Category: World News

BUCHAREST, Romania — Romanian officials reported Friday that a Russian drone involved in nighttime strikes against Ukraine went off course and slammed into an apartment building in eastern Romania, leaving two people hurt.

According to a statement from Romania’s Defense Ministry, radar systems monitored the drone as it entered Romanian territory before it struck the rooftop of a structure in Galati. The collision sparked a blaze, caused minor injuries to two individuals, and forced the evacuation of multiple residents.

Emergency responders and law enforcement arrived at the location. Galati sits along the Danube River, positioned east of both Moldova and Ukraine’s borders.

Romanian defense forces deployed two F-16 fighter aircraft and a helicopter with authorization to engage potential threats, while emergency alerts were issued to people living in the impacted regions.

Moscow has been deploying long-range ballistic weapons and drones to target Ukraine’s electrical infrastructure and strike urban areas, while Ukraine prepares for additional intense bombardments.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated Thursday that he was urging the United States to supply additional Patriot air defense systems capable of defending against Russian strikes.

He cautioned that shipments to Ukraine are dangerously inadequate as the Iran war redirects and reduces U.S. inventories. “I believe (the U.S.) must act quicker. We are being very persistent,” Zelenskyy told reporters during a visit to Sweden.

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres cautioned the U.N. Security Council that the growing escalation and intensification of attacks threatens to spiral beyond control, carrying “unknown and unintended consequences.” He noted that civilian deaths in the first four months of this year exceeded those in the corresponding timeframe over the previous three years.

Guterres urged increased diplomatic efforts, immediate de-escalation and “a full and unconditional ceasefire.”

May 22-28, 2026

During the week of May 22-28, 2026, performers in colorful costumes celebrated their special national observance in Lima, Peru. Meanwhile, damaged structures continue to stand five months following an assault by breakaway members of the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia in Buenos Aires, Cauca, Colombia. On the sports front, Cruz Azul claimed victory in the Mexican soccer championship over their city competitors Pumas.

The photo collection was assembled by photo editor Leslie Mazoch, who is based in Mexico City.

BEIJING, May 29 (Reuters) — The Philippine justice department has freed 64 Chinese nationals from custody after determining there was not enough evidence to support the charges brought against them, according to China’s embassy in the Southeast Asian nation.

The workers faced accusations of breaking nuclear safety regulations as well as immigration and labor laws.

The Chinese nationals, employed at a steel facility in Misamis Oriental province, had been held since May 15.

According to the Chinese embassy, six additional workers are currently going through the release process. The embassy also noted it has made multiple formal protests regarding the detentions.

SINGAPORE (AP) — Asia’s most significant defense conference begins this weekend with Beijing’s accelerating military buildup and questions surrounding America’s regional commitments taking center stage as world leaders and security officials gather in Singapore.

The International Institute for Strategic Studies is hosting the Shangri-La Dialogue as tensions mount across multiple global hotspots, including escalating Middle East conflicts that have disrupted a fragile ceasefire in the Iran war and Russia’s continued assault on Ukraine.

Vietnamese leader To Lam will deliver Friday’s opening keynote speech, followed by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday, who plans to outline the Trump administration’s approach to the Indo-Pacific region.

This year, Lam has strengthened his position within Vietnam by assuming dual roles as both Communist Party general secretary and president, breaking from the Southeast Asian country’s historical practice of distributing leadership responsibilities.

Vietnam finds itself in a complex position, facing territorial disputes with Beijing in contested waters while maintaining China as its largest trading partner. Simultaneously, the United States serves as Vietnam’s primary export market and has been working to expand diplomatic ties and defense agreements to compete with Hanoi’s longtime partner, Russia.

However, recently disclosed documents revealed that despite upgrading diplomatic relations with Washington to their highest level, Vietnam’s military leadership continues to question American motives and has prepared defensive measures against potential American military action.

Given Hanoi’s careful diplomatic maneuvering between Washington and Beijing, observers anticipate Lam will emphasize building consensus to address disagreements and promoting collaborative efforts for regional peace and growth.

Lam is scheduled to hold private discussions with Hegseth during the conference. This marks Hegseth’s second participation in the summit, where he previously sparked Beijing’s anger by declaring that “the threat China poses is real, and it could be imminent,” while describing Chinese military exercises as “rehearsing for the real deal.”

Hegseth previously stated that Washington would strengthen its defensive capabilities against what the Pentagon views as rapidly emerging threats, especially regarding China’s hostile position toward Taiwan.

However, this year’s address follows closely after U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent visit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing, where Xi cautioned that the two nations could face conflict over Taiwan without proper handling of the situation.

After their discussions, Trump praised Xi as a “great leader” and expressed optimism about having a “fantastic future together.” Trump also questioned Washington’s commitment to defending Taiwan, describing a pending $14 billion weapons package as “a very good negotiating chip for us” with China.

China maintains its claim over the independently governed democratic island, with Xi refusing to eliminate the possibility of military action to seize control.

Meanwhile, the U.S. continues providing Taiwan with advanced aircraft, missiles and defensive weapons while maintaining “strategic ambiguity” regarding potential military intervention should China attack the island.

Trump has demonstrated less certainty about Taiwan compared to previous presidents, raising doubts about whether he might reduce American support for the island.

According to Pentagon officials, Hegseth’s address will emphasize the military’s “common-sense approach to safeguarding U.S. vital national interests in the Indo-Pacific.”

Given the recent Beijing meeting between the two leaders, Hegseth appears unlikely to make statements that would overshadow Trump’s own comments.

China plans to present its perspective during Sunday’s session, though Beijing is reportedly sending a lower-ranking delegation this year, with the specific speaker yet to be announced.

Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun was also absent from last year’s gathering.

Although the annual summit primarily addresses Asian security matters, discussions will inevitably include Russia’s continuing war against Ukraine and the Iran conflict, which has resulted in closing the Strait of Hormuz.

During normal conditions, twenty percent of global oil shipments pass through the strait, and Iran’s effective blockade has driven up worldwide oil prices, creating economic challenges internationally. Qatar’s defense minister is among this weekend’s scheduled speakers.

Prior to the conference opening, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy contacted Trump and U.S. Congress requesting additional American-manufactured air defense supplies to counter escalating Russian missile strikes.

While Zelenskyy, who made an unexpected personal appearance two years ago at Shangri-La, is not anticipated to attend this year, the speaker lineup includes numerous senior European defense leaders from countries including Lithuania and Poland.

BUCHAREST, May 29 – Romanian defense officials announced Friday that a Russian drone violated the country’s airspace before crashing into an apartment building in the southeastern city of Galati, sparking a blaze on the structure’s rooftop.

The incident occurred when the unmanned aircraft breached Romanian territorial boundaries and struck the residential complex, according to a statement released by the nation’s defense ministry.

An unmanned aircraft crashed into a high-rise residential building in Romania’s Galati city near the Ukrainian border on Friday, leaving two people with minor injuries, according to Romania’s General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations in a Facebook announcement.

The aircraft collided with an apartment on the building’s 10th floor, sparking a blaze, emergency officials reported. Photos from the scene revealed firefighting crews responding to the incident and scattered wreckage on the ground below.

Emergency responders stated that the aircraft’s complete explosive load went off upon impact, prompting the evacuation of approximately 70 residents. Officials did not release additional information regarding the type of unmanned aircraft involved. Fire crews successfully extinguished the flames.

In another occurrence, an unmanned aircraft carrying no explosive materials was discovered near Basesti in Maramures county in Romania’s northwest region, with the location being secured, TVR broadcaster reported Thursday evening, referencing local officials.

Officials were examining where the aircraft originated and how it ended up in the region, according to TVR. The report indicated the device had a wingspan measuring approximately 3 metres (9.84 feet).

Meanwhile, local officials in southern Ukraine reported that multiple unmanned aircraft targeted the Izmail port in the Odesa region during the early morning hours Friday.

Izmail, situated near the Romanian border, houses Ukraine’s largest port facility along the Danube River and serves as a regularly attacked strategic site.

NEW YORK (TV Delmarva) — For the first time in over 15 years of monitoring, the United Nations has added Israeli military forces to its annual blacklist documenting sexual violence in global conflict areas, citing their handling of Palestinian prisoners. Israeli officials reject these claims.

The comprehensive 35-page document — obtained by Israel’s UN mission late Thursday before Friday’s anticipated publication — identifies 77 governmental and non-governmental entities across 12 nations accused of perpetrating or enabling sexual violence during armed conflicts. The report indicates a significant increase in documented incidents from 2024 to 2025.

This year’s listing also marks the first inclusion of Russian military and security personnel for alleged sexual violence against war prisoners and detained civilians throughout the Ukraine conflict.

The 2025 blacklist features both Israel’s military and security apparatus alongside Hamas fighters, who were previously included following their October 7, 2023 assault on Israel that triggered the Gaza conflict.

Last year’s report from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had cautioned both Israel and Russia about potential blacklisting.

Representatives from both nations responded with fury to their inclusion and condemned Guterres directly.

“We will write a letter to the secretary-general saying that these are unsubstantiated lies and alleged things which again portray Russia as a villain, like they do all the time,” stated Russia’s UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia. He indicated Russia is compiling documentation and preparing its own assessment of Ukrainian treatment of Russian war prisoners.

“We are done with this UN Secretary-General,” declared Danny Danon, Israel’s UN representative, in a social media post. “Guterres has put Israel on the same blacklist along with Hamas, ISIS and the most depraved terrorist organizations in the world.” Guterres’ second five-year tenure concludes December 31.

Danon emphasized that Israel had supplied documentation, evidence and comprehensive responses addressing the report’s allegations.

The document states that in 2025, UN investigators successfully recorded “patterns of sexual violence” targeting Palestinians held in Israel and occupied Palestinian areas, confirming numerous instances of conflict-related sexual abuse, including torture, affecting 14 males, seven females, nine boys and one girl from Gaza and the West Bank. The report notes 13 incidents in 2025 and 18 during 2023 and 2024.

“Violations consisted of rape, including with objects, gang rape, attempted rape, physical violence to the genitals, instances of targeted shooting of the genitals, touching of breasts and genitals, strip and cavity searches conducted without apparent security justification, forced nudity and threats of rape,” the document detailed.

It described at least nine victims, primarily from Gaza, who experienced rape or gang rape, sometimes repeatedly, by members of the Israel Defense Forces, Israel’s correctional system, special operations units and law enforcement.

Israel’s foreign ministry stated Thursday it has “comprehensively, thoroughly, and unequivocally refuted these allegations.”

“This decision is yet another example of the UN’s long-standing, institutionalized hostility toward Israel,” the ministry posted on X.

The assessment continues to feature allegations against Hamas regarding sexual violence, though notes many specifics remain unverified due to the Israeli government’s ongoing refusal to grant UN officials necessary investigative access.

The report indicates Russian officials similarly maintain consistent denial of access to UN human rights investigators, yet investigators still confirmed 310 instances of conflict-related sexual violence in Russia and Russian-controlled Ukrainian territories against war prisoners and civilian detainees. Most victims were male, according to the findings.

Ukrainian human rights observers recorded 31 instances of conflict-related sexual violence against prisoners and civilian detainees, with most incidents occurring before 2025, the report noted. Ukraine remains absent from the UN blacklist.

SAO PAULO (AP) — The United States State Department revealed Thursday its decision to classify two major Brazilian criminal organizations as foreign terrorist groups, a designation that President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has consistently characterized as meddling designed to benefit his political opponent, Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, before October’s presidential race.

Prior to the elections, allies of former President Jair Bolsonaro and supporters of his son’s presidential campaign have pushed for this classification of the two organizations — First Command of the Capital, or PCC, and Red Command, or CV — while criticizing Lula for inadequately confronting these criminal networks.

Experts estimate that both organizations together likely contain more than 50,000 members, and note that most of their international ties are with Europe rather than North America.

Classifying Latin American criminal cartels as foreign terrorist groups represents a tactic employed by Trump’s administration as it shifts toward military operations and other forceful measures to address drug trafficking throughout the Western Hemisphere, including conducting fatal boat attacks against those it terms “narcoterrorists” in Caribbean waters and the eastern Pacific Ocean.

“CV and PCC are two of the most violent criminal organizations in Brazil. Together, they command thousands of members and have orchestrated brutal attacks against Brazilian police officers, public officials, and civilians,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated. “Their influence and illicit networks extend far beyond Brazil’s borders, across our region and into our country.”

“Today’s action taken by the State Department further demonstrates the Trump Administration’s unwavering commitment to dismantling cartels and criminal organizations in our region and ensuring the safety of the American people,” he continued. The classification becomes effective June 5. Until that date, both organizations will be listed as specially designated global terrorists.

Lula, who is campaigning for reelection while attempting to strengthen his anti-crime reputation, has publicly rejected labeling criminals as terrorists, while Bolsonaro’s congressional allies have openly encouraged Trump to take stronger action against the gangs.

Also Thursday, Brazilian prosecutors initiated a large-scale operation to break up fraud, money laundering and tax evasion schemes, representing the newest phase of an investigation focused on criminal gangs including the PCC and CV.

Lula’s special adviser for foreign affairs and former foreign minister Celso Amorim became the first official to publicly respond to Rubio’s announcement.

“Public security is a key topic for social economic development. Organized crime is an evil that must be fought. International cooperation is welcome, especially in matters of money laundering and arms trade. (But) pretext for intervention is unacceptable,” Amorim stated.

Public security is expected to become a divisive issue in Brazil’s presidential elections, when Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, chosen as the former president’s successor, competes against Lula. The 71-year-old Jair Bolsonaro is ineligible to run due to serving his 27-year prison term for orchestrating a coup attempt.

Experts have noted that neither Jair Bolsonaro nor Lula achieved significant success in combating the two criminal organizations, though Brazil’s federal police and prosecutors have executed multiple raids targeting them in recent years. Authorities achieved a significant victory against the PCC in August by destroying portions of its money laundering operation that involved gas stations, perfume shops and even a financial services company located on one of Sao Paulo’s major streets.

Brazil’s federal police reported that their operation, called Hidden Carbon, discovered companies connected to the PCC had laundered at least 6 billion reals ($1.1 billion) in recent years.

Political analyst Thomas Traumann describes Rubio’s action as “the Trump administration trying to meddle in the election after a request by Flávio Bolsonaro during his trip to Washington.”

“Flávio Bolsonaro’s campaign was hit by his problematic businesses with a corrupted banker, he came to the Trump administration to ask for some help and he got this one,” Traumann explained. “Lula’s best moment in the polls was after Trump imposed tariffs against Brazil and he revived a narrative on national sovereignty. It is likely he will do it again.”

Brazil’s president did not respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press. Sen. Bolsonaro has not yet commented on the decision.

Russia dismissed American warnings Thursday and restated its intention to carry out systematic attacks on Kyiv, despite harsh condemnation from the United States during a United Nations Security Council meeting.

The diplomatic confrontation occurred during a session that Ukraine requested following Moscow’s weekend assault involving hundreds of drones and missiles targeting Kyiv and surrounding regions.

The weekend attack featured deployment of a nuclear-capable Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile, marking at least the third instance Russia has used this weapon against Ukraine since November 2024.

Deputy U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Tammy Bruce denounced Sunday’s assault and described Russia’s deployment of the Oreshnik as “an inexplicable, dangerous and barbaric escalation” of the conflict that began with Russia’s comprehensive invasion in February 2022.

“We caution Russia not to mount so-called systematic strikes against Kyiv, which risk further civilian casualties and setting back the prospect of peace,” Bruce stated.

The weekend bombardment resulted in at least two civilian deaths and approximately 100 injuries, according to reports. Moscow claimed the attack was retaliation for a Ukrainian strike on a student dormitory in Donetsk, the eastern region seized by Moscow-backed separatists in 2014.

Bruce’s remarks represented some of the strongest condemnation of Russia from the Trump administration, which has typically adopted a more conciliatory approach toward Russia compared to most U.S. allies.

The deputy ambassador did not specify potential U.S. responses should Moscow proceed with its threatened “systemic strikes.”

Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia repeated Moscow’s claim that Sunday’s bombardment focused on crucial Ukrainian military and intelligence installations and renewed Russia’s commitment to strike “decision-making centers and command posts.”

“Since the above facilities are dispersed throughout Kyiv, we warned foreign citizens, including the staff of diplomatic missions and offices of international organizations, about the need to leave the city as soon as possible,” he stated.

U.N. Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari expressed that the United Nations was “deeply concerned” about Russia’s promised “consistent and systemic strikes” against targets in Kyiv.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Thursday that America plans to classify two Brazilian criminal organizations, PCC and Comando Vermelho, as “Foreign Terrorist Organizations” beginning June 5.

Brazil’s Lula administration has worked to prevent these classifications, fearing they could create opportunities for U.S. military intervention in Brazil or lead to sanctions against financial institutions that inadvertently conduct business with gang members.

Although the Foreign Terrorist Organization classification is scheduled to begin in June, the State Department immediately labeled both groups as “Specially Designated Global Terrorists” on Thursday, according to Rubio’s statement.

Rubio characterized these organizations as among Brazil’s “most violent criminal organizations” with influence and networks that span the region and reach into American territory.

“The Trump Administration will continue to use all available tools to protect our nation and our national security interests by keeping illicit drugs off our streets and disrupting the revenue streams funding violent narco-terrorists,” Rubio stated.

Officials in Cuba report that approximately 3 million residents deal with water shortages on a daily basis, a crisis they link to severe fuel shortages caused by what government leaders call a U.S. energy blockade. The information emerged during a government roundtable discussion held late Wednesday.

Cuba’s water infrastructure currently functions with just 37% of necessary fuel supplies as the nation grapples with its most serious energy emergency to date.

Antonio Rodríguez, who heads the state-operated National Institute of Water Resources, explained that the water sector faces particularly severe impacts since it ranks among the nation’s biggest energy users.

Information from the forum, which addressed intermittent water access affecting the country’s population of nearly 10 million, appeared Thursday on the government website Cubadebate.

Rodríguez explained that electricity powers water pumping operations, while fuel is essential for all agency functions including clearing blocked pipes, maintaining septic systems, and fixing water line breaks. The import of necessary chemicals has also stopped completely.

The agency previously bought equipment and materials valued at approximately $100 million each year, but last year’s purchases dropped to roughly $10 million due to a complete halt in credit availability, according to Rodríguez. Suppliers are delaying contracts while evaluating delivery timing and potential banking payment challenges, plus restrictions on shipping options, he noted.

The situation grows more complex due to deteriorating infrastructure and overloaded pumping facilities, particularly in major urban areas including Havana, Santiago de Cuba and Matanzas, Rodríguez stated. Numerous apartment buildings and high-rises also need electricity to operate pumps that move water to rooftop storage tanks.

While the water emergency isn’t entirely new, conditions have deteriorated significantly in recent months.

Beginning in January, the U.S. administration strengthened existing sanctions against Cuba while pushing for political changes on the island. U.S. President Donald Trump also issued late January warnings about potential tariffs on nations that sell or supply oil to Cuba, which only produces 40% of its fuel requirements.

Citizens who have already endured five years of economic hardship, rising prices and supply shortages now face daily electrical blackouts lasting as long as 20 hours.

Multiple Havana neighborhoods depend on tanker truck water deliveries, though service remains unreliable.

“It’s been five days since the water came in,” said Magaly Ribial, a 60-year-old teacher, speaking Thursday while gathering water from a tanker truck positioned near her residence in Old Havana.

At the same time, 95-year-old Dayse Izquierdo finds it difficult to transport water and depends on what neighbors share when the tanker truck, locally known as a “pipa,” makes its rounds.

Several residents reported traveling from distant parts of the city after learning that water trucks would visit particular neighborhoods.

“The water situation is widespread,” explained 55-year-old Carlos Molina. “I come from another municipality to collect water because there is none there.”

Rodríguez pointed out that solar panels and alternative energy sources power only a minimal fraction of agency operations.

Officials are working on an expedited solar energy initiative, though specialists emphasize that such technology demands significant financial investment.

North Korea appears unwilling to pursue diplomatic engagement with the United States, South Korea, or Japan, choosing instead to concentrate on strengthening its military capabilities and achieving greater self-sufficiency, according to Singapore’s foreign minister following his recent visit to the isolated nation.

Speaking to Singaporean media on Thursday, Vivian Balakrishnan shared his observations from visits to both North and South Korea on May 26 and 27, marking his first trip to North Korea since 2018, according to a transcript released by the foreign ministry.

“What’s clear is that they’re certainly in a closer relationship now with Russia. China remains indispensable to it, but they are not yet ready to open up significant channels of communication with the United States or with ROK and Japan at this point in time,” he stated.

Both U.S. President Donald Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung have consistently shown willingness to engage in discussions with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The relationship between Pyongyang and Moscow has strengthened significantly in recent years, particularly after North Korea deployed thousands of soldiers to support Russian military operations in Kursk. Meanwhile, Beijing has worked to strengthen its influence over Pyongyang, with passenger train routes and air travel between the neighboring countries resuming in recent months.

Balakrishnan observed North Korea’s “outright, categorical rejection of reunification” with South Korea, representing a notable change from his previous visit to the country. He also commented on the development he witnessed in Pyongyang despite the nation’s increasing isolation from the international community.

“It’s a city which would fit in with any modern city throughout Southeast Asia, or even Northeast Asia, for that matter,” he remarked.

North Korea has amended its constitution to establish its territorial boundaries as adjacent to South Korea while eliminating language about reunification, according to a draft document examined by Reuters this month. This change reflects leader Kim Jong Un’s strategy to position the two Koreas as distinct nations.

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, who met with Balakrishnan on Thursday, stated that there are currently no signs North Korea plans to resume negotiations, though his Singaporean colleague’s discussions in Pyongyang provided a chance to communicate Seoul’s dedication to peaceful coexistence.

In an interview with the Yonhap news agency published Friday, Cho expressed his belief that North Korea will eventually engage in dialogue with the U.S. “if the price is right.”

On Thursday, South Korea’s foreign ministry announced that Cho requested Singapore and ASEAN’s assistance in efforts to restart dialogue with North Korea.

Balakrishnan revealed he extended an invitation to North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui to participate in the ASEAN Regional Forum and urged them to seek suitable opportunities for continued engagement with the international community.

Iran announced Thursday that its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched an attack on a US airbase following American military strikes near Bandar Abbas, as Kuwait reported shooting down incoming missiles and drones in the latest escalation threatening a delicate Gulf ceasefire.

According to the IRGC, the counter-strike occurred at 4:50 a.m. local time in response to what they called an early-morning American attack near Bandar Abbas airport, a crucial location on Iran’s southern coastline adjacent to the Strait of Hormuz. The Revolutionary Guard did not reveal which American installation they claimed to have attacked, and no immediate public verification emerged confirming any US base was struck, damaged, or suffered casualties.

Kuwaiti military forces announced their air defense systems were actively countering missile and drone attacks, alerting citizens they might hear explosions as defensive measures engaged incoming threats. Kuwait, which maintains alliance with the US and provides hosting for American military personnel, refrained from publicly blaming Iran for the assault or confirming whether any base was the intended objective.

These incidents occurred after fresh US military operations within Iranian territory. An American official confirmed US forces attacked a military installation near Bandar Abbas and destroyed multiple Iranian suicide drones close to the Strait of Hormuz, including a command center reportedly preparing additional launches. Washington characterized these operations as protective measures designed to safeguard US personnel and maritime commerce.

The military confrontation unfolded while President Donald Trump rejected reports suggesting an emerging agreement regarding oversight of the Strait of Hormuz, the critical shipping channel that handles a significant portion of global maritime oil transport. Interruptions in this waterway have already contributed to rising energy costs and created anxiety among Gulf nations hoping to prevent a wider regional conflict.

Diplomats from America and Iran have crafted a preliminary arrangement to prolong their current ceasefire by two months while launching fresh negotiations regarding Iran’s nuclear activities, a U.S. official with knowledge of the discussions revealed Thursday.

Iranian officials have not yet confirmed any such agreement, and the source emphasized that President Donald Trump still needs to approve the proposal.

This potential memorandum of understanding develops as the delicate ceasefire in the conflict between America and Iran shows signs of strain. Fighting erupted again less than 24 hours before the announcement, with Kuwait’s forces stopping missiles launched from Iran, U.S. Central Command reported.

Waterway Access Key Component

The proposed memorandum stipulates that Iran cannot charge fees for passage through the Strait of Hormuz and must clear all explosive devices from this critical waterway within one month, the official said, speaking anonymously because they lacked authorization for public statements.

Throughout the conflict, Iran has essentially blocked the strait, which previously carried roughly one-fifth of global oil and natural gas trade. This blockade has driven petroleum prices dramatically higher worldwide. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated Thursday during a press conference that oil costs might “come down very quickly” after finalizing an agreement.

Iran claims it permits some merchant ships through — approximately 24 daily recently, compared to over 100 before hostilities began — though the Islamic Republic has imposed charges on certain vessels. Officials established a formal oversight agency this month, prompting fresh American sanctions this week.

According to the preliminary terms, America would slowly end its naval blockade of Iranian harbors. The U.S. would additionally consent to easing sanctions, permitting Iran to increase oil sales.

Another U.S. official, also speaking anonymously about confidential negotiations, confirmed that general agreement terms exist but emphasized that no deal exists until Trump approves it. This source expressed uncertainty about whether Trump will accept the proposal.

Nuclear Questions Persist

Initial negotiations during the two-month ceasefire will address Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile, the first official explained. The Islamic Republic possesses 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60% purity, requiring only minor technical steps to reach weapons-grade 90% levels, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Iran has not publicly agreed to surrender this stockpile. Officials believe it remains buried beneath three nuclear facilities severely damaged by American airstrikes last year.

Nuclear experts suggest Iran might accept China or Russia, both maintaining strong Tehran relationships, as potential third parties to secure the enriched uranium. However, Trump stated Wednesday that he “wouldn’t be comfortable” with such arrangements.

The news outlet Axios initially reported details of this tentative agreement.

Recent Military Action

Kuwait reported Thursday that its defense systems stopped incoming missiles and drones, without specifying targets. Iran claimed it retaliated for earlier weekly strikes by attacking an American base in an unnamed Gulf nation.

Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry criticized Iran for what officials termed “blatant aggression,” while U.S. Central Command labeled the assault on one of America’s closest Persian Gulf partners an “egregious ceasefire violation.” Kuwait faced repeated attacks from Iran and Iranian-supported Shiite militias in Iraq before the April ceasefire took effect.

This exchange followed late Wednesday reports that American forces conducted additional strikes against Iran, destroying four attack drones threatening the strait area and hitting an Iranian control station in Bandar Abbas preparing to launch another drone.

Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard confirmed the Bandar Abbas International Airport area attack and announced through state-run IRNA news agency that it launched counter-strikes against the air base responsible for the assaults. The Revolutionary Guard did not identify whether their response targeted Kuwait, which hosts U.S. Army Central’s forward headquarters, air facilities and naval installations.

Monday saw what the Pentagon described as “self-defense” strikes against missile sites and mine-laying vessels in southern Iran.

Despite exchanging attacks and ceasefire violation accusations, Washington and Tehran have avoided returning to full combat while continuing negotiations.

Regional Complications

These developments occur amid Middle Eastern tensions.

Beyond sanctions relief and asset releases, Iran demands any agreement include ending Israel’s military operations in Lebanon against Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah. Thursday tensions escalated in Lebanon as Israel struck a southern Beirut suburb and conducted additional attacks in the southern coastal city of Tyre. At least 14 people died across the country’s southern region.

Israeli military forces launched a targeted operation Thursday in Lebanon’s capital, striking at a commander with ties to Iran’s Quds Force, marking a notable escalation in Israel’s military approach in the region.

Earlier this week, Iranian officials had warned that any Israeli military action in Lebanon’s capital would negatively impact ongoing diplomatic discussions between the United States and Iran.

Israeli sources identified the target as Ali al-Husni, described as the missile commander within the Imam Hussein Division, a unit connected to Iran’s Quds Force. The military action came as Israeli forces expanded their operations in Lebanon past the Yellow Line.

Military officials have not confirmed whether al-Husni was eliminated during the operation.

The attack represents a notable change in Israeli strategy, coming after earlier signals that Israel would refrain from conducting military operations in Beirut.

According to Walla, a high-ranking Israeli military official announced Wednesday that Beirut would no longer be considered a restricted zone for Israeli operations. The official explained that should tactical opportunities present themselves in the Lebanese capital, forces would move against Hezbollah positions.

A security source revealed that Israel’s political leadership had “removed the restraints” and provided the military with extensive operational authority against Hezbollah due to what the source characterized as serious breaches of the ceasefire agreement by the terrorist organization that led to multiple Israeli military casualties.

During discussions earlier this week, Israel’s political-security cabinet examined ways to prevent actions that might be seen as disrupting US diplomatic efforts regarding a potential agreement to resolve the Iranian conflict, according to officials with knowledge of the meetings.

Those present at the meeting initially agreed to avoid striking Beirut, the officials reported. Political leaders also turned down a recommendation from Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir to destroy structures in Beirut’s Dahieh district.

Al Jazeera reported that an Iranian source stated Tehran had cautioned the United States that an Israeli attack on Beirut would significantly damage current peace discussions aimed at resolving the conflict.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar is traveling to the Pacific island nation of Fiji this weekend as Israel prepares to launch a new embassy there, according to reports from The Media Line. The diplomatic mission represents an effort by both nations to strengthen their ties across multiple areas including diplomacy, strategy, and development.

This embassy launch comes after Fiji established its own diplomatic mission in Jerusalem last year, making the Pacific nation part of a select group of countries maintaining embassies in Israel’s capital city. Israel had previously announced plans to create a corresponding mission in Fiji by 2026, recognizing Suva’s ongoing backing of Israel in global venues such as the United Nations.

In March, Fiji’s Cabinet gave approval for establishing a permanent Israeli Embassy in Suva, characterizing the decision as advancing collaboration on security matters, climate change issues, agricultural development, new technologies, and diplomatic relations. The two nations have maintained diplomatic ties since 1970 and have worked together for many years through Israeli development initiatives, particularly in agricultural and technical support.

The new diplomatic facility will provide Israel with a stronger permanent presence in the Blue Pacific region, an area that has attracted growing interest from major powers looking to expand influence through aid programs, climate initiatives, security partnerships, and development projects. Fijian officials have positioned their relationship with Israel as part of a comprehensive foreign policy approach that balances traditional partnerships, Pacific region priorities, and engagement with nations outside the region.

The embassy establishment occurs during a politically delicate period. Fiji’s choice to open an embassy in Jerusalem faced opposition from Palestinian officials and some domestic critics, who contended the decision carried legal and diplomatic consequences due to the city’s contested status. Fiji’s leadership has justified its position as aligned with its independent foreign policy and long-established ties with Israel.

Sa’ar’s planned visit demonstrates that Israel considers this embassy opening as more than just an administrative enhancement. The Suva diplomatic mission represents another phase in a relationship that both governments have characterized as increasingly dynamic, practical, and strategically beneficial.

Iraq’s recently elected Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi issued a public demand Wednesday for all armed groups operating in the country to place themselves under government control, as the United States maintains pressure on Baghdad to reduce the power of Iran-backed militias.

A statement from al-Zaidi’s media office said the prime minister is pushing armed factions to operate “under the umbrella of the state and its official institutions.”

His announcement followed a declaration by Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr that his military wing, Saraya al-Salam, which is also called the Peace Brigades, would break away from his political movement and become part of government institutions.

Al-Sadr proclaimed “the complete separation” of his armed group from his political party and its “full integration into the state.”

The cleric has a history of leading an armed faction that battled American and Iraqi government forces. In more recent years, he has spoken out against Tehran-supported armed groups and has consistently demanded they give up their weapons.

Al-Zaidi’s stance demonstrates increasing pressure from Washington on Iraq’s government to restrict the activities of militias that function outside the state’s military command structure.

The New Arab reports that the Trump administration has maintained its push for Baghdad to control Iran-aligned factions and has connected future defense cooperation and funding to efforts to diminish the power of groups operating independently of the government.

The Iraqi prime minister appealed “on all armed factions to follow the same responsible national path and operate under the umbrella of the state and its official institutions.”

Israel’s United Nations Ambassador Danny Danon has declared his mission will halt all communication with UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ office following Israel’s placement on a UN registry of nations and groups accused of committing sexual violence during armed conflicts.

Danon stated the Israeli delegation would maintain “no further contact” with the secretary-general’s office throughout Guterres’ remaining tenure.

“This is a moral disgrace that proves Guterres has lost all credibility,” Danon said, condemning the choice to put Israel “on the same blacklist as Hamas, ISIS [Islamic State], and the most barbaric terrorist organizations in the world.”

The report indicates the Israeli Prison Service will be featured on the UN’s 2026 registry, with other Israeli agencies continuing under observation for potential future inclusion.

Based on UN protocols, nations and militant groups designated by the secretary-general stay on the registry for a minimum of one year. Hamas was included on the list in August 2025.

The UN registry focuses on claims of sexual violence during armed conflicts and encompasses both government forces and non-governmental armed groups alleged to have committed these offenses.

In March 2024, Pramila Patten, the UN secretary-general’s special representative on sexual violence in conflict, documented “reasonable grounds” to conclude Hamas perpetrated rape and sexual violence during the October 7 massacre and while holding Israeli hostages captive in Gaza.

Israeli officials informed Ynet that mounting pressure developed on Guterres to add Israel following Hamas’s inclusion the previous year. The officials claimed the UN leader succumbed to political influence during his term’s concluding months.

Benny Gantz, the Israeli politician and former army general, characterized the report as “antisemitic and hypocritical,” stating the United Nations had descended into “moral blindness.”

Gilad Erdan, Israel’s former ambassador to the United Nations, similarly charged the organization with prejudice, describing it as “corrupt and distorted.”

Guatemala’s leader Bernardo Arévalo rejected claims Thursday that his nation has struck a new deal with the United States for conducting anti-narcotics operations within Guatemala’s borders.

Arévalo’s statement followed reporting by The New York Times suggesting the Central American country had agreed to participate in joint anti-drug strikes.

The dispute represents another chapter in continuing friction between the Trump administration and Latin American nations trying to balance drug-fighting cooperation with the United States while protecting their national independence.

“There is no agreement. There is a request that falls within the framework of existing agreements in several countries,” Arévalo told reporters during a press briefing.

“What we are signing are types of collaboration that have been taking place in the past. We conduct maritime interdictions where the United States has been collaborating with training, capacity building and equipment,” Arévalo explained.

The president emphasized that his government’s actions comply with Guatemala’s legal framework and constitution.

“The only body that can authorize operations involving soldiers on Guatemalan soil is the Congress of the Republic. The Guatemalan government is not requesting this cooperation and has no plans to do so,” the president stated.

Pentagon acting press secretary Joel Valdez declined to address the reported agreement directly, saying he cannot “speculate on future operations or discuss matters of operational security” while noting that the Department of War collaborates with regional partners against drug trafficking and other cross-border threats.

Guatemala’s administration also released a statement and two letters showing discussions between its defense minister and U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth about joint military activities under existing agreements.

The controversy follows the April deaths of two CIA operatives in northern Mexico during a mission to eliminate a drug laboratory, which brought attention to U.S. agent presence across Latin America and sparked questions about expanded American involvement in the region. Mexican authorities subsequently provided conflicting explanations about their knowledge of the CIA personnel’s activities.

Mexico recognizes that U.S. agencies operate within its territory but maintains they cannot engage in direct field operations.

Growing uncertainty surrounds the status of Mojtaba Khamenei’s leadership position within Iran’s government structure, according to emerging reports from inside the country.

Recent information obtained despite Iran’s ongoing internet restrictions indicates that Khamenei currently holds no position within the Islamic Republic’s governing framework. This contradicts earlier reports suggesting he had sustained serious injuries and was receiving treatment at an intensive care facility within a classified Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps location.

A knowledgeable source from Sina Hospital, where he was reportedly taken following the February 28 assault on the leadership facility, provided additional details to The Media Line. The source stated that Khamenei’s chances of surviving the missile attack that “reduced everyone present in the leadership compound to ashes” would be “more of a miracle than reality.”

The situation remains fluid as communication restrictions within Iran continue to limit the flow of verified information about the incident and its aftermath.

Iran’s closure of a critical shipping passage has forced a massive reshuffling of worldwide aviation fuel distribution, creating extraordinary shipping routes as companies work to maintain airline operations.

The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has eliminated roughly 400,000 barrels daily of jet fuel shipments that previously flowed through the waterway, pushing European fuel costs beyond $200 per barrel in April – an unprecedented high.

Instead of experiencing severe fuel shortages, the aviation industry has witnessed dramatic changes in supply routing, with fuel shipments now crossing unprecedented distances as companies redraw their distribution strategies to sustain air travel.

This adaptation demonstrates the resilience of worldwide fuel distribution networks while simultaneously revealing potential vulnerabilities should the disruption continue.

European markets have compensated for much of the lost Middle Eastern fuel through increased shipments from the United States, Nigeria and India.

“It really does come down to who is shortest and most willing to pay,” said Sparta Commodities analyst James Noel-Beswick.

This market mechanism has enabled Europe to secure fuel supplies from distant locations by outbidding competing regions, though at the expense of extended transportation routes and elevated costs.

DISTRIBUTION NETWORKS STRAINED BUT FUNCTIONING

The International Energy Agency projects worldwide jet fuel consumption will reach 7.77 million barrels daily this year, showing minimal change from 2025 levels.

With Middle Eastern supplies restricted, purchasers are sourcing fuel from increasingly remote locations.

The tanker Nord Ventura completed a month-long voyage from Louisiana to transport approximately 300,000 barrels of aviation fuel to Melbourne, marking the first such delivery since at least 2017, based on Kpler tracking information.

European buyers have dispatched an unusual shipment to the Seychelles while importing supplies from New York Harbour, a region they traditionally serve as a supplier.

Asian markets have similarly attracted shipments from the U.S. Gulf Coast and African sources, while China has reduced exports to preserve domestic reserves.

Essentially, the marketplace is redistributing supplies on a global scale rather than depending on its most cost-effective transportation routes.

“Jet fuel has become so expensive that, with that price, the market is figuring out alternatives for supply chains,” said Wizz Air CEO Jozsef Varadi.

Thus far, this adaptability – combined with inventory building and refinery modifications – has helped offset the loss of Hormuz shipments.

MOUNTING STRAIN

Nevertheless, extended disruption makes this balancing effort increasingly challenging.

Storage levels already show stress. Independent reserves in Europe’s Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp hub have dropped to their lowest point since March, while Singapore middle distillate inventories approach two-month minimums. Europe continues struggling to completely replace lost shipments, despite elevated pricing.

“The medium-term is the bigger concern,” said Noel-Beswick of Sparta. “If the conflict drags on with no resolution in sight, we could start to see real tightness emerge towards late August and into early September.”

The IEA has indicated Europe might begin experiencing jet fuel shortages by June.

The challenge extends beyond availability to encompass cost factors. Extended routes, increased insurance premiums and competitive bidding all contribute to rising prices, creating risks that supplies remain accessible but increasingly costly.

CARRIERS MANAGING DISRUPTION – TEMPORARILY

Airlines have handled the crisis better than anticipated. Though jet fuel represents 30% to 40% of operational expenses, robust travel demand has enabled carriers to transfer some cost increases through higher ticket prices.

Industry estimates indicate airlines will face an extra $14 billion in fuel expenses during 2026, yet most have prevented major schedule disruptions.

Airport authorities and governments have helped absorb the impact through reserve building or relaxed import regulations, including Britain’s decision to continue allowing fuel imports refined from Russian crude in third countries.

However, early indicators suggest higher costs are reducing demand. The operator of Frankfurt airport, Germany’s busiest, has cautioned that rising fares might impact passenger volumes this year, now projected at the lower range of its 65 million to 66 million estimate.

Extended closure of the Strait of Hormuz will intensify pressure across shipping, refining and storage sectors – potentially driving prices even higher.

Consultancy Wood Mackenzie projects that continued disruption through late 2026 could push jet fuel prices in major markets toward $300 per barrel.

Funeral prayers took place Thursday in Gaza City for 10 individuals who died in overnight Israeli military strikes, including five children, an elderly person, and one Hamas fighter.

The strikes wounded more than 20 people, according to Shifa Hospital officials. Footage from the attack site revealed flames erupting from an upper floor window while onlookers hurried to transport injured victims, including children, to waiting ambulances.

Mohammed Shawish, who suffered injuries and lost his spouse in the attack, wept while holding her remains at the hospital morgue. “I married my wife for love. For God’s sake, I chose her because of love,” he said.

The military action occurred during the first day of Eid al-Adha, known as the “Feast of Sacrifice,” a significant Islamic celebration observed by Muslims around the globe. Israeli military officials stated Wednesday evening they had conducted operations in northern Gaza targeting two Hamas fighters.

Hamas fighter Imad Isleim was among the fatalities. Mourners carried his remains Thursday, wrapped in white cloth with a Hamas banner placed on top. His relative Nidal Isleim described his death as a “shock” to the family, despite knowing such an outcome was always possible.

The military operations coincided with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Thursday announcement that Israel was broadening its territorial control in Gaza.

“Right now we are tightening the grip on Hamas,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated Thursday during a conference in Jordan. “We are now in 60% of the territory of the Gaza Strip. You know that? We were at 50%, we moved to 60%.”

He indicated the following phase would involve advancing to 70% control, with Israel “tightening the grip” on Hamas “from every direction.”

“We will deal with the remnants,” Netanyahu stated. “But the most important thing is to continue leveraging our power, to increase it.”

The conference formed part of broader discussions covering the conflict, Iran, Hezbollah, Gaza and regional strategy.

“There is still more work. What is happening right now is truly a global change. There is no doubt about that,” Netanyahu added.

Earlier this week, Israeli forces killed Mohammed Odeh, the recently named commander of Hamas’ military wing, the Qassam Brigades, less than two weeks following his predecessor’s death.

Throughout Gaza, 16 people died and 39 sustained injuries during the previous 48 hours, according to Gaza’s health ministry’s Thursday update. The ministry operates under Gaza’s Hamas-run government but employs medical professionals who compile and release comprehensive records considered generally credible by the international community.

Following a fragile ceasefire that began last October, 922 people have died in Gaza and 2,786 others have been wounded, the ministry reported.

Iceland’s lawmakers on Thursday approved plans for an August 29 referendum on whether to restart European Union membership negotiations, backing the government’s two-phase strategy that could result in the Nordic nation joining the 27-member bloc within this decade.

The island nation withdrew from EU negotiations in 2013 following four years of discussions when a Eurosceptic administration came to power, but rising living costs and the conflict in Ukraine have reignited public interest in union membership, according to polling data.

Should citizens vote to resume negotiations, the ultimate terms of EU membership would need approval through a second referendum, while a negative vote would halt any efforts to restart discussions, government officials have stated.

Many citizens remain undecided about EU membership and may find reassurance in the two-phase approach, according to Olafur Thordur Hardarson, a professor of political science at the University of Iceland.

“The large proportion that has not finally decided if they want to join or not, many of them, of course, want the (first)referendum because they want to see exactly what terms would be in a potential agreement,” he said.

EU membership for this nation of approximately 400,000 residents would expand the union’s presence deep into the North Atlantic Ocean during a period when U.S. President Donald Trump seeks to control Greenland, an island situated between Iceland and the United States.

“Even though Iceland of course is a very small country, putting Iceland on the EU map would sort of have a symbolic advantage,” Hardarson said.

In Iceland’s 63-member national parliament, the Althingi, 34 lawmakers supported the referendum while 8 opposed it. Fourteen members chose not to vote, and 7 were not present, the parliament’s secretary general reported.

Foreign Minister Thorgerdur Katrin Gunnarsdottir told Reuters in March that she remained hopeful Iceland could achieve EU membership as soon as 2028, anticipating that fisheries and agriculture would present the most challenging negotiation topics.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Thursday that he has ordered Israeli military forces to expand their territorial control in Gaza, targeting 70% of the Palestinian enclave where residents are already confined to a narrow coastal area.

Current Israeli military control encompasses approximately 64% of the small coastal territory, which has been devastated by a two-year military campaign that began following Hamas’ 2023 attack on southern Israel.

An October ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States, which has not succeeded in stopping Israeli operations or achieving Hamas’ disarmament, originally established Israeli forces should pull back to a “Yellow Line” marking their territorial boundaries. Military maps showed this line gave Israel authority over roughly 53% of Gaza, leaving Hamas in charge of the remaining areas.

Reuters previously documented that Israel has independently repositioned concrete barriers marking the Yellow Line further into territory previously controlled by Hamas. Military maps from March revealed an expanded restricted zone that experts estimate encompasses about 64% of Gaza’s total area.

In previous public statements, Netanyahu has acknowledged military control over more than 60% of Gaza. During remarks at a conference in a West Bank settlement, the Israeli leader outlined plans for further territorial expansion.

“We were at fifty, we moved to sixty. My directive is to move to — let’s go step by step,” Netanyahu stated Thursday.

“First of all, seventy. Let’s start with that. We’re pressing them (Hamas) from all sides. We’ll deal with the remnants.”

Netanyahu characterizes the territories Israel has captured in Gaza, Syria and Lebanon as “buffer zones” designed to prevent future militant attacks following the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led assault that triggered the Gaza conflict.

Palestinians interpret Israel’s expanding Gaza buffer zone as part of a plan for permanent displacement, citing statements from high-ranking ministers, including defense chief Israel Katz, who have expressed support for encouraging “voluntary migration” from Gaza.

The territorial expansion order coincides with intensified Israeli operations in Gaza that officials say are aimed at senior Hamas commanders involved in the 2023 attacks. Tuesday’s strike eliminated Hamas’ armed wing chief, following the killing of his predecessor ten days earlier.

Gaza health authorities report that a Wednesday night strike Israel claimed targeted two Hamas leaders resulted in at least 10 deaths, including five children, with 18 additional injuries.

The attack occurred during Palestinians’ observance of the Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha, which many Gaza residents celebrated by gathering in tent camps and damaged buildings.

Etidal Al-Za’im described being with her family in their tent during the holiday celebration when debris from the strike on an adjacent building crashed down on them.

“We came out to the sound of a bang, we sat for an hour before we could come out through the (rubble) and find a way out of the tent,” she said.

Health officials report Israeli operations have resulted in more than 900 deaths since the truce began, while Israel reports four soldiers killed by militants during the same timeframe. Israel and Hamas continue to face an impasse in negotiations over a U.S. proposal for Gaza that would require Israeli troop withdrawal and Hamas disarmament.

Another witness to Wednesday’s Israeli strike, identifying himself as Abu Azam, said a “person in Gaza has no safety at all.”

“He could be hit in the street, he could be hit in the house, he could be hit in the hospital, he could be hit on his way to the market,” Abu Azam said.

LIMASSOL, Cyprus (AP) — European Union leadership announced Thursday that protecting maritime trade routes through the Strait of Hormuz following the conclusion of Iran’s conflict will demand an expanded naval presence, including additional European warships and a broader scope for the bloc’s existing Red Sea operation.

The current EU maritime operation in the Red Sea — known as Aspides, derived from the Greek word meaning “shield” — consists of three warships defending commercial vessels against Houthi rebel assaults from Yemen. The Strait of Hormuz, located at the Red Sea’s southern terminus, previously facilitated the passage of approximately one-fifth of global oil and gas supplies before the conflict began.

Following discussions among the bloc’s foreign ministers, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas indicated that Aspides’ operational framework might require modifications based on new demands, potentially including specialized mine-clearing vessels for the strait.

“But it mostly needs more ships,” she stated, revealing that one additional vessel would be deployed to the Aspides mission without elaborating further.

Earlier this year, the EU approved extending Aspides’ authorization through February 2027, allocating an extra 15 million euros ($17.5 million) in financial support.

France and the U.K. are also contemplating establishing their own naval contingent to provide ship escorts through the Strait of Hormuz after fighting ceases.

An EU official revealed ongoing discussions about potentially combining Operation Aspides with the proposed Franco-British fleet, though significant details regarding command structure for such a unified force remain unresolved. The official requested anonymity as they lacked authorization to discuss the ongoing negotiations publicly.

Maritime transportation expenses surged following Iran’s war commencement on Feb. 28, driven by elevated insurance rates. The EU official projected that costs would remain high for at least twelve months after hostilities conclude, observing that routing ships around Africa’s coastline now costs less than Red Sea transit.

Officials are exploring the possibility of providing government-backed guarantees to shipping enterprises to help lower insurance costs.

A businessman and attorney without any political background is making waves in Colombia’s presidential race this Sunday, promising harsh measures against criminal organizations and drug cartels.

Abelardo De La Espriella, who goes by the nickname ‘The Tiger’ among his followers, has positioned himself as the candidate who can fix Colombia’s economic troubles and security issues. Recent polling shows him in second place, trailing leftist opponent Ivan Cepeda.

The candidate criticizes current President Gustavo Petro’s failed efforts to negotiate peace agreements with guerrilla fighters and criminal organizations, arguing these attempts have led to increased drug smuggling and unauthorized gold extraction. He also considers his conservative opponent, Senator Paloma Valencia, as representing the political establishment.

‘Colombia is going through its darkest hours. At the end of the day this is not a battle between Ivan Cepeda and me, it is a battle between totalitarianism and democracy,’ he said in a February interview with Reuters.

‘I will dare to do what needs to be done within the framework of the constitution and the law to save and rebuild Colombia…I am the tiger for that,’ he added.

De La Espriella claims to be funding his own campaign, though Reuters was unable to confirm this independently.

The 47-year-old candidate’s appearance and speaking style have sparked comparisons to El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele. Like Bukele, De La Espriella wears designer sunglasses and expensive timepieces, sports a well-groomed beard, and advocates for aggressive law enforcement tactics. Bukele’s administration has imprisoned over 90,000 individuals as part of a security initiative that human rights organizations condemn but voters support for reducing murder rates.

Despite never having military service, De La Espriella performs military-style salutes during campaign events and in promotional materials.

While he rejects claims that he’s copying Bukele’s approach, De La Espriella has committed to constructing 10 large-scale detention facilities.

‘In my government there will be no peace processes. Criminals who do not submit will be taken down, as permitted by law,’ he warned.

The candidate was raised in Monteria, a northern Colombian city, where he developed an appreciation for vallenato folk music and has performed as a tenor singer.

De La Espriella is married with four children and owns various business ventures, including liquor companies, a restaurant in Miami, and investments in livestock, construction, and property development.

His legal practice has represented Alex Saab, who faces money laundering charges in the United States related to alleged work for former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, as well as individuals connected to corruption cases and paramilitary organizations. De La Espriella maintains that his attorney-client relationships involved no illegal activities.

Guatemala has given the green light for collaborative military operations with the United States on Guatemalan soil to combat drug trafficking organizations, according to a Thursday report from the New York Times citing three sources with knowledge of the discussions.

President Bernardo Arevalo of Guatemala approved airstrikes and additional military actions during a phone conversation with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last week, with operations potentially beginning as soon as next month, the publication reported.

The U.S. Defense Department also plans to push Honduras to approve similar joint military actions, the report indicated, noting that the Trump administration is focusing on these two nations as a way to pressure Mexico into accepting collaborative counter-narcotics operations.

The Pentagon declined to speculate about upcoming operations or address operational security matters.

“Under Secretary Hegseth’s leadership, the Department will continue working with trusted partners to defend the Homeland and secure the Western Hemisphere,” Pentagon spokesperson Joel Valdez stated in an email.

According to the Times reporting, the White House’s overarching approach involves establishing American military presence throughout Latin America to create leverage with Mexico.

The White House responded that the “Administration continues to work to carry out the president’s agenda.”

Neither the Guatemalan nor Honduran embassies in the United States immediately provided responses to comment requests, and the Guatemalan government was not immediately available for contact.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has consistently stated that while she supports intelligence sharing and security collaboration, she will not permit U.S. personnel or military forces to conduct operations within Mexican borders.

U.S. President Donald Trump has consistently advocated for expanded use of American military power against Mexican cartels and has warned that the United States might act independently if Washington believes Mexico’s efforts are insufficient.

BRUSSELS, May 28 (Reuters) – The European Commission commended Bulgaria’s advancement in creating an independent anti-corruption agency on Thursday, while emphasizing the nation must sustain its reform efforts to secure the remaining EU pandemic recovery funds before the August 2026 cutoff date.

Bulgaria was allocated €6.2 billion ($7.2 billion) in grants through the EU’s recovery program, but the funding depends on completing various reforms, including creating the anti-corruption agency and transitioning energy production toward renewable sources.

The country has already collected €3.3 billion in EU funding, though achieving the remaining benchmarks and objectives has been challenging due to five parliamentary elections held over the past three years.

“We all know that there is the deadline in August 2026. So, the goal is to unlock resources by then. For this, we must maintain momentum on reforms,” European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen stated following discussions with Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev.

“I very much welcome that the legislative process is already well under way. Your government is therefore delivering on this significant milestone,” she stated, highlighting that Bulgaria could receive €370 million from the EU upon completing the reform.

She additionally mentioned that enhancing the profitable segment of the state-owned Bulgarian Energy Holding, particularly its clean energy production division, would represent a significant advancement for Bulgaria’s energy infrastructure.

“In total, there are 1.2 billion euros in the plan for clean energy investments in Bulgaria,” she stated.

Beyond the recovery fund, the EU stands prepared to provide Bulgaria with €3.2 billion in affordable loans through its SAFE program designed to strengthen defense capabilities of EU nations, particularly those on the bloc’s eastern border that could face potential Russian aggression.

“We will support Bulgaria with more than €3.2 billion under SAFE as we just discussed. And we are ready to sign our loan agreement with Bulgaria at any time,” von der Leyen stated.

WASHINGTON – The Treasury Department delivered a sharp warning to Oman on Thursday, cautioning the nation against any participation in establishing toll charges for passage through the Strait of Hormuz, with officials promising sanctions against countries that support such measures.

“The United States Government will not tolerate any effort to impose a tolling system in the Strait of Hormuz,” U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a post on X.

“Oman, in particular, should know that the U.S. Treasury will aggressively target any actors involved – directly or indirectly – in facilitating tolls for the Strait and any willing partners will be penalized,” Bessent added.

The warning comes as tensions continue over control of the critical shipping lane that serves as a vital passage for global maritime trade.

The director of Israel’s airport authority announced Thursday that Ben-Gurion International Airport is functioning at severely reduced capacity due to American military aircraft operations taking up significant space and resources at the facility.

Sharon Kedmi, who leads the Israel Airports Authority, spoke with Kan’s Reshet Bet radio and explained that military operations are restricting 70% of normal airport functions at the country’s primary aviation hub located near Tel Aviv.

“We are only utilizing one-third of the airport’s operational capacity,” Kedmi stated. “We are at the limit of our capabilities. There will be flights that we will announce in the coming days that are being cancelled.”

According to Kedmi, international airlines won’t be resuming operations anytime soon, and approximately 3 million travelers may face flight cancellations. Currently, numerous American tanker aircraft are stationed at the airport.

The financial impact has been substantial, with the airport authority reporting losses of 700 million shekels ($248 million) over the past two months. Kedmi warned that continued disruptions could result in losses reaching into the billions of shekels.

While projections initially called for 18 million passengers to travel through the facility, Kedmi noted that “right now it looks like we won’t exceed 15 million.”

“We have no information when the U.S. military’s activities at the airport will end. We are in a constant state of flux,” Kedmi explained.

The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem directed inquiries to the State Department, which has not yet provided a response.

Reports from earlier this month indicated that Civil Aviation Authority head Shmuel Zakay had raised similar concerns about American military aircraft disrupting civilian operations, preventing foreign carriers from returning and driving up ticket prices.

Zakay reportedly told the Transportation Minister that “Ben-Gurion has turned into a military airfield with limited civilian activity,” and expressed concerns about negative effects on domestic airlines.

News outlets have reported that when the Iran conflict began, Israeli carriers relocated aircraft to other countries, and not all planes have been brought back to the airport.

PARIS (AP) — French lawmakers in the National Assembly have unanimously approved legislation to formally eliminate a centuries-old slavery regulation that remained buried in the country’s legal code.

The chamber voted 254-0 on Thursday to pass the measure removing Code Noir from French law, sending the proposal to the Senate where backers anticipate approval. The timing of the upper chamber’s vote remains uncertain.

King Louis XIV enacted Code Noir — known as Black Code — at Versailles Palace in 1685 to establish regulations governing enslaved people throughout France’s colonial territories.

French philosopher Louis Sala‑Molins characterized it as “the most monstrous legal text of modern times.”

The law’s 60 provisions initially applied to French Caribbean territories including Martinique, Guadeloupe and Saint-Domingue, which is now Haiti, before expanding to cover French Guiana, Louisiana, and the Indian Ocean territories of Réunion and Mauritius.

Historical records show France transported approximately 1.4 million enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean, ranking third among European nations in the slave trade behind Portugal and Britain.

The majority labored in sugar cane fields and processing facilities where syrup was cooked over open flames, along with coffee, cotton and indigo production.

Conditions proved so lethal that mortality rates exceeded births, leading plantation owners to continuously import new groups of enslaved Africans to replace those who died.

By 1789, Saint-Domingue — present-day Haiti — contained approximately 500,000 enslaved individuals, surpassing all other Caribbean colonies. The territory generated much of the globe’s sugar and coffee output and gained recognition as the world’s wealthiest colony.

While Code Noir lost its enforcement power when France ended slavery in 1848, lawmakers never officially removed it from legal records.

Article 44 classified enslaved people as “movable property.”

Owners held the right to purchase, sell, use as collateral, or bequeath them to heirs — similar to real estate or household items.

Article 28 stated enslaved individuals could “own nothing that does not belong to their master.”

All wages earned and gifts received became the owner’s possession.

Enslaved people lacked legal identity.

Beginning in 1839, colonial authorities assigned each enslaved person a numerical identifier and registration code.

Freed individuals received surnames only after emancipation.

Article 38 established penalties for escape attempts.

First-time offenders faced ear removal and shoulder branding with a fleur-de-lis — the French royal emblem.

Second attempts resulted in severed leg tendons and additional branding.

Third attempts carried the death penalty.

Article 33 mandated execution for any enslaved person who struck an owner, spouse or children with sufficient force to cause visible injury or bleeding — or struck them in the face.

The provision declared such individuals “shall be punished by death.”

Before addressing enslaved people, the code’s opening article mandated the expulsion of all Jewish residents from French colonies within three months.

It labeled them “declared enemies of the Christian name.”

Articles 2 and 3 required baptism and Catholic upbringing for all enslaved people.

Public practice of other faiths was prohibited.

Children inherited their mother’s legal status.

Offspring of enslaved women were born into bondage — regardless of the father’s free status.

Enslavement began at birth.

Code Noir allocated children food portions equal to half an adult’s ration.

Several provisions appeared designed to “protect” enslaved individuals.

Owners were supposed to provide food and clothing, avoid torture, and refrain from separating husbands, wives and young children through sales.

Historians note these protections were routinely disregarded.

Owners who murdered enslaved people rarely faced punishment.

ADEN, Yemen (AP) — Yemen’s former president Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi passed away Thursday at 80 years old, ending a life marked by leading a divided nation through civil conflict and humanitarian crisis while governing primarily from foreign soil for nearly a decade before relinquishing power in 2022.

According to state television in Yemen, Hadi’s death occurred at his home in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s capital, though additional circumstances were not provided.

Rashad al-Alimi, who heads the Presidential Leadership Council that serves as the governing body for Yemen’s internationally recognized administration, praised Hadi’s commitment to the Yemeni people’s “right to a just state, freedom and human dignity.”

“He led the battle to defend the republican system,” al-Alimi posted on X.

Officials declared a three-day period of mourning with flags to be displayed at half-mast.

Hadi assumed the presidency in 2012 following the departure of long-serving leader Ali Abdullah Saleh amid Arab Spring demonstrations. With backing from the United States and Gulf nations, Hadi won a single-candidate election designed to shepherd Yemen through democratic transformation.

However, his administration quickly faced mounting turmoil.

In his early presidential term, Hadi attempted sweeping governmental changes, including bringing together the nation’s disparate military groups under unified command.

Critics charged him with showing preference to Yemen’s eastern petroleum-rich regions while neglecting the mountainous interior areas controlled by Houthis, the Iranian-supported faction.

Additional threats emerged from Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, widely regarded as among the terrorist network’s most lethal offshoots. The organization executed an attack in Sanaa during 2012 that claimed more than 100 lives.

The pivotal crisis of Hadi’s tenure occurred in 2014 when Houthi militants advanced southward from their northern territories and seized Sanaa as public frustration mounted over economic difficulties and governmental chaos.

Aided by forces supporting former President Saleh, Houthi troops occupied Yemen’s presidential compound in January 2015. Hadi stepped down and fled to Aden, though he subsequently reversed his resignation as a Saudi-led military alliance joined the fighting in March 2015 attempting to reinstall Hadi’s administration.

Despite maintaining international recognition as president, much of the actual governance was shaped by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the coalition’s primary members.

His power eroded further as fractures developed within the anti-Houthi partnership.

Relations with the UAE deteriorated after Hadi removed senior Emirati-supported officials, including Aidarous al-Zubaidi, who commanded the separatist Southern Transitional Council, or STC.

The STC ultimately gained control of Aden and portions of southern Yemen, restricting Hadi’s government to exile in Riyadh and isolated eastern territories.

Though the STC avoided directly calling for Hadi’s ouster, it declined to subordinate its military units to his authority and charged his administration with embracing Islamist groups connected to the Islah party, Yemen’s affiliate of the Muslim Brotherhood. The STC was dissolved earlier this year.

Hadi’s remaining time in office was spent largely away from public attention in the Saudi capital. In April 2022, following announcement of a U.N.-mediated truce, he handed authority to al-Alimi, who took charge of the newly established presidential council supported by Saudi Arabia.

Born September 1, 1945, in Yemen’s coastal Abyan province during the period when the country’s southern region remained under British control, Mansour Hadi came from the prominent Al-Fadl tribe, among the south’s largest and most established clans.

Following his education, Hadi entered military service, completing training at Britain’s Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. His initial military assignments took him to Egypt and Russia before his return to Yemen.

Hadi held senior military rank when civil conflict began in 1986, stemming from disputes between competing factions within Southern Yemen’s governing Socialist party. He aligned with President Ali Nasser Mohammed, accompanying him in escape to northern Yemen, which remained a separate nation at that time.

Following Yemen’s unification in 1990, Hadi received promotion to general rank and later to defense minister under then-President Saleh. As recognition for commanding successful military operations against southern independence movements in 1994, Saleh named Hadi as vice president of the unified republic.

Hadi leaves behind his spouse, Hala, and six children. Memorial service details have not been announced.

The United Nations is moving forward with plans to eliminate senior leadership roles during the coming two years as part of sweeping organizational changes, the Secretary-General announced Thursday.

Antonio Guterres, who will complete his decade-long tenure as U.N. chief by the end of 2026, is pushing for significant reform and budget reductions while the organization faces a financial emergency caused in part by outstanding dues, including from top contributor the United States.

The Secretary-General has praised major achievements in the ‘UN80’ reform initiative thus far, pointing to reductions in the 2026 budget and the relocation of more than 2,000 positions from high-cost cities such as Geneva and New York to more affordable locations.

However, additional steps are necessary, he informed the General Assembly in New York, emphasizing that member nations hold the power to drive change.

“Genuine reform requires tough choices. This is no time for complacency, self-interest, or foot-dragging,” he said.

The 2027 budget will feature efforts to eliminate organizational layers and begin reducing senior-level positions, with continued cuts planned for 2028, Guterres explained, though he did not provide specific details. Job transfers to less expensive locations will also continue, he noted.

Budget documents show that U.N. cost-reduction plans for 2026 implemented much smaller reductions to senior staff compared to lower-level employees, despite a growing number of high-level positions in recent years.

Numerous senior roles are informally designated for major powers who fiercely protect them as sources of status and power.

Guterres called on nations to pursue more aggressive reforms, stating that “bureaucratic inertia and defensiveness” were blocking some changes, including combining or shutting down U.N. agencies.

“At this stage, the overall direction and scale of UN80 lie in the hands of Member States to determine,” he said.

The United States, which owes the organization approximately $4 billion and has announced intentions to leave many U.N. organizations, has consistently demanded a more effective United Nations concentrated on peace and security matters.

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressed support for reform objectives this week. “Overlapping bodies and mandates in the U.N. system should be streamlined, resources be better integrated and a culture of efficiency be promoted,” he told reporters in New York.

Several of the five contenders seeking to succeed Guterres as secretary-general have also indicated the necessity to reform or reinvent multilateralism.

Israeli forces conducted an attack on Thursday targeting a structure in the southern outskirts of Lebanon’s capital, marking the first such operation near Beirut in several weeks during an ongoing ceasefire that has not prevented combat between Israeli forces and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

Military officials from Israel confirmed they executed a targeted operation in Beirut without providing further specifics.

According to two Israeli security sources, the operation aimed at Ali al-Husseini, identified by them as the leader of the missile unit within the Imam Hussein Division, a group that Israeli authorities claim has ties to Hezbollah and Iran.

Neither Hezbollah nor Iran provided immediate responses regarding the attack. A security source from Lebanon reported that the operation involved two precision-guided missiles directed at a structure in the southern outskirts of Beirut.

The operation further weakened an already deteriorating ceasefire that Washington announced on April 16, designed to end the conflict between Israel and Iran-supported Hezbollah that began on March 2.

Combat between these long-standing adversaries has persisted, primarily focused in southern Lebanon. Except for an attack on Beirut’s southern outskirts in early May that resulted in the death of a Hezbollah commander, the capital and surrounding areas had avoided fresh attacks during the truce period.

According to Israeli officials, military forces had refrained from conducting operations in Beirut for three weeks following requests from the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. However, Israeli surveillance aircraft continue to operate over Beirut daily.

The two Israeli security sources indicated that Thursday’s operation followed what they termed “very intense dialogue” with the Trump administration over recent days.

Significant Israeli attacks struck communities and villages in southern Lebanon overnight and continuing into Thursday, after Israel designated a new section of the region “a combat zone.”

Israeli military authorities instructed residents to evacuate any communities south of the Zahrani River, located approximately 40 kilometres (25 miles) north of Israel’s border with Lebanon.

Combined with a border area under military occupation, Israel’s evacuation directives over the past three months cover roughly 2,000 square kilometers of Lebanon – approximately one-fifth of the nation’s total area.

An Israeli attack Thursday morning resulted in six deaths, including two children and their parents, near the southern community of Adloun, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.

A separate attack on the port city of Sidon claimed five lives, including two women. Sidon sits outside the area marked as a combat zone by Israeli forces, and the attack occurred without advance warning.

Taghrida Ramadan, a resident of Sidon, spoke to Reuters about being awakened from sleep by the strike that hit a building opposite her home.

“We looked around and found the rubble on us – stones from the strike, because it was nearby and directly facing us,” Ramadan said. Though her residence sustained damage, her family members avoided serious harm.

A later Israeli attack on Thursday killed two Syrian citizens, including a child, in the city of Tyre, which sits within the zone Israel ordered evacuated.

The European Union has prohibited applications that digitally strip clothing from photographs as part of its continuing efforts to combat online pornography and the sexual exploitation of minors. These programs enable users to manipulate innocent photographs of regular individuals, creating fake nude images that appear to show the person without clothing, which are then distributed across the internet. Minors are especially vulnerable to this type of exploitation. Supporters are calling for United States regulators to implement comparable measures.

MOSCOW, May 28 – Moscow’s foreign ministry challenged European nations on Thursday to provide evidence supporting accusations that Russia is disrupting GPS signals across the continent.

An official from Lithuania stated Tuesday that Russia has the capability to interfere with GPS signals as far as 450 kilometers (280 miles) into European territory from its Kaliningrad territory, thanks to significantly enhanced technological capacity.

European countries have repeatedly blamed Russia for electronic disruption activities following the 2022 Ukraine invasion, though President Vladimir Putin’s administration has consistently rejected these claims, instead pointing to Western disinformation campaigns.

“Let them first present at least some evidence,” foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova told reporters when asked about the allegations.

“Then something can be discussed, something can be talked about. So far, these are just words, and you can’t take their word for it.”

In the previous year, a Spanish military aircraft carrying Defence Minister Margarita Robles encountered GPS interference while flying near Kaliningrad, and an aircraft transporting European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen experienced signal jamming during a flight to Bulgaria.

TOKYO, May 28 – Officials from Japan and the Philippines announced Thursday their intention to negotiate a classified information sharing agreement that would facilitate increased military equipment transfers from Tokyo to Manila, potentially including warships.

The two nations have been strengthening their defense and security relationship as they respond to China’s increasing assertiveness throughout the South China Sea region and near Taiwan. Japan has recently eliminated long-standing limitations on combat equipment exports, a policy shift that is expected to benefit the Philippines.

“In order to respond to the increasingly severe strategic environment in the region, we will continue to deepen cooperation with the Philippines,” Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stated during a press conference in Tokyo alongside Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The leaders agreed to upgrade their relationship to a “Comprehensive and Strategic Partnership.”

Under a new defense equipment cooperation framework, Japan is exploring the possibility of supplying naval destroyers and patrol aircraft to Manila.

The closer relationship with Japan aligns with Marcos’ efforts to strengthen security partnerships with the United States and its allies as the Philippines faces ongoing confrontations with Chinese vessels in contested waters.

Takaichi and Marcos also reached an agreement on energy security cooperation, including an initiative by Takaichi to assist Asian nations in better managing energy disruptions following the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.

MILAN (AP) — Law enforcement officials in Italy have confiscated assets valued at more than 200 million euros ($232 million) connected to the drug trafficking operations of deceased crime boss Matteo Messina Denaro, according to anti-mafia prosecutors who announced Thursday that the action represents a significant strike against the Sicilian Mafia’s efforts to reconstruct its economic strength.

Among the confiscated items were over 12 kilograms (26 pounds) of gold bars, substantial amounts of cash, high-end timepieces and approximately 20 upscale properties, law enforcement officials revealed during a press briefing.

Messina Denaro passed away in a correctional facility medical unit roughly nine months following his capture in January 2023, bringing to an end three decades of evading authorities. He had been convicted in absentia for his role in numerous killings, including his participation in orchestrating two 1992 bombings that claimed the lives of prominent anti-Mafia prosecutors Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino.

During the probe into drug trafficking proceeds spanning multiple decades, officials detained three individuals and mandated the confiscation of assets, enterprises and financial interests exceeding 200 million euros in value.

Over 150 Italian financial police personnel conducted operations within Italy and internationally, spanning locations such as Andorra, Gibraltar, the Cayman Islands, Switzerland, Lebanon, Monaco and Spain.

Giovanni Melillo, Italy’s national anti-mafia prosecutor, stated the confiscations represent part of a comprehensive campaign to destroy the Sicilian Mafia’s financial foundation and stop it from reconstructing criminal operations with worldwide economic and social reach, including the use of threats and intimidation.

Authorities in Switzerland say a knife-wielding attacker injured three people at a railway station Thursday morning before law enforcement took him into custody.

The incident occurred just after 8:30 a.m. at the station in Winterthur, according to a statement from Zurich regional police. Officials report the suspect is a 31-year-old Swiss citizen, though investigators have not yet determined what motivated the attack.

Emergency responders transported the three injured individuals to area hospitals. The victims, all Swiss nationals aged 28, 43, and 52, sustained wounds of undisclosed severity.

Winterthur, home to approximately 123,000 people, sits in northeastern Switzerland close to Zurich, the nation’s largest metropolitan area.

SEOUL, South Korea — A 68-year-old Chinese political activist remains in South Korean custody following a dangerous sea journey in a small rubber boat, marking his fourth known attempt to flee his homeland in hopes of reuniting with family members abroad.

Dong Guangping was discovered Monday evening aboard a 3.3-meter (10.8-foot) inflatable vessel near a western South Korean island, where coast guard officials detained him for suspected immigration law violations.

Coast guard authorities requested a formal arrest warrant, but a local court rejected the request Thursday, stating it was “difficult to recognize sufficient grounds and necessity” for his detention. Officials announced later Thursday they would transfer him to immigration authorities while continuing their investigation.

The activist’s future remains uncertain. Authorities may seek another arrest warrant or file charges without keeping him in custody. Should Dong request refugee protection, the Justice Ministry indicated it would evaluate his application.

Although evidence of political persecution in China could strengthen his refugee claim, experts point out that South Korea has approved fewer than 2% of refugee applications in recent years.

The former Chinese police officer has faced multiple detentions in his home country due to his political activities. He served three years in prison starting in 2001 for “inciting subversion of state power” and was jailed for more than eight months following a 2014 arrest for taking part in a memorial commemorating victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, based on previous Amnesty International reports.

During Thursday’s court appearance, he informed reporters of his desire to travel to Canada through South Korea to join his wife and daughters, who have already established residence there, according to South Korean news outlets.

His previous escape efforts included fleeing to Thailand and Vietnam, where officials sent him back to China. Dong also made an unsuccessful attempt to swim to a Taiwanese island.

Chinese Canadian activist Sheng Xue commended Dong’s courage in a Wednesday post on X. She revealed that Dong had discussed the boat escape plan with her, though she considered it extremely risky. She said she reconnected with Dong via Messenger after his arrival in South Korea.

“Dong Guangping said that when he reached Korean waters, he was already in a state of unconsciousness. He hadn’t slept for over 50 hours and had been blown by sea winds for over 30 hours,” she said.

Coast guard officials handling the case reported no serious health concerns when Dong was apprehended. They said he informed investigators he departed from Weihai city in China’s eastern Shandong province but has declined to answer most other inquiries.

When questioned about Dong’s situation during a regular briefing Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning responded that she was “not familiar with that.”

South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson Park Il told reporters Thursday that Dong’s case would probably be processed according to domestic law, while directing additional questions to Justice Ministry immigration officials.

The Canadian Embassy in Seoul acknowledged awareness of reports regarding Dong but stated it could not provide additional commentary.

While rare, Dong is not the first Chinese activist to reach South Korea by watercraft. In 2023, Kwon Pyong, another Chinese dissident, arrived in South Korea on a jet ski, claiming he was fleeing persecution for ridiculing China’s communist government. He was initially held in South Korea but later reportedly relocated to the United States to pursue asylum.

A joint military unit from Germany and the Netherlands will assume control of NATO ground forces in Estonia and Latvia later this year as part of efforts to reinforce the alliance’s eastern border defenses against possible Russian aggression, officials announced Thursday.

The 1 German-Netherlands Corps (1GNC), headquartered in Muenster, Germany, is scheduled to establish a tactical command center for NATO operations in the Baltic region by mid-2026. The alliance plans to officially approve this new command structure during the summer months.

Currently, NATO military units across all three Baltic countries and northern Poland operate under a single multinational command center located in Szczecin, Poland.

A military official explained to Reuters earlier this week that this reorganization would enable NATO to achieve “mass at speed,” helping to address the area’s limited geographic buffer zone and security weaknesses.

“The deployment of an additional tactical headquarters in the region strengthens coherence within NATO and contributes to Russia’s deterrence,” German and Dutch defense ministries declared in their joint announcement Thursday.

Dutch Defence Minister Dilan Yeşilgoz stated that 1GNC had “thoroughly prepared” for its upcoming responsibilities, referencing her visit to the corps facility in March.

This development stems from decisions made during the 2025 NATO summit in The Hague and expands upon the NATO Force Model established at the 2023 Vilnius summit, which focused on deploying additional forces with faster response capabilities.

A Colombian senator is making history in her bid to become the South American nation’s first woman president in this Sunday’s election, campaigning on promises to bolster security and strengthen the economy.

Paloma Valencia, a 48-year-old right-wing lawyer and legislator, comes from two influential conservative political families and has the endorsement of former President Alvaro Uribe. Uribe achieved significant military successes against leftist rebel groups during the 2000s and continues to wield political influence, despite facing legal challenges including fraud and bribery convictions that were later reversed. Uribe maintains his innocence and claims the legal proceedings are politically motivated.

“Uribe is like a father to me. I never make mistakes when it comes to loyalties. I want to take everything that worked in President Uribe’s government and do it again,” Valencia stated during a recent campaign appearance. “I’m going to copy Uribe, who got Colombia back on track.” Valencia has recently fallen to third place in polling.

The May 31 first-round election will determine who replaces President Gustavo Petro, who cannot run for another term. Should no candidate receive more than half the votes, a runoff election will take place in June.

As one of Congress’s most prominent opposition figures, Valencia represents Cauca province, an area severely affected by violence during a six-decade armed conflict that claimed over 450,000 lives.

Valencia has been critical of the 2016 peace agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas and has opposed Petro’s unsuccessful attempts to negotiate with other illegal armed organizations.

“With me there will be no talks with the ELN, nor with the FARC, nor with the so-called Gaitanista Army. We will reactivate all arrest warrants and pursue them and hunt them down to bring them to prison,” Valencia declared at a recent Bogota campaign event, referring to various guerrilla and criminal organizations.

Valencia’s political heritage runs deep – her paternal grandfather was conservative former President Guillermo Leon Valencia, while her maternal grandfather established a prominent university.

Before entering politics, she earned a master’s degree in creative writing from New York University and worked as both a newspaper columnist and radio host.

Her initial attempt at elected office in 2006 was unsuccessful when she lost a congressional race, but she has served as a senator for Uribe’s Democratic Center party since 2014. During her tenure, she has supported legislation benefiting sugar producers, helping small businesses become formal enterprises, and reducing work hours.

Valencia is married to academic Tomas Rodriguez and is the mother of a young daughter.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to Sweden Thursday for discussions with Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson regarding bilateral defense cooperation, according to statements from both the Ukrainian leader and Swedish government.

The nations are developing “a major defense package” and negotiating an agreement to supply Gripen fighter jets to Ukraine, Zelenskyy announced on social media.

The Ukrainian president has worked to expand defense partnerships with other nations by sharing the drone technology expertise his country has developed during more than four years of conflict with Russia’s invasion.

According to Zelenskyy, Ukrainian experts have assisted Middle Eastern countries — particularly in the Gulf Arab region — in bolstering their air defense capabilities during the Iran war. He also states they have provided support at American military installations in the Middle East. Ukraine has additionally signed joint drone manufacturing deals with European Union nations, which worry that Russian President Vladimir Putin harbors military goals extending past Ukraine.

Ukrainian drones monitoring the 1,250-kilometer (780-mile) battle line and attacking supply routes at greater distances have constrained Russia’s larger military force.

“Ukraine’s successful mid-range and front-line drone strike campaigns are limiting Russia’s ability to transport personnel to the front line and to supply and sustain front-line positions,” stated the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, in a Wednesday evening analysis.

Russia has seized approximately 20% of Ukrainian territory thus far. This includes the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia captured in 2014. The price of taking that territory has been enormous, with the leader of U.K.’s GCHQ intelligence agency stating Wednesday that nearly half a million Russian soldiers have died in the conflict.

Russia, nevertheless, maintains superiority in long-range ballistic missiles, which it has deployed consistently throughout the war to harm Ukraine’s electrical infrastructure and bombard urban areas.

Russian military units launched nearly 90 missiles along with hundreds of drones targeting Kyiv last weekend in an attempt to overpower air defenses as part of its intensifying long-distance aerial offensive against Ukrainian civilian zones.

Zelenskyy has sent correspondence to U.S. President Donald Trump and Congress requesting additional American-manufactured air defense ammunition to counter Russian ballistic missiles, Kyiv officials announced Wednesday.

Ukraine requires more U.S. Patriot PAC-3 missiles and additional air defense systems, Zelenskyy stated in the correspondence, cautioning that shipments to Ukraine are falling perilously behind as the Iran war redirects U.S. supplies.

The Ukrainian capital is preparing for additional heavy attacks. However, no foreign diplomats are reported to have followed Moscow’s suggestion to evacuate Kyiv before what the Russian Foreign Ministry announced earlier this week would be “systemic strikes” on Kyiv.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry reported Thursday that all diplomatic missions in the capital have maintained normal operations.

A criminal court in Bangkok cleared a prominent progressive political figure Thursday of charges related to insulting the monarchy and violating computer crime laws.

Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, who leads the Progressive Movement, faced prosecution over remarks he made in a 2021 Facebook Live session regarding a government contract for COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing that went to a business owned by King Maha Vajiralongkorn.

The statements were delivered as part of broader criticism targeting the vaccination program under former Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha’s administration, which Thanathorn accused of mishandling vaccine procurement and distribution.

According to a statement from the Bangkok Criminal Court, Thanathorn’s remarks were directed at criticizing Prayuth’s leadership and contained no malicious intent toward the monarchy.

The kingdom’s lese majeste statute, known as Article 112 of the Criminal Code, threatens prison sentences of up to 15 years for those who insult the royal family, though opponents argue it serves as a weapon against political opposition. Computer crime violations can result in five-year sentences.

Acquittals in royal insult cases occur infrequently in Thailand, where government institutions maintain conservative positions and officials remain protective of the monarchy’s standing.

“Personally, I feel relieved,” Thanathorn told media representatives following the court decision.

He urged respect for the rights of those imprisoned for political reasons.

“They are not criminals in a literal sense,” he said. “They are in jail because they think and they speak.”

Youth-driven democracy movements beginning in 2020 pushed for reforms to the royal defamation statute, but many demonstrators became subjects of prosecution under the same legislation.

According to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, an advocacy organization, over 290 individuals, including numerous student protesters, have faced Article 112 charges since early 2020.

The prosecutor’s office indicated it may pursue an appeal of the verdict.

Thanathorn helped establish the Future Forward Party, which was later dissolved but emerged as a significant political player by placing third in the 2019 election just one year after formation. The party frequently criticized military influence in government.

Parliamentary authorities removed Thanathorn in 2020 following a court determination that he violated election regulations through previous media company ownership. The Constitutional Court disbanded Future Forward that same year over alleged campaign finance violations.

The party’s replacement, Move Forward Party, captured the most legislative seats in the 2023 election, marking a significant victory for progressive politics after nearly ten years of military-influenced governance, though conservative legislators prevented the party from leading the government.

Courts ordered the dissolution of that party in 2024 after accusations it violated constitutional provisions by proposing changes to royal defamation laws.

The movement’s current form, the People’s Party, finished second in the 2026 election and now serves as the primary opposition force.

A 36-year-old man’s world turned upside down when he learned he had been illegally separated from his Chilean birth mother as an infant, setting off years of soul-searching that ultimately led to an emotional family reunion this year.

Kyle Adler described the profound impact of connecting with his biological family: “It’s been so eye-opening to see who my people are. I feel the love, I feel the compassion, the care — it’s nice to have a family again.”

Taken in by an American family at 9 months old, Adler represents one of thousands of children illegally removed from Chilean families during Gen. Augusto Pinochet’s 17-year rule. He joins hundreds of others who have reconnected with their birth relatives through DNA analysis and advocacy groups helping Chilean adoptees trace their origins. Additional efforts focus on seeking accountability for families torn apart by these practices.

Adler’s adoptive family brought him to an upscale Chicago-area community in 1990.

Regarding his adoptive parents Mike and Connie Adler, he explained: “My parents didn’t steal me; they didn’t name me Kyle out of malice. They saw me as who they wanted me to become, and there’s a lot of love that was put into that.” Adler suspects his adoptive parents were unaware of the illegal circumstances surrounding his placement. He noted they initially opposed his search for his birth mother before their deaths in 2022.

Despite becoming highly successful, Adler said he eventually craved deeper purpose in his life.

“Suddenly now I found myself where I didn’t know what to do. I knew I was adopted and at that point, I was just like, I need to find my mom.”

His birth mother, Ana Maria Navarrete, was 19 and working single-parent when she gave birth. She worked evening shifts at a seafood market in Coronel, a coastal community located 533 kilometers (331 miles) from Santiago. She had given him the name Marcos Antonio Navarrete.

Unable to afford housing for both herself and her baby, Navarrete arranged for a caregiver to house and watch Adler. She told The Associated Press she visited whenever her work schedule allowed.

The caregiver eventually informed her that an American couple had taken the child after a local priest arranged for a baby “in need of a family.”

“And she let them have him,” Navarrete told AP, expressing anger and shame. The AP was unable to independently confirm all aspects of these events.

A law enforcement investigator informed her the child had likely been taken through an extensive fraudulent adoption operation involving adoption agencies, immigration authorities, judicial officials, medical staff and physicians.

Navarrete said no one faced consequences, and “those years afterward were some of the worst years of my life.”

Without family assistance, she said she eventually abandoned hope of recovering her son.

“Justice for the poor did not exist in Chile and it still does not,” stated Constanza Del Rio, who founded and leads Nos Buscamos, a nonprofit maintaining online records for thousands of cases. Government estimates indicate more than 20,000 children were taken from families.

Poor and Indigenous communities were specifically targeted during Pinochet’s rule from 1973 to 1990, according to Jimmy Lippert Thyden González, who was also illegally adopted and works as a human rights attorney.

“It was an effort to eliminate and eradicate the poor class. It was a way of eradicating the Indigenous population, the uneducated population,” he explained.

In early 2017, Adler discovered the Nos Buscamos Facebook group while searching online for “Chilean birth mom search,” and reached out to Del Rio.

Del Rio confirmed Adler’s background and arranged a virtual meeting within three months.

Learning about his illegal adoption initially devastated Adler, triggering an identity crisis that required years of counseling.

Last year, Adler felt prepared to seek answers.

DNA analysis from MyHeritage, an Israel-based genealogy company, verified the connection between Adler and the now 56-year-old Navarrete in Santiago, “making it official,” he said.

MyHeritage collaborates with Nos Buscamos, Connecting Roots, and similar organizations to offer complimentary home DNA testing kits for Chilean adoptees and suspected trafficking victims.

Tyler Graf, who established and runs Connecting Roots, accompanied Adler on his journey.

Graf also reconnected with his birth mother Hilda Quezada Godoy years after being separated from her, and said he now dedicates himself to locating others taken from Chilean families.

“Now it’s time to mend these families and bring everyone back home so they can see where they came from,” Graf told the AP.

Human rights attorney Lippert Thyden González filed suit against the Chilean government three years ago and aims to pursue the case to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. He also established Grafting Hope, a nonprofit dedicated to educating U.S. policymakers and advocating for survivors of fraudulent adoptions.

The Chilean government did not respond to multiple AP requests for comment.

“I want justice. Not just for me, but also for him because I don’t know the type of life he had,” Navarrete told AP following her reunion with her son.

Navarrete is collaborating with legal counsel and hopes those responsible will face imprisonment.

“My birth mom’s just been wanting me to be alive,” Adler said before departing Miami in February.

Mother and son reunited two days following her 56th birthday on Valentine’s Day, with an AP team documenting their meetings in Miami and Chile.

Emotions overflowed as Adler emerged from the international arrivals area in Chile. Both wore white clothing as Navarrete rushed to embrace him. The tall, dark-haired man leaned down to rest his face against his mother’s hair.

“I’m so happy to be finally meeting him, my dream has finally come true,” Navarrete said.

The powerful reunion led to a meaningful week together exploring the beach in Coronel, the medical facility where Adler was born, and the residence where he was taken. They obtained a copy of his original birth documentation, and he met one of his four siblings. Previously in Miami, he had met another sister and her child.

In Santiago, they shared mementos Adler had brought as presents: A framed graduation certificate, childhood photos, and baby shoes his adoptive parents had preserved.

Since Adler doesn’t speak Spanish, Connecting Roots supplied an interpreter. Currently, translation applications help them maintain communication.

Navarrete said their time together brought joy but also reopened much of the anguish from the past 35 years.

“It took me so long to find him. And then to spend a week together only to have him leave,” Navarrete said through tears, “it’s like I found him but I’ve now lost him all over again.”

She expressed optimism about a family reunion in December. For Adler, the journey toward forgiveness continues, though he hopes Navarrete can release her trauma.

“I’m not just the son that you lost, I’m the son that you found. I’m back to being your son,” he said.

A ceasefire reached last month in Lebanon has provided minimal relief for civilians, as Israeli military operations continue to force residents from an ever-widening area of the country through ongoing air strikes and evacuation directives.

The April 16 truce, facilitated by U.S. negotiators following approximately six weeks of combat, has not succeeded in stopping hostilities between Israeli forces and Hezbollah. Both sides continue launching near-daily attacks while each blames the other for breaking the agreement.

This ongoing conflict has left hundreds of thousands of southern Lebanese civilians without homes. Following the ceasefire announcement, Israeli authorities released a map showing a buffer zone spanning nearly 600 square kilometers that ground forces had taken control of, along with a list of 57 communities where residents had been told to leave.

However, Israeli military forces have since conducted hundreds of air attacks across a much larger region beyond the occupied territory and have issued departure orders for more than 100 additional Lebanese communities, according to an analysis of Israeli military statements.

Combined with the occupied territory, these directives cover approximately 2,000 square kilometers of Lebanon – roughly 20 percent of the nation – most of which has become essentially inaccessible to residents, based on the analysis and conversations with local leaders, humanitarian workers and displaced individuals.

This conflict is connected to broader regional tensions following the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel led by Hamas. Israeli leadership seeks to push back its adversaries – Iran and allied forces including Hezbollah and Hamas – through a declared strategy of establishing buffer zones along its borders with Gaza, Syria and Lebanon to protect Israeli citizens.

The expanding evacuation zone, combined with uncertainty about continued attacks and the final size of the Israeli buffer area, has created fears among many residents that they may never return home.

“There is no way we are coming back now,” said Iyad Watfi, a mukhtar – elected official – in Bazouriye, who said the town once home to 13,000 people had been hit by multiple air strikes and evacuation orders since the truce. “Last week, we had 20 buildings destroyed in the town in one night.”

Only a small fraction of residents remained, with most others living in tents further north, he explained, noting that few felt secure enough to return anytime soon.

The current Lebanese conflict began March 2 when Hezbollah launched rockets at northern Israel in support of Iran, which was facing Israeli and U.S. attacks. Israeli forces responded with a ground invasion of Lebanon, resulting in fighting that has killed more than 3,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands, according to Lebanese government figures.

The Israel Defense Forces told reporters that its air campaign in Lebanon following the ceasefire was not intended to displace civilians but rather designed to eliminate Hezbollah threats, accusing the group of positioning forces and weapons in civilian areas. Military officials described the evacuation notices as “recommendations” issued before air strikes, allowing citizens to leave if they choose.

Southern Lebanon “remains an active combat zone where IDF troops continue to engage with terrorist elements on a daily basis,” they added.

Hezbollah’s media office did not respond to requests for comment. The group, a Shi’ite Muslim political and military organization, has conducted regular attacks including kamikaze drone strikes since the ceasefire. The organization has stated that despite the truce, it maintains the right to resist continued Israeli aggression and denies placing military assets in civilian areas.

Reporters contacted mukhtars from 20 communities subject to Israeli evacuation orders since the ceasefire, areas with pre-conflict populations ranging from hundreds to thousands of people. Most estimated the percentage of remaining residents in single digits, saying most had moved north or to the coastal cities of Tyre and Sidon.

“People’s nerves are shattered. They can’t take it anymore so they left,” said Ali Nazzal, a mukhtar in Srifa who said the village was virtually deserted. “The ceasefire is a lie.”

The situation appears increasingly dire for Lebanese civilians. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Monday that Israel would intensify its strikes, causing residents to evacuate southern suburbs of Beirut, further north. Israeli forces have since issued additional evacuation orders, covering more than a dozen new communities and declaring a large southern section a “combat zone.”

The continuing conflict could affect broader U.S.-Israeli tensions with Iran, as Tehran demands an end to Israeli attacks in Lebanon as a condition in peace negotiations.

On March 31, Netanyahu announced his country’s occupation area in Lebanon would extend to the Litani River, approximately 30 kilometers north of the Israeli border. He characterized it as “a vast buffer zone” to prevent anti-tank fire and invasion threats.

By the April 16 ceasefire, Israeli forces had occupied only about half that area. However, the subsequent wave of air strikes and evacuation orders has forced people from areas well beyond the river. Only about half the communities subject to evacuation orders since the ceasefire are south of the Litani, with the remainder north of the river, some more than 20 kilometers from the waterway, the analysis found.

On May 12, Israeli military officials said they had attacked more than 1,100 targets since the ceasefire, including weapons storage facilities, launchers and Hezbollah operational sites. Reporters identified locations of more than 300 strikes during the first month of the ceasefire by reviewing reports from Lebanon’s state news agency.

An examination of nighttime lights data from the satellite-based VIIRS sensor, conducted by Professor Hadi Jaafar at the American University of Beirut, revealed a significant decrease in light emissions across south Lebanon since the conflict began. Light levels have remained reduced in some areas during the ceasefire, strongly indicating that many displaced residents have not returned, Jaafar said.

Israeli forces have used explosives and bulldozers in demolitions that effectively eliminate many villages in the 600 square kilometer zone occupied by ground forces before the ceasefire, after the defense minister promised March 31 to destroy “all homes” near the border.

In areas outside Israeli occupation, many residents attempted to return during the ceasefire but were forced out again, often within days, by renewed evacuation orders and air strikes, according to local officials, displaced people and aid workers.

Hawraa Yousef Ghadbouni, 39, said she fled from the southern town of Qlaileh to the coastal city of Sidon after the latest conflict began March 2, sleeping in a car with her husband and three children.

After the ceasefire, they returned and found their home partially standing, with two rooms still intact, amid destroyed houses and shops. Within a day, shelling and air strikes forced them to flee again, this time to the coastal city of Tyre, about 10 kilometers north. When Tyre was also bombed, they returned to Sidon, taking shelter in a school converted to a refuge center.

“We want to return, even if we have to sleep on the ground,” Ghadbouni said. “What matters is going back. Life here is not sustainable.”

In the town of Bedias, about a half-hour drive north of Qlaileh, Wael al-Amin, a 48-year-old medic, was sitting outside his brother’s home on May 10, drinking coffee and watching his children play despite the steady buzz of a drone overhead.

“I thought, ‘Let them play’,” he said from a hospital in Tyre. “These are children. Who would target them?”

Moments later, a blast tore through his brother’s house, sending a cloud of debris into the air. Amin stumbled through the smoke until he found his eight-year-old son, wounded amid the rubble.

“He told me, ‘I’m here’,” he said.

Amin pulled the boy to safety before discovering that his brother had been killed in the strike.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is visiting Sweden on Thursday to meet with the country’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, according to government officials, with sources indicating they plan to make an announcement concerning Gripen fighter aircraft.

Last year, Kristersson and Zelenskiy put their signatures on an agreement that would potentially allow Sweden to sell as many as 150 Saab Gripen model E fighter aircraft to Ukraine. However, since those deliveries would take several years to complete, officials have also been exploring the possibility of transferring Sweden’s current C/D model Gripens.

An individual with firsthand knowledge of the ongoing talks confirmed to Reuters that Thursday’s announcement will center on Gripen aircraft, though they would not provide additional details.

Following news of the meeting, Saab’s stock price climbed, showing a 5% increase by 0834 GMT.

These aircraft represent a key component of Ukraine’s fighter aircraft priorities, and the nation’s defense minister stated in May that an agreement for the Gripen E could be finalized “within months” following the European Union’s approval of a €90 billion loan package for Ukraine.

A Filipino lawmaker who is the son of a former president may soon be taken into custody after anti-corruption officials filed criminal charges against him Thursday in connection with an infrastructure fraud scheme that has damaged the country’s economy and public trust.

Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada has been indicted on plunder and anti-corruption violations by the Office of the Ombudsman for allegedly accepting illegal payments totaling 573 million pesos ($9.30 million) through a fraudulent scheme targeting government-funded infrastructure projects, officials announced.

“If the honourable court finds probable cause, we anticipate the subsequent issuance of warrants of arrest against the principal respondents,” Assistant Ombudsman and spokesperson Mico Clavano told a press briefing.

Also facing charges alongside Estrada are former public works minister Manuel Bonoan and engineering officials from the ministry.

Estrada did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. When asked by reporters on Tuesday about the impending charges, he said, “Well, if this is the price that I have to pay for standing on my own principles and what I believe in? So be it.”

The criminal charges were submitted Thursday to the Sandiganbayan, specialized Philippine courts that handle major corruption cases. These same courts previously examined the illegally obtained wealth of the late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.

The corruption scandal has focused on seriously defective flood-control infrastructure throughout the Philippines, shocking the corruption-weary country and dampening economic expansion in recent quarters.

Estrada has previously been imprisoned on two separate occasions, both involving corruption charges.

His father, Joseph Estrada, became the first former president found guilty of plunder. His successor, Gloria Arroyo, subsequently pardoned him and authorized his release, enabling his political comeback.

($1 = 61.5990 Philippine pesos)

Israeli military forces have eliminated the top commander of Hamas’ armed forces and his successor within the last two weeks, continuing a pattern of targeted operations against high-ranking militants.

The deceased leaders were named as Mohammed Odeh and Izz al-Din al-Haddad, both key planners behind the Oct. 7, 2023, assault on Israel. Military officials describe these eliminations as components of a wider campaign to hunt down those responsible for the attacks that sparked the current Gaza conflict.

However, while such precision strikes may deliver concrete results that political leaders can present as successes, they seldom tackle the fundamental issues that fuel ongoing conflicts.

“The killing of military chiefs such as Odeh and Haddad points to Israel’s operational ability to reach Hamas’ military leadership,” said Nasser Khdour of the nonprofit ACLED, which tracks reports of political violence and conflict worldwide. But, he added, “the killing of senior commanders is unlikely, on its own, to push Hamas toward disarmament or make it accept the complete removal of its role in Gaza’s security and governance.”

Throughout its history, Israel has conducted numerous targeted eliminations, yet Palestinian and Lebanese armed organizations have frequently survived and even strengthened following the deaths of senior figures.

Consider Hezbollah’s experience. Israeli warplanes killed its leader Abbas Musawi in southern Lebanon during 1992. Under Nasrallah, his charismatic successor, Hezbollah developed into the region’s most formidable armed organization and battled Israel to a costly deadlock in 2006.

Nasrallah and almost all his top deputies perished during the 2024 conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. The Iran-supported organization sustained additional significant casualties that year, yet continued launching rocket and drone strikes against Israel within days of the current war’s beginning.

Hamas has repeatedly lost senior leadership. Israel eliminated its founder and spiritual guide, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, in a 2004 air attack. Almost every planner of the organization’s Oct. 7 assault on Israel has subsequently been killed.

Both organizations have continued operating, driven by longstanding complaints rooted in the Israeli-Palestinian dispute.

The United States has similarly employed targeted eliminations against al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, eliminating Osama bin Laden during a 2011 operation in Pakistan and IS founder Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in 2019. Both organizations have been significantly weakened, though only following extended conflicts involving ground troops.

Yossi Kuperwasser, the former head of Israel’s military intelligence research division, said in March that targeted killings can be an effective tool but are not a “cure for all problems.”

“These operations by themselves don’t dramatically change the ability of those organizations to cause damage and to carry out attacks,” he said. “But it’s important for Israel to weaken its enemies.”

In Gaza, Lebanon and now Iran, he noted, Israel has taken out dozens of figures, reshaping the leadership structure in lasting ways.

Precision strikes became a primary tactic during the early phases of the Iran conflict. Senior military and civilian leaders up to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei were eliminated in the war’s initial attacks. Khamenei has been succeeded by his son, Mojtaba, who is viewed as even more uncompromising.

Kuperwasser said that targeted killings in Iran hadn’t transformed the theocracy but had changed it.

“Maybe there’s not ‘regime change’ yet, but there is ‘change in regime.’ The people are not the same people,” he said.

Historically, precision eliminations have sometimes radicalized supporters or members of political movements and armed groups, promoting more extremist successors or transforming killed leaders into martyrs with lasting impact.

Northeastern University political scientist Max Abrahms said data from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Israel and the Palestinian territories shows violence against civilians spikes after targeted killings.

“Leadership decapitation is risky,” he said. “When you take out a leader that prefers some degree of restraint and had influence over subordinates, then there’s a very good chance that, upon that person’s death, you’re going to see even more extreme tactics.”

Precision eliminations can generate leadership gaps and opportunities for transformation, but only when combined with a comprehensive political approach, said Mohanad Hage Ali, deputy director of the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut.

“You can decapitate an organization or defeat it militarily, but if you don’t follow through politically, it doesn’t work. And it’s hard to see how this goes much further,” he said.

GILGIL, Kenya — A tragic overnight blaze at a Kenyan girls’ boarding school has claimed the lives of at least 16 students, marking another devastating incident for the East African country, according to a government official.

Julius Ogamba, the Education Minister, announced Thursday that 79 additional students suffered injuries in the fire at Utumishi Girls School, an institution serving more than 800 pupils in the Gilgil region of central Kenya.

Investigators have not yet determined what sparked the deadly blaze. Ogamba stated that officials will examine whether the institution followed proper fire safety protocols.

Law enforcement officials reported they are spearheading rescue operations and emergency response at the facility, situated approximately 120 kilometers (75 miles) from Nairobi, the nation’s capital.

The secondary institution is a government-operated school under the management and sponsorship of the Kenya Police Service. A significant number of enrolled students are children of law enforcement officers.

Officials have not released the identities of those who perished in the fire.

Wambui Nderitu, a witness at the location, reported that a matron unlocked one of two dormitory exits “without alerting the children to exit.”

“The second door remained closed, and even though my cousin escaped with a leg injury, we’ve been told many children are injured and some died,” Nderitu stated.

The Kenya Red Cross confirmed that multiple students were transported from the scene and are now receiving medical care at different healthcare facilities.

The organization reported deploying “tracing and psychosocial support teams to support affected students and families.”

The most catastrophic school fire in Kenya’s recent past took place in 2001, when 67 pupils lost their lives in a dormitory blaze in Machakos County.

During 2024, 21 students perished in a school fire in central Kenya. President William Ruto announced three days of mourning.

In 2017, 10 students died in a school fire in Nairobi. A student was charged with murder.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation announced Thursday it has selected a top Reuters executive to lead its news division. Simon Robinson, who currently serves as executive editor at Reuters, will take over as director of news and current affairs beginning in September.

The appointment was confirmed in a statement posted on the broadcaster’s website by managing director Hugh Marks. Robinson, an Australian citizen based in London, will fill the position previously held by Justin Stevens, who stepped down Wednesday after serving four years in the role for personal and professional reasons.

At Reuters, Robinson will be succeeded by Nick Tattersall, the organization’s global managing editor for newsroom operations, according to a staff memo from Editor-in-Chief Alessandra Galloni.

Robinson joined Reuters in 2010 and was promoted to executive editor in October 2022. Prior to that promotion, he spent nearly seven years overseeing investigations and enterprise reporting across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, where he supervised award-winning coverage of Iran, Russia, corporate taxation, Greek banks and migration issues.

His journalism career began at Time magazine, where he worked as a correspondent and later editor from 1995 to 2010. During his tenure there, he reported from more than 50 countries across Africa, South Asia, the Middle East and Europe. Robinson has also published short stories and created an award-winning satirical film about aid workers and journalists working in Africa.

The Guardian in Australia first broke news of Robinson’s appointment to the broadcasting corporation.

Reuters operates as a division of Thomson Reuters and employs more than 2,600 journalists in 200 locations worldwide. The news organization serves 50 million monthly digital users and hundreds of thousands of professional subscribers through Thomson Reuters and LSEG platforms.

A weekly ferry route connecting Taiwan and Japan launched Thursday aboard a vessel that Japanese officials have designated for potential emergency evacuations during regional conflicts.

The Yaima Maru ferry now operates between Keelung in northern Taiwan and Japan’s Ishigaki island, making overnight trips once per week to transport tourists. Japanese authorities included this vessel on their 2024 list of ships available to evacuate residents from southern Japanese islands during potential crises.

Regional military tensions have intensified as China has increased pressure on Taiwan over recent years. China considers Taiwan part of its territory and has conducted military exercises near Japanese territorial waters. The ferry route serves an area where the U.S. maintains significant military presence in Okinawa and Japan has been bolstering its defensive capabilities.

At the ferry’s inaugural ceremony in Keelung port, Ishigaki Mayor Yoshitaka Nakayama emphasized the route’s broader significance beyond transportation. “This regular route is not merely transportation infrastructure,” he stated. “It serves as a new bridge that supports tourism, logistics, economic activity, cultural exchange, and education.”

When asked about regional security concerns, Tatsuya Ohama, president of ferry operator Shosen Yaima, avoided direct commentary on military matters. “This is fundamentally a matter between countries. As a private ferry operator, our first step is to get the service up and running,” he explained to reporters.

The ferry connects regions where Japan has strengthened military defenses, particularly on Yonaguni island, which sits nearest to Taiwan among Japanese territories. Taiwan and Japan maintain strong economic ties despite lacking official diplomatic relations, a legacy from Japan’s colonial rule of Taiwan from 1895 to 1945.

Recent diplomatic tensions have escalated after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested in November that a Chinese military action against Taiwan might prompt Japanese military involvement. This statement angered Beijing and strained relations between the countries.

Taiwan’s government continues to reject China’s territorial claims over the island.

The American diplomatic mission in Ukraine’s capital issued a firm denial Thursday regarding reports that it had ceased operations after Russia warned foreign diplomats and citizens to evacuate before launching intensified attacks.

Ukrainian news outlets on Thursday referenced comments from European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas suggesting the American embassy had departed the capital city.

Speaking to journalists during an EU gathering in Cyprus, Kallas indicated that foreign diplomatic missions in Ukraine’s capital had dismissed Moscow’s attack threats, with one exception.

“What we heard from Ukraine yesterday was that all the embassies stayed except one,” Kallas stated Thursday. “All the Europeans stayed. America left.”

Multiple EU nations called in their Russian ambassadors following Moscow’s Monday warning directing foreigners to depart.

Through a social media post, the American embassy in Ukraine’s capital refuted any operational changes.

“The U.S. Embassy is open. There are no changes to our operations and reports otherwise are false,” the statement read.

A communications adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Dmytro Lytvyn, informed reporters that Ukraine understood some American diplomatic personnel had departed the capital during Sunday’s large-scale Russian assault.

Lytvyn expressed Ukraine’s appreciation for all diplomatic missions operating in the capital and providing support to Ukraine.

An embassy representative declined to address Lytvyn’s statements.

Embassy social media indicated that the acting American ambassador to Ukraine, Julie Davis, was in Lviv attending a weekend function.

“The State Department has no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans and regularly reviews the security posture of Embassy Kyiv,” the embassy stated in its social media post.

Israeli forces launched devastating attacks early Thursday morning on Lebanon’s fourth largest city, resulting in at least eight fatalities as military operations against Hezbollah continue to escalate before critical discussions in Washington.

Additional individuals sustained injuries during the bombardment, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency confirmed.

In a separate incident, an Israeli soldier lost his life in northern Israel when Hezbollah launched a drone assault, military officials reported.

The heightened military activity follows an announcement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to broaden Israeli military operations in Lebanon, seemingly in response to Hezbollah’s deployment of fiber-optic exploding drones that have targeted Israeli forces in Lebanon and reached northern Israeli border communities.

Military representatives from Lebanon and Israel are scheduled to conduct their initial security discussions Friday in the U.S. capital. These negotiations have prolonged a temporary ceasefire that began April 17, though hostilities have grown more severe while avoiding the Lebanese capital Beirut.

Hezbollah has rejected participation in the discussions and has instead backed its primary partner Iran, which has established an end to the Lebanese conflict as a prerequisite for its own negotiations with Washington facilitated by Pakistan.

Before Thursday’s bombardment began, Israeli military Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee delivered evacuation notices to eight structures in the Mediterranean coastal city of Tyre and nearby areas. Numerous residents have evacuated the region.

In the northern city of Sidon, an Israeli drone targeted an apartment complex housing displaced families.

Mohammad Al-Gharbi, a resident living opposite the struck building in Sidon, was awakened by the blast.

“I was in my room when part of the wall and shattered glass fell on me, and everything was thrown into chaos,” he said. “This building that was hit had six apartments occupied by poor families who had fled from the south to escape the attacks there, only to be hit here.”

In the coastal community of Adloun, an Israeli drone attacked a vehicle carrying a fleeing family, resulting in six deaths including children. A separate drone assault without advance warning killed two individuals on a motorcycle near Tyre. The intended target remained unclear, NNA reported.

Israeli military officials confirmed Thursday that a soldier in northern Israel died in a Hezbollah drone strike and two reservists suffered injuries.

Hezbollah has taken responsibility for numerous drone and rocket strikes that it claims were directed at Israeli forces in southern Lebanon and northern Israel.

More than 1 million Lebanese residents have been forced from their homes due to the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, which began when Hezbollah launched rockets into northern Israel on March 2 in support of Iran, two days after the Iran war commenced.

Israeli strikes have claimed at least 3,269 lives since the war’s beginning, the Lebanese Health Ministry reports, with more than 9,800 people wounded.

Data from Netanyahu’s office indicates that at least 23 Israeli soldiers and a defense contractor have died in or near southern Lebanon, while two civilians have been killed in northern Israel, primarily from drone attacks.

A team from China’s People’s Liberation Army National Defence University will represent the nation at a major Asian security conference scheduled for this weekend in Singapore, according to an announcement from Beijing’s defense ministry on Thursday.

The delegation will be led by Meng Xiangqing from the defense university, ministry spokesperson Jiang Bin announced during Thursday’s press briefing. The group will participate in the Shangri-La Dialogue, considered Asia’s most important security summit, running from May 29 through May 31.

This will be the second consecutive year that Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun has chosen not to participate in the high-profile international gathering.

The director of Russia’s SVR foreign intelligence service made allegations Thursday that NATO is actively conducting practical preparations for what he described as a “large-scale conflict in the east,” according to reporting from the state RIA news agency.

Sergei Naryshkin also claimed that the European Union is quickly building up its military capabilities and transforming into a military partnership “directed against Russia,” the agency reported on May 28 from Moscow.

Three oil tankers were struck by drones Thursday in Black Sea waters off Turkey’s northern coastline, according to shipping agency Tribeca.

The vessel James II, flying a Palau flag and carrying no cargo, was positioned approximately 50 miles north of the Turkeli Area when the strike happened, according to the agency’s report.

Two additional vessels, the Altura and Velora, both operating under Sierra Leone flags and also empty, came under attack in the same vicinity while conducting a ship-to-ship transfer operation, the agency reported.

Emergency response vessels from coastal authorities were dispatched to provide aid, and all sailors aboard the three tankers were confirmed to be in good health, according to the agency.

Russia and Ukraine have repeatedly targeted each other’s maritime facilities and oil vessels following Russia’s comprehensive military offensive against Ukraine that began more than four years ago. No immediate claims of responsibility were made by either nation regarding Thursday’s reported strikes.

Officials from Turkey’s transport ministry could not be reached for statements about the incidents due to the Muslim Eid holiday observance.

MORENO, Argentina (AP) — Analía Celis, 34, lives with intellectual disability and cerebral palsy that prevents her from walking, but specialized sports therapy helped relax her tight muscles. While unable to hold traditional employment, baking activities provided her with feelings of autonomy. Though verbal communication proves difficult, art sessions with fellow participants allowed her to form connections beyond spoken language.

These vital therapeutic programs that have served as crucial support for Celis and countless others among Argentina’s estimated 5 million disabled citizens are now facing elimination under President Javier Milei’s aggressive budget-cutting approach.

Government funding to organizations delivering therapeutic and educational disability services has been suspended in recent months. Family members and advocates report that participants have lost access to carefully structured daily activities, while what was once considered a strong regional social support system has been systematically dismantled.

“I never thought we would reach this situation, selling our cars because we lack funds to pay basic utilities,” stated Martín Lucero, who serves as legal representative for the Argentine nonprofit Andar, which operates a disability day center outside Buenos Aires.

Financial pressures have forced Andar to eliminate its transportation service two months ago, leaving Celis and numerous other residents throughout the extensive Buenos Aires suburb of Moreno without access to the center they previously reached through free, specialized bus service.

“Cutting off individuals from environments essential for their growth cannot be the only answer,” Lucero stated. “This represents a deliberate policy decision.”

Following Milei’s assumption of office in late 2023, his fiscal restraint policies have established him as a symbol of worldwide conservative resistance to liberal governance. Similar to allies within the Trump administration, his government has characterized disability program reductions as components of reform efforts designed to eliminate fraud and inefficiency within federal operations.

A spokesperson for the president did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Organizations providing disability care in Argentina — encompassing day centers such as Andar along with residential facilities, specialized education, and vocational training programs — depend on income generated through billing state-operated insurance systems.

These nonprofit organizations face growing debt due to inconsistent government payments and compensation rates that fail to keep pace with extremely high inflation. Conditions deteriorated six months ago when funding completely ceased, according to service providers.

Cost reduction measures have led to widespread staff reductions, delayed employee payments, smaller meal portions, and reduced operating hours. While no official count exists of therapeutic centers forced to close, disability advocacy organizations estimate approximately 50 facilities shut down this year, particularly in Argentina’s rural areas.

“I want to ask the president to notice us, to truly observe us, to visit and meet us personally,” said Roman Pontecorvo, a 28-year-old with intellectual disability who found his love for theater at Andar. “If Andar shuts down, many of us will have nowhere to go. It will be complete disorder.”

Andar reports that roughly 30% of the 150 disabled individuals registered in its day program cannot access the facility anymore — a peaceful property featuring a soccer field, vegetable garden, and commercial-quality kitchen where participants earn monthly income through its catering business.

Mental health professionals warn that without structured programming, disabled individuals can experience rapid deterioration.

“She awakens three or four times nightly, crying that she wants to return to the farm,” explained Celis’ mother, Clementina Tabares, 74, who now skips her own doctor visits because Celis needs constant supervision. Celis remains in bed throughout the day with a blanket covering the window to block sunlight and loud music playing from her phone, occasionally making sounds of distress.

“She’s isolating herself,” Tabares explained. “That frightens me.”

Rights advocates point to a straightforward solution: enforcing legislation approved last year that declared a disability emergency. The law increases benefits that have declined 30% due to inflation and ensures provider funding through at least December 2026.

However, Milei has delayed implementing the law, contending that its financial cost — approximately 0.35% of gross domestic product — would compromise his achieved budget surplus, Argentina’s first following decades of deficits.

“Through worthy causes, they enact legislation that bankrupts the country,” Milei commented after rejecting the law last year.

Congress overturned his rejection. Legal disputes continue regarding fund distribution.

In a sharp ruling, a federal judge on May 18 ordered the government to resume frozen provider payments within 72 hours to comply with the law, noting that for disabled individuals, “treatment interruption causes developmental regression.” The government filed an appeal.

Milei has simultaneously proposed legislation that would officially eliminate the existing system of government payments to therapeutic centers, allowing private insurance companies and provincial authorities to establish their own provider rates.

The proposal would also impose new benefit eligibility restrictions, terminating subsidies for everyone except those living in poverty with disabilities classified as “complete” and “permanent.”

The legislation, which has generated opposition from rights organizations, awaits congressional discussion.

Months before billionaire Elon Musk — from the Trump administration’s brief Department of Government Efficiency — incorrectly alleged that millions of deceased individuals received Social Security payments, Argentine officials made similar extraordinary fraud claims: that recipients were falsifying medical examinations to illegally obtain disability funds, including at least one instance involving submission of an injured dog’s X-rays.

The scope of such fraudulent activities remains unknown. Officials have not provided evidence of widespread misconduct.

Prosecutors are examining higher-level corruption allegations: In leaked recordings from last year, former national disability agency director Diego Spagnuolo described Karina Milei, the president’s sister and primary advisor, accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal payments from pharmaceutical companies seeking government contracts.

Milei has rejected accusations regarding his sister. As oversight efforts gained importance, the government eliminated the national disability agency, Andis, terminating hundreds of employees and transferring disability programs to the Health Ministry.

Most agree that increased transparency is necessary. However, critics argue the government seems more focused on completely destroying the system rather than improving it.

“Destroying institutions without creating replacements abandons people,” stated Celeste Fernandez, co-director of the Civic Association for Equality and Justice in Buenos Aires, which successfully sued the government last year after Andis suspended 140,000 disability payments due to suspected fraud.

In most situations, the government subsequently admitted, recipients had simply failed to comply with or understand notices requiring in-person evaluations — often at locations hundreds of miles from their residences.

“The government is not implementing genuine reform,” she stated. “It is merely draining the system.”

The Australian government has initiated legal action against American manufacturing giant 3M, demanding over $1.4 billion in damages related to chemical contamination at military installations, officials announced Thursday.

This unprecedented compensation claim targets contamination from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly called PFAS, which affected 28 defense facilities. These synthetic compounds earn the nickname “forever chemicals” due to their inability to decompose naturally in the environment.

The legal action was filed in Minnesota’s Federal Court against both 3M Company and its Australian division, targeting the corporation’s home jurisdiction.

The company has vowed to contest Australia’s allegations.

“3M has never manufactured PFAS in Australia and ceased sales of the products at issue in Australia around two decades ago,” the company stated. “Despite this, the (Australian) Department of Defense continued to use PFAS-containing firefighting foams for nearly two decades longer.”

These chemical compounds have been utilized in consumer and commercial applications since the 1950s, providing resistance to heat, stains, grease and water. The firefighting foam containing these substances proved particularly effective against fuel-based fires.

In 2018, Australia’s Defense Department issued warnings to residents living near Richmond Air Base outside Sydney, advising them to limit consumption of locally sourced fish and eggs after detecting the chemicals in area groundwater.

Attorney-General Michelle Rowland accused the manufacturer of concealing environmental hazard information about the foam on Thursday.

“The Commonwealth (of Australia) is seeking more than AU$2 billion ($1.4 billion) in damages to recover significant past and future expenses incurred in investigating and managing contamination resulting from the historic storage and use of this foam,” Rowland told reporters.

Assistant Defense Minister Peter Khalil revealed his department has already invested AU$1.3 billion ($920 million) in addressing and reducing the foam’s environmental consequences. The department has extracted 200,000 metric tons (220,000 U.S. tons) of polluted soil from installations and processed 13 billion liters (3.4 billion gallons) of contaminated water, according to Khalil.

“We are prepared to take on powerful corporations when Australians and Australian communities have been impacted,” Khalil said.

MELBOURNE, Australia — A 34-year-old woman from Melbourne faces terrorism charges after Australian authorities accused her of joining ISIS in Syria, according to police officials.

Australia Federal Police Deputy Commissioner Hilda Sirec announced Thursday that the woman was taken into custody at her Melbourne residence eight months following her return to Australia through Lebanon, accompanied by another woman.

The charges come just two days after 19 individuals — seven women and 12 children with ISIS connections — arrived back in Australia from a Syrian refugee facility, despite opposition from the Australian government.

Last month, 13 additional people in comparable situations returned from the Roj displacement camp, situated close to where Syria’s borders meet Turkey and Iraq. Upon their arrival, three of the four women in that group faced slavery and terrorism charges and were detained.

Sirec stated that all women who have returned from Syria this month continue to face police scrutiny. The companion who traveled with Thursday’s arrestee from Lebanon is also under investigation.

“A period of time passing without charges does indicate investigations have ceased,” Sirec noted.

The Melbourne woman was scheduled to appear Thursday before the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on charges of entering and staying in a designated conflict area and joining ISIS as a terrorist organization. Both charges could result in up to 10 years imprisonment.

Authorities claim she journeyed to Syria during 2013 and 2014 to become an ISIS member. Kurdish forces captured her in March 2019 following ISIS’s defeat and held her at al-Hol displacement camp.

Police allege her return to Australia occurred on September 26.

Janai Safar, 32, from Sydney, received similar charges upon her May 7 arrival in Australia with her 9-year-old son. A magistrate denied her bail request, requiring her to serve a minimum two-month prison term in Sydney.

Authorities claim Safar followed her ISIS-fighter partner to Syria in 2015 and gave birth to a child there. The partner reportedly died in 2017. Australian law prohibited citizens from traveling to Raqqa, the former ISIS stronghold in Syria, without legitimate purposes from 2014 through 2017.

Kawsar Ahmed, also called Kawsar Abbas, and her daughter Zeinab Ahmed, 31, faced charges in a Melbourne court on May 8 related to accusations that their family purchased a female Yazidi slave for $10,000 while in Syria, police reported.

The daughter plans to seek bail next week, while the mother has a bail hearing set for June 16.

PARIS (AP) — Nearly 200 years after France ended slavery, a colonial-era statute that defined human beings as property has remained quietly on the books. Thursday marks the day legislators will finally take action to remove it.

The legislation, anticipated to pass in the National Assembly, will eliminate the Code Noir, also known as the Black Code, which was established by a 1685 decree from King Louis XIV to regulate enslaved people throughout France’s colonial territories.

This statute transformed people into commodities, permitting their exploitation through forced labor, physical violence, sale, sexual assault and murder — and France never officially eliminated it.

This discovery has stunned many citizens.

“That shocks me,” said Muriel Jean-Baptiste, a Paris-born nurse whose parents are from Martinique, a French overseas department in the Caribbean.

“A law that treated Black people as property was left sitting there,” she said.

The statute’s scope was comprehensive. Article 44 designated enslaved individuals as “movable property.” Additional provisions mandated bodily harm for escapees and established that testimony from enslaved people held no legal weight.

The 60 provisions of Code Noir “should never have survived the abolition of slavery” in the 19th century, President Emmanuel Macron stated last week.

“The silence, even the indifference, that we have maintained for nearly two centuries toward this Black Code is no longer an oversight,” Macron said. “It has become a form of offense.”

Similar to previous French presidents, Macron did not offer an apology.

France operated the world’s third-largest slave trade, transporting approximately 1.4 million Africans to plantations whose sugar profits funded the development of French cities like Nantes and Bordeaux. Its colonial reach eventually extended across four continents.

Some view this repeal as more significant — evidence, they contend, of a nation that has not fully confronted its history, representing one of many gradual measures in that process.

Legally, formally removing it is straightforward, experts note. Code Noir became powerless in 1848, when France ended slavery.

France maintained control of its slave territories: the four oldest — Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana and Réunion — became full French overseas departments in 1946. This designation means Paris governs them like any other region.

Their approximately 1.9 million residents, mostly descendants of enslaved people, hold French citizenship.

Despite full integration into France, these overseas departments remain among the nation’s most impoverished areas. Joblessness rates run about twice the mainland average, and over three-quarters of Mayotte households fall below the national poverty threshold.

Before learning the facts, the French legislator who introduced the repeal proposal was unaware the law still existed.

Max Mathiasin, representing Guadeloupe, had purchased copies of the document over time and stored them on his bookshelf.

“As the great-great-grandson of people who were enslaved, I had never been able to read it in full,” he said. “This was made by human beings — against human beings.”

For him, the legislative action represents “a way of restoring our ancestors, restoring our humanity” before a France whose national motto proclaims liberty, equality, fraternity. “It means living up to the Republican promise.”

That commitment, he argues, remains unfulfilled domestically.

“In Guadeloupe,” Mathiasin said, “in the most important positions, in the structures of the state, they are white.”

The Foundation for the Memory of Slavery is led by a former prime minister, Jean-Marc Ayrault, and its deputy director is Pierre-Yves Bocquet — both white men.

Bocquet describes Code Noir as the origin of France’s “colonial exception” — the concept that the French Republic’s fundamental rights could be suspended for those under its authority.

This concept survived the empire’s end, he explained: “Even today, we accept that people in the overseas territories can have fewer rights than in mainland France.”

France is not the only nation maintaining remnants of empire — the United Kingdom and the United States also govern overseas territories.

However, what distinguishes France, analysts say, is its decision to make former slave colonies equal departments of the Republic, rather than distant dependencies.

The government maintains that overseas departments are France like everywhere else, while residents say they face inferior treatment.

For Max Relouzat, 81, president of the Association for the Memory of Slaveries, the repeal holds importance because so little else has changed.

His African ancestor possessed no name under the law, only a number and registration code — the family living in Martinique received the surname Relouzat upon emancipation, probably derived from Nelouzat, a village in central France’s Auvergne region.

What frustrates him, he explained, is what the symbolic gesture leaves unchanged: institutional racism in France.

“Under the cover of departmentalization, a colonial system was maintained,” Relouzat said. “If the overseas departments are part of France, why is there a ministry for the overseas?”

In France, he stated, “we are still today in a form of apartheid … a form of colonial continuity.”

For some longtime advocates, Thursday does not represent the milestone it seems.

For Florence Alexis, a slavery expert and daughter of Haitian writer Jacques Stephen Alexis, the genuine breakthrough occurred 25 years earlier. In 2001, the Taubira law made France the first nation to classify the slave trade and slavery as crimes against humanity.

“That is what changed my life,” Alexis said.

For her, racism stems from slavery itself, not from any single law.

“When I was a child at school, they called me the little monkey,” she said. “People made animal cries when I walked past — as they still do in football stadiums today.”

Paris-born Élodie Léon, 29, whose family originates from French Guiana, supports the repeal but regrets the postponement.

“Symbolic neglect is also neglect,” she said.

During the Taubira law’s 25th anniversary on May 21, Macron suggested the possibility of reparations — an issue France has long avoided confronting.

He described it as “a question we must not refuse,” but one where “we must not make false promises.”

He pledged no funds, instead defining repair primarily as truth-telling, education and historical research.

France’s most profitable plantations operated in Saint-Domingue, where enslaved people rebelled and achieved independence in 1804 as Haiti. France subsequently compelled the liberated nation to pay compensation for their masters’ losses — a debt settled only in 1947.

France is not unique in this regard. In the United States, federal reparations proposals have remained stagnant for decades. California approved an apology but provided no monetary compensation.

However, the timing of Macron’s recent remarks was problematic. Two months prior, France abstained when the U.N. General Assembly voted 123-3, with 52 abstentions, to designate the trans-Atlantic slave trade as the most serious crime against humanity.

Additionally, this month at the Africa Forward Summit in Kenya, days after calling himself a “pan-Africanist,” Macron grabbed a microphone and demanded the room become silent.

“As soon as he sets foot on the African continent,” French opposition lawmaker Danièle Obono said, “he can’t help but behave like a colonizer.”

The Code Noir repeal, Bocquet noted, “will have no direct effect.” Whether it assists France in combating racism and inequality in its overseas territories, he said, “remains to be seen.”

“It is easy for the French authorities, and for Macron, to do this,” Alexis added. “Because it commits them to nothing.”

WIENER NEUSTADT, Austria — An Austrian court is set to deliver its decision Thursday in the case of a young man who confessed to planning an assault on a Taylor Swift performance in Vienna almost two years ago.

Although authorities successfully prevented the attack, officials in Austria decided to call off Swift’s trio of scheduled shows in August 2024.

The accused, a 21-year-old Austrian national identified only as Beran A. according to Austrian privacy laws, is charged with terrorist-related crimes and belonging to a terrorist group.

According to his defense lawyer, he entered a guilty plea to the charges connected to the concert scheme when the trial began last month. The maximum sentence he could receive is 20 years behind bars.

Prosecutors allege that Beran A. intended to harm concertgoers outside the Ernst Happel Stadium using knives or explosive devices he made himself. Thousands of Taylor Swift supporters, commonly called Swifties, had made the journey to Austria for the pop star’s historic Eras Tour shows. Crushed by the show cancellations, many fans congregated in Vienna’s city center to exchange friendship bracelets and share their disappointment over the cancelled events.

Beran A. stands trial with Arda K., whose complete identity has also been kept confidential. These two defendants, along with a third individual who was taken into custody and continues to be held in Saudi Arabia awaiting trial, reportedly conspired to execute coordinated attacks in Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates during the 2024 Ramadan period on behalf of the Islamic State group.

Beran A. alone faces charges regarding the concert attack plan. He entered a not guilty plea concerning the charges tied to the coordinated international attack scheme.

The timeline for Thursday’s verdict remains uncertain, as expert testimony must still be presented and final arguments delivered.

MALABO, Equatorial Guinea — A luxury hotel on a tropical island off Central Africa’s coast has been transformed into an unlikely prison for asylum seekers under a controversial deportation agreement with the United States.

The Bamy Hotel, with its palm-lined entrance and marble lobby adorned with the country’s presidential portrait, now serves as a detention center rather than welcoming tourists or business visitors. Since November, the facility has housed people against their will as part of a $7.5 million arrangement between the Trump administration and Equatorial Guinea’s leader, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.

The hotel, owned by the president’s family, functions as a temporary holding facility. Of at least 32 individuals detained there since late last year — all previously granted protection by US courts, according to their attorneys — 25 have been compelled to return to African nations where they may face danger. Those remaining endure pressure from officials to depart.

“Government people would come all the time and say: Where is your passport? You need to go back to your own country,” explained a 26-year-old man from an East African nation who was held at the facility. He requested anonymity due to fear of repercussions, as did two other deportees who spoke with The Associated Press.

Immigration attorneys describe these third-country deportations as a legal workaround used by the Trump administration to indirectly compel asylum seekers to return to their origins.

The authoritarian nature of Equatorial Guinea’s government — similar to other nations with comparable agreements — makes it challenging for international journalists to visit and document conditions firsthand. The AP gained access to the island of Bioko during a recent papal visit and became the only global news organization to observe the migrant detention hotel.

Individuals from Angola, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Mauritania now find themselves stranded in a nation many had never known existed before their arrival. They spend their days walking the hotel’s lengthy hallways and staring through windows at a swimming pool they cannot access.

While no physical mistreatment has occurred, detainees experience severe psychological strain knowing they likely face return to countries they fled in fear.

“I am scared and depressed,” the East African man stated.

Due to his ethnic background and refugee status, he believes he would face imprisonment or death if forced to return home. Human rights specialists say all asylum seekers at the hotel confront significant persecution risks in their countries of origin.

Through a series of unclear and often confidential agreements, the Trump administration has sent thousands of people to nearly two dozen nations other than their homelands, according to advocacy groups, as part of extensive US immigration enforcement efforts. These partner countries are primarily in the developing world, says Third Country Deportation Watch, with approximately twelve located in Africa. Specialists believe nations accepting deportees may seek to build favorable relationships with the US regarding trade, migration or assistance negotiations.

The Trump administration refused to discuss specifics of its Equatorial Guinea arrangement. A State Department representative stated, “we remain unwavering in our commitment to end illegal and mass immigration.”

Equatorial Guinea’s government did not respond to requests for comment.

During the East African man’s interview, a government supervisor with limited English proficiency sat nearby, using his phone in an otherwise vacant conference room.

Following his journey from Africa through Brazil, the man reached the US border in August 2024 and was detained. He was then transferred between detention facilities in California, Arizona and Louisiana before arriving in Equatorial Guinea nearly six months ago.

Daily life at the hotel follows a monotonous routine made surreal by the circumstances, he explained.

Detainees occupy luxurious rooms that receive infrequent cleaning and eat rice and meat served at white-clothed tables in the hotel restaurant. After becoming ill from the food multiple times, the East African man now consumes minimal amounts.

A local attorney provides fresh toothbrushes, phone SIM cards, and feminine hygiene products for women.

Healthcare provision has been inconsistent. The East African man received immediate hospital treatment for an eye complaint. However, when he developed malaria and typhoid, medical attention was delayed until his condition severely worsened, requiring intravenous treatment. He reports other detainees have faced similar delays.

When the East African man recently voiced complaints to a police officer about his circumstances, the officer suggested his troubles would end if he went to the hotel’s fourth floor and jumped from the window.

“What can I do now? It’s become worse,” he said, his weakened frame trembling. “I started losing my mind.”

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

The former Spanish territory experienced economic collapse after 1968 independence. Its fortunes changed in the 1990s when American companies began offshore oil drilling. The resulting economic transformation left over half the population in poverty despite national wealth.

Rights organizations report that oil revenues have been largely captured by Obiang and his relatives. The president’s 57-year-old son and successor, Teodoro “Teodorin” Obiang Nguema, displays his extravagant lifestyle on TikTok — showing infinity pools, lobster dinners, and private jet travel — while citizens cannot access the platform.

The younger Obiang, serving as vice president, has faced international sanctions due to corruption throughout his father’s government. However, the US removed sanctions, permitting him to attend a senior UN meeting in New York last September, shortly before deportations to Equatorial Guinea commenced.

Critical voices are virtually absent in Equatorial Guinea, where rights groups and the State Department accuse the government of detaining, torturing and killing dissidents.

Despite this record, American companies remain the largest foreign investors, and the US government provides military training funding.

Remaining detainees at the Bamy Hotel understand they could be sent home at any moment.

Officials from the UN’s International Organization for Migration and refugee agency visited the hotel in November, promising to return. They have not done so.

The East African man is the sole detainee permitted legal representation, though the reason remains unclear.

Although Equatorial Guinea lacks asylum procedures, his attorney submitted a formal appeal to the prime minister’s office — a desperate attempt with minimal success prospects.

He was instructed to appeal for clemency from the vice president, but his asylum request was denied.

The following morning, authorities deported five others, leaving him distressed while awaiting his outcome. Officials informed him he would be next to leave.

BOGOTA, Colombia — Colombian citizens will select their next president and vice president on May 31 in an election being viewed as a judgment on the current administration’s policies under President Gustavo Petro.

Petro, age 66 and a former participant in Colombia’s M-19 guerrilla movement that fought for social justice during the 1970s and 1980s, has pursued disputed peace talks with remaining rebel organizations while advocating for social and economic changes including a complete revision of the country’s employment laws.

His foreign policy approach has also differed from past Colombian administrations by confronting the United States on issues such as drug enforcement policy and immigration, though he has maintained some cooperation with the Trump administration on these topics.

These policies face scrutiny as citizens prepare to vote, putting to the test Petro’s statement that “the people will decide if the revolution is defeated or if it moves forward.”

While 14 candidates appear on the ballot, the contest has essentially become a competition between three main contenders.

Colombia’s constitution prevents Petro from running for another term. His party, the Historical Pact, has nominated Iván Cepeda, 63, a three-term senator recognized for advocating for victims of government crimes during Colombia’s extended conflict.

Cepeda faces competition from Abelardo de la Espriella, 47, a flamboyant attorney known as “The Tiger” who is campaigning as an independent and portrays himself as an outsider. He maintains he is seeking the presidency without backing from any of the country’s major political parties.

De la Espriella has represented high-profile clients including business leaders accused of money laundering, a sex worker who exposed misconduct by U.S. Secret Service agents, and an acid attack victim whose case led to legislation imposing severe penalties for such attacks, which typically target women.

Another contender with significant backing is Paloma Valencia, 48, a senator from the Democratic Center, the party headed by former President Álvaro Uribe. Valencia’s campaign receives support from most traditional parties and economists concerned about rising debt levels during the Petro presidency who want Colombia to return to more conventional policies.

A runoff election will take place on June 21 between the leading two candidates if no one receives 50% of the vote.

Cepeda has pledged to expand the economic changes initiated by Petro, which include substantial minimum wage increases, including a 23% boost this year, along with increased taxes on wealth and corporate earnings.

The senator has also committed to continuing peace discussions with remaining rebel organizations while promoting rural development by providing subsidized loans to small farmers through a government-operated bank.

Cepeda has indicated he will seek a “national agreement” to advance reforms. However, he has also stated that without such an agreement, he would call for a constituent assembly, a process that could allow Colombia to rewrite its constitution. Opponents claim this would threaten Colombia’s democracy by weakening the independence of the country’s Congress and courts.

Valencia and De la Espriella strongly oppose constitutional revision. Both candidates have stated they will halt peace negotiations with rebel groups and confront them more aggressively.

They have also committed to lowering business taxes and enabling oil and gas investments that were prevented during the Petro administration.

De la Espriella has pledged to cut government spending by as much as 40% over four years and eliminate various government departments, including the Ministry of Equality, an agency established under Petro to address discrimination against ethnic minorities and promote economic inclusion for disadvantaged groups.

Over 41.2 million people are registered to vote, including 1.2 million living overseas. This represents the third-largest presidential election in Latin America following Brazil and Mexico. Voting is voluntary.

More than half of Colombian overseas voters reside in three nations: the U.S., Spain and Venezuela. During the previous presidential election in 2022, 59% of overseas-registered Colombians voted, according to the National Registrar’s Office.

In 2022, 21.3 million voters participated in the first round of the presidential election, while 22.6 million people voted in the runoff, according to the National Registrar’s Office.

A 2016 peace agreement between Colombia’s government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, resulted in the demobilization of over 13,000 fighters.

However, multiple criminal organizations did not join the agreement and some former FARC leaders returned to conflict after several years of retirement. Since the peace deal was implemented, various smaller groups have been battling for control of rural territories previously held by FARC.

The Petro administration has tried to conduct peace negotiations with these groups and provided them with multiple ceasefires as incentives to remain in talks.

However, critics argue these rebel organizations have exploited peace discussions to reorganize, rearm and strengthen their control over communities where they extort businesses and benefit from illegal activities, such as cocaine trafficking.

The Red Cross reports that the humanitarian impact of Colombia’s armed conflict reached its most severe level in ten years last year, with displaced persons doubling in 2025 to 225,000 people. The Red Cross also reported that in 2025, there were 965 people killed or wounded by explosive devices including land mines and drones, representing a 33% increase from the previous year.

Brazil’s lower house of congress moved the country closer to joining a regional trend toward shorter work weeks, passing a constitutional amendment Wednesday that would establish a 40-hour, five-day work schedule.

The measure has strong public support as Brazil approaches its October presidential elections, with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva backing the initiative and frequently advocating for it. The change represents part of a broader regional movement that has earned praise from labor advocates while drawing sharp criticism from business interests.

Under the current system, Brazilian workers put in five eight-hour shifts plus an additional four hours on a sixth day, totaling 44 hours weekly. The approved amendment would eliminate the sixth work day while maintaining current wages for approximately 37 million workers and cap the work week at 40 hours. The new rules would guarantee workers two full consecutive days off each week, ideally Saturday and Sunday.

“People who have this workweek from Monday to Saturday are the ones that have to work the hardest and are paid the least,” lawmaker Paulo Pimenta, Brazil’s government whip in the lower house, told his peers as they voted. “We need to be brave and do justice.”

While numerous opposition legislators supported the measure following months of constituent pressure, some maintained their opposition to the plan.

“I don’t care this is an election year. I think we need to be responsible. This will be a problem for many companies,” lawmaker Kim Kataguiri said. “We are doing this in a rush and workers should know they might end up worse than they are now if business leaders stop hiring.”

The legislation provides companies with 14 months to implement the changes, a crucial element in the negotiation process. Many corporate executives and legislators had pushed for a gradual implementation spanning 10 years.

“This was built with a lot of responsibility, thinking about workers and families in Brazil,” said lawmaker Leo Prates, who drafted the amendment in the lower house. “We need to accomplish this for the Brazilian people.”

Wednesday evening’s lower house approval sends the amendment to the upper chamber. Brazil’s Senate has not scheduled its vote and could modify the proposal before it reaches Lula for final constitutional approval.

Lula’s primary electoral opponent, Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, advocates replacing the existing work week structure with a more flexible hourly payment system, an approach that appears popular mainly among certain business leaders.

Several other Latin American nations have recently implemented similar work week reductions.

Mexican lawmakers in February approved President Claudia Sheinbaum’s proposal to reduce the 48-hour work week. The changes will be phased in gradually, reaching a 40-hour work week by 2030.

Chile enacted its “40-Hour Law” in 2023, cutting its work week to 40 hours effective last year. The law covers all workers under Chile’s Labor Code while preserving current pay levels.

However, Argentina has moved in the opposite direction under libertarian President Javier Milei and may expand its 48-hour work week. A labor reform package enacted earlier this year increases the maximum daily shift from eight to 12 hours and eliminates overtime compensation, among other changes that Argentine labor organizations claim benefit employers over workers.

A multinational peacekeeping mission for Gaza announced with fanfare in February has yet to deploy a single soldier, as escalating regional conflicts and diplomatic complications derail the ambitious plan.

The International Stabilization Force for Gaza was unveiled during the first gathering of U.S. President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, with an American general selected to oversee the proposed 20,000-person deployment promising to deliver “future prosperity and enduring peace” following the destructive Israel-Hamas conflict.

However, three months later, the designated commander remains without troops as all five nations that committed forces have failed to deliver meaningful deployments.

Peacekeeping efforts have encountered significant obstacles as Hamas continues to resist disarmament while Israel expands its territorial control and maintains military operations against what it identifies as militant positions, frequently resulting in civilian casualties.

The conflict with Iran has created additional challenges for Arab and Muslim nations considering cooperation with the United States and Israel, whom many regional populations perceive as hostile actors, while the accompanying global energy shortage has strained their available resources.

The most significant setback occurred approximately one week following the February 28 U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, when Indonesia indefinitely postponed its commitment to provide 8,000 personnel. The original deployment schedule called for 1,000 troops in April with the remaining forces arriving in June.

Indonesia’s contribution represented the largest portion of the multinational commitment, which also included pledges from Morocco, Kazakhstan, Kosovo and Albania. U.S. Maj. Gen. Jasper Jeffers, who addressed the Board of Peace gathering, was designated as the force commander.

Indonesian officials halted their participation due to what Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin described as insufficient commitment from a preoccupied Washington administration, stating “we have not yet received any implementation guidelines.”

“New dynamics have emerged,” he informed parliament. “Because the intensity of the conflict between U.S. and Iranian forces remains very high, the BoP has tended to be left behind. Since the BoP has been left behind, the ISF has also been left behind.”

Internal political considerations may have influenced Indonesia’s withdrawal, according to Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat, director of the Indonesia-Middle East/North Africa desk at Jakarta’s Center for Economic and Law Studies.

The Iran conflict faces overwhelming opposition in Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim nation. Economic hardship from rising prices linked to the fighting has combined with widespread doubt about the Board of Peace initiative.

“If you talk to the people on the street, I don’t think they believe that the Board of Peace will actually help the people of Gaza,” Rakhmat explained. He noted additional concerns about deploying military personnel to the Middle East during domestic economic difficulties.

Indonesia suffered the loss of four peacekeepers serving with the United Nations mission in Lebanon during clashes between Israel and Iran-supported Hezbollah. This incident has further damaged public support for such international military commitments, he said.

The U.S. military’s Central Command refused to provide comments or make Jeffers available for interviews, directing all inquiries to the Board of Peace.

Board of Peace spokesman Brad Klapper similarly declined to discuss Indonesia’s withdrawal or the stabilization force’s prospects, instead referencing May 21 statements delivered at the U.N. by Nickolay Mladenov, a former Bulgarian defense minister appointed by Trump to direct the Board of Peace.

Mladenov indicated the international force could not commence operations without agreement and execution of the ceasefire’s second phase, requiring Hamas disarmament and the beginning of Israeli withdrawal. Israeli forces currently occupy approximately 60% of Gaza.

Mladenov has attributed the impasse to Hamas, declaring its disarmament “non-negotiable” and blocking advancement on other issues, including Israeli withdrawal and reconstruction efforts.

“You cannot build a future with armed groups running the streets, hiding in tunnels and stockpiling weapons,” Mladenov stated in Jerusalem this month. “You cannot deliver reconstruction with militias on every corner.”

Hamas maintains Israel has repeatedly breached the ceasefire, preventing further implementation, and has criticized Mladenov for favoring Israel.

Israeli military actions have resulted in more than 880 Palestinian deaths since the ceasefire began, according to local health authorities. Israel claims these operations responded to truce violations.

Hamas is also demanding Israeli withdrawal from territories captured after the ceasefire’s start, according to an Egyptian official familiar with the negotiations, who spoke anonymously to discuss private discussions. Egypt has traditionally mediated with Hamas.

Multiple countries that promised forces have declined to deploy troops without an agreement on Hamas disarmament, the official said.

Kazakhstan has limited its stabilization force support to “the humanitarian component,” including medical units with a field hospital. Its Foreign Ministry did not respond to requests for comment.

Albania’s Defense Ministry also refused to discuss its troop commitment, describing it as a “dynamic and ongoing process.”

Earlier this month, its chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Arben Kingji, informed reporters that while the military had “participated in reconnaissance activities,” no troops had been deployed. He said only a small number would be sent as part of the stabilization force headquarters, without specifying numbers, adding that additional contributions remained under consideration.

Kosovo, expected to contribute 20 troops, announced in April it was in the “final phase of preparations.” The Defense Ministry did not respond to requests for updates.

Morocco’s Foreign Ministry also failed to reply. At the Board of Peace inaugural meeting, Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita said it would deploy “high-level military officers to the joint military command of the ISF.”

Despite Indonesia’s delays, Rakhmat suggested it was premature to eliminate eventual participation in the stabilization force.

President Prabowo Subianto is a former army general eager to elevate Indonesia’s international standing and avoid damaging economic relationships with the U.S., Rakhmat said.

“Prabowo wants to strengthen ties to Washington and sign different agreements with the U.S., so to completely withdraw and completely cancel the plan, I don’t think it’s on the table,” he said.

TOKYO (AP) — A four-day diplomatic mission to Japan by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is concluding Thursday with an extraordinary display of hospitality from his hosts.

The visit has featured a formal palace dinner, a distinguished national honor, and clear signals that Tokyo wants to strengthen relationships with a country it views as a crucial defense ally — and significant arms buyer — amid growing concerns about China’s military presence across Asia.

Marcos’ trip, which ends with his Friday departure, has included a formal reception by Emperor Naruhito, who presented him with the Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum.

Thursday’s agenda includes discussions between Marcos and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, with expectations that the meetings will produce announcements further enhancing defense and military equipment collaboration.

During remarks to Japanese lawmakers Wednesday, Marcos noted that the focus on elevating bilateral relations demonstrates an “exceptional level of trust” between the two countries.

Both governments are keeping China at the forefront of their thinking as they strengthen a military partnership that the United States anticipates will serve as a barrier against Beijing’s territorial goals in the East and South China Seas and its claims over Taiwan, the independently governed island that China considers its territory.

Marcos represents the first significant potential buyer of Japanese military equipment since Takaichi’s administration eliminated restrictions on exporting deadly weapons. This policy shift in April marked a departure from Japan’s post-World War II pacifist approach as the country accelerates its defense and arms manufacturing expansion.

The two countries have committed to pursuing discussions regarding the sale of several Abukuma-class destroyers and Japanese navy TC-90 training aircraft. Philippine Defense Minister Gilberto Teodoro Jr., who watched joint live-fire training exercises with his Japanese counterpart this month, has also shown interest in Type-88 surface-to-ship missiles.

According to Japanese officials, Marcos’ state visit also connects to the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the nations and to the Philippines currently serving as the rotating chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Marcos and Takaichi are also anticipated to establish formal discussions aimed at creating a military intelligence sharing agreement, which would allow better communication and strengthen three-way military cooperation with the U.S., their shared ally, according to Japanese officials.

Japan has delivered a package of five coastal surveillance radars to the Philippines through official security aid, and intelligence-sharing would improve reconnaissance collaboration.

Japan seeks to strengthen its relationship with the Philippines beyond Marcos’ term, which concludes in 2028, as Tokyo aims to prevent what it views as inconsistent China policies by some former Philippine administrations.

Marcos has adopted a firm position against China regarding territorial conflicts in the South China Sea. Under his leadership, the Philippines and Japan have quickly strengthened their security connections both bilaterally and in partnership with the U.S.

Japan and the Philippines established an agreement in 2024 permitting their military forces to easily visit each other’s territory for joint training exercises. This created opportunities for Japan to send 1,400 military personnel as regular participants in combined military training.

The nations signed an additional defense agreement this year that would permit the duty-free supply of ammunition, fuel, food and other essential items when their forces conduct joint training.

Throughout the state visit, Marcos and Takaichi are also scheduled to address energy cooperation and a Japan-led international funding initiative announced in April.

This initiative aims to assist Southeast Asian nations, including the Philippines, in maintaining stable oil reserves through financial support for building required infrastructure as they deal with consequences from the Iran conflict that has stopped oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has introduced legislation to his country’s parliament seeking approval for a major loan agreement with the European Union, according to parliamentary documents released Thursday.

The proposed legislation outlines a framework that would enable Ukraine to secure 90 billion euros in total funding, which equals approximately $104 billion based on current exchange rates, according to supporting documentation accompanying the draft.

The draft legislation now awaits parliamentary consideration for ratification of the loan agreement with the EU.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards announced Thursday they launched a strike against an American military installation at 4:50 a.m. local time, according to reports from Tasnim news agency. The Iranian forces described their action as retaliation for what they characterized as an earlier morning American attack near the airport in Bandar Abbas.

Iranian officials did not reveal the location of the American base they claim to have targeted.

The Revolutionary Guards issued a warning that future incidents they consider acts of aggression would prompt a “more decisive” response. They placed blame for any resulting consequences on what they termed the “aggressor.”

A veteran Indigenous leader in Brazil is stepping up to continue his uncle’s decades-long battle to protect the Amazon rainforest and Indigenous rights.

Chief Megaron Txucarramae, 75, has dedicated his life to defending the Kayapo people’s interests, working to establish boundaries for their Amazon territory and fighting against unauthorized mining operations and dam construction projects.

The leader now faces his biggest responsibility yet: carrying on the work of his uncle and teacher, Chief Raoni Metuktire, a 94-year-old Indigenous activist recognized around the world for his environmental advocacy.

Chief Raoni recently spent a week receiving intensive medical treatment for pneumonia before returning to his community. His health struggles have occurred multiple times in recent years. For many years, Chief Raoni has been an international symbol of Indigenous activism, meeting with world leaders, religious figures, and celebrities like musician Sting during 1980s campaigns to save the rainforest. Both chiefs guide Kayapo settlements along the Xingu River, where the Amazon rainforest borders Brazil’s expansive grasslands.

The Kayapo people first encountered non-Indigenous Brazilians during the 1950s, when Chief Megaron was just a child.

Soon afterward, he started collaborating with Chief Raoni and now declares his readiness to take up the cause.

“I have followed it closely,” he said. “And I will continue it, continue his struggle.” He made these comments to Reuters while in Pykany village during a Greenpeace-organized expedition to investigate unauthorized mining activities on Kayapo territory.

Megaron’s mission comes during a critical period for the Amazon. Almost 20 percent of the rainforest has disappeared due to agricultural development, cattle ranching, and mining operations, while climate change has brought more severe dry periods and forest fires.

“The best thing is to preserve the Amazon, to preserve what is ours, what belongs to everyone,” he said. “It helps people breathe better, it holds back the winds, it keeps the heat from becoming too intense.”

His goals include continuing advocacy for the Kayapo and other Indigenous communities, building international understanding of the forest’s significance, and working toward greater Indigenous participation in Brazil’s government.

Brazilian lawmakers have enacted multiple measures in recent years that restrict Indigenous rights, including legislation that reduces land protections for certain Indigenous communities.

Chief Megaron expressed particular concern about the possibility of an anti-Indigenous candidate winning the October general elections.

Chief Raoni had backed President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva during his 2023 swearing-in ceremony, following the tenure of former president Jair Bolsonaro, who had promised to stop creating new Indigenous reserves. Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, the ex-president’s son, is challenging Lula in the upcoming election.

“They can’t kill us with weapons, but they want to pass laws to exploit [our land], to destroy our culture, to put an end to our customs,” he said. “The more Indigenous people there are in Congress, the better for us.”

During the 2022 elections, seven Indigenous candidates won seats among the 594 total Congressional positions.

He also aims to support his uncle’s efforts to prevent young Indigenous people from abandoning their forest homeland and traditional ways of life.

“You can learn, you can reach university, but you must not stop being Indigenous,” he said. “That is his struggle.”

Kuwait’s military announced Thursday that defense systems were actively countering incoming missile and drone threats targeting the country.

Military officials explained that any explosion sounds heard by residents were from their air defense systems successfully neutralizing the attacks. The army did not identify where the hostile fire was originating from.

Australia’s government announced Thursday it has filed a massive lawsuit against chemical manufacturer 3M, demanding more than $1.43 billion in compensation for contamination linked to firefighting foam containing dangerous PFAS chemicals.

The legal case represents the largest lawsuit ever initiated by Australia and targets both the Minnesota-based company and its Australian subsidiary for environmental, economic and cultural damages caused by the contamination, officials said.

“Make no mistake, this legal action against 3M is significant,” Attorney-General Michelle Rowland told reporters.

“The Commonwealth is seeking more than A$2 billion in damages to recover significant past and future expenses incurred in investigating and managing contamination resulting from the historical storage and use of this foam,” Rowland stated.

Australian officials claim 3M provided assurances that the firefighting foam was safe for disposal, would break down naturally, and posed no toxicity risks when the government utilized it at 28 military installations nationwide.

However, Rowland accused 3M of concealing its own research that demonstrated “significant adverse environmental effects” from the product’s use.

In response, 3M indicated it plans to contest the allegations in court proceedings.

“3M has never manufactured PFAS in Australia and ceased sales of the products at issue in Australia around two decades ago,” the company stated.

“Despite this, the Department of Defence continued to use PFAS-containing firefighting foams for nearly two decades longer,” 3M added.

PFAS represents a category of synthetic chemicals commonly found in products designed to resist heat, stains, grease and water.

These substances, dubbed “forever chemicals,” persist indefinitely in the environment without natural decomposition, creating concerns about their buildup in ecosystems, water supplies and human bodies.

Scientific studies have connected PFAS exposure to various health problems including liver damage, reduced birth weight and testicular cancer.

Assistant Defence Minister Peter Khalil revealed the department has invested $1.3 billion addressing contamination consequences, including $408 million in legal settlements with impacted communities.

The cleanup efforts have involved treating or removing over 200,000 metric tons of contaminated soil and processing more than 13 billion liters of water.

“This is the most significant legal action undertaken by Commonwealth and Defence in living memory,” Khalil said.

“To put it plainly, we are taking on 3M on behalf of the Australian people and the Australians that are affected,” he added.

3M has confronted thousands of PFAS-related lawsuits. The company reached a $10.3 billion settlement in 2023 with numerous U.S. public water systems to resolve water pollution claims.

WASHINGTON, May 27 — Federal officials on Wednesday imposed fresh sanctions targeting Iran by placing the Persian Gulf Strait Authority on the Treasury Department’s Specially Designated Nationals list, according to the department’s website.

The authority serves as Iran’s administrative body for handling passage requests through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran’s control over this critical waterway, which carries roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply, has created significant disruption to global economic markets.

The strait was shut down by Iran following the commencement of military operations by the U.S. and Israel against Iran on February 28.

Last week, the Persian Gulf Strait Authority released a map that reinforced Iran’s territorial claims over an extensive area of water surrounding the strategic chokepoint.

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, which oversees the SDN list containing thousands of sanctioned individuals and organizations, made the designation official.

A prominent defense research organization warned Thursday that military confrontation between the United States and China over Taiwan could spiral into nuclear conflict, with both nations likely to launch extensive attacks on each other’s command and communication centers.

The London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) released the strategic evaluation before this weekend’s major annual defense gathering in Singapore. The organization stated the world stands at the threshold of a fresh nuclear arms competition “with the Asia-Pacific at its core.”

“Regional states and those with strategic interests are expanding their nuclear arsenals, while non-nuclear weapons states pursue long-range conventional-strike capabilities: both challenging strategic stability,” the IISS assessment said.

Taiwan is anticipated to be a major discussion point at the IISS’ Shangri-La Dialogue, alongside Iranian conflicts and questions about American regional commitments.

The unofficial conference spans May 29 to 31, bringing together a diverse group of ministers, generals, intelligence chiefs, diplomats, analysts and weapons makers.

The gathering follows a summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump in Beijing earlier this month, which led to some concern in Taipei about the U.S. commitment to help the democratically ruled island defend itself.

Beijing has never ruled out the use of force to take control of Taiwan, but has also said it would prefer “peaceful reunification.” Taiwan’s government rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims.

China has ramped up pressure on Taiwan by increasing its military presence around the island, keeping Taipei on high alert for further Chinese moves following the summit.

Trump’s Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth will be speaking at the Singapore conference on Saturday, China has yet to confirm that its Defence Minister Dong Jun will be attending.

The 156-page IISS assessment examines evolving military doctrines across the region as well as how a conflict over Taiwan might play out.

Although American and Chinese forces would have different objectives in a Taiwan situation – the Chinese seeking to keep the U.S. and its allies away while America strengthens Taiwan’s defenses – both nations could be anticipated to initiate massive operations spanning all military areas.

“Conflict with China would risk escalation, potentially to a nuclear level, given the strategic importance of Taiwan to Beijing,” the document says.

“There is currently little public evidence to suggest that both militaries understand the necessary guard rails to prevent, or rules of engagement that would restrict, both sides potentially targeting each other’s key command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance nodes,” the assessment says.

“The prospect of nuclear escalation will thus continue to loom large in an major U.S.-China conflict.”

While both the U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals still dwarf China’s stockpiles, U.S. officials and arms control analysts say China is expanding and improving its atomic weapons capabilities faster than any other nuclear power.

A Pentagon report released in December said China was on track to field 1,000 warheads by 2030.

The Federation of American Scientists estimates that Russia and the U.S. field 4,400 and 3,700 active warheads respectively while China has 620.

Washington imposed new economic penalties Wednesday on Iran’s maritime control agency as part of an extensive financial pressure strategy during ongoing hostilities, focusing on the nation’s recently established organization that oversees vessel movement through the Strait of Hormuz.

The action, initially disclosed by The Associated Press, represents Washington’s continued strategy of combining financial pressure with military measures to compel Iranian officials toward a settlement that would conclude the conflict and reopen the crucial shipping lane through which one-fifth of global oil and natural gas typically flows. President Donald Trump has indicated an agreement is approaching, though discussions continue.

The decision arrives amid increasing energy costs and other expenses resulting from Iran’s effective blockade of the strait, creating political challenges for Trump and fellow Republicans before upcoming midterm congressional elections.

“The Iranian military’s latest attempt to extort global maritime trade is proof that Economic Fury has left the regime desperate for cash,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement.

The penalties focus on Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority and any individual or organization working with the recently announced agency that authorizes passage through the strait and imposes fees potentially reaching $2 million per ship.

Iran’s influential paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has supported this supervision initiative, claiming the sole secure passage for transit through the vital waterway follows their designated corridor and warning that vessels departing from that route encounter multiple attacks and dangers.

Iran’s grip on the strait has triggered global energy disruptions following the commencement of hostilities by the U.S. and Israel on Feb. 28. Costs have increased for oil, gas and associated products, with analysts indicating recovery of shipping and pricing would require weeks or months after the waterway’s reopening.

Meanwhile, the U.S. has maintained a blockade of Iranian ports for more than a month, with Trump stating it “will remain in full force and effect until an agreement is reached, certified, and signed.”

These recent financial measures occur as Washington and Tehran have participated in some of their most intensive diplomatic discussions and negotiations in years, seeking to conclude the war and establish a framework for addressing longer-term disputes between the long-standing adversaries.

Trump stated Wednesday that Iran is “negotiating on fumes” and indicated the parties are approaching an agreement even after U.S. military officials reported conducting strikes on missile facilities and vessels deploying mines in “self-defense.” Later Wednesday, American forces executed additional defensive strikes on an Iranian military installation after destroying Iranian attack drones, according to U.S. officials who lacked authorization for public comment and requested anonymity.

“They want very much to make a deal,” Trump said at a Cabinet meeting Wednesday. “So far, they haven’t gotten there. We’re not satisfied with it, but we will be — either that or we’ll have to just finish the job.”

The Republican president has also restated his warning that combat would continue without a settlement but has stepped back from those threats multiple times over recent months.

American military forces launched fresh overnight attacks against an Iranian military installation that defense officials say presented a danger to US personnel and commercial shipping vessels navigating the Strait of Hormuz, according to a US official who spoke to Reuters on Wednesday.

The official, requesting anonymity, revealed that American forces have also destroyed several Iranian drones that presented comparable risks to regional security.

These previously unreported military operations took place while diplomatic efforts continue to resolve a three-month conflict that has resulted in thousands of casualties and caused worldwide energy costs to surge dramatically since hostilities began February 28 with American and Israeli military actions.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday rejected claims from Iranian state media suggesting that Iran and Oman would share control of Strait of Hormuz shipping operations as part of a potential peace agreement. Trump stated the critical waterway would continue operating normally.

American forces previously conducted what officials described as defensive military operations against Iran on Monday, which Iranian authorities characterized as breaking the nations’ delicate ceasefire agreement. Those US operations targeted vessels attempting to deploy mines and missile launching facilities that Central Command determined threatened American military personnel.

Moscow announced Wednesday that its military forces have seized two Ukrainian settlements – one located in the northeastern Kharkiv region and another in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, according to Russia’s Defence Ministry.

Ukrainian military officials and the nation’s most popular military monitoring blog questioned the validity of Moscow’s claims.

The Russian Defence Ministry stated its troops had gained control of Hraniv in the Kharkiv region near the Russian border, as well as Vozdvyzhivka in a heavily disputed area of Zaporizhzhia region.

Ukraine’s 14th Army rejected Moscow’s announcement, maintaining that Hraniv remains under Ukrainian military control.

“Units of the Defence Forces of Ukraine are reliably holding designated defensive lines, effectively repelling enemy offensive actions, and inflicting significant losses on them in personnel and equipment,” the unit posted on Facebook.

DeepState, a Ukrainian military blog that monitors both sides across the 1,250-km (775-mile) battle line using publicly available information, declared the Russian claim about Vozdvyzhivka’s seizure to be false.

The blog reported that while a contingent of Russian soldiers had temporarily entered the settlement earlier this month, they were either forced out or eliminated.

On Tuesday, the 14th Army also refuted the seizure of one of two settlements that Russian forces claimed to have taken in Sumy region, a border territory where Moscow says it seeks to establish an expanded buffer zone.

Russia, which controls approximately 20% of Ukrainian land, has maintained an extended military operation aimed at gaining full control of the eastern Donetsk region, declaring village captures on a weekly basis.

However, Ukraine’s military has reported in recent weeks that Russian progress has decelerated and its forces are in their most advantageous position in several months.

A Brazilian senator seeking his country’s presidency conducted high-level diplomatic meetings in Washington this week, including sessions with U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday.

Senator Flavio Bolsonaro confirmed the Wednesday meetings occurred one day after he visited President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Tuesday.

These Washington visits take place while the senator faces political turbulence following his admission that he solicited funds from a banker, who is now imprisoned, to finance a documentary about his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro. The senator maintains his innocence regarding any misconduct.

Public opinion surveys show the senator’s support has declined since this controversy became public knowledge this month, though he continues to run neck-and-neck with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in projected runoff scenarios for the October presidential race.

According to the senator, his conversations with American officials this week covered topics including combating organized crime, rare earth minerals, and freedom of expression issues.

Bolsonaro revealed that his father’s medical situation was also discussed during the meetings, including the Oval Office session with Trump. His father is currently under house arrest while serving a 27-year prison term following his conviction for attempting to orchestrate a coup.

President Lula had previously met with Trump at the White House earlier this month.

Venezuela’s interim government has selected U.S. financial firm Centerview Partners to guide the country’s massive debt restructuring effort without conducting a formal competitive bidding process, according to eight individuals familiar with the selection.

The oil-rich nation is working to overhaul more than $150 billion in debt obligations. When interim President Delcy Rodriguez’s administration announced this initiative, officials promised transparency that would distinguish their approach from past governments.

However, the selection of Centerview Partners as financial adviser has sparked concerns about fairness and openness among investors and government officials. The firm, which has grown in recent years by recruiting talent from established companies like Lazard, stands to earn tens of millions in advisory fees from this prestigious assignment.

Centerview will develop Venezuela’s financial strategy and lead negotiations on debt that the country stopped paying under former President Nicolas Maduro in 2017. The restructuring involves billions of dollars in obligations expected to be reduced, with the final amount determining the nation’s financial stability and economic recovery prospects.

Questions have emerged about investor Mauricio Claver-Carone’s involvement in securing Centerview’s appointment, according to seven sources. Claver-Carone served as a Latin America envoy during portions of President Donald Trump’s first and second terms but currently holds no official government position.

When asked about the absence of a competitive selection process, Claver-Carone told Reuters: “How does an open process work in Venezuela? What else right now has an open bidding?” He added that the Venezuelan government had discussions with other firms. “We want American firms that can work with the U.S. government, that have worked with the U.S. government, that can be trusted.”

Claver-Carone confirmed he has been assisting the U.S. government with Venezuela policy implementation since July. He said he provided his opinion about Centerview when Rodriguez and other officials sought his views, though he did not formally endorse the company.

A Centerview spokesperson stated: “Centerview was hired by Venezuela because our team is the world leader, with unique experience working on the largest sovereign-debt restructurings and no conflicts of interest.” The spokesperson emphasized that Claver-Carone “was not involved in our pitch for the business and we don’t have any financial or other relationship” with him.

Venezuelan government officials did not respond to requests for comment.

A State Department spokesperson described Claver-Carone as an expert with regional connections who “as a good U.S. citizen, routinely consults and shares his perceptions with U.S. officials.”

The U.S. capture of Maduro on January 3 created opportunities to reopen the Latin American nation, which possesses the world’s largest proven oil reserves, following years of severe sanctions and economic decline.

Washington’s licensing authority and influence in global financial and energy markets provide significant control over Venezuela’s economy, affecting investment decisions and trade relationships. Numerous investors and advisers have traveled to Caracas seeking business opportunities.

The capital’s luxury hotels are filled with investors exploring deals involving real estate, furniture, and rare earth minerals. While preliminary agreements are being signed, legal uncertainty and high asset valuations make it unclear how many will become final contracts, according to four lawyers and financial advisers.

Centerview representatives met with Venezuelan officials as early as February and made multiple trips through May, three sources reported.

Veteran banker Matthieu Pigasse leads Centerview’s team, which includes Charles Albinet and Hamouda Chekir. The group brings extensive sovereign debt restructuring experience, having advised countries from Argentina to Congo Republic to Greece, which involved the largest sovereign debt restructuring in history.

Pigasse, 58, is a prominent French banker often described as “left-leaning” in media coverage. His clients have included major corporations L’Oreal and Kering. The self-described punk music enthusiast owns media holding Combat in France and maintains ownership in newspaper Le Monde.

Recently, Pigasse has made media appearances opposing what he characterizes as expanding right-leaning media influence in France.

Regarding Centerview’s selection, Pigasse told Reuters: “I have known Delcy Rodriguez and worked with her for the past 15 years.”

Pigasse began his career at Lazard, where he worked alongside Chekir and Albinet advising governments. However, major debt advisory firms including Lazard, Rothschild and Alvarez & Marsal were not formally invited to compete for the Venezuela assignment, according to four sources.

Selecting an adviser without a formal competitive process is uncommon, three sources noted. Officials from Lazard, Rothschild and Alvarez & Marsal declined to provide comments.

Some observers point to Claver-Carone’s influence in the selection. He currently serves as managing partner of LARA, the Latin America Real Assets Opportunity Fund, which invests in energy, infrastructure and industrial projects throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.

His apparent government backing despite lacking formal authority has created concerns among investors and Venezuelan political figures, sources said.

Claver-Carone explained that his business partner, Jessica Bedoya, a former colleague from his time leading the Inter-American Development Bank, met with Rodriguez regarding U.S. policy relationships and security matters.

With diplomatic relations being reestablished, Claver-Carone said he expects his informal role to conclude soon. He confirmed having no financial interests in Venezuela or Centerview.

Bondholders anticipate Venezuela will maintain momentum and reach a creditor agreement by the end of 2027.

SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s administration revealed Wednesday its commitment to spend $75 million on the BR-319 roadway that passes through Amazon rainforest territory, despite environmental advocates warning the project may speed up forest destruction and intensify climate issues.

The government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva concurrently revealed environmental safeguarding measures designed to protect the forest from possible highway-related damage. The roadway links northern states Amazonas and Rondonia to Brazil’s remaining regions.

“From an environmental standpoint, it will be the most modern road in the world,” Lula stated at an Amazonas state ceremony, joined by Environment Minister João Paulo Capobianco.

“Any foreigner who comes here to weigh in on the climate issue, we will show what we’ve done here,” Lula stated.

The BR-319 roadway opened in 1976 yet stays mostly unpaved. It passes through Amazon rainforest territory and connects to Manaus, the Amazon’s biggest city with over 2 million people. The route follows the Madeira River — a major Amazon River tributary affected by droughts that interrupt freight transportation.

During Wednesday’s event in Iranduba, an Amazonas city located approximately 23 miles (37 kilometers) from Manaus, Brazilian officials also revealed regional investments featuring projects from government oil company Petrobras and subsidiary Transpetro in Amazonas. Lula appeared with regional politicians anticipated to back his reelection bid for a fourth non-consecutive term this October.

Authorities presented a video detailing environmental safeguarding strategies for the roadway, featuring environmental oversight of a 50-kilometer-wide (31-mile-wide) zone on both sides of the route throughout its length. They explained the roadway needs enhanced government presence since it travels through one of the rainforest’s most delicate regions.

Officials also promised to establish inspection stations, enforcement agency facilities and develop new conservation areas. They stated plans to contract a private company in 2028 for enforcement support.

Tuesday saw Lula touring a highway section, photographing with equipment and workers, and seemingly operating machinery while work progressed on the unpaved route.

Environmental organizations, including the Climate Observatory, have legally contested the project. In 2024, Climate Observatory initiated legal action to reverse the 2022 preliminary authorization for BR-319 highway paving, claiming officials disregarded technical advisories from Brazil’s environmental agency and neglected to mandate essential protections like Indigenous consultation and climate impact assessments.

Additional legal actions temporarily stopped a related bidding procedure in April, though a superior court quickly reversed the halt.

Minister George Santoro stated Wednesday that the complete highway will be contracted and under construction by June’s end.

The Amazon, Earth’s biggest rainforest, serves a vital function in controlling global climate patterns. The route passes through one of the ecosystem’s most preserved areas, containing numerous protected zones and Indigenous lands.

Scientific studies have demonstrated that constructing new rainforest roads increases deforestation by encouraging illegal side route development. A 2014 study in Biological Conservation journal revealed 95% of forest clearing happens within 5.5 kilometers (3.4 miles) of roads. Each 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) of official roadway generates roughly 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) of unofficial routes.

Marina Silva, a previous environment minister under Lula’s administration, stated during last year’s Senate hearing that BR-319 area deforestation increased immediately following roadwork announcements. She left office in April to pursue Congress candidacy.

Marcio Astrini, executive director of Climate Observatory, stated the government is circumventing proper procedures in implementing environmental protection measures. A deforestation prevention strategy for the highway, he argued, should have been discussed, authorized and executed before paving started — not simultaneously as currently occurring.

“Just the simple announcement under (former President Jair) Bolsonaro’s government that the road would be rebuilt nearly doubled land grabbing and deforestation in the area. Laying asphalt there creates another incentive,” Astrini stated. “If there are no protection measures in place, it just becomes yet another driver of deforestation.”

Moscow has issued a stark ultimatum to Armenia, threatening to cut off discounted energy supplies if the South Caucasus nation continues its pursuit of European Union membership.

The warning comes as Armenia prepares for parliamentary elections on June 7, with polls showing Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party maintaining a strong advantage over candidates favoring closer Russian ties. Pashinyan has cultivated stronger relationships with Western nations, drawing Moscow’s displeasure.

Maria Zakharova, who speaks for Russia’s Foreign Ministry, confirmed the formal notification to the RIA news agency. “The Russian Embassy has officially forwarded a letter…stating that if the process of accession to the EU continues, the Russian side will suspend or unilaterally terminate the Agreement on Cooperation in the Supply of Natural Gas, Petroleum Products and Rough Diamonds,” she stated.

The landlocked country of approximately 3 million people has historically maintained strong connections with Russia and belongs to the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union. Armenia houses Russian military installations and relies heavily on Moscow for energy needs, with 82% of its gas originating from Russia last year, the Interfax news agency reported.

During a campaign event, Pashinyan indicated Armenia had no plans to exit the Eurasian Union, arguing that membership in both organizations could coexist. “For now, Armenia can be a member of the Eurasian Economic Union and proceed with reforms to achieve European standards. We are on this path,” Russian news outlets reported him saying.

“When the time comes to make a choice, we will make a choice. We must have an alternative so that no one can say of Armenia — who needs it, where is it heading?” he added.

Relations between the two countries have deteriorated significantly following Azerbaijan’s recapture of the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region in September 2023, which led to a massive departure of ethnic Armenians despite Russian peacekeeping forces being stationed there.

Pashinyan blamed Russia for failing to safeguard his nation during that crisis and has subsequently worked to strengthen connections with Brussels and Washington. Armenia has also halted its involvement in a Moscow-led regional defense alliance.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio traveled to the Armenian capital on Tuesday, where he finalized a strategic partnership agreement demonstrating improved bilateral relations. Armenia also passed legislation last year beginning its EU membership application process.

Moscow contends that EU membership would conflict with Armenia’s participation in the Eurasian Economic Union. This month, Russian officials criticized Armenia for being pulled into what they termed the EU’s “anti-Russian orbit” and for giving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy “a platform for anti-Russian remarks.”

The cooperation deal that Russia threatens to cancel enables Armenia to purchase oil, gas and rough diamonds without export taxes and at significantly reduced prices.

Moscow confirmed that Russian Energy Minister Sergei Tsivilev sent the warning letter to Armenia’s Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Ministry.

According to the letter’s text published by Russia’s Kommersant newspaper, Tsivilev described Armenia’s EU orientation as “inconsistent with the nature of the partnership between the governments and economic entities of our countries.”

Armenian ministry officials told state media on Wednesday they had not received any correspondence from Tsivilev.

Israeli military forces announced Wednesday they have expanded their designated combat zone in southern Lebanon and are directing civilians in the region to relocate northward, threatening to use “great force” against the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah within the area.

The military’s announcement on X appears to indicate an intensification of conflict following more than 120 strikes that targeted Lebanon’s southern and eastern regions on Tuesday, occurring despite a ceasefire that was announced on April 16.

“We advise residents of southern Lebanon to evacuate to the north of the Zahrani River, as all areas south of the river are considered a combat zone,” an Israeli military spokesperson posted on X.

The Zahrani River flows from east to west approximately 40 kilometres (25 miles) north of Israel’s border with Lebanon, with the Lebanese territory located south of the waterway encompassing roughly 2,000 square kilometres.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Tuesday that Israel required additional action in Lebanon to safeguard communities in northern Israel from Hezbollah threats.

Previously, the Israeli military had directed people living below the Litani River further south to depart. The forces had already issued specific evacuation orders and conducted strikes in several dozen towns situated between the Litani and Zahrani rivers.

Wednesday’s directive marked the first instance that residents were commanded to evacuate the complete zone south of the Zahrani.

The Israeli military encouraged civilians to maintain distance from Hezbollah operatives, facilities and weapons locations.

Lebanese security sources informed Reuters that people were moving north toward the port city of Sidon, which is already sheltering thousands of displaced individuals from other areas of southern Lebanon. The latest announcement occurred as Muslims throughout Lebanon were observing Eid al-Adha celebrations.

Over 1.2 million Lebanese citizens have been displaced due to Israeli strikes and evacuation directives since March 2, when Hezbollah launched attacks at Israel in solidarity with its ally Iran.

Following that date, Israeli strikes have battered Lebanon’s southern and eastern regions as well as its capital Beirut, resulting in more than 3,200 deaths, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.

Combat has persisted in southern Lebanon despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire announced on April 16. The World Health Organization has reported that at least 608 people in Lebanon have died in Israeli attacks since the truce began.

The Israeli military reported that 10 of its soldiers had died since the April 16 ceasefire, with six killed by Hezbollah’s explosive drones.

The Israeli military has extended its ground operations in southern Lebanon beyond a security zone occupied by its troops, though it provided no specifics regarding the scope of advancement past the so-called Yellow Line.

The Lebanese capital Beirut has avoided new strikes, though Israeli surveillance drones can be heard flying overhead daily and a warplane was audible flying low on Wednesday, according to Reuters reporters in the city.

Three senior Israeli officials indicated Israel believes it has operational freedom in southern Lebanon but faces more constraints in Beirut.

The officials informed Reuters that Israel seeks to avoid appearing to undermine U.S. President Donald Trump’s potential agreement with Iran by destroying buildings in the Lebanese capital.

A former political leader in Northern Ireland is facing serious criminal charges after prosecutors allege he sexually abused two young girls over more than two decades.

Jeffrey Donaldson, age 63, who previously headed the Democratic Unionist Party, entered not guilty pleas to 18 charges on Wednesday. The criminal counts include rape, gross indecency, and indecent assault allegations involving two complainants from 1985 through 2008.

During opening arguments at Newry Crown Court, prosecutor Rosemary Walsh informed the jury that both alleged victims contacted authorities over two years ago to report what they described as “difficult and traumatic incidents they say happened when they were children.”

Donaldson stepped down from his leadership position with the DUP and left his seat in the U.K. Parliament following his arrest in March 2024.

His departure sent shockwaves through the DUP, coming just after the party had rejoined Northern Ireland’s power-sharing government following a boycott. This return to cooperation occurred after Donaldson secured favorable changes to post-Brexit trade policies with the European Union.

During his tenure as DUP leader from 2021 to 2023, Donaldson held significant influence within Northern Ireland’s unionist community, which advocates for preserving the region’s connections to the United Kingdom.

According to Walsh’s statements to jurors, both complainants reported that Donaldson inappropriately touched them during their elementary school years. The prosecutor indicated that one victim, identified in court documents as Complainant B, alleged the abuse persisted for multiple years.

Complainant B also testified that years after the alleged incidents, a church-organized meeting took place where Donaldson expressed regret “for what had happened in the past.”

During police questioning, Donaldson characterized the sexual abuse allegations as “unbelievable.”

Eleanor Donaldson, the defendant’s spouse, faces separate charges for allegedly assisting in her husband’s crimes, though Judge Paul Ramsey determined she is mentally unfit for trial proceedings.

While jurors will review evidence related to Eleanor Donaldson’s case, she cannot face conviction or sentencing. Court officials anticipate the trial will continue for approximately one month.

LA PAZ, Bolivia — Just half a year after taking office, Bolivia’s centrist President Rodrigo Paz finds his administration under siege from violent demonstrations that have brought the nation to a standstill.

When Paz was sworn in, many Bolivians felt hopeful after enduring their country’s most severe economic downturn in decades and growing tired of nearly 20 years of mostly socialist rule. His pro-business approach quickly eliminated lengthy queues at fuel stations by securing imported gasoline. The nation’s struggling currency gained strength in unofficial markets as investors responded positively to his deficit-reduction strategy. International relationships improved dramatically, with numerous foreign delegations attending his inauguration ceremony.

However, that initial hope has turned to fear as explosive protests threaten the administration that has aligned itself with the Trump government. Protesters armed with dynamite have surrounded major urban areas, creating critical shortages of food, gasoline, and medical equipment. Rural and Indigenous communities who originally supported Paz’s promises to transform the system while maintaining social programs are now demanding he resign.

The demonstrations have exposed deep divisions within Paz’s coalition. Many former backers from Bolivia’s historically powerful Movement Toward Socialism party, known as MAS, who helped him defeat more conservative opponents, now feel abandoned by his administration.

After taking power, Paz formed partnerships with more conservative congressional factions while sidelining his populist running mate who many credited with his election victory. His cabinet appointments excluded members of Bolivia’s Indigenous majority population. He endorsed agricultural reform legislation that Indigenous farmers feared would lead to their displacement. When he eliminated fuel subsidies, prices jumped nearly 90%, and drivers complained the imported gasoline damaged their vehicles.

Paz attempted to ease the economic burden by providing direct payments to struggling families and raising minimum wages by 20%. He also reversed the contentious land legislation. However, his refusal to grant additional wage increases angered the country’s main labor organization.

The geographic layout of Bolivia makes La Paz particularly vulnerable to siege tactics. Blockades positioned on the mountainous routes into the capital can completely cut off more than 1.6 million people living in the metropolitan area, representing over 13% of Bolivia’s total population.

This blockade strategy has historical roots in Indigenous resistance movements, dating back to an 18th-century uprising against Spanish colonial rule. Similar tactics in 2003 and 2005 brought down two pro-Western administrations protesting foreign control over natural gas resources, ultimately leading to former President Evo Morales’ rise to power.

The current roadblocks surrounding La Paz have continued for four weeks. Thousands of supply trucks carrying food and critical items like hospital oxygen remain stuck on highways. Meat, eggs, and fresh produce have vanished from store shelves. Military planes are now flying subsidized poultry into the capital. Government officials report at least four deaths due to lack of medical access, while hospitals continue operating but reserve supplies for emergency cases.

Business owners and transportation workers who oppose the protests are pressuring Paz to clear the roads by any means necessary. During a Tuesday march in the city center, they carried white flags and banged cookware while shouting, “We want solutions! We can’t take it anymore!”

Despite security forces using tear gas against demonstrators and detaining more than 120 individuals, Paz has avoided using stronger measures to break the blockades. Concerned that protester deaths at police hands would worsen the situation, he continues advocating for negotiation as the best solution.

“There shouldn’t be any deaths in Bolivia,” he stated Wednesday while establishing a council to give underrepresented social groups more influence in economic policy. “What we need is dialogue. For the love of our country, let’s talk.”

Paz has offered teacher bonuses and reached settlements with some protesting mining groups. He cut his own pay in half, dismissed his unpopular labor secretary, and named an Indigenous lawyer to replace him.

Pressure is mounting for Paz to declare a state of emergency, which would give military forces control over public order for 60 days. Following congressional approval of legislation expanding the army’s authority in civil disturbances Tuesday night, Paz now has constitutional power to take this step. He considers it a final option.

Morales, the former labor organizer who became Bolivia’s first Indigenous president in 2006 and governed for 14 years, is pushing for immediate elections.

“Paz only has two paths left: a suicidal decision like militarization or … an election in the next 90 days,” he posted on social media.

For nearly two years, Morales has been hiding in Bolivia’s central Chapare coca-farming region, avoiding arrest on human trafficking charges related to sexual contact with a 15-year-old girl. He maintains the accusations are politically driven.

Several unions and Indigenous organizations opposing Paz have connections to Morales, whose constitutional violations and power-grabbing attempts cost him much of his support base and led to his controversial 2019 removal. His supporters from coca-farming unions officially joined the protest movement last week, marching through mountain regions to the capital demanding Paz’s resignation. Paz’s administration claims Morales is financing the demonstrations, which he denies.

Trump-aligned governments recently elected throughout Latin America, including those in Argentina, Chile, Honduras, and Costa Rica, have expressed support for Paz while condemning the protests as destabilizing forces.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro, one of the region’s remaining leftist leaders, defended the protests, calling them a “struggle for Latin American dignity” and “response to geopolitical arrogance.” Bolivia subsequently expelled Colombia’s ambassador.

The United States has taken a firm position, describing the unrest as an attempted coup.

“We will not allow criminals and drug traffickers to overthrow democratically elected leaders in our hemisphere,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared last week. The American Embassy in La Paz announced it would close Wednesday and Thursday due to the violence.

An oil tanker owned by a Greek company suffered a mysterious blast along its hull while sailing in waters off Oman on Tuesday, creating new worries about maritime safety near one of the world’s most important shipping passages. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency reported the explosion struck the left side of the vessel near the waterline, approximately 60 nautical miles from Muscat.

Officials identified the ship as the Olympic Life, a massive crude oil carrier managed by Springfield Shipping and owned by Olympic Shipping & Management. Authorities confirmed the vessel and all crew members remained safe following the incident, and the ship was traveling empty without any cargo aboard. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency stated investigators have not determined what caused the blast.

The explosion damaged one of the ship’s fuel storage tanks and resulted in a minor fuel spill, which crews successfully stopped from spreading. According to Reuters, the incident happened at approximately 9:20 am UTC, though the Wall Street Journal cited the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency as reporting the time closer to 9:45 am UTC.

The geographic location makes this incident particularly concerning for international commerce. The Gulf of Oman borders the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway that connects oil-producing nations in the Gulf region with markets worldwide. Massive quantities of the planet’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas typically travel through this strait, making shipping safety in the area a crucial factor in maintaining ceasefires and advancing diplomatic discussions between the United States and Iran.

This explosion occurred while Washington and Tehran continue complex negotiations regarding Hormuz passage rights, economic sanctions, frozen assets, and Iran’s nuclear activities. The incident also follows recent American military strikes against Iranian missile installations and ships that Washington claimed posed threats near the waterway. Iran has criticized these strikes as violations of the ceasefire agreement, while American officials maintain the actions were necessary for defense.

No government or organization has publicly accused any nation or militant group of responsibility for the tanker explosion. As long as investigators work to determine whether the blast resulted from a mine, drone attack, missile strike, or other cause, this incident serves as another troubling reminder that even a single explosion in this shipping corridor can disrupt energy markets across the globe.

Israeli military officials announced Wednesday they had successfully eliminated Mohammed Odeh, the recently appointed commander of Hamas’ military operations in Gaza, during a Tuesday operation that targeted multiple structures being used as hideouts in Gaza City. The operation followed months of intelligence gathering by Israeli Defense Forces and Shin Bet.

According to Israeli military sources, Odeh had assumed leadership of Hamas’ armed wing just last week following the death of Izz al-Din al-Haddad, who was killed by Israeli forces on May 15. Military officials stated that Odeh previously led Hamas’ military intelligence operations and accused him of participating in the planning and coordination of the October 7, 2023, assault on Israel that resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and the abduction of around 250 individuals.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu initially announced Tuesday’s operation against Odeh on social media without confirming whether the target had been killed. “We have now attacked Mohammed Odeh in Gaza – the leader of Hamas’s military wing and one of the architects of the October 7 massacre. We will reach everyone,” Netanyahu posted online.

Defense Minister Israel Katz subsequently confirmed Odeh’s death in a joint announcement with Netanyahu, stating that the “commander of the armed wing of the Hamas terrorist organization in Gaza was eliminated yesterday and sent to meet his associates in the depths of hell.”

The military operation targeted Gaza City on the day before Eid al-Adha celebrations. Medical officials at Palestinian hospitals reported a minimum of three fatalities and 12 injuries from the strike, while Reuters cited Gaza officials claiming that Odeh’s wife, son, and three additional individuals were killed, with more than 20 people sustaining injuries.

Since the October 2023 attack, Israeli operations have resulted in the deaths of multiple high-ranking Hamas officials, including several successive leaders of the organization’s military branch. These targeted eliminations have significantly disrupted Hamas’ senior leadership structure, although the group maintains operations throughout Gaza using smaller units and regional commanders.

The operation took place despite an October ceasefire agreement that has not prevented continued Israeli military actions and ongoing Hamas activities in the territory. Health officials in Gaza report that more than 72,000 Palestinians have died since the conflict began, though this number does not differentiate between civilian casualties and combatants.

Following more than ten years of conflict, economic sanctions, and financial collapse, Syria is capturing fresh interest from regional and international investors examining reconstruction possibilities across energy, infrastructure, logistics, real estate, and digital services sectors. However, sanctions risks, fragile institutions, deteriorated infrastructure, and political instability persist in making the nation among the region’s most dangerous investment environments.

The magnitude is staggering. The World Bank has calculated Syria’s reconstruction requirements at $216 billion, with potential expenses ranging from $140 billion to $345 billion, following years of warfare that harmed residences, government buildings, utilities, transportation systems, industrial facilities, and critical services.

Some analysts and investors view that destruction as creating what they describe as an unusual opportunity: a nation needing nearly complete reconstruction, from electrical grids, roadways, bridges, ports, airports, hospitals, schools, and water systems to housing, telecommunications, banking infrastructure, and government services. Others consider Syria to remain a high-risk setting where political instability, ongoing sanctions issues, vulnerable institutions, and weak financial frameworks could delay or prevent significant investment.

The revived interest comes after various political and economic changes following Damascus’ return to the Arab League and its renewed relations with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, and other Arab nations. It has also been supported by sanctions relief in Europe and renewed international conversations about economic recovery, though targeted sanctions and compliance risks continue as significant barriers for banks, contractors, and investors.

The European Union has removed broad economic restrictions imposed during the Assad era while keeping targeted measures against individuals and entities connected to the former regime. The International Monetary Fund has also resumed engagement with Syria, while recent logistics and port agreements have contributed to the perception that segments of the international business community are once again exploring the Syrian market.

The disparity remains sharp. The US State Department continues to recommend Americans avoid travel to Syria, citing serious security threats, while commercial conversations increasingly center on reconstruction, energy, logistics, housing, and digital services.

Mustafa al-Nuaimi, a Syrian affairs analyst and researcher, told The Media Line that Syria’s postwar period will not be determined exclusively by politics or military strength, but by economics as well.

“Rebuilding a country the size of Syria means contracts worth billions of dollars and long-term influence over strategic sectors such as electricity, energy, ports, telecommunications, and infrastructure,” he said.

According to al-Nuaimi, current developments indicate the start of early competition over “postwar Syria,” with regional and international players seeking influence in the country’s future economy before the framework of reconstruction is completely established.

At the focus of investor attention is electricity. Syria’s power sector suffered severe damage during the war, with power plants, transmission lines, fuel supply chains, and distribution networks all impacted. Ongoing electricity shortages continue to interrupt daily life, industry, commerce, and public services.

Syrian-Saudi businessman Nabil Al-Mazloum told The Media Line that the electricity crisis has generated significant demand for investment in power generation, solar and renewable energy, transmission improvements, and projects designed to address the country’s severe energy shortage.

Economic projections indicate that restoring the electricity sector alone could need tens of billions of dollars. Al-Mazloum said Syria’s domestic power demand makes the sector among the most appealing areas for investors, especially because electricity is vital for restarting factories, commercial operations, and essential services.

Real estate and construction are also fundamental to the reconstruction discussion. Extensive areas of Aleppo, Homs, the Damascus countryside, and other regions need rebuilding of residential areas, commercial districts, industrial zones, hotels, and public facilities. A future return of refugees and internally displaced Syrians could dramatically increase demand for housing, schools, clinics, transportation, and municipal services.

Yet reconstruction is not merely a business prospect. Property disputes, refugee rights, land ownership records, sanctions compliance, corruption concerns, territorial fragmentation, and unresolved political questions could determine who profits from rebuilding and whether displaced Syrians can return to homes and communities changed by years of war.

The oil and gas sector remains another potential area of focus, despite the sharp decline in Syrian production during the conflict. Oil fields, pipelines, refineries, and related infrastructure need extensive rehabilitation, while Syria’s location provides it broader significance in regional energy considerations.

Still, energy investment remains politically and legally complex. US sanctions exposure, divided territorial control, and overlapping local and foreign interests around energy resources continue to make the sector challenging for major international companies, even where commercial opportunities are evident.

Beyond heavy infrastructure, some investors view technology and digital services as less vulnerable to political and physical risk. Syria has a large young population, increasing smartphone usage, and demand for e-commerce, software, digital payments, technical services, and telecommunications. Those sectors could grow rapidly if economic opening continues and banking and regulatory systems strengthen.

Adel al-Shammari, head of investor support within Syria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ expatriate affairs department, told The Media Line that the Syrian government acknowledges that Arab and foreign capital will be crucial to any recovery. He said officials are working to revive the economy and promote investment in energy, infrastructure, industry, real estate, and services.

“There is increasing interest from Arab and foreign businessmen in the Syrian market,” al-Shammari said, adding that the government is seeking to simplify administrative procedures, encourage partnerships, and create a more flexible environment for new projects.

“Syria today is not what it was during the war years,” he said. “There are major opportunities in electricity, energy, industry, real estate, and services, and the state is working to create the right conditions to attract investors.”

Al-Shammari acknowledged, however, that sanctions, banking restrictions, and difficulties with financial transfers remain major obstacles for companies and businessmen considering work in Syria.

Lebanese businessman Raouf Abou Zaki, who works in energy and real estate development, told The Media Line that Syria represents “one of the most important long-term investment opportunities in the region.”

According to Abou Zaki, investors who enter post-conflict markets early are often positioned to benefit most if stability improves.

“Whoever waits until Syria becomes fully stable will enter too late,” he said.

He said the scale of destruction has created demand across almost every major sector, including electricity, construction, logistics, services, and technology. Lower operating costs and depressed real estate prices, he added, could offer investors a cheaper entry point than in more developed Arab markets.

Abou Zaki said Gulf businessmen have begun studying potential projects in solar energy, real estate, light industry, logistics, and services, though many remain cautious because of sanctions, financing obstacles, and uncertainty over Syria’s political and legal environment.

A Syrian businessman familiar with the market told The Media Line that the growing optimism does not fully reflect conditions on the ground. He said the issue is not whether Syria has economic opportunities, but whether investors can operate in a clear and reliable administrative environment.

He pointed to bureaucracy, slow procedures, weak banking infrastructure, difficulties in financial transfers, and legal ambiguity in some sectors as major concerns. Many Arab businessmen, he said, are monitoring Syria closely but prefer to wait for greater clarity before entering directly.

That caution remains central to Syria’s investment story. The country may offer one of the Middle East’s largest reconstruction markets, but it also carries some of the region’s most serious investment risks. Damaged infrastructure, limited financing, unresolved sanctions exposure, weak governance, fragile institutions, and incomplete security continue to complicate any long-term economic recovery.

For now, Syria sits between two realities: a country still burdened by war, sanctions, institutional collapse, and political risk, and a potential reconstruction market drawing renewed attention from governments, investors, and companies seeking an early position in the postwar economy. The opportunity is real, but so is the danger. In Syria, rebuilding will not be only about contracts and capital; it will also be about power, legitimacy, and who gets to shape the country after years of destruction.

Tehran charged Washington on Tuesday with breaking the ceasefire following American military operations against Iranian targets in the country’s southern region, hitting missile facilities and vessels near the Strait of Hormuz while diplomatic discussions in Qatar continued regarding a potential deal to halt the conflict and resume commercial shipping through the strategic waterway. The United States characterized the operations as defensive measures designed to safeguard American military personnel from Iranian threats.

Officials from Iran characterized the military actions as evidence of “bad faith and unreliability” and stated they damaged negotiations that seemed to be progressing toward a temporary agreement. Tehran declared the operations breached the ceasefire and issued warnings about responding to additional hostile actions. American officials said the mission focused on missile launch facilities and vessels trying to deploy mines near Hormuz, the crucial Gulf corridor that has emerged as the focal point of recent diplomatic efforts.

The Qatar discussions have centered on prolonging the ceasefire, restoring access to the Strait of Hormuz, unfreezing Iranian assets, and establishing additional negotiations regarding Iran’s nuclear activities. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi participated in the Doha meetings before departing the nation, while American officials indicated conversations might resume in upcoming days.

The situation has created a challenging scenario for President Donald Trump’s administration: pursuing an agreement to ease strain on worldwide energy markets while maintaining military operations against Iranian facilities it claims pose risks to American troops and maritime commerce. The Strait of Hormuz handles a significant portion of global oil and liquefied natural gas transport, making its reopening essential for Washington, Gulf nations, and energy-importing countries.

Iran has additionally started restoring internet connectivity following one of the nation’s most extended countrywide blackouts, which had increased economic hardship and isolated numerous businesses and residents throughout the conflict.

The recent military operations do not seem to have terminated the negotiations, but they have reduced opportunities for agreement. With Iran labeling the attacks a violation and Washington maintaining it responded defensively, the ceasefire’s future hinges on whether both nations can maintain dialogue while continuing military actions along its boundaries.

The latest installment of ‘Facing the Middle East with Felice Friedson’ tackles themes of conflict, oppression, historical memory, and ethical obligations. The show’s host begins by exploring how the Islamic Republic attempts to connect with Iranian expatriates while simultaneously strengthening its control over domestic opposition, before presenting an exclusive investigation into sexual violence and government suppression within Iran, a discussion regarding Black-Jewish unity in America, and a defense expert’s evaluation of unstable truces involving Iran, Lebanon, and Gaza.

The program opens with Ashkan Rostami, an Italian-Persian political analyst specializing in Iran, Israel, and Middle Eastern regional affairs. Rostami examines correspondence allegedly distributed via Iranian embassy networks to diaspora Iranians following the war’s beginning. One communication encouraged recipients to participate in a government initiative opposing what the regime labels the “big and small Satan,” referring to America and Israel. A separate message requested monetary assistance, with Rostami noting the provided account seemed linked to the Red Cross in Kenya. According to him, this effort demonstrates a typical government strategy: disconnect internet access within Iran, separate domestic populations, and attempt to rally or fragment overseas Iranians.

The show subsequently features an exclusive investigation by The Media Line’s Omid Habibinia, who interviews women and families throughout Iran regarding sexual assault, imprisonment, state killings, and government oppression under the Islamic Republic. The investigation contains accounts from women claiming security personnel employed rape, rape threats, and sexual degradation to frighten demonstrators and prevent women from rejoining street protests. The report also analyzes the regime’s increased reliance on executions, coerced admissions, and security accusations against opposition members, minorities, and political detainees.

The most heartbreaking segments emerge through individual testimonies: demonstrators, family members of killed protesters, and relatives of imprisoned individuals describe detentions, isolation, shootings, and terror during wartime circumstances. Human rights expert Azadeh Pourzand cautions that recent military actions by the US and Israel have provided the Islamic Republic with additional justification to escalate oppression.

Shifting from Iran to America, the program examines the interconnected histories of Black and Jewish Americans. The host interviews Dr. Benjamin Franklin Chavez Jr. and Dr. Sherry Rogers from Spill the Honey, a group dedicated to maintaining and educating about these connected stories. Rogers talks about her film ‘Shared Legacies,’ which captures testimonies from civil rights activists and Jewish supporters who collaborated during the fight for racial equality. Chavez, who served with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference during the 1960s, expresses concern that younger people are becoming disconnected from Black and Jewish heritage during a period of increasing antisemitism, racism, Holocaust denial, and misrepresentation of the transatlantic slave trade.

The concluding segment showcases Jonathan Conricus, a former Israel Defense Forces lieutenant colonel and senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. In conversation with The Media Line’s Gabriel Colodro, Conricus maintains that Iran, Israel, Gulf nations, Hezbollah, and other area participants are utilizing the prolonged ceasefire to restock supplies and organize for future combat. He states that discussions advanced by President Donald Trump remain significantly divided, particularly concerning Iran’s atomic program, missile systems, and the Strait of Hormuz.

Conricus additionally addresses Lebanon and Gaza, stating that the Israel-Hezbollah truce functions more theoretically than practically, while the tunnel system operated by a militant group remains challenging to evaluate despite years of Israeli military actions.

The host concludes by encouraging audiences to distribute accounts of truth and optimism, emphasizing that journalism must expose both wrongdoing and strength in one of the globe’s most disputed areas.

Israeli forces issued evacuation directives Wednesday for civilians throughout southern Lebanon as military operations expand in the region. Military officials announced they would deploy “extreme force” in their campaign against the militant organization Hezbollah.

This evacuation order represents the first such directive issued since a truce became effective on April 17, occurring during heightened tensions in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. Israeli forces have advanced beyond the Litani River and are moving toward the southern Lebanese city of Nabatiyeh.

The intensified military activity occurs just two days prior to scheduled discussions at the Pentagon between Lebanese officials and military leaders, where strengthening the existing ceasefire arrangement will be among the topics addressed.

Previously, Israeli military commanders had specifically instructed civilians in the southern communities of Nabatiyeh and the coastal city of Tyre to evacuate and maintain distance from what officials identified as Hezbollah personnel and military installations.

Since the ceasefire period began, Israel and Hezbollah have engaged in almost continuous attacks. The militant group has taken credit for multiple strikes targeting both Israeli military personnel operating in Lebanon and communities along Israel’s northern border. After an increase in explosive drone strikes, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that military forces would broaden their offensive operations throughout Lebanon.

Iranian citizens started getting back online Wednesday as government officials ended an internet blackout that lasted for months. However, people using the restored service report sluggish connections and patchy coverage across different regions, with popular platforms such as YouTube and Instagram still facing significant limitations similar to restrictions that existed before the January cutoff during widespread protests.

Government officials defended the internet blackout as necessary for military reasons following strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran on Feb. 28. The decision to restore partial connectivity this week coincided with ongoing negotiations that appear to be moving toward a lasting ceasefire agreement. Many Iranian citizens worry that internet access could be severed again without warning.

According to internet monitoring firm Netblocks, Iran’s connectivity levels – which track how well devices can reach the internet – have reached approximately 86% of pre-shutdown capacity. Meanwhile, data from internet analysis company Kentik shows that actual internet traffic, measuring data transfer volumes and indicating real usage patterns, sits at roughly 40% of previous levels.

Iranian cybersecurity expert Amir Rashidi noted that significant service interruptions persist across the country. “It’s too early to say the shutdown is over,” he posted on X.

The country’s approximately 90 million residents experienced one of the globe’s most extensive and restrictive national internet blackouts for the majority of 2026. Young professionals whose livelihoods depended on online work watched their earnings disappear completely. Employment losses and the collapse of internet-based businesses compounded the conflict’s already severe economic impact.

The communication blackout created enormous challenges for Iranian families trying to stay in touch during months of civil unrest and warfare. During certain periods, telephone services were also disconnected, though these were eventually restored.

One Tehran resident explained that for months she could barely maintain contact with her sons living in other countries. She expressed disbelief that officials had actually restored internet access, saying she had expected authorities to find reasons to extend the blackout indefinitely.

A taxi driver confirmed that service had returned but remained unreliable. He voiced optimism that connections would strengthen enough for him to use messaging applications with relatives and friends. Both individuals requested anonymity due to safety concerns.

Internet costs skyrocketed during the shutdown period, with Tehran residents sometimes paying approximately $7.50 per gigabyte. Pricing has now dropped back to around $2.25 for 30 gigabytes, returning to levels seen before the protest movement began.

Even before the complete shutdown, Iran maintained strict controls over access to major social media platforms, forcing many users to depend on virtual private networks or VPNs. The expense of these workaround tools increased dramatically during the blackout, putting them beyond the financial reach of many people as the economy suffered severe damage.

Companies are beginning to establish their online presence again, posting announcements about their return on platforms including Instagram and Telegram.

A gaming content creator and technology influencer from the central city of Isfahan described how the shutdown devastated his audience on YouTube and Instagram, where he had invested years building a substantial following.

“All my views and interactions are way down. I’ve been erased from the algorithm,” he explained in a voice message sent through WhatsApp, noting that his internet connection remained slower than pre-shutdown speeds.

“The situation is such that many content producers have had their income reduced to zero, have moved on to other jobs, or have been forced to sell their equipment to survive,” he continued. He also requested anonymity due to fears of government retaliation.

Iranian officials initially cut internet access in January as massive anti-government demonstrations erupted across the nation before being violently suppressed. The crackdown resulted in thousands of deaths and tens of thousands of arrests.

Just as that initial cutoff was beginning to be relaxed, the government implemented a total internet blackout following the outbreak of war, after U.S. and Israeli attacks killed Iran’s supreme leader along with other senior officials.

The extended shutdown drew widespread criticism as it inflicted additional damage on an economy already struggling with inflation, attacks on critical industries, and a U.S. blockade affecting Iranian ports.

The internet blackout generated estimated daily losses of $30-40 million, with indirect economic damage likely reaching twice that amount, according to Iran’s Chamber of Commerce member Afshin Kolahi, who spoke to a local newspaper last month. Communications Minister Sattar Hashemi reported that roughly 10 million people work in jobs requiring internet connectivity.

Citizens retained access to a domestic network during the shutdown, but this system offered much more limited functionality, with users complaining about poor performance and extensive censorship. High-ranking government officials received special SIM cards providing them access to the global internet. Facing mounting pressure, authorities eventually expanded SIM card access to include certain professional groups during the blackout period.

WASHINGTON — During a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, President Donald Trump expressed confidence about ongoing negotiations with Iran, claiming the Iranian side is “negotiating on fumes” as talks continue at a critical juncture.

The president’s optimism about reaching an agreement comes just days after he stated that his administration and Tehran had “largely negotiated” a settlement, though discussions remain fluid.

Trump seeks an agreement that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz while providing him with a convincing case that Iran’s nuclear capabilities have been sufficiently reduced to claim success, bringing closure to a conflict that has proven politically damaging for Republicans.

The potential agreement delays many crucial matters for future resolution and has already drawn sharp criticism — including from some of the president’s own allies — who argue that Iran’s hardline leadership will emerge from the conflict wounded but strengthened. This development unfolds as midterm elections approach and Republicans express concern that increasing costs and fuel prices are souring voters’ attitudes.

Speaking at the beginning of his Cabinet meeting, Trump acknowledged that additional work remains to finalize an agreement, but he expressed confidence that both parties would reach their goal.

“They want very much to make a deal,” Trump said. “So far, they haven’t gotten there. We’re not satisfied with it, but we will be — either that or we’ll have to just finish the job.”

However, discussions became more complex following what the Pentagon described as “defensive” strikes by U.S. forces on missile launch facilities and mine-laying vessels in southern Iran on Monday. The U.S. claimed it acted with “restraint” given the ongoing ceasefire, while Iran condemned the action as evidence of “bad faith and unreliability.”

Republican Supporters Express Doubts

Despite Trump’s assertion that an agreement is achievable, significant differences appear to exist between the U.S. and Iran on several crucial matters. The president also faces criticism from Republican colleagues, including Sens. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Ted Cruz of Texas, who believe the terms appear too advantageous for Tehran.

These lawmakers oppose elements of the agreement that have become public, arguing they too closely mirror the nuclear deal that Democratic President Barack Obama negotiated with Iran, which Trump abandoned during his first presidency.

According to the proposed agreement, Tehran would surrender its stockpile of highly enriched uranium — a central Trump requirement — in exchange for sanctions relief. This information comes from two regional officials and one senior Trump administration official, all speaking anonymously due to the delicate nature of the negotiations.

One regional official with direct access to the negotiations explained that the method for Iran’s uranium surrender would be determined during a 60-day period of additional talks. Some material would likely be diluted, while the remainder would be transferred to another country, the official noted.

Iran possesses 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60% purity, which represents a brief technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90%, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. Iran has not publicly agreed to surrender its uranium.

In a Truth Social post on Monday, Trump stated that the uranium, believed to be stored beneath nuclear facilities damaged by U.S. airstrikes last year, would either be given to the U.S. or “destroyed in place or, at another acceptable location, with the Atomic Energy Commission, or its equivalent, being witness to this process and event.” This statement indicates a relaxation of Trump’s earlier demand that the U.S. directly control Iran’s uranium stockpile.

Impact on Israel’s Lebanon Operations

A significant unresolved matter involves whether the ceasefire will extend to Israel’s operations against Hezbollah, the Iranian-supported militant organization in Lebanon. Iran has demanded that Lebanon be included in any ceasefire agreement negotiated with the United States.

The administration appears to maintain flexibility regarding the Lebanon situation. The developing memorandum of understanding calls for a ceasefire between the U.S. and its partners against Iran and its allies, including Hezbollah, while also emphasizing Israel’s right to respond to immediate threats and defend itself.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Tuesday that the Israeli military is “deepening its operation” in Lebanon. During the night, Israel’s military engaged with the Iran-backed militant Hezbollah organization along a strategic river in southern Lebanon as Israeli forces advanced northward.

Jonathan Conricus, a former spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces, predicted that Israel expects Iran would quickly use any sanctions relief to rebuild its military strength and support proxy organizations, including Hezbollah and Hamas in Gaza.

“We’re not done fighting, because the Iranian regime isn’t done,” said Conricus, who serves as a senior fellow with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a hawkish Washington think tank.

Trump Links Abraham Accords to Iran Agreement

On Monday, Trump stated that any agreement to conclude the Iran conflict should require several additional nations, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Pakistan, to join the Abraham Accords, the U.S.-facilitated agreements from Trump’s first term designed to normalize diplomatic and economic relationships with Israel.

Trump’s expectation that other Middle Eastern and majority Muslim nations could quickly join the accords may be overly optimistic.

Saudi Arabia, for instance, the most influential power in the Arab world and long considered the most valuable target for the normalization initiative, has maintained that creating a guaranteed pathway to a Palestinian state remains a prerequisite. This is something that Israel strongly rejects.

Trump promoted the Abraham Accords expansion during a weekend call with leaders of Middle Eastern allied nations.

DHAKA – A unique albino buffalo in Bangladesh that gained the moniker “Donald Trump” because of its blonde hair has avoided ritual slaughter during Eid al-Adha following government intervention, according to a Home Ministry official who spoke Wednesday.

The massive 700-kilogram (1,543-pound) creature had been purchased for ceremonial sacrifice when officials intervened at the eleventh hour, expressing concerns about security issues stemming from intense public fascination before Thursday’s religious observance.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed issued orders to save the buffalo from slaughter, reimburse the purchaser, and relocate the animal to Dhaka’s national zoo.

“At the last moment, the decision was taken to spare the buffalo from sacrifice due to security concerns and the unusual level of public interest,” a ministry official said.

What started as an ordinary Eid livestock transaction transformed into a national sensation when footage spread across social media platforms. Large crowds flocked to the farm where people journeyed from distant locations to witness its golden-colored fringe and peaceful temperament.

Farm owner Ziauddin Mridha explained the animal received its distinctive name from his younger brother, who noticed the physical similarity.

Mridha described the buffalo as exceptionally docile, requiring special care including consistent feeding schedules and routine washing.

Such albino buffalo are uncommon in Bangladesh, where livestock typically display darker coloring, making this specimen particularly notable during the busy Eid animal trading period – although its famous nickname ultimately proved to be its salvation.

Iranian authorities have tightened media controls by issuing new directives to international news organizations, requiring them to prevent Israeli media outlets from accessing their content from the country.

On Tuesday, the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, which supervises media operations, sent instructions to multiple international news organizations operating in Tehran, including The Associated Press. The directive mandates specific language must be added to “all submitted content, including photos, videos, reports, and other media productions.”

The ministry’s instructions, translated from Farsi, warned that “Responsibility for failing to comply with this directive rests with the submitting media outlet.”

These heightened restrictions arrive three months following attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran, which escalated into an ongoing regional conflict that occasionally intensifies. On the 88th day of the conflict, President Donald Trump claimed a peace agreement was near, while Iran on Tuesday criticized recent U.S. strikes as evidence of “bad faith and unreliability.”

Under the new requirements, news organizations must include language stating their content cannot be utilized by Israeli media outlets or Farsi-language television stations operating outside Iran. For several years, Iran has prohibited international media from distributing certain materials to BBC Persian, VOA Persian, Manoto TV and Iran International, threatening to close their operations in the country for violations.

However, numerous overseas Farsi-language media organizations continue to obtain images and videos from Iranian state media through various websites and messaging applications, despite these limitations.

Freedom House, a Washington-based organization, categorizes Iran as lacking free and independent media, observing that hard-liners within the theocracy control all television channels while journalists at other outlets experience harassment and detention. Although satellite dishes are prohibited, many citizens use them to view Farsi-language programming from abroad, and internet access to external sites has been blocked for weeks.

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Approximately 300 Ghanaian citizens departed for their homeland Wednesday as Ghana launched a voluntary evacuation initiative responding to growing anti-immigration hostilities in South Africa.

At Johannesburg’s Tambo International Airport, families and passengers assembled with their belongings while authorities and law enforcement managed the evacuation procedures.

The evacuation comes after fresh protests against undocumented immigration erupted across various South African regions, where joblessness, criminal activity, and limited public services have intensified social friction.

Benjamin Quashie, Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa, informed media at the airport that additional individuals beyond those initially registered arrived seeking departure.

He indicated their paperwork would be handled before the subsequent Ghana-bound flight, scheduled for Sunday departure.

Ghana previously called in South Africa’s ambassador regarding alleged assaults on Ghanaian residents before declaring plans to remove affected nationals.

Loren Landau, a migration expert and political analyst at the University of the Witwatersrand, described Ghana’s action as diplomatic messaging expressing displeasure with recent developments.

“I think in this case, it’s less about Ghana trying to protect its citizens per se, or these 300. This is a symbolic move to try to send a message to their sort of bigger counterpart, South Africa, that this is politically unacceptable,” said Landau.

Several evacuees had been detained at the Lindela Repatriation Centre on immigration violations.

Over 800 Ghanaians enrolled with the Ghana High Commission in Pretoria seeking evacuation after weeks of demonstrations and growing anxiety among foreign residents.

Ghanaian officials stated the evacuation operation proceeded with South African coordination following worries about migrant safety and welfare.

South African leaders have denounced attacks on foreign residents while recognizing illegal immigration concerns.

Nigeria has also criticized the treatment of its nationals and indicated it may evacuate some citizens as well.

A chilling courtroom scene unfolded in Austria as a 24-year-old Kurdish Syrian refugee facing murder charges told a judge he would carry out deadly violence again if given the opportunity, according to Austrian media covering the proceedings.

The unnamed defendant appeared in court in Klagenfurt on Wednesday to face charges stemming from a brutal knife attack in the southern Austrian town of Villach last February. The assault claimed the life of a 14-year-old boy and left five others injured when the man used a jackknife in the attack.

Court proceedings revealed that the defendant has admitted to conducting the violent assault and pledging loyalty to Islamic State. When the presiding judge asked through an interpreter if he would repeat such crimes given another chance, the defendant nodded in affirmation, media outlets including national broadcaster ORF and news agency APA documented.

Prosecutors described to the court how the man experienced what they termed “lightning radicalisation” through the social media platform TikTok, a transformation so rapid it caught even his own brother off guard, according to trial reports.

The defendant now faces charges of murder, attempted murder and terrorism-related crimes, with a potential life sentence awaiting if found guilty. During the trial’s opening day, he spoke very little while seated behind a protective barrier as part of heightened security protocols. Court officials prohibited reporters from bringing any electronic devices into the courtroom.

This marks Austria’s second fatal attack by an Islamist militant, following a November 2020 incident in Vienna where a gunman killed four people and wounded 22 others before police fatally shot the attacker.

The Villach proceedings, scheduled to conclude Thursday, are running simultaneously with another terrorism trial involving a 21-year-old defendant accused of plotting an attack on a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna in 2024. Authorities successfully prevented that planned assault. The second defendant, identified as Beran A, has admitted guilt to charges related to the concert plot but denies involvement in other alleged schemes. A verdict in that case is also anticipated Thursday.

Iranian state media reported Wednesday that Tehran could restore maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz to levels seen before the current conflict within 30 days, as part of a potential framework agreement with the United States that would also involve the withdrawal of American forces from Iran’s region.

According to the television report, the United States would halt its naval blockade of Iranian vessels, referencing a memorandum of understanding currently being discussed between both nations to conclude the war that has severely restricted global energy supplies through the vital shipping corridor.

Iranian state television claimed to have accessed an unofficial version of the memorandum, though it emphasized the document remains incomplete and may never reach final agreement.

The White House rejected the claims, describing them as “complete fabrication” in a statement posted on social media.

Iranian government officials have not provided any response to the report.

The television broadcast noted that the matter of American military presence in the area requires additional negotiations, without providing further specifics.

The report made no reference to Iran’s nuclear program, which the United States seeks to eliminate.

This latest state television announcement represents another indication of potential movement toward an agreement, though both Tehran and Washington have publicly maintained vastly different positions, and the terms described by the broadcaster failed to address all American requirements.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated Tuesday that several more days might be needed, following President Donald Trump’s weekend comments that raised expectations for a swift conclusion to the conflict.

Major obstacles have centered on reopening and controlling the waterway that previously carried one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas before hostilities began, as well as eliminating Iran’s nuclear capabilities.

Oil markets dropped more than 5% Wednesday following the Iranian television announcement.

The scope of any American military reduction described by Iranian state media remains unclear.

Currently, the U.S. military maintains approximately 15,000 troops enforcing the Iranian blockade, with thousands more stationed at regional bases in Gulf nations including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

American naval ships carrying thousands of sailors and Marines routinely operate in the region, making port visits in locations such as Oman. The Pentagon has not yet responded to requests for comment.

Iranian sources indicate that nuclear program discussions would occur during a second phase of negotiations – an approach that may prove unacceptable to some of Trump’s key allies.

Trump, scheduled to meet with senior advisors at the White House Wednesday, has stated that eliminating Iran’s nuclear program to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons represents the war’s primary objective. Iran maintains its program serves only peaceful purposes.

Earlier Wednesday, a high-ranking Iranian official speaking to reporters at the first International Security Forum in Moscow said reopening the strait continues to present challenges.

“As long as we have not agreed on all issues, we consider that nothing has been agreed,” Iran’s deputy secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Ali Bagheri Kani, told reporters when questioned about a waterway reopening agreement.

State television reported that the framework, which would exclude military ships and envision Iran controlling vessel movement through the strait alongside Oman, has not been completed and that Tehran would take no action without “tangible verification.”

The conflict, which started February 28, has resulted in thousands of deaths and triggered an unprecedented disruption to oil supplies, driving up costs for fuel, fertilizer and food products.

The war has also generated domestic political challenges for Trump, with polling data showing public opposition to the conflict six months ahead of mid-term elections.

Despite ongoing peace negotiations, the United States conducted what it termed defensive strikes Tuesday against missile installations and vessels attempting to deploy mines in Iran’s southern Hormozgan province.

Iran’s foreign ministry characterized the strikes as a “gross violation” of a fragile ceasefire that has held for nearly seven weeks.

The United Nations human rights office has issued a warning that Israeli military forces may be committing war crimes through the killing of Palestinian civilians who approach the armistice boundary with Hamas.

According to UN data provided exclusively to Reuters, roughly one-third of the 453 verified Palestinian deaths since the October ceasefire through February 5 occurred near the military boundary line. This amounts to 152 individuals – including 102 men, 15 women, 24 boys and 11 girls – who were killed in proximity to what Israel calls the “yellow line.”

Ajith Sunghay, who leads the U.N. Human Rights Office in the occupied Palestinian territory, expressed grave concerns about the pattern of deaths. “The available information raises serious concerns that the Israeli army is shooting at and killing presumed civilians simply on the basis of their proximity to the so-called yellow line, which would amount to unlawful killings and thus war crimes,” Sunghay stated, describing the trend as deeply troubling.

He further noted that the victims “do not appear to have posed any risk to the life of the Israeli military, including some cases in which they appear to have been shot while carrying out daily activities or having approached or crossed Israel’s so-called yellow line.”

The Israeli military has established this boundary using concrete blocks placed at intervals to mark what they term a “yellow line.” However, military forces have repeatedly moved these markers further into territory controlled by Hamas, and current Israeli maps indicate their restricted military zone now encompasses nearly two-thirds of Gaza.

This expansion has created anxiety among displaced Palestinians living in temporary shelters and damaged buildings near the boundary, as they fear being targeted while the population becomes compressed into an increasingly smaller area.

Sunghay highlighted the confusion surrounding the boundary’s location, explaining that “nobody clearly knows exactly where it starts, where it ends, and how it moves, and when it moves.”

Israeli authorities justify their control of seized territory in Gaza, Syria and Lebanon as necessary “buffer zones” to prevent potential militant attacks following the Hamas-led assault of October 7, 2023, which triggered the current conflict.

The ceasefire arrangement facilitated by U.S. President Donald Trump has not stopped Israeli military operations in Gaza, with Israeli forces continuing to target Hamas leadership, resulting in two deaths in recent weeks.

Gaza health officials report that approximately 900 Palestinians have died in Israeli strikes since the truce began, though they have not provided location-specific breakdowns. During the same timeframe, four Israeli soldiers have been killed by militants, according to the country’s military. Hamas has not released casualty figures for its fighters.

Israeli military officials, who maintain that their forces near the armistice line are working to counter militant threats, did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the UN allegations.

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — International inspectors have uncovered dozens of chemical weapons munitions from the former Assad government that were previously unknown, according to a Wednesday report from the global chemical weapons monitoring organization.

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, headquartered in The Hague, detailed in its May findings that investigators were permitted to examine “high-priority undeclared locations” beginning this month. The report stated that “Dozens of undeclared chemical munitions such as aerial bombs and rockets … have been found at several of these undeclared locations.”

Syria became a member of the OPCW in 2013, declaring chemical weapons existed at 26 sites throughout the nation. However, the monitoring organization believes approximately 100 additional locations may contain such weapons.

After the removal of Assad from power in December 2024, Syria’s transitional government led by interim-President Ahmad al-Sharaa has promised to eliminate any leftover chemical weapons from the previous administration.

During an address to the OPCW in The Hague last year, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani requested international assistance in eliminating these prohibited weapons from his nation.

Syria’s current leadership has vowed to “destroy any remains of the chemical weapons program developed under the Assad regime, to put an end to this painful legacy, to bring justice to victims, and to ensure that the compliance with international law is a solid one,” he said.

Syria became an OPCW member in 2013 to prevent potential military strikes following a chemical weapons incident near Damascus. While Assad’s administration rejected claims of chemical weapons usage, the OPCW has previously documented evidence of their continuous deployment by Syria throughout the prolonged civil conflict.

The watchdog organization has also determined that the Islamic State group employed chemical weapons during the warfare.

TORONTO (AP) — Prime Minister Mark Carney revealed Wednesday that Canada has selected surveillance aircraft manufactured by Sweden’s Saab and Canada’s Bombardier instead of choosing between two competing American alternatives.

The prime minister stated his administration has begun discussions to acquire Saab’s Airborne Early Warning & Control Aircraft, constructed using the Canadian-built Bombardier Global 6500 platform, which will boost domestic manufacturing.

Carney emphasized the aircraft includes 20% U.S. components. The federal government had previously indicated its intent to purchase six surveillance aircraft.

Last year, Canada became part of a significant European Union defense initiative, with Carney working to reduce the country’s military procurement reliance on the United States.

The Saab aircraft feature advanced radar systems that provide awareness of aircraft and missile activity across hundreds of miles. These planes can identify threatening aerial or naval activity and guide fighter aircraft toward their objectives.

“Saab’s GlobalEye will be a key resource for the Canadian Armed Forces to detect and deter threats across the Arctic,” Carney said.

The competing American choices included Boeing’s E-7A Wedgetail surveillance aircraft and L3Harris’s Aeris X system.

NATO is similarly evaluating the Saab aircraft against the American alternatives.

Carney had stated previously that Canadian military equipment purchases would limit U.S. spending to no more than 70 cents per dollar.

Actions by U.S. President Donald Trump — including initiating trade disputes and proposing Canada as America’s 51st state — angered Canadians and established conditions that helped Carney secure the prime minister position after pledging to counter Trump’s escalating hostility.

The Canadian administration is examining its planned F-35 fighter jet acquisition from the U.S. to consider alternatives. Carney indicated that opportunities for increased Canadian production influence decisions. Saab has proposed conducting Gripen fighter jet assembly and maintenance operations within Canada.