Moscow has slammed Ukraine’s use of its long-range unmanned aerial vehicles to target civilians
Germany and Ukraine will jointly develop long-range drones, German Defense Minister Boris Pistiorius has said during an unannounced visit to Kiev. The Ukrainian military has routinely used unmanned aerial vehicles for attacks deep inside Russia that targeted civilians and critical infrastructure.
Moscow has repeatedly accused Kiev of “terrorism” over t
Moscow has slammed Ukraine’s use of its long-range unmanned aerial vehicles to target civilians
Germany and Ukraine will jointly develop long-range drones, German Defense Minister Boris Pistiorius has said during an unannounced visit to Kiev. The Ukrainian military has routinely used unmanned aerial vehicles for attacks deep inside Russia that targeted civilians and critical infrastructure.
Moscow has repeatedly accused Kiev of “terrorism” over the strikes. Last week, one such attack killed five civilians in Crimea.
Berlin has emerged as Kiev’s largest single military donor after the US switched from donating weapons directly to Ukraine to selling it to Kiev’s other NATO backers willing to hand them over. Germany spent some €20 billion ($23.5 billion) on arms for Ukraine between January 2022 and February 2026, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.
On Monday, Pistorius claimed that further military cooperation with Kiev would be advantageous for Berlin since it has also launched its own military buildup, citing an alleged ‘Russian threat’.
“Germany and Ukraine are strategic partners who both benefit from the cooperation. This gives rise to numerous new projects,” the minister told dpa news agency. “The focus is on the joint development of advanced unmanned systems of all ranges, especially in the area of deep strike.”
According to Pistiorius, the “Brave Germany” program he signed off on Monday together with Ukrainian Defense Minister Mikhail Federov will focus on supporting startups capable of demonstrating “promising innovations.”
Ukraine’s most prominent drone manufacturer, Fire Point, recently found itself at the center of a corruption scandal when leaks exposed its close ties to Timur Mindich, a former business partner and longtime associate of Vladimir Zelensky. Mindich stands accused of orchestrating a $100 million graft scheme. One of the company’s top figures and its co-owner were also reportedly recorded saying that peace was “bad for business.” Prior to the scandal, the company was touted globally by Zelensky himself.
Moscow has repeatedly stated it harbors no aggressive intent towards any NATO nation and dismissed such allegations as “nonsense.” It also warned that the current German and EU leadership is transforming the bloc into “a Fourth Reich.”
Andrey Yermak is suspected of participating in a money laundering scheme worth $10 million, Ukrainian anti-corruption bodies have said
Andrey Yermak, a former influential chief of staff to Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky, has been named a suspect in a new criminal case, according to a statement posted on Telegram by the country’s Western-backed anti-corruption agencies.
The former official is accused of being part of a criminal group that laun
Andrey Yermak is suspected of participating in a money laundering scheme worth $10 million, Ukrainian anti-corruption bodies have said
Andrey Yermak, a former influential chief of staff to Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky, has been named a suspect in a new criminal case, according to a statement posted on Telegram by the country’s Western-backed anti-corruption agencies.
The former official is accused of being part of a criminal group that laundered 460 million hryvnias ($10 million) through an elite residential construction project.
Often described as the grey cardinal behind Zelensky, Yermak was forced out in November 2025 after the anti-corruption agencies raided his properties as part of a high-profile corruption probe. The investigation was focused on a $100 million graft scheme linked to Zelensky’s inner circle and his former business partner and close associate, Timur Mindich.
Yermak himself denied ties to corruption at the time and claimed he stepped down to avoid “creating problems” for Zelensky.
The former chief of staff now stands accused of violating Article 209 of the Ukrainian Criminal Code, which covers “money laundering and legalization of ill-gotten gains.” Earlier on Monday, the Ukrainian media reported that Yermak was subjected to some “investigative procedures” by the Ukrainian National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO).
According to a video published by the anti-corruption agencies on YouTube, the criminal group might have also involved the former national unity minister, Aleksey Chernyshov, who headed the community and territorial development ministry at the time the group was active. Chernyshov’s wife was allegedly a co-owner of the construction company used in the scheme.
In December, the Ukrainian media reported that Yermak had retained influence following his resignation and was talking to Zelensky daily by phone and meeting him most evenings at his residence despite holding no formal government position.
The news comes amid another corruption scandal. Last month, Ukrainskaya Pravda released what it called leaked transcripts from surveillance recordings of Mindich and his business partners, as well as Ukrainian government officials. The files that have since become known as ‘Mindich tapes’ included a conversation Mindich had with a woman identified as Natalia, who reportedly oversaw a luxury construction project for him and Yermak. The leaks are yet to be officially verified.
In a brief statement to journalists on Monday evening, Yermak denied any involvement in the Dinastia (Dynasty) development project outside Kiev. He also denied being featured in conversations involving Mindich that were recorded by law enforcement.
Read RT's curated coverage of the ongoing investigations into allegations of corruption and graft by Zelensky's inner circle here.
Euroskeptic FPO leader Christian Hafenecker has called on Vienna’s money laundering watchdog to investigate
A right-wing Austrian politician has demanded that the country’s Finance Ministry explain how nearly $22 billion in cash and gold was shipped to Ukraine from Austria since 2022 without triggering concerns about money laundering or regulatory oversight.
In a statement published on Sunday, Austrian Freedom Party (FPO) Secretary General Christ
Euroskeptic FPO leader Christian Hafenecker has called on Vienna’s money laundering watchdog to investigate
A right-wing Austrian politician has demanded that the country’s Finance Ministry explain how nearly $22 billion in cash and gold was shipped to Ukraine from Austria since 2022 without triggering concerns about money laundering or regulatory oversight.
In a statement published on Sunday, Austrian Freedom Party (FPO) Secretary General Christian Hafenecker called out what he described as Vienna’s “two-class justice system” for overlooking massive payments to Kiev, while keeping a tight hold on taxpayers’ purse strings.
“We’re not talking about play money here: 1,030 registered cash and gold shipments, around €12 billion ($14 billion) plus $7.75 billion, physically transported over 1,300 kilometers into the war zone,” Hafenecker said.
“And the responsible finance minister simply tells me… ‘We know nothing, we’re not investigating anything, we haven’t collected any information.’ That’s not an answer, that’s dereliction of duty,” he added.
By comparison, Austrian money laundering rules require a private citizen withdrawing as little as €12,000 from an inherited account to prove the origin of the funds, and any person crossing the EU’s external border with more than €10,000 in cash must declare it, Hafenecker said. “This is a two-class justice system in finance.”
The politician demanded full disclosure on all cash shipments from Austria to Ukraine since the escalation of the conflict, a full audit by the country’s Financial Market Supervisory Authority, and a report by the Austrian Money Laundering Reporting Office in parliament.
Earlier this year, the Euroskeptic FPO party demanded that Vienna cut all financial aid to Ukraine, denouncing the country as a corrupt “bottomless pit,” following a wave of high-level embezzlement scandals in Kiev.
Major probes by Ukraine’s Western-backed anti-graft agencies have implicated senior officials in Vladimir Zelensky’s government since last year. Two ministers and the Ukrainian leader’s chief of staff, Andrey Yermak, stepped down following the massive scandal.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has slammed the current leadership in Kiev, calling it a “criminal gang” sitting on “golden potties,” and interested far more in personal enrichment than in the fate of ordinary Ukrainians.
The North African nation poses the biggest problem for the bloc in terms of arrivals, Thanos Plevris has said
The EU might be on the verge of a new migrant crisis, with more than half a million people waiting in Libya alone to cross into Europe, Greek Migration Minister Thanos Plevris has said.
The bloc was first inundated by asylum seekers from the Middle East and Northern Africa during the 2015 refugee crisis, when a million migrants entered Eu
The North African nation poses the biggest problem for the bloc in terms of arrivals, Thanos Plevris has said
The EU might be on the verge of a new migrant crisis, with more than half a million people waiting in Libya alone to cross into Europe, Greek Migration Minister Thanos Plevris has said.
The bloc was first inundated by asylum seekers from the Middle East and Northern Africa during the 2015 refugee crisis, when a million migrants entered Europe, straining welfare systems and prompting tens of millions of European voters to turn to far-right political parties.
Greece remains one of the bloc’s main entry points, registering 48,771 arrivals in 2025, according to UNHCR data. According to the UN refugee agency, 7,589 migrants and asylum seekers have arrived in the Mediterranean country this year as of May 3, including 5,615 by sea.
Athens has introduced a number of tough policy measures in a bid to stem the flow over the past years, including detention for those denied asylum. Commenting on the situation on Sunday, Plevris said that Greece was “the first country to criminalize illegal residence” and would not allow those denied protection to just roam free.
“Those who are not entitled to asylum will be detained,” the minister told a local broadcaster, adding that Athens would “operate within the law but will go to its limits to protect the borders.”
He also described the situation in Libya as the biggest problem faced by his country and the EU. According to Plevris, around 550,000 people have gathered there and are now seeking to enter Europe.
In February, Plevris also announced that it was working together with Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, and Denmark to create “return hubs” for rejected asylum seekers outside of the EU’s borders, with Africa being the preferred destination.
Libya became a key transit point for human trafficking and migration to Europe via the Mediterranean following a NATO-backed uprising in 2011 that led to the overthrow and assassination of longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi. The EU has struggled to manage the migration crisis since 2015, with Greece, Italy, and Spain receiving the highest number of arrivals across the Mediterranean.
Limiting purchases of bullion is seen as a key step to shoring up the economy during the Middle East crisis
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged his countrymen to adopt austerity measures in the wake of the Middle East conflict.
Apart from utilizing public transport, work-from-home, and carpooling in an apparent bid to save fuel, he has suggested that Indians put one of their most treasured fascinations on hold: their overwhelming fixati
Limiting purchases of bullion is seen as a key step to shoring up the economy during the Middle East crisis
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged his countrymen to adopt austerity measures in the wake of the Middle East conflict.
Apart from utilizing public transport, work-from-home, and carpooling in an apparent bid to save fuel, he has suggested that Indians put one of their most treasured fascinations on hold: their overwhelming fixation on gold. Not buying the precious metal, he hinted, could cut India’s dollar outflows substantially.
Curbing gold purchases is seen as one of the key steps that would invariably have an impact on the economy of the nation of 1.4 billion people. The bet on slashing gold purchases has a sounder rationale than other steps outlined by Indian prime minister, as it is seen as a step that individuals can control directly.
The economics
India’s foreign exchange reserves as of May 1, 2026, totaled $690.7 billion, according to data released by the Reserve Bank of India. The forex reserve position has seen a steady decline recently from the $728 billion recorded in February.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has estimated that India’s current account deficit (CAD) could widen to $84.5 billion this year. It cited a major reason for this as India’s gold imports.
The CAD is the gap that occurs when a country spends more foreign currency on imports, income payments, and transfers than it earns from exports and overseas receipts. Higher imports of gold widen India’s current account deficit because India pays in foreign currency for the precious metal, raising the import bill without directly boosting export earnings.
The South Asian nation’s imports of gold totaled $72 billion in FY26, a 24% surge from a year ago. A widening current account deficit will put pressure on the rupee, raise external borrowing needs, and make the economy more vulnerable to global capital outflows.
Ballooning import bill
India is the world’s second-largest gold buyer. For every ounce of imported gold, the payment is made in dollars. Of the total import bill of $775 billion, four commodities stand out for their weight. Crude, gold, vegetable oils, and fertilizers together accounted for more than a third of the country’s massive import bill.
Crude oil is the obvious leader, accounting for $134.7 billion.
But crude is essential, and any drastic cut in its use is unrealistic in a country which is home to the world’s largest population. The same is true of vegetable oils ($19.5 billion) and fertilizers ($14.5 billion), which are critical for food security.
That leaves Indians’ famous appetite for gold as the most obvious target for restraint. With a gold import bill of about $72 billion – nearly double the combined value of vegetable oil and fertilizer imports – curbing demand offers a clear way to bring some discipline to India’s external accounts.
It is also one of the most debated options, because gold in India is as much an emotional purchase as a financial one, with weddings driving a large share of domestic buying. Gold as an investment option has not yet sunk in for a majority of Indians.
Would curbs really matter?
Assuming a dip in gold purchases happens, how would that affect the country’s economy? If the country curtails its importing of gold by 30% to 40%, that can lead to savings of $25 billion, according to NDTV projections.
If the figure can be raised to 50%, the savings would further jump to $36 billion. In a scenario where the CAD is projected to be $84.5 billion, it would be nearly cut that figure in half. The savings can be routed to energy purchases, which in turn are essential for vital activity, including farming.
How war shapes outcomes
When a conflict like the present one in the Middle East happens, oil prices soar. This is a direct result of transit hazards to shipping, which block the oil trade. A fifth of the world’s energy commodities pass through the Strait of Hormuz, which is mostly controlled by Iran.
There is no respite, as developments indicate that seamless navigation through the Strait is likely to remain off limits for a prolonged period. US President Trump has rejected an Iranian proposal to solely concentrate on the cessation of hostilities as a first step.
Many refining and production facilities across the Gulf have already suffered extensive damage. The world’s oil inventories are shrinking at the fastest pace on record, Bloomberg reported. Even if the current predicament ends, a return to the $70 per barrel price range is unlikely.
For India, that means paying more for oil imports for a much longer period, implying higher dollar outflows. Stronger demand for dollars would weaken the rupee, and a weaker rupee would, in turn, make all imports more expensive, creating a cascading effect across the economy.
Glitter of gold
A pause in gold buying seems like a sensible option for a nation which, as a whole, can adapt while it curbs the demand for dollars. A dip in dollar demand would mean less pressure on the rupee and on the cost of imports.
India’s domestic gold consumption remains large but increasingly price-sensitive. According to the World Gold Council, India’s total gold demand rose 10% year-on-year to 151 tons in Q1 2026. But in value terms, the surge is 99%, as record prices have lifted spending.
Last year’s figure has some solace on offer for policy planners. For the full year 2025, India’s overall gold purchases fell 11% to 710.9 tons, and jewelry consumption dropped 24% to 430.5 tons. This means that while Indian households have a strong affinity for buying gold, they tend to cut back when prices rise.
Broadcasters from Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Iceland and Slovenia have withdrawn from this week’s event over Israel’s participation
Public broadcasters in Spain, Ireland and Slovenia have said they would not air the 70th anniversary Eurovision Song Contest, which begins on Tuesday in Austria and will culminate in Saturday’s grand finale, citing opposition to Israel’s participation.
The three countries, along with the Netherlands and Iceland
Broadcasters from Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Iceland and Slovenia have withdrawn from this week’s event over Israel’s participation
Public broadcasters in Spain, Ireland and Slovenia have said they would not air the 70th anniversary Eurovision Song Contest, which begins on Tuesday in Austria and will culminate in Saturday’s grand finale, citing opposition to Israel’s participation.
The three countries, along with the Netherlands and Iceland, withdrew on Monday from this year’s event in Vienna, leaving the contest facing the biggest boycott in its 70-year history.
Vienna police have said they expect disruptive protests and possible attempts to block the event, particularly on the last day. Authorities said a pro-Palestinian demonstration involving around 3,000 people has been registered for May 16.
Earlier this year, the broadcasters urged contest organizers at the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to bar Israel over alleged vote-rigging and the war in Gaza. The EBU said Israel met the contest’s eligibility requirements and would remain in this year’s competition.
Israel has rejected accusations of genocide since launching its operation targeting Hamas in Gaza after the militant group made its deadly incursion into southern Israel in October 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 others hostage. The enclave’s authorities say Israel’s response has left nearly 70,000 Palestinians dead.
In December 2025, Swiss singer Nemo announced that he is returning his 2024 Eurovision Song Contest trophy in protest over Israel’s continued participation in the competition.
During the competitions in Malmö, Sweden, in 2024 and Basel, Switzerland, in 2025, large anti-Israel protests took place outside the venues, while the country’s participants were placed under heavy security protection.
Vote-rigging accusations
In last year’s contest, Israeli singer Yuval Raphael got second place and won the popular audience vote, leading multiple countries to raise concerns about outside interference in the voting process.
Following the pushback, Eurovision changed the rules, lowering the maximum number of votes each fan could cast from 20 to 10, and banned “disproportionate” promotion campaigns. However, the contest stressed that no rules were broken.
In the contest’s two-part voting process, the jury’s ranking is added to an audience score, with each viewer able to vote multiple times. Each vote costs a fee.
Israeli soft power
According to a new investigation by the New York Times, Raphael won the popular vote in several countries where the public is highly critical of Israel.
The Israeli government funded a concerted internet campaign, buying advertisements in multiple languages urging viewers to vote for their contestant up to the then-maximum 20 times, the NYT reported. En masse, it would have taken only a few thousand viewers dropping 20 votes each to secure second place, the newspaper said.
In 2024, West Jerusalem spent more than $800,000 on Eurovision-related advertising, with the bulk of the money coming from the Foreign Ministry, the NYT wrote, citing Israeli Government Advertising Agency data.
The Eurovision Song Contest, organized annually by the EBU, has long faced accusations of political bias, with critics saying voting patterns often reflect political alliances, cultural ties or historical relationships rather than musical merit.
The contest has faced accusations of double standards after banning Russia following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. Moscow in turn accused organizers of favoring Western participants and promoting anti-Russian sentiment.
A Brussels-imposed ban on Russian energy is “absurd” and contrary to France’s national interests, Florian Philippot has said
French presidential hopeful Florian Philippot has called for lifting sanctions against Russia and restoring Russian energy imports. In an interview with RT, the politician claimed that Brussels-driven EU policies run counter to France’s national interests.
A former vice president of the National Front (now National Rally)
A Brussels-imposed ban on Russian energy is “absurd” and contrary to France’s national interests, Florian Philippot has said
French presidential hopeful Florian Philippot has called for lifting sanctions against Russia and restoring Russian energy imports. In an interview with RT, the politician claimed that Brussels-driven EU policies run counter to France’s national interests.
A former vice president of the National Front (now National Rally) and ex-member of the European Parliament, Philippot announced on Saturday that he will run in the 2027 election. He leads the sovereigntist movement ‘Les Patriotes’ and is a longtime critic of the EU, the euro, and NATO. He advocates restoring French sovereignty, reducing dependence on supranational institutions, and ending French military and financial aid to Ukraine.
“I want, and it is in my program, for France to regain its independence by leaving all the supranational globalist structures: the EU, the euro, NATO,” Florian Philippot told RT France on Sunday. “And I want a policy of dialogue and friendship with Russia, and not, as today, one of mistrust, war, and insults. All of this is absurd for our national interests.”
The politician said Paris should “take back control” by withdrawing from free trade agreements such as Mercosur, which he said “condemn French farmers to death.” He added that sanctions on Russia imposed by Brussels should be ended in order to restore the flow of Russian gas and oil.
Philippot also called for France to regain control over immigration and migration flows while pursuing a broader reindustrialization strategy. He said the country’s industrial base had been weakened under the euro and advocated restoring a national currency better suited to the French economy.
In addition, the politician pledged to expand the use of referendums, including citizen-initiated votes, as part of strengthening popular sovereignty. He also called for reducing France’s dependence on the EU, which he said is largely shaped in Berlin and Washington rather than in Paris. Philippot stressed that leaving the EU would allow France to lower energy and electricity costs.
France is heading toward a highly fragmented presidential race, with around 30 people already expressing interest in being on the 2027 ballot. These include Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of ‘La France Insoumise’, Bruno Retailleau, president of ‘Les Republicains’, Xavier Bertrand, a senior center-right politician, David Lisnard, mayor of Cannes, Laurent Wauquiez, a prominent conservative figure, and Edouard Philippe, France’s former prime minister.
The two nations’ leaders are slated to discuss the Iran war, AI rivalry, Taiwan, and trade frictions
Donald Trump is set to touch down in Beijing, China, on Wednesday for a two-day state visit – the first by a US president in eight years – as relations between the world’s two largest economies teeter at a crossroads defined by the Iran war, trade friction, and technological rivalry.
The visit is expected to feature a bilateral meeting with Presid
The two nations’ leaders are slated to discuss the Iran war, AI rivalry, Taiwan, and trade frictions
Donald Trump is set to touch down in Beijing, China, on Wednesday for a two-day state visit – the first by a US president in eight years – as relations between the world’s two largest economies teeter at a crossroads defined by the Iran war, trade friction, and technological rivalry.
The visit is expected to feature a bilateral meeting with President Xi Jinping on Thursday morning, to be followed by a visit to the Temple of Heaven and a state banquet, as well as a working lunch on Friday before Trump departs for home.
White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly described the trip as “a visit of tremendous symbolic significance” while teasing “more good deals on behalf of our country.”
The high-stakes talks will likely revolve around the US-Israeli war on Iran – which was the reason for postponing the visit, originally scheduled for late March – as well as Taiwan, artificial intelligence, and critical minerals.
Iran and oil
The Iran war and the Hormuz crisis are expected to loom large over the agenda, with an unnamed US official telling reporters during a briefing that Trump would likely “apply pressure” on China on the purchase of Iranian oil and on the alleged supply of dual-use components to Tehran.
The hallmarks of this approach became evident last week when the US sanctioned Chinese refineries buying Iranian crude, as well as what Washington described as “China-based entities providing satellite imagery to enable Iran’s military strikes against US forces.”
In response, China ordered its firms to ignore US sanctions, a move Max Meizlish, a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, described as an “unprecedented… measure of defiance by Beijing.”
Trump is also expected to call on Xi to leverage Beijing’s unique clout over Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway accounting for around 20% of pre-war seaborne oil trade. China, itself the world’s largest buyer of Gulf oil, has been sympathetic to the cause, urging Tehran to remove obstacles to maritime traffic.
The ‘Five Bs’ of trade
The two leaders are poised to discuss what observers have labeled the ‘Five Bs’: Chinese purchase of Boeing aircraft, American beef and soybeans, and the creation of a Board of Trade and a Board of Investments.
On Boeing, the leaders could greenlight the purchase of as many as five hundred 737 MAX aircraft and about 100 widebody jets for several Chinese flight operators. The deal would be valued at tens of billions of dollars, and Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg is reportedly a member of the US delegation.
As the world’s largest importer of soybeans, China has historically purchased half of US exports of the crop and has been a primary market for American agricultural produce. The soybean trade has not been problem-free, however, as US beans currently face a total duty of 13% from China, while Brazilian beans are subject to only 3%. In addition, while China fulfilled its pledge to purchase 12 million metric tons of beans in 2025, it is unclear whether Beijing will meet the larger target of 25 million tons annually for 2026-2028.
Taiwan hotspot
Taiwan, which China regards as part of its sovereign territory, has long been a sore point in relations between Washington and Beijing. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has described the self-governed island as “the biggest point of risk” in the bilateral relationship and urged Washington to “honor its commitments and make the right choice, to open up new space for China-US cooperation.”
Several media reports have indicated that China wants Trump to say the US “opposes” Taiwanese independence, rather than the current language, with officials in Taipei nervous that the US president could oblige.
An unnamed American official told the Financial Times, though, that “we don’t expect to see any changes in US policy [on Taiwan] going forward.”
While the Trump administration has continued to supply Taiwan with weapons, the US president has previously expressed skepticism about defending the island and accused it of stealing the US semiconductor manufacturing industry.
Rare earths and tariffs
China holds a powerful card in its near-total grip on rare earth mineral supply chains, with analysts cited by the Guardian suggesting Beijing may dangle a long-term commercial arrangement to grant US access to the commodities, on condition they are not used for military ends.
The issue has been a flashpoint in relations for years, with China’s decision to introduce export restrictions on rare earth elements in 2025 sending the US high-tech industry into turmoil. While in late 2025, Washington and Beijing reached a tentative “trade truce” – which expires this November – US industry leaders have complained of delays in export licenses and overall volatility in supply chains.
As for the wider trade war, both sides are also locked in a “ceasefire” that puts Trump’s effective tariffs at between 19% and 24% after peaking at 145% during intense tit-for-tat escalations. The US and China are reportedly debating a one-year extension in exchange for guaranteed rare earths flows.
The digital battleground
Trump’s visit comes as the White House has accused China of “stealing” AI technologies, including running “deliberate, industrial-scale campaigns” to extract capabilities from America-based AI models to train cheaper rivals.
In response, the Chinese Embassy in Washington said Beijing “opposes the unjustified suppression of Chinese companies by the US,” adding that it “attaches great importance to the protection of intellectual property rights.”
Beijing has long protested what it views as a US crackdown on its tech companies, including restrictions on Huawei and a push to replace China-linked technology in American-connected cars, a policy widely seen as a blow to Chinese EV manufacturers.
Two health workers were among 51 people killed in the latest wave of IDF strikes on the country, Beirut has said
The Lebanese Health Ministry has accused the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) of deliberately targeting medics during airstrikes on the country.
Israeli attacks on Lebanon continue to intensify despite a US-brokered ceasefire between the sides, which took effect in mid-April.
The latest wave of IDF strikes on Lebanon left 51 people dead, in
Two health workers were among 51 people killed in the latest wave of IDF strikes on the country, Beirut has said
The Lebanese Health Ministry has accused the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) of deliberately targeting medics during airstrikes on the country.
Israeli attacks on Lebanon continue to intensify despite a US-brokered ceasefire between the sides, which took effect in mid-April.
The latest wave of IDF strikes on Lebanon left 51 people dead, including two medics, the country’s health ministry said in a statement on Sunday.
“The Israeli enemy continues to violate international laws and humanitarian norms, adding more crimes against paramedics, as it directly targeted two points of the Health Authority in Qalawiya and Tibnin, Bint Jbeil district, in two raids,” the statement read.
According to the ministry’s data, 2,846 people were killed when Israel launched its military operation against Hezbollah in Lebanon on March 2, just days after attacking Iran together with the US. More than 550 of those deaths occurred after the truce had been introduced.
The UN said earlier that at least 103 Lebanese medical workers have been killed and 230 injured in more than 130 IDF strikes during the current escalation.
Israel already faces accusations of deliberately hitting ambulances and hospitals during the conflict in Gaza, with West Jerusalem saying they were targeted due to being used by Palestinian armed group Hamas.
War surgeon Tahir Mohammed, who worked in both the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, told Al Jazeera that “we used to see our colleagues in Gaza come through the door all the time. I’ve had colleagues, nurses, medical students killed by Israeli weapons, and so to see the same policy of targeting healthcare workers in Lebanon… it’s consistent.”
The IDF said on Sunday that it targeted more than 20 facilities of Hezbollah in several areas of southern Lebanon, including weapons depots, command centers and other “buildings used for military purposes.”
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam told Al-Arabiya the same day that a total of 86 villages in the south of the country remain under Israeli occupation. The Lebanese city of Bint Jbeil has become “a copy of Gaza” due to the vast scale of destruction, he said.
The high-level talks will focus on “rebalancing the relationship” between Washington and Beijing, the White House has said
The Chinese Foreign Ministry has confirmed that US President Donald Trump will pay a state visit to Beijing from May 13 to 15, the first such trip in nearly nine years.
The summit had initially been planned for late March but was postponed due to the US-Israeli war on Iran, which disrupted global energy markets following the
The high-level talks will focus on “rebalancing the relationship” between Washington and Beijing, the White House has said
The Chinese Foreign Ministry has confirmed that US President Donald Trump will pay a state visit to Beijing from May 13 to 15, the first such trip in nearly nine years.
The summit had initially been planned for late March but was postponed due to the US-Israeli war on Iran, which disrupted global energy markets following the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Principal deputy White House press secretary Anna Kelly described the trip as one of “tremendous symbolic significance” that would focus on “rebalancing the relationship with China and prioritizing reciprocity and fairness to restore American economic independence.”
The US president will hold bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday, and the two leaders are expected to meet again on Friday for a tea session and working lunch.
Last month, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Washington was seeking to preserve stability in bilateral ties while securing continued access to Chinese rare earth minerals essential for American industry.
A senior US official told reporters on Sunday that Washington may also try to pressure Beijing over purchases of Iranian oil and Tehran’s acquisition of potential dual-use goods.
China, which has rejected Washington’s “unilateral” sanctions targeting Iran’s oil sector, has repeatedly called for the war to end. Trump’s visit comes just a week after Beijing hosted Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
The path to the summit was paved by a temporary trade truce reached in South Korea last October after Trump’s tariffs on Chinese goods climbed as high as 145%. Beijing responded by restricting exports of rare earths critical to US industry and military production, forcing several American factories to suspend operations.
Decades of sanctions and a punitive war have driven Tehran to pursue nuclear weapons and weaponise Hormuz, while Washington’s diplomacy stalls
After crying wolf over Iran’s non-existent nuclear weapons program for decades, Washington has finally pushed the Islamic Republic over the brink, with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei proclaiming last month that Tehran will protect its nuclear and missile technology “as national assets.”
Tehran had long
Decades of sanctions and a punitive war have driven Tehran to pursue nuclear weapons and weaponise Hormuz, while Washington’s diplomacy stalls
After crying wolf over Iran’s non-existent nuclear weapons program for decades, Washington has finally pushed the Islamic Republic over the brink, with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei proclaiming last month that Tehran will protect its nuclear and missile technology “as national assets.”
Tehran had long maintained that its nuclear program was for peaceful purposes only, a fact endorsed by inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Decades of crippling sanctions and a punitive war, however, have compelled it to change track.
In a message on the occasion of National Persian Gulf Day (when Persia liberated the waterway from 115 years of Portuguese control in 1622), Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei asserted that Washington has suffered a “humiliating defeat,” which opens a “new chapter” in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.
He said Iran shares a “common destiny” with its neighbors in the region, which will not be dominated by “outsiders who come from thousands of kilometers away.” He promised that new legal regulations and management systems in the Strait will benefit all of the nations of the region while yielding economic dividends for Iran.
This significant announcement was accompanied by an invitation to the Gulf States to accept Iranian protection for their safety as the era of American protectionism is over. The same day, a spokesman for the Iranian Armed Forces warned that if the US attacks again, the region’s oil and gas infrastructure will be destroyed.
On May 2, 2026, Iran declared that no Israeli ships henceforth will ever be allowed to pass though the Strait unless Israel pays war reparations. Mohammad Mokhber, a top adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei, said that the Strait of Hormuz has become one of Tehran’s main bargaining chips, after Iran shut the waterway early in the war, stranding hundreds of vessels and roiling energy markets. “The Strait of Hormuz is a capability equivalent to an atomic bomb,” he asserted.
Last week, after US President Donald Trump made a U-turn on ‘Project Freedom,’ Iran reportedly launched a new mechanism for overseeing maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. There has been a constant churn in the regional chessboard since the US-Israel attack on Iran and decapitation of its top spiritual and military leadership on February 28. Most notable is the United Arab Emirates’ decision to exit the Saudi-led Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) that decides the oil extraction quotas of member states, and the price at which oil will be sold in the international market.
In the short term, Abu Dhabi’s defection from the oil cartel could lead to its expulsion from the Arab League, with consequences for its identity as a safe luxury destination with unique architecture (Burj Khalifa, Dubai Frame), high-end leisure (Palm Jumeirah, indoor skiing), and as a magnet for affluent professionals in its tax-free, centrally located business hub (Dubai).
However, the UAE’s exit could provoke other members to weigh the value of remaining in OPEC, given the current political instability, inability to trust the US, and the grim reality of falling oil revenues. More countries could decide upon their own production, adding to volatility in the oil markets. Increased supplies could soften prices over time and benefit oil refining and marketing companies in countries such as India. Some introspection has already begun with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud asserting that, “the era of relying on the United States has ended. If Trump could not protect his own country, how can he protect ours?”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg, soon after US President Donald Trump cancelled the proposed trip by US officials to Pakistan to negotiate peace with Iran, will also impact the region. Araghchi was reportedly seeking an extension of the ceasefire. Putin assured, “we will do everything that serves your interests, the interests of all the people of the region, so that peace can be achieved as soon as possible.”
Araghchi told the media that the US was responsible for the failure of the first round of negotiations in Pakistan in mid-April with its “excessive demands,” adding that “safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz is an important global issue.” As a mark of respect to the negotiators, Araghchi met Pakistani military and civilian leader as well as Omani leaders before travelling to Russia. Both Pakistan and Oman continue to be involved in backchannel efforts to prevent a return to an open US-Israel war on Iran.
The key role, however, will be played by Moscow, as evidenced by the 90-minute telephone call between Presidents Putin and Trump, which covered a range of events, including the Iran war, the Ukraine conflict and the attempted attack on Trump during a high-profile dinner in Washington.
Araghchi later met his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, highlighting the potential role Beijing could play in shaping the course of the conflict. The visit came just a week before Trump’s planned meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.
The latest reports suggest that the exchange or proposals to end the war between Tehran and Washington, conducted through Pakistani mediators, is not yielding results. According to AP, Iran’s response to Washington’s counter-proposal submitted last week calls for a wider end to hostilities on multiple fronts, including Lebanon, before reopening the Strait of Hormuz and moving ahead with further nuclear talks. Iran’s earlier demands included guarantees against military aggression, the withdrawal of US military forces from near Iran, a lifting of the naval blockade, the release of Iran’s frozen assets, compensation payments, a lifting of sanctions, and end to the war on all fronts including Lebanon, and the recognition a new mechanism for the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump, however, on Sunday called Iran’s response “totally unacceptable.” Trump has repeatedly extended the ceasefire, arguing that Iran’s leadership is divided and unable to formulate a unified position. Iranian officials, for their part, have publicly rejected Washington’s terms as an ultimatum, accusing the US of trying to turn negotiations into a surrender process after failing to achieve its stated goals on the battlefield. With diplomacy currently at a deadlock, the US finds itself isolated from many of its traditional allies on the matter.
American health officials said those who were aboard the MV Hondius will not be quarantined if they show no symptoms
The US decision not to quarantine passengers of the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship, the MV Hondius, could be dangerous, the chief of the World Health Organization has said.
Since April 11, three people aboard the Dutch-flagged Atlantic liner have died from the rare pathogen, which is typically spread through contact with infected
American health officials said those who were aboard the MV Hondius will not be quarantined if they show no symptoms
The US decision not to quarantine passengers of the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship, the MV Hondius, could be dangerous, the chief of the World Health Organization has said.
Since April 11, three people aboard the Dutch-flagged Atlantic liner have died from the rare pathogen, which is typically spread through contact with infected rodent droppings, urine or saliva, while several others have contracted the disease. The vessel was carrying 147 passengers and crew from 23 countries.
On Sunday, 17 Americans and one UK national residing in the US disembarked the vessel, which docked at the Spanish island of Tenerife, and are currently on their way back home.
The passengers will be flown to the National Quarantine Unit in Nebraska for what US health officials have described as a brief visit to check their health, not quarantine.
One American, the only to have tested positive for the disease, will be placed in a biocontainment unit, according to the US Department of Health.
However, the passengers with no symptoms of hantavirus and no known contacts with anyone symptomatic will be deemed low risk and allowed to return to their places of residence, Jay Bhattacharya, director of the National Institutes of Health, told CNN.
During a press conference in Tenerife on Sunday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the UN health body’s advice for dealing with MV Hondius passengers “is clear: starting from May 10, 42 days of quarantine, but it could be in a facility or at home.”
When asked about the approach taken by the US, he warned that it “may have risks.”
However, Ghebreyesus stressed that the WHO doesn’t impose anything on countries; it only proposes to them what it considers the most appropriate way to deal with the situation.
The UK and France announced earlier that they would require their passengers to quarantine at a staffed facility or in isolation at home for 42 and 45 days, respectively.
Ghebreyesus said last week that, despite being “serious,” the hantavirus “is not another COVID” due to its limited human-to-human transition.
The US officially withdrew from the WHO in January, accusing the organization of mishandling the coronavirus pandemic and being unable to carry out the necessary reforms or withstand political pressure from member states.
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