In the small, remote Romanian village of Vacareni, nestled on the banks of the Danube and a mere 50 meters south of the border with occupied Ukraine, the calm you see in the day is merely an illusion. Houses with roofs painted in different colors — some of them rusted metal sheets — and neatly kept vegetable gardens dotting the valley project a sense of quiet. But at night, the buzz of drones and the echo of their explosions remind the village’s 1,400 residents that they are direct witnesses to Russia’s offensive in neighboring Ukraine — an invasion they describe as a “disgrace” and one that has intensified in recent weeks.
© Raúl Sánchez Costa
PARIS, April 30 — The latest developments in the Middle East war:
Lebanon slams Israel
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the “continuing Israeli violations” in south Lebanon, saying they were occurring “despite the ceasefire, as do demolitions of homes and places of worship, while the number of killed and wounded rises day after day”.
“Pressure must be exerted on Israel to ensure it respects international laws and conventions and ceases targeting civilians, paramedics, civil defence, and humanitarian health and relief organisations,” he added.
‘Accelerate’ climate transition
The global energy crisis has shown the need for the world economy to transform and “accelerate the transition to clean energy”, the Turkish president-designate of the United Nations’ COP31 climate conference said.
“We now know clearly that the global economy must transform its energy paradigm,” Murat Kurum, who is also Türkiye’s climate minister, told a meeting on the energy transition at the International Energy Agency (IAE) in Paris.
‘Major energy crisis’
The world is facing a “major energy and economic challenge” as oil prices have soared in the wake of the war in the Middle East, said IAE chief Fatih Birol at the same Paris meeting.
With the world faced with “the biggest energy crisis in history”, oil prices were “putting a lot of pressure in many countries”, he added.
Blockade ‘doomed to fail’
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said a US naval blockade on Iranian ports would deepen disruptions in the Gulf while failing to achieve its targets.
“Any attempt to impose a maritime blockade or restrictions is contrary to international law... and is doomed to fail,” Pezeshkian said in a statement.
Oil at four-year high
Oil prices soared to four-year highs, with the US crude benchmark Brent for June delivery spiking more than seven per cent to US$126.41 (RM501), while West Texas Intermediate was up 3.4 per cent to US$110.31, before later paring gains.
US-Germany tensions
President Donald Trump said the United States was considering reducing its troops in Germany over Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s refusal to join Washington’s war against Iran — a force estimated between 35,000 and 50,000 troops.
The threats to slash US troop numbers echo Trump’s longstanding criticisms of the Nato alliance, but Merz drew Trump’s fresh ire earlier this week after saying Tehran was “humiliating” Washington at the negotiating table.
EU argues for US troop deployments in Europe
Following Trump’s post, the EU said Thursday that the deployment of US troops in Europe was in Washington’s interest.
“Our Nato allies are also increasing their defence spending at an unprecedented pace,” European Union spokeswoman Anitta Hipper added.
Putin-Trump talks
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned his US counterpart not to resume attacks on Iran in a phone call between the two leaders Wednesday, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters.
He said there would be “inevitable and extremely damaging consequences” for the region and wider world if military action restarted.
Trump said Putin had wanted to “help” end the US-Israeli war on Iran but that he had told the Russian leader to end the Ukraine invasion first.
US war cost US$25 billion
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth was asked Wednesday during a fiery exchange in Congress about the cost of 60 days of conflict, and replied that it was estimated at less than US$25 billion so far.
But he hit back at concerns that the United States has used up “alarming” levels of critical munitions that could deplete reserves, accusing critics of “handing propaganda to our enemies”.
‘No more Mr. Nice Guy’
“Iran can’t get their act together. They don’t know how to sign a nonnuclear deal. They better get smart soon!” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, alongside an illustration of himself holding an assault rifle, with the caption “NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!” — AFP
Photographs of four emaciated soldiers have shocked Ukraine. Ukrainian soldiers returning home in prisoner exchanges, after years in Russian jails, also show deplorable physical condition. The treatment they receive violates the minimum standards of respect stipulated by the Geneva Convention for prisoners of war. But these four men had not been mistreated by the enemy: their commanders had abandoned them, without the most basic resources, on the front lines.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is now in its fifth year and shows no signs of ending. The strain on the militaries on both sides of the border has increased both countries’ reliance on recruiting thousands of foreigners, who are primarily sent to high-risk operations on the front lines. Several governments have warned against this practice and urged their citizens not to fall for the lucrative offers, which are often deceptive. A new report published on Wednesday by the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and two other organizations analyzes the recruitment of foreigners in Russia and documents Moscow’s campaign to target vulnerable populations through misleading strategies.
© AP
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