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A newly released United Nations investigation reveals that a Libyan militia organization assisted in moving ex-Colombian soldiers across borders to join Sudan’s brutal civil war, according to findings published just days after the conflict’s three-year mark.

The Subul al-Salam Battalion from Libya coordinated the movement of fighters, including former Colombian military personnel, along with weapons and fuel shipments to aid the Rapid Support Forces in their battle against Sudan’s government army, intensifying the already catastrophic war.

This battalion operates under the command of influential General Khalifa Hifter’s self-declared Libyan National Army, which controls eastern and southern regions of war-torn Libya. Based primarily in Kufra, a southern border town adjacent to Sudan, Chad, and Egypt, the group manages key infrastructure including an airport that served as a conduit for arms and fighters supporting the RSF, UN investigators determined.

The UN Panel of Experts on Libya published their findings on Sunday, covering the period from October 2024 through February 2026.

Sudan’s conflict erupted on April 15, 2023, when tensions between the nation’s military leadership and the RSF escalated into violent confrontations throughout Khartoum and across the vast nation.

UN investigators documented various advantages the RSF gained through Libyan connections, including access to a staging area located approximately 75 kilometers southwest of Kufra.

The paramilitary organization also utilized Kufra’s airbase and additional facilities that functioned as transfer hubs for Colombian combatants and locations where imported vehicles underwent modifications, according to the expert panel.

The UN team reported that the battalion actively supported RSF military actions in June 2025 by “deploying units on the ground, providing fighters and escorting them across Libyan territory and facilitating access to fuel and spare vehicle parts.”

This assistance enabled the RSF to push forward in the Uwaynat region, a triangular border zone shared by Sudan, Egypt, and Libya, though it simultaneously “weakened border security in southern Libya,” investigators noted.

RSF representatives did not respond immediately to requests for comment. The Subul al-Salam Battalion could not be reached for statement.

In June, the RSF announced control over the triangle area following the Sudanese military’s declaration that it had withdrawn from the region as part of “its defensive arrangements to repel aggression.” Sudan’s army has blamed Hifter’s forces for supporting the RSF assault on the territory, allegations the Libyan commander has rejected.

International human rights organizations have documented that both Hifter’s military units and the RSF have received backing from the United Arab Emirates, though the UAE has consistently rejected these claims.

Recently, Sudan’s military has attempted to interrupt the RSF supply chain originating from Libya. Government forces conducted air attacks in November targeting vehicle convoys and foreign fighters within Libya who were en route to support the paramilitary group, the report stated.

The United States has implemented sanctions against Colombian companies and individuals due to alleged connections to sending former Colombian officers to fight with the RSF in Sudan, contributing to famine conditions and creating the globe’s most severe humanitarian emergency.

The conflict has resulted in at least 59,000 deaths, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, a US-based organization that monitors warfare and acknowledges its casualty count likely underestimates the true toll due to reporting challenges.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — When Canadian Seth Scott first suggested the wild adventure to his English friend Ollie Jenks, the response was immediate.

“It was so ridiculous I couldn’t say no,” Jenks recalled.

Scott’s outrageous plan involved driving a vintage British Reliant Robin three-wheeler from London all the way to southern Africa — covering 14,000 miles across 22 nations to establish a world record for the longest journey ever completed in a three-wheeled automobile.

The Reliant Robin holds legendary status among British car enthusiasts as a modest three-wheeled vehicle that, according to Jenks, was originally built for simple grocery runs in 1970s Britain. Production ceased in the early 2000s, but these quirky cars remain beloved in British pop culture, particularly after featuring as the Trotter family’s dependable yet weathered yellow vehicle in the hit comedy series “Only Fools and Horses.”

However, you’d be hard-pressed to find a vehicle less equipped for traversing thousands of miles through African rainforests, mountain passes, and desert terrain. That impossible challenge is exactly what attracted Jenks to the outlandish scheme.

The duo purchased Sheila, a silver three-wheeler among the final Reliant Robins ever manufactured, exclusively for this expedition. In October, Jenks and Scott departed with a fuel container and basic supplies secured to Sheila’s compact roof, plus considerable faith that they would somehow reach Cape Town, South Africa, at the continent’s southern edge.

“No power steering, no air con, and it doesn’t do well up hills or down them. It is the most unsuitable car for probably any journey,” Jenks offered in a brutally honest evaluation of Sheila’s capabilities. “We made friends with the designer of this car, and he’s scared to take it any more than 20 miles.”

Despite all warnings, Jenks and Scott embarked on their extraordinary four-and-a-half-month odyssey, which required between $40,000 and $50,000 in funding, according to Jenks. Support came through sponsors and crowdfunding, while they chronicled their travels on Instagram, attracting nearly 100,000 followers with the tagline: “14,000 miles, 3 wheels, 0 common sense.”

Their timing coincided with an attempted coup in Benin. They navigated through northern Nigeria while U.S. forces conducted airstrikes against Islamic State positions. Military personnel provided escort protection for approximately 300 miles through a Cameroon region experiencing separatist conflicts.

“Imagine this car in a military convoy,” Jenks reflected.

Numerous close calls with traffic hazards occurred, including a terrifying moment when an overtaking bus nearly crushed Sheila against a cliff wall in Congo.

Living up to the Reliant’s reputation for mechanical issues, countless breakdowns plagued their journey on Africa’s challenging roadways.

Within the first two weeks, Sheila required new wheel springs. Ghana brought gearbox failure, leaving them stuck in fourth gear. Cameroon presented clutch and distributor troubles, followed by the ultimate disaster: complete engine failure.

Throughout every mechanical crisis, the generosity of local people and the determination of Jenks and Scott sustained their progress. A helpful stranger arranged gearbox shipment to Ghana. Reliant enthusiasts back in the U.K. located and sent replacement engine parts to Cameroon.

Following one breakdown, locals helped load Sheila onto a livestock transport truck for garage delivery. Mechanics throughout the continent bolted, hammered, and welded Sheila back together, often expressing bewilderment at the entire endeavor.

Yet the adventure also delivered spectacular moments that Jenks and Scott had hoped would justify their efforts.

Sheila traveled through breathtaking mountain landscapes and expansive desert regions — territories no Reliant Robin had likely explored before. She participated in safari experiences, keeping pace with running giraffes, observing endangered rhinoceros, and posing beside a massive elephant.

More than 120 days after departure, she limped into Cape Town last month running on an engine that had begun severe overheating in Namibia’s desert and remained questionable for roughly 1,000 miles.

“This is a great underdog story,” commented Graeme Hurst, a South African automotive enthusiast who tracked their Instagram journey and came to meet Sheila. “I see the farcical kind of comical nature of it … but also the sheer admiration. I mean, they have utter tenacity.”

In South Africa, Sheila received temporary exhibition space in a luxury automobile showroom, becoming the main attraction among gleaming Porsches and Mercedes while displaying her cracked side window, fuel-stained windshield, warped wheel rims, and numerous dents and scratches.

She will now receive proper rest and the comprehensive maintenance she has earned, Jenks explained. Eventually, she’ll travel to Kenya, board a ship bound for Turkey, then complete one final journey back to the U.K. for permanent display at the London Transport Museum.

Jenks described feeling victorious upon reaching Cape Town, but mostly relieved to have survived and finally escape the cramped two-seat cabin.

“It was like driving a motorized coffin,” he concluded.

New images from Sudan illustrate how civilians are adapting their everyday routines as the ongoing conflict between government military forces and paramilitary groups reaches its fourth year.

The photographs, selected by Associated Press editors, document the resilience of ordinary Sudanese people as they navigate life during prolonged warfare between the nation’s armed forces and militia groups.

President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he will indefinitely prolong the current ceasefire with Iran to provide more time for peace negotiations, though Iranian and Israeli acceptance of this extension remains uncertain.

In a social media post, Trump revealed that the United States had accepted a request from Pakistani mediators “to hold our Attack on the Country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal … and discussions are concluded, one way or the other.”

Pakistani officials have been facilitating peace negotiations in Islamabad aimed at ending the two-month conflict that has resulted in thousands of deaths and destabilized the world economy.

However, while announcing what seemed to be a one-sided ceasefire extension, Trump also indicated he would maintain the U.S. Navy’s maritime blockade of Iranian trade routes, which Iran considers an act of aggression.

Iranian officials had not responded to Trump’s statement by early Wednesday, though initial reactions from Tehran appeared skeptical of the announcement.

The Tasnim News Agency, which has ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, reported that Iran had not requested any ceasefire extension and reiterated threats to forcibly break the American blockade. An advisor to Iran’s chief negotiator, parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, dismissed Trump’s announcement as potentially meaningless and possibly deceptive.

Trump’s wartime statements have fluctuated dramatically. Just two weeks prior, he made an expletive-laden threat against Iran, warning that a “whole civilization will die tonight,” while at other moments he has seemed eager to halt the violence and economic instability.

With this latest announcement, Trump once again stepped back from his threats to target Iran’s power infrastructure and transportation networks. UN Secretary General António Guterres and other international leaders have criticized such threats, pointing out that international humanitarian law prohibits attacks on civilian targets and infrastructure.

The conflict began February 28 when the United States and Israel launched airstrikes against Iran. The fighting rapidly expanded to include Gulf nations hosting American military installations and Lebanon after the Iran-backed militant organization Hezbollah entered the war.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has spent decades working to remove Iran’s current government, but Trump has provided inconsistent and sometimes conflicting explanations for America’s participation in the war and his vision for its conclusion, creating uncertainty in international markets.

The regional conflict has claimed more than 3,000 civilian lives and displaced hundreds of thousands, primarily in Iran and Lebanon. The war has effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial passage for global energy transport between Iran and Oman, causing oil prices to spike and raising concerns about a potential worldwide economic downturn.

Iran has repeatedly used its control over ship traffic in the strait as leverage against American and Israeli military actions.

In his statement, Trump said he was prepared to extend the ceasefire because “the Government of Iran is seriously fractured, not unexpectedly so,” referring to U.S.-Israeli targeted killings of Iranian leaders during the war’s early weeks, including former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has been replaced by his son.

Hours before his announcement, Trump had told CNBC that he was reluctant to continue the temporary truce and that American forces were “raring to go.”

These remarks came as the tentatively planned peace discussions in Islamabad appeared close to collapse. U.S. Vice President JD Vance, whose attendance Iran had requested, was scheduled to return to Pakistan on Tuesday.

Prior to Trump’s latest statement, a senior Iranian official told Reuters that Iran’s negotiators were prepared to participate in additional talks if the United States abandoned its strategy of pressure and intimidation, and rejected negotiations designed to force surrender.

Iran has denounced the U.S. Navy’s interception and seizure of two Iranian commercial vessels as part of its blockade, including the second ship taken on Tuesday. Iran’s foreign ministry accused America of “piracy at sea and state terrorism.” The United States, supported by several other nations, has criticized Iran for restricting navigation freedom in the Strait of Hormuz.

Initial peace talks held 10 days ago failed to produce any agreements, with much attention focused on Iran’s reserves of highly enriched uranium.

Trump seeks to remove the uranium from Iran to prevent the country from further enriching it to weapons-grade levels. Iran maintains that its nuclear program serves only peaceful civilian purposes and asserts its sovereign right to continue such activities as a signatory to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

BEIJING – Chinese officials on Wednesday publicly commended nations that refused to grant airspace access to Taiwan’s presidential aircraft, stating that adherence to Beijing’s one-China policy represents standard international protocol.

During a routine press briefing in the Chinese capital, a representative from China’s Taiwan Affairs Office thanked countries for their stance and actions in supporting the one-China principle.

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te announced Tuesday that he was scrapping his scheduled visit to Eswatini this week. His administration blamed Beijing for lobbying the Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar to withdraw previously granted overflight clearances for his presidential plane.

The diplomatic incident highlights ongoing tensions between Beijing and Taipei over Taiwan’s international standing and China’s efforts to limit the island’s diplomatic activities abroad.

GLASGOW, Scotland — Britain’s top cybersecurity official is set to deliver a stark warning that hostile foreign governments, particularly Russia, Iran and China, are behind the most dangerous digital attacks targeting the United Kingdom.

Richard Horne, who leads the National Cyber Security Centre within Britain’s intelligence agency GCHQ, plans to tell audiences Wednesday that the nation faces “the most seismic geopolitical shift in modern history.” According to advance excerpts of his remarks, Horne will urge British companies to strengthen their defenses against potential large-scale cyberattacks should the UK become embroiled in international conflicts.

Across Scandinavia and Eastern Europe, government officials have recently issued similar warnings. Sweden, Poland, Denmark and Norway have all reported that Russian-linked hackers have attempted to breach critical systems including electrical grids and water infrastructure.

The NCSC director will reveal his agency currently responds to approximately four “nationally significant” digital security breaches each week. While criminal activities like ransomware remain the most frequent issues, state-sponsored attacks pose the gravest danger, according to his prepared remarks.

This assessment echoes concerns raised in December by Blaise Metreweli, who heads Britain’s MI6 foreign intelligence service. Metreweli characterized the current global situation as more perilous than any period in recent decades, describing Britain as existing “in a space between peace and war.”

“Let’s be clear, cyberspace is part of that contest,” Horne will state during his address at the CyberUK conference in Glasgow.

Regarding specific threats, Horne will describe China’s intelligence and military cyber capabilities as demonstrating an “eye-watering level of sophistication.” He’ll also assert that Iran is “almost certainly using cyber activity to support the repression of British individuals on our streets who are seen as a threat to the regime.”

As for Russia, Horne plans to highlight how Moscow has adapted digital warfare methods developed during its Ukraine campaign, “moving them beyond the battlefield” through “sustained Russian hybrid activity” aimed at the UK and broader Europe. He’ll emphasize that businesses must study how cyber operations function in wartime scenarios to strengthen their own protective measures.

In potential conflict situations, Horne will warn, the UK could face massive cyberattacks where companies cannot simply pay ransoms to restore their data and systems. This reality, he’ll argue, makes it essential for every organization to fully grasp their vulnerability and enhance their digital defenses immediately.

Recent incidents support these concerns. Swedish officials announced Friday that a pro-Russian organization connected to Moscow’s intelligence apparatus orchestrated a cyberattack on a heating facility last year.

Carl-Oskar Bohlin, Sweden’s civil defense minister, drew parallels to December attacks in Poland, where coordinated digital strikes targeted heating and power facilities serving nearly half a million customers, plus renewable energy installations. Polish investigators later determined the hackers had “direct links to Russian services.” Norway reported a similar April 2025 incident affecting dam water controls, while Denmark disclosed a December 2024 attack on water utilities that temporarily cut service to residential areas.

These four cyberattacks represent just a fraction of over 155 documented disruption incidents — encompassing arson, sabotage and espionage — that Western intelligence agencies have connected to Russia or its allies since Moscow’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, according to Associated Press tracking.

Additional Russian-linked activities identified by European authorities include interference with German aviation traffic control systems, attempts to compromise Signal and WhatsApp accounts of government officials and journalists, and efforts by Russian military intelligence hackers to exploit router vulnerabilities for stealing sensitive user information.

JERUSALEM (AP) — During his captivity in Hamas tunnels beneath Gaza, Hersh Goldberg-Polin frequently shared a quote from Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl with fellow hostages: “Those who have a ‘why’ to live, can bear with almost any ‘how.’”

Family and friends held onto hope that Hersh would return with an inspiring message, much like Frankl did. Instead, after spending nearly 11 months as a hostage, he was executed alongside five other captives in August 2024, likely as Israeli military forces approached their underground location.

Now his mother, Rachel Goldberg-Polin, has taken on the mission to find that purpose. She released a memoir on Tuesday following her highly visible efforts to secure her son’s freedom.

The book, titled “When We See You Again,” offers no clear storyline, uplifting conclusion, or blame toward Hamas terrorists or Israeli officials many hold responsible for her son’s death. Instead, it provides an unflinching look at profound loss.

Goldberg-Polin remains uncertain whether her work represents “an exceptionally painful love story, or a love-filled pain story.”

“I’m still trying to figure out with clarity what is my why, but it’s clear to me that my why is not done,” Goldberg-Polin said, a photo of a smiling Hersh behind her. “I just really wanted to tell the truth. It’s very ugly.”

Hersh was one of 251 individuals taken hostage during Hamas’s October 7, 2023, assault. A grenade explosion severed his hand before militants forced him into Gaza’s underground tunnel network.

The resulting conflict claimed more than 70,000 Palestinian lives and devastated much of Gaza before an October ceasefire agreement secured the release of surviving hostages. Hersh and five others had already been murdered more than a year prior.

Rachel became a tireless advocate for her son’s freedom, participating in numerous media appearances, meeting with former President Joe Biden, and speaking at the Democratic National Convention. She also joined widespread demonstrations in Israel criticizing government officials for failing to negotiate a faster resolution.

Her son became one of the most recognizable hostages. His name and image continue appearing on posters and graffiti throughout the country, frequently accompanied by Frankl’s quote.

In her memoir, Rachel deliberately avoids idealizing Hersh. She mentions his childhood habit of picking scabs and his poor dishwashing skills.

“Hersh has become a symbol to many,” Goldberg-Polin writes in the book. “I don’t know what to do with that. But it’s OK. If people need Hersh to be something, he will be that. That is the essence of service, being what is needed.”

Rachel grew up in Chicago before relocating to Israel with her husband and three children when six-year-old Hersh was the eldest. She recalls memories from the “before time”: how young Hersh impressed people with his extensive knowledge of U.S. presidents and his devotion to Jerusalem’s local soccer team and their partner club in Bremen, Germany.

The memoir briefly addresses his abduction and captivity details, which have received extensive media coverage. She documents their frantic information search during the chaotic days following the attack, their extended battle for his release, and receiving news of Hersh’s death along with five others after 328 days.

The book primarily represents “very raw, peeled, oozing, throbbing pain,” Goldberg-Polin explained. She describes “hundreds of sodden days dripping with anguish.”

“The book really started just as a way of taking this tremendous weight of suffering that was causing my soul to buckle,” she said during a Jerusalem interview.

Her writing emerged spontaneously without a planned outcome, driven by the question “How do I survive the next 15 minutes?” she explained.

The memoir partly stemmed from her frustration when people inquired about her wellbeing. “I think, ‘Well, do you not see this dagger sticking out of my chest at my heart? How can you possibly be asking me that?’” she said. “But I realized they don’t see it. And it’s not because they’re mean or insensitive. They simply don’t see it.”

“Someone who’s born blind doesn’t know what blue is, and it’s very difficult to describe blue to someone who’s blind. But I’m desperate for people to see my blue, and I’m yearning for people to feel my pain,” she said.

Others wanted to share their own experiences with death and loss, even during her son’s shiva, the traditional Jewish mourning period following burial. She found this experience both overwhelming and enlightening, exposing the “surplus of suffering” that exists globally.

“They’re not trying to comfort me, they’re saying: ‘Let me stand next to you and we’ll be in this together,’” she said.

Throughout the hostage release campaign, Rachel’s motto was “Hope is mandatory,” even when optimism seemed impossible. Now, people everywhere ask her and her husband to share some of their worn and weathered hope.

She offers no simple solutions, as she explains to Hersh in a letter to her deceased son near the book’s conclusion.

“I will carry your why,” she writes. “I’ll do it, I’ll carry your why around the world.”

ISLAMABAD (AP) — American and Iranian officials are preparing for critical peace negotiations in Pakistan’s capital as their delicate two-week ceasefire approaches its Wednesday expiration date, according to two regional officials who spoke Tuesday.

While neither Washington nor Tehran has publicly announced the meeting schedule, Iranian state media has denied that any official representatives have arrived in Islamabad.

Pakistani mediators have received word that lead negotiators – U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf – are expected to touch down in Islamabad early Wednesday to guide their respective teams through the discussions, the officials informed The Associated Press.

The sources requested anonymity as they lacked permission to speak with media.

The temporary halt to hostilities that took effect April 8 was scheduled to conclude Wednesday.

Each side continues to maintain firm public positions, with President Donald Trump cautioning that “lots of bombs” will “start going off” without an agreement before the ceasefire ends, while Iran’s lead negotiator declared that Tehran possesses “new cards on the battlefield” that remain unrevealed.

An extension of the ceasefire appears probable should negotiations restart. White House representatives have confirmed Vance will head the U.S. team, though Iran has not disclosed its delegation leader, with Iranian state broadcasting airing a statement Tuesday claiming “no delegation from Iran has visited Islamabad … so far.”

Iranian state media has historically been influenced by hardline factions within the country’s religious government, and Tuesday’s broadcast message likely demonstrates ongoing internal discussions within Iran’s leadership regarding how to address the weekend seizure of an Iranian cargo vessel by U.S. naval forces.

American military personnel boarded a sanctioned oil tanker involved in smuggling Iranian petroleum across Asia, according to Defense Department announcements.

The Pentagon shared on social media that U.S. forces “conducted a right-of-visit maritime interdiction” and boarded the M/T Tifani “without incident.” Vessel tracking information placed the Tifani in Indian Ocean waters between Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

The military statement emphasized that “international waters are not a refuge for sanctioned vessels.”

Washington has established a naval blockade around Iranian harbors to force Tehran to release its control over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital maritime corridor that carries 20% of global natural gas and petroleum during normal conditions.

Iran’s tight control of the waterway has driven energy costs higher, with Brent crude, the global benchmark, trading near $95 per barrel Tuesday – representing a 30% increase since February 28, when Israel and America launched joint military strikes against Iran that initiated the conflict.

Prior to the war’s outbreak, the Strait of Hormuz operated with full access for international maritime traffic, and Trump has insisted that ships must once again pass through the channel without obstruction.

European Union transport officials convened in Brussels Tuesday to address consumer protection measures after the International Energy Agency chief warned that Europe maintains “maybe six weeks” of remaining aviation fuel reserves.

Iran announced over the weekend that it had received fresh proposals from Washington, while also indicating significant differences persist between the parties. Disagreements that derailed previous negotiation rounds centered on Iran’s nuclear enrichment activities, its regional allied groups, and the strait’s status.

Qalibaf accused America Tuesday of seeking Iran’s capitulation and stated that conversely, Iran has been organizing “to reveal new cards on the battlefield.”

“We do not accept negotiations under the shadow of threats,” he posted on X.

Despite the public verbal sparring between both nations, Pakistani authorities have expressed optimism that Iran will dispatch a delegation late Tuesday to enable talks to proceed.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar spoke Tuesday with Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty regarding current regional developments as part of diplomatic preparations, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry announced.

Dar additionally met with China’s ambassador, as Beijing serves as a major Iranian trade partner, while China’s Foreign Ministry described the conflict as reaching a “critical stage of transition between war and peace.”

“At such a moment, it is all the more necessary for all parties to show the utmost sincerity, remain committed to a political solution, maintain the momentum of the ceasefire and negotiations,” ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated.

Pakistani officials have strengthened security throughout the capital, deploying thousands of personnel and increasing patrol activity along airport access roads.

The protective measures appear more extensive than those implemented during initial talks held in Islamabad April 11-12, indicating potential high-level participation should negotiations progress, according to Syed Mohammad Ali, an Islamabad-based security expert.

“Pakistan appears to be preparing for the possibility of visits by top U.S. and Iranian leaders if the talks advance to a stage where an agreement could be signed,” he informed The Associated Press.

Separately, groundbreaking diplomatic discussions between Israel and Lebanon are scheduled to continue Thursday in Washington, according to Israeli, Lebanese and American officials who requested anonymity to discuss private negotiations.

Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors conducted their first direct diplomatic meeting in decades last week. Israel states the discussions aim to disarm Hezbollah and achieve a peace accord with Lebanon.

Lebanon implemented a 10-day ceasefire beginning Friday, where combat between Israel and Iranian-supported Hezbollah fighters erupted two days following the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran that sparked the war. Lebanese fighting has resulted in over 2,290 deaths.

Since the conflict began, Iranian authorities report at least 3,375 fatalities in Iran. Additionally, 23 individuals have perished in Israel and more than twelve in Gulf Arab nations. Fifteen Israeli military personnel in Lebanon and 13 American service members across the region have lost their lives.

Across Israel, from the capital city of Jerusalem to Tel Aviv and the historic site of Latrun, citizens came together to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice during the nation’s annual Memorial Day observance. Military personnel, family members, and ordinary citizens participated in the solemn tradition of laying flowers and placing flags at gravesites.

The day of remembrance included quiet moments of reflection as Israelis made their way to military burial grounds and commemorative locations throughout the country. The ceremonies honored not only fallen service members but also all individuals who lost their lives in the nation’s various conflicts, with particular attention paid to those who perished during the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel that occurred on October 7, 2023.

The observance represents one of the most significant days in the Israeli calendar, bringing together people from all walks of life to remember those who gave their lives for their country.

ŠIAULIAI AIR BASE, Lithuania — Alliance warplanes responded Monday to intercept Russian strategic bombers and escort fighters conducting operations over Baltic waters, demonstrating coordinated air defense capabilities along NATO’s eastern border while global attention remains focused on Middle Eastern conflicts.

French Rafale fighters launched from a Lithuanian airfield where they’re deployed for NATO’s long-standing air surveillance mission. The missile-equipped aircraft joined warplanes from Sweden, Finland, Poland, Denmark and Romania in monitoring and shadowing the Russian formation, according to the French military unit.

Russia’s aerial mission featured two supersonic Tu-22M3 bombers accompanied by approximately 10 fighter aircraft — a mix of SU-30s and SU-35s — that alternated escort duties for the larger strategic aircraft, military officials reported.

Moscow’s Defense Ministry characterized the bomber mission as a planned operation conducted over international Baltic waters. The flight lasted more than four hours, the ministry announced Monday via Telegram.

“During portions of the flight path, the strategic bombers received escort from foreign military aircraft,” the ministry stated. “Long-range aviation crews routinely perform missions over international waters in the Arctic, North Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, and Baltic and Black Sea regions. All Russian Aerospace Forces operations follow strict adherence to international aviation regulations.”

The ministry didn’t respond to follow-up inquiries Tuesday. Russian strategic bomber flights over Baltic waters are frequently reported, including a January incident that also prompted NATO intercepts, plus at least four similar missions in the previous year.

NATO’s Allied Air Command also didn’t provide immediate comment Tuesday.

The military alliance regularly launches interceptor aircraft when Russian warplanes approach or transit near NATO-controlled airspace. Alliance officials note that Russian aircraft often operate without active transponders, fail to communicate with aviation controllers, or don’t submit proper flight documentation. NATO fighters are deployed to visually identify these aircraft.

Most Russian flights monitored through NATO’s Baltic air patrol program — established when Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia became alliance members in 2004 — involve travel to and from Russia’s Kaliningrad territory. Prior to Ukraine’s conflict, NATO was conducting approximately 300 annual intercepts of Russian aircraft, primarily over northern European waters.

An Associated Press reporter observed Monday’s French response from Lithuania’s extensive Šiauliai Air Base. The facility serves as NATO’s hub for fighter patrols securing alliance airspace along the eastern frontier.

Two French Rafale crews — each consisting of a pilot and navigator — were observed rushing in vehicles from their command center to aircraft hangars. The airmen were already in flight gear from standby duty, enabling rapid deployment within minutes of receiving scramble orders.

Both crews quickly entered their cockpits and remained on alert with engines running until receiving takeoff authorization. The aircraft then moved from their hangars and launched into clear skies.

Monday’s mission represents the most recent Russian aerial activity over Baltic waters.

Lithuania’s defense officials reported NATO fighters were activated four times between April 13-19 to respond to Russian aircraft violating standard flight protocols, including disabling transponders and operating without filed flight plans.

LUXEMBOURG (AP) — European Union foreign ministers convened in Luxembourg this week to tackle several pressing international challenges, including the continuing conflict in Ukraine, Russian hybrid warfare, and economic instability caused by warfare in Iran that has sent global energy prices soaring.

However, the most contentious issue dividing the 27-member European Union centers on how to handle relations with Israel and whether to increase pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid deteriorating security conditions in Gaza, the occupied West Bank, and Lebanon.

Three EU nations — Spain, Slovenia, and Ireland — have called for completely suspending the Association Agreement signed with Israel in 2000, which governs trade relations and cooperation. This proposal lacks the unanimous backing required from all member states.

Spanish Foreign Minister José Albares suggested that a limited suspension focusing solely on trade elements might garner sufficient political backing among EU countries.

“The European Union has to say today very clearly to Israel that a change is needed,” he said.

European officials have determined that Israel may have breached the agreement through its military operations in Gaza.

Irish Foreign Minister Helen McEntee pointed to Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank, Israel’s recent implementation of capital punishment for certain Palestinians, and continued combat in Lebanon as reasons why EU members should intensify pressure on Israel.

“We need to act. We need to make sure that our fundamental values are protected. And we need to make sure that any agreement that we have with any other country that country is fulfilling and upholding their obligations,” McEntee said.

Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard announced that France and Sweden have introduced a proposal to restrict trade with Israeli settlements located in the West Bank.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam addressed the Luxembourg gathering, discussing the delicate ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel, the disarmament of Hezbollah militants, and Lebanon’s need for European support during this difficult period.

“Lebanon today needs its European partners more than ever,” Salam posted on X on Tuesday.

The Luxembourg session followed a Palestinian peace conference held in Brussels the previous day, where 60 countries sent delegates to meet with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohamed Mustafa and Bulgarian diplomat Nikolay Mladenov, who leads the Board of Peace established by U.S. President Donald Trump.

A significant shift in EU dynamics may be emerging as one of the bloc’s most vocal opponents prepares to leave office.

Hungary’s departing Prime Minister Viktor Orbán consistently blocked EU initiatives on various matters, from supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression to imposing sanctions on Israelis linked to violent extremism.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas indicated that Orbán’s electoral defeat by pro-European opposition candidate Péter Magyar could speed up decision-making processes.

“A lot of issues … have been blocked” by Hungary, she said. “We are reopening the discussions and hope that we get a positive result.”

Regarding Iran, European diplomats advocated for diplomatic solutions as a ceasefire between Tehran and Washington was scheduled to end Tuesday.

Kallas urged extending the ceasefire “until there is a diplomatic solution.”

“The ceasefire is very fragile, but diplomacy should have a chance,” she said.

Germany’s foreign minister encouraged Iran to dispatch negotiators to Islamabad for discussions with U.S. Vice President JD Vance.

“Iran should now take this outstretched hand in the interest of its own people,” Johann Wadephul said.

The Iranian conflict has severely disrupted global oil and gas markets, creating particular concerns for the EU as a major energy consumer.

While foreign ministers met in Luxembourg, EU transportation officials held virtual discussions on protecting consumers from rising fuel costs after the International Energy Agency chief warned that Europe has “maybe six weeks” of jet fuel reserves remaining.

Since hostilities began between Israel, the United States, and Iran, the violence has claimed at least 3,375 lives in Iran and over 2,290 in Lebanon. The conflict has also resulted in 23 deaths in Israel and more than a dozen fatalities in Gulf Arab nations. Military casualties include 15 Israeli soldiers in Lebanon and 13 U.S. service members across the region.

Tensions between Hungary and Slovakia have flared anew following Hungary’s recent election, as newly victorious leader Peter Magyar challenged Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico over laws affecting ethnic Hungarian communities during their inaugural phone conversation on April 21.

The controversy revolves around post-war legislation that imposed collective punishment on ethnic Germans and Hungarians in former Czechoslovakia, stripping them of property and citizenship for alleged wartime collaboration.

These historical measures, known as the “Benes Decrees” after former Czechoslovak President Edvard Benes, regularly strain diplomatic ties between the two European Union member states. Ethnic Hungarians comprise approximately 9% of Slovakia’s 5.5 million residents.

Fico’s leftist-nationalist administration strengthened enforcement of these decrees last year, establishing criminal penalties for anyone who challenges their validity.

While Hungary’s departing leader Viktor Orban, who maintained close ties with Fico, avoided confronting this issue, Magyar made it a central campaign theme leading to his overwhelming electoral triumph on April 12.

During Tuesday’s conversation, Magyar maintained his campaign stance and delivered an ultimatum to the Slovak leader.

“I told him clearly that we would be able to negotiate on any policy issue if we received a guarantee that Slovakia would repeal the legislation that threatens Hungarians living in Slovakia with imprisonment,” Magyar told Fico.

“And if it was stipulated that in the future the lands of our Hungarian compatriots in Slovakia would not be confiscated on the basis of the Benes Decrees based on collective guilt.”

Fico responded by emphasizing that bilateral relations had remained stable for years and expressed his preference to concentrate on energy collaboration instead.

Both nations maintain their dependence on Russian energy supplies and have united in their disagreement with Ukraine regarding a damaged Soviet-era oil pipeline.

“It clearly emerged from the discussion that Peter Magyar’s priority in Slovak-Hungarian relations are, and will be, the Benes Decrees, where we have fundamentally differing positions,” Fico stated.

The Slovak prime minister, who had supported Orban in Hungary’s recent election, indicated he would arrange to meet Magyar during upcoming EU summit meetings in Brussels before considering any bilateral diplomatic visits.

Magyar is anticipated to establish his new Hungarian administration by mid-May.

With just days remaining before a crucial Wednesday evening deadline, diplomatic efforts to extend the current ceasefire between the United States and Iran face significant challenges as negotiators struggle to resolve fundamental disagreements.

Two primary issues continue to block progress in the talks: the future status of the strategically important Strait of Hormuz waterway and ongoing concerns about Iran’s nuclear enrichment activities.

The Strait of Hormuz serves as a vital shipping corridor for global oil transportation, making its control a matter of international economic concern. Meanwhile, Iran’s nuclear program remains a central point of contention as world powers seek to prevent further uranium enrichment that could lead to weapons development.

Security measures have been heightened in the region as diplomatic teams work against the clock to find common ground before the current truce arrangement expires. Pakistani security forces have increased their presence at checkpoints amid reports of potential high-level meetings between American and Iranian officials.

The outcome of these negotiations could have far-reaching implications for regional stability and global energy markets, as both sides attempt to bridge their differences before time runs out.

French President Emmanuel Macron met with Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam in Paris on Tuesday to reinforce France’s dedication to maintaining the fragile ceasefire in Lebanon and backing the nation’s territorial sovereignty, according to statements from Macron’s administration.

The high-stakes diplomatic gathering occurs as Pakistan works to facilitate new discussions between the United States and Iran, with the current ceasefire agreement scheduled to end Wednesday. Additional meetings between Lebanese and Israeli representatives are planned for Washington later this week.

During their talks at the Elysee presidential palace, Macron and Salam “will also address humanitarian support for displaced populations and the continuation of the economic and financial reforms essential to strengthening Lebanon’s sovereignty, its reconstruction and the restoration of its prosperity,” according to Macron’s office.

The Paris meeting follows a deadly weekend attack on United Nations peacekeeping forces stationed in southern Lebanon. Small arms fire on Saturday resulted in the death of one French peacekeeper and left three others injured, with two suffering serious wounds.

While both Macron and the UNIFIL peacekeeping mission have accused Hezbollah of responsibility for the attack, the Lebanese militant organization has rejected any involvement in the incident.

The French president has demanded that Lebanese officials “shed full light on the incident” and “identify and prosecute those responsible without delay.” Macron’s administration emphasized that UNIFIL personnel “must under no circumstances be targeted.”

Prior to the Paris meeting, Salam attended a gathering of European Union foreign ministers in Luxembourg, where officials discussed the evolving Middle East crisis.

The current conflict escalated on March 2, two days following the launch of military operations by the U.S. and Israel against Iran. Hezbollah joined the conflict by launching missiles across the Lebanese border, prompting Israel to respond with extensive bombing campaigns and ground operations.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun proposed direct negotiations with Israel—marking the first such offer in decades—in return for an end to hostilities. Israel initially rejected this proposal.

The situation shifted following announcements of a truce between Iran and the United States, facilitated through Pakistani mediation efforts.

Last week marked the first direct diplomatic discussions between Lebanon and Israel in decades, taking place in Washington after more than a month of warfare between Israeli forces and the Iran-supported Hezbollah militia. Iran has maintained that any ceasefire agreement must include Lebanon and has threatened to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed otherwise.

The United States announced a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah on Thursday, presenting the deal as an outcome of the Israel-Lebanon diplomatic talks.

Hezbollah, which opposed Lebanon’s direct negotiations with Israel and was excluded from those discussions, claimed the ceasefire resulted from Iranian influence rather than the bilateral Israel-Lebanon meetings.

Myanmar’s military-backed President Min Aung Hlaing has extended an invitation to the nation’s armed opposition forces for renewed peace negotiations, according to state-controlled media reports released Tuesday. This represents the first diplomatic overture of this kind since Hlaing assumed the presidency earlier this month.

The invitation for dialogue was presented as a component of Hlaing’s newly announced 100-day agenda, which he unveiled during a cabinet session Monday in Myanmar’s capital city of Naypyitaw. The program emphasizes achieving peace, maintaining stability, and promoting national development, according to the government newspaper Myanma Alinn.

Hlaing officially became president on April 10 following an electoral process that opposition voices have condemned as fraudulent and manipulated to preserve military control. This occurred five years after the armed forces removed Aung San Suu Kyi’s democratically elected administration from power. Prior to his presidency, Hlaing served as the military commander who orchestrated the coup and subsequently led the unelected military regime.

The military’s power grab has escalated ongoing armed opposition throughout Myanmar, with democracy advocates forming alliances with ethnic militant organizations that have fought for increased self-governance for many years. This has resulted in a nationwide civil conflict that continues to impact large portions of the country. Since 2022, the military administration has conducted multiple face-to-face negotiations with ethnic minority leadership in attempts to fracture anti-government coalitions, though these efforts have yielded minimal success.

State media reported that Hlaing announced Monday his intention to invite ethnic militant groups to participate in fresh negotiations before July 31st.

Nevertheless, Nay Phone Latt, representing the National Unity Government—the primary organization coordinating resistance against military governance—stated Tuesday that his group and associated People’s Defense Force battalions would persist in their armed struggle alongside other opposition elements until achieving their objectives.

“We all already understood that the military’s fake invitations are aimed at prolonging people’s subjugation under military rule,” Nay Phone Latt said.

The country contains 21 recognized ethnic militant organizations with histories of armed conflict, with 10 of these groups having signed comprehensive ceasefire accords called Nationwide Ceasefire Agreements in 2015 and 2018 under earlier administrations. Nevertheless, four groups that previously agreed to these terms abandoned the arrangements and returned to combat following the 2021 military seizure of power.

“Both NCA signatories and non-signatories are invited to participate in the peace process,” Min Aung Hlaing was quoted as saying. He additionally extended invitations to guerrilla fighter units known collectively as the People’s Defense Force—established to combat military rule and restore democratic governance—encouraging them to join the process and operate within legal parameters during the 100-day timeframe.

The comprehensive program also encompasses social, economic, and infrastructure initiatives beyond the peace negotiations.

Myanmar has experienced repeated cycles of temporary ceasefires creating brief periods of reduced violence over multiple decades, yet none have produced lasting political solutions that would provide ethnic communities the level of self-determination they demand in border territories where they hold majority populations.

This latest diplomatic effort follows the military’s recent tactical advantages in the countrywide struggle during mid-2025, achieved through China-mediated truces with significant rebel organizations and increased troop strength resulting from mandatory military service implementation in early 2024.

Government forces have reclaimed territory from ethnic militias, including the Three Brotherhood Alliance, which had conducted major offensive operations with pro-democracy fighters in northeastern regions bordering China and in Myanmar’s western areas.

The Ta’ang National Liberation Army, an alliance member, issued congratulations to Hlaing regarding his presidency and expressed anticipation for peace discussions in a statement released last Wednesday.

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan’s leader has scrapped his scheduled African trip this week following the withdrawal of overflight permissions by three nations, which his administration attributes to Chinese interference, officials announced Tuesday.

The presidential office released a statement saying, “According to our understanding, the cancellation of flight permits by Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar without prior warning was actually due to strong pressure from the Chinese authorities, including economic coercion.”

The visit by President Lai Ching-te to Eswatini, which represents Taiwan’s final diplomatic partner on the African continent, had been scheduled for April 22 through 26.

Beijing regards the independently governed island of Taiwan as a rogue territory that must be brought under its control, using military action if required, and prevents nations with which it maintains diplomatic relationships from establishing official connections with Taiwan’s government.

In recent years, China has escalated efforts to strip Taiwan of its remaining international partnerships.

Taiwan now maintains official diplomatic relationships with just 12 nations worldwide, predominantly smaller states located in Latin America, the Caribbean region, and Pacific islands.

The head of South Africa’s national police force made his initial court appearance Tuesday in connection with a major corruption investigation that has already led to charges against a dozen high-ranking officers.

Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola, who continues to serve in his leadership role, is facing four charges for allegedly breaking the Public Finance Management Act regarding a questionable 360 million-rand ($21 million) contract meant to deliver health and wellness services to law enforcement personnel.

During Tuesday’s hearing in Pretoria, Masemola was formally presented with the charges after receiving a court summons earlier this month. He has not yet entered a plea and could be sentenced to up to five years behind bars or face monetary penalties if convicted.

Authorities claim the contract was improperly granted and that certain police officials accepted kickbacks from the companies that won the bidding process.

Court officials did not reveal complete details about Masemola’s specific charges as investigations continue, though the allegations center on his role as the financial overseer of the police department.

The police service has terminated the disputed contract.

President Cyril Ramaphosa established a special commission last year to examine extensive corruption claims within law enforcement, with this contract serving as a key focus of that inquiry.

Parliament has simultaneously launched its own investigation into these allegations.

On Tuesday, prosecutors announced they plan to combine Masemola’s case with proceedings against 16 other defendants, including the dozen police officers.

The charged officers include a major-general and multiple brigadiers — representing some of the highest positions within South African law enforcement — and all have been granted bail.

The corruption charges also involve a business owner allegedly connected to criminal organizations whose company sits at the center of the multimillion-dollar police contract controversy.

The businessman, Vusi “Cat” Matlala, has been among several individuals who have provided testimony about suspected connections between senior police leadership and crime figures.

Matlala is currently detained at a high-security facility facing attempted murder and additional charges in a separate legal matter.

When speaking with media following his court appearance, Masemola dismissed suggestions that he should resign, stating that such decisions rest with the president and emphasizing he continues performing his regular responsibilities.

The president’s office has acknowledged the charges against Masemola and indicated it will handle the situation “in accordance with the law.”

The legal proceedings have been rescheduled for May 13.

ABUJA, Nigeria — Six individuals are facing terrorism and treason charges in Nigeria after authorities uncovered an alleged conspiracy to remove President Bola Tinubu from power, according to court documents obtained by The Associated Press on Tuesday.

Among those now in custody are a retired major general and an active police inspector. Meanwhile, former Bayelsa state Governor Timpre Sylva remains a fugitive, accused of assisting in covering up the conspiracy.

Court documents containing 13 separate charges state that the defendants “conspired with one another to levy war against the state to overawe the president of the Federal Republic.”

Nigerian officials initially revealed they had prevented a coup attempt in January, announcing that multiple military personnel would face prosecution. These individuals were among 16 military officers detained in 2025 for what defense officials called “acts of indiscipline and breaches of service regulations,” sparking speculation about a possible coup that the government first dismissed.

While Africa’s largest country by population witnessed five military takeovers during the 1900s, it has remained free of coups since establishing democratic governance in 1999.

This conspiracy emerges amid rising military interventions and coup attempts across West and Central Africa, including recent incidents in Benin and Guinea-Bissau in late 2023. According to analysts, these military seizures of power typically stem from contested elections, constitutional crises, security challenges, and widespread dissatisfaction among young people.

A trial commenced Tuesday in Turkey for six individuals accused of causing the deaths of a German family who died from toxic insecticide exposure while vacationing in Istanbul, according to media reports.

The Bocek family, who held both Turkish and German citizenship, were guests at the Harbour Suites Old City hotel located in Istanbul’s Fatih neighborhood when they became sick on November 12, state-operated Anadolu news agency reported.

The family initially traveled by taxi to a medical facility after experiencing nausea and vomiting symptoms, then returned to their hotel. Emergency responders transported them to the hospital the next day, where young Kadir Muhammet, age 6, and his 3-year-old sister Masal passed away. Their mother Cigdem died on November 14, followed by their father Servet on November 17.

This tragedy has sparked renewed concerns about hotel safety protocols in Turkey and demands for enhanced regulatory supervision. A devastating fire at a ski lodge hotel in northwestern Turkey claimed 78 lives just last January.

According to court documents filed with the Istanbul 30th High Criminal Court, medical personnel couldn’t initially reach the Bocek family because hotel receptionist Muhammad Moeen had departed and secured the hotel’s main entrance after being bothered by chemical odors from the treated room.

Photographs from that day captured Servet Bocek rushing his daughter through the lobby area while desperately attempting to shatter the glass entrance.

Court papers identified the seven-minute period before Moeen’s return to unlock the entrance as a contributing element in the family’s deaths, along with inadequate safety measures during chemical application and insufficient emergency response personnel.

While authorities initially suspected food-related illness, subsequent investigation discovered phosphine gas residue on towels, protective masks, and samples collected from the hotel premises. Phosphine represents an extremely dangerous chemical that can trigger serious breathing difficulties and internal organ failure.

The shuttered Harbour Suites operated as one of numerous budget accommodations within easy reach of popular destinations including the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia.

Legal officials are pursuing sentences ranging from 2 years and 8 months to 22½ years for causing multiple deaths through negligence against hotel proprietor Hakan Oglak; DSS Pest Control owners Zeki Kisi and Serkan Kisi; DSS employee Dogan Cagferoglu; and receptionist Moeen.

Hotel staff member Rustemsha Batyrov could receive 2 to 15 years for identical charges.

Cagferoglu, who applied chemicals to the ground level room directly beneath the Boceks’ accommodation, lacked proper certification for handling dangerous substances, court documents revealed.

The pest control business also operated without proper licensing and utilized aluminum phosphide, a chemical inappropriate for residential environments. Legal papers additionally state the company hired unqualified workers and neglected safety protocols.

Oglak stands accused of authorizing dangerous chemical use by unqualified staff, neglecting safety procedures during application, and failing to clear the hotel of guests.

Three additional hotel guests present during the incident also experienced poisoning symptoms but made full recoveries following medical care.

Tuesday’s proceedings also revealed that two Dutch brothers died from phosphine exposure at another Fatih district hotel several months prior to the Bocek family incident.

Jamil Yusuf Mohammed, 17, and his brother Yazdani, 15, were discovered deceased in their Grand Sami Hotel room on August 22 of last year. Their father Rashid survived after receiving hospital treatment.

Five hotel workers and pest control staff members have been charged and remain in custody awaiting trial, Demiroren News Agency confirmed.

Three members of Japan’s military were killed Tuesday when ammunition detonated inside their tank during a training operation at a military facility in southern Japan, according to defense officials.

The fatal incident took place at the Hijudai Training Area in Oita prefecture during live ammunition exercises involving multiple tanks. The explosion happened within the gun turret of a Type 10 main battle tank, claiming the lives of the tank’s commander, gunner, and safety supervisor who were positioned inside the turret at the time.

A fourth crew member serving as the tank’s driver sustained injuries but survived the blast, military officials reported.

Following the tragic incident, Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Chief of Staff Masayoshi Arai announced the immediate halt of live ammunition training exercises involving Type 10 and Type 90 tanks that utilize similar ammunition.

“We will promptly determine the cause so that we can take preventive measures,” Arai stated.

The Type 10 tank represents Japan’s most advanced armored vehicle, having entered service with the military in 2011. Military investigators are now working to determine what caused the deadly ammunition explosion during the routine training operation.

A Baptist pastor lost his life when Russian forces launched an airstrike on a church in the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhya last week, according to Ukrainian officials. The attack also left eight other individuals wounded.

Ukrainian authorities claim the church was deliberately targeted by Russian forces. The strike represents another incident in what officials describe as a pattern of attacks on religious institutions.

The conflict in Ukraine has now entered its fifth year with no clear resolution in sight. Ukrainian officials also point to broader religious persecution by Russian forces, particularly against Christian denominations outside the Russian Orthodox Church, which has publicly endorsed the military invasion.

Nations around the world are scrambling to protect their citizens from dramatically rising energy prices caused by the ongoing U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, implementing a wide range of emergency economic measures.

The global response varies significantly by country, with each implementing strategies tailored to their specific energy needs and economic situations.

European Response

In Britain, officials are working to require older wind and solar energy facilities to accept fixed-price contracts as a way to reduce consumer energy bills.

The Netherlands has rolled out emergency tax relief to offset climbing fuel costs and is preparing additional interventions should the energy situation deteriorate further.

Sweden plans to reduce fuel taxes while increasing electricity subsidies through its upcoming spring budget adjustment, aiming to ease household financial burdens from elevated energy expenses.

European Union leadership has advocated for short-term relief strategies to address the energy price spike, proposing electricity tax reductions, decreased grid charges, and government assistance programs.

Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni indicated her country is exploring excise duty cuts to reduce fuel costs and considering higher taxes on companies that may be unfairly profiting from the energy crisis.

Spanish leadership expects parliamentary approval for cabinet-proposed relief measures, including reduced fuel and electricity taxes plus subsidies for industries most vulnerable to energy price increases.

Greece will provide fuel and fertilizer subsidies along with discounted ferry tickets totaling 300 million euros during April and May to protect consumers and agricultural producers, according to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Romania announced a reduction in diesel excise taxes of 0.30 lei per liter, while Slovenia has temporarily restricted fuel purchases to address pump shortages caused partly by cross-border buying and hoarding.

Poland’s finance minister said the country is developing solutions to lower fuel prices, potentially through VAT reductions.

North Macedonia cut fuel VAT from 18% to 10% for a two-week period starting March 23, Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski announced to local media.

Asian Measures

India is taking multiple approaches, including reviewing fuel export policies to ensure domestic availability and evaluating supply requests from neighboring countries, approving exports only when surplus exists.

The country has prohibited consumers with piped natural gas access from keeping or obtaining domestic LPG cylinders while strengthening infrastructure to accelerate the transition to piped gas. Emergency powers have been activated to direct refineries to maximize LPG production for cooking fuel, with industrial sales reduced to prevent shortages for 333 million households.

South Korea is relaxing restrictions on coal power generation capacity while increasing nuclear plant utilization to 80%. Officials are also considering additional energy vouchers for vulnerable households and have implemented a naphtha export ban to boost domestic supplies.

China has prohibited refined fuel exports to prevent potential domestic shortages and is releasing fertilizer from national reserves ahead of spring planting season, according to sources.

Japan’s industry ministry will relax regulations for one year to increase coal-fired power plant usage in the new fiscal year. The country has urged the G7 and International Energy Agency to prepare flexible measures for energy market stabilization if the Iran conflict continues, while requesting increased LNG output from Australia and planning higher imports of intermediate chemical products due to tighter naphtha supplies.

Thailand has explored crude oil purchases with Russia and aims to cap domestic diesel prices at 33 baht per liter. The government will also freeze certain goods prices and provide farmer support.

The Philippines suspended its wholesale electricity spot market across all grids due to fuel supply risks and price volatility, while planning to reduce power bills by increasing coal generation and regulating electricity rates. The country is working with Washington to secure exemptions allowing oil purchases from sanctioned nations and has activated a 20 billion peso emergency fund for fuel security.

Vietnam will accelerate its transition to ethanol-blended gasoline to reduce fossil fuel dependence, while Singapore’s prime minister announced early implementation of budget support measures for households and businesses.

Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto wants increased coal production, with the government considering export windfall taxes. The country will begin implementing B50 biodiesel on July 1, mixing 50% palm oil-based biodiesel with conventional diesel as part of Iran war risk mitigation.

Other Global Actions

Australia is releasing gasoline and diesel from domestic reserves to address shortages affecting rural supply chains, mining, and agriculture. The prime minister warned that economic impacts from the conflict will persist for months and encouraged public transportation use.

Bangladesh is seeking billions in external financing to secure fuel and LNG imports, while Serbia will reduce crude oil excise duties by 60% cumulatively and has extended export bans on crude oil and fuel products.

Argentina delayed scheduled increases in liquid fuel and carbon dioxide taxes through government decree.

Cambodia is increasing fuel imports from Singapore and Malaysia to compensate for supply shortfalls from Vietnam and China.

Malaysia will triple petrol subsidy spending to 2 billion ringgit from 700 million ringgit to maintain fixed fuel prices, while implementing measures to address fertilizer supply shortages and warning that energy supplies may be exhausted by May’s end.

Brazil launched a new program helping states subsidize diesel imports, having previously eliminated federal diesel taxes and imposed 12% oil export taxes in March.

Egypt has capped unsubsidized bread prices at private bakeries and will increase local wheat procurement prices to 2,500 pounds per ardeb for this year’s harvest to build strategic commodity reserves.

Ethiopia has increased fuel subsidies, while Mauritius introduced energy conservation measures including restrictions on non-essential grid power uses like decorative lighting and pool heating.

Namibia temporarily reduced fuel levies by 50% through June to protect consumers from higher pump prices.

Nigeria’s Dangote refinery, Africa’s largest, has increased gasoline and urea exports to African countries experiencing supply disruptions from the conflict.

Sri Lanka will implement additional fuel rationing to reduce queues and secure extra oil supplies.

South Africa reduced its fuel levy for one month to prevent further April fuel price increases.

The Central African nation of Chad is sending 1,500 military personnel to Haiti as part of a United Nations-backed security mission aimed at fighting gang violence, according to a presidential letter delivered to the country’s parliament.

Chadian President Mahamat Déby Itno informed lawmakers in N’Djamena on Monday that two military battalions, each consisting of 750 soldiers, will serve for one year beginning this month in response to a UN request.

“A contingent of 400 men has already been sent to Haiti as part of this mission that honors Chad and its defense and security forces,” the president stated.

The UN Security Council authorized the expansion of a Kenya-led international security force in Haiti to 5,500 personnel last year, establishing what’s known as the Gang Suppression Force with enhanced authority to arrest suspected gang members—powers the earlier mission lacked.

The initial peacekeeping effort that began in 2023 was designed to include 2,500 personnel under Kenyan police leadership, but faced significant challenges due to insufficient staffing and funding shortfalls.

Criminal gangs have seized control of approximately 90% of Haiti’s capital city, Port-au-Prince, along with large areas throughout the nation’s central territories. The country has been in turmoil since 2021, when armed gunmen murdered former President Jovenel Moïse at his residence.

Human rights organizations reported that at least 30 people died and dozens more went missing following a fresh assault by the Gran Grif gang on the central Haitian town of Petite-Rivière de l’Artibonite last month.

BUDAPEST, Hungary — Europe’s highest court declared Tuesday that Hungarian laws restricting LGBTQ+ material for children break European Union regulations and violate fundamental human rights protections.

The European Court of Justice determined that the 2021 measures passed under Viktor Orbán’s nationalist government “stigmatizes and marginalizes” LGBTQ+ individuals and fails to meet EU standards prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation.

The Hungarian restrictions, which drew sharp criticism from advocacy organizations, banned showing minors any material featuring homosexuality or gender transitions, while simultaneously increasing punishments for pedophilia offenses.

Hungarian officials defended their approach, including subsequent laws and constitutional changes that essentially prohibited Budapest’s Pride celebration, claiming they aimed to shield children from what they termed “sexual propaganda.”

However, opponents drew parallels to Russia’s 2013 anti-gay propaganda statute and accused the measures of wrongly linking homosexuality with child abuse. Despite government restrictions, more than 100,000 participants joined last year’s Budapest Pride demonstration in protest.

The Luxembourg court’s decision marked the first time a member nation was found to have violated Article 2 of the EU’s founding charter, which establishes “the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities.”

Judges also concluded the legislation violated internal market service regulations and data privacy protections.

Orbán’s administration suffered a decisive defeat in April 12 elections to the center-right Tisza party led by Péter Magyar, ending Orbán’s 16-year tenure in office.

Magyar’s incoming administration, set to assume power in mid-May, has promised a more cooperative relationship with European Union leadership.

While Magyar avoided taking strong positions on LGBTQ+ issues during his campaign, he declared in his victory address that Hungary would become a nation “where no one is stigmatized for loving someone differently than the majority.”

HONG KONG (AP) — Authorities in Hong Kong are moving to take control of more than $16 million in assets belonging to imprisoned former newspaper publisher Jimmy Lai, court documents obtained by The Associated Press revealed Tuesday.

The legal paperwork estimates the value of the targeted property at over 127 million Hong Kong dollars but provides no details about how these assets connect to Lai’s alleged criminal activities. While officials previously announced their intention to pursue asset seizure in this case, they had not revealed the monetary scope until now.

The 76-year-old Lai, who established the shuttered Apple Daily newspaper and was a vocal opponent of China’s Communist leadership, received guilty verdicts in December on charges of conspiring with foreign powers and working with others to publish materials deemed seditious. In February, he was handed a 20-year prison term — the harshest punishment yet delivered under the national security legislation imposed by Beijing.

Those who oppose the conviction argue it demonstrates how press freedoms and civil liberties have deteriorated in the territory, which transitioned from British to Chinese control in 1997. Government representatives maintain the case is unrelated to media freedom, claiming the accused exploited journalism as cover for activities that damaged both China and Hong Kong over many years.

Court filings submitted to Hong Kong’s judicial system this month show the Department of Justice wants Lai to surrender cash held in 15 personal bank accounts, funds in various corporate accounts, plus stock holdings registered to him and other parties.

Among the targeted investments are Lai’s ownership stakes in Next Digital, which operated Apple Daily, and Dico Consultants, a firm connected to an earlier fraud case against Lai that resulted in overturned convictions.

The government’s seizure request also encompasses bail funds deposited with the courts and a 2 million Hong Kong dollar ($255,440) penalty imposed following Lai’s 2022 fraud conviction, money that could have been returned to him after those convictions were reversed in February.

On April 2, officials announced their application to confiscate properties tied to Lai’s crimes in a public statement. The announcement referenced the security law, explaining that assets used or planned for use in criminal activities must be forfeited, along with any profits gained through illegal conduct.

According to the government, asset forfeiture orders designed to protect national security can stop convicted individuals, their associates, or representatives from continuing to use crime-related property for activities that threaten security.

Court proceedings on this matter are set for July.