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French President Emmanuel Macron visited Kenya to co-host a summit in Nairobi, marking the first African summit France has held in an English-speaking country. This strategic pivot comes as anti-French sentiment grows in former colonies, particularly Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso. Macron announced €23 billion in investments, but the summit was overshadowed by backlash over his actions and speeches.
US President Donald Trump confirmed he will discuss arms sales to Taiwan with Chinese President Xi Jinping in their upcoming meeting. The issue remains a major point of friction between Washington and Beijing, especially after a record $11 billion US weapons package to Taiwan in December.
The US has imposed new sanctions targeting the Cuban military-run conglomerate GAESA, coinciding with UN experts condemning Washington's fuel blockade as 'energy starvation'. The measures include executive president Ania Guillermina Lastres Morera and a joint venture with Canada's Sherritt International, which has suspended Cuban operations.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urges the UN Security Council to pass a resolution pressuring Iran in the Strait of Hormuz. The draft resolution, backed by several Gulf states, could lead to sanctions or military action if Iran does not comply. Rubio frames the upcoming vote as a test of the UN's relevance, given the Trump administration's past criticism of the organization.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican in a bid to repair ties after a series of attacks by President Donald Trump against the pope. The private meeting, requested by the U.S. side, is the first known encounter between the pope and a Trump administration official in nearly a year.
The Trump administration unveiled a new counterterrorism strategy that accuses Europe of becoming a 'breeding ground' for terrorism because of mass immigration. The document also places Latin American drug cartels at the center of U.S. counterterror efforts and targets 'violent far-left extremists.'
Families of Pakistani sailors held by Somali pirates on the MT Honour 25 oil tanker are demanding urgent government action as conditions worsen. The vessel was seized on April 21 with 17 crew members from multiple countries. Relatives say communication is scarce and food, water, and medicine are running low.
President Donald Trump warns Iran will be 'blown out of the water' if it attacks U.S. vessels, as the U.S. military encourages shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and Iran claims full control. Tensions escalate with Iran striking the UAE and a South Korean ship catching fire near the strait.
The Strait of Hormuz, a global energy artery, is effectively blocked after the U.S. and Iran imposed tit-for-tat bans. It is one of the most notable modern naval blockades, alongside historic sieges from Gaza to Biafra. The tactic of naval blockade, which cuts off an enemy's supplies without ground invasion, has a long and often devastating history.
