World Echo

South Korea will lead multinational naval forces for the first time in a US-led maritime exercise starting in June, the navy said on Thursday. A South Korean admiral will command the combined maritime forces in the Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC), scheduled in and around Hawaii from June 24 to July 31, according to Yonhap News Agency. This is the first time South Korea has taken this role in this exercise. It served as deputy commander in 2024. Read: South Korea returns remains of 12 Chinese volunteer troops killed in Korean War The biennial RIMPAC, held since 1971, aims to boost cooperation among participating countries to protect sea lines of communication and counter potential maritime security threats. South Korea has taken part in the exercise since 1990. This year's exercise will include a multinational force of over 25,000 personnel, as well as some 40 surface ships, five submarines and 140 aircraft. South Korea is expected to deploy its Aegis destroyer Jeongjo the Grea...

A French teen facing criminal charges in Singapore for a straw licking stunt was granted permission on Wednesday to leave the country for three weeks on pledges to return. The 18-year-old is accused of posting to social media a video of himself putting the straw he licked back into the dispenser on an orange juice vending machine. Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien's clip went viral and triggered a backlash that led to his arrest in Singapore, which has a reputation for not tolerating bad behaviour. The teen's lawyer sought permission from a judge for him to travel to Manila from May 2-25 for an internship, a key requirement for him to graduate. The judge granted the request after the prosecution posed no objection, but asked that he must remain contactable while overseas and required a SG$5,000 ($3,900) bond. His next appearance in the Singapore court was also rescheduled from May 22 to May 29. The teen, who is studying in Singapore and is out on bail, was charged last Friday over...

Multiple pro-Iranian accounts were sharing a video since Tuesday on the social media platform X, claiming that it shows missile attacks in Iran without specifying who carried them out during the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. However, the clip is old and shows Israel’s attack on Tehran’s oil depot on March 7. Israel and the United States launched joint military strikes on Iran on February 28, killing former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top officials. Tehran responded by launching strikes on US bases and other facilities in seven Gulf states and Israel. A US-Iran ceasefire was announced on April 7 by President Donald Trump to begin April 8, mediated by Pakistan following weeks of conflict. The initial two-week, conditional truce was extended indefinitely on April 21, to allow for ongoing peace negotiations However, the failure of the talks led to the US military initiating a blockade of all Iranian ports and coastal areas on April 13. According to the US militar...

Israel has set a two-week deadline for reaching an agreement with Lebanon during their US-mediated negotiations, warning of renewed military escalation if talks fail, according to Israeli media on Wednesday. The public broadcaster KAN said Tel Aviv has established a “limited timeframe” for the talks, not exceeding two weeks, in a bid to secure what it described as a “real agreement” between the two sides. The outlet said Israel has linked the current ceasefire arrangement – extended until mid-May – to reaching a substantive deal with Lebanon within that period. “We cannot wait indefinitely… we will give negotiations only an additional two weeks,” KAN said, citing an unnamed Israeli official. Read: Israel warns civilians against returning to southern Lebanon despite ceasefire According to the broadcaster, Israeli assessments indicate that failure to achieve tangible progress within this timeframe could lead to a resumption of fighting and the launch of intensified military operation...

A fire destroyed at least 30 makeshift wooden homes in Malaysia's Sabah state early Wednesday, officials said, in the second reported blaze in the area in fewer than two weeks. The Sabah Fire and Rescue Department said the pre-dawn blaze swept through a settlement in Sandakan district in Sabah's northeast, where some of Malaysia's poorest residents, including indigenous and stateless communities, live in closely packed, wooden houses. No injuries or fatalities were reported, it said. It was the second such fire in Sandakan since April 19, when a massive fire razed 1,000 homes and displaced thousands of people in a coastal village. "It is estimated that about 186 residents are affected. We're still investigating the cause of the fire," Sandakan Fire and Rescue station chief Jimmy Lagung told AFP by telephone from Sandakan on Wednesday. In a statement, the fire department said 21 firefighters were deployed to put out the blaze, managing to prevent the flames fro...

Israeli strikes killed three Palestinians, including a nine-year-old boy, in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, health officials said. Medics said an Israeli drone killed ​the child, Adel Al‑Najjar, in eastern Khan Younis in the south of ‌the enclave, while an Israeli airstrike targeted a vehicle in Gaza City, killing two people and wounding several others. At Nasser Hospital’s ​morgue, relatives arrived to bid farewell to the small, white‑shrouded body of ​Najjar. Women cried next to the body, lying on a medical ⁠stretcher on the floor, and men held a special prayer before carrying him ​to the cemetery for burial. The boy was collecting cardboard that the family uses ​in cooking, relatives said. There has been no electricity in Gaza since the fighting began in October 2023, and Palestinians have complained of Israeli restrictions on the entry of cooking gas. Read More: New wave of Israeli strikes kills 4 Palestinians in Gaza "We ​don't have gas. We collect cardboard to bake, they wan...

Iran warned last week that submarine cables in the Strait of Hormuz were a vulnerable point for the region's digital economy, raising concerns about potential attacks on critical infrastructure. The narrow waterway, already a chokepoint for global oil shipments, is equally vital for the digital world. Several fibre-optic cables snake across the seabed of the strait, connecting countries from ​India and Southeast Asia to Europe via the Gulf states and Egypt. What makes undersea cables important? Subsea cables are fibre-optic or electrical cables laid on the ‌sea floor to transmit data and power. They carry around 99% of the world's internet traffic, according to the ITU, the United Nations specialized agency for digital technologies. They also carry telecommunications and electricity between countries, and are essential for cloud services and online communications. "Damaged cables mean the internet slowing down or outages, e-commerce disruptions, delayed financial transacti...

Britain's King Charles III will receive a full ceremonial welcome from United States President Donald Trump at the White House and make a rare address to Congress on Tuesday as he seeks to mend a transatlantic rift over the Iran war. On the second day of a four-day state visit, Charles is expected to call in his speech for "reconciliation and renewal," with the so-called special relationship between Washington and London under strain. Much of the day will be given over to pomp and ceremony, with King Charles and Queen Camilla receiving a traditional arrival ceremony that's expected to feature a 21-gun salute and an inspection of troops. The US leader and First Lady Melania Trump will then host the royals in the Oval Office behind closed doors. In the evening, they will return to the White House for a grand state dinner. Read: King Charles jets to US for trip overshadowed by Iran quarrel and shooting The first day of the trip featured a more informal welcome, with the ...

Multiple accounts on social media platform X have been sharing images since Sunday, allegedly showing White House dinner shooter Cole Tomas Allen with his Indian wife and her Indian passport. However, both images are AI-generated. A lone gunman fired shots in the hotel hosting the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Saturday, causing United States President Donald Trump and his cabinet to be rushed out before the suspect was taken into custody. The suspect arrested in the shooting was identified by a law enforcement official as Cole Tomas Allen, a Los Angeles-area man who appears from social media sites to be a Caltech graduate working as a part-time teacher and game developer. The official said Allen, approximately 31 years of age, was a resident of Torrance, California. How it started On Sunday, a person, who appeared to be sharing anti-India content in the past, shared two images on X showing the shooter with his alleged Indian wife, Priyanka Rao, and her Indian passpo...

A California man accused of storming a gala dinner attended by US President Donald Trump was set to appear in court on Monday over a shooting that marks the latest spasm of political violence in a deeply divided America. Administration officials said the suspect in Saturday night’s attack appeared to have aimed to kill Trump and senior officials at the press dinner in a Washington hotel, in what would be the third attempt on the president’s life in two years. Trump, who was rushed out of the ballroom by Secret Service agents, posted surveillance footage showing the gunman attempting to sprint past a checkpoint one floor above the room where the dinner was held. After a brief exchange of gunfire with agents, the suspect was detained at the scene. Trump shared images of the suspect handcuffed on the hotel floor, lying shirtless and face down. In an interview aired Sunday on CBS programme 60 Minutes, Trump said he was not concerned about casualties as the chaotic scene unfolded. “I wasn’t...

Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla arrive in the United States later on Monday for a four-day trip, a tour ​which has taken on even greater prominence after the White House Correspondents' dinner shooting and amid acrimony between the close allies. The state ‌visit, by far the most high-profile and consequential of Charles's reign, marks the 250th anniversary of the US declaration of independence from British rule, and is the first visit to the country by a British monarch for two decades. It begins with a private meeting with self-proclaimed royal fan US President Donald Trump, and includes an address to Congress and a lavish dinner at ​the White House. Press dinner shooting just days before visit But the long-planned trip has become enmeshed in the political spat between the two ​countries over the US-Israeli war on Iran, which led Trump to voice deep displeasure with the British government for failing to support ⁠the offensive. The shooting on Saturday at the White...

The first indications that something had gone wrong at the 2026 White House Correspondents' Association dinner came around 8:35pm on ​Saturday from a series of audible but mysterious thuds. Dinner chatter paused. The silence was broken when the doors crashed open to the ‌giant ballroom at the Washington Hilton, where some 2,600 journalists and their guests - dressed with rare pomp in tuxedos and gowns - had just sat down for the salad courses and glasses of wine. President Donald Trump was seated with first lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance and other dignitaries at a long head table. Elegantly uniformed waiters soon charged down the ​middle aisle. Agents hustled Vance and several others off the stage. Plainclothes officers sprang from their seats and pushed to the ground ​several cabinet members, who had been seated moments earlier at tables among the journalists, then rolled the administration officials beneath ⁠tables. Read: Despite US–Iran deadlock, Trump again praises...

The suspect arrested in the White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting on Saturday was identified by a law enforcement official as Cole Tomas Allen, a Los Angeles-area man who appears from social media sites to be a Caltech graduate working as a part-time teacher and game developer. The official said Allen, approximately 31 years of age, is a resident of Torrance, California, a coastal town that is part of the South Bay area adjacent to Los Angeles abutting Santa Monica Bay. US President Donald Trump, who called the suspect “a very sick person”, said he was thought to have acted alone. Trump, along with the first lady and several top Cabinet members, was escorted out of the Washington Hilton ballroom, where the event was taking place, by the Secret Service. Shortly afterwards, he said the suspect had been "apprehended" and shared photos of him on the ground, shirtless, along with blurry security footage of what appeared to be a figure darting past security agents. Read: ...

Palestinians voted in local elections on Saturday that, for the ​first time in two decades, include Gaza and will gauge the political mood as Israel's government seeks to destroy any future for a Palestinian ‌state. The West Bank-based Palestinian Authority (PA) hopes the symbolic inclusion of the Gaza city of Deir al-Balah will reinforce its claim to authority over the territory from which it was ousted by Hamas in 2007. Gazans, who are struggling to meet their basic needs in the devastated enclave, welcomed the opportunity to vote. "As a Palestinian and a son of the Gaza Strip, I feel proud that after ​this war the democratic process is returning," said voter Mamdouh al-Bhaisi, 52, at the Deir al-Balah polling station. Israel has extended control over Gaza and West Bank Since ​a US-brokered ceasefire in Gaza between Hamas and Israel took effect in October, intermittent talks led by the United States have made little ⁠progress towards a settlement that envisages internat...

Iran said it had hanged an ​Iranian working for ‌Israeli intelligence on Saturday for vandalism and ​violence during nationwide ​protests this year, the ⁠semi-official Tasnim news ​agency reported. It said Erfan ​Kiani, a “hired thug of Mossad,” had engaged in ​the destruction and ​arson of public and private ‌property, ⁠spreading fear and terror across the central city of ​Isfahan, and ​wielding ⁠a machete. He was hanged ​early in the ​morning ⁠after his sentence was confirmed by ⁠the ​Supreme Court ​and following legal procedures, Tasnim ​said. Read: Iran says dual national held for espionage is Swedish Iran executed a man in December 2025 on charges of spying for Israel's intelligence agency, Mossad. This brings the number of convicts Iran has executed on espionage charges since June this year to 10. The executed man had been identified as Aghil Keshavarz, a 27-year-old architecture student. Keshavarz was arrested by soldiers earlier this year in the northwestern city of Urmia, ...

The US Senate will vote as soon as next week on a Democratic-led effort to prevent President Donald Trump from launching an attack on Cuba, Senate aides said, responding to the Republican's threats to take military action against the island. Democratic Senators Tim Kaine, Adam Schiff and Ruben Gallego introduced the Cuba War Powers Resolution last month. Under Senate rules, the Senate's Republican leaders must allow it to come up for a vote. "The president's sabre rattling toward Cuba makes clear where his sights are next," Schiff said in a statement when the resolution was introduced. Exact timing of the vote has not yet been announced, but aides said they expected it before May 1. Under Trump, US forces have launched strikes on boats off Venezuela and gone into Caracas to seize President Nicolas Maduro, and, with Israel, waged war on Iran since February 28, all without authorisation from Congress. Read: CNN's Zakaria to Trump: make concessions Trump has sinc...

India has dismissed as “uninformed” comments shared by US President Donald Trump that described the country as a “hellhole”, saying they were inappropriate and inconsistent with strong ties between the two nations. The remarks originated from conservative commentator Michael Savage during an episode of The Savage Nation talk radio show. Trump posted a transcript of the show on his Truth Social account on Thursday without adding any comment. “A baby here becomes an instant citizen, and then they bring the entire family in from China or India or some other hellhole on the planet,” Savage said, according to the transcript. “That there's almost no loyalty to this country amongst the immigrant class coming in today, which was not always the case. No, they're not like the European Americans of today and their ancestors.” Reuters could not immediately contact Savage. Trump has issued a directive seeking to restrict birthright citizenship in the United States, a move that has been chal...

Multiple users across social media platforms were sharing a video on Friday claiming it shows United States President Donald Trump falling asleep and hitting his head on his desk in the White House. However, the clip is doctored. On Thursday, Trump held a healthcare affordability event in the Oval Office at the White House. During the event, he announced a deal with pharma giant Regeneron to lower drug prices. After the announcement, Trump took questions from reporters on numerous topics, including the firing of former navy secretary John Phelan, the timeline for the Iran conflict, and the upcoming state visit from King Charles. Questions have been raised about Trump’s health since last year, with him repeatedly dozing off during live events. The focus on Trump’s health sharpened in late November 2025 after a New York Times article said he had sharply reduced his public events, domestic travel, and working hours compared to his first term. He is due to turn 80 in June. How it started O...

Britain and France have agreed to a nearly $900 million deal aimed at reducing small-boat migrant crossings across the English Channel, with the two countries expected to sign the deal on Thursday. Riot-trained police will be sent to beaches in France as part of a new £662 million ($893 million) deal with the UK to stop illegal migrants from crossing the English Channel, BBC reported. UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is due to sign the three-year agreement with France on Thursday, which will see at least 50 police officers, trained in "riot and crowd control tactics," drafted in to tackle violence and "hostile crowds." The deal will see France deploying millions of pounds worth of drones, two helicopters, and a camera system to intercept people smugglers and illegal migrants. Also Read: Britain to make refugee status temporary under asylum overhaul Ahead of the signing, Mahmood said joint work with France has stopped tens of thousands of illegal migrants from board...

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has expressed Tehran’s readiness to play a constructive role in reducing tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, stressing dialogue and regional cooperation as the only viable path toward stability, Tasnim News Agency reported. According to the report, Araghchi said Iran is prepared to assist both neighbouring countries in resolving their differences and urged continued diplomatic engagement to prevent further escalation. He underscored that stability between Pakistan and Afghanistan is crucial for broader regional peace and security. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi expressed Tehran’s readiness to assist in easing tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan.https://t.co/yoFUYkv7IX pic.twitter.com/PlHQQv8fNQ — Tasnim News Agency (@Tasnimnews_EN) April 23, 2026 Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan escalated into sustained cross-border hostilities following a series of militant attacks and retaliatory strikes, prompting a sharp deterior...

US defence officials briefed lawmakers this week on an intelligence assessment that it could take six months to fully clear the Strait of Hormuz of mines deployed by the Iranian military, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday. Furthermore, any such operation is unlikely to be carried out until the US-Israeli war with Iran comes to an end, members of the House Armed Services Committee were told on Tuesday, according to the report. This means gasoline and oil prices could remain elevated through the US midterm elections. Iran may have emplaced 20 or more mines in and around the strait. Some were floated remotely using GPS technology, which has made it difficult for US forces to detect the mines as they are deployed, a senior defence official told lawmakers. Others are believed to have been laid by Iranian forces using small boats. Also Read: US told Israel ceasefire with Iran will expire on Sunday: Israeli media The disclosure was made in a classified briefing for lawmakers, Pentagon...

Dozens of Israeli settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem under heavy police protection on Wednesday as tensions continue to simmer across the occupied West Bank, Palestinian authorities said. The Jerusalem Governorate said the settlers moved through the compound’s courtyards and carried out provocative religious rituals, including what is referred to as “epic prostration”, near Bab al-Rahma gate and the Dome of the Rock inside the complex. Groups affiliated with the so-called Temple movement circulated calls encouraging more settlers to storm the flashpoint site and raise Israeli flags inside its courtyards, the governorate added in a statement carried by the official news agency Wafa. Also Read: Pakistan condemns Israeli minister's Al-Aqsa raid The incursion came as Israeli police continued to tighten restrictions across East Jerusalem by setting up checkpoints, closing roads and limiting access for worshippers to the mosque. Since early April, the...

Iran has accused the United States of carrying out an unlawful attack on an Iranian commercial vessel in the Sea of Oman on April 19, warning the United Nations Security Council that the incident amounts to piracy and a serious breach of international law. In a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Security Council President Jamal Fares Alrowaiei on April 21, Saeed Iravani said US action against the vessel “Touska” requires UN action and accountability, Iranian media reported. Iravani said US forces targeted the vessel “Toska”, alleging the use of "coercion, intimidation, and the reckless endangerment of the vessel’s crew and their families," describing it as a “grave violation” of international law, including the prohibition on aggression. Read: Iran says no talks with US until blockade lifted despite ceasefire extension He said it constituted a breach of a ceasefire agreement reached earlier this month. Tehran also argued the attack qualifies as an act of aggr...

Pope Leo warned on Tuesday that humanity's future was at risk of being "tragically compromised" because of ongoing wars and ‌a breakdown of international law, in a forceful speech in Equatorial Guinea on his four-nation Africa tour. The first US pope, who has drawn the ire of President Donald Trump after becoming more outspoken in recent weeks, also decried what he called the "colonisation" of the Earth's oil and mineral resources, which he said was driving bloody conflicts. "The destiny of humanity risks being tragically ​compromised without a change of direction in the assumption of political responsibility and without respect for institutions and international agreements," the pope ​said. In a speech to Equatorial Guinea President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo and other political leaders, the head of the ⁠1.4-billion-member Church said: "God does not want this." He added: "His holy name must not be profaned by the will to dominate...

Multiple users across social media platforms were sharing a video since April 20, 2026, claiming it shows the American military seizing an Iranian commercial ship amid a US naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. However, the footage is from October 2025 and shows a US naval exercise. Tensions have escalated in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route, amid efforts for a second round of talks between the US and Iran. Washington has increased its naval presence and imposed restrictive measures in the strait. Iran, in response, has asserted its influence over the waterway and warned that continued pressure could disrupt international shipping. On April 18, 2026, US forces opened fire on an Iranian-linked vessel in the Strait of Hormuz before seizing it. Washington framed the action as a security measure, while Iranian officials condemned it as a violation of international law and the ceasefire agreement. How it started On April 20, a user, who claims to be a Yemeni activist...

Irish Foreign Minister Helen McEntee on Tuesday called for the European Union to take action against what she described as a "country that is very clearly violating human rights," urging the suspension of the EU-Israel agreement or, at a minimum, its trade provisions. Speaking to journalists ahead of an EU foreign ministers' meeting in Luxembourg, McEntee said Ireland, alongside Spain and Slovenia, had written to the EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas calling for a review and possible suspension of the agreement with Israel in light of developments in the Middle East. "We need to, as an EU, uphold our fundamental values," McEntee said, stressing that countries the bloc has agreements with must comply with international law and human rights obligations. She referred to the recent Israeli death penalty bill, which she said disproportionately targeted Palestinians, calling the move "completely unacceptable." She added that there was a growing shift among...

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.5 struck off the northeastern coast of Japan on Monday, as authorities urged residents to stay away from coastal areas where tsunami waves of up to three metres (9.84 ft) were expected. The tremor had an epicentre in the Pacific Ocean and was 10 km deep, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. The biggest waves were expected in Iwate, Aomori and Hokkaido prefectures, authorities said. Speaking to reporters, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the government had set up an emergency task force and urged citizens in the affected areas to evacuate to safety. Read: Japan offers $10b support to help Asian neighbours secure oil Broadcaster NHK showed ships sailing out of Hachinohe port in Hokkaido in anticipation of the waves, as an alert 'Tsunami! Evacuate!' flashed across the screen. Meanwhile, bullet train services in Aomori at the northern tip of Japan's main Honshu island were halted due to the tremors, Kyodo news agency re...

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw Sunday's ballistic missile test launches as part of efforts to evaluate the performance of warheads carrying cluster bombs and fragmentation mines, state media KCNA reported on Monday. The tests represented the fourth ballistic missile launch this month and the seventh this year, as North Korea seeks to build its missile and nuclear capabilities in defiance of UN Security ⁠Council resolutions. The tests involved five launches of upgraded short-range Hwasong-11 Ra surface-to-surface tactical ballistic missiles to evaluate the power and performance of the new warheads, KCNA said. North Korea fired the missiles toward an island target zone about 136 km (85 miles) away, striking an area of roughly 12.5 to 13 hectares (31 to 32 acres) with what the report described as high density, demonstrating the system's capability for concentrated suppression strikes. Read: Kim Jong Un says North Korea’s nuclear status is irreversible, threatens Sou...

Hundreds of people have been displaced after a fire destroyed around 200 ​homes in a coastal village in Malaysia's ‌Sabah state on Sunday, state news agency Bernama reported. Authorities were notified of the fire in Sandakan district at ​around 1.32am (1732 GMT), the district's fire ​and rescue chief Jimmy Lagung was quoted ⁠as saying by Bernama. “Strong winds and the close ​proximity of the houses caused the fire to ​spread rapidly, while low tide conditions also made it difficult to obtain an open water source,” Lagung said. Read: India, Malaysia exchange 11 cooperation pacts during Modi visit The fire broke out in one ​of Sabah's water villages, which feature wooden houses built on ‌stilts ⁠and are home to some of the country's poorest communities, including many stateless and indigenous groups. Around 445 people have been displaced so far, ​Bernama said, citing ​unofficial figures ⁠of people registered at a temporary relief centre in Sandakan. Malaysia's Prime ​...

Australia's most decorated soldier, charged with war crimes related to Afghanistan deployments more ​than a decade ago, on Sunday publicly denied the allegations ‌against him and said he was proud of his service. Ben Roberts-Smith, 47, freed this week on bail, is charged with five counts of war crimes over ​the alleged murder of five unarmed Afghan civilians between 2009 ​and 2012. Each charge carries a maximum jail term ⁠of life. The former Special Air Service (SAS) corporal has consistently denied ​the accusations of wrongdoing, many first reported by Nine Entertainment newspapers ​in a series of articles starting in 2018. Speaking to the media on Queensland's Gold Coast, Roberts-Smith said he always acted within the rules of engagement ​in Afghanistan. Read: Australia refinery fire worsens fuel supply crunch amid US-Israel war on Iran "I categorically deny all of these allegations, and while ​I would have preferred these charges not be brought, I will be taking ‌this ⁠o...

Pope Leo ​sets off on Saturday for Angola, where he is expected to address the exploitation ‌of natural resources in the oil-rich country on the third leg of his four-nation Africa tour, during which he has taken on a new forceful speaking style. Leo, who has been attacked repeatedly by President Donald Trump this week after the pope criticised ​the Iran war, will arrive from Cameroon, where on Thursday he said the world was "being ravaged ​by a handful of tyrants". The first US pope was due to arrive in ⁠Luanda, Angola's capital, around 3pm (1400 GMT). Before leaving Cameroon, Leo celebrated a farewell Mass in ​the capital, Yaounde, urging participants not to lose hope despite the challenges faced by the Central African ​country, which include a simmering conflict in its two anglophone regions that has killed thousands. "In moments when we seem to be sinking, overcome by adverse forces, when everything appears bleak ... Jesus is with us always, stronger than any pow...

Turkey's long-term contract for importing natural gas from Iran is due to expire in the coming months, and the two countries could hold talks on a possible extension, though no negotiations are underway yet, Turkey's energy minister said on Saturday. The agreement, due to expire in July, provides for the delivery of 9.6 billion cubic metres of gas a year, but actual flows have often fallen short. Turkey imported 7.6 bcm from Iran last year, accounting for 13% of total gas imports. Regulator data show the pipeline last hit the contracted volume in 2022. "According to our forecast, we might need this gas pipeline or the gas flow from Iran for the security of supply of Turkey. There is no ongoing negotiation right now. I think they are busy with so many other things. But we might sit and discuss a potential extension," Alparslan Bayraktar told reporters on the sidelines of a diplomacy forum in the southern Turkish province of Antalya. Read: Strait of Hormuz closed again ...

Ukrainian forces overnight struck two oil refineries in Russia's Samara region and Vysotsk port, which houses a Lukoil terminal, as well as an oil depot in Russia-occupied Crimea, Kyiv's drone forces commander said. The Syzran and Novokuibyshevsk refineries came under the strikes, Robert Brovdi said on the Telegram app. Russia unleashed its deadliest attack so far this year on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and other cities Wednesday night, killing at least 17 ‌people, including a 12-year-old child, and wounding scores, in drone and missile strikes, officials said on Thursday. Read: Germany's Merz hosts Ukraine's Zelenskiy for talks in Berlin In Russia, a major Ukrainian drone attack on the Black Sea port of Tuapse killed two people, including a 14-year-old girl, injured seven, and sparked a large fire, Russian officials and media reported. The port is home to a major oil refinery as well as an export hub for oil, coal and fertiliser. Overnight in Kyiv, fires in ​several di...