分类： world

On Monday, as Pope Leo XIV traveled to Algiers for the first stop of a multi-nation African apostolic tour, a public dispute erupted between the pontiff and former U.S. President Donald Trump over the ongoing Middle East conflict, overshadowing the spiritual and diplomatic aims of the trip.

Before the papal plane departed Rome, Trump launched a series of sharp criticisms against Pope Leo, who had publicly called for an immediate end to the war ignited by the joint Israel-U.S. military strike on Iran in late February. The U.S. leader doubled down on his attacks hours later, insisting he had nothing to apologize for, and claimed the pontiff’s stance on Iran was factually wrong. “He was very much against what I’m doing with regard to Iran, and you cannot have a nuclear Iran,” Trump stated, adding that he is “not a big fan of Pope Leo” and accusing the pontiff of recklessly engaging with the Iranian government.

Speaking to reporters aboard his aircraft en route to Algiers, Pope Leo pushed back against the criticism, rejecting any desire for political confrontation with the Trump administration. “I have no intention to debate with Trump, I am not a politician,” the pontiff clarified. He emphasized that his calls for peace flow directly from the core mission of the Catholic Church: “The Gospel says… blessed are the peacemakers. I believe that the Church has a moral duty to speak out very clearly against war and in favour of peace and reconciliation.” Pope Leo added pointedly that he does not fear condemnation from the Trump administration, and will not shy away from proclaiming the Gospel’s message of peace.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni quickly stepped in to condemn Trump’s attacks, describing them as “unacceptable.” “It is right and normal for [Leo] to call for peace and to condemn all forms of war,” she stated.

Beyond the transatlantic dispute, Pope Leo’s two-day visit to Algeria carries deep personal spiritual meaning for the pontiff. Algeria is the birthplace of Saint Augustine of Hippo, the 4th and 5th-century Christian theologian whose writings have shaped Catholic thought for millennia, and whose spiritual order the pope himself belongs to. In his very first address after being elected pope in May 2025, Leo identified himself as a “son” of Augustine, and frequently references the theologian’s work in his teachings.

In his opening address at the Algerian Martyrs Memorial in Algiers on Monday, the pontiff paid tribute to the thousands of Algerians killed during the country’s 1954-1962 war of independence from France, and used the occasion to call for cross-national forgiveness and reconciliation. The remarks come at a time of rising diplomatic tensions between Algiers and Paris, and follow a recent private meeting between Pope Leo and French President Emmanuel Macron at the Vatican. “In this place, let us remember that God desires peace for every nation,” the pontiff said.

The ongoing dispute with the Trump administration is not new: Pope Leo has previously criticized Trump’s threats against Iranian civilians as unacceptable, and decried the U.S. administration’s “inhuman” treatment of migrants crossing the southern U.S. border. Trump has responded in kind, calling Pope Leo “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy”, and has claimed that cardinals elected Leo solely because of his American citizenship. In a recent controversial social media post, Trump shared an AI-generated image that depicted him as Jesus Christ, before deleting the post amid widespread backlash. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian condemned the post as an “insult” and “desecration of Jesus” on the social media platform X.

During his flight to Algiers, Pope Leo reiterated that his work is fundamentally different from secular political statecraft. “We’re not politicians, we’re not looking to make foreign policy as he calls it with the same perspective that he might understand it,” the pontiff said.

On Monday, the pontiff also toured two of Algiers’ most iconic religious sites: the Great Mosque of Algiers, which boasts the world’s tallest minaret, and the Basilica of Our Lady of Africa, which overlooks the Bay of Algiers, a landmark that reflects the country’s long history of coexistence between Muslim and Christian communities. On Tuesday, Pope Leo will travel to Annaba, the modern city built on the site of the ancient Roman city of Hippo where Saint Augustine lived and worked for most of his career. He plans to hold a private prayer service at a chapel honoring 19 priests and nuns murdered during Algeria’s brutal 1992-2002 civil conflict, but will not visit the Tibhirine monastery where seven monks were kidnapped and killed in 1996, a killing that remains unresolved decades later.

Pope Leo’s 10-day African tour will also include stops in Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea, covering more than 18,000 kilometers between April 13 and 23. While in Algeria, three international human rights organizations have publicly called on the pontiff to address the ongoing repression of religious minority communities in the country. While Algeria’s constitution formally guarantees freedom of worship for all faiths under regulated conditions, human rights groups have documented consistent patterns of harassment and discrimination against minority religious groups in recent years.

In a major coordinated anti-narcotics operation carried out over the weekend of April 10, Belizean security and law enforcement agencies have seized nearly 551 kilograms of unprocessed suspected cocaine and a private Cessna aircraft, taking four people into custody as investigations into a transnational drug trafficking network continue.

The operation, which unfolded in the remote Neuland region of northern Belize’s Corozal District, was built on real-time intelligence sharing and cross-border partnership, Belize’s Ministry of Home Affairs and Enterprise confirmed in an official statement. According to ministry details, security personnel began tracking the small aircraft long before it touched down on a clandestine landing strip, monitoring its journey north from South America with live surveillance feeds provided by international partner nations.

The multi-phase operation was structured to maximize the element of surprise and avoid tipping off members of the trafficking ring. First, elite intelligence units carried out prolonged stealth surveillance of known and suspected secret landing sites across northern Belize, mapping potential routes and target locations. Once the aircraft entered Belizean airspace, specialized tactical units from multiple government agencies were deployed to pre-assigned positions surrounding the Neuland landing zone, lying in wait for the aircraft to touch down.

At 6:14 pm local time on April 10, the Cessna landed in the Neuland area, and law enforcement teams moved in immediately to secure the site. In addition to seizing the aircraft and the 551.39 kilograms of cocaine stowed aboard, officers detained two Mexican nationals identified as the aircraft’s pilots, along with two Belizean men who were waiting at the landing site. The total estimated street value of the seized cocaine has not been publicly released by authorities as of the latest update.

Ministry officials announced that they are withholding key details of the operation at this stage of the investigation, noting that a parallel probe is already underway to uncover the full network of senior organizers and major players behind the foiled shipment. The drug was intended for transshipment through Belize to consumer markets in North America, authorities confirmed, adding that the bust disrupts an active trafficking route that criminal networks have attempted to use repeatedly.

The successful operation was led by Belize’s Joint Intelligence Operations Centre (JIOC), with tactical support from specialized units across four key agencies: the Belize Police Department, Belize Defence Force, Belize Coast Guard, and Customs Department. The ministry emphasized that the result of this operation is a clear demonstration of the Belizean government’s consistent, unwavering commitment to dismantling transnational drug trafficking networks and rooting out organized criminal activity within the country’s borders.

“Through strengthened law enforcement protocols, deeper cross-agency coordination, enhanced local and regional cooperation, and comprehensive prevention strategies, we will continue to confront these threats head-on,” the statement read. Officials added that they expect more breakthroughs in the ongoing investigation as they work to trace the origins of the shipment and arrest additional members of the smuggling ring.

KINGSTON, Jamaica — What was meant to be the start of a high-profile murder trial this week in Jamaica’s capital has been pushed back years, after prosecutors requested a delay to complete critical procedural steps in the case against prominent Portland businessman Everton “Beachy Stout” McDonald. McDonald stands accused of orchestrating the 2009 shooting death of his first wife, Marlene McDonald.

The proceeding was scheduled to open Monday before Justice Leighton Pusey at downtown Kingston’s Home Circuit Court. However, prosecuting representatives immediately filed a motion for adjournment, asking for additional time to formally serve legal documents tied to a Section 31D(a) court application. The Crown also confirmed it is considering revising the list of witnesses named on the original indictment.

The proposed changes to the witness roster have drawn fierce pushback from McDonald’s defense team, which is led by attorneys Monique Scott, Anna Kaye Scott-James, and John Jacobs. The court will issue a formal ruling on the adjournment request and the witness modification dispute when the matter next comes up for review on May 15, 2025. Following the ruling, the full trial will not get underway until January 27, 2027, marking the second delay to the proceeding after it was originally scheduled for April 2026.

The 2009 killing of Marlene McDonald, who was gunned down outside her Boundbrook, Portland residence, sat as an unsolved cold case for more than a decade. It was only reopened and McDonald was charged after his connection to the violent 2020 murder of his second wife, Tonia, was uncovered.

In September 2024, McDonald and his co-defendant Oscar Barnes were convicted and sentenced to life in prison for Tonia’s brutal killing. On July 20, 2020, Tonia was found murdered on a main road in Portland’s Sherwood Forest community: she had been stabbed multiple times, her throat cut, and her body was left burned inside her Toyota Axio, which the attackers also set on fire.

The family of 31-year-old American lifestyle content creator Ashly Robinson, known professionally as Ashlee Jenae, is demanding full clarity after her unexpected death during a celebratory vacation in Zanzibar with her fiancé.

In an official statement shared to Instagram Sunday, Robinson’s relatives described the jarring speed of the tragedy: just days after the creator marked her birthday and accepted a marriage proposal from long-time partner Joe McCann, she was gone suddenly. “One moment she was celebrating love and life in truly Ashly fashion, and the next, she was gone,” the family wrote.

The trip had been billed as a dream getaway for the couple, who had documented every step of their journey for Robinson’s 88,000+ social media followers. The milestone occasion included two huge life moments: Robinson’s 31st birthday, and McCann’s marriage proposal, both of which she shared with her online community before the unthinkable happened.

What was supposed to be a joyous celebration quickly devolved into the family’s worst nightmare. Per the statement, Robinson was found unresponsive in her private villa at the resort. Resort staff rushed her to a nearby local medical facility, where medical personnel confirmed her death a number of hours later.

Local police have publicly stated they are working under the initial assumption that Robinson died by suicide. Additional unconfirmed media reports have claimed that the couple experienced a verbal altercation earlier in the trip, prompting hotel management to reassign them to separate rooms for the remainder of their stay.

Robinson’s family has rejected the tentative narrative, calling her death suspicious and saying they are collaborating closely with Zanzibari law enforcement to uncover the full facts of what led to her passing. In their statement, the family noted that the distance from their home in the United States, combined with the sudden loss and lack of clear answers, has compounded their grief beyond measure.

“The suddenness, the unanswered questions, and the distance from home have made this tragedy even more overwhelming for our family,” the statement read. “At this time there is an active investigation into the circumstances surrounding Ashly’s suspicious passing. Although we have many questions, we are placing our trust in the officials in Zanzibar and are working closely with them as we seek clarity and answers.”

Before her death, Robinson had built a dedicated online following as a lifestyle creator, regularly sharing candid insights into her travels, personal life, and relationship with McCann for her tens of thousands of engaged followers.

LONDON (AFP) – Six weeks into open conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran that has choked off one of the world’s most critical energy and trade chokepoints, the top leader of the United Nations’ global maritime regulatory body has issued a clear legal rebuke: no nation has the authority under international law to block commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez laid out the organization’s position during a press briefing in London, as the waterway that connects the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea — through which roughly 20% of the world’s daily oil consumption and a large share of global liquefied natural gas trade transits — remained largely paralyzed by escalating military tensions. The conflict erupted February 28 after joint strikes by U.S. and Israeli forces against Iranian targets, after which Tehran moved to restrict access across the strait.

In remarks that clarified the IMO’s stance on the mounting crisis, Dominguez emphasized that binding international law upholds the right of innocent passage and guarantees unimpeded freedom of navigation for all commercial vessels through international straits used for global transit. No sovereign state, he said, is legally permitted to revoke these fundamental protections.

To date, Iranian authorities have only allowed a small, carefully vetted trickle of vessels to pass through a narrow corridor along its territorial coast. Multiple independent reports have documented that Iranian officials have demanded unofficial payments from vessel operators to grant passage, a practice Dominguez says has no standing under international rules.

“Charging a toll for navigation through an international strait directly violates the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and long-standing customary international maritime law,” Dominguez said. “Beyond being illegal, this move sets an extraordinarily dangerous precedent that could upend decades of established norms governing global trade routes.”

The situation has been further complicated by the United States’ recent vow to implement its own full blockade of all Iranian ports along and near the strait, set to begin this week. Dominguez noted that this additional U.S. military move does nothing to ease the already strained situation for global shipping. He added, however, that the practical impact of the U.S. blockade would likely be minimal, given how sharply traffic has already dropped since the conflict began.

“With already just a handful of ships managing to complete transits each week, an additional blockade will not exacerbate the crisis to any significant degree that would shift the current status quo,” he explained.

Dominguez concluded by stressing that the only sustainable path forward to resolving the crisis and restoring normal commercial shipping operations through the strait is immediate de-escalation between all conflict parties. Only through lowering tensions can global trade through this vital route return to its pre-crisis levels, he said.

GEORGETOWN, Guyana — A tragic deadly stampede at Haiti’s world-famous historic Citadelle Laferrière has left at least 30 people dead, drawing messages of condolence and solidarity from the Caribbean Community (Caricom) in the wake of the weekend disaster.

The fatal incident unfolded around 4:00 p.m. Saturday in the northern Haitian town of Milot, where thousands of pilgrims and tourists had gathered for annual Holy Week visits to the iconic fortress. According to initial official accounts, unseasonably heavy rainfall sparked sudden panic among the large crowd packed at the fortress’s entrance gates. As the throng of attendees surged to escape the weather, the chaotic crush turned deadly. Authorities confirmed most fatalities were caused by asphyxiation, while additional deaths resulted from trampling amid the uncontrolled crowd movement.

The Citadelle Laferrière, constructed in the early 1800s shortly after Haiti won its independence, holds profound national significance as the largest fortress in the Western Hemisphere and a core symbol of Haitian sovereignty. Every year during the Christian Holy Week leading up to Easter, the landmark draws tens of thousands of local and international visitors, creating persistent strains on local crowd management infrastructure.

Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, who officially confirmed the death toll, said the national government was overwhelmed by “profound emotion and immense sadness” over the tragedy. “The government extends its sincere condolences to the bereaved families and assures them of its deep solidarity during this time of mourning and great suffering,” Fils-Aimé said in a public statement. He added that local and national emergency authorities have been fully mobilized to deliver immediate aid, medical care and logistical support to everyone affected by the crush.

The prime minister noted that officials are maintaining close, ongoing monitoring of the response effort, and called on the Haitian public to remain patient and calm as formal investigations get underway to unpack the exact sequence of events that led to the disaster. “In this particularly difficult time, the prime minister and the Government reaffirm their solidarity with the victims and the entire affected community,” he added.

Local officials warn that the confirmed death toll may climb in the coming days, due to critical shortages of emergency resources in Milot that have delayed response efforts. Milot Mayor Wesner Joseph highlighted that the town lacks adequate ambulance services and other critical emergency infrastructure, slowing the transport of injured victims to care facilities. As of Monday, officials were still waiting for additional judicial authorities to arrive to formally process and document all casualties.

Haiti’s Civil Protection Department has already released a preliminary assessment pointing to multiple contributing factors: severe overcrowding at the popular site, compounded by longstanding gaps and shortcomings in organized crowd management protocols. Most of the victims are reported to be young people, with injured survivors transported to the town’s Sacré-Cœur Hospital for treatment. Haiti’s Ministry of Tourism also issued its own statement extending “condolences and deepest sympathies” to the families of all those killed and hurt.

In Georgetown, Caricom issued an official statement extending the regional bloc’s collective condolences to the Haitian government and people following the tragedy. “Caricom expresses heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and hopes for the speedy recovery of those injured,” the organization said. Caricom leaders confirmed that Caricom Chair Dr. Terrance Drew, who also serves as Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, personally conveyed the bloc’s sympathies directly to Prime Minister Fils-Aimé in a phone call shortly after news of the disaster broke. The regional bloc added that it “stands in solidarity with Haiti during this time of grief and loss.”

KINGSTON, Jamaica — A shooting at a high-profile pre-Carnival event in the Jamaican capital has left three people injured, including an American tourist who is now speaking out about the “deeply traumatic” experience and demanding sweeping changes to public event safety protocols across the country.

Jeremy Watson had traveled to Jamaica to join in the island’s iconic annual Carnival celebrations, and the Big Wall Revolution gathering at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre was supposed to be the final stop of his vacation on Sunday. What he expected to be a joyful, memorable night quickly devolved into chaos when a violent altercation broke out between a group of entertainers at the venue. Just minutes after Watson entered the space, a stray bullet hit him, cutting his trip short and upending his life.

“What should have been a celebratory and memorable evening instead became a deeply traumatic experience,” Watson said in a public statement released this week. Watson, who suffered severe nerve damage from the gunshot wound, says his injury could leave him with permanent long-term disability. He is scheduled to be airlifted back to the United States to undergo urgent, specialized surgery, and the incident has already left him grappling with overwhelming physical pain, emotional trauma, and mounting unexpected financial strain.

Beyond the shooting itself, Watson harshly criticized the inadequate emergency response on site during the incident. Though an ambulance was already stationed at the paid, organized event, he said the vehicle lacked basic life-saving medical supplies, and on-site emergency personnel were unable to properly control his severe bleeding. “This incident represents a serious failure in ensuring that safe and secure environment that patrons at organised, paid events expect,” he said, calling the entire situation “unacceptable.”

Watson is one of three people wounded in the violence, which investigators have tied to a public dispute between high-profile entertainment figures. Popular podcaster Jhaedee Richards, who goes by the professional name Jaii Frais, was also shot and remains hospitalized under police guard. The third victim, a member of one of the involved entertainer’s entourages, is currently in critical condition and still undergoing emergency surgery.

Local law enforcement has confirmed that Jahvel “Jahvy Ambassador” Morrison, a well-known Jamaican music producer and artist manager, is currently in police custody as the investigation progresses. Initial police reports show the shooting erupted following a confrontation between Morrison and Richards near a venue restroom, where multiple people pulled firearms during the fight. No formal charges have been filed against any suspect as of yet, and detectives continue to piece together the full sequence of events that led to the violence.

For Watson, the incident is far more than a personal tragedy — it is a critical wake-up call for Jamaican authorities and event organizers. He is calling on local officials to implement far stricter safety screening protocols, invest in improved emergency response training and resources for public events, and hold event organizers legally accountable for failures that put attendees at risk. “I can only hope that Jamaica takes this incident as a serious wake-up call and holds event organisers accountable for implementing the necessary safeguards to prevent any future patrons from enduring a situation like mine,” Watson said. “No individual attending an event for enjoyment should have their life threatened or leave with life-altering injuries due to preventable failures in safety and preparedness. There must be accountability, and there must be change to ensure that the well-being and security of all patrons are treated as a priority, not an afterthought.”