EU leaders convene in Brussels to tackle a packed agenda including Ukraine, the Middle East, the bloc's budget, China's economic influence, migration, defense, and narcotics. Key discussions will focus on trade practices with China, revamping the single market, and the €2 trillion long-term budget amid internal disagreements.
Russia's permanent delegation to UNESCO stated that Russia strictly adheres to the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, responding to allegations of an attack on the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra complex. The Russian Defense Ministry previously reported the complex was hit by a Patriot missile, suggesting expired missiles supplied by Western countries could be a cause.
A 2025 study by the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) reports a record 65 state-based armed conflicts globally, the highest since WWII. Battle-related deaths reached approximately 245,000, making it one of the deadliest years recently. Interstate conflicts doubled to eight.
Civilian nuclear facilities are increasingly becoming targets in armed conflicts, raising concerns about potential radioactive releases and public health impacts. International efforts to protect these sites are underway, but a specific treaty is lacking.
Colombians are voting in a presidential election where candidates offer starkly different approaches to ending decades of armed conflict. The vote is seen as a referendum on outgoing President Gustavo Petro's policies, with key contenders debating negotiation versus a harder line on armed groups.
India and the African Union postponed the India-Africa Forum Summit in New Delhi due to the "evolving health situation in parts of Africa," specifically the growing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Since Ecuador declared an 'internal armed conflict,' security forces have been accused of widespread human rights abuses, including forced disappearances and torture, with victims detailing brutal treatment and families left searching for missing loved ones.
Oil prices surged Monday as President Trump warned Iran to "get moving" amid stalled peace talks. Record low global inventories and continued disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz are also contributing factors to the price hike.
Oil prices surged Monday as President Trump warned Iran to "get moving" amid stalled peace talks and record low global inventories, with the Strait of Hormuz remaining largely closed.
Oil prices rose as Iran-U.S. talks stalled, fueling fears of a supply crunch. Record low inventories and potential conflict in the Strait of Hormuz contributed to the climb.
The number of armed conflicts worldwide has reached a historic peak since 1946, with intra-state conflicts in the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, and South Asia being particularly significant. The proportion of the global population living in countries affected by conflict has also risen.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan says the US and Iran are committed to ending the armed conflict despite complicated negotiations.
Maria Lvova-Belova said she shared these figures during a meeting in late April with Vanessa Frazier, the United Nations secretary-general’s special representative for children and armed conflict
Maria Lvova-Belova said she shared these figures during a meeting in late April with Vanessa Frazier, the United Nations secretary-general’s special representative for children and armed conflict
Axios reported earlier that Washington and Tehran were close to signing a memorandum to end the armed conflict
For most military powers, proving the success of one’s technology in real combat almost always requires undertaking the grave risks of war and human casualties. In the case of the People’s Liberation Army, Beijing continues to exercise great caution about joining any armed conflict, and the past few decades have brought astounding progress yet an extremely limited combat footprint for its weaponry. The Iran war could change that. As tensions around Iran persist, Pakistan, whose imported weapons...
The U.S. government deported 15 Latin Americans to Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo on April 17 as part of a secretive migration deal—the first group to arrive under the agreement. The deportees from Colombia, Ecuador and Peru say they were chained during transport and didn't know their destination until on the plane. They are being held in a shabby hotel near Kinshasa's airport, cut off from a country whose language they don't speak, with limited water, rodents and mosquitoes. Several have pending U.S. court cases. The deal has sparked protests in Congo, where opposition politicians have condemned the policy.
Mikael Agasandyan noted that the Europeans were trying to increase their economic, humanitarian and military presence in countries that are adjacent to Russia to "cordon it off"
Russian Senator Alexey Pushkov says Iran has prepared extensively for potential armed conflict with the United States, moving nearly all missile facilities underground and dispersing them throughout the country. He claims Iran possesses tens of thousands of drones and missiles, and has been preparing economically and existentially for such a conflict, which he says is a matter of survival for Tehran, whereas for America it is merely a 'war of choice.'
The US military estimates it may take up to six months to fully clear the Strait of Hormuz of mines, according to a senior Pentagon official cited by The Washington Post. The assessment was given during a closed-door briefing at the US House Committee on Armed Services. Any clearance operation is unlikely to begin until hostilities end. The negative consequences of the armed conflict will continue affecting the global economy through the end of the year, with gasoline and oil prices likely remaining high even after a potential US-Iran deal.
