conflict

Erdogan, Zelensky discuss energy security, peace efforts

US

Trump gives Iran 48 hours to make deal, as US hunts for airman

BY AFP TEAMS IN TEHRAN, JERUSALEM, WASHINGTON, BEIRUT, DUBAI AND SANAA

  • "Time is running out -- 48 hours before all Hell will reign (sic) down on them."
  • President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Tehran had 48 hours left to cut a deal or face "all Hell", as US and Iranian forces scrambled to find a downed American airman.
  • "Time is running out -- 48 hours before all Hell will reign (sic) down on them."
President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Tehran had 48 hours left to cut a deal or face "all Hell", as US and Iranian forces scrambled to find a downed American airman.
Trump's latest threat came after a strike near an Iranian nuclear power plant prompted evacuations, and as Tehran announced fresh attacks and the Israeli military said it had detected another missile launch from Yemen. 
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they hit a commercial ship in Bahrain, as they maintained their tight grip on the Strait of Hormuz shipping lane and continued to strike economic targets in their 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, according to the deputy governor of Khuzestan province.  
The war erupted more than a month ago with US-Israeli strikes on Iran, triggering a retaliation that has spread the conflict throughout the Middle East and convulsed the global economy -- particularly due to the closure of the strait, a vital conduit for oil and gas.
"Remember when I gave Iran ten days to MAKE A DEAL or OPEN UP THE HORMUZ STRAIT," Trump wrote 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."
Tehran said on Friday it had shot down an F-15 warplane and US media reported United States special forces had rescued one of its two crew members, with the other still missing.
Iran's military also said it downed a US A-10 ground attack aircraft in the Gulf, with US media saying the pilot of that plane was rescued.
The local Mehr news agency on Saturday quoted the deputy governor of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, Fattah Mohammadi, as saying the search for the missing pilot involved "presence of popular forces and tribesmen alongside military forces and is still ongoing".
He added that "last night, people fired at enemy helicopters with rifles and did not allow them to land". 
Images posted on social media and verified by AFPTV showed Iranian police firing at a US helicopter in southwestern Iran as US forces searched for the airman.
Retired US brigadier general Houston Cantwell, who has 400 hours of combat flight experience, said a pilot's training would likely kick in even before he or she parachuted to the ground.
"My priority would be, first of all, concealment, because I don't want to be captured," he told AFP.

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.
There were also more strikes on Tehran, where an AFP journalist saw a thick haze of grey smoke covering the skyline.
"This war wasn't for freedom... we just ended up trapped with something even more savage," 31-year-old Faezeh told AFP via messenger app from Tehran.
"They bomb randomly, there's no sign of any specific target these recent days."
Maryam, a 35-year-old from Khansar in Isfahan province said Iranians are divided between those hoping for an end to their government and those more fearful of economic disaster.  
"I'm honestly really scared about our future," she told AFP. "Things are a disaster right now. Mass layoffs, widespread shutdowns... everything feels overwhelming." 
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.

Beirut explosions

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, the Israelis warned that they would strike an area 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.
burs-dc/rh

US

Israeli strikes kill two girls in southern Lebanon, soldier killed in battle

  • - 'Unacceptable' attacks - The Israeli military announced on Saturday the death of a soldier who "fell during combat in southern Lebanon", the 11th killed since the army began ground operations in the country.
  • Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon killed at least two girls and wounded 40 people on Saturday, Lebanon's health ministry said, while the Israeli military announced the death of another soldier in battle.
  • - 'Unacceptable' attacks - The Israeli military announced on Saturday the death of a soldier who "fell during combat in southern Lebanon", the 11th killed since the army began ground operations in the country.
Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon killed at least two girls and wounded 40 people on Saturday, Lebanon's health ministry said, while the Israeli military announced the death of another soldier in battle.
Israel has carried out strikes across Lebanon and launched a ground invasion in the south since March 2, when Hezbollah entered the war in the Middle East on the side of its backer Iran.
In separate statements, the Lebanese health ministry reported that an Israeli strike on Habbush killed at least two girls and wounded 22 people, while a strike on al-Hawsh near the coastal city of Tyre wounded 18, including a child, three women and three paramedics.
The ministry had said in an earlier statement the strike on al-Hawsh damaged a nearby major hospital.
The director of the Lebanese Italian Hospital told the state-run National News Agency (NNA) that it would "remain open to provide the necessary medical care" despite the damage.
Tens of thousands of people have left Tyre, but around 20,000 remain, including 15,000 displaced from surrounding villages, despite Israeli evacuation warnings covering most of the city and a swathe of the south.
Hours after the attack, the Israeli army struck three buildings in and around Tyre it had warned people to evacuate, according to the NNA.
An AFP correspondent said a missile hit an 11-storey building northeast of Tyre, completely destroying it and reducing it to a pile of rubble that covered a nearby gas station.
A second raid on a five-storey building near the city levelled half of it, leaving the other half standing.
The third strike was on the Burj al-Shamali Palestinian refugee camp, southeast of the city.
Overnight strikes destroyed two buildings nearby, an AFP correspondent saw, shattering windows and also causing suspended ceilings to collapse in the hospital, management said.
Another Israeli airstrike targeted and completely destroyed a mosque in the town of Baraashit in the Bint Jbeil district, the NNA reported, along with other bombings across the south.

'Unacceptable' attacks

The Israeli military announced on Saturday the death of a soldier who "fell during combat in southern Lebanon", the 11th killed since the army began ground operations in the country.
It also announced having struck "more than 140 Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure targets" over the previous two days.
Dawn strikes targeted Beirut's southern suburbs, a largely evacuated Hezbollah stronghold that has been attacked repeatedly during more than a month of war.
In a statement on Saturday, Israel's military said it had "completed an additional wave of strikes targeting command centres belonging to the Quds Force Lebanon corps in Beirut", referring to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' foreign operations arm, and "two headquarters of the (Palestinian Islamic Jihad)".
After attacking a bridge in the West Bekaa region in eastern Lebanon on Friday "to prevent the transfer of reinforcements and military equipment", Israel hit it again on Saturday, destroying it completely, the NNA said.
West Bekaa is right above Lebanon's south, where Israeli troops have been advancing on the ground.
The NNA also reported that, in Shebaa near the eastern side of the Israeli border, Israeli forces abducted a man at around 3:00 am on Saturday.
It was at least the third time Israeli forces have seized someone from south Lebanon after infiltrating their home since the war with Hezbollah began.
The Iran-backed group claimed responsibility Saturday for a series of attacks on northern Israeli towns and Israeli troops in southern Lebanese towns near the border, particularly Marun al-Ras, Hula, Ainata and Bayada.
The war has displaced upwards of a million people in Lebanon and killed more than 1,400 people in the country, including 54 medics and three Indonesian UN peacekeepers in the south.
The United Nations force said on Friday that three peacekeepers were wounded in a blast inside a UN facility near Odaisse, and were rushed to hospital.
Jakarta slammed the incident as "unacceptable" after the UN office there confirmed the wounded were Indonesian.
Indonesia's government said "these events underscore the urgent need to strengthen protection for UN peacekeeping forces amid an increasingly dangerous conflict situation".
On Saturday, a UN security official told AFP that Israeli forces destroyed 17 surveillance cameras linked to UNIFIL's main headquarters in Naqura.
The UN peacekeeping force has been caught in the crossfire in southern Lebanon since the start of the war, with Hezbollah launching attacks on Israel and its troops, and Israeli forces pushing into border towns.
str-lar/mby/nad/dc

US

Bushehr: Iran's only nuclear power plant

  • - Civilian use -  Unlike Iran's Natanz uranium enrichment facility or the future Arak heavy water nuclear power plant, the Bushehr facility is not considered a proliferation risk. 
  • Bushehr nuclear power plant, Iran's only operational civilian nuclear facility, was built by Russia and officially handed over in September 2013, after decades of twists, turns and delays linked to Iran's turbulent history.
  • - Civilian use -  Unlike Iran's Natanz uranium enrichment facility or the future Arak heavy water nuclear power plant, the Bushehr facility is not considered a proliferation risk. 
Bushehr nuclear power plant, Iran's only operational civilian nuclear facility, was built by Russia and officially handed over in September 2013, after decades of twists, turns and delays linked to Iran's turbulent history.
The facility, located in the south of the country and equipped with a 1,000-megawatt reactor, was hit Saturday by a US-Israeli airstrike, killing a security guard, Iranian state media reported.
It had already been targeted four times since the start of the war on February 28. On Saturday Russia, which sends technicians to help operate it, began evacuating its 198 Rosatom employees.
Saturday's strike was just the latest episode in the plant's turbulent history.

Begun under the Shah

The project began in 1975 during the Shah's reign, and was initially awarded to Germany's Siemens.
But work on it was interrupted by the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988). 
Although a major oil and gas producer, Iran sought to revive the project in the late 1980s to diversify its energy resources and reduce its dependence on fossil fuels for domestic consumption.
But Germany's government persuaded Siemens to withdraw over concerns about nuclear proliferation.
Tehran then turned to Russia, which took over the contract in January 1995, aiming to commission the 1,000-megawatt pressurized water reactor in 1999. But a series of problems led to an 11-year delay.
Russians and Iranians also had several financial disputes over the cost, estimated at over one billion dollars.

US pressure

Washington exerted pressure on Moscow not to complete the plant, which the United States feared would facilitate Iran's potential acquisition of nuclear weapons. 
Moscow obtained a waiver to complete Bushehr by concluding an agreement with Tehran that included supplying Iran with the fuel used by the plant -- then repatriating it back to Russia to reduce the risk of proliferation. 
Many analysts and diplomats believe Russia delayed the plant's completion to maintain leverage over Iran, particularly to compel it to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
- Civilian use - 
Unlike Iran's Natanz uranium enrichment facility or the future Arak heavy water nuclear power plant, the Bushehr facility is not considered a proliferation risk. 
For years, Western nations have accused Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons, an accusation Tehran denies. 
Iran has repeatedly accused or suspected Israel -- the country considered the only military nuclear power in the region -- of sabotaging some of its uranium enrichment facilities. 
While the United States has insisted on a total ban on Iranian uranium enrichment, Iran defends its right to civilian nuclear programmes, even though it has reached a 60-percent enrichment level -- far beyond what is required for civilian use.

Gulf neighbours

Located on the Gulf coast, the Bushehr nuclear power plant is closer to Arab capitals such as Kuwait City and Doha than to Tehran, which lies more than 750 kilometres (470 miles) away. 
Neighbouring Arab Gulf states have frequently expressed concerns about the plant's reliability and raised the risk of radioactive leaks in the event of a major earthquake. 
In April 2021, the Bushehr region was shaken by a magnitude 5.8 earthquake, but Iran's authorities said there was no damage to the facility.
bur-yk/gv/jj

US

Mideast war presents 'serious risk' for Africa: report

  • The Middle East accounts for 15.8 percent of Africa's imports and 10.9 percent of its exports, the report noted.
  • The Middle East war "presents a serious risk to Africa", the African Union and the African Development Bank (AfDB) said in a report seen by AFP Saturday.
  • The Middle East accounts for 15.8 percent of Africa's imports and 10.9 percent of its exports, the report noted.
The Middle East war "presents a serious risk to Africa", the African Union and the African Development Bank (AfDB) said in a report seen by AFP Saturday.
The conflict threatens to increase the cost of living and curtail growth on the continent, the report warned.
The Middle East accounts for 15.8 percent of Africa's imports and 10.9 percent of its exports, the report noted.
"The conflict, which already has triggered a trade shock, could quickly turn into a cost-of-living crisis across Africa through higher fuel and food prices, rising shipping and insurance costs, exchange rate pressures, and tighter fiscal conditions," it added.
The growth rate of most African countries continues to be slower than before the Covid pandemic, it noted.
"A loss in output growth of 0.2 percentage points on Africa's GDP is projected for 2026 if it (the conflict) exceeds six months," it said.
"The longer the conflict lasts and the more severe the disruption to shipping routes and energy and fertilizer supplies, the greater the risk of a significant growth slowdown across the continent."
Reduced deliveries of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Gulf will impact fertilizer production, limiting its availability during the crucial planting period up to May, it added.

Currencies hit

The report was compiled by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).
According to recent data from the AfDB, the currencies of 29 African countries have already depreciated, increasing the cost of servicing external debt, making imports more expensive and reducing foreign exchange reserves,
Some countries could see some short-term gains, such as Nigeria for its oil exports or Mozambique for its LNG.
The rerouting of ships around Cape of Good Hope could benefit ports in Mozambique, South Africa, Namibia and Mauritius.
Kenya is establishing itself as a logistics hub in East Africa, while Ethiopian Airlines, the leading carrier in Africa, is serving as an "emergency air bridge" between the continent, Asia, and Europe, the report noted. 
But these gains are likely to be uneven and will not offset the consequences for inflation, budgets, and food security in Africa, they warned.
Above all, the current crisis could hit the costs of humanitarian aid and divert donor funds towards other priorities.
bur-ayv/gv/jj

US

War in the Middle East: latest developments

  • Israel has carried out strikes across Lebanon and launched a ground invasion in the south after Hezbollah entered the war in the Middle East on the side of its backer Iran on March 2.
  • The latest developments in the Middle East war: - Blasts over Jerusalem - Several loud explosions were heard over Jerusalem after the Israeli military warned it had detected missiles inbound from Iran.
  • Israel has carried out strikes across Lebanon and launched a ground invasion in the south after Hezbollah entered the war in the Middle East on the side of its backer Iran on March 2.
The latest developments in the Middle East war:

Blasts over Jerusalem

Several loud explosions were heard over Jerusalem after the Israeli military warned it had detected missiles inbound from Iran.
AFP journalists heard at least six blasts. Earlier in the day, missile attacks on Tel Aviv and parts of central Israel wounded five Israelis, said the rescue services.

US arrests relatives of slain Iranian general

Two family members of slain Iranian general Qassem Soleimani have been arrested in the United States after their residency permits were rescinded, the US State Department said Saturday.
Federal agents detained the niece and grand niece of Soleimani, killed in a US drone strike in the Iraqi capital Baghdad in January 2020 -- the final year of US President Donald Trump's first term in office.

Trump threatens 'Hell' if no deal in 48 hours

Trump said Iran had 48 hours 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 his Truth Social platform.
"Time is running out -- 48 hours before all Hell will reign (sic) down on them," the president said Saturday.

Israel hits Tyre after evacuation warnings

Israel's military renewed strikes on the southern Lebanese city of Tyre after issuing evacuation warnings, following attacks on nearby buildings that damaged a hospital.
Israel has carried out strikes across Lebanon and launched a ground invasion in the south after Hezbollah entered the war in the Middle East on the side of its backer Iran on March 2.

Turkey's Erdogan calls for end to war

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the war had led to a "geostrategic impasse" and called for new efforts to end the conflict, during a telephone conversation with NATO chief Mark Rutte, his office said.

Iran sites hit

US-Israeli strikes on Iran targeted a nuclear plant, a petrochemical hub, a trade terminal and a cement factory, Iranian media reported.
A strike near the Bushehr nuclear power station killed a guard but caused no damage, the official IRNA news agency said. The UN's nuclear watchdog said no increased radiation levels had been detected. 

Ships through Hormuz

An Indian-flagged LPG tanker transited the Strait of Hormuz -- the latest of several vessels to make it through the Gulf chokepoint in recent days.
Turkey said a second Turkey-flagged ship also went through the strait. On Friday, tracking data showed one French-owned ship and one Japanese-owned vessel had passed through the previous day.

Italy PM talks energy

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, on a visit to the Gulf, discussed energy issues with leader of gas-rich Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and "possible measures to mitigate the shocks suffered", said her office.

Iraqi fighter killed

An attack killed a fighter in the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) in Iraq, near the Syria border, the former paramilitary coalition said, blaming a US-Israeli strike.
The PMF -- now part of Iraq's regular army but containing pro-Iran factions -- has been repeatedly targeted since the outbreak of war on February 28.

Iran executions

Iran executed two men convicted of membership of a banned opposition group and carrying out actions aimed at overthrowing the Islamic republic.
They were the latest in a series of executions targeting the banned People's Mujahedin of Iran (MEK). Four members were executed earlier in the week.

Four injured in Bahrain

Shrapnel from intercepted drones wounded four people in Bahrain, authorities said. Separately, two buildings in Dubai were hit by debris, including one housing the US cloud computing firm Oracle, United Arab Emirates authorities said.

Peacekeepers wounded

Indonesia slammed as "unacceptable" an explosion that wounded three of its UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, just days after three other Indonesians were killed in separate incidents.

Missiles fired at Israel

The Israeli army said its air defences responded to missiles fired from Iran, which medics reported wounded one person.
Israel's emergency services said a 45‑year‑old man was treated for minor injuries from glass shrapnel in the central city of Bnei Brak.
burs-pdw/jj

Gaza

French boats set sail to join Gaza aid flotilla

  • The international flotilla of some 100 boats, mostly setting sail from Barcelona on April 12, will head towards Gaza around April 20, according to the organisers.
  • Some 20 French boats set sail from Marseille on Saturday to join up with an international flotilla making a renewed effort to break an Israeli blockade and deliver aid to Gaza, AFP reporters saw.
  • The international flotilla of some 100 boats, mostly setting sail from Barcelona on April 12, will head towards Gaza around April 20, according to the organisers.
Some 20 French boats set sail from Marseille on Saturday to join up with an international flotilla making a renewed effort to break an Israeli blockade and deliver aid to Gaza, AFP reporters saw.
"Gaza, Marseille is with you" shouted around a thousand people who had come to the docks to support the initiative.  
The ships, mostly sailboats, set off to a round of applause and songs shortly after 5:00 pm (1500 GMT) to join the "Global Sumud Flotilla", named after a Gazan fisherman.
The international flotilla of some 100 boats, mostly setting sail from Barcelona on April 12, will head towards Gaza around April 20, according to the organisers. A week-long stopover is planned in southern Italy for "non-violence training."
"The goal is to give Palestine more visibility. We're not talking about it much right now, because of the international context," said Manon, a crew member who declined to give her full name.
In late 2025, an initial flotilla of about 50 boats, composed of political figures and activists such as Sweden's Greta Thunberg, was boarded by the Israeli navy -- illegally according to the organisers and Amnesty International. 
The crew members were arrested and expelled by Israel.
The Gaza Strip, governed by Hamas, has been under an Israeli blockade since 2007. Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement accuse each other of violating a ceasefire that came into effect on October 10, 2025, after two years of war.
we/so/gv/pdw

conflict

Erdogan, Zelensky discuss energy security, peace efforts

  • Erdogan "stressed the importance that Turkey attaches to the safety of navigation in the Black Sea and the crucial nature of the security of energy supply," his office said.
  • Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan received Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in Istanbul Saturday for talks on energy and navigation security, and efforts to end the war with Russia, the Turkish presidency said.
  • Erdogan "stressed the importance that Turkey attaches to the safety of navigation in the Black Sea and the crucial nature of the security of energy supply," his office said.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan received Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in Istanbul Saturday for talks on energy and navigation security, and efforts to end the war with Russia, the Turkish presidency said.
The visit came a day after Erdogan spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who accused Kyiv of attempting to target the gas pipeline between Russia and Turkey supplying several European countries.
Erdogan "stressed the importance that Turkey attaches to the safety of navigation in the Black Sea and the crucial nature of the security of energy supply," his office said.
The two leaders had discussed relations between the countries, "peace efforts in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and regional and international developments", it added. 
Zelensky said they had discussed "steps to implement joint projects in developing gas infrastructure, as well as opportunities for joint development of gas fields".
There was a heavy police presence around the lavish Dolmabahce Palace on the shores of the Bosphorus, which also hosted several rounds of talks between Moscow and Kyiv in the past.
Zelensky was also due to meet Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of most Christian Orthodox churches, a week before the Orthodox Easter, celebrated in Ukraine and Russia on April 12.
Kyiv has been pushing for a truce over the Orthodox Easter holidays that would include a halt in attacks on energy infrastructure.
Russia, which is seeking a permanent settlement rather than a brief ceasefire, said it had not seen any "clearly formulated" proposals from Kyiv.
Ukraine has struck Russian energy infrastructure throughout the more than four-year war in a bid to weaken Moscow's ability to finance its offensive.
Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities have cut power and heating to millions of people since the beginning the war in 2022.
bur-asy/jj

conflict

Russian strike on Ukraine market kills five, wounds 25

  • Another attack killed a woman and wounded another two in the southeastern city of Kherson, which is close to the fighting. 
  • A Russian drone hit a covered market in the eastern Ukrainian city of Nikopol on Saturday, killing five people and wounding 25, officials said, as Moscow pressed on with intensified daytime attacks. 
  • Another attack killed a woman and wounded another two in the southeastern city of Kherson, which is close to the fighting. 
A Russian drone hit a covered market in the eastern Ukrainian city of Nikopol on Saturday, killing five people and wounding 25, officials said, as Moscow pressed on with intensified daytime attacks. 
Russia has been firing aerial broadsides at Ukraine throughout its more than four-year invasion, mostly at night, but in recent weeks it has stepped up daytime attacks.
The market in Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk region, was hit at 9:50 am (0650 GMT), the local prosecutor's office said.
Regional governor, Oleksandr Ganja, said in a Telegram post that three women and two men were killed. 
He added that a 14-year-old girl was among the 25 wounded and was in a "critical condition".
Attacks continued during the morning hours on Saturday, wounding six in the northeastern city of Kharkiv, near the front line, regional police said.
The Ukrainian air force said Russia fired 286 drones overnight, of which 260 were intercepted.
In the northern Sumy region, 11 people were wounded in strikes on residential areas and civilian infrastructure overnight, police said. 
Images released by Ukrainian emergency services showed a building whose upper floors were engulfed in flames. Another attack killed a woman and wounded another two in the southeastern city of Kherson, which is close to the fighting. 
In Russia, a missile and drone attack on the southern Rostov region bordering Ukraine left one person dead and four seriously wounded in the city of Taganrog, regional governor Yuri Slyussar said. 
On the Sea of Azov, a foreign cargo ship was damaged by falling drone debris and caught fire, he added.
A family of three, including an eight-year-old child, was killed in a house by a nighttime Ukrainian drone strike that also targeted railway infrastructure in  Russian-occupied Lugansk, the Moscow-backed administration said.  

Stalled talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was on a surprise visit to Istanbul on Saturday for security talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. 
Zelensky this week signalled he was ready for a truce over the Orthodox Easter holidays, but the Kremlin said it had not received "clearly formulated" proposals.
Ukraine has accused Russia of prolonging the war to capture more territory, and says Moscow is not interested in peace. Russia says it wants a permanent settlement instead of a brief ceasefire. 
Talks between the two warring parties, mediated by the United States, have been stalled by the war in the Middle East.
In comments to reporters, including AFP, published on Friday, Zelensky said he had invited an American delegation to Ukraine to relaunch negotiations with Moscow.
"The delegation will do everything possible in the current conditions -- during the war with Iran -- to come to Kyiv," Zelensky said.
"The American group can come to us and, after us, go to Moscow. If it does not work out with three parties, let's do it this way," he added.
Amid the Middle East war, Ukraine has sought to leverage its expertise in fighting off Russian drones similar to those Iran has been using in retaliatory attacks across Gulf nations.
Last week, Zelensky visited several Middle Eastern countries and signed defence agreements with Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
He also suggested Ukraine could help unblock the Strait of Hormuz, whose effective closure by Iran has rattled the global economy.
He did not specify how Ukraine could contribute, but cited Kyiv's experience in restoring passage through the Black Sea, which Russia had blocked at the beginning of its invasion.
burs-asy/gv

space

Canadian astronaut describes 'phenomenal' Artemis journey

  • "It just felt like we were falling out of the sky back to Earth, and I said to Reid, 'It feels like we're gonna hit it,'" Hansen said.
  • Artemis 2 astronaut Jeremy Hansen felt like he was "falling out of the sky" as his spacecraft followed its complex flight path to the Moon, the Canadian said in a Saturday video call.
  • "It just felt like we were falling out of the sky back to Earth, and I said to Reid, 'It feels like we're gonna hit it,'" Hansen said.
Artemis 2 astronaut Jeremy Hansen felt like he was "falling out of the sky" as his spacecraft followed its complex flight path to the Moon, the Canadian said in a Saturday video call.
The four Artemis astronauts have passed the halfway point between Earth and the Moon on Saturday morning -- more than 150,000 miles (241,000 kilometers) from home -- as they zipped toward the first crewed lunar flyby in more than half a century.
Hansen, a 50-year-old former fighter pilot on his maiden voyage into space, said he saw "some extraordinary things" during the first hours aboard the Orion.
"By the time we had a bit of a nap and got up, the Earth was just so far away," Hansen, flanked by American crewmates Victor Glover and Reid Wiseman, told a question-and-answer session hosted by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).

'Like falling out of the sky'

Hansen then described the translunar injection burn -- a maneuver that brought Orion within 200 kilometers of Earth before swinging around onto a new course for the Moon.
"It just felt like we were falling out of the sky back to Earth, and I said to Reid, 'It feels like we're gonna hit it,'" Hansen said.
"It's amazing that we're actually gonna go around and miss this thing. It was just so close and so to take all of that in was really phenomenal."
Hansen, who joined the CSA in 2009 following his career as a fighter pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force, will be the first non-American to fly around the Moon.
Orion's next milestone, set to take place on day five of the 10-day mission, is to enter the lunar sphere of influence, where the Moon's gravitational pull exceeds that of the Earth, according to NASA.
Hansen said he was looking forward to an up-close view of the far side of the Moon and seeing "an eclipse of the Sun behind the Moon, which will be pretty neat."
Hansen once cited a childhood encounter with a photograph of Neil Armstrong on the Moon as the seed of his passion for space exploration.
Asked about advice for children, the father of three urged youngsters to "follow your passions, but also share your passions with other people."
"To get big things done like we're doing in this capsule, to travel to the moon, to fly around the moon, you need a big team behind you. And that's true for all of us in our lives."
hol/ane

US

European drivers choke on rising diesel prices

BY NATHALIE ALONSO

  • The international supply-and-demand balance for diesel "was much tighter than the gasoline balance going into the war and the subsequent market response has been one of strong gasoil (diesel) price escalation while gasoline’s price response has been somewhat muted," Susan Bell, a commodity markets specialist at Rystad Energy, a consultancy, told AFP. - Russia dilemma - In Britain, France and other countries, the price of diesel has risen more than 30 percent since the first US-Israeli air strikes on Iran and resulting choking of the Strait of Hormuz.
  • The price of diesel fuel has rocketed by more than 30 percent across Europe since the start of the Middle East war highlighting the continent's dependence on imported energy and the lingering prominence of  diesel on the car market.
  • The international supply-and-demand balance for diesel "was much tighter than the gasoline balance going into the war and the subsequent market response has been one of strong gasoil (diesel) price escalation while gasoline’s price response has been somewhat muted," Susan Bell, a commodity markets specialist at Rystad Energy, a consultancy, told AFP. - Russia dilemma - In Britain, France and other countries, the price of diesel has risen more than 30 percent since the first US-Israeli air strikes on Iran and resulting choking of the Strait of Hormuz.
The price of diesel fuel has rocketed by more than 30 percent across Europe since the start of the Middle East war highlighting the continent's dependence on imported energy and the lingering prominence of  diesel on the car market.
The Easter holiday weekend across Europe is expected to see a surge in demand with queues at petrol stations.
Diesel has been worse hit than other fuels, and was already under pressure before the war. Experts say its cost will rise further -- with a knock-on effect on inflation -- as long as trade through the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked.
The per-barrel price of diesel rose above $200 in Europe on Thursday, the highest since March 2022 when Russia's invasion of Ukraine shook markets.
Diesel is ubiquitous in Europe. While electric cars are making inroads in new sales, diesel is still the most widely used fuel. Trucks, farm tractors, buses, building site machinery and even shipping depend on it.
Diesel accounted for 86 percent of transport fuel sales in Latvia in 2024, 73 percent in France and 66 percent in Germany, according to FuelsEurope, a trade body which represents the refining industry.
The international supply-and-demand balance for diesel "was much tighter than the gasoline balance going into the war and the subsequent market response has been one of strong gasoil (diesel) price escalation while gasoline’s price response has been somewhat muted," Susan Bell, a commodity markets specialist at Rystad Energy, a consultancy, told AFP.

Russia dilemma

In Britain, France and other countries, the price of diesel has risen more than 30 percent since the first US-Israeli air strikes on Iran and resulting choking of the Strait of Hormuz.
In France, the price of regular petrol has gone up by just 17 percent, according to government statistics consulted by AFP.
The Netherlands has the most expensive diesel in Europe at more than $2.80 a litre, according to research by the RAC, a British motoring organisation. That is about 20 percent more than Italy, the cheapest country surveyed by the RAC.
Diesel was for a long time cheaper than petrol. At the end of the 20th century, governments and car firms encouraged drivers to buy diesel-engine cars. But not enough refineries were built to keep up with demand for the fuel and in recent years governments have imposed higher taxes on it.
The European Union is now a net exporter of petrol, mainly to the United States and Africa, but an importer of diesel.
Russia was Europe's main source of diesel until Moscow's all-out invasion of Ukraine in 2022 set off international sanctions. 
Now EU nations look to India, Turkey, the United States and Saudi Arabia for supplies.
Middle East states provided more than half of Europe's diesel in 2025 (554,000 barrels a day out of 1.06 million), according to Rystad Energy. About one third of this passed through the Strait Hormuz.
Europe is now struggling to find alternatives. 
Slovakia last month ordered a 30-day restriction on diesel sales while foreigners have to pay more for the fuel there. Ireland and Spain have temporarily cut the taxes they charge on the fuel.
"Refineries are working at full capacity," said an expert at French energy giant TotalEnergies which has six refineries across Europe. 
"Even with maximum adjustment to our settings, the room for manoeuvre remains minimal" for TotalEnergies, he added.
Bell said that if there is a shortage of regular petrol then Europe can cut its exports. But that doesn't work for diesel.
"The most efficient and economical solution for Europe would be to source its diesel from Russia," said Bell. 
The EU will not be lifting its sanctions anytime soon however.
Postponing refinery maintenance, using strategic reserves, and reducing consumption appear to be the only other ways to partially address the imbalance, she said.
nal/cda/tw/rmb

space

Artemis astronauts more than halfway to Moon, putting Earth in rearview

BY MOISéS ÁVILA, WITH MAGGY DONALDSON IN NEW YORK

  • NASA's online dashboard showed early Saturday that the Orion spacecraft carrying the astronauts was more than 229,000 kilometres (142,000 miles) from Earth.
  • The Artemis 2 astronauts have passed the halfway point between Earth and the Moon on Saturday as they sped toward a planned lunar flyby, with NASA releasing initial images of Earth taken from inside the Orion spacecraft.
  • NASA's online dashboard showed early Saturday that the Orion spacecraft carrying the astronauts was more than 229,000 kilometres (142,000 miles) from Earth.
The Artemis 2 astronauts have passed the halfway point between Earth and the Moon on Saturday as they sped toward a planned lunar flyby, with NASA releasing initial images of Earth taken from inside the Orion spacecraft.
Astronaut Christina Koch said the crew had a collective "expression of joy" upon being told of the milestone, which was hit around two days, five hours and 24 minutes after the spacecraft blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
"We can see the Moon out of the docking hatch right now, it is a beautiful sight," Koch said around 11 pm (0400 GMT) Friday, according to the space agency's official live broadcast.
NASA's online dashboard showed early Saturday that the Orion spacecraft carrying the astronauts was more than 229,000 kilometres (142,000 miles) from Earth.
The space agency earlier released images from Orion that included a full portrait of Earth, featuring its deep blue oceans and billowing clouds.
After a flurry of high-stakes activity including a dramatic blast-off and an engine firing that catapulted them on their historic trajectory to circle the Moon, the four astronauts aboard were able to catch their breath, even as they continued to perform a variety of equipment checks and tests.
"There has been a tremendous amount of disbelief for me, it's just so extraordinary," said Canadian Jeremy Hansen during a Q&A session with press late Thursday.
"I really like it up here," said Hansen, on his first ever journey to space. "The views are extraordinary."
"It's really fun to be floating around" in zero gravity, he added. "It just makes me feel like a little kid."
Hansen is on the crew with Americans Koch, Victor Glover and Reid Wiseman.
They are due to loop around the Moon early next week -- a feat not accomplished in more than 50 years.
NASA official Lakiesha Hawkins praised the photographs taken by commander Wiseman, calling them "amazing" during a briefing Friday.
"We continue to learn all about our spacecraft as we operate it in deep space with crew for the first time," Hawkins said.
"It's important to remind ourselves of that as we learn a little bit more day by day."

'Great spirits'

Friday's to-do list includes a CPR demonstration and medical kit checks, the US space agency said, as well as preparation for the scientific observations they'll need to document when they are closest to the Moon on day six of their journey.
NASA officials reported Friday that all systems were performing well, and that the astronauts were in "great spirits" and had spoken to their families.
The next major milestone of the approximately 10-day journey is expected overnight Sunday into Monday, at which point the astronauts will enter the "lunar sphere of influence" -- when the Moon's gravity will have stronger pull on the spacecraft than Earth's.
If all proceeds smoothly, as Orion whips around the Moon the astronauts could set a record by venturing farther from Earth than any human before.
"There is nothing normal about this," said mission commander Wiseman late Thursday.
"Sending four humans 250,000 miles away is a Herculean effort, and we are now just realizing the gravity of that."
The Artemis 2 mission is part of a longer-term plan to repeatedly return to the Moon, with the goal of establishing a permanent lunar base that will offer a platform for further exploration.
bur-mdo/hol/ane

US

War in the Middle East: latest developments

  • The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) is deployed in the country's south near the border, where Israel and Hezbollah have been at war for a month and where Israeli troops are carrying out a ground invasion.
  • Here are the latest developments in the Middle East war: - Israel strikes Beirut - The Israeli military said Saturday it had begun striking "Hezbollah infrastructure sites" in Lebanon's capital Beirut.
  • The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) is deployed in the country's south near the border, where Israel and Hezbollah have been at war for a month and where Israeli troops are carrying out a ground invasion.
Here are the latest developments in the Middle East war:

Israel strikes Beirut

The Israeli military said Saturday it had begun striking "Hezbollah infrastructure sites" in Lebanon's capital Beirut.
An AFP journalist heard two loud explosions in the capital within a half-hour period early Saturday and saw smoke billowing from one of them.
Local media reported two airstrikes on the southern suburbs.

Missiles fired toward Israel

The Israeli army said its air defences responded to missiles fired from Iran, which medics reported wounded one person.
Israel's Magen David Adom emergency services said a 45‑year‑old man was treated for minor injuries from glass shrapnel in the central city of Bnei Brak and taken to hospital.

Iran says second US plane downed

Iran's military says it has downed a second US military jet in the Gulf, according to state media.
There was no immediate confirmation or denial from Washington. US media said the pilot was rescued.

Man killed in Syria

State media in Syria said Israeli fire killed a man in Quneitra province in the country's south near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
The SANA agency said the man had been killed in an attack by "an Israeli tank", while state television said a car was targeted.

One killed at UAE gas site

An Egyptian national was killed and four others wounded after a fire at a gas complex in Abu Dhabi, caused by falling debris from an intercepted attack, the government media office said.
Two of the four people hurt were from Egypt, while the others were from Pakistan, it said. 

Trump briefed on downed plane, Iran hunts for pilot

US President Donald Trump has been briefed about the downing of a military jet in Iran that has triggered a major search and rescue operation for the crew, the White House said.
US media reported that one crew member was rescued.
Iranian authorities urged people living in the rugged southwest of the country to search for the jet's crew, as state TV broadcast images of what was said to be the mangled debris. 

Lebanon university warning

The US embassy in Lebanon, where the Tehran-backed Hezbollah militant group is at war with Israel, said that Iran and allied groups could seek to target universities in the country.
Among other universities, Lebanon is home to the American University of Beirut, one of the most prominent US institutions in the region, whose campus and hospital are in the heart of the capital.

Trump seeks $1.5 tn defence budget

Trump asked lawmakers to approve a massive $1.5 trillion defence budget for 2027, as the United States faces rising costs from its war with Iran and mounting global security commitments.
The proposal would lift Pentagon spending by more than 40 percent in a single year -- the sharpest increase since World War II.

UN peacekeepers wounded

The United Nations force in Lebanon said a blast at one of its positions had wounded three peacekeepers, two of them seriously -- the third such incident in a week.
The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) is deployed in the country's south near the border, where Israel and Hezbollah have been at war for a month and where Israeli troops are carrying out a ground invasion.

'Immediate ceasefire' urged

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East war during a phone call, the Kremlin said.
"It was noted that intense military action is leading to serious negative consequences not only regionally but also globally, including in the areas of energy, trade, and logistics," it added.

Tankers cross Hormuz

Three tankers, including one co-owned by a Japanese company, crossed the Strait of Hormuz by hugging close to Oman's shore, a rare transit route as Iran maintains a chokehold on the key war-torn passageway.
Their passage was notable because they sailed close to the Omani Musandam Peninsula to the south of the waterway, maritime traffic data showed Friday.
burs-abs/pst

space

58 tortillas, five hot sauces and one toilet: life aboard spacecraft Orion

BY MOISéS ÁVILA, WITH MAGGY DONALDSON IN NEW YORK

  • The Artemis astronauts also quickly encountered email trouble: mission commander Reid Wiseman said he was experiencing issues with Microsoft Outlook.
  • They're sipping smoothies, snapping phone pics, dealing with crashed email and fixing broken toilets: astronauts, they're just like us.
  • The Artemis astronauts also quickly encountered email trouble: mission commander Reid Wiseman said he was experiencing issues with Microsoft Outlook.
They're sipping smoothies, snapping phone pics, dealing with crashed email and fixing broken toilets: astronauts, they're just like us.
The four crewmembers zipping through space toward the Moon are carrying out a mission unlike any before it, but they're also still muddling on through life's mundanities -- all while they float around together in a square footage equivalent to two minivans.
Mission specialist Christina Koch, the first woman to venture into deep space, said preparing for the 10-day journey was akin to planning for a camping trip.
"It represents togetherness and something a little out of the ordinary," she said in a video released by NASA.
Orion wares include 58 tortillas, 43 cups of coffee, barbecued beef brisket and five types of hot sauce.
And one toilet... which had a problem.
It's the first time astronauts venturing into deep space have had a real toilet onboard: the Apollo missions of the 1960s and 70s provided crewmembers with waste collection bags that were ultimately left on the lunar surface.
Much to the astronauts' relief, Koch remedied the issue with the toilet aboard Orion -- "I'm proud to call myself the space plumber," she said during a Q&A session late Thursday with US media.
"I like to say that it is probably the most important piece of equipment on board," she said. "So we were all breathing a sigh of relief when it turned out to be just fine."

Sleeping 'like a bat'

The toilet is in a small cubicle that's quite loud; the astronauts need to wear ear protection when they use it.
But it's "the one place that we can go during the mission where we can actually feel like we're alone for a moment," Canadian Jeremy Hansen said during a demonstration video released by the Canadian Space Agency prior to blast-off.  
The Artemis astronauts also quickly encountered email trouble: mission commander Reid Wiseman said he was experiencing issues with Microsoft Outlook.
"I also see that I have two Microsoft Outlooks, and neither one of those are working," he said on NASA's livestream.
Who among us?
Members of the Houston-headquartered Mission Control fixed the problem -- where would we be without our IT experts?
The astronauts must adhere to a sleep routine to ensure they're rested for the mission that will see them slingshot around the Moon and conduct a battery of test maneuvers, equipment checks and scientific observations.
They have sleeping bags that tether to the wall to keep them from floating around the capsule.
"Christina has been sleeping heads down in the middle of the vehicle, kind of like a bat suspended from our docking tunnel," Wiseman explained, describing their preferred spots for shut-eye.
"It's more comfortable than you would think," he added.

Childlike joy

But there are no rest days for the weightless: the astronauts have 30 minutes of exercise built in to their schedules.
They use a "flywheel exercise device," similar to a yo-yo, that can allow for aerobics like rowing as well as provide resistance to perform moves like weighted squats and deadlifts.
It's paramount that astronauts work out: the microgravity environment takes stress off bones and muscles, which can lead to significant loss without precautions.
NASA also recently updated their policy to allow smartphones on its flights: "We are giving our crews the tools to capture special moments for their families and share inspiring images and video with the world," the US space agency's administrator Jared Isaacman wrote on X in February.
And while their mission demands extreme precision, there is still room for childlike levity.
Hansen took questions from media while wedged in horizontally and described the joy of floating: "It just makes me feel like a little kid."
For Victor Glover -- the first person of color to fly around the Moon -- a lot of that raw delight arrived at takeoff.
"It was a ride where you're trying to be professional," he said.
"But the kid inside of you wants to break out and just hoot and holler."
mdo/mlm

US

Iran hunts crew member of crashed US jet after one reported rescued

BY AFP TEAMS IN TEHRAN, JERUSALEM, WASHINGTON, BEIRUT, DUBAI AND SANAA

  • Tehran said it had shot down the F-15 warplane, while US media reported American special forces had rescued one of its two crew members, with the other still missing.
  • Iranian and American forces were racing each other early Saturday to recover a crew member of the first US fighter jet to go down inside Iran since the start of the war.
  • Tehran said it had shot down the F-15 warplane, while US media reported American special forces had rescued one of its two crew members, with the other still missing.
Iranian and American forces were racing each other early Saturday to recover a crew member of the first US fighter jet to go down inside Iran since the start of the war.
Tehran said it had shot down the F-15 warplane, while US media reported American special forces had rescued one of its two crew members, with the other still missing.
Iran's military also said it downed a US A-10 ground attack aircraft in the Gulf, with US media saying the pilot was rescued.
The war erupted more than a month ago with US-Israeli strikes on Iran that killed supreme leader Ali Khamenei, triggering retaliation that spread the conflict throughout the Middle East, convulsing the global economy and impacting millions of people worldwide.
US Central Command did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the loss of the F-15, but White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said: "The president has been briefed".
President Donald Trump told NBC the F-15 loss would not affect negotiations with Iran, saying: "No, not at all. No, it's war."

'Valuable reward'

A spokesperson for the Iranian military's central operational command said "an American hostile fighter jet in central Iranian airspace was struck and destroyed by the IRGC Aerospace Force's advanced air defence system".
"The jet was completely obliterated, and further searches are ongoing."
An Iranian television reporter on a local official channel said anyone who captured a crew member alive would "receive a valuable reward".
The US military has announced the loss of several aircraft during Iran operations, including one tanker that crashed in Iraq and three F-15s shot down by Kuwaiti friendly fire.
Retired US brigadier general Houston Cantwell -- who has 400 hours of combat flight experience -- said key goals for downed pilots include determining their location and figuring out how to communicate.
"My priority would be, first of all, concealment, because I don't want to be captured," he told AFP.

Blown-out windows

Fresh strikes meanwhile hit Israel, Iran, Lebanon and Gulf countries -- and large blasts rocked northern Tehran, an AFP journalist said. Israel said it had launched a wave of strikes in the Iranian capital, alongside parallel attacks in Beirut.
Strikes by all sides have increasingly targeted economic and industrial sites, raising fears of wider disruption to global energy supplies.
In the area around a bridge west of Tehran that was targeted by the United States, an AFP reporter saw a villa and residential buildings with blown-out windows -- but no military installations.
According to the martyrs foundation of Alborz province, cited by the official IRNA agency, the attack killed 13 civilians and wounded dozens.  

Ex-FM urges deal

Writing in the US journal Foreign Affairs, Iran's former foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, said Tehran should make a deal with Washington to end the war by offering to curb its nuclear programme and reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for sanctions relief.
Iran has virtually blocked the key waterway since the war began, where one-fifth of the world's oil and natural gas normally passes. 
Of the few ships that have managed to cross, most have had links to Iran, with 60 percent of commodity-bearing ships crossing the strait either coming from Iran or heading there, an AFP analysis of maritime data showed.
Iranian military spokesperson Ebrahim Zolfaghari warned that Iran would increase its own attacks on energy sites in the region in response to threats from Trump of attacks on infrastructure.
A drone attack on a refinery owned by Kuwait's national oil company on Friday sparked fires, while a separate Iranian attack damaged a power and desalination complex.
Bahrain said four of its citizens sustained "minor injuries" as a result of shrapnel from an intercepted Iranian drone.
And one person was killed and four others injured after a fire at a gas complex in the United Arab Emirates caused by falling debris from an intercepted attack.

Bridge destroyed in Lebanon

The Israeli military said Friday it had struck more than 3,500 targets across Lebanon in the month since fighting with Iran-backed Hezbollah began.
It added that it would attack two bridges in Lebanon's eastern Bekaa region "in order to prevent the transfer of reinforcements and military equipment".
Lebanese state media later reported that Israel destroyed one bridge in the region.
Lebanon's health ministry said Thursday that 1,345 people had been killed -- and 4,040 wounded -- since the start of the war.
Hezbollah has so far not announced its losses.
bur-wd/sst

indicator

US registers strong job growth in boost to Trump

BY ASAD HASHIM AND MYRIAM LEMETAYER

  • "My Economic Policies have created an enormously powerful engine of Economic Growth, and nothing can slow it down," Trump said on his Truth Social platform, hailing the number of private sector jobs gained.
  • The US economy posted unexpectedly strong job gains in March, data showed Friday, in a development hailed by US President Donald Trump -- but seen with caution by analysts.
  • "My Economic Policies have created an enormously powerful engine of Economic Growth, and nothing can slow it down," Trump said on his Truth Social platform, hailing the number of private sector jobs gained.
The US economy posted unexpectedly strong job gains in March, data showed Friday, in a development hailed by US President Donald Trump -- but seen with caution by analysts.
The world's largest economy gained 178,000 jobs in March, after losing 133,000 in February, and the unemployment rate dropped by 0.1 percentage points to 4.3 percent, the Labor Department said.
Friday's data significantly beat analyst expectations, with economists polled by Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal expecting an increase of 59,000 jobs.
The data was stronger than forecast, "but vastly overstates the sustainable pace of job growth," said Oxford Economics lead US economist Nancy Vanden Houten.
"The end of a strike, seasonal quirks and a rebound after harsh winter weather likely boosted job growth in some sectors," she said.
Trump touted the numbers as a success.
"My Economic Policies have created an enormously powerful engine of Economic Growth, and nothing can slow it down," Trump said on his Truth Social platform, hailing the number of private sector jobs gained.
Earlier, White House spokesperson Kush Desai said that once the "short-term disruptions" of the US-Israel war on Iran are over, "America's economic resurgence is set to only accelerate."
Markets were closed Friday in the United States for Good Friday.

Health care recovery

Much of March's recovery was fueled by health care jobs, which have remained resilient even as labor demand has dropped in other sectors.
Health care added 76,000 jobs in March, after having lost jobs the month before, in part due to strike actions.
Employment in construction also grew by 26,000 in March, although the Labor Department flagged that it had changed little over its level from a year ago.
Federal government employment continued to decline, down 11.8 percent since October 2024. Trump has taken a hatchet to the sector in a drive aimed at cost-cutting and reducing the size of government. 
The new data reflected a revision in the figures for January and February, showing employment for those two months combined was 7,000 lower than previously reported.

'Look through the noise'

The US-Israel war on Iran has engulfed the Middle East, sent oil prices surging and snarled supply chains, leading to fears of a global economic slowdown.
Analysts signaled caution as the economic impact of the war begins to hit Americans.
Nationwide Chief Economist Kathy Bostjancic said the March report showed the labor market was in "good standing," with "broad-based gains in the private sector."
Oxford Economics' Houten, however, said the report "doesn't change our assessment that the downside risks to the labor market have increased" due to the war.
"As the labor market softens due to the fallout from the war, we expect the unemployment rate to edge up," she said.
High energy prices tend to drive up production costs, curbing economic activity, with analysts expecting the current "low-hire, low-fire" trend to continue.
"If you look through the noise you have, you know that same picture that we've been looking at, which is a labor market that's holding up, but that has become more fragile, and that remains stuck in this low-hire, low-fire type of environment," EY-Parthenon Senior Economist Lydia Boussour told AFP.

Fed fallout

Uncertainty about the war's economic shock has so far led policymakers at the Federal Reserve to adopt a wait-and-see approach on interest rate moves, as they balance curbing stubbornly high inflation with managing unemployment.
Unemployment rates have remained relatively steady in the United States -- but the figure has hidden churn under the surface, analysts warn, as weak jobs growth has been matched by a drop in labor supply.
That drop in supply is largely attributed to Trump's crackdown on migrants.
For Fed policymakers, however, inflation currently appears to be a bigger risk than unemployment.
"We are getting mixed signals, with some key indicators showing signs of steadying while others are suggesting a weakening labor market," New York Fed President John Williams said Monday.
EY-Parthenon's Boussour said Friday's report will provide "a little bit of reassurance and a little bit of breathing room for the Fed to focus on the inflation side of their mandate in the coming months."
aha-myl/sst/mjf/dw 

Vatican

Pope leads torch-lit Colosseum procession before Easter

BY CLéMENT MELKI

  • Leo, the first US-born pope, has repeatedly and ever more insistently called for peace in the Middle East and this week directly urged US President Donald Trump to find an "off-ramp".
  • Pope Leo XIV led a torch-lit procession at the Colosseum in Rome on Friday as he prepares for his first Easter as pontiff in the shadow of war in the Middle East.
  • Leo, the first US-born pope, has repeatedly and ever more insistently called for peace in the Middle East and this week directly urged US President Donald Trump to find an "off-ramp".
Pope Leo XIV led a torch-lit procession at the Colosseum in Rome on Friday as he prepares for his first Easter as pontiff in the shadow of war in the Middle East.
Among the 30,000 people attending the poignant ceremony, known as the Way of the Cross, was Sarah, a Palestinian Catholic.
"We need peace in the Holy Land," she told AFP.
"People like you and me listen, but the governments don't. They still do whatever they want. They don't listen. They promise and they don't deliver," the 61-year-old said.
Geryes Bejjani, a 33-year-old Lebanese man, said he had come with friends to "carry a message of peace and coexistence," despite the difficulty of travelling from his homeland which has been dragged into the war.
"The pope is the only purely selfless political leader... There's no hidden agenda, there's no ambiguity in his message. And that's his strength," he said.
Leo, the first US-born pope, has repeatedly and ever more insistently called for peace in the Middle East and this week directly urged US President Donald Trump to find an "off-ramp".
"Hopefully he's looking for a way to decrease the amount of violence, of bombing," he said.
The United States and Israel sparked the war on February 28 by bombing Iran, which retaliated with strikes against Gulf states and an effective chokehold on the vital Strait of Hormuz.
"If only Trump would listen to anyone!" said Ines Duplessis, 29, who came from Paris to the Colosseum ceremony, where attendees held candles in a silence broken only by liturgical chants and recited prayers.
"For me, it's very symbolic, but nothing more," she said of the pope's appeals.
"Sadly, everything is so driven by political and economic interests" that "it's a bit of a lost cause", she said.
On Sunday, Leo will preside over Easter Mass in St. Peter's Square before delivering a typically political blessing which is especially anticipated this year.
– 'A form of humility' –
It is the first time since 2022 that the pope has personally taken part in the Way of the Cross, which has been organised at the Colosseum since 1964.
In recent years, his predecessor Francis, who died on Easter Monday last year aged 88, had to give up attending for health reasons.
Wearing his red mozzetta and stole, Leo appeared deep in prayer during the ceremony, listening with eyes closed.
The 70-year-old pope himself carried a large wooden cross through all 14 stations retracing Jesus Christ's path to the tomb, marking a return to a tradition observed by John Paul II and Benedict XVI.
Augustin Ancel, from Paris, said the pope carrying the cross was "a powerful message".
"It's also a form of humility, because we naturally tend to see the pope as distant, as someone in a very important role," he said.
cmk/dt/sbk

politics

Cuba begins prisoner release after mass pardon

BY LISANDRA COTS

  • Cuban authorities deny holding any such prisoners.
  • Cuban authorities began to free prisoners on Friday after announcing the country would pardon 2,010 inmates, the second release in less than a month as it faces heightened US pressure.
  • Cuban authorities deny holding any such prisoners.
Cuban authorities began to free prisoners on Friday after announcing the country would pardon 2,010 inmates, the second release in less than a month as it faces heightened US pressure.
More than 20 inmates came out of La Lima penitentiary in east Havana, holding their release papers, crying and hugging relatives who had been waiting for them all morning, AFP journalists said.
Albis Gainza, a 46-year-old who had served half of a six-year sentence for robbery, told AFP he was grateful for "this opportunity that they gave us."
He said he could not sleep after learning he would be released.
"This needs to keep going," Gainza told AFP, referring to the releases.
The Cuban government announced late Thursday that it would proceed with the pardons -- one of the biggest releases in years -- as a "humanitarian and sovereign gesture" to mark Holy Week culminating in the Easter holiday.
It was unknown so far if any of those who were freed on Friday were political prisoners as no list was published. Cuban authorities deny holding any such prisoners.
The US State Department said it was aware of reports of the prisoner release, but added that it was unclear if any political prisoners would be part of it. 
"We continue to call for the immediate release of the hundreds of other brave Cuban patriots who remain unjustly detained," a State Department spokesperson told AFP.
Miami-based rights group Cubalex told AFP that it was unable to confirm the release of any political prisoners so far.
The Trump administration has called for change in communist-run Cuba's system of government, and the US president has mused about "taking" the island.
But the two sides have also held talks recently.
Havana did not link the pardons to talks with Washington, but the move came days after US President Donald Trump eased a de facto oil blockade of Cuba by allowing a Russian tanker to deliver crude to the fuel-starved island.
This "follows a long pattern where there is a song and dance about how (Cuba) has nothing to do with negotiations when it clearly does," Andres Pertierra, a historian focusing on Cuba at the University of Wisconsin, told AFP.
Cuba is holding 775 political prisoners, according to rights group Justicia 11J.

'Crimes against authority'

Justicia 11J said "any release represents immediate relief, especially for the families," but it warned that the gesture "does not constitute a change in the Cuban state's repressive policies."
The Cuban government said the releases would be based on the nature of the crimes, good behavior, health reasons and time served.
It added those released would not include people who committed murder, sex assault, drug-related crimes, theft, illegal slaughter of livestock and "crimes against authority."
Justicia 11J said the mention of the all-encompassing "crimes against authority" was "particularly concerning."
"These charges have instead served as instruments of political repression in Cuba," said the group, which tracks arrests stemming from massive anti-government protests in July 2021.

'Great blessing'

The Cuban government said the individuals being freed include young people, women and prisoners over 60 years old who are scheduled for early release within the next six months to a year.
The government previously announced on March 12 that it would free 51 prisoners as a sign of "good will" toward the Vatican, which has often acted as a mediator between Washington and Havana.
At least 20 political prisoners were released in the wake of the March announcement, according to Cubalex.
Of half a dozen former prisoners interviewed by AFP outside La Lima, none were jailed for political reasons.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," said Brian Perez, 20, who was jailed for causing bodily injury. "We suffered enough and the mothers, too."
Damian Farinas, 20, was serving a nearly three-year sentence for robbery.
"It's a great blessing," he said. "This pardon comes at the right time for many inmates."
lis-lt/pnb/sst

US

French, Japanese ships cross Strait of Hormuz in first since war

  • - Down to a trickle - Just 221 commodities vessels have crossed the Strait of Hormuz since March 1, some more than once, according to Kpler data up to Friday morning.
  • One French- and another Japanese-owned vessel are among a handful of vessels to have crossed the war-torn Strait of Hormuz, maritime tracking data showed Friday.
  • - Down to a trickle - Just 221 commodities vessels have crossed the Strait of Hormuz since March 1, some more than once, according to Kpler data up to Friday morning.
One French- and another Japanese-owned vessel are among a handful of vessels to have crossed the war-torn Strait of Hormuz, maritime tracking data showed Friday.
The passage, a vital maritime route for oil and liquified natural gas, has been virtually blocked by Iran since the start of the war.
But both ships made the crossing on Thursday, according to ship tracking company Marine Traffic's website.
The Maltese-flagged Kribi belonging to the French maritime transport group CMA CGM crossed the waterway to leave the Gulf on Thursday afternoon, Marine Traffic's data showed.
By early Friday, it was off Muscat, Oman, still broadcasting the message "owner France" on its transponder system in the field usually used to give the destination.
The vessel's navigation data showed it had crossed via an Iranian-approved route through its waters, dubbed the "Tehran Toll Booth" by leading shipping journal Lloyd's List.

Southern route

In addition, three tankers -- including one co-owned by a Japanese company -- crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday by taking an alternative, southern route.
They hugged close to the shore of Oman's Musandam Peninsula -- a first in nearly three weeks according to Lloyd's List.
Before the war, which started more than a month ago, about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) passed through the Strait.
All three ships signalled they were an "OMANI SHIP" in the message broadcast by their transponder as they crossed the strait.
The Sohar LNG, which was empty when crossing, is co-owned by Japanese shipping company Mitsui O.S.K.
That makes it the first Japanese vessel to exit the Gulf since the start of the war, according to a company statement quoted by Japanese media.
The Hong-Kong flagged New Vision, which crossed the strait on March 1 right after the war started, is expected in the French port of Le Havre on Saturday evening.
Since the conflict started however, that has dwindled to a trickle as Iran selectively attacks ships and energy facilities throughout the Gulf in retaliation for US and Israeli attacks.
A few commercial ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz recently have passed through the Iranian-approved route in the north of the waterway.

Down to a trickle

Just 221 commodities vessels have crossed the Strait of Hormuz since March 1, some more than once, according to Kpler data up to Friday morning.
In peacetime, the same waterway handles around 120 daily transits, according to Lloyd's List.
Of the vessels that made the crossing, 60 percent either came from Iran or were heading there.
The other countries whose vessels -- of origin or destination -- made the crossing, were in decreasing order: the United Arab Emirates, China, India, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Brazil, and Iraq.
It was not clear from the data how many had been cleared to make the crossing by Tehran.
But it did show that, among the 118 crossings by ships carrying cargo, 37 had left the Gulf carrying crude oil.
Most of those oil tankers -- 30 of them -- came from Iran or sailed under the Iranian flag. And most ships carrying Iranian oil did not specify their destination on their transponder.
Of those who did, all but one reported they were heading to China.
In the early days of the war, transponder data showed dozens of ships broadcasting messages such as "Chinese crew" or "Chinese owner" in the field usually used for their destination.
This appeared to be an attempt by the ships to avoid being targeted by Iran.
dvz-jah-ys-lmc-lcr/jj

judiciary

French court rules to extradite Russian who owned Portsmouth football club

  • Antonov's lawyer said that his client would challenge the ruling.
  • A French court has ruled to extradite Russian banker Vladimir Antonov, a former owner of English football club Portsmouth, to Lithuania, his lawyer said on Friday.
  • Antonov's lawyer said that his client would challenge the ruling.
A French court has ruled to extradite Russian banker Vladimir Antonov, a former owner of English football club Portsmouth, to Lithuania, his lawyer said on Friday.
Antonov was detained in western France last December on suspicion of fraud, following a European arrest warrant from Lithuania.
He is accused of having stripped assets and funds from a leading Lithuanian bank, Snoras, where he was a majority shareholder, between 2008 and 2011, when the lender was nationalised.
A second arrest warrant issued in December 2025 added charges of corruption, money laundering and bankruptcy, with total losses amounting to at least 478 million euros ($551 million).
Antonov's lawyer said that his client would challenge the ruling.
The court "clearly did not take into account the real risk to Mr. Antonov's life in Eastern Europe", Henry Ermeneux told AFP.
In 2024, a Lithuanian court sentenced Antonov in absentia to 10.5 years in prison for embezzlement.
In 2011, Antonov was arrested in Britain on the strength of a Lithuanian arrest warrant issued over the collapse of the Snoras Bank, but later released.
He purchased Portsmouth, then in the second-tier Championship, in June 2011.
He stepped down the following November when his company, Convers Sports Initiatives, went into administration following his arrest over the fraud allegations.
In 2015, a lawyer said Antonov had fled Britain because he feared for his life.
laf/ekf/as/jj

Global Edition

Senegal-Morocco friendship put to test by Africa Cup of Nations title turmoil

BY BY MALICK ROKHY BA, WITH ISMAIL BELLAOUALI IN RABAT

  • - Business, diplomacy partners - In late January in Rabat, Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch spoke of a "natural, lasting" relationship with Senegal where he said Morocco has invested more than $540 million.
  • Dakar and Rabat have longstanding ties but relations have been strained since the Africa Cup of Nations final, which Senegal won in mid-January before being stripped of the title, which was transferred to Morocco.
  • - Business, diplomacy partners - In late January in Rabat, Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch spoke of a "natural, lasting" relationship with Senegal where he said Morocco has invested more than $540 million.
Dakar and Rabat have longstanding ties but relations have been strained since the Africa Cup of Nations final, which Senegal won in mid-January before being stripped of the title, which was transferred to Morocco.
Now the AFCON trophy is something of a thorn in the two countries' sides.
On Rue Mohamed V, the street where Moroccan vendors are based in the Senegalese capital, a police van is parked. 
"The police have been on high alert since the Confederation of African Football (CAF) decided to award the title to Morocco, but there have been no incidents," a local resident told AFP.
CAF stripped Senegal of its title on March 17, over the team's angry departure from the pitch after a penalty was awarded to Morocco late in second-half stoppage time.
In a photo the following day, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye was seen in his office with the trophy behind him.
Senegal has lodged an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over the matter and some fans have meanwhile called for a boycott of Moroccan goods. 
On March 18, Dakar called for an international investigation into "allegations of corruption within the CAF leadership" in a statement that sent a chill through Morocco.
"An official (Senegalese) document mentioned corruption. It insinuates that Morocco is the corrupting influence without of course any evidence and this could have repercussions," Morocco's Aziz Daouda, a track and field official and former athlete, told AFP.
He added that "comments made by certain Senegalese football officials are damaging relations" between the two countries, referring to allegations that Morocco controls CAF.

'Hostages' of Morocco

One of Senegal's points of contention is the detention of 18 Senegalese football fans in Morocco for more than two months now.
They were sentenced on February 19 to prison terms ranging from three months to a year for hooliganism.
Minutes before the end of the match, some Senegalese supporters attempted to storm the pitch while Senegal's players halted the game for nearly 20 minutes in protest of the late penalty to Morocco.
The appeal hearing for the 18 fans was postponed for a second time on Monday until April 13.
Dozens of demonstrators in Dakar called for their release at the end of February, describing them as "hostages" of Morocco.
"One gets the impression that this affair goes beyond the realm of sport and that is regrettable. For two countries that claim to be friends, such as Morocco and Senegal, things should not have come to this," Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko said in late February, lamenting the supporters' convictions.
That said, Morocco's relationship with Senegal is "unique, specific and extraordinary", Senegal's Director of Religious Affairs Djim Ousmane Drame said in a recent article.
"Morocco has always been the only (African) country with which diplomatic relations with Senegal are based on an emotional bond and popular appeal, beyond the institutions and bilateral ties," Bakary Sambe of the Timbuktu Institute think tank told AFP.
Fez, for example, is a favourite destination for many Senegalese Muslim followers of Tidianism, an influential brotherhood in Senegal whose founder, Cheikh Ahmed Tidiane, is buried there.
Moroccan authorities meanwhile made no comment and "preferred not to get involved in this football affair" following the CAF decision, Daouda said.

Business, diplomacy partners

In late January in Rabat, Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch spoke of a "natural, lasting" relationship with Senegal where he said Morocco has invested more than $540 million.
Many Moroccan companies operate in Senegal, particularly in the food, pharmaceutical, energy, construction, mining, banking and insurance sectors.
On the international stage, the two countries' diplomatic views are generally aligned.
Senegalese nationals constitute the largest group of foreign residents in the kingdom (18.4 percent), according to official figures, and a robust student exchange also exists between the two countries.
"There are many of us on both sides trying to calm down all those hotheads from both camps who enjoy spreading irresponsible claims, lots of 'fake news' and plenty of insults," Daouda said.
Former Senegalese foreign minister Cheikh Tidiane Gadio wrote in early February that "a hundred minutes of football will never be able to ruin a thousand years of close ties between Senegal and Morocco".
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