politics

Solomon Islands leader loses court appeal, must face no confidence vote

  • The High Court ruled last month that the prime minister should recall parliament or resign, after he continued to avoid a no confidence motion lodged by the opposition coalition. 
  • Solomon Islands' Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele must recall the Pacific Island nation's parliament to face a vote of no confidence, an appeal court ruled on Friday.
  • The High Court ruled last month that the prime minister should recall parliament or resign, after he continued to avoid a no confidence motion lodged by the opposition coalition. 
Solomon Islands' Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele must recall the Pacific Island nation's parliament to face a vote of no confidence, an appeal court ruled on Friday.
The government has been in an impasse since March, when it was hit by mass cabinet resignations and the exit of two coalition partners.
The defections led the opposition to claim the government had lost its majority in parliament.
Manele has since avoided a vote of confidence, which would eject him and his government from power if he loses.
The High Court ruled last month that the prime minister should recall parliament or resign, after he continued to avoid a no confidence motion lodged by the opposition coalition. 
On Friday, the appeal court said Manele must take steps before noon on Tuesday to facilitate convening parliament so lawmakers sit by May 7.
"The continued failure to take steps to facilitate the convening of parliament is inconsistent with the constitution," said a copy of the judgement viewed by AFP.
It dismissed Manele's argument that the High Court had exceeded its powers.
"The court does not intrude on parliament by ensuring parliament can sit," the judgement said.
Outside court, Attorney General John Muria told SBM Online he was disappointed "but the court has spoken".
Manele's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Royal Solomon Islands Police Force deployed officers outside the court and called for calm.
Commissioner of Police Ian Vaevaso, sworn in by Manele on Wednesday, had earlier issued a statement saying "police are independent of politics" and would not take sides.
A no-confidence motion against Manele was filed in March after 12 cabinet ministers resigned from his government and two parties quit the governing coalition. 
The new opposition coalition of six political parties says that it commanded 27 seats compared to the government's 23 seats.
Following the resignations, Manele appointed former leader and staunch Beijing ally Manasseh Sogavare as deputy prime minister, deepening the turmoil. 
The Solomon Islands are seen as one of China's closest partners and backers in the South Pacific, and they signed a secretive security pact in 2022. 
Chief Justice Albert Palmer in April ruled the country was at a "constitutional impasse".
kln/djw/jm

US

Iran activates air defences as Trump faces congressional deadline

BY AFP TEAMS IN TEHRAN, WASHINGTON, BEIRUT AND JERUSALEM

  • The Tasnim and Fars news agencies reported that air defence systems, heard in some parts of the Iranian capital, were activated "to counter small aircraft and reconnaissance drones" for around 20 minutes but that the situation had returned to "normal".
  • Tehran's air defences were activated to counter small aircraft and drones late Thursday, as the White House signalled that it will not be reined in by a congressional deadline on the Iran war.
  • The Tasnim and Fars news agencies reported that air defence systems, heard in some parts of the Iranian capital, were activated "to counter small aircraft and reconnaissance drones" for around 20 minutes but that the situation had returned to "normal".
Tehran's air defences were activated to counter small aircraft and drones late Thursday, as the White House signalled that it will not be reined in by a congressional deadline on the Iran war.
The Tasnim and Fars news agencies reported that air defence systems, heard in some parts of the Iranian capital, were activated "to counter small aircraft and reconnaissance drones" for around 20 minutes but that the situation had returned to "normal".
US President Donald Trump's administration faced a looming midnight deadline to secure congressional authorisation for the war against Iran, setting up a clash between the White House and Congress.
The Trump administration argued that the 60-day clock to seek authorisation was effectively paused by a ceasefire announced last month.
"For War Powers Resolution purposes, the hostilities that began on Saturday, February 28 have terminated," a senior administration official told AFP late on Thursday, noting that there has been no exchange of fire between the United States and Iran since the April 7 ceasefire.

'Shameful defeat'

Earlier on Thursday, Iran's supreme leader declared that the United States had suffered a shameful defeat, defiantly rejecting a warning from Trump that an economically punishing US naval blockade could be enforced for months to come.
Oil prices hit a four-year high, then fell back slightly before Mojtaba Khamenei issued a written statement read on state television declaring that Iran was now in the driver's seat in the crisis.
"Today, two months after the largest military deployment and aggression by the world's bullies in the region, and the United States' disgraceful defeat in its plans, a new chapter is unfolding for the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz," he said, hailing Iran's control over shipping in the strait.
He went on to predict a bright future for the Gulf without the United States, saying those who interfere in the region from afar "have no place there except at the bottom of its waters."
Khamenei was wounded in the initial US-Israeli strikes that killed his father, Ali Khamenei, and has not been seen in public since being named his successor as supreme leader in March.
The United States imposed a blockade on Iran's ports two weeks ago, while the Islamic republic has maintained its stranglehold over the strategic Strait of Hormuz since the start of the Middle East war at the end of February.
Washington is now seeking to assemble an international coalition of allied states and shipping firms to coordinate safe passage through Hormuz -- while maintaining its blockade of ships serving Iran, a State Department official told AFP.
Trump threatened Thursday to withdraw US troops from Italy and Spain, extending similar warnings already made against Germany, after lambasting the NATO allies for failing to support US-Israeli operations against Iran, including in the Strait.

'Act again'

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned meanwhile that it was "possible that we may soon have to act again" against Iran to achieve the war's objectives.
But the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards aerospace force, Majid Mousavi, said even a "short and tactical" enemy operation would be met "with painful, prolonged, and extensive strikes."
Tehran residents speaking earlier to AFP journalists in Paris described a sense of despair that the Islamic republic government was clinging to power and that negotiations had stalled.
"From the Islamic Republic still being in place to the innocent people whose lives were destroyed in this war, everything is so disappointing," one 28-year-old IT worker told AFP via messaging app from the Iranian capital.

'Intolerable'

Trump has reportedly told oil executives and national security officials this week to prepare for a prolonged US blockade designed to force Tehran to surrender its nuclear programme.
US Central Command said Wednesday it had redirected a total of 44 commercial vessels to violate the blockade as part of its blockade of Iran.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the blockade of his country's ports was effectively an "extension of military operations" by Washington, despite the ongoing ceasefire.
"Continuation of this oppressive approach is intolerable," he added.
Oil prices struck a four-year high Thursday. International benchmark Brent crude soared more than seven percent to $126 a barrel before easing in afternoon trading in London.
UN chief Antonio Guterres said the closure of Hormuz was "strangling the global economy," and International Energy Agency chief Fatih Birol told a meeting at his Paris headquarters: "The world is facing the biggest energy crisis in history."
"The consequences of the Middle East crisis grow dramatically worse with each passing hour... Now is the time for dialogue, for solutions that pull us back from the brink," Guterres wrote on X on Friday.

US urges Israel-Lebanon talks

Violence has continued on the war's Lebanese front, with the US embassy in Lebanon on Thursday urging a meeting between Lebanese and Israeli leaders.
Israeli and Lebanese representatives have met twice in Washington in recent weeks -- the first such meetings in decades -- after the Iran-backed Hezbollah group drew Lebanon into the Middle East war on March 2.
Trump has said he hopes to host Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "over the next couple of weeks."
Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon killed at least 15 people, the Lebanese health ministry said Thursday, while the Lebanese army said a separate strike on a home in the south killed a soldier and multiple members of his family.
burs/hol/tc

royals

King Charles arrives in Bermuda after whirlwind US visit

BY HENRY NICHOLLS, WITH ANNE LEBRETON IN FRONT ROYAL, VIRGINIA AND ANITA CHANG BEATTIE IN WASHINGTON

  • "He's a great king -- the greatest king, in my book," Trump told reporters as the royal arrived at the White House early Thursday to say farewell.
  • King Charles III arrived in Bermuda on Thursday after wrapping up a marathon US state visit aimed at healing ties between Washington and London strained by the war in Iran.
  • "He's a great king -- the greatest king, in my book," Trump told reporters as the royal arrived at the White House early Thursday to say farewell.
King Charles III arrived in Bermuda on Thursday after wrapping up a marathon US state visit aimed at healing ties between Washington and London strained by the war in Iran.
The monarch was greeted on the airport tarmac in Hamilton, the capital of the British island territory, by Premier David Burt and other dignitaries.
The island stop -- the first visit by Charles to a British Overseas Territory as sovereign -- comes after a day packed with small-town American experiences for the king and Queen Camilla, who will not join for the Bermuda leg of the trip.
By all accounts, the four-day US visit was a success, with President Donald Trump serving as solicitous host-in-chief who honored King Charles and Queen Camilla with a lavish white-tie banquet at the White House.
"He's a great king -- the greatest king, in my book," Trump told reporters as the royal arrived at the White House early Thursday to say farewell.
Following handshakes and a bit of chat, Trump added as the couple drove off: "Great people. We need more people like that in our country."
Several hours later, Trump announced he was removing tariffs on Scottish whisky "in honor" of Charles and Camilla.
"The King and Queen got me to do something that nobody else was able to do, without hardly even asking!" Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

All-American day

Charles and Camilla's day started with a somber visit to Arlington National Cemetery just outside Washington, where they laid a wreath and flowers at the hilltop Tomb of the Unknown Soldier honoring America's unidentified war dead.
From there, the couple attended a "block party" in Front Royal, Virginia, marking this year's 250th anniversary of American independence from Britain.
The aptly named small town pulled out all the stops, with a cheering crowd greeting Charles and Camilla and a parade in their honor.
The couple keenly inspected local food offerings, met the area's Little League baseball team and chatted with a farmer holding a bleating day-old lamb -- named Charles after the visiting king.
The royals nodded along as dancers in flouncy dresses performed clogging, an American folk dance similar to tap set to high-energy bluegrass music.
For the party's potluck table, the guests of honor contributed Coronation quiche, Victoria sponge cake and honey from the royal hives.
While Camilla stopped in at a horse farm, Charles rounded out his day with a visit to nearby Shenandoah National Park. His stop included meetings with members of the Monacan Indian Nation, whose ancestral lands covered much of the mountainous area.
With the trip concluded, the royals issued a statement thanking Americans for "the warmth of your welcome" throughout the couple's first US trip as king and queen.
"We leave a piece of our (heart) behind and take a little of yours back home with us," the royal family posted on X, using a red heart emoji in the message. "Until the next time... God Bless America."

Light moments

The centerpiece of the whirlwind trip was Charles's speech Tuesday to the US Congress, the first by a British monarch since Queen Elizabeth II in 1991.
The address was warmly received, even as Charles ranged over subjects from climate change and the need for restraints on presidential power to the importance of NATO and defense of Ukraine -- sensitive issues for Trump's ruling Republicans.
The 77-year-old monarch skirted around tensions between Trump and Prime Minister Keir Starmer over Britain's refusal to join the war against Iran, insisting the partnership between the two countries was "born out of dispute, but no less strong for it."
The royals were in New York on Wednesday, where they stopped at the 9/11 memorial and met leftist Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Charles, who is passionate about gardening and the environment, also visited an urban sustainable farming project in Harlem, while Camilla celebrated the 100th birthday of Winnie the Pooh at the New York Public Library. 
Security was tight for the royal visit, which came just days after an alleged assassination attempt against Trump at a Washington gala.
In Bermuda, the king is due to receive a pomp-filled ceremonial welcome on Friday followed by engagements with local conservation leaders, artists and athletes. 
acb/jgc/mlm/aks

Global Edition

Clashes erupt in Australian town over death of Indigenous girl

  • The violence followed the discovery Thursday of a body south of Alice Springs believed to be that of the little girl, referred to at her family's request as Kumanjayi Little Baby.
  • An angry crowd clashed with Australian police outside a hospital treating the suspected killer of a five-year-old Indigenous girl in the outback town of Alice Springs.
  • The violence followed the discovery Thursday of a body south of Alice Springs believed to be that of the little girl, referred to at her family's request as Kumanjayi Little Baby.
An angry crowd clashed with Australian police outside a hospital treating the suspected killer of a five-year-old Indigenous girl in the outback town of Alice Springs.
Images on local media Friday showed teargas in the air, a police van in flames and crowds yelling at armed officers keeping people at bay during the overnight confrontation.
The violence followed the discovery Thursday of a body south of Alice Springs believed to be that of the little girl, referred to at her family's request as Kumanjayi Little Baby.
She had disappeared from an Indigenous community camp called Old Timers late on Saturday night, sparking a vast, days-long search on foot, horseback, and by helicopter that gripped much of the country.
Police said a formal autopsy would be held on the child's body, which was found about five kilometres (three miles) from the camp.
Hours after her body was found, police announced they had arrested the suspect, Jefferson Lewis.

'He was unconscious'

Lewis was beaten until he was unconscious after turning himself in to Indigenous community members on Thursday evening at a camp by Alice Springs, in central Australia.
When police and emergency services intervened, they too came under attack, said Northern Territory Police Force Commissioner Martin Dole.
"At the time of his apprehension by us, he was unconscious and he was in the process of being treated by St John's Ambulance when they were set upon, as were the police," he told a news conference.
Lewis was then taken to hospital.
"A large crowd gathered and tried to gain access to that hospital," the police commissioner said.
"We called out all the resources we had available to quell that violent disturbance. And just let me say that the behaviour that we saw last night cannot be explained away, excused or accepted."
Dole said "a number" of police were injured at the hospital, and one officer was treated for a head wound inflicted during the suspect's arrest.
Ambulance and fire crew members were also attacked, he said, with one fire and rescue officer receiving a "significant facial injury".

'Sorry business'

One woman was being investigated for allegedly trying to set a police car alight.
Many people outside the hospital shouted that Lewis must face "payback", public broadcaster ABC reported, referring to a traditional punishment in central Australian Indigenous communities.
"I just call for calm across the community," Dole said.
Police said they removed Lewis for his safety from hospital to the Northern Territory capital of Darwin, where he was being held in custody.
He is expected to face charges in the coming days.
Northern Territory Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said the girl's death was the realisation of "our worst nightmares".
But it was no excuse for violence, she said, recalling how the community had united to search for the missing child.
"This week, we've seen this town come together like never before -- hundreds of people walking shoulder to shoulder through the long buffel grass, through the bush, to make sure we left no stone unturned," Finocchiaro said.
"I don't want last night to take away from that extraordinary effort."
Robin Granites, a spokesman for the family and an elder of the Warlpiri Indigenous group, called for calm in the community.
"It is time now for sorry business, to show respect for our family and have space for grieving and remembering," he said in a statement.
"We need to be strong for each other, we must respect family and cultural practice."
djw/kln/fox

Israel

Iran war redraws sea routes with Africa as the pivot

BY ISABEL MALSANG AND LUCA MATTEUCCI

  • - The Saudi port of Jeddah on the Red Sea is becoming a new regional "hub", where ships from maritime giants MSC, CMA CGM, Maersk and Cosco arrive via the Suez Canal.
  • The closure of the Strait of Hormuz as well as tensions in the Red Sea are reshaping trade routes, with Africa becoming a hub of global container ship traffic, according to logistics and maritime sources.
  • - The Saudi port of Jeddah on the Red Sea is becoming a new regional "hub", where ships from maritime giants MSC, CMA CGM, Maersk and Cosco arrive via the Suez Canal.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz as well as tensions in the Red Sea are reshaping trade routes, with Africa becoming a hub of global container ship traffic, according to logistics and maritime sources.
Over the past two months, the blockade has also pushed shipowners to find alternative land corridors to deliver foodstuffs and manufactured goods by truck, as they can no longer reach the Gulf's coastal countries by sea.

What are the alternative routes for delivering to Gulf countries?

The Saudi port of Jeddah on the Red Sea is becoming a new regional "hub", where ships from maritime giants MSC, CMA CGM, Maersk and Cosco arrive via the Suez Canal.
Cargo then leaves by truck along a desert highway to deliver to places such as Sharjah, Bahrain and Kuwait, which have not been served by sea for the past two months.
"The port of Jeddah is not at all sized to handle such import volumes and a port congestion situation is emerging," Arthur Barillas de The, cofounder of freight forwarder Ovrsea, told AFP.
According to data from Kpler Marine Traffic, 11 container ships were docked in Jeddah on Thursday, with nine waiting, and an average wait of 36 hours before unloading compared to 17 hours the previous week.
Shipowners have said they will use three ports outside the Strait of Hormuz -- Oman's Sohar, and the UAE ports of Khorfakkan and Fujairah, which are connected by land from the United Arab Emirates.
The port of Aqaba in Jordan serves as a base for sending goods to Baghdad and Basra in Iraq, while a Turkish corridor is also allowing goods into northern Iraq.

On international routes, why are Asia-Europe container ships avoiding the Suez Canal?

The situation started well before the war in Iran but is very much connected to the conflict.
Avoiding the Red Sea from the Bab al-Mandeb Strait to the Suez Canal dates back to November 19, 2023 and the first attack on a container ship by Iran-backed Houthi militias from the coast of Yemen, said CyclOpe, a specialist commodities publication.
The rerouting of ships has now become systematic, said Ronan Boudet, head of container intelligence at Kpler.
They skirt around Africa by following its eastern coast as far as the Cape of Good Hope in southern South Africa before heading back north towards Europe and the Mediterranean.
"With the current situation in the Gulf, we have put several more coins in the machine, it's not going to get better anytime soon," Edouard Louis-Dreyfus, chairman of French shipping giant Louis Dreyfus Armateurs, told AFP.
"Today, 70 percent of the freight traffic that went through the Red Sea in 2023 is being rerouted via the Cape of Good Hope," added Yves Guillo, a supply chain expert at Efeso, a management consultancy in Paris.
According to data from the International Monetary Fund's PortWatch platform based on ships' GPS signals, commercial vessel traffic via the Cape of Good Hope has more than tripled in three years, while traffic through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait has fallen by more than half.
Between March 1 and April 24 this year, an average of 20 commercial vessels went round the Cape of Good Hope every day compared with six in the same period in 2023.
By comparison, traffic in the Red Sea has plummeted: from 18 transits per day through Bab al-Mandeb between March and April 2023, the average fell to five three years later.

What are the consequences?

Transport times have lengthened between Asia and Europe by an average of two weeks and costs have risen because 30 to 50 percent more fuel is needed and 10 to 20 percent more ships to ensure the same frequency of service, said Guillo.
The average price to transport a standard 40-foot container on the main shipping routes increased by 14 percent in April compared to the same period last year, he added, citing changes in the Drewry freight index.
Large differences exist between routes: some African ports are seeing their activity increase. The Tanger Med Port Authority said it handled 11 million standard containers in 2025 -- up 8.4 percent.
But Egypt lost toll revenues from the Suez Canal, which make up a large part of its income. According to CyclOpe, in 2024 it lost $7 billion -- a drop of more than 60 percent compared with 2023.
im/phz/rh

trade

Blockbuster EU-Mercosur trade deal enters into force

  • The agreement favours European exports of cars, wine and cheese, while making it easier for South American beef, poultry, sugar, rice, honey and soybeans to enter Europe.
  • The European Union's mammoth trade deal with South American bloc Mercosur provisionally enters into force Friday, despite a pending court ruling on its legality.
  • The agreement favours European exports of cars, wine and cheese, while making it easier for South American beef, poultry, sugar, rice, honey and soybeans to enter Europe.
The European Union's mammoth trade deal with South American bloc Mercosur provisionally enters into force Friday, despite a pending court ruling on its legality.
The agreement to create one of the world's biggest free-trade zones was sealed in January after more than 25 years of intermittent negotiations.
The deal, which eliminates tariffs on more than 90 percent of trade between the two sides, has proven divisive in Europe, with France leading opposition over concerns some of its farmers will be left worse off.
But -- backed by a majority of EU countries -- Brussels ploughed ahead as it pushes to diversify trade in the face of challenges from the United States and China.
"A lot of work went into getting this landmark deal over the line; now it’s time to invest the same effort into making sure our citizens and businesses reap its benefits immediately," said European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen.
"From day one, tariffs are reduced and new market opportunities are opened."
To mark the day, EU chiefs von der Leyen and Antonio Costa will hold online talks with leaders from the Mercosur nations, which include Argentina and Brazil.
Together, the EU and Mercosur account for 30 percent of global GDP and more than 700 million consumers.
The agreement favours European exports of cars, wine and cheese, while making it easier for South American beef, poultry, sugar, rice, honey and soybeans to enter Europe.
The application of the deal comes after the European Parliament referred it to the EU's top court in January, instead of giving it the green light.
France unsuccessfully attempted to block the deal over worries for its farmers, who fear being undercut by cheaper goods from agricultural powerhouse Brazil and its neighbours.
The staunch French opposition to the pact caused a public rift with Germany, pitting the EU's two biggest countries against one another.
At the same time as it has looked to wrap up the Mercosur deal, the EU has also ploughed on with other agreements to get closer to other important markets such as India, Australia and Indonesia.
bur-del/raz/jhb

justice

'Uncharted': US court ruling shakes up battle for Congress

BY FRANKIE TAGGART

  • Redrawing maps typically triggers court battles, and US courts are often reluctant to approve last-minute changes that could disrupt elections.
  • A US Supreme Court ruling curbing protections for minority voters has reignited the political battle over electoral maps, with Republicans and Democrats racing to redraw districts in ways that could shape control of Congress for years to come.
  • Redrawing maps typically triggers court battles, and US courts are often reluctant to approve last-minute changes that could disrupt elections.
A US Supreme Court ruling curbing protections for minority voters has reignited the political battle over electoral maps, with Republicans and Democrats racing to redraw districts in ways that could shape control of Congress for years to come.
The high court's decision on Wednesday makes it far harder to challenge electoral maps that dilute minority voting power -- weakening a key protection of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, a historic attempt to redress the legacy of racism.
It immediately emboldened Republicans across the South to push for new district lines that could tilt the balance of power in their favor, although analysts say its impact on November's midterm elections is likely to be limited.
Primaries -- the internal elections that parties use to choose their candidates -- are already underway or looming in many states, and with legal challenges all but certain, there is little time to implement sweeping changes before voters head to the polls. 
Even in the most aggressive scenarios, experts say the ruling may deliver Republicans only a handful of additional seats this year -- potentially decisive in a closely divided House, but far from transformative.
"We are swimming in uncharted waters," analysts Amy Walters and Matthew Klein wrote in an autopsy of the ruling for the nonpartisan Cook Political Report.
"Republicans could conceivably push for redraws that net them a few seats in 2026, but it's unclear at this point how many of those maps will go into effect, given the challenges of the timeline and the inevitable torrent of litigation to come."

Scramble

Still, the political scramble has begun. 
Republican officials in states including Alabama, Tennessee and South Carolina quickly called for special sessions to redraw congressional maps, targeting districts with large Black populations that were previously protected under the Voting Rights Act.
Louisiana -- the state at the center of the case -- suspended upcoming primaries to pass a new map, underscoring the urgency with which some Republicans are seeking to act.
The ruling is widely seen as a boon for the Republican Party, particularly in the South, where majority-Black districts have long helped elect Democratic lawmakers.
By weakening those protections, the court has opened a path for some of those districts to be broken up or reshaped.
"Yesterday's decision is huge -- if not for 2026 then certainly for 2028," said veteran political strategist Matt Klink. "It will force states, primarily in the South, to redraw as many as 18 districts."
Democrats are already signaling they could respond in kind, using the same legal logic to redraw districts in liberal-leaning states such as New York and California to maximize their own gains.
President Donald Trump, whose Republicans narrowly control both chambers of Congress, welcomed the ruling, but it remains unclear how forcefully he will push state leaders to act before November.

'Rigged maps'

Timing may ultimately prove the biggest constraint.
In several key states -- including Texas, North Carolina and Mississippi -- primary elections have already taken place, effectively locking in current district lines. In Alabama, Governor Kay Ivey said the state was "not in a position" to hold a special redistricting session. 
Even where changes are still theoretically possible, the legal and logistical hurdles are steep. Redrawing maps typically triggers court battles, and US courts are often reluctant to approve last-minute changes that could disrupt elections.
"With the midterm elections only six months away, the decision's immediate impact will be muted," Michael R. Dimino, a law professor at Pennsylvania's Widener University, told AFP.
"But the decision is very significant for the future -- particularly in the redistricting that will follow the 2030 census, as it will remove an unfair advantage for Democrats."
Political strategist Caroline Welles, who works to elect first-time Democratic women to state legislatures, said the decision mattered less for November than for what it signals about the court's willingness to let states dilute minority voting power. 
"Voting rights litigation has been the main way to challenge rigged maps since 2013. If that tool gets blunted, Democrats are looking at structural disadvantages that feel insurmountable," she said. 
"Communities of color will continue to be systematically underrepresented in the places where they have the numbers to elect candidates of their choice."
ft/sms

Trump

Wear a bulletproof vest? I don't want to look fat, says Trump

  • "I don't know if I can handle looking 20 pounds heavier," Trump told reporters when asked if there were discussions about him wearing a protective vest.
  • US President Donald Trump said Thursday he wasn't keen on wearing a bulletproof vest despite multiple alleged assassination attempts -- as he is worried it may make him look fat.
  • "I don't know if I can handle looking 20 pounds heavier," Trump told reporters when asked if there were discussions about him wearing a protective vest.
US President Donald Trump said Thursday he wasn't keen on wearing a bulletproof vest despite multiple alleged assassination attempts -- as he is worried it may make him look fat.
"I don't know if I can handle looking 20 pounds heavier," Trump told reporters when asked if there were discussions about him wearing a protective vest.
Reports in US media said it was under consideration following the latest alleged attempt to kill the 79-year-old president at a Washington gala on Saturday.
"I've been asked about that. I guess it's something you consider. In one way, you don't like to do it because you're giving in to a bad element. And so, I don't know. But I have been asked about it."
A man has been charged with trying to assassinate the Republican on Saturday night at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner at the Washington Hilton hotel. Secret Service agents tackled the alleged assailant before he was able to reach the ballroom where the gala was taking place.
It was the third alleged attempt on Trump's life in the space of two years.
The most serious was when the president was wounded in the ear by a gunman at an election rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in 2024. One audience member was killed.
Former reality TV star Trump is notoriously sensitive about his appearance.
His weight has been a concern, although he is slimmer in his second term as president.
A self-confessed fast food fan, Trump weighed 224 pounds (101.6 kilograms) as of his last full annual medical in April 2025, down from 243 pounds in 2019.
dk/acb

music

Britney Spears formally charged with DUI in California

  • Prosecutors said in their statement that Spears could avoid jail time by agreeing to a plea deal -- a typical move in cases with no prior convictions, no injury, a low blood alcohol level and defendants who voluntarily enter a rehab program.
  • Pop star Britney Spears on Thursday was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, prosecutors outside Los Angeles said -- but she could avoid jail time with a plea deal.
  • Prosecutors said in their statement that Spears could avoid jail time by agreeing to a plea deal -- a typical move in cases with no prior convictions, no injury, a low blood alcohol level and defendants who voluntarily enter a rehab program.
Pop star Britney Spears on Thursday was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, prosecutors outside Los Angeles said -- but she could avoid jail time with a plea deal.
The criminal complaint does not specify which substance the 44-year-old singer was allegedly using when she was arrested in early March. 
Spears is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday in a courtroom in Ventura County, which borders Los Angeles County.
She is not required to attend the hearing because the charge is a misdemeanor, and can be represented by her attorney, prosecutors said in a statement. 
Spears had phenomenal early music success in the late 1990s with hits like "...Baby One More Time" but has largely stepped back from music in recent years. 
Following her arrest, a representative for the singer described the incident as "completely inexcusable" and said Spears would "take the right steps and comply with the law."
Since then, she checked herself into rehab.
Prosecutors said in their statement that Spears could avoid jail time by agreeing to a plea deal -- a typical move in cases with no prior convictions, no injury, a low blood alcohol level and defendants who voluntarily enter a rehab program.
Such a move would likely result in a guilty plea for reckless driving involving drugs and/or alcohol, which would see her placed on probation for 12 months. She would also have to take a court-ordered driver safety class and pay a fine.
"This offer will be extended to Ms Spears on Monday," prosecutors said.
Following a public breakdown in 2007, Spears was placed under the conservatorship of her father Jamie Spears, who controlled her money and her personal life, even as she continued to perform high-profile concerts.
The conservatorship was dissolved by a Los Angeles court in 2021, after a groundswell of public support to "Free Britney."
In her 2023 memoir "The Woman in Me," Spears insisted she never did hard drugs and that she did not have a drinking problem, but she admitted that she was taking Adderall, the ADHD medication.
rfo/sst/msp

US

War in the Middle East: latest developments

  • Air defences were active for about 20 minutes and the city returned to a "normal situation", according to the news agencies.
  • The latest developments in the Middle East war: — Air defences activated in Iran: local media - Air defences were heard in the Iranian capital Tehran on Thursday night after they were activated to counter small aircraft and drones, Iran's Tasnim and Fars news agencies reported.
  • Air defences were active for about 20 minutes and the city returned to a "normal situation", according to the news agencies.
The latest developments in the Middle East war:
— Air defences activated in Iran: local media -
Air defences were heard in the Iranian capital Tehran on Thursday night after they were activated to counter small aircraft and drones, Iran's Tasnim and Fars news agencies reported.
Air defences were active for about 20 minutes and the city returned to a "normal situation", according to the news agencies.

US urges meeting of Israel, Lebanon leaders

The US embassy in Lebanon called for a meeting between Lebanese and Israeli leaders as the health ministry said Israeli strikes on the country's south killed at least 15 people despite an ongoing ceasefire.
"Lebanon stands at a crossroads. Its people have a historic opportunity to reclaim their country and shape their future as a truly sovereign, independent nation," the embassy said, adding that "the time for hesitation is over".
Trump has said he hopes to host Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "over the next couple of weeks" as the two countries prepare for direct negotiations.

Trump mulls US troop cuts in Italy, Spain

President Donald Trump said Thursday he may pull US troops from Italy and Spain due to their opposition to the Iran war, a day after proposing a similar reduction in Germany.
"Yeah, probably, I probably will. Why shouldn't I?" Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked if he would consider reducing American troop numbers in Spain and Italy too.
"Italy has not been of any help to us and Spain has been horrible, absolutely horrible," Trump added.

Israel warns Iran

Israel's defence minister said his country may soon have to "act again" against Iran, to ensure the Islamic republic "does not once again become a threat to Israel".
"US President Donald Trump, in coordination with (Israeli) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is leading the efforts to achieve the campaign's objectives, to ensure that Iran does not once again become a threat to Israel, the United States and the free world in the future," Israel Katz said, according to a statement from his office.

UN says Hormuz 'strangling' economy

UN chief Antonio Guterres sounded the alarm over the worsening global economic impacts of the Strait of Hormuz remaining effectively closed due to the Iran war.
The closure of the vital waterway is "strangling the global economy," the secretary-general warned in remarks to the media.

No US presence in strait: Iran

Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf vowed his country's control over the strategic Strait of Hormuz would ensure a future without US presence in the area. 
"Today, by managing the Strait of Hormuz, Iran will provide itself and its neighbours with the precious blessing of a future free from American presence and interference," said Ghalibaf in a post on X to mark the national "Persian Gulf" day. 

Deadly Lebanon strike

Israeli strikes on three south Lebanon villages killed nine people, among them two children and five women, according to Lebanon's health ministry, nearly two weeks into a ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah.

Lebanon slams Israel

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the "continuing Israeli violations" in south Lebanon, saying they were occurring "despite the ceasefire, as do demolitions of homes and places of worship, while the number of killed and wounded rises day after day".
"Pressure must be exerted on Israel to ensure it respects international laws and conventions and ceases targeting civilians, paramedics, civil defence, and humanitarian health and relief organisations," he added.

'Major energy crisis'

The world is facing a "major energy and economic challenge" as oil prices have soared in the wake of the war in the Middle East, said International Energy Agency chief Fatih Birol told a meeting on the energy transition in Paris.
With the world faced with "the biggest energy crisis in history", oil prices were "putting a lot of pressure in many countries", he added.

Oil at four-year high

Oil prices soared to four-year highs, with the US crude benchmark Brent for June delivery spiking more than seven percent to $126.41, while West Texas Intermediate was up 3.4 percent to $110.31, before later paring gains.

US-Germany tensions

Trump said the United States was considering reducing its troops in Germany over Chancellor Friedrich Merz's refusal to join Washington's war against Iran -- a force estimated between 35,000 and 50,000 troops.
The threats to slash US troop numbers echo Trump's longstanding criticisms of the NATO alliance, but Merz drew Trump's fresh ire earlier this week after saying Tehran was "humiliating" Washington at the negotiating table.

EU pushes back

Following Trump's post, the EU said Thursday that the deployment of US troops in Europe was in Washington's interest. 
"Our NATO allies are also increasing their defence spending at an unprecedented pace," European Union spokeswoman Anitta Hipper added.
burs/rh/phz

justice

Blow for Lula as Brazil MPs slash Bolsonaro prison term

BY JUAN SEBASTIAN SERRANO

  • But following a tense session marked by shouting and jeers from both sides, lawmakers on Thursday overrode his veto of a law changing how prison sentences are calculated.
  • Brazil's Congress on Thursday overturned President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's veto of a law dramatically reducing the prison sentence of his arch-rival Jair Bolsonaro, the second major defeat for Lula in as many days.
  • But following a tense session marked by shouting and jeers from both sides, lawmakers on Thursday overrode his veto of a law changing how prison sentences are calculated.
Brazil's Congress on Thursday overturned President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's veto of a law dramatically reducing the prison sentence of his arch-rival Jair Bolsonaro, the second major defeat for Lula in as many days.
Former president Bolsonaro, 71, was sentenced last year to 27 years behind bars for coup plotting over his attempt to cling to power after losing the 2022 elections to Lula.
The left-wing Lula had attempted to block a subsequent push by the conservative-majority Congress to reduce Bolsonaro's term to a little over two years.
But following a tense session marked by shouting and jeers from both sides, lawmakers on Thursday overrode his veto of a law changing how prison sentences are calculated.
The opposition carried the vote by a large majority of 318 to 144 in the Chamber of Deputies and 49 to 24 in the Senate.
Several lawmakers were seen celebrating in Congress, loudly chanting the word "freedom" -- and the name of presidential hopeful Flavio Bolsonaro, the imprisoned ex-leader's eldest son.
"I thank the deputies and senators for this very special birthday present," Flavio Bolsonaro, a Brazilian senator, posted on X regarding the veto override that coincided with his 45th birthday.
The vote represents another major setback for Lula, who is campaigning for a fourth term, after the Senate on Wednesday rejected his pick for a Supreme Court justice, Jorge Messias.
It was the first time in decades that the president's candidate for a seat on the top court was rejected, underscoring the deep divisions in Brazil five months before presidential elections.
And it clearly marked momentum for the younger Bolsonaro, who as his father's political heir is tied with 80-year-old Lula in the polls.

'Political mistake'

Jair Bolsonaro, a former army captain, served one term as president from 2019 to 2022.
His coup trial was seen as a test of Brazilian democracy.
The law on his early release benefits not just the right-wing firebrand.
It also favors Bolsonaro's co-accused in the coup trial as well as dozens of people imprisoned over pro-Bolsonaro riots that rocked Brasilia in 2023.
On January 8 that year, Bolsonaro supporters vandalized government buildings in scenes reminiscent of the January 2021 US Capitol riots by supporters of President Donald Trump.
"We've seen so much injustice, so many things, and it seems we can finally feel a little relief," Diene Vilar, a friend of a woman serving a 15-year sentence for participating in the riots, told AFP. 
"This kind of punishment cannot build peace in the country," right-wing Senator Esperidao Amin told reporters after the vote.
"Lula's veto was a political mistake," he said, "and the response came today."
Lula allies criticized the right-wing victory.
"What happened here today is dangerous," lawmaker Pedro Uczai, leader of the ruling party in the lower house, told reporters. "The rise of the far right in this current process raises the prospect of new threats to democracy in the future."
Bolsonaro has denied all the charges against him.
He and his supporters, including Trump, have argued he is the victim of a left-wing judicial "witch hunt."
Last month, Bolsonaro was moved to house arrest to recuperate after being hospitalized with bronchopneumonia.
rsr-ffb-lg/cb/mlm/msp

Global Edition

Oil slumps after hitting peak, US indices reach new records

  • Central banks remained a focus on Thursday, a day after the Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged as the United States faces elevated inflation triggered by the Middle East war.
  • Oil prices struck a four-year high Thursday on worries about a resumption of hostilities in the Middle East, before slumping to end the day.
  • Central banks remained a focus on Thursday, a day after the Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged as the United States faces elevated inflation triggered by the Middle East war.
Oil prices struck a four-year high Thursday on worries about a resumption of hostilities in the Middle East, before slumping to end the day.
But key US indices hit new records while European stock markets rose on positive earnings reports from some tech firms.
On Wall Street, the S&P 500 jumped 1.0 percent and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index added 0.9 percent, both reaching all-time highs.
This came on the back of optimism surrounding corporate earnings and still-resilient US economic growth.
"A lot of that comes down to corporate profits," said Angelo Kourkafas of Edward Jones.
He added that US GDP data "continues to defy fears of a near-term slowdown," helping to propel stocks to new highs.
The US Commerce Department estimated earlier Thursday that the world's biggest economy grew by an annual rate of 2.0 percent in the first three months of 2026.
A key factor was a surge in artificial intelligence investments, although consumer spending cooled.

Tech turbulence

International benchmark Brent crude soared to $126 a barrel, but closed 3.4 percent down eventually at $114.01.
Still, this is significantly higher than its price before US-Israel strikes targeting Iran since February 28.
Markets were jolted after President Donald Trump warned the US blockade of Iranian ports could last months, and by a report that he would be briefed on potential fresh military strikes.
"Fears about escalation in the conflict between the US and Iran fueled the initial move higher before the market calmed down," said XTB research director Kathleen Brooks.
The expiry of monthly contracts also added to volatility. 
The main European stock markets closed higher, taking their cue from largely positive earnings reports from US tech companies.
Shares in Google parent company Alphabet closed 10 percent up as investors lauded the company's success in making the pivot to artificial intelligence and solid revenue across its major divisions.
But shares in Meta slumped 8.6 percent amid concerns about its huge AI spending.
Apple reported after the closing bell, with earnings that beat forecasts on a boost from iPhone demand. The company's shares were up 4.7 percent in after-hours trading.
Central banks remained a focus on Thursday, a day after the Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged as the United States faces elevated inflation triggered by the Middle East war.
The European Central Bank and Bank of England also both held rates steady.
But the ECB warned that risks to eurozone growth and the inflation outlook have "intensified" because of the war and its impact on global energy supplies.
The Bank of England cut its forecast for UK growth.
Data released Thursday showed that growth in the eurozone economy slid to 0.1 percent in the first quarter.
The yen shot more than two percent higher against the dollar after Japan's finance minister hinted strongly that Tokyo was close to intervening in the market to support the currency.

Key figures at 2130 GMT

Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 3.4 percent to $114.01 a barrel
West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 1.7 percent at $105.07 a barrel
New York - Dow: UP 1.6 percent at 49,652.14 points (close)
New York - S&P 500: UP 1.0 percent at 7,209.01 (close)
New York - Nasdaq Composite: UP 0.9 percent at 24,892.31 (close)
London - FTSE 100: UP 1.6 percent at 10,378.82 (close)
Paris - CAC 40: UP 0.5 percent at 8,114.84 (close)
Frankfurt - DAX: UP 1.4 percent at 24,140.59 (close)
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 1.1 percent at 59,292.38 (close)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 1.3 percent at 25,776.53 (close)
Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.1 percent at 4,112.16 (close)
Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1731 from $1.1695 on Wednesday
Pound/dollar: UP at $1.3602 from $1.3489
Dollar/yen: DOWN at 156.60 yen from 160.23 yen
Euro/pound: DOWN at 86.25 pence from 86.71 pence
bur-bys/ksb

politics

First direct US-Venezuela flight in years arrives in Caracas

BY BRIAN CONTRERAS WITH JESUS OLARTE IN MIAMI

  • "Today marks a new historic chapter in relations" between Washington and Caracas, he said in Spanish, adding that Venezuela was now "open for business."
  • The first direct flight between the United States and Venezuela in seven years landed Thursday in Caracas, a new sign of thawing relations after Washington deposed leftist leader Nicolas Maduro.
  • "Today marks a new historic chapter in relations" between Washington and Caracas, he said in Spanish, adding that Venezuela was now "open for business."
The first direct flight between the United States and Venezuela in seven years landed Thursday in Caracas, a new sign of thawing relations after Washington deposed leftist leader Nicolas Maduro.
The flight operated by Envoy Air, a subsidiary of American Airlines, took off at 10:26 am (1426 GMT) from Miami en route to Caracas, where the United States has resumed diplomatic ties after years of tension.
Flight 3599 touched down less than three hours later.
Its manifest included senior officials from Washington flying to Caracas to meet the government, a prospect unthinkable just months ago.
Some took selfies as they disembarked.
The flight symbolizes the end of Venezuela's years-long isolation by the United States.
It also marks the reintegration of the Caribbean country into global airspace after a mass stayaway by airlines late last year, at the height of a US pressure campaign on Maduro.
To celebrate, two Venezuelan fire service trucks hosed the plane on the tarmac after its arrival.
Isabel Parra, a travel agent originally from Venezuela, said she had not returned to the country since 2018 and was "super excited."
"For years we had to go through Curacao, the Dominican Republic or Bogota, so having this direct flight is a real pleasure," Parra said.
She said the inaugural flight cost $3,000 but that ticket prices were expected to drop quickly, particularly once American Airlines starts a second round-trip daily flight on May 21.
Oscar Fuentes, a 64-year-old Houston-based lawyer, was among the passengers queuing to board the return flight to Miami.
"It's going to make life so much easier. Tonight, I'll be able to sleep in my own bed!" said Fuentes, who previously had to transit through the Dominican Republic.

Close links

The flight featured a special Venezuelan menu of corn pancakes known as cachapas and a Venezuelan-style chicken salad, according to the airline.
Representatives of the city of Miami, a hub for Latin Americans that sees itself as a gateway to the region, greeted passengers at the gate, as did Venezuela's ambassador to Washington, Felix Plasencia.
The US charge d'affaires in Venezuela, John Barrett, was waiting at the other end.
"Today marks a new historic chapter in relations" between Washington and Caracas, he said in Spanish, adding that Venezuela was now "open for business."
Some 1.2 million Venezuelans live in the United States, and the thaw is expected to boost the US business presence in the South American nation, which has the world's largest proven oil reserves.
But President Donald Trump has also been moving aggressively to remove Venezuelans from the United States, terminating a program that shielded migrants from deportation back to the crime-ridden nation.
US forces on January 3 carried out a deadly raid in Caracas, snatching longtime US nemesis Maduro and flying him and his wife to New York to face charges of drug trafficking, which they deny.
Maduro was replaced by his vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, who has largely cooperated with Washington despite her ideological background.
Trump has voiced satisfaction with her policies toward US companies and has tried to enforce compliance by threatening violence. Venezuela has moved to open its oil and mining sectors to private investment.
Trump in turn has started an easing of sanctions on Venezuela, with measures imposed personally on Rodriguez dropped.
American Airlines, which is based in Texas and has a large network in Latin America, started flights to Venezuela in 1987 and carried the highest number of passengers between the two countries.
It ended flights in 2019 as relations deteriorated, with the United States and other Western and Latin American nations declaring Maduro to be illegitimate after an election marred by irregularities.
The State Department continues to call on Americans to reconsider travel to Venezuela due to widespread crime but in March ended its blanket warning against any travel.
The new flight comes despite trouble in the aviation industry, which has been hit hard by a sharp rise in oil prices after the United States and Israel attacked Iran.
bur-sct/sms/des/mlm

diplomacy

Venezuela opens arms to world with Miami-Caracas flight

BY AHIANA FIGUEROA

  • From Thursday, American Airlines subsidiary Envoy Air is operating a daily flight to Caracas from Miami, where around 250,000 Venezuelans reside.
  • A relaunched Miami-Caracas flight after seven years of a standstill is paving the way for Venezuela to reclaim its status as a bustling aviation hub.
  • From Thursday, American Airlines subsidiary Envoy Air is operating a daily flight to Caracas from Miami, where around 250,000 Venezuelans reside.
A relaunched Miami-Caracas flight after seven years of a standstill is paving the way for Venezuela to reclaim its status as a bustling aviation hub.
The United States is home to 1.2 million Venezuelans out of a 7.9-million-strong diaspora, according to United Nations data.
But direct US flights to its South American neighbor abruptly halted in May 2019, when President Donald Trump refused to recognize Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro's disputed election win and Caracas severed diplomatic ties.
Things have changed drastically, however, since US troops captured Maduro in a deadly raid on January 3.
Under Trump's watchful eye, interim leader Delcy Rodriguez has embarked on reforms, including opening Venezuela's oil and mining sectors to private companies.
Sweeping policy overhauls are transforming the historically important aviation sector too.
From Thursday, American Airlines subsidiary Envoy Air is operating a daily flight to Caracas from Miami, where around 250,000 Venezuelans reside.
Venezuela's Laser Airlines will operate the same route from May 1.

Closed airspace

The reopening follows Trump's declaration in November that Venezuelan airspace should be considered shuttered during a US military deployment which eventually culminated in Maduro's capture.
The statement, coupled with a US Federal Aviation Administration warning in December, led to mass flight cancellations and reduced connectivity by over two-thirds.
The upheaval fed into Venezuela's preexisting isolation, with most major international airlines having already halted connections to the country given the government's enormous unpaid debt.
In November, it was operating only 105 weekly international flights through 12 airlines -- a small number for such a strategically located country.
With 151 weekly international flights currently in operation, Venezuelan Airline Association (ALAV) president Marisela de Loaiza views increasing air traffic as crucial for normalization.
"The route between Venezuela and the United States is a natural connection, given the long-standing relations between both countries and Venezuelans' preference for traveling there," Loaiza said.
Copa Airlines operates the most flights, including 19 per week to Panama, and in March, Brazil's GOL launched four weekly flights from Sao Paulo.
When security conditions improved, "we had no choice but to come back -- very gladly," said GOL advisor Alberto Fajerman.
Long-haul flights to Europe are mostly handled by Turkish Airlines and Spanish carrier Iberia.
Venezuelan airlines Estelar, Laser and Plus Ultra also offer flights to the Spanish capital.

Nostalgia, home visits

ALAV's Loaiza is confident that reinstating connectivity  will encourage other US companies to relaunch strategic routes -- particularly from Houston, which is vital for the oil industry.
Some believe direct flights would incentivize investors to explore opportunities in Venezuela.
Loaiza is also hoping for a revival of "nostalgia tourism" for diaspora members.
"One of the first waves we're expecting is that of Venezuelans who are coming back to visit their families and to make it easier for their children, who don't know the country, to travel here," Loaiza said.
But she warned that reactivating consular services was essential, given the large number of Venezuelans who require a US visa.
afc/pgf/atm/cc/md

US

Trump mulls US troop cuts in Italy, Spain over Iran row

  • Trump said on Wednesday that Washington was "studying and reviewing the possible reduction" of US troops in Germany, saying he would decide in a "short period of time."
  • President Donald Trump said Thursday he may pull US troops from Italy and Spain due to their opposition to the Iran war, a day after proposing a similar reduction in Germany.
  • Trump said on Wednesday that Washington was "studying and reviewing the possible reduction" of US troops in Germany, saying he would decide in a "short period of time."
President Donald Trump said Thursday he may pull US troops from Italy and Spain due to their opposition to the Iran war, a day after proposing a similar reduction in Germany.
"Yeah, probably, I probably will. Why shouldn't I?" Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked if he would consider reducing American troop numbers in Spain and Italy too.
"Italy has not been of any help to us and Spain has been horrible, absolutely horrible."
Trump said on Wednesday that Washington was "studying and reviewing the possible reduction" of US troops in Germany, saying he would decide in a "short period of time."
As of December 31, 2025, there were 12,662 active-duty US troops in Italy and 3,814 in Spain. In Germany there were 36,436.
The US leader has been bitterly critical of NATO allies for failing to help with the US-Israeli operation against Iran or with keeping the Strait of Hormuz open for oil tanker traffic.
Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni lacks "courage" on Iran, Trump told Italian daily Corriere della Sera earlier this month, in a surprising attack on a formerly close right-wing ally.
Last week, a report said that the United States was considering trying to suspend Spain from NATO over its refusal to support military operations against Iran.
Trump has also lambasted Madrid for failing to increase defense spending.
dk/md

conflict

Israel says detained Gaza flotilla activists to be taken to Greece

BY JOHN HADOULIS WITH LOUIS BAUDOIN-LAARMAN IN JERUSALEM

  • The organisers of the latest flotilla announced early on Thursday that their boats had been surrounded by Israeli military ships while off the coast of Crete.
  • Israel said on Thursday that dozens of activists intercepted by its military on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in international waters off Crete would be taken to Greece.
  • The organisers of the latest flotilla announced early on Thursday that their boats had been surrounded by Israeli military ships while off the coast of Crete.
Israel said on Thursday that dozens of activists intercepted by its military on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in international waters off Crete would be taken to Greece.
Israel's foreign ministry earlier said around 175 activists had been taken off more than 20 boats.
The flotilla was the latest attempt by pro-Palestinian activists seeking to break Israel's blockade on Gaza, with organisers putting the number of detained at 211, including a Paris city councillor.
"In coordination with the Greek government, the individuals transferred from the flotilla vessels to the Israeli vessel will be disembarked on a Greek beach in the coming hours," Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar wrote on X, thanking Greece "for its willingness to receive the flotilla participants".
Helene Coron, a spokeswoman for the Global Sumud France, had earlier told an online news conference that the interception operation took place near the Greek island of Crete, at an "unprecedented" distance from the Gaza coast.
Yasmine Scola, an activist on board the flotilla, said her colleagues had been "kidnapped" by Israel.
Paris announced that 15 French nationals had been detained and Rome called for the immediate release of "all the unlawfully detained Italians" -- numbering 24 according to the Italian news agency Ansa.
Coron said those intercepted included Paris Communist local councillor Raphaelle Primet.
Rome and Berlin said in a joint statement that they were following developments "with deep concern", while Madrid blasted the seizure and said it had summoned Israel's charge d'affaires in Spain.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez accused Israel of "once again violating international law by attacking a civilian flotilla in waters that do not belong to it", urging the EU to freeze bilateral ties.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, called the interception a "total success", and described participants as "Hamas supporters".

Boats still en route

In the summer and autumn of 2025, a first voyage by the Global Sumud Flotilla across the Mediterranean towards Gaza drew worldwide attention.
The boats in that flotilla were intercepted by Israel off the coasts of Egypt and the Gaza Strip in early October.
Crew members, including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, were arrested and then expelled by Israel.
The organisers of the latest flotilla announced early on Thursday that their boats had been surrounded by Israeli military ships while off the coast of Crete.
"Our boats were approached by military speedboats, self-identified as 'Israel', pointing lasers and semi-automatic assault weapons ordering participants to the front of the boats and to get on their hands and knees," said the Global Sumud Flotilla.
AFP verified, based on tracking data from the organisers, that the boats were intercepted in the Greek exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
Around 30 boats from the flotilla are still en route, most now in Greek territorial waters south of Crete, according to the same source.
Coron said the operation had taken place more than 1,000 kilometres from the Gaza Strip. The next furthest such operation to date had been 185 kilometres away in June 2025, she said.
Israel's foreign ministry said "condoms and drugs" were found on the boats and published a video of activists "enjoying themselves" doing cartwheels aboard an Israeli vessel.
Activist Scola said her ship had been carrying school supplies and food.
The flotilla comprising more than 50 vessels set sail in recent weeks from Marseille in France, Barcelona in Spain and Syracuse in Italy.

'Brazen interception'

"Due to the large numbers of vessels participating in the flotilla and the risk of escalation, and the need to prevent the breach of a lawful blockade, an early action was required in accordance with international law," Israel's foreign ministry spokesman Oren Marmorstein said.
But Amnesty International condemned the "brazen interception".
"The Israeli navy crossing hundreds of miles at sea just to ensure civilian boats carrying food, baby formula, and medical supplies don't make it to Palestinians reveals the lengths Israel is prepared to go to in order to maintain its cruel and unlawful 19-year-long blockade of the occupied Gaza Strip," Amnesty's Erika Guevara Rosas, said in a statement.
Israel controls all entry points to Gaza. It has been accused by the United Nations and foreign NGOs of strangling the flow of goods into the territory, causing shortages since the start of the war in October 2023.
The Gaza Strip, governed by Hamas, has been under an Israeli blockade since 2007.
The war triggered by the Palestinian movement's attack on Israel has led to severe shortages of food, water, medicine and fuel.
A fragile ceasefire was reached last October after two years of devastating conflict.
burs-jph-lba-acc/smw

Rwanda

US sanctions DR Congo ex-leader Kabila over rebel ties

BY SHAUN TANDON

  • - Disappointment in Washington - Trump had voiced hope for a peace deal that would give the United States privileged access to the rich minerals in the eastern DRC.  But M23 troops kept advancing even after the accord, leading the United States to condemn Rwanda and slap sanctions in March on the Rwandan military.
  • The United States on Thursday slapped sanctions on the Democratic Republic of Congo's long-serving former president Joseph Kabila, backing allegations he has assisted Rwandan-linked rebels who have seized vast parts of his country. 
  • - Disappointment in Washington - Trump had voiced hope for a peace deal that would give the United States privileged access to the rich minerals in the eastern DRC.  But M23 troops kept advancing even after the accord, leading the United States to condemn Rwanda and slap sanctions in March on the Rwandan military.
The United States on Thursday slapped sanctions on the Democratic Republic of Congo's long-serving former president Joseph Kabila, backing allegations he has assisted Rwandan-linked rebels who have seized vast parts of his country. 
It is the latest action by the United States to punish Rwanda or its supporters for violations in a peace deal, which President Donald Trump had announced with fanfare as he met the two countries' leaders in December.
"President Trump is paving the way for peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and he has been clear that those who continue to sow instability will be held accountable," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement reported first by AFP.
"Treasury will continue to use its full range of tools to support the integrity of the Washington Accords."
State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said that Kabila has offered "financial and political support" to groups that are "the principal drivers of violence and instability in the region."
Kabila succeeded his assassinated father as president of the vast and long-troubled nation in 2001, staying in power until 2019 after extending his term beyond the constitutional limit.
After going into self-imposed exile, he re-emerged last year in Goma, the key eastern city that had come under the control of Rwandan-based M23 fighters as they mounted a lightning offensive.
A military court last year sentenced Kabila to death in absentia for treason and other charges over his role with the rebel group, a move that effectively blocks him from returning to Kinshasa to seek any political comeback.
But Kabila still has major business interests inside the country, despite efforts by the government to seize them, meaning his allies could risk the wrath of US sanctions if they continue to work with him.
The Treasury Department said it was believed that Kabila was living in Goma.
It said that he returned "with the intent to destabilize" the country and that he provided financial support to the M23's political arm. 
It also charged that he had tried to encourage DRC armed forces to defect and encouraged attacks against them.

Disappointment in Washington

Trump had voiced hope for a peace deal that would give the United States privileged access to the rich minerals in the eastern DRC. 
But M23 troops kept advancing even after the accord, leading the United States to condemn Rwanda and slap sanctions in March on the Rwandan military.
Rwanda has denied direct support to the M23 and has demanded that the Kinshasa government crack down on Hutu militants in the country linked to the 1994 genocide in Rwanda against Tutsis and moderate Hutus.
Rwanda -- in an earlier effort to crush Hutu extremists after the genocide -- had helped bring to power Kabila's father, Laurent Kabila, who in 1997 toppled Mobutu Sese Seko, the dictator who had ruled for decades over the country then known as Zaire.
Joseph Kabila has blamed his successor, President Felix Tshisekedi, for problems in the country and said it was wrong to blame the unrest only on the M23.
"Any attempt to find a solution to this crisis that ignores its root causes — at the top of which lies the governance of the DRC by its current leadership — will not bring lasting peace," he wrote in South Africa's Sunday Times newspaper last year.
Kabila had enjoyed warm relations early in his tenure with the United States but the relationship deteriorated over his human rights record, attempts to stay in power and opening of mines to China. 
The US sanctions block any assets Kabila has in the United States and would make financial transactions with him a crime in the United States.
sct/msp

conflict

Jury of Italy's Venice Biennale resigns over Russia row

BY ELLA IDE

  • The organisers of the event -- the world's top international art exhibition -- said in March that they would allow Russia to take part but the decision has been strongly criticised by Ukraine and the EU. Critics argue Russia's participation will provide a prominent platform for soft power flexing.
  • The international jury of the upcoming Venice Biennale Art Exhibition resigned Thursday in a row over the organisation's decision to allow Russia to participate in this year's event.
  • The organisers of the event -- the world's top international art exhibition -- said in March that they would allow Russia to take part but the decision has been strongly criticised by Ukraine and the EU. Critics argue Russia's participation will provide a prominent platform for soft power flexing.
The international jury of the upcoming Venice Biennale Art Exhibition resigned Thursday in a row over the organisation's decision to allow Russia to participate in this year's event.
The resignations came a week after the jury said it would exclude countries from awards if the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for war crimes against their leaders -- meaning Russia and Israel.
The exhibition is due to open on May 9. 
The organisers of the event -- the world's top international art exhibition -- said in March that they would allow Russia to take part but the decision has been strongly criticised by Ukraine and the EU.
Critics argue Russia's participation will provide a prominent platform for soft power flexing.
Brussels warned it could cut funding, while the Italian government -- which has supported Ukraine in the war -- stressed the Biennale was acting "entirely independently" of Rome's wishes.
Following the resignations, the Biennale said it has "decided that the award ceremony of the 61st International Art Exhibition, previously scheduled for May 9, will take place on Sunday November 22".
It also said it would hand out two awards, one which could be won by any one of the "National Participations included in the 61st Exhibition, as per the official list, following the principle of inclusion and equal treatment".
Visitors to the Biennale would be able to vote for the awards, it said.

'Artistic freedom'

The decision was "consistent with the founding spirit of La Biennale, based on openness, dialogue, and the rejection of any form of closure or censorship," it said in a statement.
"La Biennale seeks to be, and must remain, a place of truce in the name of art, culture, and artistic freedom," it said.
Belu-Simion Fainaru, a sculptor representing Israel this year, told Italy's ANSA news agency after the jury resigned that "artists must be treated in a fair and non-discriminatory fashion, and judged on their work not their passport". 
The resignations came a day after the culture ministry dispatched inspectors to the Biennale over the case, according to Italian media reports.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni repeated Thursday that her government "does not agree with the decision" made by Biennale President Pietrangelo Buttafuoco.
"I would not have made that choice myself", she told a press conference, but "the Biennale is an independent body".
The Venice Biennale is an international cultural organisation started in 1895 that presents major cultural festivals and runs its flagship art exhibition and architecture exhibition on alternating years.
Participating countries set up pavilions in Venice, and the art biennial typically attracts more than 600,000 visitors over its seven-month run.
In the days after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the Biennale banned anyone linked to the Russian government from attending that year's edition.
Russia was also absent at the next event in 2024, but is on the list of national participants for the 2026 exhibition.
Artists from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus -- a close ally of Moscow that allowed its territory to be used in the invasion -- will be in Venice, as will others from Iran, Israel and the United States.
ide/phz

prisoners

Myanmar moves Aung San Suu Kyi to house arrest

  • "If she has actually been moved to house arrest, then I hope that she will be allowed communication with me and her lawyers, amongst others," he added.
  • Myanmar's junta chief-turned-president on Thursday ordered deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi to be moved to house arrest, five years after sweeping her into detention in a 2021 coup.
  • "If she has actually been moved to house arrest, then I hope that she will be allowed communication with me and her lawyers, amongst others," he added.
Myanmar's junta chief-turned-president on Thursday ordered deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi to be moved to house arrest, five years after sweeping her into detention in a 2021 coup.
A statement from the office of Min Aung Hlaing said he had "commuted the remaining sentence" of the 80-year-old Suu Kyi "to be served at the designated residence".
The office also shared a photograph seeming to show Suu Kyi sitting flanked by two men -- one in a khaki shirt and another in a police uniform.
It was not immediately clear where she will be moved, but a senior source from her dissolved National League for Democracy (NLD) party told AFP she would likely be kept sequestered at an address in the capital Naypyidaw.
"We do not know where it is exactly," the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons.
A Naypyidaw police source said security forces had been ordered to "enforce restrictions" in areas of the capital on Thursday night.
"The 'designated residence' mentioned in the order will remain under their direct custody and control," they said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The official statement also did not make clear how many years remain in Suu Kyi's sentence.
In New York, United Nations spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters the move was "a meaningful step towards conditions conducive to a credible political process".
Suu Kyi's lawyers Francois Zimeray and Catalina de la Sota told AFP in a statement they "welcome the evolution of her situation while stressing that she remains wrongly deprived of liberty".

'Same usual games'

As military chief, Min Aung Hlaing toppled Suu Kyi's elected government five years ago, detaining her on a host of charges which rights groups say were confected to sideline her.
The move triggered a sprawling civil war that has killed thousands and displaced millions in the Southeast Asian country of roughly 50 million.
Min Aung Hlaing this month traded his military title for the office of civilian president, being sworn in after a tightly-controlled election that excluded the NLD.
Election criticism or protest was punished by up to a decade in prison, and the vote did not take place in areas seized by rebels in the war.
Democracy monitors described the electoral process as a rebranding of the rule of the military, which has dominated Myanmar for most of its post-independence history.
The move has been accompanied by some rollbacks of post-coup curbs and prisoner amnesties, which analysts have likewise dismissed as lip-service measures to launder the leadership's reputation.
"They're playing their same usual games as far as I'm concerned," Suu Kyi's son Kim Aris told AFP by phone.
"They're trying to legitimise themselves in the eyes of the international media and governments around the world."
"If she has actually been moved to house arrest, then I hope that she will be allowed communication with me and her lawyers, amongst others," he added.
"Nobody has reached out to me."
Suu Kyi remains massively popular inside Myanmar, but has been held almost completely incommunicado as her family warned of her ailing health.
In one of his first acts as civilian president, Min Aung Hlaing this month also pardoned Suu Kyi's top aide Win Myint, who served as her ceremonial president.
hh-jts/sst

religion

UK PM urges country to unite against antisemitism after latest attack

BY HELEN ROWE

  • Meanwhile, Starmer said ministers were assessing how to further restrict contentious pro-Palestinian protests, which critics claim are a hotbed of antisemitism, after last year boosting police powers to regulate them.
  • UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowed Thursday to boost security for the Jewish community following the latest attack against it, while urging Britons to unite against antisemitism. 
  • Meanwhile, Starmer said ministers were assessing how to further restrict contentious pro-Palestinian protests, which critics claim are a hotbed of antisemitism, after last year boosting police powers to regulate them.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowed Thursday to boost security for the Jewish community following the latest attack against it, while urging Britons to unite against antisemitism. 
Facing accusations from angry British Jews that his government has repeatedly failed to protect them, Starmer pledged immediate increased funding for synagogues and other sites but insisted UK society must "come together" to "fight antisemitism".
The British leader also accused Iran of wanting "to harm British Jews" in the wake of Wednesday's latest attack targeting the community in which two Jewish men were stabbed in north London.
His comments follow repeated warnings from officials that hostile states are intent on using proxies to conduct attacks in the UK, after a string of arson attacks targeting Jewish sites in the capital.
Later Thursday, the interior ministry announced the country's terrorism threat level had been raised to "severe", the second highest in the five-tier system and meaning another attack "is highly likely in the next six months".
It had been at substantial -- meaning an attack was merely "likely" -- since February 2022.
Hours before the announcement, Starmer made a televised Downing Street address and warned curbing antisemitism was "about society every bit as much as it is about security". 
"This government will do everything in our power to stamp this hatred out," he added, after visiting the scene of the knifings, where he faced boos and heckling from locals.
"We will strengthen our security and protect our Jewish community. But I also call on everyone decent in this country to open their eyes to Jewish pain, Jewish suffering and Jewish fear."

Security fears

The two men were attacked in broad daylight in Golders Green, a north London area with a large Jewish population.
The victims, aged 76 and 34, were in a stable condition in hospital. 
A 45-year-old man, a British national who was born in Somalia and came to the UK as a child, arrested at the scene remains in custody. UK media has named the suspect as Essa Suleiman.
It comes nearly seven months after a deadly attack at a synagogue in Manchester, and the recent string of arson incidents.
Monitoring groups have reported a surge in antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents in Britain, particularly since the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza began.
Interior minister Shabana Mahmood announced Thursday an extra £25 million ($33 million) for more protective security for Jewish synagogues, schools, places of worship and community centres.
But Rabbi Ben Kurzer, of the Golders Green Synagogue, urged the government to do more.
"There is definitely not a significant police presence on a regular basis in these areas," he told BBC Radio.
"We have little bits here and there, but most of the security that we're seeing is private."
A little-known group believed to be linked to Iran, and which has claimed responsibility for the previous arson attacks and others in Europe, said one of its "lone wolves" was behind the stabbings, the SITE Intelligence Group reported.
Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya (HAYI) -- meaning The Islamic Movement of the People of the Right Hand -- made the uncorroborated claim in a video posted online, according to SITE.

'Suffer'

Mahmood said the government would fast-track legislation to deal with "a gap in the law when it comes to organisations that may be linked to hostile states" and their proxies.
Meanwhile, Starmer said ministers were assessing how to further restrict contentious pro-Palestinian protests, which critics claim are a hotbed of antisemitism, after last year boosting police powers to regulate them.
He added if those attending the marches were standing "alongside people who say 'globalise the intifada', you are calling for terrorism against Jews".
Golders Green local Max Radford, 53, said Wednesday's attack was "exactly what the intifada looks like". 
"They've been chanting it on the streets of London, Manchester, Birmingham," he told AFP. "And now intifada is on our street, that's what we have to suffer."
Organisers insist they are demonstrating against Israel's treatment of the Palestinians and deny they are hostile to the Jewish community.
Jonathan Hall, the government's independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, said Wednesday it was impossible for such marches not to "incubate" antisemitism.
He described recent attacks on Jews as a "massive national security emergency" and called for a "moratorium" on the protests.
Nigel Farage, leader of the far-right Reform UK party, visited the Golders Green attack scene Thursday and accused the authorities of being too "soft" on "discriminatory" chants.
har-jj/phz