Israeli report on killing of Gaza medics “full of lies” say critics
NewsFeed An Israeli military investigation says “professional failures” and poor night vision led its troops to shoot dead 15 Palestinian rescue workers in Rafah on March 23. The report contradicts weeks of Israeli statements which claimed the medics posed a threat to Israeli troops. Published On 21 Apr 202521 Apr 2025 Adblock test (Why?)
‘A cancer’: UN warns Asia-based cybercrime syndicates expanding worldwide
Agency says gangs caused $37bn in losses in Asia as they gain new footholds in Africa, South America, and Middle East. Asian cybercrime syndicates have caused an estimated $37bn in losses in the East and Southeast Asian regions, with the United Nations warning that the reach of the criminal networks is expanding globally. In a report released on Monday, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) detailed how Chinese and Southeast Asian gangs have been raking in tens of billions of dollars annually targeting victims in an array of cybercrimes, including fake investments, cryptocurrency, romance and other scams. The criminal organisation have largely operated out of squalid compounds in the border areas of Myanmar, as well as in so-called “special economic zones” designed to attract foreign investment in Cambodia and Laos. They have relied on often trafficked workers forced to work in squalid compounds. While the report said countries in East and Southeast Asia lost an estimated $37bn to cyber-fraud in 2023, there were “much larger estimated losses” worldwide. The report warned that the networks have been spreading to South America, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and the Pacific Islands. Advertisement “We are seeing a global expansion of East and Southeast Asian organized crime groups,” said Benedikt Hofmann, UNODC acting regional representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific. “This reflects both industry growth and a strategy to evade crackdowns in Southeast Asia,” Hofmann said. ‘Spreads like a cancer’ The report said the syndicates have established footholds in African nations, including Zambia, Angola, and Namibia, as well as Pacific island nations, including Fiji and Vanuatu. They have also expanded their money laundering strategies, forging alliances with South American drug cartels, the Italian mafia, and Irish mobsters, according to the report. Cryptocurrency mining – typically referring to the creation of new cryptocurrencies and the validation of transactions – has become a key tool for obscuring illicit funds, according to the report. In one instance, in June 2023, Libyan authorities raided an illegal crypto mining operation in a militia-controlled area, arresting 50 Chinese nationals. Recent crackdowns in Myanmar, backed by China, also freed about 7,000 trafficked workers. However, the UN warned that while enforcement disrupts operations temporarily, the syndicates have proven adept at adapting. “It spreads like a cancer,” said Hofmann. “Authorities treat it in one area, but the roots never disappear, they simply migrate.” New technologies have further complicated the situation, with criminal networks operating self-contained digital ecosystems, using encrypted messaging, payment apps, and cryptocurrencies to evade law enforcement, the report said. Advertisement The UN agency further warned of “potentially irreversible spillover has taken place…leaving criminal groups free to pick, choose, and move … as needed”. It urged countries to collaborate and intensify efforts to disrupt criminal networks’ financing. Adblock test (Why?)
Iran to brief China as it accuses Israel of ‘undermining’ US nuclear talks
Iran says it will brief China this week in advance of a third round of talks with the United States on its nuclear programme, as Iranian officials separately accused Israel of seeking to “undermine and disrupt the diplomatic process”. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will visit Beijing on Tuesday to discuss the latest talks with the administration of US President Donald Trump on the country’s nuclear programme, spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said on Monday. The trip echoes “consultations” Iran held with Russia last week, before the second round of direct US-Iran talks was held over the weekend. A third round of talks between Araghchi and US envoy Steve Witkoff is scheduled to take place in Oman on Saturday. Araghchi has previously said Tehran always closely consults with its allies, Russia and China, over the nuclear issue. “It is natural that we will consult and brief China over the latest developments in Iran-US indirect talks,” Baqaei said. Russia and China, both nuclear-armed powers, were signatories to a now-defunct 2015 deal between Iran, the US and several Western countries intended to defuse tensions around Tehran’s nuclear programme. Advertisement The 2015 deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), from which Trump withdrew in 2018, saw Tehran curtail its nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief. The US and Israel have accused Iran of seeking to use the programme to develop nuclear weapons. Tehran has staunchly denied the claim, saying the programme is for civilian purposes. On Monday, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed close ties between Beijing and Tehran, but did not confirm the Iranian minister’s planned visit. “China and Iran have maintained exchanges and contacts at all levels and in various fields. With regard to the specific visit mentioned, I have no information to offer at the moment,” Guo Jiakun, spokesperson for the ministry, said. Strengthened alliance Israel’s war in Gaza has seen Iran pull closer to Russia and China. Recent diplomatic moves surrounding the US-Iran talks have further underscored the strengthened ties. Araghchi met his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, last week, just before his second round of negotiations with Witkoff. On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed off on a 20-year strategic partnership treaty agreed earlier this year with his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian. Meanwhile, Iran’s already fraught relations with Israel and its “ironclad” ally, the US, have nosedived amid the war. Since taking office, Trump has reinstated a “maximum pressure” sanctions campaign against Tehran, while repeatedly threatening military action if a new nuclear deal is not reached. Advertisement Speaking on Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Baqaei accused Israel of trying to disrupt the nascent negotiations to open the way for military action. In comments carried by the AFP news agency, he declared that Israel is behind efforts from a “kind of coalition” to “undermine and disrupt the diplomatic process”. “Alongside it are a series of warmongering currents in the United States and figures from different factions,” the spokesman said. Last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated that Israel would not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons. His statement came a day after The New York Times reported that Trump had dissuaded Israel from striking Iran’s nuclear sites in the short term, saying Washington wanted to prioritise diplomatic talks. ‘Consultations must continue’ Baqaei added that “consultations must continue” with countries that were party to the JCPOA. Iran has gradually breached the terms of the treaty since Trump abandoned it, most notably by enriching uranium to levels higher than those laid out in the deal. The International Atomic Energy Agency says Iran has enriched uranium to 60 percent, close to the 90 percent level needed to manufacture weapons. The JCPOA had restricted it to 3.67 percent, the level of enrichment needed for civilian power. Speaking last week, Witkoff sent mixed messages on what level Washington is seeking. He initially said in an interview that Tehran needed to reduce its uranium enrichment to the 3.67 percent limit, but later clarified that the US wants Iran to end its enrichment programme. Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)
‘Father of the poor’: Argentinians mourn compatriot Pope Francis
Argentinians are mourning the death of their compatriot Pope Francis, who served as the archbishop of Buenos Aires and was known for working with the poor in the city before ascending to the top of the Roman Catholic Church. The Argentinian government has announced seven days of mourning for Francis, who died on Monday at age 88. “As Argentinians, we are orphaned,” street sweeper Javier Languenari told the AFP news agency outside the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral early on Monday. “He endured as much as he could.” Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in 1936 to Italian parents, Francis became the first Latin American pontiff in 2013 after his predecessor Pope Benedict stepped down. As he navigated the church through controversies, Francis emphasised compassion for the less fortunate. “The pope of the poor has left us, the pope of the marginalised,” Jorge Garcia Cuerva, the archbishop of Buenos Aires, said on Monday. “He insisted on building bridges, he insisted that we live in universal brotherhood. The pope was our father, the father of the poor, the father of mercy. The best tribute we Argentinians can pay to Francis is to unite.” Advertisement Argentinian President Javier Melei – who previously clashed with Francis and called him an “imbecile” and “the representative of evil on Earth” – also paid tribute to the late pope. “Despite differences that seem minor today, having been able to know him in his goodness and wisdom was a true honour for me,” Milei wrote on X. “I bid farewell to the Holy Father and stand with all of us today dealing with this sad news.” Melei’s right-wing libertarianism was at odds with Francis’s message of empathy and embrace of social justice causes. Still, Francis phoned Melei to congratulate him after his election victory in 2023, and the Argentinian president visited the pope last year, hailing what he described as their “positive relationship”. On Monday, former Argentinian President Mauricio Macri called the pope a religious figure of “unparalleled stature”. “His life was marked by the teachings he gave through his words, his commitment, and his actions,” Macri wrote in a social media post. “He himself, through his career, is a lesson for everyone.” Reporting from Buenos Aires, Al Jazeera’s Teresa Bo noted that many were unhappy that Francis never visited Argentina while pope, even though he visited other countries on the continent. “He never made it to Argentina, and for many, there was a political message there. He did not want to be used politically,” she said. Bo said Argentinians took pride in Francis when he was first elected pope, but his embrace of progressive causes – including allowing priests to bless same-sex couples – made him a “polarising figure” and angered traditionalists in the church. Advertisement “Even though the most progressive people in this country liked that message against injustice, against inequality, against capitalism, among other things, many others did not like that,” Bo said. Regardless, Bo added, his death will be felt across the country. “For many of the people I have spoken to, he was a man who tried to open up the church, who spoke about inclusiveness and humility, and that’s something many people in this country will remember,” she said. Buenos Aires resident Nicolas Cordoba told the Reuters news agency that the pope’s death will “really leave a mark of pain in people’s hearts”. In a politically divided Argentina, some recalled the late pope’s call for the country to come together. “Francis’s message was always for us to unite, to reach out to those most in need,” Agustin Hartridge, a 41-year-old lawyer, told AFP. “That candle I lit is a tribute to all he taught us.” Adblock test (Why?)
US VP Vance arrives in India for four-day visit as US tariff threat looms
Visit will include talks with PM Modi as New Delhi is seeking to avoid sweeping 26 percent Trump tariffs. United States Vice President JD Vance has arrived in India for a four-day visit as New Delhi looks to avoid US tariffs, negotiate a bilateral trade deal with Washington and strengthen ties with the administration of President Donald Trump. Vance was meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, the first day of his largely personal visit. He was greeted with a hug by the Indian leader at his residence in New Delhi, photos released by the Indian government showed. Over the visit, the two leaders were expected to hold discussions on bilateral ties outlined in February when Modi met Trump at the White House in Washington, DC. The US is India’s largest trading partner, and the two countries have been holding negotiations aimed at sealing a trade agreement this year. The talks had started before Trump early this month announced sweeping tariffs on all trade partners, including 26 percent levies on India. Trump later paused the country-specific tariffs for 90 days. His administration framed the move as part of a grand negotiating tactic aimed at leveraging better deals with partners like India. Advertisement Under the current plan being discussed, India and the US have set the ambitious target of more than doubling their trade to $500bn by 2030. Dancers wearing traditional attire perform upon Vance’s arrival in New Delhi [Kenny Holston/Reuters] Vance’s first visit to New Delhi since becoming vice president in January also coincides with a rapidly intensifying trade war between Washington and Beijing, which is New Delhi’s main rival in the region. Modi and Vance are expected to “review the progress in bilateral relations” and “exchange views on regional and global developments of mutual interest”, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said. On Monday, ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Vance’s visit will “further deepen the India-US comprehensive global strategic partnership”. Countering China Washington has long viewed India as an important strategic ally in combating the rising influence of China in the Asia Pacific region and has sought to strengthen ties in recent years. India is part of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue with the US, Japan and Australia and is seen as a counterbalance to China’s expansion. Trump is expected to attend a summit of Quad leaders in India later this year. Modi had personally sought to establish a strong working relationship with Trump during the US president’s first term in office from 2017 to 2021. The Indian leader was then among the first leaders to visit the US and hold talks with Trump after he returned to the White House for a second term on January 20. Advertisement During his visit, Modi hailed a “mega partnership” with the US. The two leaders announced plans to expand their defence partnership with India signalling its willingness to comply with several of the Trump administration’s demands, including purchasing more US oil, energy and defence equipment. Modi has also cooperated with Trump’s campaign to deport people living in the US without documentation. India has accepted many of its citizens expelled from the US in the past few months with the prime minister’s office batting away criticism of how some deportees have been treated. Despite the increased coordination, Trump has continued to call India a “tariff abuser” and “tariff king”. Adblock test (Why?)
Bitter truth: Why has chocolate become so expensive?
Cocoa prices surged almost 300 percent last year, making chocolate bars, Easter eggs and cocoa powder much more expensive this year than last. In the United States, retail chocolate prices were one-fifth higher this Valentine’s Day compared with last year, according to Wells Fargo Bank. The price of a king-size US-sold Reese’s Hearts chocolate bar was 13 percent higher in February 2024 than in the same month the year before. In the United Kingdom, meanwhile, a Twix white chocolate Easter egg rose in price from 5 to 6 pounds ($6.63 to $7.96) at Tesco supermarkets in the run-up to Easter (year-on-year) and was reduced in size from 316g (11oz) to 258g (9oz). In all, the unit price rose by a whopping 47 percent. While the price of cocoa – the key ingredient in chocolate made from roasted raw cacao beans – has fallen back by about 20 percent since its all-time high in December 2024, consumers are still paying record prices for chocolate. The spike in the price of cocoa can be chalked up to several factors. Chief among them is extreme weather, which has hit cocoa producers in West Africa, from where most of the world imports cocoa. Advertisement According to Amber Sawyer, an analyst at the environmental think tank Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), expensive chocolate should not come as a surprise. “Chocolate is just one of the many foods being made more expensive by climate change-driven extreme weather,” she said. “These extremes will keep getting worse.” And so might the prices. A farmer sun-dries cocoa beans at home in Assin Fosu, Ghana, on November 20, 2024 [Francis Kokoroko/Reuters] What has happened to the price of cocoa? Benchmark New York futures contracts, used to exchange cocoa at a specified future date and price, hit a high of $12,565 per metric tonne in December 2024. Last year’s meagre cocoa harvest led to record supply shortfalls, as poor weather and disease devastated crops in Ghana and the Ivory Coast, where two-thirds of the world’s cocoa beans are grown. Crop shortages were also observed in Nigeria and Indonesia, the third- and fourth-largest cocoa producers. In all, there was a 500,000-tonne deficit of cocoa in global markets in 2024, which is continuing to keep prices high. The latest cocoa harvest – which ran from October 2024 to March 2025 – did get off to a bright start, with 33 percent more beans arriving at Ivory Coast ports compared with last year, Commerzbank analyst Carsten Fritsch said in a note to clients. But while the New York cocoa futures price is currently hovering at about $8,350 per tonne – a significant drop from December – concerns are growing that the same dry weather that wrecked last year’s crop will take a similarly devastating toll this year, Fritsch said. The uncertainty is taking a toll on chocolate producers. Swiss chocolate maker Barry Callebaut slashed its annual sales forecasts on April 11 due to what it called “unprecedented volatility” in cocoa prices, sending its shares falling almost 20 percent – its biggest ever one-day drop. Employees of chocolate and cocoa product maker Barry Callebaut prepare chocolates after the company’s annual news conference in Zurich, Switzerland, November 7, 2018 [Arnd Wiegmann/Reuters] What is causing the rise in prices? Advertisement Weather Volatile weather is one major factor. West Africa experienced extreme rainfall in 2023, with total precipitation more than double the 30-year average in some places, while 2024 saw extreme heat and drought. Many climate scientists point to the El Nino weather phenomenon, which produces warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, as the primary driver for volatile weather patterns. However, they also expect a transition to the La Nina pattern – the cooling of ocean surface temperatures in the central and east-central equatorial Pacific every three to five years – to revive cocoa yields at least temporarily. Indeed, the International Cocoa Organization in February forecast a global cocoa surplus of 142,000 megatonnes for 2024-25, the first surplus in four years. That partly explains the recent fall in price. But according to Felipe Pohlmann Gonzaga, a Switzerland-based commodity trader, the larger picture of “climate change is only going to make supply concerns worse” in the longer term. Scientists at the research group Climate Central published a paper this year showing that climate change compromised cacao trees during the harvest season in Ivory Coast and Ghana. Laws against deforestation Besides changing weather patterns, several other issues are also driving recent price hikes in cocoa. Across West Africa, new deforestation laws have prevented farmers from expanding cocoa plantations, keeping a lid on supply. West Africa is also grappling with an ageing tree stock. “Older trees are not being replaced,” Pohlmann Gonzaga told Al Jazeera. “There has been under-investment in the industry.” Advertisement Disease At the same time, the spread of the cocoa swollen shoot virus (CSSV) has hit harvests. Tropical Research Services, a market research group, recently found that Ivory Coast cocoa production could halve due to the spread of CSSV. An artisanal miner inspects an excavated rock for traces of gold at the Prestea-Huni Valley Municipal District in the Western Region, Ghana, on August 17, 2024 [Francis Kokoroko/Reuters] Illegal gold mining Meanwhile, Ghanaian cocoa farmers are abandoning beans for gold in an illegal mining boom that has hit Ghana’s cocoa production and helped drive up prices. In recent months, investors have been buying up the precious metal to shield themselves from the financial market turmoil unleashed by United States President Donald Trump’s trade tariffs. On April 16, gold reached $3,357 per ounce for the first time. As a result, many farmers are selling their holdings to illegal miners who have decimated swaths of land in pursuit of gold. Ghana is Africa’s leading producer of gold – and the sixth-largest globally. Will cocoa prices continue to rise? “Tariffs have had an impact on the value of commodities, and cocoa is no exception,” says Pohlmann Gonzaga. “At first, you’d think trade levies would
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,152
These are the key events on day 1,152 of Russia’s war on Ukraine. Here is where things stand on Monday, 21 April: Fighting At least three blasts were heard in the Russian-controlled Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine amid an Easter ceasefire declared by Moscow, Russian state news agency TASS reported, citing local “operative services.” Ukraine’s forces reported nearly 3,000 violations of Russia’s own ceasefire pledge, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, adding that Kyiv’s forces were instructed to mirror the Russian Army’s actions. Russia’s Ministry of Defence said Ukraine had broken the Easter ceasefire declared by the Kremlin more than a thousand times, claiming that Ukrainian forces shot at Russian positions 444 times. The ministry also said Kremlin forces encountered more than 900 Ukrainian drone attacks during this time. The ministry also said Moscow took control of the village of Novomykhailivka, in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, before the Easter ceasefire. Ukraine’s authorities are yet to comment on this claim. Oil and gas Advertisement Ukraine may need to import up to 6.3 billion cubic metres of gas for the 2025-26 winter season due to record low levels of reserves because of war-related damage to some facilities, said Sergiy Makogon, the former head of Kyiv’s gas transit operator. Ceasefire Zelenskyy said the Russian Army made attempts to “advance and inflict losses” on Kyiv’s army overnight despite Russian President Vladimir Putin’s declaration of an Easter ceasefire. “Either Putin does not have full control over his army or the situation in Russia is that they have no intention of making a genuine move towards ending the war,” Zelenskyy said. The United States Department of State said it would welcome the extension of the Easter ceasefire. However, the Kremlin said earlier there was no order for an extension. Zelenskyy proposed suspending drone, cruise missile and rocket attacks on civilian targets for at least 30 days, after Russia revealed there were no orders to extend the ceasefire. Adblock test (Why?)
Jailed for fishing: India-Pakistan tensions trap families in debt, poverty
Diu, India – Boxes of sweets are being passed around as cheers and joy surround Rajeshwari Rama’s brick house, insulated with tin sheets, in the Vanakbara village of Diu, a federally-controlled island along the India-Pakistan coastline near Gujarat state in western India. Rama’s relatives and friends are talking at the top of their voices as they celebrate the release of her husband, fisherman Mahesh Rama, from the Landhi jail in neighbouring Pakistan’s largest city of Karachi, in February this year. Among the attendees is Laxmiben Solanki, 36, standing quietly in one corner. She does not taste the sweets. She is only marking her presence there, but remains preoccupied with thoughts of her husband, Premji Solanki. Premji, 40, has also been in Pakistan’s Landhi jail since December 2022, along with several other Indian fishermen. Their crime: crossing a disputed border in the Arabian Sea, which divides the South Asian nuclear powers and sworn enemies, for fishing. A fisherman unloads chunks of ice from his boat at Diu port, India [Tarushi Aswani/Al Jazeera] In February, Pakistan released 22 Indian fishermen who had been imprisoned by Pakistan’s Maritime Security Agency between April 2021 and December 2022, while they were fishing off the coast of Gujarat – also the home state of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Three of those released are from Diu, 18 from Gujarat, and the remaining one person from the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Advertisement Though India and Pakistan share a heavily militarised land border, their International Maritime Boundary Line in the Arabian Sea is also largely disputed, especially in a zone called Sir Creek, a 96km (60-mile) tidal estuary that separates India’s Gujarat and Pakistan’s Sindh provinces. It is in this patch that fishermen from both India and Pakistan wander into deeper waters, often without realising they have entered foreign territory. Due to the terrain of the disputed territory, there is no border fencing, with a marshland acting as a natural boundary between the two nations. Several years and rounds of diplomatic talks between India and Pakistan have not been able to resolve the dispute, which has even seen military tensions between them. In 1999, India shot down a Pakistani aircraft carrying 16 naval officers over the alleged violation of Indian airspace near their maritime border. The incident occurred just a month after the two countries fought a war in Kargil, a snowy district in Indian-administered Kashmir. On March 17, India’s Ministry of External Affairs revealed that out of 194 Indian fishermen currently imprisoned in Pakistan, 123 are from Gujarat. According to the Indian government, it has 81 Pakistani fishermen in its custody. Families on both sides say their loved ones have been jailed for a crime they committed “unknowingly” – because they did not know they had ventured inside waters claimed by another country. Trapped in debt Pakistan released Mauji Nathubhai Bamaniya, 55, in February because his osteoporosis had gotten worse. “I still can’t believe that I am sitting in my house, in my country, with my family. My decaying bones brought me back to my homeland,” Bamaniya tells Al Jazeera in Vanakbar village. Advertisement Another fisherman, Ashok Kumar Solanki, is also back at home in Ghoghla village in Diu. He has hearing and speaking impairments and was among the 22 fishermen released on health grounds. Family members of Indian fishermen jailed in Pakistan sit outside a house in Diu [Tarushi Aswani/Al Jazeera] But it is the families of those still imprisoned in Pakistan that find themselves caught in a cycle of recurring debt and debilitating anxiety. In another house, hidden amid palm trees in Vanakbara, Kantaben Chunilal, 60, looks with tired eyes at the dusty path leading to her home. She has been waiting for her son, Jashvant, since December 2022. Jashvant was barely 17 when he was arrested by Pakistani forces. He was the family’s sole breadwinner. Kantaben says she feels too ashamed to ask her relatives for more loans to fill the empty grain jars in her kitchen. She has borrowed nearly 500,000 rupees ($5,855) from several relatives for sustenance. “The government offers us a financial aid of $3 per day. It is not even half of what our men would earn,” she tells Al Jazeera. Out of desperation, Kantaben says she sometimes randomly visits relatives during mealtimes, hoping they will accommodate her as a guest and she may save some money that day. In the same village, Aratiben Chavda married fisherman Alpesh Chavda in 2020. Less than a year later, Alpesh was arrested by Pakistani forces while he was out fishing in the Sir Creek area. Aratiben tells Al Jazeera their 3-year-old son Kriansh, born about four months after Alpesh’s arrest, has never seen his father. “We make him see his father’s photos, so that one day, when Alpesh comes back, my child can recognise him,” she says, sobbing. Advertisement Aratiben’s house is shaded by palm and coconut trees, insulating her and her son from India’s scorching heat. But there is no escaping the poverty that has gripped the household. Selling the refrigerator her parents had given her as a wedding gift supported her for about two months during the winter of 2023. Aratiben and her mother-in-law, Jayaben, also sell vegetables at the local market, making about $5 to $7 on good days. But she says there are too many days in between when they are unable to afford two meals. Fishing boats at Diu’s port, India [Tarushi Aswani/Al Jazeera] Indian activists and fishermen’s unions have been campaigning for the release of all the fishermen imprisoned by Pakistan. Chhaganbhai Bamania, a social worker in Diu, points out that under Pakistani law, fishermen who stray into that country’s waters should not be sentenced for more than six months. “But due to the hostility between India and Pakistan, citizens are caught in a crossfire for no fault of theirs. Their jail time is increased without them knowing or understanding it,” he says, adding that some Indian fishermen end up spending years behind bars. Bamania says
‘Easter truce’ in Russia’s Ukraine war marked by accusations of violations
Ukraine and Russia have accused each other of breaching an “Easter truce” announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin that Ukraine said was being violated from the moment it started. Putin will not be extending the ceasefire, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by the TASS news agency on Sunday. The ceasefire expires at midnight (21:00 GMT). In a surprise announcement on Saturday, Putin ordered his forces to “stop all military activity” along the front line in the war against Ukraine, citing humanitarian reasons. The 30-hour cessation of hostilities would have been the most significant pause in the fighting throughout the three-year conflict. But just hours after the order was meant to have come into effect, air raid sirens sounded in Kyiv and several other Ukrainian regions, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accusing Russia of having maintained its attacks and engaging in a PR stunt. Russia’s Ministry of Defence also alleged on Sunday that Ukraine had broken the truce more than 1,000 times. Advertisement “Across various frontline directions, there have already been 59 cases of Russian shelling and five assaults by Russian units,” Zelenskyy said on social media, citing a report as of 6am (03:00 GMT) from Ukrainian commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskii. He said in the six hours up to midnight (21:00 GMT on Saturday), there were “387 instances of shelling and 19 assaults by Russian forces”, with drones “used by Russians 290 times”. “Overall, as of Easter morning, we can state that the Russian army is attempting to create the general impression of a ceasefire, while in some areas still continuing isolated attempts to advance and inflict losses on Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said. “In practice, either Putin does not have full control over his army, or the situation proves that in Russia, they have no intention of making a genuine move toward ending the war, and are only interested in favourable PR coverage,” he added. According to the Kremlin, fighting stopped at 6pm Moscow time (15:00 GMT) on Saturday until Sunday midnight (21:00 GMT) owing to Easter. But as church bells rang out for Easter services on Sunday, residents in Kyiv expressed doubts whether Russia would observe the brief truce. Natalia Malaieva noted that an air raid alert was heard in Kyiv moments after the truce began. “Missiles and drones flew over. There were explosions caused by missiles,” she said. “What kind of a ceasefire is that?” Olha Malashuk added: “He [Putin] probably wants to rearm the troops … That is why no one believes him any more.” Orthodox worshippers attend the Easter service in Saint Michael’s Golden-Domed Cathedral in Kyiv [Sergei Supinsky/AFP] Accusations and counteraccusations In a statement on social media on Sunday, the Russian Defence Ministry said Ukrainian forces had shot at Russian positions 444 times and it had counted more than 900 Ukrainian drone attacks. Advertisement It added that the border regions of Bryansk, Kursk and Belgorod had come under attack. “As a result, there were deaths and injuries among the civilian population as well as damage to civilian objects,” the ministry said. Quoting a source in “operative services”, the Russian state news agency TASS said at least three blasts were heard in the Budennovsky district of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, which has been under Russia’s control since 2014. The report blamed Ukrainian forces for what it said was an attack carried out during the truce. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine. A Ukrainian military spokesperson confirmed that activities on the front lines with Russia had decreased, but the fighting had not stopped. “It is decreasing, but it hasn’t disappeared,” Viktor Trehubov told national television. “To be honest, we didn’t hold out much hope that this would actually happen,” the military spokesperson for Ukraine’s eastern front said. Reporting from Moscow, Al Jazeera’s Yulia Shapovalova said both sides were accusing each other, but according to analysts, it is almost impossible to stop all the hostilities immediately. But generally, the situation on the battlefield is much calmer, and the number of attacks has decreased. “The Russian reaction to this ceasefire is very positive,” she added. “People hope that it will last, and analysts also say that Russia and Putin are likely in a favourable position right now for a longer truce and peace negotiations, taking into account Russia’s gains on the battlefield and the efforts by the US side as well,” Shapovalova said. Advertisement ‘A pure political step’ Andrei Fedorov, a former Russian deputy foreign minister, called Putin’s announcement “a pure political step” and said it was taken for both domestic and international reasons. “Easter is one of the main holidays for Russia and Putin wants to show that he’s following Russian Orthodox Church tradition,” he told Al Jazeera. “At the same time, it’s a very important test for him if Ukraine will do the same, because now when there will be a new stage of talks on Ukraine, [and] it’s very important for Putin to have real arguments that say, ‘look, Ukraine is not following the agreements. Ukraine is breaking down the ceasefire.’” Putin’s announcement came a day after United States President Donald Trump said Washington will “take a pass” on trying to resolve the Russia-Ukraine war if either Moscow or Kyiv makes it too difficult to end it. Reporting from Washington, DC, Al Jazeera’s Rosalind Jordan said neither side can currently really afford to anger the Trump administration. “Especially now that they are saying very publicly here in Washington that they are ready to walk away, even though President Trump has said repeatedly that he is tired of what he calls the ‘carnage’ in the war between Ukraine and Russia,” she said. But there has been no reaction from the Trump administration this weekend to developments in the Ukraine war. Vladimir Sotnikov, an associate professor of international relations at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow, said he fears Trump has “jumped into” a peace plan that “won’t work in the near future”. Advertisement “Both sides – Ukraine and Russia – are still very far from
Lebanese president says disarming Hezbollah ‘delicate’ as Israel kills two
Joseph Aoun makes the comment as the Lebanese army says it foils a rocket attack on Israel. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun says he will not be rushed to disarm Hezbollah under unfavourable circumstances as the Israeli military continues to launch deadly air strikes on the country in violation of a November ceasefire. In comments to reporters after a meeting with a Maronite patriarch to mark Easter on Sunday, the former army chief said he considers disarming the Iran-aligned group a “sensitive, delicate issue” that must be handled with consideration to preserve national peace. “Any controversial domestic issue in Lebanon can only be approached through conciliatory, nonconfrontational dialogue and communication. If not, we will lead Lebanon to ruin,” Aoun said. The Trump administration has been applying sustained pressure on Beirut to push for the disarming of Hezbollah, leading to Aoun announcing last week that he hopes to complete the process by the end of 2025 – the first time a senior official has set any deadline. Aoun’s comments on Sunday came shortly after the Lebanese government praised the army for foiling an imminent attack on Israel, a first since the November ceasefire with Hezbollah, which Israel has violated on numerous occasions. Advertisement The Lebanese army released images of confiscated rockets and launch pads and said it arrested multiple individuals previously involved in rocket attacks on Israel as well. The raid that led to the confiscated munitions was reported to have taken place in the Sidon area of southern Lebanon. The office of Prime Minister Nawaf Sharif urged security forces to “thwart suspicious plots that seek to embroil Lebanon in further wars” and said this work proves that the Lebanese state is moving towards full sovereignty over its territory with its own forces. “The Lebanese state alone is the authority that makes decisions regarding war and peace and is the body authorised to possess weapons,” he said. Hezbollah has not immediately reacted to Sunday’s statements, but its leader Naim Qassem said on Friday that the group “will not let anyone disarm” it, especially as the Israeli military continues to occupy parts of southern Lebanon. Hezbollah was formed in the aftermath of the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982 and grew over the decades to possess substantial political and military power. This included forcing Israel out from its occupation of southern Lebanon in 2000 and fighting Israel to a stalemate in a 2006 war. But the organisation has lost many leaders in Israeli assassinations as well as much military equipment since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza in October 2023 and must withdraw its military forces from southern Lebanon as part of the ceasefire. Israeli air strikes kill two Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health said on Sunday that two people were killed in two Israeli air raids in southern Lebanon. Advertisement Israeli warplanes fired at least two missiles at a house in Hula, a village in Nabatieh governorate, killing one person, the ministry said. An Israeli drone attack also targeted a vehicle in Kaoutariyet as-Siyad, killing another person, it said. The footage below, which has been verified by Al Jazeera’s Sanad fact-checking agency, shows plumes of smoke rising after Israeli air strikes targeted the heights of the Iqlim al-Tuffah region of southern Lebanon. مراسل الجديد: سلسلة غارات عنيفة من الطيران الحربي إستهدفت أطراف مليتا ومرتفعات إقليم التفاح@farhat_muhamad1 pic.twitter.com/8TMHLdc06q — Al Jadeed News (@ALJADEEDNEWS) April 20, 2025 The Israeli military said one of its strikes on southern Lebanon killed a deputy head of a Hezbollah unit responsible for smuggling weapons and funds to the group, including across the country’s border with Syria. The army added that the targeted man was “extensively involved” in Hezbollah efforts to revitalise after the group took heavy blows during the war. After killing two other people on Saturday, the Israeli army also claimed they were Hezbollah members. Adblock test (Why?)