Category: World News

Russian defense officials announced Thursday that their air defense systems destroyed 220 Ukrainian drones during a nine-hour span, with two dozen of those aircraft reportedly targeting the capital city.

According to the Defense Ministry’s most recent update, 53 drone aircraft were shot down during a three-hour window that concluded at 11 p.m. local time (2000 GMT).

Central Russian territories bore the brunt of the drone activity, with defense officials reporting that a dozen of the unmanned aircraft had Moscow as their intended destination.

Moscow’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, posted on the Telegram messaging platform that 27 drones approaching the city were eliminated, with the defensive operations beginning around 5 p.m.

BEIJING, Feb 27 – Nearly twelve months have passed since China strengthened its rare-earth export restrictions, supposedly to block foreign military use, yet exporters continue grappling with fundamental uncertainties: at what point does a tiny magnet transform an ordinary item into a regulated product?

Companies manufacturing everything from medicine containers, advertising displays, engine parts and specialized glass have joined a growing list of businesses seeking guidance from the commerce ministry about licensing requirements.

China is building up its export enforcement workforce and implementing compliance measures across the nation, despite increasing expenses for local companies and creating shipping complications.

An examination by Reuters of more than 200 public export-control compliance questions submitted to China’s commerce ministry from 2019 through early this month revealed a dramatic increase following last April’s rare-earth control tightening.

Meanwhile, Washington has relaxed certain export limitations on items like sophisticated artificial-intelligence processors during President Donald Trump’s second administration, following China’s restrictions on rare-earth exports that threatened to disrupt global supply networks across automotive, technology, energy, aerospace, and defense industries.

Both nations’ export restrictions are anticipated to receive significant attention when Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping convene in Beijing during late March for their second face-to-face meeting since Trump’s return to the presidency, creating a crucial test of whether the delicate trade agreement between the world’s two biggest economies can survive.

“What we are seeing in China is … the rapid construction of a comprehensive export-control apparatus designed to weaponize chokepoints across strategic and non-strategic sectors,” said Alfredo Montufar-Helu, a Beijing-based managing director at Ankura Consulting. “That the U.S. is reining in some of its controls is a direct acknowledgement of China’s growing leverage.”

China’s commerce ministry did not respond to a request for comment.

EXPORT COMPLIANCE QUERIES JUMP

Companies have overwhelmed the Chinese commerce ministry’s website with pressing compliance inquiries: do magnetic materials exceed rare-earth limits; are gallium nitride semiconductors prohibited; does ultraviolet medical machinery qualify as regulated technology.

Between 2019 and 2024, only 43 export-control compliance inquiries appeared publicly. During 2025 alone, that figure soared to 135, with approximately 16% consisting of grievances about problems like shipping delays and heightened regulatory obstacles. The complaint rate nearly doubled during early 2026.

The true volume of exporter inquiries likely exceeds these numbers by substantial margins since companies can utilize multiple private channels, including reaching out to provincial and municipal commerce offices, many lacking public inquiry systems like the central government’s commerce ministry.

Official replies to Chinese exporter questions have remained unclear and standardized, avoiding confirmation of whether specific products, from rare-earth magnets to medical supplies, needed licensing.

The enforcement campaign encompasses legal and administrative elements. Since China implemented its Export Control Law in October 2020, it has introduced or expanded export control policies 29 times, versus only six instances between 2015-2020.

Employment documents indicate 45 commerce ministry positions available in this year’s national civil-service exam could involve export-control-related duties, compared with 11 such openings in both 2022 and 2023.

Numerous provincial and municipal administrations have organized compliance workshops and policy briefings during the past year, while Beijing has hosted national export-control working conferences bringing officials from throughout the country to the capital.

Beijing’s October 2025 modification to its rare-earth export-control system incorporated lessons from the U.S. Foreign Direct Product Rule, which permits Washington to claim authority over certain foreign-manufactured goods created using American technology.

“China’s use of rare earths as leverage is completely learned from the West – especially the U.S.,” said Li Xing, professor at the Guangdong Institute for International Strategies, a think tank in Guangzhou.

China controls rare-earth processing, transforming ore into refined oxides and metals utilized in electric vehicles, wind turbines and defense systems, representing a supply chain bottleneck more significant than mining operations.

Its new licensing framework extends into processing and downstream integration.

“This is not just a supply chain shortage. This is economic warfare,” said Nick Myers, chief executive of U.S. rare-earth startup Phoenix Tailings.

PACE OF U.S. EXPORT CONTROLS SLOWS

Throughout Trump’s initial presidency and under President Joe Biden, the United States quickly broadened export controls focused on China.

Yearly China-related additions to the Entity List, requiring U.S. exporters to secure licenses often reviewed with denial presumption, jumped from 47 in 2018 to 227 in 2020, hitting a peak of 257 in 2024, according to Reuters analysis.

Since Trump’s presidential return, this pattern has shifted. China-related Entity List additions dropped to 131 in 2025, approximately half the prior year’s rate.

Earlier this month, the Pentagon temporarily released, then retracted, a revised Military End User list that would have included Chinese technology companies Alibaba and Baidu while removing several memory chip manufacturers.

The White House and the U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security did not respond to requests for comment. A Pentagon official said the list was withdrawn as it may require modifications based on new information and that a revised list would be published, without providing additional details.

This moderation has attracted criticism from bipartisan U.S. legislators, who have criticized the administration for approving specific Nvidia AI chip exports and reducing BIS funding.

A Nvidia spokesperson said in a statement that criticism of the current administration’s decision to greenlight these semiconductor shipments to China was unintentionally promoting the interests of foreign competitors.

“America should always want its industry to compete for vetted and approved commercial businesses, and thereby protecting national security, creating American jobs, and keeping America’s lead in AI,” the spokesperson said.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who criticized Biden-era controls, said last year that “export control was a failure” and that Trump “realises it’s exactly the wrong goal.”

A deadly confrontation between Cuban military forces and an armed speedboat carrying Cuban exiles has brought renewed attention to the decades-long struggle between those who fled the communist island and the government they left behind.

According to Cuban officials, military personnel engaged a speedboat with 10 people aboard as it neared the island’s coastline. The vessel’s occupants fired first on Cuban troops, who returned fire, resulting in four deaths and six injuries.

Among those killed was Michel Ortega Casanova, an American citizen described by his Miami-based brother as being on an “obsessive and diabolical” mission to liberate Cuba from its current situation.

His brother, Misael Ortega Casanova, told The Associated Press that Michel had resided in the United States for more than two decades but remained tormented by the hardships faced by Cubans under the current regime.

“They became so obsessed that they didn’t think about the consequences nor their own lives,” Misael explained when discussing the intense feelings that drove his brother’s actions.

However, Misael also expressed confusion about the incident, stating he was unfamiliar with the other names released by Cuban authorities in connection with the maritime intrusion. The family was completely unaware of Michel’s intentions.

“No one knew,” Misael said regarding his brother’s plans. “My mother is devastated.”

Despite his grief, Misael expressed hope that his brother’s sacrifice might serve a greater purpose.

“Maybe it will justify that some day Cuba will be free.”

Cuban officials claim Michel Ortega Casanova traveled with two individuals wanted for their alleged roles in “the promotion, planning, organization, financing, support or commission” of terrorist activities: Amijail Sánchez González and Leordan Enrique Cruz Gómez.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed skepticism about Cuba’s initial account and stated the U.S. would conduct its own investigation into those involved. His comments referenced the long history of covert operations and armed conflicts between the two nations.

“It is highly unusual to see shootouts in open sea like that,” said Rubio, whose parents emigrated from Cuba. “It’s something that hasn’t happened with Cuba in a very long time.”

Another passenger, Conrado Galindo Sariol, was previously identified as a former political prisoner in a 2025 interview with Martí Noticias, a U.S.-based media outlet that advocates for governmental change in Cuba.

Cuban authorities reported the vessel was registered in Florida and contained assault weapons, pistols, homemade explosives, body armor, telescopic sights, and military-style clothing.

This maritime confrontation occurred during a period of escalating friction between the two nations as President Donald Trump’s administration strengthens the U.S. trade embargo and warns of potential tariffs against countries supplying Cuba with petroleum.

Critical oil deliveries to Cuba from Venezuela ceased after U.S. forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro during a covert military operation on January 3.

Mysterious watercraft and weapons have been recurring elements in Cuba’s modern history, from the guerrilla campaign that led to the 1959 revolution to the unsuccessful 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion by CIA-trained Cuban exiles attempting to remove Fidel Castro from power, along with various conflicts that followed.

William LeoGrande, an American University professor who has extensively researched Cuba, believes any recent maritime incursion likely resulted from increased U.S. economic pressure that has devastated Cuba’s economy and fueled speculation about potential regime change among policymakers.

A scholarly conference currently underway at Florida International University in Miami, called “Cuba: The Day After Tomorrow,” examines the “possibilities of a national refoundation following a political transition,” according to event organizers.

“The atmosphere now is that the Cuban government is on the verge of collapse,” LeoGrande explained. “I don’t think that’s true, but that’s what the president of the United States is saying, that’s what Secretary of State Marco Rubio is saying.”

Emilio Izquierdo, a notable Miami exile who served two years in Cuban prison before reaching the U.S. in 1980, questioned Cuba’s initial reports about the armed incursion.

He suggested it was more plausible that foreign operatives had penetrated Miami’s large Cuban exile population and manipulated regime opponents into attempting a doomed mission to topple the communist leadership in Havana.

“Nobody with a 25-foot speedboat tries to overthrow a government,” he observed.

The incident’s timing, occurring when U.S.-Cuba relations have reached their most strained point in decades, also raised his suspicions.

Ramón Saul Sanchez, a Cuban exile activist who leads the nonprofit organization Movimiento Democracia, believes Cuban authorities had advance knowledge of the speedboat’s planned approach.

WASHINGTON – Ukraine secured a major financial lifeline Thursday when the International Monetary Fund’s executive board gave the green light to an $8.1 billion assistance package spanning four years.

Officials announced that $1.5 billion from this funding will be made available to Ukraine right away through what the IMF calls an Extended Fund Facility arrangement.

This substantial loan represents one component of a much larger $136.5 billion worldwide aid commitment designed to support Ukraine as it continues battling the ongoing conflict. The announcement comes during the same week that Ukraine observed the fourth anniversary of Russia’s military invasion of the country.

Officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo announced Thursday the discovery of mass burial sites containing 171 bodies in territory recently abandoned by M23 rebels, highlighting ongoing violence despite diplomatic efforts to bring peace to the region.

South-Kivu province Governor Jean-Jacques Purusi reported that authorities uncovered the graves in the Kiromoni and Kavimvira areas near the eastern city of Uvira. The larger site in Kavimvira contained 141 bodies, while the Kiromoni location held approximately 30 remains near the border with Burundi.

“At this stage, we have identified two sites: one mass grave containing approximately 30 bodies in Kiromoni, not far from the Burundian border on the Congolese side, and another in Kavimvira where 141 bodies were found,” Purusi explained in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.

The Associated Press was unable to independently confirm these allegations, and M23 representatives have not yet responded to requests for comment.

A regional civil society organization, the Executive Secretariat of the Local Network for the Protection of Civilians, reported Thursday that Congolese military forces blocked their attempts to examine the burial sites.

According to Yves Ramadhani, vice president of the civilian protection group, evidence suggests M23 fighters executed the victims after suspecting them of ties to government forces or pro-government militias.

Human rights organizations have previously documented extrajudicial executions and other violations by both M23 rebels and Congolese military units.

The M23 movement had seized control of Uvira in December during a swift military campaign that resulted in over 1,500 deaths and displaced approximately 300,000 residents, according to regional officials.

The rebel organization subsequently announced its departure from the city, describing the move as a “unilateral trust-building measure” requested by the United States to support ongoing peace negotiations.

The Democratic Republic of Congo, the United States, and United Nations investigators maintain that Rwanda provides support to M23, which has expanded from several hundred fighters in 2021 to roughly 6,500 combatants, according to UN estimates.

Eastern Congo’s mineral wealth has attracted more than 100 armed factions competing for territorial control near the Rwandan border, with M23 representing the most significant threat. This prolonged conflict has generated one of the globe’s worst humanitarian emergencies, forcing over 7 million people from their homes, UN refugee officials report.

Combat persists across multiple areas of eastern Congo, resulting in continued civilian and military casualties, even as American mediators work to implement agreements between Congolese and Rwandan leadership and facilitate discussions between rebels and the government.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney embarked on his inaugural visit to India this week as part of a broader strategy to expand trade relationships beyond the United States and mend ties with one of the world’s largest economies.

The Prime Minister touched down in Mumbai on Friday following his departure from Ottawa the previous day. His international tour will continue next week with stops in Australia and Japan.

The diplomatic mission comes as President Donald Trump’s policies and rhetoric have raised concerns in Canada about economic independence and national sovereignty, particularly following Trump’s suggestions that Canada should become “the 51st state.”

“Donald Trump’s rhetoric and policies are clearly pushing Canada to diversify its economic and trade relations, not only with other non-US Western countries but also countries like China and India,” explained Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal.

The relationship between India and Canada has been working toward normalization since both nations agreed to resume diplomatic services last year. The diplomatic crisis began in 2023 when Ottawa publicly accused New Delhi of orchestrating the assassination of a Sikh separatist leader, creating significant tension between the two countries.

Former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau created international headlines in September 2023 when he told Parliament that credible evidence suggested India’s connection to the murder of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar near Vancouver. India strongly rejected these claims and countered by accusing Trudeau’s administration of providing safe haven to extremist elements.

Nijjar was a vocal supporter of the Khalistan movement, which India has outlawed, seeking to establish an independent Sikh nation. Sikh advocacy groups regarded him as a champion of human rights.

The diplomatic crisis deepened approximately 16 months ago when Trudeau and law enforcement officials publicly alleged that Indian diplomatic personnel were conducting surveillance on Sikh separatists living in Canada and sharing intelligence with New Delhi. According to these officials, senior Indian authorities were subsequently providing this information to criminal organizations within India, who then targeted these Canadian citizens through violent means including shootings, extortion, and assassination attempts.

“The whole episode led to a spectacular deterioration of Canada-India relations and Prime Minister Carney’s visit to India is part of a broader strategy to improve the diplomatic and trade relations between the two countries,” Béland noted.

Similar allegations against Indian officials have emerged from other nations. In 2023, American prosecutors revealed that an Indian government representative orchestrated an unsuccessful assassination attempt against another Sikh separatist leader in New York. Earlier this month, an Indian national pleaded guilty to conspiring to hire an assassin for the same target.

Canadian Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree acknowledged that “there’s a lot more work to do” to prevent Indian government operatives from threatening or intimidating Canadian residents.

Nevertheless, University of Toronto political scientist Nelson Wiseman observed that “the attitudes of India and Canada toward one another have taken a 180-degree turn” due to Carney’s business-focused approach, which differs significantly from Justin Trudeau’s methodology.

Members of the Sikh community view Carney’s diplomatic approach as surrendering to pressure.

“We are deeply disappointed by this government’s absolute capitulation and appeasement and unprincipled approach when it comes to ties with India,” stated Danish Singh, President of the World Sikh Organization of Canada.

“Activists are continuing to be harassed. We continue to see families get warnings for risks to their lives and yet we are supposed to believe this problem has been solved. We cannot accept that.”

Both countries began pursuing a trade agreement last year following years of mutual suspicion. By 2024, India had become Canada’s seventh-largest commercial partner.

Carney has established an ambitious target of doubling Canada’s exports to non-American markets within ten years, citing concerns that potential American tariffs are discouraging business investment.

Trump has recently warned of imposing 100% tariffs on Canadian imports in response to Canada’s proposed trade arrangements with China, escalating tensions with the neighboring ally and directly challenging Carney.

During last month’s World Economic Forum in Davos, Carney criticized the practice of economic intimidation by major powers against smaller nations. His speech garnered significant international attention and praise, effectively overshadowing Trump’s presence at the event.

“Cordial relations with countries like India are at the heart of the Davos doctrine enunciated by Carney,” explained Robert Bothwell, a professor of Canadian history and international relations at the University of Toronto.

“India would at least be open to discussions given the effect of Trump’s tariff warfare on that country. There is a mutual interest in stability in contrast to the whimsical, capricious and aggressive use of tariffs as a weapon to bend other countries to Trump’s will.”

The Biden administration continues to express willingness to engage in conversations with North Korea without establishing preliminary requirements, according to reports from South Korean news outlets citing White House officials on Friday.

The diplomatic opening comes following recent comments from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who indicated earlier this week that improved relations between the two nations could be achievable. Kim stated there would be no obstacle to developing positive ties with America if Washington would end what he described as “hostile policy” toward North Korea.

The exchange of statements suggests a potential diplomatic pathway between the two countries, though significant tensions remain over North Korea’s nuclear program and regional security concerns.

Mexican authorities announced Thursday they are pursuing legal action against a Paris-based auction house to prevent the sale of dozens of ancient artifacts the government claims were illegally taken from the country.

Culture Secretary Claudia Curiel revealed that Mexico has initiated legal proceedings and contacted French officials through diplomatic channels to stop Millon auction house from selling 40 pre-Columbian pieces scheduled for auction Friday.

“The defense of cultural heritage is a responsibility of the state and an act of historical justice,” Curiel stated in a social media post.

The contested items are part of a collection titled “Les Empires de Lumiere” (The Empires of Light) set for an in-person auction in Paris. Millon’s website showed a maintenance message Thursday and the company has not responded to requests for comment.

In a Tuesday letter to the auction house, Curiel explained that Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History had identified the 40 artifacts as protected under Mexican law.

“These goods are property of the Nation, unalienable and incontrovertible, and their export has been banned since 1827, and as such their presence outside the national territory derives from an illicit extraction,” the letter stated.

This legal battle represents part of Mexico’s ongoing efforts to reclaim pre-colonial artifacts from private collections worldwide. While some nations have agreed to return items, many cases remain in lengthy legal disputes.

One notable example involves the ornate feathered headdress believed to have belonged to Aztec ruler Moctezuma before Spanish forces conquered his empire. Austria’s Weltmuseum, which houses the piece, has argued that moving it could harm its fragile quetzal feathers.

Last year, Mexican officials took similar legal action against Millon regarding 83 objects the auction house planned to sell. At that time, Millon defended the sale to ARTnews, stating all items had “irreproachable origin” and met standards established by French law and UNESCO guidelines.

KYIV – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Thursday that the upcoming three-way peace discussions involving the United States, Russia, and Ukraine are expected to move to Abu Dhabi during the first part of March.

Zelensky revealed this information during his nightly address to the nation, speaking after completing discussions in Geneva where American and Ukrainian representatives met to discuss plans for rebuilding Ukraine after the conflict ends.

The peace negotiations, which are being facilitated by the United States, represent ongoing diplomatic efforts to find a resolution to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

BUCHAREST, Romania — An appeals court in Romania has upheld a nine-month prison sentence for American hip-hop artist Wiz Khalifa following his conviction on drug possession charges in the Eastern European nation.

The Constanta Court of Appeal ruled Thursday against the rapper, born Cameron Jibril Thomaz, who had sought to overturn his December conviction. His legal troubles began when Romanian authorities detained him in July 2024 for allegedly using marijuana while performing at the Beach, Please! Festival in Constanta County.

According to prosecutors, law enforcement discovered Khalifa carrying over 18 grams of cannabis and determined he had used some of the substance during his stage performance.

The court found Khalifa guilty of “possession of dangerous drugs, without right, for personal consumption.”

Thursday’s appellate ruling dismissed Khalifa’s challenge to void the conviction as inadmissible and denied his request to postpone serving the sentence as without merit.

The Associated Press reached out to Khalifa’s management team for comment regarding the court’s latest decision but has not received a reply.

The December sentencing followed an earlier ruling in April when a lower court had imposed a fine of 3,600 lei (approximately $830) for “illegal possession of dangerous drugs.” However, prosecutors challenged that lighter penalty and pursued a more severe punishment.

The country maintains strict anti-drug legislation compared to other European nations. Romanian law treats personal cannabis possession as a criminal offense punishable by imprisonment ranging from three months to two years, or monetary penalties.

Whether Romanian officials will pursue extradition proceedings remains uncertain, given that Khalifa holds American citizenship and lives outside Romania.

Pakistani military forces engaged in armed conflict with Afghan Taliban fighters along the shared international border Thursday, following what Pakistani officials described as an unprovoked assault by Taliban forces.

According to Pakistan’s information ministry, the confrontation unfolded across multiple locations within Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province when Taliban fighters initiated gunfire from the Afghan side of the border. Pakistani military personnel launched what the ministry characterized as an “immediate and effective response” to the Taliban aggression.

The ministry reported through social media that Pakistani forces caused significant damage during the engagement, claiming to have inflicted substantial casualties on Taliban fighters while also destroying numerous Taliban military positions and equipment during the cross-border incident.

Afghanistan’s Taliban leadership has implemented a comprehensive criminal code through official decree that establishes more severe penalties for animal cruelty than for violence against women, while codifying gender-based discrimination into law.

Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada signed the decree in January, creating what U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk described as legislation that “defines several crimes and punishments that contravene Afghanistan’s international legal obligations” during Thursday remarks to the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Turk called on Afghan officials to withdraw the decree.

The 60-page document, known as Decree No. 12 and containing 119 articles, establishes punishments for women who visit family members without spousal consent and grants husbands and household heads authority to decide and administer discipline within their homes.

“It provides for the use of corporal punishment for numerous offenses, including in the home, legitimizing violence against women and children,” Turk stated. “And it criminalizes criticism of the de facto leadership and their policies, in violation of freedom of expression and assembly.”

Under the new code, men who physically assault their wives severely enough to leave visible injuries face just 15 days imprisonment – provided the woman can successfully prove her case before a judge. Meanwhile, women who visit their father’s home without husband approval receive three months in prison, with relatives facing identical sentences if they fail to return the woman to her spouse.

The legislation “formally removes equality between men and women before the law,” stated U.N. Women Special Representative in Afghanistan Susan Ferguson in Wednesday’s released statement. “It places husbands in a position of authority over their wives and limits women’s ability to seek protection or justice.”

Animal mistreatment receives stricter punishment than violence against women. Organizing animal or bird fights carries a five-month prison sentence. Such competitions, including cockfights and partridge battles, remained popular entertainment in Afghanistan until the Taliban prohibited them following their 2021 return to power.

While Afghan officials have previously enacted numerous restrictions, including educational bans for girls beyond elementary levels, employment prohibitions for most women, and mandates governing female dress and conduct, this represents their first complete criminal code since taking control.

The decree also establishes class-based justice systems, with identical crimes receiving different consequences based on social position, from simple judicial warnings for religious leaders to physical punishment for those considered lower class.

Religious scholars and “high-ranking people” receive judicial warnings; tribal chiefs and business owners get warnings plus court summons; “average people of society” face imprisonment; while “the lower classes” endure physical beatings. When offenders receive maximum 39-lash sentences, the decree specifies strikes must target “different parts of the body.”

Murder cases remain exempt from class-based treatment, with all convicted individuals facing death sentences. Insulting Prophet Muhammad also carries capital punishment, though this can convert to six years imprisonment if the offender shows repentance.

During his Geneva address, Turk urged Afghan authorities to “reverse their course on excluding half the population. Women and girls are the present and the future, and the country cannot thrive without them.”

The leader of Africa’s top disease control organization warned Thursday about troubling provisions in new health funding agreements being negotiated between the United States and African nations.

Jean Kaseya, who serves as Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, expressed serious reservations during a virtual news briefing. “There are huge concerns regarding data, regarding pathogen sharing,” Kaseya stated.

His comments came one day after Zimbabwe withdrew from negotiations over a five-year, $367 million U.S. health funding package. Zimbabwean officials cited worries about protecting sensitive information and described the proposed terms as unfair. Zambia’s leadership has also pushed back against certain provisions in their proposed agreement.

International health advocacy groups have criticized key elements of these funding deals, particularly requirements that recipient nations must quickly provide Washington with information about disease-causing organisms that might trigger outbreaks within their borders. Critics note these agreements don’t ensure that any medications or vaccines developed from shared data would be made available to the contributing countries.

These negotiations represent part of a broader overhaul of how President Donald Trump’s administration distributes billions in international health assistance. This restructuring follows the dismantling of the U.S. aid agency last year, along with funding cuts and contract cancellations worldwide, as part of an “America First” approach to global health policy.

Kaseya acknowledged he initially welcomed this new strategy because it would provide more direct funding to African nations while requiring them to contribute their own resources. However, he declined an invitation for his organization to observe the negotiations, citing respect for individual countries’ independence.

Despite staying out of the talks directly, Kaseya said his agency has been assisting countries that request help and remains ready to provide guidance for any nation wanting to renegotiate terms with the United States. His organization also stands prepared to help implement whatever agreements countries ultimately decide to sign.

“I said to all of my countries, you have full support from Africa CDC. Even if you want to re-negotiate … if you want Africa CDC to be there, we’ll be there,” Kaseya explained.

The United Nations official responsible for monitoring human rights in Palestinian territories spoke out Thursday against what she characterized as damaging personal attacks that have affected both her work and family life.

Francesca Albanese, who serves as Special Rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, addressed reporters via video from Jordan, responding to recent calls from multiple European nations demanding her resignation over her statements regarding Israel.

“I can tell you how toxic and personally damaging for me and for my family these past days, weeks and months have been,” the Italian lawyer stated during the press conference.

Several major European countries including Germany, France, and Italy have recently demanded Albanese step down from her position, citing concerns over her criticism of Israel. Albanese maintains that her statements have been misinterpreted and taken out of their proper context.

According to a February 15th letter obtained by Reuters, Israel’s permanent mission in Geneva accused Albanese of seriously breaching the UN’s code of conduct standards.

“As long as she holds a U.N. mandate, she fundamentally undermines the credibility and moral authority of the United Nations,” the Israeli letter stated, also alleging that Albanese had repeatedly promoted antisemitic themes – accusations she has consistently rejected.

French officials also expressed concerns this week, with ambassador Céline Jurgensen telling UN Human Rights Council delegates on Tuesday about “extremely problematic statements” made by a UN Special Rapporteur, appearing to reference Albanese without directly naming her.

“All those who speak under the auspices of the United Nations – including Special Rapporteurs – must exercise the restraint, moderation, and discretion required by their mandate,” Jurgensen told the assembly.

Albanese also addressed sanctions placed on her by the United States last July, describing them as part of a wider effort by the current administration to undermine international accountability systems.

The U.S. imposed these sanctions over what officials called “illegitimate and shameful efforts to prompt (International Criminal Court) action against U.S. and Israeli officials, companies, and executives” in a Human Rights Council report.

“These smears, the sanctions, the continuous attacks from all over, from those very states who should use that energy as stamina to go after those who are accused by the highest court in the world of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide,” Albanese stated.

On Wednesday, Albanese’s family filed a federal lawsuit in Washington against the Trump administration, claiming the sanctions are “effectively debanking her and making it nearly impossible to meet the needs of her daily life.” The State Department has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the legal action.

Israeli officials have firmly rejected allegations of genocide. Last September, Israeli ambassador Daniel Meron dismissed a UN report alleging that top Israeli officials had encouraged genocide during the Gaza conflict as both “scandalous” and “fake.”

The UN Human Rights Council president, Sidharto Reza Suryodipuro, expressed concern Monday about personal attacks directed “against certain mandate holders” and reaffirmed his support for their work.

“Their independence and protection remains essential to the effectiveness, credibility and legitimacy of the council’s collective action,” he stated.

Recent violence by paramilitary fighters in Sudan’s Darfur region has forced more than 3,000 residents to abandon their homes over the past several days, according to a medical organization monitoring the African nation’s ongoing civil war as it approaches its third anniversary.

The Sudan Doctors Network, which monitors the country’s devastating conflict, reported that the latest assault on Misteriha in North Darfur province resulted in at least 28 fatalities and left 39 people injured. The organization had shared this information earlier this week through a Facebook post.

Medical officials noted that these casualty figures represent preliminary counts, warning that the actual number of dead and injured could be significantly higher.

Misteriha serves as a base for Arab tribal leader Musa Hilal, who shares tribal connections with the Rizeigat Arab community that makes up most of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The reasons behind this particular assault remain unclear, and attempts to reach RSF representatives for comment were unsuccessful.

The ongoing battle between the RSF and Sudan’s military escalated into full-scale warfare in April 2023, resulting in at least 40,000 deaths and forcing 12 million people from their homes, according to World Health Organization data. Relief organizations warn the actual casualties may be far greater due to limited access to remote combat zones.

Medical groups report that families escaped Misteriha during nighttime hours, leaving behind all possessions and now facing shortages of both shelter and food. The majority of those displaced are women, including expectant mothers, who are experiencing “extremely severe” medical conditions. Organizations have issued calls for “immediate and urgent assistance.”

RSF fighters escalated their assault on Monday and successfully captured the town, a victory that will likely expand the paramilitary group’s control throughout Darfur.

Last October, RSF forces captured el-Fasher, North Darfur’s capital city, following an 18-month blockade. The paramilitary group killed over 6,000 civilians between October 25 and October 27 in that city—violence that United Nations-supported investigators describe as having “the hallmarks of genocide.”

During this time, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk announced Thursday that his organization has recorded a dramatic increase—more than two and a half times higher—in civilian deaths throughout Sudan in 2025 compared to the previous year, with thousands of people still missing or unidentified.

“This war is ugly. It’s bloody. And it’s senseless,” Türk stated during a human rights council meeting in Geneva. “If much of the international community continues to act as a passive bystander, then something is fundamentally wrong with our collective moral compass.”

Multiple diplomatic initiatives by various nations and international organizations have been unsuccessful in bringing the conflict to an end.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel declared Thursday that his country would protect itself from what he called hostile attacks, following a deadly maritime confrontation that left four Cuban exiles dead.

According to Cuban officials, the fatal encounter occurred Wednesday when individuals aboard a speedboat registered in Florida entered Cuban territorial waters and began shooting at a government patrol vessel. Cuban authorities reported that four people on the speedboat were killed and six others sustained injuries.

Cuban officials identified those aboard the speedboat as anti-government Cuban exiles, with some allegedly having previous connections to planned attacks against the island nation.

“Cuba does not attack nor threaten,” Diaz-Canel posted on social media platform X. “We have stated this on repeated occasions and reaffirm it today: Cuba will defend itself with determination and firmness.”

The maritime clash comes during a period of escalating tensions between Cuba and the United States. The U.S. has imposed restrictions on oil deliveries to Cuba as part of efforts to pressure the island’s Communist leadership, particularly following the detention of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, a key Cuban ally.

These fuel restrictions have severely impacted Cuba’s transportation systems and worsened ongoing electrical outages across the Caribbean’s largest island nation. Cuba’s power infrastructure depends heavily on imported petroleum, and Venezuela, which had served as Cuba’s primary oil source, has halted shipments since December.

The United Nations has issued warnings about a potential humanitarian emergency if Cuba’s energy requirements are not addressed.

Russia, which remains among Cuba’s few remaining petroleum suppliers despite not announcing future delivery schedules, responded Thursday by urging calm and characterizing the incident as an “aggressive provocation by the United States.”

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that American officials would conduct their own investigation into the maritime incident.

“We’re still gathering facts,” Rubio explained to members of the press. “We don’t generally make decisions in the United States on the basis of what Cuban authorities are saying.”

A prominent journalist from The New York Times is weighing in on rising tensions between the United States and Iran, exploring whether military confrontation could be inevitable.

David Sanger examines the complex factors that have led to the current standoff between the two nations. His analysis delves into the current status of Iran’s nuclear weapons development program and assesses the probability that the U.S. might resort to military action.

The discussion also addresses whether the Trump administration’s ultimate objective extends beyond nuclear containment to actually toppling Iran’s government entirely.

JERUSALEM (AP) — During the final day of his two-day diplomatic mission to Israel, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi committed his nation to continued partnership with Israel in “opposing terrorism and its supporters” while emphasizing expanded cooperation on defense and security matters.

The nations also revealed plans to explore negotiations for a potential free trade agreement between the two countries.

Speaking at a joint press briefing alongside Modi, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that “the limitations that constrained us in previous times no long constrain us.”

“The future belongs to those who innovate and Israel and India are bent on innovation,” Netanyahu continued.

Under Modi’s leadership, India — which ranks as both a nuclear-armed nation and the globe’s fourth-largest economy — has strengthened its relationship with Israel. Modi’s political ascent has helped bring Hindu nationalism into the mainstream within a nation where Muslims comprise approximately 14% of the citizenry.

“Terrorism cannot be accepted in any form or expression,” Modi declared. “We have been shoulder-to-shoulder opposing terrorism and its supporters and will continue to do so.”

In their combined statement, Modi and Netanyahu made reference to the Hamas-orchestrated October 7, 2023 assault on Israel that sparked the current Gaza conflict, as well as an April 2025 assault targeting tourists and civilians in Pahalgam, located in Indian-administered Kashmir.

The leaders also committed to expanding partnership in emerging technologies including artificial intelligence and cybersecurity capabilities. Both praised U.S. President Donald Trump’s initiative to promote the Gaza Strip ceasefire agreement.

Officials revealed that an additional 50,000 Indian workers will receive authorization to work in Israel, where numerous South Asian laborers have taken positions in construction and caregiving sectors following new limitations imposed on Palestinian workers when the Israel-Hamas conflict began in October 2023.

While India has traditionally endorsed the creation of a Palestinian state, the country has occasionally refrained from criticizing Israel in global venues, including United Nations votes concerning the Gaza war. Nevertheless, India joined other nations earlier this month in denouncing Israeli actions that effectively strengthen its authority over the occupied West Bank.

During Trump’s initial presidency, India ceased purchasing Iranian oil following American pressure, despite historically maintaining relationships with Tehran involving trade and security cooperation, especially concerning Afghanistan.

DAKAR, Senegal — Extremist organizations have dramatically escalated violence and expanded their territorial control across border regions of three West African nations during the past year, according to findings released Thursday by a crisis monitoring organization.

Between 2024 and 2025, terrorist incidents involving extremist organizations in frontier areas of Benin, Niger and Nigeria jumped approximately 80%, while fatalities soared beyond 1,000 deaths — more than triple the previous period, data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data project (ACLED) revealed.

The statistics demonstrate how regional violence has evolved into a new phase, with extremist organizations not only spreading geographically but also establishing permanent footholds, according to Héni Nsaibia, ACLED’s senior West Africa analyst.

“Militant groups are taking advantage of long-standing vulnerabilities, exploiting governance gaps and weak regional military coordination,” Nsaibia said.

During the past twelve months, two terrorist organizations — Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), which maintains connections to al-Qaida, and the Islamic State Sahel Province — have swiftly moved from the Sahel desert region southward toward Atlantic coastal countries.

For the small coastal country of Benin, lethal cross-border assaults targeting military forces resulted in 2025 becoming the nation’s most violent year on record, the analysis found.

Within Niger, these organizations are strengthening their grip on territory, demonstrated by a fatal assault on a Niamey air facility last month. The nation, currently under military leadership following a 2023 takeover, continues struggling against deadly extremist violence that has devastated portions of the Sahel.

Following their rise to power, Niger’s military leadership — alongside counterparts in Mali and Burkina Faso — severed relationships with France and Western allies, instead seeking Russian military assistance to combat insurgencies.

Within Nigeria, American air operations targeting Islamic State forces in the northwest during December occurred alongside escalating assaults by various organizations. The continent’s most populated nation faces a complicated security emergency involving armed factions, including Boko Haram extremists and criminal organizations commonly called bandits. American military personnel have deployed to Nigeria to support local forces against security threats.

The analysis indicates West African extremist organizations increasingly broadcast their border region operations publicly, with JNIM announcing multiple strikes along the Benin-Nigeria frontier, including initial operations within Nigeria, while ISSP claimed responsibility for assaults near the Niger-Nigeria boundary. These public announcements demonstrate intensifying rivalry between organizations competing for regional dominance and territory, ACLED researchers concluded.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — South Africa’s foreign minister confirmed Thursday that no fewer than two citizens from the nation have perished while serving Russian forces in Ukraine, having been deceived by fraudulent recruitment operations.

This marks the initial confirmation from South African officials that any of their nationals—who were reportedly enticed to Russia through deceptive promises of job opportunities or educational programs—have lost their lives in the ongoing conflict.

Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola declined to identify the two deceased individuals or provide details about when their deaths occurred.

Lamola made this disclosure during his visit with relatives of 11 South Africans who returned to their homeland Wednesday following their alleged recruitment through a fraudulent operation that promised security instruction in Russia but ultimately led to their participation in the Ukrainian war.

Law enforcement is investigating Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma, for her suspected role in recruiting these men to travel to Russia. While she has rejected any accusations of misconduct, she stepped down from her legislative position last year due to these claims.

According to Lamola, the two individuals who perished were not part of the group that Zuma-Sambudla allegedly helped recruit.

Ukrainian officials estimate that over 1,700 African nationals have been enlisted to serve in Russia’s military forces.

BRUSSELS — European Union officials announced Thursday they will provide financial assistance to women seeking abortion services, following a massive citizen-led advocacy effort that gathered support from over one million people throughout the 27-member alliance.

European Commissioner for Equality Hadja Lahbib revealed that member countries can now utilize the EU’s 147 billion euro European Social Funds Plus program to cover abortion-related medical expenses and costs for women from any nation within the union.

“Nearly half a million unsafe abortions take place in Europe every year,” Lahbib stated. “Safety and freedom must never depend on your postcode or your income.”

Lahbib commended the organizers behind the My Voice, My Choice movement, noting they had delivered numerous boxes containing letters from women throughout the European bloc.

While activists had originally requested the EU establish a dedicated fund to help women travel beyond their home countries for safe abortion procedures, campaign leaders expressed satisfaction that the commission’s approach accomplishes their goals through alternative methods.

“While no new legal instrument is being created, the Commission has formally acknowledged that the core objectives of our initiative can be achieved and outlined a concrete pathway to implement it in practice,” explained Nika Kovač, who coordinated the My Voice, My Choice campaign. “This is not symbolic. It is a political commitment to women’s rights.”

Kovač added, “It establishes beyond doubt that access to safe abortion is a matter of public health and social justice. For the first time, the Commission confirms unequivocally that EU funds can be used to guarantee access to safe abortion care — particularly for women in vulnerable situations, regardless of where they come from in Europe.”

While abortion procedures remain legal throughout most European countries — with France even adding abortion rights to its constitution in 2024 — several nations maintain strict limitations. According to the European Parliamentary Forum on Sexual & Reproductive Rights, Poland, Malta, Liechtenstein, and Monaco impose tight restrictions on abortion access.

The commission’s response resulted from a distinctive EU mechanism known as the European Citizens’ Initiative. Advocacy efforts launched through the official platform must collect more than one million signatures distributed across member nations to trigger formal consideration by EU leadership in Brussels.

Following the campaign’s achievement of surpassing one million signatures beginning in 2024, European Parliament members approved the funding proposal by a vote of 358-202, with 79 abstentions, in December.

Critics of the proposal argued it would impose majority EU viewpoints on countries that have adopted more restrictive policies.

“How can I explain to my people, the Maltese, that what they decided for, we overturn it here?” questioned Maltese representative Peter Agius during December parliamentary discussions about the initiative. Agius belongs to the European People’s Party, the same political group as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

“Today is a good day for women’s rights in Europe,” Kovač declared. “Today we won, today we will celebrate, and tomorrow we will start working more.”

Emergency crews in Brazil’s Minas Gerais state are working around the clock to locate survivors after devastating floods and landslides claimed 53 lives, with conditions worsening Thursday following another night of torrential rainfall.

Search and rescue operations entered their third day since the disaster struck late Monday evening, triggering deadly landslides, home collapses, and widespread flooding that forced schools to close throughout the region.

According to the state’s fire department, 15 individuals remain unaccounted for while more than 230 people have been successfully rescued from the affected areas.

Brazil’s national weather service, Inmet, issued warnings Thursday morning predicting additional severe weather with powerful winds, cautioning residents about potential electrical outages, falling tree limbs, flash flooding, and dangerous lightning.

“This morning, all the shops in the city center are being cleaned again. The storm on Monday already caused damage, and early this morning there was even more damage,” said Rev. Ananias Simões, a pastor at a church in Juiz de Fora, the hardest-hit city.

The fatalities have occurred in two communities – Juiz de Fora and Uba – located approximately 310 kilometers (192 miles) north of Rio de Janeiro.

Simões, whose congregation is serving as a shelter and supply center for displaced residents, explained that numerous roadways have been blocked due to forecasts calling for continued heavy precipitation. Despite transportation challenges, he intended to travel to the city’s severely damaged northern area to distribute food and drinking water.

“The situation is very chaotic,” he said. “Everyone is doing their utmost to make sure everyone stays safe.”

Fire officials are urging citizens to inspect their properties for structural damage or collapse risks, including wall cracks and bulging, foundation fissures, and doors or windows that won’t open properly. Outdoors, residents should watch for muddy water flowing down slopes, tilting trees and power lines, and unusual cracking sounds from the earth – all indicating immediate hazards.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced Tuesday through social media that security personnel have been mobilized for rescue operations and are delivering emergency aid to storm-affected communities.

Climate researchers note that severe weather events are occurring with greater frequency as a result of human-driven climate change.

Catastrophic flooding struck Brazil’s southern Rio Grande do Sul state in May 2024, killing at least 185 people and devastating the region’s economic infrastructure, including retail stores, manufacturing facilities, and agricultural operations. Economic damages exceeded 10 billion reais ($1.9 billion).

A federal lawsuit filed Wednesday challenges the Trump administration’s decision to impose sanctions on a United Nations human rights investigator who criticized Israel’s conduct during the Gaza conflict.

The legal action, brought by the husband and minor child of UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, was filed in Washington’s U.S. District Court. The family argues the sanctions imposed last July infringe upon constitutional free speech protections.

According to the court filing, the penalties have severely disrupted the family’s daily life and professional activities, including limiting their ability to access their Washington D.C. residence.

The lawsuit states that “Francesca’s expression of her views about the facts as she has found them in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and about the work of the ICC is core First Amendment activity,” referencing the International Criminal Court, which has issued arrest warrants for Israeli officials including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on war crimes allegations.

“At its heart, this case concerns whether Defendants can sanction a person — ruining their life and the lives of their loved ones, including their citizen daughter — because Defendants disagree with their recommendations or fear their persuasiveness,” the legal document states.

Neither the White House nor State Department provided immediate responses to requests for comment.

Albanese serves as the UN special rapporteur for the West Bank and Gaza, appointed by the 47-nation UN Human Rights Council based in Geneva. Her role involves examining human rights violations in Palestinian territories, and she has publicly characterized Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide.”

Both Israeli officials and the United States, which provides significant military aid to Israel, have categorically rejected these genocide allegations. Washington condemned what it termed Albanese’s “campaign of political and economic warfare” against America and Israel before implementing the July sanctions, following failed attempts to pressure the UN to dismiss her from her position.

In a summer interview with The Associated Press following the sanctions announcement, the Italian human rights attorney discussed the personal and professional consequences she anticipated.

“My daughter is American. I’ve been living in the U.S. and I have some assets there. So of course, it’s going to harm me,” Albanese stated. “What can I do? I did everything I did in good faith, and knowing that, my commitment to justice is more important than personal interests.”

The sanctions have not deterred Albanese from continuing her investigative work or moderating her positions. She has persisted in publishing critical assessments of Israeli operations, including a recent report examining what she termed the nation’s “genocidal economy” within Palestinian territories.

Israeli UN Ambassador Danny Danon responded to one of her reports last year, saying “she has taken the word ‘genocide,’ born from the ashes of the Holocaust, and turned it into a weapon — not to defend the victims of history, but to attack them.”

Meanwhile, Israeli military actions have repeatedly interrupted the US-mediated ceasefire agreement established October 10. Some developments have occurred, including the Rafah crossing reopening, though Israel and Hamas remain at odds over withdrawal timelines from Gaza and the militant organization’s disarmament.

Though special rapporteurs operate independently from the UN without formal governmental powers, their investigations can increase international pressure on nations while providing evidence for ICC prosecutors and other international justice institutions.

Cuban military personnel engaged in a deadly firefight with occupants of an armed speedboat near the island’s northern coastline, resulting in four deaths and six wounded individuals who remain in custody following Wednesday’s violent encounter.

According to Cuba’s Ministry of the Interior, the vessel contained 10 Cuban nationals residing in the United States who allegedly initiated gunfire when confronted by government forces. Cuban officials claim the group was attempting to infiltrate the country for terrorist purposes, while U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio clarified this was not an American government mission.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez stated on Thursday via social media platform X: “A thorough investigation is underway to clarify the facts. The defense of Cuba’s coasts, national territory, and national security is an inescapable duty.”

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel emphasized his nation’s defensive posture, writing on X: “Cuba does not attack or threaten. We have stated this repeatedly, and we reiterate it today: Cuba will defend itself with determination and firmness against any terrorist or mercenary aggression that seeks to undermine its sovereignty and national stability.”

Secretary Rubio indicated the U.S. government is conducting its own investigation, including determining the citizenship status of those involved. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida announced it is seeking answers “through every legal and diplomatic channel available,” noting that “facts remain unclear and conflicting.”

Cuban authorities have released the identities of seven passengers from the vessel. Two individuals, Amijail Sánchez González and Leordan Enrique Cruz Gómez, are currently sought by Cuban law enforcement for alleged connections to terrorist activities including “promotion, planning, organization, financing, support or commission” of such acts.

The remaining identified passengers include Conrado Galindo Sariol, José Manuel Rodríguez Castelló, Cristian Ernesto Acosta Guevara, and Roberto Azcorra Consuegra.

Among the four fatalities was Michel Ortega Casanova, whose brother Misael Ortega Casanova spoke with The Associated Press about his sibling’s “obsessive and diabolical” mission for Cuban liberation stemming from their hardships before emigrating to America. The brother confirmed Michel was a U.S. citizen who had lived in America for over two decades.

Galindo Sariol was previously featured in a 2025 interview with Martí Noticias, a U.S.-based media outlet advocating for Cuban governmental change, where he was described as a former political detainee.

The speedboat, registered in Florida according to Cuban officials, contained a substantial weapons cache including assault rifles, handguns, improvised explosive devices, body armor, telescopic equipment, and military-style clothing. The Associated Press could not independently confirm these details due to Florida’s private boat registration records.

Foreign Minister Rodríguez referenced the historical context Thursday on X, noting Cuba has endured “numerous terrorist and aggressive infiltrations” from the United States since 1959, “with a high cost in lives, injuries and material damage.”

The most notorious historical incident involving Cuban exiles was the Bay of Pigs Invasion in April 1961. The CIA had prepared a group of exiles during President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s term, led by José Miró Cardona, a former Castro government official who later headed the Cuban Revolutionary Council in America.

This unsuccessful invasion during President John F. Kennedy’s administration resulted in approximately 1,200 brigade members surrendering, while over 100 others lost their lives.

Another significant confrontation occurred February 24, 1996, when Cuban air forces destroyed two civilian aircraft operated by Brothers to the Rescue, a Miami-based organization. Four individuals died in the attack, which the International Civil Aviation Organization determined took place over international waters.

Radio communications between a MiG-29 fighter and military control tower, published by the Organization of American States, revealed the pilot saying, “Hell, give us the authorization! We got it!” The tower replied: “Authorized to destroy.” After downing the second aircraft, the MIG-29 pilot declared, “The other is destroyed. Homeland or death, you bastards!” referencing Cuba’s revolutionary slogan.

Similar incidents occurred in 2022 involving gunfire exchanges and arrests in Cuban waters, though without reported casualties.

Confrontations between Cuba’s Coast Guard and American-flagged speedboats in Cuban territorial waters occur regularly. These vessels have previously carried unidentified cargo toward the island or attempted to transport Cubans illegally to the United States.

This shooting incident threatens to heighten diplomatic tensions as President Donald Trump’s administration has adopted an increasingly confrontational approach toward Cuba.

Following the U.S. military action in Venezuela and the arrest of its leader on January 3, oil shipments that were crucial to Cuba’s economic survival were suspended.

Trump subsequently signed an executive order January 29 imposing tariffs on any nation selling or supplying oil to Cuba, prompting the island to implement strict fuel conservation measures.

While the U.S. Treasury Department marginally relaxed Venezuelan oil sale restrictions to Cuba on Wednesday, the island’s energy and economic difficulties are anticipated to continue.

Ghana’s military forces launched an emergency rescue mission Thursday morning after armed attackers targeted four fishing vessels in coastal waters, according to statements from the country’s armed forces and local officials.

All 71 crew members aboard the fishing boats survived the early morning assault, though the attackers made off with valuable equipment from their vessels. The incident occurred in waters off Ghana’s central coastline as the fishermen were returning from their overnight fishing expedition.

Local lawmaker Gizella Tetteh, who participated in the rescue efforts, spoke with survivors about the harrowing experience. “They had gone out for their usual fishing activity — heading out to sea and returning in the early hours of the morning with their catch,” Tetteh, who represents the Awutu Senya West Constituency, explained. “The robbers stole all their outboard motors and generators.”

Ghana’s military coordinated the search and rescue response using both naval vessels and aircraft. Officials indicated they would provide additional information as their investigation continues, while urging the public to remain calm during the ongoing operation.

The attack highlights ongoing security concerns in the Gulf of Guinea, the body of water along Ghana’s southern border. International maritime security experts have consistently identified these waters as among the most dangerous globally for piracy and armed robbery at sea.

Russia’s government-controlled nuclear corporation Rosatom announced Thursday it plans to forge ahead with international nuclear facility construction projects, dismissing new sanctions imposed by the United Kingdom on three of its subsidiary companies.

The UK targeted these Rosatom subsidiaries as part of its most comprehensive sanctions package since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine began. British officials explained the subsidiaries were sanctioned because they work “in trying to secure contracts for new Russian nuclear installations overseas, opening up additional energy revenue streams to make up for plummeting oil revenues.”

In response, Rosatom issued a statement declaring: “Rosatom regards any unilateral restrictions as illegitimate under international law. In the field of peaceful nuclear energy, safety is the overriding priority. Measures of this kind undermine that foundation.”

The parent company Rosatom remains exempt from sanctions restrictions.

According to 2024 data, Rosatom maintains the globe’s most extensive international nuclear power plant development portfolio, encompassing 33 large-scale power generation units. The corporation currently has active construction projects in Turkey, Egypt, China, Bangladesh, Hungary, Kazakhstan and other nations.

Company officials claim Rosatom leads the world in nuclear facility construction with a commanding 90% market share and serves as a major supplier of nuclear fuel globally.

Regarding a significant project in Kazakhstan, that nation selected Rosatom in June 2025 to head an international partnership for constructing Kazakhstan’s inaugural nuclear power facility.

Kazakhstan’s Atomic Energy Agency stated Thursday that British sanctions will not impact their construction timeline because they maintain no contractual relationships with any sanctioned companies or individuals and have no plans to engage them as subcontractors.

The agency confirmed that power plant development continues according to schedule while they monitor international sanctions policies and assess potential risks accordingly.

Italy’s governing coalition has reached an agreement to completely restructure the nation’s voting system, according to two sources who spoke Thursday. Opposition groups are calling the changes a calculated attempt to ensure Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni remains in office following the 2027 elections.

The current electoral framework combines two methods: the majority of legislators in both chambers are selected through proportional representation using party lists, while 36% win their seats through winner-take-all district contests.

The new proposal from the conservative alliance — comprising Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party, the League, and Forza Italia — would eliminate the district-based voting entirely and establish a purely proportional system. Additionally, any coalition securing more than 40% of votes would automatically receive a governing majority.

Stefano Benigni, deputy leader of Forza Italia, defended the changes, stating: “The centre-right is working on an electoral law that will bring stability to the country, clearly reflect the citizens’ vote and ensure that Italy has a strong and credible government.”

During the 2022 election cycle, the primary opposition groups — the Democratic Party and Five Star Movement — failed to create a unified alliance. This division allowed Meloni’s conservative coalition to dominate by capturing most winner-take-all districts.

However, a unified left-wing coalition appears to be forming for the next election. While current polling indicates they would receive fewer total votes than the right-wing parties, they could potentially prevent the ruling coalition from achieving a working majority by winning more seats in Italy’s economically disadvantaged southern regions.

Polling analyst Fabrizio Masia explained the strategy: “The idea behind this proposal is simple: whoever gets the most votes should govern, and right now the centre-right is slightly ahead. Under the current electoral law, that may not happen.”

The proposed changes would require legislative approval and include provisions for a second-round vote that would only occur if coalitions receive between 35 and 40% of the initial vote, sources indicated.

Italian governing parties have historically attempted to modify electoral rules while holding office, typically seeking advantages in upcoming elections.

The Democratic Party issued a statement condemning the effort: “Their priority today, their only concern, is to protect themselves by changing the electoral law in an unacceptable manner.”

These developments occur during an intense campaign period leading up to a March referendum on judicial reforms, which political observers consider a significant indicator of Meloni’s strength before the next national election.

An international development bank announced Thursday that Ukraine’s economic expansion will be significantly slower this year following Russia’s systematic targeting of the nation’s power grid throughout the winter months, creating major hurdles for businesses entering the fifth year of conflict.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Redevelopment dramatically reduced its 2026 economic growth projection for Ukraine to just 2.5%, cutting its September forecast of 5% in half due to the ongoing crisis.

According to the EBRD, the economic consequences from Russia’s coordinated missile and drone strikes against electrical facilities and infrastructure—which have forced citizens to endure freezing temperatures and extended blackouts—will continue affecting the nation’s economic performance through 2027.

EBRD Chief Economist Beata Javorcik explained that the reduced projections are “linked to the destruction of critical infrastructure, particularly energy infrastructure.” She noted, “That’s impacting Ukraine today, but it will also impact Ukrainian performance next year because it will take time to make the repairs.”

“Typically in winter businesses have been coping with shortages of electricity but this year the problem was much bigger,” Javorcik stated. “If you have a power outage, you can’t produce because you have no electricity.”

She praised Ukrainian resilience, saying citizens face “an incredible challenge. They deserve a lot of respect for being able to endure this and not lose hope and continue to support their country in the fight.”

The bank’s previous projections anticipated Ukraine could begin reconstruction-related economic activity in 2026, though it didn’t specify whether this required an end to hostilities. This timeline has now been pushed back to 2027 as peace remains out of reach.

Throughout the conflict, the EBRD has facilitated generator purchases and provided credit guarantees for small and medium enterprises, helping Ukrainian banks extend over $3 billion in business financing during wartime.

The bank’s report identified additional economic pressures including workforce shortages from mass emigration and military conscription, adverse weather conditions that hurt grain shipments, and the loss of certain European Union trade benefits. While the EU initially waived import duties when fighting began in February 2022, restrictions were later placed on politically sensitive products like sugar and vegetable oils during a trade agreement review.

Ukraine’s economy contracted by 29% during the war’s first year and remains approximately 20% smaller than pre-conflict levels. Consumer and business expenditure have declined as millions fled the country and major enterprises operate in Russian-occupied territories. The Ukrainian government depends on international loans and grants to fund pensions and salaries for teachers and healthcare workers, while domestic tax revenue primarily supports military operations.

Founded in 1991 to assist former communist nations’ transition to market economies following the Cold War’s end, the London-based EBRD represents 77 countries, the European Union, and the European Investment Bank. The organization has since extended operations to additional regions. The Ukraine assessment was included in the EBRD’s broader economic forecasts covering Eastern Europe, former Soviet states, Central Asia, the western Balkans, and sub-Saharan Africa.

BERLIN — A German administrative court ruled Thursday that the nation’s domestic intelligence service must halt its classification of the Alternative for Germany political party as a confirmed extremist organization while legal proceedings continue.

Germany’s BfV intelligence service made its original determination about the Alternative for Germany party, known as AfD, back in May. The agency declared the party posed a danger to Germany’s democratic institutions, stating it “disregards human dignity” through what officials called “ongoing agitation” targeting refugees and migrants.

The AfD quickly challenged the ruling in Cologne’s administrative court, where the intelligence agency maintains its headquarters. Following the legal challenge, the agency put its classification on hold, which would have permitted expanded surveillance of party operations, while awaiting the court’s decision.

Thursday’s court injunction prevents the BfV from officially categorizing and handling the AfD as a confirmed extremist organization until judges reach a final verdict on the party’s legal complaint. Court officials have not announced when they expect to issue their final ruling.

In its statement, the court acknowledged that based on current evidence, it believes there are sufficient indications of “efforts against the free democratic fundamental order” within the party’s ranks. However, judges determined these activities don’t define the organization to such an extent that “a fundamental anticonstitutional tendency can be established in its overall picture.”

The AfD secured second place in Germany’s national election one year ago and currently serves as the largest opposition party in the country’s parliament. Party leadership anticipates strong performance in upcoming state elections throughout this year.

The intelligence service’s original designation drew criticism from the U.S. administration last year, which prompted a sharp response from Germany’s Foreign Ministry.

AfD co-leader Alice Weidel celebrated Thursday’s court decision in a social media post on X, calling it “a great victory not just for AfD, but also for democracy and the rule of law!”

London’s renowned Oxford Street, a global shopping landmark in the city’s West End, is set for a major transformation as officials move forward with plans to create a pedestrian-only zone aimed at breathing new life into the struggling retail corridor.

Mayor Sadiq Khan announced Thursday that all vehicles, including bicycles, will be prohibited from a crucial 0.7-mile section of the famous street, spanning from Oxford Circus to Marble Arch on the western end.

Construction on the pedestrian conversion of this portion of the 1.2-mile shopping district is scheduled to begin during summer months, with officials targeting the end of 2024 for the first car-free area to open to the public.

“I am delighted to be moving forward with my bold vision to transform Oxford Street into a world-leading urban space for shopping, leisure and outdoor events,” Khan stated.

The bustling commercial strip welcomes approximately 500,000 daily visitors and houses major retail anchors including Marks & Spencer and John Lewis flagship locations, plus iconic destinations like Selfridge’s department store.

However, the district that once ranked as a mandatory tourist stop comparable to Paris’s Champs-Élysées has seen its appeal diminish in recent years due to the growth of e-commerce and competing large-scale shopping centers throughout the metropolitan area. Escalating operational expenses, especially rent and business taxes, have added to the challenges.

According to the mayor’s office, the pedestrianization proposal garnered “extensive support from the business community” through consultations conducted by Transport for London, the agency responsible for the capital’s transit systems.

The modifications will create logistical hurdles for transportation officials who must redirect bus routes and taxi services that currently use Oxford Street as a thoroughfare.

“In densely developed and historic cities like London there will always be keen competition for the limited road space available, resulting in contentious political decisions as to who gets priority,” explained Steve Gooding, director of motoring research charity at the RAC Foundation.

This represents a long-awaited victory for Labour mayor Khan, who previously attempted to pedestrianize portions of Oxford Street in 2018 but was blocked by Conservative local government officials.

To ensure success this time, Khan secured authorization from the Labour national government to create a new Mayoral Development Corporation with planning authority, while Transport for London assumed control of the roadway from local council oversight.

LONDON — Lawmakers in Jersey have become the second British territory to pass legislation permitting assisted dying, even as comparable measures for England and Wales remain stuck in parliamentary gridlock.

Following three days of legislative discussion, Jersey’s States Assembly approved its Assisted Dying Law Thursday with a vote of 32 in favor and 16 opposed. The measure now awaits the ceremonial sign-off from King Charles III before taking effect.

Under Jersey’s new law, terminally ill individuals who have resided on the island for at least one year may choose to end their lives if they have six months or less to live — or up to 12 months in cases involving neurodegenerative conditions. Medical doctors or registered nurses would be permitted to administer the life-ending medications.

This approach differs significantly from the stalled British Parliament legislation, which would require terminally ill individuals to self-administer approved substances rather than having medical professionals perform the procedure.

Critics of assisted dying measures contend that vulnerable populations including disabled, elderly, sick, and mentally distressed individuals might face coercion to end their lives to avoid becoming burdens on family members or society.

Jersey, home to approximately 100,000 residents and located in the English Channel near France’s northwestern coast, follows the Isle of Man in approving such legislation. The Isle of Man passed its assisted dying law in March of last year but continues waiting for royal approval, as the UK Ministry of Justice must first review the legislation.

According to government officials, the approval process can extend significantly for legislation deemed complex or sensitive, or when legal and constitutional questions arise.

Both island territories maintain self-governing status while depending on the United Kingdom for military defense and certain international relations matters.

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill received approval from the House of Commons in London last June but has encountered significant obstacles in the House of Lords, where more than 1,000 proposed amendments have created delays. Bill supporters characterize these amendments as deliberate obstruction tactics by opponents, while some House of Lords members argue they are conducting essential review processes to improve what they consider potentially dangerous legislation.

Welsh legislators provided their endorsement Tuesday for the UK Parliament to advance the assisted dying bill.

Scottish lawmakers are scheduled to vote on their own version of assisted dying legislation in March.

Authorities in Italy have taken a 50-year-old man from Burundi into custody in connection with the brutal killings of three Italian Catholic missionary nuns that occurred over a decade ago in Africa’s Burundi.

Guillaume Harushimana faces allegations of planning, organizing, and providing logistical assistance for the deaths of three elderly nuns: 83-year-old Olga Rachietti, 75-year-old Lucia Pulici, and 79-year-old Bernadetta Boggian. The religious women were killed in two separate incidents that took place on September 7-8, 2014, in Bujumbura, Burundi’s largest commercial city.

According to prosecutors in Parma, Italy, the murders were directed by General Adolphe Nshimirimana, who served as the head of Burundi’s secret police at the time. The general was later killed in 2015. Harushimana allegedly served as one of the general’s assistants and carried out the deadly orders.

Investigators believe the nuns may have been targeted for several possible reasons: their refusal to offer medical assistance to Burundian militia forces operating in Congo, disagreements regarding funding for a youth facility in the Kamenge area, or as part of some form of ritual killing.

Four individuals are believed to have directly participated in the murders, according to prosecutors. Two suspects admitted their involvement during radio broadcasts, while a third person, described as the general’s personal security guard, was questioned in Parma and partially acknowledged the crimes. A fourth suspect remains unidentified.

Burundian officials have not yet provided any response to requests for comment regarding the arrest. Attempts to reach Harushimana for his statement were unsuccessful.

Italian legal authorities revealed they had resumed their investigation into these murders during 2024, following new information discovered in a book written by investigative reporter Giusy Baioni. This led them to interview additional nuns who had never been questioned by Burundian investigators.

Harushimana’s connection to the case had previously surfaced during earlier investigations. He had secured permission to travel to Italy in 2018 for educational training in the northern Italian city of Parma.

During that 2018 visit, he was brought in for questioning by authorities in Parma but maintained his innocence. He insisted he was not in Burundi when the murders occurred and presented passport documentation showing he had left the country as proof of his absence during the killings.

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Hospital officials confirmed that two Palestinians lost their lives and five others sustained injuries during an Israeli attack Thursday in an area east of Gaza City. Fadel Naeem, who serves as director of Al-Ahli Hospital, reported receiving the casualties at his medical facility.

Israeli military representatives did not provide immediate statements regarding the incident.

Fatal Israeli attacks have consistently undermined the ceasefire agreement that began on October 10th. The growing number of Palestinian casualties has led many Gaza residents to express that the conflict appears to continue without pause.

In a separate incident Thursday, Israeli military forces reported killing a Palestinian individual who had crossed the boundary separating the Israeli-controlled section of Gaza from areas where most Palestinians are concentrated. These types of shootings have become routine occurrences in the region since the ceasefire implementation.

Military officials characterized the deceased individual as a militant who threatened their personnel. This description is typically used when describing most Palestinians shot near the boundary line, despite civilian casualties including young children, according to a military representative who spoke anonymously to follow military protocols.

The Committee to Protect Journalists issued a report Wednesday stating that 2025 recorded the highest number of journalist and media worker deaths since the organization started tracking this data over thirty years ago. The report documented at least 129 journalist and media worker fatalities, with Israel responsible for two-thirds of these deaths.

Among the conflict’s casualties was Mariam Dagga, a 33-year-old freelance contributor to The Associated Press. Dagga and four additional reporters died when Israeli forces targeted Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza, killing 17 additional individuals in the same strike.

Gaza’s Health Ministry reported Wednesday that 618 Palestinians have died since the ceasefire began, raising the total death count to 72,082 since Israel’s military campaign started. The ministry operates under Hamas leadership but maintains comprehensive casualty documentation that United Nations agencies and independent analysts consider generally credible. However, their records do not separate civilian and militant casualties.

The ceasefire agreement shows mixed results, with significant obstacles remaining on crucial issues. Following initial chaotic weeks, officials note increased Palestinian movement through the reopened Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt. However, the Palestinian technical committee designated to manage Gaza’s daily operations has not gained entry to the territory. International peacekeeping forces intended to maintain Gaza security are being planned but no personnel have been stationed there yet.

Israel and Hamas continue disagreeing about the timeline and extent of Israeli military withdrawal and Gaza’s demilitarization following nearly twenty years under Hamas control.

The conflict originated when Hamas-led fighters attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing approximately 1,200 people, predominantly civilians. The 251 individuals taken hostage during that attack have been returned to Israel through various ceasefire negotiations. The remains of Israeli police officer Ran Gvili, the final body held in Gaza, were recovered and returned in January, facilitating progress in ceasefire discussions. The war has generated global demonstrations and genocide accusations that Israel rejects.

The head of the United Nations World Food Program revealed Thursday she plans to resign from her position within three months, citing health concerns that are preventing her from fully performing the demanding role.

Cindy McCain, 71, experienced a mild stroke last October and returned to the organization’s Rome headquarters in early January to continue her leadership duties. However, according to a WFP statement, the extensive responsibilities of directing the global anti-hunger agency have proven too challenging for her ongoing recovery process.

“With a heavy heart, I am announcing my intention to step down as the executive director of the World Food Program,” McCain stated. “Serving this incredible organization has been the honor of a lifetime.”

McCain highlighted the organization’s capacity to rescue lives in the world’s most perilous and impoverished regions, where assistance is desperately needed. She expressed that leaving the agency represents “one of the most difficult decisions I have ever had to make.”

“But my health has not recovered to a level that allows me to fully serve the enormous demands of this job,” she explained.

The outgoing director emphasized the organization’s achievements during her tenure, noting that “over the past three years, we have delivered life-saving and life-changing assistance for millions of the world’s most vulnerable people — and this unwavering commitment will be more important than ever in the years to come.”

McCain began her five-year appointment as head of the world’s premier humanitarian agency in March 2023. Prior to this role, she served as the U.S. representative to UN food and agriculture agencies during the Biden administration.

As the late Republican Senator John McCain’s widow, she made headlines when she crossed party lines to support Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign, becoming an important Democratic ally after former President Trump repeatedly attacked her husband and his military record.

McCain has represented the World Food Program during its efforts to assist nearly 150 million individuals facing conflicts, natural disasters, and climate change consequences this year. The agency remains one of the rare UN organizations that maintains support from both political parties.

Under McCain’s leadership, the WFP has addressed major humanitarian emergencies stemming from the Russia-Ukraine war and Israel’s military operations in Gaza.

McCain took over from David Beasley, the former South Carolina governor who guided the organization through difficult periods including the coronavirus pandemic and the worldwide food shortage triggered by Russia’s Ukrainian invasion.

OSLO, Norway — Norway’s 89-year-old King Harald V has been released from a Spanish hospital following successful treatment for a leg infection, according to an announcement from the royal palace on Thursday.

The Norwegian royal palace confirmed that Harald, who celebrated his 89th birthday just last weekend, was discharged from the Tenerife hospital during Thursday. Officials stated that the monarch and Queen Sonja plan to continue their private holiday, with no timeline established for their return to Norway.

Harald’s hospitalization began Tuesday, prompting his personal physician, Bjørn Bendz, to fly to Tenerife on Wednesday. According to Bendz, the king received treatment for an infection affecting his leg.

Palace officials reported Thursday that Harald’s condition improved rapidly and he responded favorably to medical care. Bendz plans to stay in Tenerife for several additional days to observe the king’s progress.

This health scare follows a similar incident from two years prior, when the monarch became ill while vacationing with the queen in Malaysia. During that episode, Harald required emergency pacemaker surgery and was transported back to Norway via medical aircraft for a permanent device implantation.

Harald has served as Norway’s king since ascending to the throne in 1991. This latest medical episode occurs during a challenging period for Norway’s royal family.

Crown Princess Mette-Marit, who is married to heir apparent Crown Prince Haakon, has recently faced renewed questions regarding her past interactions with deceased convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Additionally, Mette-Marit’s son from a prior relationship is currently facing trial in Oslo on several serious charges, including allegations of rape.

The leader of the World Economic Forum announced his resignation Thursday amid growing controversy surrounding his documented connections to deceased sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

Børge Brende, who previously served as Norway’s foreign minister, revealed his decision to leave his role as president and CEO of the organization famous for hosting the high-profile Davos summit each January in Switzerland.

“I am grateful for the incredible collaboration with my colleagues, partners, and constituents, and I believe now is the right moment for the Forum to continue its important work without distractions,” Brende stated in the organization’s official announcement.

The resignation follows the recent disclosure of documents showing Brende had multiple dining encounters with Epstein and maintained communication with the convicted criminal. Brende held Norway’s top diplomatic position from 2013 through 2017 and joins other high-profile Norwegians facing questions after the latest batch of Epstein-related files became public.

While Thursday’s resignation statement avoided mentioning the scandal directly, the WEF had launched an internal investigation earlier this month to examine the extent of Brende’s relationship with Epstein.

Speaking to Norwegian media outlet NRK previously, Brende maintained his cooperation with investigators, emphasizing that his encounters with Epstein occurred only in professional contexts and that he remained unaware of Epstein’s criminal activities at the time.

WEF leadership, including co-chairs André Hoffmann and Larry Fink, confirmed the completion of their independent investigation conducted by external legal counsel, stating: “The findings stated that there were no additional concerns beyond what has been previously disclosed.”

The organization announced that Alois Zwinggi will take over leadership responsibilities on an interim basis.

American and Iranian representatives gathered in Geneva Thursday for their third attempt at nuclear negotiations, while President Trump simultaneously positions warships and military aircraft throughout the Middle East as diplomatic pressure.

Trump’s special Middle East representative Steve Witkoff, a real estate mogul and presidential ally, is working alongside Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to persuade Tehran to suspend uranium enrichment activities – a critical component in nuclear weapon development – and reduce long-range missile manufacturing.

Despite previous American strikes in June that damaged three Iranian nuclear facilities, Tehran maintains its commitment to continue uranium enrichment. Iranian officials have warned that any future American military action would result in retaliation against all US military installations across the Middle East, with additional threats directed toward Israel.

These current discussions represent the third diplomatic effort since last year’s 12-day military conflict between Israel and Iran, with failure potentially triggering broader regional warfare throughout the Middle East.

Iranian foreign ministry officials described the exchange of proposals between both nations as “very constructive” during Thursday’s session. Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei announced that negotiations temporarily halted around 1630GMT Thursday, allowing “both delegations needed to hold consultations with their respective capitals.”

Baghaei confirmed discussions centered on Iran’s nuclear activities and sanctions relief but declined to elaborate on specific details.

The Swiss-based indirect negotiations include Oman’s foreign minister and the International Atomic Energy Agency director, representing the UN’s nuclear oversight body. Diplomatic observers consider these talks the final opportunity for peaceful resolution, as Washington has assembled naval and air forces in the Middle East to compel Iranian cooperation.

Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, serving as mediator, reported that both parties have shared “creative and positive ideas” and expressed optimism for additional progress when discussions resume later Thursday.

Diplomatic convoys carrying Iranian and American delegations departed the Omani residence in Geneva following several hours of indirect morning negotiations.

A prominent adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader suggested Thursday that immediate agreement remains possible if talks concentrate exclusively on Iran’s pledge to avoid nuclear weapons development.

“If the main issue of the negotiations is Iran’s non-development of nuclear weapons, this is consistent with the Supreme Leader’s fatwa (religious declaration) and Iran’s defense doctrine, and an immediate agreement is within reach,” Ali Shamkhani posted on X Thursday.

Shamkhani emphasized that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi possesses “sufficient support and authority” to finalize any agreement during current negotiations.

Oman’s Foreign Ministry confirmed presenting Iranian proposals to US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner during Thursday’s Geneva session, publishing photographs showing Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi meeting with both American representatives.

The ministry described discussions as “constructive,” noting that al-Busaidi addressed American inquiries regarding Iran’s nuclear program and necessary guarantees for reaching agreement.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told state television that negotiations would concentrate solely on nuclear issues, similar to previous rounds, with possible participation from the International Atomic Energy Agency director general.

“Our positions are clear: the lifting of sanctions and the peaceful use of nuclear energy,” Baghaei stated.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham strongly opposed any uranium enrichment concessions to Iran, advocating for regime change instead.

“If media reports are true that there is a consideration of allowing Iran to have very small enrichment of uranium for face-saving purposes: screw that,” Graham posted on X Wednesday evening.

The South Carolina senator labeled Iran’s government “the largest state sponsor of terrorism” and expressed desire to “see the people of Iran change the regime – it’s long overdue.”

Before departing for Geneva negotiations, Foreign Minister Araghchi told India Today Wednesday that he believes a “fair, balanced, and equitable deal” remains achievable based on previous talks’ foundations, though Iranians approach current discussions with increased caution following Israel’s June attack during earlier US-Iranian negotiations.

“The wounds of that aggression is still alive in our minds,” Araghchi explained. “This time, we are obviously more careful.”

Araghchi dismissed reports of Iran developing intercontinental missiles as “fake news,” confirming the country limited missile range to 2,000 kilometers for defensive purposes only. He emphasized Iran’s commitment to uranium enrichment for peaceful purposes while offering permanent assurance of peaceful intentions in exchange for complete sanctions termination.

The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, departed a Greek naval base Thursday while heading toward the Middle East, where American forces continue accumulating as Iranian tensions intensify.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian assured Thursday that Iran will not pursue nuclear weapons because the country’s religious leader has declared such intentions contrary to national policy.

“The religious leader of a society can’t lie,” Pezeshkian stated on state television from northern Iran. “When he announces that we won’t have nuclear weapons, it means we won’t. Even if I want to do that, I can’t, because of my beliefs.”

A recent AP-NORC poll revealed that approximately half of American adults remain “extremely” or “very” concerned about Iran’s nuclear program as a direct threat to the United States, though only about one-quarter express high confidence in Trump’s judgment regarding military force abroad.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio commented Wednesday that Iran continues attempting to rebuild nuclear program elements, stating Tehran is “trying to get to the point where they ultimately can” enrich uranium while also pursuing “intercontinental ballistic missiles.”

PRAGUE – Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis delivered a firm rejection Thursday of NATO’s push for increased military spending, declaring his government will not pursue higher defense expenditures despite mounting alliance pressure.

The populist leader’s ANO party assumed control in December and is currently advancing a revised 2026 budget through the nation’s parliament. The administration has drawn criticism for its approach to military funding.

During the previous year’s campaign, Babis had already dismissed NATO’s agreement to incrementally boost defense spending to 5% of gross domestic product as unrealistic.

When questioned during a Thursday online interview with news platform Denik.cz about whether his administration planned to increase military spending, Babis responded emphatically: “Certainly not.”

“Our priority is the health of our citizens, so that they live long lives,” he stated.

The prime minister secured electoral victory by pledging to focus on improving citizens’ quality of life through higher wages, reduced taxes, and expanded benefits.

The current government’s 2026 budget proposal reduces defense expenditures to 2.1% of GDP, down from the former center-right government’s target of 2.35%. Defense Minister Jaromir Zuna assured Wednesday that army modernization efforts would remain unaffected by the cuts.

The outgoing administration, which strongly backed Ukraine in its conflict with Russia, had aimed to progressively increase military spending to 3% of GDP by 2030.

While the new government continues supporting a Czech-initiated program that sources large-caliber ammunition for Ukraine through international donations from nations including Germany, it has ceased contributing its own budget resources to the effort.

Hungary’s April 12 election represents a critical decision point for the nation’s future direction, according to opposition leader Peter Magyar, who frames the choice as one between European integration and alignment with authoritarian governments.

Magyar leads the centre-right Tisza party, which polling shows has gained ground against nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has maintained control for 16 years while promoting what he terms “illiberal democracy.”

Speaking during a campaign stop in Salgotarjan, a former mining community, Magyar criticized Orban’s close relationships with Russia and former Soviet nations like Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. He also questioned Hungary’s decision to gain observer membership in the Organisation of Turkic States.

“This will be a referendum: I think it is clear that the choice is between Europe or the Turkic council and dictators,” Magyar stated following a rally that drew hundreds despite cold conditions. “It is about whether Hungary continues these 16 years of decline … or we set off to Europe and development, joining the Poles, Slovenians, Czechs and the Baltic states.”

Orban has defended his approach by positioning Hungary as a connector between “Eastern traditions and Western institutions,” arguing for pragmatic pursuit of economic opportunities.

A major campaign issue involves approximately 17 billion euros in European Union funding that has been withheld due to concerns about rule-of-law violations under Orban’s administration. Nearly 11 billion euros remains available under the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility, but access expires at the end of August.

Magyar pledged that his administration would quickly negotiate with Brussels to unlock these suspended funds by addressing rule-of-law requirements. “I very much hope that we will be able to sign a deal quickly and after an agreement in principle, perhaps even before the legislation is approved, they can start disbursing the funds,” he explained.

Financial markets have responded positively to the possibility of a Tisza victory, with Hungary’s forint currency strengthening partly due to expectations of renewed EU funding access, according to analysts.

Regarding international relations, Magyar promised to pursue “constructive and friendly” ties with the United States under the Trump administration. “Europe is in a very difficult situation economically, socially and in security policy, so we must work together with the Trump administration … and I will seek the same,” he said.

President Trump has publicly backed Orban as “a truly strong and powerful Leader,” while Secretary of State Marco Rubio described U.S.-Hungary relations under Orban as entering a “golden era.”

On the Ukraine conflict, Magyar expressed optimism about achieving a ceasefire “perhaps even before the Hungarian elections,” followed by a comprehensive peace agreement with international security guarantees for Ukraine. However, ongoing Trump administration mediation efforts between Moscow and Kyiv have not yet produced signs of ending the four-year war.

Orban has characterized the election as a fundamental choice between “war or peace,” claiming through state-controlled television that Tisza would involve Hungary in the Ukraine war. Magyar’s party disputes this characterization.

Magyar clarified that while a Tisza government would not deploy troops or weapons to Ukraine, it “would support the peace process.”

The election outcome will also serve as an indicator for far-right movements across Europe as the EU confronts challenges including an increasingly aggressive Russia, the ongoing Ukraine war, and diplomatic complexities arising from Trump’s “Make America Great Again” agenda.

CAIRO – Three Palestinians died Thursday in separate incidents involving Israeli military action in Gaza, highlighting continued tensions despite an ongoing ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.

Health officials in Gaza report that two Palestinians were killed and several others injured when an Israeli airstrike targeted a group in the Tuffah neighborhood of Gaza City. Israeli military officials have not yet provided comment regarding this northern Gaza incident.

In a separate event in southern Gaza, Israeli forces killed what they described as a militant who had entered an Israeli-controlled zone within the territory and presented an immediate danger to their troops, according to military statements.

Israeli officials characterized this southern incident as a breach of the U.S.-mediated ceasefire that took effect in October, following negotiations between the warring parties.

The current conflict began after Hamas launched an assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in 1,200 deaths according to Israeli records. The subsequent war has devastated Gaza’s infrastructure and left the territory in ruins.

Gaza’s health ministry reports that Israeli military actions have resulted in over 72,000 deaths, predominantly civilians, since the conflict began. Officials also state that at least 460 people have died from Israeli fire since the ceasefire took effect last October.

Israeli authorities report four of their soldiers have been killed by militants in Gaza since the truce began. Each side continues to accuse the other of ceasefire violations.

The Gaza agreement entered its second phase in January, which calls for Israel to pull back additional troops from the territory while Hamas transfers administrative control of Gaza.

Norway’s 89-year-old monarch, King Harald, is scheduled to leave a Spanish hospital on Thursday following treatment for health complications that arose during his vacation, according to an announcement from the royal palace.

The elderly king, who holds the distinction of being Europe’s oldest reigning head of state, was hospitalized Tuesday on the island of Tenerife after developing a leg infection and becoming dehydrated during his private getaway.

According to palace officials, King Harald and Queen Sonja plan to extend their personal visit to Tenerife, with no timeline established for their return to Norway.

The monarch’s personal doctor will stay on the Spanish island for several additional days to keep watch over the king’s condition, the palace statement indicated.

MOSCOW – A top Russian official warned Thursday that Britain’s plan to station troops in Ukraine following any ceasefire agreement would actually extend the conflict rather than bring it to a close.

Maria Zakharova, who serves as Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman, made the statement in response to recent announcements from both France and Britain regarding their intentions to deploy military personnel to Ukraine after hostilities with Russia cease.

In a recent newspaper column, British Defence Minister John Healey expressed his desire to oversee such a deployment, writing: “I want to be the defence secretary who deploys British troops to Ukraine – because this will mean that this war is finally over.”

However, Zakharova directly challenged this assessment during a briefing with reporters. “Contrary to Healey’s misconception, the deployment of British troops to Ukraine will not mean the end of the war, but rather a prolongation of the conflict and an increase in the risk of a large-scale military confrontation involving many more states,” she stated.

The spokeswoman also reiterated Moscow’s previous stance that Russia would consider any international military forces stationed in Ukraine as valid military targets.

Relatives of victims from the devastating 2017 Grenfell Tower blaze are taking legal action against the UK government, demanding officials halt demolition work to save wall sections containing what they believe are handprints left by those who perished or escaped the inferno.

The deadly blaze consumed the 24-floor public housing building in an upscale London neighborhood during the early morning hours of June 14, 2017, claiming 72 lives. Crews started tearing down the structure last September in a process expected to span two years.

Images obtained by Reuters reveal soot-covered corridor walls displaying multiple visible handprints on one level. Workers also discovered Arabic writing stating “Allahu Akbar” (meaning “God is greatest”) on a separate floor, along with additional handprints in another stairway.

“These sections on the walls in the stairwell hold the voices of that night – and we will not let them be erased, silenced, or this tragedy be sanitised,” declared Karim Khalloufi, whose sister died in the fire.

The bereaved families have submitted a formal legal challenge seeking a judicial review, which would allow a court to evaluate whether the government’s actions are legally sound.

They point to commitments made by former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner in 2025, who indicated tower portions could be saved for memorial purposes if residents desired it.

Grenfell Next of Kin, representing immediate family members of more than half the deceased, is pushing officials to protect these wall sections while memorial discussions continue with relatives and designers.

Legal representatives for the families report the government refuses to preserve materials above the ninth floor, citing the sensitive nature and loss of life. However, both the handprints and Arabic inscription were discovered beyond this designated level.

A government spokesperson from MHCLG stated officials remain dedicated to “ensuring what happened at the tower is remembered, with the community’s voice at the heart of our work,” emphasizing that demolition activities are being conducted with careful consideration for those impacted.

SWEIDA PROVINCE, Syria — In a significant development toward potential peace, Syrian government troops and Druze militia forces completed a prisoner exchange Thursday, releasing detainees captured during violent summer confrontations that left hundreds dead.

The prisoner swap marks the first substantial breakthrough in diplomatic efforts led by the United States and Jordan to negotiate a political agreement between the opposing forces.

Government officials released 25 detainees while Druze-controlled regional leaders freed 61 prisoners at a checkpoint in the al-Matuna region of northern Sweida province. The International Committee of the Red Cross oversaw the exchange process.

Syrian Interior Ministry spokesman Noureddine al-Baba explained to reporters that negotiators reached the prisoner agreement “through the combined efforts of international and local parties, and it reflects the Syrian state’s commitment to all its citizens, from all backgrounds and affiliations and across all provinces.”

Stephan Sakalian, who leads the ICRC delegation in Syria, said he “hopes that this operation will pave the way toward possible further releases and dialogue between all parties on other humanitarian concerns,” including determining what happened to individuals who disappeared during the conflict.

The violence erupted in mid-July when armed militias loyal to Druze leader Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri fought with local Bedouin tribes, prompting government military intervention that essentially supported the Bedouin side.

The fighting resulted in hundreds of civilian deaths, predominantly among the Druze population, with many killed by government soldiers. Tens of thousands of residents from both Druze and Bedouin communities fled their homes during the conflict.

Following the violence, numerous militia groups united under al-Hijri’s leadership, establishing effective autonomous control over large portions of the province with backing from neighboring Israel.

After former Syrian President Bashar Assad’s removal by Islamist-led rebel forces in December 2024, Syria’s new leadership has faced challenges in reunifying the nation and establishing authority throughout its territory.

Last month’s agreement with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, which governs much of northeastern Syria, represented a major step toward consolidation — leaving Sweida as the primary region still operating outside central government authority.

The Druze faith originated as a 10th-century branch of Ismailism, which stems from Shiite Islam. More than half of the world’s approximately one million Druze population resides in Syria, with most others living in Lebanon and Israel, including the Golan Heights territory that Israel captured from Syria in 1967 and subsequently annexed.

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Two women have been taken into custody by Ugandan authorities following neighbor complaints about same-sex conduct, marking what appears to be among the initial detentions under the nation’s harsh anti-LGBTQ legislation passed in 2023, according to police officials Thursday.

Authorities in Arua, located in Uganda’s northwest region, apprehended the pair on February 18th following reports that residents frequently observed them in intimate displays. Police spokesperson Josephine Angucia stated that when law enforcement responded, they discovered the couple “red-handed on the cement floor.”

Both women have since been released on police bond while the investigation proceeds, and formal charges have not yet been filed, Angucia confirmed.

The disputed Anti-Homosexuality Act gained backing from many Ugandans while drawing sharp criticism from human rights advocates and international observers. Supporters argued the measure was essential for child protection.

Though the law doesn’t make LGBTQ identity itself illegal, it establishes capital punishment for “aggravated homosexuality,” a term covering sexual contact involving HIV-positive individuals, minors, and other vulnerable populations.

The Arua arrests highlight troubling developments under the new legislation, according to Frank Mugisha, a leading LGBTQ advocate in Uganda. “We have seen a surge in a targeted crackdown that goes beyond just arrests; it has fueled a dangerous cycle of blackmail and extortion,” Mugisha stated.

Uganda already prohibits same-sex relations through older colonial-era statutes that criminalize acts “against the order of nature.”

Across Africa’s 54 nations, homosexuality faces legal restrictions in many countries. Senegal, located in West Africa, is currently working to strengthen penalties for same-sex conduct.

A coalition of five prominent United Nations member countries issued a strong condemnation Thursday, declaring that attacks carried out by Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces paramilitary organization in al-Fashir display characteristics consistent with genocide.

Foreign ministers representing the Sudan core group within the UN Human Rights Council determined that the RSF’s violent actions amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, while also exhibiting genocide indicators, according to their official statement distributed through Germany’s foreign ministry.

The participating nations—Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, and the United Kingdom—announced their intention to establish a collaborative alliance aimed at stopping additional mass violence throughout Sudan.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, whose father sold carpets in Isfahan, has likened his country’s diplomatic approach to marketplace haggling – a method that demands “patience and great time.”

However, the clock may be ticking for this seasoned diplomat as he confronts the most crucial talks of his lengthy career, working to secure a nuclear agreement that could prevent military strikes threatened by President Donald Trump.

Since becoming Iran’s chief diplomat in 2024, Araqchi has drawn on his experience from the 2015 nuclear negotiations with global powers – the same accord that Trump abandoned in 2018.

Sources within Iran’s political circles indicate that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has complete trust in Araqchi, with many considering him among the Islamic Republic’s most influential foreign ministers to date.

Iran’s religious leadership appears to have faith in his diplomatic skills as American military presence increases across the Middle East, coming just eight months after U.S. forces struck Iranian nuclear facilities.

In his 2024 publication “The Power of Negotiation,” Araqchi explained that Iranians’ diplomatic method is often called “the style of the bazaar,” which involves “continuous and persistent bargaining.” He included a personal note about his deceased mother’s skill at negotiating prices.

However, he warned against excessive demands, writing: “When you sell snow under the sun, bargaining more than necessary is a loss.”

MILITARY BUILDUP ‘CANNOT PRESSURIZE US’

During nuclear discussions more than ten years ago, Araqchi built his reputation as an expert in challenging negotiations. The original agreement required Iran to accept strict limits on its nuclear activities in return for lifting economic sanctions.

International diplomats who participated in those discussions have characterized him as focused, well-informed on technical matters, and direct in his communication.

Last year, he headed Iran’s team during unsuccessful discussions with the United States before American airstrikes occurred.

The soft-spoken Araqchi participated in Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution as a young person and served in the Iran-Iraq conflict during the 1980s before pursuing diplomacy.

A longtime acquaintance described him as composed and patient, while also being argumentative and determined.

This past Sunday, Araqchi expressed optimism about achieving “a diplomatic solution based on a win-win game.”

During his CBS News “Face the Nation” appearance, he stated: “So there is no need for any military buildup,” emphasizing that military pressure “cannot pressurize us.”

KEEPS DISTANCE FROM ‘POLITICAL FRAYS AND INFIGHTING’

Trump has shown impatience with negotiators’ inability to reach an agreement. “They want to make a deal, but we haven’t heard those secret words ‘We will never have a nuclear weapon’,” Trump declared during Tuesday’s State of the Union address.

Iran has consistently rejected accusations of pursuing nuclear weapons.

Araqchi spearheaded failed attempts to revive the 2015 agreement during President Joe Biden’s 2021-25 term, until a more hardline official took his place.

Shortly after, he received appointment as secretary of Iran’s Strategic Council on Foreign Relations – an important advisory group to Khamenei, bringing him closer to Iran’s highest decision-maker.

Born in Tehran during 1962 to an affluent religious merchant household, Araqchi was just 17 when the Islamic Revolution swept through Iran, inspiring radical passion among many young people.

Motivated by the removal of the American-supported Shah’s royal government and hopes for transformation, he joined the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iran’s elite military force, to serve in the 1980-88 conflict with Iraq.

He began working at the foreign ministry in 1989 and held ambassador positions in Finland from 1999 to 2003 and Japan from 2007 to 2011, before taking the foreign ministry spokesperson role in 2013.

After earning his political science doctorate from Britain’s University of Kent, he became deputy foreign minister in 2013.

As a committed Muslim, Araqchi has worked under various presidents with approaches ranging from moderate to conservative.

Though he maintains insider status with strong connections to Khamenei, Araqchi has stayed away from “political frays and infighting” among different groups, according to a high-ranking Iranian official.

“He has good relations with the Supreme Leader, the Revolutionary Guards and all political factions in Iran,” the official explained.

American and Iranian representatives engaged in indirect diplomatic discussions Thursday in Geneva, addressing Tehran’s nuclear program in what many consider a final opportunity for peaceful resolution before potential military action.

Special Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff conducted message exchanges with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, working to persuade Iran to cease uranium enrichment activities that could lead to nuclear weapons development and to reduce or eliminate long-range missile production. President Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, participated in the discussions.

The diplomatic session continued for approximately three hours before American representatives departed the venue. According to Iranian state media, negotiations will continue following a recess.

These current negotiations represent a renewal of diplomatic efforts between Witkoff and Araghchi, who conducted several discussion rounds last year before talks broke down when Israel initiated military operations against Iran in June. Oman, the Arabian Peninsula nation that has historically facilitated communications between Iran and Western powers, is once again serving as mediator.

Iran insists the discussions should concentrate exclusively on nuclear matters, while America seeks complete cessation of Iranian uranium enrichment. However, Washington’s agenda extends beyond nuclear concerns to include ballistic missile capabilities, Tehran’s support for regional proxy groups, and additional security issues.

Military escalation remains a significant concern for regional stability. Iranian officials have declared that any American military strike would result in targeting all U.S. military installations throughout the Middle East, potentially endangering thousands of American military personnel. Tehran could also launch retaliatory attacks against Persian Gulf allies of America or Israel. Recent days have seen oil prices increase partly due to these escalating tensions.

The United States has deployed naval vessels and aircraft to the Middle East region as a show of force designed to encourage Iranian cooperation in reaching a diplomatic agreement.

COPENHAGEN – Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced Thursday that the Scandinavian nation will conduct parliamentary elections on March 24.

The announcement was made from the Danish capital as the country prepares for its upcoming electoral process.

The International Monetary Fund announced Wednesday it will provide Egypt access to approximately $2.3 billion from a previously authorized loan package, recognizing the nation’s success in achieving economic stability and curbing inflation through comprehensive reform efforts.

According to the IMF’s Wednesday statement, the funding release comes after evaluating Egypt’s reform initiatives, which the organization says have generated “a broad-based economic recovery” in the Arab world’s most populated nation. The Fund reported Egypt’s gross domestic product expanded by 4.4% between 2024 and 2025.

Egypt’s original $3 billion emergency loan, granted in 2022, was expanded to $8 billion in 2024 as officials worked to address severe foreign currency shortages and runaway inflation that reached 38% in September 2023.

By January, inflation had dropped significantly to 11.9%, according to the Washington-based organization’s statement.

Egypt implemented several anti-inflation strategies, including allowing the Egyptian pound to float freely and raising interest rates.

Despite these gains, the IMF cautioned that advancement “has been uneven.” The Fund emphasized that excessive state control over the economy persists, stating that “decisive efforts to reduce the state’s footprint in the economy will be essential.”

Egypt’s financial struggles stem from multiple crises including the COVID-19 pandemic, consequences from Russia’s comprehensive attack on Ukraine, and the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza.

The situation worsened when Houthi militants from Yemen began targeting Red Sea shipping lanes, dramatically reducing Suez Canal income—a crucial source of foreign currency for Egypt. These attacks diverted maritime traffic around Africa’s southern tip instead of through the canal.

Government statistics show approximately 30% of Egypt’s population of over 108 million people live below the poverty threshold.

COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen revealed Thursday her decision to schedule parliamentary elections for March 24 in the Scandinavian nation.

The upcoming vote will decide the makeup of Denmark’s Folketing, the country’s parliament, for the following four-year period. The legislative body contains 179 members total — with 175 positions allocated to representatives from Denmark proper, while Greenland and the Faroe Islands, both semi-autonomous regions within the kingdom, each receive two seats.

While Denmark’s constitution requires parliamentary elections at minimum once every four years, the prime minister holds the authority to schedule them earlier. The most recent election took place November 1, 2022, leading to an unusual three-party governing alliance that spans both sides of the political spectrum.

Since mid-2019, Frederiksen, who belongs to the center-left Social Democratic party, has served as Denmark’s leader. Her current administration includes partnerships with Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen’s Liberal Party and the centrist Moderate party headed by Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, who previously held the prime minister position.

BOGOTA, Colombia — The United Nations issued a stark warning Thursday that Colombia faces the possibility of sliding back into the severe human rights crisis that plagued the country before a landmark 2016 peace agreement with its largest rebel organization brought improved security.

UN officials expressed concern that escalating violence in Colombia’s countryside could jeopardize the integrity of the nation’s approaching elections.

The UN’s yearly assessment of Colombia’s human rights landscape reveals a dramatic increase in assaults on rural populations by insurgent organizations and narcotics traffickers competing for control of areas once held by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, which signed the peace accord with the government eight years ago.

The report documents an alarming 85% rise in forced displacement during 2025 compared to the previous year, with roughly 94,000 individuals compelled to abandon their communities.

Killings of human rights advocates climbed 9% over the past year, while armed organizations imposed 12% more lockdowns on rural settlements. These lockdowns prevent residents from hunting or working their land, while forcing schools and local businesses to close, severely disrupting civilian life.

“This report is an early warning,” stated Scott Campbell, who serves as the Colombia representative for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. “There are a number of indicators that we are trying to draw attention to in order to prevent further degradation” of Colombia’s human rights conditions.

Though current human rights abuses don’t match the scale seen during Colombia’s most intense conflict with FARC rebels — when roughly 300,000 people annually fled violence — the assessment emphasizes that Colombia’s leadership must take stronger measures to shield civilians from unlawful armed organizations.

A continuing challenge involves illegal armed groups forcing children into their ranks, now utilizing social media networks to recruit young people.

While the UN documented 150 instances of forced child recruitment in 2025, officials believe this figure significantly underrepresents the actual scope, as many families fear reporting such cases due to potential reprisals.

The current government under left-leaning President Gustavo Petro, who previously belonged to Colombia’s M-19 guerrilla movement, has attempted to curb violence through peace talks with remaining rebel organizations under an approach called “total peace.”

However, the report observes that truces between Colombian authorities and insurgent groups have frequently failed to decrease attacks against civilians.

“We think it is very important that the government push for remedies to that,” Campbell noted.

With Colombia’s elections approaching, the assessment highlights dangerous conditions for political figures. The previous year saw 18 political leaders murdered and 126 attacks against political figures nationwide.

Last June, conservative presidential contender Miguel Uribe suffered a gunshot wound to the head during a campaign event in Bogota, representing the first assault on a Colombian presidential candidate in thirty years. Uribe succumbed to his injuries two months afterward.

“Violence and conflict, including the emergence of pre-electoral violence, have generated greater risks for the free and safe exercise of certain civil and political rights,” the assessment concluded.

Colombia will conduct congressional elections on March 8, with candidates vying for more than 300 legislative positions in both chambers.

Presidential elections will follow in May, with at least six candidates anticipated to compete.

To address Colombia’s human rights challenges, the report emphasizes that the incoming administration must prioritize complete execution of the 2016 FARC peace agreement.

While certain elements have been fulfilled — including FARC’s weapons surrender and establishing transitional justice mechanisms — other provisions remain incomplete.

These include establishing agricultural courts to handle land disputes and expanding programs designed to encourage farmers to abandon coca cultivation, cocaine’s primary ingredient.

“It’s crucially important at this juncture ahead of elections to make sure that the current government and the future government take concrete actions to make sure that Colombia moves forward,” Campbell emphasized.

He described the 2016 peace agreement as offering a “road map” toward a “Colombia of sustainable peace and respect for human rights.”

Nearly 8,000 migrants lost their lives or vanished while attempting treacherous journeys across dangerous routes worldwide in 2025, according to a United Nations agency that warns the actual number is probably much greater.

The International Organization for Migration released data Thursday showing that funding reductions have severely limited humanitarian organizations’ ability to monitor and document migrant deaths along routes including the Mediterranean Sea and Horn of Africa region.

As legal immigration options continue to diminish, more desperate individuals are turning to human smugglers for help, the organization explained. This trend comes as Europe, the United States, and other destinations increase border enforcement and pour resources into deterrence measures.

“The continued loss of life on migration routes is a global failure we cannot accept as normal,” IOM Director General Amy Pope said in a statement published on Thursday.

“These deaths are not inevitable. When safe pathways are out of reach, people are forced into dangerous journeys and into the hands of smugglers and traffickers. We must act now to expand safe and regular routes and ensure people in need can be protected, regardless of their status.”

While the documented fatalities dropped from approximately 9,200 in 2024 to 7,667 in 2025, this decrease doesn’t necessarily indicate improved safety. Instead, the IOM attributes the lower numbers to reduced irregular migration attempts, particularly throughout the Americas, combined with limited information access and budget constraints that have weakened death-tracking capabilities.

The Geneva-headquartered organization faces significant challenges after major U.S. funding reductions forced it to reduce or eliminate programs that directly support migrants.

Ocean crossings continue to represent the deadliest migration attempts, with the Mediterranean claiming at least 2,108 lives in 2025, while another 1,047 people died or disappeared along the Atlantic passage to Spain’s Canary Islands.

Asian routes accounted for approximately 3,000 migrant deaths, with more than half involving Afghan nationals. An additional 922 people perished while crossing from Yemen through the Horn of Africa toward Gulf States, marking a dramatic rise from the previous year. Ethiopian migrants comprised nearly all of these casualties, with many dying in three separate mass shipwrecks.

The deadly pattern has carried into 2026, with Mediterranean migrant deaths already reaching 606 by February 24, the IOM reported.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz concluded his first official trip to China on Thursday, acknowledging positive diplomatic relations while expressing concerns about trade imbalances that have significantly impacted German markets.

During his two-day inaugural visit to the high-tech city of Hangzhou, Merz toured several facilities including Chinese robotics company Unitree, where robotic dancers greeted him, along with a Siemens Energy location and demonstrations of autonomous Mercedes-Benz vehicles.

While recognizing these as “impressive examples of good cooperation, technological development,” Merz emphasized that “difficult issues” required frank discussion between the two nations.

“Above all, there are issues relating to competition – China has high capacities, some of which are now also posing a problem for Europe because they far exceed market demand,” Merz stated during his visit.

The German leader announced plans for continued dialogue, saying “We will have to discuss this in detail after my visit.” He indicated that Economy Minister Katherina Reiche would also travel to China and confirmed that structured government-to-government meetings with Beijing would commence before next year begins.

China has consistently disputed European claims regarding overcapacity issues, dismissing such allegations as “entirely unfounded.” Chinese officials argue that their capabilities in sectors like renewable energy actually support shared objectives, including environmental sustainability efforts.

The economic relationship between Germany and China has undergone dramatic changes over recent years. While China remains Germany’s primary trading partner, the trade dynamics have shifted considerably in the past five years.

Chinese companies, benefiting from what German authorities believe is an artificially low yuan currency value, have eliminated Germany’s historical trade advantages. This has resulted in Germany facing a substantial trade gap with China approaching 90 billion euros ($106 billion) in 2025.

Merz’s China visit occurs as traditional German foreign policy approaches face challenges due to U.S. President Donald Trump’s more aggressive stance toward European allies. The chancellor is scheduled to travel to Washington next month.

Accompanied by a substantial group of German business representatives, Merz held meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang on Wednesday. During these discussions, he committed to developing a “comprehensive strategic partnership” between the two countries.

However, his diplomatic mission, following similar visits by French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, could not mask the substantial challenges affecting China-Europe relations. Merz acknowledged that “numerous tasks” still required attention.

German business executives argue that Chinese companies’ excess production capacity, supported by currency advantages and restricted market access policies, has created unfair competitive conditions. China’s control over critical sectors including semiconductor manufacturing and rare earth materials has also created supply chain risks for Western companies.

Despite these concerns, the advanced technology capabilities of Chinese firms, their deep integration in global manufacturing networks, and China’s massive consumer market make the country an essential economic partner.

Chinese Premier Li assured Merz on Wednesday that China would consider “reasonable demands” from Western businesses. Regarding currency concerns, Beijing has described itself as a “responsible major country” and denied any intention to gain trade advantages through currency manipulation.

BRUSSELS — Belgian defense officials announced Thursday they will install a sophisticated air defense system at the Port of Antwerp following a string of unauthorized drone incidents that have raised serious security concerns.

Throughout the previous year, Belgium experienced numerous unauthorized drone flights that resulted in temporary closures of several airports and a military installation.

The port of Antwerp also witnessed several drone sightings hovering over sensitive locations, including nuclear facilities, the BASF chemical plant, and the Europa container terminal, sparking concerns about the security of vital industrial and energy infrastructure.

While a Defense Ministry representative confirmed the deployment plans initially reported by Belgian news outlets, they refused to share specific operational details for security purposes, noting that the system would be procured in the near future.

“An air-defence system is coming to the port of Antwerp. It’s a NASAMS type,” Antwerp mayor Bart De Wever announced during a Wednesday event at the port of Antwerp-Bruges, as reported by the Gazet van Antwerpen newspaper.

A port representative emphasized the facility’s critical role in the nation’s economy, stating: “Given the importance of our port as an economic engine of Belgium, it is essential that the port is protected and secured, both digitally and physically.”

The NASAMS defense platform is engineered to neutralize threats from unmanned aircraft, military jets, and other close-range airborne dangers.

A Washington-based national security research organization has uncovered what it describes as a widespread Chinese disinformation campaign using hundreds of fake social media accounts to interfere in elections and political discussions across multiple nations.

The Foundation for Defense of Democracy reports that 35 social media accounts on X, along with nine Tumblr channels, launched attacks against Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi during her February election victory. These accounts spread false corruption claims and depicted the conservative leader as an unstable, “cult-backed” figure pushing Japan toward military conflict, according to researcher Maria Riofrio from the foundation’s Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation.

The Japanese accounts represent just a fraction of a larger network comprising at least 327 fake profiles across various social media platforms. Since December, this network has promoted Beijing-friendly policies while attacking China’s critics and attempting to sway domestic politics in Japan, America, the Philippines, and Latin American countries, Riofrio’s analysis reveals.

A representative from Takaichi’s office confirmed awareness of suspicious foreign social media activity related to Japan’s elections.

“We consider this to be a national security threat that undermines the very foundations of democracy, including the fairness of elections and freedom of the press. We believe that countermeasures must be urgently prioritized,” the spokesperson stated.

Chinese Embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu in Washington dismissed the foundation’s findings as baseless.

“The Chinese government consistently opposes and combats the use of fake accounts and other tactics to manipulate public opinion or spread disinformation,” Liu told Reuters. “We urge the relevant parties to stop making unfounded accusations and smearing others based on speculation.”

Riofrio connected this recent activity to ongoing Chinese information warfare operations that cybersecurity experts have labeled Spamouflage or Dragonbridge. While these posts typically receive minimal engagement, they still reach users’ feeds and operators manipulate algorithms to increase visibility. One anti-Takaichi post claiming cult connections garnered only two likes but accumulated over 1,000 views.

The researcher emphasized that this activity shows “China has the political will to interfere in Japanese elections and internal affairs,” while noting similar operations targeting other nations, including America.

The Foundation for Defense of Democracy describes itself as a Washington nonprofit dedicated to “strengthening U.S. national security and reducing or eliminating threats posed by adversaries and enemies of the United States and other free nations.”

Nearly half of the 327 identified accounts have targeted President Donald Trump, spreading claims that his drug and border enforcement policies have worsened America’s fentanyl problem, contradicting progress allegedly made under the Biden administration while deflecting responsibility from China.

During early February, six coordinated accounts with fewer than 10 followers each generated hundreds of interactions and nearly 18,000 views through synchronized anti-Trump messaging about fentanyl, according to the analysis.

One network account, FentanylFreeA, established in December 2025, appears designed to mimic the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Fentanyl Free America initiative, using similar branding and identical graphics while attacking both America and India as sources of fentanyl precursor chemicals.

Neither the White House nor the DEA provided responses to requests for comment.

Security experts say the Spamouflage or Dragonbridge operations have been active since 2017, consistently targeting global audiences.

A Google Threat Intelligence Group representative identified Dragonbridge as “the most prolific pro-PRC information operations operator” they monitor as of early 2026, citing “its massive scale and assertive narrative agenda.”

While traditionally focused on targeting America, overseas dissidents, government critics, and international NGOs, Dragonbridge has intensified its Asia-Pacific activities, the Google spokesperson noted, including attacks on Japanese political leadership, Japan-Taiwan diplomatic relations, Vietnam’s South China Sea policies, India, and Philippine government officials.

OpenAI reported Wednesday that it disrupted attempts by a Chinese law enforcement official in mid-October to coordinate a multi-phase information attack against Takaichi.

Poland’s Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski delivered a pointed message to parliament Thursday, emphasizing that while his nation values its partnership with America, it refuses to be taken advantage of in the relationship.

Speaking to lawmakers in Warsaw, Sikorski acknowledged the United States as Poland’s primary military partner while addressing growing uncertainties about European security under President Donald Trump’s leadership.

“We look at the changes in the U.S. with understanding, but also concern,” Sikorski told lawmakers. “We have been and will continue to be a loyal ally of America. But we cannot be suckers.”

The foreign minister’s remarks illustrate the challenging position facing Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s European Union-friendly administration as they work to preserve vital Atlantic partnerships while Trump reshapes traditional security arrangements.

Sikorski emphasized the need for European nations to take greater responsibility for their own defense and stressed the importance of continental solidarity in facing threats.

“The threat to the sovereignty and security of the Republic of Poland comes from one direction – from the East, not the West… The hour has struck for Europe. Either we stand united, or we will be consumed by greater powers,” he declared.

The minister presented stark financial realities, estimating that protecting NATO’s eastern borders from potential Russian attack would require at least 1.2 trillion euros ($1.4 trillion) – twenty-four times Poland’s current defense spending. He argued this figure demonstrates that current aid to Ukraine costs far less than a potential conflict between Russia and NATO.

While Polish politicians across party lines view America as their nation’s key security guarantor, Tusk’s government has expressed criticism of Trump, contrasting sharply with the more supportive stance taken by Poland’s nationalist opposition and President Karol Nawrocki.

MOSCOW – Russian officials are expressing concern about rising tensions surrounding Cuba following a fatal maritime confrontation that left multiple people dead and injured.

The deadly clash occurred Wednesday when Cuban military forces engaged a speedboat registered in Florida that had entered Cuban territorial waters. Four Cuban exiles were killed and six others sustained injuries during the encounter, which began when those aboard the vessel fired upon a Cuban patrol boat.

Moscow has characterized the incident as an “aggressive provocation by the United States” amid already strained relations between Russia and Washington.

During a press briefing Thursday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov emphasized the need to address the underlying issues facing Cuban citizens while urging all parties to exercise caution.

“The situation around Cuba, as we can see, is heating up. The main thing is the humanitarian component. All humanitarian issues concerning Cuban citizens must be resolved, and no one should create obstacles,” Peskov stated to members of the media.

The Russian official also stressed the importance of maintaining stability in the region, adding: “As for security around the island, it is, of course, very important that everyone remain restrained and refrain from any provocative actions.”

Peskov highlighted that addressing the socio-economic and humanitarian challenges facing the Cuban population should be the top priority moving forward.

KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Thursday that Russia conducted an overnight assault using 420 drones and 39 missiles against his nation, coinciding with preparations for continued peace discussions between U.S. and Ukrainian representatives in Geneva as the conflict enters its fifth year.

According to Zelenskyy, the overnight strike involved 11 ballistic missiles and focused on vital infrastructure and civilian neighborhoods throughout eight Ukrainian regions. Officials reported that dozens of individuals, including children, sustained injuries, though authorities have not yet released final casualty figures.

On Wednesday evening, Zelenskyy revealed he had conducted a telephone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump, expressing gratitude for his “efforts and engagement” in advancing peace discussions.

The peace negotiations facilitated by the United States between Moscow and Kyiv remain ongoing but have reached an impasse regarding the status of Ukrainian territories that Russia has claimed.

Trump’s representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who had been addressing nuclear discussions with Iran in Geneva before focusing on the European conflict, were scheduled to meet with Rustem Umerov, Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council chief. Both also participated in Trump’s conversation with Zelenskyy.

The United States continues working to maintain progress in its year-long effort to end hostilities and bridge the significant animosity between the opposing nations.

Officials from Ukraine and Europe have claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin is pretending to engage in peace talks, hoping to dodge harsh U.S. actions like additional sanctions while continuing his military campaign.

According to Zelenskyy, Thursday’s discussions between American and Ukrainian representatives would focus on specifics of a potential post-conflict reconstruction plan for Ukraine and preparations for a possible three-way meeting with Moscow representatives, potentially scheduled for next week.

Zelenskyy also mentioned directing Umerov to explore options for a potential prisoner swap.

Vladimir Medinsky, who leads the Russian delegation in previous Ukrainian negotiations, announced Thursday that Russia had returned 1,000 bodies of deceased soldiers to Ukraine while receiving 35 bodies of its own fallen troops. He did not specify the timing of this exchange.

Zelenskyy reported that Russia targeted natural gas facilities in the Poltava region and power substations in the Kyiv and Dnipropetrovsk areas. Emergency response teams were deployed to five additional regions and the capital city.

According to Zelenskyy, Ukrainian air defense systems successfully intercepted the majority of Russian missiles, praising Western allies for providing additional air defense interceptors on schedule. Ukraine depends on international assistance to maintain its defense against Russia’s larger military forces.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called on partner nations to increase military support.

“When the whole world demands Moscow to finally stop this senseless war, Putin bets on more terror, attacks and aggression,” Sybiha said in a post on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.

LONDON (AP) — Voters in northwest England cast ballots Thursday in a crucial special election that may shape the political fate of struggling Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

The parliamentary contest in Greater Manchester’s Gorton and Denton district features a tight three-way battle between Starmer’s center-left Labour Party, the Green Party focused on environmental issues, and the far-right Reform UK movement. While Labour representatives have dominated this region for nearly the entire past century, Starmer’s administration has watched its approval ratings nosedive since taking power in July 2024.

Polling data and wagering odds suggest an extremely competitive race among Labour’s local councilor Angeliki Stogia, Reform UK’s Matthew Goodwin — a former academic turned political commentator — and Green Party candidate Hannah Spencer, who works as a plumber.

Reform UK, the anti-immigration movement headed by longtime far-right figure Nigel Farage, controls merely eight seats in the 650-member House of Commons compared to Labour’s 404 seats. However, the party has consistently led nationwide surveys for months, surpassing both Labour and the primary opposition Conservative Party.

The Green Party holds four parliamentary seats but has broadened its platform under “eco-populist” leader Zack Polanski to address Palestinian solidarity and drug legalization alongside environmental priorities.

Representatives from both Labour and the Greens argue their party offers the best chance to prevent a Reform victory.

“Voting Green is the only way to ensure Reform don’t win,” Spencer declared.

Starmer framed voters’ decision as one where the choice “could not be more stark: unity or division.”

Reform leader Farage urged constituents to “vote Reform to ditch Starmer.”

Predicting the election’s winner proves challenging in this diverse constituency, triggered by the departure of the district’s previous Labour representative. The area encompasses traditional working-class communities — historically Labour strongholds now leaning toward Reform — alongside significant populations of university students and Muslim residents. Many feel alienated by Labour’s centrist direction under Starmer and the government’s perceived hesitation in condemning Israel’s military actions against Hamas in Gaza, creating opportunities for Green Party growth.

Voting concludes at 10 p.m. local time (2200GMT), with final tallies expected early Friday morning.

Starmer has faced numerous challenges since guiding Labour to an overwhelming electoral triumph in July 2024. He has struggled to fulfill promises of economic expansion, public service improvements, and cost-of-living relief. Despite pledging transparent governance following 14 years of Conservative rule marked by scandals and instability, his tenure has featured policy reversals and controversial decisions regarding welfare reductions and other unpopular measures.

Britain’s next nationwide election isn’t required until 2029, making internal party opposition Starmer’s primary concern.

A Labour victory in Gorton and Denton might provide Starmer temporary relief from party critics contemplating leadership changes. Starmer recently survived a close call earlier this month when party dissatisfaction peaked following revelations about convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s connections to Peter Mandelson, the veteran Labour figure Starmer selected as Britain’s ambassador to the United States.

A defeat would highlight Labour’s deep unpopularity and the significant challenges the party faces from political opponents across the spectrum.

HAVANA (AP) — Cuban officials are providing glimpses into everyday life on the island as diplomatic tensions rise following a maritime confrontation involving armed individuals.

According to Havana authorities, the 10 individuals aboard a speedboat that engaged in gunfire with Cuban military personnel were Cuban nationals currently residing in the United States who allegedly attempted to illegally enter Cuban territory.

The incident has contributed to growing strain in U.S.-Cuba relations as both nations address the maritime security breach.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has made her stance on interest rates crystal clear by selecting two academics who strongly favor keeping borrowing costs low to serve on the Bank of Japan’s governing board.

The Wednesday announcement of nominations for professors Toichiro Asada and Ayano Sato caught financial markets off guard, as many expected Takaichi’s administration would choose more centrist candidates. The yen dropped following the news.

According to two sources with knowledge of the situation, Takaichi kept her selections secret even from the Finance Ministry, which traditionally plays a role in vetting potential board members.

Though the central bank may continue raising rates in the near term, these appointments could have lasting effects on monetary policy battles that may stretch across years or even decades.

Market experts warn that Takaichi’s direct involvement in monetary policy decisions increases the likelihood she’ll appoint more stimulus-friendly members when two rate-hike supporters finish their terms next year.

Should the dovish prime minister remain in office long enough, she would also control the selection of new Bank of Japan leadership when Governor Kazuo Ueda and his deputies’ terms conclude in 2028 — potentially pressuring an institution that has faced political meddling previously.

“If the government tries to politicise the Bank of Japan then the same thing we’ve seen in the U.S. could happen in Japan, which is bond selling as well as currency selling,” warned Yusuke Miyairi, a foreign exchange strategist at Nomura Securities in London.

“I wouldn’t say BOJ independence is threatened at the moment, but the government is trying to have more power in the BOJ’s policy decisions,” Miyairi added, noting the selections reveal more about Takaichi’s monetary policy philosophy.

Both parliamentary chambers must approve the nominations before they take effect. While Takaichi’s ruling coalition controls the lower house, it needs opposition support in the upper chamber where it lacks a majority.

Asada, a scholar famous for championing massive economic stimulus measures, will replace dovish board member Asahi Noguchi at the end of March.

Sato, also an academic, has promoted the advantages of expansionary government spending and loose monetary policy. She’ll take over in June when Junko Nakagawa, viewed as neutral to slightly hawkish on rates, steps down.

Both candidates belong to a circle of economists who have pushed for the expansionary fiscal and monetary approaches now embraced by Takaichi, and maintain connections with dovish former Bank of Japan officials including former deputy governor Masazumi Wakatabe.

The new appointments won’t immediately impact the central bank’s short-term policy choices. Neither nominee will participate in March’s policy meeting.

As a newcomer, Asada likely won’t make waves at his first meeting on April 27-28, while Sato’s initial opportunity to vote will come during July’s rate review.

Former Bank of Japan official Nobuyasu Atago suggested the newcomers’ perspectives may evolve once they confront the realities of policy-making amid market volatility, economic uncertainty and unexpected crises.

“Once they join, the board members shed their ideologies and become more practical,” explained Atago, who worked as staff for a board member during his central bank tenure.

“BOJ staff would barrage them with briefings, which could be overwhelming for newcomer academics,” he noted. “I think yen moves matter far more than the Takaichi nominations.”

Board member Noguchi exemplifies this transformation — he joined as a strong advocate for aggressive monetary easing but changed course and supported the Bank of Japan’s last two rate increases.

Nevertheless, the new members will likely influence policy discussions by altering the board’s makeup, which has increasingly favored near-term rate hikes as the yen’s decline keeps food inflation persistently elevated.

Noguchi represents the final member of the once-powerful stimulus advocates who gained influence by providing theoretical support for former premier Shinzo Abe’s “Abenomics” economic policies.

Two hawkish board members, Naoki Tamura and Hajime Takata, have actively pushed for additional rate increases in the near future, with Takata unsuccessfully proposing rate hikes at January’s meeting for the second consecutive time.

While uncertainty remains about how the newcomers will position themselves, analysts believe the most significant impact stems from Takaichi’s clear dovish signal through these nominations.

The Nikkei newspaper reported, without identifying sources, that Takaichi expressed dissatisfaction with the Bank of Japan’s December rate increase to her associates, worrying about effects on home loan rates and business investment.

Given the substantial political momentum Takaichi gained from her party’s overwhelming election victory earlier this month, analysts suggest the central bank would struggle to implement rate hikes without administration approval.

“Up till now, the Takaichi administration didn’t send clear communication on its view on monetary policy,” observed Takahiro Otsuka, senior fixed income strategist at Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities in Tokyo.

“This nomination is a message it is pursuing a high-pressure economy,” he said, emphasizing efforts to stimulate growth through inflation.

DAMASCUS — Syrian authorities and Druze militia groups completed their first prisoner swap on Thursday since violent sectarian fighting broke out last summer in the southern city of Sweida, according to the Syrian government’s local media office.

Damascus authorities released 61 detained Druze faction members who had been held at Adra Central Prison near the capital, while the Druze National Guard Forces freed 25 Syrian government officials in return, the media office reported.

International Committee of the Red Cross officials oversaw the prisoner exchange operation.

Violent sectarian fighting between Druze militants and Sunni Bedouin tribal groups began in Sweida last July. The conflict escalated when forces from the Islamist-controlled government deployed to the provincial capital to stop the violence in the predominantly Druze region.

Israel, which supports the Druze population, launched airstrikes against President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s administration during the fighting.

Officials declared a complete ceasefire later that month to end the bloodshed, which claimed hundreds of lives over several days of intense combat.

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Authorities in Bangladesh’s capital received judicial orders Thursday to pursue an Interpol red notice targeting a British parliamentarian facing corruption allegations tied to a private property development.

British MP Tulip Siddiq, who represents Hampstead and Highgate in London and previously held a ministerial position, now confronts corruption accusations from Bangladesh’s Anti-corruption Commission related to a real estate matter.

The lawmaker has already received a six-year prison sentence in Bangladesh across three separate corruption proceedings, all connected to her influential relative, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Student-led protests forced Hasina from power in 2024, ending her decade-and-a-half reign, with the former leader fleeing to India on Aug. 5, 2024.

Siddiq has dismissed all accusations against her, calling the court decisions a “complete farce,” while emphasizing her British citizenship rather than Bangladeshi nationality.

According to the commission, Siddiq leveraged her relationship with Hasina to sway the land allocation process for a private developer in Dhaka’s prestigious Gulshan district. The MP is Sheikh Hasina’s niece, being the daughter of Hasina’s sister Sheikh Rehana.

Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Mohammed Sabbir Faiz granted the directive Thursday following a request from the anti-corruption agency.

The judicial decision followed Assistant Director A.K.M. Mortuza Ali Sagar’s application seeking the red notice through Interpol channels to enable Siddiq’s detention.

Siddiq had not responded to the Thursday developments by press time.

Last January, Siddiq stepped down from her role as a minister in Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s administration due to mounting pressure over her connections to Hasina. While stating she had been exonerated of any misconduct, Siddiq left her position as economic secretary to the Treasury, explaining the controversy had become “a distraction from the work of the government.”

Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus assumed interim leadership three days following Hasina’s removal and supervised elections held on Feb. 12. The current administration under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, whose father was Hasina’s primary political opponent and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, has now assumed control.

GENEVA – Ukrainian representatives gathered with American officials Thursday in Geneva to plan for the massive task of rebuilding their war-torn nation, even as peace talks with Russia remain stalled.

The discussions involved US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, son-in-law of President Donald Trump, who met with Ukrainian negotiators around midday. Officials indicated the Ukrainian team would not make public statements following the session.

These reconstruction conversations center on what’s being called a “prosperity package” – a comprehensive funding plan designed to restore Ukraine’s battered economy after years of devastating conflict.

Witkoff and Kushner also scheduled a separate meeting Thursday with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, marking their third round of indirect discussions about Iran’s nuclear activities, with Oman serving as mediator.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy held a phone conversation Wednesday with President Trump, where both leaders agreed that upcoming three-way negotiations with Russia in March should pave the way for a summit between the nations’ top leaders to address the most challenging remaining disputes.

“This is the only way to resolve all the complex and sensitive issues and finally end the war,” Zelenskiy stated following the call, which included participation from both Witkoff and Kushner.

Planning Ukraine’s reconstruction has emerged as a crucial component in broader diplomatic efforts to bring the conflict to a close, as the war marked its fifth anniversary this week.

Ukrainian officials are working to secure approximately $800 billion in combined public and private investment over the coming decade to restore their nation.

A fresh World Bank evaluation released Monday calculated that Ukraine’s economic recovery will require an estimated $588 billion, based on damage assessments from February 24, 2022, through the end of 2025.

American officials continue pushing Ukraine to find pathways toward ending what has become Europe’s largest military conflict since World War Two, though significant gaps remain between Moscow and Kyiv’s positions.

Representatives from Ukraine and Russia participated in US-facilitated discussions last week in Geneva – their third such meeting this year – but achieved no major progress on critical disagreements, particularly regarding territorial control.

Moscow demands that Ukraine surrender the remaining 20 percent of the industrial Donetsk region still under Ukrainian control, while Kyiv refuses to abandon territory that thousands of its citizens have died defending.

COPENHAGEN – A sudden flood of American buyers seeking real estate in Greenland’s capital city last year has accelerated efforts by territorial lawmakers to establish new foreign investment oversight rules, according to officials and sources close to the matter.

During January 2025, coinciding with President Donald Trump’s renewed push for greater influence over Greenland, legal professionals and property agents in Nuuk began fielding numerous inquiries from potential U.S. purchasers, six individuals with knowledge of the situation reported.

Previously, international buyers had demonstrated minimal interest in acquiring property within the community of 20,000 residents.

“The most aggressive ones wanted to buy everything available on the market,” a Nuuk-based lawyer said, requesting anonymity.

ECONOMIC NEEDS VERSUS POLITICAL CONCERNS

Trump’s focus on the Arctic territory has created a challenging situation for Greenland’s legislators, who must weigh their need for investment capital to revitalize a sluggish economy against concerns about U.S. investors who may harbor undisclosed political objectives.

The identity of these potential investors remained unclear, as did any possible connections to Trump’s Greenland initiative. The territory operates as a semi-autonomous region within Denmark’s kingdom.

However, this unexpected surge of interest concerned legislators, who worried that external purchasers might displace local residents from Nuuk’s already constrained housing supply, three sources indicated. By February 2025, Greenland’s administration had strengthened restrictions on international property acquisitions.

This housing market concern contributed to broader efforts to provide officials with mechanisms for examining the sources of incoming investment funds.

INVESTMENT OVERSIGHT LEGISLATION INTRODUCED IN OCTOBER

Foreign investment screening legislation, which had been under development for an extended period and officially presented to parliament in October, was originally designed partly to guard against unwelcome Chinese investment. However, three sources indicated the emphasis had changed following Trump’s renewed Greenland objectives.

“We are very interested in working with American investors, but not in a way where they try to push certain political goals,” MP Aqqalu Jerimiassen from the Atassut party, which belongs to Greenland’s ruling coalition, stated.

Greenland has consistently worked to broaden its economic base, primarily through pursuing mining sector investments. Nevertheless, insufficient infrastructure, including absent roadways linking the territory’s 72 communities, harsh weather conditions, and workforce shortages have hindered efforts to secure substantial international funding.

Denmark has provided additional funding for infrastructure and development programs, while the EU has suggested more than doubling its financial support. Despite these efforts, the Arctic territory’s economy continues to stagnate, with 2025 growth reaching only 0.2% alongside substantial public finance shortfalls.

MANDATORY REVIEW REQUIRED FOR KEY SECTORS

Initially discussed in November, the screening legislation is scheduled for additional debate in April and is anticipated to receive approval that month. The proposal requires international investors to reveal their funding sources and allows officials to deny transactions if investors’ political connections or intentions create concerns.

“If someone is working for Trump, we will find out with this screening law. This is about our own security,” Jerimiassen continued.

The proposed legislation avoids targeting particular nations but encourages collaboration with allies, suggesting American and European investors might encounter reduced scrutiny compared to Chinese counterparts. Nevertheless, it provides Greenland authority to examine foreign investments deemed security threats.

“The purpose of the law is to prevent foreign investments from posing a threat to Greenland’s security or public order,” the proposed legislation declares. Additionally, it aims to strengthen security for “Greenland and its allies, including NATO member states.”

International investments in essential infrastructure, information technology and classified data networks, natural resources and mining operations, hydroelectric power, and government-controlled enterprises would require mandatory review under the proposed regulations.

The legislation applies only to areas under Greenland’s authority and excludes U.S. military operations on the territory, which remain under Danish oversight.

China has stated it has no plans to compete for influence in Greenland.

TERRITORY REMAINS OPEN TO AMERICAN INVESTMENT, OFFICIAL SAYS

Last month, Drew Horn, a former senior official from Trump’s initial presidency, revealed plans for a multi-billion-dollar data center in Greenland – the type of development some legislators believe demonstrates the necessity for more comprehensive screening procedures.

Greenland’s administration reported it has not received applications or official requests regarding the proposal.

Horn, who currently operates an investment and consulting company, informed Reuters the project lacked political connections and expressed no concerns about meeting screening requirements in Greenland.

“Greenland wants American capital, but we fear hidden political motives behind certain U.S. private investors,” one parliamentary member said, speaking anonymously due to the matter’s sensitivity.

Discussions between Greenland and the United States regarding access and presence on the territory continue, with Trump maintaining demands for “total access” to the island.

Business Minister Naaja Nathanielsen informed Reuters the foreign investment screening legislation was not created in response to U.S. interest and that she remains receptive to American investment.

However, if U.S.-Greenland negotiations failed, she noted, “then of course we would need to reevaluate our position. But we are not there yet.”

Greenland’s housing ministry indicated property limitations implemented last year were precautionary measures not connected to specific information but designed to preserve control over Nuuk’s housing supply.

A massive defense partnership worth more than $35 billion has been established between South Korea and the United Arab Emirates following the signing of a formal cooperation agreement, according to a Seoul government official.

Kang Hoon-sik, serving as chief of staff to President Lee Jae Myung, announced the milestone agreement to news media upon his return from the UAE on Thursday. The presidential envoy detailed that the military collaboration will encompass multiple defense sectors including air defense systems, air force operations, and naval capabilities.

The memorandum of understanding represents one of the largest international defense partnerships in recent years, highlighting the growing strategic relationship between the two nations across various military technologies and systems.

Photographic evidence has surfaced confirming that Russia has deployed a controversial nuclear-capable cruise missile in its war against Ukraine – the same weapon that prompted the United States to abandon a crucial nuclear arms control agreement during the Trump administration.

Military analysts examining missile debris fragments obtained by Ukrainian law enforcement agencies have verified Russia’s repeated use of the 9M729 cruise missile system. This marks the first visual confirmation of the weapon’s battlefield deployment.

The missile’s development originally caused President Trump to withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in 2019, a critical nuclear arms control framework from the Cold War era. Trump cited concerns that this ground-launched weapon could travel well beyond the treaty’s 500-kilometer distance restriction.

According to Ukraine’s General Prosecutor’s Office, one 9M729 missile launched by Russian forces on October 5 traveled more than 1,200 kilometers to reach its target.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and intelligence sources report that Moscow fired this missile system twice during 2022, followed by 23 additional launches between August and October of last year. These represent the weapon’s first documented combat applications anywhere in the world.

Law enforcement officials indicate Russia launched at least four more of these missiles at Ukrainian targets on February 17, marking previously unreported attacks. Additional strikes have occurred since October, according to the sources.

Jeffrey Lewis, a Distinguished Scholar of Global Security at Vermont’s Middlebury College, analyzed the debris images and concluded: “The images really do appear to show the 9M729. In addition to the markings, the debris are similar to other cruise missiles that are related to the 9M729.”

Defense intelligence specialists at Janes, a British-based company, determined there was strong probability the wreckage in the 10 photographs originated from the ground-launched 9M729 system.

Ukrainian law enforcement sources indicated the fragments were recovered across western Ukraine, including the Zhytomyr, Lviv, Khmelnytskyi and Vinnytsia regions.

Reuters was unable to independently confirm the exact locations and timing of when these fragment photographs were captured.

Several pieces display identifying marks, including one bearing serial number 0274 and others stamped with “9M729.” A Reuters journalist observed an additional fragment with the 9M729 marking, though Ukrainian officials requested it not be photographed for publication.

Russia’s Defense Ministry declined to provide comment regarding this report.

While Moscow has acknowledged the missile’s existence, Russian officials have disputed claims that it violated the 1987 treaty or possessed the range capabilities alleged by other nations.

The October 5 missile strike hit a residential home in Lapaiivka village near Lviv, killing five civilians. This attack occurred over 1,200 kilometers from the launch point, according to the Ukrainian General Prosecutor’s Office statement.

Ukrainian authorities are investigating the missile’s use across eight different regions throughout the country.

The original INF Treaty specifically prohibited ground-launched missiles exceeding 500 kilometers in range because their mobile launchers are more difficult to detect than aircraft or naval vessels carrying similar weapons, creating enhanced security threats.

Russia has also deployed the Oreshnik twice since November 2024 – a newly developed intermediate-range ballistic missile that would have similarly violated INF Treaty restrictions.

Both the 9M729 and Oreshnik systems can be equipped with either nuclear or conventional warheads, with ranges capable of reaching major European cities.

According to the Missile Threat database maintained by Washington’s Center for Strategic and International Studies, the 9M729 has an operational range of 2,500 kilometers.

Multiple NATO member countries in Europe are now pursuing acquisition or development of their own long-range strike capabilities to address the growing deterrence gap with Russia.

European governments have expressed growing concerns about America’s long-term commitment to continental defense, as Washington has indicated Europeans must assume primary responsibility for conventional military protection.

Last August, Russia announced it would eliminate all restrictions on deployment locations for intermediate-range missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

Russia has launched thousands of drones and missiles against Ukraine since beginning its full-scale invasion nearly four years ago. Recent attacks have specifically targeted power generation and heating infrastructure during what has been Ukraine’s harshest winter of the conflict.

The strategic reasoning behind Russia’s decision to deploy the 9M729 system remains unclear.

Missile analyst Lewis expressed surprise that Russia would risk exposing sensitive military technology by using the nuclear-capable weapon in Ukraine, where military experts can analyze its combat effectiveness and examine recovered fragments.

“Russia may have a relatively small stockpile of sophisticated cruise missiles and so it’s willing to dip into its longer-range stockpile,” Lewis suggested.

NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenyan authorities have captured a suspect believed to be behind a deceptive recruitment operation that promised skilled employment in Russia but instead sent workers to combat zones in Ukraine.

Law enforcement officials detained Festus Omwamba on human trafficking charges in Moyale, a northern border town near Ethiopia. According to police spokesman Michael Muchiri, Omwamba was attempting to flee the country after recently returning from Russia and will be transferred to Nairobi.

Three Kenyan victims who spoke with The Associated Press had previously identified Omwamba as a key figure in the recruitment scheme. He had disappeared from public view once families began demonstrating over missing and deceased relatives involved in the Ukraine conflict.

Last week, Kenya’s government revealed that recruitment operations had ensnared more than 1,000 citizens to serve in Russia’s military forces in Ukraine. Current estimates show 89 Kenyans remain in active combat, 39 are receiving medical treatment, 28 are unaccounted for, while others have managed to return home. Officials have confirmed at least one fatality.

Parliamentary majority leader Kimani Ichung’wah presented an intelligence briefing alleging coordination between Kenyan and Russian government representatives with fraudulent employment agencies to deceive potential recruits.

Russia’s diplomatic mission in Nairobi has rejected these claims, stating Thursday that no visas were granted to individuals planning to participate in the Ukraine conflict. The embassy added: “The Russian Federation does not preclude citizens of foreign countries from voluntarily enlisting in the armed forces.”

Kenya’s Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi announced on February 9 his intention to visit Russia for what he described as a “diplomatic approach to rein in any dubious entities that are taking advantage of anyone in this misadventure.”

Mudavadi confirmed that diplomatic efforts continue to free Kenyans detained in Ukrainian facilities and bring home those currently in Russia.

“You recall that even at the highest level, the president made an appeal that if indeed there are Kenyans who have found themselves on the wrong side of the law, the appeal was made to the Ukrainian government to look at how they can be processed and brought back,” the minister explained.

This arrest represents a significant breakthrough in government efforts to halt the recruitment of Kenyan citizens for the Ukraine war.

John Kamau, a recruit who fled the battlefield and found safety at Kenya’s Russian embassy before being repatriated, told the AP he encountered Omwamba at a Nairobi residence where prospective recruits waited for travel arrangements.

A second recruit, speaking anonymously due to safety concerns, described how Omwamba deliberately avoided written communication, preferring phone calls and face-to-face meetings with potential recruits.

This individual had enrolled believing he would work as a plumber in Russia, but upon arrival, authorities confiscated his passport and sent him to military training before battlefield deployment.

Multiple recruits confirmed that Omwamba managed their tourist visa paperwork and flight bookings, with the entire process from initial contact to departure taking approximately two weeks.

JERUSALEM (AP) — With American military forces building up across the Middle East, the Islamic Republic of Iran confronts the possibility of major military action from the globe’s strongest armed forces, with potential targets including leadership, military installations, nuclear facilities, and essential infrastructure.

Tehran’s military strength pales in comparison to U.S. capabilities and has been further diminished following Israel’s military campaign last year and domestic unrest. However, the nation retains the ability to cause significant harm to American troops and regional partners, particularly if regime survival becomes the primary concern.

Despite substantial losses sustained in June, Israeli intelligence indicates Iran maintains hundreds of missiles with the range to strike Israeli territory. The country possesses an even more extensive collection of shorter-range weaponry capable of reaching American military installations throughout Gulf nations and naval forces, which will soon include a second aircraft carrier group.

Tehran has repeatedly issued warnings about blocking the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial passage for international petroleum commerce, and asserted it achieved partial closure during recent military exercises.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued threats about destroying U.S. naval vessels, while senior government figures have declared that American aggression would trigger broader regional conflict. Iran’s United Nations representative Amir Saeid Iravani stated that “all bases, facilities and assets of the hostile force in the region” would become valid military objectives.

During the 12-day conflict in June, Israeli forces conducted extensive bombardments against Iran’s long-distance missile stockpiles, along with military commanders and nuclear infrastructure. American forces targeted Iran’s primary atomic facilities, with President Donald Trump declaring at that time they had been “obliterated.”

The full scope of destruction and subsequent reconstruction efforts remains unclear. Iranian forces maintained their missile and drone attacks against Israel throughout the hostilities, progressively penetrating the country’s advanced defensive systems.

Danny Citrinowicz, an Iranian affairs specialist at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, noted that Iran’s short-range missile capabilities remained mostly intact. This situation could encourage Iranian retaliation against the tens of thousands of American military personnel stationed in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and other regional locations.

“Iran may be weak. But it still has ways to inflict real pain on the United States — and much more incentive to try than it did before,” Nate Swanson, head of the Atlantic Council’s Iran Strategy Project, wrote in Foreign Affairs. “Iranian officials feel they need to give Trump a bloody nose or they will perpetually be at risk.”

Following the assassination of its leading military commander in 2020, Iran fired missiles at an American installation in Iraq and struck a U.S. facility in Qatar during the final stages of last year’s warfare. These attacks, which seemed deliberately signaled beforehand, resulted in property damage without casualties as warning systems and defensive measures activated successfully.

Tehran could execute operations beyond the immediate region. Intelligence agencies have linked the country to utilizing criminal organizations and militant factions for planning or executing attacks globally, targeting dissidents, Israelis, and Jewish communities.

Israeli military action last year eliminated multiple high-ranking officers and nuclear researchers, exposing significant security weaknesses. Trump previously claimed American intelligence had located Khamenei’s whereabouts, describing him as an “easy target.”

Following the recent apprehension of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, Trump might pursue targeted elimination operations designed to topple Iran’s multi-decade Shiite religious government, which he recently described as something that “would be the best thing that could happen.”

Iranian leadership has spent eight months addressing previous vulnerabilities and strengthening internal protection measures. Citrinowicz suggested contingency arrangements likely exist should Khamenei be eliminated. Instead of designating a single replacement, authority would probably transfer to a small governing body during active conflict.

Analysts believe the death of 86-year-old Khamenei, who has controlled Iran for more than thirty years, would not automatically destroy the Islamic Republic. Leadership might ultimately transfer to a trusted associate, similar to Venezuela’s transition, or to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard forces.

Regional allies express clear anxiety about widespread warfare, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promised severe retaliation for any Iranian assault on Israel.

Arab Gulf nations have historically regarded Iran with suspicion and depended on American protection, yet prefer avoiding military involvement. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, hosting thousands of U.S. service members, have declared they would prohibit use of their airspace.

A Gulf diplomatic source revealed regional leadership maintains communication with both Iran and America to prevent warfare, cautioning about serious ramifications including petroleum price increases. The official requested anonymity when discussing these confidential negotiations.

Iran maintains its own partnerships, including Yemeni Houthi fighters, Iraqi militant organizations, Lebanon’s Hezbollah, and Hamas in Palestinian areas. However, this self-proclaimed Axis of Resistance experienced major defeats during fighting that spread throughout the region following Hamas’s October 2023 Gaza offensive.

Another nearby objective could enable Iran to cause broader economic damage.

Approximately twenty percent of global oil commerce travels through the Strait of Hormuz, located near Iranian coastline. The U.S. Navy maintains commitment to keeping this waterway accessible, but Iranian interference could disrupt commercial activity, similar to the Houthis’ successful Red Sea disruption over the past two years.

Iranian authorities have not directly threatened the strait during current tensions, but military forces achieved partial closure last week during training exercises, demonstrating potential vulnerability during wartime.

Additional vital petroleum infrastructure would fall within striking distance. In 2019, attacks on oil facilities temporarily reduced Saudi Arabia’s output by half. Yemen’s Houthis accepted responsibility, though American officials subsequently attributed blame to Iran.

After initially threatening military response to Iran’s suppression of demonstrators, Trump redirected focus toward the nuclear program, warning that “bad things” would occur without a negotiated agreement. Both parties plan another round of indirect discussions in Geneva on Thursday.

Iran has consistently maintained its atomic program serves peaceful purposes, while America and other nations have long suspected Tehran ultimately intends weapons development. After Trump abandoned a 2015 nuclear accord, Iran accelerated uranium enrichment activities, accumulating stockpiles of near-weapons grade material.

Iran’s largest facilities suffered American and Israeli strikes, causing considerable surface damage. Whether enriched uranium was relocated before attacks or stored underground remains unknown. Iran claims enrichment capabilities have been eliminated since then, while simultaneously preventing inspections.

Iran is still considered far from producing functional nuclear weapons, though radioactive materials could create hazards during extensive military strikes.

Spain’s ambitious plan to provide legal status to at least 500,000 undocumented immigrants is creating overwhelming pressure on government agencies and causing widespread concern among potential applicants, even before the program officially launches, according to union representatives, attorneys, and migrants interviewed by Reuters.

The mass legalization initiative, announced by Spanish officials last month, could face serious obstacles due to insufficient information and government funding, warn two individuals familiar with the program. This latest effort continues Spain’s welcoming immigration approach that economists say has fueled the country’s recent economic growth.

While Spanish authorities have indicated the program will operate from early April through June, they have released minimal details about how people can apply or what paperwork will be needed. The migration ministry’s website stated in January that no extra budget or personnel had been allocated to handle the anticipated flood of applications.

This uncertainty has created stress for both the immigrants hoping to gain legal status and the government workers at immigration facilities already dealing with months of accumulated cases.

“Our offices are completely jammed. If there are no more people, if there is no technological reinforcement, without more money, this is impossible,” said César Pérez, a union leader for Spain’s immigration officers.

Pérez informed Reuters that most of his fellow workers are still processing legal status requests that were filed in June 2025.

Spanish officials released a preliminary outline of the program last month. A confidential draft of the complete decree, dated February 18th and obtained by Reuters, indicated that “a specific, preferential and differentiated procedure” would be created for the legalization period but offered no specifics.

Spain’s ministries of Inclusion, Interior and Territorial Policy did not respond to detailed inquiries from Reuters. A representative from the ministry overseeing migration stated that the final decree remains under development.

‘CHAOS AT LAUNCH’

While other European nations are restricting their borders, Spain’s Socialist administration continues to support immigration, which economic experts say accounts for much of the nation’s rapid economic expansion over the past four years.

Earlier administrations, including conservative-led governments, have implemented several mass amnesty programs in recent decades. The most extensive occurred in 2005, when 570,000 individuals who could demonstrate formal employment contracts received legal status.

There’s a compelling reason for legalization: Spain requires approximately 2.4 million additional people contributing to social security over the coming decade to maintain its welfare system, based on government projections.

However, conflicts with smaller political parties have destroyed the current government’s majority in parliament’s lower chamber. The resulting political gridlock has blocked legislators from approving a budget since 2023 — limiting the government’s capacity to implement its new immigration agenda.

The absence of additional government funding for the 2026 program would represent a significant change from earlier mass legalizations. In 2005, 1,700 workers were brought on and 742 new information centers were created to support the existing system, according to research by scholar Claudia Finotelli.

To address this year’s anticipated shortfall, the government is exploring the possibility of enlisting non-profit organizations and labor unions to assist with processing applications, according to four sources knowledgeable about the situation.

Another possibility being discussed involves extending immigration offices’ operating hours, according to Perez, the union representative.

However, neither solution has been officially implemented, leaving administrators skeptical about whether the program will begin as scheduled.

“The government is optimistic, but coordinating everyone will not be easy. We can expect chaos at launch,” said a person involved in the migration ministry’s discussions.

DESPERATE MIGRANTS IN LIMBO

Immigrants have also been left in uncertainty.

They are lining up at immigration facilities seeking information about the program that staff members cannot yet provide, according to police and civil service unions.

Spanish officials have stated that immigrants with clean criminal backgrounds who have lived in Spain for five consecutive months or filed asylum claims before the end of 2025 may be eligible. However, they have not clarified what documentation will serve as acceptable evidence.

“It’s still not clear what requirements we’ll have to meet. I’m afraid they will ask for something I can’t provide,” said Iris Rocha, a 37-year-old Peruvian mother of two. She spoke to Reuters following a presentation by a local immigration-focused nonprofit organization in Barcelona, often the only resource available to migrants seeking more information.

Rocha, who stated she escaped Peru with her daughters in 2023 following life-threatening domestic violence, lost her temporary work authorization last year after her asylum request was rejected.

She explained that she requires legal documentation to find employment again.

“I would get my life back. Until then I have to survive,” Rocha said.

Spain’s immigration minister Elma Saiz informed reporters in January that applicants could work legally once they receive notification that their application is under review, which she said would occur within 15 days of submitting required documents.

Specialists remain doubtful, citing persistent delays in the immigration system. Spanish research institution Funcas reports that migrants currently spend an average of two to three years trying to obtain legal status, with roughly 840,000 undocumented immigrants working illegally while navigating the process.

“People become undocumented not because they don’t want to register, but because they can’t,” said Gabriela Domingo, a lawyer at migration consultancy Legalizados.

Some worried migrants are already paying middlemen to reserve April appointments at immigration offices, according to three attorneys.

This practice violates the law, and the government admitted in November 2025 that it resulted from a lack of available appointment times.

“People are selling appointments even though the start date is only a rumour, which shows the fear this process has instilled in migrants,” said Pilar Rodriguez, a lawyer for migrants advocacy organisation Aculco.

Russian officials expressed concerns Thursday about potential conflicts between President Donald Trump’s newly established Board of Peace and the United Nations Security Council, which has been the primary international peacekeeping body since World War II ended.

Trump initially introduced the peace board concept in September as part of his strategy to resolve the conflict between Israel and Gaza. He later broadened the board’s scope to address international conflicts worldwide, roles typically handled by UN mechanisms.

Among the UN Security Council’s five permanent members—the United States, Russia, China, Britain, and France—only America has participated in Trump’s new board.

Kirill Logvinov, who heads the Russian foreign ministry’s international organizations department, shared his concerns with the state news agency TASS, stating: “The charter of the Board of Peace defines itself as a new international structure designed to replace ‘mechanisms that have too often proved ineffective.’”

Logvinov noted that the board’s official mandate makes no reference to Gaza despite its origins in addressing that conflict.

“It is clear that this approach raises questions about how the Board of Peace will coexist with the United Nations and its Security Council, which is the only universally recognised body for maintaining international peace and security,” he explained.

The Russian official also highlighted that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has not received invitations to any board meetings thus far.

According to its charter, the board commits to conducting “peace-building functions in accordance with international law.”

Trump serves as the board’s chairman and holds significant executive authority, including veto power over decisions and the ability to dismiss members, though some limitations apply.

The UN Security Council has maintained primary responsibility for global peace and security since its inaugural meeting in London in 1946, though it now operates from New York headquarters.

MOSCOW – The Kremlin accused Washington of deliberately provoking conflict after a deadly maritime confrontation near Cuba left four people dead on Wednesday, according to Russia’s state media outlet TASS.

The fatal encounter occurred when a speedboat registered in Florida entered Cuban territorial waters and engaged in gunfire with Cuban patrol vessels. Cuban military forces responded by opening fire, killing four Cuban exiles aboard the vessel and injuring six others during the Wednesday incident.

Maria Zakharova, who serves as Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, characterized the maritime clash as intentional American aggression designed to increase regional tensions.

“This is an aggressive provocation by the United States aimed at escalating the situation and detonating a conflict,” Zakharova stated, as reported by the Russian news agency.

The deadly confrontation comes during a period of increased strain between Washington and Havana, adding another layer of complexity to already tense U.S.-Cuba relations.

KYIV – Ukrainian officials reported that Russian forces conducted a widespread aerial bombardment during the overnight hours, leaving approximately 20 people wounded across the nation’s eastern and southern territories, according to local government statements released Thursday.

The assault involved both ballistic and cruise missile strikes targeting the capital city of Kyiv along with surrounding areas and the eastern city of Kharkiv, while unmanned aircraft struck the southern city of Zaporizhzhia.

Ukrainian officials have not yet revealed the total count of projectiles launched during the nighttime bombardment or identified the primary objectives of the strikes.

Over the past several months, Russian forces have concentrated their aerial campaigns on Ukraine’s electrical grid infrastructure, systematically destroying generating facilities and distribution networks, leaving vast areas without power for extended periods.

Kharkiv region sustained the heaviest casualties with at least 14 wounded civilians, including a child aged seven, according to regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov’s statement on the Telegram messaging platform. He reported that the city endured strikes from two missiles and 17 unmanned aircraft.

In Zaporizhzhia, Governor Ivan Fedorov confirmed that no fewer than seven residents suffered injuries during the nighttime bombardment. The drone strikes caused structural damage to 19 residential apartment complexes, while an additional 500 households lost heating services due to infrastructure destruction.

Fedorov shared images showing residential structures with gaping holes in exterior walls, completely destroyed private residences, and damaged commercial establishments.

Officials in Ukraine’s capital reported that multiple structures across three city districts sustained damage from debris created when air defense systems intercepted incoming missiles and drones.

Chinese military forces have been operating surveillance drones over the South China Sea while broadcasting deceptive identification signals, according to new analysis of flight tracking data reported by Reuters.

The large military drone has been conducting routine missions in recent months while transmitting fraudulent transponder codes that disguised it as various other aircraft, including a sanctioned cargo plane from Belarus and a British Typhoon fighter jet.

Defense experts and military officials analyzing these operations believe the flights mark a significant escalation in China’s gray-zone military tactics in the disputed waters and may represent preparation for potential invasion scenarios involving Taiwan.

Flight tracking data reveals that since August, no fewer than 23 missions have been recorded using the call sign YILO4200, identified as a Chinese military drone with extended flight capabilities. However, the aircraft broadcast registration codes belonging to completely different planes during these operations.

The drone’s typical flight routes originate from China’s Hainan province and head eastward toward the Philippines, passing near the contested Paracel Islands and along Vietnam’s coastline.

This represents the first comprehensive reporting on the scope and sophistication of these deceptive operations.

According to regional diplomatic sources, intelligence specialists, and security researchers who have examined the flight information, these missions demonstrate a new level of complexity in China’s expanding military presence throughout the South China Sea and around Taiwan. The operations involve real-time deployment of electronic warfare and deception techniques as China’s military works to enhance combat readiness.

While such masking techniques may not completely fool air traffic control systems or advanced military radar, they could create costly delays and confusion during actual conflict, hide sensitive intelligence gathering, or serve propaganda purposes, according to diplomatic and intelligence sources.

Ben Lewis, who founded the open-source intelligence platform PLATracker, said the operations were unprecedented.

“We’ve not seen anything like this before,” Lewis stated. “It’s … a kind of deception trial being carried out in real time using aircraft that are not exactly low profile. It does not appear to be at all accidental.”

China’s defense ministry has not responded to inquiries about these flights or their intended purpose.

The flights have primarily appeared on flight tracking systems as an Ilyushin-62 cargo aircraft operated by Belarus-based Rada Airlines, though they have also masqueraded as a Royal Air Force Typhoon, a North Korean Il-62 passenger aircraft, and an unidentified Gulfstream business jet.

Since mid-December, the drone designated YILO4200 has also conducted several missions in northwestern China, most recently on February 15 when it transmitted signals identifying it as an anonymous Pilatus PC-12 turboprop passenger plane.

Aircraft identification codes originate from a specialized 24-bit address system managed by the International Civil Aviation Authority. These numbers, transmitted through transponder systems, help determine an aircraft’s location, heading, and velocity.

Though each aircraft receives a unique address, these codes are publicly available, and aviation experts confirm that reprogramming a transponder to broadcast a different registration number is technically feasible.

The U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Rada Airlines in August 2024 for transporting cargo to and from Africa that included Wagner Group personnel connected to Russian military operations, as well as involvement in illegal wildlife trafficking.

Flight data shows the actual Belarusian Il-62 aircraft remained active during this period using its legitimate call sign and was even airborne simultaneously with the Chinese drone that was impersonating it.

Rada Airlines has not responded to requests for comment, and Britain’s defense ministry declined to provide statements on the matter.

An International Civil Aviation Organization representative said the organization does not comment on issues or speculation regarding specific member nations.

Operating from Qionghai Boao International Airport in Hainan, the aircraft typically remained airborne for extended periods, flying distinctive star-shaped or hourglass patterns over identical areas repeatedly.

These flight characteristics match those commonly associated with large military drones conducting surveillance missions and covered strategically important sections of the South China Sea, including waters frequently used by submarines, according to intelligence analysts reviewing the data.

Chinese military forces typically operate their drones in “dark” mode, transmitting neither call signs nor registration identifiers.

Two missions among the 23 examined were particularly noteworthy: During one flight spanning August 5-6, the drone initially broadcast the RAF Typhoon’s identification code, then switched between three different aircraft signals over approximately 20 minutes before finally landing while transmitting the Rada Airlines identifier.

In another instance on November 18, the drone operated while impersonating the Belarusian aircraft at the same time the genuine Rada Il-62 departed from near Belarus bound for Tehran.

Alexander Neill, a Singapore-based security analyst, described the Hainan operations as representing a novel approach within China’s digital warfare capabilities designed to “muddy the waters” if regional tensions escalate into armed conflict.

“They don’t appear to be exercises as much as the kind of action the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command has described as rehearsals for a confrontation – anything the Chinese can do to sow confusion in the minds of their rivals is to their advantage,” Neill explained. Neill serves as a fellow at Hawaii’s Pacific Forum.

“The U.S. and its allies know that given the realities of highly automated conventional conflict, even milliseconds count along the kill chain of escalation.”

The Pentagon has not responded to requests for comment regarding the Chinese drone operations.

Lewis and three additional open-source intelligence analysts identified the YILO4200 call sign as belonging to an extended-range Wing Loong 2 unmanned aircraft, comparable to the U.S. Reaper drone with a 67-foot wingspan.

The Wing Loong primarily serves surveillance functions but can be configured for additional roles including command and control operations, precision missile attacks, and anti-submarine warfare.

State-connected Chengdu Aircraft Corporation, an AVIC subsidiary, manufactures the aircraft but declined to comment on the matter.

Flight tracking specialist Amelia Smith originally linked the Wing Loong 2 to the call sign through analysis of flight data, official press reports, and government announcements.

Lewis, Smith, and other intelligence analysts said it remains unclear which Chinese agency operates the aircraft from Boao Airport, which serves both commercial and military purposes.

Satellite imagery from July, September, and January obtained show large drones positioned on the airport’s tarmac alongside support facilities in a section currently undergoing expansion.

Ian Petchenik, communications director for Flightradar24, confirmed the tracking service had observed the Hainan flights and had not encountered similar activity previously, apart from apparent accidental miscoding, nonexistent addresses, or data corruption.

“Based on the flight patterns and the kind of usage of these 24-bit addresses, it doesn’t seem like it is a mistake in the programming of the transponders,” Petchenik stated.

It could not be determined whether the flights follow pre-programmed routes or receive ground-based control.

The flight paths traverse areas of significant naval activity, including waters south of Hainan near Chinese submarine installations and eastward toward the Bashi Channel between Taiwan and the Philippines – a critical passage point for China’s navy to reach the Pacific Ocean.

Security analyst Neill suggested the route patterns indicate preparation for operations over Taiwan.

When the 23 flight paths are mapped over Taiwan, they pass numerous military locations of strategic importance, concentrated around Taipei while also extending along the island’s southern coast. The eastward trajectories bring the aircraft near Japanese and U.S. military installations in Okinawa and other Ryukyu chain islands.

“It is a compelling image – extensive rehearsals across the South China Sea to be deployed over Taiwan’s key points,” Neill observed.

GENEVA (AP) — Iranian and American diplomats gathered Thursday in Geneva for nuclear discussions that many view as diplomacy’s final opportunity, as Washington has positioned naval vessels and military aircraft throughout the Middle East to apply pressure on Tehran for an agreement.

President Donald Trump seeks an agreement that would limit Iran’s nuclear capabilities, believing this moment presents an opening while Tehran faces domestic turmoil from widespread protests that occurred last month. Iran continues to assert its right to uranium enrichment, despite its nuclear infrastructure suffering significant damage after Trump authorized strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities in June.

Should American military action occur, Iran has declared that all U.S. military installations across the Middle East would become legitimate targets, potentially endangering tens of thousands of American troops. Tehran has also issued threats against Israel following an intense 12-day conflict last year, raising concerns about another regional war erupting throughout the Middle East.

“There would be no victory for anybody — it would be a devastating war,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told India Today in an interview recorded Wednesday before his departure to Geneva.

“Since the Americans’ bases are scattered through different places in the region, then unfortunately perhaps the whole region would be engaged and be involved, so it is a very terrible scenario.”

Araghchi will once again negotiate with Steve Witkoff, a wealthy real estate mogul and Trump associate who functions as the president’s special Middle East representative. These two officials conducted several negotiating sessions last year that broke down after Israel initiated its military campaign against Iran in June. Oman, the sultanate positioned on the Arabian Peninsula’s eastern border that has historically facilitated communication between Iran and Western nations, is once again mediating these current discussions.

Trump is now demanding that Iran completely stop uranium enrichment activities, while also addressing Tehran’s ballistic missile development and its backing of regional militant organizations. Iran insists the negotiations must concentrate exclusively on nuclear matters.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio informed reporters Wednesday that Iran is “always trying to rebuild elements” of its nuclear program. He stated that Tehran currently isn’t enriching uranium, “but they’re trying to get to the point where they ultimately can.”

Iran claims it hasn’t conducted enrichment since June, yet has prevented International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors from accessing the facilities targeted in American bombings. Satellite imagery examined by The Associated Press has revealed ongoing activity at two of these locations, indicating Iran may be evaluating and possibly recovering materials from these sites.

Western nations and the IAEA maintain that Iran operated a nuclear weapons program until 2003. Prior to the June military action, Tehran had been enriching uranium to 60% purity levels — requiring only minor technical advancement to reach weapons-grade concentrations of 90%.

American intelligence services conclude that Iran hasn’t restarted a weapons program but has “undertaken activities that better position it to produce a nuclear device, if it chooses to do so.” Despite claiming their program serves peaceful purposes, Iranian leadership has made threats about pursuing nuclear weapons in recent years.

“The principle’s very simple: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” Vice President JD Vance told reporters at the White House Wednesday.

Vance explained that Trump is “sending those negotiators to try to address that problem” and “wants to address that problem diplomatically.”

“But, of course, the president has other options as well,” Vance added.

Should these negotiations collapse, questions remain about when any potential military action might occur.

If military strikes aim to force Iranian concessions in nuclear talks, it remains unclear whether limited attacks would achieve this goal. If the objective involves removing Iran’s government, this would likely require America to commit to an extensive, prolonged military operation. No public evidence exists of planning for subsequent steps, including potential chaos within Iran.

Questions also surround how military action might affect the broader region. Tehran could strike back against Persian Gulf nations allied with America or target Israel. Oil prices have climbed recently partly due to these worries, with benchmark Brent crude reaching approximately $70 per barrel. During previous negotiations, Iran reported briefly stopping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf through which one-fifth of global oil trade passes.

Satellite photographs taken Tuesday by Planet Labs PBC and reviewed by The Associated Press seemed to indicate that American naval vessels normally stationed in Bahrain, headquarters of the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, had all deployed to sea. The 5th Fleet directed inquiries to U.S. Central Command, which refused to provide comment. Before Iran’s attack on Qatar in June, the 5th Fleet similarly dispersed its ships to sea as protection against possible assault.

PARIS – French President Emmanuel Macron plans to present his country’s updated nuclear strategy Monday, rejecting the idea of shared European nuclear control while explaining what France might provide to allies concerned about America’s nuclear protection under President Donald Trump.

While both France and Britain possess nuclear weapons, most European nations depend heavily on the United States for protection against potential threats — a cornerstone of transatlantic security for decades.

However, Trump’s closer ties with Russia regarding the Ukraine conflict and his tougher stance toward traditional partners — including threats to take control of Greenland, which belongs to NATO member Denmark — have unsettled European leaders.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced in Munich earlier this month that Berlin had begun talks with France about creating a European nuclear deterrent. Macron described this as needing a “holistic approach of defence and security.”

Several other nations, including Nordic countries traditionally supportive of the US, have carefully shown interest in such discussions.

DOUBTS ABOUT FRANCE’S REACH

Behind closed doors, European officials wonder whether France’s nuclear arsenal can adequately defend the entire continent. Their concerns involve sharing costs, determining who would make launch decisions, and whether emphasizing nuclear weapons might reduce crucial investments in conventional military forces.

France allocates approximately 5.6 billion euros ($6.04 billion) annually to maintain its collection of 290 nuclear weapons launched from submarines and aircraft — ranking fourth globally in arsenal size.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte told the European Parliament in January: “For Europe, if you really want to go it alone… you have to build up your own nuclear capability. That costs billions and billions of euros.”

“You would lose the ultimate guarantor of our freedom, which is the U.S. nuclear umbrella,” he added.

Expert analysis indicates the US maintains roughly 100 nuclear weapons across Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey as part of NATO’s deterrent strategy.

During wartime, these non-nuclear nations’ air forces would deploy the American weapons under what’s called “nuclear sharing” policy.

US Undersecretary of Defence Elbridge Colby assured allies in Brussels this month that Washington will maintain its nuclear protection for Europe, despite investing over a trillion dollars in upgrading its own weapons systems.

French leadership emphasizes Paris doesn’t aim to replace American protection or challenge NATO’s role.

Etienne Marcuz from the FRS research institute explained in a recent analysis: “While U.S. nuclear forces’ primary mission is to target adversary nuclear arsenals, their French and British counterparts aim to inflict unacceptable damage on the political, military, and economic centres of potential adversaries.”

“This doctrine requires far fewer warheads to be credible,” he noted.

CLARIFYING FRANCE’S APPROACH

French authorities want Europeans to better grasp what France’s nuclear policy can and cannot deliver. However, Paris insists that financing its deterrent remains exclusively French to maintain complete national authority.

A fundamental aspect of France’s position involves “strategic ambiguity” about when nuclear weapons might be deployed and where French essential interests align with broader European security.

This lack of clarity troubles some partners.

“We first want to see what France has to offer… It’s not about having deterrence. It’s about how credible it is,” stated a senior eastern European diplomat.

Any expanded French nuclear role would require Europe to create long-range strike missiles exceeding 2,000 kilometers — technology currently unavailable.

Creating tactical nuclear weapons for battlefield use, rather than strategic weapons for long-distance strikes, appears even more unlikely.

Officials believe such development would raise serious concerns under nuclear non-proliferation agreements that European governments have long supported.

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told Brussels reporters this month: “We understand where these discussions are coming from. They’re stemming from the fact that our transatlantic alliance is not what it used to be.”

“My personal view is that, you know, if we have more nuclear weapons all around the world, I don’t think we’re going to be in a more peaceful world,” she said.

MACRON’S NUCLEAR STRATEGY UPDATE

At France’s nuclear submarine facility in Brittany, Macron will present his traditional once-per-presidency nuclear doctrine briefing.

France’s approach seeks to maintain a small but effective arsenal capable of inflicting damage significant enough to prevent any initial attack.

“Just discussing alternatives is sending a message to Moscow,” observed a senior European official.

French officials provided no advance details about Macron’s address but noted the strategic environment has changed dramatically since his previous speech in 2020, pointing to Russia’s expanding arsenal and heightened nuclear threats following its 2022 Ukraine invasion.

France has consistently stated its essential interests include a European component. In 2020, Macron extended invitations to partners for strategic consultations — an offer that received limited interest then.

Officials confirmed one principle remains constant: only France’s president can authorize nuclear weapons use.

“It is the case and will remain so,” a French presidential adviser confirmed.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A new Truth and Reconciliation Commission has begun operations in South Korea, with investigators focusing heavily on fraudulent practices that plagued the country’s international adoption system for decades.

This marks the third such commission in South Korea’s history, which started accepting cases on Thursday. The previous commission concluded its work in November, leaving over 2,100 complaints without resolution.

The newly formed panel will take on these outstanding cases, including 311 submissions from Korean adoptees living in Western nations. These cases were either postponed or given incomplete reviews when the second commission ended its groundbreaking adoption investigation in April of last year, after internal disagreements arose about which cases deserved recognition as problematic.

Adoption advocacy groups report significantly greater interest from adoptees this time around, with hundreds already requesting investigations. Many of these requests come from the United States, a group that was underrepresented in the prior inquiry despite American families being the primary recipients of Korean children throughout the past seventy years.

However, former investigators from the earlier commission warn that actual investigations may not begin for several months, potentially stretching into May or June. The government has not yet named a chairperson for the commission, which lacks organized investigative teams and will initially operate under civil servants responsible for receiving and cataloging cases.

The current commission operates under expanded authority granted by legislation passed in January, allowing it to examine additional government-linked human rights violations. These include civilian deaths during the Korean War period from 1950-53, suppression under military rule from the 1960s through 1980s, and long-term mistreatment of individuals in welfare institutions.

During its peak years, South Korea facilitated the placement of thousands of children annually with Western families, beginning in the 1970s and continuing into the early 2000s. The 1980s saw the highest numbers, averaging over 6,000 children per year. At that time, the nation operated under military leadership that viewed population expansion as detrimental to economic objectives, using international adoptions as a method to decrease domestic welfare obligations. This practice contributed to creating what may be the world’s largest population of international adoptees.

The previous adoption investigation was suspended in 2025 after nearly three years of case reviews spanning Europe, the United States, and Australia. During this period, the second commission validated human rights violations in only 56 out of 367 adoptee complaints.

Despite the limited number of confirmed cases, the commission produced an important preliminary report establishing government accountability for an international adoption system characterized by fraudulent practices and abuse. The report concluded that the program was motivated by cost-cutting measures and executed by private organizations that frequently falsified children’s histories and backgrounds.

This report contradicted the long-held belief in both South Korea and receiving Western countries that adoptions were primarily humanitarian efforts. The findings supported earlier investigative work conducted by The Associated Press.

The AP’s investigations, conducted in partnership with Frontline (PBS), utilized thousands of documents and numerous interviews to demonstrate how South Korean officials, Western governments, and adoption agencies collaborated to place approximately 200,000 Korean children with overseas families, despite ongoing evidence of corrupt and illegal procurement methods.

A Hong Kong court has imprisoned the 69-year-old father of a Washington-based democracy advocate for eight months after he attempted to access money from his daughter’s insurance plan, marking the first prosecution of a family member under Hong Kong’s domestic national security legislation.

Kwok Yin-sang was convicted earlier this month under the 2024 security statute, known locally as Article 23 legislation, for trying to handle financial assets of an “absconder.” His daughter, Anna Kwok, serves as executive director of the Washington-based Hong Kong Democracy Council and condemned her father’s conviction as “transnational repression.”

Hong Kong police have placed a bounty of 1 million Hong Kong dollars (approximately $127,900) on the younger Kwok’s capture and prohibited anyone from managing her financial assets. She is one of 34 individuals facing police rewards as part of what observers describe as a broader suppression of dissent following the large-scale anti-government demonstrations in 2019.

Officials claim she has called for foreign sanctions and blockades while conducting hostile activities against China and Hong Kong through meetings with international politicians and government representatives.

Following the ruling, Anna Kwok stated “my father was convicted simply for being my father,” describing his charges as based on “incoherent fiction.”

The elder Kwok had purchased the insurance plan for his daughter during her early childhood, with ownership transferring to her at age 18. This year, the father attempted to cancel the policy and retrieve approximately $11,000 in funds, according to court proceedings. He was taken into custody the same year on allegations of attempting to manage an “absconder’s” assets.

Acting principal magistrate Cheng Lim-chi delivered Thursday’s sentence. Kwok’s defense attorney had requested a 14-day jail term, contending that no proof existed showing his client planned to transfer the funds to his daughter.

While Kwok’s offense could have resulted in up to seven years imprisonment, his case was processed through magistrates’ courts, which typically impose sentences not exceeding two years.

Law enforcement has similarly issued rewards for other Hong Kong activists living abroad, including former pro-democracy legislators Nathan Law and Ted Hui. Both U.S. and U.K. governments have criticized these bounty programs.

In 2025, Washington imposed sanctions on six Chinese and Hong Kong officials it accused of participating in “transnational repression” and actions threatening the city’s autonomy. Beijing responded weeks later by announcing sanctions against U.S. officials, legislators, and NGO leaders it claimed have “performed poorly” regarding Hong Kong matters.

Both Hong Kong and Chinese authorities maintain that the 2024 legislation and a Beijing-implemented national security law from 2020 were essential for maintaining the city’s stability.

In Nepal’s capital city of Kathmandu, 21-year-old Rahul Pariyar practices attaching his safety harness to climbing ropes at a job preparation facility. These fundamental techniques will serve him well when he begins painting buildings and cleaning skyscrapers in the United Arab Emirates.

“I am not happy to leave my family back and go for work in a foreign country. But what to do?” Pariyar said while wearing his bright yellow safety helmet. He noted that workers in Dubai typically earn approximately four times the wages available in Nepal.

The mountainous country, situated between China and India, faces elections on March 5. These elections came about after unprecedented demonstrations led by young citizens who demanded change due to limited employment opportunities and widespread government corruption, ultimately forcing the elected leader to step down.

However, Pariyar expressed little interest in the political process, stating: “I am not interested in the upcoming elections. It does not pay my wages.”

According to World Bank statistics, Nepal’s jobless rate among young people stands at 20.6%, making it the worst performer across all South and Southeast Asian countries. This figure highlights how multiple administrations have failed to address the employment shortage.

Industry representatives report that approximately three million of Nepal’s 30 million citizens currently work in other countries, particularly in Middle Eastern nations. Many of these workers participated in last September’s uprising.

Data from the Rastriya Shramik Mahasangh Nepal (RSMN), a nationwide labor union organization, shows roughly 1,500 young Nepalis depart daily to find work abroad.

Mahesh Raj Dahal, who works at Motherland Overseas recruitment company where Pariyar receives training, observed: “Over the past six months the number of people going for work abroad has increased.”

“This is because of the political instability, lack of jobs in Nepal and low wages for workers,” Dahal explained.

This mass departure has devastated rural communities throughout Nepal’s remote areas, leaving behind primarily children and elderly residents while most working-age adults have migrated elsewhere.

During their campaigns, Nepal’s major political organizations pledge to address the worker outflow that started when the nation opened its economy in 1991, allowing private employment agencies to establish operations.

The migration surge intensified during subsequent years as Maoist rebels gained control over rural regions.

The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), considered the leading contender due to prime ministerial candidate Balendra Shah’s popularity, has committed to establishing 1.2 million employment opportunities to decrease involuntary migration.

Meanwhile, the Nepali Congress, the nation’s most established political organization, claims it will produce 1.5 million jobs and cut worker emigration in half over the coming five years.

Yet widespread doubt exists about their ability to fulfill these commitments. Many young people hold Nepal’s political organizations responsible for insufficient development and employment, criticizing parties that have contributed to decades of uncertainty through constantly changing alliances and frequent elections.

Economist Keshav Acharya, formerly employed at Nepal’s central bank, explained: “Nepal was always an agricultural economy, and it directly shifted to the service sector. The politicians here bypassed the manufacturing sector, which created this crisis of jobs.”

“They come and make promises, but they hardly act on it,” Acharya added.

Multiple structural obstacles have hindered Nepal’s industrial development, including unstable policies, insufficient infrastructure, poor governance, and workforce skill gaps.

A World Bank analysis from last year stated: “The manufacturing sector, historically an engine of growth in other developing countries, has been on a constant decline.”

The report continued: “Increasing remittances have also not translated into significant job creation or higher productivity in key sectors.”

During the fiscal period ending July 15, 2024, overseas Nepali workers transferred 1.44 trillion rupees ($9.93 billion) back home, representing a 16.5% increase from the prior year and accounting for nearly 25% of Nepal’s total economic output, according to central bank records.

While Nepal’s service industries comprise more than half of its $42 billion economy, farming continues to provide employment for over 60% of workers in a country where approximately one-fifth of residents survive on less than $2 daily.

Astha Bhatta from Kathmandu’s Institute for Integrated Development Studies noted: “Even where people are counted as employed, a bigger problem is under-employment – wages that are not enough to sustain a decent living.”

“That gap between effort and earnings is a major reason why many people try to leave the country,” Bhatta said.

At Kathmandu’s primary international airport, 31-year-old Ramesh Bahadur B.K. Nimaile prepared for his departure to Romania for employment. As the oldest among six children, Nimaile supports his entire family and previously spent two years working construction in Dubai before returning due to harsh working conditions.

“Will this election give me a job? No, right? Inflation is soaring, everything is expensive,” he stated.

“I carry a family debt of over 2.5 million rupees ($17,200). What option do I really have except to migrate for work?” Nimaile asked.

HONG KONG – A Hong Kong judge handed down an eight-month prison term Thursday to a 69-year-old man whose daughter is a prominent democracy activist now living in the United States.

Kwok Yin-sang was convicted of violating Hong Kong’s national security law when he tried to cancel his daughter’s insurance policy and access the money. The court found him guilty earlier this month of “attempting to deal with, directly or indirectly, any funds or other financial assets or economic resources” that belonged to someone considered an “absconder” under local security laws.

This marks the first time anyone has been charged and found guilty of this particular violation. Kwok had entered a not guilty plea and chose not to take the stand during his trial.

His daughter, Anna Kwok, currently serves in a leadership role with the Hong Kong Democracy Council, an advocacy organization based in Washington. She is among 34 overseas activists that Hong Kong national security authorities are seeking to arrest.

Authorities have accused Anna Kwok of working with foreign powers against Hong Kong’s interests, and law enforcement has put up a reward of HK$1 million, equivalent to about $128,000, for information leading to her capture.

HONG KONG — Former media owner and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai scored an uncommon legal win Thursday when a Hong Kong appeals court reversed his fraud convictions, though the 78-year-old will remain behind bars serving a separate 20-year sentence.

Lai, who established the shuttered Apple Daily newspaper and has been a vocal opponent of China’s Communist leadership, received the two-decade prison term just weeks ago following his conviction under Beijing’s national security legislation.

His arrest occurred over five years ago as part of extensive government efforts to silence Hong Kong’s democracy movement leaders. International observers have condemned his treatment as an attack on press freedom, while local officials maintain his prosecution was unrelated to journalism.

Thursday’s overturned conviction stemmed from allegations that Lai’s consulting company improperly used office space leased by his media operations for publishing and printing activities.

In 2022, Lai received a sentence of five years and nine months after a court found him guilty on two fraud counts.

The original judge determined that Lai and co-defendant Wong Wai-keung had hidden the consulting firm’s use of the space, violating their lease terms. The judge stated Lai had used his news organization as cover and imposed a 2 million Hong Kong dollar fine ($257,000).

However, appellate judges determined prosecutors failed to demonstrate beyond reasonable doubt that the defendants made misleading statements, resulting in both convictions being dismissed.

Both defendants were absent from Thursday’s proceedings.

The decision may marginally reduce Lai’s overall prison time. Judges in his national security case permitted concurrent serving of sentences for only two years, with the remaining 18 years to follow completion of the fraud sentence.

The extended imprisonment has sparked worries that Lai may die in custody.

Lai’s family members have expressed optimism that President Donald Trump’s upcoming visit to Beijing might help secure their father’s freedom. Lai holds British citizenship. The White House has announced Trump will visit China from March 31 through April 2 to meet with President Xi Jinping.

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has stated that Lai was punished for exercising free speech rights and has urged Hong Kong officials to release him for humanitarian reasons.

Both Chinese and Hong Kong leadership have justified Lai’s national security conviction, claiming it demonstrates proper legal procedures. They maintain the security legislation is essential for maintaining regional stability.

A Hong Kong appeals court has reversed the fraud conviction of imprisoned pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai, throwing out his nearly six-year prison sentence in a Thursday ruling.

Three appellate judges – Jeremy Poon, Anthea Pang, and Derek Pang – granted Lai’s appeal request along with that of a co-defendant in the case.

In their written decision, the justices stated: “The Court of Appeal gave them leave to appeal against their conviction, allowed their appeals, quashed the convictions and set aside the sentences.”

The media tycoon had received a sentence of five years and nine months behind bars in December 2022 after a lower court determined he violated lease agreements for Apple Daily’s office space. The court found Lai guilty of hiding the operations of a private firm called Dico Consultants Ltd within the newspaper’s building.

A second Next Digital company executive, 61-year-old Wong Wai-keung, had also been convicted on fraud charges and received a 21-month prison term.

The Treasury Department announced Wednesday that it will permit companies to seek authorization for reselling Venezuelan oil to Cuba, a policy change that could help address the Caribbean island’s severe fuel shortage crisis.

Cuba’s energy situation has deteriorated significantly since Washington assumed oversight of Venezuela’s oil exports in early January following the detention of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The halt in Venezuelan shipments has intensified Cuba’s energy emergency, affecting electricity production and fuel availability for transportation, residential use, and aviation.

For over two and a half decades, Venezuela served as Cuba’s primary source of crude oil and refined fuel through a partnership agreement that largely involved trading goods and services rather than cash payments. Mexico, which had stepped in as an alternative fuel supplier, has also stopped deliveries to Cuba since a shipment reached Havana in January, shipping records indicate.

Major international trading companies like Vitol and Trafigura manage most of Venezuela’s petroleum exports, shipping millions of barrels to destinations including the United States, Europe, and India, while storing additional supplies at Caribbean facilities for future sales.

President Donald Trump has stated that Venezuela’s partners who previously received oil through exchange agreements, debt settlements, and similar arrangements must now purchase shipments at current market rates. This requirement affects countries including China and Cuba.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio traveled to the Caribbean Wednesday to meet with regional officials who have expressed concerns that Cuba’s worsening humanitarian situation could create regional instability.

Despite this new authorization process, questions remain about Cuba’s ability to purchase oil without preferential payment terms. Given Cuba’s recent difficulties affording fuel on international markets, any purchases from traders would likely require standard business conditions including financial guarantees and immediate payment.

The Treasury Department’s new guidelines specify that approved transactions must “support the Cuban people, including the private sector,” covering commercial and humanitarian exports to Cuba. However, deals involving or benefiting Cuba’s military or other government agencies would not qualify for approval.

The Bureau of Industry and Security had earlier issued guidance permitting exports and re-exports of American gas and petroleum products to qualifying Cuban private sector businesses.

While Cuba’s government maintains control over fuel distribution and electrical power through state-owned enterprises, fuel users also include private airlines and other commercial entities.

Treasury officials noted that license applicants don’t require an existing U.S. business presence, and restrictions from a January license for general Venezuelan oil exports wouldn’t apply to Cuban transactions.

American pressure on both Venezuela and Cuba has resulted in multiple fuel shipments remaining undelivered since December, contributing to the island’s struggles with power outages and transportation fuel shortages.

One vessel connected to Cuba that loaded Venezuelan gasoline in early February at a facility run by state oil company PDVSA has remained anchored in Venezuelan waters this week awaiting departure clearance. The same ship had previously taken on Venezuelan jet fuel but returned that cargo, company records revealed.

No oil shipments have left Venezuela since January without Washington’s approval, as the U.S. now oversees the country’s export operations and revenue under an arrangement with interim President Delcy Rodriguez’s administration.

On Wednesday, the Hong Kong-registered tanker Sea Horse, carrying fuel potentially destined for Cuba, stopped moving in the Atlantic Ocean, according to vessel tracking information. The ship could have reached Cuba within days.

The tanker received its cargo through a ship-to-ship transfer in the Mediterranean, according to monitoring service TankerTrackers.com.

Hongkong Hangda Shipping LTD, identified in maritime records as the Sea Horse’s owner and operator, along with PDVSA, did not respond to requests for comment.

The militant group Hezbollah once operated across Syria like a powerful military force, with thousands of fighters, open supply routes, and visible bases that helped keep Bashar Assad’s government in power for years.

Today, Syrian officials say what remains of Hezbollah’s presence looks vastly different: small covert operations near Damascus using drones and Katyusha rockets, with weapons officials claim originated from Lebanon.

On February 1st, Syria’s new leadership announced they had broken up a cell suspected of firing rockets at the Mezzeh district and a nearby military airport. Hezbollah’s media office denied these accusations, stating the organization “has no presence or activity on Syrian soil” and rejecting any connections to armed groups in Syria.

This incident illustrates how the post-Assad period has transformed Hezbollah’s operations. Where the group previously supported Assad’s war efforts openly, it now faces allegations of conducting secretive missions using basic equipment.

Syria served as Hezbollah’s crucial land route to Iran’s weapons supply networks. That pathway is now being severed from several directions.

In early February, Lebanese military forces discovered their second major Hezbollah tunnel in southern Lebanon within two months, containing ammunition, missiles, and drones. A senior American official confirmed that US intelligence assisted in locating the site, with Admiral Brad Cooper of US Central Command commending the discovery.

Simultaneously, Lebanese forces shut down unauthorized border crossings in the northern Beqaa Valley, a region historically used for smuggling weapons and drugs. Military officials announced the closure of additional crossings as part of an expanded enforcement effort along the approximately 233-mile border.

The US Treasury also imposed sanctions on a Turkey-based company involved in transporting Iranian fertilizer through Oman and targeted a gold trading business created by Hezbollah’s financial division to convert organizational assets into cash for reconstruction efforts.

Brigadier General Fayez al-Asmar, speaking for the Syrian military, explained that the new government confronts challenges from multiple sources.

“There is no doubt that since the fall of the former Assad regime, the Syrian state has been facing overlapping security challenges from multiple directions that include Israel, ISIS, remnants of the former regime, and armed groups operating outside state control,” al-Asmar told The Media Line.

Defense expert David Des Roches emphasized that losing unrestricted land access through Syria represents one of Hezbollah’s most significant setbacks in the post-Assad era.

“Hezbollah has long operated as a ‘state within a state,’ and losing unimpeded land access across Syria is a major strategic blow,” Des Roches told The Media Line. “Without Syria as an open corridor, Hezbollah shifts from being an organized military force with reliable supply routes into something closer to a network dependent on smuggling and limited access.”

This transformation alters Hezbollah’s operational footprint even without eliminating it entirely. Power once demonstrated through visible deployments and established routes now operates through intermediaries, small cells, and unofficial border crossings that are simpler to deny and more difficult to verify.

Brigadier General (retired) Yossi Kuperwasser, director of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security and former Israeli intelligence official, noted that Hezbollah is attempting to recover from simultaneous setbacks, with Syria remaining part of that recovery effort.

“Hezbollah is trying to recover from the damage it has suffered—not only because of what is happening in Iran and Lebanon, but also because of what happened in Syria,” Kuperwasser told The Media Line. “They are trying to rebuild a presence, especially in the south, through smaller cells. But their achievements are limited, because Israel’s presence and readiness to act make it difficult for them.”

Kuperwasser explained that Hezbollah has preserved some operations near the Lebanese border and continues using smuggling networks for weapons transport. While Syrian authorities may interrupt some routes, he said, they cannot stop all of them.

“Hezbollah still manages activity in Syria near the Lebanese border,” he said. “They have been able to build cells that help smuggle weapons. Syrian authorities have tried to stop some of these efforts, but not all, and some smuggling continues successfully. It is not the strategic infrastructure it once was, but the network has not been fully dismantled.”

These evaluations help explain Israel’s expanded military stance in southern Syria in recent months. Israeli officials describe their presence near the Golan Heights and Mount Hermon as preventative measures designed to stop Hezbollah and other Iranian-supported groups from establishing positions near the border. Critics view this expanded presence less as temporary security measures and more as efforts to influence the post-Assad situation in Israel’s favor.

“Israel believes it needs a military presence to prevent Hezbollah and Iranian-backed cells from deploying in southern Syria,” Kuperwasser said. “Even if Syria’s new leadership appears pragmatic, Israel is cautious because many of its figures come from jihadist backgrounds. The US would prefer a solution that makes Israel’s presence unnecessary, but for now it understands Israel’s logic.”

Damascus is working to rebuild centralized governance after years of fragmentation, militia control, and competing armed networks.

Al-Asmar characterized the Mezzeh case as one aspect of a larger battle over who controls Syria’s security environment.

“In this environment, security agencies are watching closely for cells tied to external agendas that are trying to exploit Syria’s transition.”

A security official from the Syrian Interior Ministry reported that no additional Hezbollah cell activities have been uncovered or disrupted since the Mezzeh announcement.

“If any such activity is uncovered, it will be officially announced through statements issued by the Syrian Interior Ministry,” the security official said.

The source acknowledged the possibility of dormant cells that could remain inactive while waiting for changes in regional conditions. Such networks, the source added, might attempt to create instability if the US launches strikes against Iran.

Al-Asmar warned that the danger comes from networks that combine political objectives with smuggling and criminal financing, enabling external actors to maintain influence while the state attempts to regain control.

“By announcing this operation now, the Syrian state is sending a message domestically and internationally that it is regaining its capacity,” al-Asmar said. “The point is not only to stop a single cell, but to show that Damascus will not allow anyone—whoever they may be—to undermine national security, threaten neighboring countries, or destabilize social peace.”

Hezbollah has strong reasons to avoid confirming any of these allegations. Acknowledging a Syrian presence could force the new authorities into public confrontation and provide Israel with additional justification for military strikes. Within Lebanon, any admission would create difficulties while the group already faces pressure.

No official response came from Beirut. Writing in the Lebanese newspaper An-Nahar, columnist Rosanna Bou Mounsef observed that the party rejected any connection, claiming its name had been “dragged in arbitrarily.” Critics, she noted, view ongoing cross-border activities as either network reconstruction or a justification used by adversaries to portray Hezbollah as destabilizing.

Even analysts sympathetic to Hezbollah argue the group’s priorities have become more focused. Lebanese political analyst Rabih Ghosn said Hezbollah’s main Syrian interest is now stability.

“What matters to Hezbollah in Syria today is political and military stability,” Ghosn told The Media Line. “Hezbollah sees Syria’s unity under a centralized authority in Damascus as a priority at this stage, and believes that stability in Syria reflects positively on Lebanon.”

Ghosn maintained that the immediate threat from Hezbollah’s viewpoint is not Damascus asserting control but Israel expanding its military presence in the south.

“The main threat Hezbollah faces in Syria today is Israeli military expansion and the construction of bases, which we have seen in Mount Hermon and in areas adjacent to Daraa,” he said. “Political differences exist, but they do not amount to hostility.”

However, not all observers accept this interpretation. A report in the Beirut daily Al Joumhouria suggested Hezbollah was maneuvering to gain time, using concealment and delays until conditions improve, coordinating with Iran. The strategy reportedly included proposing to place weapons under supervisory oversight and promoting figures with stronger political profiles, moves intended to prevent Israeli military action and delay plans to restrict arms north of the Litani River.

Des Roches noted that Hezbollah’s limitations are also internal, influenced by pressure within Lebanon and the long-term costs of conflict.

“The loss of freedom of movement in Syria is extremely valuable for Israel, and extremely damaging for Hezbollah, because it limits how easily the group can move material across the region,” he said. Meanwhile, the US Treasury Department announced measures to disrupt what it described as two key mechanisms Hezbollah uses to maintain economic stability: generating revenue in coordination with Iran and exploiting Lebanon’s informal financial sector.

Within Lebanon, these pressures are tangible. Nearly 100,000 housing units were destroyed during the fighting with Israel. Hezbollah’s secretary general announced the organization would cover three months’ rent for displaced families, but the change from annual to quarterly payments indicates reduced capacity.

Residents in Shia areas have complained about unequal payments and lack of long-term guarantees. One resident of Beirut’s southern suburbs reported receiving $2,000 for four months, while a neighbor received $3,000 for six months, with no explanation for the difference. In Dahieh, rents now range from $300 to $600, often exceeding the official minimum wage of approximately $312.

In Taybeh, a south Lebanon border town located about 4 miles from the Israeli frontier, graffiti appeared on the municipality building demanding housing assistance “without favoritism.”

The danger in southern Syria is that each side’s protective measures become provocations to the other. Syria frames security operations as restoring sovereignty; Hezbollah interprets them as political targeting. Israel frames military activity as deterrence; Damascus sees it as violation. When Hezbollah moves to maintain a smuggling route, Israel treats it as confirmation that the threat persists.

Previously, Hezbollah and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps operated storage facilities, missile infrastructure, and networks inside Syria with minimal interference. That access is no longer assured.

Hezbollah’s influence is neither completely eliminated nor fully restored. What remains operates more quietly: intermediaries instead of battalions, smuggling operations instead of convoys, small cells instead of bases. The old corridor may be disrupted, but the motivation to maintain networks persists.

“It forces Hezbollah to adapt to a much more limited and risky environment,” Des Roches said. “But history shows that tactical victories can create long-term consequences.”

The terrorist organization ISIS has broken nearly two years of silence from its top leadership, releasing a lengthy audio message that security analysts say demonstrates internal coordination rather than a resurgence of power.

On February 21, 2026, the extremist group published a 35-minute audio recording featuring spokesman Abu Hudhayfah al-Ansari. This marks the first significant communication from ISIS central command since their last major audio statement nearly two years ago.

The timing of this message is notable, as ISIS currently operates without any territorial control in Syria or Iraq, functioning instead through scattered insurgent cells while facing continuous counterterrorism operations throughout the region.

Security experts analyzing the recording suggest the communication represents an effort to maintain organizational structure and discipline within the group’s remaining network, rather than indicating preparations for renewed attempts at territorial expansion.

The message comes as the once-powerful terrorist organization continues to operate under sustained pressure from international counterterrorism efforts across the Middle East.

During a groundbreaking speech to Israel’s parliament on Wednesday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized the need for global unity against terrorism while strengthening the strategic alliance between India and Israel. The address served as the highlight of Modi’s two-day diplomatic mission to Jerusalem, where he appeared alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Modi began his remarks by telling Israeli lawmakers, “I bring with me the greetings of 1.4 billion Indians and a message of friendship, respect and partnership.” The Indian leader noted the symbolic timing of his birth, which coincided with “the same day that India formally recognized Israel.” He expressed unwavering support for Israel following the Hamas attacks of October 7, stating, “We feel your pain. We share your grief. India stands with Israel firmly, with full conviction in this moment and beyond.”

The fight against terrorism dominated much of Modi’s address to the Knesset. “Nothing can justify terrorism,” Modi declared, calling for unified global efforts against extremist threats. He emphasized that “terror anywhere threatens peace everywhere,” drawing parallels between Israel’s security challenges and India’s own experiences, including the devastating 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks. Modi described this as evidence of both nations’ unwavering stance against terrorism.

Looking toward future collaboration, Modi outlined an ambitious economic partnership vision. He characterized Israel as a crucial innovation ally and advocated for enhanced cooperation across multiple sectors including artificial intelligence, infrastructure development, environmental technology, and digital innovations. The Indian leader also endorsed progress on a Free Trade Agreement and expansion of joint initiatives through programs like the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor.

Modi also touched on Middle East diplomacy, backing a UN Security Council-supported peace plan for Gaza and calling for discussions focused on “durable peace and regional stability.” His comments demonstrated India’s delicate balancing act between its historical support for Palestinian causes and its increasingly strong relationship with Israel, which has flourished since Modi’s historic 2017 visit.

Netanyahu welcomed Modi’s visit, praising India as a vital strategic partner and expressing enthusiasm for deeper defense and technology collaboration. The visit represents Israel’s efforts to build new strategic relationships beyond Europe and the United States, while India continues expanding its influence in Middle Eastern affairs through security alliances and commercial partnerships.

Modi’s opening day wrapped up with discussions centered on innovation and defense partnerships, with more meetings planned including a session with President Isaac Herzog before his departure on Thursday.

AKOBO, South Sudan — In a hospital bed in South Sudan’s northeastern region, 18-month-old Kool Gatyen Pajock received medical treatment as his grandmother Nyayual Chuol watched healthcare workers tend to his wounded legs.

According to Chuol, government soldiers shot the toddler and murdered his parents before she carried him 80 miles from their village to seek medical help in Akobo, near the Ethiopian border.

Their story represents just a fraction of the 280,000 individuals forced from their homes over the past two months due to escalating violence in Jonglei state between government military forces, called the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces, and opposition fighters from the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement In Opposition.

“I have nothing in my hand now to take care of this baby,” Chuol said. “I’m worried about my four children who ran in different directions when the attack took place. I don’t know where they are now.”

The current violence puts at risk a delicate peace accord established in 2018 following five years of civil warfare.

Under a 2020 power-sharing deal, opposition leader Riek Machar became first vice president serving with President Salva Kiir. However, Kiir detained Machar at his residence after fresh violence erupted in March. Authorities charged Machar with treason in September along with seven other opposition figures connected to an assault on government troops.

Tensions intensified in December when opposition fighters captured government positions in Jonglei. Since January, government forces have launched a counterattack using air strikes and ground operations, even while officially supporting the peace deal.

Beyond displacement, ordinary citizens have endured substantial casualties.

“People are still fearing that the government army may come and attack here,” Chuol said. “This is what is worrying me right now.”

Twenty-eight-year-old Nyankhiay Gatluak Jock fled her village of Walgak following a government assault in early February.

“They bombed us from the gunship helicopter, and after that the soldiers came with their cars and started shooting,” said Jock, who joined 42,000 displaced individuals seeking shelter in Akobo under United Nations Mission protection.

“We want to ask the president to tell his army to differentiate between the combatants and the civilians,” Jock said while nursing two children in a church where other displaced women and young people had gathered.

Following government forces’ bombing of a Doctors Without Borders medical facility on February 3rd, Nyaphan Nyang Lual traveled toward Akobo with her husband, daughter and one-month-old granddaughter. During their journey, gunmen killed her husband and kidnapped her daughter.

Lual arrived in Akobo with granddaughter Bhan Tut Mut but couldn’t locate food aid and feared for the infant who had developed severe diarrhea.

“We took her to the clinic but there is no medicine there, and I cannot afford to buy from the pharmacy,” Lual said.

Aid organizations have also suffered attacks. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that 13 medical facilities in Jonglei were “looted or partially destroyed.” Accounts of extensive sexual violence have also surfaced.

Budget reductions and government limitations on relief organizations have created shortages of resources and supplies, according to aid workers who expressed frustration about their inability to provide adequate assistance.

“We have nothing … no feeding, no medication,” said Susan Tab, a reproductive health officer in Akobo with Nile Hope, a South Sudanese organization. “The only thing we can provide to help these displaced people is psychosocial support.”

UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher traveled to Akobo on February 21st as part of a tour through South Sudan’s conflict-affected regions.

With nearly three years of civil conflict in northern Sudan and fighting in neighboring Horn of Africa nations, Fletcher described South Sudan as “one of the most neglected crises in the world right now.”

“I want to make this crisis more visible to the public. And I want them to demand change. To demand funding. To demand political engagement to end this war,” Fletcher said.

Thousands of displaced women and children welcomed him in Akobo, though they remained uncertain about their safety and prospects. Some carried signs with handwritten pleas, including one with the stark message, “They killed everyone.”

“Help is coming,” Fletcher assured the survivors.

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — In a surprising development, Venezuela’s chief prosecutor stepped down from his position Wednesday only to be immediately named as the country’s acting human rights ombudsman by lawmakers.

Tarek William Saab, who has served as a key figure in the government’s enforcement actions and maintained close ties to former President Nicolás Maduro, tendered his resignation to the National Assembly controlled by the ruling party without providing any explanation for his departure. Saab has overseen the prosecutor’s office since 2017, facing ongoing allegations of human rights abuses throughout his tenure.

The resignation marks another shift in government leadership following the dramatic January 3 arrest of Maduro by U.S. military forces in Caracas.

Lawmakers moved quickly to install Saab in the ombudsman position on an interim basis, where he will serve until a committee selects a permanent successor to Alfredo Ruiz. Ruiz, who had occupied the ombudsman role since 2017, stepped down citing “personal, family, and health reasons that I must attend to.” The ombudsman office focuses on promoting, defending and overseeing human rights protections.

These leadership changes come amid increased examination of both offices after acting President Delcy Rodríguez made decisions last month to free individuals imprisoned for political reasons and advance amnesty legislation, which became law last week.

Rodríguez’s actions have sparked small protests and public discussions that have highlighted issues including fabricated charges, delayed prosecutions and other mistreatment of actual and suspected government critics.

“His departure as Attorney General is promising but appointing him as Ombudsman is a slap in the face of victims,” stated Juanita Goebertus, Americas director at Human Rights Watch, regarding Saab’s transition. “Meaningful reform requires appointing a new attorney general who is independent, ceases to persecute dissent, and commits to ensuring that all political prisoners are released and amnestied.”

Saab has consistently rejected all allegations of misconduct. In defending his record Wednesday, he stated he carried out his duties “with integrity and honor” and “played the constitutional role of preserving peace and protecting the human rights of our people in a period of unimaginable aggression.”

Human rights organizations, including a United Nations Human Rights Council-supported panel, have documented the charges against Saab. In findings related to the 2024 presidential election, the panel criticized Saab’s efforts to “give a semblance of legality” to the severe violations that occurred following the voting.

“The role played by the Attorney General was most conspicuously evident during the crackdown after the announcement of the election results,” the panel’s findings stated. “Following the protests, the Attorney General led the State action that resulted in human rights violations, including mass arrests, under the guise of the executive’s narrative of fighting a ‘coup d’état’ and ‘fascism’.”

The teenage daughter of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un made another prominent public appearance this week, attending a major military parade in Pyongyang alongside her father and top military officials.

State-controlled media released images Thursday showing Ju Ae, believed to be in her early teens, standing beside Kim Jong Un as they watched the Wednesday evening parade that concluded the ruling Workers’ Party Ninth Congress. Both father and daughter wore matching black leather coats as they observed the proceedings.

The photos, distributed by North Korea’s official KCNA news agency, depicted the young woman applauding the parade and watching military aircraft fly overhead with Kim and senior defense leaders.

While state media didn’t specify Ju Ae’s official role at the event, her prominent placement at one of North Korea’s most significant political gatherings has intensified discussions about potential leadership succession in the dynasty-based system.

South Korea’s National Intelligence Service recently informed legislators that there are indicators Ju Ae is contributing to policy discussions, suggesting she “was in the stage of being internally appointed successor.”

The teenager has become increasingly visible in North Korean state media over the last three years, beginning with her first public appearance in late 2022 when she joined her father at an intercontinental ballistic missile launch. At that time, official media referred to her as Kim’s “beloved” daughter.

Since then, she has been photographed at various high-profile events including weapons tests, military commemorations, and important state celebrations. She’s typically shown with long hair and wearing luxury leather jackets or fur-lined outerwear as the regime’s propaganda machine has gradually increased her public profile.

North Korean authorities have never officially disclosed Ju Ae’s exact age, though experts believe she was born in the early 2010s. Intelligence sources in South Korea identify her as the child of Kim Jong Un and his spouse Ri Sol Ju.

Her existence first became known internationally in 2013 when former NBA player Dennis Rodman mentioned meeting Kim’s “baby” daughter named Ju Ae during a visit to Pyongyang.

The young woman expanded her international presence last September when she accompanied Kim Jong Un on a trip to China, further fueling questions about her future role in the regime.

Little information is available about Kim Jong Un’s other children, if any exist.

GENEVA – American and Iranian diplomats will sit down for another round of nuclear negotiations Thursday in Geneva, as tensions escalate over Tehran’s atomic program and the possibility of military action looms large.

The diplomatic session represents the latest attempt to resolve a dispute that has persisted for decades, with Washington and its allies suspecting Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons capabilities through its uranium enrichment activities. Iranian leadership continues to reject these allegations.

Representing the United States will be Special Envoy Steve Witkoff alongside Jared Kushner, who serves as President Trump’s son-in-law, according to a U.S. official speaking to Reuters. They will engage in indirect discussions with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, with Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi serving as mediator, similar to last week’s Geneva meetings.

During his State of the Union address Tuesday, President Trump outlined his position on potential military action against Iran, expressing his preference for a diplomatic solution while firmly stating he would prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Vice President JD Vance reinforced this stance Wednesday during a Fox News interview, declaring: “Iran can’t have a nuclear weapon. That would be the ultimate military objective, if that’s the route that (Trump) chose.”

The diplomatic efforts unfold against a backdrop of significant American military deployment throughout the Middle East, raising concerns about broader regional warfare. Last June, U.S. forces joined Israeli operations targeting Iranian nuclear facilities, prompting Tehran to promise severe retaliation for any future attacks.

Trump delivered an ultimatum on February 19, demanding Iran reach an agreement within 10-15 days or face what he described as “really bad things.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Araqchi responded Tuesday by expressing his nation’s commitment to securing a balanced and prompt agreement while maintaining Iran’s rights to peaceful nuclear technology. American officials view uranium enrichment within Iranian borders as a potential route to weapons development.

“A deal is within reach, but only if diplomacy is given priority,” Araqchi posted on social media platform X.

Recent reporting by Reuters indicates Tehran has proposed new compromises in exchange for sanctions relief and acknowledgment of its uranium enrichment rights, seeking to prevent American military strikes.

Despite these overtures, significant disagreements persist between both nations, particularly regarding the extent and timing of sanctions relief, according to a senior Iranian official who spoke with Reuters.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei confronts perhaps the most serious challenge of his 36-year leadership, with the country’s economy buckling under intensified sanctions and facing renewed domestic protests after violent suppression of major demonstrations in January.

Rafael Grossi, who leads the International Atomic Energy Agency, is anticipated to participate in the Geneva discussions with representatives from both countries, mirroring his involvement in previous talks.

MANCHESTER, England – British Prime Minister Keir Starmer confronts a crucial political challenge Thursday as Manchester voters select a new member of Parliament in what polling indicates will be an extremely tight race among three parties.

The special election in the Gorton and Denton constituency pits Starmer’s Labour Party against the populist Reform UK movement and the environmentally-focused Green Party, with surveys showing all three competitors running neck-and-neck.

This electoral battle represents another hurdle for Starmer, whose leadership has come under scrutiny following multiple policy reversals and his controversial decision to name Labour veteran Peter Mandelson as Britain’s ambassador to the United States.

Starmer made an unexpected campaign visit to the region Monday, with his team emphasizing that voters face a clear decision between Labour and Reform UK, the party headed by Brexit champion Nigel Farage.

Labour officials have consistently argued that supporting the Green Party, which appeals to voters through progressive policies on economic relief and Gaza solidarity, essentially amounts to “a vote for Reform.”

Speaking before the election, Starmer characterized the decision as one that “could not be more stark,” stating: “Driving down the cost of living with Labour or driving a wedge between communities under Reform. Moving forwards together, or opening up anger and division that holds our country back.”

Labour secured this parliamentary seat comfortably during their overwhelming national victory in 2024, though the sitting representative announced his resignation last month.

Current polling data suggesting equal support among the three parties makes this the first significant electoral challenge for Starmer since facing criticism over the Mandelson appointment. Questions have emerged about Mandelson’s past connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, though Mandelson maintains his innocence of any misconduct.

This ambassadorial selection compounds a growing list of strategic errors and policy flip-flops that have not only questioned Starmer’s decision-making abilities but prompted some within his own party to demand his resignation.

The 63-year-old leader has pledged to continue in his role, though his standing in Gorton and Denton may have suffered after he reportedly prevented popular Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham from seeking Labour’s nomination in the district.

Labour instead selected Angeliki Stogia, a local council member, to compete against Reform’s Matt Goodwin, a professor and writer, along with Green Party candidate Hannah Spencer, also serving on the local council. The campaign has been characterized by mutual accusations of unfair tactics.

A defeat in this traditionally Labour stronghold would deliver another significant setback to Starmer, particularly if the Green Party emerges victorious.

However, Labour members of Parliament suggest such a loss might not prove devastating, pointing instead to May’s local government elections across England and regional assembly contests in Wales and Scotland as the more decisive evaluation of Starmer’s leadership.

GUADALAJARA, Mexico — Terror gripped Mexican citizens as they turned to their phones for updates following the death of the nation’s most notorious drug kingpin, only to encounter a torrent of fabricated social media content portraying widespread devastation.

Following a massive military operation on Sunday that resulted in the death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, better known as “El Mencho,” his Jalisco New Generation Cartel unleashed brutal retaliation across approximately 20 states, claiming over 70 lives through roadblocks, bombings, and shootouts.

However, alongside legitimate reports of carnage and official shelter-in-place orders, the web became saturated with false information — including AI-created videos and photos intended to amplify terror, according to Mexican authorities.

“We didn’t know what was true and what was false,” expressed Victoria Elizabeth Peceril, 31, as she strolled through Guadalajara’s now-peaceful streets Wednesday with her three children. “We were really scared.”

Among the fabricated content was a doctored image supposedly showing an aircraft ablaze at Guadalajara’s airport, accompanied by false claims that armed groups had captured the facility and held tourists captive.

Government analysis revealed between 200 and 500 problematic and false posts circulated since Sunday’s military action, with as many as 30 garnering over 100,000 views each.

During President Claudia Sheinbaum’s Wednesday press conference, officials shared research from Tecnologico de Monterrey, a private institution, showing that 35% to 40% of these posts contained misleading context, at least 25% were deceptive, and nearly 25% involved AI manipulation or complete fabrication.

False narratives included claims that an American operative had killed Oseguera Cervantes by strangulation, that President Sheinbaum was concealing herself aboard a Pacific naval ship, and theories connecting the cartel leader’s death to former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro’s potential capture.

The research institution stopped short of identifying the source behind this content creation.

“There was a lot of badly intentioned news Sunday, looking to generate terror,” Sheinbaum had stated the previous day.

Mexican communities frequently rely on messaging app groups and X platform accounts for local updates. In northern border regions controlled by criminal organizations, these communications often function like traffic advisories, alerting residents to criminal convoy locations for safety purposes.

Given the Jalisco organization’s history of dramatic violence — including destroying military aircraft and targeting Mexico City’s police leadership — social media claims of extreme cartel brutality seemed credible to many.

“At first, we believed everything,” admitted Nicolás Martín, 28, a Mexico City resident who was vacationing near Puerto Vallarta when the violence erupted. He described the circulated imagery as resembling “what you see in movies.”

Martín noted his surprise at the professional quality of early Sunday posts, including apparent drone recordings of explosions and fires in Puerto Vallarta. He observed that genuine footage from such chaotic moments would typically appear more unsteady and amateur.

According to Vanda Felbab-Brown, a Brookings Institution organized crime specialist from Washington, the Jalisco cartel may have orchestrated at least portions of the disinformation campaign.

This particular criminal organization has notably prioritized developing its digital capabilities among Mexico’s various crime groups.

“The criminals are becoming very tech-savvy,” Felbab-Brown observed.

“It was impressive to see the level of misinformation,” she continued, referencing the fake airport takeover images. She characterized these “impressive and sophisticated” posts as likely AI-generated content from Jalisco Nueva Generación-controlled chatbots.

These posts “certainly added to the aura of chaos and meltdown in Mexico,” Felbab-Brown concluded.

Despite efforts by Mexican officials and the U.S. Embassy to counter circulating falsehoods on Sunday, Sarai Olguín, a 22-year-old Guadalajara university student, found distinguishing truth from fiction challenging.

As she and neighbors sheltered indoors, friends forwarded videos and images discovered online. She partially credits these posts with keeping civilians off dangerous streets.

One message warned that “after a certain hour they were going to kill everyone,” she recalled. “In a way it’s good, because all of this false news helped take care of people even though they sowed immense fear.”

SEOUL, South Korea — During the conclusion of a major ruling party gathering, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared his nuclear-equipped nation has the capability to “completely destroy” South Korea should its security face threats, according to state media reports released Thursday. While maintaining his hardline stance against Seoul, Kim signaled potential openness to renewed discussions with Washington as he outlined policy objectives for the coming five years.

According to state media reports, Kim also emphasized expanding his military’s weapons capabilities, specifically calling for the creation of submarine-launched intercontinental ballistic missiles and a broader collection of tactical nuclear weapons, including artillery and short-range missiles designed to target South Korea.

The North Korean leader stated that his country’s rapid nuclear and missile development has “permanently cemented” its position as a nuclear weapons state, while demanding the United States abandon what he views as “hostile” policies toward his nation before any diplomatic talks can resume.

The Workers’ Party gathering, which started last Thursday in Pyongyang, occurs as Kim establishes a more aggressive regional stance, utilizing his growing nuclear military capabilities and strengthening ties with Moscow that have intensified tensions with both Washington and Seoul.

The Korean Central News Agency reported that North Korea conducted a military parade in the capital Wednesday as the congress concluded, marking Kim’s third such gathering after previous ones in 2016 and 2021.

Kim’s statements during the congress were widely expected, as he has adopted increasingly aggressive positions toward South Korea throughout 2024, abandoning the North’s historical pursuit of peaceful reunification between the divided Koreas and designating the South as a permanent adversary. However, analysts predicted Kim would maintain a more cautious approach toward Washington to keep future diplomatic possibilities alive, ultimately seeking sanctions relief and implicit acceptance as a nuclear state.

Kim has recently focused on strengthening ties with Russia, deploying thousands of soldiers and substantial military equipment to assist Moscow’s Ukraine conflict, likely receiving aid and military technology in return. Experts suggest maintaining flexibility makes strategic sense as the Ukraine war could conclude, potentially reducing North Korea’s value to Moscow.

In his congress summary, Kim stated his administration maintained the “toughest stance” toward Washington, but noted there was “no reason we cannot get along” with Americans if they abandoned their allegedly “hostile policy” toward the North. North Korea frequently uses this terminology to describe U.S.-led pressure and sanctions targeting Kim’s nuclear program. His remarks reflected North Korea’s established position demanding Washington drop denuclearization requirements before resuming negotiations.

North Korea has consistently refused Washington and Seoul’s diplomatic overtures aimed at dismantling its nuclear program, which stalled in 2019 after Kim’s second summit with then-U.S. President Donald Trump collapsed during his initial presidency.

The future of U.S.-North Korea relations “depends entirely on the U.S. attitude,” Kim stated. “Whether it’s peaceful coexistence or permanent confrontation, we are ready for either, and the choice is not ours to make.”

Extremist organizations with ties to al Qaeda and ISIS are dramatically escalating their violent campaigns along the borders of Niger, Benin and Nigeria, transforming previously quiet transit routes into dangerous war zones, a new study reveals.

Research from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED) project, released Thursday, shows that terror incidents involving Islamic extremist factions in this three-nation border region jumped 90% from 2024 to 2025, while fatalities more than doubled, surpassing 1,000 deaths as violence escalated.

The data highlights how jihadist organizations continue to gain ground throughout West Africa, despite more than ten years of efforts by regional governments and international military forces to stop their advancement.

According to the study, fighters connected to al Qaeda and ISIS have strengthened their foothold across Benin’s Alibori and Borgou departments, Niger’s Dosso region, and Nigeria’s Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger and Kwara states. These operations now demonstrate “continued spread, growing lethality, and rising risks to civilians,” the report stated.

Military officials from Nigeria and government representatives from Niger and Benin did not provide responses when contacted for comment.

Nigeria has been fighting Islamic insurgents for more than 15 years, primarily battling Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in the country’s northeastern regions. However, cells affiliated with al Qaeda and ISIS have intensified their activities in northwestern areas, where extensive forest cover and limited government control provide ideal conditions for their operations.

West Africa is home to numerous jihadist factions, with many functioning under the broader organizations of al Qaeda-connected Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) or Islamic State in the Sahel Province (ISSP).

This territorial expansion has contributed to widespread political upheaval throughout the region. Military forces in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have overthrown governments since 2020, claiming that democratically elected leaders failed to address the growing violence. Military personnel who attempted an unsuccessful coup in Benin last December also cited security concerns as justification.

The United States conducted airstrikes in northwestern Nigeria in December and has started positioning a limited number of military personnel to provide training support for Nigerian forces confronting these militant groups.

Cooperation between regional governments has deteriorated in recent years as Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali—now controlled by military leadership—have pulled out of regional partnerships, making coordinated security efforts more difficult.

ACLED researchers noted that jihadist organizations have increased their public communications regarding activities in the tri-border area, potentially indicating rivalry between competing groups. This type of “outbidding,” according to the report, will likely lead to increased violence.

Limited government oversight and poorly secured borders have historically made frontier areas throughout the Sahel and coastal West Africa attractive targets for Islamic extremist groups looking to avoid security forces, resupply their fighters and gain control over local populations.

WASHINGTON – The Central Intelligence Agency has rolled out new Persian-language guidance on social media platforms, providing Iranians with secure methods to reach out to American intelligence officials.

This recruitment campaign unfolds as President Donald Trump has significantly increased U.S. military presence across the Middle East, positioning forces for potential strikes against Iran should nuclear negotiations scheduled for Thursday collapse without an agreement.

During his State of the Union address on Tuesday, Trump began building his argument for potential military intervention, declaring he would never permit the Islamic Republic – which he labeled as the globe’s leading terrorism supporter – to obtain nuclear weapons. Iranian officials continue to deny pursuing nuclear weapons capabilities.

The intelligence agency distributed its Persian-language instructions across multiple platforms on Tuesday, including X, Instagram, Facebook, Telegram and YouTube.

This latest outreach represents part of an ongoing CIA initiative targeting potential informants within Iran, China, North Korea and Russia.

The agency advised interested Iranians to “take appropriate action” for personal safety before making contact and warned against using workplace computers or personal mobile devices.

“Use a new, disposable device, if possible” and “be aware of your surroundings and who may be able to see your screen or activity,” the instructions stated, requesting that contacts share their locations, names, professional roles and “access to information or skills of interest to our agency.”

The guidance recommended using reliable Virtual Private Networks “not headquartered in Russia, Iran or China,” or utilizing the Tor Network, which provides data encryption and conceals users’ IP addresses.

CIA officials refused to provide additional comments. Iran’s United Nations representatives have not yet responded to requests for comment.

American negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are set to engage with Iranian representatives headed by Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in Geneva on Thursday for continued discussions regarding Tehran’s nuclear activities.

Trump has warned of military intervention should negotiations fail to produce results, or if Tehran proceeds with executing individuals detained during January’s nationwide anti-government protests.

Human rights organizations report that government forces killed thousands during their suppression of the demonstrations, marking Iran’s most severe internal upheaval since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Zambian officials have declined to move forward with a major health assistance agreement from the United States worth over $1 billion, stating Wednesday that portions of the deal conflict with their national priorities.

The comprehensive funding package was designed to address HIV, malaria, disease preparedness, and maternal health initiatives across a five-year period. Under the proposed terms, Zambia would have contributed approximately $340 million in matching funds during the same timeframe, according to draft documents obtained by Reuters.

Originally scheduled for completion in November, the agreement stalled when updated versions contained concerning provisions, according to a Zambian Health Ministry representative who spoke with Reuters Wednesday.

The problematic section “did not align with the position and interests of the government of Zambia… We have therefore requested further revisions to the content in question,” the official explained, though they would not specify the nature of the disputed content.

Last December, American officials announced they had reached “a plan that aims to unlock a substantial grant package of U.S. support in exchange for collaboration in the mining sector and clear business sector reforms” with Zambian leadership.

The African nation ranks as the continent’s second-largest copper producer behind the Democratic Republic of Congo, while also possessing significant deposits of cobalt, nickel, manganese, graphite, lithium and rare-earth materials.

When contacted this month, a State Department representative told Reuters via email that specific details of active diplomatic discussions would remain confidential. “Secretary [of State Marco] Rubio has consistently been clear that foreign assistance is not charity; it is designed to further the national interests of the United States,” the spokesperson stated.

Zambian authorities maintain the health agreement stands separate from resource extraction issues. “It has no relation whatsoever to minerals, mining, or any natural resources,” their spokesperson emphasized, adding they welcome productive discussions “but only within terms that are clear, mutually agreed upon, and fully aligned with Zambia’s national interests.”

Nevertheless, the draft documentation examined by Reuters indicates the arrangement would end and financial support would cease if both nations cannot reach consensus by April 1 regarding a “bilateral compact” that Secretary Rubio presented to Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema on November 17, 2025. Three informed sources confirmed this compact involves mining cooperation.

Public health organizations in both countries have raised objections to the proposed data-sharing components, which would extend for a decade, while expressing concern about the secretive nature of the discussions.

“The data sharing will be one way from Zambia to the U.S. and the information will benefit the U.S.,” explained Owen Mulenga, who works with the Treatment, Advocacy and Literacy Campaign, a local organization advocating for HIV/AIDS treatment access. “We need support from the U.S. but there should be transparency,” Mulenga told Reuters, noting widespread speculation about mining connections that government officials refuse to address with advocacy groups.

Asia Russell, who leads Health GAP, a worldwide HIV advocacy organization monitoring the negotiations, criticized the arrangement: “This deal would slash U.S. government funding to life-saving programs… while prioritizing the interests of mining corporations over the needs of Zambians with HIV.”

This development represents part of a broader shift in how the Trump administration structures international health assistance after dissolving its primary aid agency last year, reducing global funding and contracts, and implementing an “America First” approach to health diplomacy.

On the same day, Zimbabwe withdrew from its own $367 million agreement, citing data privacy issues and describing the terms as unfair. Kenya’s larger $1.6 billion arrangement with Washington remains on hold due to ongoing legal challenges, though Nigeria and Uganda have completed their agreements.

North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un declared that the future of diplomatic ties between Pyongyang and Washington rests completely on how the United States chooses to approach his regime, according to reports from state-controlled media KCNA released Thursday.

The hermit kingdom staged a military parade Wednesday evening as part of celebrations marking the conclusion of a significant party gathering, state media reported.

Kim brought North Korea’s Ninth Congress of the ruling Workers’ Party to a close on Wednesday, announcing that the assembly had established major policy objectives for the nuclear-armed nation over the coming half-decade.

According to KCNA, Kim stated: “We have a prospective plan to strengthen our national nuclear force, and will focus on projects to increase the number of nuclear weapons and expand nuclear operational means and space for use.”

The North Korean leader suggested diplomatic possibilities with Washington, telling state media: “If the U.S. withdraws its policy of confrontation with North Korea by respecting our country’s current status… there is no reason why we cannot get along well with the U.S.”

Kim has yet to respond to diplomatic approaches from U.S. President Donald Trump, despite the two leaders holding three face-to-face meetings during Trump’s previous presidency.

In stark contrast to his measured tone regarding America, Kim delivered harsh words about South Korea, branding it the “most hostile enemy” and dismissing any possibility of negotiations with Seoul. He warned that North Korea “can initiate arbitrary action” should South Korea engage in “obnoxious behaviour” while facing the nuclear-armed North.

Kim went further in his threats against the South, declaring that “South Korea’s complete collapse cannot be ruled out,” according to KCNA’s reporting.

WASHINGTON – Vice President JD Vance announced Wednesday that American intelligence has detected indicators suggesting Iran is working to restore its nuclear capabilities following strikes conducted by U.S.-led forces on Iranian nuclear facilities in June.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly stated that the June military operations successfully eliminated Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and has vowed to prevent Tehran from rebuilding the program.

“The principle is very simple: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” Vance stated during a press briefing on Wednesday, speaking one day before scheduled diplomatic discussions in Geneva involving American and Iranian representatives.

According to Vance, U.S. representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are set to conduct meetings with an Iranian delegation in Geneva on Thursday to determine if a diplomatic solution can be achieved, while American military forces maintain a substantial presence throughout the region.

Venezuela’s top prosecutor has stepped down from his position after nearly a decade of service, according to an announcement from the country’s National Assembly on Wednesday.

Attorney General Tarek Saab, 63, submitted his resignation letter along with the nation’s ombudsman, ending a tenure that began in 2017. During his time in office, Saab oversaw the government’s handling of significant corruption investigations and the detention of numerous opposition leaders and demonstrators, many of whom human rights organizations claim were wrongfully imprisoned.

The distinctive prosecutor, known for his extensive tattoos and background as a published poet, has consistently rejected claims that Venezuela detains political prisoners. In a recent interview with Reuters, Saab expressed optimism that a newly enacted amnesty law would create a “100% pacified” nation.

“I call them prisoners, I don’t give anything any additional label,” Saab stated to Reuters earlier this month. “They are detainees for actions that at the time were documented.”

These comments echoed previous statements Saab made in 2024, prior to mass arrests following protests surrounding a disputed presidential election that resulted in thousands of detentions.

Assembly secretary Maria Alejandra Hernandez formally announced the resignations during Wednesday’s session. “The National Assembly received communications addressed to lawmaker Jorge Rodriguez Gomez, president of this legislature, signed by: first, citizen Tarek William Saab, by which he submits his resignation from the post of Attorney General of the Republic; and second, citizen Alfredo Ruiz Angulo, by which he submits his resignation from the post of Ombudsman,” Hernandez stated.

Rodriguez, who is the brother of acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez, indicated that temporary officials will be appointed to fill both positions while permanent successors are selected. Saab did not respond to requests for comment regarding his departure.