Australia: Former soldier Ben Roberts-Smith granted bail over alleged war crime of murder offences<\/a><\/span> Cambodia: Thailand says ready for talks with Cambodia, rejects \u2018pressure tactics\u2019<\/a><\/span> China: Hong Kong-flagged oil tanker passes through Strait of Hormuz amid US blockade<\/a><\/span> China: Smoother waters? China and Vietnam vow to \u2018better\u2019 navigate South China Sea disputes<\/a><\/span> China: A week of bustling diplomacy in Beijing as world leaders look to China for stability<\/a><\/span> Indonesia: Australia, India eye Indonesian urea as global supply tightens<\/a><\/span> Japan: Japan pledges $10bn to help Asian countries deal with oil crisis<\/a><\/span> Malaysia: Putrajaya rejects report of Sebatik land loss, says Malaysia gained 662ha in broader border deal<\/a><\/span> Myanmar: Former President Win Myint freed in broad Myanmar prisoner amnesty<\/em><\/a><\/span> New Zealand: Christopher Luxon meets with other world leaders to discuss Strait of Hormuz situation<\/a><\/span> North Korea: North Korean missiles used in Ukraine strikes aren\u2019t just Russian copies: Kyiv<\/a><\/span> Philippines: Marcos says key suspect in Philippine corruption firestorm arrested<\/a><\/span> South Korea: First S. Korean tanker navigates alternative Red Sea route amid Hormuz blockade<\/a><\/span> Taiwan: Interoperability crucial for Taiwan evacuation: Ex-Philippine Army official<\/a><\/span> Thailand: Eastern border crossings to stay shut for now: PM<\/a><\/span> Vietnam: To Lam leaves China: Highlights of his first trip<\/a><\/span> Austria: Rat poison found in HiPP baby food jar in Austria, police say<\/a><\/span> Bulgaria: Bulgaria’s former President Rumen Radev win parliamentary election by landslide<\/a><\/span> Czech Republic\/Russia: Czechs Demand Explanation After Russia’s Medvedev Threatens Europe’s Drone Factories<\/a><\/span> European Union: EU to game out bloc\u2019s mutual assistance clause in case of attack<\/a><\/span> European Union: European civil servants are being forced off WhatsApp<\/a><\/span> France: Thousands of Parisians evacuated as WW2 bomb detonated<\/a><\/span> Slovenia: Slovenia\u2019s outgoing PM Robert Golob fails to form government coalition as Jan\u0161a opts to wait<\/a><\/span> Ukraine: Eight people remain in hospital after Kyiv shooting, mayor says<\/a><\/span> United Kingdom\/France: UK and France to lead defensive mission in Strait of Hormuz<\/a><\/span> Iran: Iran fully closes Strait of Hormuz over US blockade and fires on ships<\/a><\/span> Iran: U.S. intelligence detects signs China is weighing giving Iran advance radar systems<\/a><\/span> Lebanon\/Israel: 10-day ceasefire in Lebanon begins as Israel agrees to U.S.-backed deal<\/a><\/span> Lebanon: Macron: French soldier was killed in Lebanon<\/a><\/span> Syria: Syria takes control of all bases where US forces were deployed<\/a><\/span> Africa: WHO warns that aid cuts and Middle East war threaten vaccination progress<\/a><\/span> Burundi: Information Minister found dead on the outskirts of Bujumbura<\/a><\/span> Cameroon: Pope Leo XIV denounces foreign exploitation of African resources<\/a><\/span> DR Congo: Peace talks open in Switzerland as fighting shifts to remote highlands<\/a><\/span> Ghana: Immigration Service rescues 305 West African nationals in trafficking bust<\/a><\/span> Kenya: High Court allows class action lawsuit against BP over toxic waste<\/a><\/span> Liberia\/Ethiopia: Nations sign major agreements on AI and technology<\/a><\/span> Liberia: Senators propose major reforms and national gold refinery to curb smuggling<\/a><\/span> Malawi: Pharmaceutical supplier sold stolen and expired insulin to state hospitals<\/a><\/span> Nigeria: Government probes deadly military airstrike on Jilli village market<\/a><\/span> Nigeria: Gunmen attack passenger bus and abduct students in Benue State<\/a><\/span> Rwanda: Defence minister warns against rising genocide ideology during Kwibuka 32<\/a><\/span> South Africa: Vigilante anti-immigrant “clean-up” campaigns spark violence in Durban<\/a><\/span> Zambia: U.S. Senators protest reported conditioning of HIV\/AIDS aid on mining reforms<\/a><\/span> Zimbabwe: Investigation finds migrants using false abuse claims for residency<\/a><\/span> Afghanistan: Kabul says it has sent more than 500 tonnes of aid to Gaza<\/a><\/span> Afghanistan: Afghanistan\u2019s capital is in the grip of a water crisis<\/a><\/span> Bangladesh: Govt has plans to explore alternative labour markets, PM tells parliament<\/a><\/span> Bhutan: Bhutan prepares to chair WHO Executive Board<\/a><\/span> India: Muslims the target? Fury as millions lose voting rights in India\u2019s Bengal<\/a><\/span> India: ‘Women’s reservation bill not to favour any single party, no state will face injustice’: PM Modi in Lok Sabha<\/a><\/span> Kazakhstan: Russia won’t build three CHP plants in Kazakhstan. Who will come now?<\/a><\/span> Kazakhstan: B2 or A1 level? Foreigners’ Kazakh language test for citizenship sparks debate<\/a><\/span> Kyrgyzstan: State Committee for National Security: In Talas, several Yakyn-Inkar supporters have abandoned radical ideology<\/a><\/span> Kyrgyzstan: Exports are falling. What’s happening with Kyrgyzstan’s foreign trade?<\/a><\/span> Maldives: President establishes Office of the Territories to define Maldives\u2019 boundaries and resolve disputes<\/a><\/span> Maldives: Citizens Complaints Bureau formed; operations to begin mid-year with 24-hour call center<\/a><\/span> Nepal: NOC holds petrol price, raises diesel and aviation fuel amid mounting losses<\/a><\/span> Pakistan: Hopes grow for a breakthrough in US-Iran talks as Pakistan mediates<\/a><\/span> Tajikistan: Dozens of trucks carrying Tajiks stranded on the Caspian Sea coast<\/a><\/span> Tajikistan: Economic consequences of the Iran war for Central Asia<\/a><\/span>
\nABC News (Australia)\u00a0<\/em>
\nWar veteran Ben Roberts-Smith was granted bail after spending more than a week in custody over allegations of war crimes. The 47-year-old was arrested at Sydney Domestic Airport last week and charged with five counts of the war crime of murder, alleged to have occurred in Afghanistan in 2009 and 2012. A Sydney court heard it would\u00a0likely take\u00a0years for his charges of war crime of murder offences to be resolved.<\/p>\n
\nKhmer Times (Cambodia)\u00a0<\/em>
\nThailand has reiterated its willingness to engage in negotiations with Cambodia over ongoing border issues, while cautioning against what it described as attempts to pressure Bangkok into premature talks.<\/p>\n
\nSouth China Morning Post (Hong Kong)\u00a0<\/em>
\nAn oil tanker sailing under the flag of Hong Kong has passed through the Strait of Hormuz and entered the Gulf of Oman, as a US blockade\u202fcontinues to target vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports, according to a maritime data firm.<\/p>\n
\nSouth China Morning Post (Hong Kong)\u00a0<\/em>
\nBeijing and Hanoi have bolstered their commitment to demarcation talks over a contested stretch of water in the\u202fSouth China Sea, pledging to \u201cbetter\u201d navigate bilateral frictions in the area, according to a joint communique.<\/p>\n
\nThe Straits Times (Singapore)\u00a0<\/em>
\nA stream of foreign leaders visited Beijing this week amid a\u202fUS naval blockade in the Middle East that has disrupted energy supply flows, reflecting how countries are engaging China to deepen ties and to navigate an increasingly volatile global landscape. The packed diplomatic calendar\u202fsaw leaders from Spain, Russia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE)\u00a0and Vietnam visiting China, which has long positioned itself as a steady and reliable partner in contrast to the unpredictability of the Trump administration.<\/p>\n
\nThe Jakarta Post (Indonesia)\u00a0<\/em>
\nDeputy Agriculture Minister\u00a0Sudaryono\u00a0said governments of four countries had approached Jakarta for\u00a0possible urea\u00a0imports, as the disruption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has sent shock waves through global fertilizer markets and pushed prices sharply higher.<\/p>\n
\nBBC News (United Kingdom)\u00a0<\/em>
\nJapan has pledged to provide $10bn (\u00a37.4bn) to help its Asian\u00a0neighbors, especially those in\u00a0Southeast\u00a0Asia, secure energy including crude oil as the region reels from disruptions caused by the Iran war.<\/p>\n
\nMalay Mail (Malaysia)<\/em>
\nThe Malaysian government has challenged a news report claiming that 127.3 hectares of territory on Pulau\u00a0Sebatik\u00a0now belongs to Indonesia, labelling the assertion as inaccurate and inconsistent with official records. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES) clarified that the border realignment on the island was part of a larger, comprehensive resolution with Indonesia that resulted in Malaysia achieving a net gain of 662 hectares of territory.<\/p>\n
\nAP News (United States)
\nMyanmar\u2019s\u202fformer President Win Myint was freed Friday as part of a broad prisoner amnesty by newly inaugurated President Min Aung Hlaing to mark the traditional New Year, state-run media reported. In addition to the 4,335 Myanmar prisoners pardoned,\u00a0nearly 180\u00a0foreigners would be released and deported.<\/p>\n
\nRNZ News (New Zealand)<\/em>
\nThe prime minister has taken part in a virtual meeting of world leaders overnight to discuss efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. More than a dozen countries said they were willing to join an international mission to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz when conditions permit, Britain said.<\/p>\n
\nNK News (South Korea)\u00a0<\/em>
\nNorth Korea developed its KN-23 and KN-24 ballistic missiles used by Moscow in attacks on Ukrainian cities combining foreign tech with designs of Russia\u2019s earlier Iskander models, Kyiv\u2019s researchers found.<\/p>\n
\nBBC News (United Kingdom)\u00a0<\/em>
\nA key suspect at the heart of a corruption scandal that sparked widespread anger in the Philippines has been arrested in the Czech Republic, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said. Zaldy Co, a former lawmaker, was detained by authorities in Prague after crossing into the country “without proper documentation”, Marcos said on Thursday.<\/p>\n
\nThe Korea Herald (South Korea)\u00a0<\/em>
\nA South Korea-owned vessel has\u00a0departed\u00a0from the Red Sea, the first Korean ship to use it as an alternative route to transport crude oil amid the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the government said Friday.<\/p>\n
\nFocus Taiwan (Taiwan)\u00a0<\/em>
\nFormer Philippine Army vice commander\u00a0Leodevic\u00a0B.\u00a0Guinid, in a recent interview, called for regional interoperability mechanisms for the evacuation of international noncombatants\u00a0in the event of\u00a0a Chinese attack against Taiwan.<\/p>\n
\nBangkok Post (Thailand)\u00a0<\/em>
\nBorder crossings in Trat and Chanthaburi will remain closed, with no diplomatic talks or timeline set for reopening, says Prime Minister Anutin\u00a0Charnvirakul. Thailand has yet to enter any discussions\u00a0regarding\u00a0Cambodia’s request to reopen border checkpoints in the eastern provinces, saying this was not\u00a0an appropriate time.<\/p>\n
\nBBC News (Vietnam)<\/em>
\n(Translated from Vietnamese) On the afternoon of April 17, General Secretary and President\u00a0To\u00a0Lam and the high-level Vietnamese delegation returned to Hanoi by train after concluding their activities in Nanning, China.\u00a0This is To Lam’s first overseas trip in his capacity as both party and state leader after the “unification” of power,\u00a0similar to\u00a0the leadership model of neighboring China.<\/p>\nEurope & Eurasia<\/h3>\n
\nReuters (United Kingdom)\u00a0<\/em>
\nRat poison was found inside a jar of\u00a0HiPP\u00a0baby food, Austrian \u200cpolice said late on Saturday after the product was\u202frecalled from 1,500 SPAR supermarkets\u202fin the country over safety fears.<\/p>\n
\nEuronews (France)\u00a0<\/em>
\nBulgaria\u2019s ex-president Rumen Radev, an EU critic who has called for renewing ties with Russia, hailed a “victory of hope” after his coalition topped the eighth parliamentary elections in five years on Monday. With almost 99% of the votes counted by Monday afternoon, the Central Electoral Commission put Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria (PB) party in the lead, securing close to 45% of the votes, an absolute majority of at least 132 seats in the 240-seat parliament.<\/p>\n
\nRadio Free Europe\/Radio Liberty (Czech Republic)\u00a0<\/em>
\nThe Czech Republic demanded an explanation after Russia\u2019s Defense Ministry published a list of companies it claimed are helping produce attack drones for Ukraine and bellicose former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev called it \u201ca list of potential targets\u201d for the Russian military.<\/p>\n
\nPolitico (United States)\u00a0<\/em>
\nIn the first operation of its kind, EU chief diplomat Kaja Kallas is to oversee a “tabletop” exercise next month to\u00a0establish\u00a0how the bloc’s mutual\u00a0assistance\u00a0clause,\u202fArticle 42.7, would work in practice, a senior EU official said. The plan is to test the bloc’s political rather than military response.<\/p>\n
\nPolitico (United States)<\/em>
\nGovernments in\u202fFrance,\u202fGermany,\u202fPoland,\u202fthe Netherlands,\u202fLuxembourg, and\u202fBelgium\u202fhave started rolling out in-house messaging services for officials to exchange sensitive information,\u00a0in an effort to\u00a0stop staff from using popular encrypted apps like WhatsApp and Signal and switch to local alternatives they can control.<\/p>\n
\nBBC (United Kingdom)<\/em>
\nThousands of people were evacuated from a northern suburb of Paris while a World War Two bomb was\u00a0rendered\u00a0safe on Sunday.<\/p>\n
\nEuronews (France)\u00a0<\/em>
\nRobert Golob admitted failure to form a coalition in Slovenia on Monday, opening the way for former three-time Premier Jan\u0161a, who said he was in no rush and open to a repeat election.<\/p>\n
\nReuters (United Kingdom)\u00a0<\/em>
\nEight people, including a child, remain hospitalized in Kyiv after being \u200cwounded in a shooting that killed six people, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Sunday. A Russian-born man\u202fopened fire\u202fon passers-by with an automatic rifle on Saturday before barricading himself in a supermarket with hostages, where he was shot dead by police.<\/p>\n
\nBBC (United Kingdom)\u00a0<\/em>
\nThe UK and France will lead a multinational mission to protect commercial shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz, Sir Keir Starmer has said.<\/p>\nNear East<\/h3>\n
\nAssociated Press (United States)\u00a0<\/em>
\nThe standoff over the Strait of Hormuz escalated again Saturday as Iran reversed its reopening of the crucial waterway and fired on ships\u00a0attempting\u00a0to pass, in retaliation after the United States pressed ahead with its blockade of Iranian ports. The strait is closed until the U.S. blockade is lifted, Iran\u2019s Revolutionary Guard navy said Saturday night, warning that \u201cno vessel should make any movement from its anchorage in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, and approaching the Strait of Hormuz will be considered as cooperation with the enemy\u201d and be targeted.<\/p>\n
\nCBS News (United States)\u00a0<\/em>
\nDays after the U.S.-Israel led war with Iran kicked off last month, American intelligence agencies detected signs that the war risked widening beyond the immediate battlefield as Russia and China\u00a0sought\u00a0to support Iran to blunt U.S.-Israeli military operations. Analysts at the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Pentagon’s arm for military intelligence, assessed that China was weighing whether to provide Tehran with advanced radar systems, according to multiple U.S. officials familiar with the matter. The deliberations came amid separate reports that Russia had shared intelligence with Iran on American military positions across the Middle East.<\/p>\n
\nThe Washington Post (United States)\u00a0<\/em>
\nA tentative 10-day ceasefire was greeted with celebratory gunfire after the clocks hit midnight in Lebanon, as the U.S.-brokered deal that promised to halt Israeli strikes in the country went into force. The ceasefire was announced early Thursday by President Donald Trump and confirmed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In a later video, Netanyahu said that Israel had an \u201copportunity to forge a historic peace agreement with Lebanon\u201d but that Israeli forces would remain inside Lebanese territory in a \u201creinforced security buffer zone.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nReuters (United Kingdom)\u00a0<\/em>
\nA French soldier who was part of international \u200cForces stationed in southern Lebanon was killed, President Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday, adding \u2060that evidence suggests Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah\u00a0was responsible for\u00a0the attack. Three other soldiers were wounded and have been evacuated, Macron said \u200cin \u2060a post on X, urging the Lebanese government to act against \u2060the alleged perpetrators.<\/p>\n
\nAl Jazeera (Qatar)<\/em>
\nSyria has taken full control of all military sites where US forces had previously been deployed, completing a handover that Damascus says reflects the successful absorption of Kurdish-led fighters into national structures. The announcement on Thursday comes after the final convoy of US soldiers and equipment departed\u00a0Qasrak\u00a0air base, located in the northeastern governorate of Hasakah, ending a military presence that began in 2014 when US forces entered the fight against ISIL (ISIS) alongside Kurdish fighters who went on to lead what became known as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).<\/p>\nSub-Saharan Africa<\/h3>\n
\nAP News (United States)\u00a0<\/em>
\nThe World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that historic progress in African vaccination programs is being jeopardized by significant cuts in U.S. health funding and supply chain disruptions from the war in the Middle East. Over the past 50 years, vaccines have saved more than 50 million lives in Africa, but the recent withdrawal of the U.S. from the WHO has resulted in the loss of 40% of the agency’s overseas development funding. The ongoing conflict has also increased fuel prices and disrupted the delivery of critical supplies to remote areas. Health experts are now urging African nations to increase domestic health financing to protect the millions of children who\u00a0remain\u00a0at risk.<\/p>\n
\nThe New Times (Rwanda)\u00a0<\/em>
\nThe Burundian Minister for Media and Communication, Gabby Bugaga, was found dead in his vehicle in a palm plantation on the outskirts of the economic capital, Bujumbura. Bugaga, a former journalist who had been appointed to his cabinet position in August 2025, was discovered in his car on the morning of April 16. Although high-ranking government officials from the ministries of justice and interior arrived at the scene shortly after the discovery, no official communication regarding the cause of death was immediately released. The incident has left the circumstances surrounding the minister’s passing shrouded in mystery.<\/p>\n
\nBBC News (United Kingdom)\u00a0<\/em>
\nDuring a Mass attended by an estimated 20,000 people in Bamenda, Pope Leo XIV delivered a blunt critique of foreigners who “exploit and plunder” Africa’s wealth for profit. The Pope linked the extraction of natural resources to a “cycle of destabilization and death,” arguing that profits are often reinvested in weapons that ravage the continent. He also challenged the Cameroonian government to break the “chains of corruption” to ensure that peace and justice can prevail in the country’s divided Anglophone regions. His visit to the Northwest region, a center of separatist insurgency, took place during a temporary “safe travel passage” granted by rebel groups.<\/p>\n
\nRFI (France)\u00a0<\/em>
\nPeace negotiations between the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo and M23 rebel delegates have\u00a0commenced\u00a0in Geneva and Montreux under the moderation of U.S. and Qatari envoys. Despite these diplomatic efforts, heavy fighting has shifted into the remote highland plateaus of South Kivu, making humanitarian access\u00a0nearly impossible\u00a0and trapping civilian populations, such as the Tutsi Banyamulenge minority, under blockade. M23 leaders have accused the Congolese army of using drones and Sukhoi\u00a0aircraft\u00a0to strike inhabited areas during the talks, characterizing the violence as a deliberate attempt to sabotage the peace process. Mediators are currently prioritizing the reopening of regional airports to allow for urgent aid flights.<\/p>\n
\nAP News (United States)\u00a0<\/em>
\nThe Ghana Immigration Service has rescued 305 West African nationals, including 113 children, following an intelligence-led operation targeting organized street begging rings in Accra. The bust targeted human trafficking networks that exploit foreign nationals, particularly women and children, often under coercive and abusive arrangements. While Ghana has increased its efforts to\u00a0eliminate\u00a0trafficking, a 2024 U.S. State Department report noted that the country still does not meet the\u00a0minimum\u00a0standards for eradication. Officials highlighted the high number of minors as a growing concern,\u00a0indicating\u00a0that children are increasingly being used as “strategic” assets in these criminal schemes.<\/p>\n
\nAP News (United States)\u00a0<\/em>
\nThe High Court in Kenya has ruled that a class action lawsuit involving 299 petitioners can\u00a0proceed\u00a0against the multinational oil giant BP over allegations of decades-long environmental pollution. The suit claims that Amoco Corporation, which BP acquired in 1998, improperly disposed of toxic and radioactive waste during oil exploration in northern Kenya in the 1980s. Petitioners allege that the contamination of groundwater has led to the deaths of more than 500 residents from cancers and other illnesses, citing the presence of heavy metals like arsenic and lead in unlined pits. The lawsuit also accuses several Kenyan government ministries of\u00a0failing to intervene\u00a0despite having evidence of the contamination.<\/p>\n
\nLiberian Observer (Liberia)\u00a0<\/em>
\nPresident Joseph Boakai has concluded a strategic visit to Ethiopia by signing bilateral agreements focused on Artificial Intelligence, science, technology, and education. The Memoranda of Understanding aim to formalize collaboration in emerging technologies and leverage Ethiopia\u2019s growing status as a continental technology hub for data hosting and outsourcing. Liberian officials expressed a desire to learn from Ethiopia’s progress in sustainable agriculture and innovation to accelerate their own national development. Technical teams from both countries are scheduled to meet in the coming months to operationalize research partnerships and explore easing travel restrictions to boost trade and investment.<\/p>\n
\nFrontPage Africa (Liberia)<\/em>
\nTwo Liberian Senators have introduced the Gold Sector Reform Amendment Act of 2026, a bill designed to formalize the country\u2019s gold resources and address significant revenue leakage. Currently, over 70% of Liberia’s gold sector is informal, leading to pervasive smuggling and limited benefits for rural communities. The proposed legislation\u00a0seeks\u00a0to\u00a0establish\u00a0a national gold refinery and a National Gold Company of Liberia to manage state equity, while mandating that all artisanal miners organize into cooperatives. Additionally, the act would phase out the use of toxic mercury and\u00a0establish\u00a0a Mining Dispute Tribunal to resolve conflicts between license operators and local communities.<\/p>\n
\nGroundUp\u00a0(South Africa)\u00a0<\/em>
\nAn investigation has revealed that GPSL Wholesale Ltd, a prominent pharmaceutical supplier in Malawi, sold stolen and expired insulin to public hospitals during a critical national shortage in 2022. The insulin was smuggled out of a\u00a0hospital\u00a0storeroom by a technician and relabeled with false expiry dates before being redistributed to facilities across the country. Although regulators recommended revoking the company’s license, the board issued only a warning, allowing the firm\u2014which was previously shut down in 2013 following infant deaths linked to faulty antibiotics\u2014to continue\u00a0operating. The case\u00a0remains\u00a0clouded by allegations of political interference and bribery, while criminal prosecutions have stalled.<\/p>\n
\nReuters (United Kingdom)\u00a0<\/em>
\nNigeria has ordered an independent investigation into a military airstrike on a market in Jilli that is feared to have killed at least 200 people. While the government defends the operation as a “deliberate, intelligence-led” strike on\u00a0a logistics\u00a0hub used by Boko Haram and ISWAP, the information minister expressed regret for the high number of civilian casualties. Human rights groups have warned that targeting places like markets, which are often the only source of survival for civilians in contested areas, carries an extreme risk of killing bystanders. The upcoming probe will specifically examine the planning and execution of the operation to\u00a0determine\u00a0how the tragedy occurred.<\/p>\n
\nAP News (United States)\u00a0<\/em>
\nArmed gangs in Nigeria\u2019s Benue state attacked a passenger bus on the Otukpo-Makurdi highway, abducting several students who were traveling to sit for university examinations. While the exact number of abductees has not been officially confirmed, local reports suggest at least 14 passengers were on board at the time of the attack. Governor Hyacinth Alia condemned the targeting of students as a violation of every norm of civil order and has ordered immediate search and rescue operations. Analysts noted that student kidnappings have become a strategic target for gangs in the region\u00a0as a means to\u00a0draw national attention and secure higher ransoms.<\/p>\n
\nThe New Times (Rwanda)\u00a0<\/em>
\nDuring events marking the 32nd commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, Rwanda\u2019s\u00a0Defence\u00a0Minister issued a stern warning against ongoing acts of violence and the spread of genocide ideology. Officials noted that harmful rhetoric and history distortion are increasingly prevalent on social media, while the continued presence of the FDLR in the DR Congo\u00a0remains\u00a0a significant national and regional security threat. At the Musanze Genocide Memorial, speakers reflected on the 1994 massacre of over 800 people at a local court building as a grave symbol of “failed justice”. The government emphasized that the national commitment to “Never Again” requires a proactive fight against divisionism and hate speech.<\/p>\n
\nGroundUp\u00a0(South Africa)\u00a0<\/em>
\nVigilante “clean-up” campaigns led by the anti-immigrant group March and March, joined by members of the MK Party, have escalated into the harassment and “citizens’ arrest” of people suspected of being undocumented in Durban. While organizers claim the campaign’s primary goal is street sanitation, splinter groups have\u00a0reportedly looted\u00a0grocery stores and engaged in violence, including an incident where a shopkeeper’s brother was stabbed. Metro police have warned that while peaceful protest is protected, they will act against acts of intimidation, damage to property, or the unlawful closure of businesses. Meanwhile, in Vryheid, local municipal officials have expressed support for the group’s views, citing concerns that immigrant traders are crowding out South African businesses.<\/p>\n
\nU.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee (United States)\u00a0<\/em>
\nA group of US Senators has sent a letter to the Secretary of State raising alarm over reports that the State Department may be withholding critical HIV\/AIDS treatment and economic aid from Zambia. The Senators allege that officials are using the threat of cutting support for 1.3 million HIV-positive Zambians to coerce the country into granting favorable economic reforms for U.S. businesses, particularly\u00a0regarding\u00a0access to copper mines. They characterized this tactic as “economic coercion” and a disturbing departure from the long-standing bipartisan support for the PEPFAR program. The letter urged the Department to ensure that commercial diplomacy “does no harm” and does not come at the cost of human lives.<\/p>\n
\nNewZimbabwe.com (Zimbabwe)<\/em>
\nA BBC investigation has revealed that some migrants in the United Kingdom are fabricating allegations of domestic abuse to exploit legal concessions that offer a fast track to permanent residency. Undercover footage caught an immigration adviser offering to create “psychological abuse” stories for a fee of \u00a3900 to help clients avoid deportation after separating from British partners. The number of people applying for fast-track residency through this route has risen by more than 50% in three years, reaching over 5,500 annually. British officials have vowed to prosecute “sham lawyers”\u00a0facilitating\u00a0this fraud, while genuine victims and their partners describe having their lives “turned upside down” by false accusations.<\/p>\nSouth & Central Asia<\/h3>\n
\nKhaama Press (Afghanistan)<\/em>
\nThe Taliban has sent more than 500\u00a0tons\u00a0of humanitarian aid to Gaza and is expected to be distributed among 22,000 Palestinian families facing shortages. This comes at a time as Afghanistan is dealing with its own worsening humanitarian crisis. Deputy\u00a0spokesman, Zia Ahmad Takal has pushed for international actors to push for a ceasefire and the need for a resolution that respects the rights of Palestinians. Furthermore, the Taliban has announced fundraising campaigns to support Gaza.<\/p>\n
\nAP News (United States)\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
\nSince the Taliban have seized power in 2021, they have cut pipes in some residents and had laid to siphon water from a communal well to their homes causing Kabul to rapidly run out of water. The population relies on groundwater extracted from wells which has been dropping at an alarming rate. Without changes, Kabul will soon face an unprecedented humanitarian disaster. With authorities and the government being aware of the problem there are two potential solutions that could alleviate the crisis however, other infrastructure within the country has been prioritized<\/p>\n
\nProthom Alo (Bangladesh)\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
\nPrime Minister Tarique Rahman has\u00a0stated\u00a0that initiatives have been taken to sign bilateral agreements to expand labor markets in new destinations, including Serbia, Greece, North Macedonia, Romania, Portugal, Brazil, and Russia. He also further added that high-level visits are being arranged to\u00a0assist\u00a0in strengthening bilateral relations with workers receiving countries outside the Middle East with growing opportunities in Japan, where there is a strong demand for Bangladeshi workers.<\/p>\n
\nBhutan Broadcasting Service (Bhutan)<\/em>
\nBhutan is set to chair the World Health Organization (WHO) Executive Board for one year and serve as a board member for three years. This signifies that Bhutan will help guide important global health discussions. It is a new endeavor that will allow Bhutan to contribute to decisions that affect health systems worldwide.<\/p>\n
\nAl Jazeera (Qatar)\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
\nThe ECI this month revised its electoral rolls through special intensive revision (SIR), a controversial exercise India\u2019s election authorities have conducted in more than a dozen states and federally governed territories. This has caused\u00a0nearly 12%\u00a0of voters to lose their voting rights, with almost six million voters of the nine million who have been declared absentee or deceased with another three million being unable to vote until special tribunals hear their cases. Furthermore, this SIR exercise has shown across West Bengal that Muslims have been disproportionately affected, primarily being in districts where they\u00a0constitute\u00a0a higher percentage of the population and could sway the elections.<\/p>\n
\nIndia TV News (India)\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
\nA Women\u2019s Reservation Amendment Bill marks a significant moment in India\u2019s legislative history. Prime Minister Narendra Modi clarified that the bill is not intended to\u00a0benefit\u00a0a single political party but to strengthen democratic representation across the country. He has stressed that empowering women through political representation is essential for a strong and more inclusive India and that anyone who opposes the bill will face electoral setbacks.<\/p>\n
\nRadio\u00a0Azzttyk\u00a0(Kyrgyzstan)\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
\nRussia will not build three heating plants that were supposed to be built in Kazakhstan. Over the\u00a0past\u00a0years, projects have not progressed. According to official data, the parties could not agree on a financial model: Inter RAO could not provide favorable lending conditions.<\/p>\n
\nRadio\u00a0Azattyk\u00a0(Kyrgyzstan)\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
\nThere has been information circulating that in Kazakhstan, foreign citizens must pass a Kazakh language test and confirm their B2 level to obtain a temporary residence permit. However, the capital city Astana has not officially confirmed this.<\/p>\n
\nKaktus Media (Kyrgyzstan)\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
\nIn the Talas region, several residents of the Aitmatov district and the city of Talas, identified by the State Committee for National Security as supporters of the Yakyn-Inkar religious extremist movement, banned in Kyrgyzstan, have renounced their radical ideology and was reported by the State Committee for National Security\u2019s press service.<\/p>\n
\nKaktus Media (Kyrgyzstan)<\/em>
\nAccording to preliminary data, Kyrgyzstan\u2019s foreign trade volume amounted to\u00a0$2.1 billion. In comparison last year, the decline was 2.9%. Exports have fallen by 12.5% and imports falling at 1.1% in Kyrgyzstan.<\/p>\n
\nThe Sun Online (Maldives)\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
\nPresident Dr. Mohamed Muizzu\u00a0establish\u00a0an agency called the Office of the Territories of Maldives to\u00a0determine\u00a0the territories of Maldives and resolve disputes related to the country\u2019s territorial claims. The purpose of\u00a0establishing\u00a0the agency is to define the territories of Maldives and to handle all matters and issues relating to the country\u2019s territorial disputes with the President keen on efforts to recover the lost a of the country.<\/p>\n
\nThe Sun Online (Maldives)<\/em>
\nPresident Dr. Mohamed Muizzu on Thursday\u00a0established\u00a0the Citizens’ Complaints Bureau, which will\u00a0operate\u00a0as a 24-hour call center for the public to\u00a0submit\u00a0concerns and complaints. He says the bureau is a key step in making the government responsive to the people with its primary responsibility being to\u00a0monitor, organize, and respond to complaints received through social media.<\/p>\n
\nThe Himalayan Times (Nepal)<\/em>
\nNepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has raised the retail price of diesel and kerosene by Rs 30 per liter and domestic aviation fuel by Rs 5 per liter. This revision is due to the ongoing conflict that is occurring in the Middle East, which has made automatic price adjustments based on Indian Oil Corporation supply rates unviable.<\/p>\n
\nAl Jazeera (Qatar)\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
\nPakistani officials are expecting a breakthrough in talks between Iran and the U.S. on Tehran\u2019s nuclear program. With Army Chief Asim Munir expressing in laying the groundwork for a second round of talks focusing on compromise of uranium enrichment level and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. President, Donald Trump, seems\u00a0very optimistic\u00a0and has expressed that the war in Iran is \u201cvery close to over\u201d,\u00a0however tensions\u00a0remain\u00a0with U.S. Naval blockades restricting Iranian ports.<\/p>\n
\nOzodi\u00a0(Tajikistan)\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
\nDozens of trucks bound for Central Asian countries, including Tajikistan have been waiting to cross the Caspian Sea for six months. Tajik traders do not yet know when their turn will come to transport cargo with more than four thousand trucks now just waiting to cross the border.<\/p>\n
\nOzodi\u00a0(Tajikistan)\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
\nTajikistan, an oil-importing country, is facing the pressure of the war in the Middle East with rising oil prices putting pressure on government budgets as a result, reducing household\u00a0purchasing\u00a0power and slowing economic growth. In Tajikistan, consumers are facing shortages and increase cost of their necessities which often came through the Iranian corridor. There has been warning from economist\u00a0Hajimuhammad\u00a0Umarov that if the war continues prices in Tajikistan will rise more.<\/p>\n