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COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Danish citizens will cast ballots next week to determine their nation’s leadership for the coming four years, in an election taking place after a diplomatic clash between the United States and Denmark regarding Greenland’s future.

Last month, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced the upcoming election, seemingly betting that her direct approach during the Greenland dispute would resonate with voters. Should the Social Democratic Party leader successfully form a new coalition following Tuesday’s voting, it would mark the beginning of her third administration.

The 48-year-old has served as head of government for the EU and NATO member nation since mid-2019. Frederiksen has built a reputation for backing Ukraine against Russian aggression while maintaining tough immigration policies.

During her current term, public approval declined amid rising living costs. However, her standing improved as Denmark dealt with Trump’s ambitions for Greenland, which reached a peak in January when he briefly threatened European tariffs over opposition to American control of the Arctic territory.

Election analyst Kasper Møller Hansen from the University of Copenhagen expects Frederiksen to retain leadership, though potentially with her party’s poorest performance to date. The Social Democrats appear headed for less than their 2022 total of 27.5% while maintaining their position as the largest party.

“She’s getting a big burst to her poll results on the topic of Greenland, or the relationship with the United States, or Ukraine,” said Møller Hansen. “On home turf, she’s being really challenged.”

Denmark’s proportional voting system usually creates coalition governments formed by multiple parties from either the political left or right. The current administration broke decades of tradition by spanning both sides of the political spectrum.

Two center-right politicians are competing against Frederiksen — one from within her existing coalition and another from the opposition.

Liberal Party leader Troels Lund Poulsen currently serves as Defense Minister. His Venstre party previously controlled multiple governments but has struggled in recent polling.

Alex Vanopslagh, 34, heads the Liberal Alliance within the conservative “blue bloc,” advocating for reduced taxes, streamlined government, and ending Denmark’s nuclear power prohibition. However, his recent acknowledgment of past cocaine use while leading his party may have damaged his electoral prospects.

The anti-immigration Danish People’s Party appears positioned for a comeback after performing poorly in 2022. Should neither liberal nor conservative factions secure governing majorities, Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen’s centrist Moderate party could determine the outcome.

Immigration remains a central campaign issue, with Denmark maintaining some of Europe’s strictest policies under Frederiksen’s influence.

Responding to right-wing pressure and citing potential migration increases due to Middle Eastern conflicts, she recently proposed measures including an asylum “emergency brake” and enhanced oversight of undocumented criminals. Her administration previously announced plans allowing deportation of foreign nationals sentenced to one year or more for serious offenses.

Frederiksen advocates for establishing “return hubs” beyond EU borders for rejected asylum applicants.

Denmark processed 1,961 asylum requests last year, significantly lower than the 21,000 received in 2015.

Economic concerns including living expenses, retirement benefits, and potential wealth taxation have dominated campaign discussions — along with agricultural issues.

As a major global pork producer, Denmark faces calls from the left-wing Alternative party for improved animal welfare standards, agricultural whistleblower protections, and reducing livestock to levels needed only for the country’s 6 million residents. This proposal would eliminate 86% of the nation’s pig population.

Greenland itself hasn’t featured prominently in campaigning due to widespread agreement on the territory’s relationship with Denmark.

“There’s a huge consensus on our relationship to Greenland and our relationship to foreign powers,” Møller Hansen said.

Frederiksen declared in January that American acquisition of Greenland would effectively destroy NATO. The crisis has since cooled following Trump’s withdrawal of tariff threats, leading to trilateral security discussions between the U.S., Denmark, and Greenland.

The election will also test Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, who has held office for approximately one year.

Campaign tensions have exposed divisions within his coalition government. Disagreements over local officials seeking Copenhagen parliamentary seats prompted one party to leave his alliance, forcing Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt from her position. She subsequently left her Siumut party.

Voters will select members of the Folketing, Denmark’s unicameral legislature.

The parliament contains 179 seats: 175 representing mainland Denmark, plus two each from sparsely populated Greenland and the Faroe Islands, the kingdom’s other autonomous territory.

Over 4.3 million eligible voters can participate in next week’s election. Danish turnout traditionally runs high, reaching 84.2% during the 2022 contest.

GUAJES DE AYALA, Mexico — In the rugged mountains of Mexico’s Guerrero state, Jesús Domínguez navigates dense vegetation with an assault rifle across his back and an explosive device attached to his belt.

The 34-year-old moves with a group of camouflage-wearing fighters who patrol remote areas against one of Mexico’s most dangerous criminal organizations.

Equipped with high-powered weapons trafficked from the United States, this 50-person militia represents one of many “autodefensa” or civilian protection units that have formed across Mexico during the last ten years to combat increasingly advanced cartels in regions where government forces cannot reach.

“The government doesn’t care about us, and it’s impossible for our arms to compete with (the cartel’s),” Domínguez explained from an observation point overlooking Guerrero’s mountainous terrain. “They come at you with a ton of force, so you need to respond with force…If you don’t, they’ll overwhelm you.”

These civilian fighters in Guajes de Ayala operate within Mexico’s chaotic environment of competing armed factions — ranging from international cartels to neighborhood criminal groups — particularly in areas like Guerrero that have suffered from fragmenting drug organizations for years. This complex situation presents a major challenge for Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum as she faces demands from the Trump administration while concerns grow about increased violence after the death of Mexico’s most influential drug kingpin.

The civilian defense unit formed in 2020 when La Nueva Familia Michoacana attempted to seize seven mountain communities located along a crucial route that connects drug trafficking organizations to Acapulco’s port, where narcotics and contraband move through.

Community members reported that this cartel, which the Trump administration labeled a terrorist organization last year, began cutting down trees illegally on their property and attempted to coerce locals into fighting against competing criminal groups.

Without Mexican army or police presence, townspeople took up weapons. Intermittent battles continued for almost twelve months. People evacuated on foot, trekking for hours across distant mountains carrying only their clothing. Towns that once housed 1,600 residents shrank to merely 400.

Following a temporary ceasefire, the militia reorganized in October when Nueva Familia Michoacana resumed their territorial expansion, establishing drug production facilities and conducting surveillance with unmanned aircraft, according to group commander Javier Hernández.

Currently, the fighters protect their communities from elevated positions and monitor approximately 100 cartel soldiers stationed several miles away using their own surveillance drones.

“We don’t want to be part of their ranks and we don’t want to leave our lands,” Hernández stated. “We don’t want to be slaves to any cartel.”

Guerrero experiences more deeply rooted conflict than most Mexican regions, with a militant history extending back to rebel movements from the 1960s. The situation has become more complicated as cartels have split into competing factions, creating conditions vastly different from previous eras when single organizations maintained complete regional dominance. A 2025 DEA assessment identifies five cartels operating in the area, along with numerous local gangs and civilian militias, many aligned with larger criminal enterprises.

“You have a kaleidoscope of armed groups,” explained Mónica Serrano, a researcher at Colegio de Mexico who studies Guerrero violence. “It’s one of the most vexing challenges facing the country and is at the root of the violence.”

Civilian protection forces expanded throughout Michoacan and Guerrero beginning around 2013. Similar to the Guajes de Ayala organization, they emerged from desperate efforts to avoid becoming casualties in cartel warfare.

However, in locations where criminal organizations have stronger presence than law enforcement, virtually every vigilante movement in recent years has either been absorbed by rival cartels or eliminated. Mexico’s federal government remains divided on whether to negotiate with vigilantes or prosecute them as criminals.

Sometimes, these groups transformed into cartel military units, well-funded and terrorizing the same communities they promised to defend. In other instances, cartels provided weapons to local residents to help combat rival organizations.

“They corner you and you can’t do anything,” Domínguez observed. “That’s how what’s been created – which began as autonomy – is corrupted. People end up joining criminal groups just to survive.”

The Guajes de Ayala community claims independence, yet their forces possess equipment far exceeding what local farmers could afford, including drone detection technology, intercepted radio communications, and DJI surveillance aircraft worth thousands of dollars for monitoring cartel operatives.

They carry assault rifles marked “MADE IN USA” and bearing manufacturer names from Florida, South Carolina and Poland. Due to Mexico’s restrictive firearms regulations, most weapons in the country are smuggled from the United States by cartels.

One fighter acknowledged the vigilantes buy weapons from cartels but declined to specify which organization.

Another revealed he previously belonged to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and received payment to join the vigilantes. A third wore headgear displaying “El Señor de los Gallos,” referring to Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, the influential CJNG commander killed by Mexican military forces in February.

Two regional criminal gangs battling Nueva Familia Michoacana permit Guajes de Ayala residents to travel through their areas, preventing complete encirclement as occurred previously.

Meanwhile, Hernández said he provides information about the opposing cartel to law enforcement and that his organization rejected partnership proposals from other vigilante groups known for attacking civilians.

The spread of armed organizations throughout Mexico tests Sheinbaum as she works to counter Trump administration threats of U.S. military action.

Under Sheinbaum’s leadership, security forces have targeted criminal groups more aggressively than previous administrations. Murder rates have decreased significantly since she assumed office, reaching decade-low levels according to government statistics.

But Hernández said conditions have deteriorated for his community.

“It’s a lie. They say the government is doing wonders, but it’s nothing but propaganda,” he stated.

The elimination of Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” dealt a significant blow to Mexico’s most powerful criminal organization. However, experts and some community members in places like Guajes de Ayala fear this could trigger additional violence as other criminal groups attempt violent takeovers or competing CJNG factions battle for leadership.

A Marine officer in Guerrero, speaking anonymously for security reasons, said his units were “preparing for a possible reorganization of these groups.” He emphasized that Mexican forces haven’t abandoned communities like Guajes de Ayala and respond to requests for assistance from rural locations.

The settlements in Guajes de Ayala have become deserted areas filled with empty houses belonging to people too frightened to return.

Marisela Mojica, Domínguez’s mother, relocated six children and grandchildren after her daughter was abducted by individuals claiming membership in Nueva Familia Michoacana.

“If they come to kill us all, I want one of us to still be alive,” she said.

Mojica hasn’t seen her family in six years or met two grandchildren born after they escaped. She’s uncertain if she ever will.

Educators too afraid to travel between different criminal groups’ territories stopped attending classes in October, leaving schools empty. Government medical facilities have closed.

Hernández tallies the abandoned houses left in decay as he and his fighters drive to patrol the surrounding hills and valleys.

“These mountains are a place of silence,” he said. “You have no voice, and no one hears you.”

Regional warfare expanded Friday as Iranian forces launched coordinated attacks across Gulf Arab nations, targeting critical energy infrastructure while residents celebrated Eid al-Fitr, marking the conclusion of Ramadan’s holy fasting period.

Loud blasts echoed through Dubai during early morning hours as defense systems successfully stopped incoming projectiles from reaching the city. The Dubai Media Office confirmed the effectiveness of defensive measures, stating “Authorities in Dubai confirm the success of all air interception operations, with no injuries reported.”

In Bahrain, government officials reported debris from intercepted missiles sparked a warehouse fire Friday morning, while Kuwaiti forces worked to counter incoming Iranian attacks. Saudi Arabian military units destroyed several Iranian unmanned aircraft attempting to strike the kingdom’s petroleum-producing eastern regions.

Israeli forces conducted bombing operations against Tehran Friday morning, with local observers reporting explosion sounds throughout Iran’s capital as citizens celebrated Nowruz, their traditional New Year holiday.

These Friday morning assaults occurred one day after Israel announced it would halt further attacks on a crucial Iranian natural gas installation, even as Iran continued its sustained campaign against petroleum and gas infrastructure throughout the Gulf region, forcing millions to seek shelter and creating turmoil in international markets.

Brent crude petroleum prices, the global benchmark, have surged dramatically since Israeli and American forces initiated hostilities with Iran. Combat casualties from Israeli military operations in Lebanon exceeded 1,000 people Thursday amid renewed clashes with Hezbollah militants.

Kuwait’s Mina Al-Ahmadi petroleum processing facility suffered its second Iranian drone assault in two days Friday, igniting fires across multiple operational sections. Emergency crews battled the flames with no immediate reports of personnel injuries.

The facility, capable of processing 730,000 barrels daily, represents one of three major refineries in the small but oil-wealthy Persian Gulf nation. Kuwait Petroleum Corporation announced the shutdown of damaged units following the attack.

Kuwait’s oil export capabilities have been severely compromised throughout the conflict due to its dependence on maritime shipping routes through the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, both frequent targets of Iranian military action.

The timing of Friday’s attacks coincided with Eid al-Fitr celebrations across the region, occurring as mosques issued their first daily prayer calls.

Israeli military officials announced the commencement of Tehran strikes in the early Friday hours, with local activists confirming they heard explosions around the Iranian capital following Israel’s declaration of renewed offensive operations.

The announcement followed Thursday’s intense Iranian missile bombardment of Israeli targets, with more than twelve separate launches documented by Israeli defense forces during that single day.

MOSCOW – Russian citizens are experiencing significant digital disruptions as the Kremlin implements sweeping internet restrictions across the country. Office employees face blocked websites, young people constantly switch between virtual private networks, and taxi operators navigate Moscow streets without digital mapping tools.

Moscow’s government has been systematically disrupting web access throughout various Russian regions while limiting access to popular messaging platforms Telegram and WhatsApp. Authorities have also eliminated numerous VPN services that citizens use to bypass online restrictions.

During the previous week, mobile internet service has been completely unavailable daily in sections of central Moscow, St. Petersburg, and additional major metropolitan areas, according to news correspondents and eight high-ranking international diplomatic sources stationed in Russia.

When questioned about limitations on messaging applications and internet access, Kremlin representative Dmitry Peskov confirmed to news outlets: “These measures are taking place.”

“They are partly related to the fact that a number of foreign companies refuse to comply with the norms of Russian legislation, and partly due to security measures against the threat of Ukrainian drones,” Peskov explained.

Military drones can utilize cellular infrastructure for navigation assistance.

This year’s digital restrictions in Russia have coincided with new legislation requiring mobile service providers to disconnect any customer upon Federal Security Service requests and granting the agency authority to establish its own network of pre-trial detention facilities.

The expanded digital control measures aim to help the Kremlin maintain internal stability during the ongoing Ukrainian conflict, according to diplomatic sources who spoke anonymously about sensitive matters.

If the conflict continues, it may progressively weaken public support, the envoys noted. When the war concludes, Russian leadership likely wants to prepare for potential domestic opposition, they added. One diplomat described Moscow’s assembled capabilities as enabling a potential “great crackdown” in cyberspace.

The conclusion of Moscow’s Afghan military involvement in 1989 triggered significant social upheaval in Russia, with returning military personnel contributing to widespread disorder throughout the 1990s. The turmoil intensified following the Soviet Union’s dissolution in 1991.

Russian investigative reporter Andrei Soldatov, who specializes in security service analysis, stated: “Russia’s leaders and security services remember 1991 and they remember what happened to Russia and what happened to them when Moscow stopped a big war in Afghanistan: the country collapsed, the security services were split apart — it was a disaster.”

“What is happening now is that the security services are trying to create a situation in which — if Putin signs a peace deal or if Putin goes for a protracted war — it would not destroy the whole thing,” Soldatov added.

Two Russian sources familiar with the digital restrictions revealed that Moscow examined other nations’ approaches, especially China and Iran, and assigned officials to develop methods for blocking extensive internet access, including both mobile and fixed connections, while managing online communications.

Following the 2022 Ukraine invasion, Russia enacted the most restrictive legislation witnessed since the Soviet era, expanding censorship authority and FSB influence, the primary KGB successor organization.

This year, Moscow has further escalated security measures. President Vladimir Putin, who worked as a KGB operative from 1985-1990, commemorated the Ukraine war’s fourth anniversary on February 24 by participating in the FSB’s annual Moscow conference.

He directed the agency to intensify counter-terrorism efforts — including Ukrainian attacks — while reinforcing the “information and digital space.”

Kremlin spokesperson Peskov stated that all actions were legally implemented to maintain security during the Ukraine conflict, which Putin characterizes as a Western confrontation.

Two Russian officials with Kremlin connections rejected claims that internet and messaging app restrictions were oppressive, describing them as necessary for enhanced security and national cohesion against Western attempts to create internal division.

Russia’s state digital and communications oversight agency, Roskomnadzor, did not respond to comment requests.

The eight diplomatic sources indicated Moscow’s internet restrictions this year exceeded anything they had previously witnessed in the nation.

Mobile internet access has been intermittently disabled in certain Russian regions for months, frequently following significant Ukrainian drone strikes. By mid-January, Russia had blocked over 400 VPNs, representing a 70% increase from late last year, according to Kommersant newspaper reporting.

Recently, the restrictions have intensified in Moscow, according to diplomatic sources and news correspondents, with the government also targeting Dubai-based Telegram and U.S.-owned WhatsApp.

Last month, Russia reduced Telegram’s service speed — the platform serves over 1 billion active users and is extensively used in both Russia and Ukraine — and investigated billionaire founder Pavel Durov in connection with a criminal terrorism case.

Russian authorities claimed Telegram had been compromised by Ukrainian and NATO intelligence services, resulting in Russian military casualties.

Telegram has rejected penetration claims and stated Moscow is attempting to force Russians toward MAX, a government-supported messaging application that educational institutions have been directed to use for parent and student communications.

Durov told news outlets: “Each day, the authorities fabricate new pretexts to restrict Russians’ access to Telegram as they seek to suppress the right to privacy and free speech. A sad spectacle of a state afraid of its own people.”

The Kremlin also completely prohibited WhatsApp last month for non-compliance with domestic regulations. The application’s owner, technology corporation Meta, criticized the action as detrimental to Russian citizens’ security.

Some young Russians pledged to circumvent the restrictions by adopting different VPNs as services face bans, not for political reasons but to access Western applications like Instagram and Snapchat, which face Russian limitations.

Andrei, who withheld his surname due to the situation’s sensitivity, questioned: “If these quite old politicians want to block everything, why have they not made any Russian apps that are interesting?”

Energy buyers seeking oil shipments in Asia or jet fuel in Europe are facing unprecedented costs as physical commodity prices surge beyond even the steep increases seen in futures markets.

The dramatic price spikes stem from a massive supply shortage triggered by the ongoing U.S.-Israeli military conflict with Iran, forcing refiners and energy traders throughout Asia and Europe to compete fiercely for available petroleum products.

This supply crisis shows no signs of quick resolution following extensive strikes on energy infrastructure throughout the Middle East region, creating what experts describe as the most severe global energy supply disruption on record. Iranian forces have also restricted vessel movement through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping channel that handles one-fifth of worldwide oil and gas transport, threatening to attack ships attempting passage through the strategic waterway.

“It is going to take longer than people realize to bring supply back to the market even once the strait is re-opened, because we would still have a logistics nightmare,” said Dennis Kissler, senior vice president of trading at BOK Financial.

Energy supply disruptions and price volatility can severely impact transportation, manufacturing, and shipping sectors, with consequences for consumers, businesses, and entire economies lasting months or years.

According to oil shipments tracker Petro-Logistics, daily crude and condensate volumes have plummeted by approximately 12 million barrels, representing roughly 12% of global daily consumption, due to production cuts and export suspensions by Gulf region producers. These lost barrels cannot be readily substituted from other sources.

While futures contracts have climbed steadily since U.S. and Israeli forces began striking Iran on February 28, actual cargo prices have experienced far more extreme movements.

Benchmark Brent crude reached a session peak of $119 Thursday before closing near $109 per barrel. Meanwhile, the key Middle East Dubai crude benchmark soared to an all-time high of $166.80 per barrel. Goldman Sachs predicted Thursday that continued supply disruptions could push Brent beyond its record $147.50 level from 2008.

European and African crude shipments have climbed to $120 per barrel, while even heavily sanctioned Russian oil, previously trading at steep discounts, has rebounded above $100.

Mediterranean markets remained stable until this week, but those prices have also increased as prospects for quickly reopening Hormuz have dimmed, according to one crude trader.

“What we’re seeing in spot differentials suggests a much tighter system beneath the headline price,” said David Jorbenaze, global oil market lead at commodities information provider ICIS.

Energy companies have expanded their search for alternatives to Middle Eastern supplies, which typically consist of medium-density, high-sulfur crude known as “sour” in industry terminology.

Russia’s Urals crude, a medium sour variety, has traded at significant discounts to Brent since that nation’s Ukraine invasion due to international sanctions. However, those prices have skyrocketed, with Urals delivered to India trading above Brent earlier this month for the first time in history.

In North Sea markets, Norwegian medium sour crude Johan Sverdrup commanded a record $11.30 premium over Brent Thursday, implying a cash price around $124 per barrel. Sour crude normally trades below Brent due to higher refining costs required.

American crude varieties have also gained ground, though the U.S. market’s geographic separation has created a substantial gap between Brent and benchmark West Texas Intermediate, which closed near $96 Thursday.

The benchmark Mars sour crude from the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, similar in quality to Middle Eastern production, has risen more dramatically. Mars Sour hit $107.53 on March 9, its highest level since July 2008, and traded Thursday at roughly $6 above U.S. crude.

Transportation fuel costs have increased even more sharply than physical crude prices. Northwest European jet fuel reached record levels around $220 per barrel according to LSEG data, while European diesel topped $200 per barrel for the first time since 2022. Europe depends heavily on Middle Eastern sources for both products.

Asian fuel prices have risen as refineries reduced processing rates, with refinery profit margins for gasoil reaching their highest point since June 2022 at over $60 per barrel.

On March 11, the United States and other International Energy Agency members announced plans to release 400 million barrels from strategic reserves, with the U.S. subsequently waiving sanctions on Russian oil shipments. However, these measures may prove insufficient, Jorbenaze warned.

“The market ultimately runs on barrels moving, not barrels being announced,” he said.

A striking collection of photographs from across Latin America and the Caribbean captured significant moments during the week of March 13-19, 2026.

The images showcase the bustling activity at a mezcal production facility in Mexico’s Oaxaca state, where the traditional spirit continues experiencing unprecedented popularity. While this surge has delivered substantial financial gains to numerous regional distillers, it has simultaneously created mounting concerns about environmental impact.

Additional photographs document Venezuela’s enthusiastic response to their national baseball team’s triumph against the United States during World Baseball Classic competition, as well as public demonstrations targeting government policies in Ecuador.

Mexico City-based photographer Fernando Llano assembled this visual collection.

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Military conflict in Iran is highlighting how dependent the world remains on vulnerable fossil fuel supply chains, adding new pressure for nations to accelerate their transition to clean energy sources.

Combat operations have virtually stopped petroleum shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping channel that handles roughly 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas deliveries. This supply disruption has shaken energy markets worldwide, driving up costs and creating economic pressure for countries that depend on energy imports.

Asian nations, which receive most of their oil through this route, are experiencing the most severe impacts. However, the supply problems are also creating challenges for European leaders seeking to reduce energy consumption and African countries preparing for higher fuel prices and inflation.

What makes this crisis different from past oil supply shocks is that renewable energy has become cost-competitive with traditional fossil fuels in many regions. Data from the International Renewable Energy Agency shows that more than 90% of new clean energy projects launched in 2024 cost less than fossil fuel alternatives.

While petroleum products are essential for industries beyond electricity generation—including fertilizer manufacturing and plastics production—countries with greater renewable energy capacity are experiencing less severe impacts. Clean energy sources depend on local resources like sunlight and wind rather than imported materials.

“These crises regularly occur,” said James Bowen of the Australia-based consultancy, ReMap Research. “They are a feature, not a bug, of a fossil fuel-based energy system.”

China and India, home to more than a billion people each, both face the challenge of producing sufficient electricity for continued economic growth. While both nations have increased renewable energy production, China has implemented these changes on a much larger scale despite continuing to use coal-powered plants.

China now ranks first globally in renewable energy adoption. Data from the International Energy Agency indicates that approximately one out of every ten vehicles in China runs on electricity. Despite remaining the world’s top crude oil importer and largest purchaser of Iranian petroleum, China has reduced its import dependence by electrifying portions of its economy with clean energy.

Without this transition, China would be “far more vulnerable to supply and price shocks,” said Lauri Myllyvirta of the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. China can also draw on stockpiles accumulated during periods of lower prices and alternate between coal and oil for industrial fuel, he explained.

India has also increased clean energy usage, particularly solar power, but has moved more gradually and with less government backing for renewable equipment manufacturing and solar grid integration.

Following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, India made energy security a priority by purchasing discounted Russian petroleum and increasing coal production. The country also expanded solar and wind capacity, which has helped cushion supply disruptions without completely avoiding them, according to Duttatreya Das of the think tank Ember.

“Everyone cannot be China,” Das said.

India now confronts a cooking gas shortage that has sparked increased purchases of induction cooktops and raised concerns about restaurant closures. The fertilizer and ceramics sectors may also face difficulties.

This energy crisis is not unfamiliar to wealthy nations in Europe and East Asia.

During 2022, some European governments attempted to reduce fossil fuel dependence. However, many quickly shifted focus to securing new fossil fuel suppliers instead, according to Pauline Heinrichs, who researches climate and energy at King’s College London.

Germany moved quickly to construct LNG terminals for replacing Russian gas with primarily American fuel, while the energy transition, including demand reduction efforts, lost momentum, she noted.

According to a 2023 analysis, Europe’s additional fossil fuel spending since the Russia-Ukraine conflict equaled roughly 40% of the investment required to convert its power system to clean energy.

“In Europe, we learned the wrong lesson,” Heinrichs said.

In import-reliant Japan, policy responses to previous energy shocks have concentrated on diversifying fossil fuel sources rather than investing in domestic renewable energy, said Ayumi Fukakusa of Friends of the Earth Japan.

According to Ember data, solar and wind account for only 11% of Japan’s energy production, matching India’s level but trailing China’s 18%. Japan’s overall energy consumption is significantly lower than both countries.

The Iran conflict dominated discussions during Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s meeting this week with U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump, who has consistently encouraged Japan to purchase more American LNG, recently called on allied nations like Japan to “step up” in helping secure the Strait of Hormuz.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung described the crisis as potentially “a good opportunity” to accelerate the shift toward renewable energy.

Developing nations in Asia and Africa are competing with wealthy European and Asian countries and major buyers like India and China for limited gas supplies, driving prices higher.

Import-dependent economies—including Benin and Zambia in Africa and Bangladesh and Thailand in Asia—may experience some of the most severe impacts. Expensive fuel increases transportation and food costs, and many countries have limited foreign-exchange reserves, restricting their ability to pay for imports if prices remain elevated.

Africa may face particular vulnerability because many nations depend on imported oil for transportation and supply chains.

Building long-term energy security through cleaner energy investments makes strategic sense for African countries, said Kennedy Mbeva, a research associate at the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk at the University of Cambridge.

However, not all are choosing renewables: South Africa is exploring construction of an LNG import facility and new gas-powered plants.

Others, like Ethiopia which prohibited gasoline and diesel vehicles in 2024 to promote electric cars, are increasing their renewable energy commitment.

The true challenge extends beyond surviving the next crisis to ensuring it doesn’t “derail the country’s development trajectory,” said Hanan Hassen, an analyst at Ethiopia’s government-linked think tank, the Institute of Foreign Affairs.

Greater renewable energy adoption has helped protect some Asian countries from the energy crisis.

Pakistan’s solar expansion has prevented more than $12 billion in fossil fuel imports since 2020 and could save an additional $6.3 billion in 2026 at current prices, according to think tanks Renewables First and the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.

Vietnam’s existing solar capacity will help the country avoid hundreds of millions of dollars in potential coal and gas imports over the next year, based on current elevated prices, according to the research group Zero Carbon Analytics.

Other nations are managing limited supplies carefully.

Bangladesh has shuttered universities to conserve electricity. With limited storage capacity to handle supply disruptions, the government implemented fuel rationing following a surge of panic buying at gas stations, said Khondaker Golam Moazzem, an economist with the Centre for Policy Dialogue in Dhaka.

Currently, governments must focus on managing shortages and controlling prices. Thailand has halted petroleum exports, increased domestic gas production, and started using reserves.

If the conflict continues into April, Thailand’s limited reserves and constrained subsidy budget mean prices will rise sharply, warned Areeporn Asawinpongphan, a research fellow with the Thailand Development Research Institute.

“The time for promoting domestic renewables should have happened a long time ago,” Asawinpongphan said.

DUBAI, March 19 – Should the current U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran conclude in the near future, political analysts believe one outcome has become evident: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emerges in a stronger position, while President Donald Trump faces the challenge of addressing market volatility and strain on Gulf partnerships that have shouldered significant burdens.

Political experts suggest the conflict has reshaped Israel’s domestic political landscape to Netanyahu’s advantage, shifting focus from Gaza operations toward Iran, where Israeli public unity remains strongest and Netanyahu’s defense and economic track record carries the most weight.

The situation presents Trump with opposite results: he finds himself engaged in a conflict without a clear conclusion, his Gulf Arab partners face escalating dangers, and the economic narrative that helped secure his return to the presidency has been undermined.

“There is a clear winner and a clear loser,” said Aaron David Miller, a former U.S. Middle East negotiator. “Netanyahu is by far the key winner. He has demonstrated Israel’s military competence. The Gulf states are by far the biggest losers.”

Miller noted that Trump lacks an exit strategy that would enable him to claim success and withdraw from the situation.

Iran expert Karim Sadjadpour explained that Trump, who called for Iran’s complete capitulation, anticipated discovering an Iranian equivalent to Venezuela’s compliant power broker Delcy Rodríguez, but instead “found an Iranian Kim Jong-un,” referencing North Korea’s resistant authoritarian approach.

Unlike perspectives in Washington, the Iranian conflict is viewed broadly in Israel as essential rather than optional, according to Natan Sacks, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute. “Even if regime change doesn’t happen,” Sacks said, “weakening Iran and the (militia) axis it leads is a huge goal for Netanyahu.”

FOR TRUMP, ONLY TOUGH CHOICES

Israeli sources indicate the aerial campaign has been strategically divided, with Israel targeting western and northern Iranian regions, striking ballistic missile and nuclear facilities, while U.S. forces focus on eastern and southern areas, including the Strait of Hormuz, to diminish Iran’s maritime capabilities.

Israel has spearheaded the elimination of Iran’s top leadership, officials report, including security chief Ali Larijani on Tuesday and Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib on Wednesday. Defence Minister Israel Katz announced that he and Netanyahu had given military commanders authority to target any senior Iranian official they can find, without needing additional authorization.

Despite these achievements, the conflict has not moved closer to resolution. Trump confronts three unfavorable options: continue the airstrikes, claim victory while hoping Tehran backs down, or significantly intensify operations — none providing a clear exit strategy, analysts observed.

The White House, U.S. State Department and Netanyahu’s office did not respond to requests for comment for this story.

U.S. intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard informed Congress on Wednesday that although Iran’s government has been damaged since hostilities began, it continues to function, with Tehran and its allied groups still able to threaten U.S. and partner interests throughout the Middle East.

Trump’s apparent strategic error is creating significant repercussions across the Gulf region. As Iran launches missiles and drones toward commercial centers and restricts Hormuz, the pathway for one-fifth of global oil transport, analysts warn that Gulf nations risk becoming the conflict’s primary victims.

“The common threat they (Gulf Arab states) now perceive is nothing short of the future security and stability of the Gulf,” said Miller, also a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. “The notion that the Gulf represents the future of the region is now at stake — and with it, the Gulf’s vision for itself.”

US, ISRAEL OPERATE WITH DIFFERENT RISK PERCEPTIONS

Experts suggest Israel may accept Iranian instability more readily than the United States, believing it would experience less regional consequences, particularly following the weakening of allied groups Hamas and Hezbollah during recent years.

Meanwhile, Washington and Gulf partners face greater exposure to energy infrastructure attacks that increase oil costs and interrupt maritime commerce.

Assaf Orion, former strategy chief for the Israeli military, noted that regional nations question whether Israel seeks disorder in Iran, observing that Israel would experience less impact from such instability compared to neighboring countries or Washington.

Fundamentally, analysts explain, the two allies maintain different threat assessments: Israel considers Iran a potential existential danger, while Washington prioritizes preventing an extended conflict that could create substantial economic damage and harm partnerships.

Demonstrating this tension, an Israeli strike on Iran’s massive South Pars gasfield, the world’s largest offshore natural gas reserve shared with Qatar, prompted an angry Trump response. He posted on social media that the U.S. “knew nothing about this particular attack”, noting that Qatar, a U.S. partner that has experienced Iranian strikes on its own gas infrastructure, was uninvolved.

Trump’s Wednesday statement revealed his careful balance between the strong U.S. military partnership with Israel and crucial U.S. relationships with wealthy Gulf Arab nations.

Israeli officials report that Trump and Netanyahu have maintained daily phone conversations since the conflict began. However, Trump’s denial of advance knowledge regarding the Israeli attack contradicted earlier statements from both leaders claiming their armed forces operate in coordination.

Israel has not publicly accepted responsibility for the South Pars strike, which prompted Iranian retaliation against Gulf Arab energy installations. Israeli media extensively reported that the Israeli operation proceeded with U.S. approval.

Iranian sources indicate Tehran is carefully managing its response to inflict significant costs, restore deterrence and secure sanctions relief — offering Washington an exit only at a substantial price.

ISRAEL MARKETS BUOYED BY ATTACKS ON IRAN

Although the Iranian conflict receives public approval in Israel and could provide Netanyahu with political advantages, it has not yet resulted in improved polling numbers before elections scheduled for later this year.

Opinion polls indicate his conservative coalition lacks a majority, holding approximately 50 of the Knesset’s 120 seats, declining from 68.

This gap between public support and political benefit remains hidden, temporarily, by strong Israeli financial markets. Rising Israeli stock prices and shekel strength may suggest confidence, but they hide a more unstable situation.

Aviv Bushinsky, a former Netanyahu advisor, explained the war will ultimately receive judgment in absolute terms: either Iran’s “regime” collapses, or it survives. Anything less risks converting initial military successes into political problems for Netanyahu, who has characterized the operation as pursuing “total victory.”

Should Ali Khamenei’s system survive, even in a diminished capacity, the story would transform from success to excessive ambition, reviving unresolved dangers from Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israeli markets may reflect resilience, but they seem unaware of the price of an incomplete war.

LONDON – Seven major world powers released a coordinated statement Thursday denouncing Iran’s military actions in the Strait of Hormuz and announcing their willingness to participate in efforts to protect commercial shipping in the vital waterway.

The declaration from Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Japan and Canada represents a unified international response to escalating tensions in the Persian Gulf region.

“We condemn in the strongest terms recent attacks by Iran on unarmed commercial vessels in the Gulf, attacks on civilian infrastructure including oil and gas installations, and the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iranian forces,” the nations stated.

The coalition expressed alarm over the deteriorating situation and demanded Iran halt its aggressive tactics immediately. “We call on Iran to cease immediately its threats, laying of mines, drone and missile attacks and other attempts to block the Strait to commercial shipping, and to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2817,” the statement read.

The countries emphasized that open sea lanes represent a cornerstone of international maritime law, referencing the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Officials warned that Iran’s interference will impact populations worldwide, particularly those in vulnerable regions. “The effects of Iran’s actions will be felt by people in all parts of the world, especially the most vulnerable,” according to the joint declaration.

The nations characterized Iran’s disruption of international commerce and global energy supply chains as a direct challenge to worldwide peace and stability, citing UN Security Council Resolution 2817. They demanded an immediate halt to strikes against civilian energy infrastructure.

“We express our readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait. We welcome the commitment of nations who are engaging in preparatory planning,” the statement indicated.

To address energy market volatility, the countries praised the International Energy Agency’s authorization of coordinated strategic petroleum reserve releases. They pledged additional market stabilization measures, including collaboration with oil-producing nations to boost production levels.

The coalition also committed to supporting nations most affected by the crisis through United Nations channels and International Financial Institutions.

The statement concluded by emphasizing that maritime security and navigation freedom serve all countries’ interests, calling on every nation to honor international law and maintain fundamental principles of global prosperity and security.

Taiwan’s Defense Minister Wellington Koo warned Friday that China’s relentless military expansion creates an urgent security threat, emphasizing that robust deterrence measures are essential to prevent Beijing from launching an attack.

Koo’s comments came after U.S. intelligence officials reported Wednesday that China currently has no plans to invade Taiwan by 2027 and prefers to gain control of the island through non-military means. However, the defense minister stressed that Beijing has not abandoned the possibility of using military force.

China has intensified its pressure campaign against Taiwan through regular military exercises, viewing the self-governing island as part of its territory. Taiwan’s democratically chosen leadership firmly rejects Beijing’s territorial claims.

Addressing the American intelligence assessment, Koo emphasized that China continues its military buildup without reduction in defense spending.

“So its military expansion, and the threat it poses to us, remain very serious,” he told reporters at parliament.

“We need to make it feel that any plan to attack Taiwan would carry a high degree of risk: in other words, to make its assessment of a successful invasion very low.”

The defense minister warned that if China’s military growth continues while Taiwan fails to strengthen its own defense systems, the probability of an attack would increase.

“On the other hand, if our defence capabilities continue to improve and our deterrence grows stronger, then its calculation regarding an attack on Taiwan will decrease. That would have the effect of pushing back such a date again and again.”

Beijing’s foreign ministry responded Thursday by calling Taiwan a domestic matter and urging the United States to “stop hyping up the ‘China threat’ theory.”

Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te has put forward a $40 billion defense spending increase, though legislative approval has been delayed. Opposition lawmakers, who hold a parliamentary majority, argue the proposals lack specificity and refuse to approve “blank cheques.”

President Lai toured Taiwan’s newly built domestic submarine Thursday, which remains in testing phases, along with one of the island’s two operational submarines purchased from the Netherlands during the 1980s.

Koo reported that upgrades have been completed on one Dutch-manufactured submarine, with the second vessel’s modernization scheduled to finish by year’s end.

“These two submarines will significantly enhance our combat capabilities,” he said.

PHUTHADITJHABA, South Africa — When 22-year-old Lamkelo Mtyho entered the sacred traditional circumcision ceremony, his family anticipated his proud return as a recognized man in their community. Instead, three weeks later, they received devastating news of his death.

Mtyho represents one of at least 48 young males who lost their lives during recent initiation ceremonies across South Africa, part of a centuries-old cultural practice that continues claiming lives despite government oversight efforts.

The secrecy surrounding these rituals makes investigating deaths extremely challenging for families and officials alike. Multiple former participants declined to discuss their experiences, while hundreds of unregistered schools operate for those unable to afford legitimate programs.

Authorities typically only report fatalities when numbers become significant, with few legal proceedings or medical examinations following deaths.

These traditional procedures pose serious health hazards due to inadequately trained operators, contaminated cutting instruments used multiple times, severe dehydration, and infected wounds that receive poor treatment in isolated locations far from medical assistance.

Former health minister Zwelini Mkhize addressed parliament last year, stating: “Imagine this number: 476 young people died in a five-year period and yet they were well before going into initiation. These deaths are unacceptable and should never have happened.”

Despite these dangers, hundreds of thousands of South Africans continue participating in ceremonies that occur twice annually, with the next season starting in June.

Mtyho enrolled in an officially registered school near Ngqeleni village in Eastern Cape province with his parents’ approval. These facilities typically consist of basic mud structures or temporary buildings housing dozens of participants away from public view.

His grandmother, Nozinzile, shared the account she received from a school security worker: “They were walking to the river to go and bathe, and along the way he started losing strength and collapsed. That is what we were told. It is said that it was an emergency situation, that the others ran to get water and tried to resuscitate him. When other people arrived there to help, it was too late.”

Speaking with frequent pauses outside the dwelling where Mtyho once helped with tasks like wood gathering, she declined to assign blame and no investigation into his death occurred.

She acknowledged the ritual’s difficulty but never imagined fatal consequences. As her oldest grandchild, Mtyho had planned to seek employment in town to become “the man of the house.”

Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa announced the December deaths, noting that participants often receive dangerous guidance to avoid water consumption believing it accelerates healing.

Successful ceremonies conclude with participants returning to their communities, presenting themselves through traditional songs and reciting ancestral lineages while villagers celebrate with music, chanting, and dancing.

Completing initiation grants elevated social standing for marriage prospects and participation in specific cultural activities, crucial considerations for many South African ethnic communities.

While medical circumcision remains available from infancy, cultural expectations drive many toward traditional methods.

Traditional leader Morena Mpembe, who supervises a registered facility in Phuthaditjhaba, Free State province, explained: “Initiation is a culture left behind to us by our elders. We grew up practicing it, as it teaches a young man to respect everyone, including those who are not initiates in society.”

South Africa’s high unemployment and economic disparity make fees for government-approved schools unaffordable for many families, creating demand for illegal alternatives.

Some boys attend unauthorized schools before reaching the legally required minimum age of 16, eager to achieve manhood status.

Mluleki Ngomane, an official with Gauteng province’s oversight body, noted: “It is very difficult for the government to monitor initiation schools which are not registered. They are not known until there is a tragedy of some sort.”

A 2022 legislative visit to Eastern Cape discovered more unregistered than licensed schools in OR Tambo municipality alone, with 68 illegal facilities compared to 66 legal ones.

Government and independent investigations have documented participant abuse, violence among initiates, substance abuse at illegal schools, and even forced participation through kidnapping.

Motlalepule Mantsha, a leader at a Phuthaditjhaba initiation school, observed: “We are seeing a rise in gangs because they want to grow their initiation schools, and we see that as a wrong way of practicing initiation. This is damaging the initiation’s image.”

Since 2021, South African regulations mandate strict health and safety compliance for school registration, admitting only males 16 and older with parental permission. Over 5,000 such facilities currently operate.

Registration requirements include three-month advance applications before each season, adequate surgical equipment preventing reuse, and training for traditional “surgeons” and “nurses” in sanitation, infection control, wound management, and HIV education.

During January and February, authorities arrested at least 46 individuals connected to illegal operations, including 16 traditional surgeons, 28 traditional nurses, and two parents accused of collaborating to falsify younger boys’ ages.

In a separate February case, courts sentenced a 26-year-old man to two years imprisonment for illegally circumcising two teenagers, ages 17 and 18, the previous year.

The Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Rights Commission, a parliamentary oversight body, reported in 2017 that “due to the principles of sacredness and secrecy of this practice, also compounded by the inaccessibility of rural locations,” monitoring schools remains difficult with “clear confusion” about local authority responsibilities.

The commission found that once complications develop, medical intervention comes too late, with some deaths resulting from participants’ existing health conditions, recommending mandatory medical examinations beforehand.

Makhanya Vangile, mother of two initiates, views ceremonies as vital cultural heritage requiring protection but worries about illegal school conditions.

“Here, we have guardsmen from our chief who go and check up on how the boys are being fed, their living conditions and safety,” she explained. “They are able to stop things like boys bringing harmful stuff like alcohol, knives and guns instead of traditional sticks.”

Nicholas Haysom, a prominent South African lawyer who played a crucial role in helping Nelson Mandela create his country’s groundbreaking post-apartheid constitution, passed away Tuesday at age 73.

The white South African, who dedicated his life to fighting racial segregation, later built an impressive international career working for the United Nations in troubled regions including Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia and South Sudan.

Rebecca Haysom confirmed to The Associated Press that her father died in New York “after a long, valiant battle with heart and lung complications.”

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres praised Haysom’s commitment, saying he “devoted his life to justice, dialogue, and reconciliation — from his central role in South Africa’s democratic transition serving as chief legal and constitutional adviser to president Nelson Mandela to years of leadership in U.N. posts in some of the world’s most complex and fragile settings.”

Guterres added that Haysom’s influence “will endure in the peace processes he advanced, the institutions he strengthened, and the principles he helped bring to life around the world.”

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, himself a former freedom fighter, described the loss of “a distinguished diplomat and a pioneer of our democratic administration whose commitment to justice and peace made our country, our continent and the world a better place.”

“I remember him for applying his legal acumen, mentorship, wisdom and integrity to the development of our constitution,” Ramaphosa stated, encouraging South Africans “to honor his contribution to our nation and the international community by upholding the fundamental rights and maintaining the peace he advocated so passionately and eloquently.”

Born Nicholas Roland Leybourne “Fink” Haysom, he was raised in Durban by a progressive family that championed racial equality, particularly his activist mother who opposed apartheid. During his university years, he developed strong opposition to the segregation system and pursued legal studies at the Universities of Natal and Cape Town to address social injustices.

Haysom rose to lead the anti-apartheid National Union of South African Students and faced multiple arrests and detentions, including six months in solitary confinement around 1980, according to a UN interview he gave last year. Ramaphosa noted his artistic talents as well, recognizing him as South African Playwright of the Year in 1987.

At the time, Haysom recalled, few believed apartheid would collapse, making Mandela’s 1990 release “a tremendous moment.” Working with an activist human rights law firm, he was recruited by Mandela’s African National Congress to join its Constitutional Commission.

Haysom described spending years with “a very exciting group of intellectuals” designing the new South Africa and negotiating with the National Party, which had created and maintained apartheid, on transitional arrangements.

Following South Africa’s international isolation, Haysom explained the group sought “the perfect formula for a constitutional state that appreciated the need for equality among all its citizens and recreated a social contract which we wanted to be a lesson for the world.” Despite challenges, he noted “the South African constitution is still regarded as perhaps one of the most progressive constitutions in the world.”

“And I think that’s what led to me being asked to be Mandela’s legal adviser… while he was president,” Haysom explained, serving in that capacity from 1994 to 1999.

According to Haysom, Mandela aimed to establish precedent for the first post-apartheid administration to honor the rule of law, “and he was really at the forefront of creating a society built on respect for legal equality and human rights.”

Meeting with Mandela daily, Haysom described him as “tremendously gracious.”

“But he was steely, strong in the conviction he had that he was embarking on the right path, and he persevered,” Haysom observed. “As I say to my children, the lesson of Mandela is not just being a nice person, it’s perseverance in your ideals that’ll change the world.”

During Mandela’s presidency, Haysom joined efforts to resolve ethnic conflicts between Hutus and Tutsis in Burundi during the 1990s. He subsequently worked on peace formulas for Sudan’s north-south divide, ultimately contributing to South Sudan’s 2011 independence.

From 2005 to 2007, Haysom worked in Iraq seeking solutions for Shia, Sunni and Kurdish communities to coexist peacefully, recognizing this as a common challenge across conflicts. Between 2007 and 2012, he served in then-UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s office overseeing political, peacekeeping and humanitarian affairs, followed by four years in Afghanistan in various UN positions from 2012 to 2016.

His later UN work concentrated on Sudan and South Sudan, where he led the peacekeeping mission starting in 2021, with a brief assignment in Somalia. The Somali government expelled him in 2019 after he questioned the detention of a former al-Shabab extremist leader.

Haysom leaves behind his wife Delphine and sons Charles and Hector, plus three children from his first marriage to Mary Ann Cullinan: Rebecca, Simone, and Julian.

Reflecting on his career, Haysom admitted being “quite probably inappropriately proud” of his work in Burundi, Sudan and South Africa, though he acknowledged that after several years, those peace agreements faced difficulties.

This taught him that peace doesn’t endure indefinitely and democracy demands “constant engagement by people of good intention.”

SYDNEY – Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese encountered a hostile reception Friday when demonstrators disrupted his visit to Sydney’s largest mosque during Eid al-Fitr celebrations, expressing outrage over his administration’s approach to the Israel-Gaza conflict.

The confrontation occurred at Lakemba Mosque in western Sydney, where Albanese and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke had joined Muslim worshippers to commemorate the conclusion of Ramadan. Video footage captured the disruption beginning approximately 15 minutes into the religious ceremony.

Angry demonstrators shouted at both officials to “Get out!” while labeling them “genocide supporters,” referencing Israel’s military actions against Palestinians in Gaza that followed the 2023 Hamas militant attack.

An event organizer attempted to restore order, telling the crowd: “Dear brothers and sisters, keep calm a little bit. It is Eid. It is a joyful day.” The organizer also encouraged attendees to remain seated and stop recording the disturbance.

Security personnel intervened when one protester became particularly disruptive, physically restraining the individual before removing them from the premises. Both Albanese and Burke departed the mosque soon after, with demonstrators continuing their criticism by shouting “Shame on you!” as the officials left.

The incident highlights growing frustration within Australia’s Muslim and Jewish populations regarding the center-left government’s careful balancing act since the Gaza conflict began. The administration has simultaneously expressed sympathy for Palestinian civilians, called repeatedly for ceasefires, and affirmed Israel’s right to defend itself.

This confrontation follows similar protests that erupted last month during Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s visit to Australia. Albanese had extended the invitation to Herzog following a deadly December 14 mass shooting in Bondi that specifically targeted the Jewish community. That visit prompted thousands to rally in Sydney, resulting in 27 arrests after demonstrators clashed with law enforcement officers.

Four people sustained injuries Thursday evening when a rocket launched by Hezbollah made a direct hit on an apartment building in the northern Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona, leaving one person in critical condition.

Emergency responders from Magen David Adom (MDA) and law enforcement rushed to the scene after the projectile struck the living room of a third-floor apartment. By 7 p.m., officials confirmed no one remained trapped in the building, though search operations continued throughout the area.

The victims were discovered inside an interior room of the building when the rocket hit, according to police reports. The building lacked a designated safe room, and authorities noted the group was trying to reach shelter when the attack occurred but couldn’t make it in time.

Emergency medical personnel provided on-site treatment before transporting all four victims to a local hospital. Among the casualties was a 60-year-old man in critical condition with shrapnel wounds, a 68-year-old woman in moderate condition suffering from a head wound, and two individuals in their twenties with minor blast-related injuries.

According to an MDA emergency responder, rescue teams encountered extensive destruction and smoke upon arrival, requiring the deployment of numerous ambulances, intensive care vehicles, and emergency motorcycles. Medical personnel extracted the injured from the wreckage and began immediate life-saving procedures while simultaneously conducting area searches and coordinating hospital transport.

Local residents described having only moments between the air raid warning and the rocket’s impact, with mere seconds separating the alert from the explosion.

Chief Superintendent Shlomi Toubul, who commands the Kinneret region, explained to N12 that the victims’ location within the building’s interior likely prevented more severe casualties.

BRUSSELS, March 20 – European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced Friday that the European Union will pursue alternative approaches to deliver a promised 90 billion euro ($104.2 billion) financial package to Ukraine, despite continued opposition from Hungary.

“We will deliver one way or the other,” von der Leyen stated to media representatives following a Brussels summit where European leaders were unable to persuade Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to remove his opposition to the crucial Ukrainian aid package.

During the meeting, EU leadership criticized Hungary’s stance as unacceptable, according to EU Council President Antonio Costa.

“A deal is a deal, we need to honour our word. And no one can blackmail the European Council,” Costa declared.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz revealed that European leaders had directed the European Commission to explore alternative funding mechanisms for the loan. He characterized Orban’s opposition as an unprecedented “act of serious disloyalty.”

“This will leave its mark,” Merz stated. “This is a serious violation of the principle of loyalty of the member states amongst each other, and it damages the standing of the European Union.”

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un made another public appearance with his teenage daughter Thursday, this time taking a ride together in a military tank during army training exercises, according to state media photographs released Friday.

The Korean Central News Agency reported that Kim supervised tank unit drills and infantry exercises on Thursday, demanding that military forces finalize their combat readiness preparations.

State media images depicted Kim and his daughter wearing matching black leather jackets while riding in an olive-colored tank alongside other military personnel during Thursday’s training session. The photographs captured the young girl poking her head through the tank’s opening while Kim sat atop the vehicle with a smile.

The daughter, believed to be named Kim Ju Ae and approximately 13 years old, has been making regular appearances at significant military and state functions alongside her father since the end of 2022, leading international observers to wonder if she’s being positioned as his successor. North Korean official media has described her as Kim Jong Un’s “most beloved” or “respected” daughter and has released numerous images and videos highlighting their bond.

During the previous week, the father-daughter duo discharged handguns while touring a weapons manufacturing facility and observed live testing of multiple rocket launcher systems. In September, she traveled with her father to Beijing, and during New Year’s festivities, she was photographed kissing her father’s cheek.

South Korea’s intelligence services concluded last month that Kim Jong Un appears ready to name her as his successor. However, some analysts question this evaluation, pointing to Kim Jong Un’s relatively young age and North Korea’s heavily patriarchal leadership structure.

The North Korean military training occurred while the United States and South Korea conducted their yearly joint military drills, which North Korea considers practice for an invasion. The allied nations concluded their 11-day computerized command center exercise on Thursday, though field training operations continue.

Officials in the United Arab Emirates announced Friday they have successfully broken up what they describe as a terrorist organization backed financially and operationally by Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group, leading to multiple arrests.

The state news agency reported the dismantled organization was engaged in “money laundering, financing terrorism and threatening national security.”

Neither Hezbollah nor Iranian officials have responded to the allegations at this time.

This development comes amid escalating tensions following the U.S.-Israeli military conflict with Iran that began in late February, during which Tehran has conducted extensive missile and drone strikes throughout the Gulf region, with the UAE facing particularly heavy targeting.

UAE officials report their nation has endured hundreds of attacks, with strikes damaging oil infrastructure, port facilities, and locations close to major population centers.

The Emirates has historically maintained opposition to political Islamist organizations. Hezbollah, supported by Iran, joined the broader conflict on March 2 by launching attacks against Israel from Lebanese territory, which prompted Israel to respond with widespread aerial bombardments targeting Hezbollah positions throughout Lebanon.

According to the UAE’s state news agency, “The network had been operating within the country under a fictitious commercial cover and sought to infiltrate the national economy and carry out external schemes threatening the country’s financial stability.”

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazil has implemented comprehensive new legislation designed to protect children from harmful online content, marking what experts describe as a significant advancement in safeguarding young internet users.

The initiative gained momentum last August when social media personality Felipe Bressanim, who goes by Felca, released a video condemning the sexual exploitation of minors on digital platforms. His 50-minute presentation, which attracted 52 million YouTube viewers, helped fast-track legislation that had been under development since 2022.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed the Digital Statute of Children and Adolescents into law in September after it passed through both congressional chambers. The regulations officially began this Tuesday.

The new statute mandates that children under 16 must connect their social media profiles to a parent or guardian’s account for monitoring purposes. Additionally, it bans platforms from employing engagement tactics like endless scrolling and automatic video playback. Digital companies must also establish robust age verification systems that go beyond simple user declarations of being 18 or older to prevent access to inappropriate content.

“We can no longer think that freedom doesn’t go hand in hand with protection,” Lula stated during Wednesday’s signing ceremony. “Enough of tolerating exploitation, sexual abuse, child pornography, bullying, incitement to violence and self-harm just because it happens in the digital environment.”

Maria Mello, who leads the digital rights division at the Alana Institute, explained that design elements specifically created to maintain user engagement pose particular dangers to children.

“It increases anxiety levels, pulls children out of school, causes vision problems,” Mello explained. Additional concerns encompass sexual predation, promotion of self-destructive behaviors, online harassment, and the commercial exploitation of minors’ personal information.

Brazil joins a growing number of nations worldwide addressing child safety in digital spaces. Australia recently enacted the world’s first complete social media prohibition for users under 16 in December, while Indonesia announced similar restrictions beginning this year.

Rather than implementing a total prohibition, Brazil’s approach emphasizes strengthening parental oversight, according to Guilherme Klafke, a legal scholar at the Getulio Vargas Foundation think tank. The new framework, he explained, “places more responsibility on those who offer digital products and services that may be accessed by children and adolescents.”

Lincoln Silva, a 48-year-old business owner collecting his children ages 8 and 11 from their Rio de Janeiro school Thursday, expressed support for the new rules, saying they will limit exposure to age-inappropriate material. “There’s information we should only have in adulthood,” he commented.

Technology companies have announced various changes to comply with the new requirements. WhatsApp revealed plans for parent-controlled accounts last week, giving guardians authority over their child’s contacts and group memberships.

Google announced it will deploy artificial intelligence in Brazil to determine whether users are minors or adults to automatically restrict certain material. YouTube will also require parental approval for users under 16 to establish or maintain channels.

Organizations that violate the new regulations face penalties up to 50 million reais (roughly $9.5 million).

The new limitations might frustrate younger users, noted Renata Tomaz, a communications professor at Getulio Vargas Foundation. She emphasized the importance of communicating with children to help them understand the law’s purpose.

“We need to convey all these points that we consider essential to protect children and adolescents in such a way that allows them to look at this law and say: ‘It’s good that I’m being protected.’”

WASHINGTON — A public disagreement between President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over Israel’s strike on Iran’s largest gas facility has highlighted the first major rift between the allies since their 20-day military campaign against Iran began.

Israel’s assault on the South Pars gas facility triggered Iranian counterstrikes against energy infrastructure across the Middle East. These retaliatory attacks drove global energy costs higher and prompted Gulf nation allies to urge Trump to restrain Netanyahu’s actions.

The consequences of this strike have left both Trump and Netanyahu addressing concerns about whether their war coordination remains seamless after what started as a joint offensive against their shared regional adversary. Any visible gap between the leaders could influence how the conflict unfolds and ultimately concludes.

Speaking to reporters during an Oval Office session with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Trump stated he neither supported nor authorized Israel’s strike on the massive gas field that serves as Iran’s energy backbone.

“I told him, ‘Don’t do that,’” Trump said regarding Netanyahu’s strike decision. “We get along great. It’s coordinated, but on occasion he’ll do something. And if I don’t like it — and so we’re not doing that anymore.”

Netanyahu acknowledged that Israel “acted alone” and confirmed he has accepted Trump’s request to halt additional attacks on Iran’s major gas infrastructure. The prime minister worked to minimize any perceived disagreement with Trump.

“It’s been said that for 40 years I’ve been saying that Iran is a danger to Israel and a danger to the world. That is true,” Netanyahu stated during a Jerusalem press briefing. “You know who else said that? President Trump.”

Netanyahu further emphasized: “Look, I don’t think any two leaders have been as coordinated as President Trump and I. He’s the leader. I’m his ally. America is the leader.”

Trump’s initial public response to Wednesday’s Iranian gas field attack came hours later through a heated social media message where he also stated the U.S. “knew nothing” about the operation beforehand.

However, two sources familiar with the situation who requested anonymity said the U.S. received advance notice of Israel’s intentions. One source indicated Israel coordinates its target selection with American officials.

Senior U.S. administration officials argued Thursday that Trump remains aligned with Netanyahu while prioritizing what he considers America’s national security interests in his Iran approach.

American air operations have concentrated on destroying Iran’s missile capabilities, further damaging its struggling nuclear infrastructure, and eliminating its naval forces. Israel has meanwhile conducted multiple high-profile assassinations aimed at overthrowing the Islamic leadership that has governed since 1979.

The prime minister has characterized this period as a chance to create a new Middle Eastern dynamic with Tehran under more moderate leadership that wouldn’t threaten Israel.

Netanyahu benefits from Israeli public opinion that strongly backs the war compared to American sentiment. This support provides him political freedom to pursue extended operations that could decisively weaken Iran’s religious government.

While Trump has provided various explanations for the conflict, he has consistently stated that preventing Iran from “never having a nuclear weapon” remains his main goal.

“The objectives that have been laid out by the president are different from the objectives that have been laid out by the Israeli government,” Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard told House intelligence committee members Thursday when questioned about the White House stance on the gas field attack.

Unlike Netanyahu, Trump has become less enthusiastic about removing Iran’s religious leadership and establishing more moderate governance.

This represents a notable shift for the president from the conflict’s beginning, when he confidently assured Iranians they would soon have opportunities to end 47 years of clerical control.

During a Fox News Radio interview last week, Trump expressed much more caution about prospects for government opponents and voiced concerns about the paramilitary Basij force, which has been crucial in suppressing recent nationwide demonstrations and maintaining its threatening presence in Iran.

“So, I really think that’s a big hurdle to climb for people that don’t have weapons. I think it’s a very big hurdle,” Trump said.

When host Brian Kilmeade asked if he supported Netanyahu’s appeals for Iranians to reclaim their nation, Trump indicated he doubted their readiness for uprising. “I would think that Bibi would understand that too,” Trump added.

Throughout Trump’s five White House years, Netanyahu has been among his most reliable international allies. The Israeli leader consistently praises the Jewish state’s unprecedented White House support.

However, during the past three weeks, Trump and his staff have recognized both nations approach the war with different perspectives. Trump has called these differences understandable.

“You know, they’re there, and we’re very far away,” Trump observed.

Overall, Trump and Netanyahu’s disagreements remain mostly surface-level, according to Joel Rubin, a former Obama administration State Department official.

The Israeli prime minister has spent “many decades” seeking American backing for his goal of launching devastating strikes against Iran. Trump, Rubin noted, represents “the first president to say, ‘Go for it!’”

Nevertheless, extended warfare could increase Trump’s political pressures and deepen divisions, Rubin warned.

“When the war ends it’s likely gonna be Trump’s call and I do think that we’re probably gonna have a dynamic where, in the future, they’ll have to figure out how to be in sync in terms of identifying and defining when it’s time to end the military operation,” Rubin said regarding Trump and Netanyahu. “And Israel does not have the same focus on global oil markets as the U.S., and the repercussions.”

President Donald Trump has directed Israeli leadership to cease attacks on Iranian energy infrastructure as retaliatory strikes between the nations have caused global fuel costs to surge dramatically, intensifying the ongoing Middle East conflict.

The president’s directive followed Thursday’s sharp increase in energy markets after Iran retaliated against an Israeli assault on a significant gas facility by targeting Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City. This facility handles approximately 20% of global liquefied natural gas production, and the resulting damage will require several years to fully repair.

Iranian forces also struck Saudi Arabia’s primary Red Sea port facility, which the kingdom has been using to reroute exports around Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical Gulf shipping passage.

These attacks highlighted Iran’s ongoing capacity to inflict significant economic damage during the U.S.-Israeli military campaign and exposed vulnerabilities in air defense systems protecting the region’s most crucial energy assets.

Facing political pressure from rising fuel costs among his voter base before November’s midterm elections, Trump has criticized allies who have shown reluctance to assist in securing the Strait of Hormuz, which handles roughly one-fifth of global oil shipments.

However, the president confirmed he had instructed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to avoid future energy infrastructure attacks.

“I told him, ‘Don’t do that’, and he won’t do that,” Trump stated to reporters during a Thursday Oval Office session.

Sources familiar with military planning, including one U.S. official and three others with knowledge of the discussions, revealed to Reuters that Trump is weighing the deployment of additional thousands of American forces to the Middle East as the conflict, which has claimed over 2,000 lives, continues.

Despite these reports, Trump denied any plans for ground force deployment on Thursday. “I’m not putting troops anywhere,” he declared.

Netanyahu subsequently acknowledged Thursday that Israel conducted the South Pars gas field bombing independently and verified that Trump had requested Israel refrain from similar operations.

The Israeli leader claimed Iran has been “decimated” and lost its uranium enrichment and ballistic missile manufacturing capabilities after 20 days of coordinated U.S.-Israeli airstrikes. However, he noted that regime change would require a “ground component” beyond aerial operations, though he provided no additional details.

During Netanyahu’s remarks, Iranian forces launched another missile barrage toward Israel, according to statements from Israel’s military and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Nearly three weeks into the conflict with no resolution in sight, and growing concerns about a global “oil shock,” seven allied nations issued a joint declaration. Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Japan expressed “our readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait.”

The allies also committed to “other steps to stabilise energy markets, including working with certain producing nations to increase output.”

However, immediate action appears unlikely. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz emphasized that any assistance in securing the strait would only occur after hostilities conclude.

Major U.S. allies’ reluctance to engage reflects skepticism about a conflict European leaders describe as having unclear objectives they neither sought nor can control.

Israel’s South Pars gas field attack, which Trump said occurred without U.S. knowledge, revealed coordination gaps between the primary participants regarding strategy and objectives.

Three Israeli officials created additional confusion by stating the operation occurred with U.S. consultation but would likely not be repeated.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard informed the House intelligence committee that American and Israeli objectives differ: “…the Israeli government has been focused on disabling the Iranian leadership. The president has stated that his objectives are to destroy Iran’s ballistic missiles launching capability, their ballistic missile production capability, and their navy.”

Iran’s military declared that strikes against Iranian energy infrastructure had initiated “a new stage in the war” prompting attacks on U.S.-linked energy facilities.

“If strikes (on Iran’s energy facilities) happen again, further attacks on your energy infrastructure and that of your allies will not stop until it is completely destroyed,” Iranian military spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaqari warned through state media.

QatarEnergy’s chief executive confirmed to Reuters that Iranian attacks eliminated one-sixth of Qatar’s LNG export capacity, representing $20 billion annually in lost revenue, with repairs requiring three to five years.

Israeli media reported Iranian strikes damaged oil facilities at Israel’s Haifa port without causing casualties.

Since Wednesday, Iranian attacks have forced the UAE to close its Habshan gas facility and ignited fires at two Kuwaiti oil refineries.

HAVANA (AP) — Two Russian oil tankers are navigating toward Cuba, bringing the island nation’s first fuel deliveries in three months as the country grapples with widespread power outages and a deteriorating electrical infrastructure.

The Russian vessel Anatoly Kolodkin is currently positioned approximately 3,000 nautical miles away in the Atlantic and should arrive within 10 days, according to Jorge Piñón, a specialist with the University of Texas Energy Institute who spoke to The Associated Press.

This delivery would represent Cuba’s first oil arrival from any nation during a three-month period marked by a U.S. energy embargo.

The sanctioned tanker holds 730,000 barrels of fuel and appears on sanctions lists maintained by the United States, European Union, and United Kingdom due to the Ukraine conflict, Piñón explained.

A second ship, the Hong Kong-registered Sea Horse, is also reportedly transporting Russian petroleum to Cuba with roughly 200,000 barrels of diesel aboard, Piñón noted.

He pointed out that Cuba’s daily diesel consumption reaches about 20,000 barrels, meaning the Sea Horse’s cargo won’t fully meet overall diesel needs considering the nation’s depleted storage reserves.

Piñón expects the fuel will primarily serve “critical sectors of the economy,” including transportation and agricultural operations.

The Sea Horse could reach Cuba within four days if that destination is confirmed, he said.

Piñón observed that the vessel remained stationary for 20 days in Atlantic waters before resuming its west-southwestward course. It currently sits roughly 958 nautical miles from Matanzas, Cuba.

Tracking these ships proves challenging because some vessels disable their satellite monitoring systems to avoid detection amid international sanctions and potential U.S. seizure threats, according to experts.

Should either vessel’s arrival be verified, it would mark 2025’s first Russian oil delivery to Cuba. The last detected shipment arrived via the Ocean Mariner carrying 85,000 barrels from Mexico’s Pajaritos port on January 9.

During Thursday Senate testimony, General Francis Donovan, commander of U.S. Southern Command, stated his personnel are monitoring a Russian destroyer accompanied by a fuel “replenishment ship” scheduled for a Cuban port visit. He indicated the oiler’s cargo, even if unloaded, would unlikely significantly impact Cuba’s oil situation.

When questioned by senators, Donovan clarified his command isn’t currently practicing military intervention scenarios in Cuba and focuses solely on safeguarding the U.S. Embassy and Guantanamo Bay military installation, though it can address Caribbean migration or humanitarian emergencies if necessary.

Cuba generates merely 40% of its petroleum needs domestically, relying on Russia, Mexico, and Venezuela for the remainder.

However, essential Venezuelan shipments ceased after the U.S. targeted the South American nation in early January and detained its former president, Nicolás Maduro — a crucial commercial and ideological ally of Cuba.

In late January, President Donald Trump warned of imposing tariffs on any nation selling or providing oil to Cuba. That same month, Mexico suspended its oil exports to the island.

These developments have intensified Cuba’s energy and economic difficulties, resulting in 10-hour power failures, reduced work schedules, limited transportation options, and declining tourism revenues — formerly a primary income source.

The deteriorating conditions have also triggered minor demonstrations.

Cuba has endured a serious economic downturn since this decade’s start due to stricter U.S. sanctions, COVID-19 pandemic effects, and domestic financial reforms that sparked inflation.

Food and medication scarcities have become commonplace for Cuban citizens. These crises have also accelerated emigration, especially among youth and skilled professionals, to the United States, Mexico, and Europe.

This week, European activists participating in an ongoing international assistance convoy delivered over four tons of medical supplies to the island. Additional aid is anticipated Friday by aircraft and Saturday through a large flotilla bringing solar panels, medical equipment, and preserved food gathered by Mexican activists. British Parliament member Jeremy Corbyn and Irish hip-hop group Kneecap are expected among the flotilla passengers traveling to Cuba.

Trump has declared readiness to take Cuba through any necessary means, while the Cuban government, despite acknowledging U.S. discussions, has maintained its sovereign position.

MEXICO CITY – Mexican naval officials reported Thursday that eleven individuals suspected of criminal activity died during a military security operation conducted in the northern state of Sinaloa.

The deadly confrontation occurred as part of ongoing security efforts in the region, according to statements released by Mexico’s navy forces.

No additional details about the specific circumstances of the operation or the identities of those killed were immediately provided by authorities.