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Ukrainian leadership announced Saturday that American diplomats Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner may make a trip to Kyiv during April, as diplomatic efforts to restart stalled peace negotiations with Russia continue.

Kyrylo Budanov, a senior advisor to Ukraine’s president, indicated the visit could happen following Orthodox Easter celebrations on April 12. “Kushner, Witkoff, Lindsey Graham — those are the ones expected to come. Who else will be there — we’ll see,” Budanov stated in remarks to Bloomberg.

The planned journey would mark the first time either Witkoff or Kushner has made an official diplomatic trip to the Ukrainian capital. While both representatives have previously held discussions with Ukrainian officials on American soil, they have also conducted negotiations in Moscow with Russian leadership.

Diplomatic initiatives led by Washington to bring an end to Russia’s four-year military campaign in Ukraine have reached an impasse following recent military actions in the Middle East. The peace process encountered significant obstacles after American and Israeli forces conducted strikes against Iran, which subsequently led to a series of retaliatory attacks across multiple Middle Eastern nations.

Security forces in Nigeria have launched an intensive search for armed criminals following a devastating attack that resulted in the mass kidnapping of villagers in the country’s northwestern Zamfara state, authorities announced.

Armed bandits struck two communities, Kurfa Danya and Kurfan Magaji, located in the Bukkuyum region on Thursday. The attackers fired shots at vehicles and residential buildings before conducting systematic raids throughout both villages, according to a local government official.

Local council chairman Umar Abubakar Faru informed Reuters that the criminals captured more than 150 individuals, with the majority being women and children. The captives were reportedly forced into nearby forest regions, while frightened residents abandoned their homes, leaving the communities virtually empty.

While Zamfara state police acknowledged the assault occurred, they stated that officials are still working to confirm the exact count of kidnapped victims.

Authorities issued a statement explaining that a combined force involving police officers, military personnel, and additional security units has been mobilized and is actively tracking down the perpetrators.

Law enforcement reported that some villagers who managed to escape to neighboring areas required medical treatment and were transported to hospitals. Officials confirmed that rescue efforts remain in progress.

Nigeria’s northwestern region has faced ongoing challenges with criminal gang activity for several years, including large-scale abductions for monetary demands and community attacks. These armed organizations conduct operations from extensive forest strongholds throughout the area.

DHAKA, Bangladesh — Five people lost their lives when flames engulfed a gas lighter manufacturing plant outside Bangladesh’s capital city on Saturday, local officials reported.

The deadly incident occurred in Keraniganj’s Kadamtali district, located near Dhaka, fire service and civil defense officials confirmed.

Emergency responders dispatched seven firefighting teams to battle the flames, which ignited during afternoon hours, fire department officials stated. The crews worked for several hours before successfully containing the fire.

By evening, rescue workers had retrieved five victims from the scene, though their identities remain unknown at this time.

Officials have launched an investigation to determine what sparked the deadly fire.

The sisters of a woman who accused Jeffrey Epstein of sexual trafficking are calling on Britain’s King Charles to sit down with abuse survivors when he visits the United States later this month.

Sky and Amanda Roberts made the appeal Saturday regarding the monarch’s planned state visit, which falls just two days after the one-year mark since their sister Virginia Giuffre took her own life.

“We strongly urge King Charles to meet with us and survivors and hear what we have to say,” the sisters stated. “We are thankful to him for heeding our sister’s allegations against Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, and for his decisive action in stripping his brother from his position as a prince.”

Buckingham Palace did not provide a response when contacted for comment. Royal representatives have stated previously that the king cannot get involved while ongoing investigations related to sexual abuse by Epstein and his associates continue.

Giuffre had claimed that the deceased American financier Epstein forced her into sexual encounters with King Charles’s younger brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, when she was just 17 years old.

Andrew has consistently rejected these claims and settled the case outside of court with Giuffre in 2022 while not acknowledging any guilt. He has maintained he does not remember ever meeting Giuffre.

The British monarch and Queen Camilla are scheduled to travel to America from April 27 through April 30 for a diplomatic visit celebrating the 250th anniversary of American independence.

This official visit occurs as Britain works to stabilize its relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump following disagreements about the Iran conflict, putting extra focus on the royal family’s activities in Washington.

Following increased examination of Andrew’s connection to Epstein, King Charles took steps to distance his brother from royal duties, removing his military appointments, charitable roles and right to use his royal designation.

Earlier this year, Andrew was taken into custody on suspicion of misconduct in his official capacity related to claims he shared classified materials with Epstein. He has rejected any wrongdoing.

The Roberts sisters expressed hope that the king would personally meet with those who survived abuse by Epstein and his network, believing such conversations with survivors and their families might prompt the British government to take action against Epstein’s accomplices.

Buckingham Palace has stated in the past that the royal family’s “thoughts and utmost sympathies” remain with those who experienced abuse.

Cameroon’s legislative body has voted decisively to establish a vice presidential position, marking the first significant constitutional change in the Central African nation since 2008.

During a combined meeting of both legislative chambers on Saturday, lawmakers cast 200 votes in favor of the constitutional modification, with only 18 opposing and four choosing not to vote. The ruling party holds dominant control in both the National Assembly and Senate.

Under the new constitutional framework, the vice president would immediately take over presidential duties should President Paul Biya pass away, step down, or become unable to serve. The 93-year-old leader has governed the oil and cocoa-rich nation for more than four decades since taking power in 1982, making him the globe’s eldest active head of government. Authorities prohibit public conversations about his medical condition.

The constitutional text, reviewed by news outlets, specifies that the president will have sole authority to select and remove the vice president, who would serve out the remaining portion of the president’s seven-year mandate. The temporary leader would face restrictions preventing them from altering the constitution or seeking election to the presidency afterward.

Government officials defend the reform as necessary to maintain governmental stability during unexpected leadership transitions. President Biya has two weeks to sign the legislation into law.

Opposition figures have denounced the amendment as harmful to democratic principles and an expansion of concentrated authority.

Joshua Osih, who serves in parliament and leads the opposition Social Democratic Front, characterized the modifications as a lost chance to strengthen national cohesion and democratic leadership in a country experiencing civil unrest since 2017.

“This text weakens legitimacy, reinforces centralisation, and ignores a major historical grievance,” Osih said, advocating instead for a system where the president and vice president are jointly elected, reflecting Cameroon’s origins as a union of British and French-administered territories.

The restoration of the vice presidential office represents Cameroon’s most substantial constitutional overhaul since 2008, when lawmakers eliminated presidential term restrictions in a decision that triggered widespread demonstrations and violent government suppression.

The vice presidential role had existed in Cameroon’s governmental framework previously but was eliminated in 1972 through a constitutional vote.

Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico is calling on the European Union to lift its sanctions against Russian energy imports as a way to address ongoing energy security challenges across the continent.

Speaking on Saturday after a phone conversation with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Fico argued that the EU should work to restart the flow of oil through the Druzhba pipeline and take action to end the conflict in Ukraine to combat the energy crisis.

“The EU and especially the (European Commission) should immediately resume dialogue with Russia and ensure such a political and legal environment that individual member states and the EU as a whole can replenish the missing gas and oil reserves and enable the supply of these strategic raw materials from all possible sources and directions, including Russia,” Fico stated in his official remarks.

The Slovak leader’s comments represent a push for renewed energy cooperation with Russia despite the ongoing war in Ukraine and existing EU sanctions policies.

LONDON — Three individuals accused of setting fire to emergency vehicles belonging to a Jewish charitable organization were ordered to remain behind bars following their court appearance on Saturday.

The fire occurred on March 23 in Golders Green, a northern London area home to a substantial Jewish community, and completely destroyed four emergency vehicles operated by Hatzola Northwest, a volunteer group that provides medical emergency services locally. The blaze caused oxygen tanks inside the ambulances to detonate, shattering windows in a nearby residential building.

Authorities charged Hamza Iqbal, 20, Rehan Khan, 19, both British citizens, and a 17-year-old with dual British-Pakistani citizenship from east London on Friday with arson and reckless endangerment of life. Due to his minor status, the teenage suspect’s identity remains protected by law and he will be housed in a juvenile detention facility.

During the 45-minute proceeding at Westminster Magistrates Court on Saturday, none of the accused entered formal pleas. The court was also informed that investigators have taken a fourth individual into custody in relation to the incident.

Authorities specializing in counterterrorism are treating the fire as a crime motivated by antisemitic hatred. Investigators are examining a statement claiming responsibility from an organization that may have connections to Iran, though officials have not classified the incident as terrorism.

Prosecutor Emma Harraway informed the court that “There is significant evidence that this was a premeditated and targeted attack against the Jewish community.”

The three accused individuals are scheduled for their next court appearance at London’s Central Criminal Court, commonly referred to as the Old Bailey, on April 24.

Two additional men who were previously taken into custody on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life have been released on bail.

Russian nuclear corporation Rosatom pulled an additional 198 employees from Iran’s Bushehr nuclear facility on Saturday as conditions around the plant continue to worsen, according to Russian media reports.

The state-owned company has been withdrawing personnel from the Iranian facility since regional warfare erupted in late February.

The latest evacuation had already been scheduled before the International Atomic Energy Agency announced on social media Saturday that a security staff member at the plant had died from projectile debris, while a facility building sustained damage from explosive shockwaves and fragments.

Russian media quoted Rosatom director Alexei Likhachev stating that circumstances around the nuclear plant were developing according to their most dire projections.

Likhachev confirmed that the deceased worker was an Iranian citizen.

According to TASS news agency reports citing Likhachev, Rosatom briefed Russian President Vladimir Putin about the ongoing situation at the nuclear facility.

LONDON — Authorities in London have launched an urgent probe into how five armed security officers assigned to protect the city’s mayor accidentally abandoned a bag filled with weapons near his residence.

The Metropolitan Police announced Friday evening that the officers involved have been pulled from active duty pending a full investigation into the incident.

According to reports from The Sun, the abandoned bag contained multiple weapons including a Heckler & Koch MP5 semiautomatic carbine, a Glock handgun, a Taser device, and various ammunition. A local couple discovered the cache on a street in south London this past Tuesday and immediately alerted police.

Jordan Griffiths, who works in construction, explained to the newspaper that his girlfriend initially spotted the bag near the curb. He described feeling stunned when they opened it and realized what they had found.

“I could not believe my eyes and took some pictures as proof of what we had found,” Griffiths stated. “I called the police and told them what I had found and within a few minutes they turned up to collect the guns.”

The Metropolitan Police’s Directorate of Professional Standards has taken over the investigation and confirmed that all five officers have been temporarily removed from field assignments.

“We are urgently reviewing the circumstances of this incident and recognize the concern it may cause,” officials said in their statement. “At this stage it is believed the bag was misplaced by on-duty officers a short time before the member of the public located it.”

A representative for Mayor Khan emphasized that law enforcement “must now take all steps to ensure an incident like this never occurs again.”

KABUL, Afghanistan — Severe storms bringing torrential rainfall have unleashed deadly flooding and landslides across Afghanistan, claiming 77 lives and injuring 137 people during a devastating 10-day period, according to the nation’s Disaster Management Authority announced Saturday.

Weather forecasters predict additional rainfall in the coming days across the region, prompting officials to urge citizens to avoid riverbanks and flood-prone locations.

Afghanistan, one of the world’s poorest nations, faces extreme vulnerability to severe weather conditions, with dozens already perishing from weather-related disasters this year. Earlier seasonal heavy snowfall and sudden flood events claimed multiple lives throughout the country.

The latest fatalities include 26 deaths recorded within the last two days, disaster officials reported. The destructive weather has completely leveled 793 residences while damaging an additional 2,673 homes, and obliterated approximately 210 miles of roadways through flooding and mudslides.

Commercial establishments, farmland, water sources, and irrigation systems have suffered extensive damage, impacting more than 5,800 families across the affected regions, authorities confirmed.

Multiple major highways linking Afghanistan’s capital city to outlying provinces have sustained flood and landslide damage, forcing motorists to navigate lengthy alternate routes to reach Kabul, according to Public Works Ministry spokesman Ashraf Haqshinas on Saturday.

The critical Kabul-Jalalabad highway, serving as the primary corridor between the capital and Pakistan’s border along with eastern Afghan provinces, remains closed. Mudslides, falling rocks, and floodwaters blocked this vital route Thursday morning, with repair teams actively working to restore access, Haqshinas reported.

Transportation officials are advising motorists to exercise extreme caution when traveling through storm-affected regions.

Floodwaters have also forced closure of the Salang Pass, a crucial high-altitude route through the Hindu Kush mountains connecting Kabul with northern territories, including the significant urban centers of Kunduz and Mazar-e-Sharif.

Afghanistan regularly experiences deadly flash flooding triggered by heavy precipitation and snowmelt, often resulting in dozens or hundreds of casualties during single events. Spring flooding in 2024 resulted in over 300 fatalities nationwide.

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — West African nation Senegal has prohibited government ministers from taking non-essential overseas trips as the country grapples with budget pressures stemming from the ongoing Iran conflict’s impact on global energy markets.

The nation depends heavily on imported petroleum products for its energy needs, making its economy susceptible to disruptions in global oil supply chains. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has caused crude oil prices to skyrocket, creating significant financial strain.

Speaking on Friday, Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko announced his administration was implementing measures to reduce government spending, noting that the country’s original budget calculations were based on oil costing $62 per barrel — a figure that has nearly doubled due to the Iran conflict.

“I have taken a number of drastic measures to restrict everything related to government spending, including the cancellation of all nonessential missions abroad,” Sonko told the state-run Le Soleil newspaper.

The Prime Minister revealed he has already called off multiple planned trips, including visits to Niger, Spain and France.

“No minister in my government will leave the country except for an essential mission,” Sonko stated.

The dramatic increase in fuel costs has intensified existing economic challenges across the African continent, where millions of people already struggle with poverty. Many residents now find themselves unable to afford transportation to their jobs or even basic meals due to the rising energy expenses.

ITTEFAQ, Afghanistan — The screams lasted for several minutes after the earth began to shake. Then, devastating silence.

Mohibullah Niazi, a local resident who assisted with rescue operations, reported Saturday that eight victims who perished near Kabul during Friday evening’s 5.8 magnitude earthquake were members of a refugee family who had recently come back from Iran.

A single survivor remains: a 3-year-old boy named Aarash, who sustained injuries and is currently receiving treatment at a Kabul hospital.

Deputy government spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat announced Saturday that the earthquake’s total fatality count has reached 12, with four additional people wounded. According to Fitrat, the disaster destroyed five residences and caused substantial damage to 33 others, impacting 40 families across Kabul, Panjshir, Logar, Nangarhar, Laghman and Nuristan provinces.

The Afghanistan Disaster Management Authority reported a lower death count of nine. Officials have not explained the difference in these figures.

The affected family represents part of the massive wave of Afghan refugees who have recently come home from Iran and Pakistan, following both nations’ 2023 enforcement campaigns targeting foreign residents, especially Afghans.

The family had been in the area for just 15 days, residing in a tent on property adjacent to Niazi’s residence. The family patriarch, Najibullah, approximately 50 years old, “had no other shelter,” Niazi explained. “He was a very poor person.”

Their temporary shelter was positioned against a barrier wall that divided the land from Niazi’s property, which sat on elevated terrain in Ittefaq village on Kabul’s eastern edges.

Recent days of intense rainfall, which have caused fatal flooding throughout Afghanistan, had saturated the soil. During the earthquake, the barrier wall gave way and crushed the family beneath it.

“My daughter shouted to me that a wall had fallen on them. The whole family ran, but there were so many big rocks,” Niazi recalled Saturday while standing at the disaster site. “We tried our best.”

By Saturday morning, only debris piles of bricks and mud remained, alongside blankets, kitchen items and other personal effects recovered from the wreckage and gathered together.

“For about three minutes, I could hear the voices of these people,” Niazi stated. “But we couldn’t do anything. There were two or three of us, but this was not the work of three people.”

Community members quickly arrived to assist, using shovels and bare hands to dig through mud and debris. They contacted the nearby Taliban police station, which dispatched rescue teams and emergency vehicles.

Young Aarash was extracted alive but wounded and immediately transported for medical care. Health Ministry spokesperson Sharafat Zaman, who visited the child Saturday, confirmed he is being treated for serious head trauma.

For the remaining family members — the parents, four daughters between ages 12 and 23, and two sons — rescue came too late. Workers could only retrieve their remains.

Niazi revealed he had previously welcomed the family into his home for one evening. On Friday, merely 30 minutes before the earthquake occurred, he had extended another invitation, offering his guest room as protection from the harsh weather and cold. “But they did not come with me,” he said.

The Friday evening tremor originated in the Hindu Kush mountains, approximately 150 kilometers (90 miles) east of Kunduz city in the north, based on data from the Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Center and U.S. Geological Survey. This location sits roughly 290 kilometers (180 miles) northeast of the capital.

Afghanistan sits within an extremely earthquake-prone region, with seismic events claiming thousands of lives in recent years.

This past August, a 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck a remote mountainous area in eastern Afghanistan, resulting in over 2,200 deaths. Kunar province experienced the highest casualties, where residents typically inhabit wooden and mud-brick structures along steep valley slopes.

In November, a 6.3 earthquake hit Samangan province in northern Afghanistan, claiming at least 27 lives and injuring more than 950 people. The disaster also harmed historic landmarks, including Afghanistan’s renowned Blue Mosque in Mazar-e-Sharif and the Bagh-e-Jahan Nama Palace in Khulm.

On October 7, 2023, a 6.3 earthquake accompanied by powerful aftershocks in western Afghanistan resulted in thousands of fatalities.

China’s Communist Party disciplinary committee announced Friday that it has launched an investigation into Ma Xingrui, the former party secretary of Xinjiang region, for suspected violations of party discipline and legal statutes.

Ma, who holds membership in the party’s Central Committee, led the northwestern Xinjiang region from 2021 through 2025. His previous roles included heading the National Ethnic Affairs Commission and serving as deputy party leader in Guangdong province.

The specific nature of Ma’s alleged misconduct remains undisclosed. His case adds to a growing list of high-ranking officials who have been stripped of their positions this year, including the country’s top military commander whom Xi Jinping dismissed in January.

Chen Xiaojiang succeeded Ma as Xinjiang’s party chief last July. The region had gained international attention due to an extensive campaign involving mass detentions without legal proceedings.

Chinese authorities had held an estimated one million or more members of minority groups, particularly ethnic Uyghur Muslims, claiming the measures were necessary following attacks carried out by a small faction of Uyghur extremists.

When Ma assumed leadership in 2021, Beijing reported that most detention facilities had been closed. However, several camp locations were transformed into prison-style facilities, and leaked documents obtained by the Associated Press revealed that thousands of Uyghurs received lengthy prison terms on charges that analysts described as fabricated.

This past March, China enacted legislation that analysts say solidifies the government’s policy of cultural assimilation targeting ethnic minority populations, expanding upon years of policy shifts implemented at the provincial level in Xinjiang and other regions.

Iranian forces launched a drone strike against a ship with Israeli connections as it passed through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, causing the vessel to catch fire, according to Saturday reports from Iran’s official media outlets.

The attack was confirmed by a commander from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards naval forces, as reported by the country’s state-run news agencies.

Israeli officials have not yet responded to the Iranian claims about the maritime incident.

Finance officials from five European nations are pushing the European Union to implement continent-wide profit restrictions on energy corporations as Middle Eastern conflicts send fuel costs soaring and threaten to burden ordinary citizens with higher expenses.

Spain’s Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo announced Saturday that officials from Germany, Italy, Portugal and Austria had joined him in sending correspondence to the European Commission highlighting “market distortions” resulting from the recent price increases.

“The conflict in the Middle East has caused oil prices to rise, placing a significant burden on the European economy and on European citizens,” stated the correspondence, which was dated Friday and shared publicly by Cuerpo through social media.

“It is important to ensure that this burden is distributed fairly,” the letter continued.

European nations rely heavily on energy imports from other regions, making them susceptible to global disruptions. During 2022, energy market chaos following Russia’s comprehensive attack on Ukraine sent inflation rates above 10% across numerous European nations.

During that period, EU leadership established a “solidarity contribution” that featured restrictions on excessive energy sector earnings.

“Given the current market distortions and fiscal constraints, the European Commission should swiftly develop a similar EU-wide contribution instrument,” the correspondence stated. “It would also send a clear message that those who profit from the consequences of the war must do their part to ease the burden on the general public.”

Primarily due to elevated oil costs, yearly inflation across the 21 nations using the euro currency climbed to 2.5% in March, up from 1.9% the previous month.

Iran has restricted most oil tanker movement through the Strait of Hormuz — a critical passage for approximately 20% of worldwide oil and gas shipments — creating potential stress on fuel markets for an extended period.

European Union Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen cautioned earlier this week that the disruption from the blockade means fuel costs will likely not “go back to normal in a foreseeable future.”

Ukrainian authorities reported Saturday that overnight drone attacks by Russian forces resulted in five civilian deaths and left 30 people wounded across the country.

The assault took place while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was en route to Istanbul for diplomatic discussions with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Zelenskyy is also scheduled to meet with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who serves as the spiritual head of Eastern Orthodox Christians worldwide.

Ukrainian Air Force officials stated that Russia launched 286 drones during the overnight operation, with Ukrainian defense systems successfully intercepting 260 of them.

The deadliest strike occurred in Nikopol, located in the Dnipropetrovsk region, where three women and two men lost their lives, according to regional military administration leader Oleksandr Hanzha. The same attack wounded 19 additional people, including a 14-year-old girl, and caused damage to local market stalls and a retail shop.

Near the Russian border in Sumy, another strike left 11 people injured, including a 15-year-old victim, the National Police reported. The attack targeted residential neighborhoods, causing damage to homes, vehicles, and utility infrastructure.

In Ukraine’s capital city, a drone impact ignited a fire on the ground floor of a three-story building that houses offices and warehouse space, according to the State Emergency Service. Officials reported no casualties from the Kyiv incident.

Russian Defense Ministry officials claimed Saturday that their military targeted what they described as “military-industrial and energy facilities used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces” using “long-range air- and ground-based precision weapons, as well as strike drones.”

The ministry also reported that Russian air defense systems destroyed 85 Ukrainian drones overnight across nine Russian regions, the annexed Crimea territory, and over the Black Sea.

In Russia’s border region of Rostov, regional governor Yuri Slyusar confirmed one fatality and four injuries from Ukrainian attacks. The strikes ignited fires at a logistics company warehouse and aboard a foreign-flagged cargo ship positioned several kilometers offshore, Slyusar reported.

The Samara region’s Tolyatti city saw one person wounded and damage to an apartment building’s roof, with multiple units suffering broken windows, according to Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky touched down in Istanbul on Saturday for diplomatic meetings with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, according to a spokesperson for the Ukrainian leader.

The presidential spokesperson informed members of the press that Zelensky’s agenda also includes a meeting with Patriarch Bartholomew, who holds the highest position within the Orthodox Church hierarchy.

The visit comes as Ukraine continues to navigate ongoing international relations amid regional tensions.

Military operations in Iran have now stretched into their sixth week while search and rescue teams work to locate an American service member missing since Friday.

The U.S. pilot ejected from a fighter aircraft after it was struck down over Iranian airspace during combat operations. Rescue efforts remain active as teams attempt to locate and recover the missing crew member.

The ongoing conflict has now extended well beyond initial projections, with no clear timeline for resolution as military engagement continues in the region.

Iranian authorities are targeting the families of political dissidents living in exile, using arrests and property seizures as weapons to silence criticism from abroad, according to multiple activists who spoke with news outlets.

These intimidation tactics represent an escalation in Iran’s suppression of opposition voices as ongoing regional conflicts continue. Activists living overseas have become crucial sources for documenting government crackdowns, especially since internet blackouts during widespread anti-government demonstrations made internal reporting difficult.

Hossein Razzagh, a former political prisoner now residing in Europe, learned that intelligence officers arrested his brother Ali on March 15 from their family home in Tehran. “My own brother isn’t at all political and doesn’t do any kind of political activity. It’s to put me under pressure,” Razzagh explained.

Ali was able to make a brief phone call to his wife that evening from an Intelligence Ministry detention facility, but the family has had no contact since. Officials told them they were investigating Ali’s communications with his exiled brother.

Similar incidents have affected other activists’ families. Behnam Chegini, now based in France, reported that his 20-year-old niece was arrested March 10 and held for one week. She was taken from her parents’ residence in Arak after returning from Tehran when her university closed due to the war. The young woman was eventually freed on bail but cannot leave the country.

“Because she is my niece and they know that,” Chegini said, explaining the motivation behind her detention.

Sareh Sedighi, who fled Iran after successfully appealing a death sentence in 2021, said authorities detained her mother from their home in Urmia last month. “The Islamic Republic took my mother away to make me be quiet,” Sedighi stated, adding that her mother has serious health conditions requiring daily insulin.

Mahshid Nazemi, a former political prisoner now living in France, reported that at least one friend was arrested and interrogated about their relationship.

Beyond family arrests, Iranian courts have begun seizing assets belonging to prominent critics under anti-espionage legislation passed during last year’s 12-day conflict with Israel. This law targets media and cultural activities considered supportive of Iran’s adversaries.

A judicial spokesperson announced on state television March 31 that more than 200 asset forfeiture cases have been filed or are in progress.

Iranian actor Borzou Arjmand, living in California, discovered through news coverage that his Iranian assets had been confiscated. Following his public support for 2022 protests, Arjmand became unable to return home, and authorities froze his bank accounts. He has publicly backed Reza Pahlavi, the former shah’s son who leads an opposition movement from abroad and has supported American-Israeli military actions.

The pressure on exiled figures aims to ensure “so the Iranian people’s voice doesn’t reach the world,” Arjmand said.

Other prominent figures facing asset seizures include soccer star Sardar Azmoun, musician Mohsen Yeghaneh, and university professor Ali Sharifi Zarchi, according to Iranian semi-official news sources. Both Yeghaneh and Zarchi have publicly supported anti-government demonstrators online.

Iranian security and court officials have issued warnings that any future anti-government demonstrations will face deadly force.

Government media frequently announce arrests nationwide, labeling detainees as “mercenaries” or “agents” working for Israel and America, “royalist thugs,” or “traitorous elements.” Some reports claim arrestees provided intelligence to “hostile networks.”

Iran Human Rights, a monitoring organization based in Norway, has documented several hundred arrests since the current conflict began February 28, using contacts within Iran and official media reports. Director Mahmood Amiry-Moghhaddam believes the actual numbers are significantly higher.

Among recent detainees is prominent human rights attorney Nasrin Sotoudeh, taken from her Tehran residence by intelligence agents, according to her daughter Mehraveh Khandan who lives in Amsterdam. The 64-year-old Sotoudeh had been released on medical bail following an earlier imprisonment.

Court operations remain unclear as Israeli airstrikes have hit judicial buildings. “It’s like they are half-closed. A lot of judges are staying home,” explained Musa Barzin, an attorney with Dadban, an organization of rights lawyers operating from abroad.

Prison conditions are reportedly worsening due to overcrowding. From Tehran, the wife of a political prisoner held at Evin Prison expressed fears about potential strikes on the facility, as occurred during last year’s conflict.

“Explosions and smoke can be heard and seen from everywhere in the city. Every time we hear a sound, we get scared,” she said, requesting anonymity for her family’s protection.

These circumstances have sparked fresh efforts to unite Iran’s fragmented overseas opposition movement.

Before the current conflict began, Razzagh and colleagues started organizing the Iran Freedom Congress in London, bringing together pro-democracy organizations. Razzagh spoke for a coalition of Iran-based opposition figures including Sotoudeh and imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi.

He described the conference as an initial step toward building a coalition focused on achieving “political transition” in Iran.

For generations, Iranian leadership has crushed organized political resistance. Diaspora activists say the ongoing war has intensified this suppression.

“Israel and America are saying, well, if the Islamic Republic doesn’t kill you, let us bomb you. They’ve been taken hostage from both sides,” Nazemi said regarding Iranians still in the country.

Iraqi officials have temporarily shuttered a major border crossing with Iran following deadly airstrikes that claimed the life of one Iraqi national and left several others critically injured, according to security officials who spoke Saturday.

The attack targeted a passenger reception facility located on Iran’s side of the Shalamcheh crossing, leaving at least five Iraqi nationals with severe injuries, security sources reported.

Authorities were able to retrieve the body of one victim, while emergency responders rushed the injured to nearby medical facilities where most remain in critical condition.

In response to the incident, Iraqi border officials issued orders to suspend all commercial trade and passenger travel through the crossing, according to an official statement from the border authorities.

Taiwan’s economy minister announced Saturday that a leading energy-producing nation has pledged to support the island’s liquefied natural gas requirements amid ongoing Middle East conflicts affecting regional energy supplies.

The semiconductor manufacturing hub previously depended on Qatar for approximately one-third of its LNG imports before regional tensions escalated. Taiwan has now arranged alternative energy sources for upcoming months through suppliers including Australia and the United States.

During a press briefing in Taipei, Economy Minister Kung Ming-hsin told reporters that Taiwan’s strong partnerships with oil and gas suppliers mean the country can easily redirect shipment sources or purchase additional spot market cargoes when needed.

Kung revealed that roughly two weeks earlier, an energy minister from an unnamed “major energy-producing country” reached out directly to offer assistance.

“They explained to us that they would fully support our natural gas needs. If we have any demand, we can let them know,” Kung stated.

“Another country even said that some countries have released strategic petroleum reserves, and they could also help coordinate matters if Taiwan needs assistance,” the minister added.

“This shows that Taiwan has in fact earned considerable goodwill internationally through the long-term trust it has built over the years,” Kung emphasized.

The minister chose not to identify which specific countries made these commitments.

At the same briefing, Angela Lin, who speaks for state-owned refiner CPC, confirmed that crude oil stockpiles remain at pre-conflict levels while petrochemical feedstock supplies continue operating normally.

CPC Chairman Fang Jeng-zen outlined plans to reduce Middle East dependency through a new U.S. agreement that will deliver 1.2 million metric tons of LNG yearly, with additional volumes planned for the future, including potential Alaskan supplies.

Fang noted, however, that Taiwan will not pursue crude oil or LNG imports from Russia.

India has resumed purchasing crude oil from Iran for the first time in nearly seven years, according to the country’s oil ministry announced Saturday.

The world’s third-largest oil consumer had avoided Iranian oil since May 2019 due to U.S. sanctions pressure, but ongoing Middle East conflicts disrupting supply routes through the Strait of Hormuz have forced the South Asian nation to seek alternative sources.

“Amid Middle East supply disruptions, Indian refiners have secured their crude oil requirements, including from Iran; and there is no payment hurdle for Iranian crude imports,” the oil ministry stated on social media platform X.

The resumption became possible after the United States temporarily lifted sanctions on Iranian petroleum products last month to address supply shortages affecting global markets.

Ministry officials confirmed that India has successfully secured adequate crude oil supplies for upcoming months through diversified sourcing strategies.

“India imports crude oil from 40-plus countries, with companies having full flexibility to source oil from different sources and geographies based on commercial considerations,” the ministry explained.

In addition to crude oil, India recently received 44,000 metric tons of Iranian liquefied petroleum gas delivered by a previously sanctioned vessel. The shipment arrived at Mangalore port on Wednesday and is currently being unloaded, according to ministry officials.

A deadly Russian drone attack struck a marketplace in the Ukrainian city of Nikopol on Saturday morning, leaving five people dead and injuring 19 others, according to Ukraine’s prosecutor general’s office.

Ukrainian authorities condemned the assault, with the prosecutor’s office stating on Telegram: “This is yet another war crime committed by the Russian Federation.”

The city of Nikopol sits along the frontlines of the conflict, positioned across the Dnipro River just kilometers from Russian-controlled territory. Due to its strategic location, the city frequently comes under enemy fire and bombardment.

American military forces continued an urgent search and rescue mission Saturday for a missing pilot after Iranian forces shot down a U.S. fighter jet, while Tehran urged its citizens to help locate and capture the “enemy pilot.”

Iranian forces targeted two American aircraft on Friday, shooting down what Iran identified as a U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle. Military officials rescued one crew member, but a second service member remains unaccounted for. This marks the first instance of the United States losing aircraft over Iranian airspace during the ongoing conflict, which has now entered its sixth week.

The hostilities began February 28 when the U.S. and Israel launched military operations, creating widespread regional instability. The conflict has resulted in thousands of casualties, disrupted international commerce, blocked crucial maritime passages, driven up energy costs, and continues escalating as Iran retaliates against American and Israeli air attacks with strikes throughout the Middle East.

Saturday brought continued violence as what appeared to be an Iranian drone struck Oracle Corporation’s Dubai headquarters. Israeli defense forces reported that Iran had fired missiles toward Israeli territory.

The aircraft downing occurred just 48 hours after President Donald Trump declared in a televised speech that America had “beaten and completely decimated Iran” and pledged to “finish the job, and we’re going to finish it very fast.” American and Israeli officials had recently claimed Iran’s air defense systems were destroyed.

Saturday also saw an attack near Iran’s Bushehr nuclear facility, according to the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran. The airstrike killed one security guard and damaged a support structure, marking the fourth time the facility has been targeted during the war. The agency made the announcement through social media channels.

Neither the White House nor Pentagon has issued public statements regarding the downed aircraft.

However, The Associated Press obtained a Pentagon email stating the military received notification of “an aircraft being shot down” in the Middle East, though no additional details were provided.

While one crew member from the aircraft was successfully rescued, the Pentagon informed the House Armed Services Committee that a second service member’s whereabouts remain unknown. Military search and rescue operations continued throughout Saturday.

When contacted by NBC News, Trump refused to discuss the rescue efforts but stated the incident would not impact ongoing negotiations with Iran.

Iranian state media separately reported that a U.S. A-10 attack aircraft crashed in the Persian Gulf after being hit by Iranian defense forces.

A U.S. official, speaking anonymously about the sensitive military situation, said it remained unclear whether the aircraft crashed or was shot down, or if Iran was responsible. The crew’s status and exact crash location were not immediately available.

A television anchor on an Iranian state-affiliated channel encouraged viewers to surrender any “enemy pilot” to police authorities.

Iran has repeatedly made false claims about downing enemy aircraft throughout the conflict. Friday marked the first occasion Iranian media asked civilians to search for a crashed pilot.

According to Iranian state media posts on social platform X, their military destroyed a U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle. This aircraft variant typically carries both a pilot and weapons system operator.

The Oracle headquarters attack in Dubai occurred after Iran’s Revolutionary Guard threatened the technology company. The strike hit the building located on Dubai’s main Sheikh Zayed Road, with verified footage showing significant damage. A large opening was visible in the building’s southwestern section, and the neon “Oracle” sign was partially destroyed.

Dubai’s Media Office described the incident as a “minor incident caused by debris from an aerial interception that fell on the facade of the Oracle building in Dubai Internet City,” noting no injuries occurred.

Austin, Texas-based Oracle did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The Revolutionary Guard has labeled several major American technology companies as participants in “terrorist espionage” operations against Iran, declaring them valid targets. Previous Iranian drone attacks have targeted Amazon Web Services facilities in both the UAE and Bahrain.

International leaders continue struggling to break Iran’s control over critical waterways, which has created significant global economic impacts and represents Iran’s key strategic advantage in the conflict.

The U.N. Security Council was scheduled to address the situation Saturday.

Trump has shown inconsistent positions regarding America’s involvement in the strait, sometimes threatening Iran to reopen the passage while telling other countries to “go get your own oil.” Friday, he posted on social media: “With a little more time, we can easily OPEN THE HORMUZ STRAIT, TAKE THE OIL, & MAKE A FORTUNE.”

Since the conflict began, more than 1,900 people have died in Iran. A Friday report from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data, a U.S.-based organization, found civilian casualties concentrated around strikes on security and government facilities “rather than indiscriminate bombardment” of populated areas.

Additional casualties include over two dozen deaths in Gulf Arab states and the occupied West Bank, 19 reported deaths in Israel, and 13 killed U.S. service members. Lebanon has seen over 1,300 deaths and more than one million displaced residents, while 10 Israeli soldiers have also died there.

Finance officials from five European Union nations are pushing for the implementation of a special tax targeting energy companies’ extraordinary profits amid surging fuel costs linked to the Iran conflict, according to correspondence obtained by Reuters on Saturday.

The treasury chiefs from Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Austria issued their unified request in correspondence dated Friday to the European Union Commission, stating that implementing such a policy would demonstrate that “we stand united and are able to take action.”

The ministers emphasized in their letter that the measure would communicate a strong message about corporate responsibility during wartime. “It would also send a clear message that those who profit from the consequences of the war must do their part to ease the burden on the general public,” the finance officials stated.

The joint proposal comes as European nations grapple with rising energy costs that have impacted consumers and businesses across the continent.

NIJKERK, Netherlands – Authorities in the Netherlands launched an investigation Saturday following reports of an overnight blast at an Israel Centre located in the central town of Nijkerk.

According to a statement released on social media by Dutch law enforcement, no one was hurt in the incident and property damage to the facility was described as minor. The center is operated by the charitable organization Christians for Israel.

Investigators have not yet determined whether this incident is connected to a recent string of attacks targeting Jewish facilities throughout Europe that have occurred since the conflict in Iran began.

Law enforcement officials confirmed that no suspects have been taken into custody and are requesting that anyone with information about the explosion contact authorities.

The International Monetary Fund has recommended that Japan’s central bank continue its policy of increasing interest rates, despite acknowledging that ongoing Middle Eastern conflicts present “significant new risks” to Japan’s economic future.

This guidance emerges as financial markets anticipate Japan’s central bank may implement another rate increase as early as this month, driven by inflation concerns stemming from conflict-related oil price surges and increased import expenses due to currency weakness.

According to a Friday statement released from Washington following the IMF’s policy review with Japan, economic growth is anticipated to slow somewhat due in part to the Iran conflict, though steady wage improvements should support consumer spending.

“Risks to the outlook and inflation are broadly balanced,” the IMF stated, projecting that inflation will align with the central bank’s 2% goal by 2027.

The international organization’s executive board praised Japan’s “strong economic resilience” against worldwide disruptions and endorsed the central bank’s approach to scaling back monetary stimulus measures.

“They noted that as underlying inflation converges toward the BOJ’s target, gradual rate hikes toward neutral should continue” using a flexible, well-communicated and data-dependent strategy, according to the statement.

“Directors stressed the importance of maintaining a flexible exchange rate as a credible shock absorber,” the document added.

Japan’s central bank concluded its extensive stimulus program in 2024 and implemented multiple rate increases, including one in December, based on expectations that the nation would sustainably achieve its 2% inflation objective.

Bank officials have emphasized their willingness to continue raising rates, anticipating that core inflation will reach the 2% target between the latter half of fiscal 2026 and fiscal 2027. Japan’s fiscal calendar begins in April.

Although higher oil costs negatively affect Japan’s import-dependent economy, central bank policymakers have expressed concerns that these increases will compound inflationary pressures from years of consistent wage growth and widespread price rises.

The central bank’s series of hawkish statements has led markets to assign approximately a 70% probability to an April rate increase.

The yen’s decline toward the critical 160-per-dollar threshold has also heightened market vigilance for potential currency intervention by Japanese officials.

Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama delivered another warning against yen speculation on Friday, stating Japan remains prepared to counter speculative currency market activity.

“We’re ready to take all available means that are legally feasible, be it conventional or non-conventional,” she stated during a Friday evening online program.

MOSCOW – The creator of messaging app Telegram pointed fingers at Russian authorities Saturday, claiming their efforts to shut down Virtual Private Networks caused widespread disruptions to the country’s payment infrastructure.

Pavel Durov stated that Russia’s crackdown on VPNs resulted in significant problems for domestic financial transactions, with tens of millions of citizens now pushing back against government digital restrictions.

Friday’s technical failures created widespread confusion for consumers across Russia. Moscow’s subway system was forced to open its gates and allow passengers to enter without paying, while at least one regional zoo had to request that visitors pay only with physical currency.

Writing on his own platform, Durov criticized the government’s actions. “Their blocking attempts just triggered a massive banking failure,” he posted. “Welcome back to the Digital Resistance, my Russian brothers and sisters. The entire nation is now mobilised to bypass these absurd restrictions.”

Russian regional authorities reported Saturday that Ukrainian aerial strikes on southern Russia resulted in one death and four injuries, while also causing damage to commercial infrastructure and igniting fires.

Rostov region Governor Yuri Slyusar confirmed the casualty figures from what he described as Ukrainian air attacks on his territory. The strikes targeted the city of Taganrog, where commercial infrastructure sustained damage and a logistics company’s warehouse caught fire, according to Slyusar’s statements.

In a separate incident in the Sea of Azov, Slyusar reported that a Ukrainian drone strike damaged a commercial ship flying a foreign flag, causing a fire to break out on the vessel.

Meanwhile, Samara Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev announced that Ukrainian drones also targeted the Russian city of Togliatti, though details about what was struck remain unclear. Togliatti has been previously targeted by Ukraine, particularly the TogliattiAzot chemical fertilizer manufacturing facility located there.

Iranian military forces launched an intensive search Saturday for a missing American pilot following the downing of two U.S. military aircraft over Iran and Gulf waters, according to officials from both nations, while rescue teams successfully recovered two other airmen.

The aircraft losses highlight ongoing dangers for American and Israeli pilots operating in Iranian airspace during the sixth week of the current conflict, contradicting previous statements from President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth claiming complete U.S. air dominance.

The possibility of an American service member evading capture on Iranian soil significantly raises the political stakes for Washington in a war that lacks strong domestic support and shows no clear path to resolution.

Iranian forces successfully shot down a twin-seat F-15E Strike Eagle, confirmed by officials in both countries, while a separate A-10 Warthog attack aircraft crashed in Kuwait after sustaining Iranian fire damage, forcing the pilot to eject, two U.S. officials reported.

During search and rescue operations for the missing pilot, two American Black Hawk helicopters came under Iranian attack but successfully escaped Iranian airspace, the U.S. officials confirmed to Reuters. The extent of crew injuries aboard the helicopters remains unknown.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps announced it was conducting sweeps through southwestern regions near the crash site, while the local provincial governor offered rewards for anyone who captures or eliminates “forces of the hostile enemy.”

Iranian civilians, who have endured weeks of American bombing campaigns since the February 28 launch of U.S.-Israeli operations, celebrated the aircraft shootdowns. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf posted on social media that the conflict had been “downgraded from regime change” to hunting for downed pilots.

A senior administration official confirmed that Trump has remained at the White House receiving regular briefings on the rescue mission. The Pentagon and U.S. Central Command have not yet responded to media inquiries about the incidents.

Pakistan-mediated ceasefire negotiations appear to have stalled, with Iran informing intermediaries it will not participate in planned meetings with U.S. representatives in Islamabad, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

The conflict has claimed thousands of lives, triggered a global energy crisis, and threatens long-term economic damage worldwide since the initial attacks that resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

U.S. Central Command reports 13 American military deaths and over 300 wounded personnel since fighting began.

Iran continues launching drone and missile strikes against Israel while targeting Gulf nations allied with the United States, though these countries have avoided direct military involvement to prevent further escalation.

Dubai authorities reported Saturday that debris from aerial defense operations struck two building facades in the emirate, though no casualties occurred.

The U.S. embassy in Beirut issued a security warning Friday stating that Iran and allied militant groups may target Lebanese universities, advising American citizens to depart while commercial flights remain available.

Israel maintains a separate military campaign against Iran-backed Hezbollah forces in Lebanon after the group launched attacks supporting Iran. Israeli military officials announced early Saturday strikes against Hezbollah infrastructure positions in Beirut.

Following Trump’s threats against Iranian infrastructure, Iran retaliated Friday by attacking a Kuwaiti power and water facility, demonstrating the vulnerability of Gulf states dependent on desalination for their water supply.

Thursday saw Trump share images of destruction from U.S. strikes on the B1 bridge connecting Tehran and Karaj, scheduled to open this year, while promising additional attacks.

“Our Military, the greatest and most powerful (by far!) anywhere in the World, hasn’t even started destroying what’s left in Iran. Bridges next, then Electric Power Plants!” he wrote.

A drone strike Friday damaged a Red Crescent humanitarian warehouse in Iran’s Bushehr province Choghadak region.

Kuwait Petroleum Corporation confirmed drone attacks on its Mina al-Ahmadi refinery, while additional strikes were reportedly intercepted in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi. Missile fragments landed near Israel’s Haifa port, home to a significant oil refinery.

Oil markets closed after benchmark U.S. crude prices surged 11% Thursday following Trump’s speech that provided no indication of an imminent war conclusion.

Iranian forces have brought down two American military aircraft in distinct incidents, leaving one service member unaccounted for in what represents a significant intensification of the conflict that began almost six weeks ago.

The downing of US aircraft marks the first such losses since the conflict began and occurred merely two days following President Donald Trump’s national television statement claiming the United States had “beaten and completely decimated Iran.”

Military officials confirmed that one fighter aircraft was brought down over Iranian territory. While one American crew member from that aircraft was successfully recovered, another remains unaccounted for as military search and rescue teams continue their efforts.

In a separate incident, Iranian state television reported that their defense forces struck a US A-10 attack aircraft, causing it to crash into the Persian Gulf. An American official, who requested anonymity due to the classified nature of the military situation, indicated uncertainty about whether the aircraft was shot down or simply crashed.

The conflict, now in its sixth week, continues to disrupt global economic stability as Iran retaliates against American and Israeli military actions by striking energy infrastructure throughout the Gulf region and restricting oil and natural gas transport through the Strait of Hormuz.

Recent developments include damage to two building exteriors in Dubai from debris of intercepted unmanned aircraft, including property owned by American technology company Oracle. Officials reported no casualties from the incident.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard has issued threats against Oracle and 17 additional American corporations, alleging their participation in “terrorist espionage” activities within Iran.

Earlier Iranian drone attacks resulted in damage to three Amazon Web Services installations across the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

Pentagon statistics through Friday show 247 wounded Army personnel, 63 Navy sailors, 19 Marines, and 36 Air Force members. The data may not reflect casualties from Friday’s aircraft incidents.

Among the wounded, 200 were mid to senior-level enlisted personnel, 85 were officers, and 80 were junior enlisted service members.

Combat fatalities remain at 13 American service members.

Iranian authorities carried out the death sentences of two men on Saturday who had been convicted of maintaining ties to an opposition organization and conducting armed attacks, according to domestic media reports.

The men were found guilty of connections to the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran, an opposition group, state media indicated.

These death sentences represent a continuation of similar executions that have taken place in recent days targeting individuals with connections to opposition organizations.

TOKYO (AP) — The iconic cherry blossom trees that draw millions of visitors to Tokyo each spring are showing dangerous signs of age, with several collapsing during this year’s peak viewing season.

Thursday brought fresh concerns when two separate trees toppled over — one striking a fence at Kinuta Park in central Tokyo, while another nearly crashed into the Imperial Palace moat at Chidorigafuchi greenway. Fortunately, no one was hurt in either incident.

The fallen tree at Kinuta Park stood nearly 60 feet tall with a diameter exceeding eight feet, making it among the park’s oldest specimens at more than six decades old, according to city officials. This marks the second collapse at that location this year, following a March incident where a falling cherry tree injured a pedestrian.

The pattern is becoming alarmingly common across the capital. Tokyo parks experienced 85 tree failures last year alone, resulting in three injuries, with cherry trees representing a significant portion of those incidents, reports Masakazu Noguchi, who oversees metropolitan parks.

The timing couldn’t be worse, as these collapses occur during hanami — the beloved tradition of gathering beneath blooming cherry trees that Tokyo helped popularize worldwide.

Tokyo assembly member Yutaka Kazama took to social media last month to voice his alarm, stating that “cherry blossom trees with their roots partially exposed or obviously rotten seem dangerous.” He urged comprehensive safety measures while cautioning against hasty tree removal.

The deterioration stems primarily from the trees’ advanced age and internal fungal infections that weaken their structure over time.

Tree specialist Hiroyuki Wada advises watching for warning signs including severe leaning, unusual flowering along lower trunk areas, and mushroom growth at the base. He notes that water retention in tree trunks following rainfall significantly increases collapse risk.

“Many trees in our daily lives were planted soon after the war and are now 70-80 years old and getting weaker,” Wada explained, pointing to extreme summer heat and prolonged dry periods as additional stress factors.

“I hope people think about the climate change through what’s happening to the cherry blossom trees, which is very symbolic,” he added.

In response to March’s incidents, city officials launched comprehensive tree health assessments at major Tokyo parks before this season’s peak bloom period.

At Kinuta Park alone, preliminary examinations covered more than 800 cherry trees. Officials removed several trees and installed warning signs near others, though Thursday’s fallen tree had not been marked as hazardous.

“At the moment, our measures are mostly temporary, not fundamental steps such as replanting,” Noguchi acknowledged. “We call on visitors to use caution because we cannot say it’s safe even after inspection.”

Inokashira Park, among Tokyo’s most celebrated viewing destinations, has implemented a long-term replacement strategy that has required removing dozens of aging trees in recent years. Social media users have expressed sadness over bare spots around the pond that once featured unbroken circles of pink blossoms.

Despite safety concerns, cherry blossom enthusiasts remain determined to enjoy the brief blooming period.

“I’m a bit worried, but I guess it’s OK if we stay away from tree trunks,” visitor Lisa Suzuki commented.

Fellow visitor Akira Kamiyashiki brought his daughter despite the risks, explaining that weekend rain forecasts made Thursday their best opportunity. “Seeing the keep-off signs, I now feel safe,” he noted.

Cherry blossoms, known as “sakura,” hold special significance in Japanese culture, typically reaching peak bloom from late March through early April as the nation begins its new academic and business year. The tradition of walking and picnicking beneath flowering trees remains deeply embedded in Japanese life.

Iranian forces have brought down two American military aircraft in a rare escalation that represents the first enemy shootdown of US warplanes in over two decades, highlighting Tehran’s persistent defensive capabilities even after President Donald Trump claimed the nation had been “completely decimated.”

The aircraft losses occurred five weeks following initial US and Israeli bombardments of Iran, despite Trump’s recent assertion that Tehran’s “ability to launch missiles and drones is dramatically curtailed.”

Iranian defensive units downed an American F-15E Strike Eagle fighter on Friday, with military officials confirming one crew member was successfully recovered while search operations continue for the second. Tehran’s state-controlled media reported that Iranian defense forces also struck a US A-10 attack plane, causing it to crash.

The previous instance of an American fighter being destroyed in battle occurred during the 2003 Iraq invasion when an A-10 Thunderbolt II was lost, according to retired Air Force Brigadier General Houston Cantwell, who previously flew F-16 fighters.

However, Cantwell noted that American forces had primarily faced insurgent groups lacking sophisticated anti-aircraft systems in recent conflicts. The limited number of aircraft losses in Iran demonstrates the effectiveness of US military capabilities, he explained.

“The fact that this hasn’t happened until now is an absolute miracle,” stated Cantwell, who completed four combat deployments and currently works as a senior resident fellow at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies. “We’re flying combat missions here, they are being shot at every day.”

US Central Command reported Wednesday that American military units have conducted over 13,000 sorties during the Iran conflict while engaging more than 12,300 targets.

Despite enduring over a month of intensive US-Israeli bombing campaigns, Iran’s weakened but determined military continues to present significant challenges. Tehran’s ongoing attacks against Israel and neighboring Gulf states have created regional instability and worldwide economic disruption.

Regarding American control of Iranian airspace, a clear difference exists between achieving air superiority versus complete air supremacy, explained Behnam Ben Taleblu, who directs Iran programs at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a hawkish Washington policy organization.

“A disabled air defense system is not a destroyed air defense system,” he emphasized. “We shouldn’t be shocked that they’re still fighting.”

US aircraft have been conducting operations at reduced altitudes, increasing their exposure to Iranian missile systems, Taleblu noted. While Iran may have engaged the F-15 using surface-to-air missiles, portable shoulder-launched weapons were more probable, he suggested. These systems are significantly harder to detect and demonstrate how Iran remains “weak but still lethal.”

“This is a regime that is fighting for its life,” he observed.

Mark Cancian, a former Marine colonel and senior defense consultant with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, concurred that shoulder-fired missiles likely targeted the fighter aircraft.

Despite these losses, the American aerial campaign against Iran has achieved “tremendous success” thus far, he assessed.

For historical context, he referenced that American warplane losses over Germany during World War II reached 3% at certain points, which would translate to approximately 350 aircraft in the current Iranian conflict.

“But then there’s the political side — you have a American public that is accustomed to fighting bloodless wars,” Cancian explained. “Then a large part of the country doesn’t support the war. So to them, any loss is unacceptable.”

The most recent US aircraft shot down in combat was hit by an Iraqi surface-to-air missile above Baghdad on April 8, 2003. The pilot successfully ejected and was recovered safely, Air Force records show.

During high-risk operations like Iranian missions, aviators experience elevated stress responses and heightened awareness of incoming missile threats, retired General Cantwell described. These weapons typically use infrared or radar guidance systems, each requiring distinct evasive maneuvers.

When aircraft are struck and pilots must eject, they receive extensive training for post-ejection procedures, he explained.

Airmen learn to assess injuries following violent ejections and missile blast trauma, and most importantly, how to relay their position for rescue teams to locate them.

Simultaneously, enemy forces likely attempt to intercept these communications or provide false location data, he added.

Friday’s downed aircraft were not the initial crewed American planes lost in Iranian territory.

A military helicopter and transport plane exploded in 1980 during a failed rescue attempt for dozens of American hostages held at the US embassy in Tehran, Air Force Historical Support Division records indicate.

Following multiple complications including severe sandstorms and equipment malfunctions, mission commanders aborted the operation. During departure, rotor blades from an RH-53 helicopter struck a fuel-laden EC-130 aircraft, causing both to explode and killing eight personnel.

Additional US helicopters have been destroyed in recent years, including an Army MH-47 Chinook struck by rocket-propelled grenades in Afghanistan during 2005, resulting in 16 fatalities. Helicopters face greater risks because “the lower and the slower, the more susceptible you are,” Cantwell noted.

This makes this week’s rescue operations, likely conducted using helicopters, “such a brave and honorable act,” he concluded.

A tragic event at a soccer stadium in Peru on Friday claimed one life and left 47 people wounded just before a highly anticipated football derby was set to begin.

According to reports from AFP, a government minister confirmed the casualty figures from the stadium tragedy, though specific details about what led to the deadly incident have not been released.

The event unfolded as fans were preparing for the football derby match, but authorities have not yet provided information about the exact circumstances that resulted in the death and injuries.