The measure has drawn criticism from the opposition and rights groups, who say it could curb free expression ahead of the vote

Nigeria’s broadcast regulator has tightened the rules for radio and TV stations ahead of the West African nation’s 2027 general election, warning presenters against airing personal opinions, “bullying” guests, and broadcasting “divisive” political material.

Breaches will attract sanctions, the National Broadcasting Commission said in a notice on Friday, adding that it has seen a “sustained increase” in violations of the broadcasting code across news, current affairs, and political programs.

“As Nigeria enters a critical electoral period, the airwaves must not amplify tension or propagate misinformation,” the NBC stated.

It said presenters found to have “expressed personal opinion as fact, bullied or intimidated a guest, denied fair hearing to opposing views, or otherwise compromised neutrality” would be deemed to have committed a ‘Class B breach’. These include violations involving hate speech, fake news, and copyright-related offenses, and can attract a written warning, reduced broadcast hours, and financial penalties of up to 4.999 million Nigerian naira ($3,724) for public and commercial broadcasters.

Nigeria already prohibits presenters from expressing personal opinions as fact, denying opposing views a fair hearing, and airing hateful or inflammatory political material under rules introduced in 2019 and amended in 2020, but the NBC has now warned that it will enforce them more strictly ahead of the 2027 election.

The latest move by the NBC has drawn criticism from the opposition. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who has signaled his intention to run in the next presidential election, has described the measure as a set of “heavy-handed directives” aimed at silencing dissent.

In a post on X on Saturday, Atiku called the directive a “troubling attempt to muzzle the media and shrink the space for free expression in Nigeria,” claiming it signals “a government more interested in controlling narratives than permitting a free, fair, and transparent electoral process.”

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project human rights group has urged the government to withdraw the directive, saying it “represents a dangerous attempt to impose prior censorship on the media and suppress legitimate journalistic expression.”

Amnesty International also denounced the move on Sunday as an “outrageous and desperate” attempt by the NBC to gag journalists and the media.

Nigerian media groups and rights advocates have challenged the NBC’s sanctioning powers, most recently on April 2, 2026, when a court in Abuja dismissed the regulator’s appeal in a case brought by Media Rights Agenda over fines earlier imposed on broadcasters for alleged code breaches.

New Delhi and Seoul have pledged to strengthen supply chains and encourage greater investment

India and South Korea have set a target to nearly double bilateral trade to $50 billion by 2030.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged to boost trade between their countries from about $27 billion now, after a meeting in New Delhi on Monday.

The leaders vowed to strengthen supply chains, improve market access, and encourage greater investment.

”Following President Lee’s visit, we are going to transform our trusted collaboration into a futuristic partnership,” Modi said.

The Indian prime minister said the countries will tap into new opportunities for cooperation “from chips to ships, talent to technology, entertainment to energy.”

Addressing the joint press meet with President Lee Jae Myung of the Republic of Korea.@Jaemyung_Lee https://t.co/NpU97z4dzB

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 20, 2026

Lee said Seoul and New Delhi have agreed to upgrade economic cooperation by focusing on sectors including shipbuilding, defense, and artificial intelligence.

”In this era of uncertainty, South Korea and India can become optimal all-encompassing cooperation partners to promote mutual growth and innovation,” Lee added.

The Asian nations will try to expand industrial collaboration and boost trade and investment in advanced manufacturing, critical minerals, and nuclear energy, the South Korean leader said.

Seoul aims to increase the import of naphtha, a crude-oil derivative, from New Delhi to offset potential disruptions related to the Middle East conflict. India accounted for about 8% of South Korea’s naphtha imports in 2025.

The countries also signed memoranda of understanding in various sectors, including ports, technology, steel supply chain, small and medium-sized enterprises, and maritime heritage.

Bilateral trade and economic relations between New Delhi and Seoul gathered momentum following the implementation of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in 2010.

Massive funding for military buildup raises corruption risks, the head of watchdog OLAF warns

The billions of euros slated by the EU for the build up of weapons factories and procurement of military hardware are a “magnet for the criminals,” according to a senior anti-fraud official.

The EU’s defense industry has issues with “manipulation with public tenders, blown-up prices, clientelism [and] corruption,” European Anti-Fraud Office’s (OLAF) Director-General Petr Klement said as quoted by The Financial Times on Monday.

Brussels is pushing for a rapid military build up financed through borrowing some €150 billion ($176 billion) in preparation for a hypothetical war with Russia,. Moscow calls the move a diversion from the EU’s plummeting living standards based on false claims of an imminent threat.

“This is not shaming certain countries or segments. This is simply how it’s been working for decades,” Klement noted.

The splurge comes just as the EU is facing prolonged economic slowdown linked in part to its political decision to phase out Russian energy imports. Energy-intensive export-oriented industries, such as Germany’s automotive manufacturing, have been hit particularly hard. Producers are now shifting towards government-paid defense contracts.

Germany, which Berlin estimates receives nearly 90% of European venture capital in defense technology, is reinventing itself as a weapons factory, The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, citing examples of firms benefiting from the transition.

Klaus Rosenfeld, CEO of automotive supplier Schaeffler, rebuked business owners who engage in a “lot of whining,” saying firms must instead “roll up our sleeves.” Originally founded during post-World War II reconstruction, the Bavaria-based company is pivoting to products such as drone engines and onboard systems for armored vehicles, targeting to get at least 10% of their turnover from the weapons sector.

Other firms are making similar moves. Veteran combustion engine manufacturer Deutz has reported 15% revenue growth in 2025 after investing in military startups. Volkswagen is negotiating to produce components for Israel’s Iron Dome system. Legacy arms contractor Rheinmetall is facing tough competition from newcomers Helsing and Stark to supply loitering munitions to rearm the German military.

The killing of Ayatollah Khamenei has made talks between Washington and Tehran impossible, James Webb said in an interview with Going Underground

Israel has destroyed any chance of success in US-Iran talks by pushing Washington to kill Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to former senior foreign policy adviser to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Marine Corps veteran James Webb.

In an exclusive interview with Afshin Rattansi’s ‘Going Underground’ on RT, Webb argued that Khamenei’s killing on February 28 – the first day of the US-Israeli campaign – was “indicative of the Israeli planning cycle” and ran counter to how the US government or military has historically operated.

Earlier reporting by the New York Times said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was physically present in the White House Situation Room during a key meeting with US President Donald Trump on February 11.

The assassination was “an Israeli move to effectively bloody the US and draw us deeper into the conflict, because when you do such a thing you don’t just remove the ability to negotiate state to state… you create essentially a blood feud between the two countries,” Webb said.

The status of Iran-US negotiations remains uncertain. Trump insisted over the weekend that talks would take place in Pakistan on Tuesday but Tehran has refused to confirm participation. Initial talks in Islamabad fell through earlier this month. Meanwhile, the US Navy recently seized an Iranian vessel, a move Tehran has denounced as a violation of the ceasefire. The two-week truce was agreed on April 7.

Webb went on to argue that Trump is not getting the full picture and is being heavily influenced by vested interests.

“Access is very restricted in the White House to the President. He is being walled off by certain interests, who in effect have been creating an echo chamber of their ideas,” he said, adding that this is evident in how the war with Iran has been conducted.

Check out the full episode of Going Underground, which airs exclusively on RT.

Mike Waltz defends possible strikes on power plants and bridges, dismissing war crime accusations as “irresponsible”

US President Donald Trump’s threat to destroy Iranian power plants and bridges is “perfectly acceptable,” Washington’s envoy to the UN Mike Waltz has said, dismissing accusations of potential war crimes.

Speaking on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday, Waltz insisted that “all options are on the table” regarding a possible escalation of the US-Israeli war on Iran. He added that US forces could take out Iranian infrastructure “relatively easily” and claimed that Iranian air defenses have been “absolutely decimated.”

When pressed on whether Trump’s threat to target all power plants and bridges in Iran would be considered a breach of international law, Waltz admitted that it would be “an escalatory ladder.” However, he vehemently dismissed “ridiculous arguments” that it would constitute a “war crime,” calling such criticisms “irresponsible,” and drawing parallels with World War II.

Waltz went on to accuse Tehran of blurring the line between civilian and military assets and of allegedly hiding weapons and military hardware in residential areas, schools, and hospitals.

Trump’s threat came in a Truth Social post on Sunday in which he accused Iran of violating a two-week ceasefire by firing at ships in the Strait of Hormuz, including what he claimed were shots aimed at French and British vessels.

“No more Mr. Nice Guy,” Trump wrote, announcing that US representatives would travel to Islamabad for a new round of negotiations on Monday. He warned that if Iran doesn’t accept Washington’s “fair and reasonable deal,” the US is going to “knock out every single power plant, and every single bridge, in Iran.”

On Sunday, the US military announced that it had seized the Iranian-flagged Touska cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman when it was allegedly attempting to breach a naval blockade and pass the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has condemned the US attack as “armed maritime piracy” and a breach of the truce.

The ceasefire, brokered by Pakistan, is set to expire on Wednesday. A first round of talks in Islamabad last weekend failed to produce a breakthrough, with Iran’s nuclear program remaining the main sticking point. Trump is demanding that Tehran dismantle its infrastructure and hand over its enriched uranium – proposals Iran has rejected as “non-starters.”

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei has also called the US naval blockade of Iranian ports “unlawful and criminal” and a violation of the ceasefire, warning that it amounts to “collective punishment” and could be considered a war crime.

The suspect is believed to be behind at least two incidents involving Nazi symbols

Police in Germany have detained a man suspected of erecting Nazi-themed structures outside the town of Eggenfelden, local media report, citing law enforcement.

Two wooden structures bearing Nazi symbols appeared in the town within a month. In late March, a large replica of the Auschwitz concentration camp gates – complete with the infamous slogan “Arbeit macht frei” (Work sets you free) – was placed outside the local tax office. It featured multiple swastikas, with the ‘B’ in the inscription inverted, mirroring the original. Police launched an investigation after its discovery.

A second installation appeared on April 13: a black chimney-like structure resembling a crematorium oven, labeled “Zyklon B” and marked with SS runes, placed in a disabled parking space outside the same building.

Passauer Neue Presse reported Friday that the suspect is a 33-year-old Polish citizen living in Bavaria. He was apprehended days after the second incident when investigators matched his fingerprints to the structure.

KZ-Nachbauten in Eggenfelden: Ermittler fanden bei Tatverdächtigem weitere Nazi-Gegenstände https://t.co/dPiSyyssQH pic.twitter.com/rZaAZG2wu1

— Passauer Neue Presse (@pnp) April 17, 2026

Additional Nazi symbols reportedly found in his apartment. He faces charges of incitement to hatred and the use of unconstitutional symbols – offenses punishable by lengthy prison terms and fines under German law. The authorities have not disclosed further details on his identity or motive, and it remains unclear why he targeted the tax office.

The incidents sparked public condemnation. Local Mayor Martin Biber called them “brazen and disgusting” and an “insult to society.” He noted the town’s sizable migrant population – seen as a possible factor behind the display – but stressed residents are well integrated and that there is no “noticeable far-right scene.” A local “Colorful Action Alliance for Democracy” group held a rally condemning the displays, which it described as the “instrumentalization of historical suffering.”

Recent data shows a sharp rise in right-wing extremist crimes and incidents involving Nazi symbols in Germany – nearly 37,000 in 2025, almost double the annual average between 2015 and 2022. Most are classified as “propaganda offenses,” such as displaying swastikas or banned slogans, though many also involve hate crimes targeting migrants.

Analysts link the trend to rising nationalist sentiment driven by economic pressures, political polarization, and migration concerns, warning that extremist and racist symbolism is increasingly entering mainstream culture.

Russia has long warned of a resurgence of Nazi ideology in Europe, citing marches honoring Waffen SS veterans and Nazi collaborators. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday called it “unfortunate” and “sad” that such practices are being revived.

“Unfortunately, both the ideology and practice of Nazism are now being revived, including, sadly, in Germany, as well as in those countries that joined Hitler’s hordes in the attack on the Soviet Union,” he said at a CSTO Parliamentary Assembly Council meeting, adding similar trends are visible in Finland and the UK.

The IDF indicated that it intends to remain in the neighboring country despite calls for a withdrawal

The Israeli military has published a map outlining what it described as a “forward defense line” in southern Lebanon, despite calls for a full withdrawal following the announcement of a ceasefire.

The map shows a new deployment line several kilometers beyond the border, encompassing dozens of mostly abandoned villages, days after a ceasefire with Hezbollah took effect.

Israel and Lebanon agreed on Thursday to a US-brokered ten-day ceasefire to halt more than a month of fighting between Israeli forces and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, following the first direct talks between the two sides in decades on April 14. The deal is aimed at supporting broader US-Iran diplomacy, although Israeli troops are set to remain deployed in parts of southern Lebanon.

The deployment line shown on the map stretches from east to west around 5-10 km inside Lebanese territory from the border, where Israel says it plans to establish a buffer zone.

In a statement, the IDF outlined what it described as a “forward defense line” where its forces are operating in southern Lebanon, but did not specify the size of the area.

Israeli forces have destroyed villages in the area, saying the aim is to prevent “direct threats” to northern Israeli communities. It said five divisions and naval forces are currently operating south of the line to dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure and prevent attacks against northern Israel.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Sunday that homes along the border used by Hezbollah would be demolished, adding that “any structure threatening our soldiers and any road suspected of being planted with explosives must be immediately destroyed.” He added that the IDF has been ordered to use “full force” in Lebanon, even during the ceasefire, if it is threatened.

Hezbollah, which boycotted the Washington talks, has signaled conditional support for the ceasefire, demanding a full halt to attacks and an eventual Israeli withdrawal.

Israel launched airstrikes on Beirut and other cities and expanded what it described as a security zone in southern Lebanon in early March, following rocket fire by Hezbollah in support of Iran. Tehran has since made an end to Israeli operations in Lebanon a condition for a broader agreement with the US and Israel.

Since early March, Israeli attacks in Lebanon have killed nearly 2,300 people, wounded over 7,500, and displaced more than 1 million, according to Lebanese officials.

 

 

 

A red android named Lightning outpaced all 12,000 human runners during an event in Beijing

A Chinese humanoid robot outpaced thousands of human runners to win the Beijing E-Town half-marathon on Sunday, smashing the current world record. The event featured around 12,000 participants and more than 100 robots.

The bright‑red bipedal android named Lightning, developed by Chinese smartphone maker Honor, dominated the race, crossing the finish line ahead of all the human competitors. It covered the 21.1 km distance in just 50 minutes and 26 seconds, beating the world record for a half‑marathon, set by Ugandan runner Jacob Kiplimo just last month, by nearly 7 minutes.

Robots also took second and third place, while the fastest human to finish the marathon was 29-year-old Zhao Haijie, who ran the race in 1 hour, 7 minutes and 47 seconds. 

In a similar race last year, machines had failed to make an impression, with the fastest robot, Tiangong, taking 2 hours and 40 minutes to complete the distance, well behind the human athletes.

Despite the androids completely dominating this year’s event, it was not without mishaps. One robot could be seen stumbling at the starting line and then crashing face‑first onto the pavement as staff rushed in with a stretcher.

Another robot veered into a barricade late in the race but recovered to finish, while engineers jogged behind clutching control devices. One android crossed the finish line, then promptly veered off course and fell into a bush.

About 40% of the robots ran autonomously, navigating turns, uneven terrain, and crowds without remote control. Others were operated by technicians, with finishing times adjusted to reflect the different categories. 

China has designated humanoid robotics as a strategic national priority and one of six new economic growth drivers for the coming five years, providing significant subsidies to accelerate development. 

At the same time, China’s economic planning commission has warned that the country’s humanoid robotics industry risks facing a bubble as a result of the investment frenzy and has urged to prevent the explosive expansion of the sector from overwhelming the market.

Ancient objects have been returned due to Cairo’s continued efforts to repatriate cultural heritage, the country’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said

Cairo has reclaimed 13 ancient artifacts, including rare vessels and statues that were illegally brought to the US.  

Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathi Attia said on Saturday the recovery reflects the country’s continued efforts to repatriate “cultural antiquities that were illegally smuggled” abroad. 

The items were handed over during a ceremony at the Egyptian Consulate General in New York. The recovered objects included an alabaster jar for oils and perfumes dating to the 7th century BC, as well as cosmetic containers shaped like animals from the Middle and New Kingdoms of Ancient Egypt.  

The collection also features a statue of the goddess Isis depicted as Aphrodite from the second century AD, highlighting the blend of Egyptian and Greek cultural influences, along with a stone statue of a man named Ankh-en-Nefer from the Late Period. 

The Egyptian side thanked their US counterparts for their role in the investigation. Officials said the case highlights the importance of international cooperation in “confronting the illicit trafficking of cultural property.”  

Egypt has recently stepped up efforts to recover antiquities from abroad. Last November, Cairo also announced the recovery of 36 artifacts from the US, including a Roman-era mummy mask and a group of rare Coptic and Syriac manuscripts. 

Also last year, Egyptian officials said 13 artifacts had been returned from the UK and Germany. The items include a mummy’s skull and hand, ankh and baboon-shaped amulets, a bronze Osiris crown, and a beaded funerary mask. 

The repatriation comes amid growing calls across Africa for the return of cultural artifacts taken abroad. Speaking in Moscow in July, Mozambican Foreign Minister Maria Manuela Lucas said items removed from the continent should be returned to their countries of origin. 

During the 19th and early 20th centuries, European colonial powers systematically looted cultural property across Africa. In many cases, the art objects ended up in museums and private collections in Europe and North America. According to some estimates up to 90% of sub-Saharan Africa’s cultural heritage is now held outside the continent.

Some countries have embraced historical revanchism by seeking to revisit the Soviet victory over Nazism, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said

The West is being swept by a “pandemic of historical revanchism” as it seeks to erase the memory of World War II and rewrite the Soviet victory over Nazi ideology, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has warned.

Zakharova made the remarks in an interview with TASS on Sunday on the occasion of Russia’s Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Genocide of the Soviet People, which is being observed for the first time this year.

The spokeswoman said that while for a time Russia was absolutely certain that WWII was “a sacred topic for the whole world,” many Western countries adopted a different approach. “They think… the Soviet victory in WWII was accidental and inadmissible. They think that now is the time to rectify this accident, or a mistake, as they see it,” Zakharova stated.

She noted that Moscow used to regard revanchism as “some kind of small germ that would sit in the corner and not go anywhere.” Zakharova, however, said that even “from a small germ can then grow a huge, terrifying pandemic of historical revanchism,” adding that a similar warning could be found in the landmark 1965 Soviet film ‘Ordinary Fascism’ by Mikhail Romm, which became a cautionary tale about the rise and fall of the Nazi ideology as well as of its numerous crimes.

Some Western countries, Zakharova said, do not accept the results of WWII and the rulings of the Nuremberg Tribunal. “No, they do not want to give up the idea of taking over the Ukrainian black soil, Russian oil and gas,” she said, adding that Western ambitions extend to seizing the resources of Central Asia and the South Caucasus.

She also cited an escalating war against monuments to those who fought Nazism, but said the most dangerous sign of revanchism was that “they want a revenge which would allow them to prevail in remaking the world order and seizing resources around the globe.”

Moscow has for years sounded the alarm about resurgent Nazi ideology in Europe, citing in particular marches in Baltic states honoring Waffen SS veterans. It has also pointed to torchlit marches celebrating the birthday of Ukrainian nationalist Stepan Bandera, whose Ukrainian Insurgent Army collaborated with Nazi Germany and killed tens of thousands of Jews and Poles during WWII.

Moscow has said Ukraine’s denazification is one of the key goals of its military operation against the neighboring state.

The UAE has reportedly threatened that it could shift to the Chinese currency in oil trade as it presses Washington for a financial backstop

The United Arab Emirates has warned the US Treasury that it could be “forced to use Chinese yuan” in oil trade, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.

UAE Central Bank Governor Khaled Mohamed Balama delivered what the newspaper described as an “implicit threat” against the dollar’s dominant position during a meeting with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Washington last week, the outlet said, citing unnamed US officials.

Balama reportedly explained that Abu Dhabi could require a lifeline to prevent a dollar liquidity crunch if the economic fallout from the US war against Iran continues to rise.

Tehran has pursued a strategy of asymmetric pressure aimed at raising costs for Washington and its allies. The UAE bore the brunt of Iranian retaliation against US military bases and other high-value locations, with over 2,800 drones and missiles reportedly fired at the country.

The US Treasury could offer a currency swap, though these types of arrangements are usually handled by the Federal Reserve. The WSJ said Fed approval for the UAE is unlikely and cited a precedent last year in which a $20 billion support package was arranged by the Treasury for Argentina ahead of a key election.

The administration of US President Donald Trump previously floated the idea of Gulf states partially covering the cost of the Iran war. Harvard Kennedy School Professor Linda Bilmes estimated that the US directly spent $2 billion per day in the first 40 days of the conflict.

Arab frustration with US policies has surfaced in public commentary from figures linked to Gulf governments. On Sunday, Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a former adviser to UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed, called for US military bases in the country to be closed, arguing that they are a burden rather than a strategic asset. He advocated instead for prioritizing the acquisition of advanced US weaponry as an alternative national defense strategy.

Iran has also been collecting payment for ships that pass through the Strait of Hormuz that it considers neutral in the conflict, demanding payments in yuan or cryptocurrencies – which helps circumvent US financial control and potential sanctions.

New Delhi has urged Tehran’s envoy to resume facilitating the passage of ships headed to the South Asian nation

New Delhi has expressed its concern to the Iranian envoy over the firing on two India-bound vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met Tehran’s envoy to New Delhi, Mohammad Fathali, on Saturday, and conveyed India’s “deep concern” after the incident in which ships carrying energy cargoes were reportedly prevented from transiting the Strait by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

This is the first time that India-bound energy carriers have been prevented from transiting the Strait during the ceasefire announced on April 8.

On April 17, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi declared that passage for all commercial vessels is completely open. 

“The Foreign Secretary conveyed India’s deep concern at the shooting incident earlier today involving two Indian-flagged ships in the Strait of Hormuz,” the Indian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.

Misri said that Iran had earlier facilitated the safe passage of several ships and added that he “urged the ambassador to convey India’s views to the authorities in Iran and resume at the earliest the process of facilitating India-bound ships across the Strait.”

The Foreign Ministry said the Iranian ambassador was “called in” and not “summoned” as some reports indicated.

Misri was India’s representative in an international virtual meeting organized by the United Kingdom and France on April 17, in which 44 countries discussed the need for maintaining open navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

US President Donald Trump had also said that “Iran has agreed to never close the Strait of Hormuz again. 

Reports said soon after Araghchi’s announcement the IRGC reportedly said the strait had reverted to “strict control” due to the US Navy’s blockade of Iranian ships.

The Strait of Hormuz has emerged as a critical energy chokepoint since tensions escalated after the US-Israel attacks on Iran began on February 28. 

India imports 85% of its oil and nearly half of its natural gas. Around half of its crude oil and LNG shipments are normally routed through the Strait of Hormuz.

Russian rhythmic gymnasts have won four medals in Baku – two silvers and two bronzes – while competing under neutral status

On April 18, the reigning Russian national champions – who train at Alina Kabaeva’s Sky Grace Rhythmic Gymnastics Academy – took bronze in the all-around group competition at the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup which has now concluded in Baku, Azerbaijan. The team was made up of Alyona Seliverstova, Alina Proshchalykina, Zlata Remchukova, Nelli Reutskaya and Nicole Andronchik.

Their routine with three hoops and two pairs of clubs was performed cleanly and at a high level, without major errors. The group scored 26.350 for the exercise, finishing with a total of 52.900 points.

Israel won gold with 54.300 points, while Spain placed second on 54.050.

The same Russian lineup also claimed silver in the group event with three hoops and two pairs of clubs, earning 26.750 points. Spain took first place in that discipline with 27.950.

The Russian group also leaves Baku with the AGF Trophy for the highest execution score.

The team was personally prepared for the tournament by Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva, who remained in contact with the athletes throughout the competition. The routine was developed with choreographer Irina Zenovka

On April 19, 15-year-old Sofia Ilteryakova added two more medals to the Russian tally, taking silver in the clubs event and bronze in hoop. In clubs, she was beaten only by Olympic champion Darya Varfolomeyeva.

In total, the Russian gymnasts finished the Baku World Cup stage with two silver medals and two bronze medals.

They competed at the tournament under neutral status.

Rumen Radev, the leader of Progressive Bulgaria, has pushed for more “critical thinking and pragmatism” in EU foreign policy

The winner of the Bulgarian parliamentary election, Progressive Bulgaria’s Rumen Radev, has called for dialogue with Russia to be restored. The former president has led the newly formed left-leaning populist party to a landslide victory on a platform of critical dialogue with Brussels and pragmatism towards Moscow.

Speaking to reporters after the first exit polls showed his party well in the lead, the EU-skeptic Radev said Bulgaria would remain “on its European path,” but argued that Sofia and the bloc both need “more critical thinking” in foreign policy.

“Ask [French President Emmanuel] Macron, the prime minister of Belgium, ask other European leaders, including [German] Chancellor [Friedrich] Merz, who said that this dialogue [with Russia] must be restored,” Radev stated, stressing that engagement is necessary to shape Europe’s future security architecture and to halt its deindustrialization. “If we want Europe to have real strategic autonomy… Europe must think very seriously about how it will secure its resources, because without energy resources we cannot talk about competitiveness,” he added.

Bulgaria, 96.4% of protocols processed:

National parliament election

PB-*: 44.7% (+0.2)
GERB-SDS-EPP: 13.4% (+0.1)
PP-DB-RE|EPP: 12.9% (-0.6)
DPS-NN-NI: 6.7% (+0.6)
V-ESN: 4.3% (-0.1)
MECh-*: 3.3%
Velichie-*: 3.1% (-0.1)
BSPOL-S&D: 3.0%
Siyanie-G/EFA: 2.9% (-0.1)
APS-RE: 1.5%… pic.twitter.com/vZ4QRUEgjO

— Europe Elects (@EuropeElects) April 20, 2026

Radev argued that the bloc has undermined itself by pursuing moral leadership in what he described as a world without rules, and now needs more practical policies.

According to interim results, with 96.4% of ballots counted as of Monday morning, Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria has secured 44.7% of the vote, far ahead of former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov’s long-dominant GERB-SDS at 13.4%, with caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov’s PP-DB trailing at 12.9%.

To form a government, a party or coalition must win at least 121 seats in the 240-seat National Assembly. Preliminary projections suggest Progressive Bulgaria has already cleared that threshold with an estimated 131-134 seats, enough to govern without a coalition.

Radev described the result as a “victory of hope over mistrust,” saying his party had overcome voter apathy, but acknowledged that distrust in politicians remains. He said he will comment on government formation or possible coalition talks after the final results are announced.

The vote marks Bulgaria’s eighth election in five years. The country has been in a state of political dysfunction with unpopular caretaker governments since 2021, when Borissov resigned amid corruption scandals. Although Progressive Bulgaria was formed less than two months ago, Radev is a veteran political figure, having served as president from 2017 until stepping down in January to run for prime minister, pledging to break the deadlock and tackle corruption.

A vocal critic of the EU’s Ukraine policy, Radev has opposed Bulgaria’s embargo on Russian energy, blocked a 2022 plan to send armored vehicles to Ukraine, and argued that there is no military solution to the conflict.

The pontiff urged thousands of worshipers to help build a world free from war and injustice during his visit to the African nation

Pope Leo has prayed at a historic Catholic shrine in Angola that is linked to the transatlantic slave trade, during the third leg of his first trip to Africa as pontiff.

Speaking at the Sanctuary of Mama Muxima on Sunday, the Pope said the Marian site held memories of “sorrow and great suffering” in Angola’s history, while also remaining a place where generations of believers have turned in moments of anguish and hope.

Founded by Portuguese colonizers in the late 16th century, the shrine became entwined with the slave trade, with enslaved Africans baptized there before being taken around 130 km to the capital, Luanda, and shipped across the Atlantic.

The pontiff did not directly address the Catholic Church’s role in legitimizing slavery during the colonial period, an issue that has remained a source of controversy despite the Vatican’s broader efforts in recent years to confront parts of its colonial legacy.

The sanctuary became a major pilgrimage site after believers reported an apparition of the Virgin Mary around 1833. The Vatican has described it as a center of devotion during some of the most difficult periods in Angola’s history, including colonial rule and the long civil war.

Pope Leo, whose ancestry includes both enslaved people and slave owners, prayed the Rosary at the shrine and urged the thousands gathered outside to help build a world free from war and injustice.

“It is love that must triumph, not war,” he said in Portuguese.

Highlights of the seventh day of Pope Leo XIV's Apostolic Journey to Africa, during which he celebrated Mass in Kilamba and prayed the Rosary in Muxima on his second day in Angola. pic.twitter.com/WrUVmMZ9Eu

— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) April 19, 2026

The Angola stop forms part of the Pope’s 11-day tour of Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea, which began on April 13.

The pope did not directly mention slavery in his remarks in Angola. However, his visit to Muxima comes at a time of a renewed international push to address the legacy of slavery and colonialism. Last month, the UN General Assembly adopted a Ghana-led resolution, backed by the African Union and the Caribbean Community, declaring the transatlantic trafficking of enslaved Africans and racialized chattel enslavement the “gravest crime against humanity.”

The US voted against the resolution, saying it rejects any suggestion of a legal duty to provide reparations for historical wrongs that were not illegal under international law at the time. The UK abstained and has also opposed the demands.

Being investigated in France is “the new Legion d’honneur,” the Russian entrepreneur has said

France is weaponizing criminal prosecution in an attempt to suppress free speech, Telegram founder Pavel Durov has said, as he backed X owner Elon Musk in the social media platform’s legal case in the country.

Durov made the remarks on Sunday after the Wall Street Journal reported that the US Department of Justice had rejected a French request for assistance in investigating X’s alleged role in distributing sexual deepfakes and unlawful data extraction.

The DOJ letter stated that the French probe sought “to use the criminal legal system in France to regulate a public square for the free expression of ideas” and “to entangle the United States in a politically charged criminal proceeding.”

Musk has denied any wrongdoing and dismissed the probe as a “political attack.”

Durov rallied behind the X owner, arguing that under President Emmanuel Macron, “France is losing legitimacy as it weaponizes criminal investigations to suppress free speech and privacy.” 

He also disputed the independence of French prosecutors, saying they “are hired, fired, and promoted by the government.” He added that “the judicial police – who provide often misleading reports to investigative judges – are also controlled by the government.”

”Proud to stand alongside Elon Musk and others targeted by Macron’s campaign against digital rights. In Macron’s France, being investigated is the new Legion d’honneur.”

The French investigation into X was first launched in January 2025, following allegations that the platform’s content algorithm showed bias and could constitute foreign interference. The case has since expanded to include scrutiny of anti-Semitic content, Holocaust denial, and AI-generated child sexual abuse material. Paris prosecutors raided X’s French offices in February 2026, and recently summoned Musk for a “voluntary” interview.

Durov – a citizen of France, Russia, the UAE, and St. Kitts and Nevis – has himself clashed with the French judicial system. He was arrested at a Paris airport in August 2024 and indicted on 12 charges, including alleged complicity in distributing child exploitation material and drug trafficking, after French prosecutors cited Telegram’s near-total failure to respond to legal requests.

Durov’s travel ban was fully lifted in November 2025, though the formal investigation continues. Durov has called the arrest and probe “legally and logically absurd” and said its “only outcome” had been “massive damage to France’s image as a free country.”

Tehran has accused Washington of violating a ceasefire, vowing to respond

Iran has denounced a US attack on one of its vessels as “armed maritime piracy,” warning of retaliation.

On Sunday, a US warship fired at and subsequently seized an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman. The military said the ship, identified as the Touska, was attempting to breach a naval blockade and head for Bandar Abbas through the Strait of Hormuz.

In a statement released shortly afterward, Iran’s military command center, Khatam al-Anbiya, condemned the strike on a vessel returning from China, accusing Washington of violating the ceasefire in place since April 8.

“We warn that the armed forces of... Iran will soon respond and retaliate against this armed piracy and the US military,” a spokesperson for the command center said, as cited by ISNA news agency.

US President Donald Trump announced the blockade of Iranian ports last week after Pakistani-mediated talks failed to achieve a breakthrough.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said the US blockade of Iran’s ports and coastline is an act of aggression that violates the ceasefire.

“By deliberately inflicting collective punishment on the Iranian population, it amounts to war crimes and crimes against humanity,” Baghaei said on social media.

Baghaei’s comments on Sunday followed renewed Iranian threats to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz in response to the US blockade, effectively reclosing the strategic route which handles around 20% of the global oil and liquefied natural gas trade.

Iran’s Tasnim news agency later reported that Iranian forces launched drones toward US naval vessels. The Pentagon has not confirmed whether any ships came under attack.

The Indian vice president and Sri Lankan president held talks on Sunday

India and Sri Lanka have held talks on setting up an oil pipeline connecting the two South Asian nations.

Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said the discussions on Sunday between Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake also touched on bilateral ties, housing projects, and issues concerning the fishing industry of the two countries.

“Some initiatives that are underway from the Indian side and some proposals that have already been discussed between the two countries, notable amongst them, the project related to the energy hub in Trincomalee and the proposal to link India and Sri Lanka through an oil pipeline,” Misri said on Sunday.

Discussions on the oil pipeline project, which also involves the United Arab Emirates, have been ongoing since 2023, Misri added.

Sri Lanka, India, and the UAE signed a pact in April 2025 to set up an oil pipeline connecting the two South Asian neighbors and to establish the Trincomalee oil storage complex. The pact provides for the development of an energy hub by India and the UAE.

Misri pointed out the importance of the discussions at a time when the world “is facing the fallout of an energy crisis.”

Radhakrishnan’s two-day visit is the first ever by an Indian vice president to Sri Lanka.   

Dissanayake highlighted India’s first-responder role during Sri Lanka’s economic crisis in 2022 and, more recently, after Cyclone Ditwah last year.

Radhakrishnan discussed the ongoing implementation of Indian projects in Sri Lanka with an emphasis on the $450 million Cyclone Ditwah aid offered by New Delhi.

During the India-Sri Lanka talks, the digital ID project and the Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) were also discussed, Misri said.

Various memoranda of understanding are also slated to be exchanged during Radhakrishnan’s visit, the Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Politicians like France’s Emmanuel Macron and Germany’s Friedrich Merz are beholden to “rich donors,” the Belarusian president says

Western leaders are figureheads dependent on wealthy donors who “do not care about their people,” Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has said in an interview with RT’s Rick Sanchez.

Speaking at the presidential palace in Minsk, Lukashenko discussed the Western political system, Belarus’ relations with neighboring countries, US President Donald Trump, and a range of other topics.

Leaders like French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz “are all just temporary placeholders… They’re here today, gone tomorrow,” Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1994 and is Europe’s longest-serving current leader, said.

“They’re just trying to grab something while they can. That’s the foundation of their policies,” he added, while highlighting his own style of governance.

“I appoint the government, supervise its work, and bear responsibility for the outcomes,” Lukashenko said. He argued that in the West, “it’s not clear who appoints who and who’s responsible for what… the people there don’t know who they can hold accountable.”

The Belarusian leader said Western politicians owe their positions to “rich donors who finance them,” and “over time, they begin to prioritize the interests of these donors, not the people of Germany, France, or the UK.”

Watch the full interview here: