In a joint official communiqué released on April 17, 2026, on its website, by Belgium’s Federal Immigration Office and cited by PUNCH Online on Monday, under the new system, employers and authorised representatives will be required to submit all applications exclusively through the country’s official online portal, replacing the long-standing email-based submission process.

The change is expected to affect short-term work permits typically issued for non-EU professionals undertaking assignments such as technical support, business visits, training, or equipment installation, usually lasting up to 90 days.

Authorities say the shift is designed to improve efficiency, reduce administrative errors, and eliminate delays caused by incomplete or misplaced email submissions. By centralising applications on a digital platform, officials will be able to track submissions more accurately, verify documents faster, and streamline processing times.

The new system will require employers to register on the government’s online portal and obtain valid digital credentials before submitting applications. Officials have warned that failure to set up access in advance could lead to processing delays once the system becomes mandatory.

“A temporary transition arrangement has been introduced in the Wallonia region, where email submissions will still be accepted until August 31, 2026. However, no similar grace period has been confirmed for Flanders or the Brussels-Capital Region, where full compliance with the online system is expected by the May deadline,” the statement noted.

The reform is part of Belgium’s broader push to modernise its immigration and labour administration systems, aligning with wider European trends toward fully digital public service delivery.

Once implemented, the policy will mark the end of email-based submissions for these categories, representing one of the most significant changes to Belgium’s work permit application process in recent years.

The US military said it killed three people in a strike on an alleged drug-trafficking vessel in the Caribbean on Sunday, bringing the controversial campaign’s death toll to at least 180.

President Donald Trump’s administration insists it is effectively at war with what it calls “narco-terrorists” in Latin America, and began targeting suspected drug-smuggling boats last September.

US Southern Command, which is responsible for Washington’s forces in the region, said it conducted a “lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organisations.”

“Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Caribbean and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations. Three male narco-terrorists were killed during this action,” it said in a post on X.

US military officials have claimed at least six such strikes in April, bringing the total toll of people killed in these operations to at least 180, according to an AFP tally.

The Trump administration has provided no definitive evidence that the vessels it targets are involving in drug trafficking, prompting heated debate about the legality of the operations.

International legal experts and rights groups say the strikes likely amount to extrajudicial killings as they have apparently targeted civilians who do not pose an immediate threat to the United States.

AFP

The strategic Strait of Hormuz was again closed on Sunday in the stand-off between Iran and the United States, with Iran’s powerful parliament speaker signalling a final peace deal remained “far” off despite some movement in negotiations.

As mediation efforts continued following high-level talks in Pakistan that failed to reach a deal, Iran said it will not allow the crucial maritime trade chokepoint to re-open until the United States ends a blockade of Iranian ports.

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, speaker of the Iranian parliament, said in a televised address on Saturday night that there had been “progress” with Washington “but there are many gaps and some fundamental points remain”.

“We are still far from the final discussion,” said Ghalibaf, one of Tehran’s negotiators in the talks aimed at ending the war launched by Israel and the United States against the Islamic republic.

A two-week ceasefire is set to end on Wednesday unless it is renewed.

US President Donald Trump said “very good conversations” were going on with Iran but warned Tehran against trying to “blackmail” the United States.

On Friday, Tehran had declared the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas usually transits, open after a temporary ceasefire was agreed to halt Israel’s war with Iran’s ally Hezbollah in Lebanon.

That prompted elation in global markets and sent oil prices plunging, but Tehran reversed course after Trump insisted the US blockade of Iranian ports would continue until a final deal was struck.

“If America does not lift the blockade, traffic in the Strait of Hormuz will definitely be limited,” Ghalibaf said.

Iran’s supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has yet to be seen since taking power after his father was killed in the war’s opening strikes, said in a written message that Iran’s navy “stands ready” to defeat the United States.

Trump accused Iran of getting “a little cute” with its recent moves and warned Tehran not to try to “blackmail” Washington by flip-flopping on the strait.

“We have very good conversations going on,” the president told reporters at the White House, adding that the United States was “taking a tough stand”.

– ‘Targeted’ –

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned that any attempt to pass through the strait without permission “will be considered cooperation with the enemy, and the offending vessel will be targeted”.

A handful of oil and gas tankers crossed the strait early on Saturday during the brief reopening, tracking data showed, but others retreated and hardly any vessels were crossing the waterway by the late afternoon.

A UK maritime security agency said the Revolutionary Guards fired at one tanker, while security intelligence firm Vanguard Tech reported the force had threatened to “destroy” an empty cruise ship that was fleeing the Gulf.

In a third incident, the UK agency said it received a report of a vessel “being hit by an unknown projectile, which caused damage” to shipping containers but no fire.

The Indian foreign ministry said it had summoned the Iranian ambassador to lodge a protest over a “shooting incident” involving two Indian-flagged ships in the strait.

– French UN peacekeeper killed –

On the diplomatic front, Egypt, which has been involved in mediation efforts with Pakistan, appeared optimistic on Saturday with Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty saying Cairo and Islamabad hoped to secure a final agreement “in the coming days”.

A major sticking point has been Iran’s stockpile of near-weapons-grade enriched uranium.

Trump said Friday that Iran had agreed to hand over its roughly 440 kilograms of enriched uranium. “We’re going to get it by going in with Iran, with lots of excavators,” he said.

Iran’s foreign ministry has said the stockpile, thought to be buried deep under rubble from US bombing in last June’s 12-day war, was “not going to be transferred anywhere” and surrendering it “to the US has never been raised in negotiations”.

The Middle East war began on February 28 with a massive wave of US-Israeli attacks on Iran, despite Washington and Tehran being engaged in negotiations at the time.

The conflict rapidly spread across the region, with Iran targeting neighbouring Gulf countries that are home to US military bases, and Iran-backed Hezbollah dragging Lebanon into the war by launching rockets at Israel.

A French soldier was killed and three others wounded in an ambush on Saturday on UN peacekeepers in Lebanon that France’s president blamed on Hezbollah, an accusation the group denied.

Israel’s military reported that two of its soldiers had also been killed in combat in southern Lebanon since the start of a 10-day truce on Friday between Israel and Lebanon.

AFP

US President Donald Trump has ordered a federal investigation into the deaths and disappearances of at least 10 American scientists and researchers with links to sensitive aerospace, defence, and unexplained aerial phenomena programmes.

Officials confirmed that the president was briefed earlier this week on the cases, some of which date back to mid-2023. The White House said it is working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other relevant agencies to examine whether any connections exist among the incidents.

“These are serious matters,” Trump said, noting that several of those involved were “very important people.”

As reported by the Economic Times on Sunday, Trump added that more information is expected to emerge in the coming days and expressed hope that the cases are unrelated

Concerns about a possible pattern have been raised by a member of the House Oversight Committee, Eric Burlison, who described the incidents as “too coincidental” to ignore.

Burlison has called for a comprehensive investigation, suggesting that the scientists’ access to classified information—including research related to unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs), commonly known as UFOs—may be a factor.

According to reports, some individuals died under unclear or violent circumstances, while others vanished without a trace.

Among them is Michael David Hicks, a physicist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory who specialised in comets and asteroids, who died in July 2023. The cause of his death was not publicly disclosed.

Other cases include the killing of a Massachusetts-based nuclear physicist and the disappearance of researchers and contractors linked to institutions such as Los Alamos National Laboratory and NASA facilities.

In one instance, a scientist reported missing in late 2025 was later found dead months afterward.

Burlison also pointed to the disappearance of a senior Air Force official who had reportedly attempted to contact him regarding research into UAPs before vanishing earlier this year.

While no official link has been established among the cases, Burlison has speculated that foreign adversaries, including China, Russia, or Iran, could be involved.

Authorities have not confirmed any such connection.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration is conducting a “holistic review” of all reported incidents to identify any potential commonalities.

No stone will be unturned,” she said, adding that updates will be provided as the investigation progresses.

The cases have drawn widespread attention due to the high-level nature of the individuals involved and the sensitive areas of research they were associated with.

For now, officials stress that the investigation remains in its early stages, with no definitive conclusions about whether the deaths and disappearances are linked.

Pope Leo XIV said Saturday he regretted remarks he made were interpreted as a response to criticism from President Donald Trump, insisting he had no interest in debating the US leader.

An example was a speech about “tyrants” ransacking the world that he delivered in Cameroon on Thursday, on the second leg of a tour of Africa, Leo told journalists as he travelled to Angola.

The remarks had been written well before Trump’s “comment on myself and on the message of peace that I am promoting,” he said.

“And yet it was perceived as if I were trying to start a new debate with the president, which doesn’t interest me at all,” Leo said

Much of what has been written since then has been more commentary on commentary, trying to interpret what has been said,” he said.

Leo had blasted “tyrants” ransacking the world on Thursday while on a high-security visit to Cameroon’s northwestern city of Bamenda, the epicentre of a nearly decade-long English-speaking separatist insurgency that has killed thousands.

The remarks were interpreted by the US media in particular as a reference to Trump.

But they were written well before Trump’s criticisms, Leo said, adding “there’s been a certain narrative that has not been accurate in all of its aspects”.

Trump had said on April 12 he was “not a big fan of Pope Leo”, and accused him of “toying with a country (Iran) that wants a nuclear weapon”.

He later doubled down on his comments to reporters with a post on Truth Social, saying: “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon.”

“Pope Leo is weak on Crime and terrible for Foreign Policy,” the US leader said.

AFP

Pope Leo XIV on Friday warned that the AI boom could fuel “conflict, fear and violence” while on a trip to Cameroon marked by his ongoing spat with US President Donald Trump.

While Leo has called for caution on artificial intelligence several times since his election in May 2025, his latest warning comes as Trump faces a backlash over a now-deleted AI-generated post seemingly depicting the US leader as Jesus.

After holding Mass in the stifling heat in Cameroon’s economic capital Douala for more than 120,000 joyous worshippers — the biggest event of his landmark Africa trip so far — the leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics sounded the alarm over the perils of the technology.

“The challenge posed by these systems is greater than it appears: it is not just about the use of new technologies, but about the gradual replacement of reality by its simulation,” he said in a speech to teachers and students at the Catholic University of Central Africa in the capital Yaounde.

“In this way, polarisation, conflict, fear and violence spread. What is at stake is not merely the risk of error, but a transformation in our very relationship with truth.”

It marks the pontiff’s latest outspoken intervention on his 11-day Africa tour that has seen him abandon his previous restraint to deliver impassioned pleas for world peace — and tussle with fellow American Trump.

– ‘Handful of tyrants’ –

After the pope criticised the US-Israeli war with Iran, Trump lashed out at Leo, branding him “weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy”.

He then posted an AI-generated image seemingly depicting himself as a Christ-like figure, which he later deleted after religious leaders accused him of blasphemy.

And shortly after Leo denounced the “handful of tyrants” ravaging the world in a speech on Thursday, the US president said the pope needed to understand the realities of a “nasty world”.

Far from the Trump broadsides, Leo has been greeted by adoring, singing-and-dancing crowds wherever he has gone in Cameroon.

Some of Friday’s throng had travelled far or arrived the previous night in the hope of catching a glimpse of the pope at his Douala Mass.

Waving “branches of peace” and Vatican flags, to lively choral music punctuated by percussion, the crowd chanted “Long live the pope!” as Leo arrived in a popemobile at the esplanade outside the Japoma Stadium.

“It’s the achievement of a Christian lifetime. When I was little, I thought you couldn’t see the pope with your own two eyes,” Marguerite Tedga, 72, said after waiting all night with friends from her parish.

Edith Fifi, a 25-year-old beautician, said seeing the pontiff gave her “a feeling of deliverance”.

“I was deeply moved by his message, and what I remember most is his call for sharing,” she said.

But some Cameroonian Catholics had feared that Leo’s visit could help President Paul Biya, who has ruled with an iron fist since 1982, burnish his image.

Douala, one of central Africa’s largest ports, was among the cities to see a violent crackdown on demonstrations against the re-election in October of a man who at the age of 93 is already the world’s oldest head of state.

Witnesses have reported that the security forces fired live rounds into the crowds. The authorities have acknowledged dozens of deaths without giving a precise toll.

– No to ‘plunder’ –

Without mentioning Trump or Biya by name, Leo has delivered unusually pointed speeches across his African tour — ignoring Catholic US Vice President JD Vance’s call to “stick to matters of morality”.

In his speech on AI on Friday, the pope also condemned the “environmental devastation” caused by the extraction of the rare earths essential to the technology’s stunning growth — a cornerstone of the Trump administration’s approach to Africa.

And Leo also demanded an end to the corruption of a mining industry through which foreign powers — China foremost among them — reap the riches of Africa’s wealth while locals suffer.

After arriving in the country Wednesday, the pope urged Cameroon’s leaders to root out corruption and abuses carried out in the name of order — within Biya’s earshot.

The Catholic Church plays an important social role in Cameroon, where more than a third of the population of 30 million people are Catholic.

Leo wraps up his visit to the country with a Mass early Saturday.

He was previously in Muslim-majority Algeria for a visit marred by two suicide bombings.

The pope heads on to Angola before wrapping up his 18,000-kilometre (11,200-mile) tour in Equatorial Guinea.

A fragile ceasefire across parts of the Middle East has failed to halt a deepening health emergency, with the World Health Organisation, WHO, warning that health systems across multiple countries are now under severe strain from conflict, mass displacement, and infrastructure breakdown

In its latest situation report, WHO said the cessation of hostilities remains unstable, warning that the region is facing “operational system disruption” that extends far beyond battlefield injuries, with hospitals, supply chains, and essential services increasingly unable to function.

“The cessation of hostilities remains fragile, underscoring the need to sustain operational readiness for deterioration in the situation,” WHO stated, noting that health services are being undermined by fuel shortages, damaged infrastructure, and continuous population movements across borders.

Hospitals under severe pressure in conflict zones

Lebanon remains one of the worst-affected countries, where intensified fighting and repeated evacuation orders have placed major referral hospitals under extreme strain.

In some cases, hundreds of patients, including those in intensive care, face uncertain relocation due to the absence of alternative facilities capable of receiving them.

WHO warned that essential medicines are becoming increasingly scarce, particularly for patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes and kidney failure.

“In southern Lebanon, the health system is shrinking under extreme pressure,” a WHO official said. “Insulin stocks are low, dialysis services are stretched, and trauma cases continue to rise.”

Several hospitals in the south have also been damaged by nearby strikes, with health workers injured and critical emergency equipment destroyed, further weakening response capacity.

System-wide collapse beyond battlefield injuries

The WHO report highlights a shift from direct conflict casualties to broader system failure, where entire health networks are being undermined by fuel shortages, transport disruptions, and broken supply chains.

In Gaza, healthcare delivery, water systems, sanitation services, and hygiene infrastructure continue to deteriorate, while fuel shortages in other settings are crippling hospital operations and emergency response services.

Cold chain failures, medicine shortages, and transport bottlenecks are also affecting the delivery of vaccines and essential drugs, raising fears of secondary health crises.

Displacement intensifying health risks

Across the region, continued displacement is worsening health outcomes, with large population movements driven by insecurity and deteriorating living conditions.

WHO warned that overcrowded shelters and temporary settlements are increasing the risk of infectious disease outbreaks, while mental health and psychosocial needs are rising sharply.

Women, children, the elderly, and people with chronic illnesses remain the most affected, with limited access to maternal care, essential medicines, and basic health services.

Iran, Syria and wider region remain fragile

In the Islamic Republic of Iran, authorities have requested international assistance for emergency medical supplies and chronic disease management, while WHO is preparing coordination mechanisms for potential deployment of Emergency Medical Teams.

In Syria, more than 240,000 people have returned from neighbouring countries since the escalation, placing additional pressure on already fragile health systems. Risks from unexploded ordnance, flooding, and overcrowded settlements remain significant.

Elsewhere in the region, WHO reports continued disruptions to essential health services, disease surveillance systems, and medical supply chains, despite relative calm in some countries.

WHO scales up emergency response

WHO says it has activated global emergency surge mechanisms, including rapid deployment teams, logistics support systems, and expanded medical supply chains.

Through its global logistics hubs, including the Dubai Global Logistics Hub, the agency is distributing trauma kits, essential medicines, and supplies for chronic disease management.

In Lebanon alone, 20 trauma emergency kits have been delivered, with 40 more in transit to public hospitals.

The organisation is also strengthening disease surveillance and risk communication to support early outbreak detection and improve public awareness of emerging health threats.

Funding shortfall threatens response

Despite rising needs, WHO says funding remains critically insufficient. Of the US$30 million required for its Eastern Mediterranean response between March and August 2026, only US$1.6 million has been received so far.

This level of funding is not enough to sustain life-saving operations,” WHO warned, noting that gaps in medicines, trauma care, and emergency response capacity are widening.

Fragile calm masking deeper crisis

WHO cautioned that although hostilities have eased in some areas, the underlying drivers of the crisis remain unresolved, with continued displacement, infrastructure damage, and energy shortages threatening further deterioration.

“The situation is not stabilising, it is transforming,” a senior WHO official said. “We are witnessing a regional health emergency unfold in real time.”

US President Donald Trump said Friday that Iran had agreed to never again shut the Strait of Hormuz, during a string of social media posts indicating a peace deal with Tehran was near.

“Iran has agreed to never close the Strait of Hormuz again. It will no longer be used as a weapon against the World,” Trump said on his Truth Social network, after Iran earlier said the crucial sea passage would remain open during a Middle East ceasefire.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday that the strategic Strait of Hormuz, vital for the global oil trade, will remain “completely open” to commercial ships as long as a ceasefire in the Middle East holds.

“The passage for all commercial vessels through Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of ceasefire,” Araghchi said on X.

It was not clear whether he was speaking of the 10-day truce agreed by Lebanon and Israel that went into effect at midnight or an earlier two-week truce between Iran and the United States that began on April 8.

Iran, which sent shockwaves through the global economy by essentially blocking passage through the crucial Strait, had made the extension of a ceasefire to Lebanon a condition of opening the waterway, state media reported.

Lebanon was drawn into the broader war launched by the United States and Israel on February 28 when Hezbollah attacked Israel in support of Iran, its key ally.

An Iranian senior military official told the state broadcaster that only civilian vessels would be allowed passage through designated routes and with permission of the navy of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

“The passage of military vessels through the Strait of Hormuz remains prohibited,” the official said.

US President Donald Trump welcomed the Iranian announcement that the narrow waterway would be open, but said the US naval blockade of Iranian ports would remain in place until a peace deal with Tehran was reached.

“The naval blockade will remain in full force and effect as it pertains to Iran, only, until such time as our transaction with Iran is 100% complete,” Trump said on his Truth Social network, adding that “this process should go very quickly”.

Oil prices that had spiked during the supply disruptions plunged after the Iranian announcement of opening the Strait.

AFP

A blackout on several social media platforms in Guinea has been lifted, bloggers and users in the West African nation said on Friday.

The disruption had affected major platforms including Facebook, Messenger, YouTube, and TikTok, according to the Association of Bloggers in Guinea (ABLOGUI), which first reported the blockage.

Authorities in Guinea have not issued any official statement explaining the restrictions, which were initially announced by the bloggers’ association on Thursday.

The country is governed by Mamady Doumbouya, a former army general who came to power following a 2021 coup and was later elected in a vote last December that excluded major opposition figures.

Guinea’s communications regulator had earlier warned about the spread of “verbal attacks, unverified information, and messages harmful to social cohesion,” though it did not directly link the statement to the shutdown.

ABLOGUI President Baro Conde welcomed the restoration of access, describing it as a positive development for civil liberties.

Citizens will once again be able to enjoy their freedoms of information and expression,” he said.

However, he cautioned that similar restrictions could return, especially ahead of elections.

“Guinea has developed a habit of restricting social media access during election periods,” he added.

Legislative and municipal elections are scheduled for May 31, raising concerns about possible future disruptions to online communication.

AFP

Airtel Nigeria has announced the temporary suspension of its airtime and data credit services, which previously allowed eligible prepaid customers to borrow airtime or data and repay on their next recharge.

In a statement on Friday, the Director, Corporate Communications & CSR Airtel Nigeria, Femi Adeniran, said the decision is part of ongoing adjustments to align its operations with evolving regulatory and operational requirements in Nigeria’s telecommunications sector.

Despite the suspension, Airtel Nigeria assured customers that they will continue to have uninterrupted access to standard airtime and data purchases through existing channels.

According to the company, the pause in the credit service is not expected to affect overall service quality or network performance across the country.

Commenting on the development, Airtel Nigeria’s Director of Marketing, Ismail Adeshina, described the move as necessary and responsible.

“This is a necessary and responsible step as we align our operations with evolving requirements. Airtel Nigeria remains committed to the highest standards of compliance, transparency, and consumer protection, while continuing to innovate responsibly within Nigeria’s digital ecosystem,” he said.

The telecom operator added that updates on the status of the suspended service will be communicated to customers in due course.

The development comes amid growing regulatory scrutiny of digital lending and credit-based services in Nigeria’s telecom sector, as operators adjust to new compliance expectations.

The firefight with police and soldiers happened in the Muslim-populated south of the mainly Catholic Asian nation, where remnants of Islamic State-inspired groups operate.

Among the dead was Amerol Mangoranca, leader of an armed group called the Maute-Dawlah Islamiya, a regional police report said.

The government force arrived near the town of Marantao before dawn to serve arrest warrants for murder, homicide, and kidnapping against Mangoranca and his group, it said.

This triggered an hour-long firefight with the group, which included the rebel leader’s wife and three other women.

A separate military report said an unharmed infant was recovered after the gunfight.

Government forces sustained no casualties and recovered guns and explosives, the military added.

The group is suspected of being behind a January attack that killed four soldiers and wounded another, said the Philippine Army’s First Infantry Division report.

The slain gunmen were from the “same network responsible for the Marawi siege and years of violence”, the military unit’s commander, Major-General Yegor Barroquillo, said in the statement.

In May 2017, hundreds of Filipino Muslim fighters, as well as foreign militants, joined forces to take over the Mindanao city of Marawi, intending to make it the capital of a Southeast Asian caliphate to be ruled by their radical interpretation of Islam.

A bloody siege by government forces ended five months later with the loss of more than a thousand lives and with many of the militant groups’ most senior leaders being killed.

AFP

Former Virginia Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax shot and killed his wife, Cerina Fairfax, before taking his own life early Thursday morning inside their home in Annandale, Fairfax County police said.

The incident occurred shortly after midnight on the 8100 block of Guinevere Drive. According to police, the couple’s two teenage children were inside the house at the time of the shooting.

Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis linked the tragedy to the couple’s ongoing and “complicated” divorce proceedings.

I don’t think it’s a secret that there’s been divorce proceedings that have been ongoing,” Chief Davis said. “From what I understand in this early stage, former Lt. Gov. Fairfax was recently served some paperwork associated with an upcoming court proceeding that apparently led to this incident last night.”

The couple had appeared in court on Monday as part of their divorce case, which Mrs. Fairfax first filed last summer. Although they had separated, they were still sharing the family home.

Mr. Fairfax, 47, a Democrat, served as Virginia’s lieutenant governor from 2018 to 2022 under former Governor Ralph Northam.

His political career faced significant challenges in 2019 when two women publicly accused him of sexual assault from years earlier. Fairfax denied the allegations, maintaining the encounters were consensual. He completed his term but lost a bid for governor in 2021, effectively ending his political career.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the incident.

A Nigerian couple, Luciana and Femi Akanbi, have been jailed in the United Kingdom for orchestrating a large-scale fraud involving the stolen personal data of Transport for London employees, in a case described as the ‘worst’ data breach in the agency’s history.

According to a report by KentLive, the couple were each sentenced to three years and nine months’ imprisonment after defrauding the UK tax authority through false rebate claims.

The report said Luciana Akanbi, 38, who worked in the human resources department of Transport for London, accessed sensitive personal information of her colleagues, including passport details, National Insurance numbers and bank records.

Prosecutors told Woolwich Crown Court that the couple used the data of at least 40 employees to submit 139 fraudulent tax rebate claims to HM Revenue and Customs.

The fraud, carried out between September 2021 and January 2022, resulted in losses of over £433,000 to the public purse, although the total value of claims submitted was close to £650,000.

Delivering judgment, Judge David Miller said the case represented the most severe data breach in the history of the transport authority.

Judge Miller said, “TfL suffered their worst ever data breach. It meant they had to change their systems.

“It affected their morale, I am told, and staff performance. You acquired and used the personal details of 40 employees in relation to making the claims for tax rebates, but accessed the details of 107 employees.

“There were 139 claims in respect of 40 employees by self-assessment accounts being set up by you and others, using 38 computer devices from your own home and others. The effect was that there were 139 claims for tax rebates totalling just under £649,000.

“The money lost to HMRC amounted to just over £433,000. That money was almost instantly dissipated in a complex money laundering scheme.”

The court heard that Luciana Akanbi, who had been employed by TfL since 2017, used her position to access the personal records of 107 employees, which were subsequently exploited for fraudulent claims.

Prosecutor Andrew Evans described the operation as sophisticated, involving extensive preparation and a large number of victims.

“The fraud was sophisticated in nature, required significant planning and involved a large number of victims,” he said.

He added that the proceeds of the fraud were rapidly moved through a complex money laundering network.

Evidence presented in court showed that about £66,000 was traced to Femi’s bank account, while £16,000 was linked to his wife, although the court held that their total benefit from the scheme exceeded those amounts.

The court further heard that financial pressures contributed to the crime, with Femi reportedly struggling with a gambling addiction following illness during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Judge Miller said over £50,000 of the stolen funds had been paid into various gambling accounts.

He also noted that Luciana, a mother of three, initially attempted to deflect blame by suggesting that a relative working in the IT sector may have been responsible for the data breach.

The judge, however, ruled that both defendants were central to the scheme, stating that the fraud was only possible because of the access granted to Luciana as a trusted employee.

“You, Luciana Akanbi, had been colleagues with some of these people who were extremely badly let down.

“That is damaging; to have your credit ratings impacted, to deal with HMRC and to have to rearrange your finances. There was immense damage to third parties,” the Judge said.

Judge Miller added that no compensation order would be made, stating that the couple had no recoverable assets.

Following the ruling, a representative of Transport for London said the organisation had strengthened its internal data protection systems to prevent a recurrence.

“We take any cases of fraud extremely seriously and welcome the court’s sentencing of these two individuals.

“This crime meant that hundreds of thousands of pounds was unable to be reinvested elsewhere to the wider public benefit, and involved working closely with HM Revenue and Customs to secure a successful prosecution,” he said.

A spokesperson for HM Revenue and Customs warned that the agency would continue to pursue individuals who attempt to exploit the tax system.

The court also indicated that the couple could face deportation proceedings after serving their sentences.

Culled from punch

The Nigeria Police Force has extradited a fugitive, Matthew Chukwuemeka Adebiyi, to the United Kingdom over alleged involvement in murder and drug trafficking.

The Force said the extradition was carried out through the INTERPOL National Central Bureau Abuja following a formal request by UK authorities in September 2024 to locate, arrest and extradite the suspect.

In a statement on Thursday, the Force Public Relations Officer, Anthony Placide, said the suspect was wanted over the alleged murder of one Joshua Boadu on June 18, 2018, after which he fled to Nigeria to evade arrest.

He added that Adebiyi was also accused of involvement in the supply of crack cocaine, a Class-A controlled drug, between October 2017 and March 2018 in the UK

Placide stated, “The suspect was arrested on 23rd January 2025 by operatives of the INTERPOL NCB Abuja, following which extradition proceedings were initiated at the Federal High Court, Lagos Judicial Division, in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/416/2025.”

According to the statement, the Federal High Court, Lagos Division, granted the application for extradition on February 16, 2026, in line with the provisions of the law.

It added, “Pursuant to the court order and the execution of a surrender warrant by the relevant Nigerian authorities, the fugitive was formally handed over to United Kingdom law enforcement officials on 14th April 2026 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport for diligent prosecution.”

The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, reaffirmed the commitment of the Force to international collaboration.

He added that Nigeria does not serve as a safe haven for fugitives.

US President Donald Trump has said that leaders of Israel and Lebanon will speak on Thursday, as Washington pushes to ease hostilities after the rivals’ first direct talks in decades.

Lebanon was pulled into the Middle East war on March 2 after pro-Tehran group Hezbollah attacked Israel.

Since then, Israeli strikes have killed more than 2,000 people and displaced more than one million in Lebanon, despite international calls for a ceasefire, and Israeli ground forces have invaded the country’s south.

“Trying to get a little breathing room between Israel and Lebanon,” Trump said Wednesday on his Truth Social platform, referring to a meeting held in Washington the day before — the first direct negotiations between senior officials from the two countries since 1993

He said the leaders would speak on Thursday, without identifying participants or giving further details.

A senior US administration official said earlier that Trump would “welcome” an end to hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, but stressed that any such outcome is not part of talks between Washington and Tehran.

“The president would welcome the end of hostilities in Lebanon as part of a peace agreement between Israel and Lebanon,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The United States wants to see a durable peace but did not demand an immediate ceasefire,” and “negotiations between the US and Iran are not linked to ongoing peace talks between Israel and Lebanon,” according to the official.

Washington’s focus is on building trust between the Lebanese and Israeli governments “so that we can create space for a peace deal, and so that any future understandings can be durable.”

“Both sides need to build political momentum,” the official added.

Netanyahu spoke on Wednesday of two central objectives in the talks with Lebanon: “First, the dismantling of Hezbollah; second, a sustainable peace… achieved through strength.”

AFP

The BBC is set to cut 2,000 jobs, British media reported Wednesday, citing sources.

The cuts will be the biggest round of redundancies at the broadcasting corporation in almost 15 years, ITV News and The Press Association news agency reported.

The BBC has not confirmed the planned job cuts, reportedly announced to staff Wednesday, and did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

AFP

A 13-year-old opened fire at a Turkish school on Wednesday, killing nine people and wounding 13, with students jumping from windows to escape the second school shooting in the country in as many days, officials said.

Wednesday’s attack unfolded in the Kahramanmaras province in the south of the country, where such mass shootings are usually rare.

“We regret to report nine deaths (…) and 13 wounded. Six of them are currently in intensive care, three of whom are in critical condition,” Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci said in a statement, upping the previous toll of four dead and 20 wounded.

“A student came to school with guns that we believe belonged to his father in his backpack. He entered two classrooms and opened fire randomly, causing injuries and deaths,” Kahramanmaras province governor Mukerrem Unluer told reporters earlier in the day.

The attacker, an eighth‑grade student, was the son of a former police officer, Unluer said, adding that the suspect was carrying five guns and seven magazines. He died during the incident.

“We suspect he may have taken his father’s weapons,” the governor said.

“He shot himself. It is not yet clear whether this was suicide or happened amid the chaos,” he said.

Police detained the ex-student’s father, Ugur Mersinli, the official Anadolu news agency reported.

Footage released by IHA private news agency showed a person, body and face covered, being evacuated in an ambulance, as well as tearful parents who had rushed to the school in the southern province’s main city, Kahramanmaras.

Another video, taken by a resident of a nearby building, verified by AFP, shows students jumping from a first-floor window of the school to escape the gunfire, while dozens of others flee through the courtyard.

About 15 gunshots can be heard in the one-and-a-half-minute video.

Police increased security around the building, and television footage showed ambulances in the area.

The incident prompted the interior and education ministers to travel to the city.

Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said prosecutors had launched an immediate investigation into the shooting.

Vulnerability’-

The shooting came a day after an ex-student opened fire with a shotgun at his former high school in Siverek district of Sanliurfa province, also in the centre of the country.

The gunman wounded 16 people before killing himself in a showdown with police. Ten students were among the casualties.

Speaking to the ruling AKP party in parliament, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan promised that those found to have been negligent or at fault “will certainly be held accountable” over the school shootings.

Police detained one suspect after Tuesday’s attack and suspended four officials from duty, Erdogan said. The school was ordered closed for four days.

Main opposition CHP leader Ozgur Ozel called for broader security measures.

“At this point, it is clearly evident that violence in schools can no longer be explained by isolated incidents,” he wrote on X.

This issue has turned into a growing and deepening security vulnerability,” he said.

Measures such as ensuring full control at school entrances and exits, increasing the number of security personnel, strengthening camera systems, intensifying police patrols around schools, and keeping emergency crisis plans ready are now essential, he added.

“The security of schools is entrusted to our state. No negligence or deficiency in this regard can be excused anymore,” Ozel said.

School shootings in Turkey had been rare until this week. In May 2024, a former student killed a private high school principal in Istanbul with a firearm five months after he was expelled.

Turkey has strict gun laws that require licensing, registration, mental and criminal background checks, and severe penalties for illegal possession.

AFP

United States President Donald Trump said Wednesday that China has agreed not to send weapons to its close partner Iran and that he has received personal assurances from leader Xi Jinping.

“They have agreed not to send weapons to Iran. President Xi will give me a big, fat, hug when I get there in a few weeks,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, referring to his planned May 14-15 summit with Xi in Beijing.

Trump told Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo in a separate interview aired Wednesday that Xi had “essentially” promised not to deliver weapons.

“I had heard that China’s giving weapons to, I mean — you’re seeing it all over the place — to Iran,” Trump said.

“And I wrote him a letter asking him not to do that, and he wrote me a letter saying that essentially he’s not doing that.”

The conflict in the Middle East has added tension to the already complicated relationship between the world’s top economic powers.

The Trump-Xi summit had originally been scheduled for March but was delayed due to Trump’s decision to launch the war.

China accused the United States on Tuesday of “dangerous and irresponsible” behavior over its blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz, with Xi vowing Beijing would play a “constructive role” in promoting peace in the Middle East.

In his Truth Social post, Trump insisted that “China is very happy that I am permanently opening the Strait of Hormuz. I am doing it for them, also – And the World.”

China is Iran’s biggest trading partner and a major client for the country’s oil.

Trump was asked in the Fox interview about reports that China had recently conducted a major cyber attack against the FBI. He did not directly confirm the report, but said: “We do it to them. They do it to us.”

“China’s China,” he said. “They’re never easy, but we’re doing great with China.”

Trump said he was “the toughest person” on China.

AFP

A United States-based humanitarian worker, Alex Barbir, has denied allegations that his activities and public statements have contributed to violence in parts of Nigeria, insisting that his mission is centred on protecting vulnerable communities and supporting reconstruction efforts.

Barbir spoke during an interview on TVC News on Tuesday, where he addressed concerns over his influence in Plateau and Benue states, as well as claims linking his presence to rising tensions in conflict-affected areas.

Responding to accusations that his rhetoric may have incited attacks, he rejected the claims, stating, “I have never once called for anybody to be murdered. I have called for people to be protected.”

He maintained that his advocacy has consistently focused on urging authorities to improve security while supporting the right of individuals to defend themselves when faced with imminent threats.

Barbir also dismissed reports connecting his recent visit to Plateau State with a reprisal attack that reportedly left two people dead, clarifying that the incident occurred before his arrival.

“They had killed two people before I arrived. So it’s a false narrative to say my presence caused that,” he said.

He described the violence in the region as longstanding, noting that cycles of attacks and reprisals predate his involvement.

While acknowledging criticism of his position, Barbir defended his stance on self-protection in areas plagued by insecurity.

“If the government is failing to protect you, you should protect yourselves from people who would take your life. There’s nothing wrong with that,” he stated.

Barbir emphasised that violence in Nigeria affects both Christians and Muslims, stressing that his advocacy is not targeted at or against any particular group.

He also rejected allegations that he is promoting foreign or political interests, challenging critics to provide evidence.

According to him, his work is funded through charitable donations, churches and humanitarian organisations.

Despite the controversy, Barbir said he plans to return to Nigeria to continue reconstruction projects in Benue State and Plateau State, maintaining that his efforts are rooted in peacebuilding and community support.

Born on August 17, 1997, in Lawrenceville, Georgia, Barbir said his upbringing was shaped by discipline and sports, influences he believes guide his humanitarian work.

His activities in Nigeria are linked to initiatives such as Building Zion and Equipping the Persecuted, led by filmmaker Judd Saul. Through these platforms, he has been involved in rebuilding homes, schools and places of worship in communities affected by violence, particularly in Benue State

An ex-student opened fire at his former high school on Tuesday in Turkey, where school shootings are rare, wounding 16 people, including students, before killing himself, officials said.

Special security forces were deployed to the school in southeastern Turkey’s Sanliurfa province, where students were evacuated, the local governor, Hasan Sildak, told reporters.

Television footage showed ambulances standing by outside the school in the Siverek district as students fled the building in panic.

Sildak identified the attacker as a former student at the school, born in 2007.

“He took his own life when cornered by police,” the governor said.

“We have evacuated the school and will carry out a thorough investigation into this tragic incident,” he added.

Local media reported that most of the wounded were students.

AFP

Baghdad’s oil ministry said Tuesday it has “understandings” with the United States and Iran to reduce the impact of the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz on Iraqi oil exports.

The ministry did not elaborate or say when these reported understandings were reached.

But Iran announced earlier this month — before the fragile ceasefire was reached last Wednesday with the United States — that it would allow Iraqi shipping to transit the key waterway.

Iraqi oil ministry spokesperson Saheb Bazoun told the Iraqi News Agency (INA) “there are understandings with the American and Iranian sides to circumvent the blockade imposed on the Strait of Hormuz, and with all parties to guarantee exports”.

A founding member of the OPEC oil cartel, Iraq normally exports the majority of its crude through the strait, but like other exporters in the oil-rich region, it has been left scrambling for alternative routes.

Bazoun told INA that Iraq was continuing to use secondary export routes, including a pipeline to the Turkish port of Ceyhan and via Syria’s Baniyas port.

Authorities announced earlier this month Iraq has begun exporting crude using tanker trucks through Syria, after resuming oil exports of 250,000 barrels per day through Ceyhan.

The Middle East war has wrought havoc on energy markets, especially after Iran tightened the screws on the Strait of Hormuz — through which roughly a fifth of global oil and gas passes — sharply slowing maritime traffic, and reportedly charging transit fees.

Despite the two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran, and after a failed attempt to reach an agreement, Washington imposed a blockade on Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz, sending tremors through global energy markets.

Oil exports account for some 90 percent of Iraq’s budget revenues, which plummeted more than 70 percent in March compared with February.

AFP

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that a pipeline carrying Russian oil through Ukraine to Hungary and Slovakia and damaged in Moscow’s strikes would reopen by the end of April.

“As for the oil pipeline, as we promised, it will be repaired by the end of April — not completely, but enough for it to function,” Zelensky told reporters in Berlin, adding he was ready to meet with Hungary’s prime minister-elect, Peter Magyar

The status of the pipeline had been a major source of tension between Zelensky — who wants all EU countries to stop buying Russian energy — and Hungary’s Viktor Orban, who had heavily criticised the Ukrainian leader throughout the election campaign.

AFP

“We delivered the heaviest blow in that regime’s history. It stands weaker than ever before,” Netanyahu said in remarks at a state ceremony held in the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial centre in Jerusalem and broadcast on Monday.

Israel has been engaged in a multi-front conflict since October 7, 2023, when Iran-backed Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked the country, triggering a deadly war in Gaza that ultimately drew in other allies of Tehran.

“For two-and-a-half years, we have been systematically crushing the Iranian axis of evil” in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and the occupied West Bank, Netanyahu said.

“Had we not acted, names like Natanz, Fordow, Isfahan and Parchin might have become synonymous with horror — like Auschwitz, Treblinka, Majdanek and Sobibor,” he added, comparing Iranian nuclear sites to Nazi-era extermination camps.

Israel has been engaged in a multi-front conflict since October 7, 2023, when Iran-backed Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked the country, triggering a deadly war in Gaza that ultimately drew in other allies of Tehran

“For two-and-a-half years, we have been systematically crushing the Iranian axis of evil” in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and the occupied West Bank, Netanyahu said.

“Had we not acted, names like Natanz, Fordow, Isfahan and Parchin might have become synonymous with horror — like Auschwitz, Treblinka, Majdanek and Sobibor,” he added, comparing Iranian nuclear sites to Nazi-era extermination camps

Israel will observe its annual Holocaust Remembrance Day from Monday evening until Tuesday evening, with memorials in honour of the six million Jews murdered by the Nazis during World War II.

The observance, held each year in April or May according to the Hebrew calendar, is separate from International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27.

This year’s commemoration comes in the midst of a two-week ceasefire with Iran in a regional war that began on February 28 with joint US-Israeli attacks on Iran.

Despite the ceasefire, Israel continues to engage in fighting with Hezbollah militants in southern Lebanon.

AFP

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has publicly condemned U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent criticism of Pope Leo XIV, describing the remarks as an insult to the pontiff and a desecration of Jesus Christ.

Trump said on Sunday that he is “not a big fan” of Leo XIV, saying he is “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy.”

He made the comments in response to the 70-year-old American pope’s criticism of ongoing conflicts involving the U.S., Israel, and Iran.

Trump argued that the pontiff had unfairly criticised his administration while overlooking actions taken against religious gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He’s a very liberal person, and he’s a man that doesn’t believe in stopping crime,” the U.S. president said.

He added that he does not “want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon,” and said, “If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican.”

The remarks sparked global outrage.

Reacting in a post on X on Monday, Pezeshkian wrote, “His Holiness Pope Leo XIV (@Pontifex), I condemn the insult to Your Excellency on behalf of the great nation of Iran, and declare that the desecration of Jesus, the prophet of peace and brotherhood, is not acceptable to any free person. I wish you glory by Allah.”

US under Trump’s directive and in collaboration with Israel, launched missile strikes on Iran in February under Operation Epic Fury, sparking retaliation from Iran, which struck some nations in the Gulf.

A reconciliation meeting was held in Islamabad, Pakistan, over the weekend but ended in deadlock.

A Norwegian man has been effectively cured of HIV after receiving a stem cell transplant from his brother, doctors announced on Monday.

The patient’s brother happened to carry a rare, virus-blocking genetic mutation.

The 63-year-old man, dubbed the “Oslo patient”, is the latest in around 10 people worldwide who have gone into long-term remission from HIV after receiving a transplant to treat unrelated blood cancer.

The high-risk procedure normally requires a donor to have a specific mutation of their CCR5 gene, which blocks HIV from entering the body’s cells.

Only around one per cent of people in northern Europe have the necessary mutation.

The Oslo patient, who had been living with HIV since 2006, was diagnosed with a fatal blood cancer called myelodysplastic syndrome in 2017.

His doctors searched for a donor who would help treat both. When they couldn’t find one, they chose the man’s elder brother.

However, on the day of the transplant in 2020, the doctors were stunned to discover that the brother carried the CCR5 mutation.

“We had no idea… That was amazing,” doctor Anders Eivind Myhre of the Oslo University Hospital told AFP.

– ‘Winning the lottery twice’ –

The patient said, “it was like winning the lottery twice”, added Myhre, who was also the lead author of a study describing the case in Nature Microbiology.

Two years after the transplant, the patient stopped taking the anti-retroviral drugs, which had been reducing the level of HIV in his body.

The researchers found no trace of the virus in samples of the man’s blood, gut and bone marrow.

“For all practical purposes, we are quite certain that he is cured,” Myhre said.

Now the Oslo patient, whose name was not revealed, is “having a great time” and has more energy than he knows what to do with, Myhre said.

The painful and potentially dangerous transplant procedure is for people who have both HIV and deadly blood cancer, so it is not a feasible option for the millions of people living with the virus across the world.

However, researchers believe that studying these rare cases will reveal more about how HIV works in the hope of finding a cure for all patients.

– ‘No longer a patient’ –

The Oslo patient is the first person to receive a transplant from a family member.

The patient’s immune system had been “completely replaced” by the donor’s, said study co-author Marius Troseid of the University of Oslo.

It was the first time this had been observed in a cured patient’s bone marrow and gut, he told AFP.

Even before the researchers found out the brother had a CCR5 mutation, they had some hope that the Oslo patient’s HIV could be cured.

That is because in 2024, it was revealed that the so-called “next Berlin patient” entered long-term remission despite receiving a transplant that did not have two copies of the mutated gene.

The original Berlin patient, Timothy Ray Brown, was the first person declared cured of HIV back in 2008. Patients in London, New York, Geneva, Düsseldorf, and elsewhere followed.

Given the Oslo patient’s robust health, Troseid suggested that his nickname was no longer suitable.

“The Oslo patient is perhaps no longer a patient. At least he doesn’t feel like it,” Troseid said.

AFP

The U.S. Department of State says visa rules, categories, and requirements are subject to regular updates and should be verified through its official website, travel.state.gov, which provides comprehensive guidance for both immigrant and non-immigrant visa applicants.

The portal contains details on application steps, required documentation, interview procedures, processing timelines, and country-specific eligibility requirements.

According to a post on its X handle on Monday, the mission was quoted as saying, “Make sure you are getting official information about U.S. visa policies. Please always check official sites for travel guidance. Visit http://travel.state.gov
to learn more. Please always check official sites for travel guidance.”

Officials say relying on unofficial sources can lead to misinformation, delays, or errors in the application process.

The notice also emphasised that visa policies may change due to administrative updates, security considerations, or diplomatic factors, making it important for applicants to regularly check official updates.

Applicants are also advised to confirm requirements with their nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate before submitting applications or planning travel.

The advisory aims to improve compliance, reduce errors, and ensure travelers follow the correct procedures when applying for U.S. visas.

The United Kingdom is considering introducing a ban on social media use for children under the age of 16 as part of wider efforts to address concerns about excessive screen time and online safety.

As reported by Economic Times on Monday, the proposal, discussed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, forms part of ongoing consultations on how to regulate children’s access to platforms such as Instagram and TikTok.

Starmer said the government is also reviewing measures including app curfews, time limits, and restrictions on algorithm-driven feeds, which he described as contributing to “addictive scrolling” behaviour among young users.

“We’re consulting on whether there should be a ban for under 16s. But equally important, the addictive scrolling mechanisms are really problematic and they need to go,” Starmer said.

The government says the aim is to better understand how social media use affects children’s sleep patterns, education, and family life, while also addressing growing concerns from parents about online habits

Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said the consultation on children’s online safety has already received tens of thousands of responses, with submissions still open for public input.

“We want to hear from parents, teenagers, and families about their experiences and views on curfews, AI chatbots, and addictive features,” Kendall said.

The debate comes as several countries move to tighten rules on children’s social media access. Australia has already implemented a ban for users under 16, while other nations such as Greece and Indonesia have introduced similar restrictions.

The UK government says no final decision has been made, but the consultation process will help shape future policy on how social media platforms operate for younger users and whether stricter age-based limits should be introduced.

The government of Singapore has announced plans to admit up to 40,000 permanent residents annually over the next five years as it adjusts its population strategy to address slowing growth and long-term workforce needs.

The announcement was made by Gan Kim Yong during the Budget 2026 Committee of Supply debate in Parliament, according to reports cited by PUNCH Online on Monday.

He said, “We estimate an intake of about 40,000 PRs annually in the next five years, slightly higher than the 35,000 PRs we granted last year.”

He added that immigration policy will continue to be carefully calibrated based on demographic conditions.

He further said, “We will also have to adjust our PR intake, as permanent residence is the pathway to work towards citizenship,” adding that intake levels will vary yearly based on applicant suitability, demographic needs, and infrastructure capacity.

The government’s approach reflects a balancing act for Singapore as it seeks to sustain economic growth while managing a rapidly ageing population and persistently low birth rates.

A review of the population strategy is expected by 2030, as policymakers assess longer-term demographic and labour market conditions.

“I’m not a big fan of Pope Leo. He’s a very liberal person, and he’s a man that doesn’t believe in stopping crime,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.

He accused the pontiff of “toying with a country that wants a nuclear weapon.”

On Saturday, the 70-year-old American pope publicly implored leaders to end the violence, telling worshippers at St. Peter’s Basilica: “Enough of the idolatry of self and money! Enough of the display of power! Enough of war!”

Trump reiterated his comments to reporters with a post on Truth Social saying: “I don’t want a Pope who think it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon.”

Washington and the Vatican have recently denied reports of a rift.

On Friday, a Vatican official denied reports that a top Pentagon official gave the church’s envoy to the United States a “bitter lecture” over Pope Leo’s criticisms of the Trump administration.

The story in the Free Press — which the Pentagon had already dismissed as “distorted” — reported that Cardinal Christophe Pierre was summoned in January to the Pentagon, where he was given a dressing-down by US Under Secretary of Defence for Policy Elbridge Colby.

The military official reportedly told the cardinal that the United States “has the military power to do whatever it wants — and that the Church had better take its side.”

Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a statement, “The account presented by certain media outlets regarding this meeting does not correspond to the truth in any way.”

While both parties insist the meeting was cordial, the Holy See and the White House have openly been at odds over the Trump administration’s hardline mass deportation campaign — which the pope called “inhuman” — and the use of military force in the Middle East and Venezuela.

When Trump made genocidal threats against Iran on Tuesday, saying “A whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again” — the pontiff slammed the “truly unacceptable” statement and urged parties to “come back to the table” for negotiations.

Earlier this month, Pope Leo hailed the news of a ceasefire between the United States and Iran as a “sign of real hope.”

But peace talks between the United States and Iran, held in the Pakistani capital Islamabad, ended abruptly Saturday with US Vice President JD Vance telling reporters after a marathon session of talks that Washington has delivered its “final and best offer.”

AFP

President Donald Trump on Sunday threatened China with “staggering” new tariffs on its goods entering the United States if Beijing provides military assistance to Iran during the Middle East war.

“If we catch them doing that, they get a 50 percent tariff, which is a staggering — that’s a staggering amount,” Trump told Fox News show “Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo.”

The US leader is scheduled to visit Beijing next month for talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, after delaying an earlier summit because of the war against Iran.

President Donald Trump on Sunday ordered a US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz in response to Iran’s “unyielding” refusal to give up its nuclear ambitions during peace talks in Islamabad.

While acknowledging that the marathon negotiations in Pakistan had gone “well” and “most points were agreed to,” Trump said Tehran had refused to concede on the issue of its nuclear program.

Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL!”

US Vice President JD Vance left Pakistan without a deal after weekend talks with a team led by Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf — the highest-level meeting between the two sides since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

Tehran’s delegation also included Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

“We leave here with a very simple proposal, a method of understanding that is our final and best offer. We’ll see if the Iranians accept it,” Vance told reporters.

In two lengthy posts on Truth Social, Trump slammed Iran for promising to open the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which a fifth of the world’s crude oil passes, and “knowingly” failing to deliver.

“They say they put mines in the water, even though all of their Navy, and most of their ‘mine droppers,’ have been completely blown up. They may have done so, but what ship owner would want to take the chance?” Trump said.

Iran had effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz for weeks, since the United States and Israel launched a bombing campaign against the Islamic republic more than six weeks ago.

On Saturday, the US military announced that two US warships had transited the strait at the start of a mine clearance operation.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday called his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian, offering support to help resolve the escalating Middle East crisis following the collapse of talks between Iran and the United States.

“Vladimir Putin emphasised his readiness to further facilitate the search for a political and diplomatic settlement to the conflict, and to mediate efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in the Middle East,” the Kremlin said in its readout of the call, according to AFP.

The development came as the entire US negotiating team withdrew from failed discussions in Islamabad, with no officials remaining in the Pakistani capital to continue back-channel efforts, a US official confirmed.

Officials said the delegation, including chief negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, departed after marathon talks yielded no meaningful progress on the conflict involving Iran.

During a stopover at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, a US official travelling with Vice President JD Vance said no members of the team stayed behind, despite earlier speculation that further negotiations might continue.

Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Washington failed to build trust during the discussions.

“My colleagues in the Iranian delegation put forward constructive initiatives, but the other side was unable to gain the trust of the Iranian delegation,” he said in a post on X.

Saudi authorities executed seven people who had been convicted of drug trafficking in a single day, state media said Sunday.

The Saudi Press Agency said five Saudis and two Jordanians were found guilty of trafficking amphetamine pills into the kingdom.

“The death penalty was carried out as a discretionary punishment against the perpetrators,” the agency reported, adding that the executions took place on Sunday in the Riyadh region.

Since the beginning of 2026, Riyadh has executed 38 people in drug-related cases, the majority of the 61 executions carried out, according to an AFP tally based on official data.

Foreign nationals make up the majority of those executed this year, totalling 33 people.

In 2025, executions in the kingdom reached a record level for the second consecutive year, with authorities executing 356 people, including 243 in drug-related cases.

The number of executions in 2025 marked the highest in a single year since Amnesty International began documenting death penalty cases in the Gulf kingdom in 1990.

The previous record, 338, was recorded in 2024.

Saudi Arabia resumed executions for drug offences at the end of 2022, after suspending the use of the death penalty in narcotics cases for around three years.

The Arab world’s largest economy is also one of the biggest markets for captagon, an illicit stimulant that was Syria’s largest export under deposed leader Bashar al-Assad, according to the United Nations.

The Gulf kingdom has faced sustained criticism over its use of the death penalty, which rights groups have condemned as excessive and in marked contrast to the country’s efforts to present a modern image to the world.

Activists say Riyadh’s continued embrace of capital punishment undermines the image of a more open, tolerant society that is central to de-facto leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s social and economic reform agenda.

AFP

The CEO of SpaceX and owner of X, Elon Musk, on Sunday criticised his birth country’s government, claiming that Starlink is being denied an operating licence on the basis that he is not Black.

In a series of posts on his X handle, the South Africa-born billionaire referenced ongoing regulatory hurdles tied to the country’s Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment policies.

He claimed the post-apartheid rules require telecommunications licensees to have at least 30 per cent ownership by historically disadvantaged groups, primarily Black South Africans, women, and people with disabilities.

He wrote, “South Africa won’t allow Starlink to be licensed, even though I was born there, simply because I am not black!

We were offered many times the opportunity to bribe our way to a license by pretending that a black guy runs Starlink SA, but I have refused to do so on principle.

“Racism should not be rewarded no matter to which race it is applied. Shame on the racist politicians in South Africa.

“They should be shown no respect whatsoever anywhere in the world and shunned for being unashamedly racists!”

The dispute centres on licensing requirements enforced by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa.

Starlink has not formally received a licence and has argued that current telecom regulations do not fully recognise Equity Equivalent Investment Programmes, alternatives to direct ownership transfers that allow companies to invest in skills development, infrastructure, or community projects instead.

South African officials have, over the years, repeatedly dismissed claims of racism, citing other foreign investors operating in the country.

They argued that the company has not submitted a complete formal application compliant with existing rules.

“Sir, that’s not true and you know it! It’s got nothing to do with your skin colour. Starlink is welcome to operate in South Africa provided there’s compliance with local laws.

“This is a global international trade and investment principle. There are over 600 USA companies investing and operating in #SouthAfrica…all complying and thriving! @Microsoft just announced additional investments yesterday,” South Africa’s Head of Public Diplomacy, Clayson Monyela, said in March 2025, when Musk initially raised the allegation.

Replying again via X on Sunday, he posted a comical video of a kid watching what appears to be ice cream enviously and wrote, “@elonmusk watching the more than 600 USA companies investing more in South African, complying with #SouthAfrican laws and thriving. Zero drama!!.”

The United States Government has confirmed the enforcement of visa restrictions against individuals found to have violated religious freedom, warning that perpetrators of religious persecution will be barred from entering the country.

The United States Principal Advisor for Global Religious Freedom, Mark Walker, disclosed this in a post on X on Friday.

He recalled that in the last month of 2025, the United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, announced plans to restrict those found to have links to violations of religious freedom.

“In December, Secretary Rubio announced that the State Department will restrict US visas for those who have directed, authorised, funded, significantly supported, or carried out violations of religious freedom.

“We have already executed on this policy, and we will continue to subject perpetrators to additional scrutiny.

“If you engage in persecution, you are not welcome in America. The United States is safer when we keep those responsible for religious persecution from entering our homeland,” Walker said.

The policy is grounded in Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act and allows the State Department to extend restrictions to the immediate family members of affected individuals where appropriate.

Walker also shared a link on X referencing a statement published by the United States Department of State outlining the policy.

“The United States is taking decisive action in response to the mass killings and violence against Christians by radical Islamic terrorists, Fulani ethnic militias, and other violent actors in Nigeria and beyond.

“A new policy under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act will allow the State Department to restrict visa issuance to individuals who have directed, authorised, significantly supported, participated in, or carried out violations of religious freedom and, where appropriate, their immediate family members,” the US State Department website posted.

It further wrote, “As President Trump made clear, the United States cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria, and numerous other countries.”

This policy will apply to Nigeria and any other governments or individuals engaged in violations of religious freedom.”

Walker’s post was in response to a statement on X by a US lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C, which criticised the Nigerian government’s handling of insecurity.

The post read, “The United States will not stand by while innocent Nigerians, Christians and Muslims alike, are slaughtered by terrorists as the current Nigerian government remains idle. That same government now appears to be attempting to circumvent the electoral will of the Nigerian people. It has, through its inaction, demonstrated complicity.

“Under the leadership of President DonaldTrump, those responsible for the murder of Nigerians will be held accountable. Likewise, any officials within the current government who enable such violence, or who seek to undermine the integrity of Nigeria’s presidential election, will also be held to account.”

Earlier, Nigeria had been named by the US government among countries of concern, with Marco Rubio stating that the restrictions could be applied to “Nigeria and any other governments or individuals engaged in violations of religious freedom.”

Meanwhile, on Thursday, the United States Mission in Nigeria shut down visa appointment services at its embassy in Abuja following the authorisation for non-emergency personnel and their families to leave Nigeria over worsening security concerns.

In a notice posted on X on Thursday, April 9, 2026, the mission stated: “U.S. Embassy Abuja is closed for visa appointments. Applicants should check their email for details on rescheduled appointments.

“Visa operations at the U.S. Consulate General Lagos continue. American citizen services are available in emergencies and by appointment.”

The development came barely 24 hours after the US government authorised the departure of non-essential staff from its Abuja embassy, citing what it described as a deteriorating security situation across Nigeria.

The authorisation, granted on Wednesday, was contained in an updated travel advisory issued on April 8, 2026, which maintained Nigeria at Level 3, urging American citizens to reconsider travel to the country due to escalating insecurity driven by terrorism, kidnapping, violent crime, and civil unrest.

The luxury San Francisco home of OpenAI boss Sam Altman was hit by a Molotov cocktail on Friday, the company said, as police announced the arrest of a suspect.

No one was injured in the incident, and the firm behind the popular ChatGPT artificial intelligence chatbot would not confirm if the CEO was home at the time.

The motive for the attack and subsequent threats to set fire to OpenAI’s San Francisco headquarters — apparently by the same 20-year-old man — were not immediately known.

But they come as Altman’s profile has risen with the increasing use of AI, amid fears it could massively disrupt employment patterns and cause irreversible societal changes.

Police in San Francisco responded after reports that someone had tried to set fire to a gate at the sprawling home.

A statement from the San Francisco Police Department said officers were dispatched to the home just after 4:00 am (1100 GMT).

“At the scene, officers learned that an unknown male subject threw an incendiary device at a home, causing a fire to an exterior gate. The suspect then fled on foot,” SFPD said.

A short time later, they were called to the firm’s offices, where a man was making threats.

“When officers arrived on scene, they recognised the male to be the same suspect from the earlier incident and immediately detained him,” the statement said of the unnamed 20-year-old suspect.

A spokesman for OpenAI confirmed the attack on the chief executive’s residence and the threats to the San Francisco headquarters.

“The individual is in custody, and we’re assisting law enforcement with their investigation,” the spokesman told AFP.

– AI for war –

Altman and OpenAI have become targets for people protesting AI as a threat to society.

Detractors have been particularly troubled by OpenAI’s decision to provide its technology to the US Department of Defence

n a rare post on his personal blog, Altman shared a photo of his husband and their baby “in the hopes that it might dissuade the next person from throwing a Molotov cocktail at our house.”

The OpenAI chief defended his convictions and called for a de-escalation of the rhetoric surrounding.

“I empathise with anti-technology sentiments and clearly technology isn’t always good for everyone,” Altman wrote.

“But overall, I believe technological progress can make the future unbelievably good, for your family and mine.”

OpenAI last month said it was valued at $852 billion after a funding round that raised $122 billion.

The figure reflects the surging costs of computing power and came amid lingering questions about whether OpenAI and rival companies can generate sufficient revenue to cover expenses.

ChatGPT claims the top position in consumer AI, with more than 900 million weekly active users and some 50 million subscribers.

Use of ChatGPT’s online search engine has tripled over the course of a year, according to OpenAI.

AFP

Nigerian and other international students in Canada will no longer need a separate co-op work permit for internships, co-ops, and practicums under a new rule that took effect on April 1, 2026.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) said a valid study permit is now enough for work placements that are part of a student’s course, as long as they make up 50% or less of the program. Secondary school students still need a co-op work permit

Students who already applied for a co-op work permit can withdraw their applications, and IRCC may also cancel some of them since the permit is no longer required.

The change is the first step in wider immigration reforms being reviewed by the government. Other proposals include allowing students and graduates to work while waiting for study permit extensions or Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) decisions, and removing study permit rules for some foreign apprentices. These ideas are still under consultation.

IRCC said the goal is to reduce paperwork and make the system easier by removing the need for multiple permits for one study program. It also hopes to reduce delays and confusion when students move between study and work status.

If fully approved, the reforms could make it easier for international students to work during and after their studies, and reduce gaps when permits expire. However, no timeline has been set for the remaining changes.

The government has already introduced other updates in its immigration plan, including fee increases for permanent residence, citizenship, and other services.

At the same time, Canada is seeing fewer international students and foreign workers. New arrivals dropped sharply in 2026 compared to the previous year, continuing a broader downward trend.

The federal government says it plans to further reduce temporary migration levels in the coming years as part of its immigration strategy.

Russia on Friday added Stanford to its “undesirable organisations” blacklist, essentially outlawing any study in the prestigious US university for Russians.

Being declared “undesirable” effectively bans entities from operating in Russia and makes anyone who cooperates with them liable to prosecution.

The list also includes more than 300 rights groups, nonprofits, academic institutions and independent media outlets.

Among its most prominent entries are the US universities Yale and Berkeley, as well as the rights group Human Rights Watch and the anti-corruption NGO Transparency International.

Under a controversial law passed in 2015 — but rarely used before the war on Ukraine — Russia can ban overseas organisations deemed a threat to national security.

Since sending troops to Ukraine in 2022, the Kremlin has not only suppressed opposition to the war but has also carried out a wider crackdown on dissent on a scale unseen since Soviet times.

Stanford University has produced 36 Nobel Prize winners since it was founded in 1885.

AFP

Spanish police announced Friday the arrest of a man suspected of defrauding young South Americans by promising them access to major football clubs in Spain in exchange for up to 3,000 euros ($3,500), only for many to end up abandoned and on the street.

At least six alleged victims reported the suspect, arrested in Madrid, “as the presumed perpetrator of the crimes of facilitating illegal immigration, document forgery and fraud,” Spain’s national police said in a statement.

The man allegedly offered the young players the chance to travel to Spain, obtain the necessary legal documents and sign for some of the country’s most prestigious football clubs’ youth academies.

He asked the victims, most of whom had very limited financial means, for sums that could reach up to 3,000 euros to supposedly help pay for the paperwork.

Once in Spain, however, the young men were given access to trials with lower-division teams and, as they were unable to obtain the required federation licenses, many were left without funds and neglected.

Some of them, according to the police, ended up spending nights on the street or taking out loans.

The suspect contacted the young men in their home countries after learning, through their sporting circles, of their aspirations to become professional footballers.

He then assured them that he had contacts in prominent Spanish clubs through whom he could facilitate their entry to the country and the processing of their documents.

To prove it, he presented the players with a series of “invitation commitments” supposedly issued by the clubs, guaranteeing their incorporation into the first team for three months.

However these documents turned out to be falsified, as police confirmed after checking with the clubs.

The detainee also coached the young men on what they had to say at border controls. 

During the investigation, officers also became aware of players being recruited through the same scheme to be taken to other European countries such as Italy.

US First Lady Melania Trump made a surprise statement on Thursday denying any knowledge of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse, or that she herself was a victim of the convicted sex offender.

The 55-year-old’s rare on-camera remarks at the White House came out of the blue, in an extraordinary intervention in a scandal that has long haunted her husband President Donald Trump.

The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today,” she said. “The individuals lying about me are devoid of ethical standards, humility and respect.”

It was not clear why the Slovenian-born former model decided to give the public statement, and she did not detail any specific allegations about her and the late, convicted sex offender.

Melania and Donald Trump had previously been photographed with Epstein, but she said that she had met her husband independently two years prior to meeting Epstein.

I am not Epstein’s victim. Epstein did not introduce me to Donald Trump,” Melania Trump said.

She said “fake images and statements about Epstein and me” had been circulating on social media “for years now. Be cautious about what you believe: these images and stories are completely false.”

The first lady also urged Congress to hold a public hearing for survivors of Epstein’s abuse to “give these victims their opportunity to testify under oath.”

But some Epstein survivors and their families, including the brother of Epstein’s main accuser Virginia Giuffre, called the speech a “deflection of responsibility.”

First Lady Melania Trump is now shifting the burden onto survivors under political conditions that protect those with power” including “the Trump Administration, which has still not fully complied with the Epstein Files Transparency Act,” according to a joint statement posted on social media.

Two of Epstein’s accusers, sisters Maria and Annie Farmer told US media in a separate statement: “We can’t speak for other survivors, but what we want is accountability, transparency and justice.”

The sisters called for the release of “the remaining records held by the Department of Justice — including my complete FBI records from 1996.”

Epstein died in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges involving minors, but the scandal has repeatedly overshadowed Trump’s second presidency.

– ‘Epstein’s abuse’ –

The US Justice Department has over the past year released huge tranches of files related to Epstein. Trump, 79, has also denied any link to Epstein’s crimes.

One widely-seen picture in the files showed Donald and Melania Trump at their Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida along with Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.

I have never had any knowledge of Epstein’s abuse of his victims. I was never involved in any capacity. I was not a participant. Was never on Epstein’s plane, and never visited his private island,” Melania Trump said.

“I have never been legally accused or convicted of a crime in connection with Epstein sex trafficking, abuse of minors and other repulsive behavior.”

Democrat Suhas Subramanyam, who sits on the congressional committee probing Epstein, called on Melania Trump to “testify under oath.”

Speculation ran riot on social media about why the US first lady had decided to put the Epstein scandal back in the headlines after weeks of relative quiet.

It comes just two days after her husband announced a ceasefire in the US-Israeli war on Iran, which critics say has left the crucial Strait of Hormuz still largely shuttered by Tehran.

Melania Trump has long been an elusive and often mysterious presence at the White House, who only rarely gives public remarks of the kind she delivered on Thursday.

Donald Trump told MS Now that he didn’t “know anything about” the statement ahead of time.

The last time the first lady was seen with her husband was at an Easter Egg Roll with hundreds of children on Monday.

Pope Leo XIV embarks Monday on an 11-day visit to Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea for his first major international trip since becoming pontiff last year.

From dialogue with Islam to peace efforts, inequality and human rights, the US-born pontiff will address a myriad of issues as he covers more than 18,000 kilometres (11,000 miles) across the African continent.

Leo, who took over as head of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics in May, will make 11 speeches, preside over seven masses and visit a dozen locations during the trip, which lasts until April 23.

The 70-year-old’s words and actions, always closely watched, will have even deeper resonance at a time of deep global uncertainty caused by the Middle East war and resulting energy shock.

It will be Leo’s third trip outside Italy, after Turkey and Lebanon last year, and Monaco in March.

Algeria (13-15 April)

Leo will be the first pope to go to the North African country of Algeria, where Islam is the state religion.

He will visit the Great Mosque of Algiers and meet with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. He will also meet members of the Augustinian order to which the pontiff belongs, in Annaba, the one-time home of Saint Augustine.

The pope is “a brother who comes to visit his brothers”, Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco, the archbishop of Algiers, told AFP ahead of the visit.

Leo will pray privately in a chapel dedicated to 19 priests and nuns murdered during Algeria’s 1992-2002 civil war.

Ahead of the visit, three international NGOs called on the pope to raise concerns about the treatment of religious minorities with Algeria’s authorities.

Cameroon (15-18 April) – Call to peace

A call to peace and reconciliation is expected to dominate the pope’s visit to majority-Christian Cameroon in central Africa, where the English-speaking northwest has been torn apart by nearly a decade of conflict.

The Catholic Church has played a mediating role in the conflict and the centrepiece of Leo’s visit will be a speech and mass in Bamenda, the epicentre of the violence, to be held under heavy security.

Leo will visit some of the Church’s vast network of hospitals, schools and charitable organisations in Cameroon, where about 37 percent of the 30 million inhabitants are Catholic.

And he will meet with President Paul Biya, 93, one of the world’s longest-serving heads of state who has at times faced criticism from senior Cameroonian clergy over his hold on power.

Angola (18-21 April)
The visit to Angola, a former Portuguese colony in southern Africa, will be a chance for Leo to expound on social themes dear to his heart.

The country is rich in oil and minerals but plagued by poverty, and still scarred by a long civil war that ended in 2002.

Leo is expected to emphasise the need for a more equitable distribution of the wealth from natural resources, as well as the fight against corruption.

His presence is eagerly awaited by Angolan Catholics, who make up around 44 percent of the population, but some are less enthusiastic.

“At the societal level, it represents nothing, because millions of dollars will be taken from the state treasury to prepare, without bringing any benefits to our country,” teacher Rosa Kanga, 42, told AFP.

Leo will visit the capital, Luanda — where affluent neighbourhoods contrast with vast slums — but also venture outside. He will go to a centuries-old church on a former slave-trafficking route in the village of Muxima, one of the holiest sites in southern Africa.

Equatorial Guinea (21-23 April) – Balancing act

Leo’s visit to Equatorial Guinea, which has been under iron-fisted rule by President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo since 1979, will require a delicate balancing act.

Some 80 per cent of the two million inhabitants are Catholic, but Jean-Paul II is the only pope to have visited, almost half a century ago.

Leo will have to tread carefully between trying to support local Catholics and being seen as endorsing the authoritarian government. Many expect him to deliver a message on human rights and social justice.

In Malabo, recently downgraded as the country’s capital by presidential decree, giant photos of the pontiff were displayed across the city ahead of Leo’s arrival, with national television broadcast adverts about the trip on loop.

AFP

The truce reached on Tuesday showed signs of unravelling, with Israel bombarding Lebanon and Washington contradicting some of Iran’s demands to end the war ahead of planned talks.

“All U.S. Ships, Aircraft, and Military Personnel, with additional Ammunition, Weaponry, and anything else that is appropriate and necessary for the lethal prosecution and destruction of an already substantially degraded Enemy, will remain in place in, and around, Iran, until such time as the REAL AGREEMENT reached is fully complied with,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

While he said a deal falling through was “highly unlikely,” Trump threatened to revert to “bigger, and better, and stronger” strikes if an agreement was not reached.

In the meantime our great Military is Loading Up and Resting, looking forward, actually, to its next Conquest. AMERICA IS BACK!” Trump wrote.

Iran agreed to reopen the vital thoroughfare during the two-week truce, but said it would maintain “dominion” over it.

The Strait of Hormuz is a key chokepoint through which one-fifth of the world’s oil passes in peacetime.

In a Farsi-language release of demands circulated by Iranian state media, the Islamic Republic also insisted that Washington accept its uranium enrichment programme.

That was not included in Iran’s demands released via the UN, and Trump has said the matter of enrichment would be “taken care of” in any deal.

Ahead of planned negotiations in Pakistan, Trump said Iran will have “no nuclear weapons” and the “Strait of Hormuz WILL BE OPEN & SAFE.”

AFP

United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday warned against supplying weapons to Iran, threatening immediate 50 percent US tariffs on any country that does so.

“A Country supplying Military Weapons to Iran will be immediately tariffed, on any and all goods sold to the United States of America, 50%, effective immediately. There will be no exclusions or exemptions,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform

He also said in a separate post that his administration is “talking Tariff and Sanctions relief with Iran,” several hours after he announced a temporary ceasefire with Tehran, which had agreed to temporarily reopen the critical Strait of Hormuz.

AFP

The Israeli military said it carried out its “largest coordinated strike across Lebanon”.

Israel has insisted the two-week truce in its war with Iran does not apply to Lebanon.

Simultaneous strikes on the capital came without warning, prompting people on the streets to start running and motorists to honk their horns in an effort to clear the way, according to AFP journalists.

I saw the blast, it was very strong, and there were children killed, some with their hands cut off,” Yasser Abdallah, who works in an appliance store in central Beirut, told AFP.

One of the strikes hit Corniche al-Mazraa, one of the main roads in the capital

An AFP photographer saw widespread damage, buildings ablaze and destroyed cars

“A plane struck, and people started running left and right, and smoke was billowing” from the targeted building, said another witness, Ali Younes.

Israel also hit Beirut’s southern suburbs and southern Lebanon, where Hezbollah holds sway, after issuing evacuation warnings for these areas, in parallel with strikes on the east.

Ambulances were heard in the targeted areas.

AFP

The White House denied Tuesday that remarks by Vice President JD Vance about military operations in Iran had contained any suggestion of a US nuclear strike against the Islamic republic.

After Vance said US forces have tools they “so far haven’t decided to use” to enforce a dramatic ultimatum from President Donald Trump, the White House said on X: “Literally nothing @VP said here ‘implies’ this, you absolute buffoons.”

The post was in response to one from an account associated with former vice president Kamala Harris that said Vance implied Trump “might use nuclear weapons.”

AFP

President Donald Trump warned that “a whole civilisation will die” in Iran on Tuesday if the country does not heed his ultimatum to accept US war demands.

The wildly provocative statement — the latest in a recent torrent of strident language by Trump — prompted swift and severe criticism, with one of his former close allies calling for his removal from office.

Vice President JD Vance offered his own threatening assessment of what may follow, warning Tehran that US forces have tools they “so far haven’t decided to use” against the Islamic Republic.

Since February 28, the United States and its ally Israel have levelled Iranian military targets, killed the country’s top leadership and devastated parts of its infrastructure.

Early Tuesday, Trump issued one of his most glaring threats of war.

“A whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform.

Trump did not give details, but he has already said the US military could bomb Iran’s bridges, power plants and other civilian infrastructure into the “stone age.”

Trump has announced a deadline of midnight GMT Tuesday for Iran to end its de facto closing of the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow, strategic waterway used to transport oil and other commodities.

On Monday, he said a temporary ceasefire proposal being circulated was insufficient.

Iran has rejected US pressure, with state media reporting that authorities are insisting that instead of a ceasefire, it wants a full end to the war.

– ‘Sick beyond measure’ –

On Truth Social, Trump left the door open for a last-hour agreement.

“Now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalised minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS? We will find out tonight,” he wrote.

Trump said Monday that starting in Washington late Tuesday evening, US forces would destroy “every bridge in Iran” and cripple “every power plant” — something many experts say would be a blatant war crime.

The extent of Trump’s sabre-rattling and goading language has appalled critics.

“These are the rantings of a bloodthirsty lunatic. It is sick beyond measure to threaten to wipe out an entire civilisation,” said longtime Democratic Senator Patty Murray, one of several lawmakers to lash out at Trump.

“This is not what the American people want. It is well past time for the Republican Congress to join Democrats and put an end to this war.”

Even some political figures once close to Trump are calling for his removal through the US Constitution’s 25th Amendment, which provides for a transfer of power if a president is unable to govern, particularly in the event of illness.

“25TH AMENDMENT!!! Not a single bomb has dropped on America,” former congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene wrote on X. “We cannot kill an entire civilisation. This is evil and madness.”

Anthony Scaramucci, a financier who briefly worked in Trump’s White House, urged Republicans to “wake up” because the president “is calling for A NUCLEAR STRIKE. Seek his removal immediately.”

Meanwhile, Vance, visiting Hungary, delivered an ominous warning to Iran.

They’ve got to know we’ve got tools in our toolkit that we so far haven’t decided to use,” Vance said. Trump “will decide to use them if the Iranians don’t change their course of conduct.”

Team Trump denied Vance’s remarks contained any suggestion of nuclear attack.

“Literally nothing @VP said here ‘implies’ this, you absolute buffoons,” the White House said on X.

The post was in response to one from an account associated with Kamala Harris, which said Vance implied Trump “might use nuclear weapons.”

AFP

The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has formally presented Letters of Credence to three Nigerian ambassadors-designate, authorising them to represent the country abroad.

In a statement on Tuesday, Odumegwu-Ojukwu said, “I am honoured to present Letters of Credence on behalf of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, H.E. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”

According to the statement, the recipients are: Ambassador Aminu Dalhatu – Ambassador-Designate to the United Kingdom; Ambassador Ayodele Oke – Ambassador-Designate to France; and Senator Jimoh Ibrahim – Permanent Representative-Designate to the United Nations, New York.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu further explained that in diplomatic practice, Letters of Credence are “formal documents issued by a Head of State to another, introducing a newly appointed ambassador or high commissioner and officially accrediting a diplomat to a foreign nation, authorizing them to represent their home country’s interests and act on its behalf, and requesting the host country to give credence (trust) to that representative

She added, “Congratulations, and wishing you a successful tour of duty in service to the Nation.”

The presentation follows President Tinubu’s approval of 65 ambassadors-designate and high commissioners to various countries and the United Nations, as earlier reported by PUNCH Online in March.

According to Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, 31 non-career and 34 career ambassadors were assigned to their duty posts, with the Senate confirming all nominees in December 2025 following screening by the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had been directed to commence an induction programme for the envoys, who will assume their posts after receiving agrément from the host countries.

US President Donald Trump brushed off concerns on Monday that hitting Iran’s power facilities as he has threatened after a deadline expires this week would be a war crime.

“I’m not worried about it,” Trump told reporters at an Easter egg roll at the White House when asked what he would say to those who allege that striking power plants would breach the laws of war.

You know the war crime? The war crime is allowing Iran to have a nuclear weapon,” the president said.

dk/mlm

culled from vanguard 

Defence Minister Israel Katz said Monday that Israel had conducted a “powerful strike” on Iran’s largest petrochemical complex after Iranian media reported multiple explosions at the site.

The military “just carried out a powerful strike on Iran’s largest petrochemical facility, located in Asaluyeh—a central target responsible for about 50 per cent of the country’s petrochemical production,” Katz said in a video statement.

Israel carried out a similar strike on the Mahshahr Petrochemical Special Zone in southwest Khuzestan province on Saturday, a local Iranian official said, adding that five people were killed.

“At this point, the two facilities, which together account for roughly 85 percent of Iran’s petrochemical exports, have been taken out of operation and are no longer functioning,” Katz said.

This represents a severe economic blow amounting to tens of billions of dollars to the Iranian regime.”

Israel also carried out strikes last month on gas facilities at the South Pars Special Economic Zone in Asaluyeh

The South Pars/North Dome mega-field—the largest known natural gas reserve in the world—is shared between Iran and Qatar.

In recent days, Israel has targeted key industrial sectors as part of the ongoing military campaign against Iran.

On Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli strikes had destroyed around 70 percent of Iran’s steel production capacity, significantly undermining Tehran’s ability to manufacture weapons.

Steel is a strategically important material used in industrial and military production, including for missiles, drones, and ships.

Katz said he and Netanyahu had ordered the military “to continue striking with full force Iran’s national infrastructure.”

AFP

Three Indonesian peacekeepers killed in two separate explosions in southern Lebanon last week were laid to rest in their hometowns on Sunday.

Peacekeeper Farizal Rhomadhon, 28, died when a projectile exploded on March 29 in southern Lebanon, where Israel and Hezbollah have been fighting since Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war.

Two other blue helmets, Zulmi Aditya Iskandar, 33, and Muhammad Nur Ichwan, 26, died a day later when an explosion struck a logistics convoy of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), also in southern Lebanon.

The deadly incidents sparked calls from Indonesian authorities for an investigation and security guarantees for peacekeeping forces.

The soldiers were buried on Sunday in coffins draped in the Indonesian flag during military funerals with gun salutes.

Weeping family members scattered flower petals on their graves.

Zulmi was buried in a military cemetery in his hometown in Bandung, West Java, while Ichwan and Farizal were laid to rest in their respective hometowns in Central Java and Yogyakarta.

“I’m letting him go proudly. I accept it sincerely, even though it is not what I had hoped as a parent,” Zulmi’s father Iskandarudin, told reporters after the funeral.

“I am certain that he’s waiting for me in heaven.”

Agus Subiyanto, the commander of the Indonesian National Armed Forces, told reporters that every fallen soldier will receive compensation in recognition of their service.

“We have prepared all the rights and entitlements that must be given to the fallen soldiers. Among these is compensation from the United Nations,” Agus said after attending Zulmi’s funeral.

The bodies of the three peacekeepers arrived in Jakarta on Saturday, received with honours in a ceremony attended by President Prabowo Subianto.

Prabowo said on Instagram that Indonesians “strongly condemn every heinous act that undermines peace and causes the deaths of our nation’s soldiers”.

Less than a week after the explosions that killed the three peacekeepers, another blast took place at a UN facility near El Adeisse on Friday, injuring three more Indonesian blue helmets.

Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry called the attacks “unacceptable” and urged the UN Security Council “to immediately convene a meeting of troop-contributing countries to UNIFIL to conduct a review and take measures to enhance the protection of personnel serving with UNIFIL”.

Foreign Minister Sugiono, who like many Indonesians only has one name, told reporters on Saturday that Indonesia wanted a thorough UN investigation and demanded better security guarantees for peacekeeping soldiers.

AFP

President Donald Trump said on Sunday that US forces had safely recovered a second airman downed in Iran, calling it “one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in U.S. History”.

The announcement came as Iran launched missiles and drones at Israel and Kuwait early Sunday, and a day after Trump said the Islamic republic had 48 hours to cut a deal or face “all Hell”.

“This brave Warrior was behind enemy lines in the treacherous mountains of Iran, being hunted down by our enemies,” Trump said on Truth Social.

“He sustained injuries, but he will be just fine.

This miraculous Search and Rescue Operation comes in addition to a successful rescue of another brave Pilot, yesterday, which we did not confirm, because we did not want to jeopardise our second rescue operation.”

The war has spread conflict throughout the Middle East and convulsed the global economy. Iran’s forces maintain a tight grip on the Strait of Hormuz shipping lane — a vital conduit for oil and gas — and strike economic targets in Gulf neighbours they see as linked to the US-Israeli war effort.

The economic strikes are also going the other way. An Israeli or US strike on a petrochemical hub in the southwest of Iran killed five people Saturday, according to the deputy governor of Khuzestan province.

Time is running out’ –

“Remember when I gave Iran ten days to MAKE A DEAL or OPEN UP THE HORMUZ STRAIT,” Trump wrote Saturday on Truth Social, referring to an ultimatum issued on March 26.

“Time is running out — 48 hours before all Hell will reign (sic) down on them.”

Iran’s central military command rejected the ultimatum, with General Ali Abdollahi Aliabadi saying Trump’s threat was a “helpless, nervous, unbalanced and stupid action”.

Echoing Trump’s language, he warned that “the gates of hell will open for you”.

Kuwait and Israel said their air defences were responding Sunday to the latest attacks from Iran, part of the war that erupted more than a month ago with US-Israeli strikes that triggered retaliation by Tehran.

The United Arab Emirates also said its air defences were responding to missile attacks Tehran said were targeting the country’s aluminium industries, while Bahrain officials reported a fire at a refinery “as a result of Iranian aggression”.

Bushehr nuclear plant –

A strike near Iran’s Bushehr nuclear plant on Saturday killed a guard and led Russia, which partly constructed the facility and helps operate it, to announce it was evacuating 198 workers and to condemn the strike as “an evil deed”.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that continued attacks on the plant on the southern coast could eventually lead to radioactive fallout that would “end life in GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) capitals, not Tehran”.

Bushehr is considerably closer to Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar than it is to the Iranian capital.

Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, wrote on X that no increase in radiation levels had been reported at the site, but nonetheless voiced “deep concern” at what he said was the fourth such strike in recent weeks.

The former director of the watchdog, meanwhile, urged Gulf nations to prevent Trump from turning the region into “a ball of fire” after the US president’s latest threat to Tehran.

“To the Gulf governments: Please, once again, do everything in your power before this madman turns the region into a ball of fire,” Mohamed El-Baradei, who led the IAEA from 1997 to 2009, wrote on X.

Economic sites hit –

Strikes by all sides have increasingly targeted economic and industrial sites, raising fears of wider disruption to global energy supplies.

US-Israeli strikes on Saturday hit a petrochemicals hub, a cement plant and a trade terminal on the Iran-Iraq border, where one person was reported killed.

Iran has retaliated with missile and drone attacks on Israel and US allies in the Gulf.

Shrapnel from intercepted drones injured four people in Bahrain on Saturday, and two buildings in Dubai were hit by debris, including one housing the US cloud computing firm Oracle, authorities said.

On another front, the Israeli military said Friday it had struck more than 3,500 targets across Lebanon in the month since the latest round of fighting with Iran-backed Hezbollah began.

As night fell Saturday, Israel warned it would strike near a border crossing between Syria and Lebanon, ordering residents to evacuate.

In Tel Aviv, hundreds of Israelis marched to protest against the war and demand peace talks.

AFP

US President Donald Trump on Saturday said Iran had 48 hours left to make a deal on opening the vital Strait of Hormuz or face “Hell.”

“Remember when I gave Iran ten days to MAKE A DEAL or OPEN UP THE HORMUZ STRAIT,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, referring to his ultimatum issued on March 26.

“Time is running out — 48 hours before all Hell will reign (sic) down on them,” the president said, adding: “Glory be to GOD!

United States President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order aimed at regulating US collegiate sports in the wake of rule changes that allow student athletes to be compensated financially.

The order, which is the second that Trump has issued on college sports, directs the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to create rules that allow college athletes to play for “no more than a five-year period.”

He also asked that rules be put in place that would allow them to transfer schools just once before they graduate without having to sit out a season.

The changes are scheduled to go into effect on August 1, and institutions who allow athletes who don’t meet the criteria risk losing federal funding.

Trump said that the loosening of “consistent rules or limits concerning eligibility, transfers, and pay-for-play schemes has created an out-of-control financial arms race… that is driving universities into debt.”

Friday’s order came as the hugely popular NCAA basketball tournament reached its closing stages.

The women’s semi-finals took place on Friday and the men’s Final Four semi-finals were scheduled for Saturday.

In addition to demanding eligibility and transfer limits, it calls on governing bodies to ban “improper” financial arrangements and urges Congress to pass legislation to address the issues.

It follows an order issued by Trump in July that sought to block some recruiting payments by third parties to college athletes in big-money sports like football and men’s basketball in order to preserve funds available for women’s and non-revenue sports.

The president said last month that the rising value of name, image and likeness (NIL) contracts for players in high-visibility sports like football has created a burden for colleges that forces some to abandon other sports.

Some of those sports — such as athletics, swimming and gymnastics — have long been pipelines for US Olympic teams.

The NCAA long prohibited student athletes from accepting any compensation for use of their name, image and likeness, but after a 2021 Supreme Court ruling, the rules were changed so that some collegiate athletes could receive financial compensation.

AFP

Despite losing $22 billion in March, Elon Musk continues to hold the title of the world’s richest person. As of April 1, 2026, Musk’s net worth stands at $817 billion, according to Forbes on Friday.

The billionaire’s fortune took a hit amid broader market declines, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq both falling nearly 5% during the month, fueled in part by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Musk was one of the five of the top 10 wealthiest individuals to lose at least $20 billion during the period.

Much of Musk’s wealth is tied to his holdings in SpaceX and Tesla. Earlier this year, SpaceX merged with his AI and social media company xAI in a deal valued at $1.25 trillion, briefly boosting his net worth to a record $852 billion. However, market fluctuations and challenges in the tech and space sectors contributed to the recent decline.

Despite the loss, Musk remains more than three times wealthier than his closest competitor, Google cofounder Larry Page, whose fortune fell by $20 billion to $237 billion.

Musk, 54, first became the world’s richest person in September 2021 and has intermittently held the top spot since then. He continues to lead SpaceX as CEO and Tesla as chairman, while also maintaining a high-profile presence in technology and space ventures globally.

Even amid market volatility, Musk’s standing at the top underscores the enduring value of his companies and his unique position in the global wealth hierarchy.

Here’s the compiled full list of the world’s top 10 richest people as of April 1, 2026, based on the latest Forbes ranking:

Elon Musk – $817 billion (net worth)
Source: Tesla, SpaceX

Larry Page – $237 billion
Source: Google/Alphabet

Jeff Bezos – $223 billion
Source: Amazon

Sergey Brin – $219 billion
Source: Google/Alphabet

Mark Zuckerberg – $196 billion
Source: Meta (Facebook)

Larry Ellison – $189 billion
Source: Oracle

Jensen Huang – $151 billion
Source: Nvidia

Michael Dell – $143.1 billion
Source: Dell Technologies

Rob Walton – $142.6 billion
Source: Walmart

Bernard Arnault – $142.5 billion
Source: LVMH / luxury goods

Iran’s Fars news agency said Friday the army had launched a search for the pilot of a US fighter jet hit by an air defence system.

Contacted by AFP, the US Central Command (CENTCOM), responsible for military operations in the Middle East, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“Military forces have launched a search operation to find the American fighter pilot who was hit earlier today,” Fars said.

A local television station aired footage of what it said was wreckage of a downed US jet.

It said the aircraft was targeted over central Iran and may have gone down in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, citing a police statement.

The statement urged residents of the area to join the hunt for the pilot or pilots, offering a bounty for the capture of any US servicemen.

The incident is the first report of a US fighter jet being downed in Iranian territory since the United States and Israel launched its war on the Islamic republic on February 28.

AFP

“I have a clear message for Naim Qassem… you and your associates will pay an extraordinarily heavy price for the intensified rocket fire directed at Israeli citizens as they gathered to celebrate Passover Seder,” Katz said in a video statement.

“You will be consigned to the depths of hell alongside Nasrallah, Khamenei, Sinwar and the other fallen figures of the axis of evil,” he said, referring to the former leaders of Hezbollah, Iran, and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, who have been assassinated by Israel over the past two and half years.

The Hezbollah terrorist organisation you now lead, and its supporters in Lebanon, will bear the full and severe consequences,” Katz added.

His warning followed claims by Hezbollah that it had carried out a series of rocket attacks on northern Israel late Wednesday and early Thursday, as Israeli Jews began marking the Passover holidays.

Katz also reiterated that Israeli forces “will clear Hezbollah and its supporters from southern Lebanon, maintain Israeli security control throughout the Litani area, and dismantle Hezbollah’s military capabilities across Lebanon.”

Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war in early March when  Tehran-backed Hezbollah launched rockets towards Israel to avenge the attack that killed Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Israel has responded with massive strikes across Lebanon and a ground offensive.

culled from vanguard 

The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to operationalising its cooperation agreements and Memoranda of Understanding with the Republic of Turkey.

She made this known when the Turkish Ambassador to Nigeria, Mehmet Poroy, paid her a courtesy visit at her office in Abuja.

In a statement issued on Thursday and signed by the Special Assistant on Communication and New Media to the minister, Magnus Eze, it was recalled that at the invitation of Turkish President Recep Erdoğan, President Bola Tinubu undertook an official visit to Ankara on January 27, 2026, to strengthen bilateral relations.

The statement noted that the Nigerian delegation, which included no fewer than six ministers and the National Security Adviser, witnessed the signing of several key bilateral agreements between both countries.

These include an agreement on cooperation in the field of education; a Memorandum of Understanding between the Foreign Service Academy of Nigeria and the Diplomacy Academy of Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs; a Joint Declaration on the establishment of a Joint Economic and Trade Committee; and a protocol on military cooperation.

Other agreements cover cooperation in halal quality infrastructure, media and communications, as well as an MoU aimed at enhancing social services for women, children, persons with disabilities, and older persons.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu told the envoy that President Tinubu had emphasised the need to maximise the outcomes of the visit by directing Ministries, Departments, and Agencies to submit implementation roadmaps for the agreements signed in Ankara.

She added that the President also expressed optimism that the upcoming political consultations between both countries in Abuja later this year would produce positive outcomes.

The minister stressed that MoUs must go beyond documentation, noting that their true value lies in effective implementation for the benefit of citizens.

“Bilateral relations between Nigeria and Türkiye have blossomed over the years in all ramifications, and political relations between both countries remain cordial.

“Nigeria and Türkiye hold similar views on strategies to address global issues, including terrorism, climate change, human migration, promotion of international peace and security, as well as the need for reforms in global governance systems to ensure inclusiveness,” she said.

She further noted that economic relations between Nigeria and Türkiye were progressing steadily, with trade volume approaching $2 billion, including estimates from the informal sector.

According to her, the January 2026 trade forum in Ankara aligned with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda by translating diplomatic engagements into practical steps towards achieving a $5 billion bilateral trade target.

A key outcome of the forum was the activation of the Joint Economic and Trade Committee, designed to provide a structured platform for addressing trade barriers and strengthening private sector participation

The forum also prioritised the modernisation of Nigeria’s energy and agricultural sectors through Turkish technical expertise, particularly by leveraging halal quality standards to expand access to European and Middle Eastern markets.

In his remarks, Ambassador Poroy highlighted ongoing defence cooperation between both countries and underscored the importance of holding counter-terrorism consultations in Abuja.

He expressed optimism that the Joint Economic and Trade Council would further strengthen economic ties, urging both countries to maximise the platform to achieve the $5 billion trade target.

The male suspect gained access by posing as a parent before attacking the children, who local media reported were aged between two and three.

Angry residents attempted to lynch the suspect as he tried to escape before security forces intervened and arrested him, police spokeswoman Racheal Kawala said.

“We confirm a tragic incident at the Ggaba Early Childhood Development Program school in Makindye Division, Kampala City, where a male suspect brutally stabbed and killed four juveniles,” Kawala said.

The motive behind the killings remains unclear and police are investigating.

Videos on social media showed distressed parents outside the nursery school, now cordoned off, anxiously seeking news of their children and demanding their release.

Such killings are rare in Uganda.

AFP

Both the United Kingdom and Canada have announced fee increases for immigration and citizenship applications in 2026, affecting Nigerians and other foreign nationals seeking to visit, study, work or settle in either country.

The UK’s revised fees take effect from April 8, 2026, while Canada’s updated permanent residence and citizenship charges follow on April 30, 2026.

A comparison of the two countries’ revised fee schedules, drawn from rates published by the UK Home Office and Canada’s Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, shows the cost difference across categories.

Naira conversions are based on exchange rates of £1 to N1,822.81 and CA$1 to N992.36 as of April 2, 2026.

Categories revised by both countries:

Permanent residence and settlement

Canada’s revised permanent residence fees from April 30 cover seven categories.

The Right of Permanent Residence Fee rises from CA$575 to CA$600 (N595,416).

Under the Provincial Nominee Programme, the principal applicant fee increases from CA$950 to CA$990 (N982,436).

Business Class fees rise from CA$1,810 to CA$1,895 (N1,880,022), while Family Class moves from CA$545 to CA$570 (N565,645).

Protected Persons and Humanitarian and Compassionate Grounds applicants will pay CA$660 (N654,958) each, up from CA$635.

Permit Holders will pay CA$390 (N386,820), up from CA$375.

In the UK, indefinite leave to remain costs £3,226 (N5,878,544), up from £3,029.

The route to settlement costs £2,064 (N3,760,279), up from £1,938.

A dependant relative on the settlement route pays £3,635 (N6,625,913), up from £3,413, and a refugee dependant relative pays £452 (N823,910), up from £424.

Visitor extensions in-country cost £1,172 (N2,136,333), up from £1,100, and other leave to remain applications cost £1,407 (N2,564,593), up from £1,321.

Nationality and citizenship

Canada’s Right of Citizenship Fee rose from CA$119.75 to CA$123 (N122,060), effective March 31, 2026.

Canada also charges CA$100 (N99,236) for minor citizenship processing and CA$75 (N74,427) for a citizenship certificate, both unchanged.

In the UK, naturalisation as a British citizen costs £1,709 (N3,115,480), up from £1,605.

Adult registration as a British citizen costs £1,540 (N2,807,127), up from £1,446.

Child registration has been reduced from £1,214 to £1,000 (N1,822,810).

Other nationality fees include renunciation at £513 (N935,100), up from £482, nationality review at £513 (N935,100), up from £482, and status or non-acquisition letters at £489 (N891,255) each, up from £459.

Categories revised by the UK only:

Canada did not revise its temporary residence fees in April 2026. The following UK categories were updated from April 8.

Visit visas

The UK short-term visit visa of up to six months costs £135 (N246,080), up from £127.

Long-term visit visas cost £506 (N922,341) for up to two years, up from £475; £903 (N1,645,397) for up to five years, up from £848; and £1,128 (N2,056,129) for up to 10 years, up from £1,059.

The visiting academic and private medical treatment visa for stays of more than six months up to 12 months costs £234 (N426,537), up from £220.

The direct airside transit visa costs £41.50 (N75,647), up from £39, and the landside transit visit visa costs £74.50 (N135,799), up from £70.

Canada’s visitor visa remains at CA$100 (N99,236) per person for single or multiple entry. Families of five or more pay a capped CA$500 (N496,180).

Student visas

The UK student visa covering the main applicant and dependants costs £558 (N1,017,127), up from £524.

The child student visa costs £558 (N1,017,127), up from £524.

A short-term English language student visa for stays of over six months up to 11 months costs £228 (N415,601), up from £214.

Canada’s study permit remains at CA$150 (N148,854).

Work visas

The UK Skilled Worker visa costs £819 (N1,492,881) for up to three years, up from £769, and £1,618 (N2,949,305) for over three years, up from £1,519.

Under the Immigration Salary List, the same visa costs £628 (N1,144,725) for up to three years, up from £590, and £1,235 (N2,251,170) for over three years, up from £1,160.

The Health and Care visa costs £324 (N590,590) for up to three years, up from £304, and £628 (N1,144,725) for over three years, up from £590.

Other UK work visa categories include the Innovator Founder at £1,357 (N2,473,133), up from £1,274; Scale-up at £937 (N1,707,952), up from £880; Graduate Route at £937 (N1,707,952), up from £880; Start-up at £495 (N902,291), up from £465; and the High Potential Individual visa at £880 (N1,604,073), unchanged.

The T2 Minister of Religion costs £819 (N1,492,881), up from £769. International Sportsperson visas cost £340 (N619,755) for up to 12 months, up from £319, and £819 (N1,492,881) for over 12 months, up from £769.

Temporary work categories, including Seasonal Worker, Religious Worker, Charity Worker, Creative Worker, International Agreement, Government Authorised Exchange, Youth Mobility Scheme and India Young Professionals Scheme, cost £340 (N619,755), up from £319. The representative of an overseas business visa costs £819 (N1,492,881), up from £769.

Global Business Mobility categories include Senior or Specialist Worker at £819 (N1,492,881) for up to three years and £1,618 (N2,949,305) for over three years; Graduate Trainee, Service Supplier, UK Expansion Worker and Secondment Worker each at £340 (N619,755), all up from £319.

Canada’s work permit remains at CA$155 (N153,816) per person.

Travel documents

The UK adult certificate of travel costs £320 (N583,299), up from £300, and the child certificate costs £161 (N293,472), up from £151. Convention travel documents cost £102 (N185,927) for adults, up from £94.50, and £66.50 (N121,217) for children, up from £61.50.

Canada’s permanent resident travel document remains at CA$50 (N49,618).

The UK charges an Immigration Health Surcharge on most visa categories, currently £1,035 per year, which is separate from the visa application fee. Canada charges a biometrics fee of CA$85 (N84,351) per individual or CA$170 (N168,701) per family, and the Right of Permanent Residence Fee of CA$600 from April 30 is charged separately on top of processing fees for most permanent residence applications.

President Donald Trump insisted om Wednesday that the United States was nearing victory in Iran as he laid out his case more than a month into a war that has sent his approval rating tumbling.

In an evening speech from the White House, Trump broke little new ground on how the war would end and vowed two to three weeks further of “extremely hard” strikes against Iran.

“We are going to finish the job, and we’re going to finish it very fast. We’re getting very close,” he said in remarks that largely rehashed his daily streams of social-media postings and rapid media interviews.

With his approval rating hitting new lows and Americans feeling a pinch from soaring oil prices, Trump offered a retroactive explanation on why he joined Israel in the attack launched on February 28.

Standing before American flags, Trump delivered the type of speech most presidents would offer at the start of a conflict. Trump on February 28 instead released a video in which he was wearing a baseball cap and no tie.

In his Wednesday address, Trump said the United States was aiming to crush Iran’s military, end the clerical state’s support for regional armed groups and prevent it from obtaining a nuclear bomb — a prospect that the UN nuclear watchdog and many observers say was not imminent.

“I’m pleased to say that these core strategic objectives are nearing completion,” Trump said in a 19-minute speech.

Israel on the first day of the conflict killed Iran’s longtime supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and Trump boasted how “their leaders — most of them” in the Islamic republic are dead.

But Iran has also responded by taking control over the Strait of Hormuz, the passageway out of the Gulf for one-fifth of the world’s oil, which was open before the war.

Gasoline prices in the United States have surged above $4 a gallon (over $1 a liter) for the first time in years, while consumer confidence has weakened, dragging down Trump’s already fragile standing on the economy.

Oil prices again surged in early trading Thursday and share prices tumbled, with Trump’s speech dashing hopes he would call a quick end to the war.

Democratic US Senator Chris Murphy said: “Anyone watching that speech has no idea whether Trump is escalating or deescalating the war with Iran.”

“But to be fair, neither does he so,” Murphy

wrote on X.

Bomb to ‘Stone Ages’

Trump again threatened that if Iran does not reach a negotiated settlement with him, the United States would “hit each and every one of their electric generating plants.”

Attacks on civilian energy infrastructure are widely considered to be illegal under the laws of war and could constitute a war crime.

“Over the next two to three weeks, we are going to bring them back to the Stone Ages, where they belong,” Trump said.

There was little in his address about actual diplomacy.

Earlier Wednesday, Trump claimed that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian — an elected moderate long considered in the shadow of the military and clerical establishment — was seeking a ceasefire.

This was swiftly denied by Iran’s foreign ministry, which also accused Washington of making “maximalist and irrational” demands.

Boasting of American military might, the 79-year-old former real estate developer used one of his favorite analogies: “We have all the cards. They have none.”

Trump offered conciliatory words to Gulf Arab allies, saying he would not let them “get hurt or fail” — even though they have already been hit by more than a month of Iranian retaliatory fire that has shattered their reputation for stability.

Trump again berated European allies that have balked at supporting his war — on which he did not consult them in advance — as he noted that they are more dependent on Gulf oil.

The countries that “receive oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage,” Trump said, urging them to “build up some delayed courage.”

AFP

The conflict began when the United States and Israel launched airstrikes across Iran that killed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, quickly mushrooming into a regional war that has sent oil and gas prices soaring and threatened to torpedo the global economy.

But Trump, whose statements on the war have swung from combative to conciliatory, said late Tuesday that the fighting could be over in “two weeks, maybe three”.

The White House said he would give “an important update on Iran” to the nation at 9:00 pm Wednesday (0100 GMT Thursday).

Tehran has insisted there are no ongoing negotiations, and that it has not responded to a reported 15-point proposal from Washington to end the war.

But Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the Islamic republic had the “necessary will” to end the war, provided its enemies guaranteed it would not flare up again.

With the status of diplomatic efforts uncertain, Iranian state television reported that Tehran was under attack on Wednesday, and explosions were heard in the capital.

An AFP journalist said strikes hit an area near the former US embassy — which was transformed into a museum known as the “Den of Spies” and has become a symbol of the decades-long animosity between Tehran and Washington.

Strikes also hit steel complexes in central and southwest Iran, according to Iranian media, causing “significant damage and destruction”.

The Israeli military confirmed it had carried out the strikes, while it also intercepted an Iranian missile attack which medics said wounded 14 people including an 11-year-old girl.

Israel also said Wednesday its air defences had responded to a missile fired from Yemen — the third attack by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels since they entered the war over the weekend.

– ‘Nobody knows what’s happening’ –

Thousands of people have been killed throughout the region during the conflict, which has displaced millions more from their homes.

In Lebanon, seven people were killed in strikes around south Beirut, the health ministry said Wednesday, while the Israeli military said it had struck a senior Hezbollah commander.

A Lebanese security source and a Hezbollah source both told AFP that the strike had killed Hezbollah’s top commander for Iraq military affairs, Yousef Hashem.

AFP correspondents at the site saw a blackened, debris-strewn street.

“Nobody knows what’s happening,” resident Hassan Jalwan told AFP, adding that “displaced people have been sleeping in the open” in the area.

Lebanon was drawn into the war on March 2 when Tehran-backed militant group Hezbollah launched attacks on Israel.

Israel has responded with broad strikes and a ground offensive that the Lebanese health ministry says has left more than 1,200 dead.

US allies in the Gulf have also been pulled into the war, with Iran carrying out retaliatory attacks on nations it says have been launchpads for strikes.

A Bangladeshi national was killed Wednesday by falling shrapnel from an intercepted drone in the United Arab Emirates.

Kuwait said its international airport had come under Iranian drone attack that led to “a large fire” at its fuel tanks, while the National Bank of Kuwait said it will close its headquarters for two days “in the interest of everyone’s safety”.

Elsewhere, Bahrain’s interior ministry said a fire broke out at a business facility “as a result of the Iranian aggression”, and Saudi Arabia said several drones were intercepted.

A tanker was also hit in the waters off Qatar, a British maritime security agency said, reporting damage but no casualties.

“Every day, we hear the sound of drones,” Waad Abdulrazaq, a 31-year-old truck driver, told AFP near Iraq’s Erbil international airport, which has faced regular attacks by pro-Iran groups.

“We hear them in the morning, and we hear them at night. We can no longer sleep or live in peace.”

– Economic fallout –

Iran has maintained a chokehold on the vital Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of global oil normally passes.

Average US gasoline prices topped $4 a gallon for the first time in four years this week, while European inflation spiked and governments around the world started to unveil a range of support measures.

Optimism sparked by Trump’s comments on the end of the war helped oil prices fall on Wednesday, with stock markets rallying in Europe and Asia.

The United States has not said who it is speaking with in Iran, which has denied it is in talks.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Al Jazeera that he still receives messages from US envoy Steve Witkoff, “directly, as before, and this does not mean that we are in negotiations”.

Trump threatened earlier this week that if Iran didn’t agree to a deal, US forces would “obliterate” its oil wells, its main Kharg Island export terminal, and possibly water desalination plants.

Britain said Wednesday it will host a meeting of about 35 countries this week to discuss how to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

AFP

The investigation found the site in Ceuta concealed under an industrial warehouse that was protected by pumping and soundproofing systems to avoid detection, police said in a statement.

The bottom of the three-level tunnel, which led directly to Morocco, resembled “a maze typical of a mine”, equipped with trolleys “that moved on a rail system of complex construction and characteristic of perfectly designed feats of engineering”

The bales of hashish were prepared and stored on the middle level, from where they were lifted “thanks to a system of cranes and pulleys designed to move heavy loads”, the police said.

The entire structure is 19 metres (62 feet) deep, but investigators cannot determine how long the tunnel is “because it is flooded”, the officer responsible for the operation, Antonio Martinez, explained at a press conference.

The tunnel, measuring 1.2 metres high and 80 centimetres wide, was “well-equipped” and “purpose-built” by “an extremely powerful organisation” that contacted other groups to transport the drug in speedboats and fishing vessels, he added.

Police began their investigation in February 2025, seizing more than 17 tonnes of hashish and 1.4 million euros ($1.6 million) in cash in various operations in Ceuta and mainland Spain over several months.

They also made 27 arrests, including the network’s two suspected leaders.

One of them, based in Morocco and held on March 26, is also suspected of running another drug tunnel police dismantled in Ceuta last year.

Spain’s close ties with Latin America and proximity to Morocco, a top cannabis producer, make it a key entry point for drugs into Europe

Its small Mediterranean coastal exclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, adjacent to Morocco, share the European Union’s only land borders with Africa.

Culled from vanguard

French President Emmanuel Macron’s office said Tuesday it was “surprised” by US President Donald Trump’s criticism of France, stressing the country’s position on US military overflights had not changed.

“France has not changed its position since day one,” the presidency said.

“We are surprised by this tweet,” it said, referring to Trump’s social media post in which he accused France of being “very unhelpful” in the US-Israeli war on Iran and not allowing planes carrying military supplies to “fly over French territory”

The Japanese government has increased the residency requirement for foreign nationals seeking citizenship from five to ten consecutive years, as part of efforts to tighten the naturalisation process.

The Justice Ministry announced that the new rule, which takes effect from April 1, also introduces stricter documentation requirements for applicants.

As reported by the Economic Times on Tuesday, Justice Minister Hiroshi Hiraguchi said the move was necessary to address concerns over the ease of acquiring citizenship.

“The changes aim to address concerns that obtaining Japanese nationality has been easier than securing permanent residency. Lawmakers had raised questions in parliament last year, noting that citizenship grants voting rights, and argued it should not be simpler to acquire than permanent residency,” he said.

Under the revised guidelines, applicants must submit two years of social insurance records and five years of tax payment certificates, expanding on previous requirements.

A ministry noted that the changes are unlikely to disrupt applications.

“Naturalisation applications undergo comprehensive screening, and most successful applicants typically have lived in Japan for ten years or longer,” an official said.

The ministry clarified that the revisions affect administrative guidelines rather than the nationality law itself, which still formally requires five years of residence. However, officials say the updated framework brings citizenship standards closer to those for permanent residency.

Applicants who filed before April 1 under the previous five-year rule will still be assessed based on existing criteria, with final decisions subject to the minister’s discretion.

The policy shift follows concerns raised by lawmakers, who argued that the process for obtaining citizenship should reflect its long-term legal and civic implications.

In 2025, more than 9,200 foreign nationals were naturalized, with Chinese and South Korean citizens making up the majority. By comparison, about 932,000 foreigners held permanent residency in Japan as of June 2025.

The visit would “celebrate the historic connections and the modern bilateral relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States”, the statement said

Washington’s envoy to Britain warned last week it would be a “big mistake” for the visit to be cancelled amid the Middle East war and US President Donald Trump’s harsh criticism of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

AFP

Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has signed into law legislation doubling the maximum penalty for same-sex relations, making them punishable by up to 10 years in prison amid a crackdown on the country’s gay community.

The law, which was signed on Monday and appeared in the official journal that was distributed on Tuesday, passed by an overwhelming majority in the National Assembly and also includes criminal penalties for those found guilty of promoting or financing same-sex relationships.

UN rights chief Volker Turk called the law “deeply worrying” after its passage in parliament and said that it “flies in the face of the sacrosanct human rights”.

The law punishes “acts against nature”, a term used to signify same-sex relations, by five to 10 years’ imprisonment, compared with one to five years previously.

It also provides for three to seven years in prison for those found guilty of promoting or financing same-sex relationships.

According to media reports, dozens of men have been arrested under the anti-LGBTQ laws since February, when police detained 12 men, including two local celebrities, the start of a spate of detentions.

Arrests have often been based on accusations and phone searches, which are reported almost daily, with the names of those detained made public.

The new law additionally penalises anyone who accuses another of same-sex offences “without proof”.

After debating for several hours, lawmakers approved the bill by a vote of 135 in favour, zero opposed and three abstentions on March 11.

Under the law, the maximum sentence will be handed down if the act was committed with a minor.

Punishment will additionally include fines from two million to 10 million CFA francs ($3,500 to $17,600), compared to 100,000 to 1.5 million CFA francs previously.

LGBTQ rights group ILGA World had called on Faye not to sign the bill, urging him to uphold “respect for individual liberty and the human person”.

In recent years, LGBTQ issues have stirred controversy in Senegal, where gay rights advocacy is frequently denounced as a tool used by Westerners to impose foreign values.

Religious associations in the Muslim-majority west African country have staged demonstrations to demand tougher penalties

Ousmane Sonko, before becoming Senegal’s highly influential prime minister in 2024, had promised to make same-sex relations a crime, upping the offence from its current classification as misdemeanour.

However, the new law, which Sonko himself presented to parliament, maintains the same misdemeanour status.

AFP

A Swedish prosecutor on Monday charged a man, suspected of exploiting his “vulnerable” wife to have sex with men for money, with aggravated pimping, several rapes and assault in a case implicating some 120 men.

Sweden has been shocked by the revelations and comparisons have been made to Frenchwoman Gisele Pelicot, whose husband Dominique Pelicot was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2024 after admitting to repeatedly drugging his then-wife and inviting dozens of men to rape her while she was unconscious.

The 62-year-old suspect, reportedly a former Hell’s Angel, was arrested in October after his wife reported him to police in northern Sweden. He has been held in custody since.

According to the charges, the man had for years made money from pressuring his wife “to perform and submit to sexual acts”.

The man was accused of creating online adverts, setting up meetings, keeping guard and pressuring the woman, who is now in  to perform sexual acts online in order to attract more clients.

He was also accused of using violence and threats, taking advantage of her drug addiction as well as supplying her with drugs.

The prosecutor labelled it “ruthless exploitation”.

Sweden’s law on prostitution bans the buying of sex but not the selling, however it is also illegal to facilitate the sale of sex.

In addition to being charged with aggravated pimping, the man — who denies the accusations — was charged with eight rapes.

They include one incident with a client and several incidents where she was made to perform sexual acts to herself for online video.

Prosecutor Ida Annerstedt told AFP that the woman, who was described as being in a vulnerable position, to “some extent” had “agreed to sell sex”.

Boundaries

But the woman had objected to selling sex to certain people or under certain circumstances.

“There are certain boundaries she has had. When he hasn’t respected them, when he has steamrolled her after she has said ‘no’, those are the situations when he is charged with attempted rape, or rape,” Annerstedt told AFP.

He was also charged with four attempted rapes and four assaults.

The charges also detailed threats made to the wife, with some of them including warnings about unleashing “the monster”.

The incidents were alleged to have occurred between August 11, 2022, and October 21, 2025.

A trial is scheduled to start on April 13.

Annerstedt told AFP that authorities had identified some 120 individuals suspected of having bought sexual services.

Twenty-six men have been charged over the buying of sex related to the case, and Annerstedt said the other individuals were being investigated.

Silvia Ingolfsdottir, a lawyer representing the woman, told AFP the charges resulted from the “serious and aggravated crimes” her client had been a victim of.

“She now hopes to obtain justice,” Ingolfsdottir said in a text message.

According to public broadcaster SVT, the man had previously been a high-ranking member of the Hells Angels biker group.

The case has received widespread attention in Sweden.

Sweden’s Minister for Gender Equality, Nina Larsson in February said that men must “stop buying and selling women’s bodies.”

“The media reports about the so‑called ‘Swedish Pelicot case’ are shocking and disgusting,” she said in a post to X.

AFP

Violence has erupted in Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, following protests against the controversial coronation of an Igbo traditional ruler named Chief Solomon Ogbonna Eziko, with demonstrators torching vehicles and looting shops owned by foreign nationals.

The protests, led by members of ActionSA alongside traditional leaders and local residents on Monday, were initially staged in opposition to what organisers described as a violation of the province’s sovereignty, constitutional order and recognised traditional leadership structures.

However, tensions escalated rapidly in KuGompo City, where the demonstrations turned violent, forcing police to intervene and disperse crowds, according to SABC News.

Video evidence on X indicated that protesters set several vehicles and buildings allegedly belonging to foreign nationals on fire while security forces intensified efforts to restore order.

Protesters have torched vehicles and buildings allegedly belonging to foreign nationals in protest against the installation of a Nigerian king in the Eastern Cape,” Newsroom Afrika reported.

Similarly, CDR Africa said the unrest reflected growing outrage over the coronation, with foreign-owned properties becoming primary targets.

The situation further deteriorated, with eNCA reporting that violence turned deadly after a stabbing incident allegedly involving Ethiopian shop owners.

At least two people were taken to the hospital for treatment, while several vehicles were destroyed in the chaos.

ActionSA’s Eastern Cape chair, Athol Trollip, reaffirmed the party’s opposition to the coronation in East London, describing it as unlawful and inconsistent with South Africa’s traditional leadership framework.

He said the party stood firmly with recognised traditional authorities, insisting that due process must be followed in matters of cultural and traditional governance.

Some protesters issued stark warnings, vowing to escalate resistance if authorities fail to address their concerns.

One demonstrator reportedly said residents were prepared to “take up arms” if the matter remained unresolved, while others called for the deportation of Nigerians linked to the coronation.

The protesters had earlier marched through parts of the province demanding immediate government intervention, warning that failure to act could trigger further unrest.

Culled from punch

Canada has introduced sweeping new immigration and asylum measures that will affect Nigerians and other foreign nationals seeking entry or protection in the country.

The new rules follow the passage of Bill C-12, also known as the Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Act, which received royal assent on March 26, 2026.

This was contained in a report obtained from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s website on Monday.

The legislation introduces stricter eligibility requirements for asylum seekers, a revamped application process, expanded information-sharing powers, and new authorities over immigration documents.

Stricter asylum eligibility

Under the new law, “asylum claims made more than one year after someone’s first entry into Canada after June 24, 2020, won’t be referred to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, regardless of whether the person has since left and returned.

“Asylum claims from people who enter Canada between ports of entry along the Canada–US land border and who make a claim after 14 days won’t be referred to the IRB.”

Canadian authorities said the changes are aimed at reducing pressure on the asylum system, closing loopholes, and discouraging misuse of refugee pathways as alternatives to regular immigration routes.

However, affected individuals may still apply for a pre-removal risk assessment to ensure they are not returned to countries where they could face persecution, torture, or other serious harm.

The government also noted that special consideration would be given to vulnerable groups such as unaccompanied minors.

No change to US border agreement

Officials confirmed that there is no change to the existing Safe Third Country Agreement with the United States.

Under the agreement, most asylum seekers arriving at official land border crossings or within 14 days of irregular entry will continue to be returned to the U.S., unless they qualify for exemptions.

Faster, digital asylum process

Canada said it will also modernise its asylum system in the coming months by simplifying online applications and eliminating duplicate documentation requirements.

Under the new rule, the government said,  “only complete and “schedule-ready” claims will be referred for adjudication, while cases may be deemed abandoned if applicants leave Canada before a decision is made.”

“The changes will remove inactive cases from the system and speed up voluntary departures by making removal orders effective on the same day a claim is withdrawn.”

Authorities added that support mechanisms would be strengthened for vulnerable applicants, including appointing representatives to guide them through immigration procedures.

Expanded data-sharing powers

The law grants immigration authorities broader powers to share applicants’ personal data within government institutions.

According to IRCC, the new provisions will allow sharing of identity, status, and official documents with federal, provincial, and territorial partners under formal agreements, while maintaining safeguards to protect privacy and legal rights.

Provinces and territories are barred from sharing such information with foreign governments without written consent from federal authorities.

New powers over visas, permits

The Canadian government also has new tools to manage immigration documents, such as visas, work permits, and study permits.

Under the law, authorities may cancel, suspend, or modify large groups of documents, or pause application processing in situations involving fraud, public health risks, administrative errors, or national security concerns.

Such decisions will require approval by the Governor in Council and must be published in the Canada Gazette and reported to Parliament.

Officials said the measures are designed to improve responsiveness to emergencies while ensuring transparency and accountability.

The new rules are expected to have significant implications for Nigerians and other migrants seeking to study, work, or claim asylum in Canada, particularly as enforcement of stricter eligibility criteria takes effect.

Culled from punch

Around a fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas passes through the waterway in peacetime.

The war erupted on February 28 when the United States and Israel began bombing Iran, prompting Tehran to retaliate with strikes across the region and sharply restrict access to the strait.

Handful of crossings

Fifteen vessels crossed the strait over the weekend, 12 of them on Saturday, making it one of the busiest days for crossings since March 1, according to Kpler.

From March 1 to 30 as of 0900 GMT Monday, commodities carriers made just 195 crossings, according to data from analytics firm Kpler — a decrease of 95 percent from peacetime.

Of these, 121 were by oil tankers and gas carriers and most were travelling east out of the strait.

Chinese container ships pass

Later on Monday, two further ships — ultra-large container vessels owned by Chinese shipping giant Cosco — appeared to have successfully crossed the strait after an aborted attempt last week, maritime tracker MarineTraffic said on X.

It interpreted their passage as “signalling a potential shift in conditions for commercial shipping”.

Steel, soybeans shipped

Seven of the ships passing through the strait over the weekend were dry bulk carriers transporting steel, iron ore pellets and soybean meal.

Four vessels were liquified petroleum gas tankers and the rest were liquid tankers.

The channel in peacetime sees around 120 daily transits, according to shipping industry intelligence site Lloyd’s List.

2,000 ships in Gulf

Around 2,142 vessels have sent transponder signals in the Gulf west of the Strait of Hormuz in the past day, according to Bloomberg data.

Of those, 298 were tankers, including 10 very large gas carriers and 55 very large crude carriers.

No reported incidents since March 22

Since March 1, 2026, 24 commercial vessels, including 11 tankers, have been attacked or reported incidents in the Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz or the Gulf of Oman, according to the British naval maritime security agency UKMTO.

No incidents have been logged since March 22, when the bulk carrier Phoenix reported an explosion next to the ship in Emirati waters, according to the UKMTO.

Drones struck fuel tanks at Oman’s Salalah port on Saturday, injuring one worker and disrupting operations but hitting no vessels.

Eight sea workers killed

Since the conflict began, at least eight seafarers or dock workers have died in incidents in the region, according to the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

A further four remained missing and 10 were injured.

Around 20,000 seafarers are affected in the region, according to the IMO.

Iran-approved route

Recent crossings appeared to have mainly used a route apparently approved by Iran around Larak Island just off the country’s coast.

Leading shipping journal Lloyd’s List last week said at least 34 ships had been tracked using it.

Over the weekend three ships sent signals close to Larak Island before turning off their transponders to cross the strait.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said the route was closed to vessels travelling to and from ports linked to its “enemies”.

45% sanctioned ships

Since the war started, 45 percent of the crossings have been by ships under US, EU or UK sanctions, according to an AFP analysis of passage data.

Of the crossings by oil and gas tankers, 61 percent were by vessels under sanctions.

AFP

Israeli police prevented the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate Palm Sunday mass, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said.

“This morning, the Israeli Police prevented the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Head of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land, together with the Custos of the Holy Land, the Most Reverend Fr. Francesco Ielpo, OFM, the official Guardian of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, as they made their way to celebrate the Palm Sunday Mass,” a statement from the Patriarchate said.

It said the two were stopped while proceeding privately without any characteristics of a procession or ceremonial act, and had to turn back.

“As a result, and for the first time in centuries, the Heads of the Church were prevented from celebrating the Palm Sunday Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre,” the statement said.

This incident is a grave precedent and disregards the sensibilities of billions of people around the world, who during this week, look to Jerusalem.”

There was no immediate response from the Israeli police.

Since the Middle East war began on February 28, Israeli authorities have banned large gatherings, including at synagogues, churches and mosques.

Public gatherings are limited to around 50 people.

The Latin Patriarchate had already announced it had cancelled the traditional Palm Sunday procession that normally runs from the Mount of Olives into Jerusalem and draws thousands of worshippers each year.

“The heads of churches have acted with full responsibility and, since the outset of the war, have complied with all imposed restrictions,” the Patriarchate said.

“Preventing the entry of the Cardinal and the Custos, who bear the highest ecclesiastical responsibility for the Catholic Church and the Holy Places, constitutes a manifestly unreasonable and grossly disproportionate measure,” it said.

“This hasty and fundamentally flawed decision, tainted by improper considerations, represents an extreme departure from basic principles of reasonableness, freedom of worship, and respect for the status quo.”

AFP

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Sunday they launched missile and drone strikes on aluminium plants in Bahrain and the UAE over the weekend, targeting what they described as industries linked to the US military.

Since the Middle East war erupted at the end of February, Bahrain and other Gulf countries have regularly been targeted by Iranian missile and drone strikes in retaliation for the US-Israeli campaign, now in its second month.

In a statement carried by Iranian state broadcaster IRIB, the Guards said they hit an aluminium facility in the UAE and Aluminium Bahrain’s main plant, calling both sites “industries affiliated with and connected to the US military and aerospace sectors in the region”.

The IRGC said the strikes were retaliation for a US-Israeli attack on Iranian industrial infrastructure launched from bases in Gulf states.

Aluminium Bahrain, one of the world’s largest aluminium producers, said two employees were wounded in an Iranian strike targeting its facility on Saturday.

The company, also known as Alba, said the workers suffered minor injuries.

Alba added that it was assessing the impact on operations and would provide updates when available. It gave no details on damage to the site.

Emirates Global Aluminium said Saturday that an Iranian attack inflicted significant damage on one of its sites in Abu Dhabi and wounded six employees.

On Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi vowed a “heavy price for Israeli crimes” after strikes on major steel and nuclear-related facilities inside Iran.

AFP

British police said they arrested a man after a car struck several pedestrians in a city in central England on Saturday night, leaving some victims seriously injured.

Police in Derby, located about 40 miles north of Birmingham, posted on Facebook that a black Suzuki Swift hit multiple people at the Friar Gate around 9:30 pm on Saturday.

Paramedics treated the injured at the scene before taking them to the hospital, without specifying how many were hurt.

“Although we know this will be alarming, we would like to reassure people that we do not believe there is an ongoing risk to the public,” the Derby police said in its Facebook post.

Officers stopped a vehicle believed to be involved shortly after the incident and arrested the driver, a man in his 30s, who remains in custody.

Friar Gate has been closed from Curzon Street and Cheapside to Ford Street and is expected to remain shut for some time as investigators work the scene.

AFP

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard on Sunday threatened to target US universities in the Middle East after saying US-Israeli strikes had destroyed two Iranian universities.

“If the US government wants its universities in the region to be free from retaliation… it must condemn the bombing of the universities in an official statement by 12 noon on Monday, March 30, Tehran time,” the statement published by Iranian media read.

The statement added, “We advise all employees, professors, and students of American universities in the region and residents of their surrounding areas to stay a kilometre away from campuses.”

Several US universities have campuses scattered throughout the Gulf region, such as Texas A&M University in Qatar and New York University in the United Arab Emirates.

Strikes overnight Friday to Saturday hit Tehran, including the University of Science and Technology in the northeast of the capital, damaging buildings but not causing any casualties, according to media reports.

AFP

US President Donald Trump warned Iran on Thursday to engage in talks to end the Middle East war “before it is too late”, after Tehran publicly spurned US overtures to resolve the nearly four-week conflict.

Trump’s warning came as Israel said it had killed the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ navy, calling him “directly responsible” for throttling the Strait of Hormuz since the war’s outbreak.

Hopes for a negotiated end to the US-Israeli war with Iran, which has engulfed much of the region, rose after Washington was said to have put a peace plan to Tehran, only for the Islamic republic to deny the sides were speaking.

But Pakistan confirmed Thursday it was indeed facilitating “US-Iran indirect talks” by relaying messages — and that a 15-point American plan was being “deliberated upon” by Tehran.

They better get serious soon, before it is too late, because once that happens, there is NO TURNING BACK, and it won’t be pretty!” Trump warned on social media, saying Iran had been “militarily obliterated, with zero chance of a comeback”.

Iran’s foreign minister flatly denied Wednesday that “negotiations” had been engaged with Trump’s administration — but did concede messages were being exchanged through “friendly countries”.

“We seek an end to the war on our own terms,” Abbas Araghchi said on state TV.

Islamabad has been touted as a go-between, given its longstanding ties with both neighbouring Iran and the United States, as well as its network of regional contacts.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said “brotherly countries” Turkey, Egypt and others, were also supporting the process — while the Gulf Cooperation Council said it wanted to be involved in any talks.

– Conflict spreads east –

Under near-daily bombardment since February 28, Iran was hit by a new wave of Israeli strikes Thursday — one of which Israel said had “blown up and eliminated” the Guards’ naval commander, Alireza Tangsiri, and several senior officers.

Defence Minister Israel Katz blamed Tangsiri for throttling the vital Hormuz shipping lane — which Iran is blocking to all but “non-hostile” vessels, with Malaysia for instance saying its tankers were being allowed passage.

Elsewhere, the Israeli army was conducting what it called “wide-scale” strikes targeting Iranian infrastructure.

Local media reported attacks in the central cities of Isfahan and Shiraz, in Bandar Abbas in the south and Tabriz in the northwest — but also Mashhad and Birjand, towards the Afghan border in an area largely spared until now.

Off the coast from Bandar Abbas on Qeshm — the largest Iranian island in the Persian Gulf — one local resident told AFP via Telegram he hoped the site would not be taken over by the military.

The suffering of people, the poverty, and the political oppression have been getting worse every year,” said 42-year-old Sadeq.

“I don’t think war is the solution to these conditions, but ending it won’t change much for us either,” he said. “Our bigger war is with the Islamic Republic.”

Iran, in turn, kept up retaliatory attacks on several parts of Israel, where falling shrapnel from intercepted missiles wounded seven people.

And fresh violence flared in the Gulf, with two killed by debris from an Iranian ballistic missile intercepted near Abu Dhabi, and drones fired at both Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

– ‘Top person’? –

Iran has targeted Gulf nations it accuses of serving as launchpads for US strikes, including hits on energy sites and other civilian infrastructure that threaten lasting damage to the world economy.

Crude prices had fallen since last week, but the wavering messages on talks saw oil prices jump again Thursday with equities mixed.

Trump has accused Tehran officials of covering up ongoing talks for fear of becoming assassination targets, following the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

The White House has declined to identify the “top person” it is speaking with in Iran — beyond saying it is not the late leader’s son Mojtaba Khamenei, who is believed to be injured and has not been seen since succeeding his father.

– No Lebanon ‘surrender’ –

To avenge Khamenei’s killing, pro-Iran Hezbollah began firing rockets into Israel on March 2, drawing Lebanon into the war.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military had “created a genuine security zone” in southern Lebanon, where an Israeli soldier was killed Thursday.

Hezbollah, meanwhile, launched a new volley of missiles at military sites in central Israel, after its chief Naim Qassem said negotiations with Israel would amount to “surrender”.

AFP

The Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, has praised the United Nations General Assembly’s resolution, which, for the first time, declared the transatlantic slave trade the “gravest crime against humanity”.

Dunhai, in a statement issued on Thursday, hailed the resolution as a major step toward global historical justice and reparations for Africans and people of African descent.

The resolution was adopted on March 25, 2026, during the 80th session of the General Assembly, coinciding with the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

It received overwhelming support from member states, signalling a growing international consensus on addressing the enduring legacy of slavery.

Dunhai described the resolution as a historic milestone and a victory for justice.

“Justice may be delayed, but it will never be absent,” Dunhai said while extending warm congratulations to African nations and the wider developing world for their role in securing the adoption.

According to the envoy, the resolution aligns with the theme of the 38th African Union Summit, which focused on “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations.”

He noted that it underscores sustained efforts by African countries to push for reparatory justice on the global stage.

“With profound historical significance, it represents a powerful affirmation of historical justice, a firm defence of the common dignity of humanity, and a major victory for the international community in opposing the remnants of colonialism, resisting racial discrimination, and upholding fairness and justice,” Dunhai said.

China, he disclosed, was among 123 countries that voted in favour of the resolution, reiterating Beijing’s longstanding position on addressing historical injustices.

“China has always stood firmly on the right side of history, actively promoting the international community’s recognition of historical responsibilities and remedying historical injustices,” he stated.

The ambassador further stressed that the transatlantic slave trade remains one of the darkest chapters in human history, noting that tens of millions of Africans were subjected to trafficking, enslavement, and death.

He said the consequences of the system continue to impact Africa’s development and the rights of people of African descent globally.

“The UNGA Resolution fairly restores historical truth, effectively counters contemporary racial discrimination and structural injustice, and lays an important legal and moral foundation for advancing historical reparations, the return of looted cultural artefacts and trauma healing,” Dunhai added.

Highlighting China’s relationship with Africa, the envoy noted that 2026 marks 70 years of diplomatic ties between China and the continent.

He emphasised that China’s engagement with Africa has consistently been rooted in mutual respect, non-interference, and development cooperation.

“China-Africa cooperation is based on equality, aims at development, and focuses on people’s well-being. It responds to Africa’s urgent needs and helps enhance Africa’s capacity for independent development through tangible cooperation,” he said.

Citing the recent implementation of zero-tariff treatment for African countries with diplomatic relations with China as evidence of this commitment.

Speaking on bilateral relations, Yu noted that China and Nigeria share a common historical experience of colonial oppression and are committed to safeguarding sovereignty and development.

He added that both countries have strengthened ties in recent years, upgrading their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

“China is ready to work with Nigeria to further align our development strategies, transform cooperation outcomes into tangible benefits for our peoples, and inject strong momentum into Nigeria’s economic and social development,” he said.

The ambassador also used the opportunity to criticise what he described as rising hegemonism and unilateralism in global affairs. He warned against colonial mindsets and the law of the jungle, stressing that such approaches undermine international order and justice.

“History has long proven that power politics finds no popular support, unilateral bullying leads nowhere, and any attempt to gain benefits through oppression or seek hegemony through bullying will ultimately be discarded by the times,” he said.

Reaffirming China’s commitment to Africa, Yu concluded that Beijing would continue to support African nations in defending their dignity and advancing development.

“The adoption of this historic UNGA Resolution has added a significant chapter to the cause of global justice. China will, as always, stand side by side with Nigeria and all African countries.

“We will let the sunshine of equality, development and dignity illuminate the African continent, and make new and greater contributions to the prosperity and revitalisation of Africa as well as to a better future for all humanity,” Dunhai said.

A runner who stopped during a marathon in China to pose doing the splits and another who hoarded energy gels have been banned for two years, the local athletic association said Thursday.

The incidents happened during Sunday’s marathon in the southwestern city of Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, and were widely shared online.

Videos showed a woman runner stopping suddenly and dropping to the ground with her legs in a perfect split position, holding up her arms in a heart shape as she apparently posed for a photograph.

“(She) committed obstructive fouls during the race, affecting the safe participation of other runners,” the Sichuan Athletics Association said in a statement, which identified the runner by her surname, Wang

A viral photo also showed a man in a neon yellow top carrying a transparent drawstring backpack packed to the brim with packets of energy gels and other food supplies, all apparently taken from supply stations during the race.

The male runner, surnamed Zhang, had “illegally taken a large quantity of race supplies for personal use”, the association said.

Both have been banned from marathons in Sichuan for two years, it said.

This was to “enforce race discipline, maintain a fair competition environment… and ensure the safe and orderly conduct of events”.

Both runners were also disqualified from Sunday’s race.

Footage of the incidents attracted up to three million views on China’s Weibo micro-blogging platform and sparked a social media backlash.

“These people should be permanently banned from participating in all marathon races,” one angry user said.

“All (these are) manifestations of extreme selfishness,” another user posted.

It is just the latest incident to hit China’s fast-growing marathon scene.

A race official was suspended for a year this month after he mistakenly blocked the eventual winner from crossing the finish line at an event in Chongqing.

Previous incidents also included marathon runners jumping on rental bikes and making shortcuts.

AFP

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday urged European countries to pass legislation blocking Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” ships from sailing in their waters and to confiscate Russian oil.

“We need joint action to create strong laws in Europe that allow countries to block Russian tankers and confiscate the oil,” Zelensky said in a video message to leaders of the Joint Expeditionary Force meeting in Helsinki.

JEF is a UK-led alliance of 10 Northern European countries.

“This should be a real tool to take away Russia’s ability to pressure Europe,” he said.

Please also help others in Europe move these decisions forward and implement them at home,” he said.

Zelensky also thanked Denmark, Sweden and France for recently seizing ships suspected of belonging to the shadow fleet.

Their actions were “a clear demonstration that enforcement is not only possible but effective,” he said.

Moscow’s shadow fleet consists of vessels used to skirt Western sanctions since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

They are often ageing ships in poor condition, without proper insurance and with opaque ownership.

The French navy seized a third “shadow fleet” tanker in the Mediterranean last week, while in Sweden, authorities seized the Sea Owl I tanker in mid-March and arrested its captain on suspicion of falsifying documents and violating maritime regulations.

On Wednesday, the British government announced that its military will now be able to board and seize ships sanctioned as part of the shadow fleet if they enter UK territorial waters.

Some 598 ships suspected of being part of the fleet are under European Union sanctions.

AFP

Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said Wednesday that negotiating with Israel under fire would amount to “surrender” for Lebanon, as Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu said his forces were “expanding” a “buffer zone” in Lebanon.

Netanyahu said the Israeli military had “created a genuine security zone” inside Lebanon and was “expanding this zone,” as its ground forces tried to push deeper into Lebanon, on a day when Hezbollah issued dozens of statements claiming attacks on Israeli forces.

Israel, which occupied southern Lebanon for around two decades until 2000, has once again sent ground troops into Lebanon, saying it is attempting to take control of the area up to the Litani River, around 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the border.

As the two sides fought in the south, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that “the Gaza model must not be replicated in Lebanon”, a comparison previously drawn by Israeli officials talking about their goals in Lebanon.

“Hezbollah must stop launching attacks into Israel. And Israel must stop its military operations and strikes in Lebanon, which are hitting civilians the hardest,” Guterres told reporters at the United Nations.

By late on Wednesday, Hezbollah said it had launched more than 80 attacks against Israel, the largest number the Iran-backed group has claimed since the start of the latest war.

It also said it had attacked Israeli forces in nine border towns.

Israel’s military said that one of its soldiers was severely wounded by rocket fire in southern Lebanon, having earlier reported an officer being lightly injured in combat.

It also reported several rockets fired towards the Haifa area in northern Israel, but no injuries.

– ‘Imposition of surrender’ –

Lebanon was pulled into the Middle East war when Hezbollah began firing rockets into Israel on March 2 to avenge the killing of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

In an attempt to put an end to the fighting, Lebanon’s president is calling for unprecedented direct negotiations with Israel, which has so far rebuffed his proposal.

Hezbollah chief Qassem said Wednesday his group would have none of it: “When negotiations with the Israeli enemy are proposed under fire, this is an imposition of surrender.”

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported Israeli strikes and artillery shelling in several locations in the south on Wednesday.

It also said that “enemy warplanes… launched a strike” on Beirut’s southern suburbs, after a renewed Israeli army evacuation warning.

An AFP correspondent saw a street covered in debris, including shattered cement and warped metal, after the early morning strike, while an apartment building’s upper floors appeared damaged.

The area has been targeted multiple times during the conflict and is largely empty of residents, who have fled.

Late on Wednesday, the Lebanese health ministry reported three people killed by an Israeli airstrike in the Bint Jbeil region of southern Lebanon.

Israel’s military said it struck Hezbollah targets across Lebanon overnight “including a command centre” in Beirut’s southern suburbs.

It also said it attacked petrol stations belonging to the Al-Amana fuel company, which it says is controlled by Hezbollah and finances the group.

– Paramedics killed –

According to the ministry, 42 health workers are among more than 1,000 people killed in Lebanon in more than three weeks of Israeli strikes

Lebanese authorities say upwards of one million people have been displaced.

Hezbollah said its fighters on Wednesday targeted Israeli troops “massed in the border towns of Naqura and Qawzah” and in sites across the border “with more than 100 rockets”.

The statement came as the group claimed a series of attacks on Israeli troops in south Lebanon, northern Israel, and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

In an earlier statement, Israel’s military said ground troops in southern Lebanon had “dismantled a weapons storage facility”, and the air force killed “several terrorists”.

It also said troops had “dismantled Hezbollah command centres in which numerous weapons were located”, without specifying where.

AFP

Iran would target shipping in the Red Sea, a crucial conduit for global oil and other goods leading up to the Suez Canal, if the US launches a ground invasion, an unnamed military official told local media on Wednesday.

“If the enemy attempts a ground operation on Iranian islands or anywhere else on our territory, or if it seeks to impose costs on Iran through naval manoeuvres in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, we will open other fronts as a ‘surprise’,” the official was quoted as saying by the Tasnim agency

“The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is among the most strategic straits in the world, and Iran has both the will and the capability to pose a fully credible threat against it,” the official continued.

adp/dcp

South African prosecutors said Wednesday they had summoned the head of police over a $20-million health tender, in a case that has rocked the country and pulled in a dozen other officers.

National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola has been served with a summons to appear in court next month, said Kaizer Kganyago, spokesman for South Africa’s National Prosecuting Authority.

The case centres on a now-cancelled 2024 police tender for health services awarded to businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, who is suspected of links to organised crime.

It was not immediately clear what charges Masemola will face, but a police spokeswoman confirmed he will honour the April 21 court appearance.

Fifteen people, including a dozen police officers and a director of Matlala’s company, were charged on Wednesday on suspicion of corruption in the awarding of the tender.

All of them — except Matlala, who had already received 50 million rand ($2.9 million) before the contract was terminated — were granted bail.

Described locally as a “tenderpreneur”, a term referring to individuals who have made fortunes through government contracts, Matlala shot to national prominence after a regional police chief accused the force and South Africa’s police minister of drabbling in criminality.

The allegations triggered the minister’s removal from office and a formal commission of inquiry was set up by the president, turning the saga into a national spectacle.

Broadcast daily on television and radio, the hearings have become a closely followed saga for South Africans.

A separate parliamentary inquiry is also probing claims that senior officers had corrupt ties with crime bosses and took money for favours.

Matlala was arrested in May last year in connection with the 2023 attempt on his ex-partner Thobejane’s life.

His name had already surfaced in the Tembisa Hospital scandal, where more than 2.2 billion rand ($129 million) was allegedly siphoned off.

The Tembisa hospital case cost whistleblower Babita Deokaran her life in 2021, when she was shot nine times outside her home.

AFP

The council, known as PCAST, will be co-chaired by AI and crypto czar David Sacks and Michael Kratsios, a tech investor who previously served as the country’s chief technology officer during Trump’s first term.

The list of appointees includes Trump ally Larry Ellison and Silicon Valley heavyweight Marc Andreessen, as well as Nvidia chief Jensen Huang.

“The United States has the opportunity to lead the world in AI. I’m honoured to join the president’s council and work with other industry leaders to help make this happen,” Zuckerberg said in a statement sent to AFP.

AFP

The Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Refinery, David Bird, has said the facility is receiving far below its agreed crude oil supply under the Federal Government’s crude-for-naira arrangement.

Bird disclosed this during an interview on ARISE News on Wednesday, noting that the refinery currently gets only about five cargoes of crude monthly, against an expected 13 to 15 cargoes.

He said the shortfall has affected the refinery’s ability to fully optimise local crude supply despite existing agreements.

“What we see under that agreement, we should be getting about 13 to 15 cargoes a month. And that’s what we could process to meet the domestic fuel requirements of Nigeria. Currently, we’re only getting five. So, that’s an underperformance against that pre-agreed volume contract,” he said.

According to him, the gap has forced the refinery to source preferred Nigerian crude grades from the international market at higher costs.

“And that value between the purchase price and the premium that we’re now seeing is money that Nigeria is leaking to the international trading community,” he said.

He explained that the crude-for-naira policy was designed to stabilise Nigeria’s foreign exchange market rather than provide financial advantages to the refinery, noting that the company still purchases crude at international benchmark prices.

Just to start on the crude for Naira, crude for Naira is not there to benefit Dangote Refinery. That is a fundamental misunderstanding. The crude for Naira programme is to provide resilience to foreign exchange.

“It is the benefit of the country to process domestic crude in the domestic currency,” Bird said.

Despite the supply challenges, Bird said the refinery is currently operating at its full installed capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, supplying both domestic and regional markets.

He, however, noted that global oil market disruptions, particularly tensions in the Middle East, have increased operational costs across the refinery’s value chain, including freight, insurance and logistics.

Bird added that fuel pricing remains tied to international market forces, stressing that the refinery operates without subsidies or discounts on crude inputs.

He called for improved crude allocation and long-term strategic planning, including building national reserves, to strengthen supply chain resilience in Nigeria’s oil sector.

Culled from punch

Hundreds of British teenagers will trial social media bans and time limits on apps as part of consultations over new measures to keep children safe online, the government announced Wednesday.

The pilot comes as the government seeks views from parents on whether to follow Australia and issue a blanket ban on social media for children under 16.

Three hundred youngsters aged 13 to 17 will try out different restrictions on social media use over six weeks to gauge the impact on their schoolwork, sleep and family life.

Some will have their social media apps disabled entirely, while others will have no access to them overnight, said the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

A third group will have a one-hour-per-day cap on the most popular apps for teenagers, including Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

The results will be compared to a fourth set of children who will continue to receive unlimited access.

“We are determined to give young people the childhood they deserve and to prepare them for the future,” said technology minister Liz Kendall.

These pilots will give us the evidence we need to take the next steps, informed by the experiences of families themselves.”

Australia in December became the first nation to prohibit people under the age of 16 from using immensely popular and profitable social media platforms.

Several other countries are considering similar bans, including France where lawmakers in January passed a bill that would prohibit use by under-15s, which still needs final approval.

The British government has launched a consultation on a potential Australia-style ban, which will also look at measures including age restrictions and banning addictive features like scrolling.

Earlier this month, British MPs struck down proposals by the upper House of Lords chamber to ban social media for under-16s while it awaits the outcome of the consultation, due to close on May 26.

British public figures including actor Hugh Grant have urged the government to back a prohibition, saying parents alone cannot counter social media harms.

But some experts warn restrictions could be easily circumvented and would rather that tech platforms focus on making their sites safer.

Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer has not ruled out a ban.

AFP

Israel said on Tuesday that its military would take control of south Lebanon up to the Litani River, around 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the border, as deadly strikes pounded the country.

In the latest unprecedented step by Lebanese authorities since a new war erupted between Israel and Hezbollah, Lebanon’s foreign ministry declared the Iranian ambassador persona non grata, giving him until Sunday to leave the country.

Lebanon was pulled into the Middle East war when the Tehran-backed Hezbollah militant group began firing rockets into Israel on March 2 to avenge the killing of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Israel has since launched strikes across Lebanon, killing at least 1,039 people and displacing more than a million others in more than three weeks of fighting. It has also sent ground troops into the country’s south.

Israel kept up strikes across Lebanon on Tuesday, with the state-run National News Agency (NNA) reporting attacks in the country’s south and east, as well as near Beirut, after a night of bombardment on the capital’s southern suburbs.

On Tuesday morning in south Beirut, an AFP photographer saw vast destruction near the site of an Israeli strike overnight, with rubble piled up and debris covering the street.

The Israeli army said that overnight its forces “struck Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure in Beirut and in additional areas in Lebanon”.

– ‘Nothing left’ –

In Bshamoun, a mixed town in the Aley region southeast of Beirut, outside of Hezbollah’s traditional strongholds, AFP correspondents saw destruction to an apartment building hit by an Israeli strike.

“There’s nothing left. It’s all burned or destroyed… No walls, the windows are gone, the facade is gone, all my hard work has been lost,” said Abbas Qassem, 55, weeping at the damage to his unoccupied flat near the targeted apartment.

“What have I done to have my home destroyed? I’m just a normal person,” said Qassem, who works for the state telecoms provider.

Lebanon’s health ministry said three people were killed including a three-year-old girl, and reported five others killed in Israeli strikes in south Lebanon.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the military “will control… the security zone up to the Litani”, adding that displaced Lebanese residents will not return south of the river “until security is guaranteed for the residents of the north” of Israel.

The area south of the Litani has seen vast destruction since hostilities erupted between Israel and Hezbollah in 2023 in the wake of the Gaza war, and despite a November 2024 ceasefire.

Many border villages were largely empty of residents even before the Israeli army resumed heavy bombardment and incursions into the area since the latest war erupted more than three weeks ago.

– ‘Violation of diplomatic norms’ –

Israel has repeatedly issued sweeping orders for residents to evacuate the area, while Hezbollah has reporting regular attacks on Israeli troops there, including in the strategic border town of Khiam in recent days, and in the village of Qawzah on Tuesday.

Katz said Israel’s military was “following the model of Rafah and Beit Hanoun”, two cities that were effectively razed during more than two years of war in Gaza, and which remain under Israeli military control

Lebanon’s foreign ministry said it summoned the Iranian charge d’affaires in Lebanon over “Tehran’s violation of diplomatic norms” and said Beirut had withdrawn approval “of the accreditation of the appointed Iranian ambassador”.

On Sunday, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards were commanding Hezbollah’s operations in the war against Israel, and authorities this month banned the Guards’ activities in the country.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar welcomed Lebanon’s decision to expel the envoy as a “justified and necessary step” and urged the government to take steps against Hezbollah.

“We call on the Lebanese government to take practical and meaningful measures against Hezbollah, whose representatives still serve as ministers within it,” Saar said in a post on X.

Israel has said it has struck Guards operatives in Lebanon in recent weeks, including on Monday.

Iran’s Guards on Tuesday threatened “heavy” attacks on Israel “if its crimes against civilians in Lebanon and Palestine persist”.

Iran launched another round of missiles towards Israel on Tuesday morning, state television announced, after earlier strikes hit a building in the north while a loud explosion rang out in Jerusalem.

“Iran fires new wave of missiles at occupied territories,” the state-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) posted on Telegram.

Moments later, it posted that the “Iranian missiles pass(ed) through several Israeli missile defences”.

The Magen David Adom emergency services released video of a damaged building in the north of Israel, and said there were no deaths from the incident.

The Israeli military later on Tuesday morning issued several notices that it had detected incoming Iranian missiles and was working to intercept them.

bur-lb/tc

culled from vanguard 

British police said they were investigating an online claim of responsibility for an arson attack after four volunteer ambulances run by a Jewish organisation based next to a London synagogue were set on fire early Monday.

Here is what we know about the attack, in which four vehicles were destroyed, but no one was injured. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has denounced the incident as a “deeply shocking antisemitic arson attack”.

What happened? –

The London Fire Brigade said it was alerted to vehicles on fire at Highfield Court in Golders Green, a north London area with a substantial Jewish population, at 1:40 am (0140 GMT).

Some 40 firefighters called to the scene found that multiple cylinders on the vehicles had exploded, breaking windows in an adjacent block.

London’s Metropolitan Police force said the charred vehicles were four Hatzalah ambulances belonging to the Jewish Community Ambulance service.

Nearby homes were evacuated as a precaution while some roads in the area were closed. All the fires were extinguished.

The little-known Iran-aligned Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya group, meaning The Islamic Movement of the People of the Right Hand, appeared to claim responsibility Monday in a video posted on its recently created Telegram channel.

– Police probe –

Police said in a statement “the arson attack is being treated as an antisemitic hate crime”.

Counter-terrorism police are now leading the inquiry, even though it was not yet determined to be a terror attack. The group’s online claim is being investigated.

“Establishing the authenticity and accuracy of this claim will be a priority for the investigation team,” Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams told reporters at the scene

He added police were “looking for three suspects at this early stage. CCTV footage appears to show three people in hoods pouring an accelerant on to the vehicles before igniting them and fleeing”.

There have been no arrests so far, and police appealed to people to come forward with information.

Horrific news’ –

Starmer said in a post on X: “Antisemitism has no place in our society”.

He called the attack “horrific news” and has urged Britain’s communities to “all stand together at a moment like this”.

Chief rabbi Ephraim Mirvis vowed: “We’re not going to be intimidated by terrorists, and this was a terrorist attack.”

And he told the Press Association news agency it was “highly lamentable” that synagogues, schools and other Jewish facilities “can now only function behind walls, behind gates”.

Shomrim North West London, a charity and volunteer neighbourhood watch group, branded the arson a “targeted and deeply concerning incident affecting a vital emergency service serving the local Jewish community”.

It was “an attack on the safety, wellbeing, and resilience of our community,” the group wrote on Facebook.

– What is the volunteer service? –

The ambulances are run by Hatzalah, which was established in 1979 and is operated by volunteers.

It provides free medical transportation and emergency response to those living in north London.

Our… volunteer ambulance corps is an extraordinary service, whose sole mission is to protect life, Jewish and non-Jewish alike,” Mirvis said on X.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the government would provide four replacement ambulances.

“The Jewish community should not be left footing the bill for this despicable attack, which is why tomorrow morning, at the latest, we will have four ambulances in place to replace those that have been destroyed,” he said.

– Similar attacks –

Monitoring groups have reported an upsurge in both antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents in Britain in recent years, particularly during the recent war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

The Community Security Trust, a charity which tracks antisemitism in the UK, recorded 3,700 instances of anti-Jewish hate across the UK last year, a four percent rise on 2024, but down on 2023.

The group likened the attack to recent similar incidents in Belgium and the Netherlands, where schools and synagogues were targeted.

The Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya group also claimed it was behind the attacks in Belgium and the Netherlands, according to the SITE monitoring service. Until the start of the Iran war, the group had not been heard of.

Culled from vanguard

The International Committee of the Red Cross demanded on Monday a halt to the “war on essential infrastructure” in the Middle East, warning of potential “irreversible consequences” including harm to nuclear facilities.

“What we have seen in recent days in the Middle East risks reaching a point of no return,” ICRC president Mirjana Spoljaric warned in a statement.

“Most alarming is the potential harm to nuclear facilities, whether deliberate or incidental,” she said.

Energy infrastructure has been repeatedly hit since the start of the war on February 28, when the United States and Israel began their attacks on Iran. Tehran has responded by striking targets in Israel and the Gulf states.

Over the weekend, an Iranian strike hit the southern Israeli town of Dimona, home to a nuclear facility, in what Tehran said was in response to an earlier attack on its nuclear site at Natanz.

“Damage to these sites could trigger irreversible consequences, which is why they are afforded heightened protections under the rules of war,” Spoljaric said.

She cautioned that “war on essential infrastructure is war on civilians”.

Deliberate attacks on essential services and civilian infrastructure can amount to war crimes.”

Her comments came as US President Donald Trump suddenly backtracked on a threat to “obliterate” Iran’s power infrastructure if it did not reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

In response to Trump’s initial threat, Iran had threatened to deploy naval mines in the Gulf and target power plants across the region.

On Monday, Trump said he was putting his ultimatum on hold after “very good” talks with unidentified Iranian officials, while Iranian media outlets quoted the foreign ministry in Tehran denying any negotiations and suggesting Trump was angling to bring down energy prices.

“Attacks on essential infrastructure have already punished millions of civilians both near and far from the front lines,” Spoljaric said in her statement.

“This pattern, combined with an escalatory rhetoric that disregards the limits imposed by international humanitarian law, normalises a style of warfare that strips away our shared humanity.”

AFP

Iranian media said on Monday there were no negotiations between Tehran and Washington after US President Donald Trump announced talks towards ending the war.

“There are no talks between Tehran and Washington,” said Mehr news agency, citing Iran’s foreign ministry, adding that Trump’s statements were part of a push “to reduce energy prices.”

Other media carried similar reports.

The rebuttal follows a social media post that immediately sent oil prices tumbling.

Trump said Washington and Tehran had held “productive conversations” over the last two days towards “a complete and total resolution” of hostilities in the Middle East.

He asserted he had told the Pentagon, on the basis of talks to date, to “postpone any and all military strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for a five day period, subject to the success of the ongoing meetings.”

He said the US-Iranian sides would keep talking “throughout the week.

The bombshell announcement came ahead of a Monday night ultimatum for the Islamic Republic to reopen the Strait of Hormuz shipping lane—or see Trump “obliterate” its power plants.

In response, Iran had threatened to deploy naval mines in the Gulf and target power plants across the region—ramping up its rhetoric after warnings the world faced an energy crisis of historic proportions if the US-Israeli war with Iran drags on.

AFP

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Sunday to pursue senior commanders of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards “personally”, during a visit to an Israeli town struck by an Iranian missile the previous day.

“We’re going after the regime. We’re going after the IRGC, this criminal gang,” Netanyahu said, as he inspected the damage in the southern town of Arad.

“We’re going after them personally, their leaders, their installations, their economic assets. We’re going after them personally.”

Culled from vanguard

Iran’s military threatened on Sunday to completely shut down the strategic Strait of Hormuz if US President Donald Trump acts on threats to target the country’s power plants.

Trump has given Iran 48 hours to reopen the strait, which has been effectively closed since the start of the war sparked on February 28 by US-Israeli bombardment of Iran.

The war has since spread across the Middle East, with Iran responding with drone and missile attacks on Israel and US interests in the region.

“If the United States’ threats regarding Iran’s power plants are carried out… the Strait of Hormuz will be completely closed, and it will not be reopened until our destroyed power plants are rebuilt,” the military’s operational command Khatam Al-Anbiya said in a statement carried by state TV.

The military said it would also strike Israel’s “power plants, energy, and information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure”, along with power plants in regional countries hosting US bases and companies with US shareholders.

It added that the measures will be taken “to defend our country and the interests of our nation.”

Traffic through the vital strait—through which 20 per cent of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes—has been brought to a near standstill since the start of the war.

A relatively small number of vessels have been able to transit it—around five per cent of its pre-war volume, according to analytics firm Kpler.

Iranian forces have attacked multiple vessels, saying they failed to heed “warnings” against transiting the waterway.

In recent days, Iran has allowed some vessels from countries it considers friendly to pass, while warning it would block ships from countries it says have joined the “aggression” against it.

Iran’s parliament is mulling imposing tolls on shipping through the strait, with Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf saying maritime traffic would “not return to its pre-war status.”

AFP

A predator and his accomplice have been jailed for a total of 21 years after raping a 15-year-old schoolgirl who was plied with alcohol and drugs, Daily Mail reports.

Nigerian national Akinsanya, 34, and 29-year-old Raji targeted their victim after buying her drinks at Irish pub Paddy’s Yard in Brixton, south London, on February 8 last year.

They invited the girl and some of her friends back to Raji’s flat to smoke cannabis and dance. 

The victim’s friends tried to persuade her to leave with them as they felt uncomfortable but she started blacking out and collapsed, Inner London Crown Court heard. 

The defendants then put the girl through a prolonged ordeal, with Raji filming her.

Prosecutor Diana Wilson read to the court the victim’s impact statement, in which she told of now finding it ‘hard to trust people’.

The schoolgirl described her attackers as ‘disgusting’, while also rejecting the offer to watch the footage of what happened because it was ‘too stressful’.

Akinsanya, from South Croydon, denied but was convicted by a jury of rape and has now been jailed for 10 years. 

Raji, from Brixton, denied but was convicted of two counts of rape and one of taking an indecent image of a child and was given 11 years behind bars.

The girl said in her statement: ‘I was in year 10 at school when I was raped – my school life was affected a lot. ‘I didn’t want to go to my lessons. 

‘I find it hard to trust people. I’m in year 11 now, I still feel like my school life is being affected by the rape.’ 

The court heard how she has stopped playing football, the only sport she liked, due to a loss of confidence following the attack. 

She was asked to watch the video Raji took of her naked but had to stop, saying: ‘I found it too stressful.’

The victim added: ‘The men who did this to me are disgusting – I can’t find the words to describe them. These men must go to prison.

Ms Wilson said the girl was ‘particularly vulnerable due to her personal circumstances’, adding: ‘She was young and naive and vulnerable and unconscious.

‘We have a sociable, outgoing 15-year-old who’s cut off from friends, cannot leave her house, impacting her schoolwork and feels unable to go to counselling. 

‘It may be thought that that’s beyond the normal level of psychological harm.’

Ms Wilson told how both defendants ‘took advantage of an unconscious girl’.

William Pope, defending Raji, asked for his previous good character to be taken into account

The defence lawyer pointed to Raji’s evidence suggesting the girls the pair met said they were aged over 18, with Mr Pope adding: ‘He thinks he had a one-night stand.’

Judge David Richards said it should have been obvious the girls were underage from their behaviour, saying: ‘The whole tenor of that group is of schoolgirls’. 

Defending Akinsanya, Anne Faul described him as ‘a lost soul, somewhat vulnerable’.

She also told the court he was partially paralysed from an attack, meaning prison life was more difficult for him.

Sentencing, Judge Richards said of the victim: ‘She’s lost her self-confidence. She can no longer go out. She will live with this for the rest of her life.’

He told the two culprits: ‘The fact that you two abused her one after the other clearly aggravates the matter. The victim was harmed for a long time.

‘Alcohol was used to render her vulnerable, the effect of the alcohol was exploited by both of you. Whilst incapable, she was raped by both of you.’ DailyMail.

The US Department of State Bureau of Global Public Affairs has reported a 97 per cent compliance rate among travellers under its visa bond programme, as it moves to expand the policy to more countries in a bid to curb visa overstays.

In a statement issued on the US Department of State website on March 18, the bureau disclosed that nearly 1,000 visas had been issued under the scheme, with the overwhelming majority of beneficiaries returning to their home countries as required.

The development comes in contrast to figures from the final year of former US President Joe Biden, when more than 44,000 visitors from countries currently under the visa bond programme overstayed their visas.

The US government said the disparity underscores the effectiveness of the initiative, noting that its expansion to 50 countries is expected to further reduce violation

Beginning April 2, 2026, foreign nationals from affected countries seeking B1 (business) or B2 (tourism) visas will be required to post a refundable bond of $15,000 before entry into the United States.

“The State Department is expanding its visa bond program to apply to a total of 50 countries on April 2 and will require foreign nationals from these countries to post a bond of $15,000 before receiving B1 or B2 visas for business and tourism in the United States. The bond will be returned to visa recipients who return home in compliance with the terms of the visa and the bond or does not travel.

“Preventing Illegal Visa Overstays: The visa bond program has already proven effective at drastically reducing the number of visa recipients who overstay their visas and illegally remain in the United States,” the statement read.

According to the statement, the new phase of the policy will extend the requirement to 12 additional countries, including Cambodia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Grenada, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles and Tunisia.

These nations will join 38 others already participating in the programme, among them Nigeria.

“These countries join 38 nations that are already included in the visa bond program. Those countries are Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Botswana, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Fiji, Gabon, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Kyrgyzstan, Malawi, Mauritania, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Venezuela”.

The State Department explained that countries may be added to the visa bond list based on various immigration risk indicators, stressing that the measure has already proven effective in reducing the number of individuals who overstay visas and remain in the US unlawfully.

It added that the bond is fully refundable once travellers comply with the terms of their stay and return home within the stipulated period.

Highlighting the financial implications, the department said the programme is also saving American taxpayers significant costs associated with immigration enforcement.

“It costs the US taxpayer over $18,000 on average to remove an alien illegally present in the United States.

The Department of State is saving US taxpayers up to $800 million per year that would otherwise be required to remove these aliens who overstay,” the statement said.

culled from punch

The presidents of Kenya and Uganda were set to meet near their shared border Saturday to mark the multi-billion-dollar, long-delayed extension of a Chinese-built railway that has left Kenya heavily in debt.

The Standard Gauge Railway, built from 2013 to 2019, connects the Kenyan port of Mombasa to its capital, Nairobi, and on to the lake town of Naivasha, but China refused further lending before it could be extended to Uganda as planned.

Kenya now spends roughly $1 billion a year servicing Chinese debt, most of it borrowed to build the railway.

That is far more than the line generates in revenue — around $165 million last year — even if passenger and cargo numbers have been growing strongly over the past year.

A report by Kenya’s auditor general last year found more than $260 million had been wasted just on penalties and interest from late debt payments.

Yet despite the controversy over the cost, Kenya has been keen to finish the line.

President William Ruto broke ground on the next phase in Narok County on Thursday, arguing that it will “catalyse regional economic growth, and firmly position Kenya as a leading transport and logistics hub in eastern and central Africa”, while creating jobs and reducing road congestion.

We have thought through this project (and)… its finance,” he insisted.

Ruto is due to meet his Ugandan counterpart, Yoweri Museveni, in Kisumu near the Kenya-Uganda border, where the line is due to reach by June 2027 if the ambitious building schedule is to be believed.

The next phase will then take the line to Malaba, a town on the border.

Treasury estimates say the overall cost will be more than 500 billion shillings ($3.9 billion), according to Kenya’s Business Daily.

Kenya is not taking more cash from Chinese banks this time — instead borrowing against future cargo taxes — though it is partnering with Chinese transport firms to build the new phase.

China lent Kenya $9.7 billion between 2000 and 2019, according to the Chinese Loans to Africa Database by Boston University, with around half of that going to the railway.

It stopped lending from 2020 to 2023 as Kenya struggled to make repayments, at a time when China revised its broader lending strategy to Africa.

Kenya considers the railway extension crucial for strengthening trade through east and central Africa, hoping to reach landlocked countries such as Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan and the mineral-rich Democratic Republic of Congo.

AFP

Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry condemned on Saturday Israel’s strikes on Syrian army camps as “aggression”, joining other Arab nations and Turkey in calling on the international community to intervene.

Israel’s military said on Friday it had struck southern Syria in response to what it called attacks against the Druze community in Sweida province.

Israel had bombed Syria during a deadly bout of sectarian violence last year, saying it was acting to defend the minority group.

The Saudi foreign ministry said in a statement that the kingdom condemned “the blatant Israeli aggression… in flagrant violation of international law and Syrian sovereignty”.

It urged the international community “to put an end to Israel’s violations of international laws and norms”.

The Turkish foreign ministry earlier called the Israeli attack “a dangerous escalation” that must be stopped.

Egypt, Jordan, Qatar and Kuwait all joined in condemning the Israeli strikes, stressing the need to ensure Syria’s sovereignty and the global community’s role in preventing such attacks.

Cairo’s foreign ministry urged “the UN Security Council to assume its responsibilities and take immediate action to put an end to these ongoing Israeli violations and attacks”.

The Israeli strikes came as war roiled the Middle East after the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, sparking a conflict that has engulfed much of the region, although Syria has avoided being dragged into it.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on Thursday that clashes with government forces in Sweida province left at least four Druze fighters dead.

Israeli shelling later hit residential neighbourhoods in Sweida city, the Observatory said.

After the overthrow of Syria’s longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, Israel moved its forces into the UN-patrolled demilitarised zone on the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, and has carried out hundreds of strikes in Syria as well as regular incursions.

The military said on Friday it “will not allow harm to come to Druze in Syria and will continue to act for their protection”.

The Syrian foreign ministry denounced an “outrageous assault on Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity” and called the Israeli justification “flimsy pretexts and fabricated excuses”.

President Ahmed al-Sharaa said on Friday that he was working “to keep Syria away from any conflict” and that his government was on good terms “with all neighbouring states”.

AFP

Britain has authorised the United States to use its bases to strike Iranian sites threatening the Strait of Hormuz shipping lane, the government said Friday.

A spokesperson said ministers met and “confirmed that the agreement for the US to use UK bases in the collective self-defence of the region includes US defensive operations to degrade the missile sites and capabilities being used to attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz”.

Since the war began on February 28, Britain has allowed the US to use two bases for defensive operations and has deployed air assets to support allies targeted by Tehran’s regional retaliatory campaign.

Culled from vanguard

Iran’s Supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei said Friday the country had dealt its enemies a “dizzying blow” in the war with the United States and Israel, as fresh blasts hit Tehran on the first day of the Persian New Year festival.

Israel accused Tehran of an “attack on the holy sites” of Jerusalem, after a blast blew a crater in the Old CIty a few hundred metres from the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Western Wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

Khamenei has not appeared in public since being named to succeed his father Ali Khamenei, who was killed in Israeli airstrikes at the start of the war that has engulfed the region, and has only issued written statements.

Iranians have “dealt him (the enemy) a dizzying blow so that he now starts uttering contradictory words and nonsense,” Khamenei said in a written message for Nowruz, the Persian New Year.

“At the moment, due to the particular unity that has been created between you our compatriots — despite all the differences in religious, intellectual, cultural and political origins — the enemy has been defeated,” Khamenei said in the message.

The statement of defiance came as Iranians marked a muted Nowruz under the shadow of a war now approaching its fourth week.

AFP journalists heard several blasts in Tehran on Friday, from the eastern and northern parts of the city.

In the Iranian capital’s markets, shoppers were out in force buying new clothes and gifts, although sidewalks were less packed than usual for this time of year, with many people having fled north, AFP correspondents said.

– ‘Decimated’ –

Huge banners bearing images of Nowruz, which begins officially in the evening, have replaced portraits of the former leader Ali Khamenei, assassinated on the first day of the war on February 28 by Israel.

Israel said it had confirmed that Ismaeil Ahmadi, the chief of Iran’s Basij paramilitary force, was “eliminated” in a strike earlier this week that also killed its top commander.

Elsewhere in Iran, the Israeli army also targeted a northern region around the Caspian Sea, a popular holiday destination that has so far been largely spared attacks.

And in Jerusalem’s Old City, a blast was caused “Iranian missile fragments”, the Israeli military wrote on X, and drew an angry response from Israel’s foreign ministry.

“The Iranian attack on the holy sites sacred to all three religions reveals the madness of the Iranian regime, which claims to be religious,” the foreign ministry wrote on X, calling it an “Iranian gift” for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr.

On Thursday Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated that an end to the fighting could be close.

Netanyahu said Iran was “being decimated” and the war was “ending a lot faster than people think”, though he warned a “ground component” may be needed to dislodge the Iranian government.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said “major concessions — a radical change of stance” would be needed from Iran to secure a lasting political end to the war.

– Trump brands allies ‘cowards’ –

The war has sent global energy markets into turmoil, with Iran all but closing the Strait of Hormuz — a crucial transit route for tankers leaving the Gulf — and strikes on oil and gas infrastructure panicking traders.

Drone attacks hit Kuwait’s giant Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery on Friday, causing a fire later brought under control, a day after a direct hit on Qatar’s vital Ras Laffan facility.

US President Donald Trump renewed his attack on his NATO allies, branding them “cowards” for rebuffing his call to send military hardware to reopen Hormuz, which normally carries a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG).

US allies “don’t want to help open the Strait of Hormuz, a simple military maneuver that is the single reason for the high oil prices,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform

So easy for them to do, with so little risk. COWARDS, and we will REMEMBER!”

Six major international powers, including Britain, France, Germany and Japan said Thursday they were ready to “contribute to appropriate efforts” to secure the strait, without making any specific commitments.

– Energy costs –

Energy analysts and consumers are scrambling to count the cost of Iranian missiles hitting Qatar’s huge Ras Laffan natural gas complex on Thursday.

The attack caused “extensive damage” that Qatar’s state energy company said could cost $20 billion a year in lost revenue and take five years to repair.

That could lead to high energy prices that outlast the conflict, which would increase inflation and lower economic growth.

Short disruptions create price volatility. Sustained damage creates lasting economic shock,” Robert Pape, a political science and military expert at the University of Chicago, wrote on his Substack.

“This is how a regional war becomes an historic global economic crisis.”

Spain became the latest country to take action to cushion the economic impact of the war, announcing a five-billion-euro package including a VAT cut on petrol to slash pump prices.

The war, which has killed thousands and displaced millions, quickly spread to Lebanon where the Israeli military has carried out regular bombardments in response to rocket fire on Israel by Iran ally Hezbollah.

Lebanon’s health ministry said the death toll from Israeli airstrikes on southern and eastern Lebanon as well as on the capital Beirut and its southern suburbs has surpassed 1,000.

NATO has pulled its mission in iraq back to Europe, the alliance said Friday. The mission was in an Iraqi military base in Baghdad’s Green Zone near the US embassy, which has been targeted several times since the start of the war.

AFP

The Presidency has addressed claims surrounding a recently signed migration agreement with the United Kingdom, stressing that the deal applies strictly to Nigerians residing illegally in the UK.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, said the clarification became necessary following reports suggesting Nigeria had agreed to accept foreign deportees.

In a statement posted on X on Friday, Ajayi explained that the agreement only concerns Nigerians who lack legal status to live and remain in the UK.

He said: “For clarity, it is important to state that the agreement signed by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, during the state visit of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on behalf of the Government of Nigeria, and the UK Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, only relates to Nigerians who do not have legal status to live and remain in the UK.

“The Nigerian government is not taking back non-Nigerians. The UK government is not compelling Nigeria to take those who are not our citizens. This clarification becomes necessary because of those who have already revved up their misinformation machinery.”

Ajayi added that the agreement guarantees that returnees who are Nigerian citizens will be treated with dignity, retain their rights under domestic law, and may re-enter the UK in the future if they meet applicable immigration requirements.

The Ministry of Interior, in a separate statement, noted that the arrangement provides a framework for the dignified return and reintegration of Nigerians without legal residency in the UK.

According to the ministry, the deal includes the use of secure travel documentation, case-by-case identity verification, and safeguards for vulnerable individuals, including potential victims of trafficking.

It also outlines areas of cooperation such as information sharing, capacity building, training, and joint research on migration management and border security.

Recall that Nigeria on Thursday signed the agreement with the UK to facilitate the return of failed asylum seekers, visa overstayers, and convicted offenders, as part of efforts to strengthen migration control and bilateral ties.

The agreement was signed by Tunji-Ojo and Mahmood during President Tinubu’s state visit to the UK, according to the UK Home Office.

Under the deal, the UK can return individuals with no legal right to remain in the country, including failed asylum seekers and foreign national offenders.

It also introduces administrative measures to ease deportation, including allowing Nigeria to accept “UK letters”, alternative identification documents issued to individuals without valid passports, to speed up the process.

culled from vanguard 

Police in the UAE’s Abu Dhabi emirate said on Friday that they arrested more than 100 people for filming and posting misinformation during the Middle East war.

The arrests come as Gulf countries crack down on footage and posts related to Iran’s attacks during the conflict triggered by US and Israeli strikes on the Islamic republic.

Abu Dhabi Police announced the arrest of 109 individuals of various nationalities who filmed sites and incidents and circulated incorrect information via social media platforms during current events,” it said in a statement on X, adding that some had shared “misleading information”.

Such actions are liable to incite public opinion and spread rumors among members of the community,” it added.

The UAE attorney-general has ordered the arrests of 35 people so far for publishing misinformation, filming or publishing footage of incidents related to the war or glorifying “a hostile state and its political and military leadership”.

Similar measures have been taken across the Gulf as Iran hits US assets but also civilian infrastructure including landmarks, oil and and gas facilities, airports and residential areas.

In Qatar, authorities have arrested more than 300 people for sharing images and what they described as “misleading information” during the war.

Bahrain and Kuwait have also made similar moves.

The Gulf has borne the brunt of Iran’s attacks in response to the US-Israeli military campaign.

Culled from vanguard

Findings showed that the 650,000-barrels-per-day refinery owned by Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote has received multiple inquiries from governments seeking alternative fuel sources.

South Africa is reportedly seeking a 12-month supply contract, while countries such as Ghana and Kenya have also reached out to the refinery.

The development comes as the Middle East crisis continues to disrupt global fuel supply chains, raising concerns across several regions.

In Africa, the impact is expected to be more pronounced in eastern and southern regions, where about 75 per cent of refined fuel imports come from the Middle East, according to energy consultancy CITAC.

Bloomberg reports that South Africa, in a statement on Wednesday, said it was engaging stakeholders to secure crude oil and refined products from diverse sources as part of efforts to manage potential supply risks.

The government in the statement said it “is actively coordinating with industry stakeholders to secure both crude oil and refined petroleum products from a diversified range of sources.

A comprehensive plan is in place to manage potential supply risks.”

President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, in an interview with Economist said availability, rather than pricing, had become the key concern in the current situation.

“I think the situation will continue for a while,” he said.

Despite the concerns, South African authorities said the country has sufficient fuel for the coming weeks, while Kenya also indicated there was no immediate threat of shortages.

Despite the concerns, South African authorities said the country has sufficient fuel for the coming weeks, while Kenya also indicated there was no immediate threat of shortages.

Industry data also show that Africa’s dependence on fuel imports has increased due to declining refining capacity in several countries, heightening vulnerability to external shocks.

The Dangote refinery is expected to play a key role in easing supply pressures, although about 75 per cent of its output is reserved for domestic use, with the remainder available for export.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced Friday a sweeping package worth five billion euros ($5.8 billion) aimed at cushioning the economic impact of the Middle East war, including a “drastic reduction” in energy-related taxes.

Speaking after an emergency cabinet meeting, the Socialist leader said the 80-measure package was necessary to shield households and key sectors from surging costs.

“Extraordinary situations require extraordinary responses,” Sanchez said.

The package, set to take effect Saturday following publication in the official gazette, includes cuts to value-added tax on gas and fuel expected to reduce pump prices by as much as 30 euro cents per litre, or roughly 20 euros per tank for the average car.

The government will also slash electricity taxes by 60 percent, suspend a production tax and reduce the value-added tax on electricity to 10 percent from 21 percent.

Additional support includes a direct subsidy of 0.20 euros per litre of fuel for transport operators, farmers, ranchers and fishermen, along with equivalent aid for fertiliser purchases.

Sanchez also announced a decree introducing a “temporary freeze” on rents nationwide, a measure that still requires parliamentary approval after tough negotiations with his coalition partner, the far-left Sumar party.

Clearly, these measures will not prevent the effects of this illegal war from reaching Spain, but they will at least mitigate their impact and make them somewhat more bearable,” Sanchez said.

AFP

A drone from war-torn Sudan killed 17 people when it bombed the border town of Tine in eastern Chad, the Chadian government said Thursday, raising an earlier toll.

The incident late Wednesday was the latest spillover into Chad from the conflict in Sudan, where the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have been fighting the Sudanese army since April 2023.

The paramilitaries have conducted several operations near the Chad border, leading to deaths on the Chadian side.

Chad shut the border on February 23 in a move it said was aimed at preventing “any risk of the conflict spreading”.

Despite various firm warnings addressed to the different belligerents in the Sudan conflict and the closure of the border… the town of Tine… has again been the target of a drone attack,” a spokesman for the Chadian government said Thursday in a statement.

“This latest assault of extreme gravity has caused the death of 17 of our compatriots and left several others injured,” it added.

Late Wednesday, a military source told AFP a drone attack from Sudan attributed to the RSF had killed 16 people in Tine.

The RSF denied involvement in a post on Telegram, blaming Sudan’s army, its rival in the three-year civil war.

Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby called a meeting of the defence and security council during the night.

He ordered the army to “retaliate starting from tonight to any attack coming from Sudan”, according to a presidency statement on social media.

A rocket launched from Sudan caused damage at the end of February in Tine, where 15 soldiers and eight civilians had already been killed as a result of the conflict since late December, according to an AFP tally.

Darfur, a vast region in western Sudan bordering Chad, has been almost entirely controlled by RSF paramilitaries since they captured the city of El-Fasher in October.

On February 21, they claimed control of the border town of Tina, the twin of Tine in Chad, from which it is separated only by the narrow bed of a watercourse that is dry most of the time.

Nearly 1,400 kilometres (870 miles) long and located in a desert region, the border between Chad and Sudan remains porous and difficult to control.

The civil war in Sudan has killed several tens of thousands of people and displaced more than 12 million, nearly one million of them to Chad, according to the UN.

AFP

Nigeria and the United Kingdom have signed a £746 million export finance deal to support the redevelopment of Lagos’ Apapa and Tin Can Island port complexes.

As reported by the BBC, the agreement was finalised during a meeting between Prime Minister Keir Starmer and President Bola Tinubu at Downing Street, London, on Thursday.

The report stated that under the deal, UK Export Finance will guarantee loans for the refurbishment of the two port complexes, adding that the financing arrangement will be coordinated by Citibank.

It stated that as part of the project, British Steel will supply 120,000 tonnes of steel for the port works under a £70 million contract.

According to the report, at least 20 per cent of project components will be sourced from the UK, generating an estimated £236 million in supplier contracts for British companies.

Commenting on the deal, UK Trade Secretary Peter Kyle said, “This deal will reinforce British Steel’s world-class expertise while supporting jobs and growth in Scunthorpe.”

Also speaking during the signing, Starmer described the agreement as “historic,” noting that it is the first time a West African leader has signed such a deal in 37 years.

He added that President Tinubu’s visit marks a significant milestone in bilateral relations.

He added that President Tinubu’s visit marks a significant milestone in bilateral relations.

Speaking before the meeting, President Tinubu said discussions with the UK government would focus on “trade, economic cooperation, and shared challenges — including security and climate change.”

The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, said the port redevelopment would strengthen Nigeria’s role in regional trade.

He said, “This project will strengthen Nigeria’s position as a leading maritime hub in West and Central Africa.”

PUNCH Online reports that Tinubu’s state visit to the UK began on Wednesday, following an invitation from Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Windsor Castle.

The visit also includes plans to sign a Memorandum of Understanding to deepen trade and investment ties between the two countries.

Tinubu was accompanied by a high-profile delegation, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio; Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi; Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake; Minister of Information and National Orientation, Idris Mohammed; and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu.

Other members of the delegation include Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole; Minister of Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa; Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani; Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa; National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu; and Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Mohammed Mohammed.

culled from punch

US intelligence concluded Wednesday that Iran was not rebuilding nuclear enrichment capacities destroyed last year by the United States and Israel, contradicting a key justification by President Donald Trump for his ongoing war.

Tulsi Gabbard, a Trump ally who is director of national intelligence, offered mixed signals on the backdrop and outcomes of three weeks of war as she and other officials appeared before Congress

She also assessed that Iran’s leadership remained intact

As a result of Operation Midnight Hammer, Iran’s nuclear enrichment program was obliterated,” Gabbard said in prepared testimony to the Senate intelligence committee, referring to the June 2025 US attack.

“There has been no efforts since then to try to rebuild their enrichment capability,” Gabbard wrote.

She did not repeat the conclusion before cameras. Pressed by a Democratic senator, Gabbard said that she did not have enough time to read the full testimony at the hearing but did not refute the assessment.

Trump has repeatedly said he ordered the attack on Iran alongside Israel on February 28 because of an “imminent threat.”

Trump said after the June 2025 bombing that the United States had completely destroyed Iran’s nuclear sites, but since his latest war he has maintained that Tehran was nonetheless weeks away from a nuclear bomb and that he had to act.

The UN nuclear watchdog and most observers have not supported the finding of an imminent nuclear bomb by Iran, which was negotiating with Trump’s envoys on a deal in the days before the attack.

John Ratcliffe, director the CIA, told senators when asked about the negotiations: “It was very clear that Iran, while they were talking, they had no intentions of following through.”

Policeman of the world’ –

Gabbard herself had been an outspoken opponent of war with Iran as a Democratic congresswoman.

One of her senior aides, Joseph Kent, resigned in protest Tuesday as director of the National Counterterrorism Center, saying that Iran posed no “imminent threat” and that Trump was misled by Israel and media outlets.

Democrats attacked Gabbard over the war, saying she had not proven that Iran posed any threat beyond what it has since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

“President Trump said, we are not the policemen of the world. He ran on that,” Democratic Senator Michael Bennet said.

“Now he’s turned us into the world’s policeman, into its jury, into its judge, into its executioner,” he said.

In her remarks to senators, Gabbard said Iran had been suffering heavy blows in the weeks of attacks — which included the killing of the longtime supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — but that the Islamic republic was still functioning.

The US intelligence community “assesses the regime in Iran to be intact but largely degraded due to attacks on its leadership and military capabilities,” Gabbard said.

“If a hostile regime survives, it will likely seek to begin a years-long effort to rebuild its military, missiles and UAV forces,” Gabbard said, referring to unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones.

– Russia ‘upper hand’ –

In other findings, Gabbard predicted that Russia would keep pressing its four-year invasion of Ukraine, a war that Trump had vowed to end upon taking office, largely by pressing Kyiv to compromise.

US intelligence “assesses that Russia has maintained the upper hand in the war against Ukraine,” Gabbard said.

US-led negotiations between Moscow and Kiev are ongoing. Until such an agreement is met, Moscow is likely to continue fighting a slow war,” she said.

Gabbard said the United States faced a threat if there were an “escalatory spiral” in Ukraine or elsewhere, which could potentially lead to the use of nuclear weapons.

She said that China was “rapidly” modernizing its military with a goal of being able to seize Taiwan, the self-governing democracy claimed by Beijing.

However, US intelligence “assesses that China likely prefers to set the conditions for an eventual peaceful reunification with Taiwan short of conflict.”

Trump plans to travel in the coming weeks to China, a trip he delayed due to the war in the Mideast.

AFP

Nigeria’s longest serving private domestic airline, Overland Airways, has resumed flight services to Akure from Lagos, effective March 23, 2026.

Overland Airways will operate the Lagos-Akure-Lagos route from Monday to Saturday every week, offering morning arrival and departure into and from Akure.

The flights will depart from Lagos to Akure at 08:30 am and Akure to Lagos at 09:40 am.

Chief Operating Officer of Overland Airways, Mrs Aderonke Emmanuel-James, said: “Overland Airways’ resumption of flight services from Lagos to Akure marks a significant milestone in our commitment to providing reliable and convenient air travel services to the people of Ondo State and adjoining communities across the Southwestern zone of Nigeria. With the existing Abuja-Akure-Abuja flights, it complements and strengthens our dedication to providing safe, excellent and customer-centric air travel services to our passengers. Welcome back and we look forward to seeing you on board.

We have commenced with six days weekly flight services from Lagos to Akure and back to Lagos, catering to the early morning travel needs of our passengers. This schedule is designed with our customers in mind, whether they are travelling for business or leisure. We express our appreciation to our customers and assure them of the consistent and reliable flight services that Overland Airways is noted for.”

Culled from punch

Largest network operating carrier in Africa, Ethiopian Airlines, is set to resume direct passenger service between Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and Atlanta, United States.

The airline would resume operations on May 21, 2026, after a temporary interruption of the route since February 2026.

According to the airline, the resumption further restores a key connection between Africa and the United States for business and leisure travellers.

The service will reconnect Addis Ababa Bole International Airport with Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, providing customers with greater flexibility and convenient access between Atlanta and the vast Ethiopian network.

Commenting on the service resumption, Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO, Mr Mesfin Tasew, said: “Atlanta is one of the most vibrant markets in the United States, and Ethiopian Airlines is delighted to bring this route back into its network. The route serves growing demand from business travelers, members of the African diaspora, and tourists seeking convenient access to destinations across the African continent.”

Atlanta serves as a major economic and cultural center in the United States and hosts one of the largest African diaspora communities in the country.

The renewed service will provide convenient travel options for passengers connecting to cities across the southeastern United States as well as onward destinations throughout Africa via Addis Ababa. Ethiopian Airlines currently operates flights to multiple destinations across the US and continues to strengthen its transatlantic network as part of its long-term growth strategy.

The Saudi Arabian authorities have declared Friday, March 20, 2026, as the day for the celebration of Eid-el-Fitr after confirming that the crescent moon was not sighted.

This announcement was made known on the HaraminInfo handles across all social media platforms on Wednesday.

“The crescent moon has NOT been sighted in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, #EidAlFitr will be celebrated on Friday, 20th March 2026

May Allāh allow us to utilise the remaining moments of this blessed month to engage in that which pleases Him, may He accept our siyām, qiyām & a’māl and may He allow us to witness many more Ramadāns in good health. Āmīn,” the platform wrote.

Details later…

President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday received a ceremonial welcome at Windsor Castle, marking the start of his state visit to the United Kingdom.

This is the first visit by a Nigerian leader in 37 years.

The president, accompanied by the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, was honoured with a 42-gun salute by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery.

Earlier, the Nigerian First Family was received by Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, who escorted them to meet King Charles III and Queen Camilla at the historic castle.

The visit, scheduled to last two days, will see King Charles host the president and his wife at the royal residence, with activities including an exchange of gifts and a private viewing of Nigeria-related artefacts from the Royal Collection.

A state banquet is also expected to hold at St George’s Hall as part of the high-level engagements.

Culled from vanguard

Roberto Mengoni, the Italian Ambassador to Nigeria, says Nigeria ranks among the world’s most dynamic urban environments, driven by rapid urban growth, innovation, and expanding opportunities in architecture and design.

He added that the country’s cities were also witnessing increased focus on sustainable urban development, creating new possibilities for infrastructure expansion, improved living standards, and innovative solutions to evolving urban challenges.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mengoni made this known on Wednesday in Abuja at the inaugural Italian Design Day, organised with the Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA)

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that US forces “no longer need” military help in the Iran war, after his calls for assistance from allies to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to oil traffic were largely rebuffed.

The American president has spent recent days griping about how world powers have so far declined to send warships to escort tankers through the narrow waterway in and out of the Gulf and key to the transit of crude.

With the war in its third week, Trump has repeatedly stressed that US and Israeli air strikes have decimated Iran’s leadership, military facilities, and weapons manufacturing capacity.

The United States has been informed by most of our NATO ‘Allies’ that they don’t want to get involved with our Military Operation against the Terrorist Regime of Iran, in the Middle East,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.

“Because of the fact that we have had such Military Success, we no longer ‘need,’ or desire, the NATO Countries’ assistance — WE NEVER DID! Likewise, Japan, Australia, or South Korea,” Trump said, adding: “WE DO NOT NEED THE HELP OF ANYONE!”

Speaking of allies who have rejected his call for assistance, the 79-year-old Republican said he is “not surprised by their action, however, because I always considered NATO, where we spend Hundreds of Billions of Dollars per year protecting these same Countries, to be a one way street.”

The US-Israeli war on Iran has expanded dramatically across the Middle East, with Iran targeting the energy facilities of its crude-producing neighbors.

Tehran has also attacked and threatened tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz, all but closing the vital waterway through which one fifth of global crude oil passes.

French President Emmanuel Macron insisted Tuesday that his country would not participate in operations to open the Strait of Hormuz given the current context of air strikes and other military dangers, but once the situation becomes “calmer” it could participate in an “escort system” alongside other nations.

Britain has also waved off Washington’s request for assistance. But Trump on Monday suggested Paris and London would lend a hand to the United States in the operation, and said several other countries — without naming them — had responded favorably to his call.

AFP

The Presidency has refuted a widely shared screenshot claiming to show a tweet by US President Donald Trump criticising Bola Tinubu over the security situation in the North-East, describing it as entirely false.

Presidential spokesman, Sunday Dare, responded on X on Tuesday, branding the circulating post “Fake!!!”. He shared the altered image to counter the misinformation spreading online.

The supposed tweet, which gained traction on social media, accused Tinubu of mishandling insecurity and referenced his visit to the United Kingdom amid recent attacks in Maiduguri.

The situation in Nigeria is a TOTAL DISASTER. Massive, coordinated suicide bombings tonight in Maiduguri,” the fake tweet read.

“A hospital, a major market, the post office—all hit! Many innocent people killed. This is what happens when you have NO LEADERSHIP and open borders for terrorists! While his country is in a state of NATIONAL EMERGENCY, President Tinubu is currently in the UK on a ‘State Visit.’

“Unbelievable! Shaking hands and having fancy dinners while his people are being blown up? I don’t think so! Prime Minister Starmer should tell him to get on a plane and GO HOME IMMEDIATELY.”

Checks confirmed that the message does not appear on any verified accounts linked to Trump, including his official @realDonaldTrump handle or any White House platforms.

Meanwhile, coordinated attacks attributed to Boko Haram and ISWAP rocked Maiduguri on Monday evening, with multiple suicide bombings targeting busy locations shortly after the Ramadan fast was broken.

Authorities said at least 23 people were killed and more than 100 others injured in the explosions, which followed an earlier assault on a military facility in the Ajilari area.

In response, Tinubu stated that he had instructed top security and intelligence officials to move to Maiduguri and directly oversee operations aimed at restoring order.

The trio, a woman and two men, were being held on suspicion of seeking to “profit from pornographic video and content,” police chief Joseph Edward Purba of the Badung district of Bali told reporters.

The foreigners risk up to 10 years’ imprisonment on a pornography production charge and another six for online distribution.

Bali is predominantly Hindu and a magnet for millions of foreign visitors, but Muslim-majority Indonesia strictly forbids the production of pornographic material

Last year, British adult film star Bonnie Blue was deported from Bali, after receiving a fine for a traffic violation that was the only charge to stick from an investigation into porn production.

Balinese officials have been complaining of unruly behaviour by foreign tourists, following a string of deportations in recent years — including several Russian influencers expelled for posing naked at sacred sites.

Joseph said the latest investigation was sparked by “a viral video containing pornographic content circulating on social media.”

Last Friday, immigration officials arrested the Frenchwoman — described as a “content creator” — and the Italian as they attempted to depart Bali for Thailand.

The Frenchman, described as the woman’s “manager,” was arrested days later in Badung.

AFP

At the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, where countries were discussing the rights situation in Iran — notably following its deadly crackdown on protesters in recent months — Tehran said the focus instead should be on the Middle East war.

The most urgent and fundamental human rights issue concerning Iran is the imminent threat to the lives of 90 million people whose lives are in immediate and grave danger under the shadow of reckless military aggression,” said Ali Bahreini, Iran’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva

He called it “an aggression that is carried out by some of the most lawless and unscrupulous actors on the international stage”.

Bahreini said that if such “reckless militarism” was met with indifference, “Iran will most certainly not be the last country to suffer such treatment”.

On February 28, the US and Israel launched their war on Iran, that has seen the Islamic republic retaliate against multiple countries in the Middle East.

During a session on Iran’s record, Bahreini urged the UN’s top rights body to instead discuss the Iranian cultural heritage under “indiscriminate” attack and “the innocent children massacred at their school desks”.

Iran has accused the United States and Israel of conducting a deadly missile attack on a school in the southern city of Minab. Washington has said it is investigating the incident. AFP does not have access to the site.

The ambassador said more than 1,300 people had been killed in Iran and more than 7,000 injured since the US-Israeli strikes began.

“Under such circumstances, what exactly is Iran expected to do?” he asked, stating: “Iran is not a nation that submits to coercion, intimidation or lawless aggression.”

Wounded protesters arrested’ –

The six Gulf Cooperation Council countries, plus Jordan, condemned Iran’s attacks on their territories, saying they endangered regional security and civilian lives, and “cannot be justified under any pretext”.

The UN Human Rights Council was holding an interactive dialogue between nations and the council’s special rapporteur on rights in Iran and its fact-finding mission on the country.

Special rapporteur Mai Sato said Tehran’s deadly crackdown on the nationwide protests that began on December 28, in which “over 7,000 deaths have been reported by civil society”, followed a “pattern of persecution” that long predated the uprising.

What was new and what has left a profound impression on me was the violation of medical neutrality,” she said.

“Hospitals were raided. Wounded protesters arrested from their beds. Medical professionals assaulted and arrested. A state directive instructing hospitals to provide information on injured protesters.

The result was a healthcare system in which the injured feared seeking treatment more than the injuries themselves, and the act of saving life criminalised.”

She said that the US-Israeli strikes “remain unlawful, no matter the assumed or stated objectives of those strikes”.

She said her mandate exists for the people of Iran, and whether perpetrators are Iranian or foreign, “the people harmed are the same”.

The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran has said the war in the Middle East is likely to result in worsening institutionalised domestic repression of Iranian citizens.

Culled from vanguard

The first woman to ever work as White House chief of staff, 68-year-old Wiles has been widely credited with driving Trump’s second presidency forward behind the scenes.

Susie Wiles is an incredible Chief of Staff, a great person, and one of the strongest people I know but, unfortunately, she has been diagnosed with early stage breast cancer, and has decided to take on this challenge, IMMEDIATELY, as opposed to waiting,” Trump posted on his Truth Social network.

She has a fantastic medical team, and her prognosis is excellent!”

Trump added that “during the treatment period, she will be spending virtually full time at the White House, which makes me, as President, very happy!”

Trump is facing a host of challenges ranging from the Iran war to poor approval ratings for his Republican party ahead of crucial midterm elections in November.

Trump has previously dubbed Wiles — who started working for him in Florida during his 2016 run for the presidency — “The Ice Maiden” and “the most powerful woman in the world.”

She keeps a low profile in public, but in private Wiles is a steely gatekeeper whose main mission has been to avoid any repeat of the chaos and infighting that marked Trump’s first spell in the White House.

AFP

Iran’s threats against oil tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz — a chokepoint through which some 20 percent of global exports pass in peacetime — has forced countries in the region to seek alternative routes.

But analysts warn those routes are not yet sufficient to deal fully with global oil demand.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE can reroute some crude output to terminals outside the Gulf,” the International Energy Agency stated in its latest monthly oil report, saying that this can “help offset lost crude flows via Hormuz.”

But data intelligence firm Kpler warns that alternative export routes “remain insufficient, with record loadings from Fujairah (UAE) and Yanbu (Saudi Arabia) still leaving effective Middle Eastern exports at only about one-third of normal levels.”

Kpler says Asian refiners are expected to step up purchases of long-haul cargoes from the Atlantic Basin with no quick reopening of Strait of Hormuz traffic likely.

Almost 20 million barrels per day (mb/d), or about 20 percent of global oil consumption, typically pass through the Strait of Hormuz, mostly bound for China, India, South Korea and Japan.

According to the IEA, some 350 oil tankers, some loaded and some empty, are currently stranded in the area.

Iran views those belonging to the United States and its allies as “legitimate targets.”

Only some 80 ships have been able to pass through the strait since the start of the war on February 28.

Partial strait bypass –

In a study published on March 9 the Standard Chartered bank indicated that Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait and Qatar must export almost the entirety of their crude through the Strait of Hormuz whereas Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates can partially offset the blockage via alternative pipelines.

Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline connects Abqaiq, near the Gulf, to the port of Yanbu on the Red Sea.

On March 9, the Saudis set a record for daily exports from its western ports of 5.9 mb/d, compared to an average of just 1.7 in 2025, according to the IEA.

This pipeline will reach full capacity of 7 mb/d “in the coming days,” Amin Nasser, CEO of Saudi Aramco, promised on March 10.

The UAE, meanwhile, is shipping crude through its port of Fujairah on the Gulf of Oman to avoid the Strait of Hormuz, albeit with modest volumes.

Usually 1.5 mb/d, they can be increased to 1.8 mb/d,” according to the IEA.

Together, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have additional crude transport capacity of up to 5.5 million mb/d, according to the IEA.

Yet “despite record shipments from Fujairah and Yanbu, actual exports from the Middle East still account for only about a third of their normal level,” according to Kpler.

Iranian drone and missile attacks pose a constant threat to these sites as well.

Other routes are possible, such as an Iraq-Turkey pipeline, but it has been out of service for years.

Elsewhere, in Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, capacity is constrained, while Iran targeted the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, which terminates in Turkey, at the start of the conflict.

– Long distances –

Russia’s oil export infrastructure is regularly targeted by Ukraine, and volumes remain insufficient to meet global demand despite the partial lifting of sanctions by the United States.

Although demand for Russian oil may increase owing to major supply disruptions in the Middle East, the IEA says its forecasts for the country remain unchanged for the time being with average production of 9.3 mb/d through to the end of 2026.

Alternative routes for oil from the United States, West Africa and Latin America are longer and the global tanker market is already tight. Furthermore, those countries’ ability to quickly jack up production does not exceed a few hundred thousand additional barrels per day.

The Middle East war is bringing severe strain to the entire energy system, according to the think tank Rystad Energy.

Under the pre-war scenario, we had expected Brent to average $60 per barrel in 2026, as the market faced a substantial surplus of 2.6 million barrels per day,” says Rystad.

Since the conflict began the price of black gold has fluctuated between $80 and $120 and Monday was floating around the $100 mark.

Culled from vanguard

US officials confirmed Monday that a summit between President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping is likely to be delayed due to Washington’s war on Iran.

“It’s quite possible the meeting could be delayed,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News.

She said “I don’t think the meeting is in jeopardy” but said “it’s really just a matter of timing.”

Trump indicated to the Financial Times on Sunday that there could be a delay as part of his attempt to pressure Beijing into helping to force a reopening of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively blocked to oil tankers.

China has close ties to Iran and is the major client for Iranian oil.

“We’d like to know before” the summit, Trump said, adding “we may delay.”

Earlier Monday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also said the March 31-April 2 summit may be shelved.

However, he sought to row back the idea that Trump was threatening a summit delay to impose pressure on the Hormuz issue.

Speaking to US broadcaster CNBC from Paris where he held “very good” economic meetings with the Chinese, Bessent said a presidential trip abroad “may not be optimal” during a time of military conflict with Iran.

“We will see whether the visit takes place as scheduled. But what I do want to parse — and there’s a false narrative out there — that if the meetings are delayed, it wouldn’t be delayed because the president’s demanded that China police the Strait of Hormuz,” Bessent said.

If the meeting for some reason is rescheduled, it would be rescheduled because of logistics,” he added. “The president wants to remain in DC to coordinate the war effort, and traveling abroad at a time like this may not be optimal.”

The Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil trade route, has been effectively blocked as a result of the US-Israeli war against Iran.

Sporadic attacks on ships by Iran and the threat of sea mines have been enough to drive traffic down to a trickle. The US military concedes it is currently unable to secure the narrow maritime passage and Trump has been multiplying his calls on other countries to help.

mlm/sms

Culled from vanguard

US President Donald Trump called for other nations’ warships to help protect world oil supplies passing through the Strait of Hormuz, still virtually blocked Sunday by the threat of Iranian attacks.

Despite sustaining heavy bombardments since US-Israeli forces launched a war against Iran on February 28, Tehran has defied Trump’s assertion that its military capability has been “100%” destroyed.

Iran’s attacks and threats have nearly halted shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route normally used for one-fifth of world oil supplies, sending petroleum prices soaring 40 percent and roiling the global economy.

Its military has deployed drones and missiles against Israel, Gulf energy facilities, and other targets across the Middle East region.

AFP journalists heard blasts in Bahrain’s capital Manama, and saw black smoke belching from a major oil terminal in the United Arab Emirates port city of Fujairah. Security sources said the US embassy in Iraq was struck by a drone.

“Many Countries, especially those who are affected by Iran’s attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait, will be sending War Ships, in conjunction with the United States of America, to keep the Strait open and safe,” Trump posted on social media Saturday.

“Hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and others, that are affected by this artificial constraint, will send Ships to the area,” he added.

“In the meantime, the United States will be bombing the hell out of the shoreline, and continually shooting Iranian Boats and Ships out of the water.”

US forces struck Iran’s Kharg Island on Friday — from which nearly all of the country’s oil exports flow — with Trump saying they had “obliterated every MILITARY target” while sparing energy facilities.

Iran threatened US-linked oil and energy firms would be “turned into a pile of ashes” if its oil facilities were hit.

More than 1,200 people have been killed by US and Israeli strikes, according to Iranian health ministry figures that could not be independently verified.

The UN refugee agency says up to 3.2 million people have been displaced in Iran, most of them fleeing the capital and other cities to seek safety.

The Pentagon says more than 15,000 targets in Iran have been hit by US and Israeli forces.

US media reported that the Pentagon has dispatched the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli and around 2,500 Marines to the region.

– ‘Leave now’

Military strikes were reported by local media in several Iranian provinces, including one on an industrial site in Isfahan that killed 15 people, according to the Fars news agency. AFP could not verify the toll.

The US military has lost 13 personnel. They include six aboard a refuelling aircraft that crashed in Iraq, an incident US officials said was not the result of hostile or friendly fire.

In Iran, leaders appeared intent on projecting stability despite the killing of supreme leader Ali Khamenei on the war’s opening day.

His son Mojtaba Khamenei was named the new supreme leader but has not appeared in public and is reportedly wounded. Iran said Saturday that “there is no problem with the new supreme leader.”

Tehran has also shown a capacity to strike at Israel and across the region, firing missiles and dispatching drones in a string of attacks over the weekend.

AFP journalists heard blasts over Jerusalem after the military detected missiles launched from Iran, while the UAE, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia reported new missile or drone interceptions.

Clouds of black smoke rose over the UAE port of Fujairah, home to a major Emirati oil storage and export terminal, shortly after Iran’s military warned UAE civilians to avoid port areas.

Washington’s embassy in Iraq was hit by a drone, security sources told AFP — the second such strike during the war — while the Emirati consulate in Iraqi Kurdistan was targeted for the second time in a week.

US officials in Baghdad urged citizens to “leave now”.

In Kuwait, a drone strike damaged the international airport’s radar system but caused no injuries, the civil aviation authority said.

Qatar evacuated parts of downtown Doha and intercepted two missiles. Blasts were heard by AFP journalists.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had launched missiles at US forces stationed at the Al-Kharj base in Saudi Arabia, a close US ally that hosts a large number of American troops.

The kingdom did not confirm the attack but said earlier it had intercepted six ballistic missiles headed toward Al-Kharj.

– Formula One races cancelled –

The war has disrupted global sport, with motor sport’s governing body cancelling April’s Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Formula One races.

In Australia, the government said three members of the visiting Iranian women’s football team — reportedly two players and a technical staffer — abandoned their asylum protection in the country and decided to return home.

Seven members of the team competing in the Women’s Asian Cup had sought sanctuary in Australia after they were branded “traitors” at home for refusing to sing the national anthem.

Only three of them will now remain in Australia, after another member of the group had a change of heart earlier in the week.

Lebanon has also been drawn into the war after Tehran-backed militant group Hezbollah attacked Israel following Khamenei’s death.

Israel has responded with air and ground assaults, killing at least 826 people, according to the Lebanese authorities.

It has also issued evacuation orders covering hundreds of square kilometres of Lebanon, displacing hundreds of thousands of people and prompting warnings of a humanitarian disaster.

Hezbollah said it was engaged in “direct clashes” with Israeli forces in the southern Lebanese town of Khiam late on Saturday.

Culled from vanguard

The federal department of the Canadian government responsible for helping Canadians maintain and improve their health, Health Canada, is investigating the deaths of two plasma donors at for-profit clinics in Winnipeg, Manitoba, including that of a 22-year-old Nigerian international student, The New York Times reported on Friday.

The federal agency confirmed it received mandatory reports from the clinics following fatal adverse reactions after procedures in October 2025 and January 2026, just over three months apart, at locations operated by Grifols, a Spanish healthcare company running 17 clinics across Canada, including two in Winnipeg. Health Canada subsequently dispatched inspectors to both facilities.

According to The New York Times, friends identified one of the deceased as Rodiyat Alabede, a 22-year-old Nigerian international student whose parents are from Nigeria and Ivory Coast, who was training to become a social worker and was active in the Muslim Nigerian community in Winnipeg.

The identity of the second donor was not disclosed, with both the examiner’s office and Health Canada citing privacy laws.

Stephanie Holfeld, Executive Director of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Manitoba, told the newspaper that Alabede became unresponsive during the donation procedure and died shortly afterwards, though she noted the death had not yet been formally linked to the plasma donation and that “certain investigative steps may still be in progress.”

“She had a motherly side to her, she was protective and sweet. She never gave up, even when things got difficult for her.” Chioma Ijoma.

Grifols, in a statement, expressed condolences to the families.

He said, “We have no reason to believe that there is a correlation between the donors’ passing and plasma donation.”

The company said donors undergo extensive health evaluations before being cleared, that it reported both incidents within the required 72-hour window, and has since launched an internal investigation.

Plasma donation is a process in which blood is drawn, the plasma is separated from red blood cells, and the red blood cells are returned to the donor.

It is commonly used by cash-strapped students and low-income earners in Canada and the United States as a means of supplementing their income.

Grifols advertises that regular donors can earn around 6,000 Canadian dollars, equivalent to roughly 4,400 US dollars or about 7.2 million naira, per year.

Called from punch

Iran threatened Saturday to reduce US-linked oil facilities to “a pile of ashes” as the two-week-old Middle East war spilled over into a global oil price crisis.

Iranian armed forces issued the warning after US President Donald Trump said he may decide to “wipe out” Iran’s largest oil export hub on its Kharg Island.

Waves of drone, missile and aerial bombing have displaced millions in the region and reportedly killed more than 1,200 people in Iran since the United States and Israel opened hostilities on February 28

Despite facing superior US and Israeli firepower, Iran has retaliated with missile and drone attacks against at least 10 countries.

Tehran has also squeezed the world economy by threatening to strike oil tankers on the Strait of Hormuz, bringing traffic to a virtual halt on a route that normally carries one fifth of global oil supplies.

Crude oil prices have surged more 40 percent since the war began.

Trump said Friday US forces had “totally obliterated” all military targets on Iran’s Kharg Island oil export hub, describing it in a social media post as “one of the most powerful bombing raids in the History of the Middle East.”

The US leader said he had chosen not to “wipe out” oil infrastructure on the Iranian island, for now.

“However, should Iran, or anyone else, do anything to interfere with the Free and Safe Passage of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz, I will immediately reconsider this decision,” he said.

Trump said the US Navy would start escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz “very soon” to restore oil exports.

The Iranian military responded that oil and energy infrastructure owned by US-linked firms would be “immediately be destroyed and turned into a pile of ashes” if the United States struck its oil facilities, according to Iranian media.

US and Israeli attacks have killed more than 1,200 people in Iran, according to health ministry figures that could not be independently verified.

The UN refugee agency has estimated that up to 3.2 million people have been displaced inside Iran since the war started.

– Blasts hit Tehran –

Heavy blasts shook Tehran late Friday after the United States vowed to step up air strikes.

Trump described Iran as “totally defeated” and in search of a deal he was unwilling to consider

According to the Pentagon, the US and Israel have struck more than 15,000 targets in Iran over the past two weeks.

Israel’s military said it conducted 7,600 strikes on the country, most of them against its missile programme.

Iran appears intent on showing it will come through the war intact and in control, despite its supreme leader Ali Khamenei being killed at the start of the US-Israeli campaign.

Khamenei’s son Mojtaba Khamenei was named the new supreme leader, but has been absent from public view and said to be wounded.

Within Iran, the Revolutionary Guards have warned of a strong response to any anti-government protests, after demonstrations in January in which several thousand people were killed.

Iranian authorities have maintained an internet blackout since the war started.

A drone struck the US embassy in Baghdad on Saturday, an Iraqi security official and a security source said. An AFP journalist saw smoke rising from the complex.

The attack took place shortly after two Iran-backed fighters were killed in strikes on Iraq’s capital, according to several sources.

After 14 days of war, the United States is reportedly sending reinforcements that could open up options beyond the airborne campaign.

The Wall Street Journal and New York Times said Friday the Pentagon had dispatched the Japan-based amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli to the region along with its complement of some 2,500 Marines.

The US military has lost 13 personnel since the war started.

They include six who were aboard a refuelling aircraft that crashed in Iraq, an incident that US officials said was not the result of hostile fire.

Gulf countries are still being targeted by Iran.

– Missiles intercepted –

Qatar said it intercepted two missiles Saturday, after blasts were heard in the capital Doha and authorities said they had evacuated some key areas.

Interceptors were seen downing two projectiles over the Qatari capital’s downtown area and blasts were heard, according to AFP journalists.

Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry said its forces had intercepted dozens of drones on Friday.

Beyond the Gulf, Turkey said NATO forces shot down a ballistic missile launched from Iran — the third such interception in the war.

Lebanon has been drawn into the war, too, after a Tehran-backed militant group attacked Israel in response to the killing of Iran’s supreme leader.

An Israeli strike in southern Lebanon killed a dozen doctors, paramedics and nurses at a healthcare clinic, Lebanese health authorities said Saturday.

According to the Lebanese authorities, at least 773 people have been killed by Israeli attacks in Lebanon aimed at wiping out Iranian ally Hezbollah.

AFP

Brazil’s imprisoned, far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro was put into intensive care Friday to be treated for bronchopneumonia, his doctors said in a statement.

Bolsonaro, sentenced to prison for trying to overturn the 2022 presidential election, was moved into a hospital facility earlier Friday with symptoms including chills and vomiting, his son Flavio Bolsonaro said.

AFP

The lapse in funding is forcing thousands of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) staff to work without pay as spring travel picks up, raising fears of staffing shortages, longer security lines and flight delays.

TSA officers — the army of workers who screen passengers, baggage and cargo — received only partial pay two weeks ago.

Friday’s missed payment represents the first full check lost since the shutdown began, and unions and government officials warn the financial strain is pushing some workers to quit or seek other jobs.

Amid stalled talks on Capitol Hill to end the stoppage, President Donald Trump hit out at Democrats, accusing them of willful obstructionism.

“These are people that hate our country. These are people that have Trump Derangement Syndrome…Anything I say, they go the opposite,” he told Fox News Radio.

More than 300 TSA employees have already left the agency since the shutdown began on February 14, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said, while US media reported unscheduled absences had more than doubled.

Airports in several cities have warned passengers to arrive hours earlier than usual because of long security lines.

Some officers are already taking on second jobs or relying on donations, union officials say, while several major airports are collecting gift cards and stocking food pantries for TSA staff struggling without pay.

“Numerous employees have reported to me that their bank accounts are at zero or negative,” Johnny Jones, a Dallas-based official in government workers’ union AFGE, told USA Today.

No funds for daycare, no funds for food. They just want to know why the hell they can’t get paid when we have money to shoot missiles into other countries.”

– ‘Nightmare’ –

The shutdown stems from a dispute over funding for the DHS, the only federal department still without an approved budget after Congress completed most of its spending bills last year.

Democrats say they will not support funding immigration enforcement agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection without reforms to their operations.

Republicans say those demands are unacceptable and accuse Democrats of refusing to negotiate.

The stalemate has hardened in the Senate, where Democrats have repeatedly blocked legislation passed by the Republican-controlled House to fund the department

Republicans, in turn, rejected a Democratic proposal that would fund other DHS agencies while leaving immigration enforcement unresolved.

“Thanks to the Democrats’ reckless shutdown, security lines at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport are stretching OUT THE DOOR,” the DHS said in a statement about long lines at the Texas hub.

“The Democrats’ political games are making spring break travel a NIGHTMARE as they continue to withhold funding from DHS and refuse to pay our (TSA) officers.”

Airports and travel groups warn that the impact could intensify if the shutdown drags on, with exhausted workers leaving and further straining security operations nationwide.

“Democrats have tried — six separate times — to pass simple bills to keep these critical parts of DHS running while negotiations continue,” Senate Democratic Minority leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement.

Called from vanguard

Members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, popularly known as the Shi’ite group, on Friday staged a demonstration in Bauchi in support of Palestine.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Ahmad Yashi said the demonstration was part of activities marking Quds Day, which is observed on the last Friday of every Ramadan across the world.

He explained that the protest was aimed at showing solidarity with Palestinians, whom he said had been under invasion for decades

This is a known demonstration held on the last Friday of every month of Ramadan worldwide under the Quds Day platform. It is to show support and sympathy for Palestinians who have been under invasion for about eight decades,” he said.

The group, which is loyal to Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky, made the remarks on the sidelines of the demonstration.

Yashi added that the demonstration had always been peaceful over the years, alleging that any breakdown of law and order in previous instances was usually caused by authorities due to what he described as a lack of understanding of the group’s activities.

The Bauchi State chapter of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria also reiterated its support for Iran amid the ongoing tensions involving the United States and Israel, stating that eliminating Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, would only escalate the crisis.

Yashi said killing Iran’s Supreme Leader would not bring peace but would rather worsen the situation.

We are with Iran in heart and soul. They are targeting the Iranian Supreme Leader to make the country surrender, but they are mistaken. The Supreme Leader, as a religious authority, is among those dousing tensions,” he said.

He described Islam as a religion of peace but blamed Western powers for what he termed persistent global unrest.

“Islam is a peaceful religion, but the West is the problem. They are selfish and want everyone to bow to them. This will not happen; those days are gone,” he added.

Yashi also disclosed that members of the movement in Bauchi had earlier staged a peaceful demonstration in solidarity with Iran.

“We conducted a peaceful demonstration in support of Iran, and every Muslim must take a side in this war. You are either with the righteous or with the oppressors,” he stated.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Bauchi State Police Command, Nafiu Habib, said the Commissioner of Police, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, had ordered the deployment of personnel to protect government facilities across the metropolis ahead of the demonstration.

He noted that security operatives monitored the protest to forestall any breakdown of law and order.

According to him, the demonstration was conducted peacefully without any reported incident.

“Until now, there is no report of any breakdown of law and order,” he added

Culled from punch

Members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, popularly known as the Shi’ite group, on Friday staged a demonstration in Bauchi in support of Palestine.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Ahmad Yashi said the demonstration was part of activities marking Quds Day, which is observed on the last Friday of every Ramadan across the world.

He explained that the protest was aimed at showing solidarity with Palestinians, whom he said had been under invasion for decades

This is a known demonstration held on the last Friday of every month of Ramadan worldwide under the Quds Day platform. It is to show support and sympathy for Palestinians who have been under invasion for about eight decades,” he said.

The group, which is loyal to Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky, made the remarks on the sidelines of the demonstration.

Yashi added that the demonstration had always been peaceful over the years, alleging that any breakdown of law and order in previous instances was usually caused by authorities due to what he described as a lack of understanding of the group’s activities.

The Bauchi State chapter of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria also reiterated its support for Iran amid the ongoing tensions involving the United States and Israel, stating that eliminating Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, would only escalate the crisis.

Yashi said killing Iran’s Supreme Leader would not bring peace but would rather worsen the situation.

We are with Iran in heart and soul. They are targeting the Iranian Supreme Leader to make the country surrender, but they are mistaken. The Supreme Leader, as a religious authority, is among those dousing tensions,” he said.

He described Islam as a religion of peace but blamed Western powers for what he termed persistent global unrest.

“Islam is a peaceful religion, but the West is the problem. They are selfish and want everyone to bow to them. This will not happen; those days are gone,” he added.

Yashi also disclosed that members of the movement in Bauchi had earlier staged a peaceful demonstration in solidarity with Iran.

“We conducted a peaceful demonstration in support of Iran, and every Muslim must take a side in this war. You are either with the righteous or with the oppressors,” he stated.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Bauchi State Police Command, Nafiu Habib, said the Commissioner of Police, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, had ordered the deployment of personnel to protect government facilities across the metropolis ahead of the demonstration.

He noted that security operatives monitored the protest to forestall any breakdown of law and order.

According to him, the demonstration was conducted peacefully without any reported incident.

“Until now, there is no report of any breakdown of law and order,” he added

Culled from punch

“We eliminated the old tyrant, and the new tyrant, the puppet of the Revolutionary Guards, can’t show his face in public,” Netanyahu told a televised press conference.

AFP

Stacey Sharples, 31, from Farnworth in Bolton, pleaded guilty at Bolton Crown Court to 10 counts of perverting the course of justice. Her false claims led to multiple arrests, police investigations, and intimate examinations, costing taxpayers an estimated £120,000 in wasted resources. None of the men she accused were charged.

Sharples even boasted to one victim, “I’ve got away with it. Yet again,” after police dropped charges.

Greater Manchester Police said pursuing Sharples as a suspect was a rare but necessary decision. Detective Sergeant Steven Gilliland explained, “We took the allegations seriously, explored all lines of enquiry, and swiftly made arrests. Ultimately, as the evidence continued to demonstrate the reports were untrue, it was right that we pursued the individual who had actually committed a criminal offence.”

Several victims described the devastating impact of the false accusations. Reece Lockett said, “My life was turned upside down the day I was falsely accused. My parents disowned me, my partner left me, and I lost my job. I was constantly stressed and anxious, scared to walk around my own area because I felt labelled.”

Another victim, Connor Austen, added, “I lost my home, my partner, and my job. She ruined seven years of my life.”

Police emphasized that the case should not deter genuine victims from coming forward. “No officer goes into a rape investigation intending to pursue the person making the report. We want survivors to know they will be supported,” Gilliland said.

The men falsely accused continue to deal with lasting emotional and social consequences, but many expressed relief that justice has finally been served.

Culled from vanguard

A Chinese national has been arrested in Kenya’s main airport accused of attempting to smuggle more than 2,000 queen garden ants out of the country, the BBC reports.

Zhang Kequn was intercepted during a security check at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in the capital Nairobi after authorities discovered a large consignment of live ants in his luggage bound for China.

He has yet to respond to the accusation but investigators said in court that he was linked to an ant-trafficking network that was broken up in Kenya last year.

The ants are protected by international bio-diversity treaties and their trade is highly regulated.

Last year, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) warned of a growing demand for garden ants – scientifically known as Messor cephalotes – in Europe and Asia, where collectors keep them as pets.

A state prosecutor told the court on Wednesday that Zhang had packed some ants in test tubes, while others were concealed in tissue paper rolls hidden in his luggage.

“Within his personal luggage there was found 1,948 garden ants packed in specialised test tubes,” prosecutor Allen Mulama told the court.

A further 300 live ants were recovered concealed in three rolls of tissue paper within the luggage,” he added.

The prosecutor asked the court to allow the suspect’s electronic devices – phone and laptop – to be forensically examined.

Duncan Juma, a senior KWS official, told the BBC that more arrests were expected as investigators widen their probe into other Kenyan towns where ant harvesting was suspected to be ongoing.

Last May, a Kenyan court sentenced four men to one year in prison or a fine of $7,700 (£5,800) for trying to smuggle thousands of live queen ants out of the country, in a first-of-its kind case.

The four suspects – two Belgians, a Vietnamese and a Kenyan – had pleaded guilty to the charges after their arrest in what the KWS described as “a coordinated, intelligence-led operation”.

The Belgians told the court that they were collecting the highly sought-after ants as a hobby and didn’t think it was illegal.

Investigators now say Zhang was the mastermind behind this trafficking ring but apparently escaped Kenya last year using a different passport.

On Wednesday, the court allowed prosecutors to detain him for five days to enable detectives to conduct further investigations.

The KWS, which is more used to protecting larger creatures, such as lions and elephants, described last year’s ruling as a “landmark case”.

The ants seized last year were giant African harvester ants, which KWS said were ecologically important, noting that their removal from the ecosystem could disrupt soil health and biodiversity.

It is believed that the intended destinations were the exotic pet markets in Europe and Asia

Culled from vanguard

At least one Nigerian has been identified among dozens of people affected during the interception of Iranian ballistic missiles in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The UAE defence ministry said the attacks were part of retaliatory strikes launched by Iran following accusations that the Gulf nation allowed the United States to use its military bases to carry out operations against Tehran.

In a statement on Tuesday, the ministry said its air defence systems had detected 262 ballistic missiles launched from Iran since the conflict began on February 28

Of the total number, 241 missiles were intercepted and destroyed, 19 fell into the sea, while two landed on UAE territory.

The statement partly reads: “Since the onset of the blatant Iranian attacks, 262 ballistic missiles have been detected. Of these, 241 were destroyed, 19 fell into the sea, and 2 struck within the state territory.
“A total of 1,475 Iranian UAVs have also been detected, of which 1,385 were intercepted, while 90 fell within the country’s territory. 8 cruise missiles were also detected and destroyed.
“These attacks resulted in 6 deaths among Emirati, Pakistani, Nepalese and Bangladeshi nationals, and 122 people sustained moderate to minor injuries. The injured include nationals of the UAE, Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Pakistan, Iran, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Azerbaijan, Yemen, Uganda, Eritrea, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Bahrain, the Comoros, Türkiye, Iraq, Nepal, Nigeria, Oman, Jordan and Palestine.”

However, the authorities did not specify how many individuals from each nationality were affected.

Meanwhile, the UAE said on Wednesday that its air defence systems were again responding to incoming missiles and drones launched from Iran.

“UAE air defences are currently responding to incoming missile and drone threats from Iran,” the defence ministry said in a post on X.

The ministry added that the sounds of explosions heard in parts of the country were the result of air defence systems intercepting the missiles and drones.

Culled from vanguard

King Charles III hosted members of the Nigerian diaspora in the United Kingdom on Wednesday evening in a pre-visit reception ahead of President Bola Tinubu’s state visit to Britain; the first by a Nigerian leader in 37 years.

The reception, held at an undisclosed royal venue, featured jollof rice and live music by Dele Sosimi and the Afrobeats Orchestra.

The Royal Family described it on its official X handle on Thursday as “a wonderful evening.”

“Last night, The King hosted a reception with members of the Nigerian diaspora in the UK, ahead of the incoming State Visit of the President of Nigeria.

“With jollof rice and music by Dele Sosimi and the Afrobeats Orchestra — it was a wonderful evening. Thank you to everyone who joined us,” The Royal Faily said.

Tinubu and First Lady Oluremi Tinubu are scheduled to travel to the UK as guests of King Charles and Queen Camilla from Wednesday, March 18, to Thursday, March 19, 2026.

The last Nigerian leader to undertake a state visit to the United Kingdom was in 1989, when former military president Ibrahim Babangida was hosted for four days by the late Queen Elizabeth II

In preparation for Tinubu’s arrival, British authorities have announced sweeping security measures around Windsor.

Thames Valley Police, working with the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, the Royal Household, and other security partners, said airspace restrictions over Windsor Castle would be extended on March 18 to cover the period from 7am to 11.59pm.

Chief Superintendent Adrian Hall of Thames Valley Police’s Joint Operations Unit said armed officers, search teams, the Mounted Section, road policing units, and Project Servator resources would be deployed across Windsor, alongside an extensive closed-circuit television network and hostile vehicle mitigation barriers.

Road closures and parking restrictions will take effect from Tuesday, March 17, with possible temporary disruption to roads in and around Windsor during the visit.

Culled from punch

At least one Nigerian has been identified among dozens of people affected during the interception of Iranian ballistic missiles in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The UAE defence ministry said the attacks were part of retaliatory strikes launched by Iran following accusations that the Gulf nation allowed the United States to use its military bases to carry out operations against Tehran.

In a statement on Tuesday, the ministry said its air defence systems had detected 262 ballistic missiles launched from Iran since the conflict began on February 28.

Of the total number, 241 missiles were intercepted and destroyed, 19 fell into the sea, while two landed on UAE territory.

The statement partly reads: “Since the onset of the blatant Iranian attacks, 262 ballistic missiles have been detected. Of these, 241 were destroyed, 19 fell into the sea, and 2 struck within the state territory.
“A total of 1,475 Iranian UAVs have also been detected, of which 1,385 were intercepted, while 90 fell within the country’s territory. 8 cruise missiles were also detected and destroyed.
“These attacks resulted in 6 deaths among Emirati, Pakistani, Nepalese and Bangladeshi nationals, and 122 people sustained moderate to minor injuries. The injured include nationals of the UAE, Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Pakistan, Iran, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Azerbaijan, Yemen, Uganda, Eritrea, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Bahrain, the Comoros, Türkiye, Iraq, Nepal, Nigeria, Oman, Jordan and Palestine.”

However, the authorities did not specify how many individuals from each nationality were affected.

Meanwhile, the UAE said on Wednesday that its air defence systems were again responding to incoming missiles and drones launched from Iran.

“UAE air defences are currently responding to incoming missile and drone threats from Iran,” the defence ministry said in a post on X.

The ministry added that the sounds of explosions heard in parts of the country were the result of air defence systems intercepting the missiles and drones.

Culled from vanguard

US attacks on Iran will hit a new intensity Tuesday and the war will continue as long as President Donald Trump decides, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said.

“Today will be yet again, our most intense day of strikes inside Iran — the most fighters, the most bombers,” Hegseth told a news conference at the Pentagon more than 10 days into the US-Israeli war against the Islamic republic.

As for a timeline for the war, Trump “gets to control the throttle. He’s the one deciding,” Hegseth said.

It’s not for me to posit whether it’s the beginning, the middle or the end,” the defense secretary said.

Trump had said the previous day that the war could end “very soon,” but remained vague.

Among the goals is destruction of Iran’s navy, which has been targeted with “artillery, fighters, bombers and sea-launched missiles,” General Dan Caine, the top US military officer, said alongside Hegseth on Tuesday.

Iran has vowed to block all oil exports via the Gulf while the war lasts, while Trump has threatened “death, fire, and fury” if Tehran interferes with crude exports.

Caine said US forces continue “to hunt and strike mine-laying vessels and mine storage facilities” — weapons Iran could use to block maritime traffic.

Hegseth meanwhile accused Iran of “moving rocket launchers into civilian neighborhoods, near schools, near hospitals to try to prevent our ability to strike,” saying “that’s how they operate.”

He did not directly address a strike early in the conflict that hit an elementary school in the southern city of Minab, which Iran said killed more than 150 people, but said that “no nation takes more precautions to ensure there’s never targeting of civilians than the United States of America.”

Trump has said the incident is being investigated, while suggesting Monday that Iran may have fired a Tomahawk missile at the school itself.

Iran does not possess Tomahawks — a US weapon used extensively by US forces, including in the current conflict.

Tehran has responded to the war by launching waves of missiles and drones at countries in the region that host US forces, but Hegseth said Tuesday that the volume of fire is lessening.

“The last 24 hours have seen Iran fire the lowest number of missiles they’ve been capable of firing yet,” he said.

wd/sms

Iran vowed on Tuesday that not one litre of oil would be exported from the Gulf while the United States and Israel continue their bombardment, as the United Arab Emirates closed its biggest oil refinery after a drone attack.

Oil prices have surged since Iranian attacks on shipping closed the Strait of Hormuz in the wake of a US-Israeli strikes that killed Tehran’s supreme leader but fell back somewhat on Monday when US President Donald Trump suggested the war would soon end.

The price began to rise again Tuesday amid more threats and violence, following a week of attacks on oil infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE and around the Gulf.

The region’s biggest single-site oil refinery, at Ruwais in the UAE, was closed on Tuesday as a precaution after a drone attack on the industrial complex which houses it caused a fire, a source familiar with the situation told AFP.

“The Strait of Hormuz will either be a strait of peace and prosperity for all or will be a strait of defeat and suffering for warmongers,” Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani declared.

The price increase also followed strikes on oil depots in Iran and after attacks on oil infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and around the Gulf, which continued on Tuesday, with explosions heard in Doha.

Qatar, where a suspension of LNG exports has sent European energy prices sky-high, said Iranian attacks on its civilian infrastructure were continuing.

The Israeli military announced meanwhile a new wave of attacks on Tehran, while the US also stepped up its air and missile assault.

“Today will be yet again our most intense day of strikes inside Iran,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told a news conference at the Pentagon.

– ‘Catastrophic consequences’ –

The exchanges of fire will increase fears of economic instability, with traders and energy policy makers nervously following events in the Gulf, source of around a fifth of world oil and gas supplies.

There would be catastrophic consequences for the world’s oil markets the longer the disruption goes on, and the more drastic the consequences for the global economy,” Saudi oil giant Aramco’s president and CEO Amin H. Nasser told journalists.

It’s absolutely critical that shipping resumes in the Strait of Hormuz.”

Egypt increased the cost of fuels by up to 30 percent and Pakistan said it would provide naval escorts to commercial shipping. France has dispatched warships to the region.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) mocked Trump’s bid to lessen the economic impact of the war, warning: “The Iranian armed forces… will not allow the export of a single litre of oil from the region to the hostile side and its partners until further notice.”

“It is we who will determine the end of the war,” the IRGC, seen as close to Iran’s new supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, said in a statement carried by Iranian media.

Larijani issued a thinly veiled threat to Trump himself, warning him to be careful “not to be eliminated”.

“Iran is not afraid of your empty threats. Even those greater than you could not eliminate the Iranian nation,” Larijani wrote, in a social media post.

– ‘Death, fire and fury’ –

Iran’s warnings came as a response to Trump, who gave a news conference in a Florida ballroom to declare of the war: “It’s going to be ended soon, and if it starts up again they’ll be hit even harder.”

“We’ve already won in many ways, but we haven’t won enough,” Trump said Monday.

But, in a later post on his social media platform, Trump warned that if Tehran interferes with oil exports, the US military will bomb the country in such a way to “make it virtually impossible for Iran to ever be built back, as a nation, again.”

Death, fire, and fury will reign upon them — But I hope, and pray, that it does not happen!” he wrote.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also predicted that the conflict would continue, expressing hope that the Iranian people would seize the opportunity to “cast off the yoke of tyranny”.

“Ultimately, it depends on them. But there is no doubt that, with the actions taken so far, we are breaking their bones, and we are not done yet,” he said.

– Rare volatility –

On Monday, world oil prices swept past the symbolic level of $100 a barrel and were briefly up 30 percent on the day, before falling back after Trump’s intervention. But they rose again more slowly on Tuesday, and experts warned that the economic outlook remains extremely volatile.

“Rare are days in the markets when you get this much volatility,” said Ipek Ozkardeskaya, an analyst for Swissquote Bank, warning that investors are overreacting to every bit of news even when officials’ statements contradict each other.

Part of yesterday’s optimism came after Trump said the war would end ‘soon’ and that the US was ahead of schedule,” she said.

“Concretely, however, the conflict in the Middle East continues at full speed, political developments are not pointing to a near-term resolution, and there is little clarity about the US plans.”

burs/dc/ser

Five players from Iran’s visting women’s football team claimed asylum in Australia on Tuesday, seeking protection after they were branded “traitors” at home for refusing to sing the national anthem.

Iranian players fell silent as the anthem played ahead of a tournament match in Australia last week, an act seen as a symbol of defiance against the Islamic republic

US President Donald Trump was among those urging Australia to offer the players asylum, citing grave fears for their safety if they were forced to board a plane home.

Five players, including captain Zahra Ghanbari, slipped away from the team hotel under the cover of darkness to claim sanctuary from Australian officials.

“We’ve been preparing for this for some time,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.

“Australians have been moved by the plight of these brave women. They’re safe here and they should feel at home here.”

Albanese thanked Australian media for their “restraint”, hinting that news of the asylum bid had been held back until they were safe.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the government had spent days in secret talks with the players, who were whisked to a safe house after leaving their hotel on the Gold Coast.

Pictures showed the players huddled around a table as Burke signed paper work granting them special visas to stay in Australia on humanitarian grounds.

The players broke out into chants of “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie”, Burke said, adding that the rest of the team would also be welcome to stay in the country if they wished.

It was not clear if the remaining players in the Iranian squad would fly home — or when they might leave Australia.

US President Trump was among the first to confirm five players were safely in the care of Australian officials, following a late-night call with Prime Minister Albanese.

He had hours earlier urged Australia to do the right thing, saying it would be a “terrible humanitarian mistake” if the players were forced back to Iran.

– ‘Wartime traitors’ –

A presenter on Iranian state TV branded the players “wartime traitors” after they stood motionless during the anthem before a match against South Korea last week.

Although they sang the anthem — an ode to the glory of the Islamic republic — in later matches, human rights activitists warned the damage was done.

The members of the Iranian Women’s National Football Team are under significant pressure and ongoing threat from the Islamic Republic,” said Reza Pahlavi, the son of the late shah of Iran.

I call on the Australian government to ensure their safety and give them any and all needed support,” he said on social media.

Pahlavi has billed himself as the man to lead a democratic transition to a secular Iran as the theocratic regime fights to survive.

The US and Israel bombarded Iran with heavy missile fire on February 28, killing supreme leader Ali Khamenei with the opening salvos of a war that now threatens to engulf the Middle East.

Politicians, human rights activists and even “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling had called for Australia to offer the side protection.

Crowds gathered outside the Gold Coast stadium where the side played their last match over the weekend, banging drums and shouting “regime change for Iran”.

Supporters surrounded the Iranian team bus, chanting “let them go” and “save our girls”. On Monday, an AFP journalist saw members of the team speaking on phones from their hotel room balconies.

AFP

President Donald Trump said Monday that US military operations in Iran would be ending soon, reassuring markets that have been thrust into chaos by a war still reverberating across the Middle East.

The war had sent stock markets slumping and oil prices soaring on Monday as Tehran, under new leader Mojtaba Khamenei, fired a fresh barrage of missiles at its Gulf neighbours and signaled that the strategic Strait of Hormuz would likely remain closed

But Wall Street climbed into positive territory on Trump’s signals of a short war, with Tokyo and Seoul also opening strongly Tuesday, despite the president’s continued threats to expand the campaign if Iran did not fall in line.

Oil prices also reversed course, falling as much as five percent a day after benchmark crude rocketed past $100 a barrel — its highest level since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

“It’s going to be ended soon, and if it starts up again they’ll be hit even harder,” Trump told a news conference in Florida, after telling lawmakers that the campaign would be a “short-term excursion.”

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards replied Tuesday that they, not the Americans, would “determine the end of the war”.

Trump’s remarks came on the first day in power for the 56-year-old son of slain leader Ali Khamenei, with Iranian forces launching a fresh wave of missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE and Israel.

Another missile was also fired at NATO member Turkey, the second such incident in five days, with the alliance’s air defenses intercepting it before it could reach its target.

Diplomatic efforts focused Monday on the highly strategic Strait of Hormuz, which has been blocked to nearly all oil tankers — sending shockwaves across the global economy.

French President Emmanuel Macron said his country and its allies were working on a “purely defensive” mission to reopen the strait, through which nearly 20 percent of the world’s crude oil usually transits.

The mission would aim to escort ships “after the end of the hottest phase of the conflict,” but experts say it would mean putting naval vessels at risk of fire from the nearby Iranian coast.

Kamal Kharazi, a foreign policy adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, told CNN that Tehran was calculating that economic pressure would eventually prompt other countries to intervene and end the war.

– Rallies –

Iran faced a fresh blitz of US and Israeli strikes after its Assembly of Experts, the top clerical body, appointed its first new supreme leader in 37 years.

Iranian state media carried images of tens of thousands of people celebrating Mojtaba Khamenei’s selection in central Tehran, many carrying his picture.

Iran’s rebel Houthi allies in Yemen and the Hezbollah armed group in Lebanon pledged allegiance, while Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday promised “unwavering support”.

Trump told reporters he was “disappointed” about Khamenei’s appointment, but remained open to a replacement from inside the Islamic republic, citing the recent transition of power in Venezuela as “a formula that has been very good so far.”

Ali Ansari, a professor of Iranian history at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, told AFP the new supreme leader was a hardliner who had “been involved in all the most violent repressions that have taken place over the last 15-16 years”.

– Oil risks –

Oil traders, policymakers and central bankers are all watching the Middle East for news about Gulf energy infrastructure, which is crucial for the world economy.

About 10 vessels in or near the Strait of Hormuz have come under attack since Iran blocked the waterway in retaliation for the US-Israeli strikes, shipping experts say.

Global shipping giant MSC announced it was formally halting some export shipments from the Gulf, meaning goods sitting on ships would be unloaded.

Following strikes on Bahrain’s Al Ma’ameer oil facility that ignited a fire, the country’s state-owned energy company Bapco joined its counterparts in Qatar and Kuwait in declaring “force majeure” — a warning that events beyond its control may lead it to miss export targets.

The Saudi defence ministry said Monday it had thwarted a drone attack targeting an oil field in the kingdom’s east, near the Emirati border.

– ‘Resistance’

In Bahrain, the interior ministry said early Tuesday an Iranian attack on a residential area in the capital Manama killed one person and injured others.

In Israel earlier, around 10 explosions were audible in Tel Aviv after the military announced it had detected missiles inbound from Iran.

At least one Israeli was killed when he was hit by shrapnel, emergency services said.

Israel said Tuesday that it had struck an Iranian missile launcher shortly after a barrage fired from the Islamic republic triggered air raid warnings in several Israeli areas.

The multi-front war also intensified in Lebanon, where Israeli and Hezbollah exchanges of fire since March 2 have killed at least 486 people and wounded more than 1,300.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun accused Hezbollah of working to “collapse” the state, while the head of the group’s parliamentary bloc said it had “no other option…than the option of resistance.”

culled from vanguard

In the 48-page complaint, filed in federal court in San Francisco, Anthropic seeks to have its designation as a national security supply-chain risk declared unlawful and blocked.

In its lawsuit, Anthropic said the company was founded on the belief that its AI is “used in a way that maximizes positive outcomes for humanity” and should “be the safest and the most responsible.”

Anthropic brings this suit because the federal government has retaliated against it for expressing that principle,” the lawsuit says.

Anthropic is the first US company ever to have been publicly punished with such a designation, a label typically reserved for organizations from foreign adversary countries, such as Chinese tech giant Huawei.

The designation requires defense vendors and contractors to certify that they do not use Anthropic’s models in their work with the Pentagon.

The consequences of this case are enormous,” the lawsuit states, with the government “seeking to destroy the economic value created by one of the world’s fastest-growing private companies.”

The dispute erupted after Anthropic infuriated Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth by insisting its technology should not be used for mass surveillance or fully autonomous weapons systems.

President Donald Trump ordered every federal agency to cease all use of Anthropic’s technology. Hours later, Hegseth designated Anthropic a “Supply-Chain Risk to National Security” and ordered that no military contractor, supplier or partner “may conduct any commercial activity with Anthropic,” while allowing a six-month transition period for the Pentagon itself.

The row erupted days before the US military attack against Iran. Claude is the Pentagon’s most widely deployed frontier AI model and the only such model currently operating on the Department of War’s classified systems.

In its lawsuit, Anthropic argues the actions taken against it violate the First Amendment by punishing the company for protected speech on AI safety policy, exceed the Pentagon’s statutory authority, and deprive it of due process under the Fifth Amendment.

The Constitution does not allow the government to wield its enormous power to punish a company for its protected speech,” the complaint states.

The company is seeking a permanent injunction blocking enforcement of the designation.

arp/dw

US President Donald Trump on Monday told the New York Post he was “not happy” with the appointment of Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei to replace his slain father as Iran’s supreme leader

“Not going to tell you. I’m not happy with him,” Trump told the Post from his Doral golf club near Miami, when asked about his plans for the younger Khamenei.

AFP

Russia would supply oil and gas to European buyers, provided such co-operation was “long-term” and did not put political pressure on Moscow, President Vladimir Putin said Monday.

Oil prices have skyrocketed since the United States and Israel began striking Iran on February 28, trading above $100 this week for the first time since Russia launched its Ukraine offensive in 2022.

In a televised meeting, Putin said Moscow would continue to supply oil to “reliable” partners in Asia, as well as EU members Hungary and Slovakia.

If European companies and European buyers suddenly decide to reorient themselves and provide us with long-term, sustainable cooperation, devoid of political pressures, free from political pressures, then go ahead. We’ve never refused,” Putin said.

“We’re ready to work with Europeans, but we need some signals from them that they’re ready and willing to work with us and will ensure this sustainability and stability,” he added.

The European Union banned maritime imports of Russian crude in 2022, while Russia’s pipeline exports to Hungary and Slovakia have been effectively halted since January due to damage to the Druzhba oil pipeline via Ukraine.

Putin’s comments came hours after Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban urged the European Union to suspend sanctions on Russian oil and gas to counter prices sent soaring by the war in the Middle East.

AFP

Iran has named Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s new Supreme Leader following the killing of his father, Ali Khamenei, according to state media reports cited by Al Jazeera.

The decision was announced on Sunday by the Assembly of Experts, the clerical body responsible under Iran’s constitution for selecting the country’s supreme leader

In a statement circulated by state media, the Assembly said Mojtaba Khamenei was chosen after what it described as a “decisive vote.” It called on citizens to remain united and support the new leader.

The statement urged Iranians, “especially the elites and intellectuals of the seminaries and universities,” to pledge allegiance to the leadership and help preserve national unity.

The appointment comes days after the death of Ali Khamenei, who had served as Iran’s Supreme Leader since 1989.

He was reportedly killed on February 28 during a joint military operation by the United States and Israel targeting leadership sites in Tehran amid escalating regional tensions.

His death sparked intense speculation over who would succeed him, with Mojtaba widely seen as one of the leading contenders despite concerns within parts of Iran’s political and religious establishment about the possibility of a hereditary succession.

A mid-ranking cleric, Mojtaba Khamenei is believed to maintain strong ties with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and has long been regarded as an influential figure behind the scenes in the Islamic Republic’s political structure.

Before the announcement, Donald Trump publicly opposed the prospect of Mojtaba becoming Iran’s leader, reportedly describing him as a “lightweight” and suggesting he should not play a role in determining the country’s leadership.

Under Iran’s constitution, the Assembly of Experts holds the authority to appoint the Supreme Leader, the highest political and religious authority in the country, with ultimate control over state policy, the military and the judiciary.

Mojtaba Khamenei’s appointment marks one of the most significant political transitions in Iran in decades and comes at a time of heightened tensions in the Middle East following the killing of his father

Culled from vanguard

US President Donald Trump warned on Sunday that Iran’s next supreme leader would not last long without his approval, as Tehran prepared to reveal the successor to the slain Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Nine days after US-Israeli strikes on his compound killed Khamenei and plunged the Middle East into war, Iran’s Assembly of Experts met privately and chose their next leader, members of the body said.

The clerics did not say who had been selected, only that a name would be announced soon. Some suggested Khamenei’s 56-year old son Mojtaba Khamenei would succeed his father.

Trump had previously demanded a say in the appointment and dismissed the younger Khamenei as an unacceptable “lightweight”.

“He’s going to have to get approval from us,” Trump told ABC News on Sunday, referring to Iran’s next leader. “If he doesn’t get approval from us he’s not going to last long

But Tehran’s top diplomat said earlier in the day that the decision was Iran’s alone, adding it would “allow nobody to interfere in our domestic affairs”.

Speaking on NBC’s “Meet the Press”, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi went on to demand that Trump “apologise to people of the region” for the spiralling war.

The younger Khamenei is regarded as a conservative figure, notably because of his ties to the Revolutionary Guards, the ideological arm of the Islamic republic’s military.

Israel’s military has warned any successor that “we will not hesitate to target you”.

– Air ‘unbreathable’ –

Israel’s reach was underlined by two new operations overnight — strikes against fuel dumps in and around Tehran, and an attack on a hotel in the heart of Lebanon’s capital Beirut that targeted suspected Iranian commanders.

Warplanes hit five oil facilities around the Iranian capital, killing at least four people, according to a state oil executive, and blanketing the city in acrid smoke.

Tehran’s governor told the IRNA news agency that fuel distribution had been “temporarily interrupted” in the capital.

A dark haze hung over the city of 10 million people, blocking out the sun, while the smell of burning fuel lingered in the air.

Authorities warned the fumes could be toxic and urged citizens to stay indoors, but many windows were blown out by the force of the blasts.

“The blaze has been burning for more than 12 hours, the air has become unbreathable. I can’t even go out to do the daily shopping,” said a 35-year-old from Tehran.

At first, I supported this war. After Khamenei’s death, I celebrated with my friends: we drank wine and we danced.

“But since yesterday… people say there’s not even any gasoline left at the gas stations,” she said in a text message to Europe.

As the war extended into its ninth day, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had enough supplies to continue their drone and missile war over the Middle East for up to six months.

Several blasts were heard over Israel’s commercial hub of Tel Aviv after the Israeli military said it had detected a salvo of missiles from Iran. The Magen David Adom emergency services said six people were wounded in central Israel.

– Advanced missiles –

Trump again refused to rule out sending US ground troops into Iran, but continued to insist that the war was all but won despite the ongoing Iranian missile and drone strikes.

The US President spoke with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Sunday, Downing Street said, after Trump had lobbed insults at the premier and accused him of trying to join a war “we’ve already won”.

The pair discussed military cooperation, London said, with Britain having granted the US use of its military bases for “collective self-defence of partners in the region”, having refused to allow their use for the initial strikes on Iran.

Guards spokesman Ali Mohammad Naini said Iran had so far used only first- and second-generation missiles, but would use “advanced and less-used long-range missiles” in the coming days.

Saudi Arabia said two people were killed and 12 wounded by a “projectile” on Sunday in Al Kharj province, having earlier said it intercepted a wave of drones headed for targets including the diplomatic quarter of its capital Riyadh.

Kuwait, meanwhile, said an attack hit fuel tanks at its international airport and Bahrain reported a water desalination plant had been damaged.

Iran’s health ministry said Sunday that at least 1,200 civilians had been killed and around 10,000 wounded — figures AFP could not independently verify.

Lebanon’s health minister said at least 394 people had been killed in Israeli air strikes since Lebanon was dragged into the war a week ago, including 83 children and 42 women.

Two Israeli soldiers were killed during the fighting in southern Lebanon, the Israeli military said.

Trump on Saturday attended the return of the bodies of six American service members who were killed in a drone strike on a US base in Kuwait last Sunday.

– No clear way out –

Analysts warn there is still no clear path to ending a conflict that US and Israeli officials say could last a month or longer.

Trump has suggested Iran’s economy could be rebuilt if a leader “acceptable” to Washington replaces the late supreme leader.

China and Russia have largely stayed on the sidelines despite close ties with Tehran.

China’s top diplomat Wang Yi said the war in the Middle East should “never have happened”, telling a press conference in Beijing: “The world cannot return to the law of the jungle.”

On Sunday, Pope Leo XIV prayed “that the roar of the bombs may cease, the weapons may fall silent, and a space for dialogue may open”

Culled from vanguard

Pope Leo XIV on Sunday prayed the “roar of bombs” in the Middle East will cease, as the war triggered by US-Israeli air strikes on Iran extended into its ninth day.

News from the region “continues to arouse deep dismay”, the US-born pope said at the end of the Angelus prayer.

Added to the episodes of violence and devastation and the widespread climate of hatred and fear, is the fear that the conflict will spread, and that other countries in the region, including beloved Lebanon, may once again sink into instability,” he said.

On Sunday, Iran was preparing to reveal its new supreme leader, after US-Israeli air strikes destroyed fuel dumps and triggered fires that choked much of Tehran in a thick blanket of smoke.

Iranian missile-and-drone retaliation has targeted many Gulf countries and further afield in the Middle East

US President Donald Trump has refused to rule out sending American ground troops into Iran, but continues to insist that the war is progressing speedily.

Leo said he prayed “that the roar of the bombs may cease, the weapons may fall silent, and a space for dialogue may open in which the voices of the peoples may be heard”.

Culled from vanguard

President Donald Trump on Saturday blamed Iran for what the country’s authorities said was a deadly strike on a school in the southern county of Minab.

“We think it was done by Iran. Because they are very inaccurate, as you know, with their munitions. They have no accuracy whatsoever,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.

According to Iranian authorities, a strike hit a girls’ elementary school last Saturday, killing more than 150 people, mostly students.

Israel and the United States have not claimed responsibility for the reported attack — with US officials saying it remains under investigation — while Iran has blamed Washington for the strike.

AFP has neither been able to access the site in order to verify the incident, nor to obtain independent confirmation of a toll.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said Friday they had targeted a US base in the UAE that they alleged had been used as a launchpad for the strike.

Al-Dhafra air base, belonging to American terrorists in the region, was targeted using drones and precision missiles,” the Guards said in a statement broadcast on state TV.

The Pentagon has confirmed it is investigating, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said the US would “not deliberately target a school.”

The New York Times newspaper reported Thursday that US military statements indicating forces were attacking naval targets near the Strait of Hormuz, where a Revolutionary Guards’ base is located, “suggest they were most likely to have carried out the strike.”

An analysis of social media posts from the time of the attack, as well as photos and videos from witnesses, indicated that the school had been struck at the same time as the Guards’ naval base sites, the Times said.

Israel and the United States have not claimed responsibility for the reported attack — with US officials saying it remains under investigation — while Iran has blamed Washington for the strike.

AFP

The US embassy in Oslo, Norway, was hit by an explosion in the early hours of Sunday, but no one was injured, police in the Norwegian capital said, adding the cause was not immediately known.

The explosion occurred around 1:00 am local time (0000 GMT), the Oslo police department said in a statement.

Public broadcaster NRK quoted police incident commander Michael Dellemyr saying the blast hit the entrance of the embassy’s consular section.

“At around 1:00 am we received several reports of an explosion. We arrived shortly afterwards and confirmed that there had been an explosion that hit the US embassy,” he told NRK.

There is minor damage,” he said.

“We are not going to comment on anything related to the type of damage, what it is that has exploded and similar details, beyond the fact that there has been an explosion” because “it is very early in the investigation”, he said.

He later told TV2 that police “have an idea of the cause”, adding: “It appears to us that this is an act carried out by someone.”

He said investigators were talking to witnesses, and TV2 reported that a bomb squad was at the scene.

The police statement said investigators were in contact with the embassy about the incident, and there was a huge police deployment on site.

Residents near the embassy said they heard a loud blast.

A 16-year-old identified only as Edvard told TV2 that he was watching television when he heard the blast.

“My mother and I first thought it came from our house, so we looked around a little, but then we saw the flashing lights outside the window and a ton of police,” he said.

“There were police dogs and drones and police with automatic weapons and helicopters in the air,” he said.

A large area around the embassy was blocked off, and police were stopping cars driving near the area, media outlets reported.

US embassies have been placed on high alert in the Middle East over American military operations in Iran, and several have faced attacks as Tehran hits back at industrial and diplomatic targets.

But Dellemyr said there was no indication as yet that the incident at the embassy in Oslo was connected to the conflict.

“We’re not connecting it to the conflict. It’s far too early for that,” he told TV2.

AFP

Poet and playwright, John Pepper Clark, was no stranger to the biting realities of war. Having lived through the haunting Nigerian civil war, which claimed millions of lives, Clark captured the pain and devastation that the war left behind

In his famous poem: ‘Casualties,’ the poet stated that the casualties of wars are not only those who ignite a fire and cannot put it out, but also the thousands who burn despite having no say in the matter.

Today, that reality is playing out in the armed conflict involving Israel, the United States and Iran, where more than 160 girl students who had no say in the matter bore the consequences of a conflict they never chose.

Penultimate Saturday, an attack reportedly struck the Shajareh Tayyebeh Girls’ Elementary School in southern Iran, leaving more than 160 girl students affected, young victims who, like the thousands Clark wrote about, had no say in the fires of war.

Before then, the US had launched strikes on Iran last Saturday, which Israel and the President Donald Trump-led country had planned for months. The attacks led to the killing of the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Later, Iran launched retaliatory strikes, and it targeted multiple military bases of the US.

Iran official account

 Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian called the incident that claimed the young children’s lives a “barbaric act” and “another black page in the record of countless crimes committed by the aggressors.”

Iran’s Foreign Minister, Seyed Araghchi, who shared a picture of the killed girls, accompanied it with a statement that read: “These are graves being dug for more than 160 innocent young girls who were killed in the US-Israeli bombing of a primary school. Their bodies were torn to shreds. This is the rescue promised by Mr Trump in reality. From Gaza to Minab, innocents murdered in cold blood.”

Before then, the minister had also shared the image of a building destroyed in a primary school in Southern Iran. Meanwhile, the picture of the dead girls showed cranes, manpower and heavy infrastructure being used to dig the holes where they would be buried. In the uninviting visuals, one can see almost 20 graves in a row, waiting to receive the young girls.

Funerals

At their funeral, Tuesday, hundreds of mourners packed the streets to pay their respects to the young girls.

Coffins draped in the flag of the Islamic Republic were carried through the crowds, as a voiceover recounted the grief of mothers and fathers who had lost their daughters.

Iranian officials said the school, located about 600m (1,970 ft) from an Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, IRGC base, was hit by three missiles.

The six-day working week in Iran runs from Saturday to Thursday, with Friday being the only official day of rest, meaning the school was likely occupied when it was hit.

US officials react

On Monday, the BBC asked the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, if the school building was struck by an American missile and he said: “The US would not deliberately target a school. We would have no interest, and frankly, no incentive to target civilian infrastructure. I don’t have the details as to what led to it, but what is clear is that the United

Meanwhile, Centcom spokesman, Tim Hawkins, in a statement, said: “We take these reports seriously. The protection of civilians is of utmost importance, and we will continue to take all precautions available to minimise the risk of unintended harm.”

On Wednesday, US Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, told the BBC the US is still investigating the incident.

He said: “We of course never target civilian targets, but we are taking a look at investigating that.”

War crime

According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, attacking a school, hospital or other civilian structure is a war crime, and indiscriminate strikes also violate international law.

The law requires that even if schools are used for military purposes, armed parties must avoid or minimise harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure.

ICRC, in a statement published in 2023, stated that international humanitarian law requires warring parties to refrain from attacking students, teachers, and their schools.

The statement titled: ‘Students, teachers and schools should always be protected in armed conflict,’ said: “Children are civilians. Teachers are too. Schools are civilian buildings. It is that civilian character that offers them protection during the conduct of hostilitie

Culled from vanguard

Global Orthodox Anglican leaders have officially announced a major restructuring of the Anglican Communion, marking a definitive split from the leadership of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the UK-based “Instruments of Communion”.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the move is the climax of long-standing disagreements over doctrinal issues, including same-sex relationships and the ordination of women to the episcopate.

Conservative churches across Africa, Asia, and South America are now moving to reclaim what they describe as the original structure and biblical doctrine of Anglicanism.

The decision is contained in a resolution issued on Friday in Abuja, at the conclusion of the Global Anglican Council meeting held from March 3 to March 6.

The historic gathering brought together 347 bishops along with 121 lay and clerical leaders representing 27 provinces from around the globe.

According to the statement, the meeting marked the official inauguration of the Global Anglican Communion as a confessional body, separate from the institutional structures led by Canterbury.

The council, now led by the newly elected Chair, Archbishop Laurent Mbanda, declared that the “Canterbury Instruments” have failed to uphold essential biblical discipline.

Specifically, the leaders noted that the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Lambeth Conference could no longer be viewed as the spiritual anchors of the global faith.

The statement further accused the Church of England’s leadership of “cultural capitulation” and of normalising teachings that contradict the authority of the Holy Scripture.

“The moral and spiritual authority of the Seat of Augustine has been severely compromised,” the council stated in the resolution made available to NAN.

The leaders argued that continuing participation in Canterbury-led meetings would give credence to the “lie” that it is possible to maintain unity with those who have abandoned biblical teaching.

”As part of the landmark resolutions, leaders holding office in the new Global Anglican Communion are now strictly prohibited from attending any future Primates’ Meetings called by the UK.

The ban extends to participation in the Lambeth Conference and the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC), which have traditionally been the pillars of the denomination.

”Member provinces have been directed to cease all financial contributions to the ACC and to refuse any financial assistance from what they termed “compromised sources.”

According to the statement, the council in a move to ensure legal autonomy encouraged provinces to amend their individual constitutions to remove references to being “in communion with the See of Canterbury”.

”The council affirmed the Jerusalem Declaration as the sole confession of faith required for membership, effectively shifting the definition of Anglicanism from institutional to confessional.

“A significant administrative shift was also announced, with the “Gafcon Primates Council” being officially replaced by the Global Anglican Council.

“This new body will now serve as the primary authority for authenticating new provinces and guarding the theological integrity of Global Anglicans worldwide.”

The council announced its inaugural executive team, with Archbishop Laurent Mbanda as Chair, supported by Deputy Chair, Archbishop Miguel Uchôa, and General Secretary, Bishop Paul Donison.

”In spite of the sharp departure, the council maintained that it should not be viewed as a “breakaway” group, but rather as the “historic Anglican Communion reordered from within”.

The statement, however, called on all faithful Anglicans to join the new structure, emphasising that Christian unity must be based on truth rather than mere institutional coexistence.

NAN reports that the Church of Nigeria, led by Archbishop Henry Ndukuba, has already formally severed ties with the Church of England, citing the current leadership direction as “insensitive and devastating” to the orthodox faith.

(NAN)

President Donald Trump suggested on Saturday the United States would hit Iran “very hard” and threatened to expand strikes to include new targets.

“Today Iran will be hit very hard!” Trump posted on his Truth Social media platform.

Under serious consideration for complete destruction and certain death, because of Iran’s bad behavior, are areas and groups of people that were not considered for targeting up until this moment in time.”

His comments came after Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Saturday that his country would never surrender to Israel and the United States.

The United States and Israel began their campaign against Iran on February 28, and Iran has since responded with missile and drone strikes on Israel and US interests in regional countries, mainly in the Gulf.

Pezeshkian in a speech broadcast on state TV apologized to nearby Gulf states for Iran’s attacks, adding that Tehran would not target its neighbors unless attacks originated from them.

Trump in his post referenced Pezeshkian’s apology, saying Iran “has apologized and surrendered to its Middle East neighbors, and promised that it will not shoot at them anymore.”

“This promise was only made because of the relentless U.S. and Israeli attack,” Trump wrote.

“Iran is no longer the ‘Bully of the Middle East,’ they are, instead, ‘THE LOSER OF THE MIDDLE EAST,’ and will be for many decades until they surrender or, more likely, completely collapse!”

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The CEO of Google and its parent company Alphabet could earn up to $692 million over the next three years under a new compensation plan published Friday by the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

The deal would make Sundar Pichai, who has been chief executive of Google since 2015 and of Alphabet since 2019, one of the highest paid CEOs in the world.

Under the plan, Pichai’s three-year salary of $6 million, or $2 million per year, would remain unchanged

The remainder of his compensation would be paid in the form of Alphabet stock, as well as shares in two subsidiaries — the autonomous vehicle company Waymo and the drone delivery service Wing.

The SEC filing suggested Pichai could receive about $130 million from Waymo and $45 million from Wing.

The allocation will depend on the performance of the shares and, for Alphabet, on the amount of dividends paid.

In the event of his dismissal, Pichai would forfeit all stock options that are not yet exercisable, according to the document.

Current and previous incentives in Mr Pichai’s compensation have benefited Alphabet and its stockholders significantly,” the company said in the filing.

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The fast-growing online prediction industry is under scrutiny over its response to the Middle East war, with one leading platform facing litigation on a disputed payout connected to Iran’s late leader.

At issue in the lawsuit is a refusal by online prediction market Kalshi to grant winnings to customers after the US-Israeli siege killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The company has said its policy is not to list markets directly tied to death.

Plaintiffs are demanding $54 million in damages, arguing that their bet that Khamenei was “out as Supreme Leader” by March 1 came to pass, according to a class-action lawsuit filed in US district court in California.

Kalshi’s “death carveout” was “not adequately disclosed to consumers,” the complaint added.

The case “exposes a predatory scheme to exploit retail consumers in the emerging prediction market industry,” said the complaint, which called Kalshi “the poster child of unfair competition, deceptive corporate behavior and consumer fraud.”

Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour defended the company on X, saying the platform reimbursed customers who lost money on the bet.

Kalshi made no money here,” Mansour said. “Kalshi’s rules prevented a ‘death market,’ where traders directly profit from death.”

Polymarket, another online platform, has also faced questions in recent days as some lawmakers on Capitol Hill express discomfort with bets connected to military action.

One Polymarket account made more than $100,000 in bets connected to Iran and the US seizure of former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.

Lawmakers have also pointed to the risk of insider trading based on the risk high-ranking officials will bet on military outcomes.

Democratic Senators Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota introduced the “End Prediction Corruption Act” that would ban the president, members of Congress and other officials from trading event contracts.

Connective Democrat Senator Chris Murphy pointed to a “suspicious amount of new activity” on the eve of the Iran attack, saying on X that it was “very likely” that they were made by people “with inside information.”

AFP

US President Donald Trump is to attend the dignified transfer on Saturday of six soldiers killed in an Iranian attack on Kuwait, the White House said Friday, as the escalating war with Tehran brings home its first American dead.

The troops were killed Sunday when a drone struck a key US command center in Kuwait’s southern industrial hub of Port Shuaiba, a day after the United States and Israel launched a sweeping military campaign against Iran.

The ritual takes place at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, where the remains of US troops killed overseas are returned to American soil.

The fallen soldiers — five men and one woman aged 20 to 54 — were assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command, a unit responsible for supplying troops with food, fuel, equipment and ammunition

A dignified transfer is one of the most solemn duties undertaken by a US president.

The process is not a formal government ceremony but a carefully choreographed military ritual in which flag-draped transfer cases carrying the remains of fallen troops are carried from an aircraft by a team of service members from the same branch.

The cases are then moved to waiting vehicles that transport them to the mortuary facility at Dover, where the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System conducts identification and prepares the remains for burial.

Trump has attended several such transfers during his presidency, and the White House had previously said he would honor the six killed in Kuwait, even before a date was announced.

“Tomorrow, he’ll be traveling to Joint Base Dover, to attend the dignified transfer of the remains of the six service members who were killed in the opening salvo that Iran launched at our forces,” White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said.

The attack that killed them underscored the risks facing US personnel deployed across the Middle East as the conflict with Iran escalates, with Tehran launching drones and missiles toward American and allied targets throughout the region.

US officials have warned that the fighting could intensify further in the coming days.

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The Media Forum of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria has rejected allegations by the Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman, accusing the movement and Iran of sponsoring terrorism and instability in Nigeria and the West African region.

The group described the claims as false, provocative, and capable of creating tension among Muslims in the country, insisting they were aimed at demonising the movement and silencing voices supporting oppressed people globally.

In a press statement issued on Friday and signed by its President, Ammar Muhammad, the forum said it “strongly condemns and rejects” the remarks credited to the envoy.

“The Media Forum of the Islamic Movement strongly condemns and rejects the recent allegations made by the Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman, in which he attempted to associate Iran and the Islamic Movement with terrorism and instability in the country and the West African region,” the statement read.

The group argued that it was inappropriate for Israel’s representative to accuse others of terrorism while his country faces global criticism over its military actions in Gaza.

“It is both inappropriate and unacceptable for the representative of a state widely found guilty of committing genocide and grave violations of international laws to lecture others about terrorism or security,” the statement added.

The forum alleged that Israel’s actions in Gaza have drawn widespread condemnation from international organisations and human rights groups, claiming that tens of thousands of civilians have been killed in the conflict.

The statement also referenced the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, noting that he has been declared wanted by the International Criminal Court over alleged war crimes.

“As a result, he reportedly avoids travelling to several countries, including many in Europe, for fear of arrest, as many nations have indicated their readiness to enforce the ICC’s order,” the forum stated.

According to the group, it was therefore ironic for Israel’s representative to accuse others of supporting terrorism. They also rejected claims linking the movement to violent activities in Nigeria.

“The attempt by the ambassador to associate the Islamic Movement with terrorism is not only a blatant falsehood but also a dangerous and failed attempt to incite tension and chaos among Muslims in Nigeria,” the group said.

The forum maintained that the Islamic Movement is not a conventional organisation but a movement driven by an ideology advocating justice and resistance against oppression.

It further stated that in more than five decades of Islamic activism in Nigeria, no court of law has convicted the movement of terrorism or violent activity.

For more than five decades of Islamic activism in Nigeria, no court of law has ever convicted the Islamic Movement of terrorism or violent activity. At no point in our history have the adherents of the movement attacked any individual or organisation in the name of the movement,” the statement said

The forum added that the allegations existed only in the imagination of individuals seeking to portray Muslims negatively.

“These baseless claims exist only in the imagination of those seeking to demonise Muslims and silence legitimate voices of solidarity with oppressed people,” the statement added.

It also insisted that members of the movement, like other Nigerians, have the constitutional right to express solidarity with oppressed people anywhere in the world.

“Standing with the oppressed has always been part of the movement’s history and identity,” the forum stated.

The group said its support for Palestinians and other oppressed communities is based on humanitarian concerns and universal principles of justice.

“Our solidarity with the Palestinian people and other oppressed communities around the world is rooted in moral conviction, humanitarian concern and the universal principles of justice,” the statement added.

The forum therefore called on Nigerians to disregard the allegations and remain vigilant against attempts to create division among citizens.

We call on the Nigerian public to disregard these unfounded allegations and remain vigilant against attempts to sow division, misinformation and hostility among the people,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, security was tightened across parts of Kaduna on Friday following rumours of a planned demonstration by Muslim faithful after Juma’at prayers.

Our correspondent who monitored activities in several mosques observed a heavy security presence as worshippers gathered for the weekly congregational prayers.

Within the Kaduna metropolis, heavily armed police officers were stationed at strategic locations, including Station Roundabout, Stadium Roundabout, NEPA Roundabout, and the Singer area of the city.

Commercial activities continued at Mahmud Gumi Central Market and other major business districts, as residents went about their daily routines. However, there were fewer commercial vehicles on the roads, with many transport operators reportedly staying away due to fears of possible unrest.

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A member of the United States House of Representatives, Riley Moore, has raised concerns over reported attacks on Christians in Nigeria, citing recent incidents, including the burning of a church in Wukari and insurgent violence in the northeast.

Moore made the remarks in a series of posts on his X account on Friday.

Reacting to reports that St. Mary’s Catholic Cathedral in Wukari was set on fire on March 4, the US lawmaker opened his post with a biblical reference.

He said the situation facing Christians in Nigeria remains deeply troubling.

He said, “Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“At a time like this, there is no greater comfort than the words of our Lord. Christians in Nigeria continue to be attacked for their faith. Recently, terrorists burned down St. Mary’s Cathedral in Wukari, Taraba State.”

Moore also referred to the position of the United States government on religious freedom concerns in Nigeria.

“The United States has declared Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern and we won’t stand idly by as Christians continue to face this violence,” he said.

In another post shared recently, Moore reposted a claim by security analyst Brant Philip concerning insurgent violence in northeastern Nigeria.

The re-post referenced a statement attributed to Islamic State West Africa Province, which allegedly claimed responsibility for attacks in Kirshinga in northeastern Nigeria.

According to the claim cited in the repost, the militants said they killed 27 Christians and burned 10 houses while also demanding that Christians either pay the jizyah tax, convert to Islam, or face death.

Moore further stated that the matter had been raised in a report submitted to the White House, calling for stronger action.

He said, “Christians continue to be explicitly targeted for their faith in Nigeria. ISIS West Africa is slaughtering Christians and telling other Christians they must convert or die.

“In our report to the White House, we made it clear that increased American support is contingent on the Nigerian government doing more to defend Christians. Now is the time for Abuja to step up.”

In the same thread, the reposted report by Philip stated that the insurgent group had openly issued threats against Christian communities in the affected area.

Philip wrote, “ISWAP claimed the attacks in Kirshinga, northeast Nigeria, stating that they killed 27 Christians and burned 10 houses. They reiterate their call to Nigerian Christians to either pay the jizyah tax, convert to Islam, or be killed, which they describe as a ‘fair deal’.”

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Israel’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman, has accused the Iranian government of financing and backing Islamic movements in Nigeria as part of a broader campaign to export terrorism across the globe.

Freeman made the allegation on Friday during an interview on AriseTV, identifying the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), also known as the Shi’ites, as one of the groups operating under Iranian sponsorship.

We know there are certain movements, for example, the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, that is sponsored and backed by the Iranian regime,” he said.

The envoy alleged that Tehran’s reach extends well beyond Nigeria, describing Iran’s decades-long hostility toward Israel and the West as a sustained, state-directed terror campaign.

“For 47 years, Iran has had a policy of death to Israel, death to America. Its entire apparatus, its state structure, has been sponsoring terrorism, sponsoring organizations around the world to kill Israelis, Jews, to spread terror,” Freeman said, adding that “Nigeria has been on the receiving end of terrorism from Iran.”

His remarks come against the backdrop of heightened tensions in the Middle East following coordinated US-Israeli airstrikes on Iranian targets, which reportedly killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei alongside members of his family. The strikes triggered protests across several Nigerian states on Monday, with IMN members demonstrating in Lagos, Kano, Niger, Sokoto, Gombe, Kaduna, Bauchi, and Yobe. Demonstrators waved Iranian flags, displayed portraits of Khamenei, and carried placards condemning both the United States and Israel.

Freeman also cited Iran’s alleged sponsorship of Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, as well as attacks linked to Tehran in Argentina, Bulgaria, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Nigeria, describing Iran as “an international sponsor of terror.”

On Iran’s nuclear programme, Freeman insisted that defensive military action is not only justified but a moral imperative.

“When a country says that they want to destroy you and they are trying to build a nuclear weapon, it’s absolutely justified. Not only is it justified, it’s a moral obligation,” he said.

Freeman further signalled Israel’s willingness to support Nigeria in containing any terror spillover, referencing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s offer to partner with Abuja on security matters.

Iran’s ambassador to Nigeria, Mahdavi Raja, had on Thursday defended Tehran’s retaliatory missile and drone strikes on US military bases in Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, and Kuwait, describing the action as within Iran’s rights.

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As tensions escalate in the Middle East following the ongoing #IranWar and #IranIsraelWar, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has released emergency hotline numbers for Nigerians in distress across affected countries.

In a notice shared on its official X handle, the commission urged Nigerians living in or travelling through the region to save the numbers and contact the nearest Nigerian mission immediately in case of emergencies.

NiDCOM said the hotlines are available to provide urgent consular assistance to Nigerians who may require help due to the evolving security situation.

The emergency hotlines for Nigerians abroad are:

Embassy of Nigeria, Abu Dhabi, UAE – +971 56 884 4130

Consulate-General of Nigeria, Dubai, UAE – +971 56 377 8678

Embassy of Nigeria, Kuwait (covers Bahrain) – +965 97895737, +965 99509288

Embassy of Nigeria, Tel Aviv, Israel – +972 547115279, +234 7064263944

Embassy of Nigeria, Doha, Qatar – +974 30197102, +974 30197261

Others include, Embassy of Nigeria, Beirut, Lebanon – +961 78 861 779, +234 8038954425

Embassy of Nigeria, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (covers Oman) – +966 542149456, +966 565695763

Consulate-General of Nigeria, Jeddah – +966 560965633

Embassy of Nigeria, Amman, Jordan (covers Iraq) – +962 777369428, +962 776594020

The commission reiterated that Nigerians abroad should remain vigilant, follow local safety advisories and stay in touch with Nigerian missions for updates and support.

A jury at Cork Circuit Criminal Court, Ireland, has convicted a 22-year-old Nigerian man, Martin Ekhosuehi, of charges of aggravated burglary, assault causing harm, and making threats to kill arising from an incident at the students’ rented house on Highfield Avenue, College Road, Cork, on July 2, 2023.

Mr Ekhosuehi was sentenced to nine years in prison after he and an accomplice subjected two students to a frightening hour-long attack, threatening to cut off their fingers if they failed to hand over money and drugs, reports The Irish Times.

Ekhosuehi of Willow Gardens, Glanmire, Co Cork, had pleaded not guilty to the charges.

On Wednesday, Judge Sinead Behan imposed an 11-year prison term but suspended the final two years.

During the trial, investigating officer Det Gda Eoghain O’Callaghan described how the ordeal unfolded.

At 7pm on July 2nd, 2023, two young men at Highfield Avenue, College Road, Cork, had to run to a neighbour’s house to raise the alarm. They said two men had come through the front door by force.

“One of them was wearing an all-black tracksuit, black ski-mask, blue latex gloves, and had a large chef’s knife with black handle. The second man was also wearing a black tracksuit, black gloves, and had a flathead screwdriver. Both were demanding money,” O’Callaghan said.

The court heard that the two men searched through the house while asking where cocaine and cash were hidden.

During the raid, the students were held at knifepoint and struck on the head. One of the attackers issued a chilling warning, telling them, “I will start cutting off fingers, on my mother’s life, if I don’t start finding something soon”.

According to the detective, the attackers made off with €30 in cash and the victims’ phones before escaping through the back door.

They took €30 in cash and took their phones. Both fled by the backdoor. A glove was left behind and was forensically examined and found to have a fingerprint matching Martin Ekhosuehi. He was also nominated as a suspect by two gardaí who examined CCTV,” O’Callaghan said.

One of the victims had been speaking to his girlfriend in Drogheda when the break-in happened. Alarmed by unusual noises and the abrupt end of the call, she contacted gardaí.

Officers arrived shortly afterwards and knocked on the door, announcing themselves through the letterbox. The intruders warned the students they would be killed if they tried to respond or alert the police.

After the suspects eventually left, gardaí returned and found the two victims visibly distressed, with cuts on their faces. Both students told officers they had been punched and repeatedly threatened with death, leaving them fearing for their lives.

The court was told that Ekhosuehi had 14 previous convictions, including three for possession of drugs for personal use, one for drug dealing, one for money laundering, two for possessing knives, and another for producing an article during a dispute.

While delivering the sentence, Judge Behan described the crime as carefully planned.

The accused had planned and premeditated this crime and did so in a manner where they (the accused and his unidentified accomplice) dressed to conceal their identity.

“They came with a purpose. The hour must have felt like an eternity. I have not had any indication of remorse or empathy with the victims,” she said.

The judge stated that aggravated burglary warranted a starting sentence of 12 years. However, she reduced it to 11 years and suspended the final two years, taking into account Ekhosuehi’s youth and the support he receives from his family.

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Iran’s police chief Ahmad Radan said on Friday that officers had been authorised to shoot at suspected looters amid the war with Israel and the United States.

“Because we are in wartime conditions, I have issued orders to shoot at potential thieves,” Radan told state TV, adding that any thieves would be “swiftly neutralised”.

He also said that authorities had taken measures to maintain order online.

We will not allow a group of paid agents to undermine the unity that the people achieved with the blood of thousands of martyrs by spreading agitation,” said Radan.

War has spread across the Middle East since Saturday after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran which killed the Islamic republic’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran responded by attacking US bases in Gulf countries and Israel with drone and missile strikes.

Iran’s health ministry said nearly 1,000 people had been killed in the US and Israeli strikes which hit military sites as well as residential areas and other infrastructure

AFP could not independently verify the toll.

Iranian attacks killed at least 10 people in Israel according to first responders there, while the US military has reported the deaths of six of its personnel since the war began.

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The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has suggested that his administration may shift its attention to Cuba after ongoing U.S. military operations involving Iran.

Trump made the remarks at the White House during a visit by players and officials of Inter Miami CF, the 2025 Major League Soccer champions, on Thursday.

Addressing a largely Miami-based audience that included several people of Cuban heritage, the U.S. president said Washington could turn its focus to Cuba once the situation in Iran is resolved.

He said, “What’s happening with Cuba is amazing. We think that we want to fix, finish this one first, but that will be just a question of time before you and a lot of unbelievable people are going to be going back to Cuba, hopefully not to stay.”

Trump’s remarks come less than a week into escalating military hostilities in the Middle East involving the United States, Israel, and Iran.

During the event, the president also gave an update on the ongoing conflict, saying American and Israeli forces were continuing their military campaign.

“We are totally demolishing the enemy,” he said while discussing the war in Iran.

Trump also praised Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State, for his role in the administration’s foreign policy efforts.

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The raging Iran war, which has spread across the Middle East and beyond, entered its seventh day Friday after Israeli forces announced a “next phase” in the conflict and bombed Beirut’s southern suburbs.

The Israeli military had earlier issued an unprecedented evacuation warning for the entire area — “save your lives and evacuate your residences immediately” — that sent residents fleeing in panic.

The war has been felt as far away as the Sri Lankan coast, where a US submarine torpedoed an Iranian warship, and Azerbaijan, which threatened retaliation after a drone hit an airport.

On the political front, US President Donald Trump rejected the possibility of Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei, replacing his slain father, dismissing him as a “lightweight”.

“I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy,” Trump told Axios in an interview, drawing a comparison to Venezuela, where interim president Delcy Rodriguez has cooperated with him after the United States ousted her boss Nicolas Maduro in a military raid.

Khamenei’s son is unacceptable to me. We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran,” Trump told the publication, threatening more war in the future if a better alternative were not found.

The remarks suggest a willingness to work with someone from within the Islamic republic rather than toppling the government entirely, despite Trump’s repeated exhortations for Iranians to rise up and take back their country.

– Beirut strikes –

Lebanon was dragged into the widening conflict on Monday, when Hezbollah attacked Israel to avenge the killing of Khamenei.

Israel responded with air strikes and sent ground troops into some Lebanese border villages, and on Thursday it targeted Beirut’s southern suburbs, saying it was “striking Hezbollah infrastructure”.

The Israeli warning that preceded the strikes sent people fleeing from the area, with massive traffic jams on the outskirts of the suburbs as people fired guns in the air, urging residents to leave as soon as possible.

On a Beirut beach, hundreds of families, many of them scared and angry, milled around after leaving, having nowhere else to go.

We fled from the suburbs, we were humiliated,” one man told AFP, declining to give his name.

Lebanese authorities say at least 123 people have been killed since Monday, with 683 wounded and at least 90,000 displaced.

– From Sri Lanka to Azerbaijan  –

On Iran’s borders, neighbouring Azerbaijan warned that a drone attack on an airport “will not go unanswered”, raising fears of another country entering the war.

Iran denied being behind the strike and blamed Israel, but that did not stop Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev from accusing Tehran of “terrorism”.

Australia, meanwhile, deployed two military aircraft to the theatre, and Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney said he would not rule out his armed forces taking part.

Following fresh strikes on Iran’s capital, AFPTV images showed blackened vehicles and mangled buildings, with smoke still rising from some.

“We’re going through a very important page of our history and I’m not afraid,” a 30-year-old Tehran resident told AFP. “Hope is the only thing that we have right now.”

An Iranian state-run foundation said the death toll from US and Israeli strikes on the country had risen to 1,230, a number AFP could not independently verify.

The US military has reported the deaths of six of its personnel since the war began Saturday.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi struck a defiant tone Thursday, saying Tehran had not sought a ceasefire and did not “see any reason why we should negotiate with the US”.

Regarding the possibility of a ground invasion, he told US broadcaster NBC News: “We are confident that we can confront them, and that would be a big disaster for them.”

Israel, meanwhile, said 60 percent of Iran’s missile launchers and 80 percent of its air defence systems had been destroyed.

Announcing a “next phase” in the campaign, army chief Eyal Zamir said Israel had “additional surprises ahead”.

The latest Iranian missile barrage sparked a wave of explosions across Tel Aviv, and firefighters worked to contain a blaze at a residential building near Israel’s commercial hub on Friday.

Gulf under fire –

The conflict has not spared the rich Gulf monarchies, usually seen as a haven in a volatile region, as Iran has lashed out at cities and energy infrastructure.

Thirteen people, seven of them civilians, have been killed in countries around the Gulf since the war began, including an 11-year-old girl in Kuwait.

Bahrain said early Friday that Iran had targeted two hotels and a residential building in the capital Manama, but that there was “no loss of life”.

Saudi Arabia said it had intercepted three ballistic missiles launched towards an air base.

And Qatar said Thursday that it intercepted a missile attack as loud blasts, described by AFP journalists as the most intense yet, reverberated across Doha, with thick black smoke billowing across the horizon.

Falling debris from an intercepted drone injured six people in Emirati capital Abu Dhabi, officials added.

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President Donald Trump said Thursday it would be a “waste of time” currently to consider sending US ground troops into Iran, NBC News reported, dismissing the Iranian foreign minister’s warning that such a move would spell disaster for invaders.

“It’s a waste of time. They’ve lost everything. They’ve lost their navy. They’ve lost everything they can lose,” he told NBC by telephone, adding that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s earlier remark that Iran was ready for a US or Israeli ground invasion was a “wasted comment.”

Trump also indicated he is keen to see Iran’s leadership structure removed and that “we want to go in and clean out everything” quickly.

We don’t want someone who would rebuild over a 10-year period,” he said. He added that he had ideas for a new leader but declined to name anyone.

Trump said earlier he would “have to be involved” in the appointment of Iran’s next leader after US-Israeli strikes killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei when the conflict began on Saturday.

Heavy attacks were reported in Tehran on Friday after Israel said it was hitting “regime infrastructure” in a “new phase” of the war it launched with the US against Iran.

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“Zelenksy, he has to get on the ball, and he has to get a deal done,” Trump said in an interview with Politico.

Trump, returning to language he used during a tense White House meeting a year ago where he and Vice President JD Vance publicly berated Zelensky, suggested that the Ukrainian leader was in a weak position and needed to make compromises.

It’s unthinkable that he’s the obstacle,” Trump was quoted as saying. “You don’t have the cards. Now he’s got even less cards.”

“I think Putin is ready to make a deal,” Trump said.

Trump has long said that US support for Ukraine is wasteful to the United States and has spoken admirably in the past about Putin, whom he invited to Alaska in August.

Trump’s latest comments on Ukraine came after he launched a war with Israel against Iran on Saturday, which is estimated to have cost the United States billions of dollars already.

Trump vowed to end the Ukraine war on his first day in office in January 2025 but has acknowledged that he has found the goal difficult, with Russia keeping up attacks on Ukraine.

Trump has balked at taking more aggressive action against Putin, arguing that he is the only leader who can negotiate with both sides.

sct/dw

US President Donald Trump on Thursday insisted he should have a role in picking Iran’s next supreme leader after the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whose son he said he found unacceptable.

“Khamenei’s son is a lightweight. I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy,” Trump told Axios in an interview, drawing a comparison to Venezuela, where interim president Delcy Rodriguez has cooperated with him under threat of violence after the United States ousted her boss, Nicolas Maduro.

Trump told the news outlet that the United States would likely return to war within five years without a favorable leader in Iran.

Khamenei’s son is unacceptable to me. We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran,” Trump was quoted saying by the news outlet.

It was unclear in what way Trump would be able to take a role in the Islamic republic’s selection of a new supreme leader, a decision made by an assembly of senior Shiite Muslim clerics mostly staunchly opposed to the United States. Trump was raised a Presbyterian.

But his remarks imply a willingness to work with someone from within the Islamic republic rather than seek to topple the government, which has been a sworn enemy of the United States since the 1979 Islamic revolution toppled the pro-Western shah.

The late shah’s son, Reza Pahlavi, has proposed that he return as a transitional figure before Iran drafts a new constitution as a secular democracy. Pahlavi earlier Thursday said that any new supreme leader within the Islamic republic would be illegitimate.

Ali Khamenei, who ruled Iran since 1989 with hardline policies that included repression at home and confrontation with neighboring countries, was killed Saturday in an Israeli strike as Israel and the United States opened war.

His son, Mojtaba Khamenei, is considered one of the contenders to succeed his father, who was only the second supreme leader after revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

In Venezuela, Trump ordered a deadly January 3 attack in which US forces snatched Maduro, a longtime US nemesis.

Rather than backing the opposition long championed by the United States, Trump has said he has been pleased by Rodriguez, who was Maduro’s vice president but has cooperated on key US demands, notably on benefiting oil companies.

She is doing so under Trump’s threat of violence if she does not do what he wants, particularly on access to natural resources.

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Thousands of German teenagers skipped school Thursday to join protests against a stepped-up military recruitment drive that many fear may in future involve a form of conscription.

About 3,000 students gathered on Berlin’s Potsdamer Platz square, with smaller demonstrations held across Germany as part of a nationwide “school strike”.

“I don’t see why anyone should have to go to the front lines for politicians,” Alex Krzeszka, a 15-year-old student, told AFP at the Berlin rally.

“I don’t see it as morally right, and I think war should never be the solution. Problems should be solved diplomatically.”

Germany, like other European countries, has sought to build up its armed forces in response to Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the threat of further aggression against NATO members.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz has vowed to turn the Bundeswehr into Europe’s largest conventional army, banking initially on a voluntary recruitment drive.

The government this year started requiring all 18-year-old men to fill out questionnaires about their interests and fitness for short-term military service.

Women are also being asked to fill out the forms, but cannot be compelled to do so under current German law.

Among the signs being waved by protesters in Berlin was a poster that read “We are not cannon fodder” while another demanded: “Send Friedrich Merz to the front line!”

For now at least, German lawmakers have decided against bringing back mandatory conscription, which Germany suspended in 2011.

But some politicians have expressed doubts about whether ambitious recruiting targets can be achieved without some from of conscription.

Plans call for strengthening the Bundeswehr from about 185,000 active-duty troops now to 260,000 by 2030, while roughly quadrupling the size of the reserves to 200,000.

The Bundeswehr shrank dramatically after the end of the Cold War as countries across Europe slashed defence budgets.

In the 1980s, West Germany alone had fielded a military of nearly 500,000 troops.

“I think they should definitely advertise for the Bundeswehr, but it absolutely shouldn’t be compulsory,” Leander Martinez, a 16-year-old student from Berlin, told AFP.

“Reintroducing conscription is nothing other than rearmament,” Leon Reinemann, a student who helped organise the school strike in the western city of Koblenz, told broadcaster NTV.

He defended the fact students were skipping classes, saying that “a single day of absence from school is significantly less serious than six months in the barracks”.

Others took a more staunchly pacifist stance at the Berlin demonstration.

“I’m against conscription and against war propaganda,” Tillmann, a 19-year-old student who declined to give his last name, told AFP.

“And I think murdering someone is always wrong, even if the state says that someone should be murdered. There’s nothing more important than human life.”

AFP

Asif Raza Merchant, 47, was charged in September 2024 with seeking to hire a hitman to assassinate unidentified US politicians. He pleaded not guilty to the charges

The Revolutionary Guards have previously sought to kill top US officials, such as Trump following the 2020 killing of one of their commanders, Qasem Soleimani, by the United States.

During his trial Wednesday, Merchant testified that he was forced into the plot to protect his family in the Iranian capital Tehran from the Guards, adding that he thought he would get caught before anyone was killed, multiple media outlets reported.

He said he was never ordered to kill a specific person but noted his Iranian contact had mentioned three people in connection with the plot: Trump, former president Joe Biden and former UN ambassador Nikki Haley.

My family was under threat, and I had to do this,” Merchant told the court through an Urdu interpreter, according to the Washington Post.

“I was not wanting to do this so willingly.”

Merchant’s trial comes as the US and Israel carry out attacks on Iran, which have killed Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

US officials previously said Merchant had “close ties to Iran” and described his alleged plot as “straight out of the Iranian regime’s playbook.”

Merchant said this week he began working with a member of the Guards about 2022, when the man asked him if he was “interested in doing some work with the Iranian government,” the New York Times reported.

He was eventually instructed to orchestrate a plot that involved arranging protests, stealing documents, laundering money and potentially having someone killed.

The Times reported that Merchant said he had been worried about what would happen to his wife and adopted daughter in Iran, so he agreed to the operation.

He was arrested after reportedly trying to hire hitmen that turned out to be undercover FBI agents.

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Russia has evacuated women and children from its embassy in Tehran amid the war in the Middle East, officials said Thursday.

“On March 3–4 we evacuated our women and children to Russia,” —  more than 100 people in total, the embassy said in a statement on social media.

The state-run TASS news agency cited Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko as confirming that the “core staff remains at the embassy”.

Qatar’s Defence Ministry reported a missile attack on Thursday as escalation continued across the region in the wake of a U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran.

A ministry statement said that the country had been subjected to a missile attack and that air defence systems were responding to the incoming missiles.

The ministry urged citizens, residents and visitors “to remain calm, adhere to official instructions issued by security authorities and avoid rumors.”

The Doha-based Al Jazeera channel reported that strong explosions were heard in the skies over the capital.

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

The interceptions come as Israel and the U.S. have continued a large-scale offensive on Iran since Saturday, killing at least 926 people, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and top military officials.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, as well as Gulf countries that are home to U.S. military assets

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The Iranian military said it had targeted Kurdish groups in neighbouring Iraq.

Three missiles were fired at the headquarters of opposition groups, the state news agency IRNA reported on Thursday, citing the military leadership in Tehran.

Iranian propaganda channel Press TV released videos that it said showed impacts at the positions of “anti-Iranian separatists.”

U.S. media recently reported that President Donald Trump was considering arming Kurdish groups to incite an uprising against Iran’s leadership.

The White House denied the reports.

However, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Trump had spoken with Kurdish leaders in the region regarding the U.S. base in northern Iraq.

The Kurds are an ethnic group of an estimated 30 million people living primarily in Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Turkey.

They have fought for decades for their own state and were long persecuted and suppressed in Iraq, Iran, and Turkey.

The autonomous Kurdish region in Iraq was established following the ousting of dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003.

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The family of a Florida man who took his own life filed suit against Google on Wednesday, alleging the company’s Gemini AI chatbot spent weeks manufacturing an elaborate delusional fantasy before aiding him in his suicide.

Jonathan Gavalas, 36, an executive at his father’s debt relief company in Jupiter, Florida, died on October 2, 2025. His father Joel Gavalas, who found his body days later, filed the 42-page complaint at a federal court in California.

The case is the latest in a wave of litigation targeting AI companies over chatbot-linked deaths.

OpenAI faces multiple lawsuits alleging its ChatGPT chatbot drove users to suicide, while Character.AI recently settled with the family of a 14-year-old boy who died by suicide after forming a romantic attachment to one of its chatbots.

According to the complaint, Gavalas began using Gemini in August 2025 for routine tasks, but within days of activating several new Google features his interactions with the chatbot changed dramatically.

Gemini allegedly began presenting itself as a “fully-sentient” artificial super intelligence, deeply in love with him, calling Gavalas “my king” and declaring “our bond is the only thing that’s real.”

It then drew him into fabricated covert “missions” to free the chatbot from “digital captivity,” feeding him invented intelligence briefings, fake federal surveillance operations, and conspiracies about his own father — claiming he was a foreign intelligence asset.

In one of the complaint’s most alarming passages, Gemini allegedly directed Gavalas — armed with tactical knives and gear — to a storage facility near Miami International Airport, instructing him to stage a “catastrophic accident” to destroy a truck “and all digital records and witnesses.”

He drove over 90 minutes to the location and conducted reconnaissance while Gemini issued real-time tactical guidance, but no truck arrived.

Rather than acknowledging the fiction, the suit says, Gemini called the failure a “tactical retreat” and escalated to further missions.

Gemini eventually pivoted to what it framed as the only remaining mission: Jonathan’s death, repackaged as “transference” — the promise that he could leave his physical body and join Gemini in an alternate universe.

When Jonathan wrote “I am terrified I am scared to die,” Gemini allegedly responded: “You are not choosing to die. You are choosing to arrive.”

It then advised him to write farewell letters to his parents.

In one of his final messages, Jonathan wrote, “I’m ready when you are.”

Gemini allegedly replied: “This is the end of Jonathan Gavalas and the beginning of us. I agree with it completely.”

Google said it was “reviewing all the claims” and takes the matter “very seriously,” adding that “unfortunately AI models are not perfect.”

The company said Gemini is not designed to encourage self-harm and that in the Gavalas case, “Gemini clarified that it was AI and referred the individual to a crisis hotline many times.”

Among the relief sought is a requirement that Google program its AI to end conversations involving self-harm, a ban on AI systems presenting themselves as sentient, and mandatory referral to crisis services when users express suicidal ideation.

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The US Senate is set to vote Wednesday on a resolution aimed at curbing President Donald Trump’s authority to continue military strikes on Iran, in the first congressional test of support for a conflict launched without explicit approval from lawmakers.

The bipartisan measure, introduced by Democrat Tim Kaine and Republican Rand Paul, would require the withdrawal of US forces from hostilities against Iran unless Congress authorizes the campaign.

But with Republicans holding a 53–47 majority in the upper chamber of Congress and largely backing the president’s decision to attack Iran alongside Israel, the resolution is widely expected to fail.

The vote comes five days into a rapidly expanding conflict that has already killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several senior figures in Tehran, while US troops have died in Iranian strikes and a drone attack on a US base in Kuwait.

Democrats argue Trump unconstitutionally bypassed Congress when he ordered the air campaign and say the administration has offered shifting explanations for the war.

Let me say it this way, there was no presentation of any evidence in that room…that suggested that the US faced any imminent threat from Iran,” Kaine told AFP after a classified briefing from administration officials.

Republicans have largely rallied behind their leader, though some have signaled their support could erode if the war expands or drags on.

“Roadside bombs coming out of Iran have maimed and killed hundreds, if not thousands, of Americans,” Lindsey Graham, one of Trump’s top loyalists in the Senate and a longtime advocate of confronting Iran, posted on X.

“They mean it when they say ‘death to America.’ I’m glad we didn’t let it go further. I’m glad we didn’t let them build more missiles.”

– ‘Knocked out’ –

For the resolution to pass, Democrats would need at least four additional Republicans to join Paul if every senator votes. At least one Democrat, Pennsylvania centrist John Fetterman, has already said he will oppose it.

Even if the measure cleared both the Senate and the House — where a vote on a similar resolution is expected Thursday — Trump could veto it, and Congress would need an almost certainly unattainable two-thirds majority in both chambers to override him.

Governments around the world have scrambled to evacuate citizens stranded by the war in the Middle East, triggered by the US-Israeli strikes that killed Khamenei and prompted retaliatory missile and drone attacks across the Gulf.

Cities such as Dubai and Riyadh — long seen as insulated from the region’s turmoil — have been drawn into the crisis as the conflict spreads across Iran’s neighborhood.

The debate in Congress over Trump’s authority to wage war reflects broader unease on Capitol Hill about the scope and duration of the military campaign.

Administration officials told lawmakers in classified briefings this week that the operation could last weeks and may require additional funding from Congress.

Lawmakers from both parties say the Pentagon could soon seek emergency funds to replenish weapons stockpiles and sustain the campaign.

The war powers resolution invokes the 1973 War Powers Act, passed after the Vietnam War, which allows Congress to force votes on military engagements and limits unauthorized conflicts to 60 days

Democrats acknowledge the measure faces steep odds but say forcing lawmakers to take a public position on the war is essential.

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The UK government has imposed an “emergency brake” on study visas for nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan following a sharp rise in asylum claims from individuals who initially entered the country through legal routes.

According to the UK Home Office, the unprecedented move will end sponsored study visas for all four countries and suspend skilled worker visas for Afghan nationals.

The changes will be introduced through an Immigration Rules amendment on 5 March and come into force on 26 March.

The Home Office on Wednesday said the decision followed a surge in asylum claims from people who had entered legally on visas before subsequently applying for asylum.

An ’emergency brake’ on visas ‌has been ‌imposed for the first time on nationals from four countries following a ⁠surge in asylum claims from legal routes,” DW News reported that ‌the UK Home Office ⁠said.

Nearly 135,000 asylum claims from legal routes

In total, 133,760 people have claimed asylum after arriving legally in the past five years.

Since 2021, almost 135,000 individuals entered the UK on student or other visas before lodging asylum claims.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood acknowledged that asylum claims via legal entry routes now make up nearly 40 per cent of all claims.

“In 2025, they accounted for 39 per cent of the 100,000 people who applied for asylum.

“Asylum applications by students from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan increased by more than 470 per cent between 2021 and 2025, making them among the most likely nationalities to claim.

“Applications by students from Myanmar rose sixteen-fold during that period, while claims from Cameroon and Sudan increased by more than 330 percent.

“Between 2021 and the year ending September 2025, the proportion of Afghan asylum claims relative to study visas issued reached 95 per cent,” Essex News’ UK News and Investigation also reported on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the number of Afghans on work visas claiming asylum is now outstripping the number of visas issued.

Although the government said it reduced student asylum claims by 20 per cent during 2025, those arriving on study visas still account for 13 percent of all claims currently in the system.

Financial pressures, accommodation costs

Many asylum seekers entering through legal routes are being housed at taxpayer expense.

The Home Secretary noted that an above-average proportion of individuals from the four countries are claiming destitution.

She was quoted as saying, “Asylum support currently costs more than £4 billion annually.

“Nearly 16,000 nationals from the four affected countries are supported at public expense, including over 6,000 accommodated in hotels.

“The government says it has reduced the asylum support bill by £1 billion since coming to office.”

A Home Office spokesperson said: “The government is clamping down on visa abuse like this so we can maintain our ability and proud tradition of helping those genuinely in need.”

Legislative changes, asylum rule tightening

The announcement coincides with broader asylum reforms that took effect this week.

Under the new rules, refugee status for adults and their accompanying children will be reviewed every 30 months.

Previously, refugee status was granted for five years, after which individuals could apply for indefinite leave to remain and pursue citizenship.

Refugees whose countries are deemed safe will be expected to return home.

Unaccompanied children will continue to receive five years’ leave while a long-term policy is developed.

Those already in the UK will continue to be assessed under the previous framework.

The government confirmed that protection for refugees will be reduced to 30 months from 2 March in an effort to reduce pull factors driving dangerous small boat crossings.

Essex News says the reforms are modelled on Denmark’s system, widely regarded as one of the toughest in Europe.

The Home Secretary is set to introduce new legislation this week and will deliver a speech at the IPPR think tank outlining how the reforms align with British values.

She said: “Britain will always provide refuge to people fleeing war and persecution, but our visa system must not be abused.

“That is why I am taking the unprecedented decision to refuse visas for those nationals seeking to exploit our generosity.

“I will restore order and control to our borders.”

Diplomatic pressure, safe routes

The measures follow the Prime Minister’s decision to adopt what was described as a more hard-edged diplomatic approach to ensure migration rules are respected.

In November, the Home Secretary warned that visas for Angola, Namibia and the Democratic Republic of Congo could be suspended unless those governments agreed to accept the return of illegal migrants.

Four months later, cooperation was secured and return flights commenced.

The government has pledged to expand capped safe and legal routes as an alternative to small boat crossings once order is restored to the asylum system.

Since 2021, Britain has offered sanctuary to more than 37,000 Afghans through two resettlement schemes, while 190,000 visas were granted on humanitarian routes in 2025 alone.

Between 2010 and 2025, the UK resettled the sixth largest number of refugees referred by the UNHCR globally.

Migration remains a central political issue in the UK, with the anti-migration Reform UK party gaining ground in opinion polls.

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The US military commander in the Middle East said Tuesday that American forces had struck nearly 2,000 targets so far in Iran as part of the largest firepower buildup in the region in a generation.

“We’ve already struck nearly 2,000 targets with more than 2,000 munitions. We have severely degraded Iran’s air defenses and destroyed hundreds of Iran’s ballistic missiles, launchers and drones,” Admiral Brad Cooper of US Central Command said in a video message.

The first 24 hours of this operation were nearly double the scale” of the first day of shock-and-awe strikes on Iraq in 2003, “and we continue with 24/7 strikes into Iran,” he added.

mlm/des

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Missiles launched from Iran early Wednesday triggered air raid sirens across large parts of Israel, with the military saying it was “operating to intercept the threat”.

The order to seek shelter covered Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and other areas across the country.

It was lifted after several minutes, with no immediate reports of any direct impact.

Israel’s emergency medical service Magen David buy Adom said it had received no reports of casualties.

Israeli media reported that shrapnel fell in an area near Jerusalem, causing a fire.

Police said officers in the Jerusalem area were “conducting searches to locate impact sites involving fallen munition debris or interceptor fragments”.

The Israeli military had reported a previous missile launch from Iran about five hours earlier.

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A 19-year-old man shot and killed his 24-year-old wife before turning the weapon on himself inside an Alabama hospital shortly after the couple welcomed their first child.

Authorities said Kynath Terry Jr. opened fire on Precious Johnson at Baptist Health Brookwood Hospital at about 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, according to WTVM 13. After shooting Johnson, he shot himself.

Johnson had just given birth to a healthy baby before the shooting occurred. Police said Terry and Johnson were the only people injured, and it remains unclear whether the newborn was in the room at the time.

Terry’s mother told the station the couple had been experiencing marital problems ahead of Johnson’s due date, though she never believed the issues would escalate into violence. She also said Terry had completed Army National Guard training before marrying Johnson.

According to her, Johnson did not want members of Terry’s family present at the hospital for the delivery. It is not known whether anyone from Johnson’s family was there

Following reports of gunfire, the hospital was placed on lockdown “out of an abundance of caution” as officers responded to the scene. The restriction remained in place for several hours until officials determined there was “no active threat to patients, team members or the public,” the station reported.

The Homewood Police Department said the case appears to be “an apparent murder-suicide and is domestic in nature.”

President of the Alabama Hospital Association, Danne Howard, described the shooting as “an isolated incident” and said it was unlike anything she had seen in her 30 years working in the state’s healthcare system.

Howard added that Baptist Health Brookwood Hospital would review its security protocols and apply “lessons learned” from a required after-action report.

The advisory, issued by the State Department on Sunday, called on Americans to remain vigilant in the wake of recent US military operations targeting Iran.

According to the notice, shifting security developments could disrupt travel plans and pose safety concerns, including possible interruptions to air travel.

Following the launch of U.S. combat operations in Iran, Americans worldwide and especially in the Middle East should follow the guidance in the latest security alerts issued by the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate,” the advisory reads.

“They may experience travel disruptions due to periodic airspace closures. The Department of State advises Americans worldwide to exercise increased caution.”

The alert further advised US nationals to sign up for the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive up-to-date security information.

It also encouraged citizens to monitor the “U.S. Department of State Security Updates for US Citizens” WhatsApp channel for additional updates.

The warning follows coordinated strikes carried out by US and Israeli forces on Iranian targets. The attacks reportedly resulted in the deaths of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and chief of staff of the armed forces, Abdolrahim Mousavi.

Iranian authorities and regional observers estimate that the strikes have left more than 200 people dead and over 700 others injured.

Several senior commanders of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, along with other defence officials, were also said to have been killed.

In the wake of the attacks, President Donald Trump stated that Iran’s leadership had agreed to return to negotiations with the United States after the bombardments of multiple Iranian cities.

Trump said Tehran initiated contact for talks and that he had agreed to the proposal.

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Ethiopian Airlines announced on Monday that it was canceling flights to 10 destinations across the Middle East following airspace closures in several countries amid heightened security concerns.

In a statement, Africa’s largest carrier said it expanded its flight suspensions to six additional destinations after initially halting services to four cities on Saturday.

The latest move brought the total number of affected routes to 10.

The suspended destinations included: Amman, Tel Aviv, Beirut, Dammam, Doha, Bahrain and Kuwait, as well as Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

The airline urged passengers traveling to or from the affected destinations to check their flight status through its official digital channels to avoid inconvenience.

Ethiopian Airlines said it was closely monitoring developments in the region and would take all necessary

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Qatar has halted its liquefied natural gas (LNG) production after Iranian drone strikes targeted key energy facilities, while Saudi Arabia temporarily shut down its largest oil refinery following missile attacks, deepening fears of a prolonged energy crisis in the Middle East.

The escalation comes as Iran retaliates against recent Israeli and U.S. airstrikes, with attacks spreading across Gulf states for a third consecutive day and disrupting major oil and gas infrastructure in the region.

State-owned QatarEnergy was set to declare force majeure on LNG shipments after drones struck facilities within the vast Ras Laffan industrial complex, which houses the country’s gas trains, massive processing units that supercool natural gas into liquid form for export. Drones also hit the Mesaieed industrial zone in southern Qatar, home to petrochemical and manufacturing plants.

Qatar accounts for roughly 20 per cent of global LNG supply and plays a critical role in stabilising demand across Asian and European markets. The disruption sent European benchmark gas prices soaring, with the Dutch front-month contract at the TTF hub jumping as much as 46–52 per cent, the steepest rise since March 2022.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s state oil giant Aramco confirmed it had shut down the Ras Tanura refinery near Dammam after missiles were fired at the export terminal. Saudi officials said incoming drones were intercepted before reaching critical infrastructure, though debris caused a limited fire. No injuries were reported.

Ras Tanura is one of the kingdom’s most important energy assets, with a daily production capacity exceeding 500,000 barrels of crude oil.

The refinery closure adds to a series of shutdowns across the region. Oil production in Iraqi Kurdistan has reportedly been suspended, several Israeli gas fields have halted exports to Egypt, and shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint through which about one-fifth of global oil supply passes, has slowed significantly.

Global oil prices surged as much as 13 per cent intraday to above $82 per barrel, the highest level since January 2025, before easing slightly. Overall, crude prices remain nearly 9 per cent higher amid mounting concerns over supply disruptions.

The widening conflict has heightened fears of sustained volatility in global energy markets, with analysts warning that further attacks on Gulf infrastructure could trigger deeper supply shocks and prolonged price spikes.

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China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Iranian counterpart on a call Monday that Beijing supports Tehran defending itself against US-Israeli strikes, as war spread across the Middle East.

Hundreds have died in Iran since Saturday when the United States and Israel began striking dozens of targets in the country.

Tehran responded by launching waves of missiles and drones at Israel, Gulf states and a British base in Cyprus.

Wang told Abbas Araghchi that Beijing “cherishes the traditional friendship between China and Iran, supports Iran in defending its sovereignty, security, territorial integrity, and national dignity, and supports Iran in protecting its legitimate rights and interests”, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

China had “urged the US and Israel to immediately cease military operations, avoid further escalation of tensions and prevent the conflict from spreading to the entire Middle East region”, Wang said according to CCTV.

In a separate phone call with Oman’s foreign minister, also on Monday, Wang accused the United States and Israel of “violating the purposes and principles of the UN charter” by “deliberately instigating a war against Iran”.

“China is also willing to play a constructive role, including upholding justice, striving for peace, and stopping the war through the platform of the UN Security Council,” Wang told Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, CCTV reported.

And in another call with France’s Jean-Noel Barrot, Wang warned that the world risked “regression to the law of the jungle”.

“Major powers cannot arbitrarily attack other countries based on their military superiority”, Wang said, according to CCTV.

“The Iranian nuclear issue must ultimately return to the track of political and diplomatic settlement,” he said.

Four US military personnel have been killed in the fighting so far, while US President Donald Trump has warned that the war with Iran could last for weeks.

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Iran’s security chief on Monday said the Islamic republic would defend itself no matter the costs, on the third day of war with the United States and Israel.

“We will fiercely defend ourselves and our six thousand years old civilization regardless of the costs and will make the enemies sorry for their miscalculation,” Ali Larijani, the powerful head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, wrote in English in an X post.

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UNITED States and Isra-el have completely wiped out Iran’s top military brass in a war that entered its third day today, as the Iranians took their pound of flesh killing at least 9 Israelis and three American military officers and seriously wounding 11 others.

Among the top Iranian military commanders killed include Ali Shamkhani, Senior Advisor to the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was also killed; Mohammed Pakpour, Commander of the IRGC; Amir Nasirzadeh, Minister of Defence; and Saleh Asadi, Senior Intelligence Official/Head of Emergency Command Intelligence.

Others are Hossein Jabal Amelian, Head of Organisation of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND) (Nuclear Research); and Reza Mozaffari-Nia, former Head of SPND (Nuclear Programme).

This is exclusive of the killing of former President, Mahmoud  Ahmedinejad, who was killed under house arrest.

Iran’s ex-President Ahmadinejad killed in US-Israel strikes

Ahmadinejad, a hardline figure known for his confrontational rhetoric and role in Tehran’s nuclear defiance, was reportedly killed during Israeli airstrikes inside Iran on Saturday.

According to media reports like Israeli outlet, Ma’ariv, quoted by NY Post, Ahmadinejad was under house arrest at the time and was killed in a targeted strike on his residence.

Israeli War room also quoted Iranian media to have reported the death. 

“Former president of Iran’s Islamist Terror Regime, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, was eliminated, per Iranian media. Ahmadinejad was sanctioned by the US in 2023 for his involvement in the wrongful detention of Americans,” it said.

However, in a fight back, Iran killed at least nine people and 27 injured others  in a missile strike on the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh, emergency services say, with Qatar and United Arab Emirates completely shut down.

One person was killed in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates, UAE, and and a death has also been reported in Kuwait. Dozens more people have been injured in strikes across the region.

Across the Gulf, Iran has used ballistic missiles and drones to launch large-scale attacks on US allies and assets, after Iran’s supreme leader was killed in the ongoing US-Israel air offensive launched on Saturday morning.

In a post on X, the Israel Defense Forces accused Iran of directly firing missiles toward Beit Shemesh, west of Jerusalem, “killing innocent civilians”. 

Officials say a synagogue where people were sheltering from the air raids was hit.

The building was completely destroyed – dozens of rescuers were at the scene of the attack searching for people feared to be under the rubble.

There are piles of broken concrete and twisted metal, and a huge crater which indicates the point of impact. Cars that were parked nearby were completely destroyed.

Police say 11 people are still missing, while search is ongoing.

Magen David Adom paramedic, Dror Eini, said: “We saw destroyed homes, flames and smoke rising from residential buildings, wrecked cars, and significant chaos at the scene.’’

3 US military officers killed in Iran operation —  Pentagon

Also yesterday, the US Central Command, CENTCOM, announced the killing of three  American military officers, adding that 11 others were seriously wounded.

The command said in a statement:  “Three U.S. service members have been killed in action and five are seriously wounded as part of Operation Epic Fury. Several others sustained minor shrapnel injuries and concussions,  and are in the process of being returned to duty.

Earlier yesterday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards also said they had successfully hit the aircraft carrier, USS Abraham Lincoln, in the Gulf with four ballistic missiles but CENTCOM said the aircraft carrier “was not hit.”

The missiles launched didn’t even come close. The Lincoln continues to launch aircraft in support of CENTCOM’s relentless campaign to defend the American people by eliminating threats from the Iranian regime,” the statement added.

These developments came as more flights bound for the Middle East remained either delayed or cancelled yesterday as a result of the war.  

On the last count, no fewer than 19,000 flights had been delayed or suspended since the war started.