space

'Historic day': Artemis astronauts break space distance record

BY MAGGY DONALDSON

  • "The human eye is basically the best camera that could ever or will ever exist," Kelsey Young, the lead scientist for the Artemis II mission, told AFP. "The number of receptors in the human eye far outweighs what a camera is able to do." 
  • The four astronauts embarking on NASA's lunar flyby became on Monday the humans to travel furthest from our planet, as they get set to view areas of the Moon never before seen by the naked eye.
  • "The human eye is basically the best camera that could ever or will ever exist," Kelsey Young, the lead scientist for the Artemis II mission, told AFP. "The number of receptors in the human eye far outweighs what a camera is able to do." 
The four astronauts embarking on NASA's lunar flyby became on Monday the humans to travel furthest from our planet, as they get set to view areas of the Moon never before seen by the naked eye.
The Artemis II team broke the previous record set by 1970's Apollo 13 mission, which they are expected to surpass by approximately 4,105 miles (6,606 kilometers) when they reach this journey's furthest distance from Earth -- 252,760 miles (406,778 kilometers) -- later today.
The astronauts are journeying around the Moon for a monumental flyby, in which they'll spend more than six hours analyzing and documenting lunar surface features.
The NASA mission had swept earlier into the Moon's gravitational sphere of influence, meaning their spacecraft is in the natural satellite's neighborhood, with lunar gravity outmuscling Earth's pull.
The Orion capsule is zipping around the Moon before U-turning and heading back to Earth in a so-called "free-return trajectory," a return-trip that will take about four days.
The astronauts began their landmark day with a message from the late Jim Lovell, who took part in the Apollo 8 and 13 missions and recorded the message shortly before his death.
"It's a historic day, and I know how busy you'll be, but don't forget to enjoy the view," the Artemis astronauts heard from Lovell.
"Welcome to my old neighborhood," he said. "I'm proud to pass that torch on to you as you swing around the Moon."
Swooping around the far side of the Moon, the crew of four will witness previously hidden lunar territory -- the sphere looming large through their capsule windows.
The Moon will appear to the astronauts "about the size of a basketball held at arm's length," Noah Petro, head of the US space agency's planetary geology lab, told AFP.
Adding to the historic nature of the mission led by Reid Wiseman, the Artemis II crew includes several firsts.
Victor Glover will be the first person of color to fly around the Moon, Christina Koch will be the first woman, and Canadian Jeremy Hansen the first non-American.
There will be a period of around 40 minutes during the flyby where all communication with Artemis II will be cut off as the astronauts pass behind the Moon. 
"It'll be exciting, you know, in a slightly scary way, when they go behind the moon," Derek Buzasi, a professor of astronomy and astrophysics at the University of Chicago, told AFP. 

Human eye vs camera

The astronauts have already started seeing features never previously glimpsed directly.
An image sent back by the crew showed the Moon's Orientale basin visible, a massive crater that before had only been viewed by orbiting, uncrewed cameras.
Near the end of their flyby, the astronauts will witness a solar eclipse, when the Sun will be behind the Moon.
Despite the technological advancements since the Apollo era, NASA still relies on the eyesight of its astronauts to learn more about the Moon.
"The human eye is basically the best camera that could ever or will ever exist," Kelsey Young, the lead scientist for the Artemis II mission, told AFP. "The number of receptors in the human eye far outweighs what a camera is able to do." 
And while the Orion crew will still be at a substantial distance from the Moon, their flyby is key to preparing for a later crewed mission to the planet's surface itself.
"We're going to learn an awful lot about the spacecraft," NASA administrator Jared Isaacman told CNN on Sunday. 
The information will be "pretty paramount to set up for subsequent missions like Artemis III in 2027 and, of course, the lunar landing itself on Artemis IV in 2028," he added. 
bur-mdo/bgs

US

War in the Middle East: latest developments

  • - US, Iran reject ceasefire - Trump and Iran rejected a ceasefire bid from mediating countries, though Trump called it a "significant proposal".
  • The latest developments in the Middle East war: - All Iran could be 'taken out' - "The entire country could be taken out in one night and that night might be tomorrow night," US President Donald Trump told a news conference, referring to his ultimatum to Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by 0000 GMT Wednesday or face strikes on its infrastructure.
  • - US, Iran reject ceasefire - Trump and Iran rejected a ceasefire bid from mediating countries, though Trump called it a "significant proposal".
The latest developments in the Middle East war:

All Iran could be 'taken out'

"The entire country could be taken out in one night and that night might be tomorrow night," US President Donald Trump told a news conference, referring to his ultimatum to Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by 0000 GMT Wednesday or face strikes on its infrastructure.

US, Iran reject ceasefire

Trump and Iran rejected a ceasefire bid from mediating countries, though Trump called it a "significant proposal".
"It's a significant step. It's not good enough, but it's a very significant step," Trump told reporters in Washington before his news conference.
Iranian state media said the proposal contained 10 undisclosed points, but Tehran "has rejected a ceasefire and insists on the need for a definitive end to the conflict".

ICRC warning

The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Mirjana Spoljaric, warned that "deliberate threats... against essential civilian infrastructure and nuclear facilities must not become the new norm in warfare". 
"Any war fought without limits is incompatible with the law," she said, without singling out any country or leader.
The US president, asked about the potentially committing war crimes by attacking civilian infrastructure, said "I'm not worried about it". He argued an Iran with "a nuclear weapon" was worse.

Tehran airports hit

Israel's military said it had carried out strikes on three airports in Tehran, targeting several Iranian planes and helicopters.
It said the strikes were part of efforts aimed at "degrading the Iranian Air Force and the IRGC air force at airports in Tehran".

Iran gas sites hit

Israel said it had struck Iran's largest petrochemical complex, which services the South Pars natural gas field, the biggest natural gas reserve in the world.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the facility had been "destroyed" and his country was "systematically eliminating the Revolutionary Guards' money machine".
Strikes also hit another petrochemical complex near the Iranian city of Shiraz, local authorities said.

IAEA warning

The chief of the UN nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, said attacks near Iran's Bushehr atomic power plant "pose a very real danger to nuclear safety and must stop".
IAEA director general Rafael Grossi said one recent strike had hit just 75 metres (245 feet) from the Bushehr perimeter.

Kurdistan blasts

An AFP journalist heard blasts near Erbil airport in Iraqi Kurdistan, which hosts advisers from a US-led anti-jihadist coalition.

Iran intel chief killed

A dawn Israeli strike killed the intelligence chief of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, Major General Majid Khademi, Iran said.
The Guards threatened "a major retaliatory strike" in response.

Deadly strike in Israel

Israeli officials said the bodies of four people killed in an Iranian strike the previous day on a residential building in the northern city of Haifa had been recovered.

Houthis target Israel

Yemen's Houthi rebels said they launched an attack targeting Israel alongside their backer Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah.

Israel hits Beirut

An Israeli strike hit Beirut's southern suburbs as Israel's army said it was targeting Hezbollah. Israeli strikes on Lebanon on Sunday killed at least 15 people and wounded 39, Lebanese officials said. 

Kuwait attack

An Iranian attack on a residential area in northern Kuwait wounded six people, the health ministry said.
The United Arab Emirates defence ministry also said its air defences responded to a missile and drone attack, with falling debris injuring one person in Abu Dhabi.

Hormuz passage

A third Turkish-owned ship has passed through the war-torn Strait of Hormuz, Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said. And Japanese firm Mitsui O.S.K. Lines said an Indian-flagged LPG tanker owned by a subsidiary had also passed through the strait.
South Korea will send five ships to the Saudi Red Sea port of Yanbu to help establish alternative oil supply routes avoid the Strait of Hormuz, a ruling MP said. Taiwan said it would also redirect ships to bring crude oil from Saudi Red Sea ports.

Oil around $110

Oil prices fluctuated on Monday, with North Sea Brent, the international benchmark, settling at $109 a barrel and US West Texas Intermediate going for $112.
burs/rmb/jj

US

Trump says Iran ceasefire proposal 'very significant step'

BY DANNY KEMP

  • "It's a significant proposal, it's a significant step.
  • US President Donald Trump said Monday that a proposal for a ceasefire in the Iran war was a "very significant step," but not enough yet to end the conflict.
  • "It's a significant proposal, it's a significant step.
US President Donald Trump said Monday that a proposal for a ceasefire in the Iran war was a "very significant step," but not enough yet to end the conflict.
Trump's comments came after the White House confirmed that there was a deal under consideration for a reported 45-day truce.
"It's a significant proposal, it's a significant step. It's not good enough, but it's a very significant step," Trump told reporters on the sidelines of an Easter Egg Roll event at the White House.
"They are negotiating now," he added. "We'll see what happens."
Iranian state media reported that Tehran has rejected a truce to end the war that they labeled as an "American proposal."
Several countries are trying to find a diplomatic solution to end 38 days of war sparked by Israeli and US attacks against Iran, which has responded by firing missiles and drones at targets across the Middle East.
Trump has threatened mass strikes on Iran's power plants and bridges if it doesn't open the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday evening Washington time, a deadline he confirmed as final on Monday.
Under the gaze of First Lady Melania Trump and a mascot dressed as a giant Easter bunny, Trump doubled down at the White House event on his threats.
"If they don't, they'll have no bridges, no power plants, no anything. I won't go further because there are other things that are worse than those two," Trump told reporters.
Trump, in an expletive-laden social media post early Sunday, threatened strikes beginning Tuesday against Iran's civilian infrastructure, before delaying the deadline by one day.

'Not worried'

Trump brushed off concerns on Monday that hitting Iran's power facilities and bridges -- a tactic that Russia has also used in its invasion of Ukraine -- would be a war crime.
"I'm not worried about it," Trump said when asked what he would say to those who allege that striking energy facilities would breach the laws of war. "You know the war crime? The war crime is allowing Iran to have a nuclear weapon."
Asked again about the issue, he said Iran's leaders were "animals" who had killed tens of thousands of protesters.
Trump also said that if it were up to him, he would seize Iran's oil, but that "unfortunately, the American people would like to see us come home" and end the war. 
"I'd keep the oil, and I would make plenty of money," Trump said. 
The US president added that Americans who opposed the Iran war were "foolish."
"Because the war is about one thing. Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon," Trump said.
Earlier in the day the White House confirmed there was a deal under consideration for a 45-day ceasefire with Iran, but that Trump had "not signed off" on the proposal and is continuing the war.
"This is one of many ideas, and POTUS (Trump) has not signed off on it. Operation Epic Fury continues," a White House official told AFP, adding that the president will speak more on the conflict at a press conference scheduled for 1:00 pm (1700 GMT).
bur-dk/des

US

Trump says Iran ceasefire proposal 'not good enough'

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

  • "It's not good enough, but it's a very significant step," he told reporters at the White House.
  • US President Donald Trump said Monday that a proposed 45-day ceasefire with Iran was a "very significant step" but "not good enough" for him to sign, as Iranian officials vowed to keep fighting.
  • "It's not good enough, but it's a very significant step," he told reporters at the White House.
US President Donald Trump said Monday that a proposed 45-day ceasefire with Iran was a "very significant step" but "not good enough" for him to sign, as Iranian officials vowed to keep fighting.
Talk of a ceasefire came as the US and Israel struck targets across Iran, including major petrochemical facilities, while time ticked down to Trump's Tuesday deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face attacks on its civilian infrastructure.
Meanwhile Iran continued missile and drone attacks around the region.
Trump said intermediaries between the US and Iran "are negotiating now" on improving the ceasefire proposal, which US media reported was being mediated by Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey.
"It's not good enough, but it's a very significant step," he told reporters at the White House.
Trump added that he would still go through with his threat against civilian targets if a deal is not reached.
Iran's IRNA state news agency said Tehran "has rejected a ceasefire and insists on the need for a definitive end to the conflict" in a message relayed to America via Pakistan.
Neither Trump nor IRNA named any specifics of the proposed ceasefire.
Iran's military would "continue the war as long as the political authorities see fit", army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia told the ISNA news agency.

'Living in Hell'

Trump is due to address the conflict in a press conference at 1700 GMT. 
The Republican leader had given Iran until 0000 GMT Wednesday to open the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that is crucial to global oil and gas flows, or else face strikes on bridges and power plants.
In a stark, expletive-laden social media post on Sunday, Trump demanded: "Open the Fuckin' Strait, you crazy bastards, or you'll be living in Hell."
The Revolutionary Guards, however, said Hormuz "will never return to its former status, especially for the US and Israel".
Iran's virtual blockade of Hormuz has sent oil and gas prices soaring and pushed countries around the world to enact measures to contain the fallout.
Without singling out either side in the conflict, International Committee of the Red Cross chief Mirjana Spoljaric said in a statement that had already been widespread destruction of "essential" infrastructure and that "any war fought without limits is incompatible with the law" and "indefensible".
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi warned against further strikes near Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant, saying one recent impact hit just 75 metres (245 feet) from the perimeter.

'We will reach anyone'

Earlier Monday, Israeli strikes had hit major Iranian petrochemical facilities including Assaluyeh on the Gulf coast, the country's biggest, and another outside Shiraz in central Iran.
Israel's military said it had also struck Iranian air force targets including planes and helicopters at airports in Tehran and elsewhere.
Iran's Guards posted on Telegram on Monday that their intelligence chief Majid Khademi had been killed at dawn in US-Israeli strikes.
Israel's military also said it had killed Asghar Bagheri, commander of the Guards' Quds Force special operations unit, on Sunday.
"We will reach anyone who seeks to harm us," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
The Guards' Intelligence Organisation vowed a "major retaliatory strike" against those responsible for killing their commanders, their official Sepah news website reported.
Yemen's Houthi rebels said they launched an attack targeting Israel, supporting their backer Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah.

Oil squeeze

The war, which erupted on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes on Iran that killed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has engulfed the Middle East and roiled the global economy.
The worldwide oil squeeze has hit aviation, with Indonesia on Monday saying it would increase a jet fuel surcharge and low-cost carrier Air Asia X announcing ticket price hikes of up to 40 percent.
South Korea will send ships to fetch oil from Saudi Arabia's Red Sea port of Yanbu, avoiding Hormuz altogether, a ruling party MP said, while Taiwan's government said it too would take the Red Sea route.
Gulf nations allied with the US have also been sucked into the war, with Kuwait and the UAE reporting strikes and injuries from Sunday to Monday.
Iran has continued to launch attacks at Israel, where the military and medics said four bodies were recovered from a residential building in the northern city of Haifa that was struck by a missile.
Iranian media reported several attacks on residential areas of Tehran, while the state broadcaster said gas outages hit parts of the capital after a strike on a university.
On another front, Lebanon has increasingly been dragged into the war since the Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah targeted Israel on March 2.
Israel has struck back and invaded parts of southern Lebanon, with army chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir visiting troops there Sunday and pledging to intensify strikes.
AFP journalists saw a large plume of smoke rising over Beirut's southern suburbs on Monday after an Israeli strike that the army said targeted Hezbollah.
Israel's military said it was reviewing the incident after "reports of casualties among Lebanese civilians not involved in the fighting".
Lebanon's health ministry said an Israeli attack killed a paramedic from the Hezbollah-allied Risala Scouts association on Monday.
Hezbollah announced attacks on Israeli targets in south Lebanon and across the border, including launching a missile and attack drones at a base near the central city of Hadera.
burs-tgb/dc

politics

US Democratic lawmakers slam 'economic bombing' after Cuba visit

  • In a statement, the US lawmakers said the de facto blockade imposed by Trump in January was "illegal" and "causing untold suffering to the Cuban people."
  • Two US Democratic lawmakers have met Cuba's president in the first congressional visit since Washington imposed an oil blockade against the island, a measure they denounced as "economic bombing."
  • In a statement, the US lawmakers said the de facto blockade imposed by Trump in January was "illegal" and "causing untold suffering to the Cuban people."
Two US Democratic lawmakers have met Cuba's president in the first congressional visit since Washington imposed an oil blockade against the island, a measure they denounced as "economic bombing."
US Representatives Pramila Jayapal and Jonathan Jackson concluded a five-day trip to Cuba on Sunday as President Donald Trump has stepped up pressure on the communist government.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel on Monday posted photos of his meeting with the lawmakers on social media platform X.
Diaz-Canel said that during the meeting he denounced "the criminal harm" caused by the US blockade as well as Washington's "threats of even more aggressive actions."
The Cuban leader, who confirmed in March that US and Cuban officials had held talks, reiterated his government's willingness to "engage in serious and responsible bilateral dialogue, and finding solutions to existing differences."
In a statement, the US lawmakers said the de facto blockade imposed by Trump in January was "illegal" and "causing untold suffering to the Cuban people."
"This is cruel collective punishment -- effectively an economic bombing of the infrastructure of the country -- that has produced permanent damage. It must stop immediately," the statement said.
Trump effectively prevented oil exports to Cuba in January after US forces ousted Havana's main regional ally, Venezuela's socialist leader Nicolas Maduro, and he threatened tariffs on countries that ship crude to the island.
The measure has deepened an energy crisis in Cuba, which has endured regular blackouts.
The US president made an exception last week, allowing a Russian oil tanker to deliver 730,000 barrels of crude to Cuba.
In an interview with Belly of the Beast, a Cuba-focused website, Jayapal described visiting a maternity hospital where they saw premature babies in incubators.
"It's like an act of war because we're refusing to allow fuel to come in to power the generators, to get medicines to people, to allow the doctors and medical professionals to go to the hospital," she said.
"It's just cruelty and collective punishment," Jayapal added.
The US lawmakers said in their statement that the Cuban government "has sent many signals that this is a new moment for the country."
They noted that Cuba's government allowed an FBI team to visit Cuba last week to conduct an independent investigation into a deadly shooting involving a US-registered boat.
They also noted that the government pardoned more than 2,000 prisoners last week.
No political prisoners have been released so far.  
lt/md

US

Red Cross chief condemns 'deliberate threats' against civilians in Mideast war

  • Spoljaric said that, across the Middle East, ICRC "teams are seeing the destruction of infrastructure essential for civilian life.
  • The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross on Monday condemned "deliberate threats" against civilian targets that have marked the widening Middle East war.
  • Spoljaric said that, across the Middle East, ICRC "teams are seeing the destruction of infrastructure essential for civilian life.
The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross on Monday condemned "deliberate threats" against civilian targets that have marked the widening Middle East war.
Without naming any side, ICRC president Mirjana Spoljaric said there had already been widespread destruction of "essential" infrastructure and that "any war fought without limits is incompatible with the law" and "indefensible".
Spoljaric spoke out as the conflict headed for a new crisis point with US President Donald Trump threatening attacks on Iranian bridges and power stations unless Iran reopens the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping. 
The ICRC chief, whose body is considered a key guardian of the Geneva conventions, has already warned over the conduct of the war since it started on February 28 with US-Israeli attacks on Iran. Iran has responded with retaliatory strikes on Gulf states and Israel.
"Deliberate threats, whether in rhetoric or in action, against essential civilian infrastructure and nuclear facilities must not become the new norm in warfare," Spoljaric said in a statement.
"Any war fought without limits is incompatible with the law. It is indefensible, inhumane and devastating for entire populations."
She added: "States must respect and ensure respect for the rules of war in both what they say and what they do. The world cannot succumb to a political culture that prioritizes death over life."
Spoljaric said that, across the Middle East, ICRC "teams are seeing the destruction of infrastructure essential for civilian life. Power plants, water systems, hospitals, roads, bridges, homes, schools and universities have come under fire.
"Most alarming are potential threats to nuclear facilities. Any miscalculation can cause irreversible consequences for generations to come.
"I urgently call on parties to spare civilians and civilian objects in all military operations. It is their obligation under international humanitarian law."
apo/tw/rmb

US

Israeli strikes kill Iran Guards intel chief as Trump deadline looms

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

  • The Guards posted on Telegram Monday that their intelligence chief Majid Khademi had been killed "at dawn" in US-Israeli strikes.
  • Israeli strikes killed the intelligence chief of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, as the Islamic republic on Monday defied threats from US President Donald Trump to devastate civilian infrastructure if it does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
  • The Guards posted on Telegram Monday that their intelligence chief Majid Khademi had been killed "at dawn" in US-Israeli strikes.
Israeli strikes killed the intelligence chief of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, as the Islamic republic on Monday defied threats from US President Donald Trump to devastate civilian infrastructure if it does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The warring sides kept up their barrage of strikes, with Iranian missiles and drones targeting Israel, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, and Israeli strikes hitting Iran and swathes of Lebanon where it is battling Tehran-backed Hezbollah.
Iran said that "much more devastating" attacks would come if Trump followed through on his vow to hit civilian targets.
The American leader had in social media posts Sunday threatened to destroy Iran's civilian infrastructure if Tehran does not bow to his demand to reopen the Gulf to shipping by "Tuesday 8:00 PM" (0000 GMT Wednesday).
Iran has all but blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a vital energy chokepoint, sending oil and gas prices soaring and pushing countries around the world to enact measures to contain the fallout. 
In a stark, expletive-laden post on Sunday, Trump demanded: "Open the Fuckin' Strait, you crazy bastards, or you'll be living in Hell."
Tehran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi responded to Trump's by saying that the US leader had "publicly threatened to commit war crimes" by menacing bridges and power plants.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said the strait "will never return to its former status, especially for the US and Israel."
The Guards posted on Telegram Monday that their intelligence chief Majid Khademi had been killed "at dawn" in US-Israeli strikes.
Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz said his country's military had been behind the strike, saying that it had been a response to Iran's attacks on civilian areas in Israel. 
Katz called Khademi "one of the direct perpetrators of these war crimes and one of the top three officials in the organisation", and said of Iran's leaders: "We will continue to hunt them one by one."

A deal?

Prices for US oil benchmark West Texas Intermediate were down 2.2 percent at $109.16 around 0915 GMT Monday, as reports surfaced of a potential halt to the fighting.
Citing US, Israeli and regional sources, US news website Axios said a deal mediated by Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey for a 45-day ceasefire to allow for negotiations on a more permanent peace was under discussion.
Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty had on Sunday confirmed he was engaging in talks with governments across the region, as well as US envoy Steve Witkoff and Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi.
"Views and proposals were exchanged on ways to deescalate the military situation in the region given the delicate juncture it is currently facing," a statement from the ministry said.
Trump told Fox News Iran was "close" to making a deal, but Iran has repeatedly denied it was engaged in any negotiations with the United States and Israel.

'Region going to burn'

The war, which erupted on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes on Iran that killed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has engulfed the Middle East and strained the global economy.
A worldwide oil squeeze was making itself felt, with Indonesia on Monday announcing an increase in an aviation fuel surcharge from 10 to 38 percent.
In an attack on Trump, Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, posted on social media that "our whole region is going to burn because you insist on following (Israel Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu's commands."
In Tehran,  many residents seemed outwardly indifferent to Trump's invective, with young Iranians exercising, flying kites and holding picnics in a large park in the city's west Sunday.
Trump is due to give details on the rescue of an airman whose fighter jet was shot down by Iran in a press conference later Monday.
Gulf nations reported a wave of fresh strikes from Sunday to Monday, with Kuwait saying six were hurt in an attack on a residential area.
The United Arab Emirates also said on Monday that its air defences were responding to a missile and drone attack, and that one person was injured in an industrial area of Abu Dhabi.
The Israeli military and medics said a missile fired from Iran hit a residential building in the northern city of Haifa.
Firefighters said two people had been killed and two more were missing under the rubble.

'Choose peace'

In Iran, local media reported several attacks on residential areas over Tehran Monday, while the state broadcaster said that gas outages hit parts of the capital after a strike on a university.
Israel's army said early Monday it had completed a wave of strikes against targets in Tehran.
On another front, Lebanon has increasingly been dragged into the conflict since Iran-backed Hezbollah targeted Israel on March 2.
Israel has struck back and invaded southern Lebanon, with the army chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir visiting troops there Sunday and pledging to intensify strikes.
AFP journalists witnessed a new strike on Beirut's southern suburbs Monday after Israeli forces warned residents to evacuate.
burs-tgb/ser

US

Israeli rescuers search for missing in building strike, two dead

  • Iran has fired missiles daily at Israel since February 28, in retaliation to joint US-Israeli attacks on the country that has killed several top Iranian leaders, including supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
  • Israeli firefighters were searching for two missing people in the rubble of a residential building in the northern city of Haifa after it was struck by an Iranian missile that killed two others, authorities said Monday.
  • Iran has fired missiles daily at Israel since February 28, in retaliation to joint US-Israeli attacks on the country that has killed several top Iranian leaders, including supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
Israeli firefighters were searching for two missing people in the rubble of a residential building in the northern city of Haifa after it was struck by an Iranian missile that killed two others, authorities said Monday.
The direct hit on a seven-storey building tore through sections of the structure which has partially collapsed, the military and rescue services said.
AFP footage showed rescuers using flashlights to search through rubble and scattered concrete blocks.
The strike took place minutes after the military warned it had detected a new round of missiles fired from Iran at around 1500 GMT.
Elad Edri, chief of staff of Israel's Home Front Command, said that four people were missing.
"We have a major destruction site," he said in a video statement.
Israel's Fire and Rescue Services said later that two of the four people trapped under the rubble had been found dead.
The building was hit by a "direct impact of a missile", a military spokesperson told AFP, confirming it was fired from Iran.

Eldery man, baby wounded

Israel's emergency service, Magen David Adom, said four people were wounded in the strike, including a 10-month-old baby who suffered a head injury.
An 82-year-old man was also in a "serious condition", MDA said. A hospital later said he was stable.
He was "wounded by a heavy object and the blast", the MDA said, adding that the other three suffered shrapnel and blast injuries.
Dozens of Israeli security and members of rescue forces were deployed at the site of the strike, an AFP correspondent reported.
Images and footage published by MDA show smoke rising from the remains of a flattened building in a densely populated area, and stretchers laid on the road by rescuers for casualties.
MDA paramedic Shevach Rothenshtrych quoted residents saying that there were casualties trapped under the rubble on the lower floors, and the 82-year-old was rescued after first responders "managed to move large pieces of concrete with our hands".
His colleague Tal Shustak said that when emergency calls were received, "we were dispatched in large forces to the scene and saw extensive destruction, including glass, smoke and concrete scattered across the ground".
On Monday, the military detected fresh waves of missiles fired from Iran, and each time it said its "defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat".
Iran has fired missiles daily at Israel since February 28, in retaliation to joint US-Israeli attacks on the country that has killed several top Iranian leaders, including supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
Since the start of the conflict, Israeli and US airstrikes have attacked a number of Iran's missile production sites and also nuclear facilities.
jd/dc/cms/fox

US

Saudi oasis town adjusts to life in the firing line

BY HAITHAM EL-TABEI

  • US forces returned to Saudi Arabia in 2019, following an agreement between Washington and Riyadh, with media reports at the time suggesting that hundreds would be hosted at Prince Sultan Air Base.
  • For generations, a Saudi oasis town has been a favoured spot for stressed visitors from the nearby capital Riyadh to come and decompress. 
  • US forces returned to Saudi Arabia in 2019, following an agreement between Washington and Riyadh, with media reports at the time suggesting that hundreds would be hosted at Prince Sultan Air Base.
For generations, a Saudi oasis town has been a favoured spot for stressed visitors from the nearby capital Riyadh to come and decompress. 
But the serenity in Saudi Arabia's Al-Kharj has been rattled after it found itself in the line of fire from Iranian attacks.
Renowned for its dates and palm-lined streets, the town also lies on the edge of the sprawling Prince Sultan Air Base.
Last month, US media outlets said at least a dozen American soldiers were injured by an Iranian attack on the base. Iranian officials later boasted of hitting an advanced surveillance aircraft that costs hundreds of millions of dollars.
Several aerial refuelling planes also suffered damage in the attack, the reports said.
Tehran has unleashed punishing waves of attacks targeting its Gulf neighbours, accusing them of serving as a launchpad for American strikes, following the US and Israeli attack on Iran that began on February 28.
The residents of Al-Kharj, however, have remained largely stoic in the face of regular barrages that now fly overhead.
"We hear the loud sounds of interceptions, but we rarely see anything in the sky," Abdullah, a resident in his 60s, told AFP. He asked that only his first name be used because of sensitivities around security issues in the kingdom.

First civilian deaths

Al-Kharj was the scene of the first civilian deaths in Saudi Arabia after the war erupted, when two migrants working in the city were killed on March 8 after a projectile hit a residential area.
And just last week, two people were injured after debris from a drone interception crashed down on three homes.
Six more homes were also damaged in another similar incident, according to Saudi authorities.  
"This is unusual in Al-Kharj," Abdullah told AFP after afternoon prayers at a local mosque.
"Life is normal and continues as usual without any change or panic." 
Iran's Revolutionary Guards have accused Saudi Arabia of hosting advanced American fighter aircraft on its territory, including "F-35 and F-16 fighter jets", along with facilities for storing and refuelling aircraft.
US forces returned to Saudi Arabia in 2019, following an agreement between Washington and Riyadh, with media reports at the time suggesting that hundreds would be hosted at Prince Sultan Air Base.
The base was a command centre during the first Gulf war and later briefly during the US invasion of Iraq in 2003 before all American troops were pulled out of the kingdom. 
The presence of US forces in Saudi Arabia has been a point of contention with more conservative elements of Saudi society in the past, who see the presence of foreign troops in the land of Islam's two holiest sites as an affront to their religion. 
The issue was later cited as one of Osama Bin Laden's reasons for launching the September 11 attacks on the United States in 2001.

Checking war updates

But at first glance, much of Al-Kharj's tranquil environment offers few hints of its martial history.  
The area has long been a centre of agricultural production, with its green fields and bountiful orchards offering a striking contrast to the vast tracts of desert that cover most of the kingdom.
At a local restaurant visited by AFP recently, customers during the lunch rush could be seen checking on the latest war updates on their phones in between bites of rice and meat.  
"Al-Kharj is now in the news, and friends call to check on us with almost every update," said government employee Turki, who also gave just his first name.
Even as Iran fires regular salvos at the base, AFP did not see any signs of a heavy security presence there.
However, residents said worries about the next barrage are ever present, and phones buzz regularly with messages warning of incoming attacks.
"I would be lying if I said I'm not afraid when I hear the explosions or when I learned about the deaths of the foreign workers," Batool, a 21-year-old student wearing a black niqab, told AFP while sipping coffee at a local cafe.
Despite the new danger, Batool said she will not give in to fear.
"As you can see, I'm studying outside," she added.
"My routine has not changed at all because of the war."
ht/ds/srm/ceg

drones

South Korea president says regrets 'reckless' drones sent to North

  • "We express regret to the North over the unnecessary military tensions caused by the irresponsible and reckless actions of some individuals."
  • South Korean President Lee Jae Myung expressed regret to Pyongyang Monday over drones sent into North Korea earlier this year, actions he called "irresponsible".
  • "We express regret to the North over the unnecessary military tensions caused by the irresponsible and reckless actions of some individuals."
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung expressed regret to Pyongyang Monday over drones sent into North Korea earlier this year, actions he called "irresponsible".
Seoul initially denied any official role in the January drone incursion -- with authorities suggesting it was the work of civilians -- but Lee said a probe had revealed government officials had been involved.
The North warned in February of a "terrible response" if it detects more drones crossing the border from the South, prompting Seoul to investigate the claims.
Pyongyang said it downed a drone carrying "surveillance equipment" in early January. 
Photos released by state media showed the wreckage of a winged craft scattered across the ground alongside grey and blue components that allegedly included cameras.
"It has been confirmed that a National Intelligence Service official and an active-duty soldier were involved," Lee told a cabinet meeting.
"We express regret to the North over the unnecessary military tensions caused by the irresponsible and reckless actions of some individuals."
Lee has sought to repair ties with North Korea since taking office last year, criticising his predecessor for allegedly sending drones to scatter propaganda over Pyongyang.
kjk/fox

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 

space

What to know about the Artemis 2 mission's Moon flyby

BY CHARLOTTE CAUSIT

  • - History-making milestones - The Artemis 2 mission represents several first, as it will be the first time a woman, Christina Koch, a Black person, Victor Glover, and a non-American, Jeremy Hansen, will reach the Moon. 
  • For the first time in more than half a century, astronauts will fly around the Moon on Monday, marking the high point of the Artemis 2's lunar mission. 
  • - History-making milestones - The Artemis 2 mission represents several first, as it will be the first time a woman, Christina Koch, a Black person, Victor Glover, and a non-American, Jeremy Hansen, will reach the Moon. 
For the first time in more than half a century, astronauts will fly around the Moon on Monday, marking the high point of the Artemis 2's lunar mission. 
Here's what you need to know about the event: 

Live broadcast

The flyby will last around seven hours, starting Monday around 2:45 p.m. eastern US time (1845 GMT) and ending around 9:20 p.m. (0120 GMT). 
NASA will broadcast the flyby live on its website, as well as on YouTube, Amazon and Netflix, with commentary from both the astronauts aboard the mission and experts at the Mission Control center in Houston, Texas. 
Given the lengthy distance -- further than any humans have ever traveled from Earth -- NASA has cautioned that the livestream video quality may be poor at times.
- Radio silence - 
There will be a period of around 40 minutes during the flyby where all communication with Artemis 2 will be cut off as the astronauts pass behind the Moon. 
"It'll be exciting, you know, in a slightly scary way, when they go behind the moon," Derek Buzasi, a professor of astronomy and astrophysics at the University of Chicago, told AFP. 
The academic recalled during the Apollo missions to the Moon, "we all held our breaths a little bit."

History-making milestones

The Artemis 2 mission represents several first, as it will be the first time a woman, Christina Koch, a Black person, Victor Glover, and a non-American, Jeremy Hansen, will reach the Moon. 
Until now, only the Apollo-era astronauts, all of whom were white American men, reached the Moon, between 1968 and 1972. 
Shortly before the start of the flyby, the Artemis 2 crew will also reach the furthest distance humans have ever traveled from Earth. 
The spacecraft is expected to surpass the Apollo 13 distance record by 4,102 miles (6,600 kilometers) and will reach a maximum distance from the planet of 252,757 miles (406,772 kilometers).

Moon the size of a basketball

Apollo flights flew some 70 miles (110 kilometers) above the lunar surface, but the Artemis 2 crew will be over 4,000 miles (6,500 kilometers) away at their closest approach. 
The spaceship will actually swing around the Moon without entering its orbit by following a carefully planned trajectory. 
The distance from the Moon will allow astronauts on board to see the complete, circular surface of the Moon, including regions near both poles.  
The Moon will appear to the astronauts "about the size of a basketball held at arm's length," Noah Petro, head of NASA's planetary geology lab, told AFP.

Far side of the Moon

The flyby will see the Artemis 2 crew pass behind the far side of the Moon, which is not visible to Earth. 
The astronauts of the Apollo mission also flew behind the Moon, but they were too close to witness it in entirety. 
The Artemis 2 crew will therefore be able to see regions of the Moon that had previously only been captured by robotic imagers. 
The four astronauts have gone through years of training to observe and describe the geological formations they observe as accurately as possible. 
NASA scientists hope the observations recorded by the crew will provide information about the composition of the Moon and its history, as well as the wider solar system by extension.

Solar eclipse

Toward the end of the flyby, the astronauts will experience a rare phenomenon: a solar eclipse. 
For about 53 minutes, their spacecraft will perfectly align with the Moon and the Sun, causing the star to disappear from view. 
The astronauts will then have the chance to study the solar corona, the outermost layer of the Sun's atmosphere, which will become visible as a sort of glowing halo. 
They will also be on the lookout for possible flashes of light caused by meteorites crashing into the surface of the Moon.

'Earthrise' redux

The Artemis 2 astronauts will also see the Earth disappear and reappear behind the Moon. 
Their position will potentially allow them to recreate the famous "Earthrise" photograph from the Apollo 8 mission in 1968.
The iconic photograph taken by astronaut William Anders captured the bright blue Earth against the vast darkness of space, with the Moon's cratered surface in the foreground. 
cha/jgc/gw

Israel

OPEC+ hikes oil production quotas, issues warning

  • But OPEC+ warned that damage to energy infrastructure increases oil market volatility, potentially hitting global supplies well into the future.
  • The OPEC+ oil cartel agreed on Sunday to again increase oil production quotas, while warning that repairing energy facilities, such as those damaged in the Middle East war, is "costly and takes a long time".
  • But OPEC+ warned that damage to energy infrastructure increases oil market volatility, potentially hitting global supplies well into the future.
The OPEC+ oil cartel agreed on Sunday to again increase oil production quotas, while warning that repairing energy facilities, such as those damaged in the Middle East war, is "costly and takes a long time".
For the second month in a row, OPEC+ countries -- which include key oil producers Russia and Saudi Arabia, as well as several Gulf countries that have been targets of Iranian airstrikes -- agreed to raise quotas by 206,000 barrels per day (bpd) from May.
But OPEC+ warned that damage to energy infrastructure increases oil market volatility, potentially hitting global supplies well into the future.
Its statement also stressed "the critical importance of safeguarding international maritime routes to ensure the uninterrupted flow of energy".
The text did not mention the Iran war directly, but the conflict -- which has roiled global energy markets and caused prices to surge -- clearly weighed on the decision.
The United States and Israel began striking Iran on February 28, and Tehran has retaliated by striking targets across the region.
In addition to hitting key energy facilities in a number of neighbouring countries, Iran has virtually halted ship traffic through the vital Strait of Hormuz by threatening to attack tankers passing without permission.
That has badly restricted exports from the Gulf region, and raised questions about whether oil can reach global markets even if OPEC+ members in the region manage to ramp up production.
Before the war, about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) passed through the Strait.
Ukraine has also been striking Russian oil industry facilities as it seeks to fight back against Moscow's ongoing invasion.
Last month, the eight-strong V8 (Voluntary Eight) group in the OPEC+ cartel also raised production quotas by 206,000 bpd.
On Sunday, the V8 said in a statement that "any actions undermining energy supply security, whether through attacks on infrastructure or disruption of international maritime routes, increase market volatility" and make it more difficult for OPEC+ to manage global prices.
The eight countries -- Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria and Oman -- praised members that managed to find alternate exports routes to deliver oil, "which have contributed to reducing market volatility".
bst/jhb

US

Lebanon's Christians mark Easter in solidarity with war-hit south

BY MARGAUX BERGEY

  • Several Christian villages near the frontier -- including Ain Ebel, Rmeich and Debl -- are caught between Israeli forces and Iran-backed Hezbollah. 
  • Lebanese Christians marked Easter Sunday by turning their prayers to the south, where villages remain trapped by fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.
  • Several Christian villages near the frontier -- including Ain Ebel, Rmeich and Debl -- are caught between Israeli forces and Iran-backed Hezbollah. 
Lebanese Christians marked Easter Sunday by turning their prayers to the south, where villages remain trapped by fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.
This year's celebrations were dedicated to "people in the south," said Jenny Yazbek al‑Jamal, as she left mass at a church in Beirut's northern suburb of Jdeideh.
With family living in the region, the 55-year-old said she feels like "one of them". 
It is not only Christian villages suffering in this war added al-Jamal, who leads the parish choir. 
"Muslim villages too... we stand with all the people of the south who were forced to flee their homes."
The church was packed on Sunday, with some worshippers left standing outside. 
Around the altar, placards bearing the names of Christian villages in south Lebanon -- cut off from the rest of the country or under fire -- had been placed.
Hymn singers struggled to raise their voices above the roar of Israeli fighter jets flying low over Beirut and bombing the capital's southern suburbs. 
"Even during our religious holidays, even on Good Friday, jets fly over us and break the sound barrier just to scare us," al-Jamal said.
- 'For peace' -  
"This has to stop," said Marina Awad, another 55-year-old worshipper attending mass with her husband. 
"It's truly very sad to know people had to abandon homes built over a lifetime, unsure if they will ever return."
Border villages are going through a severe crisis, added 65-year-old Dori Ghrayeb. "No food, no water, no bread, no medicine, and no medical care."
The Maronite Patriarchate expressed "deep disappointment" on Sunday over the cancellation for "security reasons" of a humanitarian convoy jointly set up by the Vatican's envoy to Lebanon. 
The convoy had been due to visit the border village of Debl.
Several Christian villages near the frontier -- including Ain Ebel, Rmeich and Debl -- are caught between Israeli forces and Iran-backed Hezbollah. 
Residents have refused Israeli calls to evacuate as troops advance in southern border areas. They insist this is not their war and say they feel abandoned after Lebanese troops withdrew from several border points. 
The convoy, organised with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon and two Christian charities, was meant to deliver 40 tonnes of medicine and basic supplies to residents "cut off from the rest of the country", the Patriarchate said.
The two charities, Caritas‑Lebanon and L'Oeuvre d'Orient condemned the cancellation as a violation of international humanitarian law, particularly as it affected vulnerable civilians trapped in their villages.
"I am for peace; the war must stop so that we can sit at the same table," Ghrayeb said.
dco-mby/at/hme/rh

music

Major sponsors drop Kanye West London gigs as PM voices concern

  • A spokesperson for Pepsi, the festival's top sponsor, told AFP on Sunday that the brand "has decided to withdraw its sponsorship of Wireless Festival", without giving a reason.
  • Drinks giants Pepsi and Diageo on Sunday pulled out of sponsoring a music festival in London headlined by US rapper Kanye West, who has a history of antisemitic outbursts.
  • A spokesperson for Pepsi, the festival's top sponsor, told AFP on Sunday that the brand "has decided to withdraw its sponsorship of Wireless Festival", without giving a reason.
Drinks giants Pepsi and Diageo on Sunday pulled out of sponsoring a music festival in London headlined by US rapper Kanye West, who has a history of antisemitic outbursts.
The disgraced 48-year-old hip-hop star -- now known as Ye -- is due to play three nights at the Wireless Festival in London in July as part of a European comeback tour.
A spokesperson for Pepsi, the festival's top sponsor, told AFP on Sunday that the brand "has decided to withdraw its sponsorship of Wireless Festival", without giving a reason.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed concern about West's appearances, while campaigners against antisemitism urged the government to stop the rapper entering the UK.
Starmer told The Sun newspaper it was "deeply concerning Kanye West has been booked to perform at Wireless despite his previous antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism".
He added that "antisemitism in any form is abhorrent and must be confronted firmly".
Diageo, whose labels Johnnie Walker and Captain Morgan were slated to be partner brands, also dropped out.
"We have informed the organisers of our concerns and as it stands, Diageo will not sponsor the 2026 Wireless Festival," a spokesman told AFP.
The festival's operating company, Live Nation, has not so far responded to a request for comment from AFP.
Festival organisers announced West's appearance on social media last month, prompting criticism from Jewish organisations and London Mayor Sadiq Khan.
Campaign Against Antisemitism, a British charity, on Sunday urged Starmer not to be a "bystander" and to ban West from entering the country.
"Surely this is a clear case," the charity said on X, suggesting West could be banned as a non-citizen whose presence is not "conducive to the public good".
West's European tour has already provoked controversy. In France, the mayor of Marseille said the rapper was "not welcome" for a concert there in June.
West has expressed regret over his antisemitic rants, which he blamed on his bipolar disorder.
In May 2025, he released a song called "Heil Hitler" to mark the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. 
The song was banned by major streaming platforms.
am-mhc/jhb/pdw/ksb

US

What we know about the race to rescue downed US airman in Iran

BY ADAM PLOWRIGHT WITH AFP CORRESPONDENTS

  • The pilot was said by Trump to have been rescued by special forces in a daylight mission on Friday shortly after the crash in the rugged Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province of southwest Iran.
  • US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday the dramatic rescue of a downed airman whose fighter jet crashed over Iran, but Tehran claimed the mission was "foiled".
  • The pilot was said by Trump to have been rescued by special forces in a daylight mission on Friday shortly after the crash in the rugged Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province of southwest Iran.
US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday the dramatic rescue of a downed airman whose fighter jet crashed over Iran, but Tehran claimed the mission was "foiled".
The facts remain shrouded in the fog of war, while social media was immediately flooded with misleading or fake images.
Here is what we know based on public statements and media reports:

Who is the airman?

Little is known about his identity, but he was the weapons system operator sitting behind the pilot aboard the advanced F-15E fighter jet shot down last Friday.
The pilot was said by Trump to have been rescued by special forces in a daylight mission on Friday shortly after the crash in the rugged Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province of southwest Iran.
After ejecting, the missing weapons expert shouted "God is good" over the radio, apparently reflecting his firm religious beliefs, the Axios news site reported, citing Trump and US officials.
US aviators undergo so-called SERE training -- Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape -- in the event they have to land in hostile territory.
Their combat vests contain a radio/GPS-coded beacon to transmit their position, a communication device, as well as water, food, first-aid material and a pistol.
The airman was wounded after his ejection but could still walk, reportedly scaling a 2,100-metre (7,000-foot) ridgeline in the mountains before hiding in a crevice, according to The New York Times and Axios.
Trump wrote on Sunday that he had been "seriously wounded". CBS News said he had been transported to Kuwait.

How did the rescue mission unfold?

Iranian authorities had immediately urged local people and tribesmen to join security forces in searching for the airman, realising the potential political and military value of capturing him alive.
That sparked a race over the weekend, with images posted on social media of US aircraft and helicopters flying low over Iran.
US intelligence agency the CIA played a key role in locating him and launched a "deception campaign" aimed at convincing Iranian authorities that he had already been discovered, The New York Times and The Financial Times reported.
The extraction operation launched overnight on Saturday-Sunday involved "dozens of aircraft", according to Trump, and hundreds of special operations troops, including Navy SEAL Team 6 commandos, US media reports said.
The Navy commandos, best known for taking part in the 2011 operation to kill Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, were tasked with extracting the airman, while US attack aircraft provided cover, The New York Times added, citing unnamed officials.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Trump had "expressed his appreciation for Israel's help" in the rescue mission, without providing details on its role.
The airman was rescued as Iranian forces converged on the spot, and US forces fired their weapons to keep them at bay, reports said.
Trump claimed no American lives were lost.

What does Iran say?

Although Iran's military claims the US operation was "completely foiled", it has not given a full account of events.
On Sunday evening, ISNA news agency carried a photo posted by the Revolutionary Guards purporting to show the "skull of an American soldier amid the debris of a destroyed airplane".
The Guards gave no further information except to add "more proof of the humiliating defeat of the liar Trump".
Iranian military spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaghari told state media US forces had used an abandoned airport in Isfahan province, which lies to the northwest of the area where the airman ejected.
He said the aircraft had been taking part in "a deception and escape mission... under the pretext of recovering the pilot of a downed aircraft".
Iranian state media broadcast images of the charred wreckage of what appears to be a plane in a desert area, while officials claimed that two C-130 military transport planes and two Black Hawk helicopters had been destroyed.
In the footage, two charred propellers and engines can be clearly seen, with specialised open-source geolocating experts claiming the images were taken about 50 kilometres (30 miles) south of the city of Isfahan.
The Wall Street Journal and other US media, citing unnamed officials, reported that American forces had blown up two C-130s after they became stuck, in order to prevent them from falling into Iranian hands, with other aircraft flown in to lift rescue teams to safety.
The governor of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province told Mehr news agency that five people had been killed and seven wounded in the Kuh-e Siah mountain area.
But the governor, Iraj Kazemijou, denied reports that US forces had landed there, saying they were "completely false and have no validity".
In his message on Sunday, Trump also referred to another operation inside Iran to rescue "another brave pilot... which we did not confirm, because we did not want to jeopardize our second rescue operation".
burs-adp/jj/jhb/cms/ceg

space

Artemis astronauts ready for Moon flyby on fifth day of historic mission

BY MOISéS ÁVILA, WITH MAGGY DONALDSON IN NEW YORK

  • The next major milestone is expected overnight Sunday into Monday, at which point the astronauts will enter the "lunar sphere of influence," where the Moon's gravity will have stronger pull on the spacecraft than Earth's.
  • The four astronauts on NASA's Artemis 2 mission prepared Sunday to enter the Moon's "sphere of influence," having already taking in sights of the lunar surface never before seen by human eyes.
  • The next major milestone is expected overnight Sunday into Monday, at which point the astronauts will enter the "lunar sphere of influence," where the Moon's gravity will have stronger pull on the spacecraft than Earth's.
The four astronauts on NASA's Artemis 2 mission prepared Sunday to enter the Moon's "sphere of influence," having already taking in sights of the lunar surface never before seen by human eyes.
As they awoke for day five of the 10-day mission, their Orion spaceship was nearly 215,000 miles (346,000 kilometers) from Earth and 65,000 miles from the Moon, according to NASA's online dashboard.
Former astronaut Charlie Duke, who walked on the Moon in 1972 as part of the Apollo 16 mission, gave the ceremonial wakeup call to the crew.
"Below you on the Moon is a photo of my family. I pray it reminds you that we in America and all of the world are cheering you on. Thanks to you and the whole team on the ground for building on our Apollo legacy with Artemis," said the 90-year-old.
Earlier, in the wee hours of Sunday, the US space agency published an image taken by the Artemis crew, showing a distant Moon with the Orientale basin visible.
"This mission marks the first time the entire basin has been seen with human eyes," NASA said. The massive crater, which resembles a bullseye, had been photographed before by orbiting cameras.
The next major milestone is expected overnight Sunday into Monday, at which point the astronauts will enter the "lunar sphere of influence," where the Moon's gravity will have stronger pull on the spacecraft than Earth's.
"We're all extremely excited for tomorrow," Lori Glaze, the deputy associate administrator for NASA's Exploration Systems Development Mission, told reporters Sunday. 
"Our flight operations team and our science team are ready for the first lunar flyby in more than 50 years."
For the period of the flyby, which will last for several hours, the Artemis 2 crew will observe the celestial body with their naked eyes, along with cameras they have on board. 
"I think it's important to remember that, you know, we don't always know exactly what they're going to see," Kelsey Young, the lead scientist for the Artemis 2 mission, told a press conference Sunday.
If all proceeds smoothly, as the Orion spacecraft whips around the Moon, the astronauts -- Americans Christina Koch, Reid Wiseman and Victor Glover along with Canadian Jeremy Hansen -- could set a record by venturing farther from Earth than any human before.

Systems tests

NASA said the Artemis crew has completed a manual piloting demonstration and reviewed their lunar flyby plan, including reviewing the surface features they must analyze and photograph during their time circling the Moon.
At the same time, "we're focusing very much on the ecosystem, the life support system of the spacecraft," NASA chief Jared Isaacman said Sunday in a televised interview with CNN.
"This is the first time astronauts have ever flown on this spacecraft before. That's what we're most interested in getting data from," he added.
On day five, the astronauts were testing their "survival" suits, according to NASA.
The bright orange suits are worn during takeoff and re-entry, but also emergency situations, such as cabin depressurization.
The crew "will conduct a full sequence of suit operations, including putting on and pressurizing their suits, performing leak checks, simulating seat entry, and assessing mobility and their ability to eat and drink," NASA said.
While the four astronauts will not touch down on the lunar surface, they are expected to break the record for the farthest distance from Earth during their pass around the Moon.
Over the next day, "they will be on the far side of the Moon, they will eclipse that record, and we're going to learn an awful lot about the spacecraft," said Isaacman.
The information will be "pretty paramount to set up for subsequent missions like Artemis 3 in 2027 and, of course, the lunar landing itself on Artemis 4 in 2028."
bur-jgc/ksb

US

Israel renews Lebanon strikes, forces Syria border crossing closed

BY NADER DURGHAM

  • - Vital crossing - On Saturday, Israel had said it would target the Masnaa border crossing between Lebanon and Syria, the main gateway between the two countries.
  • Israeli strikes in Lebanon on Sunday killed at least 15 people, a day after Israel threatened to hit Lebanon's main border crossing with Syria, forcing it to close.
  • - Vital crossing - On Saturday, Israel had said it would target the Masnaa border crossing between Lebanon and Syria, the main gateway between the two countries.
Israeli strikes in Lebanon on Sunday killed at least 15 people, a day after Israel threatened to hit Lebanon's main border crossing with Syria, forcing it to close.
Israel has launched airstrikes across Lebanon as well as a ground invasion in the south since March 2, when armed group Hezbollah entered the Middle East war on the side of its backer Iran.
Israeli military chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir visited troops in southern Lebanon on Sunday and pledged to intensify strikes against Hezbollah.
One of Israel's strikes in Beirut Sunday killed at least five people and wounded 52 in the Jnah neighbourhood, the Lebanese health ministry said.
A strike targeting an apartment building in Ain Saadeh town east of Beirut killed three people and injured three others, while a strike in the southern town of Kfar Hatta, far from the border with Israel, killed seven people including a four-year-old girl, the ministry said.
Hezbollah on Sunday claimed to have fired a cruise missile at an Israeli warship off the coast, but the Israeli military told AFP it was "not aware" of such an incident.
Israeli attacks on Lebanon since the start of the war have killed more than 1,400 people, including 126 children, and displaced over a million, according to Lebanese authorities.

Panic attacks

The strike in Beirut's Jnah neighbourhood landed about 100 metres away from the Rafik Hariri University Hospital, the largest public medical facility in Lebanon, a medical source told AFP.
Zakaria Tawbeh, deputy head of the hospital, said they received "four killed, three Sudanese and a 15-year old girl, and 31 wounded".
"Lots of glass was broken, and some of our patients had panic attacks."
After the first attack, 53-year-old Jnah resident Nancy Hassan thought she was safe at home.
"Shortly after, the planes were flying overhead, and we heard a huge bang, then stones rained down on us," she told AFP.
Hassan lost her daughter in an Israeli strike on the same area during the 2024 war between Hezbollah and Israel.
"My daughter was killed, she was 23 years old. Today, her friends were killed. Every time, they bomb us in the neighbourhood without warning," she added.
Israel also launched several strikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut, an area now largely evacuated but where Hezbollah holds sway.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon warned that attacks by Israel and Hezbollah near its positions "could potentially draw return fire".

Vital crossing

On Saturday, Israel had said it would target the Masnaa border crossing between Lebanon and Syria, the main gateway between the two countries.
"Due to Hezbollah's use of the Masnaa crossing for military purposes and smuggling of combat equipment, the (Israeli army) intends to carry out strikes on the crossing in the near future," said the military's Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee, urging people to leave the area.
The border post was quickly evacuated on the Lebanese side.
In Syria, borders and customs public relations director Mazen Aloush insisted the crossing was exclusively used by civilians but said it would close temporarily due to the threats.
Masnaa is a vital trade route for both countries and a key gateway to the rest of the region for Lebanese people.
Military expert Hassan Jouni told AFP that Israel's threat to strike the crossing "is not based on sound security considerations but rather aims to pressure the Lebanese government... to disarm Hezbollah".
At another border crossing further north known as Qaa, an AFP correspondent on Sunday saw a long line of cars and vans waiting to enter Syria as people sought an alternative route.
As Israeli troops push into border areas in southern Lebanon, destroying villages, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun reiterated his call for talks with Israel, saying he wanted to spare his country's south from destruction on the scale seen in the Palestinian territory of Gaza.
"Why don't we negotiate... until we can at least save the homes that have not yet been destroyed?" he said in a televised address.
bur-pdw/ksb

US

UK police arrest protesters near base used by US

  • More than 2,700 people have been arrested and hundreds charged over rallies in support of the group, according to protest organisers Defend Our Juries.
  • British police said they arrested seven people on Sunday at a protest near an air base in eastern England used by US forces, accusing them of supporting the banned group Palestine Action.
  • More than 2,700 people have been arrested and hundreds charged over rallies in support of the group, according to protest organisers Defend Our Juries.
British police said they arrested seven people on Sunday at a protest near an air base in eastern England used by US forces, accusing them of supporting the banned group Palestine Action.
Activists had gathered to protest the alleged use of the Royal Air Force Lakenheath base as a departure point for US aircraft involved in the war in the Middle East.
The Lakenheath Alliance for Peace, which organised the protest, said the seven had been arrested wearing clothing with the message: "We oppose genocide, we support Palestine Action."
Police said the five men and two women had been arrested "on suspicion of supporting a proscribed organisation".
Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour government banned Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation last year, making it a criminal offence to belong to or support the group.
In February, a court ruled the ban was "disproportionate" and interfered with the right to free speech.
But the government has appealed, and the ban remains in effect in the meantime.
More than 2,700 people have been arrested and hundreds charged over rallies in support of the group, according to protest organisers Defend Our Juries.
Police said in a statement on the latest arrests that they had a duty to enforce the law "as it currently stands, not as it might be in the future".
Two protesters were also arrested on Saturday at Lakenheath and charged with obstructing public thoroughfares, police said.
The New York Times and BBC have reported that images relayed by Iranian media of the US fighter jet shot down on Friday in Iran match a model typically stationed at Lakenheath.
President Donald Trump has railed against Starmer for what he calls insufficient support for the US campaign in the Middle East, straining the countries' longtime alliance.
The UK has authorised the United States to use British military bases to carry out "defensive" operations against Iran and protect the vital Strait of Hormuz.
mhc/jhb/pdw

pope

'Choose peace': Pope marks first Easter under cloud of Mideast war

BY CLEMENT MELKI WITH AFP TEAMS IN JERUSALEM AND BEIRUT

  • Leo has repeatedly called for peace in the Middle East and this week directly urged US President Donald Trump to find an "off-ramp".
  • Pope Leo XIV on Sunday urged "those who have the power to unleash wars" to "choose peace" in his first Easter blessing as pontiff with the Middle East conflict raging.
  • Leo has repeatedly called for peace in the Middle East and this week directly urged US President Donald Trump to find an "off-ramp".
Pope Leo XIV on Sunday urged "those who have the power to unleash wars" to "choose peace" in his first Easter blessing as pontiff with the Middle East conflict raging.
Christians around the world marked the holiday under the shadow of a war that began with US-Israeli strikes against Iran on February 28 and has drawn in the whole region, convulsing the global economy.
"We are growing accustomed to violence, resigning ourselves to it, and becoming indifferent," the pope told a crowd in St Peter's Square.
"Indifferent to the deaths of thousands of people," he added. "Indifferent to the repercussions of hatred and division that conflicts sow."
The leader of the world's 1.4 billion Roman Catholics, who was elected in May 2025, also called for a prayer vigil at the Vatican on April 11.
He paid tribute to his predecessor pope Francis who last appeared in public on Easter Sunday last year -- a few hours before his death.
Breaking with a tradition established by his predecessors, he did not specifically directly refer to any country or region caught up in crisis.
Leo has repeatedly called for peace in the Middle East and this week directly urged US President Donald Trump to find an "off-ramp".
On Sunday he spoke of "a world ravaged by wars and marked by a hatred and indifference that make us feel powerless in the face of evil".

Jerusalem restrictions

In Jerusalem, there was silence in the alleyways of the Old City, left deserted by Israel's conflict in Gaza and now the Middle East war.
Israeli authorities have severely restricted access to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where the faithful commemorate Christ's crucifixion and resurrection, because of security considerations.
On routes approaching the church, police checkpoints screened a small number of worshippers allowed near the site.
All shops in the area were closed, heightening the sense of emptiness.
"It's very hard for all of us because it's our holiday... It's really hard to want to pray but to come here and find nothing. Everything is closed," said Christina Toderas, 44, from Romania.
Otmar Wassermann, 65, had also attempted to enter the Holy Sepulchre but failed.
"I must say I was somewhat frustrated," he told AFP, recalling how the feast is generally celebrated every year.
"The doors are still closed," the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, said in his Easter Vigil homily at the Holy Sepulchre.
Pizzaballa was prevented by Israeli police from holding mass in the church last Sunday, an incident that sparked international indignation.
"The silence is almost absolute, broken perhaps by the distant sound of what war continues to sow in this holy and torn land," he said, according to a text of his sermon issued by his office.

'Trust in God'

In Lebanon, majority Christian areas in the south of the country are caught in the crossfire between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement.
In Debel, close to the Israeli border, inhabitants marked Easter Sunday against the sound of bombardment around their village, now almost totally cut off from the world and dependent on aid deliveries.
"The situation is tragic," town notable Joseph Attieh told AFP by phone.
"People are terrified, and the sound of shelling and gunfire has not stopped for a moment since last night. We haven't been able to sleep.
"We are putting our trust in God," Attieh said, since "this is the only glimmer of hope we will not give up on".
The war has also impacted the lives of Christian minorities in other parts of the Middle East.
In Dubai, masses have been cancelled until further notice as a security precaution. In Damascus, Catholic authorities said Easter celebrations would be restricted to mass following an attack on a Christian town in central Syria.
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