cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/46768300

May 2, 2026

President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez of Cuba on Saturday responded with stark and defiant words to the latest attacks coming from US President Donald Trump, who on Friday signed a new executive order authorizing even more aggressive sanctions against the island nation and later threatened to invade the country.

“The President of the United States escalates his threats of military aggression against Cuba to a dangerous and unprecedented scale,” said Díaz-Canel in a statement. “The international community must take note and, together with the people of the United States, determine whether such a drastic criminal act will be allowed to satisfy the interests of a small but wealthy and influential group, driven by desires for revenge and domination.”

Signs that president is losing the support of voters in advance of November's midterm elections

In a statement, Access Now says it was “told that diplomats from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) were putting pressure on the Government of Zambia because Taiwanese civil society participants were planning to join us in person.”

North Korea on Sunday rejected US allegations of cybercrimes originating from there, calling them "absurd slander" and denying it poses a cyber threat, state media KCNA reported. In 2024, a United Nations panel estimated that North Korea-linked cyberattacks have stolen over $3 billion (€2.56 billion) in cryptocurrency since 2017, funds believed to support Pyongyang's nuclear and missile development. The country has been dubbed "the world's most prolific cyber-thief" by a cybersecurity firm.

Malacca: The Malacca Straits Mosque, sometimes called the “floating mosque” because it extends over the water, offers fine views of one of the busiest maritime choke points in the world. Tourists in the storied Malaysian port town that lends the strait its name enjoy the mosque’s back deck at sunset, watching the monolithic container ships that trundle through placid waters, and the changing colours of the sky. If you were to stand here for a year with binoculars, you would see a quarter of global seaborne trade pass by. More crude oil comes through here each year than even the Strait of Hormuz. For centuries, the 1100-kilometre passage bound by Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia – only a couple of kilometres wide at its narrowest – has been the great maritime link between East and West. In this late-afternoon panorama, we count eight container ships near and far, each heading towards Singapore, old Malacca town’s modern-day successor as South-East Asia’s major trade emporium. Some of the cargo may be heading to a store or pump near you – more than 40 per cent of Australia’s imports and about two-thirds of its exports pass through the strait.

The United Arab Emirates has lifted all flight restrictions put in place since the start of the United States and Israel’s war on Iran, the country’s civil aviation authority has announced. All air operations have returned to “normal status” in UAE airspace, the General Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement on Saturday.

“Our decision came following a comprehensive assessment of operational and security conditions, in coordination with the relevant authorities”, the aviation authority said in a post on X, adding that it would continue monitoring the situation. The announcement marks a significant milestone for UAE hubs Dubai, home to the world’s busiest airport for international passengers, and Abu Dhabi, which have been operating under restrictions since late February. The US-Israel war on Iran has caused major disruption to aviation across the Middle East, with Tehran’s retaliatory strikes on Gulf countries forcing the closure of large portions of the region’s airspace.

The decision comes after the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) and the Public Interest Law Centre (PILC) filed a 240-page dossier to the Met's War Crimes Team in April last year.

The PILC said the report detailed the alleged involvement of the 10 British nationals, including dual citizens, in the “targeted killings of civilians and aid workers, indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas, attacks on hospitals and protected sites, and the forced transfer and displacement of civilians”.

The Met’s decision comes after The Guardian reported last month the closure of a foreign office unit tracking potential breaches of international law by Israel in Gaza and Lebanon due to funding cuts.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.zip/post/63509473

Studies show extreme rain has become more frequent in country, as Pernambuco and Paraiba states again battered.

At least six people have died in heavy rains in northeastern Brazil, with thousands more displaced, according to authorities. The deaths were reported in the Pernambuco and Paraiba states on Saturday, following two days of rain.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/46757790

2 May 2026

The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has taken aim at the UK government for promoting “inaccurate and counterproductive” narratives linking pro-Palestine marches to antisemitic violence.

In a statement on Sunday, the MCB condemned the stabbing of two Jewish men in a northwest London neighbourhood with a large Jewish population, saying it stands “in solidarity with the Jewish community facing an abhorrent rise in antisemitism”.

The group added that “attempts to frame British Muslims, or all who advocate for Palestinian rights, as collectively responsible for rising antisemitism are inaccurate and counterproductive”.

The comments, which did not name individuals, appeared to target the government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who earlier this week conflated antisemitic attacks with pro-Palestine protests against Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

US president says Iran conflict ‘terminated’ despite stand-off in the Middle East as Congress consent deadline passes

The Iran war and resulting blockade of the Strait of Hormuz have focused minds on international shipping. Russian officials are promoting the Northern Sea Route (NSR), an Arctic sea lane running along their country’s northern coast. President Vladimir Putin said in April the route's importance as "the most safe, reliable and efficient path is becoming ever more obvious." It is the shortest maritime route between Asia and Europe. But it’s frozen for much of the year, and comes with significant political considerations. DW asked an environmental foundation which has studied the route — how realistic is this vision of the NSR as a new major shipping passage?

The US has warned shipping companies they could face sanctions if they pay Iran for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

An alert on Friday by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) warned US persons and companies were generally banned from paying Iranian government entities, and non-US persons may risk exposure to sanctions if they pay.

"Maritime industry participants involved with vessels calling at Iranian ports face significant sanctions risk under multiple sanctions authorities targeting Iran's shipping sector and ports", OFAC said.

Iran has severely limited traffic through the strait since the war began in February. The US has also enforced a naval blockade on Iranian ports.

The attack, the second in a week, follows months of relative calm in the city after government forces regained control last year.

A drone strike carried out by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has killed five civilians in Khartoum, according to an NGO. The attack, which Emergency Lawyers, an independent legal group supporting victims of human rights violations in Sudan, reported on Saturday, is the second to take place in the capital within a week. It follows months of relative calm in the city after government forces regained control last year.