson.

In 2023, while legally recognized as male and going by the name Sven, Liebich received an 18-month prison sentence for various violations including inciting hatred, insults, unlawful entry, and defamation.

The conviction was confirmed by the Halle regional court in Germany during August 2024. A subsequent challenge to a regional court was rejected in May 2025.

Following the implementation of Germany’s Self-Determination Act on November 1, 2024, which allows people to modify their gender identification paperwork, Liebich officially transitioned to female status and took the name Marla-Svenja.

According to regional correctional facility assignment protocols, this change necessitated her placement at Chemnitz women’s prison.

The decision drew backlash, with critics claiming tactical exploitation of the legislation and raising concerns about possible gaps in the law. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt characterized the situation as proof of the law’s vulnerability to misuse.

Liebich escaped and did not surrender to the correctional facility in August 2025. Czech authorities captured her this year in a community close to the German border.

At a preliminary court session in Plzen on May 18, she resisted extradition, expressing concerns about potential placement in a men’s correctional facility.

Crowds gathered in the Kenyan town of Nanyuki on Monday, demonstrating against American plans to establish an Ebola isolation facility at a nearby military installation, according to local witnesses who spoke with Reuters. The demonstration came several days after Kenya’s High Court issued a temporary halt to the project.

The court issued its suspension order on Friday following legal action that argued the proposed location could pose risks to community health and safety.

American officials described the proposed 50-bed facility at the Laikipia county air force installation as a treatment center for Americans who have had contact with the virus but show no symptoms. Kenya’s leadership has endorsed the project, with Health Minister Aden Duale stating Saturday that the facility represents part of broader efforts to enhance emergency preparedness capabilities.

According to American officials, the facility was scheduled to begin operations last Friday. Multiple military aircraft were observed arriving and departing from Nanyuki throughout the previous week and weekend, which diplomatic sources and analysts suggested indicated continued American preparations despite the judicial suspension.

A Reuters correspondent reported Saturday that police and military forces had strengthened their presence along routes approaching the air installation.

Video footage from Monday revealed approximately 100 demonstrators positioned roughly 4 kilometers from the proposed facility location, using whistles and some positioned on a pickup truck. Smoke was visible from materials burning in the roadway. Community members estimated the total number of protesters reached into the hundreds.

Local television networks NTV Kenya and Citizen Kenya broadcast images of people gathered near a wall surrounding the air installation, showing a tank positioned there with several soldiers standing guard.

Patrick Wahome, among those organizing the demonstration, explained to Reuters that participants wanted the medical facility permanently closed by Tuesday, June 9.

“Nanyuki is a very small town. The military personnel who serve the base… live with us. Our kids go to the same schools and that means if anyone is infected, we are all infected,” he said.

“We are picketing for our lives,” he added.

Local business owner Patrick Maina said he had to close his cafe and characterized the circumstances as “very bad.”

“We haven’t opened since morning and it’s likely to be worse tomorrow,” he told Reuters.

Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 showed a U.S. military C-130 cargo aircraft arrived in Nanyuki as recently as Friday afternoon.

Two local residents also reported observing military aircraft approaching the installation over the weekend, though Reuters could not verify whether these were American aircraft.

Israeli defense officials revealed Monday that France has prohibited government representatives from Israel from participating in the Eurosatory defense exhibition scheduled for this month in Paris.

According to the announcement from Israel’s Defence Ministry, French authorities have also imposed restrictions on Israeli weapons manufacturers, preventing them from showcasing offensive military systems at the exhibition. The companies will only be allowed to present “air defence products” during the event.

Military officials from China and the United States conducted discussions in Hawaii late last month, with both sides describing the talks as productive and straightforward, according to a statement released Monday by the Chinese navy.

The Military Maritime Consultative Agreement working group convened from May 28 through May 29, focusing on air and sea safety protocols and exploring ways to strengthen military maritime security cooperation. Both delegations concluded that enhanced communication between their forces could help prevent misunderstandings and promote greater professionalism in military operations.

In its official statement, China’s navy also outlined its position on regional security matters. “China firmly opposes any action to undermine China’s sovereignty and security under the pretext of freedom of navigation and overflight, (and) opposes any infringement, provocation and close-in reconnaissance and harassment targeting China,” the statement added.

British immigration officials announced Monday they have prevented two political commentators from entering the United Kingdom for planned speaking engagements.

The commentators affected are Hasan Piker, a Turkish American who streams political content online, and Cenk Uygur, who runs the “Young Turks” internet political program and is said to be Piker’s uncle. Piker, who regularly criticizes U.S. President Donald Trump, Israel and the Gaza conflict, has built a following of 2.8 million on the Twitch platform.

Immigration authorities revoked the electronic travel permits for both men, stating their entry “may not be conducive to the public good,” according to the Home Office.

“Decisions to refuse or cancel an ETA on these grounds are based solely on an assessment of the potential risk an individual may pose to U.K. society,” the Home Office explained.

Both men had been scheduled to appear at SXSW London, a festival celebrating culture, technology and creativity, happening this month. Uygur was additionally set to address the Oxford Union, the well-known student debate organization.

Responding on his YouTube channel, Piker stated: “A sad state of affairs where obviously the interests of Israel take the highest priority.”

On the social media platform X, Uygur wrote he had been prohibited “for criticizing Israel. Are we free any more?”

Piker has drawn controversy for certain statements, including expressing support for the Hamas militant organization, which both the U.K. and U.S. classify as a terrorist group.

Hamas-led fighters launched an assault on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, resulting in approximately 1,200 deaths and 251 people taken captive, sparking the current Gaza war.

A Labour lawmaker named David Taylor, who had advocated for blocking Piker’s entry, stated that “there is no reason we should open our doors to those who seek to spread hate and division, especially someone who’s supported a proscribed terror group.”

However, Green Party leader Zack Polanski argued the government was “doing everything possible to silence criticism of the Israeli government.”

This action follows a similar decision in April when British authorities prevented rapper Ye, previously called Kanye West, from entering the country for a scheduled London festival performance following controversy over his antisemitic statements.

At that time, Prime Minister Keir Starmer declared his administration “stands firmly with the Jewish community, and we will not stop in our fight to confront and defeat the poison of antisemitism.”

Iran announced Monday it is ending diplomatic message exchanges with the United States conducted through third-party mediators, according to the Tasnim news agency. The decision comes as Tehran objects to ongoing attacks in Lebanon during the continuing three-month conflict.

According to the news agency, Iran and the Resistance Front—which encompasses its Shiite allies across Yemen, Lebanon and Iraq—have developed plans to fully obstruct the Strait of Hormuz and engage other strategic locations, including the Bab El Mandeb Strait, as a means to “punish” Israel and its supporters.

Should the Houthis, who are Iran’s partners in Yemen, establish a new battlefront, they would likely target the Bab El Mandeb Strait located near Yemen’s coastline. This narrow waterway serves as a crucial shipping corridor that regulates maritime traffic flowing toward the Suez Canal.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi posted on X Monday: “Violation on one front is a violation of the ceasefire on all fronts. The U.S. and Israel are responsible for the consequences of any violation,” addressing Israeli military actions in Lebanon.

The conflict initiated by the U.S. and Israel on February 28 has resulted in thousands of casualties, predominantly in Iran and Lebanon. The war has also triggered worldwide economic disruption by elevating energy costs, as Iran has effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial international corridor for oil and liquefied natural gas transport.

Tasnim further reported: “The immediate cessation of the Zionist regime’s aggressive and brutal army operations in Gaza and Lebanon and the necessity of the regime’s complete withdrawal from the occupied areas in Lebanon have been emphasized by Iranian officials and negotiators, and there will be no talks until Iran and the resistance’s views on this matter are met.”

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Hundreds of women marched through Kenya’s capital city on Monday, demanding immediate government action to address escalating gender-based violence and femicide cases.

Demonstrators carried signs reading “Stop Killing Women” as they walked through Nairobi’s streets, accompanied by police escorts. The protesters also brought a coffin and raised awareness about recent local reports of missing and murdered children.

Advocacy organizations for women’s rights have sounded alarms about increasing gender-based violence incidents and are pushing for the government to officially recognize it as a national emergency.

The demonstration follows a tragic incident where a local singer was burned alive after being doused with gasoline, later dying from her injuries.

Police announced on May 23 that they had established a special investigation team, combining criminal intelligence analysts, forensic specialists, homicide detectives and other experts.

According to police findings, most gender-based violence incidents stem from household disputes, partner violence, sexual crimes, physical attacks and unresolved family issues.

The Federation of Women Lawyers in Kenya reports handling approximately 70 gender-based violence cases weekly through their offices in Nairobi, the coastal city of Mombasa and lakeside Kisumu.

Advocacy organizations delivered a 40-day deadline to the government on May 21, threatening nationwide demonstrations if no action is taken. However, protests have begun ahead of schedule.

BOGOTÁ, Colombia — A flamboyant attorney who supports former President Trump has emerged as the frontrunner in Colombia’s presidential contest following first-round voting over the weekend, tapping into widespread demand for tough action against criminal organizations throughout Latin America.

However, the runner-up, progressive senator Iván Cepeda, along with his political partner President Gustavo Petro, challenged Sunday night’s election outcomes without offering proof.

Aberaldo de la Espriella quickly built momentum before Sunday’s voting, securing almost 44% of ballots cast, overtaking progressive senator Iván Cepeda, who had maintained polling leads during the campaign but received less than 41% of votes.

Both candidates will advance to a runoff contest scheduled for June 21, where de la Espriella is anticipated to gain additional support from Colombians who backed other conservative contenders in the initial round.

Cepeda faces significant challenges in the upcoming runoff, according to Colombian political analyst Sergio Guzmán. “Abelardo de la Espriella won the first round. In other words, that’s a shift in public opinion that is very difficult to overcome. So now Abelardo is emerging as the likely favorite to win.”

De la Espriella, nicknamed “El Tigre” or “The Tiger,” has no previous governmental experience in Colombia and boasted about his lavish lifestyle in Italy before choosing to seek the presidency. He marketed himself as a political outsider who would align with President Donald Trump and adopt El Salvador President Nayib Bukele’s anti-gang strategy, which has reduced murder rates while sparking human rights violation allegations.

“I will wipe out narcoterrorism and those who I’ve declared a military target like cockroaches, like rats. I will unleash upon them the wrath of God never seen before,” De la Espriella said in an interview with The Associated Press in the final stretch of the campaign, where he promised to open 10 mega-prisons to fight crime.

He represents a growing trend of leaders throughout Latin America – from Chile to Honduras – attempting to embrace the “Bukele model” as voters across the region increasingly reject leaders who promoted progressive policies designed to tackle underlying conflict causes, including limited youth opportunities and corruption.

De la Espriella’s backers represent diverse demographics. Yolanda Peréz, a 64-year-old woman serving coffee in downtown Bogotá who smoked a cigarette, said with a wink the day before the election: “I’m thinking of voting for El Tigre.”

Miguel Maheca, a 20-year-old first-time voter, displayed a paper proving he voted to his mother while leaving the polling location on Sunday, saying with a smile, “Love isn’t what’s going to make us safe in Colombia.”

However, analysts argue El Salvador’s security achievements will be virtually impossible to duplicate in a nation like Colombia, which is more than 50 times larger than the Central American country and contains many more armed factions fighting for control.

The divided election occurs as the Trump administration takes a more assertive stance in Latin America than any U.S. government in recent decades, applying increased pressure on nations including Colombia, Mexico, and Ecuador to combat crime.

De la Espriella, 47, built his reputation as an attorney representing prominent clients including former President Álvaro Uribe (2002–2010), along with controversial individuals like Alex Saab, a close associate of Venezuela’s ousted president Nicolás Maduro who faces legal troubles in the U.S. and whom he ceased representing approximately seven years ago.

De la Espriella’s emergence as a presidential contender creates difficulties for progressive Cepeda, who maintained polling advantages before Sunday’s election, although his opponent rapidly gained momentum in the weeks preceding the vote.

Cepeda is a progressive senator who has pledged to continue his ally Petro’s troubled strategy to achieve “total peace” through negotiating peace agreements with guerrillas and criminal gangs.

Their political movement emerged from strong opposition by many Colombians to a militarized campaign by Uribe in previous decades used to defeat the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, guerrillas, which resulted in thousands of civilian deaths by Colombian forces in a scandal called “false positives.”

Mr. De la Espriella “represents a return to the paramilitary politics and drug-trafficking, – a mafia-run, plutocratic, and corrupt past that the country experienced during Álvaro Uribe’s two administrations,” Cepeda said on Sunday.

Petro, a former rebel, captured Colombia’s presidency in 2022 in a landmark election that concluded decades of right-wing control by leaders from Uribe’s political faction. He received enormous support from rural, indigenous and lower-income Colombians who believed they had never been directly addressed by Colombian leaders.

Currently, that movement finds itself in a defensive position.

“This is De la Espriella’s election to lose,” wrote Renata Segura, director of International Crisis Group’s Latin America and the Caribbean Program. “Cepeda thought he could win appealing squarely to the left, and that proved to be a massive mistake. How he pivots in the next month will determine if he has any chance to win.”

KHUJAND, Tajikistan (AP) — Dawn breaks at 5:30 a.m. as activity kicks into high gear at the Panjshanbe Bazaar, among the nation’s most expansive marketplaces. Merchants empty trucks filled with fresh cabbage while pigeons gather near the adjacent mosque, all under the watchful gaze of a towering image of President Emomali Rahmon.

Since taking office in 1992, Rahmon has led this Central Asian nation through decades of change following its break from the crumbling Soviet Union. The landlocked, mountainous territory ranks as the most economically disadvantaged among the 15 nations that gained independence, enduring a brutal five-year conflict between Moscow-supported government troops and opposition groups made up primarily of democracy advocates and Islamic forces. The Khujand region served as a stronghold for government supporters during this period.

Now, with the nation approaching its 35th independence milestone, the area enjoys stability and relies heavily on money sent home by workers employed in Russia. Images of Rahmon are displayed throughout educational institutions, lodging facilities, dining establishments and cultural sites. His stern expression and prominent eyebrows even watch over patrons at the community swimming facility, surrounded by Soviet-inspired artwork.

Similar to other areas across the country, Khujand’s marketplace retains elements from the Soviet period, including aging infrastructure and Cyrillic lettering mixed with Islamic designs. Though Panjshanbe means Thursday in the local language, Sunday brings the weekly livestock market to life. Colorful parakeets, rabbits and hedgehogs are available for purchase while youngsters and their fathers observe cockfighting matches in the parking area.

Despite the ever-present reminders of its Soviet heritage, Tajikistan has joined other Central Asian nations in developing its distinct cultural identity. In Khujand, previously known as Leninabad, a monument honoring Soviet Union creator Vladimir Lenin once stood prominently in the city center. Authorities relocated it in 2011 to the city’s edge, where it now sits between a muddy lot and a gravel pathway.

Government statistics show Tajikistan welcomed 1.8 million visitors in 2025, with more than 91.5% arriving from other former Soviet territories. Though tourist numbers continue growing annually, travelers from English-speaking nations remain uncommon. Local bread makers, surprised to encounter an American visitor, eagerly displayed their 3-somoni ($0.32) non, or lepyoshka, bread.

At an educational facility, uniformed female students prepared for an inspection by a regional administrator by cleaning the building’s front, which displayed a banner commemorating Tajikistan’s 34th independence year and featured words from poet Rudaki, whom the government honors as a national icon: “Whoever has not learned from the passing of time will also not learn from any teacher.”

NEW DELHI (AP) — India announced it will maintain diplomatic relations with Myanmar following Monday’s meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the head of Myanmar’s military-backed administration, even as Western countries continue sanctions after the military takeover in 2021.

Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri explained that India’s approach is “not intended to be a commentary on the internal political arrangements” in Myanmar, with New Delhi viewing continued engagement as the most effective path forward.

Countries in the West have attempted to isolate Myanmar’s military leadership since they removed the democratically elected administration of Aung San Suu Kyi through a 2021 coup that sparked widespread repression and created a nationwide conflict and humanitarian emergency. Some observers and human rights organizations argue that Min Aung Hlaing’s trip to India could provide credibility to the military-controlled government.

“We have always proceeded on the principle that sustained dialogue is what is important,” Misri stated, emphasizing that cutting off Myanmar would prove ineffective.

“History has shown that disengagement doesn’t give us any results that are better than engagement,” he explained.

This marks Min Aung Hlaing’s initial trip to India since taking office as president in April after an election that opponents claim was structured to solidify military control. His previous Indian visit occurred in 2019 while serving as Myanmar’s top military commander.

India and Myanmar share a 1,643-kilometer (1,020-mile) land border plus a maritime boundary in the Bay of Bengal. India currently shelters thousands of Myanmar refugees, including many who escaped violence in northwestern Chin state and other war-torn regions.

Myanmar holds strategic significance for India’s security concerns. Both nations have coordinated on border protection and intelligence operations to counter insurgent organizations active along their shared frontier.

Following their discussion, Modi and Min Aung Hlaing did not speak publicly, breaking from the typical protocol for bilateral meetings with visiting foreign leaders in New Delhi.

However, Misri revealed that the leaders covered trade, defense and security partnerships, border oversight, and regional matters, with conversations also emphasizing expanded economic and technological relationships. He noted both parties committed to strengthening cooperation in multiple areas including commerce, energy and essential minerals, while accelerating major infrastructure projects.

The officials also addressed joint efforts against cybercrime and human trafficking, problems that have impacted thousands of Indians deceived into working at fraudulent operations throughout the region. Misri reported that India and Myanmar have collaborated to rescue over 2,400 Indian citizens during the past 18 months.

Throughout his stay, Min Aung Hlaing also conducted meetings with Indian President Droupadi Murmu, Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.

The European Union is developing new regulations that could prevent major American technology companies from securing critical government cloud computing contracts, according to internal documents obtained by Reuters.

The restrictions would target Amazon, Microsoft and Google through stringent requirements for highly sensitive state procurement projects. These proposed rules form part of the European Commission’s Cloud and AI Development Act, which the EU’s technology leader Henna Virkkunen plans to unveil on Wednesday.

The announcement will be included in a broader set of initiatives designed to decrease Europe’s reliance on American technology firms. The draft proposal, which has not been previously disclosed and may still undergo modifications, would establish mandatory evaluation standards beyond pricing considerations.

These new standards would include stipulations that software and hardware be created within EU borders, a requirement that would put American technology giants at a significant disadvantage in the bidding process.

When asked for comment, the European Commission refused to discuss specific details of the upcoming proposal. However, officials stated that the technology independence package represents something that is “crucial for strengthening Europe’s own technological capacities, for Europe’s competitiveness and security.”

NAIROBI, Kenya — Large crowds of young demonstrators gathered Monday in the central Kenyan town of Nanyuki to voice opposition to plans for establishing an Ebola quarantine facility for American citizens at the Laikipia Air Base.

The demonstrations occurred just two days following a Kenya High Court decision to temporarily halt the facility’s creation and block any incoming foreign patients while reviewing a legal challenge brought by the Law Society of Kenya and a constitutional watchdog organization.

Both groups pointed to Kenya’s vulnerable healthcare infrastructure as justification for why foreign Ebola patients should not receive quarantine treatment within the country’s borders.

American officials announced Thursday their intention to transport Americans who have been exposed to Ebola overseas to this new Kenyan facility rather than bringing them back to the United States. Speaking anonymously about the administration’s strategy, these officials indicated the Laikipia Air Base location would become operational by Friday with capacity for 50 quarantine patients.

During Monday’s demonstration, large numbers of young people gathered at the air base entrance, shouting slogans opposing Ebola-related activities.

Health Minister Aden Duale stated Sunday that the quarantine facility was designed for “everyone” rather than being limited to U.S. citizens exclusively.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced in a statement that the U.S. government plans to provide $13.5 million to support Kenya’s Ebola preparedness initiatives.

Regional officials, including Laikipia Governor Joshua Irungu, have expressed their opposition to creating an Ebola quarantine center to media representatives.

“This will expose our people to Ebola,” he stated, noting that numerous local residents are employed at the air base and face potential exposure risks.

While Kenya has recorded no Ebola infections, nearby Uganda has documented nine cases and shut down its border with Congo.

Congo has reported a minimum of 282 confirmed infections along with more than 1,000 suspected instances of the Bundibugyo virus, the current Ebola strain, for which no authorized treatment or vaccination exists.

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — International arbitrators have dismissed Rwanda’s $134 million legal challenge against the United Kingdom over a terminated refugee resettlement program that Prime Minister Keir Starmer cancelled upon assuming office in 2024.

The agreement, established in 2022 under Starmer’s predecessor, Rishi Sunak, called for relocating asylum seekers who reached the U.K. by boat or as stowaways to the East African nation. The arrangement included financial provisions to Rwanda for associated expenses. When Starmer terminated the program, his home secretary at the time, Yvette Cooper, described it as “the most shocking waste of taxpayer money I have ever seen.”

The Permanent Court of Arbitration dismissed two separate Rwandan demands, each worth 50 million pounds ($67 million), related to financing for the cancelled program. While the ruling was dated May 15, the Hague-based tribunal officially released it on Monday. The panel also turned down two additional Rwandan complaints concerning alleged U.K. violations of the agreement.

In their 76-page decision, arbitrators determined that formal diplomatic correspondence between both nations following Starmer’s cancellation constituted a mutual understanding that the U.K. would not provide the two 50 million-pound installments scheduled for April 2025 and 2026 to fund migrant relocations.

The original plan called for transferring migrants to Rwanda, where asylum applications would be reviewed and approved applicants would remain permanently. Britain’s Supreme Court declared the policy illegal, ruling that Rwanda could not be considered a safe destination for relocated migrants.

The British government issued a statement saying: “The U.K. robustly defended its position, and the tribunal has now ruled in favor of the U.K. on all grounds.”

The statement continued that Starmer’s government is “now focused on delivering vital reforms to restore order and control to our borders, including removing the incentives drawing illegal migrants to Britain and scaling up removals of those with no right to be here.”

Rwanda has not yet provided a response to the ruling.

BEDZIN, Poland — Researchers have made extraordinary discoveries in a southern Polish house that once sheltered Jewish resistance fighters during World War II, uncovering hidden bunkers, underground passages, and artifacts that tell a powerful story of survival and defiance.

Among the most moving finds was an armband displaying the Star of David, discovered by the Cukerman’s Gate Foundation during their methodical search of the property.

“This armband is a witness, it’s like directly touching that evil which people created for other people,” Karolina Jakoweńko from the Cukerman’s Gate Foundation, which organized the search, told The Associated Press. Seeing it felt like a “jolt,” she said.

The two-story red brick structure sits in what was once the Jewish ghetto during the war. Young people from left-wing Zionist groups established a “kibbutz” there — essentially a support network designed to help members survive and fight back against Nazi forces.

During recent preparation work for renovations, Jakoweńko and her team methodically searched the attic, removing floorboards piece by piece and sifting through debris collected in buckets. Their careful examination revealed items from multiple time periods, including a Jewish prayer book from 1934 and the significant armband.

The foundation made even more dramatic discoveries last year when they found a bunker and underground passage on the property, guided by survivor accounts and oral histories they had gathered. Research indicates three separate bunkers existed around the building.

“The entry to the bunker was through the kitchen oven,” Piotr Jakoweńko said, pointing to a second bunker located under the kitchen, where bricks were arranged differently. “We are not aware any of the people here survived when the Nazis discovered this place. Perhaps as many as 60 were hiding here.”

Finding these hiding places required painstaking examination of every section of the property, with archaeological experts providing guidance throughout the process.

Wojciech Mazan, one of the volunteers who helped with the search, said their work was grueling but it mirrored what the Jewish youth was doing to dig out the tunnel and bunkers. “We feel some closeness to them in this energy. The house is speaking to us.”

Before the war began, approximately 27,000 Jewish residents called Bedzin home, making up half the town’s population. Additional Jewish families lived in surrounding communities in this coal-mining region near Germany, creating one of Poland’s most diverse and economically thriving Jewish populations. Nazi authorities officially established ghettos for Jewish residents in 1942.

The building now being preserved represents a crucial location in the history of Jewish resistance throughout Nazi-occupied Poland. While the Warsaw Ghetto uprising in 1943 remains the most widely known example of Jewish resistance, numerous other resistance efforts occurred throughout the country.

According to Joanna Król-Komła from the POLIN Museum of the History of the Polish Jews in Warsaw, this site could become an important destination for Holocaust education across Europe.

“There are only a few authentic places in Europe where Jews hid that have been preserved,” she said. “But in those cases, the story is usually told from the perspective of the righteous — those who saved Jews.” In Bedzin, by contrast, the preserved hiding place was organized by Jews themselves.

When Nazi forces began dismantling the Bedzin ghetto during summer 1943, Jewish residents had successfully obtained approximately 20 firearms from outside the ghetto walls. They understood that the Warsaw Ghetto, which had a larger and better-equipped resistance movement, had been destroyed in May.

The Jews in Bedzin knew well they stood no chance to survive and some chose to die weapons in hand, shooting at the Nazis who found them, Król-Komła said.

Frumka Płotnicka, a female fighter and courier from the Warsaw resistance movement who was sent to Bedzin to help organize local Jews, died in a third bunker that hasn’t been found yet, according to Karolina Jakoweńko.

She said the acts of resistance in the community went beyond shooting back at the Nazis. “Whether building bunkers or trying to hide a child or an aging parent, this is all resistance. It doesn’t always have to be a fight with weapons in hand. The fact that they wanted to survive was a form of resistance.”

Prior to World War II, Poland housed Europe’s largest Jewish community, with approximately 3.3 million residents. Although Nazi Germany, which controlled Poland during the conflict, bears responsibility for the Holocaust, Poland continues to grapple with historical instances where Polish neighbors participated in local attacks against Jewish communities.

In Bedzin, however, the local community is actively working to revive its Jewish history. Karolina Jakoweńko, who is originally from Bedzin, said “this Jewish history, for me, gave meaning to this town.”

She also recognized the Polish family who constructed the red brick house between the wars, Maria and Józef Polak, who lived alongside Jewish residents throughout the conflict, with children playing together, as allowed under Bedzin ghetto regulations. Family accounts shared with Jakoweńko describe how the woman saw the courtyard filled with bodies after Nazi forces killed the Jewish people who had been hiding.

Following the war’s end, the Polish family and their descendants decided against fencing the property, welcoming Jewish visitors and others. Recently, they agreed to transfer ownership to the Cukerman’s Gate Foundation, which intends to establish a museum called “the Bedzin Ghetto Fighters’ House.”

LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer confronts another political crisis Monday as hundreds of pages of government documents about former U.K. ambassador to Washington Peter Mandelson are set to become public, highlighting the diplomat’s connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The government plans to meet parliamentary demands to disclose records concerning Mandelson’s selection for and performance in Britain’s top diplomatic position.

After serving just nine months, Mandelson was dismissed, and the controversy surrounding his problematic appointment has put Starmer’s leadership in jeopardy.

An initial batch of documents released in March showed that government officials had been cautioned that Mandelson’s association with Epstein could create “reputational risk” for the administration.

Subsequently, it emerged that Mandelson received approval for the ambassadorial position despite not passing security clearance requirements, leading to heated finger-pointing between Starmer and top civil service officials responsible for security screening.

Monday’s document release may contain over 1,000 pages, including correspondence such as emails and text messages exchanged between Mandelson and government officials and advisers.

Law enforcement has requested that certain documents remain confidential as they are part of an ongoing criminal probe into Mandelson for suspected misconduct in public office. The 72-year-old Mandelson was temporarily detained in February by investigators looking into claims he shared classified government intelligence with Epstein during his ministerial tenure fifteen years earlier.

He remains free with no bail restrictions while the police inquiry proceeds.

Health Secretary James Murray stated Monday that the document disclosure represents an “unprecedented” degree of government openness.

“It’s right we do that. We have been very clear that the appointment of Mandelson was wrong,” he told Sky News.

Conservative lawmaker Alex Burghart warned that any effort to suppress or heavily edit documents beyond those requested by police “will be viewed by the House as a contempt of Parliament, and as a cover-up by the British public.”

Starmer terminated Mandelson’s position in September 2025 following an earlier document release that demonstrated he had continued communication with Epstein after the financier’s 2008 conviction for sexual crimes involving a minor.

Opposition figures argue that Starmer’s choice to name Mandelson demonstrates poor decision-making by a prime minister who has committed numerous errors since leading the center-left Labour Party to an overwhelming electoral win in July 2024.

Information about Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein, exposed in extensive files released by the U.S. Department of Justice in January, generated fresh concerns about Starmer’s leadership abilities, prompting adversaries and some Labour members of parliament to demand the prime minister step down.

These demands grew stronger after Labour experienced significant defeats in local elections in May. A senior Cabinet minister, Wes Streeting, stepped down with plans to contest Starmer for Labour leadership. Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is seeking a parliamentary seat in a June 18 special election and is also anticipated to challenge Starmer if successful.

BUDAPEST, Hungary — The Hungarian government plans to modify the nation’s constitution in order to oust the current president, as part of new Prime Minister Péter Magyar’s campaign to eliminate officials installed during former populist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s tenure.

Magyar’s Tizsa party secured a decisive electoral win in April, gaining a two-thirds parliamentary majority that enables them to implement major reforms to the authoritarian system Orbán established during his 16-year leadership.

Following his electoral success, Magyar has consistently demanded that President Tamás Sulyok, who was selected by Orbán’s party, step down or face constitutional removal. Magyar had set a May 31 deadline for Sulyok’s departure, frequently describing him as “Orbán’s puppet.”

Although the presidency is largely ceremonial, Hungary’s president holds responsibility for approving legislation and possesses authority to refer parliamentary bills to the constitutional court for examination, creating worries among the new administration’s allies that he might use this power to block their agenda.

Magyar met with Sulyok at the presidential Sándor Palace on Monday morning. During a subsequent press briefing, Magyar announced that the president had declined to step down. He stated he would direct his party’s legislators to immediately initiate the “necessary procedures” for presidential removal, estimating the process would require approximately one month.

“Hungary does not belong to Tamás Sulyok, nor to Viktor Orbán. It doesn’t belong to a single party or political system,” Magyar said. “The constitution states quite clearly that the president showcases the unity of the nation and guards the democratic functioning of the state.”

The prime minister did not provide details about which type of constitutional modification would be employed to remove Sulyok.

Magyar also criticized Sulyok for neglecting his responsibilities on various matters, including remaining silent when Orbán made dehumanizing remarks about political adversaries and critics, and when the former government enacted laws prohibiting the LGBTQ+ Pride event.

“It is in Hungary’s interest that this institution — the office of the president — regain the prestige that has been eroded by its silence and inaction,” Magyar said.

Last Friday, Sulyok’s office issued a statement declaring that Magyar’s resignation demands “adversely affect both the constitutional functioning and the authority of the institution of the President of the Republic.”

The statement also noted that Sulyok had sought a legal evaluation of the dispute from the Venice Commission, a panel of legal experts affiliated with Europe’s leading human rights organization, the Council of Europe.

Manufacturing facilities worldwide are experiencing major economic impacts from the Middle East conflict, with European producers reporting decreased demand and the steepest increase in raw material expenses in four years, while their Asian counterparts have expanded operations through stockpiling efforts, according to recent industry surveys released Monday.

The conflict involving the U.S., Israel and Iran that started in late February has disrupted global commerce, created instability in financial markets and sparked worries about worldwide energy availability, especially regarding shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical pathway for oil and natural gas transport.

The survey results were released following warnings from leadership at the International Energy Agency, International Monetary Fund, World Bank and World Trade Organization about the conflict’s impact on global energy availability.

The S&P Global Eurozone Manufacturing PMI dropped to 51.6 in May, down from April’s nearly four-year peak of 52.2, though it exceeded the preliminary projection of 51.4. Any measurement over 50.0 signals expansion.

“Although euro area manufacturers reported an expansion for a fourth successive month in May, the sector is showing signs of struggling under the weight of rising prices and supply disruptions emanating from the war in the Middle East,” said Chris Williamson, chief business economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence.

Manufacturing in Germany, Europe’s biggest economy, came to a standstill while French production facilities experienced their first decline since November.

A majority of economists surveyed by Reuters in May expect the European Central Bank to raise its deposit rate this month and at least one additional time this year to prevent higher energy costs from affecting core inflation.

Government data expected Tuesday is projected to reveal that inflation climbed further beyond the ECB’s 2% goal last month.

Manufacturing facilities in Britain increased their prices at the quickest pace since June 2022 last month in reaction to substantial cost increases.

Despite these challenges, production activity grew across most Asian markets.

China’s private sector measurement expanded for six consecutive months while South Korea reached its fastest growth in five years, demonstrating a regional effort to create reserves against possible conflict-related disruptions.

The RatingDog China General Manufacturing PMI, produced by S&P Global, declined to 51.8 in May from April’s 52.2, but performed slightly better than analysts’ prediction of 51.6.

This result differed from an official survey indicating that factory activity in the world’s second-largest economy stagnated last month as new orders declined and input expenses continued rising.

Japan’s manufacturing activity also grew with the PMI reaching 54.5 in May, down from April’s more than four-year peak of 55.1, though companies there experienced the steepest increase in input costs since September 2022 due to higher raw material prices.

South Korea’s PMI climbed to its highest level since March 2021 at 54.8 in May, up from 53.6, again demonstrating companies’ efforts to secure supplies.

In Vietnam, the factory PMI measurement increased to 52.8 from 50.5, while Taiwan’s rose to 56.1 from 55.3, surveys indicated. The Philippines’ index jumped to 50.8 from 48.3.

Emergency teams in northwestern Italy successfully rescued a cave explorer Monday after his leg became pinned beneath a rock approximately 120 meters (394 feet) below ground, according to emergency services officials who reported the operation required 53 rescue personnel.

The nighttime rescue unfolded at the Grotta dei Cinghiali Volanti (Cave of the Flying Wild Boars), located in Cuneo province roughly 120 kilometers south of Turin, an area known as one of Italy’s premier caving destinations.

Rescue teams initially provided medical care to the trapped explorer at a temporary treatment station established within the cave before moving him to the surface for ambulance transport to a medical facility, according to a statement from the Alpine and Speleological Rescue Service.

Officials determined the man’s condition was stable enough that he did not need to be carried out on a stretcher, the rescue service noted, while emphasizing that response teams traveled from multiple regions across Italy to assist.

Authorities identified the rescued individual as an Italian citizen. News outlets reported his age as 20.

Following a Monday meeting with President Tamas Sulyok, Hungary’s Prime Minister Peter Magyar announced his government would pursue legal action to force the president from office if he refuses to step down voluntarily.

Magyar’s centre-right Tisza party scored a decisive electoral win in April, defeating Prime Minister Viktor Orban and vowing to oust numerous officials that Orban had placed in important government roles during his 16-year tenure.

The new prime minister has demanded Sulyok’s resignation, claiming the president has failed to promote national unity on critical matters and has instead worked to advance Orban’s interests and those of his former administration. Sulyok has declined to step down from his position.

“I have told the President that if he maintains his stance and does not resign, I will inform …the lawmakers of Tisza about our legislative proposals today and we will immediately start the necessary procedures,” Magyar stated.

According to Magyar, the legislative effort would span approximately one month and would focus on “removing all the puppets” who participated in “dismantling the rule of law and democracy.”

Orban’s Fidesz party responded by characterizing Magyar’s demands as an “unlawful ultimatum,” asserting that Sulyok is properly executing his legitimate mandate, which extends through 2029, and cannot be forced from his position.

Before becoming president, Sulyok led Hungary’s highest court, a role he obtained through Fidesz selection in 2016. Lawmakers from Orban’s party chose him for the presidency in early 2024.

While Hungary’s presidential role is primarily symbolic, Sulyok retains authority to send legislation back to parliament for additional review or refer measures to the Constitutional Court, actions that could delay or obstruct Magyar’s planned reforms.

Magyar has indicated he plans to leverage his party’s two-thirds legislative majority to modify constitutional provisions and other laws as necessary to compel Sulyok’s departure from office.

MANILA, June 1 – A Filipino lawmaker whose father once held the country’s highest office voluntarily turned himself in to authorities Monday after a judicial order for his detention on corruption allegations tied to an infrastructure controversy that triggered citizen demonstrations last year.

The corruption court issued an arrest warrant for Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada on plunder charges, which carry no bail option under the country’s legal system. Anti-corruption officials filed charges last week against Estrada for breaking graft laws by accepting “kickbacks” totaling 573 million pesos ($9.3 million).

“I will not seek Senate custody,” Estrada stated to media at the Senate building, addressing the possibility of seeking protection within the legislative chamber rather than surrendering to law enforcement.

“I am ready to defend myself before the court and I will not hide behind the institution to evade the process,” he continued.

Estrada has maintained his innocence and claimed the accusations are motivated by politics. He secured bail last week for a different charge.

The graft controversy, which has focused on dangerously defective flood-prevention infrastructure throughout the Philippines, has disturbed the corruption-weary country and hampered economic expansion in recent months.

($1 = 61.7010 Philippine pesos)

Israeli forces launched military strikes against Beirut’s southern suburbs Monday, marking a significant escalation one day after ground troops penetrated deeper into Lebanon than they have in over two decades, while Hezbollah militants launched rockets targeting northern Israeli territory, including areas near the coastal city of Haifa.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz released a joint statement explaining their decision to authorize military action against targets in the southern Beirut area known as Dahiyeh. They cited what they described as ongoing ceasefire violations by Hezbollah and “attacks against our cities and citizens” as justification for the strikes.

The militant group had committed to ending attacks against Israel when both sides agreed to a ceasefire in mid-April, but fighting resumed after Israeli military operations in Lebanon that Israel described as defensive measures.

Following Monday’s strike warning, residents of Dahiyeh began evacuating in large numbers, creating traffic congestion on roads leading away from the area where Hezbollah maintains strong community backing.

Overnight Israeli air operations in southern Lebanon resulted in six fatalities, including one Syrian national in a community near Nabatiyeh, according to the state-run National News Agency.

Israeli military officials reported that their Air Force successfully intercepted two projectiles fired from Lebanese territory toward Israel, along with a suspicious aircraft in the region where Israeli troops are conducting operations in southern Lebanon. Military sources indicated no casualties occurred from these incidents.

Hezbollah confirmed conducting rocket and missile operations against northern Israeli targets on Sunday.

This recent violence occurred despite an existing ceasefire arrangement that has been active since April 17, and just before Lebanon and Israel are scheduled to participate in another round of direct negotiations in Washington beginning Tuesday. Hezbollah has declined to participate in direct discussions, relying instead on pressure from Iran, which has called for an end to the Lebanese conflict in its own discussions with Washington.

The Washington negotiations between high-ranking Israeli and Lebanese officials, which started in April, represent the first such direct discussions between the nations in more than thirty years, as they maintain no official diplomatic ties.

The Lebanese capital has largely avoided airstrikes since the ceasefire took effect, with the exception of two specific attacks on the city’s southern areas in May.

A U.S. official revealed late Sunday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had contacted Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to suggest a new approach for continuing current negotiations, while President Donald Trump considers a potential ceasefire extension involving Iran.

The proposal calls for Hezbollah to cease all attacks on Israel while Israel would avoid escalating military actions in Beirut, according to the official who requested anonymity when discussing confidential diplomatic communications.

The official indicated that Aoun showed interest in the proposal, but Lebanese parliament chief Nabih Berri responded by insisting that Israel must first cease all military activities.

The official noted that the Trump administration does not anticipate Israel abandoning its right to respond to Hezbollah attacks on its territory.

Berri, who maintains close ties with Hezbollah, issued a statement Sunday saying he could ensure the militant organization’s “full, comprehensive and immediate commitment to a ceasefire.” Berri questioned “but who will force Israel to stop its aggression?”

Aoun stated Monday in remarks issued by his office that “Lebanon is facing a fierce and condemned Israeli aggression.” He added that his administration continues working to end “the suffering of the Lebanese in general and the southerners in particular.”

The current conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has resulted in 3,412 deaths in Lebanon and forced more than 1 million people from their homes.

Israeli military sources confirmed that one soldier died in southern Lebanon overnight during a drone attack conducted by Hezbollah. The militant group’s deployment of difficult-to-detect fiber optic drones has proven particularly lethal for Israeli forces, who are having difficulty countering these weapons.

Netanyahu’s office reports that at least 26 Israeli soldiers and one defense contractor have died in or around southern Lebanon. Additionally, two civilians have been killed in northern Israel.

Malaysia has implemented new restrictions preventing children under 16 from creating accounts on social media platforms, according to an announcement Monday from the country’s communications regulator. The policy represents part of broader efforts to shield young people from dangerous online material.

This Southeast Asian country becomes part of a growing international movement to control access to digital platforms, as worries increase about social media’s effects on young people’s wellbeing and security.

Starting Monday, major social media companies like Meta Platforms’ Facebook and Instagram, TikTok, and Alphabet’s YouTube must verify users’ ages using official government documentation, according to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission.

Platforms that don’t follow these new requirements could face penalties reaching 10 million ringgit ($2.5 million).

“The measure is not intended to prohibit child users from the internet or to deny them access to technology,” the commission stated, explaining that the goal is to increase accountability among social media companies, parents and guardians when it comes to safeguarding minors on the internet.

Social media companies have six months to implement age verification processes for users who already have accounts.

Malaysia has increased oversight of social media corporations following discoveries of significantly more harmful digital content in recent years, and is taking action against material designed to inflame racial or religious conflicts, or attack the monarchy.

The International Labour Organization kicked off its concluding discussions Monday in Geneva regarding the first binding employment standards for digital platforms that provide ride-sharing, food delivery, and online commerce services.

The primary disagreement revolves around whether benefits like minimum wage and protections including healthcare, sick leave, and social security should extend to every platform worker, or if coverage should depend on their classification as employees versus independent contractors.

The discussions will also tackle transparency in automated management systems, including how algorithmic technology determines compensation, distributes work assignments, and evaluates worker performance.

ILO members, who initiated preliminary discussions about platform worker employment last year, aim to finalize binding regulations and recommendations before next week concludes.

Any agreement from the U.N. agency, which advocates for international labor rights, requires consensus among governments, employers, and workers within the ILO framework.

The negotiations are anticipated to be challenging, with some members potentially seeking to dilute the language.

The U.S., China, Argentina and India prefer a more flexible approach, while the European Union, Brazil and Mexico advocate for enhanced protections, according to Lena Simet, senior advisor on economic justice at Human Rights Watch.

Labor advocacy groups and trade unions argue that the common practice of classifying workers as independent contractors enables companies to avoid minimum wage obligations and responsibilities like healthcare, sick leave and social security contributions.

“There is a serious problem with transparency and accountability around how algorithms are used to determine pay and performance,” said Simet.

The International Organisation of Employers, representing approximately 50 million companies globally, has stated that any framework should maintain flexibility, permitting countries to modify regulations according to their national situations.

Ride-hailing company Uber supported this position.

“It should enable countries to provide meaningful protections while preserving the flexibility, choice, and independence that many workers value,” an Uber spokesperson said.

The International Trade Union Confederation, the primary global organization representing workers, is advocating for a robust, binding convention. “Technological innovation cannot be used as an excuse to weaken democratic labour rights,” its General Secretary Luc Triangle told Reuters.

Chinese authorities announced Monday they will deploy medical experts to the Democratic Republic of Congo to help combat the current Ebola outbreak affecting the region.

Foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian confirmed the decision during Monday’s briefing, stating that China has committed to providing humanitarian aid to Congo and will continue offering support “to the best of its ability.”

For nearly three decades, Venezuela’s socialist government has rallied behind a simple battle cry that symbolized Hugo Chávez’s nationalist movement: “United, we will win!”

This rallying call has echoed through government gatherings, street protests, and state media broadcasts, with supporters of all ages raising their fists to demonstrate allegiance to the anti-American socialist administration. The diverse alliance of military officials, ideological believers, and political opportunists has traditionally presented a unified front, even when facing overwhelming challenges.

However, that solidarity is showing signs of strain following the dramatic U.S. military action that resulted in the capture of former President Nicolás Maduro this past January. Devoted supporters are now openly challenging acting President Delcy Rodríguez’s administration and publicly speculating that internal betrayal enabled the American operation against Maduro.

Rodríguez has abandoned several of Chávez’s signature policies, accommodated American requests, and restructured the government according to her preferences, dismissing cabinet members, advancing National Assembly legislation to transform the country’s petroleum sector, and freeing imprisoned opposition figures.

Chavismo adherents are expressing their dissatisfaction openly. Numerous supporters condemn the improved relations between Rodríguez’s administration and Washington, which the movement has traditionally viewed as its primary enemy regardless of which political party controls the White House.

The May deportation of a former cabinet official to face U.S. criminal charges and Rodríguez’s recent permission for American forces to conduct military training in Venezuela’s capital have exposed deep internal rifts.

Mario Silva, who spent years promoting government messaging as host of a state television program before being taken off air after Maduro’s detention, challenged the constitutional validity of deporting Alex Saab, a close Maduro associate, claiming it violated constitutional prohibitions.

Silva argued that Rodríguez lacks true governing independence, suggesting certain choices “are being made in the U.S. Embassy.”

“The imperialists don’t negotiate. They conquer, test and probe — until our country shatters,” Silva said in a livestream. “Nobody is safe right now. And that is a concrete, terribly dangerous fact.”

On May 23, several dozen demonstrators in Caracas protested the military training that brought two Marine Corps Osprey aircraft to the U.S. Embassy grounds. Protesters displayed a Venezuelan flag bearing the words “No to the Yankee drill.” The small turnout was notable in a capital accustomed to mass demonstrations involving thousands of participants.

Elías Jaua, who served as Chávez’s vice president and in Maduro’s cabinet in his first years in office, repudiated the exercise on social media. He later told The Associated Press he was speaking up to raise awareness among Venezuelans of the “humiliating” situation facing the country.

“At this stage, the most important thing is to prevent this occupation and this colonial administration to which a nation like Venezuela is being subjected from becoming normalized,” Jaua said.

Chávez and Maduro — as well as Rodríguez, in her previous roles as vice president and communications and foreign affairs minister — had long prophesied that the U.S. would use force to take control of Venezuela’s oil industry, which has opened up to private capital after Maduro’s capture. The Trump administration oversees oil sales and administers revenues as part of its phased plan to turn the troubled South American country around.

The social, political and economic crisis that took hold when Maduro became president in 2013 drove more than 7.7 million people to leave Venezuela and pushed millions of others into poverty. It also led to rounds of anti-government protests and U.S. economic sanctions, both of which the ruling party survived.

Party stalwarts celebrated a Maduro victory in a 2024 election despite overwhelming evidence showing he had lost. They also echoed the party leadership’s denial of a surge of migration. Their loyalty was often rewarded, be it with food and basic goods for the poor or multimillion-dollar contracts and bodyguards for the better-off.

Andrés Izarra, a communications minister under Chávez and tourism minister under Maduro, said the fractures are not based in ideology or a defense of Chavismo, which he believes ended when its founder died in 2013. Maduro’s interest, he said, was in enriching himself and remaining in power at all costs.

Self-interest, he said, is creating division.

“Since there is no ideological foundation, it is simply a struggle for power, money, positions, and survival. Do you think (he) would be protesting if he’d kept his bodyguards, or if they’d kept his little salary, or his share of power?” Izarra, who lives in exile since becoming a government target last decade, said of one critic of change under Delcy. “If they had an ideological interest, they would have spoken much earlier.”

Criticism even aired on state television last month, when a Colombian leftist leader sitting in the audience of Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello’s show stood up and questioned Venezuela’s efforts to free Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores from U.S. custody.

“We’ve seen a very weak campaign for Cilia and Nicolás’s freedom,” Manuel Caicedo said before a visibly stunned Cabello.

Another devout Chavista, lawmaker Iris Varela, told a podcaster she believed a government insider had helped the U.S. oust Maduro. The idea has widely rumored since President Donald Trump announced that the authoritarian leader had been captured on Jan. 3, but no evidence has emerged.

“Of course there’s a betrayal,” Varela said. “I say that every Christ has a Judas. If our Lord Jesus Christ knew he was going to be betrayed and yet he let Judas kiss him on the cheek, … won’t a traitor emerge for Maduro?”

MANILA, Philippines — A Filipino lawmaker announced Monday he plans to turn himself in to authorities following a court-issued arrest warrant on plunder charges connected to alleged kickbacks from a major flood control project.

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada had already been arrested Friday on an initial graft charge that allowed for bail by the specialized Sandiganbayan anti-corruption court. After posting bail and securing his release, he once more proclaimed his innocence of any criminal conduct.

The 63-year-old Estrada has vehemently rejected accusations primarily brought forward by a former government public works engineer claiming he accepted over 570 million pesos ($9.3 million) in illegal payments connected to flood control construction projects.

BRUSSELS, June 1 – A coalition of 13 European cloud computing companies has joined with EU legislators and advocacy organizations to support the European Commission’s initiative to reduce Europe’s dependence on American technology while strengthening domestic businesses.

The Commission plans to unveil new measures Wednesday designed to prioritize European companies over American competitors for cloud streaming services in sensitive government contracts, while simultaneously increasing production of European-manufactured semiconductors.

This initiative stems partially from strained relations with both the United States and China, along with broader efforts to compete with these nations in critical technologies.

“Technological sovereignty means that Europe has the capacity to freely design, understand, choose from different home-grown sources, build, operate and effectively regulate the digital systems on which its society and economy rely,” the coalition stated in a joint open letter obtained by Reuters.

Companies signing the letter include French cloud vendor OVHcloud, Germany’s Nextcloud, social networks Mastodon and Monnett Social, Swiss privacy software company Proton, browser company Ecosia and Dutch quantum chip maker QuantWare.

European Parliament members from the Greens group and six advocacy organizations including Defend Democracy and Save Social also endorsed the letter.

“Our message is simple: Build European, buy European, protect European,” stated lawmaker Alexandra Geese.

A prominent Taiwanese opposition figure has expressed strong interest in meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump during her planned visit to America this month.

Cheng Li-wun, who leads the Kuomintang (KMT), Taiwan’s primary opposition party, announced her openness to such a meeting while speaking with media representatives in Taipei on Monday. She departed later that day for a two-week journey across the United States, which follows her April trip to China where she held discussions with President Xi Jinping.

During her press conference in Taipei, Cheng noted that no Taiwanese leader has held a meeting with a serving U.S. president since diplomatic ties between Taipei and Washington ended in 1979, though she emphasized her role is specifically as KMT chairwoman.

When reporters questioned whether she would be open to meeting Trump, Cheng responded: “I am of course very willing.”

She explained her readiness to engage with any individual who promotes peace and holds significant leadership authority, similar to her approach with Xi.

“The same applies to President Trump. Anything that is helpful to peace, I am willing to do; anyone who is helpful to peace, I am willing to meet – let alone the most critical decision-maker and leader, which is the president of the United States,” Cheng stated.

The White House has not yet provided a response to requests for comment made after regular business hours.

Beijing, which maintains territorial claims over Taiwan, has refused diplomatic engagement with Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te, labeling him a “separatist” and dismissing his multiple overtures for dialogue. Lai has consistently rejected Beijing’s territorial assertions, maintaining that Taiwan’s citizens alone should determine their island’s destiny.

Cheng expressed satisfaction with the improving trajectory of China-U.S. relations following Trump and Xi’s meeting in Beijing last month.

She confirmed plans to meet with congressional members and U.S. government officials during her trip, which includes a stop in Washington, though she declined to specify participants due to confidentiality considerations.

Despite Cheng’s KMT and its coalition partner, the Taiwan People’s Party, holding parliamentary control and supporting defense expenditures, they recently reduced government proposals for an additional $40 billion in military spending by one-third last month.

The United States has endorsed Taiwan’s increased defense budget, particularly the portions that the opposition reduced, which included funding for drones and other domestically-produced military equipment.

According to Cheng, Taiwan’s defensive capabilities depend not solely on enhanced military equipment, but also require diplomatic engagement with China to “thoroughly eliminate any possibility of military conflict or war.”

Emergency teams in Laos continued their efforts Monday to locate a different way into a water-filled cave system where two individuals have been missing for almost two weeks following severe storms that flooded the primary entrance and blocked access.

The pair has been unaccounted for since rescue efforts started last month in the mountainous terrain of Xaisomboun province, located roughly 120 kilometers (75 miles) north of Vientiane, the nation’s capital. Emergency workers have successfully brought out five of the original seven people who became stuck in the underground chamber.

Lee Kian Lie, a Malaysian diver participating in the rescue mission, explained that crews are working to remove water from the cave system.

“We will go into the suspected area to continue the search if the water level is lowered,” he told The Associated Press.

A separate rescue group is examining the opposite side of the cave structure, hoping to discover a dry pathway that might allow entry to where the missing individuals are thought to be located, he explained.

Emergency response teams from Laos and nearby Thailand have been collaborating for over a week. International divers from Finland, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, France and Australia have joined the effort.

Multiple members of the rescue operation previously participated in the complex 2018 cave emergency in northern Thailand that successfully freed 12 schoolboys and their soccer coach from a water-filled cave.

The Laos Rescue Volunteer for People group announced on its Facebook page that intense rainfall brought “massive amounts of water” flowing into the region, forcing teams to halt their work Sunday evening.

Kengkaj Bongkawong, who leads the Thai group Metta Tham Rescue Kalasin, explained that crews are also searching for air shafts from the surface that could offer another way into the cave.

Emergency workers suspect the two missing individuals are stuck in a deeper section of the cave than where the five survivors were initially located on Wednesday. However, the route to that location is described as extremely narrow and severely flooded.

The local residents reportedly went into the cave almost two weeks ago searching for precious minerals including gold when they became trapped by sudden flooding that cut off their exit route. Another villager managed to escape and notified authorities.

The first person was safely brought out on Friday, led through a tight flooded tunnel by a skilled diver. The other four emerged from the cave on Saturday after water levels dropped sufficiently for them to exit without assistance, rescue officials reported.

SEOUL, South Korea — A fatal blast rocked a defense contractor’s facility in South Korea on Monday, claiming five lives and leaving two people wounded, according to authorities.

The tragic incident took place at a Hanwha Aerospace worksite located in the South Korean city of Daejeon.

Authorities have not yet released additional information, including what triggered the blast.

Emergency official Yoon Seong-su noted that the location is classified as a government-designated security facility.

Local medical official Kim Ju-yeon reported that one of the two wounded individuals remains in critical condition. She added that authorities have not yet determined the identities of those who died.

According to Yonhap news agency, the facility serves as one of Hanwha Aerospace’s primary locations for developing large-sized propellants and surface-to-surface weapons systems.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directed his nation’s military forces on Monday to strike targets located in the southern suburban areas of Beirut, Lebanon, specifically targeting a region known as a Hezbollah stronghold called Dahiyeh.

A statement released by Netanyahu’s office explained the reasoning behind the military action: “Following repeated violations of the ceasefire in Lebanon by the terrorist group Hezbollah and the attacks against our cities and citizens, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered the IDF to attack terrorist targets in the Dahiyeh district in Beirut.”

Despite a ceasefire agreement reached in mid-April, Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants have maintained ongoing exchanges of fire. Hezbollah has increasingly deployed inexpensive, easily-constructed kamikaze drones that present significant challenges for air defense systems to intercept, resulting in the deaths of multiple Israeli soldiers stationed in southern Lebanon.

The conflict in Lebanon represents the most significant expansion of the Iran war, forcing over 1.2 million Lebanese residents from their homes due to Israeli military strikes and evacuation directives since March 2, when Hezbollah initiated rocket and drone attacks against Israel in support of its Iranian ally.

According to Lebanese government figures, the military operations have resulted in more than 3,370 fatalities. Israeli officials report that 24 soldiers and four civilians have lost their lives during the same timeframe. Additionally, tens of thousands of Israeli residents in northern regions have been forced to evacuate due to Hezbollah rocket and drone attacks.

The Dutch carrier KLM announced Friday evening it has suspended service to Uganda’s Entebbe airport, located near Kampala, because of restrictions related to an Ebola outbreak affecting Central Africa.

According to the airline, although the region is not presently considered an active danger zone, operations to the planned destinations are no longer feasible due to travel and entry protocols that various nations have implemented for individuals who have recently visited Entebbe, affecting both passengers and airline personnel.

Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 indicates that two scheduled routes connecting Amsterdam and Entebbe, with a stop in Rwanda’s capital Kigali, set for Saturday and Monday have been scrapped.

“We’re continuing to monitor the situation and looking into what’s possible,” KLM stated in a travel advisory.

The World Health Organization has classified the Ebola outbreak, caused by the uncommon Bundibugyo strain of the virus affecting the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, as a public health emergency of international concern, though it falls short of pandemic emergency status.

In May, the United States implemented heightened travel screening, entry limitations and public health protocols to help prevent the disease’s transmission.

Multiple news sources reported that on May 20, an Air France aircraft traveling from Paris to Detroit was rerouted to Montreal after a traveler from the Democratic Republic of Congo boarded “in error.”

Emirates advised Thursday that passengers should verify destination entry requirements prior to travel, referencing Ebola-related restrictions in multiple countries.

An accidental blast involving explosives stockpiled by Myanmar’s rebel forces has claimed no fewer than 55 lives, with rescue teams still searching through the wreckage for survivors, according to eyewitness accounts released Monday.

The devastating incident occurred at approximately midday Sunday (0530 GMT) in Kaung Tat village, according to a statement from the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), which acknowledged multiple fatalities but did not specify an exact number.

Local residents and news outlets have confirmed the death toll at a minimum of 55 people, while search and rescue efforts continue at the explosion site. The TNLA has not responded to requests for additional information on Monday.

“Everything was completely destroyed beyond recognition,” resident Moe Z told Reuters. He was traveling on a roadway approximately 1-1/2 miles (2.4 km) from the scene when the blast occurred, describing how a mushroom cloud of smoke rose into the air.

The TNLA, which maintains control over the border village near China and operates under a ceasefire agreement with Myanmar’s military forces, stated that the detonated materials had been stockpiled “for use in mining operations.”

The nation’s mineral wealth, including rare earth elements, has emerged as a crucial funding source for both the military government and opposition forces engaged in the country’s ongoing civil conflict.

The current warfare started in 2021 following a military takeover that removed the democratically chosen civilian administration headed by Nobel Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi.

Moe Z explained that initially his group suspected the explosion might have been an aerial attack, but the lack of subsequent blasts led them to consider whether a large unexploded ordnance had gone off.

“Based on the explosive force and the sound we witnessed, this was no small explosion, it wasn’t the scale of a drone-drop bomb,” he said, referencing a strategy commonly employed in Myanmar’s civil war.

Moe Z reported that his team reached the location roughly one hour following the blast, finding human casualties scattered throughout the area while people concentrated on locating any survivors. He described finding body parts and victims spread across the zone, with an enormous crater marking where the explosives had been kept.

“It’s as if the entire village has just vanished,” he said.

A regional reporter informed Reuters that the blast was so powerful that some casualties were trapped beneath massive amounts of rubble and wreckage, requiring heavy machinery for the search operation.

“Over half of the village’s houses have been destroyed. The houses near the centre of the blast were blown completely to pieces, to the point where not even the house posts remain,” the journalist said.

In Sunday’s official statement, the TNLA pledged to conduct a full investigation into the incident and ensure accountability for those at fault. The organization also committed to providing emergency assistance, medical care, and reconstruction support for affected residents.

“The explosion caused the loss of life and injury to many people in Kaung Tat village, and the destruction of many homes,” the TNLA said.

French naval forces intercepted a Russian-connected oil tanker in the Atlantic Ocean on Sunday, according to French President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement on social media.

The vessel, identified as the Tagor, was operating under international sanctions when French forces boarded it on the open ocean.

“This operation took place in the Atlantic Ocean, on the high seas, with the support of several partners, including the United Kingdom, in strict compliance with the law of the sea,” Macron stated.

The French leader condemned vessels that attempt to evade international restrictions, saying: “It is unacceptable for ships to circumvent international sanctions, violate the law of the sea, and finance the war that Russia has been waging against Ukraine for more than four years.”

The boarding operation was carried out with assistance from multiple allied nations, including British forces, according to the president’s statement.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — American military forces conducted airstrikes against Iranian radar installations and drone command centers following Tehran’s destruction of a US MQ-1 Predator drone over the weekend, military officials announced Monday. Iranian forces confirmed they launched counter-attacks, while Kuwait reported defending against incoming drone and missile strikes.

These competing military actions highlight how tenuous the multi-week ceasefire remains in the Iran conflict, with continued hostilities occurring despite ongoing diplomatic efforts between American and Iranian representatives to extend the truce. Tehran continues controlling the Strait of Hormuz during this period, creating disruptions to worldwide energy markets since one-fifth of global oil and natural gas shipments previously traveled through this critical Persian Gulf passage.

At the same time, combat operations are intensifying as Israel expands its military presence in Lebanon past the Litani River while Hezbollah militants persist in sending drones toward Israeli territory.

Central Command announced its military operations took place Saturday and Sunday in areas surrounding Geruk city and on Qeshm Island.

“The measured and deliberate strikes occurred … in response to aggressive Iranian actions that included the shootdown of a U.S. MQ-1 drone that was operating over international waters,” Central Command said.

“U.S. fighter aircraft swiftly responded by eliminating Iranian air defenses, a ground control station, and two one-way attack drones that posed clear threats to ships transiting regional waters.”

While the Air Force has discontinued Predator operations in favor of the MQ-9 Reaper, the Army continues operating Predator aircraft. Military officials reported no American personnel sustained injuries during these operations.

Kuwait’s defense systems engaged early Monday to counter approaching drone and missile attacks. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard forces issued a statement through the state-controlled IRNA news agency claiming American forces had struck a communications tower on an island location.

The Guard confirmed conducting a retaliatory operation without specifying the target location, presumably referencing the Kuwait incident. Kuwait hosts U.S. Army Central, serving as the regional Army command headquarters for Middle East operations.

These military exchanges mark the most recent escalation between Washington and Tehran, even as both nations claim ongoing diplomatic discussions, particularly regarding Iran’s highly enriched uranium reserves. During the weekend, American forces fired a missile into a Gambia-flagged cargo vessel’s engine compartment as it attempted to breach the Iranian port blockade.

Limited shipping traffic has managed to exit the strait, though global energy markets remain under strain, along with chemical fertilizer supplies that have raised concerns about potential food shortages. The Gulf area accounts for 30% of international chemical fertilizer trade.

U.S. President Donald Trump conducted meetings with advisers Friday but has not yet determined whether to proceed with an agreement extending the ceasefire and reopening the strait. Iranian officials have stated no final deal has been reached.

Trump shared optimistic views about negotiations in an early Monday post on his Truth Social platform, dismissing critics while avoiding discussion of the current military exchanges.

“Iran really wants to make a deal, and it will be a good one for the U.S.A. and those that are with us,” he wrote. “Just sit back and relax, it will all work out well in the end — It always does!”

A devastating industrial accident at a South Korean aerospace manufacturing facility has resulted in five fatalities and two injuries, officials confirmed Monday.

The deadly incident occurred at a Hanwha Aerospace plant located in Daejeon, where workers produce large rocket propulsion systems and work with explosive rocket fuel materials.

Two workers managed to flee the facility on their own, with one suffering severe burns, according to fire department officials who spoke at a news conference.

“Authorities have yet to identify the victims because their bodies were severely damaged,” a health official told the same briefing.

Fire department representatives revealed that the deadly blaze began after an explosion, though investigators are still working to determine what caused the initial blast.

The aerospace company specializes in defense and space technology, with the Daejeon facility specifically focused on manufacturing rocket propulsion systems and handling volatile rocket fuels.

Emergency responders faced additional challenges because they could not access building blueprints, as the facility’s layout information is classified under the country’s national security regulations, officials explained during the briefing.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has ordered the deployment of all available emergency resources to handle the situation and has demanded a thorough investigation into the tragedy, according to a statement from his office sent to news media.

A company representative from Hanwha Aerospace confirmed that the organization is conducting its own internal investigation into the incident.

Voting commenced Monday morning in Ethiopia’s national election, with widespread expectations that the current governing party will maintain its hold on power.

Military forces were prominently stationed throughout the capital city of Addis Ababa, while international observers urged calm during the electoral process in Africa’s second-largest nation by population, which serves as home to the African Union’s main offices.

Citizens formed lengthy lines ahead of the 6 a.m. start time, demonstrating enthusiasm to participate in the democratic process and express their political preferences.

The election will determine more than 500 representatives for the House of Representatives, who will then cast votes to choose the nation’s prime minister.

The Prosperity Party, led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, is anticipated to win a majority of legislative seats, which would allow him to continue serving in his current role for an additional term.

Registration records show approximately 50 million citizens are eligible to participate in the voting process, representing roughly 38% of Ethiopia’s total population of 130 million. Citizens are simultaneously selecting representatives for regional government bodies. Election outcomes are anticipated to be announced later Monday.

Political opposition groups have expressed worries about what they characterize as diminishing opportunities for political participation, claiming they faced obstacles in conducting campaign activities and reaching potential supporters. The nation has also encountered international scrutiny regarding alleged violations of human rights against government opponents and members of the media.

MELBOURNE, Australia — A 34-year-old Australian woman facing terrorism charges appeared in court Monday as prosecutors detailed allegations that she supported violent extremism, tried to radicalize her children, and encouraged others to join her in Syria.

Defense attorney Peter Morrissey told the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court that his client, Rayann El Houli, has completely changed her stance on terrorism.

“She renounces ISIS and violent jihad,” Morrissey said, using an acronym for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. “She wants nothing to do with it: not now directly or indirectly. Not in the future. Not for herself. Not for the people she loves and specifically not for the children.”

El Houli is seeking bail while facing charges for allegedly joining a terrorist organization and traveling to Raqqa, Syria, which served as the Islamic State’s headquarters more than ten years ago.

Chief Magistrate Lisa Hannan described the prosecution’s allegations during the hearing, stating that El Houli journeyed to Syria sometime between 2013 and 2014 with plans to join IS militants.

“The accused expressed radicalized views while in Syria, including support for terrorist acts. She supported acts of martyrdom whilst in Syria. She repeatedly expressed views that supported the killing or serious injury of non-believers,” Hannan said.

According to the magistrate, El Houli attempted to radicalize her children and encouraged Australians to travel to Syria to embrace extremist beliefs and lifestyle choices.

The magistrate noted that El Houli departed Raqqa in 2019 “when the caliphate was defeated and not as a result of her changing views.”

The court postponed the bail hearing to a future date yet to be determined.

Both charges carry maximum penalties of ten years imprisonment. Australian law requires exceptional circumstances for individuals facing terrorism allegations to receive bail.

Hannan indicated she wants more information about how El Houli fled from the al-Hol displacement camp in eastern Syria and was transported illegally to Lebanon.

El Houli returned to Australia from Lebanon in the previous year and was taken into custody in Melbourne last week.

Three additional women connected to IS who recently returned to Australia have been charged with slavery and terrorism violations upon arrival and are currently detained, while others remain under police investigation.

Malaysia launched new restrictions Monday that block millions of children under 16 from having social media accounts, becoming part of a worldwide movement to strengthen digital safety measures for young internet users.

The new regulations mandate that social media companies install age-verification technology and prevent users younger than 16 from setting up accounts. The restrictions target platforms with a minimum of 8 million users, covering Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

Social media companies that don’t follow the new rules face financial penalties reaching 10 million ringgit ($2.5 million). However, parents won’t face punishment if their children find ways around the restrictions.

Officials stated the new policies aim to shield children from dangerous content, cyberbullying and platform designs that promote addictive usage patterns.

Several nations including Australia, Brazil and Indonesia have either launched or announced age-related limitations for children’s social media access. Additional countries such as Britain, France, Spain, Denmark, Thailand and South Korea are researching or creating comparable strategies.

Malaysia’s Communications and Multimedia Commission explained the regulations don’t seek to block children’s internet or digital technology access. The agency instead established standards for service providers to tackle online dangers and implement appropriate safety measures for different age groups.

“These measures help strengthen the protection of children in the online environment, while providing added reassurance to parents in navigating increasingly complex digital risks,” the regulator said in a statement last month.

Social media companies must introduce safety-focused design elements, including safeguards against manipulative features that promote compulsive behavior, and take steps to remove underage accounts and harmful material.

Technology firms haven’t yet explained their plans for meeting Malaysia’s new standards.

The regulatory agency announced it will provide a transition period for platforms to finish installing age-verification technology.

Clara Koh, Meta’s director of public policy for Southeast Asia, had cautioned in April that Malaysia’s blanket under-16 ban could backfire by driving teenagers away from protected apps and into unregulated corners of the internet.

She said Meta has launched “teen accounts” for those under 18 that limits contact, screen time and exposure to inappropriate content.

Malaysia’s new restrictions emerge as governments worldwide face mounting pressure to tackle worries about social media’s effects on children’s mental health and digital safety.

In March, a U.S. jury ordered Meta and YouTube to pay millions of dollars in damages in a case alleging that platform design features contributed to harm suffered by a young user.

While many parents support the move, Malaysia’s decision has sparked concerns about data privacy protection.

“It is very much following the trend but in a way that is raising alarms due to requiring a government ID for age verification,” said Benjamin Loh, social science lecturer at Monash University in Malaysia.

Loh said experiences elsewhere suggest age-based restrictions have yet to prove consistently effective. Without parent penalties, he said families can easily bypass the law by creating accounts for their children.

“This is a major gap that unless regulators are willing to fix, will result in the law having little effect in stopping children from using social media,” he added.

American military forces launched what they described as defensive strikes against Iranian radar and unmanned aircraft facilities over the weekend, according to officials who characterized the action as a response to hostile Iranian behavior.

Military commanders announced on social media Sunday that Iran had destroyed an American MQ-1 unmanned aircraft that was flying over international waters.

According to CENTCOM, American fighter jets retaliated by destroying Iranian air defense systems, a ground control facility, and two one-way attack drones.

Officials confirmed that no American service members were injured in the operations.

The military action represents the latest exchange between the two nations, following similar confrontations the previous week when Iran attacked an American air installation after U.S. forces conducted operations against what a Washington official described as Iranian drone activities near the Strait of Hormuz.

For the first time since its founding, Australia’s populist One Nation party has claimed the top position in national polling, surpassing the current Labor government amid widespread public dissatisfaction with recent fiscal policy changes.

The Redbridge Group and Accent Research polling data shows One Nation’s primary support climbing four percentage points to reach 31% compared to the previous month’s results. Meanwhile, the governing center-left Labor party saw its support decline by three points to 28%.

The conservative coalition opposition also experienced losses, dropping two percentage points to 20% support.

These polling shifts follow the government’s May 12 budget announcement, which introduced sweeping property tax reforms described as the most significant changes to property taxation in decades. The measures were designed to address intergenerational inequity issues.

However, the proposed changes appear to have failed in winning public approval, particularly among Gen X and Baby Boomer demographics who showed strong opposition to the reforms.

Surprisingly, even younger demographics that the budget aimed to help expressed skepticism about the measures. Only 26% of Millennials and a mere 13% of Gen-Z respondents indicated they believed the budget would benefit them personally.

When factoring in Australia’s ranked-choice voting preferences, Labor maintains a narrow advantage over One Nation with 51% compared to 49% in a two-party scenario.

The survey included 1,005 participants and was conducted between May 25 and May 28, carrying a margin of error of 3.4%.

One Nation, established in 1997 under Pauline Hanson’s leadership, has historically maintained limited representation in Australia’s federal parliament. However, the party’s current surge reflects its successful appeal to voters concerned about rising living expenses, economic instability, and immigration policies.

Half a dozen workers sustained injuries when dangerous hydrogen fluoride gas escaped at an SK Hynix semiconductor manufacturing plant located in Cheongju, South Korea, according to reports from Yonhap News Agency citing local fire department officials.

The hazardous chemical release occurred after flames erupted at the facility, fire department officials stated, noting that emergency crews have successfully extinguished the blaze.

Attempts to reach an SK Hynix company representative for additional details were unsuccessful at the time of this report.

Chinese maritime authorities deployed patrol vessels in waters east of Taiwan on Monday, responding to recent announcements that Japan and the Philippines would initiate formal discussions about their maritime boundaries.

The two nations announced last week their intention to begin official negotiations regarding the maritime boundary of their exclusive economic zone and continental shelf areas, stating they would proceed “in accordance with international law.”

Beijing’s foreign ministry criticized the planned discussions on Friday, stating the area includes waters east of Taiwan, which China considers its own territory. Officials declared such negotiations “completely illegal, null and void.”

Maritime patrol vessels carried out operations east of Taiwan following legal protocols, according to a statement from China’s Coast Guard, though specific locations were not disclosed.

“This is a necessary action taken in response to Japan and the Philippines unilaterally announcing the initiation of maritime boundary delimitation negotiations in the waters east of China’s Taiwan island,” the statement read.

“We urge Japan and the Philippines to immediately cease all illegal actions that infringe upon China’s sovereign rights and interests.”

Taiwan’s coast guard officials had no immediate response to the patrol activities. Representatives from Philippine and Japanese diplomatic missions in Beijing did not respond to requests for comment.

On Sunday evening, Taiwan’s foreign ministry criticized Beijing’s position on the matter.

“China has no right to interfere in Taiwan’s territorial sovereignty and sovereign rights over its relevant maritime areas,” officials stated.

Chinese military vessels and aircraft operate near Taiwan on an almost daily basis, with coast guard ships sometimes accompanying these activities.

Last month, a Chinese coast guard vessel moved close to the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands in the northern South China Sea before departing following a confrontation with Taiwan’s coast guard.

Beijing asserts territorial claims over Taiwan and nearly all of the South China Sea through a “nine-dash line” marked on official maps, which extends into exclusive economic zones belonging to the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia. Taiwan’s government disputes Beijing’s territorial assertions.

Emergency crews responded Monday to reports of a blast at a South Korean aerospace manufacturing facility, according to fire department officials.

The incident occurred at a Hanwha Aerospace plant located in Daejeon, with fire department personnel sent to the scene to address the situation.

Company representatives confirmed they are currently looking into the circumstances surrounding the reported explosion at their facility.

The United States has introduced a new diplomatic initiative designed to reduce escalating tensions between Israel and Lebanon, according to a government official who spoke on Sunday.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio held discussions with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding ongoing diplomatic talks between the two nations, presenting a framework for “gradual de-escalation,” the official revealed.

Under the American proposal, the initial phase would require the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant organization to cease all attacks against Israel, while Israel would commit to avoiding escalatory actions in Beirut, the official explained.

“This would create space for gradual de-escalation and an effective cessation of hostilities,” the official stated.

The official noted that Aoun worked to promote the proposal and achieve an agreement. Nevertheless, Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who asserted he could “guarantee” Hezbollah’s adherence to a ceasefire, insisted that Israel must stop “shooting first.”

On Sunday, Netanyahu announced he had directed military forces to advance deeper into Lebanon in operations against Hezbollah, despite a ceasefire that was declared more than six weeks earlier.

In their most recent military action, Israeli forces captured the historic 900-year-old Beaufort Castle along with a strategic ridge in southern Lebanon, military officials reported Sunday. This came after one of the most intense periods of Hezbollah attacks targeting northern Israel since the April ceasefire, leading to school shutdowns and movement restrictions.

The American official emphasized that the United States does not anticipate Israel will continue tolerating persistent attacks against its citizens from Hezbollah.

BEIJING, June 1 – Chinese authorities unveiled comprehensive new regulations on Monday that significantly expand government oversight of foreign investment activities by Chinese companies, particularly those involving technology transfers, data sharing, and matters of national security importance.

The new framework, announced by the State Council, China’s primary governing body, becomes effective July 1. A key provision mandates that companies must obtain government approval before exporting any restricted Chinese goods, technologies, services, or associated data to foreign entities.

The regulations also prohibit indirect technology transfers accomplished through sending technical personnel across borders, as well as blocking transfers through training programs, advisory services, or similar arrangements.

The announcement comes one month after Chinese regulators forced the cancellation of Meta’s planned acquisition of artificial intelligence company Manus.

The Philippines and Vietnam have strengthened their diplomatic relationship to an enhanced strategic partnership, announced President Ferdinand Marcos during a state visit by Vietnam’s top leader To Lam to Manila on Monday.

According to Marcos, both nations share common goals in preserving peace, stability and a rules-based order throughout their region. He emphasized that this partnership has grown in significance as the area faces a changing and unpredictable global landscape.

The enhanced relationship will be “defined by wider pathways for cooperation, stronger political and defence cooperation, and closer linkages between the Filipino and Vietnamese people,” Marcos stated.

Within the ASEAN region, Vietnam stands as the Philippines’ only strategic partner, having upgraded their relationship a decade ago in a demonstration of solidarity against China.

To Lam described the Philippines as an “important regional partner of Vietnam,” pointing to shared vision and strategic interests, along with strong commitments for peace and stability. “We always want to bring the strategic partnership with the Philippines to a new high,” he said.

Earlier this year, the coast guards of both countries conducted their inaugural joint exercises, even though both nations have competing territorial claims to certain South China Sea areas.

Parliamentary and regional elections scheduled for Monday in Ethiopia are predicted to deliver an overwhelming victory for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s political party, according to analysts, even as large portions of the nation experience ongoing violence and instability.

Over 50 million Ethiopian citizens have registered to participate in the voting process, though ballots will not be cast in the northern Tigray region. Election officials have pointed to “unfavourable conditions” in that area following a civil conflict that lasted from 2020 to 2022 and persistent political upheaval.

The 49-year-old Abiy seeks to strengthen his control over the country’s political landscape. He assumed power in 2018 after widespread demonstrations against the EPRDF coalition that had governed for years, and his recently established Prosperity Party secured 410 of 484 parliamentary positions during 2021 voting.

Campaign efforts by Prosperity Party representatives have focused on the administration’s economic achievements, highlighting enhanced food security and economic expansion in this African nation with the continent’s second-largest population. Government officials forecast economic growth will exceed 10% by 2026, representing one of Africa’s most rapid growth rates.

The country’s 135 million residents include nearly half who are younger than 18 years old.

However, Abiy confronts armed rebellions in Ethiopia’s two largest regions, stemming from complaints by various ethnic communities about perceived discrimination within the nation’s federal structure.

In Oromiya, the region where Abiy was born in the southern part of the country, clashes between government troops and the separatist Oromo Liberation Army have resulted in hundreds of casualties over recent years.

In the adjacent Amhara region, a militia group called Fano has taken control of large rural areas since 2023. Consequently, voting will be suspended in no fewer than eight of Amhara’s 138 electoral districts.

While a 2022 peace agreement brought an end to the Tigray civil war, which studies indicate led to hundreds of thousands of deaths, recent actions by the region’s primary political organization to regain administrative control have prompted Ethiopian authorities and experts to caution about potential renewed violence.

Despite these challenges, the Prosperity Party is projected to overwhelmingly win against a divided opposition weakened by internal disputes. Election outcomes are anticipated by June 11.

Opposition groups claim the federal administration has undermined their efforts through leader arrests and legal barriers to their political operations, allegations the government rejects.

Reuters has been unable to conduct reporting from within Ethiopia since mid-February, when the Ethiopian Media Authority chose not to extend credentials for its three journalists based in Addis Ababa.

When Abiy took office in 2018, he initiated efforts to open up Ethiopia’s strictly regulated economy and released journalists, activists and other political detainees. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019 for resolving conflicts with neighboring Eritrea.

Critics and human rights advocates claim his administration has rolled back those improvements in recent years through journalist detentions, civil society organization shutdowns, and military operations characterized by human rights violations.

The government has rejected claims of systematic human rights abuses and stated its measures are required for national security protection.

The improved relationship with Eritrea has deteriorated into renewed tensions over recent years, partly due to Abiy’s repeated statements that landlocked Ethiopia deserves access to the sea.

Eritrea, which gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993, has interpreted these remarks as an implicit threat of military action. Abiy has stated that while sea access represents an “existential” issue for Ethiopia, he plans to pursue it through negotiations.

Citizens throughout Colombia participated in Sunday’s presidential election to choose who will replace President Gustavo Petro. Among those casting ballots were candidates Iván Cepeda, Abelardo de la Espriella and Paloma Valencia, while security forces and law enforcement maintained vigilant oversight throughout the voting process.

The election drew voters from communities nationwide as the country selected its next leader under heightened security measures.