Western leaders are figureheads dependent on wealthy donors who “do not care about their people,” Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has said in an interview with RT’s Rick Sanchez.

Speaking at the presidential palace in Minsk, Lukashenko discussed the Western political system, Belarus’ relations with neighboring countries, US President Donald Trump, and a range of other topics.

Leaders like French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz “are all just temporary placeholders… They’re here today, gone tomorrow,” Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1994 and is Europe’s longest-serving current leader, said.

“They’re just trying to grab something while they can. That’s the foundation of their policies,” he added, while highlighting his own style of governance.

“I appoint the government, supervise its work, and bear responsibility for the outcomes,” Lukashenko said. He argued that in the West, “it’s not clear who appoints who and who’s responsible for what… the people there don’t know who they can hold accountable.”

The Belarusian leader said Western politicians owe their positions to “rich donors who finance them,” and “over time, they begin to prioritize the interests of these donors, not the people of Germany, France, or the UK.”

Watch the full interview here:

The EU will find ways to hand out more money to Ukraine regardless of Hungary’s veto power, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said. He made the remarks after the opposition Tisza party defeated Hungary’s longtime prime minister, Viktor Orban, in a high-stakes parliamentary election.

Orban previously blocked a $106 billion loan package for Ukraine. Tisza leader Peter Magyar, however, campaigned on repairing relations with the EU and signaled that Budapest will drop its opposition to aid for Kiev.

Ukraine’s European backers, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, openly celebrated Magyar’s victory.

In a news segment aired on Sunday, Russia 1 journalist Pavel Zarubin asked Peskov whether Russia-EU relations could deteriorate further following Orban’s defeat. “No, they can’t get any worse than now,” Peskov replied.

“One way or another, the EU would have found a way to unblock the funds, with or without Orban. We should have no illusions about it,” he added.

A longstanding critic of the EU’s decision-making process, Orban has argued that military aid to Ukraine has pushed the bloc closer to an open war with Russia, while the ban on energy imports from Russia has hurt member states economically.

Von der Leyen has said the “momentum” from the Hungarian election should be used to begin reforms aimed at reducing the veto power of member states on issues such as loans for Ukraine. “Moving to qualified majority voting in foreign policy is an important way to avoid systemic blockages, as we have seen in the past,” she said.

In February, Hungary sued the EU over its decision to phase out energy supplies from Russia. Slovakia has said it will formally join the lawsuit this week. Both countries argue that the EU has no right to override their opposition to sanctions imposed on Russia over the Ukraine conflict.

Pope Leo has sought to downplay his public spat with US President Donald Trump, rejecting claims that he was trying to challenge the president with his criticism of the war in Iran and calls for peace.

Speaking to reporters on a flight to Angola on Saturday, the US-born pontiff insisted that his remarks were not meant to be confrontational, while criticizing the media for inflating the row through excessive commentary and speculation.

“There’s been a certain narrative that has not been accurate in all of its aspects… much of what has been written… has been more commentary on commentary, trying to interpret what has been said,” the Pope said. He stressed that his remarks in Cameroon earlier this week, blasting leaders who spend billions on wars and describing the world as “ravaged by a handful of tyrants,” were not directed at Trump.

“And yet, as it happens, it was looked at as if I was trying to debate the president, which is not my interest at all,” he said.

He added that God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war,” after US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth urged Americans to pray “in the name of Jesus Christ.”

Trump has described the pope as “weak on crime, and terrible for foreign policy,” adding that he does not want “a pope who criticizes the President of the United States.”

US Vice President J.D. Vance, who also previously criticized the Pope, welcomed Leo’s latest remarks.

“I am grateful to Pope Leo for saying this,” Vance wrote on X on Sunday. “While the media narrative constantly gins up conflict – and yes, real disagreements have happened and will happen – the reality is often much more complicated.”

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is investigating a soldier who was photographed smashing a statue of Jesus Christ with a hammer.

The image, originally posted by Palestinian reporter Younis Tirawi on X, was widely shared online, raising concerns about potential damage to religious sites.

Tirawi said the incident took place in southern Lebanon, with a local community page confirming that the statue is located on the outskirts of the town of Dibil, a Christian municipality in the Bint Jbeil District near the border with Israel. The official Dibil town page shared a photograph of the statue alongside a biblical quote: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”

In a statement on X on Sunday, the IDF confirmed the authenticity of the image, saying the incident was viewed “with great severity” and describing the soldier’s conduct as “wholly inconsistent with the values expected of its troops.”

The IDF said it has “no intention of harming civilian infrastructure, including religious buildings or symbols.”

The image sparked outrage online, with former US Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene sharing the post with the caption: “Our greatest ally that takes billions of our tax dollars and weapons every year.” Former US lawmaker Matt Gaetz described the image as “horrific.”

Israel has struck several Christian sites during its campaign against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. In 2023, Israeli aircraft bombed a building adjacent to the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius, Gaza’s oldest Christian shrine, killing 18 people. In 2025, shrapnel from an Israeli tank shell damaged Gaza’s Holy Family Church, the only Catholic church in the Palestinian enclave, killing three people.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) has released a video showing a US warship firing at an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel that was later seized by US Marines.

According to CENTCOM, the guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance intercepted the M/V Touska in the Gulf of Oman as it attempted to breach the US naval blockade and reach the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas through the Strait of Hormuz.

“After Touska’s crew failed to comply with repeated warnings over a six-hour period, Spruance directed the vessel to evacuate its engine room. Spruance disabled Touska’s propulsion by firing several rounds from the destroyer’s 5-inch Mk 45 gun into the engine room,” CENTCOM said, adding that a team from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit later boarded the vessel.

The Touska was traveling from a Chinese chemical-storage port and was laden with cargo, the Washington Post reports, citing tracking data. The port is often used for transporting chemicals, including sodium perchlorate, a key precursor for producing solid rocket fuel, it added, noting that it is unclear what cargo the Touska was carrying.

Later, CENTCOM also released a video of US forces boarding the disabled ship from a helicopter.

U.S. Marines depart amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA 7) by helicopter and transit over the Arabian Sea to board and seize M/V Touska. The Marines rappelled onto the Iranian-flagged vessel, April 19, after guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) disabled Touska’s… pic.twitter.com/mFxI5RzYCS

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 20, 2026

Iranian officials denounced the blockade as illegal under international law, saying it violates the terms of a two-week ceasefire set to expire on Wednesday.

Iran’s Tasnim news agency later reported that the Iranian military launched a drone at US ships. The US has not confirmed whether any of its vessels came under attack.

The United States’ greatest weakness in its relations with Europe is a simple one: it’s Washington that needs the continent more than the continent needs Washington.

America arrived in Europe as one of the victors of the Second World War. It established military dominance in the western part, embedded itself in the region’s security architecture, and for decades used Europe as a forward base in its confrontation with the Soviet Union. In doing so, it also shielded Western European elites from the threat of communist movements in the late 1940s. A favor that, paradoxically, was never fully forgiven in Berlin, Paris or London.

That lingering resentment doesn’t mean Western Europe is about to revolt against its transatlantic patron. Its elites are too cautious and too compromised for that. But it does mean that, whenever the US shows weakness, these Europeans will exploit it, opportunistically, and without sentiment.

That moment has now arrived.

Recent decisions by Washington have created an opening that Western Europeans are already beginning to use. The clearest sign came when British Prime Minister Keir Starmer unexpectedly ruled out joining a naval blockade of Iran. For those who still believe in the unbreakable unity of the transatlantic alliance, this may have seemed surprising. In reality, it is entirely consistent with the logic of US-Western European relations over the past 80 years.

Western Europe understands something fundamental: without its presence on the continent, the US risks geopolitical isolation. The familiar narrative that NATO exists primarily to defend the locals from external threats is, in large part, a convenient fiction. It obscures a more basic reality, that it’s Washington which derives the greatest strategic benefit from maintaining this “special relationship.”

First, the loss of Europe as a territorial base would fundamentally alter the strategic balance between the US and Russia. The “grey zone,” the space in which confrontation can occur without immediately escalating into direct strikes on national territory, would disappear. Any conflict would become instantly more dangerous.

Second, the US would lose its ability to exert pressure on Russia by positioning military assets, including nuclear capabilities, close to its borders. Russia, notably, has no equivalent opportunity in the Western Hemisphere.

Third, a US withdrawal from Europe would render any meaningful strategic dialogue with Washington increasingly pointless from Moscow’s perspective, accelerating Russia’s pivot toward China.

In other words, America’s military presence in Europe is not an act of charity. It is a critical asset, a diplomatic and strategic lever in its broader competition with other major powers.

Western European leaders understand this perfectly well. And they also understand something else: the American security guarantee is not as absolute as it is often portrayed.

That logic has not disappeared. If anything, it has become more relevant.

NATO’s post-Cold War expansion has extended security guarantees to states of far less strategic importance than Britain, France or Germany. At the same time, recent events have demonstrated the limits of American power. The inability of the US to fully shield even small Gulf states from retaliatory strikes has reinforced doubts about the credibility of its security umbrella.

For decades, the transatlantic relationship functioned on a tacit understanding: Western Europe would pretend it needed protection, and the US would pretend to provide it. This arrangement suited both sides.

But the current US administration has disrupted that balance. Its erratic decision-making and narrow focus have created uncertainty, and, in doing so, given Western European elites an opportunity to strengthen their own position. And they are taking it.

Second, Western European governments still require American power to manage their complex relationship with Russia. Despite the current confrontation, there is a long historical memory of eventual accommodation with Moscow. For now, however, there are few incentives for a rapid rapprochement.

What has changed is the balance within the partnership. These European elites, confident in their ability to manage domestic populations and navigate external pressures, now see greater room for maneuver. They will use it to extract concessions, reshape commitments, and hedge against American unpredictability.

Washington, meanwhile, has placed itself in a difficult position. It is attempting to stabilize relations with Russia, maintain control over Western Europe, and prepare for a strategic confrontation with China, all at the same time. These objectives are not easily compatible.

The result is vulnerability, not primarily to Moscow or Beijing, but within the transatlantic relationship itself. By its own actions, the US has given its European allies a series of advantages. They will exploit them, carefully but decisively.

What remains unclear is how Washington intends to regain the initiative, or whether it yet fully understands what it stands to lose.

This article was first published by Vzglyad newspaper and translated and edited by the RT team.

The US has seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman as it attempted to breach the American naval blockade around Iran, President Donald Trump has announced.

“The US Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance intercepted the Touska in the Gulf of Oman and issued a warning to stop,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday.

“The Iranian crew refused to comply, so our Navy ship stopped them in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engine room,” the president added.

Trump said that the ship had been sanctioned by the US due to its “prior history of illegal activity.”

pic.twitter.com/Bm2S7RGJWf

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 19, 2026

Trump announced the blockade of Iranian ports last week after Pakistani-mediated talks failed to achieve a breakthrough. Iran said it would close the Strait of Hormuz, which handles around 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas trade, to “enemy ships” until the blockade is lifted.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei denounced the blockade on Sunday as “unlawful and criminal.”

The UK has effectively lost contact with tens of thousands of reservists who would be called up in a national emergency, George Robertson, a former NATO secretary general and a lead adviser for the Strategic Defense Review (SDR), has said.

Amid the broader Western militarization over a perceived Russian threat – claims repeatedly dismissed by Moscow as “nonsense” – the UK rolled out its new SDR last November, outlining a shift to “warfighting readiness” by 2035. The plan calls for raising defense spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, and, among other things, revitalizing the strategic reserve.

An armed forces bill is now being prepared to implement the reforms, including raising the recall age from 55 to 65 and expanding call-up criteria to cover “warlike operations,” not just direct attacks or emergencies.

However, speaking at a lecture in Salisbury this week, Robertson said that the government does not have valid contact or health data for most of its roughly 95,000 “high-readiness” reservists.

The British Army is already at its smallest size in more than two centuries, with fewer than 70,000 fully trained personnel ready for frontline deployment, alongside an active reserve of around 32,000. The strategic reserve, meanwhile, consists of former service members, with regular contact typically maintained only for the first six years after they leave, leaving a larger, older cohort off the radar.

Robertson called for mapping reservists’ locations and skills and “mak[ing] a more concerted effort to engage them under a refreshed veterans’ communications strategy.” He also criticized delays in funding and preparedness, accusing Prime Minister Keir Starmer of “corrosive complacency” and putting the country “in peril” at a time it was “under attack.”

Russia has dismissed such claims, arguing they are used to justify higher military spending, distract from domestic issues, and stall peace efforts.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has told RT’s Rick Sanchez that he wants his country “to remain a land of opportunity.”

When asked what would follow his eventual resignation, Lukashenko, 71, said that he hopes that Belarus will remain safe and stable.

“I’ve done a lot to make Belarus what it is today… You said it’s a decent country, that people live good lives here. A peaceful, safe country,” he said.

“Naturally, I want to see that preserved. I want it to remain a land of opportunity, where anyone can realize themselves. In that sense, we’ve succeeded.”

Choosing his successor will be up to “the people of Belarus,” Lukashenko told Sanchez when asked whether equal opportunities would be afforded to anyone vying for the position. “However they choose, that’s how it will be.”

Lukashenko was first elected in 1994, during the turbulent period following the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

“That was a very different time, there was vote rigging, even violence. And I still got 80.3%. I remember it well. The people stood by me, very strongly,” he said.

“I believe that long before I pass on… there will be a capable new person leading Belarus. We’ve got plenty of smart, talented people.”

Watch the full interview on RT on Monday at 8:30 AM Moscow time (6:30 AM GMT).

Eight children were killed in a mass shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana on Sunday, police have said, describing the attack as a domestic dispute that escalated into deadly violence.

According to a statement on social media, officers responded to reports of a domestic disturbance in the 300 block of West 79th Street just after 6:00 AM local time (11:00 GMT). According to spokesperson Christopher Bordelon, the violence spanned multiple locations.

“You have three different scenes,” Bordelon said, adding that the initial shooting occurred on West 79th Street, with a related incident unfolding on Harrison Street, and at least one victim fleeing to a neighboring residence.

Ten people were shot, eight of them fatally. The victims ranged in age from 18 months to 15 years old.

🚨⚡️NOW AND UNUSUAL

America Jungle
At Least 8 Children Killed in Mass Shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana State, USA pic.twitter.com/hqKI1gz2dN

— RussiaNews 🇷🇺 (@mog_russEN) April 19, 2026

The suspect fled the scene, attempting to escape by carjacking a vehicle before being pursued by officers. Police eventually shot and killed the suspect following a chase, Bordelon said.

BREAKING: Suspect shot and killed by police following multiple-victim shooting, reportedly involving children, in Shreveport, Louisiana. pic.twitter.com/EKX3x7Kni1

— Breaking 4 News (@Breaking_4_News) April 19, 2026

The authorities have not yet released the suspect’s identity or provided further details on the motive beyond the domestic dispute.

Breaking News: 8 children killed in mass shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana. Initial reports indicate a “domestic disturbance.” pic.twitter.com/eCVFg3SPDN

— Power to the People ☭🕊 (@ProudSocialist) April 19, 2026

Police Chief Wayne Smith said the only survivors were two adult women, one of whom remains in life-threatening condition. One of the women is believed to have been in a relationship with the suspect. Some of the children shot were related to the suspect, Smith said, calling it “an extensive scene unlike anything most of us have ever seen.” State police added that no officers were injured during the incident.

“This is a tragic situation – maybe the worst tragic situation we’ve ever had,” Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux said. “It’s a terrible morning.”

Authorities have identified Shamar Elkins as the suspect in the shocking mass shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana, that killed eight children and wounded others; the investigation is ongoing. pic.twitter.com/U5uBJtj8Zb

— General Quacker | الجنرال كواكر (@general_he42676) April 19, 2026

The US negotiating team is heading to Pakistan for the next round of Iran peace talks on Monday, President Donald Trump has announced, while renewing his threat to strike Iran’s infrastructure if no deal is reached.
In a Truth Social post on Sunday, Trump accused Tehran of violating the temporary ceasefire – set to expire on Wednesday – with reported attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz amid a renewed blockade of the waterway.

“Iran decided to fire bullets yesterday in the Strait of Hormuz – a total violation of our ceasefire agreement! That wasn’t nice, was it?” he wrote, claiming French and British vessels were targeted. Before declaring that his “Representatives are going to Islamabad…for negotiations.”

He warned that there would be “No more MR. Nice Guy,” if Tehran didn’t take his “fair and reasonable deal.” Adding that Washington would “knock out every single power plant, and every single bridge, in Iran.”

The first round of talks in Pakistan failed to make progress, with Iran’s nuclear program remaining the main sticking point. Trump is demanding that Tehran dismantle its infrastructure and hand over its enriched uranium – proposals Iran has rejected as “non-starters.” President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Sunday that Trump has no justification to “deprive Iran of its nuclear rights.”

Tehran has not confirmed the next round, with Tasnim reporting it will not return unless Washington drops its “excessive demands.” However, Pakistani security sources told Al Jazeera that talks are likely before Friday, citing the arrival of two US C-17 aircraft near Islamabad, heightened security, and major hotels being cleared of guests.

Finnish racing driver Juha Miettinen was killed and six others injured in a seven-car crash during the early stages of the Nurburgring qualifiers in Germany on Saturday.

“Despite the immediate arrival of emergency services, the emergency medics were unable to save the driver involved, Juha Miettinen, after he had been extracted from the vehicle,” the event organizers said in a statement on X. The 66-year-old Finn “died at the Medical Centre after all attempts at resuscitation proved unsuccessful.”

Six other drivers were injured and taken for treatment and are in non-life-threatening condition, they added.

The crash may have been caused by a spill on the track, according to Russian-born Dutch driver Mikhail Charoudin, who took part in the qualifiers.

“Whether it’s gasoline, oil, coolant, you name it… One of the cars that had the livestream on, you actually couldn’t see it… A lot of cars in front of him lost control,” he said, as cited by The Express.

Por ahora este es el único video del grave accidente ocurrido hace unos minutos en #Nurburgring. pic.twitter.com/hvnLYC4vzm

— Revista Autoextra (@Autoextragti) April 18, 2026

Four-time F1 champion Max Verstappen, who is set to appear at the race, said he was shocked by the accident.

A minute’s silence was held for Miettinen on Sunday ahead of the day’s qualifiers.

The qualifiers are part of the buildup to the 24-hour Nurburgring race in May. The event takes place on the Nordschleife circuit, a roughly 25-km (15.5-mile) track with more than 150 corners that runs through wooded hills and is known as a grueling endurance challenge, with weather and visibility often changing during the race.

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations has lashed out at his French, Chinese, and Pakistani counterparts, accusing their countries of effectively backing Iran by allegedly striking deals to secure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

The rebuke appears to stem from media reports which recently indicated that commercial vessels from all three countries were able to transit the Strait of Hormuz during the blockade, in some cases with Iranian authorization, despite broader restrictions on shipping imposed by Tehran.

“I asked the French ambassador: How much money did you pay Iran to move ships safely through the Strait of Hormuz?” Danny Danon said in a post on X shortly after speaking at the UN General Assembly session on the Strait of Hormuz blockade.

“Surprisingly, he had no answer,” he wrote, adding: “The ambassadors of China and Pakistan also had no answer.”

Navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route handling around 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows, has been disrupted since Tehran effectively blocked the waterway in response to the US-Israeli bombing campaign that began on February 28.

In March, Iran said that vessels of India, China, Russia, Iraq, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka would be allowed to pass through the crucial waterway. Beijing is ranked as the biggest buyer of Iranian oil and most of its supplies pass through the chokepoint. At the same time, Malaysian authorities thanked Tehran for allowing the passage of the country’s ships.

In April, the Financial Times reported, citing the tracking data, that a container ship owned by a French shipping company had sailed through the Strait of Hormuz along with several other ships.

At the UN, France previously voted in favor of resolutions condemning Iran’s blockade of the strait, China either vetoed the measures or voted against critical wording, while Pakistan abstained.

Latin America could explode in a “rebellion” against the US if it doesn’t rethink its approach to the region, Colombian President Gustavo Petro has warned, citing the raid on Caracas and kidnapping of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.

In an interview with El Pais published on Saturday, Petro lashed out at the US sanctions against him, portraying them as a tool of political extortion, comparing Washington’s approach to colonialism.

The US Treasury blacklisted Petro, his wife, son, and interior minister in October 2025, citing their alleged involvement in the global drug trade. The US levied similar accusations against Maduro before he was kidnapped in a US raid on Caracas in early January. Both Petro and Maduro have vehemently denied the allegations.

The Colombian president noted the global shock caused by the kidnapping of Maduro. “They persecute you and threaten to take you to the United States, like they did to Maduro,” Petro said, adding that Caracas became “the first Latin American city to be bombed in its history.”

“This has created a wound that the current rulers fearfully accept... and they kneel before it,” he added.

In a separate interview with El Pais, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva also criticized the Trump administration’s approach to global politics, though he was more focused on the Iran war.

Trump, he said, is “playing a very dangerous game,” operating on the premise that American power dictates the rules of the game. “But that can’t be the case, because ultimately, it ends up creating problems for the US,” he warned.

Lula added that the US president “has no right to wake up in the morning and threaten a country.”

The Brazilian president has been one of the most vocal critics of Maduro’s abduction, saying it crossed “an unacceptable line” and “recalls the worst moments of interference in the politics of Latin America.”

Iran will not yield to US pressure, parliament speaker and top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has said. He stressed that progress has been made in the negotiations, though fundamental issues are still unresolved.

The first round of US-Iran talks in Islamabad took place last weekend in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. Following the negotiations, US President Donald Trump announced a blockade of Iranian ports and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which handles around 25% of the global crude oil trade.

On Friday, Iran opened the waterway for all commercial vessels, framing the move as part of ceasefire arrangements linked to the Israel-Lebanon truce and broader regional de-escalation efforts. The strait was, however, closed again the following day after Trump said the US blockade of Iranian ports would remain in full force until a peace deal is reached.

“We will stand to the end,” Ghalibaf said, speaking in a televised address aired early Sunday.

“We are still far from a final agreement,” Ghalibaf said, urging the US to earn the trust of the Iranian people. “Overall, I can say that there has been progress in the negotiations, but the gaps remain significant and some fundamental issues are still unresolved.”

Ghalibaf also said the US is planning to infiltrate Iran through waves of unrest from its western and eastern borders, adding that attempts at regime change and the “Venezuelization” of Iran – aimed at selling the country’s oil – have failed.

“It is clear that the enemy was defeated, but this is different from saying that we destroyed its army,” he said.

On Saturday, Trump told reporters that “very good conversations” are taking place, but stressed that he won’t let Iran “blackmail” the US over the Strait of Hormuz.

Lithuania and Latvia have announced that they will refuse Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico use of their airspace to travel to Moscow for Victory Day on May 9. Fico vowed to reach the Russian capital nonetheless, saying that the Baltic states would not prevent him from paying tribute to those who liberated Slovakia from Nazi occupation.

Fico revealed the refusal in an address on Saturday. “Lithuania and Latvia have already informed us that they will not allow us to fly over their territory on the route to Moscow. So be it,” he said, indicating that it is abnormal for EU member states to deny a flyover right to the prime minister of another EU member state.

“I will certainly find another route, as I did last year when Estonia torpedoed us,” Fico added. “The attitude of the Baltic states toward WWII cannot stop me in my intention to give thanks for the liberation of Slovakia.”

Last year’s parade in Moscow drew nearly 30 world leaders, among them China’s Xi Jinping, Brazil’s Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro, and Egypt’s Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Fico was the only EU leader to attend the celebrations.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow would be pleased to welcome representatives from friendly countries this year, but that the guest list had not yet been finalized.

Last year, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned leaders against attending Moscow’s May 9 events, saying such visits would “not be taken lightly on the European side,” and urged them to visit Kiev instead.

Fico at the time dismissed her comments as disrespectful, questioning whether they amounted to “a form of blackmail.”

Former Bulgarian President Rumen Radev has defeated former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov by 30 points in Bulgaria’s general election, according to preliminary exit polls.

According to the first tranche of official results, Radev's Progressive Bulgaria coalition has won 43.4% of the vote, followed by caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov’s PP-DB at 13.9% and Borissov's GERB-SDS at 12.8%. These results are closely in line with exit polls, with Alpha Research predicting that Radev would take 44.2%, and Borissov's party would come in second place at 13.4%.

The election is the country’s eighth in five years, and is another flashpoint in the battle between pro-EU and sovereignist political forces in Europe. Borissov’s party is aligned with Brussels’ foreign policy, and he reassured voters on Sunday that his party gives “full support to Ukraine.” Radev has vowed to balance relations between East and West, promising to build a “modern European Bulgaria,” while developing “practical relations with Russia based on mutual respect.”

Radev, who opposes EU aid to Ukraine, has vowed to break the stranglehold of the “oligarchic mafia” on Bulgaria. 

Borissov is the country’s longest-serving prime minister, holding office between 2009 and 2021. Radev is a former fighter pilot who served as Bulgaria’s president between 2017 and 2026. The pair publicly clashed during their overlapping stint in power, with Radev backing the 2020 anti-corruption protests that led to Borissov’s downfall.

Just as it did in Hungary last weekend, and in France, Germany, Moldova, and Romania beforehand, the EU has activated its ‘Rapid Response System’ in Bulgaria. This suite of online censorship tools gives the European Commission the power to remove so-called “disinformation” from social media platforms during the election.

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The Second Open Dialogue ‘The Future of the World. A New Platform for Global Growth’ is set to take place at the National Centre RUSSIA in Moscow from April 27 to 29. Participants can expect lectures by international experts, pitch sessions, idea presentations, networking, and discussions with representatives from more than 40 countries.

The program is built around four tracks: investment in people (education, demography), in technology (artificial intelligence, cybersecurity), in the environment (ecology, circular economy), and in connectivity (trade, digital currencies, logistics).

A total of 1,638 essays were submitted to the competition from various countries. More than 300 made the longlist. The most popular topic among authors was investment in people, which accounted for 40% of submissions. This was followed by technology (24%), connectivity (20%), and the environment (16%). Among foreign participants, the greatest interest was in the use of technology in agriculture.

An AI assistant, ODI, was used to assess the texts: it checked the essays for plagiarism and evaluated the extent to which generative models had been used. Only original works written with minimal involvement of artificial intelligence reached the final. This year, the quality of submissions rose noticeably – 75 authors hold academic degrees.

The competition’s geography has also expanded: participants from 18 new countries joined the project, including Nepal, Armenia, Nicaragua, and Uruguay.

A distinctive feature of the dialogue is its principle of continuity: essayists from previous years will serve as experts and jury members. In this way, an intellectual community is being formed in which participants gradually become carriers of ideas themselves.

The event is being held at the Russia National Centre in partnership with the Third Rome Center for Cross-Sector Expertise, with support from the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation. President Vladimir Putin approved the initiative, noting its importance for shaping a new global agenda.

Registration for the Open Dialogue is ongoing. Applications can be submitted on the event’s website.

The US has renewed a sanctions exemption allowing Russian crude and petroleum products already loaded onto tankers to be delivered and sold freely, the US Treasury Department has announced. The move came despite a pledge by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent made two days prior that the waiver would not be extended.

On Friday, the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control issued a general license covering Russian oil loaded onto vessels as of April 17 and authorizing transactions through May 16. The waiver replaces an earlier 30-day order – which took effect on March 19 – and extends to services including safe docking, crew safety, emergency repairs, and insurance, even for previously sanctioned vessels.

The goal of the initial waiver was to contain the spike in oil prices caused by the Iran war and the de-facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

In late March, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov dismissed the notion of the waiver as meaningless. “The US graciously allowed the Russian Federation to sell its oil that was already at sea,” he said. “Tankers that are already at sea and heading to their destinations continue moving exactly as they did before.”

Sanctions “do not exist for us, as well as for our conscientious, respectable partners,” Lavrov added.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has called for a peaceful resolution of the Middle East conflict, but acknowledged that Russia has seen a sharp rise in demand for oil. According to the spokesman, Russia “has been and remains a reliable supplier of both oil and gas.”

Russia has emerged as a beneficiary of the Iran war due to soaring oil prices, reaping an estimated $150 million in additional daily revenue.

EU officials have criticized the decision to waive sanctions on Russian oil. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said it is “not the time to relax sanctions against Russia.”

Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky said the exemption “could provide Russia with about $10 billion for the war.”

The mayor of a Brussels suburb has denounced what he described as “terrorism” and called for reinforcements after a series of explosions linked to gang violence struck the EU capital this week.

At least five blasts have been reported in recent days in Saint-Gilles, a vibrant Brussels district that is also home to many EU officials.

The latest incident occurred shortly after midnight on Saturday outside a shisha bar on Rue Theodore Verhaegen near Barriere de Saint-Gilles. The explosion damaged the venue and nearby homes, and shattered windows at a school across the street. No injuries were reported.

Saint-Gilles Mayor Jean Spinette described the incidents as a “war between rival drug families,” calling on Interior Minister Bernard Quintin to provide immediate reinforcements to the Brussels prosecutor’s office and the federal judicial police to ensure residents’ safety at night.

“Spreading fear to gain territory – that’s called terrorism,” he added.

Brussels has been described as one of Europe’s most affected capitals for gun-related violence, with 96 firearms incidents recorded in 2025. In the first three months of 2026, at least 22 shootings were reported, resulting in multiple injuries and one death.

Public prosecutor Julien Moinil previously warned that “every Brussels resident and every citizen can be hit by a stray bullet,” calling for a coordinated crackdown on criminal networks. The federal authorities have proposed additional measures, including increased patrols and expanded surveillance in areas linked to drug activity.

Brussels hosts many EU institutions, including the headquarters of the European Commission, and is widely regarded as the bloc’s de facto political capital. NATO headquarters is also located in the city.

US officials have urged Cuba to transition from socialism to a market-based economy and compensate American citizens and corporations whose assets were seized in the 1960s, US news outlets reported on Friday and Saturday, citing sources familiar with the matter.

A delegation from the US State Department outlined the demands late last week during the first trip of the kind to Havana since 2016, as Cuba grapples with severe fuel shortages and blackouts following restrictions on oil shipments imposed by US President Donald Trump.

The US reportedly called on Cuba to implement economic reforms, expand the private sector, attract foreign investment, and release political prisoners. According to The New York Times, US officials also proposed bringing Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service to Cuba and allowing unrestricted connectivity.

Senior State Department official Michael Kozak confirmed on Thursday that the US is pushing for “drastic reforms” in Cuba. Trump, who previously threatened the island with invasion, has recently softened his stance, suggesting that Washington could help Cuba address its economic hardships.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel told RT on Saturday that the country is not afraid of a war with the US. He stressed that Havana is open to dialogue, but only on equal footing and without coercion.

Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini has called on the EU to resume imports of Russian oil and gas, arguing that the bloc should prioritize energy security.

The war in the Middle East has exacerbated Europe’s energy crisis, as disruptions to navigation through the Strait of Hormuz – a key route handling around 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas – have pushed oil prices up by as much as 70% since February.

Speaking at a ‘Patriots for Europe’ rally in Milan on Saturday, Salvini, the leader of Italy’s Lega party, argued that the EU Stability and Growth Pact (SGP) and the “ideological monster called the Green Deal” are holding back the economy. He called for the bloc’s ban on Russian energy imports to be reversed.

“To tackle the energy crisis, the rules of the Stability Pact must be suspended and Italians’ money must be used to help Italians in difficulty,” he told supporters, urging Brussels to follow the US and lift the sanctions, which are “blocking the trade and purchase of Russian oil.”

“If the US is doing it, then Brussels should do the same: rather than shutting down factories, schools and hospitals, we should return to buying gas and oil from all over the world, including Russia. We are not at war with Russia,” Salvini said.

In January, the EU formally approved a plan to phase out Russian pipeline gas by 2027, overriding objections from Slovakia and Hungary. Hungary challenged the move in the EU’s top court in February, and Slovakia has said it will follow suit. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico argued that the ban constitutes “a clear violation of all the principles on which the EU treaties are based.”

The suspect in a mass shooting in which six people were shot and killed and more than a dozen others were injured in Kiev on Saturday reportedly ranted on social media about eradicating Jews.

The man, identified as Dmitry Vasilchenkov, allegedly fired at bystanders at random before barricading himself inside a grocery store, where he was later killed by police.

Vasilchenkov was born in Moscow in 1968, but was a Ukrainian national and served in the Ukrainian army until the early 2000s. He reportedly lived in Russia from 2015 to 2017 before returning to Kiev.

Ukrainian news outlet Toronto Television said the suspect made erratic posts riddled with anti-Semitic slurs on an old Facebook page active from 2016 to 2019. In the posts, he allegedly called for Jews to be “wiped out,” making references to pogroms and the Holocaust.

In a post from October 2017 titled ‘On Jews and Jewry’, Vasilchenkov reportedly wrote that the Inquisition, Benito Mussolini, Adolf Hitler, and Joseph Stalin “killed and killed, but did not kill enough.”

“On what to do – study Pope Borgia (15th century), Kotovsky, Petlyura, Hitler, Bandera, Brezhnev,” he wrote.

Stepan Bandera was one of the leaders of Ukrainian nationalists who collaborated with Nazi Germany during World War II, and whose followers were involved in massacres of Jews and Poles. Bandera and other WWII-era nationalist figures are celebrated in modern Ukraine as heroes and freedom fighters.

Ukrainian media also reported that Vasilchenkov sued the government in 2023 and 2024, demanding an increase in his military pension, and had prior run-ins with the law. TSN released a video allegedly showing him attacking a shopper inside a grocery store in 2023.

US Vice President J.D. Vance faces a classic bind: Loyalty to President Donald Trump ties him to a presidency that is bound to fail, yet distancing himself invites charges of disloyalty. Either course imperils his prospects of becoming the next president. His latest assignment as chief negotiator with Iran has only compounded this predicament.

Trump’s Machiavellian stratagem

When a vice president is dispatched to negotiate with a long-standing adversary like Iran, the assignment appears to be a mark of trust and distinction. It signals proximity to power, confidence from the top, and a serious, purposeful mandate to deliver results.

Yet these assignments may conceal a harsher reality. What looks like a substantive advancement can in fact constitute a carefully constructed liability.

In essence, Trump has handed Vance a classic poisoned chalice: The ancient stratagem of delegating a notoriously intractable, high-stakes problem to a subordinate so that success can be claimed from above while failure is absorbed below. In this metaphor, the chalice signifies honor and elevation, while the poison represents the hidden risk of failure and blame embedded within the role.

The tactic is exemplified in Niccolo Machiavelli’s advice that a prince should reserve gratifying tasks for himself, while assigning odious measures to his ministers so that blame falls on them while he retains favor.

The maneuver recalls Joseph Stalin, the leader of the Soviet Union, in deploying and later discarding subordinate figures such as Nikolay Yezhov, grimly nicknamed the ‘Poison Dwarf’.

The head of the Soviet secret police (NKVD) was entrusted with carrying out the Great Purge before being purged himself – the executor of the system rendered its sacrificial victim, literally retouched out of official history.

The pattern is readily discernible: Execution of perilous, invidious tasks is delegated downward while responsibility is ultimately disowned above and reserved for those who discharge them.

In like manner, Colin Powell’s UN case for war in Iraq, grounded in subsequently discredited claims of weapons of mass destruction, illustrates how flawed, high-stakes missions can become inextricably bound to those tasked with executing them. If one bears the problem alone, one risks becoming its embodiment.

The image of the US secretary of state holding up a small model vial to illustrate the alleged massive threat – suggesting that even a tiny amount of anthrax could kill thousands – has become indelibly etched in the public memory.

The vial was a symbol designed to lend certainty to uncertain intelligence, powerful precisely because it rendered an abstract threat both immediate and real. In the public mind, the vivid prop substituted for proof, only to return and define Powell himself – a striking case of vividness backfiring by turning against its proponent. Vance risks being cast as the public face of another disaster.

In April 2026, the vice president was dispatched to lead negotiations with Iran – thrown into a piranha pool, as it were – despite deep structural deadlock, maximal demands on both sides, and limited leverage. After 21 hours of talks, no deal emerged, corroborating that he was operating in a space where outcomes are largely beyond his control.

Vance’s poisoned chalice

The danger for Vance in taking on the role of chief negotiator with Iran is not merely diplomatic failure. It is something more subtle and more perilous: Reputational entrapment.

The vice president risks becoming not only the highly visible public face of a situation in which success is structurally constrained – and thus unlikely from the outset – but also the focal point for subsequent blame.

This embodies precisely the logic of the poisoned chalice: Responsibility delegated downward, failure personalized, and credit – if any – retained upward. The challenge for Vance, then, is not simply to negotiate with Tehran, but to navigate the political architecture in Washington that defines how success and failure are assigned.

The Iran file is uniquely resistant to resolution precisely because the core demands of each side are not readily reconciled. Washington seeks limits on its interlocutor’s nuclear capabilities and regional influence, while Tehran lays claim to sovereignty, strategic autonomy, and sanctions relief. These are not marginal bargaining positions, but foundational interests.

Decades of diplomacy, including the rise and collapse of prior agreements, have demonstrated that even partial convergence is fragile. Against this backdrop, assigning a single political figure to deliver a breakthrough is less a matter of policy design than of political buffering. The negotiator becomes a vessel into which risk is poured.

What makes the situation especially perilous for Vance is the asymmetry of narrative control. In modern politics, outcomes are not judged solely by what happens, but by how what happens is interpreted.

Power often operates most effectively when it acts indirectly, as exemplified by the logic of the poisoned chalice. These artifices are typically deployed obliquely, their logic masked by institutional routine. What is unusual in this particular instance, however, is the lack of concealment by the Machiavellian prince in the White House.

Trump, driven by his narcissistic need to claim credit, has plainly exposed the mechanism: Success will redound to him, failure will adhere to Vance. The president explicitly proclaimed: “If [an Iran deal] doesn’t happen, I’m blaming J.D. Vance. If it does happen, I’m taking full credit.” In making the asymmetry manifest, Trump undermined the very subtlety on which the contrivance depends.

Vance’s taint of power

No matter how the Iran negotiations unfold, Vance faces a more insidious, intertwined political hazard: Contamination by proximity.

Failure exerts a pernicious gravitational pull. Stand too close, and you are no longer merely adjacent to it; you are absorbed into its explanation. Even the blameless witness risks being drafted into its narrative. It is an old dilemma in politics: Proximity does not just invite scrutiny; it assigns meaning.

In the previous election, Vice President Kamala Harris struggled to present herself as a candidate of change while tied to President Joe Biden’s record, with many voters assuming continuity rather than renewal. The same logic now applies to Vance.

Vance is widely regarded as the most powerful occupant of the vice presidency in years, owing to the trust placed in him by Trump; yet this very position renders him acutely vulnerable to the administration’s success or failure.

Acting as a combative surrogate, he has earned Trump’s praise for his willingness to enter hostile terrain, appearing on networks often critical of the administration. This loyalty binds him closely to its choices, especially on high-stakes issues like Iran. Yet any future attempt to run as a corrective alternative will almost inevitably collide with his own visible role in shaping those very policies.

For Vance, the challenge at hand is dual: The politically exposed vice president must forthwith grapple with one of the world’s most complex military and diplomatic crises while simultaneously managing the intricate structural political framework that will ultimately define how his performance, on Iran and in other theaters, will be judged. Unless he acts fast, association risks becoming destiny.

If the captive vice president, in the present instance, acquiesces in both the role and the narrative that accompanies it, he risks becoming the embodiment of a perennially intractable problem. Yet if he reshapes that narrative, he stands a chance of turning a liability into a demonstration of strategic clarity.

In modern politics, proximity virtually predestines identity: Once you help make the record, it becomes exceedingly difficult to run against it. What escape route remains open to the prima facie inextricably ensnared vice president?

[To be continued]

The US military is preparing to track, intercept, and board Iran-linked oil tankers and seize commercial ships tied to Tehran in international waters worldwide, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing sources.

The move is part of a broader strategy dubbed “Operation Economic Fury,” aimed at cutting off Iran’s key revenue and supply channels, with the US Navy expected to begin implementation “in the coming days.”

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine already warned earlier this week that the US could expand operations against Iran’s maritime network beyond the region.

“The joint force… will actively pursue any Iranian-flagged vessel or any vessel attempting to provide material support to Iran. This includes dark fleet vessels carrying Iranian oil,” he said, signaling the campaign would not be limited to the Persian Gulf.

White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told the outlet that President Donald Trump believes the blockade and new maritime measures will help secure a deal with Tehran. Trump earlier vowed to maintain the blockade until an agreement is reached, threatening to resume strikes if talks fail to deliver results by Wednesday.

Tehran has condemned the blockade as “an act of piracy” and responded by re-closing the Strait of Hormuz earlier on Saturday, with reports of Iranian forces firing on commercial vessels. Parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Iran would not allow transit if its own cargo is blocked, slamming the US blockade as “foolish.”

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh on Saturday insisted Tehran is not ready to renew talks with Washington due to its “maximalist” demands over enriched uranium, which he called “a non-starter.”

Russia’s patience is not unlimited and could eventually “run out,” Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has warned, accusing the West of pushing Ukraine into a wider conflict and repeatedly crossing Moscow’s red lines.

Speaking at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Türkiye on Saturday, Lavrov rejected what he called a growing Western perception that Russia is unable or unwilling to respond to provocations. He cited reports of Ukraine using the airspace of several NATO states for drone strikes on Russian territory as another breach of Moscow’s “red lines,” warning against dismissing Russia as a “paper tiger” amid its restraint.

“There is a chorus of voices saying that Russia should not be feared… some may even call us a paper tiger... But I would warn against such parallels,” Lavrov said. “We have, in our national character, such a quality as patience. We say: ‘God endured, and told us to endure as well.’ But at some point, patience runs out.”

“I think it is even good that no one understands where that red line is,” he said, emphasizing that Russia is capable of acting if needed. “The president has said more than once: we have something to respond with,” he added without elaborating.

Speaking amid continued Western military support for Kiev, Lavrov said the crisis fits a broader historical pattern, casting European NATO members as its main driver. He accused the West of trying to turn Ukraine into “a trigger for a global threat” and described the conflict as “a war against Russia that the West has been preparing for years.” He argued that, as part of the drive for NATO expansion, Kiev was turned into a hostile state well before the open hostilities began.

Russia has long accused the West of waging a proxy war against it through Ukraine, citing NATO expansion as a key root cause of the conflict. Moscow insists that any lasting settlement must address NATO’s eastward expansion, Ukraine’s military alignment with the West, and recognition of Russia’s new borders.

Russia and Ukraine have held several rounds of direct talks, along with trilateral meetings involving the US over the past year, but the peace process has stalled amid the US-Israeli war on Iran.

Russia stands ready to help remove Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile, Aleksey Likhachev, CEO of the Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom, has said.

Tehran’s nuclear program remains a key sticking point in talks with Washington. US President Donald Trump has demanded that Iran dismantle its nuclear infrastructure and hand over its uranium, a proposal Tehran has rejected. Moscow has repeatedly offered to host the material. While Iran has signaled openness to such an idea, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier this week that the US had rejected it.

In an interview with corporate newspaper Strana Rosatom released on Saturday, Likhachev said the company remains ready to assist, stressing that beyond the technical complexity of removing the stockpile, trust is central to any deal – and that Russia can provide both.

“Only Russia has positive experience interacting with Iran. In 2015, at Iran’s request, we already removed enriched uranium… We are ready to assist with this issue today as well,” he said, calling it one of the most sensitive aspects of the talks.

Iran is estimated to hold over 400kg of uranium enriched to 60%, just below weapons-grade levels, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Washington has demanded to “take home” Iran’s uranium, impose a 20-year enrichment ban, and dismantle key sites such as Natanz and Fordow.

Tehran has rejected the proposals as excessive, offering instead to downblend its uranium under IAEA oversight and accept only a limited freeze lasting around five years. It also opposed dismantling facilities and has demanded sanctions relief, access to frozen assets, and guarantees the US will not exit any deal again, while linking a potential agreement to a broader regional ceasefire.

“I can tell you that no enriched material is going to be shipped to the US,” Khatibzadeh told AP on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Türkiye. “This is a non-starter, and I can assure you that while we are ready to address any concerns that we do have, we’re not going to accept things that are non-starters.”

A Democratic-led effort to limit US President Donald Trump’s authority to keep waging war on Iran has been rejected in the House of Representatives, a day after a similar measure was blocked in the Senate.

On Thursday, a war powers resolution was defeated in the Republican-majority House by a single vote, 214 to 213, with voting largely split along party lines. Every Republican except Thomas Massie of Kentucky opposed the measure, while Warren Davidson of Ohio voted present. One Democrat, Representative Jared Golden of Maine, also voted against it.

Earlier this week, the Senate blocked a similar war powers resolution in a related procedural vote by a tally of 52–47. It marked the fourth attempt by the chamber to limit presidential authority since the US-Israeli bombing campaign began in late February.

Thursday’s House vote dealt was what is called a concurrent resolution, which would also have needed approval from the Senate had it passed the lower chamber.

“Service members have been killed, gas prices are soaring, and the US [is] in a worse position than before,” Representative Bill Foster, a Democrat, said in a post on X. “Congress cannot abdicate its power as a co-equal branch of government and let this rogue President continue to unilaterally wage war.”

An armed man has opened fire and seized a supermarket in Kiev, leaving at least six people dead and several wounded, the Ukrainian authorities have confirmed.

The incident unfolded on Saturday evening in the southwestern Goloseyevsky district, where the attacker reportedly began shooting at random before barricading himself inside a Velmart supermarket, taking several people hostage.

Police said special forces units were deployed and a cordon established around the area in an operation to detain the suspect. 

Kiev Mayor Vitaly Klitschko initially said at least five people were killed and 15 others wounded. He confirmed that a child was among the wounded and has been taken to the hospital; several victims were receiving treatment at the scene. He later said another victim died in the hospital from injuries, bringing the death toll to six.

Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has expressed condolences following the attack. He said the circumstances of the shooting “are being clarified” and that he instructed the interior minister and the head of the National Police to provide information to the public as soon as it becomes available.

According to local reports, the gunman was armed with an automatic weapon. 

Ukrainian media reported that the shooter set fire to his apartment before the attack, a claim later confirmed by Klitschko. Videos circulating online appear to show a large blaze coming from the windows of the suspected residence. Klitschko said a four-month-old child in a neighboring apartment was treated for carbon monoxide poisoning. Police have not yet confirmed any connection between the shooter and the burning apartment.

Police later said the shooter was killed when officers stormed the store where he was hiding. The motive remains unclear, and the authorities have not released details about the suspect.

Footage shared by Ukrainian media purports to show the suspected gunman running through a residential neighborhood carrying what looks like an automatic rifle. Another video apparently shows him shooting a pedestrian who tried to stop him.

Recent videos shared by the media show hostages being evacuated from the building. Some reports suggest that the gunman may have been forcibly conscripted days earlier and fled his unit before carrying out the attack.

Ukrainian police said both officers have been suspended pending an investigation.

Ukrainskaya Pravda claims that the shooter was identified as Dmitry Vasilchenkov, 57, who was born in Moscow and holds Ukrainian citizenship. Strana.ua, which also identified the shooter as Dmitry Vasilchenkov, claims he previously faced charges for causing minor bodily harm after assaulting a man during a dispute in 2023. The case was dropped in 2024 after the parties reached a settlement. The outlet also claimed he sued the Pension Fund and secured an additional payment of around 2,000 hryvnia ($45 dollars), with court records suggesting that he was a former serviceman receiving a military pension.

Ukraine’s prosecutor general, Ruslan Kravchenko, later said the attacker was a 58-year-old “native of Moscow,” but did not confirm his identity.

Following the incident, Interior Minister Igor Klimenko told the media that the shooter legally owned a registered weapon and renewed his permit in December last year after submitting a medical certificate. He added that the attacker made no demands to the authorities during the brief siege of the supermarket, and that the operation to detain him began after he killed one of the hostages.

US President Donald Trump’s FBI Director Kash Patel has threatened to sue The Atlantic for publishing a report claiming that he fears for his job due to his “excessive drinking” and “unexplained absences.”

Patel said in an X post on Saturday: “See you and your entire entourage of false reporting in court.” He also accused the magazine of “fake news” and called the lawsuit a “legal lay up.”

A few hours earlier, Patel’s legal team announced that they had warned The Atlantic against releasing the article before publication.

“They were on notice that the claims were categorically false and defamatory. They published anyway. See you in court,” Jesse R. Binnall of the Binnall Law Group wrote on X.

The lawyer also published a letter he said was sent to The Atlantic, in which he demanded that the news outlet preserve all communications relating to Patel, including information relating to the anonymous sources cited in the article, which waspublished on Friday.

The intelligence chief has allegedly drunk to the point that his security detail has had trouble waking him up on multiple occasions, had missed briefings, and has sometimes been “unreachable behind closed doors,” according to the article.

The piece also reported that Patel feared for his job following the recent firing of Attorney General Pam Bondi, a staunch Trump loyalist who was fired earlier this month amid bipartisan accusations of mishandling the release of the Epstein files.

Cuba is a peaceful nation, but it will use all means to defend itself in case of US aggression, the Caribbean country’s president, Miguel Diaz-Canel, has told RT.

US President Donald Trump imposed an oil blockade on Cuba in February, while also repeatedly hinting at a possible regime change operation against the socialist island, located 93 miles (150 km) from Florida’s coast. Trump said earlier this week that “we may stop by Cuba after we’re finished with this,” referring to the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran.

Speaking to RT in Havana on Saturday, Diaz-Canel stressed that the country’s government has made national defense a “top priority” since the escalation of the US president’s threats.

Cuba is “not a country that is calling for war or promotes it, but we are also not afraid of war if we must wage it to defend our homeland,” he warned.

Iran said the renewed restrictions on maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz are justified under international law and necessary to counter hostile actions, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei has said in an interview with Iranian media.

Iranian military officials said on Saturday that Tehran had reasserted “strict control” over the strategic route, which carries about 20% of global oil, citing the continued US blockade of its ports, just a day after declaring it open. The Revolutionary Guard Navy Command later said the strait would remain under Iranian military control as long as US restrictions stay in place.

“There was no safe and secure passage in this waterway,” Baqaei said on Saturday, adding that as a coastal state Iran has the right under international law to take measures against what it sees as hostile actions.

“We cannot allow enemy vessels, especially military ones or those linked to countries involved in aggression, to pass through the strait normally, as they pose a direct threat,” the spokesman stated.

The US-Israeli bombing campaign prompted Iran to restrict passage through the strait for “enemy ships,” triggering a breakdown in supply chains and sending global crude oil prices soaring.

On Friday, Iranian authorities said the waterway was fully open to commercial vessels for the remainder of the ten-day Israel–Lebanon ceasefire, lowering crude oil prices on de-escalation hopes. Tehran later reversed the decision after Trump said the US blockade of Iranian ports would remain in full force until a peace deal is reached.

The disruption in the Strait of Hormuz has triggered broad global economic ripple effects, with Europe facing higher fuel and energy costs due to reduced oil flows. The International Energy Agency has warned of rising market volatility and possible jet fuel shortages within six weeks if disruptions continue. Humanitarian organizations have also flagged growing risks to global food security as fertilizer and agricultural supply chains are affected.

UNICEF has said two truck drivers it had contracted to deliver clean water to families in Gaza have been killed by Israeli fire. The agency reported it had suspended activities at the site and called on West Jerusalem to investigate the incident.

The attack occurred during routine water transport on Friday morning at the Mansoura water filling point in northern Gaza, which supplies Gaza City, the UN International Children’s Emergency Fund said in a statement later in the day. Two other people were injured in the attack, it added.

“UNICEF is outraged by the killing of two drivers of trucks contracted to provide clean water to families in the Gaza Strip,” the agency said, stressing that the water filling point attacked is the only operational site on the Mekorot water supply line, which serves hundreds of thousands of people, including children, in Gaza City.

Israeli officials have not commented on the incident.

The accusation comes amid an ongoing truce between Israel and Hamas, clinched last October to halt two years of full-scale war. The ceasefire left Israeli troops in control of a largely depopulated zone comprising well over half of Gaza, while Hamas remains in power in the remaining narrow coastal strip. Israel and Hamas have repeatedly traded blame for ceasefire violations.

Gazan authorities reported multiple killings of civilians within the span of a week. On Thursday, a local civil defense agency said Israeli fire killed four people, including one child, across different locations in the Palestinian territory. Health authorities reported that eleven 11 civilians, including a 14-year-old child, were killed earlier this week.

UN agencies and humanitarian monitors have reported continued fatalities among aid workers and volunteers in Gaza despite the truce. Earlier this month, UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk called the number of journalists and humanitarian personnel killed in Gaza “unprecedented.”

Israel’s war with Hamas and the Gaza siege have faced growing international criticism, including sanction threats. Israel has also seen declining Western support amid rising deaths and a worsening humanitarian crisis in the enclave.

US President Donald Trump made seven claims in one hour after Tehran announced the temporary reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and all of them are untrue, Iranian parliamentary speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has said.

On Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declared the waterway, which handles around 25% of the global crude oil trade, “completely open” for commercial vessels for the remainder of the ten-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. The announcement sent oil prices down by about 10%.

On Saturday, however, Tehran reversed the decision, saying the Strait of Hormuz has “returned to its previous state” and is once again under the “strict management and control” of its military.

Iranian officials said the renewed closure was driven by Washington’s refusal to lift the blockade of Iran’s ports, which the US imposed on Monday after the first round of talks with Tehran in Pakistan failed over the weekend. They accused the US of “piracy and maritime theft.”

He added that Iran “has agreed to never close the Strait of Hormuz again,” that the opening of the waterway “is not tied, in any way, to Lebanon,” and that most of the points of a final peace agreement have already been negotiated between the sides.

Ghalibaf responded to Trump in a post on X later on Friday, saying the US president “made seven claims in one hour, all seven of which were false.”

The Americans “did not win the war with these lies, and they will certainly not get anywhere in negotiations either,” he said.

According to the parliament speaker, control of the Strait of Hormuz “will be determined on the ground field, not on social media.”

“Media warfare and engineering public opinion are an important part of war, and the Iranian nation is not affected by these tricks,” Ghalibaf said.

Imagine you know about a brutal gang of serial killers openly committing one sadistic crime after the other. Imagine you recognize your obvious moral obligation to do something to stop or at least impede these crimes as best you can, but your country’s morally perverse and politically corrupt authorities are in cahoots with the murderers, so you cannot simply call the police.

Indeed, if you try to resist the killers and their accomplices, the police and state prosecutors will relentlessly go after you instead of them, and in effect, protect the criminals. Imagine, finally, that while you cannot strike the killers directly, you can make committing their heinous crimes harder for them by disrupting their business activities and alerting the public to their scandalously uninhibited activities and shocking power in your society.

That is the situation in which the activists of the British direct-action group Palestine Action find themselves. Except it is even worse than the schematic thought experiment sketched above, because, in reality, we are not speaking about a gang of serial killers but a whole state. Small but extremely aggressive and far too well armed – including with entirely ‘rogue’ nuclear weapons – that state is committed to a relentless agenda of proudly announced (Amalek and all that) genocide and gleeful ethnic cleansing, systematic torture and sexual violence on a mass scale, ceaseless territorial aggression (attacking more countries last year than any other country on the planet), ethnic (in this case Jewish) supremacist racism and apartheid as anchored in its laws, and the conquest of ‘lebensraum’ (a term let slip in that state’s own mainstream media).

It is certain that in the not-so-distant future, Palestine Action’s activists and their supporters, currently braving persecution as well as government and mainstream media smears, will be remembered as heroes. In the same manner we now rightly celebrate those who openly stood up against the Nazis where they held power and committed their crimes, including a genocide of Jews. In the UK today, it is Palestine Action that has made it its declared mission to end British complicity in Israel’s crimes.

For now, however, they face prosecution, harassment, and worse, by the same British state and judicial system that we all remember well for its years of obstinately torturing the most important political prisoner in the world at the time, Julian Assange. Indeed, on an individual scale, the hounding of Assange displayed the same cynicism, cruelty, and contempt of the law – domestic and international – that the West has also shown with regard to Israel’s crimes against large numbers of victims, particularly in Gaza.

The persecution of Palestine Action has taken many shapes. After the group targeted the Royal Air Force’s collaboration with Israel, the British government, in particular Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, tried to proscribe it as a terrorist organization. This mislabeling was so absurd that even a British court ended up canceling it. That has not stopped the British authorities’ consistent misuse of the police to mass-arrest protesters who dare do oh-so-terrible – and perfectly legal – things, such as peacefully holding up signs that they oppose genocide and support Palestine Action. Amnesty International UK is not alone in denouncing these arrests. Police officers with a conscience should refuse orders to make them.

Palestine Action’s activists themselves have been harassed even more violently. Especially a group commonly known as the Filton 24 and, within that group, a smaller circle often called the Filton or Palestine Action Six: Samuel Corner, Jordan Devlin, Charlotte Head, Leona Kamio, Fatema Zainab Rajwani, and Zoe Rogers. What they have in common is that they took part in a raid on a branch of Israeli weapons maker Elbit systems in Filton, which is in effect a suburb of Bristol.

The activists stormed the Elbit facility on August 6, 2024, smashing their way in with the help of a truck and then destroying or damaging as much of the Elbit equipment as they could before the police arrived. Clearly, their targets were things, not people. Yet one of them is also accused of striking a police officer and harming her spine. The circumstances of that specific incident are still unclear, with the alleged attacker, according to recent statements by police officers, possibly suffering “confusion and disorientation” from being sprayed with PAVA spray by the police.

For this, official Britain has subjected the Palestine Action activists to harsh pretrial detention of unusual length, provoking international protests, hunger strikes, and a suicide attempt. With by now thousands of arrests over the mere act of showing solidarity with them – and the harrowing of other individual resisters such as Dr. Rahmeh Aladwan – it is no exaggeration to say that Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s UK is turning into a police state to protect the criminal regime of another country, Israel.

And this policy is persistent. After the Filton Six were acquitted in a trial by jury, the prosecution is now subjecting them to a second trial. It is clearly designed to be, in Blumenthal’s words, a “stitch-up.” Indeed, the defendants are being framed and deprived of elementary rights so obviously that the UK authorities are also using massive preventive censorship to hide their own manipulations from the public. The defendants are not allowed to explain their motivations; they must not mention Israel and the genocide it is committing. The jury is being systematically deceived: While it is deliberately left in the belief that it is only finding on ordinary criminal charges, the judge has the right to misuse its findings to sentence for terrorism. Since this is obviously unfair, the British press has been given orders not to report on it, which it is following.

It has fallen to alternative media outside the UK and one courageous member of the UK’s House of Commons to speak about the above. Fortunately, in practical terms, the evolving Starmer police and censorship state is unlikely to have the real capacity to fully insulate its subjects. But this makes no difference to the fact that we are witnessing a brazen attempt to impose a massive erosion of human rights, civil liberties, and last but not least, the rule of law.

And all of it in the service of Israel. Worst of all, Britain is not alone, but typical. In the West, protecting Israel has led to similar effects in many countries, including Germany, Australia, and of course, the US. The struggle for justice and freedom for Palestine is truly a struggle for all of us in a very concrete way. The only way for Israel to get away with its crimes forever is to subject all of us to ever more oppression.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has announced that no vessels, regardless of their flag, are allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz while the US maintains its blockade of Iranian ports. Any attempting to approach the waterway will be targeted, it said.

On Friday, Tehran initially declared the waterway completely open for commercial vessels for the remaining period of the ten-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, prompting a drop in oil prices on hopes of de-escalation. However, while US President Donald Trump praised the news, he said that the US blockade of Iranian ports “will remain in full force” until a peace deal is reached.

This violated the ceasefire conditions, prompting Tehran to reimpose restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz, according to the IRGC.

According to multiple media reports, the US has presented several demands to Iran, including the handing over of its enriched uranium stockpile. While Trump claimed that Tehran had “agreed to everything,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei reiterated that the Islamic Republic would not give up the stockpile, which he described as “as sacred as Iranian soil.”

Key developments: 

• Trump has suggested that he would not extend the ceasefire with Iran and could resume attacks if the peace talks do not produce the desired result by Wednesday.

• One French peacekeeper has been killed, and three others injured in southern Lebanon, President Emmanuel Macron has said, adding that Hezbollah was the most likely culprit. Hezbollah has denied involvement.

• At least three commercial ships have been attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, with at least one sustaining some damage, according to Axios.

• India has summoned the Iranian ambassador in New Delhi to raise concerns about attacks on two Indian-flagged vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, and to urge Tehran to let friendly ships through.

• Hezbollah said it is “not concerned” with Lebanon’s talks with the US, suggesting that Beirut is set to cave in to Washington’s demands. Israel insists the current truce does not apply to “immediate threats from terrorists.”

Follow our live coverage below for continuous updates. You can also read our previous updates here.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has told RT’s Rick Sanchez that he knows the West wants him out of power, but still negotiates with the US because it’s in his country’s economic interests.

Minsk and Washington have held several rounds of talks this year, discussing what US President Donald Trump has called “a big deal” aimed at normalizing relations between the two nations. They focus on the release of prisoners, lifting sanctions, and other economic issues. In March, Lukashenko pardoned 123 people convicted over “espionage, terrorist and extremist activities” as part of the process.

In an interview set to be aired on Monday, the Belarusian leader stressed that “the real politics of the West has been known to us for a long time. No matter what negotiations the West conducts with me, I understand perfectly well that I’m not their favorite son.”

Belarus produces “more than half of our material resources and services and sell them in foreign markets. We have an open economy, so we must recognize our interests in the West, in Russia, in China and in Africa,” Lukashenko explained.

He added that he is “conducting dialogue with the Americans, not against Russia or China.”

Lukashenko said he told the US representatives from the start: “Guys, Russia and China are not just long-term partners. They are our friends. When you impose sanctions on us, the Americans and Europeans, China and Russia opened their doors to us. We were basically saved because of that.”

Watch the full interview on RT on Monday at 8:30 AM Moscow time.

European nations have around four years to build up their defenses enough to deter a Russian attack without US backing, Frederic Vansina, Belgium’s Chief of the General Staff, has said. Moscow has dismissed speculation that it plans to attack NATO as nonsense.

In an interview with Le Soir published on Friday, Vansina acknowledged that Russia does not pose an immediate threat to the West.

“I don’t want to scare the population. The Russians are not going to attack us imminently, anytime soon,” he said – adding, however, that the world is “going through the most unstable period since the end of the Cold War… with everyone arming themselves to the teeth.”

Vansina underscored the necessity of European militarization within a few years, stressing that the Ukrainians are “buying time for us,” and “that’s why we support them so strongly.”

Vansina went on to suggest that full European “strategic autonomy” is achievable by 2035, but only if defense budgets keep rising past the current 2% of GDP mark.

The general’s remarks come amid a growing rift between the US and other NATO members. US President Donald Trump has demanded that his European counterparts significantly ramp up military spending, arguing that they should take primary responsibility for their own defense. The rift has continued to grow due to the continent’s refusal to support the US in its war against Iran.

Russia has dismissed speculation that it plans to attack NATO, calling it a pretense for increased defense spending, while stressing that the West’s “reckless militarization” jeopardizes global security.

For decades, the United States has wielded outsized influence over government institutions and civil society in Africa, including through its development assistance. Under the banner of Official Development Assistance, US funding penetrated key sectors such as health, education, infrastructure, governance, and agriculture, often shaping policy choices in ways that reflect donor interests more than local needs.

Established in 1961 under President John F. Kennedy through the Foreign Assistance Act, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) was the US government’s primary agency for administering foreign aid, focusing on development programs in more than 130 countries. In February 2025, USAID announced that it was sending most of its employees on administrative leave. The following month, the US State Department announced the termination of USAID’s 6,300 global initiatives.

One year later, despite the clear challenges facing aid-dependent nations, there is a growing conviction that African states can find opportunities in this shift – though it requires a fundamental rethink of policy approaches.

“The changing geopolitical priorities and foreign policy shifts were definitely going to affect USAID’s activities in one way or another. The collapse of USAID only brought to the fore the recalibration of US engagement in the Global South,” said Dr. Sabala. He adds that historically, the agency’s work in health, food security, and governance had subtly advanced US strategic interests.

‘The continent does not need support that comes with threats’

Michael Owuor, a development and transnational organized crimes researcher at the Global Centre for Policy and Strategy (GLOCEPS), says that with the reshaping of geopolitics and the inward shift of aid flows and donor priorities, Sub-Saharan African countries must rechart their development future in a post-USAID era.

“The collapse of USAID funding provides Africa and its leadership an opportunity to take a fundamental rethink of its over-reliance on Western foreign assistance and donor aid,” Owuor notes. The US-supported donor financing strategy has served as “a powerful geopolitical tool that has increasingly been wielded to advance donor interests.”

Owuor argues that the time is ripe for the Global South to move away from the Global North’s aid, which he says is becoming “more conditional, transactional, and politically aligned.”

“The increasing politicization and weaponization of US aid is not good for Africa. The continent does not need support that comes with threats of freezes and budgetary cuts,” he said. The expert cites examples of countries such as South Africa, Uganda, and Ghana that have previously faced threats of funding freezes from Western powers over legislation that prioritizes domestic concerns.

'The goal is to rebalance the relationship'

Owuor notes that the shifting aid landscape reflects broader global tensions, with escalating rivalry among the West, China, and Russia, thereby transforming development assistance into an instrument of foreign policy realignment.

“We have been witnessing a situation where the Western donor agendas increasingly override Africa’s development priorities. Donor aid and funding from the Western powers is increasingly becoming fluid,” Owuor told RT.

At the same time, Owuor warns that ‘America First’ and protectionist trade and foreign policies by US President Donald Trump will continue even after his exit, something he says Africa must prepare a counter strategy for. “For nations long accustomed to steady streams of donor financing, this transformation presents an existential challenge,” he said.

The researcher cautions against overdependence on any single donor or bloc. “What happened to USAID is a clear indication of the pitfalls of overreliance on only one or a few countries, no matter how benevolent their support is,” he warns.

“The goal is not to reject aid outright but to rebalance the relationship. The goal is for Africa to seek aid that complements rather than dictates. The region must pursue equitable and sovereign development,” Owuor notes.

‘By pooling resources, Africa can present a united front’

Dennis Muniu, a foreign policy, security, and defense researcher at GLOCEPS, says what Africa needs are comprehensive strategies that strengthen internal resource mobilization and generation, as well as efficient public spending.

“Africa needs to strengthen domestic tax collection and expenditure systems, without harming local business ecosystems, to generate additional revenue. This can provide a stable financial base for public spending,” Muniu told RT.

Additionally, Muniu says improved tax systems, better public financial management, and targeted investments in high-impact sectors such as health, education, and infrastructure could help Africa cushion the shock of shrinking external support.

“Rather than scrambling to fill sudden funding gaps when donors withdraw, governments would have stronger fiscal buffers,” he said.

Beyond public finance reforms, Muniu calls for a deeper partnership with the private sector. He says public-private partnerships (PPPs) and the creation of conducive business environments could help Africa unlock new streams of investment.

“Public services that can be provided affordably, equitably, and efficiently through private sector actors should be left exclusively to the private sector. This will free tax resources to public sector programs that will be catered for by governments,” Muniu argues.

He advocates for regional cooperation among African nations, saying that pooling resources and coordinating development efforts can enhance their collective bargaining power and present a united front when negotiating with investors and alternative funding partners.

“By pooling resources and coordinating development efforts and programs, the region can present a united front when negotiating with prospective investors,” Muniu said.

He adds that such integration could help attract financing from emerging economies and multilateral institutions beyond traditional Western donors, reducing exposure to geopolitical swings.

Technology and innovation, Owuor suggests, offer additional pathways to resilience.

“Leveraging technology and innovation can also improve service delivery and efficiency across various sectors,” he notes. “Partnerships with local technical firms, universities, and research institutions could foster homegrown solutions and reduce dependence on imported systems,’’ he said.

According to Owuor, in a region where youthful populations are increasingly tech-savvy, digital transformation may be both an economic strategy and a political statement, a declaration that development priorities will be locally defined.

Owuor explains that the post-USAID era is not merely a crisis but a catalyst for reform. “The volatility of global aid flows underscores the need for Africa to anchor its development agenda in sovereignty, innovation, and collaboration,” he said.

Muniu adds that Africa’s long-term stability cannot rest solely on the goodwill of distant capitals. “Instead, it must be built on resilient systems, diversified partnerships, and an unwavering commitment to self-determination.”

“In the emerging post-USAID Africa’s greatest asset may not be external funding but its capacity to redefine the rules of development on its own terms,” the expert concludes.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his advisers were caught off guard and “stunned” when US President Donald Trump said he would not allow Israel to conduct further strikes in Lebanon, Axios reports, citing two people familiar with the matter.

On Friday, Trump said the US had “prohibited” strikes in Lebanon as the ten-day ceasefire brokered by his administration between Israel and the Lebanese government took effect. According to Axios, Netanyahu was alarmed by the statement, after which Israeli officials sought clarification from Washington.

Under the agreement, Israel will halt offensive operations but reserve the right to “take all necessary measures in self-defense at any time against planned, imminent, or ongoing attacks.”

Israel began conducting airstrikes on Beirut and other cities and expanded its ‘security zone’ in southern Lebanon in early March, after Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel in support of Iran. Tehran has since listed an end to Israeli operations in Lebanon as one of the conditions for its own peace deal with the US and Israel.

Nearly 2,200 people have been killed and 1.2 million displaced in Lebanon since early March, according to Lebanese officials.

Russia’s elite Rubicon drone unit has released footage showing the interception of Ukrainian UAVs used to strike targets deep inside Russian territory.

The video shows Russian FPV drones trailing and striking Ukrainian UAVs, including FP-2 and E-300 Enterprise heavy kamikaze drones.

The unit also shared footage of surveillance drones identifying ground targets for Russian airstrikes.

Earlier this week, the Russian Defense Ministry published what it said was a list of addresses of European companies producing military drones for Ukraine, warning of “an acute escalation.”

Russian officials have said that US-mediated peace talks with Ukraine have effectively been put on hold due to the war in the Middle East.

French lawmakers linked to President Emmanuel Macron have withdrawn a controversial bill aimed at expanding anti-Semitism laws in the country, which had been set for debate in parliament on Thursday.

The “law to combat renewed forms of anti-Semitism” was drafted in 2024 by a group of MPs led by Caroline Yadan, a lawmaker affiliated with Macron’s Renaissance Party. Despite the withdrawal, lawmakers have reportedly indicated they may reintroduce a similar proposal by June.

The draft aimed to broaden the definition of ‘apology for terrorism’ to include ‘indirect’ speech deemed pro-terrorist. It also sought to make it illegal to call for the destruction of any country recognized by France.

Critics also said the proposed law could restrict legitimate free speech and potentially fuel the anti-Jewish sentiment it was intended to combat, according to France24.

According to France’s Jewish protection organization, the SPCJ, at least 1,320 anti-Semitic incidents were recorded in the country last year, maintaining the sharp rise seen after the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict in 2023. The Israeli military operation in Gaza has killed more than 72,000 Palestinians, according to the Palestinian authorities, and has drawn mounting international criticism.

France, where Muslims make up an estimated one-tenth of the population, formally recognized Palestinian statehood last year, joining a wave of Western nations advocating a two-state solution to the Middle East conflict.

Slovakia will file a lawsuit with the EU’s Court of Justice challenging the bloc’s decision to ban imports of Russian gas, Prime Minister Robert Fico has said.

In January, the EU formally approved a plan to phase out Russian pipeline gas by 2027, overriding vetoes from Slovakia and Hungary.

“We object that where it was not possible to use a qualified majority, it was used, and that the right of a sovereign EU member state to veto something was circumvented,” Fico said at a press conference on Friday, as quoted by TASR.

Justice Minister Boris Susko said the lawsuit will be filed next week. Fico stated that Slovakia would seek an injunction suspending the regulation.

Hungary, whose outgoing prime minister, Viktor Orban, argued that the EU “shot itself in the lungs” by imposing sanctions on Russia in response to the Ukraine conflict, filed a similar lawsuit in February. Fico has also strongly criticized what he described as “suicidal” sanctions and urged the bloc to engage diplomatically with Moscow.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said the bloc should use “the momentum” from Orban’s election loss last week to further restrict member states’ veto powers, preventing them from blocking loans to Ukraine.

Bulgarians are about to vote in the country’s eighth election in five years. Unpopular caretaker governments have come and gone, and now victory looks almost certain for former president, Ukraine skeptic and left-winger Rumen Radev.

This election has the potential to reshape Bulgaria’s relationships with the EU and Ukraine, and Brussels is following the vote closely. RT has already explored some of what’s at stake, but if you’re just joining us, here’s what you need to know:

When is the Bulgarian election?

The election is scheduled for Sunday, April 19. All 240 seats in Bulgaria’s National Assembly are up for grabs, with 121 seats needed for a majority. Votes must be counted no later than four days after election day, but results will likely be clear within hours of the polls closing on Sunday night.

There are just over 6.6 million registered voters in Bulgaria, and election turnout generally hovers at around 45%. However, repeated snap elections since 2021 have drained voter enthusiasm: just 33% and 38% of eligible Bulgarians voted in the country’s two general elections in 2024.

Who’s running for office in Bulgaria?

Ten parties are competing in the election, but two are clear frontrunners: Boyko Borissov’s GERB-SDS coalition, and Rumen Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria.

Borissov is a stalwart in Bulgarian politics. A former communist official, he founded the center-right GERB in 2006, and the party has been in power for 15 of the 20 years since. GERB is an acronym for ‘Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria’, which sums up the party’s ideology: economic liberalism, further integration with the EU, and alignment with Brussels on matters of foreign policy.

Allegations of corruption have followed Borissov for the length of his political career. The GERB leader has been accused of ties to organized crime, intimidation of journalists, and embezzlement of EU funds. As protests against Borissov intensified in 2020, Politico declared that he had successfully created “the EU’s mafia state.”

Radev has made tackling this corruption the central pillar of his campaign, vowing to dismantle the “mafia-oligarchic” power structure that he says has run Bulgaria since the fall of communism and throughout its EU membership. While his Progressive Bulgaria coalition was founded less than two months ago, Radev is an established figure in Bulgarian politics, having served as president from 2017 until his resignation in February. During his presidency, Radev clashed with Borissov over corruption, and withdrew confidence from the then-PM’s government in 2020.

Radev is a vocal opponent of the EU’s Ukraine policy. He opposes Bulgaria’s self-imposed embargo on Russian energy, vetoed an agreement to provide Ukraine with armored vehicles in 2022, blamed Ukraine for starting the conflict with Russia, and told Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky to his face in 2023 that there was “no military solution” to the conflict, and that “more and more weapons will not solve it.”

What do the polls say?

Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria is leading Borissov’s GERB-SDS by 31% to 21%, according to an aggregate of opinion polls compiled by Politico. Progressive Bulgaria’s lead varies between five and 20 points in individual polls, but not one pollster shows GERB-SDS in the lead.

According to Politico, caretaker PM Andrey Gyurov’s pro-EU ‘We Continue the Change’ is polling in third place at 12%, followed by the liberal ‘Movement for Rights and Freedoms’ and right-wing ‘Revival’ at 10% and 7%, respectively.

Even if Progressive Bulgaria comes out on top, Radev will have to find coalition partners to form a government. Borissov has built coalitions with centrists and right-wingers before, and Gyurov’s party is one possible partner. However, even with the support of ‘We Continue the Change’, GERB-SDS would still fall short of a majority.

What is the media saying?

With a showdown between a Brussels-friendly centrist and a Euroskeptic populist on the cards, the Western media has drawn comparisons between this weekend’s election and last weekend’s vote in Hungary.

Politico has described Radev as the EU’s next potential “disruptor-in-chief,” following the landslide defeat of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

Seizing on Radev’s opposition to Ukraine aid, Reuters, the Associated Press, and the Washington Post have all described him as “Bulgaria's pro-Russian former president.” 

The NATO-funded Atlantic Council has gone further, suggesting that Bulgaria could “replace Hungary as Putin’s proxy inside the EU.”

The framing is misleading. Orban was a well-entrenched incumbent and a conservative, who ruled with a parliamentary supermajority for much of his 16 consecutive years in office.

Radev has run a left-wing populist campaign, going up against a party that has dominated post-communist politics in Bulgaria. Orban was the Hungarian establishment; Radev is seeking to break the Bulgarian establishment and expose its relationships with Brussels to a populace that held mass demonstrations against corruption through the winter.

What both figures have in common is their opposition to the EU’s continued bankrolling of the Ukraine conflict and the bloc’s federalist overreach.

Like Orban, Radev backs pragmatic and neutral relations with Russia. This is not an unpopular position in Bulgaria: according to a 2025 poll, 31% of Bulgarians view Russia positively, while less than a quarter hold a positive view of Ukraine.

Is the EU interfering in the Bulgarian election?

As was the case in Hungary, the European Commission’s decision to activate the RRS was justified by reports that Bulgaria “faces sustained Russian information manipulation pressure.” The commission did not mention that these reports were created by an EU-funded think tank in Sofia, as RT covered in-depth in the first installment of our ‘Battle for Bulgaria’ series.

Gyurov’s government has also set up a temporary unit within the Foreign Ministry to “counter disinformation and combat hybrid threats,” which will be “advised” by former Bellingcat investigator and anti-Kremlin operative Christo Grozev. According to the ministry, this unit will pass reports of supposed “malign influences” straight to the European Commission.

Is Ukraine interfering in the election?

Ukraine was accused of extensive meddling in the Hungarian election, with Zelensky using a key oil pipeline as a bargaining chip against Orban, and Ukrainian-trained spies allegedly aiding the Hungarian opposition. While there have been no reports of Ukrainian interference in Bulgaria, the caretaker government in Sofia has rushed to fulfil a wish list of Kiev’s demands in the runup to the vote.

Where can I keep track of the election?

RT will cover the election live through Sunday afternoon and evening, bringing you up to date results, reactions and commentary.

US President Donald Trump has ordered an investigation into the mysterious deaths and disappearances of nearly a dozen American scientists with access to some of the nation’s most closely guarded nuclear and space secrets. The cases have fueled online speculation ranging from foreign espionage to a government cover-up of classified UFO research.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Trump stated that he “just came out of a meeting on this,” noting that “It’s pretty serious stuff.”

“I hope it’s random, but we’re going to know in the next week and a half. Some of them were very important people, and we’re going to look at it over the next short period,” the president said.

Since 2023, at least ten individuals with ties to advanced research have died or vanished under puzzling circumstances. Among them:

• Steven Garcia, 48, a government contractor at the Kansas City National Security Campus, which produces over 80% of non-nuclear components for US nuclear weapons, vanished from his Albuquerque home in August 2025, leaving behind his phone, wallet, and keys and taking only a handgun.
  
  
• Retired Major General William McCasland, 68, former commander of the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, disappeared from his New Mexico home in February 2026. His wife told a 911 operator he had “planned not to be found.”
  
  
• Anthony Chavez, a former Los Alamos National Laboratory employee, and Melissa Casias, an administrative assistant at the same nuclear weapons lab, both disappeared in 2025, leaving their homes on foot and abandoning their belongings.
  
  
• Monica Jacinto Reza, 60, a director at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, vanished while hiking in California in June 2025.
  
  
• Two other scientists at the Lab have reportedly died since 2023: Frank Maiwald and Michael Hicks. No foul play has been alleged in the latter two cases, and no cause of death has been made public, according to the Daily Mail.
  
  
• Nuno Loureiro, 47, director of MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center, was shot dead at his home in December 2025.
  
  
• Carl Grillmair, 67, a Caltech astrophysicist, was gunned down on his porch in February 2026.
  
  
• The body of missing cancer research scientist Jason Thomas was reportedly discovered in a Massachusetts lake last month.

A possible 11th case also emerged on Thursday as the Daily Mail reported that Amy Eskridge, a 34-year-old scientist allegedly researching anti-gravity technology, was found dead in Alabama in 2022 from a self-inflicted gunshot. However, the outlet found that neither the police nor medical examiners had released a public investigative report on the incident. Before her death, Eskridge stated on a podcast that her life was in danger.

Former FBI assistant director Chris Swecker previously told the Daily Mail the cases warrant scrutiny, noting that “they are all suspicious, and these are scientists who have worked in critical technology.”

The authorities have so far not established any confirmed link among the cases.

Israel’s Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism has published its list of top ten “anti-Semite and anti-Zionist” influencers for 2025.

Six of the ten “influencers” are based in the US, including American conservative journalist Tucker Carlson, far-right activist Nick Fuentes, and commentator Candace Owens. Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg, who became a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause in recent years, earned the number two spot, while US influencer Dan Bilzarian took the top spot.

In a report on Tuesday, the ministry defined the ten individuals as people without formal political or governmental positions, but who have a significant following. Positions in the list were decided by the level of influence and “risk,” based on frequency of statements which the Israeli ministry considered to be anti-Semitic or anti-Israeli.

The US perception of Israel, which has been slipping for years on the backdrop of the Gaza conflict, has worsened since the launch of the war on Iran in late February, according to a recent Pew Research Center poll. Some 60% of American adults now have an unfavorable view of Israel, up from 53% last year, the survey said.

Atwan, who is the editor-in-chief of the UK-based Arabic language newspaper Rai Al-Youm, argued that he could not be an anti-Semite, as a Semite himself who preaches coexistence with Jews.

“We are anti-Israeli wars against Lebanon, against Iran, against Yemen, against Gaza,” he said. “Israel is not above criticism. So to accuse anybody who is criticizing Israel of anti-Semitism is actually very, very frightening.”

The latest wave of discussion about a possible Turkish-Israeli confrontation was triggered by media reports claiming Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to invade Israel.

Soon afterward, however, that interpretation was challenged in Türkiye. The specific quote turned out to be old and taken out of context, and Turkish voices insisted that Erdogan had made no direct statement about being prepared to launch a war against Israel. Still, he has undeniably been escalating his harsh rhetoric towards Israel, including calling it a terrorist state and comparing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Hitler.

Yet even setting aside the dispute over the precise wording, the intensity of the reaction to the ‘invasion threat’ reports is revealing in itself. It shows that relations between Ankara and West Jerusalem have already reached a stage at which even an ambiguous phrase is instantly treated as a political signal, and any sharp comment can become part of the wider picture of a major regional confrontation. The ground for such a perception has long been prepared by the very trajectory of Turkish-Israeli relations.

A slide towards conflict

At first glance, this may appear to be no more than another burst of emotional rhetoric of the kind that has long been common in the Middle East, where dramatic threats and demonstrative statements have become part of the political language. But that explanation is too shallow and therefore misses the real point. What we are witnessing in fact reflects a much deeper and more dangerous process. Türkiye and Israel are gradually ceasing to see one another merely as occasional opponents divided by particular disputes, and are increasingly beginning to view each other as strategic rivals in a long game. That is what makes the current exchange of statements especially alarming. Once states enter a phase of systemic rivalry, rhetoric itself starts shaping how elites, societies, and security institutions imagine a future conflict as something almost natural.

In one sense, there is nothing surprising about this. The Middle East is structured in such a way that several ambitious centers of power can rarely coexist without an escalating competition between them. When multiple states claim exceptional status, the role of regional guarantor, or the right to speak for the region or at least for a large part of it, their interests will sooner or later collide. Türkiye and Israel are now moving ever more clearly toward precisely that point. Both states lay claim to a special mission. Both want to be indispensable to outside powers. Both believe that yielding to a rival today may become a historic defeat tomorrow. And both build their strategies not only around the defense of national interests but also around the idea of regional primacy. In such a context, even temporary tactical cooperation does not alter the deeper reality. Competition over space, influence, routes, alliances, and symbolic leadership continues to accumulate at a systemic level.

It is particularly important to understand that Türkiye and Israel were by no means destined for hostility. On the contrary, for decades their relations developed along a very different trajectory. Ankara became the first Muslim-majority country to recognize Israel in the middle of the twentieth century. During the Cold War, the two maintained working ties grounded in pragmatism, shared links to the Western world, and an understanding that in an unstable regional environment it was better to have additional channels of interaction than to turn ideological differences into a permanent source of conflict. But the true flourishing of Turkish-Israeli cooperation came in the 1990s. That was when both sides began to see in the other an important element of their own security strategy.

In those years, Turkish-Israeli relations did indeed approach a near-strategic level. Military and intelligence cooperation was particularly close. For Türkiye, this meant access to technology, modernization, coordination on security matters, and the strengthening of its armed forces. For Israel, an alliance with a large Muslim country occupying a position of immense geographic importance carried both symbolic and practical value. It demonstrated that the Jewish state was capable of building durable ties in the region and moving beyond the usual boundaries of diplomatic isolation. Joint exercises, military contacts, defense agreements, technical modernization, intelligence exchanges, and political coordination all created the impression that a long-term axis was taking shape between the two states.

It is to that period that the story of Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan belongs, a story that still carries symbolic weight for understanding how Turkish-Israeli closeness was perceived both in Türkiye and across the region. What remains a confirmed fact is that Ocalan was captured by Turkish intelligence in Kenya in 1999. Yet almost immediately, a broader narrative took hold suggesting that Israeli intelligence may have assisted Türkiye in the operation. That theme became part of the half-shadowed political memory of the region. For some, it was evidence of the depth of the Turkish-Israeli partnership. For others, it became part of a wider myth that Israel, at critical moments, stood with the Turkish state in its struggle against the Kurdish movement. Even if one leaves aside the question of how accurate those perceptions were, the more important point remains. Such narratives could only take root because, in the 1990s, Turkish-Israeli cooperation appeared so close that many found it entirely plausible that Israel might have had a hand in some of Türkiye’s most sensitive operations.

And this is where one of the most striking ironies of modern Middle Eastern history lies. What once seemed like a durable strategic partnership gradually turned into a field of irritation, mutual suspicion, and then near-open rivalry. Erdogan’s rise to power did not produce an immediate rupture, but it steadily altered the ideological framework of the relationship. The new Turkish leadership viewed the region differently. It sought not merely to preserve ties to the Western security architecture, but to construct its own autonomous axis of influence, drawing upon the Islamic factor, a more active policy across former Ottoman spaces, and the projection of moral leadership on issues tied to the Muslim world. Within that model, Israel could no longer remain for Ankara simply a pragmatic partner. It increasingly became a convenient point of ideological contrast and at the same time an important target of foreign policy pressure.

Much more than just Palestine

The turning point in public perception came with the Mavi Marmara incident of 2010, when Israeli forces raided a flotilla of ships carrying aid to the blockaded Gaza, which Türkiye had helped to organize. During the attack, nine people were killed aboard the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara, most of them Turkish nationals. After that, relations deteriorated sharply, and mutual distrust moved far beyond the walls of diplomatic offices. It became part of mass political consciousness. For Turkish society, Israel increasingly appeared as a state acting from a position of force and disregarding moral restraints. For much of the Israeli establishment, Türkiye came to look like a former ally moving rapidly toward radicalization, using the Palestinian issue for its own rise, and shifting toward a more confrontational model of behavior. Later, both sides made efforts to normalize relations. There were apologies, negotiations, a return to formal diplomatic channels, and eventually the restoration of full relations. But that warming proved to be more of a pause than a lasting reversal. The war in Gaza shattered the relationship once again, and it became obvious that the old level of trust no longer existed.

The current tension cannot be reduced to the Palestinian issue alone, even though that remains the most powerful emotional accelerator of the conflict. In reality, Türkiye and Israel now diverge along several strategic lines at once. The first is linked to Syria. For Türkiye, the Syrian arena is directly connected to questions of national security, the Kurdish issue, refugees, border control, and its own capacity for projecting force. For Israel, Syria forms part of a much broader equation involving Iran, Hezbollah, weapons routes, and the danger of hostile military infrastructure taking shape near its borders. For the moment these interests overlap only in part, but the sheer density of the two states’ presence in the same theater is gradually increasing the risk not only of political friction but of operational military clashes as well.

The third line concerns the struggle for symbolic leadership. This is an especially important factor, although it is often underestimated. Israel proceeds from the assumption that it must preserve military and technological superiority, as well as political initiative in questions concerning regional security. Under Erdogan, Türkiye has become ever more insistent in claiming the role of a state that speaks for a broad Muslim audience, especially where Palestinians, Jerusalem, and resistance to Israeli policy are concerned. For Erdogan, this is part of a long-term project in which Türkiye is meant to appear not as a peripheral member of the Western world, but as an autonomous center of power combining military capability, historical memory, and civilizational ambition. From that perspective, confrontation with Israel brings Ankara not only risks but political dividends.

Yet for Israel as well, the current escalation is not devoid of internal logic. In a climate of chronic crisis, military tension, and deep social fractures, the image of an external enemy once again becomes an instrument of consolidation. For a government accustomed to thinking like a besieged fortress, an outside threat is a useful tool of political survival. After the conflict in Gaza, after tensions on the northern front, and against the background of constant confrontation with Iran, Türkiye may begin to be seen by part of the Israeli establishment as the next major systemic challenge. And it’s a challenge unlike any Israel has faced before: not an ideological enemy on the margins and not an ostracized rogue state, but a strong regional power with ambitions, an army, industry, demography, and a desire to reshape the regional balance in its own favor.

In that sense, the danger of Turkish-Israeli confrontation does not lie in the idea that the two countries stand today on the threshold of immediate war. What matters far more is that they are increasingly placing one another on their long-term maps of threat perception. Once that happens, political rhetoric begins to perform a preparatory function, accustoming society to the idea that a future clash is inevitable. It generates expert justifications for greater harshness. It legitimizes force buildups, new alliances, more aggressive moves in adjacent arenas, and a lower threshold of sensitivity to risk. At such moments, conflict may remain below the threshold of open war for a long time, but the underlying developments already start working in favor of its arrival.

The Kurdish question plays a particularly important role in this structure. For Türkiye, it carries an almost existential meaning. Any external contact with forces that Ankara associates with the PKK or regards as ideologically close to it is perceived not as a potential threat to the territorial and political stability of the state. That is why even rumors or suspicions of possible Israeli interest in the Kurdish factor are capable of provoking an intensely painful reaction in Türkiye. It is here that one can see especially clearly how historical memory, intelligence suspicions, regional competition, and symbolic politics are woven into a single dangerous knot. In such an atmosphere, even indirect actions may be interpreted as hostile signals.

Permanent state of near-war

The greatest danger lies in the fact that conflicts of this kind rarely begin as an openly declared major war. Far more often they grow out of a chain of mutual suspicions, peripheral crises, failed signals, shows of force, and miscalculations. First the sides simply become accustomed to thinking of one another as future enemies. Then they begin to act on the basis of that assumption. After that, any local flare-up in Syria, in the Eastern Mediterranean, around the Kurdish issue, around the Palestinian question, or in the struggle over new regional coalitions can become a trigger. That is why the most accurate way to describe what is happening is neither as an inevitable war nor as an empty bluff, but as an accelerating strategic movement toward conflict.

Türkiye and Israel have not yet crossed the line into direct military confrontation. More than that, there is still room between them for restraint, tactical calculation, and an awareness of the price both sides would pay in the event of open war. But the problem is that the strategic environment around them is becoming increasingly broken, while mechanisms of trust continue to erode. In such conditions, even the absence of a direct intention to fight is no guarantee that war will not emerge from the logic of events itself.

If no new system of restraints emerges, if not even minimal formats for crisis management appear, if outside powers continue to use Turkish-Israeli contradictions in their own games, and if domestic political regimes continue to feed on external confrontation, then today’s verbal clashes may well prove to be the prologue to a far harsher and more dangerous phase of Middle Eastern politics. And then the argument over what exactly Erdogan said and how exactly the Israeli press retold it will remain only a minor detail against the background of a far more consequential process. A process in which two powerful states are gradually training themselves to look at one another not as difficult neighbors, but as future major adversaries.

The US is a “dictatorship” that is “willing to bomb, break and destroy without regard to human rights” in order to rob other countries of natural resources, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has told RT’s Rick Sanchez.

In an interview set to be aired on Monday, Sanchez asked the Belarusian leader about US foreign policy staying the same regardless of whom Americans vote into the White House.

Washington’s policy in Venezuela and Cuba, as well as its Middle East wars “show that you are true dictators,” Lukashenko said, arguing that US rhetoric about democracy and human rights strikes hollow in light of massacres like the attack on the Iranian school in Minab in February. The bombing killed at least 175 people, most of them children, according to Tehran.

Washington pursues its main interests, “control over oil and gas,” by “any means necessary,” he said. “You’re willing to bomb, break and destroy without regard to human rights. That’s the essence of a dictatorship.”

Watch the full interview on RT on Monday at 8:30 AM Moscow time.

South Africa’s Democratic Alliance (DA) has been accused of white supremacy and double standards over its alleged failure to label Israel’s military actions in Gaza as genocide.

Speaking at a DA event in Johannesburg on Wednesday, Pastor Nigel Branken, an activist, voiced his dislike for the party.

“I’m one of those people who really don’t like you. I’ve never liked the DA. I find the DA to be the most racist party, full of white supremacy,” Branken said.

“The question for me is a big one. How can we even trust you to lead when you can’t acknowledge that there’s a genocide going on in Gaza?” he asked the DA mayoral candidate for Johannesburg, Hellen Zille.

”You say we must wait for the ICJ to rule. The ICJ has found that there’s a plausible case of genocide. The ICJ has said we must respect the rights of people. Amnesty International has ruled. Human Rights Watch has ruled. The International Association of Genocide Scholars has ruled, and you continue to deny that there’s a genocide. Where is your morality?” he said as the crowd heckled him.

”Your party keeps telling us it can’t do anything; it can’t influence what’s happening there. Your party can influence it,” he said amid people trying to stop him.

”You can support other ICJ cases, you can support sanctions. You can support the stopping of coal exports; you can support the prosecution of people serving in the IDF. That is what you can do, Helen Zille. That is what you can do. Shame on you,” he concluded.

Brilliant. The hypocrisy and sophistry is astounding. 73 000 civilians, including childrenj murdered - a war crime - and not a single word of condemnation. An ICC fugitive and no demands for his arrest. Unconscionable.

The DA has never “waited” for any international court to… https://t.co/1R69DkBZ1u

— Phumzile Van Damme (@zilevandamme) April 16, 2026

In a calm response, Zille said there are terrible and serious things happening in the world and she takes great interest in those issues. However, she insisted that South Africa also has its own project which has never succeeded on, which is bringing all citizens to live in harmony.

On social media, the video triggered a surge of commentary, some amused, others scathing.

@JuliRee_Mts “White on white violence “This white man calls out the DA on being racist and calls out their defence on Apartheid during Helen’s campaigns trail.”

@TumishoMasha ”The DA will lose votes for this mark my words.”

@Knick_RSA “We must find this White Brother we need this type of White people in Politics. He speaks truth to power! Right in the Face.”

First published by IOL

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing new calls to resign after it was confirmed that disgraced former British Ambassador to the US Peter Mandelson had been appointed despite not being cleared by security officials.

Mandelson, who was London’s envoy in Washington between February and September 2025, was arrested earlier this year over allegations that he leaked sensitive British government data to late convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

The media claimed he continued friendly relations with Epstein even after the disgraced financier’s imprisonment in 2008, while also receiving money from him.

The Guardian reported on Thursday that Mandelson had failed the vetting by the Cabinet Office in 2024, but the Foreign Office ignored its recommendations and still made the 72-year-old ambassador.

Downing Street confirmed the report, but stressed that Starmer, who previously assured the parliament that “due process” had been followed in the envoy’s appointment, was unaware of Mandelson’s security clearance problems.

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch told BBC that it was “completely preposterous” for the Labour government to claim that Starmer didn’t know about the situation.
“This story does not stack up. The prime minister is taking us for fools. All roads lead to a resignation,” she stressed.

Ed Davey, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, insisted that Starmer “must go” if he really misled the parliament and the public.

Starmer is refusing to step down, telling journalists on Friday that he was “absolutely furious” over not having been informed about Mandelson’s failed vetting, calling it “staggering” and “unforgivable.” He promised to address the lawmakers on Monday to “set out all the relevant facts in true transparency.”

However, the British media appears to be unconvinced by the prime minister’s excuses. On Friday, The Times warned about “a new crisis for Starmer, whose premiership almost collapsed over the Mandelson scandal in February.”

The headline in the Daily Mail read: “Starmer on brink as his Mandelson ‘lies’ are exposed,” while the Express insisted that the prime minister “must resign after blatant lies to MPs.” The Telegraph described the PM’s position as “scarcely credible,” adding that “he cannot survive.”

The Mandelson affair has already dealt a heavy blow to Starmer’s team, with his chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, quitting in February after taking the blame for the appointment of an envoy with known links to Epstein.

McSweeney’s departure was followed by that of the prime minister’s communications director, Tim Allan, who said he was stepping down to allow Starmer to build a “new team.”

The British royal family and Andrew, the younger brother of King Charles III, have also been hit by the new trove of Epstein documents. Already stripped of his titles over his ties to the late sex offender, the ex-prince is now facing allegations of “misconduct in public office” due to allegedly supplying Epstein with sensitive documents.

US President Donald Trump has again lashed out against NATO, stressing that he does not need its help in the Strait of Hormuz, and saying that the military bloc was “useless when needed” during the war on Iran.

On Friday afternoon, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced that the key oil and gas freight corridor was “completely open” for all commercial vessels for the remainder of the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire, which is set to end next week.

Just an hour later, Trump took to Truth Social and confirmed that the Strait of Hormuz was open to traffic, later claiming that Tehran has agreed to “never close it again.” He also stressed that the regional US blockade against Iranian vessels would continue until Washington’s demands were met.

pic.twitter.com/VZ5R6TKxf5

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 17, 2026

Trump has for weeks slammed his European NATO allies for not joining the war on Iran, after the country effectively blocked the strait to ships from what it called hostile nations. The US president hinted that the US could leave the military bloc as a result.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who co-chaired the meeting alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, announced that London and Paris would launch a “multi-national mission to protect freedom of navigation as soon as conditions allow.”

Trump has already accused Starmer of being a fair-weather friend earlier in the Iran conflict. Speaking to Sky News on Wednesday, the US president suggested he could rethink the trade deal Washington struck with London last year, giving the UK a reprieve from his tariff onslaught.

The EU’s newly unveiled age‑verification app is a “surveillance tool” disguised as a privacy‑respecting solution, Telegram founder Pavel Durov has warned. Security researchers were reportedly able to bypass its protections in under two minutes.

The app, which was presented by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday, is intended to let users prove their age online without revealing personal data. Von der Leyen called it “technically ready” and said it meets the “highest privacy standards.”

But Durov has dismissed those claims, alleging that the app is “hackable by design” and is part of the EU’s three‑step plan – to present a “privacy‑respecting” but vulnerable app, let it get hacked, then remove privacy features under the guise of fixing it.

“The EU bureaucrats needed an excuse to silently start turning their ‘privacy‑respecting’ age verification app into a surveillance mechanism over all Europeans,” Durov said.

The EU’s push for mandatory age checks comes as several countries have adopted similar measures. Australia has already banned social media for under‑16s, while Denmark, France, Spain, Italy and Greece are jointly testing age‑verification tools. Germany has proposed a similar ban. 

However, critics argue that these laws create centralized “honeypots” of personal data and increase surveillance risks. In the UK, a proposed digital ID scheme has already drawn fire, with opponents warning of a “police state.”

Durov, who has long clashed with Western governments over free speech, has repeatedly warned that digital freedom is being eroded and that “a dark, dystopian world is approaching fast – while we’re asleep.”

EU and NATO officials fear that European armies would be unable to conduct a major military operation – such as a hypothetical war with Russia that Brussels continues to claim could be imminent – without a secure supply of fossil fuels. EU lawmakers and NATO officials met this week to assess how reliance on oil affects military readiness, according to Euractiv.

The proposed solution looks distinctly like a notorious Brussels brainchild – conceived in strict adherence to the EU’s green agenda, impractical, and intended to be borne by the bloc’s national governments.

Europe’s fuel squeeze

Only two months ago, US President Donald Trump was blaming Cuba’s communist system for a lack of jet fuel – deliberately caused by his administration’s naval blockade of the island nation. Now, capitalist European governments are facing similar pressures after disruptions linked to Trump’s war on Iran.

In its latest monthly report, the International Energy Agency warned that Europe – which sources roughly three-quarters of its jet fuel from the Middle East – could soon face physical shortages. Analysts estimate this could happen by June if only half of lost supply is replaced, or by August if 75% is restored.

Airlines for Europe (A4E), a major industry group, has already called for coordinated kerosene purchases to tackle the situation.

Tanks don’t run on electricity 

“Fossil fuels are the Achilles’ heel of our defense,” Finnish MEP Pekka Toveri, a former general, reportedly said after the EU/NATO meeting, noting that “Leopard tanks do not run on electricity.”

NATO’s director for defense enablement and resilience, Julien Kita, said modern military equipment is even more fuel-hungry than previous generations. He warned: “In the unlikely scenario of a full-scale NATO operation, the air domain would account for around 80% of fuel demand. And that requires a lot of fuel.”

Polish MEP Kamila Gasiuk-Pihowicz echoed the concern, saying the EU could “invest millions in rearmament… but if we cannot secure fuel for tanks and jets, there will be nothing to move.”

European intelligence agencies claim a large-scale conflict with Russia is likely to break out by 2030, even as Moscow denies any hostile intentions.

Tanks must go green

During the discussions, officials reportedly proposed ‘carbon-neutral’ fuels as the main long-term solution, including biofuels, hydrogen, and products derived from renewable electricity.

Hydrogen – a highly-volatile fuel that is difficult to store – remains far from becoming a viable substitute for hydrocarbons. It only found use as rocket propellant for space launches and in some niche applications, such as air-independent propulsion in German Type 214 submarines.

The Toyota Mirais, which almost a decade ago became the first commercially-available car to run on hydrogen fuel cells, is one of the worst-selling models. Just 210 units were bought last year, down from 499 in 2024.

But how will the EU pay for alternative fuels for war?

While domestic manufacturing of non-fossil fuels can potentially solve scarcity of supplies, warfare is as much a calculation of what you can afford as it is what you can do with the capabilities.

Cheap mass-produced drones became the dominant feature of the Ukraine conflict. They also give Iran leverage over the best-funded military in the world. And the EU’s economic perspectives are not particularly good at the moment. 

The replacement strategy would have benefited from abundant nuclear power – but as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen admitted herself, the bloc made a “strategic blunder” by suppressing it and pressing for wind and solar instead.

While EU institutions are promoting an ideologically-pure solution for a purportedly existential problem, implementation would ultimately fall to individual member states.

A European Commission official told Euractiv that additional funding for sustainable fuels could be made available through the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP), a grant distribution mechanism.

“The program includes security of supply among its priorities, although it is ultimately up to member states to decide what falls within that scope,” the official said.

The implementation of joint projects between Moscow and Brazzaville is expected to further strengthen bilateral ties, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak has said. 

During his working visit to the Republic of the Congo, the minister stated that Russia places high priority on developing comprehensive relations with the African country.  

“We [Russia] are confident that the implementation of joint projects and the expansion of cooperation in various fields will help deepen the partnership between our countries at all levels and bring tangible benefits to the peoples of both states,” Novak noted. 

Novak arrived in Congo (Brazzaville) on Thursday as the head of a Russian delegation and took part in the inauguration ceremony of President-elect Denis Sassou Nguesso. As part of the trip, the minister visited the Russian House in the capital and paid tribute at a monument to Yuri Gagarin, where he laid flowers.  

At the same time, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Georgy Borisenko and Congolese Foreign Minister Jean-Claude Gakosso discussed preparations for the third Russia–Africa Summit, which is planned for this year in Moscow.  

In addition, the ministers raised the topic of expanding trade and economic cooperation, with a focus on projects in the fields of energy, infrastructure, healthcare, and personnel training. 

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, discussions were held in line with agreements reached during talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Congolese President Denis Sassou Nguesso in Moscow in May and in Beijing in September. 

The Cuban government attempted to open a direct back-channel with US President Donald Trump last week, tapping a private businessman to hand-deliver a sealed letter to the White House, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing sources.

The reported message, which was ultimately intercepted, was meant to bypass US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has pursued a policy of regime change on the island.

The move was orchestrated by Raul Rodriguez Castro, grandson and chief aide of 94-year-old former Cuban President Raul Castro, who is widely considered one of the island’s most powerful figures, the report said. It added that the letter bore an official Cuban government seal and was formatted as a diplomatic note.

The courier, Roberto Carlos Chamizo Gonzalez, 37, a luxury tourism and high-end car rental entrepreneur based in Havana, was stopped by security officers at Miami International Airport, who confiscated the letter and sent him back to Cuba.

The paper suggested that the move appeared designed to circumvent US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a son of Cuban immigrants and Washington’s most forceful advocate for maximum pressure on Havana.

Ricardo Herrero, executive director of the Washington-based Cuba Study Group, suggested that an attempt to sidestep the top US diplomat was “downright foolish and bound to backfire,” adding that “it’s worse to go with an unknown with no personal relationship to the president, which makes it look more foolish.”

The back-channel bid comes as Cuba is reeling under its worst economic crisis in decades. After US forces kidnapped Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in January 2026, Washington severed Cuba’s main oil lifeline from Caracas and imposed a near-total fuel blockade. The island is also struggling with recurring complete blackouts.

Trump has labeled Cuba “a failing nation”, threatened a “friendly takeover,” and has said recently that the US “may stop by Cuba” after the war in Iran. Havana has warned it is ready for any American attack.

The US could impose travel restrictions on European officials attending the FIFA World Cup this summer over concerns of rising anti-Semitism, Euractiv has reported.

The idea was raised by Yehuda Kaploun, an ultra-Orthodox rabbi serving as special envoy for combating anti-Semitism under President Donald Trump, the outlet said on Friday.

Kaploun spoke this week at an event organized by the European Jewish Association in Brussels, stating that his office is “holding countries accountable for ministers who are saying things, and they are not being allowed into the country.”

An EU official cited by Euractiv claimed that Kaploun privately linked aniti-Semitism allegations to access for the 2026 World Cup. Asked for clarification, the US official said the administration “can take any step that the secretary of state and the president deem necessary,” while declining to discuss “any nitty gritties.”

At the European Jewish Association Annual Policy Conference in Brussels, @USAmbToBelgium and I reiterated the Administration's strong support of Belgium's Jewish community and thanked @MargolinRabbi and @EJAssociation for their efforts to highlight the concerns of Jews across… pic.twitter.com/kzxhCxdyqt

— Ambassador Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun (@StateSEAS) April 16, 2026

Rise in anti-Semitism in Europe?

Accusations of anti-Semitism have frequently been used by Israeli officials to undermine opponents of its policies. However, a recent report from Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs suggests that the problem is particularly bad in the US rather than any European nation.

Relations between Israel and several European governments have deteriorated in recent months, particularly due to the bombing campaign in Iran. Some countries have taken concrete steps to undermine the operation, as opposed to just rejecting Trump’s call to join it.

Spain condemned the strikes as illegal and refused to allow the US to use its airbases. France blocked flights carrying munitions for Israel from crossing its airspace. Belgium reportedly intercepted two military shipments from Britain passing through Liege Airport en route to Tel Aviv.

In the Netherlands, lawmakers voted on Thursday to suspend and partially scrap an EU-Israel association agreement. The proposal to sanction West Jerusalem this way faced opposition from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban but gained momentum after his recent electoral defeat.

World Cup marred by chaos

The economic impact of the 2026 World Cup – to be hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico – remains uncertain. Just this week, the Financial Times reported that US hotels have begun lowering summer prices amid fears of weak demand. Owners fear inflation, anti-American sentiments, and high ticket costs could discourage international visitors.

FIFA was partially responsible by canceling thousands of hotel reservations intended for teams and technical staff. While overbooking is common for large events, the scale in this case exceeded expectations, the report said.

Fans have also expressed frustration over ticketing practices, as detailed by the Los Angeles Times. It described a backlash against a newly introduced premium tier above Category 1, misleading some buyers who will be receiving less favorable seating than anticipated.

The tournament has also been directly affected by the US-Israeli war on Iran. Tehran has no intention to send a team to compete on enemy territory. Football federation president Mehdi Taj suggested relocating matches involving Iran to Mexico, though FIFA chief Gianni Infantino has signaled that the schedule will remain unchanged.

President Donald Trump said on Friday that the US would work alongside Iran, using “a lot of excavators” to recover Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium and bring it to the United States. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei, however, reiterated that Iran would not give up the stockpile, which he described as “as sacred as Iranian soil.” Tehran maintains it is not seeking nuclear weapons, a claim disputed by the US and Israel.

The US and Iran continue behind-the-scenes talks as the two-week ceasefire is set to expire next week.

The situation remains tense in the Strait of Hormuz, where some ships have been able to pass after Iran announced it would reopen the strategic shipping route to all commercial vessels. However, most tankers and cargo ships attempting to cross have suddenly turned back, according to maritime tracking services.

Iranian parliamentary speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf later clarified that the strait would “not remain open” as long as the US continues its naval blockade of Iranian ports.

A 10-day ceasefire entered into force in Lebanon on Friday following several weeks of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah that claimed more than 2,000 lives in the country.

Here are the latest developments:

• Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the Strait of Hormuz is “completely open” to commercial vessels for the remainder of the ceasefire, which is due to expire on Tuesday

• Trump thanked Tehran and said the strait is “open and ready for business,” but added that the US naval blockade on Iran “remains in full force” until a deal is “100% complete”

• Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) warned the US and Israel they will face a “regret-inducing” response if attacks continue

• At least 2,196 people have been killed and 1.2 million displaced in Lebanon amid Israeli airstrikes and evacuation orders to expand a “security zone”

Follow our live coverage below for continuous updates. You can also read our previous updates here.

British oil and gas giant BP has been sued in Kenya over claims that toxic waste from oil exploration four decades ago poisoned water sources and caused deaths in the East African country.

The case, filed by 299 petitioners, was allowed to proceed by a Kenyan High Court and centers on exploration work carried out in the 1980s by Amoco Corporation, later acquired by BP, near Kargi and Kalacha in the Chalbi Desert in the country’s north.

The petitioners say waste containing hazardous substances, including radium isotopes, arsenic, lead and nitrates, was dumped in unlined pits or left exposed, according to court documents cited by AP. They allege the contamination poisoned groundwater, sickened residents and livestock, and contributed to more than 500 deaths.

The lawsuit, filed at the Land and Environment Court in Isiolo, also names Kenyan state agencies, accusing them of failing to act despite evidence of contamination.

BP has not publicly responded to the court’s decision. It also declined to comment, AP reported. The ruling does not determine whether the allegations are true, but allows the claims to be heard in full. The case is due back in court in May.

The multinational oil and gas company is not the first Western energy firm to face legal action in Africa. British energy giant Shell, operator of the SPDC joint venture, has been embroiled in multiple lawsuits and compensation claims over oil spills in Nigeria’s Niger Delta. French oil major TotalEnergies, which has operated in Nigeria for more than six decades, has also faced criticism from communities and activists over alleged spills, pollution and environmental neglect.

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has once again attacked the press, accusing journalists of producing an “endless stream of garbage” in their coverage of the Iran conflict and comparing the Pentagon media pool to the Pharisees, a Jewish group in the Bible who often clashed with Jesus.

Hegseth, a former Fox News host appointed by US President Donald Trump to lead the US Department of Defence, has repeatedly clashed with the press more than a year into his tenure.

Hegseth’s latest comments follow critical coverage of his “CSAR 25:17” reading at the Pentagon prayer service, which was labeled “fake” due to its similarity to the fictional passage from Ezekiel recited by Samuel L. Jackson in Pulp Fiction.

“I just can’t help but notice the endless stream of garbage, the relentlessly negative coverage you cannot resist peddling, despite the historic and important success of this effort and the success of our troops,” Hegseth said at a Pentagon briefing Thursday. “Sometimes it’s hard to figure out what side some of you are actually on.”

“The Pharisees – the so-called and self-appointed elites of their time – they were there to witness, to write everything down, to report,” he added. “But … even though they witnessed a literal miracle, it didn’t matter, they were only there to explain away the goodness in pursuit of their agenda.”

The Pentagon chief had previously accused media outlets of producing “fake news.” In March, he criticized the “dishonest and anti-Trump press” for trying “to downplay progress, amplify every cost and call into question every step.” Later that month, Hegseth said journalists highlighted US casualties in the Iran war “to make the president look bad,” including the six US Army reservists killed in an Iranian attack on an operations center in Kuwait.

Hegseth’s latest remarks come as Trump and officials in his administration have increasingly framed aspects of the Iran war in biblical terms and used references to the Bible in public statements about the conflict and related military actions.

Multiple US military commanders have reportedly offered religious interpretations of the attack on Iran, with the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) saying some described Trump as a harbinger of the Second Coming and the conflict as a “signal fire” for Armageddon. Separately, Trump shared an AI-generated image of himself as a Christ-like figure healing a man, which drew online criticism.

The US has expanded its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, telling its military to pursue Iran-linked vessels everywhere around the globe, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Caine, has said.

Washington announced it would stop ships from accessing Iranian ports on Monday after talks with Tehran’s representatives in Pakistan failed. Iran shut the Strait of Hormuz for the Americans and their allies following the US-Israeli attack on the country on February 28. The US blockade of the key waterway, accounting for some 20% of international crude and LNG trade, further increased the strain on the global economy, causing oil and gas prices to skyrocket.

US forces outside the Persian Gulf area will also “actively pursue any Iranian-flagged vessel or any vessel attempting to provide material support to Iran,” Caine told journalists on Friday.

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff singled out operations in the Pacific, saying that the US would be going after vessels that left Iran’s ports before the blockade started, according to AP.

It provided a list of contraband items to be confiscated, which included weapons, ammunition, nuclear materials, oil products, iron, steel, and aluminum.

According to the US Central Command, a total of 14 ships heading to the Strait of Hormuz have turned around since the announcement of the blockade. None of the vessels have so far been boarded.

Bloomberg reported on Friday that Pakistani tanker Shalamar became the first ship to exit the Strait of Hormuz with a cargo of crude oil since Monday.

On Thursday, Iranian UN envoy Amir-Saeid Iravani labeled the US blockade “a clear act of aggression,” accusing Washington of breaking international law by infringing upon rightful maritime commerce.

Passage for all commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz is now completely open, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi declared on Friday. He added that the waterway will remain open for the remainder of the ceasefire in Lebanon.

Araghchi’s announcement came shortly after a 10-day truce came into force between the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon, which has been one of the major obstacles to a peace deal between Iran and the US.

Writing on X, the Iranian minister stated that “in line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage for all commercial vessels through Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of ceasefire.”

He noted however, that the vessels would be allowed to move along the “coordinated route as already announced by Ports and Maritime Organisation of the Islamic Rep. of Iran,” suggesting that the strait will remain under Tehran’s control.

The Strait of Hormuz has been shut down ever since the US and Israel launched an unprovoked attack on Iran in late February. The closure has driven up energy prices and rattled the global economy, disrupting one of the world’s most important trade arteries, which handles around 20% of global crude exports.

In the minutes following Araghchi’s announcement, oil prices plummeted by more than 10%, with Crude oil dropping to just over $83 per barrel and Brent coming in at around $88.

Indian refiners are making payments for Iranian oil in yuan, after a temporary sanctions-waiver by the US enabled New Delhi to buy crude from the Middle Eastern country, Reuters reported.

The US issued the one-month waiver on March 20, which Washington says will not be extended.

Payment for the Iranian cargoes is a complicated issue due to the US sanctions on Tehran, deterring some prospective buyers of crude from the country.

Indian Oil Corp bought 2 million barrels of Iranian oil in ‌April, the country’s first purchase of Iranian crude in seven years, reportedly worth $200 million.

New Delhi has also allowed four vessels carrying Iranian oil to berth for its largest private refiner, Reliance ⁠Industries.

Both trades are being settled through ICICI Bank, a private bank, which is routing funds in Chinese yuan via its Shanghai branch, the news outlet reported.

Indian refiners have previously used yuan to settle some Russian oil purchases.

The yuan’s emergence as a global currency would be essential for Beijing to turn into a true “financial powerhouse,” President Xi Jinping has said, amid concerns about the dollar’s status as the world’s reserve currency.

Iranian crude accounted for 11.5% of India’s total imports before it ceased purchases in 2019 after the tightening of US sanctions.

New Delhi is the world’s third-largest importer and consumer of oil and procures 90% of its requirements from abroad.

The Daily Telegraph’s incoming owner, German-based media conglomerate Axel Springer, is demanding that its employees now stick to a pro-Israel stance, British journalist Owen Jones has reported, citing a letter circulated among staff.

Earlier this week, the UK government cleared Axel Springer’s £575 million ($778 million) takeover of The Telegraph – a right-leaning newspaper which is at times dubbed the ‘Torygraph’ for its support of the Conservative Party – with the deal expected to close by the end of June. Axel Springer already owns German newspapers Bild and Die Welt as well as Politico.

On Wednesday, Jones reported, citing a Telegraph insider, that CEO Mathias Dopfner had circulated a letter among employees laying out the company’s binding “Essentials.” The first point prioritizes “freedom, freedom of expression, the rule of law, and democracy,” while the second states that “we support the right of Israel to exist and oppose all forms of antisemitism.”

Jones said that “the description of the Essentials is, frankly, Orwellian,” adding that out of almost 200 countries in the world, only one is mentioned in the document.

He also cited a frustrated Telegraph insider, who argued that “affirming the right of a country committing genocide and ethnic cleansing is more than a little concerning,” adding: “It also raises the question of how any reporting from the paper can be considered factual if that is our core principle.”

According to Jones, the phrase ‘Israel’s right to exist’ has been “repeatedly deployed by Israel’s cheerleaders across the West to justify Israel’s crimes.” He also remarked that “the Essentials do not prohibit racism in general” and that there “is no explicit rejection of Islamophobia.” The journalist also suggested that Dopfner was deliberately blurring the lines between anti-Semitism and criticism of Israel’s actions – including devastating strikes in Gaza and Lebanon.

Dopfner – a self-described “non-Jewish Zionist” – has made no effort to conceal his political views. In October 2023, after Hamas’ attack on Israel, he wrote an op-ed for Politico saying that “the chant ‘From the River to the Sea Palestine Will be Free’" is tantamount to calls for genocide of the Israelis.

In 2025, he said it was “surprising that Israel is not being celebrated worldwide for its historic strikes” on the Iranian nuclear program while fuming over what he described as “anti-Israel propaganda” in media coverage of the attacks.

In addition, a Die Zeit investigation claimed, citing leaked e-mails, that Dopfner once summarized his beliefs by the phrase “Zionism uber alles” (Zionism above all else).

Europe could run out of jet fuel within weeks if oil supplies continue to be disrupted by the Iran war, the head of the International Energy Agency (IEA) has said.

In an interview with the Associated Press on Thursday, IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol warned of far-reaching global consequences from what he described as “the largest energy crisis we have ever faced,” triggered by disruptions to oil, gas, and other critical supplies flowing through the Strait of Hormuz.

The US-Israeli bombing campaign prompted Iran to close the critical route, a conduit for roughly 20% of global oil, to “enemy ships,” triggering a breakdown in supply chains. US President Donald Trump declared a blockade of the strait on Sunday after failed talks with Tehran, a move that caused tankers to turn back and pushed oil prices back toward $100 a barrel.

Europe had “maybe six weeks or so” of jet fuel left, according to the agency chief, and unless the Strait of Hormuz is reopened, “soon we will hear the news” of flights being cancelled due to shortages.

Birol likened the situation to a “dire strait,” warning that the longer disruptions persist, the worse the impact on growth and inflation worldwide. The fallout would mean “higher petrol prices, higher gas prices, high electricity prices,” he said.

Western Europe is widely seen as the biggest loser from the Hormuz blockade due to its heavy reliance on Middle Eastern oil after sanctioning Russian supplies.

Politico reported earlier this month that London’s Heathrow Airport has already seen cancellations linked to soaring jet fuel costs, while Scandinavian carrier SAS has reportedly scrapped about 1,000 flights. Smaller British regional airlines Skybus and Aurigny have also cut services as fuel prices surge roughly 120% year-on-year, and Air France has raised fares on long-haul routes.

Moscow has signaled it is ready to plug any oil supply gap to offset shortages triggered by the Middle East conflict. Earlier this week, Indonesia secured an agreement to import Russian crude oil and liquefied petroleum gas, while the Philippines has taken its first Russian oil cargo in five years after declaring an energy emergency. Vietnam has signed new oil and gas cooperation deals with Moscow, and Thailand has also expressed interest in Russian supplies, underscoring Russia’s expanding role as a key supplier during the crisis.

The Burundian communications minister, Gabby Bugaga, died on Thursday “following an accident,” officials have confirmed.

The government said Bugaga passed away in the early hours of April 16, describing the death as “unexpected” and expressing condolences to his family, colleagues, and the nation.

According to several posts on social media, Bugaga was found dead at the wheel of a Toyota 4x4 parked in a palm oil plantation in Kivoga, northwest of Bujumbura, in Ntahangwa district. However, the exact circumstances remain unclear, with no further details provided by the authorities.

The Ministry of Communication and Media also confirmed on X it had received the news with “dismay.” Staff extended condolences to Bugaga’s family and to members of the media community.

“We are deeply saddened by the news of the sudden death of the Minister,” he wrote on X, adding “may God receive him and reward him for the courage, diligence and dedication that characterized him in all his duties to serve the country.” 

Bugaga had served as communications minister since August 2025, after previously working as a member of the country’s National Independent Electoral Commission. He was a well-known journalist and worked for the National Radio and Television of Burundi (RTNB).

His death comes amid a number of high-profile fatalities involving African officials in recent months. In March, Kenyan MP Johana Ng’eno was among six people killed when a helicopter crashed and caught fire in Mosop, Nandi County.

Earlier this month, James Unomasa Uerikua, the governor of Namibia’s Otjozondjupa Region, died in a car accident. His son also lost his life in the same crash.

South African opposition figure Julius Malema has been sentenced to five years in prison for firing a rifle at a party rally nearly a decade ago, in a ruling that could cost him his seat in Parliament if upheld on appeal.

Malema, leader of the left-wing Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), was convicted last year on five counts, including unlawful possession of a firearm, discharging it in public and reckless endangerment. The charges stemmed from video showing him firing the weapon before supporters at the party’s fifth-anniversary rally in Mdantsane, in Eastern Cape province, in 2018.

Prosecutors had sought a 15-year sentence. In Thursday’s ruling at the East London Regional Court in KuGompo City, Eastern Cape, the court rejected defense arguments that the shooting was merely celebratory.

“It is clear that if crimes are allowed to go unchecked and unpunished, it poses a serious threat to our democratic state,” Magistrate Twanet Olivier said before delivering the sentence, according to Reuters.

He was, however, granted leave to appeal and remains free pending the outcome. If the sentence stands, South African law would bar him from serving as a lawmaker because he received a prison term of more than 12 months without the option of a fine.

Following the ruling, Malema accused Magistrate Olivier of being “racist” and “possibly a member of AfriForum,” the Afrikaner lobby group that brought the case.

“We can tell you now, no sober judge will ever agree that a person shoot one bullet and then he’s sentenced for five years,” he told supporters outside court.

“They are trying by all means to silence this voice. They will never win,” he said, adding that “we are fighting the enemy and the enemy is white supremacy.”

He founded the EFF in 2013 after being expelled from the African National Congress, the country’s longtime governing party, where he led its youth wing.

US President Donald Trump’s war of words with Pope Leo XIV appears to have split his own MAGA movement. While a number of prominent Republicans have distanced themselves from the exchange, others have stepped in to reassure him of their continued support.

Trump responded with a social media tirade, calling the Pope “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy” and posting an AI‑generated image of himself as a Jesus‑like figure, robed in white, healing a sick man while surrounded by fighter jets and US flags.

Here are the Republican believers who have come out of left field:

Senator Lindsey Graham 

One of the most prominent hawks in Washington slammed Pope Leo in a Fox News interview, claiming the pontiff was “miscalculating” by advocating for world peace.

“The Catholic Church didn’t really get Hitler,” Graham claimed, arguing that the Vatican is now repeating the same mistake by failing to recognize the “evil” of Iran.

Graham, a Southern Baptist who says he bases his unconditional support for Israel on the Bible, insists that Iranian leaders are “religious Nazis” who would “kill all the Jews if we let them.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson

The Southern Baptist defended Trump by suggesting that Pope Leo had deserved the backlash for “wading into political waters.”

He also tried to lecture the pontiff on Christian theology, claiming that Pope Leo did not understand the “just war” doctrine which Washington has used to justify its attack on Iran.

Developed by Saint Augustine, the doctrine holds that warfare is permissible only as a tragic last resort to restrain evil and restore peace, never for vengeance or gain. Pope Leo was an Augustinian friar for 12 years.

Johnson, an evangelical Protestant with a business degree from LSU and a law degree he parlayed into running a law school that never enrolled a single student, felt the need to correct the pope on a point of Augustine’s war doctrine.

The same week Johnson offered his lesson from… pic.twitter.com/bavANtL9Yb

— Christopher Hale (@ChristopherHale) April 16, 2026

J.D. Vance

The US Vice President, a Catholic convert, also accused Pope Leo of misinterpreting the Augustine doctrine, urging the pontiff to “be careful when he talks about matters of theology.” 

He also argued that the Vatican should “stick to matters of morality” rather than foreign policy.

Bernie Moreno

The Catholic senator from Ohio delivered a pointed personal attack, stating that his “mother would be ashamed of the current pope.”

Tom Homan 

Trump’s latest ‘Border Czar’ and a self‑described “lifelong Catholic” told the Vatican to “stay out of immigration” and that they “don’t know what they’re talking about.” He also offered to “sit down to explain” Catholic doctrine to the Pope.

Elise Stefanik

The New York congresswoman claimed on network news that the pope had “politically attacked” Trump, insisting the papacy should remain “strictly spiritual.”

MAGA financier Hal Lambert 

Pope Leo’s criticism of Trump is part of a “Chicago‑centric” plot involving former President Barack Obama to hurt Republicans in the midterms, according to the Point Bridge Capital CEO, a prominent Republican megadonor.

MAGA elites are now regularly delivering lectures about the teachings of Jesus Christ to…the Pope.

This is not “I disagree with the Church on X issue.”

This is “My personal interpretation of the Gospel is superior to the Vicar of Christ.”

It’s deranged in a way I didn’t… https://t.co/p25YXaaOkG

— Jon Favreau (@jonfavs) April 17, 2026

A crack in the MAGA movement

Trump has made U-turns on a number of campaign promises, including the war on Iran, and has already seen his support base fracture. His sudden attack on the Catholic Church has ruffled even more feathers within the MAGA movement.

Former congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has become a vocal Trump critic, went further by denouncing the president’s AI Jesus image as “blasphemy” and condemning Trump for attacking the Pope on Orthodox Easter.

Three other prominent conservatives who have recently had a falling out with Trump, namely Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens, and Alex Jones, all delivered scathing critiques of the president’s feud with the Pope and the AI Jesus image.

Jones and Owens have gone as far as to call for Trump’s removal under the 25th Amendment, describing him as a “genocidal lunatic.”

Russia has sent an important message to the world by sending a ship with oil to Cuba last month as the US blockades the island, Havana’s envoy to New Delhi has said.

Moscow shipped 100,000 tons of oil required for Cuba’s normal functioning after the US imposed restrictions, Juan Carlos Marsan Aguilera told RT India in an exclusive interview on Thursday.

“After three months without oil, a Russian ship arrived in Cuba,” he said in the latest episode of India, Russia, and the World. “It was more than that, a message [to the world] that Russia would support Cuba at a critical moment.”

Russia was sending a broader message by backing Cuba “because the US was threatening any country supplying oil with tariffs or [an] attack on ships,” the ambassador said.

READFULLTEXT

Moscow proved that it is “possible not to follow rules imposed by the US,” Aguilera noted. “[The] day after [the] ship arrived, [US President Donald] Trump said I am not opposed to any country that would like to supply oil to Cuba,” he said, adding, “that was not true as the possibility of sanctions was always on the table.”

Russia, China, and India are important partners of Cuba, the envoy stated, citing Moscow’s huge presence in the energy and transportation sectors and China’s assistance to the nation’s energy transition.

“India and Cuba have a longstanding history. We are celebrating 66 years of bilateral ties,” Aguilera said.

Cuba supports India’s bid for a permanent UN Security Council seat because in Aguilera’s words, “The Global South needs a relevant position.”

The US blockade of Cuba is an economic war on the island nation, the Cuban ambassador said. Washington’s concept of peace means countries submitting to its interests, which is unacceptable, he said. “Cuba is an obstacle to US dominance,” Aguilera added.

“With this blockade, it is difficult to sustain the healthcare system because you don’t have electricity,” he said, pointing to the huge impact on all vital sectors, including food production. “So this has a massive impact on the entire economy.”

The first Trump administration imposed a raft of measures to strangle the Cuban economy, Aguilera said, adding that the present one had gone even further.

On Trump’s January 29 executive order declaring Cuba “as an extraordinary threat to the US,” Aguilera wondered how a nation of 10 million people could pose a threat to a much larger country.

US officials have warned their European counterparts that the supply of previously contracted American arms could be delayed due to dwindling stockpiles as a result of the war on Iran, Reuters has reported, citing sources.

Tensions have been mounting between Washington and its NATO allies since the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28, with President Donald Trump branding the Europeans “cowards” for their unwillingness to join the military operation. Trump has also warned of a possible American withdrawal from the bloc.

Several European nations, including those in the Baltic and Scandinavia, are now unlikely to receive promised US arms deliveries in time, Reuters reported on Thursday.

The sources declined to name the exact countries because some share a border with Russia, making the news of possible delays in deliveries “sensitive defense information,” Reuters said.

Trump has long pressured European NATO members to buy more American arms so that they can take security on the continent into their own hands, and also to supply Ukraine during the conflict with Russia.

Moscow has rejected as “nonsense” claims that it harbors any aggressive plans against NATO, saying that Western politicians are using Russia to scare the population and justify increased militarization. According to Russian officials, the country will only fight the bloc if it is attacked first.

On Thursday, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu issued a warning to Finland and the Baltic states over Ukrainian drones reaching Russia via their territory.

Either Western air defenses are proving ineffective against Kiev’s UAVs or Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia “deliberately provide their airspace, thereby becoming open accomplices in aggression against Russia,” he said.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen can ignore voters’ opinions as she essentially cannot be voted out like recently defeated Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Alice Weidel, co-chair of the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, has said.

The AfD is the most popular party in Germany, with a recent YouGov poll suggesting that it would get 27% of the vote if elections were held now. The CDU/CSU and SPD trail behind with 23% and 13%, respectively, according to the survey.

Speaking at a press conference this week, Weidel acknowledged that Peter Magyar’s landslide victory in the Hungarian election, which ended 16 years of Orban’s rule, was “absolutely legitimate,” but raised concerns about democratic accountability among the EU leadership.

Praising Orban as “an important, critical voice” within the EU, Weidel then agreed with a German journalist from Die Welt, who said that “Orban could be voted out; Ms. von der Leyen cannot be voted out.”

It took von der Leyen only 17 minutes to issue a statement celebrating Magyar’s victory after Orban conceded defeat. “Hungary has chosen Europe,” von der Leyen said. “Europe has always chosen Hungary. A country reclaims its European path. The Union grows stronger.”

Later, she also called on member states to scrap the national veto in EU foreign policy, claiming qualified majority voting was “an important way to avoid systemic blockages” – a direct swipe at years of Orban’s vetoes on Ukraine-related decisions.

Von der Leyen has faced criticism over numerous controversies since becoming EC president in 2019. Among the most notable is the ‘Pfizergate’ scandal, which centered on personal text messages the EU chief exchanged with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla during negotiations over a €35 billion deal for 1.8 billion Covid-19 vaccine doses. In May 2025, an EU court ruled the commission had “failed to provide credible explanations” for why the messages were not retained.

Von der Leyen has survived multiple no-confidence votes in the past two years, with her critics lambasting her over a lack of transparency and handling of the immigration issue. She has also long been attempting to force through a series of fundamental changes to EU rules in order to create a two-tier bloc, into which Ukraine could be integrated despite not meeting the usual requirements for member states.

An April 2026 Polling Europe Euroscope survey placed von der Leyen’s approval rating at 33%, a 12% drop from February. A separate Ipsos EuroPulse poll from September 2025 put her positive rating even lower, at just 23%.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) commander Admiral Brad Cooper has praised Israel and Arab states hosting American bases as “exceptional” allies in the war against Iran. He made the remarks amid reports of a possible second round of peace talks this week, as a two-week truce is set to expire on Wednesday.

During a press conference with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon on Thursday, Cooper hailed Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and the UAE as “exceptional teammates.”

“And there’s been no better teammate than Israel,” Cooper added.

“Together, the four best air forces in the world – the Israeli Air Force, the US Air Force, and the air forces of the US Navy and US Marine Corps – together met and exceeded our own military objectives over and over again,” Cooper said.

The admiral recalled that he met Israel’s Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, late last month to ensure the two countries remained “closely aligned.”

Speaking alongside Cooper, Hegseth denied that the war had been “foisted upon” Trump by Israel. “President Trump makes his own decisions about the interests of this country and defending our interests, and then works with allies and partners – in this case Israel, which has a lot of will and a lot of capabilities, which we’re grateful for,” he said.

Kent, who resigned from his position last month in protest of the war, said intelligence agencies could not confirm Trump’s claim that Iran has been pursuing nuclear weapons.

In the remote forests of Bastar, a district in central India’s state of Chhattisgarh, the air no longer carries the acrid scent of gunpowder. Instead, the sweet, heady fragrance of Mahua flowers drifts through villages once trapped in the grip of left-wing extremism.

Bastar is famous not only for its forests and diverse tribal groups, but for the Maoist insurgency, functioning for decades as the epicenter of their conflict against Indian security forces. Bastar has been considered a prominent stronghold of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA), an armed wing of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), a banned political organization in India, since early 2000s. Inspired by Chinese communist leader Mao Zedong, the rebels advocate for class struggle and agrarian revolution through armed resistance.

What was long touted as the Maoists’ ‘Red Corridor’ – a vast stretch of ‘liberated zones’ from southern India toward Nepal – has now been dismantled. Sustained operations by India’s security forces, particularly since 2024, have significantly weakened the presence of Maoists, also known in the region as ‘Naxalites’ or ‘Naxals’ after the 1967 uprising in Naxalbari village in West Bengal state.  

After more than four decades of insurgency, roads, electricity, schools, and governance are steadily reclaiming territory that the state had lost to armed rebels.

Speaking in parliament on March 30, Indian Home Minister Amit Shah said that the left-wing extremists and their supporters had presented a false narrative before innocent tribal people that they were fighting for their rights and to deliver justice to them. He said that Naxalism has now been “almost completely eradicated from Bastar,” and a campaign has begun to build schools and open ration shops in every village there, calling it one of the key achievements of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. 

Peace returns

In Puwarti village, birthplace of the notorious Maoist commander Madvi Hidma linked to the deaths of hundreds of security personnel and civilians – a security forces camp now stands where arms training for his battalion once took place. Children play near a newly built Anganwadi child-care center.

Hidma’s deputy, Barse Deva, surrendered in early 2026, and his battalion has largely disintegrated through encounters, surrenders, and dispersal. Similar change is visible in Gougunda, a former Maoist bastion perched on a 660-meter-high cliff surrounded by dense forest. For the first time in living memory, electricity has reached the village. Residents who once lived by the sun’s rhythm now stay up late studying, working, or socializing.

Gangi Muchaki, who opened Gougunda’s first grocery shop with government help, beams under the glow of a solitary LED bulb: “This feels surreal! I still cannot believe that we have electricity, a motorable road and a ‘kirana’ (grocery) shop in our village. The night of red terror is over; this is a new dawn.”

End of Isolation

Maoists had deliberately banned constructing roads or installing electricity poles, as well as telecom towers, to maintain control of these areas through isolation. Today, the Border Roads Organization, an agency under the Ministry of Defence of India developing and maintaining road networks in India’s border regions and remote areas, is cutting all-weather roads through the forests. These road link remote districts in Chhattisgarh toward the southern city of Hyderabad. Arterial roads closed for 15-30 years due to frequent ambushes have now reopened.

Displaced villagers are returning home. In Baleveda village, falling under Narayanpur district, a Border Security Force (BSF) camp now occupies the site where Maoists once held their so-called kangaroo courts and carried out executions.

Ramulal Wadde, a Madia tribesman who lived in exile for 20 years in a slum, has returned as the new sarpanch, an elected head of a village-level self-government, along with about 20 other families. They are now rebuilding homes that fell into disrepair during their absence.

Wadde recalls the terror of those years: “This area is the place where they executed so many innocent villagers, including my relatives, for simply defying their diktats, like giving away one child to Naxal’s Bal Sena or simply daring to go out of the village to the town to see a doctor or study in a state-run residential school.”

His own family suffered losses on both sides of the conflict – one son, who was forced to join the rebels, was eventually killed by security forces, while another was killed by Maoists after he was branded a police informer.

Wadde himself fled after he was labelled an informer. As sarpanch, one of his first acts was symbolic: “The first thing I did as the village head was to raze the Shaheed Minar (a tower to honor the fallen Maoists) to dust. You see the hand pump there. I deliberately paved its platform with the debris of their pillar of pride to trample upon their legacy every day and forever.”

Since 2000, violence between insurgents and security forces has claimed nearly 12,000 lives, including over 4,000 civilians, according to the South Asian Terrorism Portal.

Similar scenes of return and reconstruction are unfolding in villages like Khader, where new brick homes funded by the prime minister’s housing scheme are rising amid the jungle. Despite brutal Maoist reprisals – including public beheadings of suspected “informers” witnessed by families – residents are coming back in growing numbers.

Education Replaces Indoctrination

Maoists destroyed or closed hundreds of schools and killed over 20 teachers since 2020 while running indoctrination centers in thatched huts. The state is now reversing the damage. In Bastar’s interior areas, 263 schools have reopened or been newly established, enrolling over 9,000 children, with nearly 100 new buildings under construction.

District officials, including Narayanpur’s district magistrate Smita Jain, conduct ‘Sushasan Shivir’ (Good Governance Camps) on motorcycles without fear, turning them into festive occasions where villagers obtain documents recognized pan-India, including Aadhaar cards (a 12-digit individual identification number issued to Indian residents), ration cards, and other essential documents.

Security forces have cleared jungle paths not only for operations but also to deliver governance directly to remote communities.

Veteran journalist Animesh Paul, who has covered the insurgency for nearly two decades, observes the dramatic shift. “Travelling in a police vehicle today is routine; just months ago, it would have been considered suicidal,” he opines.

Eliminating Leadership, Rehabilitating Cadres

In May 2025, Nambala Keshava Rao, alias Basavaraju, the general-secretary of the banned CPI (Maoist), was neutralized in a 50-hour encounter in the Abujhmarh hills. Young local recruits like Manish Usendi – whose brother was killed by Maoists for wanting to join the police – played roles in such operations. The collapse of Naxalites accelerated with a chain of high-profile operations executed by security forces. The elimination of top leaders, including Hidma, shattered command structures and triggered mass surrenders.

Over 2,700 Maoists have surrendered in the Bastar region in recent years as part of a larger nationwide trend. Senior officers credit sustained pressure on leadership, financial networks (extortion from contractors and forest produce traders), and infrastructure expansion for reducing the group’s capacity for major attacks.

Chhattisgarh’s Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, who also holds the Home portfolio, sums up the current phase: “The operation has been successful. But you don’t relieve yourself immediately after the operation. It is time for healing the state. Also, the Naxals are gone, but they’ve left behind landmine-riddled roads, jungles and ponds. The forces are clearing them out to make the jungles safe for everyone.”

Mangtu, who joined as a child soldier at age 14, confides, “I was so smitten by the uniforms and weapons of the Naxals that I accompanied them, almost hypnotized.” Aspiring to become a taxi driver, he adds, “I am training to be a taxi driver; some are getting training to eke out a living as plumbers. I am done with this goalless and endless revolution. I am tired of running and hiding. I want to live a normal life now and start a family.”

Many surrendered rebels revealed the Maoists’ brutal practice of forced sterilization – vasectomies and tubectomies performed without anesthesia on hundreds of young cadres – to sever family bonds and turn them into detached “human weapons.” They are now seeking a reversal procedure.

The dream of a contiguous ‘Red Corridor’ exploiting tribal grievances, poverty, and weak state presence has now collapsed into isolated pockets. Historically, the Naxalite leadership was often from Telugu-speaking regions in the country’s South, as the movement drew from post-Independence agrarian unrest, including the Telangana Struggle of 1946-51. The foot soldiers were local ‘adivasis’, or tribal people, while funding came mainly from local “levies” rather than large-scale foreign support.

After eliminating insurgency, authorities are now replacing parallel local governance structures and Kangaroo courts with transparent governance. Hundreds of security camps that have been established in the villages will further  transition into schools, health centers, or community facilities once the area is fully stabilized. Central forces continue de-mining of areas to ensure physical safety. There are many underlying vulnerabilities – single rain-fed agriculture, dependence on minor forest produce like Mahua flowers and tendu leaves, and lack of irrigation – created fertile ground for insurgency.

The proposed Bodhghat project on the Indravati River, estimated at around $6 billion and intended to generate 125 MW of power and irrigate nearly 700,000 hectares across key districts, could enable multiple crops and reduce the economic fragility that Maoists once exploited.

The grand Maoist vision of a continuous “Red Corridor” stretching from Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh to Pashupati in Nepal now lies in tatters, reduced to scattered remnants in a handful of remote pockets. What remains is the harder, more enduring task: translating military gains into lasting peace through inclusive development, responsive governance, and economic opportunity.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has criticized the US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, arguing that it could empower the regional armed group Hezbollah.

The 10-day truce, which took effect on Friday, is aimed at halting Israel’s military operation in Lebanon, which has left 2,196 people dead and 1.2 million displaced.

The IDF renewed airstrikes and expanded their presence in southern Lebanon last month after Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel in support of Iran.

“While I appreciate every effort to bring peace through diplomacy in the Middle East, particularly in Lebanon, we have to be realistic about the situation on the ground,” Graham wrote on X.

“I will not support any agreement regarding peace in Lebanon that fails to convince me that it will result in the disarmament and demise of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization,” Graham said.

According to the US State Department, Israel has agreed to halt “offensive military operations against Lebanese targets,” but has reserved the right to “take all necessary measures in self-defense.” The deal also calls on the Lebanese government to prevent Hezbollah from attacking “Israeli targets.”

Hezbollah, which was not involved in the US-mediated negotiations, said the truce must halt all IDF activities in Lebanon.

US President Donald Trump’s true religion is “Israelism” rather than Christianity, conservative journalist and podcaster Tucker Carlson has claimed, criticizing the president’s Middle East policies.

Carlson made the remarks in response to controversial statements Trump made over the past week, including his attacks on Pope Leo XIV and posts depicting himself as a Christ-like figure.

On Monday, Trump described the US-born pontiff as “weak” and “terrible for foreign policy” after the pope called Trump’s threat to destroy Iranian civilization “truly unacceptable” and said that Jesus “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them.”

On his show, Carlson argued that the US had launched the war against Iran “on behalf of Israel” and “at the instigation of Israel.”

“What’s the religion, honestly, of Donald Trump? It’s not Christianity, clearly. It’s Israelism. It’s the defense of Israel,” Carlson said, adding that support for the Jewish state has become a “civic religion” of the American government.

He described Trump’s social media posts as “iconography” and “attempts to send a statement about faith,” which “doesn’t actually add up to a theology.”

Carlson said Trump’s actions amounted to a “mockery of God by a temporal leader” and praised former US congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who labeled the post “more than blasphemy” and “an Antichrist spirit.”

US Vice President J.D. Vance, who is Catholic, sided with Trump, arguing that it is “very important for the pope to be careful when he talks about matters of theology.”

Several senior US officials have invoked religious imagery to justify the war with Iran, with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth urging Americans to pray for victory “in the name of Jesus Christ.”

The 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon entered into force on Friday, with US President Donald Trump insisting that Hezbollah is part of the agreement, although the armed group had boycotted peace talks with Israel as futile.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) renewed their operation in Lebanon in early March after Hezbollah fired rockets and mortars at Israel in support of Iran.

At least 2,196 people have been killed in Lebanon, and 1.2 million have been displaced, as Israel carried out airstrikes on Beirut and other cities and issued sweeping evacuation orders in an effort to expand its “security zone” in southern Lebanon.

Iran, which reached a two-week ceasefire with the US and Israel on April 8, has listed an end to the Israeli campaign in Lebanon as one of the key conditions for a permanent peace deal.

US President Donald Trump’s policy has ended up creating problems for Americans, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has said, citing soaring energy prices linked to the war on Iran.

Lula made the remarks in an interview with El Pais published on Thursday.

“[Trump] is playing a very dangerous game. He operates on the premise that American economic, military, and technological power dictates the rules of the game. Ultimately, it ends up creating problems for the United States,” he said.

“When he decided to attack Iran, I don’t know if he realized that fuel prices would rise and that the people would be the ones to pay the price,” the Brazilian president added.

Fuel prices in the US have surged since the US-Israeli war on Iran disrupted oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz, with Tehran closing the key freight corridor to ships associated with nations it considers hostile. The fighting has also damaged key petrochemical facilities in the region.

Negotiations between Washington and Tehran have not produced results since a tentative ceasefire took hold last week. Iran has blamed the breakdown of the talks on “unrealistic demands” presented by the US, while Washington has reacted by announcing a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz for Tehran-linked vessels.

The possibility of new talks is being discussed, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told journalists on Wednesday, without providing further details.

Kirill Budanov, the former head of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, has recently stated that his country is not able to produce drones on its own.

Many supporters of the Ukrainian regime found this statement, coming from the current Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, to be at odds with Vladimir Zelensky’s own comments. Following Budanov’s remarks, Zelensky rushed to put out the fire, claiming that the newest Ukrainian drones can fly up to 1,750 kilometers. Meanwhile, tape measure in hand, Ukrainian media tried to hastily calculate where the drones could reach.

In response, the Russian Ministry of Defense published a detailed list of companies within the EU that are responsible for manufacturing components for Ukrainian drones. The idea wasn’t so much to reveal potential priority targets as to demonstrate international involvement in producing long-range ‘Ukrainian’ weaponry.

One could react to the news that Ukraine only has drone assembly facilities (i.e., not full-cycle production) in different ways. Some may irrationally celebrate Ukraine’s backwardness.  However, for a country whose industries are constantly attacked by Russian precision weapons, decentralizing the production chain and relocating it beyond the battlefield is essential.

This news indicates that, having diversified its production across several countries, European industry is capable of creating long-range drones, and these weapons are already being used against Russia.

The EU is focused on increasing the financial efficiency of its war efforts against Russia. Rather than relying on expensive missiles and launch systems, the bloc is ramping up its industry to produce comparatively cheaper means of mass destruction. Given that, in today’s landscape, the leading experts in drone warfare are Russians, Ukrainians, and Iranians, the EU is apparently attempting to shed moral responsibility for drone strikes. After all, European soldiers don’t have to be deployed to launch long-range drones.

In reality, the degree of responsibility remains unchanged. The drones carry munitions, have a long range, and strike not just military facilities but also civilian facilities and individuals unrelated to Russia’s military operation or the energy and fuel sector.

A year ago, the EU completely depended on American arms supplies in the war against Russia. Now, it aims to reduce that dependency.

The problem isn’t that the bloc risks confronting Russia alone, and would suddenly have to ‘grow up’ if the US were to completely withdraw from the conflict – these risks are known and accepted by the EU.

And it’s not just that it runs the risk of exhausting its own economy: despite declining living standards due to rising taxes, the EU still has some resilience.

The real issue is that the European Union is no longer just Ukraine’s rear logistical support system – it is becoming a full-fledged participant in the conflict. This shift threatens the core foundation of the European project – internal security, market stability, and predictability in everyday life. 

In other words, it challenges the very purpose for which the EU was created. 

Russia has the right to retaliate if Finland and the Baltic states are found to be deliberately allowing Ukrainian drones to pass through their airspace, Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu warned on Thursday.

“Recently, there has been an increase in Ukrainian drone strikes against Russia via Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia,” Shoigu told journalists. “As a result, civilians are suffering and significant damage is being caused to civilian infrastructure.”

Either Western air defenses are proving ineffective, or these four countries “deliberately provide their airspace, thereby becoming open accomplices in aggression against Russia,” he added. In the latter case, Moscow has the right to self-defense in response to an “armed attack” under Article 51 of the UN Charter, the security chief stressed.

In recent weeks, Kiev has intensified drone strikes on Russia in what Moscow has characterized as “terrorist attacks,” with the Russian military regularly reporting hundreds of UAVs downed in a single night.

Late last month, Kiev attacked Russia’s Baltic Sea ports of Ust-Luga and Primorsk with swarms of UAVs. The raids resulted in fires in both towns, which house extensive petrochemical infrastructure.

Multiple Ukrainian drones have also struck the territories of Finland and the three Baltic states since early March. Despite this, all four nations have avoided condemning Kiev outright for violating their airspace.

Moscow has already formally warned Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia against allowing Ukraine to send drones via their territory, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said last week. “If the regimes in these countries are smart enough, they will listen. If not, then they will have to deal with the consequences,” she said.

Disruptions to fertilizer supplies caused by the US-Israeli war on Iran risk triggering a multi-year food crisis globally, World Central Kitchen (WCK) founder Jose Andres has warned. 

Tensions around the Strait of Hormuz have already driven up energy prices and rattled the global economy, disrupting one of the world’s most important trade arteries. The route handles around 20% of global crude exports, but it is also critical for shipments of nitrogen-based fertilizers. 

Speaking to The Guardian on Thursday, Andres said delays in fertilizer deliveries risk missing critical planting windows, reducing yields in subsequent harvests and fueling a chain reaction of lower output and higher food prices. 

“It is not only oil that leaves through the Strait of Hormuz. I foresee a very big increase in famine across the world by the fall of 2026 and 2027,” he said, warning that shipping turmoil in and around Hormuz is already tightening fertilizer supplies and pushing up costs for farmers.  

Andres warned that poorer nations would bear the brunt. “In places like Haiti, they don’t serve you a kilo of rice, they serve you one ounce at a time. Those people are going to be suffering the consequences,” he said, suggesting governments allocate a small share of national budgets toward food security. 

A UN Development Program report estimates that up to 32 million people could be pushed into poverty across 162 countries due to the Middle East war’s wider economic impact, with import-dependent nations facing the greatest strain. The heaviest burden is expected in parts of Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and small island states.

A ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon will include the Lebanese-based militant group Hezbollah, US President Donald Trump has said, following his earlier announcement of the deal.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Trump announced an upcoming meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, adding that “they’re going to be having a ceasefire, and that will include Hezbollah.”

His remarks followed an earlier announcement on Truth Social that a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon had been agreed following talks in Washington. He said the truce would begin at 5 PM EST (22:00 GMT). The post, however, did not mention Hezbollah.

Hezbollah lawmaker Ibrahim Moussawi reportedly told the media that the group would respect the ceasefire, stressing that Israel must “abide by it completely,” including a “total cessation of hostilities” and withdrawal from the “occupied territories.”

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam welcomed the announcement in a post on X, while Netanyahu also reportedly confirmed he had agreed to the truce.

More than 2,000 people have been killed and thousands more wounded, including hundreds of women and children, since Israel launched its invasion of southern Lebanon in early March in what it described as an operation against Hezbollah. More than one million people have been displaced – around one in five of the population. 

Last week, the IDF carried out its largest wave of strikes across Lebanon since the conflict began, pounding central Beirut just hours after the announcement of a two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran.

The US-Israel war on Iran could push regional repair costs in the Middle East to as much as $58 billion, with oil and gas facilities alone accounting for up to $50 billion, according to an analysis released by energy research firm Rystad.

However, the report stresses that the main constraint is not funding but limited global capacity to supply key equipment and engineering services, which could delay repairs for years.

Rystad’s estimate marks a sharp increase from the initial $25 billion projection the firm issued three weeks ago, reflecting the broader scope of damage before the April 8 ceasefire between the US and Iran.

“Repair work does not create new capacity. It redirects existing capacity, and that redirection will be felt in project delays and into inflation far beyond the Middle East,” Rystad senior analyst Karan Satwani said.

“The $58 billion bill is the headline, but the knock-on effects on energy investment timelines globally may prove just as significant,” Satwani highlighted.

Rystad said total repair spending is likely to average around $46 billion, with downstream refining and petrochemical assets accounting for the largest share due to the scale and complexity of the damage. Industrial, power, and desalination facilities could add $3 billion to $8 billion, with recovery timelines diverging across assets and countries due to differences in execution capacity and supply chain constraints.

Tehran plans to seek compensation from five Arab states – Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia – for damage from the latest military standoff, Iran’s UN envoy Amir Saeid Iravani told Tasnim. He said the countries acted as “co-participants” with the US and Israel and breached their obligations toward Iran.

Last week, the Iranian Red Crescent Society reported that 125,630 civilian units had been affected by the war, including 100,000 residential homes, some of them completely destroyed. It also cited damage to 23,500 commercial properties, 339 medical facilities, 32 universities, 857 schools, and 20 Red Crescent centers.

IRCS head Pir Hossein Kolivand stressed that around 15 major logistical sites, including fuel depots, airports, and civilian aircraft, had been hit, highlighting widespread disruption to transport, energy, and public services.

US Vice President J.D. Vance was forced to defend Washington’s policy in Gaza after he was booed and heckled at a key MAGA event on Wednesday.

Co-founded by the late Charlie Kirk, Turning Point USA (TPUSA) is a conservative student group that has long been seen as a strong support base of President Donald Trump’s MAGA movement but is now showing apparent cracks.

Less than 15 minutes into a TPUSA event at the University of Georgia on Wednesday, Vance was interrupted by hecklers over US policy in Gaza, with one audience member shouting, “Jesus Christ does not support genocide!” As he attempted to respond, others shouted, “You’re killing children!” and “You’re bombing children!”

VP Vance getting heckled at TPUSA event

“You’re killing children!” pic.twitter.com/1rPZzghChb

— Acyn (@Acyn) April 14, 2026

Vance replied by referring to Trump’s achievements as president, including securing a fragile ceasefire in Gaza, something he said the previous administration of Joe Biden failed to do.

“I recognize that a lot of young voters don’t love the policy that we have in the Middle East,” he said, asking the students not to turn away from the Republican Party. “I’m not saying you have to agree with me on every issue. What I’m saying is don’t get disengaged because you disagree with the administration on one topic.”

Vance took questions at the event because Charlie Kirk’s widow Erika Kirk, had canceled her plans to lead the event due to unspecified threats, according to a statement from TPUSA.

The suspected killer’s lawyers insist that federal investigators could not conclusively match the bullet recovered from the crime scene to the alleged assassin’s rifle.

Last week, the leader of the Kuomintang (KMT), the Taiwanese conservative opposition party, paid a six-day visit to mainland China. Invited personally by Chinese President Xi Jinping, Cheng Li-wun traveled through Jiangsu, Shanghai and Beijing in what became the first high-level meeting between the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the KMT in a decade.

Relations across the Taiwan Strait have entered their most dangerous phase in years. China’s national rejuvenation is accelerating, the US is intensifying its strategic competition with Beijing, and separatist forces on the island have become increasingly emboldened. Against this background, the meeting between Xi and Cheng signaled the re-emergence of the only political channel with a proven record of reducing tensions and preserving stability.

The KMT and the CPC may differ on many matters, but both understand a basic reality that the current authorities in Taipei refuse to acknowledge: there is only one Chinese nation, and the future of both sides of the Strait depends on avoiding confrontation.

The Taiwanese authorities’ outcry

Predictably, Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party denounced Cheng’s trip. DPP figures accused her of being “subservient” to Beijing and portrayed the visit as a betrayal. Yet these attacks revealed less about Cheng than about the DPP’s own political predicament.

Since Tsai Ing-wen entered office in 2016, the DPP has systematically dismantled the political foundations that had previously kept cross-Strait relations stable. Beijing cut off high-level communication with Taiwan after Tsai refused to endorse the principle that both sides belong to one Chinese nation, expressed politically through the 1992 Consensus. What followed was a downward spiral of mistrust, military tension and diplomatic isolation.

The DPP has attempted to compensate for this failure by drawing Taiwan ever deeper into foreign geopolitical plays. Taipei has strengthened military coordination with the US and expanded its cooperation with Israel’s defense sector. It has deepened political and security ties with Japan while quietly extending support to Ukraine in its conflict with Russia, effectively aligning the island with the broader Western bloc.

These policies have not made Taiwan safer. On the contrary, they have transformed it into a front line in Washington’s containment strategy against China. The more the DPP binds Taiwan to external powers, the more it erodes the possibility of peaceful development across the Strait.

For the DPP and its foreign allies, preserving hostility is politically useful. Tension allows them to justify higher military spending, closer foreign dependence and the illusion that Taiwan can indefinitely move toward formal independence without any consequences. But for ordinary people on the island, this strategy offers only risk, instability and economic pressure.

Cheng Li-wun’s itinerary was carefully designed and politically meaningful. Her visits to Jiangsu province, Shanghai and Beijing reflected the mainland’s comprehensive vision for cross-Strait relations.

In Jiangsu, Cheng engaged with local economic and cultural institutions, emphasizing the deep historical and social ties between people on both sides of the Strait. Jiangsu has long been one of the mainland provinces most closely connected to Taiwan through investment, trade and family networks. By beginning the trip there, Beijing underscored that cross-Strait relations are a matter of shared heritage and practical cooperation.

In Shanghai, Cheng met business representatives and discussed opportunities for renewed commercial exchange. Shanghai remains one of the mainland’s principal gateways for Taiwanese investment and entrepreneurship. The message was clear: stable relations bring tangible benefits. Trade, tourism, student exchanges and industrial cooperation once delivered prosperity to millions of Taiwanese families. Those benefits have steadily diminished under the DPP’s confrontational approach.

The final stage in Beijing gave the trip its unmistakable strategic weight. There, Cheng met Chinese President Xi Jinping in the highest-level interaction between the two parties since 2015. Xi framed the future of cross-Strait relations around four principles – shared identity, peace, people’s well-being, and national rejuvenation.

Cheng’s response aligned closely with this framework. She stated plainly that opposing Taiwanese independence and maintaining the 1992 Consensus is the only way to “avoid war, prevent tragedy, work together and create peace.” That formulation captured a truth increasingly recognized by many Taiwanese citizens. Continued movement toward independence risks catastrophe.

A follow-up with real substance

Unlike many diplomatic meetings that end with vague declarations, the KMT-CPC talks produced concrete follow-up measures. Most important were ten new initiatives, including the creation of a regular communication mechanism between the two parties.

This is a major development. Since 2016, one of the most dangerous aspects of cross-Strait relations has been the absence of reliable channels of communication. Miscalculation becomes far more likely when there is no trusted means to exchange views or manage crises.

The new mechanism is intended to institutionalize dialogue between the two parties, allowing them to coordinate on economic, cultural and political questions. Other measures include support for youth exchanges, tourism, trade, academic cooperation and greater access for Taiwanese businesses operating on the mainland.

The KMT presented these measures as practical steps to restore normality and reduce the possibility conflict. Party figures argued that Taiwan needs fewer slogans and more channels for communication.

Taiwan’s official authorities reacted differently. DPP politicians dismissed the agreements and insisted that only the government in Taipei has the legitimacy to conduct cross-Strait affairs. Yet this position ignores an obvious reality: the DPP government has failed to maintain any meaningful dialogue with Beijing for nearly a decade.

If official institutions are paralyzed by ideology, alternative channels become necessary. The KMT’s role is therefore not a challenge to Taiwan’s interests, but an attempt to defend them where the current authorities have failed.

Cheng’s visit inevitably invited comparison with the famous “Journey of Peace” undertaken by then-KMT Chairman Lien Chan in 2005. That eight-day trip to mainland China marked the first meeting between top KMT and Communist Party leaders since 1945, when Chiang Kai-shek and Mao Zedong met in Chongqing.

The 2005 initiative came at another moment of acute tension. Like today, separatist sentiment on the island was growing, while the US encouraged a harder line toward Beijing. Lien’s meetings with Hu Jintao in Beijing established a framework for communication and helped reduce the risk of confrontation.

The historical symbolism was profound. In 1945, despite civil war and ideological struggle, the two sides still recognized one another as legitimate political forces within a single Chinese nation. The CPC acknowledged the KMT as the lawful government of China, while the KMT accepted the CPC as a legitimate opposition force.

Lien Chan’s trip revived that logic. Cheng Li-wun’s visit now represents its contemporary continuation.

A growing public demand for stability

The political climate inside Taiwan is also changing. Global instability, rising energy prices and economic uncertainty have increased pressure on ordinary households. Many Taiwanese increasingly recognize that the DPP cannot solve these daily problems.

The promise that confrontation with the mainland would bring greater international support has not been fulfilled. Instead, Taiwan faces slower growth, declining opportunities and growing insecurity.

By contrast, memories remain strong of the years when stable cross-Strait relations produced clear benefits. Tourism flourished. Taiwanese businesses expanded on the mainland. Students and families traveled more easily. Economic growth was stronger, and the danger of war seemed more distant.

As a result, public demand for restored exchanges is growing. More people understand that peace is not achieved through rhetorical defiance or dependence on foreign powers. It is achieved through dialogue, realism and mutual recognition.

The only viable path forward

The significance of Cheng Li-wun’s visit lies in the fact that it reopened a political channel that had been deliberately shut.

The DPP’s strategy has led Taiwan toward greater isolation and greater danger. By encouraging separatism while relying on the US and its allies, it has turned the island into a geopolitical pawn.

The KMT-CPC dialogue offers a different path: opposition to Taiwanese independence, commitment to the 1992 Consensus, institutional communication, and a shared determination to avoid war.

The Taiwan question will not be solved through military pressure, foreign intervention or endless political theater. It will be solved through cooperation between the two forces that still recognize the deeper historical and national connection across the Strait. CPC-KMT cooperation is therefore the key to solving the Taiwan question and securing a peaceful future for the Chinese nation.

The Pentagon has approached major US car manufacturers General Motors and Ford about producing weapons and military equipment, the Wall Street Journal has reported, citing sources.

General Motors already supplies military vehicles to the Pentagon through its GM Defense unit, while Ford has no major military contracts.

The discussions reportedly involved senior executives and focused on whether – and how quickly – civilian factories could be redirected toward producing munitions and other military supplies, as Washington seeks to replenish stockpiles depleted by the Ukraine conflict and the war on Iran, the outlet wrote on Wednesday.

GE Aerospace and vehicle and machinery maker Oshkosh were also involved in the talks, which began before the US-Israeli war against Iran started on February 28, it added.

The war against Iran has significantly strained US weapons stockpiles. The American military has launched more than 850 Tomahawk cruise missiles during the first four weeks of the campaign. The rate has prompted alarm among some Pentagon officials, the Washington Post reported last month. While the US Department of War does not disclose the exact number of Tomahawks it has, analysis suggests that before Operation Epic Fury, the US Navy had between 4,000 and 4,500 such missiles.

US President Donald Trump has requested a record-breaking military budget of around $1.5 trillion for the 2027 fiscal year, up from nearly $1 trillion this year, according to the administration’s budget outline. The proposal includes more than $1.1 trillion in base defense funding alongside additional allocations tied to ongoing military operations.

US President Donald Trump has announced that a ten-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon has been agreed upon following talks in Washington.

In a post on Truth Social on Thursday, Trump stated the truce would begin at 5 PM EST (22:00 GMT), following what he described as “excellent conversations” with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The talks, held in Washington DC, were the first direct meeting between the two nations “in 34 years” and involved US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump said, adding that he had directed US officials to work with both sides toward a “lasting peace.” Trump also claimed that the deal would be his “10th” such achievement.

pic.twitter.com/AKnhxPU033

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 16, 2026

Trump did not mention Israel’s ongoing war with Hezbollah after its invasion of southern Lebanon in early March, or its attempt to effectively annex some 15% of the country. Last week, the IDF carried out its largest wave of strikes across Lebanon since the conflict began, pounding central Beirut just hours after the announcement of a two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran.

Israel has killed over 2,000 people and wounded thousands more since March 2, including hundreds of women and children, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. Around 1.2 million people have been displaced.

Israeli officials reportedly expressed “outrage” after Trump announced the ceasefire ahead of the planned Israeli security cabinet call to discuss a truce. Netanyahu told the ministers that the deal would begin “at the request of Trump,” according to Ynet, adding that Israeli forces would remain in their positions in southern Lebanon.

Armed robbers took around 25 people hostage during a bank heist in the Italian city of Naples on Thursday, local media reported.

The incident unfolded shortly before noon at a Credit Agricole branch in the hilltop Vomero district, where attackers stormed the bank and seized customers and staff.

Police rapidly surrounded the bank, sealing off the area, and firefighters were deployed. Witnesses cited by media said the suspects barricaded themselves inside, triggering a tense standoff in one of the city’s busiest neighborhoods.

After about two hours, security forces launched a coordinated breach, with firefighters smashing a reinforced window to allow police to storm the building.

All hostages were freed in the operation. At least six people were treated for shock, but no serious injuries were reported.

Naples chief prosecutor Nicola Gratteri arrived at the scene as investigators began working to establish the sequence of events and identify those responsible.

Reports suggest at least two suspects were involved, though it remains unclear whether any arrests have been made or if the attackers managed to escape.

Reports suggest at least two suspects were involved, though it remains unclear whether any arrests have been made or if the attackers managed to escape.

Bank robberies involving hostage-taking are a recurring feature of crime in Naples. Italian media report that attackers typically strike during business hours, threatening staff and customers and holding them inside while waiting for time-locked safes to open. 

The Russian armed forces carried out mass strikes on Ukrainian military and energy sites on Thursday in response to a drone attack that killed two children in the country’s Krasnodar Region, the Defense Ministry in Moscow has said.

Russian strikes hit facilities involved in the production of cruise missiles and medium- and long-range UAVs, the MOD said in a statement on Thursday, adding that energy infrastructure sites used to support Ukraine’s military were also targeted.

”In response to terrorist attacks by Ukraine against civilian targets on Russian territory, a mass strike has been carried out over the past day using long-range precision weapons launched from land, air, and sea, as well as strike drones,” the ministry statement read.

”The objectives of the strikes have been achieved. All designated targets have been hit,” it added.

The strike followed a Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian Black Sea port city of Tuapse, in which two children aged five and 14 were killed.

Ukraine also attacked a Liberian-flagged oil tanker in Russian territorial waters, injuring the vessel’s captain, a Turkish national, who has been hospitalized, Russia’s Investigative Committee announced on Thursday.

Ukraine has frequently targeted Russian port infrastructure and energy facilities, as well as tankers and cargo ships.

Russia has accused Kiev of using Western-supplied weapons to target civilians, with the Russian Defense Ministry on Wednesday releasing a list of European companies it said are involved in manufacturing military drones for Kiev.

The ministry stated that, rather than strengthening the security of European states, the actions of some of the continent’s leaders were increasingly dragging their countries into a war with Russia.

Former South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor has condemned a death penalty bill debated in Israel’s Knesset, saying the proposed measure targeting Palestinians reflects legal practices associated with apartheid and colonial rule.

Pandor highlighted a draft bill discussed during a March 30 session of the Knesset that seeks to mandate the death penalty for Palestinians involved in attacks resulting in the loss of Israeli life.

According to Pandor, the legislation bypasses traditional judicial safeguards, representing a “mandatory” sentence dictated through legislative act rather than a standard court hearing or trial.

Pandor, who has long been a vocal figure in South African political communications and international strategy, likened the bill to laws enforced under British colonial and early South African rule circa 1935. During that era, the death penalty, specifically hanging, was mandatory for black citizens convicted of certain crimes, with no alternative sentencing available to the courts.

“Now, we’re going back to laws that we link with colonialism and apartheid,” Pandor remarked, suggesting that such measures validate international accusations of Israel operating as an apartheid state.

The proposed bill has sparked significant international debate regarding its alignment with democratic values and international law.

Türk also said its application would “constitute a war crime”. The new law passed its third and final reading in the Knesset by 62 votes to 48, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voting in favour.

The bill stipulates that Palestinians convicted in Israeli military courts of carrying out deadly attacks deemed to be “acts of terrorism” would be executed by hanging within 90 days, with a possible postponement of up to 180 days.

A member of Ben-Gvir’s party, Limor Son-Har-Melech, who survived an attack by Palestinian gunmen in which her husband was killed, argued that the law was necessary, citing the example of how one of her husband’s killers was later released and went on to take part in the 7 October 2023 attacks on Israel.

During the debate in the Knesset, she said: “For years, we endured a cruel cycle of terror, imprisonment, release in reckless deals, and the return of these human monsters to murder Jews again.”

Pandor described the legislative process as “undemocratic” and “evil,” alleging that the session’s conclusion was met with “the drinking of champagne” by proponents of the bill.

The criticism centres on three primary concerns:

• Mandatory sentencing: The removal of judicial discretion in capital cases.
• Selective application: The specific targeting of one demographic (Palestinians) for these capital measures.
• International non-compliance: The perceived neglect of established international legal frameworks governing human rights and occupied territories.

Pandor concluded her assessment by labelling the legislative actions as “absolutely disgraceful”, signalling a continued hardening of the diplomatic stance between Pretoria and Jerusalem regarding human rights and judicial independence.

South Africa filed a lawsuit with the ICJ requesting an injunction against Israel because Israel’s attacks on Gaza violate the Genocide Convention.

South Africa requested that the ICJ grant interim injunctions, including that Israel immediately cease its military operations in Gaza, take reasonable measures to prevent the genocide of Palestinians, ensure that the displaced return to their homes and have access to humanitarian assistance, including adequate food, water, fuel, medical and hygiene supplies, shelter and clothing, take necessary steps to punish those involved in the genocide and preserve the evidence of genocide.

First published by IOL

Stockholm’s allegations that a pro-Russian hacker group attempted to disrupt a thermal power plant in Sweden last year are unfounded and lacking concrete evidence, Russia’s ambassador to the country, Sergey Belyaev, has said. 

Swedish Civil Defense Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin claimed on Wednesday that a group linked to Russian intelligence attempted to attack a district heating plant in western Sweden in the spring of 2025. Bohlin stated that Swedish security services had identified the actor behind the attack, which he said was thwarted by the plant’s built-in security systems. 

“The Swedish Security Service handled the case and was able to identify the actor behind it, which has ties to Russian intelligence and security services,” Bohlin told reporters. 

However, Belyaev has rejected the allegations as baseless, noting that Stockholm has not sought any consultations with the Russian side over the issue, which suggests that “there are no specific facts or evidence.” 

He further stated that claims about the alleged involvement of “certain Russian hackers in such illegal activity remain at the level of the ‘highly likely’ principle, beloved by Western countries, that is, unfounded suspicions.” 

Moscow has repeatedly denied Western accusations of involvement in hacking activities as warmongering and has consistently expressed willingness to cooperate on cybersecurity matters. 

The latest Swedish allegations come amid heightened tensions between Moscow and NATO. The military bloc has cited the supposed threat of Russian aggression to justify a massive military buildup and developing offensive cyber capabilities.  

In February, the EU’s tech chief Henna Virkkunen also said it was “not enough” to have defensive measures and that the bloc needs also to have “offensive capacity.” 

The number of DDoS attacks on Russian companies exceeded 186,000 in 2025, marking a 2.7‑fold increase from the previous year, according to the RED Security cybersecurity firm. In 2026, the upward trend has continued, with weekly attacks on state resources surging from an average of 350 to 949 in the spring, according to the Russian authorities.

Malawi has recorded the highest gasoline prices in Africa and the second highest globally, reaching $3.84 per liter as of Monday, according to data from analytical portal GlobalPetrolPrices.

The southeastern African nation also leads the continent in diesel prices, with fuel costing $3.85 per liter. Malawi is second only to Hong Kong globally in both the gasoline and diesel rankings.

In the African diesel price ranking, the Central African Republic (CAR) follows with $2.231 per liter, ahead of Zimbabwe at $2.110 and Sierra Leone at $2.033.

The surge in gasoline prices places Zimbabwe in second place at $2.230 per liter, followed by the CAR at $1.874 and Sierra Leone at $1.779. Morocco, Senegal, Rwanda, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Cameroon also rank among the top ten African countries with the highest fuel prices.

Countries around the world are grappling with supply disruptions following restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz since the US and Israel launched their war on Iran in late February. The disruption has sent oil prices higher and triggered knock-on effects across global supply chains. 

Earlier this month, a joint report by the African Union, the UN Economic Commission for Africa, and the World Bank warned that ongoing disruptions to shipping, energy, and fertilizer supplies could deepen trade shocks and trigger a broader cost-of-living crisis across Africa, driven by rising fuel and food prices.

An Iranian embassy has shared an AI-generated video depicting Jesus casting Donald Trump into hell, following backlash over a social media post in which the US president appeared to portray himself as a Christ-like healer.

Trump posted the image on Truth Social on Sunday but deleted it the following day after a wave of criticism, saying he had not recognized its religious implications. It originally appeared in February, when author Nick Adams shared it with the caption: “America has been sick for a long time. President Trump is healing this nation.” Trump’s version was slightly altered.

On Tuesday, the Iranian embassy in Tajikistan posted a clip that opens with the image that Trump had posted. The glow coming from his hands quickly fades as Jesus descends from heaven, slaps him across the face, and sends him tumbling into a fiery abyss.

pic.twitter.com/JfIzjX1Glx

— Iran Embassy in Tajikistan (@IRANinTJ) April 14, 2026

The video had already been circulating online prior to being reposted by the Iranian embassy, and similar interpretations had appeared elsewhere. Various responses to the ‘healer’ image depict Jesus angrily expelling Trump as a ‘moneymaker’ from the Temple of Jerusalem, echoing a well-known story from the Gospels…

Because Trump blasphemed Jesus Christ, Jesus chased him out of the White House with whips. pic.twitter.com/VWRiOHjeTg

— Ben Char (@hbenchaar) April 13, 2026

…or simply punching him.

Well. pic.twitter.com/GVZdGnQCBy

— Arnold (@arnoldi254) April 13, 2026

Trump’s critics have expanded on the concept, using AI tools to generate multiple scenarios in which the savior violently intervenes in the president’s life.

Jesus Punches Trump through history pic.twitter.com/DsI0C6xY97

— Karim Jovian (@KJovian) April 16, 2026

The controversy coincided with Trump criticizing Pope Leo, accusing him of being “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy” – remarks that strained relations with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The typically supportive European leader described the comments as unacceptable.

The US will not renew the sanctions waiver that facilitated purchases of Russian oil by India and other countries, a top Trump administration official has said.

A 30-day waiver of sanctions on Iranian oil at sea will also expire this week.

“We will not be renewing the general license on Russian oil, and we will not be renewing the general license on Iranian oil,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters on Wednesday. “That was oil that was on the water prior to March 11. So all that has been used,” Bessent said at a White House briefing.

Washington’s decision not to renew the sanctions waiver on oil from Russia and Iran comes after many US Senators voiced opposition to any extension.

🇺🇸 Treasury Secretary 'Doesn't Know' How Much Russia Made From Temporary Sanctions Waiver

"If oil had spiked to $150, they would have made a lot more."

Yes, that's usually how it works. https://t.co/aIPsnwwMCL pic.twitter.com/3GARziW38k

— RT_India (@RT_India_news) April 16, 2026

The US granted India a 30-day waiver to purchase oil from Russia early in March to ensure stability in the global oil market.

The US Treasury Department also issued a waiver for Iranian oil on March 20, paving the way for some 140 million barrels of crude to reach global markets amid the Middle East conflict.

India made its first purchases of Iranian oil in seven years after the US waiver in April.

Iranian crude accounted for 11.5% of India’s total imports before it ceased purchases in 2019 after the tightening of US sanctions on Iran, NDTV reported.

New Delhi emerged as a key market for Russian oil after the Ukraine conflict escalated in 2022. It bought almost two million barrels a day in 2024 and nearly $44 billion of crude from Moscow last year.

India is the world’s third-largest importer and consumer of oil. The country gets 90% of its requirements from abroad, and the Middle East accounted for 54% of its oil imports as of February. The Iran conflict and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have heightened supply concerns in the South Asian nation.

The US Senate has voted against two resolutions blocking American arms sales to Israel put forward by independent lawmaker Bernie Sanders.

The resolutions received support from some 75% of Democrats during the votes on Wednesday, but still failed to pass as the Republicans almost unanimously rejected them.

Sanders, who caucuses with the Democrats, was looking to stop the $295 million sale of bulldozers and the $151.8 million sale of 12,000 general purpose 1,000-pound ‘dumb’ bombs to West Jerusalem.

Both resolutions ended up being voted down by 59 to 40 and 63 to 36, respectively.

In previous years, arms sales to Israel enjoyed strong bipartisan backing, but Democrats have begun to shift their stance since West Jerusalem began its military operation in Gaza in response to the deadly October 7, 2023 incursion by Palestinian armed group Hamas.

Despite the failure of his resolutions, the Vermont senator later expressed satisfaction over the fact that “Democrats are beginning to listen to the average American who is sick and tired of spending billions of dollars to support [Israeli Prime Minister] Netanyahu’s horrific wars when people in this country can’t afford housing or health care.”

The Republicans claimed that blocking weapons deliveries to the Jewish state could harm the US in the conflict with Iran, which Washington and West Jerusalem attacked jointly on February 28. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch warned that this could embolden Tehran and “send the message that the US is prepared to leave our ally Israel vulnerable.”

More than 72,000 people have been killed and over 172,000 others injured in the Israeli attacks in Gaza over the past three years, figures from Palestinian health authorities suggest.

Israel has appointed an ambassador to Somaliland, deepening ties with the breakaway Somali region months after its controversial decision to recognize the territory as an independent state.

Michael Lotem, former Israeli ambassador to Kenya, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan, was named as a non-resident envoy, according to a statement from Israel’s Foreign Ministry cited by public broadcaster KAN.

The appointment comes weeks after West Jerusalem accepted Somaliland’s first ambassador to Israel, ending the region’s decades of diplomatic isolation.

In December, Israel became the first UN member state to formally recognize Somaliland as an independent state, drawing widespread criticism from regional actors and Somalia, which considers the breakaway region part of its sovereign territory.

Somaliland broke away from Somalia and declared independence in 1991 after a decade-long civil war. The territory, located along the southern coast of the Gulf of Aden, has since built its own relatively stable government, security institutions, and currency, but it has not been internationally recognized.

“Somalia categorically rejects any attempt to confer diplomatic or political recognition on any part of its territory outside the authority of the federal government,” the ministry said, declaring that Somaliland remains “an integral part” of Somalia.

Mogadishu had previously condemned Israel’s recognition of Somaliland as a violation of international law, warning that it undermines efforts to stabilize the East African nation after decades of conflict.

On Thursday, Somaliland dismissed Somalia’s protest as “misleading,” insisting that its diplomatic ties with Israel “constitute the exercise of its sovereign prerogatives and are not subject to external approval.”

Its Foreign Ministry said Mogadishu has no legal authority “to interfere in, comment on, or constrain Somaliland’s bilateral relations with any state.”

A US lawmaker has introduced six articles of impeachment against Secretary of War Pete Hegseth over actions tied to the war on Iran.

The resolution, submitted earlier this week by Democratic Representative Yassamin Ansari and backed by eight Democratic co-sponsors and several anti-war groups, outlines six charges, including violating the oath of office, endangering US service members, and committing war crimes.

One of the articles focuses on alleged violations of the laws of war. Hegseth is accused of authorizing or failing to prevent operations that resulted in civilian casualties and damage to infrastructure in Iran, including a school in Minab, where at least 175 people – mostly children – were killed in a strike on February 28. The Pentagon has reportedly determined that US forces carried out the strike based on outdated intelligence but has yet to apologize.

Another set of allegations is tied to the so-called ‘Signalgate’ leak, as well as claims that Hegseth obstructed congressional oversight. Lawmakers argue that he withheld full information on military operations from Congress, limiting its ability to conduct proper supervision.

The resolution also accuses Hegseth of abuse of power and the politicization of the armed forces. It alleges that he used his position to influence military decisions for political purposes and undermined the principle of nonpartisanship in the armed forces. In addition, he is accused of actions that damaged the reputation of the US and its military forces.

Axios, which first obtained a copy of the seven-page impeachment resolution, noted that the measure has virtually no chance of advancing in the current Congress, where Republicans control the House of Representatives and can block any effort to bring the articles to a floor vote. The initiative is reportedly being viewed as an effort to intensify political pressure on one of President Donald Trump’s most senior cabinet officials, even if it is unlikely to result in Hegseth’s removal from office.

Democrats have recently pushed, unsuccessfully, to impeach former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and former Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Commenting on the latest step, Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson told the news outlet: “This is just another Democrat trying to make headlines as the Department of War decisively and overwhelmingly achieved the President’s objectives in Iran.”

The EU spy campaign that helped bring down Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is a lesson to anyone who defies Brussels, former Slovak Interior Minister Vladimir Palko has warned. “What they did to Orban yesterday, they can do to you tomorrow,” he told the outlet ‘Marker’ on Monday.

Orban’s Fidesz party suffered a landslide defeat to Peter Magyar’s Tisza on Sunday, with Tisza outperforming even the most one-sided polls to win a 54% to 38% over Fidesz. Magyar’s party now holds 137 of 199 seats in parliament, giving the incoming PM power to rewrite the country’s constitution as he – and his allies in Brussels – see fit.

That the EU wanted this result was obvious. Orban had been a thorn in Brussels’ side for 16 years and was an insurmountable obstacle to the bloc’s plans to approve a €90 billion loan package for Ukraine. Throughout the election, evidence of interference by the EU, Ukraine, and opposition-friendly Hungarian media trickled out of Budapest. With the election over, the full extent of the EU’s intelligence campaign against Orban – and its implications for populists across Europe – is slowly becoming apparent.

“The defeat of Viktor Orban after 16 years of rule is not surprising at all,” Palko told Marker. “However, the tragedy is what happened in the election campaign.”

The EU spied on Orban for years

Palko, who served as deputy director of Slovakia’s SIS intelligence agency in the 1990s and interior minister between 2002 and 2006, confirmed information that had already surfaced in the runup to the election: namely that opposition journalist Szabolcs Panyi gave Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto’s contact details to an unnamed EU intelligence agency, that then wiretapped Szijjarto and leaked details of six years’ worth of his calls with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov back to Panyi and other pro-opposition reporters. Panyi’s outlet, Direkt36, derives 80% of its project costs from the EU.

EU spies also fed the Hungarian and international media stories of Russian “election fixers” attempting to swing the election for Orban, and of plots by Russian military intelligence agents to stage an assassination attempt on Orban for publicity. The claims were unfounded, but were seized upon by Magyar, who worked chants of “Russians, go home!” into his campaign rallies.

The EU in turn used these reports to justify the activation of its ‘Rapid Response System’ (RRS): a suite of online censorship tools that allowed Brussels’ “fact checkers” to remove supposed “disinformation” from social media platforms in the runup to the vote. In every election in which it has been activated, the RRS “almost exclusively targeted” right-wing and populist candidates like Orban, the US House Judiciary Committee found in an investigation last year.

“Only one thing is shown from the recorded phone calls: The Hungarians were friendly towards the Russians,” Palko noted. “But this already is a mortal sin for the EU establishment. This is the new European Union that is coming.”

The new European Union

The Hungarian election ultimately came down to kitchen-table economic issues. Roads, healthcare, public safety, and public transport were the leading issues among voters in all 19 of Hungary’s counties, and the electorate chose Magyar’s promises of cash injections for underfunded public services over Orban’s geopolitics-heavy platform. Magyar will depend on the EU to fund his economic plan to the tune of €20 billion, and as such will be easily leveraged by Brussels, giving further incentive for the bloc to back his campaign.

Yet the role of EU intelligence in the result has been ignored, even by Orban’s ideological allies on the continent. This, Palko reckons, is a mistake. “All those who were not bothered by it should be warned,” he said. “What they did to Orban yesterday, they can do to you tomorrow.”

As RT reported, the EU has rolled out its same censorship playbook in Bulgaria, where elections this weekend pit a veteran center-rightist against a populist, Euroskeptic challenger on the left. Robert Fico in Slovakia, a left-wing populist and vocal opponent of the EU’s Ukraine project, will likely face the same treatment when he seeks another term in office next year.

Ukraine has attacked a Liberian-flagged oil tanker in Russian territorial waters, injuring the vessel’s captain, Russia’s Investigative Committee has said. 

The ship’s captain, a Turkish national, has been hospitalized, the agency reported on Thursday. Investigators have examined the scene, documented the damage, and ordered a forensic explosives analysis.

Ukrainian drones have also targeted a number of coastal cities in Russia’s southern Krasnodar Region, including Sochi and Dagomys, Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said.

The greatest damage from the overnight attack was recorded in the town of Tuapse, where two people were killed, including a 14-year-old girl. Seven others were injured, officials said.

In the port city of Novorossiisk, drone debris struck a civilian vessel, causing a fire and injuring one person, Kondratyev said. The authorities suggested the vessel may have been the tanker cited by the Russian Investigative Committee.

Hungary’s incoming prime minister, Peter Magyar, has pledged to suspend the news operations of the state broadcaster following two tense interviews he gave on Wednesday.

Magyar’s Tisza party secured a decisive victory in Sunday’s parliamentary election, effectively ensuring he will form the next government. He has indicated that action against MTVA will be among his first steps in office.

Magyar has accused the broadcaster of bias against his movement and of disseminating “propaganda” in support of outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orban, whose 16-year tenure ended with Tisza’s win.

“What has been happening here since 2010 is something that Goebbels or the North Korean leadership would admire – not a single true word being spoken. This cannot continue,” he said during one of the interviews. The presenter rejected the claims.

Magyar, formerly a member of Orban’s Fidesz party, campaigned on improving relations with the European Commission and unlocking more than €16 billion ($19 billion) in frozen EU Covid-19 recovery funds, which Brussels withheld over rule-of-law concerns.

While EU officials have long accused Orban of undermining independent media in Hungary to consolidate power, the bloc used a network of outlets it funds to meddle in the recent election. Pro-Magyar journalist Szabolcs Panyi admitted to sharing the phone number of Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto with a European spy agency. His outlet Direkt36 and its sister publications later accused the diplomat of coordinating Hungarian foreign policy with Russia, based on intercepted conversations between Szijjarto and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.

He also said he expected Kiev to resume deliveries via the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline, a move he said could prompt Orban to lift his veto on a €90 billion ($106 billion) EU loan for Ukraine before leaving office.

The US-Iran talks being mediated by Pakistan to end the latest Middle East conflict are nearing a breakthrough, Al Jazeera has reported.

The likelihood of a deal on Tehran’s nuclear program has improved significantly, the news outlet reported, citing Pakistani sources.

Iran’s nuclear program has been the bone of contention in talks with the US to end the Middle East conflict after Washington announced a ceasefire on April 7.

Negotiators from the US and Iranian sides have been at odds over the duration of any uranium enrichment freeze by Tehran as part of its nuclear program.

Pakistani sources say there has been a 'major breakthrough' over a deal on Iran’s nuclear programme. https://t.co/Ehyfs0l5Ue

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) April 16, 2026

The country’s stockpile of 440 kilograms of highly enriched uranium also remains a sticky issue.

The optimism towards breaking a deadlock came after a Pakistani delegation led by Army Chief Asim Munir arrived in Tehran on Wednesday for talks to resolve the Middle East conflict.

The delegates were continuing to relay messages between Washington and Tehran, the news outlet said.

The Al Jazeera report said Munir has brought a new message from the US, adding that he plans to facilitate another round of talks between Tehran and Washington.

The initial round of US-Iran talks led by US Vice President J.D. Vance and Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf ended without a breakthrough in Islamabad on Sunday.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Türkiye this week was part of a “double-pronged strategy” to neutralize any detractors to a deal, the news outlet said.

The options being considered include sending Iran’s uranium stockpile abroad to a third party or bringing it down to either uranium in its natural form or up to 3%, according to the report.

The conflict between the US and Iran is close to being settled, President Donald Trump claimed on Wednesday.

Trump has also said that a 20-year uranium enrichment moratorium on Iran is not long enough, referring to a reported proposal made by Vance in Islamabad.

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry reportedly said on Thursday that no dates have been set for the next round of talks between the US and Iran.

International organizations have rejected the creation of a “parallel government” in Sudan, warning against steps that could deepen divisions in the conflict-ridden country. 

In a joint position released on Wednesday at the Third International Sudan Conference in Berlin, the African Union, Intergovernmental Authority on Development, League of Arab States, the EU, and the UN indicated that such initiatives risk undermining the country’s sovereignty and unity, while urging all sides to move toward de-escalation.

The statement was released as Sudan’s civil war, ongoing since April 2023 between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), continues to fuel instability.

“[The Quintet] rejects any attempt to undermine these principles, including through the imposition of parallel governing structures that risk further fragmenting the Sudanese state,” the press release stated.

Last July, the Leadership Council of the Sudan Founding Alliance (TASIS) announced the creation of a rival government, naming RSF commander General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo as chairman of a 15-member presidential council that includes regional governors. Abdelaziz Adam al-Hilu was named as vice chairman, while Sudanese politician Mohamed Hassan Othman al-Ta’ayshi was designated as prime minister.

The formation of the rival government, according to TASIS, renews its “commitment to building an inclusive homeland and a new secular, democratic, decentralized, and voluntarily unified Sudan, founded on the principles of freedom, justice, and equality.”

Later, the AU, Arab League, and Saudi Arabia condemned the RSF for announcing the formation of a parallel government in the conflict-torn country. The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) has denounced the “so-called militia government” as a ploy by the RSF to deceive its allies, while its true intent is to seize power for personal gain.

At the time, the African Union’s Peace and Security Council (PSC) warned that the move could further fragment Sudan.