Global Pulse

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  • Starmer insists ‘this is not our war’ as Iran weighs up attacking UK bases

    Starmer insists ‘this is not our war’ as Iran weighs up attacking UK bases

    As the conflict between the US-led coalition and Iran enters another week, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has delivered a televised address to the nation seeking to ease widespread public anxiety over the UK’s potential entanglement in the war. Standing behind a Downing Street podium on Wednesday morning, flanked by two Union Jacks and clad in a somber blue tie, the prime minister appeared visibly fatigued and grave as he addressed the unfolding crisis in the Gulf region.

    Starmer’s speech shifted between moments of calm reassurance, expressions of sympathy for those affected by escalating tensions, and weighty, often abstract warnings about the historic stakes of the current conflict. Opening with a message of resolve, he told the British public: “No matter how fierce this storm, we are well placed to weather it.”

    The core policy announcement of the address was the formation of a 35-nation unified coalition dedicated to protecting maritime security in the Gulf waters. Starmer confirmed that UK Foreign Secretary will host the first in-person gathering of coalition members later this week, with the explicit goal of securing unimpeded, safe access to the Strait of Hormuz — the strategically critical chokepoint currently held under de facto Iranian control. Acknowledging the challenge ahead, Starmer admitted: “This will not be easy.”

    Throughout the 20-minute address, the prime minister repeatedly pushed back against growing public fears that the UK would be pulled into active combat. “People worry that the UK will be dragged into this,” he said. “We won’t. This is not our war. We will not be drawn into the conflict.”

    The address comes amid significant pressure on Starmer from former US President Donald Trump, who has spent weeks publicly mocking and criticizing the British leader for his initial hesitation to back the US-Israeli operation against Iran. Wednesday’s speech was widely seen as an attempt to balance defiance against US pressure with reassurance for a war-weary British public.

    But Starmer’s insistence on UK neutrality has left many Britons confused, given the critical role British territory plays in US military operations against Iran. RAF Fairford, a Royal Air Force base located in southwest England’s Gloucestershire, has become a key launching pad for US strikes targeting Iranian military infrastructure. As of the start of this week, 23 long-range US bombers are stationed at the base, which the US has been permitted to use for strikes against Iranian missile sites and offensive operations intended to open the Strait of Hormuz, a deployment that entered its second week this week.

    Just hours before Starmer’s address, Iran’s ambassador to the UK, Seyed Ali Mousavi, told Times Radio that Tehran was actively considering retaliatory strikes against British bases hosting US forces. A week and a half earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi had already warned the UK’s foreign secretary that allowing the US to use British soil for military action amounted to “participation in aggression.” Speaking Wednesday, Mousavi called the UK’s position “very unfortunate.”

    Beyond the question of military involvement, Starmer sought to manage public expectations around the economic fallout of the crisis, pushing back against optimistic claims from Donald Trump that the war is nearly over. Trump, who on Tuesday publicly told the UK to “go get your own oil” and insisted the US would not assist European allies in re-opening the Strait of Hormuz, has framed the conflict as nearing a successful conclusion. Starmer pushed back against that optimism, telling the public: “I don’t think it can necessarily be assumed that a de-escalation of the conflict at the same time brings a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.”

    On the topic of domestic energy costs, which have been rocked by Gulf conflict volatility, Starmer confirmed that existing government support measures remain in place: a four-month cap on household energy bills and a freeze on fuel duty lasting until September. He claimed the government was “ahead of the game” in responding to price swings, and deflected repeated questions from reporters about whether he would follow Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s lead, who earlier the same day urged his citizens to reduce fuel consumption by switching to public transport where possible. “I’m sick and tired of your energy bills fluctuating up and down,” Starmer said. “We’re taking back control of our energy security by investing in clean British energy.”

    The prime minister also used the crisis to announce a vague long-term strategy, promising that the UK would not return to “business as usual” after the conflict ends. “This time will be different,” he pledged, revealing that the government has drafted a “long term plan to emerge from this war a stronger and more secure nation” — though he offered no specific details on what the plan entails. “How we emerge from this crisis will define us for a generation,” he said. For Starmer, the immediate political priority remains upcoming local elections scheduled for May, as the prime minister balances national crisis management with domestic political pressures.

  • A road accident in Colombia involving several vehicles kills at least 2 people and injures 19

    A road accident in Colombia involving several vehicles kills at least 2 people and injures 19

    A devastating early-morning collision at a highway toll station in central Colombia has left at least two people dead and 19 others injured, local regional authorities confirmed Wednesday. The multi-vehicle crash unfolded approximately 31 miles north of Colombia’s capital city Bogotá, on a heavily traveled artery in the Cundinamarca department, according to regional governor Emilio Rey, who shared details of the incident on social platform X.

    Rey explained that the chain reaction crash was triggered when a milk delivery truck suffered total brake failure, barreling into the line of stopped vehicles waiting to pay tolls. The out-of-control truck slammed into six passenger vehicles and one motorcycle already positioned at the booth, sparking a series of powerful explosions that engulfed multiple vehicles in intense fire. Eyewitness accounts and footage from the crash site confirm multiple blasts that left most of the involved vehicles completely destroyed by flames.

    Local media footage captured chaotic, harrowing scenes at the site: bystanders tearfully worked to extract trapped survivors from mangled wreckage, while thick black smoke billowed from burning vehicles. Hollman Osma, one witness who was at the toll booth when the crash occurred, described the sudden, shocking event to local news outlet Noticias Caracol. “I saw when the truck went through the toll booth, then there was an explosion, it overturned, and there were strong explosions and vehicles burning,” Osma said. “There was absolutely nothing that could be done.”

    In response to the disaster, emergency services mobilized a large contingent to the crash area: at least 11 ambulances, alongside teams of firefighters and law enforcement officers, were dispatched to conduct search and rescue operations and transport the injured to medical facilities. All injured victims are currently receiving care at hospitals in surrounding communities, though Governor Rey has not yet released further information on the severity of their injuries or their current prognosis. As of Wednesday afternoon, the highway remained fully closed to through traffic while investigators work to document the crash site and clear wreckage from the road.

  • Palestine protest organisers found guilty of breaching police restrictions

    Palestine protest organisers found guilty of breaching police restrictions

    In a high-profile verdict that has reignited debates over protest rights and the criminalization of pro-Palestine activism in the United Kingdom, two veteran movement leaders have been convicted of violating police-imposed restrictions stemming from a major January Gaza war protest in central London. Chris Nineham, 62, vice-chair of the Stop the War Coalition, and Ben Jamal, 61, chair of the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign (PSC), were found guilty on two counts of breaching the UK Public Order Act following a three-day trial at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.

    The case traces back to a mass national demonstration organized by a coalition of pro-Palestine advocacy groups, which had planned a march from a starting point outside the BBC’s headquarters to protest what organisers decry as the outlet’s pro-Israel media bias in its coverage of the Gaza conflict. The route was first publicly announced in late November 2024, and received initial approval from the Metropolitan Police. However, following objections from pro-Israel groups, Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, and multiple sitting Members of Parliament, police revised the permit, relocating the starting point over concerns about its proximity to a nearby synagogue. On the day of the protest, police imposed a last-minute additional restriction that converted the planned march into a static demonstration confined to Whitehall.

    The two activists were arrested after a small contingent of demonstrators left the static rally to travel to Trafalgar Square to lay flowers in honor of children killed in Gaza. Prosecutors argued that protesters deliberately forced their way through a police cordon after the rally ended, and that Jamal delivered a speech that incited the crowd to defy the legally imposed restrictions.

    Delivering the ruling, District Judge Daniel Sternberg upheld the prosecution’s position, ruling that the police’s restrictions were lawful, issued under valid statutory powers, and based on a reasonable assessment of risks including large crowd size (estimated by PSC itself at 100,000 attendees) and potential disruption to local businesses and worshippers at nearby synagogues. Sternberg stated that Jamal’s speech amounted to incitement, framing it as deliberate persuasion and inducement to encourage attendees to breach the imposed conditions. He also rejected a defense application to dismiss the case entirely.

    During the trial, the defense mounted a vigorous challenge to the prosecution’s narrative. Mark Summers KC, representing Nineham and Jamal, argued the entire case was unlawful, citing a previous Court of Appeal ruling that found legislation granting police unlimited power to restrict protests was enacted outside legal bounds. Body-worn police footage played in court revealed significant operational chaos among officers on the ground: one officer was captured referring to the police response as a “massive clusterfuck,” while another can be heard shouting orders to withdraw as the cordon was overwhelmed by crowd density. Summers emphasized the footage undermines claims of a premeditated breach, instead showing inconsistent communication, poor planning, and reactive policing that failed to manage the large demonstration. He also noted that multiple video recordings from the day show police themselves ushered organisers through police lines, contradicting the prosecution’s version of events.

    Outside the courthouse following the verdict, both Nineham and Jamal announced they would immediately appeal the conviction, framing the ruling as a major blow to civil liberties in the UK. Nineham described the verdict as part of a systemic campaign to criminalize the pro-Palestine movement, saying: “This is clearly part of an ongoing criminalisation of the Palestine movement in which people protesting against a genocide are being targeted by a British establishment that is colluding with it. It is an attempt to send a chilling message across society that people shouldn’t risk protesting – it is an attempt that will not stop us.”

    Jamal echoed the criticism, noting the judge’s acknowledgment that the pair had previously possessed good character, which the conviction now revokes. He responded by referencing a core moral question from Palestinian activists: “What did you do when Gaza was going through a genocide? History will judge which of us stood on the right side of history. Chris and I will not be silenced. You will not be silenced. This movement will not be silenced.”

    The verdict drew widespread condemnation from across UK left-wing politics. Labour MP John McDonnell, who was arrested alongside the two organisers on the day of the protest, called the ruling a “grotesque” attack on civil liberties. Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, now leader of the left-wing Your Party and a longstanding critic of UK foreign policy in the Middle East, described the decision as “disgusting,” and reiterated calls for the UK to end its military and political support for Israel and U.S. operations in the region.

    The January protest was one of more than 20 national pro-Palestine demonstrations held across the UK since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, all calling for an immediate ceasefire and an end to British state backing for Israel’s military campaign.

  • Trump Fed pick Warsh eyes a ‘family fight’ shakeup

    Trump Fed pick Warsh eyes a ‘family fight’ shakeup

    When former U.S. President Donald Trump named Kevin Warsh as his pick for Federal Reserve Chair on January 30, 2026, global financial markets immediately zeroed in on one prevailing question: Would the long-time inflation hawk retain his tough stance on price growth, or would he bend to the president’s long-standing demand for lower benchmark interest rates?

    But two New York University economists argue that this widespread focus misses the bigger, underdiscussed story. Drawing on decades of peer-reviewed research on central banking practice and an extensive 2023 interview with Warsh conducted for an upcoming book on the Federal Reserve, the pair argue that the most transformative change under Warsh’s leadership would not be shifts in interest rate levels, but an overhaul of how the Fed conducts internal deliberations and communicates its policy decisions to the public.

    The 2023 interview revealed two core throughlines in Warsh’s thinking on central banking. The first, a long-stated commitment to anchoring price stability, aligned with market expectations. The second, however, offered surprising insight into his policy priorities: a deep desire to reimagine the Fed’s current framework for internal policy debate and public communication.

    During the conversation, Warsh shared a formative anecdote from 2006, when he was first nominated to the Fed’s Board of Governors and sought guidance from legendary former Fed Chair Paul Volcker. Volcker’s first instruction was to set interest rates “about right” — a phrase Warsh says acknowledges the unavoidable reality that policymakers can never calculate the exact optimal policy rate with perfect precision, given the complexity of the U.S. economy.

    But Volcker shared a second, far more important lesson that has stayed with Warsh: Always project confidence and intentionality in the Fed’s actions. For Warsh, this framing underscores a core truth of modern central banking: setting policy is only half the job; the other half is framing outcomes as the product of rigorous, thoughtful deliberation to maintain public and market confidence.

    Warsh has long advocated for what he calls the “family fight” model of monetary policymaking: robust, unfiltered disagreement among committee members behind closed doors, followed by a unified public message once a final decision is reached. He pointed to the 2007-2009 financial crisis under then-Chair Ben Bernanke as a successful example of this approach: heated debates unfolded in the chair’s office until the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) reached a consensus, after which all members spoke with one cohesive voice to markets. For large, systemically important institutions — particularly during periods of economic crisis — projecting a unified public stance is non-negotiable, Warsh argues.

    This framework shaped Warsh’s 2014 policy review for the Bank of England, where he recommended that policy meetings open with unrecorded, off-the-record discussion to enable this type of open debate. His core concern is that the current norm of releasing full meeting transcripts years after the fact changes how policymakers speak: when officials know their words will eventually face public scrutiny, they tend to hedge their positions and avoid blunt, honest takes rather than sharing unvarnished perspectives. This dynamic, he argues, weakens the quality of decision-making by discouraging genuine debate.

    Warsh’s stance represents a sharp break from the Fed’s 30-year trajectory toward greater transparency, a shift that policymakers have framed as critical to reducing market uncertainty, anchoring economic expectations, and improving policy effectiveness. The shift began in 1994 under then-Chair Alan Greenspan, when the Fed first started publicly announcing its interest rate decisions — a major break from decades prior, when markets were forced to infer policy shifts from the Fed’s open market operations. Bernanke expanded this transparency push after the 2008 crisis, introducing quarterly press conferences, forward guidance on future interest rate moves, and the publication of FOMC members’ interest rate projections, widely known as the “dot plot.” Subsequent chairs Janet Yellen and Jerome Powell retained this framework, with Powell holding a press conference after every FOMC meeting and working to replace cryptic “Fed speak” with clear, accessible language. Today, the Fed is far more transparent than at any point in its history, regularly explaining both its decisions and its interpretation of broader economic trends.

    Warsh, however, remains deeply skeptical of this push for ever-greater transparency. In the 2023 interview, he argued that publishing individual policymakers’ projections encourages a “troubling convergence of views” that stifles genuine, productive disagreement within the FOMC. In his view, short-term economic forecasts offer limited practical benefit while subtly biasing how officials think about future policy, locking in consensus before new data can shift perspectives.

    His critique extends to all forms of expansive central bank communication. He argues that oversharing policy intentions makes it harder for policymakers to adjust course when economic conditions change, noting that extensive pre-commitment to a policy path erodes a central banker’s “ability to change his mind.” For Warsh, a central bank that cannot adapt its position when new information emerges cannot be considered credible — and credibility, he argues, comes from adaptability, not rigid consistency, a stance that would put widely used tools like the dot plot into question.

    The debate over Fed communication carries far more weight than many observers recognize, because modern financial markets respond just as much to central bank signals as they do to actual policy actions. Investors do not wait for rate changes to adjust their portfolios; they rebalance holdings based on expectations of future Fed moves. Proponents of current transparency practices argue forward guidance and published projections reduce volatility by helping markets anticipate policy shifts.

    A shift toward Warsh’s model would not inherently push interest rates higher or lower, but it would almost certainly make policy less predictable — even though the unified public stance he favors would offset some of that uncertainty. Markets would likely become more sensitive to incoming economic data, as fewer explicit signals about the Fed’s long-term intentions would be available to price in.

    These impacts stretch far beyond Wall Street trading floors. Mortgage rates, corporate investment plans, and business hiring decisions all rely on expectations of future borrowing costs. The current framework of clear communication stabilizes these expectations, while a shift toward greater policymaker discretion would give the Fed more flexibility to respond to unexpected economic shocks.

    Based on his 2023 comments, Warsh’s priority would be to trade some of that current predictability for greater policy adaptability. Under his leadership, the public would likely receive less explicit guidance about where policy is heading, but policy could adjust faster when economic conditions shift.

    The authors note that they cannot predict whether Warsh would push for lower rates or stick to Volcker’s mantra of getting policy “about right.” But Warsh’s own public and private comments make clear that his first priority would be reshaping how the Fed debates, signals, and defends its policy decisions — and in modern central banking, changing how the Fed communicates can ultimately change the very nature of policy itself.

  • Naomi Girma set to return home to San Jose for USWNT match against Japan

    Naomi Girma set to return home to San Jose for USWNT match against Japan

    For the first time since the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup send-off series, Northern California native Naomi Girma will pull on the United States women’s national soccer team jersey in front of her hometown crowd this April, a homecoming USWNT head coach Emma Hayes made official with her roster announcement Wednesday.

    Girma, who was born in San Jose and rose to collegiate stardom at nearby Stanford University, is named to the 26-player squad for the U.S. team’s three-game friendly series against reigning Asian Cup champions Japan. The series kicks off April 11 at San Jose’s PayPal Park, a ground just minutes from where Girma grew up playing youth club soccer.

    The 25-year-old defender’s last appearance on a national team roster in her home region came in a 2-0 pre-World Cup win over Wales in 2023, and she called the upcoming match a surreal, deeply meaningful opportunity. “Playing for the national team in the Bay always just feels like kind of surreal,” Girma said. “Seeing a lot of people who come to support me, who were there when I was playing club soccer, just playing for fun, and being like, ‘Wow, I can’t believe that we’re all here and we’ve made it this far.’ So it always is really special for me.”

    Girma’s career has reached new heights since her last hometown appearance. She made her USWNT debut in 2022, has earned 52 caps to date, and claimed a gold medal as part of the 2024 Paris Olympic roster. Earlier this year, she made a high-profile move to Women’s Super League side Chelsea in a $1.1 million transfer from NWSL’s San Diego Wave, and just last weekend she notched her first WSL goal in a dramatic 4-3 win over Aston Villa that pushed Chelsea into second place in the league table, just behind leader Manchester City.

    Girma is not the only familiar Stanford product returning to the national team fold for this series. Her former collegiate teammate Sophia Sophia Wilson has earned her first USWNT call-up in 15 months, after stepping away from the game last year to welcome her first child. Experienced defender Tierna Davidson, who suffered an ACL tear last NWSL season, will also make her return to the squad after more than a year out of international play. The left-back last represented the U.S. in February 2025 before her injury, and Hayes confirmed Wednesday that Davidson will be on limited minutes for the series.

    Wilson, who plays her club soccer with the Portland Thorns, was omitted from the recent SheBelieves Cup roster as she worked her way back to full match fitness following maternity leave. She has earned 58 caps for the USWNT, netting 24 goals including three during the Paris Olympic run. With 67 international caps to her name, Davidson’s return adds further depth to the U.S. defensive line, while Wilson’s comeback brings a proven attacking threat back to the pool.

    Girma emphasized that the upcoming series against Japan will serve as a valuable measuring stick for the USWNT 15 months ahead of the 2027 Women’s World Cup hosted by Brazil. “They’re a great side, just won the Asian Cup,” Girma said. “I think they’re very organized in their defense, but then also in their attack and they bring something different to a lot of other opponents that we play. So I think it’s always a good test for us to measure ourselves against them.”

    Looking ahead to the 2027 tournament, Girma said the combination of returning veteran players and the program’s ongoing integration of emerging under-23 talent has the team in a strong position. “Seeing a lot of younger players be able to come into a full team camp and not really miss a beat, and not seem like they don’t know what’s going on, or feel like it’s a little bit too much, I think that transition has become really smooth,” she explained. “And I think with having some players come back in that weren’t in last year, it’s a really exciting time for our team. We have a big pool who now has experience, whether it’s in the last year, in the last couple years, ready to fill any role that we need.”

    After the opening match in San Jose, the series will travel to Seattle’s Lumen Field for the second fixture on April 14, before wrapping up on April 17 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado. The full roster, with position breakdowns and club affiliations, is as follows:
    – Goalkeepers: Jane Campbell (Houston Dash), Claudia Dickey (Seattle Reign), Phallon Tullis-Joyce (Manchester United)
    – Defenders: Tierna Davidson (Gotham FC), Emily Fox (Arsenal), Naomi Girma (Chelsea), Avery Patterson (Houston Dash), Lilly Reale (Gotham FC), Emily Sams (Angel City), Emily Sonnett (Gotham FC), Gisele Thompson (Angel City), Kennedy Wesley (San Diego Wave)
    – Midfielders: Sam Coffey (Manchester City), Lindsey Heaps (OL Lyonnes), Claire Hutton (Bay FC), Rose Lavelle (Gotham FC), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns), Jaedyn Shaw (Gotham FC), Lily Yohannes (OL Lyonnes)
    – Forwards: Michelle Cooper (Kansas City Current), Jameese Joseph (Chicago Stars), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Emma Sears (Racing Louisville), Ally Sentnor (Kansas City Current), Alyssa Thompson (Chelsea), Sophia Wilson (Portland Thorns)

  • Japanese scholar demands government apology over embassy intrusion

    Japanese scholar demands government apology over embassy intrusion

    A senior Japanese academic and Sino-Japanese friendship leader is pressing the Japanese government to issue a formal public apology to Beijing over a deeply alarming breach of diplomatic protocol that took place in late March. Hisashi Inoue, honorary professor at Surugadai University and chairman of the Japan-China Friendship Association, has labeled the March 24 incident — where an active officer of the Japan Self-Defense Forces forced entry into the Chinese Embassy in Japan while armed with a knife — an extraordinarily severe violation of long-established international diplomatic norms. Inoue emphasized that the incident, which shocked diplomatic circles on both sides, constitutes a clear and grave breach of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, a foundational international treaty that guarantees the inviolability of diplomatic mission premises and the safety of diplomatic staff. As of the report’s update on April 1, 2026, the Japanese government has not extended a formal apology to China over the intrusion, only issuing a vague expression of regret over the event. Inoue argues that this mild, indirect response is wholly insufficient to address the severity of the incident and the risks it poses to bilateral ties. The long-time advocate for friendly Japan-China relations is calling on Japan’s top elected leader, the prime minister, and the country’s defense minister to deliver a formal, public apology to the Chinese government over the unacceptable incursion.

  • DR Congo declares national holiday after reaching World Cup for first time in 52 years

    DR Congo declares national holiday after reaching World Cup for first time in 52 years

    Jubilation erupted across the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) this week after the national men’s football team, the Leopards, booked their first place at the FIFA World Cup in more than half a century, prompting the government to declare an immediate national public holiday to honor the historic achievement.

    The dramatic qualification came in an inter-confederation playoff against Jamaica on Tuesday, where former Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe, a Congolese native born in conflict-torn Bunia, netted the winning goal in the 100th minute of extra time to seal a 1-0 victory. When the final whistle blew, elated fans poured into the streets of the capital Kinshasa in the early hours of Wednesday morning, waving national flags, chanting slogans, and celebrating a moment decades in the making.

    Within hours of the win, DRC’s Ministry of Labour and Employment announced that Wednesday would be a nationwide public holiday, allowing all Congolese citizens to mark the “momentous” victory “in unity, fervour and national pride”. Most businesses, banks and retail outlets across Kinshasa shut their doors for the day to accommodate celebrations, though a small number of workplaces continued operations as normal, due to the very short notice of the holiday announcement, which was made at 8 a.m. local time on Wednesday itself.

    This milestone marks only the second time DRC has qualified for the World Cup. The nation’s only previous appearance came back in 1974, when the country was still known internationally as Zaire. The Leopards will kick off their 2026 World Cup campaign against Portugal — led by global superstar Cristiano Ronaldo — in Houston, United States, on June 17, before facing Colombia and Uzbekistan in the group stage. The 2026 tournament, expanded to 48 teams and co-hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada, will see DRC join nine other African nations in the finals.

    For a country that has endured decades of persistent armed conflict, with renewed violence escalating in the eastern region over the last two years following territorial advances by the M23 rebel group, the historic win has offered a rare moment of collective national joy. One Congolese supporter spoke to the BBC amid the Kinshasa celebrations, saying, “Whatever we may be feeling at the moment, amidst pain and war and occupation, this victory makes us proud… I feel so emotional and happy.”

    Tuanzebe, whose hometown of Bunia sits at the center of the ongoing unrest, called his game-winning goal “without a doubt the most important” of his entire professional career. “I’m so grateful to have scored that goal for the team, for the nation. I realise the magnitude of what it represents and the joy it brings to people,” he said after the match.

    Notably, the congratulations have crossed tense regional political divides. Even as diplomatic relations between DRC and neighboring Rwanda remain sharply strained, with Rwanda widely accused of backing the M23 insurgency — a claim Rwandan authorities deny — the Rwandan government issued a public message of celebration for DRC’s qualification. Deputy government spokesperson Jean Maurice Uwera wrote in a post on X, “Leopards stepping up for Africa! Congratulations DR Congo, go make the continent proud on the world stage.”

    In the Kinshasa neighborhood of Kingabwa, jubilant fans took to the streets chanting “Christiano Ronaldo is next”, already looking ahead to the team’s opening group stage match against the five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s side this summer.

  • Marina Silva steps down as Brazil’s environment minister to run for Congress

    Marina Silva steps down as Brazil’s environment minister to run for Congress

    SAO PAULO — One of the world’s most respected climate advocates, Brazil’s Environment Minister Marina Silva, announced Wednesday that she will depart her cabinet post in President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s administration to compete in Brazil’s upcoming national congressional election this fall.

    Per Brazil’s strict election regulations, any cabinet official seeking elected office must resign from their government position no later than six months before the October 4 vote, clearing the way for her transition. João Paulo Ribeiro Capobianco, a career environmentalist who has served as executive secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, will step into the role to succeed Silva.

    In a public statement shared to her Instagram account, Silva framed her departure as the completion of a core mandate: “I fulfilled the tasks assigned to me, which involved rebuilding and moving forward Brazil’s environmental policy following years of decline.” A veteran legislator who first won a congressional seat in 1994 and was re-elected most recently in 2022, Silva added that she will return to her legislative mandate and actively campaign for Lula’s re-election bid this year.

    This departure marks the end of Silva’s second tenure leading Brazil’s environmental policy under Lula, and for the second time in her career, she leaves behind a historic drop in Amazon deforestation. When she retook the ministerial post in 2023, the country was grappling with a near-doubling of forest loss that occurred during the four-year administration of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who held office from 2019 to 2022. After taking office, Silva pledged to eliminate all illegal deforestation in Brazil by 2030, and data from her tenure shows policies rolled out under her leadership have already cut Amazon forest loss by more than 50%.

    Marcio Astrini, executive director of the Climate Observatory, a leading coalition of Brazilian environmental nonprofits, called Silva’s progress transformative. “If nothing exceptionally negative happens, we should have, if not the lowest, one of the lowest deforestation rates in the Amazon’s recorded history,” Astrini said. He added that Silva’s administration also delivered robust protections for the Cerrado savanna biome and implemented sustained, effective policies to curb the severe forest fires that ravaged the region in 2023 and 2024 amid extreme drought conditions.

    Bolsonaro, who is currently serving a 27-year prison sentence for his role in the 2022 coup attempt, centered his environmental policy on advancing agribusiness interests that opposed the creation of protected Indigenous and conservation territories and pushed for the legalization of illegally grabbed public forest land. His administration froze all new designated protected areas, gutted the budget and authority of federal environmental enforcement agencies, and transferred oversight of forest management to the agriculture ministry, which is historically aligned with agribusiness. By the year ending July 2021, Amazon deforestation under Bolsonaro hit a 15-year peak, with only a minor slowdown in destruction recorded in the following 12 months.

    Astrini noted that Silva moved quickly to reverse these changes upon her return to office: she reorganized the structure of the Environment Ministry and federal protection agencies, and restructured the Amazon Fund — the world’s largest dedicated rainforest conservation initiative, which she originally helped design during her first tenure as minister. The restructured fund secured record new international contributions, funding expanded on-the-ground enforcement operations that had been halted under Bolsonaro.

    “The environmental sector started working again in Brazil,” Astrini said. “That was the first major achievement: She put the house in order.”

    Silva was also the key driving force behind Brazil’s successful bid to host the 2025 UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in the Amazon city of Belém, and remains the most authoritative voice on Brazil’s national climate agenda. Still, Astrini acknowledged that even with Silva’s leadership, the Lula administration has faced major pushback on environmental protection from congressional factions. Last year, lawmakers passed a bill to streamline environmental licensing for large strategic infrastructure projects, cutting a process that previously took six to seven years and required multiple layers of approval down to just 12 months. Lula has also pushed forward with plans to approve exploratory offshore oil drilling at the mouth of the Amazon River, an ecologically critical region that scientists warn is highly vulnerable to oil spill damage. Silva was publicly critical of both measures, but lacked the political capital to block them.

    Born in the Amazon region and a former rubber tapper in her youth, Silva has a decades-long track record of environmental leadership. During her first tenure as environment minister under Lula’s initial two presidential terms from 2003 to 2008, she oversaw the creation of dozens of new protected conservation areas, built the country’s world-leading satellite deforestation monitoring system, and launched large-scale crackdowns on illegal environmental crime. She also helped design and launch the original Amazon Fund during that first term.

    Silva resigned from her first ministerial post in 2008 after high-profile clashes with Lula, who was shifting policy to court agribusiness interests during his second term. The two political figures reconciled years later, and Silva threw her support behind Lula’s successful 2022 election campaign that ousted Bolsonaro, clearing the way for her return to the environment ministry.

    This reporting on climate and the environment from The Associated Press receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP retains full editorial control over all content. More information on AP’s philanthropic partnership standards, a list of supporters, and funded coverage areas is available at AP.org.

  • Macron calls for ceasefire in Mideast during visit to Japan

    Macron calls for ceasefire in Mideast during visit to Japan

    During an official state visit to Tokyo on Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron publicly called for an immediate ceasefire to end escalating conflict in the Middle East, alongside joint commitments with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to deepen cross-sector bilateral cooperation spanning defense, critical resources, nuclear energy and space exploration.

    Following closed-door bilateral talks, the two leaders outlined shared foundational principles during a joint press conference held at Tokyo’s Akasaka Palace. Macron emphasized that both Paris and Tokyo are united in their commitment to upholding international law, a rules-based global order, and shared democratic values. “This is why … we both advocate for a return to peace, a ceasefire, calm, and free passage through the Strait of Hormuz,” Macron stated. Takaichi echoed this position, noting the two leaders reached consensus on the urgent need to de-escalate regional tensions, guarantee unimpeded access through the strategically critical waterway, and protect global supply chain stability. Amid growing geopolitical uncertainty across the globe, Takaichi noted that strengthening ties and collaboration between Japan and France carries particular strategic weight.

    Beyond regional diplomacy, the summit delivered concrete progress on multiple long-standing bilateral cooperation initiatives. A day prior to the leaders’ meeting, Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and his French counterpart Catherine Vautmir signed a formal road map outlining expanded defense cooperation through 2030, centered on increasing joint military exercises and personnel exchanges across the Indo-Pacific. In a separate signing ceremony, the two nations’ trade ministers formalized an agreement to collaborate on joint rare earths development projects. Rare earth elements are critical components for high-performance heat-resistant magnets used in defense systems and electric vehicle batteries, a market currently dominated by Chinese production. The two leaders also confirmed a new partnership to advance fast reactor technology and nuclear fuel recycling, an area where Japan has faced repeated technical and regulatory setbacks in recent years.

    The bilateral summit comes amid a shifting geopolitical landscape in the Indo-Pacific, where Japan and France have steadily ramped up defense cooperation over the past decade. France maintains permanent military forces, civilian populations and economic assets across its Indo-Pacific overseas territories, and has positioned itself as a key security partner for regional democracies seeking to counter balance growing Chinese influence across the region.

    Macron’s visit to Japan also unfolded hours after U.S. President Donald Trump made controversial remarks shifting responsibility for security of the Strait of Hormuz to regional consumer nations. “That’s not for us. That’ll be for France and whoever’s using the strait,” Trump stated overnight. The U.S. president has publicly criticized European allies for what he frames as insufficient support for U.S.-backed Israeli military operations, and specifically called out France for being “very unhelpful” in the conflict. Macron did not address Trump’s comments during his prepared remarks at Wednesday’s press conference, where reporters were not given the opportunity to ask questions.

    Looking ahead to the final day of Macron’s Tokyo visit on Thursday, he and Takaichi are scheduled to tour a Japanese private firm specializing in innovative space debris removal technology, a reflection of the two nations’ expanding collaboration in the space sector. Following the site visit, Macron will hold a formal courtesy meeting with Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and attend an official palace luncheon, before departing for South Korea to continue his East Asian diplomatic tour.

  • South African army arrive in crime hotspots to help tackle gangs

    South African army arrive in crime hotspots to help tackle gangs

    Facing a persistent national crisis of staggering violent crime rates, South Africa has formally rolled out a one-year military deployment across five high-risk provinces to support overstretched local police forces grappling with organized gang activity and unregulated illicit mining. The deployment, first announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa earlier in 2026, will see 2,200 soldiers deployed to the five of the country’s nine provinces that have been hit hardest by widespread criminal violence. An initial advance contingent of troops was sent to targeted high-gang areas in Gauteng province – home to South Africa’s largest city, Johannesburg – back in March, with the main full deployment kicking off across Eastern Cape, Free State, North West and Western Cape starting April 1, 2026, for a 12-month mandate. The core stated goal of the operation is to reestablish public order in communities that have been overwhelmed by persistent lawlessness. But the deployment has already sparked sharp debate over its long-term effectiveness and the appropriateness of using the military for domestic civilian policing.

    South Africa’s ongoing crime epidemic has reached alarming levels, with one of the highest intentional homicide rates in the world. The most recent official crime statistics, covering the final quarter of 2025 from October through December, show that an average of 71 people are killed across the country every day. Illicit, unregulated mining and intergenerational gang violence are two of the primary drivers of this bloodshed, particularly in densely populated urban and semi-rural hotspots across the affected provinces.

    Interviews with residents of Eldorado Park, a Johannesburg suburb that was part of the initial March deployment and targeted for its chronic gang violence, reveal sharply divided views on the military’s presence. Many locals expressed deep scepticism that the deployment would deliver any lasting change to the dangerous conditions they face daily. Leola Davies, a 74-year-old retired resident, described the suburb as an unlivable “hell-hole”, saying “Sodom and Gomorra have nothing on this place. I stay indoors all day because I just don’t want to be the next victim. Things are getting worse.” Elviena le Roux, a mother of three living in the area, said she fears the military presence will only escalate tensions rather than improve safety, predicting it would “make the violence worse”. Even some residents who welcomed the visible military patrols warned that the current 12-month mandate is not enough to bring permanent change. Ronald Rabie, a 56-year-old father of three, noted that the visible patrols have created a temporary sense of safety for local families, but warned that “Once they leave, things return to chaos – they need to be here permanently.”

    This latest deployment marks the third time Ramaphosa has called on the military to assist with domestic security challenges during his presidency. In 2023, more than 3,000 soldiers were deployed for six months to target illicit mining operations across the country. In July 2021, troops were sent into major urban centers to put down deadly widespread rioting that broke out following the arrest of former president Jacob Zuma. Under current South African law, military personnel have very limited authority to arrest civilians, and are required to turn any detained suspects over to police as quickly as possible.

    Security analysts and criminologists have raised widespread concerns about the deployment, echoing many residents’ doubts about its long-term impact. Experts point out that the South African military is trained for combat operations, not the community-centered trust-building policing that is required to reduce violent crime over time. The legacy of apartheid also looms large over the deployment: the former white minority apartheid regime regularly used the military to enforce repressive rule over Black South African communities, a history that continues to shape widespread suspicion of uniformed soldiers operating in residential neighborhoods. Guy Lamb, a leading South African criminologist, told the BBC he remains unconvinced the deployment will deliver sustainable improvements in safety. “Soldiers are not designed to engage in policing, but rather to engage in combat and use maximum force,” he explained, warning “There’s danger that they will escalate situations or respond very aggressively in tense situations.”

    Lamb pointed to the military’s controversial conduct during the Covid-19 pandemic as a cautionary precedent. At that time, troops were deployed to enforce national lockdown curfews and movement restrictions, and the operation drew widespread international and domestic condemnation after multiple reports emerged of excessive force, unlawful detention, and harassment of ordinary civilians. While national authorities have expressed confidence that the new deployment will reduce crime rates, Lamb argued that without targeted action to address the root causes of violent crime in high-risk communities, any gains will be temporary. “Without a dedicated plan to try and address why crime is so violent in these sort of places, there was a strong likelihood it would flare up again once the soldiers leave,” he said, adding “So we’re likely to see this happening into the foreseeable future, because this plan of addressing what are the root causes of crime in these areas is not in place.”