"You know, look, India, for years has, and I don't blame them, I blame us, because we had stupid people here. India for years really took advantage of the United States," Trump said. "They charged us tremendous tariffs , and they paid nothing."

The president said the current situation had shifted in the United States' favour, adding that his administration was generating greater economic benefits from trade with India.

This year alone, Togo announced visa-free access for all African passport holders. That means Africans can enter the country without going through a visa application process. Ghana also introduced a free e-visa initiative during its Africa Day celebrations.

While the policy still requires travellers to apply before arrival, the application itself comes at no cost. The distinction matters because one removes the process entirely, while the other removes the financial burden.

Additionally, at the African Development Bank meetings in Brazzaville, the Republic of Congo announced that from January 2027, Africans will no longer need visas to enter the country.

"As from the first of January 2027, nationals of all African countries will have visa-free access and will no longer need a visa to come to Congo," President Denis Sassou-Nguesso said .

Rwanda , Benin, Seychelles and The Gambia have already made similar moves in recent years, signalling a broader continental shift toward freer African movement.

But while many countries are opening doors, South Africa appears to be tightening its own.

In recent months, tensions surrounding African migrants and foreign-owned businesses have intensified in parts of South Africa. Groups of protesters and vigilantes have marched through cities such as Johannesburg, Durban and Pretoria, accusing other Africans of contributing to unemployment, crime and economic hardship. Some businesses owned by fellow Africans have reportedly been attacked or threatened during these demonstrations.

This contrast has created an uncomfortable conversation across the continent.

South Africa’s concerns are not entirely disconnected from reality. The country faces serious economic pressures, including high unemployment , inequality and frustration among many citizens who feel left behind. But the challenge lies in how those frustrations are directed. When economic hardship turns into hostility against fellow Africans, it raises difficult questions about continental solidarity.

“We were losing to Russia and to China in space and we had it as part of the Air Force but it wasn't really thought of,” he said, arguing that the field had previously lacked focus when managed under the Air Force.

He added that the establishment of the United States Space Force had changed the situation significantly, placing strong leadership in charge and improving performance.

“We put a great general in charge and the Space Force is now leading the other countries, China, Russia, and there is no fourth, really,” Trump said.

Footage from the drills showed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) being intercepted by surface-to-air missiles, targets struck at sea, and infantry units executing beach defence operations.

The drills are part of the 41st annual Balikatan exercises, a long-standing military partnership between Philippines and the United States aimed at strengthening regional defence preparedness. This year’s exercises placed particular focus on counter-landing operations.

“The ideas I get for sculptures mostly start with me looking at pieces of scrap,” he explained. “I pay close attention to see what animal or human form they resemble, then visualise and transform them into a sculpture.”

Footage from his workshop shows a range of large-scale creations, including towering human figures, oversized faces, and imaginative alien forms—all assembled from repurposed metal.

Held in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, the festival centres on devotion to Aravan, a figure from Hindu mythology associated with sacrifice and transformation. For many attendees, often from the marginalised hijra community, the event represents both a sacred pilgrimage and a rare space of belonging.

Speaking at the event, Adedolapo Fasawe, Mandate Secretary for Health and Environment in the Federal Capital Territory, explained that the drug is strictly for prevention.

“Lenacapavir is long-acting and is for the prevention of HIV/AIDS,” she said, stressing the importance of testing negative before receiving the injection. “If you're positive, the medicine doesn't work… and may even be injurious to your health.”

“You cannot claim you will lift all sanctions while you are actually intensifying them,” he said, accusing the US of further escalating tensions through what he called “acts of maritime piracy.”

Note: Date mentioned in the article has been corrected from Friday, April 30, to Friday, May 1.

Visibly emotional, Sawe shared the moment with supporters, insisting the achievement was a collective effort. “All the things that we have done in London, I didn't do them myself but as a team,” he said. “This is a record for all of us.”

It focuses on offshore gas exploration, particularly in the Deltana Platform and the Loran gas field, key areas in Venezuela’s northeastern energy reserves.

Speaking at the ceremony, Rodríguez described BP’s return as a signal of the kind of international partnerships Venezuela aims to rebuild. She said the government is pursuing “relations of respect” and cooperation based on shared benefits, adding that the deal forms part of a broader energy agenda designed to support economic recovery and job creation.

“Very good ideas were put forward, and there are now very good grounds for cooperation,” he said, adding that Putin praised the resilience of the Iranian people .

According to Araghchi, the Russian leader said that “not only Russia, but the whole world is studying the Iranian people for their steadfastness in the face of America and, in essence, for their victory in this unequal and unfair war.”

The march began on April 8 in El Porvenir with around 100 participants, but organisers say the movement has grown significantly, now drawing about 3,000 people .

Demonstrators are calling for the repeal of Law 1720, which they say could undermine land rights in Indigenous and rural communities.

Feyfer Quajiru, Executive Secretary of the Harakbut, Yine, and Matsiguenga Council, said the protest movement has three main demands.

“We have three demands. First, the immediate repeal of Law 1720. Second, the immediate legal protection of our lands. And third, the anti-blockade law, which we will not accept either, just as we will not accept other laws being passed without consultation, without proper engagement with the public,” he said.

One visiting monk described the gathering as both rare and moving.

“I feel very happy and deeply moved by what we are seeing here today. It is very rare to witness monks from across the country gathering together like this from more than 40,000 temples,” he said.

Another monk said the event reflected the vitality and unity of Buddhism in the country.

“When you see the monastic community gathered together here at Dhammakaya Temple, it makes you feel that Buddhism is truly flourishing,” he said.

“Why do we want Venezuela free of sanctions? Because we want Venezuela to be able to fully expand, without any kind of restriction, all of its capacities, all of its potential, its immense wealth that has made Venezuela,” she said.

Rodríguez also urged political leaders and citizens to reflect on the events of January 3, saying the violence should never be repeated.

“We have total control of the Strait. And the fact that it's closed, you know, they would have opened it up three days ago,” Trump said.

According to the president, Iranian officials had approached the United States proposing to reopen the vital shipping route.

“They came to us, and they said, we will agree to open the Strait. And all my people were happy. Everybody was happy, except me,” he said.

“The EU asked Ukraine to repair the Druzhba oil pipeline, which Russia had destroyed. We have repaired it. We hope the EU will also deliver on the agreed commitments,” he said.

Zelensky also expressed concern over what he described as a lack of progress on additional EU sanctions against Russia, warning that delays risk weakening international pressure on Moscow.

“In a world wounded by arrogance, people are hungry and thirsty for justice. We must value those who believe in peace and dare to implement policies that go against the tide, focused on the common good,” he said during a speech.

“We see daily statements, I don’t know if jokingly or not, from President Trump saying that he has already ended eight wars and still hasn’t won the Nobel Peace Prize,” Lula said.

“So it’s important that we quickly give a Nobel Prize to President Trump so that there are no more wars,” he added sarcastically.

Lula’s comment came as he reiterated Brazil’s commitment to maintaining balanced relations with global powers rather than aligning with geopolitical blocs.

“South Africa supports climate action. We are committed to the just transition towards a low-carbon economy ,” he said. “But new regulatory frameworks, including the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, must not become instruments that inadvertently punish emerging economies for emissions they did not historically cause.”

The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism introduced by the European Union aims to prevent so-called carbon leakage by placing a carbon price on certain imported goods.

From January 2026, under the policy’s definitive phase, importers of carbon-intensive products such as steel , cement, aluminium, fertilisers, electricity and hydrogen will have to pay for the emissions associated with their production as part of the EU’s broader plan to reach climate neutrality by 2050.

Organisers said the mission is supported by a coalition of more than 70 vessels and around 1,000 participants from over 70 countries. According to a statement from the Global Sumud Flotilla, the initiative has entered its final departure phase from Barcelona.

Ghada said the twins were born 17 years after her older children . The family had already been displaced once during the conflict in November 2023 but returned home in March 2025, hoping the situation had stabilised.

Their hopes were short-lived when violence resumed about a year later, forcing them to evacuate again.

“Our forces are continuing to strike Hezbollah. The fighting is focused on Bint Jbeil,” Netanyahu said. “We are about to overcome Bint Jbeil. We are, in effect, about to eliminate this great stronghold of Hezbollah.”

Bint Jbeil has long been regarded as a key flashpoint along the Israel-Lebanon border and was a major battleground during the 2006 Lebanon War.

The Israeli leader accused European nations of losing control over their identity and values, adding that Israel’s actions were helping protect the continent.

Before the negotiations were underway, US President Donald Trump declared that the US had 'won' the war regardless of diplomatic efforts, adding, "Whether we make a deal or not makes no difference to me."

She added that a brief email exchange with Maxwell should not be interpreted as evidence of a deeper connection.

“My polite reply to her email doesn't amount to anything more than a trivial note. I am not Epstein's victim. Epstein did not introduce me to Donald Trump ,” she said.

According to Netanyahu, the talks would focus on the disarmament of Hezbollah and the possibility of reaching what he described as a “sustainable, historic” peace agreement between the two countries.

Footage from the scene shows thousands of yellow-wrapped packages stacked under police guard as officers and sniffer dogs secured the area. Officials confirmed the massive haul was discovered during an operation targeting criminal networks operating in the city.

“Never before has such a volume been seized, approximately 48 tonnes of drugs. It is a historic record,” said Luciano, commander of the Dog Operations Battalion of the Military Police of Rio de Janeiro State.

The drugs were found in the Complexo da Maré after a Belgian Malinois sniffer dog named Hulk detected narcotics hidden beneath a water tank. Officers later uncovered a sealed bunker inside an abandoned building where the large shipment had been stored.

The bar, made from nearly 2,000 kilograms of chocolate, surpasses the 220-metre record set in 2025.

While these huge sums are deployed daily for military activities, hundreds of millions of people still lack access to basic food.

According to the UN World Food Programme, ending global hunger by 2030 could cost around $93 billion per year, which is less than 1% of what the world has spent on military budgets over the past decade.

Yet, the U.S. alone spends roughly $2.7–$3 billion per day on defence when annual budgets are broken down into daily figures.

In simple terms, a fraction of global military expenditure could fund large-scale hunger reduction programmes.

In fact, the same conflicts that drive military spending often worsen hunger directly by displacing populations and disrupting agriculture.

A UN Development Programme report warns that rising military budgets are “diverting resources from the very foundations of stability,” including food systems and development.

The Boston Consulting Group notes that investment in sustainable agriculture can be four times more cost-effective than direct food aid, yet it receives only a small share of global funding.

So could the U.S. “solve world hunger” by redirecting war spending?

Reallocating hundreds of billions of dollars could dramatically reduce hunger. But ending it entirely would require sustained global coordination, institutional reform and long-term investment beyond emergency feeding.

But although the world can afford to end hunger, is it willing to prioritise it?

Abortions remain illegal in the predominantly Catholic country, with both patients and providers facing prison terms of up to six years. As a result, many Filipinas rely on informal networks and online forums where unlicensed sellers advertise abortifacients, often without proper medical guidance.

“It was very painful, as if my abdomen was being twisted,” Jane said, recounting how a purported doctor inserted a pill into her cervix without anaesthesia during a follow-up visit.

She added that she was warned not to disclose the abortion if complications arose. “I heard stories that some women were reported to the police , ignored or left to die when they reached the hospital,” the 31-year-old said.

Although post-abortion care has been legal for more than a decade, access remains limited. Many healthcare providers are reluctant to offer treatment due to fears of legal repercussions or losing their professional licenses.

According to Junice Melgar of the Likhaan Center for Women's Health , which serves low-income communities in Manila, the situation places both patients and providers in a difficult position.

“I believe that a lot of providers would like to help. They might find it ethical, but it’s a scary proposition for them,” she said.

The ongoing restrictions continue to drive vulnerable women toward unsafe alternatives, raising concerns among health advocates about the risks to women’s lives and wellbeing.

Speaking in Washington, D.C. on Monday, March 9, the U.S. president made the remarks when asked whether ending military operations after achieving strategic objectives would amount to abandoning the Iranian population .

In a televised interview, Gharibabadi said Iran considers its current actions to be self-defence rather than aggression.

Spokesperson Ebrahim Zolfaghari said Iranian forces had launched more than 700 drones and hundreds of ballistic missiles within 48 hours, describing the barrage as surpassing the scale of a previous 12-day confrontation.

Iranian authorities blamed the United States and Israel for the attack. Israel said it was “not aware” of operations in the area, while the United States said it was reviewing the reports.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was confirmed dead in the attack.

Iran has responded with strikes on Israel and US assets across the Gulf region, with explosions reported in several countries.

Speaking before Israel’s parliament, Modi reflected on the migration of Indian Jews to Israel in the mid-20th century, noting the deep-rooted ties between the two nations.

Drone footage recorded on Monday, February 23, showed deserted streets across the tourist hub, with burned-out vehicles abandoned along roadways. Several shops remained shuttered, while others bore charred exteriors and scattered debris in the aftermath of the unrest.