World

Israel has appointed its first ambassador to Somaliland, a move sharply condemned by Somalia. According to Israel's public broadcaster, Michael Lotem, who previously served as Israel's ambassador to Kenya, has been appointed as ambassador to Somaliland. This step further solidifies a partnership that has accelerated rapidly since December, when Israel became the first country in the world to recognize Somaliland, ending over 30 years of diplomatic isolation for the breakaway region.

Just steps from the bustling chaos of Old Havana, Esteban García stands idly in a silent cigar shop, staring blankly at empty mahogany shelves behind a heavy glass door. The store manager, who asked to use a pseudonym for fear of retaliation, says: "We haven’t received a shipment in a month." Before the COVID-19 pandemic, his shop received deliveries of premium Habanos—cigars from brands like Romeo y Julieta, Montecristo, and the flagship Cohiba—three times a month. Over recent years, shipments have slowed to just once a month, and in recent weeks, even that pace isn’t guaranteed.

Hungary's Prime Minister-elect Péter Magyar has announced plans for a comprehensive overhaul of state media and called for the resignation of President Tamás Sulyok, following his party's landmark election victory. Magyar emphasized that his Respect and Freedom (Tisza) party secured a landslide win in Sunday's election, ending right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's 16-year tenure in power.

A high-level Pakistani delegation has traveled to Tehran to hold talks focused on arranging a fresh round of negotiations between Iran and the United States, just a week before their fragile truce is due to expire. The delegation, headed by Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir, arrived in the Iranian capital on Wednesday evening, with Iranian state media reporting that he brought a new message from the US and plans to coordinate a second round of US-Iran talks.

At an international conference in Berlin, more than £1bn (€1.15bn) was pledged for war-ravaged Sudan, surpassing the organizers' target of $1bn. The conference aimed to address the world's largest humanitarian crisis, with two-thirds of Sudan's population—34 million people—requiring assistance after three years of conflict between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the army.

A group of 19 United Nations experts – including special rapporteurs and independent experts across various human rights mandates – has condemned Israel's attack on Lebanon as illegal and called on UN member states to halt all arms transfers to Israel. The experts issued the condemnation on Wednesday as Israel continued to pound areas of southern Lebanon, killing at least 16 people, including four paramedics, according to Lebanese state media.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and his British counterpart John Healey, at a Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting in Berlin on Wednesday, expressed a desire for de-escalation in Iran, the Persian Gulf, and the Strait of Hormuz. Pistorius stated in English at a press conference: "The eyes of the world are on the Strait of Hormuz and the events in the Middle East these days. Quick de-escalation and an end to the blockade of the Strait are in our fundamental interest. Unfortunately, these are not in sight right now."

On the third anniversary of the start of Sudan's civil war, an international conference in Berlin saw donors pledge €1.3 billion ($1.5 billion) to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in the country. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, in a video message, called the war a "tragic milestone in a conflict that has shattered a country of immense promise" and stated that "this nightmare must end."

The Italian government has declined to automatically renew a Memorandum of Understanding on defense cooperation with Israel, originally signed in 2003 and ratified in 2005. The decision was formalized in a letter from Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto to his Israeli counterpart. Analysts note that while the move carries more symbolic weight than immediate practical consequences, it represents an unprecedented step by Rome and reflects deepening unease over its longtime ally's actions in the Middle East.

Turkey has been shaken by bloody tragedies in educational institutions over two days. A shooting at the Ayser Chalik Secondary School in the city of Kahramanmaras resulted in 9 fatalities. The incident was officially confirmed to journalists by the country's Interior Minister, Mustafa Chiftci.

The Israeli government's rhetoric about the war in Lebanon appears straightforward: a fight against Hezbollah since 1982, but it is largely driven by domestic political considerations. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's administration has failed to deliver "security" in Gaza and against Iran, making victory on the northern border his only remaining opportunity. The desire to be remembered as the leader of the longest war in Israeli history, coupled with Lebanon's weak military and internal political instability, renders it a convenient target.

US lifestyle influencer Ashly Robinson died last week on 9 April while on vacation in the Tanzanian islands of Zanzibar with her boyfriend, Joe McCann. Her death, coming just days after her birthday and a marriage proposal from McCann, has sparked suspicion on social media, with users expressing doubt over the current narrative. Robinson's family is seeking answers into her death, stating that the trip was supposed to be "one of the happiest of trips," but instead, she was "found unconscious in her villa and taken to hospital, where her death was confirmed hours later."