Austria has claimed antennas on the roofs of Russian Embassy buildings may have been used for spying
Austria’s decision to expel three Russian diplomats will be met with a harsh response from Moscow, the Russian Embassy in Vienna said on Monday, calling the move unjustified and politically motivated.
Earlier in the day, Reuters cited Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger as saying that the three diplomats had already left the country.
Austria has claimed antennas on the roofs of Russian Embassy buildings may have been used for spying
Austria’s decision to expel three Russian diplomats will be met with a harsh response from Moscow, the Russian Embassy in Vienna said on Monday, calling the move unjustified and politically motivated.
Earlier in the day, Reuters cited Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger as saying that the three diplomats had already left the country. The minister accused the Russian mission of “committing espionage,” claiming that an “antenna forest” on the roofs of diplomatic buildings could be used to intercept satellite communications.
”A harsh response from Moscow to these absolutely reckless actions by the Austrian side will undoubtedly follow,” the Russian Embassy in Vienna said in a statement. “Full responsibility for any further deterioration of already historically low bilateral relations lies entirely on Vienna.”
The Russian mission accused the Austrian authorities of targeting not only embassy staff but also Russian officials serving at the Permanent Mission to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
Vienna hosts the headquarters of several major international organizations – including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), OPEC, and a number of UN agencies – in which Russia participates, maintaining diplomatic and technical engagement.
Slamming the expulsion as entirely “unjustified, purely politically motivated, and categorically unacceptable,” the embassy highlighted that Austria provided no evidence of any violations of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
The latest expulsions bring the total number of Russian representatives forced to leave Austria since 2020 to 14. In September, Austria ordered a Russian diplomat to leave over alleged contact with a dismissed executive suspected of espionage at state energy company OMV. In 2024, Vienna removed two more Russian Embassy officials over activities deemed incompatible with their status. Moscow has responded with tit-for-tat measures, ordering Austrian officials of equivalent rank to depart Russia.
In April, Austrian magazine Falter reported, citing a draft from the country’s Justice Ministry, that Vienna plans to tighten its laws by introducing criminal liability for espionage targeting the EU and international organizations based in the country.
Divided into Allied sectors after World War Two, Austria long had a reputation as a den of spies during the Cold War.
Brussels is set to announce plans to build massive computing hubs while critics stress there is almost no domestic artificial intelligence industry to use them
The EU’s plan to spend over €20 billion ($23.5 billion) on AI gigafactories has drawn sharp criticism ahead of its formal launch as lawmakers and experts question whether there is any real demand for the facilities.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen first outlined the plan
Brussels is set to announce plans to build massive computing hubs while critics stress there is almost no domestic artificial intelligence industry to use them
The EU’s plan to spend over €20 billion ($23.5 billion) on AI gigafactories has drawn sharp criticism ahead of its formal launch as lawmakers and experts question whether there is any real demand for the facilities.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen first outlined the plan in February 2025 as the EU’s answer to large-scale US computing projects. It involves building four or five mega facilities with a formal call for proposals set for this spring.
However, the project has been met with pushback from lawmakers. “Nobody could explain to me what is the business case they are planning with these gigafactories,” German Greens MEP Sergey Lagodinsky has said.
“I talked to some who are saying: ‘we just need more compute in Europe.’ But then, when I ask them, ‘what for?’ They say ‘it doesn’t matter, we just need more compute.’” Lagodinsky was quoted as saying by Politico.
It is also unclear who the facilities would be used by, according to Nicoleta Kyosovska, a research assistant at a Brussels-based think tank. She described the planned datacenters as “cathedrals in the desert,” noting that Europe has only one AI company capable of using such infrastructure – the French startup Mistral, which is already building its own data centers.
A Commission spokesperson has defended the plan by arguing that Europe requires computing sovereignty to avoid dependence on other continents.
The skepticism comes amid broader concerns over global AI overspending. Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft reportedly plan to spend a combined $725 billion this year on AI infrastructure.
However, Gary Marcus, a professor emeritus at New York University, has described the planned spending as the “greatest capital misallocation in history.” Tech analyst Ed Zitron has also noted that the economics of data centers “do not make sense” given that most AI startups are unprofitable and the majority of data center credit deals are rated junk grade.
Meanwhile, consumers have also been venting their anger over the global chip crisis sparked by overzealous AI development plans.
“The reason why RAM has become four times more expensive is that a huge amount of RAM that has not yet been produced was purchased with non-existent money to be installed in GPUs that also have not yet been produced, in order to place them in data centers that have not yet been built, powered by infrastructure that may never appear, to satisfy demand that does not actually exist and to obtain profit that is mathematically impossible,” software engineer Jatin K Malik surmised.
Jewish Green Party leader condemns Times cartoon after Israel claims he is ‘legitimizing’ violence against British Jews
The Times of London has come under fire for circulating “anti-Semitic” imagery after publishing a cartoon targeting Green Party leader Zack Polanski, who is Jewish and an outspoken critic of Israeli policy.
The controversy came against the backdrop of a broader UK debate about threats that Jewish community is facing, amid heigh
Jewish Green Party leader condemns Times cartoon after Israel claims he is ‘legitimizing’ violence against British Jews
The Times of London has come under fire for circulating “anti-Semitic” imagery after publishing a cartoon targeting Green Party leader Zack Polanski, who is Jewish and an outspoken critic of Israeli policy.
The controversy came against the backdrop of a broader UK debate about threats that Jewish community is facing, amid heightened pro-Palestinian activism. Polanski has faced criticism from some quarters for allegedly minimizing the risks of anti-Jewish violence that is directed at himself too.
Figures within the Israeli government and pro-Israel voices in Britain have made such claims, with some accusing the Green Party of harboring anti-Semites.
’Misinformed commentary’ on stabbing spree
The controversy follows a stabbing spree last Wednesday in which a Muslim assailant with a history of mental illness injured a Muslim acquaintance and later attacked two random Jewish men. Coverage by major UK outlets, including the BBC, emphasized the Jewish victims.
Polanski drew backlash after sharing, without comment, a video of police responding to the incident in London’s Golders Green, which alleged officers were “repeatedly and violently kicking a mentally ill man in the head.”
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley accused Polanski of spreading “inaccurate and misinformed commentary” that could erode self-confidence in law enforcement. Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the implied criticism as “disgraceful,” questioning Polanski’s suitability for political leadership.
’Vile, anti-Semitic’ image
The controversial cartoon, published in the paper’s Sunday edition after being previewed by artist Peter Brookes a day earlier, depicts Polanski kicking a police officer in the head while he and his partner restrain a knife-wielding suspect – an apparent reference to the Golders Green incident.
An obvious antisemitic caricature of Zack Polanski in The Times.
But there will be no media or political outrage, which tells you all you need to know. pic.twitter.com/ULe1TDRuZD
Critics, including the Green Party itself, argued that Polanski’s portrayal echoed features historically associated with anti-Jewish caricatures.
“A national newspaper has chosen to depict the country’s only Jewish political leader using imagery long linked to anti-Semitic stereotypes,” the party said in a statement, calling the decision “astonishing.” Polanski himself described the cartoon as “vile” and “anti-Semitic” in remarks to Sky News.
Debate over Jewish safety and Israel policy
Last Friday, the UK government raised the national threat level to “severe,” citing the Golders Green attack alongside broader concerns about Islamist and far-right extremism.
On Sunday, Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel took aim at Polanski, labeling him an “extremist” and accusing him of “legitimizing violence against Jews,” referencing his sharing of the police video.
#bbclaurak The Guardian sacked Steve Bell after an outcry over his caricature of Benjamin Netanyahu (left) But so far, radio silence from #bbcnews et al after this anti-Semitic caricature of Zack Polanski by #TheTimes cartoonist, Peter Brookes (right) pic.twitter.com/EW4H3QPRar
Polanski pushed back on the accusation, saying the “death and destruction” by the Israeli government should be properly described as extremist. He also called the UK government’s support for Israel “shameful.”
Echoes of Corbyn’s ouster
Allegations of anti-Semitism have frequently surfaced in UK political debates surrounding criticism of Israel. In 2023, The Guardian cut ties with cartoonist Steve Bell over an image showing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wearing boxing gloves while making a Gaza-shaped incision on himself.
Some interpreted it as invoking an anti-Jewish “pound of flesh” trope that serves a plot device in Shakespeare’s play ‘The Merchant of Venice,’ though others argued it referenced a historical anti-Vietnam War caricature of US President Lyndon Johnson.
The vile racists I witnessed in Corbyn’s Labour are now in the Greens. Polanski has to get a grip. pic.twitter.com/WRSs3Jt1ru
Claims of entrenched anti-Semitism in the Labour Party during Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership led to his ouster and replacement by Starmer in 2020. Recently, Labour MP Steve Reed declared: “Vile racists I witnessed in Corbyn’s Labour are now in the Greens.”
The chancellor insists that the indefinite delay of the stationing had nothing to do with his row with the US president
Chancellor Friedrich Merz has confirmed that the US will not station Tomahawk long-range cruise missiles in Germany in the foreseeable future. He insisted that the suspension had nothing to do with his row with President Donald Trump but was rather caused by inadequate stockpiles.
Merz made the remarks in an interview with ARD o
The chancellor insists that the indefinite delay of the stationing had nothing to do with his row with the US president
Chancellor Friedrich Merz has confirmed that the US will not station Tomahawk long-range cruise missiles in Germany in the foreseeable future. He insisted that the suspension had nothing to do with his row with President Donald Trump but was rather caused by inadequate stockpiles.
Merz made the remarks in an interview with ARD on Sunday, saying that the promise given by then-President Joe Biden will be left unfulfilled.
“The Americans themselves don’t currently have enough,” Merz said, adding that there was “hardly any way” for Washington to transfer the systems at present. At the same time, he noted that it is “not too late” for the deployment.
The original plan was announced in July 2024 by Biden and then-Chancellor Olaf Scholz. A joint statement said that the US would begin “episodic deployments” of long-range fires from its Multi-Domain Task Force in Germany in 2026, including SM-6 missiles, Tomahawks, and developmental hypersonic weapons, with a view to long-term stationing.
Merz insisted that the U-turn was not related to his criticism of Trump, including remarks in which he said that Washington “obviously has no strategy” in the Iran war and that the US “is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership.” At the time, Trump fired back, claiming Merz “doesn’t know what he’s talking about” and advising him to focus on “fixing his broken Country.”
As the row intensified, the Pentagon announced the withdrawal of around 5,000 US troops from Germany, with Trump suggesting the number could be even higher.
At the same time, the US is indeed struggling with depleting stockpiles. In late March, CBS News reported, citing sources, that the US had used more than 850 Tomahawks in the Iran conflict, roughly nine times the Pentagon’s average annual procurement rate.
The Tomahawk is a long-range cruise missile launched mainly from ships and submarines. The US Navy says Block IV and V versions can fly about 900 nautical miles, or 1,600 kilometers, and carry a 1,000-pound-class (450kg) conventional warhead.
The move comes just days after the Gulf nation broke with OPEC and OPEC+, citing the need to gain more flexibility over oil output
The United Arab Emirates has officially withdrawn from the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC), according to a statement posted by the group on X on Sunday.
The exit took effect on May 1 – the same day Abu Dhabi’s withdrawal from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and
The move comes just days after the Gulf nation broke with OPEC and OPEC+, citing the need to gain more flexibility over oil output
The United Arab Emirates has officially withdrawn from the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC), according to a statement posted by the group on X on Sunday.
The exit took effect on May 1 – the same day Abu Dhabi’s withdrawal from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and the wider OPEC+ format, which includes Russia, came into force.
The decision came amid ongoing Middle East turmoil triggered by the US-Israeli war on Iran. A dual blockade of the Strait of Hormuz – a key route for about 20% of global oil flows – along with repeated US warnings that strikes could resume, has pushed crude prices to multi-year highs.
OAPEC, headquartered in Kuwait, was established in 1968 to boost economic cooperation among Arab oil exporters. Its three founders – Kuwait, Libya, and Saudi Arabia – were later joined by other Arab states, and prior to the UAE’s departure the group comprised 11 members, including Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Qatar, Syria, and Tunisia. Unlike OPEC and OPEC+ groupings – which include major oil producers worldwide and play a direct role in managing supply and prices – OAPEC is primarily a technical body coordinating energy policy among Arab producers.
“The General Secretariat of the OAPEC has been informed of a letter from… Suhail Mohammed Al Mazrouei, UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure… containing the decision of the UAE to withdraw from membership in the Organization, effective from 1 May 2026,” the group said.
It voiced no opposition, saying it “appreciates the role played by the UAE” during its membership and its “effective contributions” to advancing joint Arab cooperation in the petroleum and energy sector.
Abu Dhabi has not yet commented on the decision. The Gulf nation previously said its exit from OPEC and the broader OPEC+ format was driven by national interests, describing it as part of a long-term strategy to gain more flexibility over oil output, free from production caps and multilateral restrictions.
The move, however, has fueled debate over potential repercussions for OPEC and the oil market, as well as speculation about underlying motives.
Some analysts pointed to possible political considerations, including alignment with the US, which has long sought a stronger foothold in the global oil market. US President Donald Trump, who has frequently accused OPEC of acting as a monopoly to keep prices high, welcomed the exit as “great” news.
UAE Trade Minister Thani Al Zeyoudi said on Monday the nation is in talks with Washington over a currency swap line – an instrument that allows central banks to access each other’s currencies without using foreign exchange markets, lowering costs and exchange-rate risks for cross-border activity. He described it as part of an “elite group” arrangement the US maintains with just five regions: Canada, Japan, the Eurozone, the UK, and Switzerland.
Oil markets reacted to the UAE’s withdrawal from OPEC and OPEC+ with short-term volatility, but most analysts suggest the near-term impact will be limited. Although the move could allow output to rise eventually, exports remain constrained by the naval blockade in the Persian Gulf. Days after the announcement, seven OPEC+ members agreed to raise combined crude production by 188,000 barrels per day (bpd) in June 2026 – a move many said signaled business as usual.
UAE Energy Minister Al Mazrouei said on Monday the decision to quit was made on “good terms” with OPEC members. Speaking at the ‘Make It In The Emirates’ conference, he said the UAE will continue to work closely with other oil-producing countries, including members of OPEC and OPEC+, despite leaving the cartel.
Russia earlier said it respects the UAE’s decision to withdraw from OPEC, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying the nation has a “sovereign” right to do so. Moscow signaled it has no plans to leave OPEC+ and dismissed suggestions the UAE’s exit could spell the end of the group.
Marjan Yeshayayi has described the aftermath of an Israeli airstrike that damaged a Tehran synagogue
Iranian rescue workers dug through debris by hand to recover religious artifacts from a Tehran synagogue damaged by an Israeli strike last month, Marjan Yeshayayi, a member of the local Jewish community, has told RT.
In an exclusive interview broadcast on Monday, she described her dismay at seeing the site reduced to ruins, with holy Torah scrolls
Marjan Yeshayayi has described the aftermath of an Israeli airstrike that damaged a Tehran synagogue
Iranian rescue workers dug through debris by hand to recover religious artifacts from a Tehran synagogue damaged by an Israeli strike last month, Marjan Yeshayayi, a member of the local Jewish community, has told RT.
In an exclusive interview broadcast on Monday, she described her dismay at seeing the site reduced to ruins, with holy Torah scrolls buried under the rubble. She said she had asked rescue workers not to use machinery in order to preserve the scriptures.
“When I made the request, I did not believe they would accept it, but instead they said, ‘OK, we will remove it manually,’ and they really did. Each brick was removed by hand, and the scrolls came out safely and were handed over to the Jewish association,” Yeshayayi recalled.
According to Yeshayayi, the Iranian state protects the rights of the Jewish minority. Under the country’s constitution, Jews are allowed to practice their religion freely, including maintaining synagogues and holding services. Roughly 8,000 Jews live in Iran and worship in dozens of synagogues.
The Rafi Niya synagogue, located near Palestine Square in central Tehran, was heavily damaged when a nearby residential building was struck by Israeli fighter jets. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) later acknowledged the strike, saying it had targeted a senior Iranian commander, and expressed regret over “collateral damage” to the synagogue.
Yeshayayi said three of her friends died in the strike, describing her sadness and anger at the attack.
Russian Orthodox Exarchate has provided clean water and shelter to villagers after a militant raid in Benue State
Following a deadly attack on a Christian community in Nigeria earlier this year, two drinking water wells have been drilled in with church backing, the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa said on Sunday.
The assault by Islamist militants on the village of Turan in Benue State in early March, left several people dead and forced survivors t
Russian Orthodox Exarchate has provided clean water and shelter to villagers after a militant raid in Benue State
Following a deadly attack on a Christian community in Nigeria earlier this year, two drinking water wells have been drilled in with church backing, the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa said on Sunday.
The assault by Islamist militants on the village of Turan in Benue State in early March, left several people dead and forced survivors to flee their homes. Among the victims were two members of a local Russian Orthodox community operating in the village.
“These are the first African parishioners of the Russian Orthodox Church to be killed for their faith,” the Exarchate said in a statement.
Following the violence, hundreds of residents fled to neighboring areas. Aid workers reported a severe shortage of clean drinking water in makeshift camps. Geological surveys were conducted in late March, and within weeks two wells equipped with pumps were completed to restore access to water for displaced families in temporary settlements in Benue State for refugees from the village of Turan.
Funding for the project was raised through the Exarchate’s official channels, with additional humanitarian assistance delivered to those affected. Food supplies were distributed to families at risk of starvation, while medical care continues for the wounded. Support also included covering tuition and relocation costs for schoolchildren after local schools in Turan were shut down.
Reconstruction efforts are now underway, including the construction of traditional clay-and-wood housing for the displaced residents and a temporary church in the new settlement.
According to the Exarchate, more than 300 displaced people were left without shelter, sleeping outdoors on bare ground and often hiding in bushes to avoid the risk of further attacks. Emergency assistance later included the distribution of mattresses and the organization of temporary accommodation. The Exarchate also reported that many of the injured suffered serious wounds, including gunshot injuries, while children sustained fractures.
“On behalf of all those under our care, we express our deepest gratitude to Metropolitan Constantine and all the kind people from Russia who helped us in this difficult time,” Archimandrite Nifont, a rector within the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa, said.
A senior aide to US President Donald Trump has hailed worsening economic conditions in the Islamic Republic
A top White House official has said Iran is on the brink of an “extreme calamity” and hunger as the US is counting on economic pressure to secure its objectives in the conflict.
President Donald Trump ordered a naval blockade of Iranian ports and intensified sanctions after a bombing campaign failed to bring down the government in Tehran. A
A senior aide to US President Donald Trump has hailed worsening economic conditions in the Islamic Republic
A top White House official has said Iran is on the brink of an “extreme calamity” and hunger as the US is counting on economic pressure to secure its objectives in the conflict.
President Donald Trump ordered a naval blockade of Iranian ports and intensified sanctions after a bombing campaign failed to bring down the government in Tehran. Although large-scale military operations largely paused under a fragile ceasefire announced last month, both sides are now seeking to use economic strain to gain leverage.
Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, pointed to what he described as severe economic deterioration in Iran during an interview with CBS News on Sunday, blaming the Iranian leadership for the situation.
“They’re an economy that’s really on the precipice of extreme calamity,” Hassett claimed, citing internal briefings. “They are having hyperinflation. They’re starting to face hunger.”
When asked whether the naval blockade – traditionally considered an act of war – meant the US was effectively at war with Iran despite the president’s statements to Congress, Hassett said he was uncertain “what the definition of war is when we’re not shooting and we’re negotiating.”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent echoed the administration’s stance, telling Fox News that US anti-Iranian measures were “suffocating the regime.” He emphasized a coordinated government effort, describing efforts by his department as “economic fury” in a reference to the Pentagon’s designation for the war on Iran, Operation Epic Fury.
“We [have been] running a marathon over the past 12 months, and now we are sprinting toward the finish line,” he added.
US economic warfare
Washington has long relied on unilateral sanctions to target foreign governments, leveraging its influence over global financial systems and the central role of the US economy to enforce restrictions.
While US officials often present such measures as aimed at pressuring government officials, critics argue they amount to a form of economic warfare. A 2025 study published in The Lancet Global Health estimated that unilateral sanctions imposed by the US and EU between 2010 and 2021 contributed to approximately 564,000 excess deaths annually.
Washington facing mounting challenges
Despite assertions by Trump administration officials that the campaign against Iran has been a resounding military success, Tehran has not accepted US demands and continues to exert control over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key artery for global energy supplies.
The US is also reported to have drawn down significant stocks of critical munitions, and it has strained relations with traditional allies who declined to back the military action. It is also dealing with the fallout from the broader economic disruption caused by the crisis, which could trigger the worst global economic crisis in decades.
Moscow has repeatedly warned the West that weapons destined for Kiev will end up on the black market
Poland is bracing for a surge of illegal weapons from Ukraine after the end of the conflict with Russia, with police warning that a “smuggling boom” could eclipse the decades-long Balkan weapons crisis, a law enforcement official told Rzeczpospolita.
The newspaper reported on Monday that the Polish police are already preparing for more illegal wea
Moscow has repeatedly warned the West that weapons destined for Kiev will end up on the black market
Poland is bracing for a surge of illegal weapons from Ukraine after the end of the conflict with Russia, with police warning that a “smuggling boom” could eclipse the decades-long Balkan weapons crisis, a law enforcement official told Rzeczpospolita.
The newspaper reported on Monday that the Polish police are already preparing for more illegal weapons to flood in from the neighboring country by launching Project Trident. The €1.5 million ($1.8 million) initiative will provide officers with additional training, vehicle-mounted tracking electronics, X-ray systems, drones, and night-vision gear.
”There’s a huge amount of weapons transferred as part of aid in Ukraine, plus a large number of post-Soviet weapons. And the end of armed conflicts has always been associated with the risk of their uncontrolled influx,” Adam Radon, the head of the Organized Crime Combating Unit at the Central Bureau of Investigation of the Police, told the newspaper.
He stressed that Poland, as a NATO state that borders Ukraine, must act as a “filter” to prevent illegal weapons from spreading west.
”Ukrainian services are already uncovering weapons warehouses and hideouts. Their origins are being investigated – whether these are weapons abandoned by Russian soldiers withdrawing from frontline operations, or weapons acquired by criminal groups and stored for the future,” Radon said.
Rzeczpospolita drew parallels between the fallout from the 1990s Balkan wars, which are said to still be the source of half of all illegal weapons in Europe, and the looming crisis, which could be even greater due to the scope of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Radon also warned of risks associated with unemployed veterans.
“Criminal groups will recruit them into illegal activities. Unemployed war veterans, coupled with their easy access to weapons, pose a significant threat,” he said.
In 2025, Europol warned that Ukraine could become “a significant source of illicit firearms and ammunition… in the short to medium term.” It said that while “large-scale detections” of weapons smuggled out of Ukraine into the EU were limited, Spanish police found evidence of drug gangs arming themselves with NATO-grade weapons intended for Kiev.
In 2024, Ukrainian police reported that since 2022, more than 11,000 firearms were confiscated at checkpoints, including 3,600 assault rifles and nearly 1,500 grenade launchers, as well as 27,000 grenades.
Moscow has warned of a spillover of guns destined for Ukraine, noting that smuggling now runs through Poland, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, and Moldova. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said the reported figures of seized weapons are “just the tip of the iceberg.”
South Africa seeks to achieve FMD-free status by working with a country that has successfully eliminated the disease, Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen has said
South Africa has signed an agreement with Brazil to help eradicate foot-and-mouth disease by 2028, focusing on vaccine supply, disease surveillance, diagnostics and biosecurity.
The move comes as the South African government faces mounting pressure and legal action over what critics h
South Africa seeks to achieve FMD-free status by working with a country that has successfully eliminated the disease, Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen has said
South Africa has signed an agreement with Brazil to help eradicate foot-and-mouth disease by 2028, focusing on vaccine supply, disease surveillance, diagnostics and biosecurity.
The move comes as the South African government faces mounting pressure and legal action over what critics have called a “lethargic” response to the animal health emergency. Meeting with his Brazilian counterpart, Agriculture Minister Andre Carlos Alves de Paula, on Thursday, John Steenhuisen tapped into Brazil’s hard-won expertise.
Brazil achieved FMD-free status without vaccination from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) on May 29, 2025, a historic milestone that took 64 years of rigorous policy implementation.
”By aligning with a nation that has successfully eliminated the disease, South Africa aims to achieve FMD-free status with vaccination, transforming biosecurity from a trade barrier into a bridge for economic growth,” Steenhuisen stated.
The newly adopted Action Plan for 2026-2028 mandates immediate, full implementation. South Africa will dispatch animal health experts to Brazil the week of May 19, 2026, for an intensive knowledge exchange. Following this, South Africa will host a seminar involving a high-level Brazilian delegation, including researchers and livestock farmers, to share strategies, policies, and technologies used in their decades-long fight.
Brazil’s support will cover vital technical areas, including assistance with vaccination protocols, post-vaccination monitoring, and generating field-based evidence. Minister De Paula, while pledging support, offered a sharp piece of advice to his South African counterpart: “Government must not abdicate its responsibility to be at the centre of the fight against FMD, as it is a notifiable disease and needs a regional approach.”
The collaboration with Brazil deepens South Africa’s commitment to a South-South partnership, following a recent high-level working visit to Argentina. That visit concluded with a separate 2026–2028 FMD Work Plan and pivotal agreements focused on securing a stable vaccine supply.
To date, South Africa has successfully secured and distributed 2.5 million doses of FMD vaccines from the Argentine firm Biogénesis Bagó. This includes one million doses of bivalent SAT-1 and SAT-2 vaccines, and 1.5 million doses of trivalent SAT-1, SAT-2, and SAT-3 vaccines. Furthermore, the delegation inspected production facilities in Argentina, where a critical five million additional doses are ready for export, pending local regulatory approval.
”Our immediate priority is to secure a stable and sufficient vaccine pipeline so that we can scale up vaccinations rapidly across the country,” Steenhuisen said following his Argentina visit, underscoring the urgency.
Despite these diplomatic wins, the government’s pace has been severely criticised at home. Just days before the Brazil alliance was announced, the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, reluctantly granted the government a postponement in a legal bid by farmers’ organisations to allow the private sector to procure and administer FMD vaccines.
The court, however, showed its displeasure by granting punitive costs against the government and ordering Steenhuisen to publish a compulsory vaccination scheme by May 5. Judge Corrie van der Westhuizen openly criticized the government’s handling of the crisis, noting that officials appeared to be “no longer considering it to be of such importance” despite the FMD outbreak having been declared a national emergency.
This judicial admonishment echoes the warnings from the agricultural industry. FMD Response SA, a coalition of dairy, pork, and beef producers, has warned that the government’s current “slow-motion” approach is heading toward a national disaster.
”South Africa’s 14 million cattle must be vaccinated within a six-to-eight-week window to create herd immunity in 80% of them and stop transmission,” argued FMD Response SA spokesperson Andrew Morphew, citing the intensive, short-term mass campaigns successfully used by Brazil and Argentina.
Of the six affected individuals, three have died and one is currently in intensive care in South Africa, the WHO has said
A suspected hantavirus outbreak aboard an Atlantic Ocean cruise ship has left three people dead and three others sick, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Sunday.
The WHO confirmed that it is responding to a public health incident aboard the MV Hondius after one case of hantavirus was confirmed and five others are susp
Of the six affected individuals, three have died and one is currently in intensive care in South Africa, the WHO has said
A suspected hantavirus outbreak aboard an Atlantic Ocean cruise ship has left three people dead and three others sick, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Sunday.
The WHO confirmed that it is responding to a public health incident aboard the MV Hondius after one case of hantavirus was confirmed and five others are suspected among passengers and crew. One affected individual is in intensive care in South Africa, the organization said in a statement.
“Detailed investigations are ongoing, including further laboratory testing, and epidemiological investigations. Medical care and support are being provided to passengers and crew. Sequencing of the virus is also ongoing,” the WHO stated.
The Dutch flagged MV Hondius was reportedly traveling from Argentina toward Cape Verde when several passengers fell ill, the health authorities said. The ship, which was carrying 150 to 170 people, remained outside the port of Praia, Cape Verde’s capital, as the authorities managed the outbreak.
One of the deceased, a 70-year-old man, became ill aboard the vessel and died after reaching the British territory of St. Helena Island, according to an AP report citing South Africa’s Department of Health. His 69-year-old wife collapsed at an airport in South Africa while trying to board a flight to her home country, the Netherlands, and died later in a South African hospital. The patient currently in intensive care has been identified as a British national.
The body of the third victim remains aboard the ship, along with two symptomatic crew members in need of urgent medical care, Oceanwide Expeditions, the agency operating the cruise, said in a statement on Sunday. The agency added that repatriation of the crew members depends on authorization from the local Cape Verdean health authorities.
“We are facing complex challenges, and are attempting to expedite the treatment of both individuals with the support and leadership of the Dutch authorities,” the agency wrote on Facebook.
Hantavirus infections in humans are typically linked to exposure to the urine, feces, or saliva of infected rodents, though rare cases of person-to-person transmission have been documented. The virus can cause severe respiratory or renal illness, according to the WHO.
The UN health body said it is conducting a full public health risk assessment while coordinating with member states and the ship’s operators to assist with medical evacuations.
Bratislava earlier opted out of the €90 billion joint debt loan package for Ukraine approved by the bloc last month
Slovakia won’t participate in any EU loans for Ukraine, including the €90 billion ($106 billion) joint debt package approved by Brussels last month, Prime Minister Robert Fico has said.
Slovakia, Hungary, and the Czech Republic had earlier opted out of servicing the loan, citing financial risks. In a video address on Facebook on Su
Bratislava earlier opted out of the €90 billion joint debt loan package for Ukraine approved by the bloc last month
Slovakia won’t participate in any EU loans for Ukraine, including the €90 billion ($106 billion) joint debt package approved by Brussels last month, Prime Minister Robert Fico has said.
Slovakia, Hungary, and the Czech Republic had earlier opted out of servicing the loan, citing financial risks. In a video address on Facebook on Sunday, Fico reiterated that his government would not take part in either the current package or any future ones.
“It is well known that I refused to support the €90 billion war loan for Ukraine. I have also taken legal steps to ensure that Slovakia does not participate in this loan,” he said. “Slovakia will not take part in any further announced loans for Ukraine.”
The loan, backed by joint EU borrowing, is structured on the assumption that it would be repaid if Kiev secures reparations from Russia, a prospect Moscow has dismissed as “unrealistic.” The loan was floated after plans to seize Russia’s frozen sovereign assets to fund Kiev failed following a months-long standoff between Brussels and Hungary’s outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
Orban blocked its disbursement after Kiev halted oil deliveries via the Soviet-built Druzhba pipeline, which supplies both Hungary and Slovakia, citing damage from alleged Russian strikes. Moscow dismissed the claims as “lies,” while Orban and Fico accused Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky of using the move to “blackmail” the two energy-dependent states into backing the loan Kiev needs to prop up its collapsing economy.
The EU approved the package shortly after supplies resumed, less than two weeks after Hungary’s election saw Orban’s Fidesz party defeated by the pro-EU Tisza party led by Peter Magyar. Hungary’s incoming prime minister said he would uphold Orban’s decision not to join the €90 billion loan, but pledged not to veto EU funding for Kiev.
In his video address, Fico noted that his relationship with Kiev – and Zelensky in particular – “is marked by diametrically opposed views” on numerous topics, but noted that being Ukraine’s neighbor obliges Bratislava “to engage in dialogue” with the Kiev regime, in particular to ensure continued energy transit.
Fico said he held a call with Zelensky on Sunday to discuss future meetings and visits. While Zelensky claimed after the call he had secured Fico’s backing for Ukraine’s EU bid, the Slovak leader downplayed this, saying he merely sees “more advantages… than disadvantages” in potential membership, including reducing the risk of “battle-hardened Ukrainian soldiers” turning to organized crime and posing risks to nearby states after the conflict ends. He noted, however, that some of Kiev’s strongest backers in the EU are also among the most opposed to its membership, calling it “a cruel paradox.”
Fico has long opposed Western aid to Kiev, saying it prolongs the conflict, and has criticized anti-Russia sanctions as harmful to the EU. Under his leadership, Bratislava – along with Budapest – has challenged the bloc’s plan to phase out Russian fossil fuels by 2027, calling it “economic sabotage.” He maintains close ties with Russia and plans to attend the 2026 Victory Day parade in Moscow later this week.
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