US

G7 urges end to attacks on civilians in Middle East war

BY STUART WILLIAMS, SHAUN TANDON AND DELPHINE TOUITOU

  • A final communique on the war in the Middle East called for "an immediate cessation of attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure.
  • G7 allies on Friday urged a stop to attacks against civilians in the Middle East war, after a foreign ministers' meeting in France attended by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio almost one month into the US-Israeli assault against Iran.
  • A final communique on the war in the Middle East called for "an immediate cessation of attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure.
G7 allies on Friday urged a stop to attacks against civilians in the Middle East war, after a foreign ministers' meeting in France attended by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio almost one month into the US-Israeli assault against Iran.
Having skipped the first day of the meeting at the historic monastery turned luxury hotel complex outside Paris, Rubio had a full day of talks with counterparts from leading industrialised democracies at the Vaux-de-Cernay Abbey outside Paris.
A final communique on the war in the Middle East called for "an immediate cessation of attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure.
"There can be no justification for the deliberate targeting of civilians in situations of armed conflict as well as attacks on diplomatic facilities," it added.
US President Donald Trump had threatened to strike Iranian energy facilities, but subsequently rowed back that warning to give Tehran more time for talks he said were taking place.
This was Rubio's first trip abroad since the United States and Israel launched the war with air strikes on February 28 that killed supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
Before leaving France, he told reporters the US expected to finish Iran operations in the "next couple of weeks".
He said Iran had not yet responded to a plan to end the war.
But "we've had an exchange of messages and indications from the Iranian system -- whatever's left of it -- about a willingness to talk about certain things".

'Global economy hostage'

The G7 meeting was dominated by uncertainty over the current US strategy in the Middle East conflict.
"The Iranian regime would be well advised to enter into serious negotiations with the United States now," German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said after the meeting.
"There are initial indications that such talks should be taking place," he added, without elaborating.
Wadephul said the international community needed to collaborate even more closely now it was dealing with two wars in which Russia and Iran were cooperating -- including the conflict sparked by Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
"We need to strengthen our unity," he told reporters.
The UK's foreign minister Yvette Cooper urged a "swift resolution to this conflict that restores regional stability".
She echoed concerns over the de facto blockade by Iran of the key Strait of Hormuz, which has driven up global oil prices and left vessels queueing up to enter the energy bottleneck.
"Iran cannot be able to just hold the global economy hostage," she said.
The final statement said ministers had "reiterated the absolute necessity to permanently restore safe and toll-free freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz".
Rubio said he had made progress with allies in opposing Iranian threats to start "tolling" vessels.
"It's dangerous to the world, and it's important that the world have a plan to confront it," he said.

'Play into Putin's hands'

With Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha in attendance, European ministers were keen to emphasise support for Kyiv must not be forgotten.
"Putin is cynically hoping that the escalation in the Middle East will divert our attention from his crimes in Ukraine," Wadephul said.
"This calculation must not succeed," he said, warning that any compromising on Ukraine's defence capabilities would "play into Putin's hands".
The elite G7 club -- whose origins go back to the first G6 summit held in the nearby Chateau de Rambouillet in 1975 -- and now comprises Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, UK and United States.
dt-sct-sjw/ah/jj

war

Mideast war leaves 6,000 tonnes of tea stuck at Kenya port

  • As a result, "six to eight million kilos" are stuck in Mombasa, he told AFP. "So that's an average of $24 million worth of tea at the port," he added.
  • Between 6,000 and 8,000 tonnes of tea, worth around $24 million, is stuck at Kenya's port of Mombasa because of the war in the Middle East, trade officials said Friday.
  • As a result, "six to eight million kilos" are stuck in Mombasa, he told AFP. "So that's an average of $24 million worth of tea at the port," he added.
Between 6,000 and 8,000 tonnes of tea, worth around $24 million, is stuck at Kenya's port of Mombasa because of the war in the Middle East, trade officials said Friday.
The East African Tea Trade Association (EATTA) manages auctions at the port city, which serves as a global marketplace where hundreds of thousands of tonnes of tea from the region are sold every year.
Around 65 percent of the east African tea market has been affected by the war that began on February 28 when the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, EATTA director George Omuga said.
As a result, "six to eight million kilos" are stuck in Mombasa, he told AFP.
"So that's an average of $24 million worth of tea at the port," he added.
The tea has been sold to customers but cannot be shipped, mainly to the Middle East, which accounts for about 20 percent of the market, he estimates.
Shipments to Pakistan, which makes up 40 percent of the market, have also been disrupted by a surge in transport costs because of changes in shipping routes and higher insurance premiums.
Tea sales, meanwhile, have fallen by nearly 20 percent in recent weeks because of the war, resulting in lost revenue of $8 million per week.
Kenyan meat and horticulture are also feeling the impact of the conflict, suffering losses amounting to millions of dollars every week.
During the first three weeks of March, only five percent of the 150 to 200 tonnes of daily meat exports were delivered, most of which were destined for the Middle East, according to Nicholas Ngahu, CEO of the Kenya Meat and Livestock Exporters Industry Council (KEMLEIC).
The Middle East also accounts for between 10 and 15 percent of Kenya's flower exports, and serves as a major transit point, particularly for shipments to Europe.
The disruption is troublesome for Kenya, which is also dependent on fuel imports.
Pump prices remained unchanged in March, but traders are worried about the consequences of a possible surge.
Vivo Energy Kenya, which operates Shell service stations in the east African country, on Thursday reported "temporary stock-outs at some service stations", attributed to a rise in demand.
The firm said it is "working continuously to replenish affected sites as quickly as possible", without providing further details.
Thousands of independent service stations are facing supply shortfalls as "panic buying is driving demand", John Njogu, CEO of the Petroleum Outlets Association of Kenya, told AFP.
But unlike neighbouring Ethiopia, long queues have not yet formed at Kenyan petrol stations.
jcp/ayv/giv/jhb

US

War in the Middle East: latest developments

  • - US not arming Kurds - A senior Iraqi Kurdistan official said the United States is not arming Iranian Kurdish opposition groups exiled in his autonomous region, reiterating his government opposes any involvement by these groups in the Middle East war.
  • Here are the latest developments in the Middle East war: - US ops finishing in 'couple weeks': Rubio - US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he expected Washington's war objectives in Iran to be completed "in the next couple weeks", regardless of whether the United States sends ground troops.
  • - US not arming Kurds - A senior Iraqi Kurdistan official said the United States is not arming Iranian Kurdish opposition groups exiled in his autonomous region, reiterating his government opposes any involvement by these groups in the Middle East war.
Here are the latest developments in the Middle East war:

US ops finishing in 'couple weeks': Rubio

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he expected Washington's war objectives in Iran to be completed "in the next couple weeks", regardless of whether the United States sends ground troops.
"When we are done with them here in the next couple weeks, they will be weaker than they've been in recent history," he told reporters in Paris after G7 talks.
He also said Washington was open to diverting US weapons from Ukraine to the Iran war if needed.

Iran has sent 'messages': Rubio

Rubio also said Iran had sent ""messages" to the American side, but had not responded to a US-proposed peace plan.
"We've had an exchange of messages and indications from the Iranian system -- whatever's left of it -- about a willingness to talk about certain things," he said.

'Regime change' unlikely: Merz

The war is unlikely to lead to "regime change" in Iran, said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
"If that's the goal, I don't think you'll achieve it. It's mostly gone wrong" in past conflicts, he said at a forum in Frankfurt, pointing to the Afghanistan war.

US, Israel strike Iran nuclear sites

US-Israeli strikes hit a uranium processing facility in central Iran, the country's atomic energy organisation said.
"The plant in Ardakan, located in Yazd Province, was targeted minutes ago in an attack by the American-Zionist enemy," it said on its Telegram channel, adding that the strikes "did not result in the release of any radioactive material".
Israel's army confirmed it had struck the facility and also a heavy water reactor in central Iran. Iranian media reported there were no casualties or radiation leak from the latter site.

More than 300 US soldiers wounded

More than 300 American troops have been wounded since the start of the Iran war on February 28, US Central Command said.
A US official who asked not to be identified told AFP that 10 US troops remain seriously wounded.

G7 calls for Hormuz reopening

G7 foreign ministers urged an "immediate cessation" of attacks against civilians in the war and urged Iran to immediately restore freedom of navigation in the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
A joint statement, released in the name of all G7 members, including the United States, "reiterated the absolute necessity to permanently restore safe and toll-free freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz".
Rubio said after the G7 meeting there was "a lot of buy-in" from allies on opposing Iranian threats to impose tolling in the strait.

Israel hits Beirut, no warning

A strike hit Beirut's southern suburbs without warning from the Israeli military, Lebanese state media said, as AFPTV footage showed smoke rising from the area.
The state-run National News Agency said Israeli warplanes "carried out a very heavy strike... on the Tahouitet al-Ghadir area", the same district where Lebanese authorities said another raid earlier killed two people.

US not arming Kurds

A senior Iraqi Kurdistan official said the United States is not arming Iranian Kurdish opposition groups exiled in his autonomous region, reiterating his government opposes any involvement by these groups in the Middle East war.
In an interview with AFP on Thursday, Qubad Talabani, the deputy prime minister of the autonomous northern region, also said Iraqi Kurdistan has asked Baghdad to stop daily drone attacks by pro-Iran armed groups targeting US military advisers belonging to an international anti-jihadist coalition.

Hezbollah-Israel clashes

Hezbollah said its fighters had clashed directly with Israeli forces in two south Lebanon villages, as Israeli airstrikes on several areas killed at least six people, according to the health ministry.
In a statement, the Iran-backed militant group said its fighters had clashed with "Israeli enemy army forces in the villages of Bayada and Shamaa at point-blank range with light and medium weapons", while also claiming responsibility for attacks on Israeli border towns and positions.

US, Israel target Iran steel

US-Israeli airstrikes damaged two major steel plants in Iran, Iranian media reports said.

Lebanon 'humanitarian catastrophe'

Nearly a month into the war, Lebanon faces a deepening humanitarian crisis that now risks teetering over into a "catastrophe", the UN refugee agency warned.
Since March 2, more than a million people -- one in five residents -- have been forced to flee their homes, said the UNHCR.

US, Iran talks in Pakistan?

The United States and Iran are preparing for direct talks, the German foreign minister also said, adding it was "expected to take place in Pakistan very soon", without revealing the source of the information.

Iran turns back ships

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had turned back three ships trying to transit the Strait of Hormuz, adding the route was closed to vessels travelling to and from ports linked to its "enemies".

Iran warns civilians

The Guards also urged civilians across the Middle East to stay away from areas near US forces.
burs-sbk/jhb

aid

Missing aid boats 'safely' crossed to Cuba: US Coast Guard

BY JEAN ARCE, WITH LAURENT THOMET AND LISANDRA COTS IN HAVANA

  • The US Coast Guard, which was not involved in the search efforts, said Friday it had received a report at 10:36 am (1436 GMT) that "the two vessels safely transited to Cuba."
  • Two aid boats bound for Cuba that were feared missing after they set sail from Mexico have "safely transited" to the island, the US Coast Guard said Friday.
  • The US Coast Guard, which was not involved in the search efforts, said Friday it had received a report at 10:36 am (1436 GMT) that "the two vessels safely transited to Cuba."
Two aid boats bound for Cuba that were feared missing after they set sail from Mexico have "safely transited" to the island, the US Coast Guard said Friday.
The Mexican Navy had reported Thursday that it launched a search and rescue mission after losing communication with the vessels, which had left from Isla Mujeres in southeast Mexico on March 20 with nine people aboard.
The US Coast Guard, which was not involved in the search efforts, said Friday it had received a report at 10:36 am (1436 GMT) that "the two vessels safely transited to Cuba."
The sailboats are part of an international convoy that has brought 50 tonnes of medical supplies, food, solar panels and other goods to support Cuba as a US fuel blockade has deepened the communist-ruled island's energy and economic crisis.
The first shipments arrived by plane from Europe and the United States last week as part of Our America Convoy to Cuba.
A fishing boat that was converted into an aid vessel, which had also left Mexico last Friday, arrived in Cuba on Tuesday, a few days later than planned due to unfavorable weather, currents and battery issues. 
It had been escorted by a Mexican Navy ship part of the way.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel had voiced concern earlier over the two missing boats and said Havana was "doing everything possible" to help the search.
After the Mexican Navy reported the search, a spokesperson for Our America Convoy sought to ease concerns over the fate of the boats, saying organizers remained confident in the crew's ability to reach Havana safely.
The spokesperson said the captains and crews were "experienced" sailors and that both vessels were equipped "with appropriate safety systems and signalling equipment."
The spokesperson could not be immediately reached for comment on Friday.

Trump blockade

The Mexican Navy had indicated that the boats were due to arrive between Tuesday and Wednesday.
Naval authorities did not specify the identities or nationalities of the crew members on the boats, but said they were maintaining communication with rescue agencies in Poland, France, Cuba and the United States.
The Mexican Navy was also in contact with diplomatic missions of the crew.
The search had involved aircraft searching the route between Isla Mujeres and Havana.
Meanwhile, a Mexican Navy ship carrying 111 tonnes of food and other donations arrived in Havana on Friday, according to official Cuban media.
Mexico has now sent four shipments of aid to Cuba totalling more than 3,000 tonnes, though it has yet to resume oil deliveries.
US President Donald Trump imposed a de facto oil blockade on Cuba in January after US forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, whose government had been Cuba's principal source of fuel supplies.
Trump has also threatened tariffs on countries that ship oil to Cuba.
The island has suffered seven nationwide blackouts since 2024, including two last week alone.
jla-lt/mlm

US

G7 ministers urge end to attacks against civilians in Mideast war

  • "We reiterated the absolute necessity to permanently restore safe and toll-free freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz," the statement added.
  • G7 foreign ministers Friday urged a stop to attacks against civilians in the Middle East war and urged Iran to immediately restore freedom of navigation in the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
  • "We reiterated the absolute necessity to permanently restore safe and toll-free freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz," the statement added.
G7 foreign ministers Friday urged a stop to attacks against civilians in the Middle East war and urged Iran to immediately restore freedom of navigation in the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
A joint statement, released in the name of all G7 members, including the United States, called for "an immediate cessation of attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure".
"There can be no justification for the deliberate targeting of civilians in situations of armed conflict as well as attacks on diplomatic facilities," it said, after the foreign ministers of the world's leading industrialised nations met in France.
The joint statement had initially not been expected, which had been seen as a potential sign of transatlantic tensions over the US-Israeli war against the Islamic republic.
US President Donald Trump had threatened to strike Iranian energy facilities, but has since rowed back on that warning to give Tehran more time for talks he said were taking place. 
A major theme of the meeting outside Paris was Iran's de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key energy and trading bottleneck whose throttling has led to a surge in global energy prices.
"We reiterated the absolute necessity to permanently restore safe and toll-free freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz," the statement added.
In their meeting, the ministers focused on efforts "to mitigate global economic shocks such as disruptions to economic, energy, fertiliser and commercial supply chains, which have direct impacts on our citizens", they said.
dt-sjw/ah/sbk

Israel

Bahrain cracks down on Shia dissent as Iran war tests kingdom

  • - 'Ugly sectarianism' - Iran has justified its attacks on its neighbours by saying it is targeting US military bases, though civilian infrastructure has also been hit.
  • While Bahrain comes under Iranian fire, some in the country have expressed sympathy with Tehran and even rejoiced over hits on US bases, prompting a crackdown mainly targeting the Shia Muslim community, activists told AFP. The crackdown risks reopening old woundsin Sunni-ruled Bahrain which is home, like neighbouring Iran, to a large Shia community that has long complained of marginalisation.
  • - 'Ugly sectarianism' - Iran has justified its attacks on its neighbours by saying it is targeting US military bases, though civilian infrastructure has also been hit.
While Bahrain comes under Iranian fire, some in the country have expressed sympathy with Tehran and even rejoiced over hits on US bases, prompting a crackdown mainly targeting the Shia Muslim community, activists told AFP.
The crackdown risks reopening old woundsin Sunni-ruled Bahrain which is home, like neighbouring Iran, to a large Shia community that has long complained of marginalisation.
The killing ofAyatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader and a spiritual guide for many Shia Muslims sparked anger in Bahrain, where some condemned the United States on social media and in small protests, while others cheered Iranian attacks on US bases and called for troops to leave.
In response, since the start of the war on February 28, authorities have arrested more than 200 people,most of them Shia, the Britain-based Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) and the Al Amal Center for Human Rights and Justice told AFP.
"There is widespread resentment, fear and terror in Bahrain, especially among Shias, who now feel targeted," said Naji Fateel, a Bahraini human rights defender whose own son was arrested this month.
"These arbitrary measures are all directed at one sect only," added Fateel, who himself spent years behind bars.

'Fear and terror'

Fateel's son Hussein and another man were arrested after filming themselves marching towards the US embassy in Bahrain's capital Manama, carrying a photo of Khamenei to protest his killing.
Fateel said his son was accused of collaborating with the enemy and treason, among other charges.
Some of those arrested were accused of espionage, while others are being held for protesting.
Other charges include treason, spreading footage of attacks or sympathising and glorifying Iran's campaign.
One man was arrested after he shared a drawing representing Khamenei, two activists told AFP.
Anger at the United States over its support of Israel in Gaza and fury over Khamenei's killing "explains why Bahrain was the only Gulf country where people were so delighted to see American bases hit", according to activist Sayed Ahmed AlWadaei of BIRD.
This sentiment contrasts starkly with the official line, with the government normalising ties with Israel and hosting the United States' Fifth Fleet.

Treason

Asked about the arrests, a government spokesperson said "all persons are subject to equal treatment, without regard to personal characteristics, gender, or religious background. Any suggestion to the contrary is categorically false".
"All those charged are entitled to a fair trial and afforded due process," the spokesperson added.
But Bahraini rights activists tell a different story.
Two activists told AFP that lawyers had a difficult time reaching their clients. In the case of one woman arrested over her social media posts, her family spent five days trying to locate her, according to a relative.
On Friday, BIRD called for Bahraini authorities to investigate the death in custody of Shia activist Mohamed Almosawi, 32, who had been arrested a few days prior and whose funeral drew large crowds.
The arrests also come at a time when Gulf countries are concerned about Iranian penetration as they come under attack, with Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE all cracking down on what they call Iran-related networks.
For Kristin Diwan of the Arab Gulf States Institute, Bahrain's longstanding marginalisation of Shia Muslims has created "an environment that Iran has exploited in the past and can do so again".

'Ugly sectarianism' 

Iran has justified its attacks on its neighbours by saying it is targeting US military bases, though civilian infrastructure has also been hit.
Israel and the United States "both started this war and dragged the countries of the region into this", Hussain, a 31-year-old Shia Bahraini told AFP.
Both the war and the government's crackdown threaten to reignite old grievances.
Protests demanding an elected government rocked the archipelago in 2011, at the height of the Arab Spring uprising sweeping through the region. 
The protests in Bahrain sparked a major crackdown on dissent, with Manama blaming the uprising on Iran and accusing it of trying to overthrow the government.
Iran at the time denied any involvement in the movement.
While broader unrest is unlikely this time, Diwan said the war "may reignite some of the ugly sectarianism" seen previously in Bahrain.
Fateel said pro-government Bahrainis were going after Shia activists online, warning a sectarian backlash was already underway.
"I have received threats from online trolls... I could be arrested at any moment simply for expressing my opinion," he said.
str-aya/ser

health

Brazil's Bolsonaro leaves hospital, starts house arrest for coup attempt

  • The 71-year-old "has just been discharged," his doctor, Brasil Caiado, told reporters outside the private DF Star hospital.
  • Former far-right Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro was discharged from hospital on Friday after a two-week stay and transferred to his home in Brasilia to begin house arrest, his doctor said.
  • The 71-year-old "has just been discharged," his doctor, Brasil Caiado, told reporters outside the private DF Star hospital.
Former far-right Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro was discharged from hospital on Friday after a two-week stay and transferred to his home in Brasilia to begin house arrest, his doctor said.
Bolsonaro was hospitalized with bronchopneumonia after falling ill in prison, where he was serving a 27-year sentence for attempting a coup after his 2022 election loss to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
The 71-year-old "has just been discharged," his doctor, Brasil Caiado, told reporters outside the private DF Star hospital. Bolsonaro will have to follow an intensive routine of physical therapy and care, the doctor said.
"His health condition is more or less stable," Caiado said.
Bolsonaro was hospitalized on March 13 after suffering from a high fever, chills and low oxygen saturation in prison. After more than a week in intensive care, he was moved to a regular ward on Monday, paving the way for his release.
Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes on Tuesday granted a request by Bolsonaro's lawyers to allow him to serve his sentence at home for a period of 90 days on humanitarian grounds.
Previously, the justice had repeatedly rejected similar requests from the defense, who had argued that Bolsonaro's poor health made serving his sentence in prison unfeasible. The severity of this latest hospitalization appears to have tipped the scales. 
After the 90 days have elapsed, the court will re-evaluate whether to extend the house arrest or if the controversial former leader should go back to jail.
While at home, Bolsonaro will have to wear an electronic ankle monitor and will be prohibited from using a cell phone, social media or recording any video or audio. 
He will be allowed visits from family members, lawyers and doctors. 
- Long medical history - 
Bolsonaro, who served as president from 2019-2022, had been under house arrest before the official start of his sentence but was moved to prison after he took a soldering iron to his ankle monitoring bracelet in what the court saw as an escape attempt.
His lung infection is the most recent episode in a long medical history that dates back to 2018, when he was stabbed in the abdomen during a campaign event.
Since then, Bolsonaro has undergone multiple surgeries and suffers from recurring bouts of hiccups, sometimes accompanied by vomiting. The infection that landed him in the hospital was a consequence of an aspiration pneumonia linked to those aftereffects.
The doctor said earlier this week that recovery from bronchopneumonia, which includes the risk of scar tissue forming in the lungs during healing, could take between six weeks and six months.
Bolsonaro's return home comes less than seven months before October's presidential elections.
Bolsonaro chose his eldest son, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, as the right-wing candidate to face the leftist Lula, who is 80 and seeking a fourth term. 
The latest polls show a virtual tie between the two in a potential runoff election.
ll/mr/fb/mjf/sms

conflict

Lebanon at risk of 'humanitarian catastrophe': UN

BY ROBIN MILLARD

  • "The situation remains extremely worrying and the risk of a humanitarian catastrophe... is real," she told reporters in Geneva, speaking from Beirut.
  • Nearly a month into the Middle East war, Lebanon is facing a deepening humanitarian crisis that now risks teetering over into a catastrophe, the United Nations refugee agency warned Friday.
  • "The situation remains extremely worrying and the risk of a humanitarian catastrophe... is real," she told reporters in Geneva, speaking from Beirut.
Nearly a month into the Middle East war, Lebanon is facing a deepening humanitarian crisis that now risks teetering over into a catastrophe, the United Nations refugee agency warned Friday.
Since March 2, more than a million people -- one in five residents -- have been forced to flee their homes, said the UNHCR.
With the numbers continuing to rise, "it is really a deepening humanitarian crisis that we here on the ground are seeing in Lebanon", said Karolina Lindholm Billing, the agency's representative in the country.
"The situation remains extremely worrying and the risk of a humanitarian catastrophe... is real," she told reporters in Geneva, speaking from Beirut.
Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war on March 2 when Tehran-backed Hezbollah began firing rockets into Israel to avenge the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
"More than 136,000 displaced people are staying in 660 collective shelters, most of them schools, filled far beyond capacity," she said. There was limited access to sanitation, and older people were struggling to sleep on classroom floors.
In southern Lebanon, Israel's destruction of key bridges has left more than 150,000 people isolated and severely limited humanitarian access, said Lindholm Billing.
UNHCR is appealing for more than $60 million to scale up its response, and warned that needs were rising faster than resources.
"Lebanon was already facing multiple crises, and this massive displacement is adding immense pressure on families and services," Lindholm Billing said.
"Again and again, people tell me the same thing: they simply want to go home."

Families torn apart

The UN Women agency said pregnant women were giving birth in temporary shelters with limited access to care.
The shelters, such as school classrooms, are not set up for long-term displacement, said the agency's Lebanon representative Gielan El Messiri. 
"Women describe constant fear, sleeplessness and exhaustion, while also comforting frightened children," she said. 
The UN children's agency UNICEF said more than 370,000 children in Lebanon were among those forced to flee their homes -- and there was "no safe place" to go to.
"The speed and scale are staggering," said Marcoluigi Corsi, UNICEF's representative in Lebanon.
"This is a sudden, chaotic mass displacement, tearing families apart and hollowing out entire communities, with consequences that will reverberate long after the violence subsides.
"The mental and emotional exhaustion weighing on the children of Lebanon is devastating."
The World Health Organization has sent a first humanitarian convoy overland to Lebanon, which has now reached Syria.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said the Lebanese Red Cross (LRC) was distributing aid to households, including blankets, mattresses, meals, bread and safe drinking water.
IFRC spokesman Tommaso Della Longa said the LRC was the main ambulance service provider. "Between March 2 and 23, LRC teams conducted 2,754 ambulance missions and 11 urban search and rescue operations," he said.
One LRC volunteer had been killed and several others wounded during ambulance missions, Della Longa added.
"Staff and volunteers are working under extreme pressure while ensuring both their personal safety and the safe evacuation of injured individuals," he said.
rjm/nl/jj

conflict

Russia labels 'Mr Nobody Against Putin' teacher a 'foreign agent'

  • The "foreign agent" label -- which Russia applies to those it considers enemies of the state -- effectively bans an individual from holding public office and forces them to register their activities with the authorities.
  • Russia declared the teacher and central protagonist of the Oscar-winning documentary "Mr Nobody Against Putin" a foreign agent on Friday, a label akin to being an enemy of the state.
  • The "foreign agent" label -- which Russia applies to those it considers enemies of the state -- effectively bans an individual from holding public office and forces them to register their activities with the authorities.
Russia declared the teacher and central protagonist of the Oscar-winning documentary "Mr Nobody Against Putin" a foreign agent on Friday, a label akin to being an enemy of the state.
Pavel Talankin, who won Best Documentary at the Academy Awards earlier this month together with US director David Borenstein, spent two years documenting pro-war propaganda at a school in Russia's Chelyabinsk region while working as the school's videographer.
Talankin fled Russia in 2024, smuggling out the footage to be used in the film.
A Russian court banned the documentary from several streaming platforms on Thursday, saying it promoted "negative attitudes" about the Russian government and the war in Ukraine.
The justice ministry added Talankin to its "register of foreign agents", updated on Friday.
Without naming the film, it said in a statement that Talankin had "disseminated inaccurate information" about Russia's leadership and "spoken out against the special military operation in Ukraine", Moscow's official term for the offensive on its neighbour.
Since launching the full-scale military assault on Ukraine four years ago, Russian authorities have sought to totally suppress opposition to the war while aiming to rally support for the offensive among citizens.
Authorities have amended school curriculums to promote Moscow's narrative about the offensive, and introduced compulsory lessons aimed at teaching the Kremlin's worldview.
The "foreign agent" label -- which Russia applies to those it considers enemies of the state -- effectively bans an individual from holding public office and forces them to register their activities with the authorities.
It has been widely applied to critics of the Kremlin over the last decade.
bur/jhb

diplomacy

Belgian diplomat appeals to avoid trial over Congo leader's murder

  • "Mr Davignon has decided to lodge an appeal," lawyer Johan Verbist told AFP. Davignon was ordered earlier this month to stand trial for "participation in war crimes" over his role in the "unlawful detention and transfer" of Lumumba, considered a prisoner of war at the time, and for him being denied a fair trial.
  • A 93-year-old former Belgian diplomat ordered to stand trial over the 1961 killing of Congolese independence icon Patrice Lumumba has appealed the decision, his lawmaker said Friday.
  • "Mr Davignon has decided to lodge an appeal," lawyer Johan Verbist told AFP. Davignon was ordered earlier this month to stand trial for "participation in war crimes" over his role in the "unlawful detention and transfer" of Lumumba, considered a prisoner of war at the time, and for him being denied a fair trial.
A 93-year-old former Belgian diplomat ordered to stand trial over the 1961 killing of Congolese independence icon Patrice Lumumba has appealed the decision, his lawmaker said Friday.
A novice diplomat at the time, Etienne Davignon is the only person still alive among 10 Belgians accused by the Congolese leader's family of complicity in his murder.
"Mr Davignon has decided to lodge an appeal," lawyer Johan Verbist told AFP.
Davignon was ordered earlier this month to stand trial for "participation in war crimes" over his role in the "unlawful detention and transfer" of Lumumba, considered a prisoner of war at the time, and for him being denied a fair trial.
The one-time European commissioner is also accused of "humiliating and degrading treatment", although not of direct involvement in Lumumba's killing.
Lumumba, an outspoken critic of Belgium's colonial rule, became his country's first prime minister after it gained independence in 1960.
But he fell out with the former colonial power and with the United States and was ousted in a coup a few months after taking office.
He was executed on January 17, 1961, aged just 35, in the southern region of Katanga, with the aid of Belgian mercenaries -- and his body dissolved in acid.
Should the trial go ahead, Davignon would be the first Belgian official to face justice in the 65 years since Lumumba's death.
A new closed‑door hearing will now pit the parties' lawyers against each other.
If the court decision is upheld, Davignon's trial would take place at the earliest in January 2027, according to Christophe Marchand, lawyer for Lumumba's children.
mad/ec/jj

US

Tehran accuses US of 'calculated' assault on school

BY NINA LARSON

  • Abbas Araghchi said "more than 175 students and teachers were slaughtered in cold blood" in a "calculated, phased assault" in the February 28 strike on an Iranian elementary school in Minab. 
  • Iran's foreign minister on Friday branded a deadly strike on an Iranian school on the first day of the Middle East war as a "calculated" US assault.
  • Abbas Araghchi said "more than 175 students and teachers were slaughtered in cold blood" in a "calculated, phased assault" in the February 28 strike on an Iranian elementary school in Minab. 
Iran's foreign minister on Friday branded a deadly strike on an Iranian school on the first day of the Middle East war as a "calculated" US assault.
Abbas Araghchi said "more than 175 students and teachers were slaughtered in cold blood" in a "calculated, phased assault" in the February 28 strike on an Iranian elementary school in Minab. 
At an urgent debate in the United Nations Human Rights Council focused on the strike, he described it in his video address as "a war crime and a crime against humanity, one that demands unequivocal condemnation by all, and unambiguous accountability for the culprits".
UN rights chief Volker Turk meanwhile told the council the bombing evoked "visceral horror", insisting on the need for "justice".
Mohaddeseh Falahat, the mother of two children killed in the attack, also spoke to the council by video.
Calling on the diplomats in Geneva "not to let this tragedy be forgotten", she added: "No mother is prepared to hear the words: 'Your child is not coming back'."

'Deliberate and intentional'

The attack happened on the day the United States and Israel launched the war with attacks across Iran. In retaliation, Tehran struck targets in Israel and Gulf nations.
A US Tomahawk cruise missile hit the elementary school due to a targeting mistake, according to the preliminary findings of a US military investigation reported by The New York Times.
The newspaper said the US military had been bombing an adjacent Iranian base, of which the school building was formerly a part. The target coordinates were set using outdated data, the paper reported.
US President Donald Trump intially suggested that Iran itself may have been responsible -- despite Iran not having Tomahawk missiles.
UN rights chief Turk insisted that "the onus is on those who carried out the attack to investigate it promptly, impartially, transparently and thoroughly".
"Senior US officials have said the strike is under investigation," he said in a video address, calling for Washington to swiftly conclude the probe and make the findings public.
Araghchi did not wait for the results of the probe to attribute blame.
"At a time when the American-Israeli aggressors, in their own assertions, possess the most advanced technologies, and the highest-precision military and data systems, no one can believe that the attack on the school was anything other than deliberate and intentional," he told the council.

'Atrocity'

"This atrocity cannot be justified, cannot be concealed, and must not be met with silence and indifference," the minister said.
"The United States' contradictory remarks aimed at justifying their crime could not, in any manner, elude their responsibility." 
Friday's discussion, held at the request of Iran, China and Cuba, marked the second urgent debate before the rights council this week focused on the war in the Middle East.
On Wednesday, a debate requested by Bahrain on behalf of the Gulf Cooperation Council and Jordan, ended with the 47-member rights council adopting by consensus a resolution condemning Iran's "egregious attacks" on its Gulf neighbours, calling for swift "reparation" to all victims of its strikes.
No draft resolution was discussed during Friday's debate, but countries lined up to condemn the school strike and the Middle East war more broadly.
Chinese ambassador Jia Guide slammed the United States and Israel for launching their attacks on Iran "without authorisation of the Security Council, which is the root cause of this tragedy".
Cuban ambassador Rodolfo Benitez Verson called for "an independent and impartial investigation" into the school strike, which he labelled a "war crime".
The United States and Israel have both disengaged from the council, and did not speak during the debate.
Turk and several countries also raised the issue of Tehran's reported growing crackdown on rights at home since the start of the conflict.
"The people of Iran are caught between conflict and repression," the UN rights chief warned.
"War does not reduce the responsibility of the Iranian authorities to abide by their human rights obligations," he added.
nl/rjm/jj

centre

Police probe firebomb attack on Russian centre in Prague

  • Girenko said a concert was scheduled to take place in the Russian House later on Friday, within Days of Russian Culture festival in the Czech Republic.
  • Czech police said Friday they were investigating a firebomb attack on a Russian cultural and scientific centre in Prague.
  • Girenko said a concert was scheduled to take place in the Russian House later on Friday, within Days of Russian Culture festival in the Czech Republic.
Czech police said Friday they were investigating a firebomb attack on a Russian cultural and scientific centre in Prague.
The Russian Centre for Science and Culture opened in 1971 when former Czechoslovakia was ruled by Moscow-steered communists.
"Since Thursday evening we have been probing an attack during which someone threw several Molotov cocktails at the Russian House," police said on X.
Russian House head Igor Girenko said in a video message published by the Russian foreign ministry that "a terrorist attack was carried out against the Russian House in Prague".
"Bottles with a flammable liquid were thrown at the building. Three of them exploded outside. Three of them were thrown inside and hit the library building (without exploding). Fortunately, no one was injured," Girenko added.
An AFP photographer at the scene said the building's windows were blackened with soot and one was broken.
Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova labelled the attack as a "barbaric act" in a comment to state-run TASS news agency.
"We regard this as a terrorist attack against our Rossotrudnichestvo centre, against Russian property," added Pavel Shevtsov, deputy head of the Russian international cultural agency Rossotrudnichestvo, which runs the centre.
"It was a planned, deliberate attack," he added.
Rossotrudnichestvo later said on social media that "the assailant fled before the emergency services arrived. It is not yet clear whether he acted alone or as part of a group. Investigators are collecting evidence and camera footage."
Czech Interior Minister Lubomir Metnar said on X that "an attack on any building is unacceptable regardless of its character or ownership".
The building seeks to promote Russian culture, history and language and is also frequented by  Russians living in the Czech Republic.
Prague has declined to acknowledge it as a diplomatic building to Moscow's dismay, suspecting the centre of spreading Russian propaganda.

'Unfriendly state'

Russia labelled the Czech Republic an "unfriendly" state in 2021, shortly before invading Ukraine in February 2022.
That year Czech intelligence accused Moscow of being behind a series of blasts in 2014 at an ammunition depot in the eastern Czech Republic which claimed two lives.
They occurred just months after Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea peninsula in early 2014.
Czech intelligence said the agents who had carried out the attack were also suspected of poisoning former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury, England, in 2018.
The announcement sparked a massive mutual expulsion of dozens of diplomats and other embassy staff.
Rossotrudnichestvo said that the Russian House "resumed its full programme of activities at the beginning of 2026". 
"During this period, both the number of events and the number of visitors have multiplied. All events are exclusively cultural and educational in nature," it added.
Girenko said a concert was scheduled to take place in the Russian House later on Friday, within Days of Russian Culture festival in the Czech Republic.
"We have not yet made a final decision as to whether we will cancel it or not. We are inclined to go ahead with it. To show our ill-wishers that we cannot be intimidated," he added.
It is the second incendiary attack Czech police are dealing with in the past week. A group set fire to the warehouse of Czech arms company LPP, which is believed to cooperate with Israeli's Elbit Systems, last Friday.
LPP denied the cooperation and police have since detained three people, who are Czech and American citizens.
burs-frj/fg

Israel

Putin hopes Iran war will shift focus from 'crimes' in Ukraine: German FM

  • "Putin is cynically hoping that the escalation in the Middle East will divert our attention from his crimes in Ukraine," Johann Wadephul said during a meeting of G7 foreign ministers in France. 
  • Russian President Vladimir Putin is hoping the war in the Middle East will shift the focus from his "crimes" in Ukraine, the German foreign minister said on Friday.
  • "Putin is cynically hoping that the escalation in the Middle East will divert our attention from his crimes in Ukraine," Johann Wadephul said during a meeting of G7 foreign ministers in France. 
Russian President Vladimir Putin is hoping the war in the Middle East will shift the focus from his "crimes" in Ukraine, the German foreign minister said on Friday.
"Putin is cynically hoping that the escalation in the Middle East will divert our attention from his crimes in Ukraine," Johann Wadephul said during a meeting of G7 foreign ministers in France. 
"This calculation must not succeed," he said, warning that any compromising on Ukraine's defence capabilities would "play into Putin's hands".
Echoing a major theme at the two days of talks of G7 ministers outside Paris, Wadephul said the international community needed to work even closer together as it was now dealing with two wars in which Russia and Iran were cooperating.
The talks were also attended by Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.
"We can see very clearly how closely the two conflicts are linked. Russia is clearly supporting Iran with information about potential targets," said Wadephul.
A day earlier, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas had accused Russia of supplying Iran with intelligence to "kill Americans" in the Middle East as well as supplying drones.
"We need to strengthen our unity. Given that Iran and Russia are working together in the closest way, we must stand even closer together," Wadephul added.
kol-sjw/ekf/kjm

US

'I'll never be the same': Iranians recount one month of war

BY SUSANNAH WALDEN WITH AFP CORRESPONDENTS

  • "The noise, the explosions and the missiles are now a part of our daily life...
  • After a month of war with Israel and the United States with no clear end in sight, Iranians tell AFP about how life has changed, about watching missiles fall, and how security forces have tightened their grip.
  • "The noise, the explosions and the missiles are now a part of our daily life...
After a month of war with Israel and the United States with no clear end in sight, Iranians tell AFP about how life has changed, about watching missiles fall, and how security forces have tightened their grip.
Here is a collection of interviews conducted with Iranians, mostly people in Tehran, who shared their experiences with AFP journalists outside the country. Their names have been changed to protect their identities.
Iran has been arresting and warning citizens about speaking to journalists or sending images outside the country amid an internet blackout and severe phone network restrictions.

Economic pressures

Iran was already suffering economically before the war, but the conflict has sparked even higher inflation and brought many industries to a standstill. 
"My income comes from my online shop, but for the past two months I've had no income at all," Golnar from Tehran told AFP. 
"In our family, everyone is working and we don't even pay rent, yet we still can't think about things like going to restaurants or any kind of leisure activities. We can only afford the most basic and essential living expenses," the 29-year-old said.
The island of Qeshm, where 42-year-old Sadeq is based, enjoyed a tourism boom in recent years, but saw few visitors over the usually busy Nowruz holidays marking the Iranian New Year in March. 
"Our hotel and cafes are half empty. Many people have come here to stay longer, waiting to see what happens with the war," he said.
"We sometimes have to wait for hours to get fuel."

Coping

For Shayan in Tehran, there is some normalcy in the shadow of the war. 
"There is no famine, everything is available. Cafes are open, and we still go out... There is gasoline, water, and electricity. But there is a sense of helplessness in all of us," the 40-year-old said. 
"We gather with family and friends, play card games together, and drink. Shops and restaurants are open until 9:00 pm, but the city feels empty, most people have left."
Another Tehran resident originally from Iran's Kurdish region said she also feels she has grown "used to the situation". 
"The noise, the explosions and the missiles are now a part of our daily life... I think little by little it's becoming more ordinary for everyone," said the 35-year-old.
"Right now, our only worry is that our oil and gas infrastructure might be targeted by missile attacks. I think that's the one thing all Iranians agree on at the moment."

Fears for the future

Katayoon recently left Iran for Turkey, after several "terrible" months since the protests in January that saw thousands killed in a crackdown. 
Two nights before departing, the blastwave from an airstrike threw her from her bed.
But her decision to leave was more from "living in fear for at least a decade... from my scarf falling off my head in the street, to not being able to teach the opposite sex, or having basic liberties", the yoga teacher said. 
There is fear of bombardments, but "there is no other recourse -- people don't have money to eat. Life has become impossible", she said. 
Ensieh, a dentist in the capital, said every day she is "losing more hope". 
"We're caught between three mad powers, and war is terrifying. I know I'll never be the same person again. War has torn a part of me away, and it's not coming back," the 46-year-old said.  
A 34-year-old resident of Sanandaj in western Iran said the intensity of the attacks had decreased and that in recent days he "realised the Islamic republic will not be overthrown in the way we imagined". 

Crackdown

Since the war started Iranians have reported heavy security in the streets, with limited anti-government demonstrations quickly quelled, while crowds of Islamic republic supporters regularly rally. 
Out in Tehran, "you'll likely pass through multiple checkpoints in a single day... Cars are searched, phones are checked," including photos, hidden files, apps even personal notes, said 38-year-old artist Kaveh. 
He said groups of armed security forces who have "taken control of the streets" drive through Tehran at night "honking and carrying flags". 
At a gathering in Tehran, he said he and other people opposed to the Islamic republic were worried about Washington coming to a deal with the clerical authorities, in power since 1979. 
"If an agreement is reached, we'll be doomed. At the very least, we should leave Iran for two or three years because they will turn on us," he said. 
bur-sw/adp/ser

rescue

Beached whale frees itself from German coast

  • Lehmann said the whale was "zigzagging" in the water and could become stranded again.
  • A humpback whale stranded on Germany's Baltic Sea coast since early this week has freed itself and swum into deeper waters, rescuers said Friday.
  • Lehmann said the whale was "zigzagging" in the water and could become stranded again.
A humpback whale stranded on Germany's Baltic Sea coast since early this week has freed itself and swum into deeper waters, rescuers said Friday.
A flotilla of vessels were following the weakened animal at a distance, hoping to help guide it into the North Sea and toward the Atlantic Ocean, its natural habitat.
The roughly 10-metre- (33-foot-) long sea mammal was first spotted on Monday stuck in shallow water close to Niendorf near the northern city of Luebeck.
That set off days of intensive efforts using boats to make waves, then excavators to dig up sand and free the whale, as fears grew for its life.
Rescue teams from Thursday used earth moving equipment on a pontoon to dredge a channel through the sand to allow the animal to escape.
Then, overnight to Friday, the whale "gathered its forces" and "freed itself using its own strength", marine biologist Robert Marc Lehmann said.
"Whale rescue successful," he wrote on his Instagram profile.
However, he cautioned against excessive optimism and said the animal is "very ill" and had a long way to go before reaching "its real home, the Atlantic".
The whale had been entangled in a fishing net, most of which rescuers managed to remove.
Lehmann said the whale was "zigzagging" in the water and could become stranded again.
Experts from the marine conservation group Sea Shepherd also warned that the whale is suffering from a skin disease. 
The animal was being escorted by, among others, two vessels from the Schleswig-Holstein state water police, a spokesperson from its headquarters in Kiel told AFP.
Experts hope it will swim back to the North Sea through the straits between Germany, Denmark and Sweden and on to the Atlantic Ocean. 
"Now we just have to hope that it finds its way out," state premier Daniel Guenther said on local radio, thanking the rescue volunteers. 
"I think they were all happy that all their digging had finally paid off."
bur-jsk/fz/ach 

Global Edition

Nepali rapper Shah sworn in as prime minister

BY PAAVAN MATHEMA

  • "It makes me even more delighted to have a 35-year-old youth as my successor," the outgoing interim prime minister, who hugged Shah after he took the oath, said in a statement.
  • Nepal's rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah was sworn in as prime minister on Friday after sweeping the first election since deadly anti-corruption protests toppled the government last year.
  • "It makes me even more delighted to have a 35-year-old youth as my successor," the outgoing interim prime minister, who hugged Shah after he took the oath, said in a statement.
Nepal's rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah was sworn in as prime minister on Friday after sweeping the first election since deadly anti-corruption protests toppled the government last year.
The 35-year-old reformist and his Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) dominated polls this month on a platform of youth-driven political change.
"I, Balendra Shah, in the name of the country and people, pledge that I will be loyal to the constitution," Shah said, dressed all in black, including his trademark dark sunglasses.
Crowds at the ceremony cheered and chanted his name after he formally took office, where he named key cabinet posts, including former youth activist Sudan Gurung as interior minister.
At least 77 people were killed in the anti-corruption youth uprising, which began over a brief social media ban but tapped into longstanding fury over economic hardship in the nation of 30 million people.
Shah, better known as Balen, was sworn in a day after he released his first public statement since winning the March 5 elections, via a rap song posted on social media.
"The strength of unity is my national power," Shah sang in the song, which has racked up nearly three million views since being released on social media and streaming sites on Thursday evening.
Shah had remained silent publicly since his RSP party won the election in a landslide, winning a commanding majority of 182 in the 275-seat House of Representatives.
He campaigned alongside the RSP president, combative television host Rabi Lamichhane, 51, a former deputy prime minister and interior minister and now a fellow lawmaker who retains a pivotal role in power.
"My heart is full of courage, my red blood is boiling; my brothers stand with me, this time we will rise," Shah said in his song, over a video of him campaigning for election.
"May my breath not run out; I will run like a leopard," he added.
Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle, a former United Nations economic advisor, takes up hard task of reforming Nepal's battered economy.
Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal, a former education minister, must balance landlocked Nepal's relations between giants India and China.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was swift to congratulate Shah on Friday, saying he looked forward to taking "India-Nepal friendship and cooperation to even greater heights", he said in a statement.
China also congratulated Shah, with foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian telling reporters Beijing wanted to "deepen practical cooperation" with Nepal.

'Caution and boldness'

Sushila Karki, 73, a former chief justice who had led the caretaker administration for six months, said the country's future lay in the hands of a younger generation.
"It makes me even more delighted to have a 35-year-old youth as my successor," the outgoing interim prime minister, who hugged Shah after he took the oath, said in a statement.
"May you succeed in honouring the people's mandate by striking a balance between caution and boldness."
Karki, who had ordered an investigation into the crackdown on protesters, said in her statement Thursday that a report with the findings would be released. She did not give further details.
According to a leaked copy of the report seen by AFP, the commission investigating the events recommended the prosecution of ex-prime minister KP Sharma Oli, who was toppled in the uprising.
Four-time prime minister and Marxist leader Oli, 74, was defeated by Shah in Oli's own constituency. 
At least 19 young people were killed in a crackdown on the first day of protests. No one has been convicted of the killings.
Former interior minister Ramesh Lekhak and ex-police chief Chandra Kuber Khapung should also be investigated and prosecuted, according to the recommendations in the report.
The report said that in 48 of the 63 completed autopsies victims died from bullet wounds, with the majority struck in the chest or head.
pm-pjm/lga

US

War in the Middle East: latest developments

  • The Shuwaikh port was targeted "by enemy drones, preliminary reports revealed material damage but no human casualties", the Kuwait port authority said in a statement on X. - Iran warning to US soldiers - Iran's military has warned that hotels housing US soldiers across the region would be targets.
  • Here are the latest developments in the Middle East war: - Kuwait's main port hit - Kuwait's main commercial port was damaged in a drone attack at dawn.
  • The Shuwaikh port was targeted "by enemy drones, preliminary reports revealed material damage but no human casualties", the Kuwait port authority said in a statement on X. - Iran warning to US soldiers - Iran's military has warned that hotels housing US soldiers across the region would be targets.
Here are the latest developments in the Middle East war:

Kuwait's main port hit

Kuwait's main commercial port was damaged in a drone attack at dawn.
The Shuwaikh port was targeted "by enemy drones, preliminary reports revealed material damage but no human casualties", the Kuwait port authority said in a statement on X.

Iran warning to US soldiers

Iran's military has warned that hotels housing US soldiers across the region would be targets.
"When all the Americans (forces) go into a hotel, then from our perspective that hotel becomes American," armed forces spokesman Abolfazl Shekarchi told state television.

UN Security Council meeting

The UN Security Council will hold closed-door consultations on Friday to discuss strikes on Iran at Moscow's request, Russian state media reported.
"The Russian Federation has requested closed-door consultations with the UN Security Council due to the ongoing strikes on civilian infrastructure in Iran, including educational and healthcare facilities," said Evgeny Uspensky, spokesman for Russia's envoy to the United Nations, according to state news agency TASS.

Japan to boost coal-fired power

Japan's government plans to temporarily lift restrictions on coal-fired power plants as it seeks to ease an energy crunch caused by the Middle East war, officials said.
Power suppliers have previously been required to keep the operating rate of coal-fired thermal power stations that emit large amounts of carbon dioxide at or below 50 percent.
But the government now intends to allow the full operation of older, less efficient coal-fired plants, for a year from the new fiscal year starting April.

India slashes fuel taxes

India has reduced taxes on diesel and petrol by 10 rupees ($0.11) a litre.
The South Asian nation, one of the world's largest crude oil importers, relies on foreign suppliers for more than 85 percent of its oil needs -- with Russia being the biggest supplier.  

Israeli strikes on Beirut

Lebanese media reported an Israeli strike hit Beirut's southern suburbs early Friday, as AFP correspondents heard several explosions from the Hezbollah stronghold that Israel has repeatedly struck since war erupted this month.
Israel has previously issued sweeping evacuation warnings for the area, but provided no specific warning in advance of the strike on Tahouitet al-Ghadir.

Saudi Arabia intercepts drones

The Saudi defence ministry said it had "intercepted and destroyed" four drones over the kingdom's east.

Rubio to join G7 meeting

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio landed in France to join a meeting of G7 foreign ministers on Friday, an AFP correspondent said.
Rubio, who skipped the first day of the talks outside Paris, said before departing that it was in the "interest" of all G7 nations to push for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

Guards claim missile, drone attacks

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had carried out missile and drone strikes on Thursday targeting sites in Israel and military facilities in the Gulf used by US forces.
A maintenance facility for US air defence system Patriot was targeted in Bahrain, the Guards said in a statement carried by Iranian news agencies.

Israel strike Tehran

Israel's military said its forces carried out "a wide-scale wave of strikes targeting infrastructure of the Iranian terror regime in the heart of Tehran" early Friday.

Trump pushes back deadline

US President Donald Trump said he would not yet strike Iranian power plants as previously threatened after a request from Tehran, adding that talks with the Islamic republic were "going very well."
"I am pausing the period of Energy Plant destruction by 10 Days to Monday, April 6, 2026, at 8 P.M., Eastern Time," Trump said on his Truth Social platform.
"Talks are ongoing and, despite erroneous statements to the contrary by the Fake News Media, and others, they are going very well."
burs-ach/gv

corruption

Hungarians' growing anger at living in EU's 'most corrupt state'

  • "In reality, the father is merely Viktor Orban's frontman," Hadhazy said.
  • Hungarian leader Viktor Orban's officially declared wealth is fairly modest: some savings and a jointly owned villa in Budapest.
  • "In reality, the father is merely Viktor Orban's frontman," Hadhazy said.
Hungarian leader Viktor Orban's officially declared wealth is fairly modest: some savings and a jointly owned villa in Budapest.
But voters in what Transparency International deems the EU's most corrupt country believe otherwise.
And they may make Orban pay in a general election on April 12 that could spell an end to his 16-year rule.
The wealth amassed by Orban's inner circle is fuelling the increasingly palpable frustration of a population grappling with sluggish growth, high inflation and worsening public services.
"The government's communication machine worked well as long as our economic situation remained relatively good," Zoltan Ranschburg, a political analyst at the Republikon think tank, told AFP.
But it has not been good for years, he added.
"It's our money, not theirs. But they are spending it as if they were the sole owners," Gabor Szebenyi, an 81‑year‑old retired history teacher told AFP at an opposition rally.
He denounced what he called "feudalism" that has taken root in the Central European country of nearly 10 million people.
Independent lawmaker Akos Hadhazy, one of Hungary's leading anti‑corruption crusaders, said graft has drained the equivalent of 2.84 billion euros ($3.27 billion) from state coffers every year since 2016.

'The frontman'

"These are not isolated cases -- this is simply the way the system is functioning," Hadhazy told AFP.
While Orban claims to live modestly, several members of his family have grown spectacularly rich since his return to power in 2010.
His father Gyozo Orban, who is 85, owns several building material companies as well as the historic Hatvanpuszta estate he had rebuilt into a luxurious manor worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
Protected by high walls, the sprawling domain close to the premier's home village has two swimming pools and its own wildlife park, as well as extensive outbuildings, according to drone footage published by independent media.
"In reality, the father is merely Viktor Orban's frontman," Hadhazy said.
Orban's son-in-law Istvan Tiborcz has become one of Hungary's most influential entrepreneurs through public lighting contracts won by his former company Elios. The deals were partly financed by the EU -- until the EU anti-fraud office OLAF found serious irregularities.
Tiborcz has since switched to real estate and tourism.
Orban's childhood friend Lorinc Meszaros, a former plumber, has become Hungary's wealthiest man worth $4.8 billion according to Forbes magazine, with an empire of construction, energy, banking and media firms thriving on public contracts.
– Frozen EU funds –
"On paper there is competition (for public contracts), but in fact the winner is always known in advance," a construction contractor told AFP on condition of anonymity at a site near Budapest.
Working in the sector for three decades, the man said public tenders are often decided in advance.
"Those at the bottom of the chain do the work and get paid last -- sometimes months later," he said, adding he was ready to throw in the towel and sell his machinery.
"I'm so angry," he said, adding that while those in power lead "luxurious lives" and travel by private jets, small businesses "are struggling to survive".
The anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International has labelled Hungary as the EU's most corrupt country alongside Bulgaria in its Corruption Perceptions Index.
It highlighted systemic risks in public procurement and limited competition for the largest contracts which make up five percent of Hungary's GDP.
The government rejected the ranking and insists Hungarian procurement rules comply with EU standards.
But the EU has frozen 19 billion euros ($22 billion) in funds destined for Hungary over persistent concerns about corruption and respect for the rule of law.
Opposition leader Peter Magyar, Orban's top rival in the upcoming vote, has pledged to recover the funds if elected and to investigate how the current leaders and their families have grown so rich.
bur-oaa-frj/fg/ach 

aid

Mexico's navy says two boats ferrying aid to Cuba are missing

  • The navy did not specify the identities or nationalities of the crew members on the missing boats but said it was maintaining communication with rescue agencies in Poland, France, Cuba and the United States.
  • The Mexican navy said Thursday that it was searching for two boats transporting humanitarian aid for Cuba with nine crew of different nationalities on board.
  • The navy did not specify the identities or nationalities of the crew members on the missing boats but said it was maintaining communication with rescue agencies in Poland, France, Cuba and the United States.
The Mexican navy said Thursday that it was searching for two boats transporting humanitarian aid for Cuba with nine crew of different nationalities on board.
The vessels set sail last Friday from Isla Mujeres in Mexico's southeastern state of Quintana Roo and were due to arrive in Havana on Tuesday or Wednesday this week, the navy said in a statement.
It said that there had been neither "communication nor confirmation of their arrival" in Cuba and that it has alerted naval commanders in the region and its search and rescue stations.
Since last week, activists from several countries have left Mexican ports on vessels loaded with food and other supplies for the communist-led island, which faces a humanitarian crisis in the face of a US-imposed fuel embargo.
The navy did not specify the identities or nationalities of the crew members on the missing boats but said it was maintaining communication with rescue agencies in Poland, France, Cuba and the United States.
The navy is also in contact "with the diplomatic missions of the crew members' countries of origin" to cooperate and exchange information in real time, the statement said.
The navy said it was using aircraft to search the route between Isla Mujeres and Havana.
It appealed to seafarers and maritime authorities in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico to report any information or sightings of the missing vessels to the nearest naval authority. 
US President Donald Trump imposed a de facto oil blockade on Cuba in January after the US ouster of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, whose government had been its principal source Cuba's fuel supplies.
jla/msp/js