A Paris court on Monday ruled that Lafarge, the world’s largest cement maker, paid off terrorist groups in Syria to keep its factories operating there. The court found former CEO Bruno Lafont and eight other former employees guilty of financing terrorism. Lafont was sentenced to six years in jail and the company was ordered to pay a €1.125 million fine. Judges concluded that Lafarge had funnelled about €5.6 million to armed groups including the Islamic State and the Nusra Front to maintain its Syrian operations. This is a developing story. More to follow.

Asked about criticism from US President Donald Trump over the US‑Israel war with Iran, Leo said he was “not afraid of the Trump administration.”

What happened between the Pope and Trump?

President Trump, members of his administration, and many supporters have invoked Christianity to justify strikes on Iran. At Palm Sunday Mass on March 29, Leo—without naming names—said in his sermon: “This is our God: Jesus, King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war…(Jesus) does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them, saying: ‘Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen: your hands are full of blood.'”

This past Saturday the pope more directly referenced the US‑Israel led war in Iran, condemning its “horror and inhumanity” and urging leaders to pursue diplomacy. “Enough of the idolatry of self and money! Enough of the display of power! Enough of war!” he said.

Trump responded on his Truth Social platform, calling Leo “terrible” at foreign policy, suggesting the pontiff was elected to handle Trump, saying the pope was “not doing a very good job” and labeling him “a very liberal person,” while urging him to “stop catering to the Radical Left.”

Leo appeared unruffled on the plane to Algeria, telling reporters he “will not shy away from announcing the message of the gospel.” He reiterated the gospel’s call to peace: “Blessed are the peacemakers.”

Edited by: Louis Oelofse

Hundreds of flights were set to be canceled, with the airline’s main hubs in Frankfurt and Munich hit hardest. This is the fourth strike to affect the carrier in 2026.

Lufthansa has been unable to reach agreements with the pilots’ union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) and the UFO cabin crew union, which had called its own strike just last week.

Which flights and services were affected by the strike?

Frankfurt Airport, Germany’s busiest, showed most Lufthansa departures within Europe canceled for Monday. Several domestic services were listed as replacement rail connections instead.

The airport warned there would be delays and cancellations all day on April 13 and 14 at Frankfurt due to the VC strike.

Munich Airport’s departures search listed only flights still scheduled but carried a strong warning for Lufthansa and Eurowings passengers to check with their carriers amid severe strike-related disruption.

Eurowings pilots were striking only on Monday, while Lufthansa and Lufthansa Cargo pilots affiliated with VC were on strike for both days. Eurowings said it expected to keep a large part of its services operating despite the action.

Not all pilots across Lufthansa’s airlines are VC members, so full participation was not guaranteed.

Middle Eastern flights exempt amid Iran and Gulf conflict

VC said it would exempt flights to several destinations in the Middle East because of travel uncertainty linked to the conflict in Iran and the wider region. Flights from Germany by Lufthansa and Lufthansa Cityline to Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen were not included in the strike.

What the airline and the union said

Lufthansa said it was working intensively to minimize the impact on passengers, seeking to have as many flights as possible operated by other airlines within the Lufthansa Group and by partner carriers. The airline advised passengers of canceled flights that they could swap tickets for Deutsche Bahn rail journeys.

The pilots’ action centers on pay disputes, company pension arrangements and remuneration at regional subsidiary CityLine.

Lufthansa criticized VC’s demands, saying that the union’s core call to double an already above-average company pension plan was “absurd and unfulfillable.”

VC placed much of the blame on the airline. VC President Andreas Pinheiro said the union felt forced into strike action after the employer showed no recognisable willingness to resolve several wage disputes. He added that VC had refrained from striking over the Easter holidays but still had not received offers worth considering or signs of willingness to negotiate from the employer.

Edited by: Louis Oelofse

Keiko Fujimori, a conservative former congresswoman and daughter of the late president Alberto Fujimori, held a narrow lead but fell well short of the more than 50% needed to win outright, making a June runoff likely. She looked set to face fellow conservative Rafael “Porky” López Aliaga.

The ballot listed 35 candidates, reflecting public frustration after nine presidents in the past decade. Fujimori has vowed to crack down on crime but has defended laws that critics say hinder prosecutions; this was her fourth presidential bid.

Aliaga, a former mayor of Lima, has proposed building prisons in the Amazon, allowing judges to conceal their identities to protect them from criminal gangs, and expelling foreigners living in the country illegally. Popular comedian Carlos Álvarez is also running on a tough anti-crime platform.

The vote took place amid high levels of organized crime and political instability.

Edited by: Jenipher Camino Gonzalez

Born in West Africa in 1957, she arrived in Europe via the port of Marseilles in 1959 among the belongings of a French sailor. The sailor, reportedly unable to pay a tavern bill, handed Fatou to the landlady, and she soon found her way to Berlin.

Fatou is a western lowland gorilla. In the wild, gorillas typically do not live beyond their 40s, and even in captivity reaching 50 is considered advanced age.

In 1974 she gave birth to Dufte, the first gorilla born at the Berlin Zoo. Dufte died in 2001, but Fatou’s granddaughter M’penzi still lives with her in Berlin. As of 2026 she has at least three great-great-great-grandchildren.

Fatou’s favorite foods are usually pre-cooked for her, as the grand dame no longer has teeth. Zoo director Andreas Knieriem has said, “We are very proud to have been able to accommodate an animal with us now for more than half a century. We are pleased that Fatou is in such good health despite her age.”

Today she has a private enclosure and staff members dedicated solely to her care. Caretakers say she prefers to sit back and watch the younger gorillas play rather than join in.

Edited by: Louis Oelofse

He is the first-ever leader of the world’s Catholics to visit the Muslim-majority country of Algeria. The Archbishop of Algiers, Jean-Paul Vesco, told AFP the visit aims to help “build bridges between the Christian and Muslim worlds.” Vatican officials say the pope will focus on peace, migration, the environment, young people and the family during the trip.

Algeria holds particular personal and historical significance. This is the first papal visit to the country, where a small Catholic community of about 9,000 people—mostly foreigners—lives among a predominantly Muslim population of some 47 million. Ahead of the pope’s arrival, AFP reported Algiers was spruced up with repainted walls, repaved roads and planted green spaces.

The visit honors the legacy of Saint Augustine, the 4th-century theologian born in what is now Annaba, formerly the Roman city of Hippo. Leo has been a member of the Order of St. Augustine for nearly 50 years and served as its head from 2001 to 2013. Before becoming pope, he visited Algeria twice as leader of the order. In his first speech as pope, Leo described himself as a “son” of Augustine, whose writings he often cites.

The pope will pay tribute to victims of Algeria’s War of Independence against France (1954–1962) at the Martyrs Memorial overlooking Algiers. That conflict claimed hundreds of thousands of lives; official Algerian figures estimate 1.5 million dead, most of them civilians and fighters. While the Algerian constitution recognizes “religions other than Islam” and allows worship within public order limits, rights groups say repression persists. Last week, three human rights organizations urged the pope to address such issues during his visit.

At 70 years old, Pope Leo will travel some 18,000 kilometers across 18 flights in 11 days. The Vatican expects him to speak on corruption, authoritarian rule and the responsibilities of political leaders; the presidents of Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon have both been in power for decades. The countries he will visit are major producers of oil and minerals, including gold and diamonds, yet large segments of their populations remain impoverished and many face conflict and instability.

In Cameroon, authorities expect large crowds—about 600,000 people are due to attend one of Leo’s Masses. He will also take part in a “peace meeting” in the northwestern city of Bamenda, an Anglophone region plagued by separatist violence. Migration to Europe is also expected to be a prominent theme of the trip; migration was a key issue when the pope visited Spain in June, a main entry point for African migrants by sea.

Africa continues to be the fastest-growing region for the Catholic Church. The continent accounted for more than half of the 15.8 million people baptized into the Catholic Church in 2023, and more than 288 million Catholics were recorded in 2024. The Church in Africa faces challenges, including cultural norms such as polygamy, which conflict with Catholic doctrine that marriage is a monogamous, lifelong union between one man and one woman. Ethnic rivalries also complicate the appointment of bishops in diverse regions; in some cases, nominations have been rejected by priests or the faithful.

By comparison, John Paul II visited Africa 15 times during his pontificate, while Pope Francis traveled to the continent five times.

Edited by: Louis Oelofse

The move follows a sharp rise in fuel prices after fighting in Iran disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, constricting oil tanker passage. Merz linked the domestic price pressures directly to that conflict, warning that its economic effects are likely to be long-lasting and saying he and Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul were working to help bring an end to the war.

In addition to the temporary tax cut, the coalition plans to allow employers to pay a one-off, tax- and contribution-free relief bonus of €1,000 in 2026. To offset the resulting shortfall in public revenue, the government expects to raise tobacco taxes as early as 2026.

The announcement came after talks involving leaders of the conservative CDU/CSU bloc and the center-left Social Democrats, including Markus Söder (CSU) and SPD co-leaders Lars Klingbeil and Bärbel Bas. Merz framed the package as short-term relief that complements broader reform efforts his government is preparing, and emphasized the need for measures that support households and businesses while maintaining fiscal responsibility.

Officials emphasized that the effectiveness of the relief depends on market actors passing savings to drivers; regulators and consumer groups will be watching pump prices for compliance. The package is intended to provide immediate respite from high energy costs while the government continues to develop longer-term fiscal and social policies.

In his vision statement for the role, Sall said the UN needed to be reformed, streamlined and modernized.

But Senegal told the African Union (AU) it “has not, at any stage, endorsed” the application and that it is neither “associated with the relative initiative undertaken by the Government of Burundi.”

Sall’s bid also lacks full backing from the AU, which he chaired from 2022 to 2023. Around 20 AU member states have registered objections, including South Africa, Algeria, Rwanda, Liberia and Senegal.

How the bid unraveled

On March 2, Burundi, which currently holds the AU’s rotating chairmanship, sent Sall’s nomination in a letter to the president of the UN General Assembly. The Institute for Security Studies (ISS), a South Africa‑based think tank, said the submission blurred the line between a national move and a continental endorsement.

The ISS noted the letter, signed by Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye, came just two weeks after the AU summit and may have given the impression of formal AU backing. AU procedures require candidacies to undergo formal review by designated committees before the executive council can endorse them, either by consensus or a two‑thirds vote.

After questions and objections from member states, Burundi reintroduced the nomination on March 26 under the AU’s silence procedure, which gave member states 24 hours to object or approve. The silence procedure is commonly used in multilateral bodies to adopt decisions if no formal objections are raised within a set time.

By the close of business on March 27, some 20 AU members had broken the silence, blocking adoption of the draft decision.

Opposing countries say procedures were breached

Rwanda openly criticized the process and confirmed its opposition through senior officials, calling Ndayishimiye’s push a “gross breach of procedure.” Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe wrote on X that the move was “too much for many AU member states,” accusing the chairperson of issuing a diktat and showing disrespect for AU rules of law.

Nigeria’s Permanent Mission to the AU also broke the silence, saying established procedures and principles were not followed. In a letter to the AU Commission, Nigeria argued Africa should refrain from contesting the secretary‑general post, asserting it is the turn of Latin America and the Caribbean under the “time‑honored principle of continental rotation in the appointment of the United Nations Secretary‑General.”

Djiby Sow, a senior ISS researcher for West Africa and the Sahel, said the AU has an established process that allows in‑depth evaluation of candidacies and that the silence procedure did not permit necessary discussion on a matter as significant as the secretary‑general candidacy.

What happens next?

Even without AU endorsement, Sall remains eligible and individual UN member states can vote for him. He joins three other candidates for the post beginning January 1, 2027: Rebeca Grynspan, former vice president of Costa Rica; Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency; and former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet.

They are scheduled to be interviewed by member states in the second half of April.

Edited by: Keith Walker

The US military announced it will begin a blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports and coastal areas on Monday, to be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations using Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. US Central Command said the blockade would start at 5:30 p.m. Iranian local time (1400 GMT) and that ships traveling between non-Iranian ports would still be allowed to transit the Strait of Hormuz.

President Donald Trump confirmed the military statement and said the goal was to clear mines and reopen the strait to all shipping while preventing Iran from profiting from control of the waterway. Iran’s leaders vowed to counter the blockade. Iran’s military called the move illegal and described it as piracy, warning that if the security of Iran’s ports were threatened, no port in the Persian Gulf or Arabian Sea would be safe. The Revolutionary Guards previously said they had full control of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and would trap any challenger “in a deadly vortex.”

Despite US assurances the blockade would not restrict transit through the Strait of Hormuz, most oil tankers were avoiding the waterway. MarineTraffic data showed just four tankers carrying oil, gas or chemicals had crossed the strait on Monday, compared with an average of 138 ships per day before the conflict began on February 28, according to the multinational Joint Maritime Information Center. Hundreds of ships remain stuck in the region, with tanker owners warning thousands of crew members face shortages of water and food.

The strait is a vital route for global energy and commodities: about 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas and nearly half of traded urea normally pass through it. The disruption has pushed oil prices sharply higher — US crude jumped about 8% to just over $104 a barrel and Brent rose about 7% above $102 on Monday, compared with roughly $70 a barrel before the war began.

Political reactions in Europe were mixed. French President Emmanuel Macron said France and the UK will soon hold an international conference to discuss a potential “strictly defensive” naval mission to restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, separate from the warring parties, and reiterated that diplomatic efforts must be redoubled to reach a lasting settlement. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the UK would not be coerced into participating in the US-Israeli war on Iran or supporting the US-announced blockade, telling BBC Radio 5 Live that Britain was focused on getting the strait fully reopened; he noted UK minesweepers were deployed to help reopen the waterway.

Germany’s Economy Ministry warned the conflict would likely have long-term effects on the German economy through 2026, with high energy prices, supply problems and economic burdens persisting even after any resolution. Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced a temporary cut in energy taxes on diesel and petrol to cushion consumers against surging prices.

Tensions extended beyond state actors. President Trump publicly criticized Pope Leo XIV after the pontiff appealed for peace in the Middle East; Trump called the pope “weak on crime” and criticized his stance on Iran in remarks to reporters and on social media.

Background: Since the war began, Iran has effectively restricted the strait to vessels under Iranian control, saying ships would be permitted to transit only subject to Iranian oversight and fees. The US had earlier threatened a full blockade of the strategic waterway; the military statement narrowed that scope to Iranian ports while allowing non-Iranian port-to-port transit. Iranian and US delegations held talks in Pakistan over the weekend that were described as unsuccessful, with Iran’s parliament speaker saying US representatives failed to gain trust and Iranian authorities calling US demands unreasonable.

Developments remain fluid; the US said it aimed to clear mines and restore safe shipping, while Iran vowed to respond to any threats to its ports. International efforts to coordinate a response and to reopen the strait are being discussed by several governments.

The win came despite Orban’s dominance of public media, electoral gerrymandering that forced Tisza to win an estimated extra 5% of the vote compared with Orban’s Fidesz, and campaigning efforts by European far-right parties and elements in the US urging voters to keep the incumbent government. Turnout approached 80%, a post-communist Hungary record, according to the National Election Office.

In his victory speech, Magyar said his government would rebuild ties with Brussels and NATO and tackle the corruption that flourished under Orban. “With the two-thirds majority allowing us to amend the constitution, we will restore the system of checks and balances,” he vowed, adding that Hungary would join the European Public Prosecutor’s Office and “guarantee the democratic functioning of our country.” Many in the crowd chanted “Europe, Europe” during his remarks.

Magyar has promised reforms that could unlock billions in EU funding frozen over rule-of-law and media-freedom concerns. He has also said he wants Hungary to adopt the euro. Diplomats and analysts warn the government will need to show concrete reforms before Brussels releases funds, which would be crucial for a nearly stagnant Hungarian economy.

On social issues, Magyar was cautious during the campaign. He has said little about LGBTQ+ rights, which were curtailed under Orban, but has affirmed equality before the law — a stance observers say may have been chosen to retain conservative voters while avoiding polarizing debate.

European leaders and Ukraine welcomed the result as a potential turning point. While Magyar, like Orban, opposes sending arms to Ukraine and resists rapid EU accession for Kyiv, he is unlikely to reprise Orban’s vitriolic rhetoric toward Kyiv. Orban repeatedly used his veto to frustrate EU support for Ukraine, maintained unusually close ties to Vladimir Putin, and kept Hungary dependent on Russian energy imports — positions that provoked domestic opposition as well as concern in Brussels. As results came in, chants of “Ruszkik haza!” (“Russians go home!”) were widely heard in Budapest.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hailed the outcome, saying “Europe’s heart is beating stronger in Hungary tonight.” German CDU leader Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron expressed willingness to work with Magyar and welcomed the result as a victory for democratic values. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez described the vote as “historic.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy congratulated Magyar on his “resounding victory” and offered readiness for meetings and constructive cooperation for peace, security and stability in Europe.

Following the election, Ukraine lifted a travel advisory it had issued for Hungary after Hungarian authorities detained seven employees of Ukraine’s state-owned Oschadbank last month while they were transporting cash between Austria and Ukraine.

Edited by: Louis Oelofse